‘Maximum rizz’ as Ski Aggu headlines Rhine-Ruhr 2025 Festival concert

BOCHUM - German rapper Ski Aggu donned his trademark ski goggles and tracksuit and delivered a memorable show to open the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 Festival on Thursday night.

Bathed in late-evening sunshine, the huge crowd was treated to a display featuring pyrotechnics and confetti rain at the Nordwiese of the Jahrhunderthalle.

Festival-goers got in the mood by singing along to Mariah Careys’ ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ before Ski Aggu took over, performing tracks including ‘Maximum Rizz’, which in German youth slang means maximum coolness, style or charisma.

The stage itself was a huge inflatable replica of the rapper’s head with two inflatable hands, one of which functioned as a secondary platform.

Ski Aggu, whose real name is August Diederich, encouraged fans to join the mosh pit and dance together. He even created exclusive mosh pits for individuals identifying as FLINTA*, which includes female, lesbian, inter, non-binary, trans and agender people, with the * representing those of gender and non-gender.

The 27-year-old interacted with the audience to ensure everyone felt comfortable as he performed a selection of his older, well-known songs as well as new material.

Voice messages from artists including Zartmann and makko were also included as part of the show.

Incredible atmosphere

“This concert by Ski Aggu was one of the best concerts of my life,” Andrea, a young fan from Cologne who had waited the whole day to stand in the front row.

“The atmosphere was incredible,” she told the FISU Games News Service. “The energy was unbelievable – I honestly can’t put it into words. It’s absolutely worth being in the front row.

“He even interacted with me a few times. He made a heart symbol to show he remembered me. I had made him a gingerbread heart, and he actually took it. That was wonderful.”

Other fans were similarly impressed.

“He has managed to make a festival his own thing,” said Lee, from Bochum, while Leyla Shirin, also from the city, had initially been concerned about attending the event.

“I was actually worried it might be a bit hectic,” Leyla said. “But everything was really chilled. And then the concert itself, how Aggu responded to us with his energy, you could feel it instantly. I think he was just as happy to be there as we were.

“He’s completely managed to do his own thing. I’d go to the FISU Games just for Aggu. Everything else faded away – it was just Aggu and us. If there’s anyone who can make this city go wild, it’s Ski Aggu.”

Sick show

The rapper himself was equally happy to perform at the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 Festival.

“This was a sick show,” he told the crowd. “Thank you for your energy.”

As fans screamed ‘Zugabe, Zugabe’ in hope of an encore, Ski Aggu returned to the stage to perform ‘Friesenjung’, one of his most famous songs, before local cult hero VfL-Jesus joined him.

Ski Aggu was also later joined by local duo GDA, and together they performed ‘Nein Schatz’.

The entertainment concluded with ‘Bochum’ by Herbert Grönemeyer, a famous German song in which the artist declares his love for the city.

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