Starlight Express
- from EUR 31
- Ideal for kids, teens, friends
Sign up free — See who's going and message them.
Is this your place? Get the badge for your websiteAbout
More photos 11
1 / 11
Why go
- A nine-tonne swivelling bridge carries performers across three levels and marks the race’s start and finish.
- The show holds the record for the longest-running musical at one venue.
- A 2026 revision introduced Ticktack, a Glacier Express engine from Switzerland.
The hall
- Seating
- The audience sits amid U-shaped skate tracks on three levels, with tracks running directly through the seating.
Interesting facts4
-
The production holds the Guinness World Record for most visitors to a musical in one theatre.
Starlight Express - Wikipedia -
2023
More than 19 million people had seen the Bochum production by 2023.
Starlight Express - Wikipedia (part 3) -
The music is by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Richard Stilgoe.
Starlight Express - Wikipedia -
The theatre took less than a year to build, an achievement recorded in the Guinness Book of Records.
Starlight Express - Wikipedia (part 3)
Shorts
History
The Bochum version largely followed the Broadway production, with further revisions of its own. Belle, retained in earlier West End and Broadway versions, was removed in Bochum. Following workshops in London, the production cut songs and characters, introduced female engines and changed Papa to Mama.
- 1984Andrew Lloyd Webber created the musical.
- 12 June 1988The theatre opened and the Bochum run began.
- 2003An update added songs, a Megamix finale and an extra track for staging and skating tricks.
- 2008A televised contest selected Kevin Köhler and Anna-Maria Schmidt as Rusty and Pearl. Schmidt later left training; Köhler made his Rusty debut on 1 August 2008.
- 2018A production update and €4.5 million theatre renovation marked the show's 30th anniversary.
Show all
- COVID-19 pandemicThe production paused during the pandemic and later resumed.
How to get there
- CarParking is beside the theatre.
- BusNearby bus stops serve the theatre.
Sources: Starlight Express - Wikipedia · Starlight Express - Wikipedia (part 2) · Starlight Express - Wikipedia (part 3) · STARLIGHT EXPRESS – live in Bochum · Starlight Express – Family & Friends Sommerange… · Die Show – STARLIGHT EXPRESS – live in Bochum · Starlight Express - Wikipedia · Starlight Express - Wikipedia · checked 28 Sep 2026
- Website
- starlight-express.de/
- Phone
- +492215693950
Questions and answers
What is Starlight Express about?
Rusty, a young steam locomotive, competes in a train world championship against modern diesel and electric engines. His rivals include Greaseball and Electra.
Where is Starlight Express performed?
It is performed in a theatre built specifically for the musical in Bochum, Germany.
Do performers skate in Starlight Express?
Yes. Performers skate on roller skates during the musical.
- See who's going — faces, not ticket counts.
- Write to someone who shares your interests — no swipes, no matches, no paywall.
- Pick the event or the place to meet at — and go together.