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Music festivals in Hamburg
Hamburg's festival year follows the harbour and the clubs: classical concerts at the Elbphilharmonie in spring, jazz on a shipyard in early summer, an indie and hip-hop weekend among the cranes of Wilhelmsburg in August, and in September four days in which the whole of St. Pauli becomes one club festival.
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Festivals · Hamburg
Music festivals in Hamburg
The season starts indoors. The Internationales Musikfest Hamburg runs for about five weeks from May into early June, with orchestras and soloists in the Elbphilharmonie's Grand and Small Halls and the Laeiszhalle. Then the harbour takes over. Elbjazz sets up on the Blohm+Voss shipyard across the Elbe from the Landungsbrücken, with stages in shipbuilding halls and on the old slipway, and special concerts in the Elbphilharmonie; it has taken a break and shifted dates in recent editions, so check the current weekend. In August, MS Dockville fills the grounds at the Reiherstieg in Wilhelmsburg, surrounded by port industry, with more than ten stages of indie, hip-hop, pop and electronic music, art installations built for the site, workshops and talks, and a young, mostly local crowd that has been coming for well over a decade.
September belongs to St. Pauli. The Reeperbahn Festival spreads over four days and around 70 venues around the Reeperbahn and Spielbudenplatz: rock clubs like the Molotow, the Docks, the Uebel & Gefährlich in the Feldstraße bunker, the St. Pauli church and pop-up stages in between, with hundreds of mostly new and up-and-coming acts from Germany and abroad. By day it doubles as a music-industry conference, so the crowd mixes fans, bands and label people. In November the Überjazz Festival brings jazz and music that does not fit a category to Kampnagel in Winterhude; while Kampnagel is being renovated, it runs in a smaller format in hall k6. Outside the city, Hurricane is the region's big rock and indie weekend in June, held on the Eichenring in Scheeßel, between Hamburg and Bremen, with camping.
A few things first-timers learn quickly. At the Reeperbahn Festival the smaller clubs fill up fast, so for an act you really want to see, arrive a set early and stay put. For MS Dockville take the S3 or S5 to Wilhelmsburg and walk; shuttle buses help at night, and camping is right next to the grounds. For Elbjazz, the old Elbe tunnel and the harbour ferries are the way across the river, and both get busy at changeover. Hamburg weather turns quickly even in August, so a rain jacket belongs in every bag, and the HVV runs through the night on weekends if the last set ends late.
Common questions
When is festival season in Hamburg?+
From spring to autumn. The Internationales Musikfest runs in May and early June, Elbjazz lands in early summer, MS Dockville is in August and the Reeperbahn Festival fills St. Pauli in September. Überjazz closes the year at Kampnagel in November. Mood shows what is on sale right now.
How does the Reeperbahn Festival work?+
One wristband gets you into around 70 venues around the Reeperbahn over four days in September, from rock clubs to the St. Pauli church. Most acts are new or up-and-coming, and capacity in the small rooms is first come, first served. Check Mood for current tickets and shows.
Where is MS Dockville held?+
At the Reiherstieg in Wilhelmsburg, in the middle of the port on the south side of the Elbe. Take the S3 or S5 to Wilhelmsburg and walk; camping is next to the site. It takes place in August. See the current festival listings on Mood.
Is Hurricane Festival in Hamburg?+
No. Hurricane takes place in June on the Eichenring in Scheeßel, Lower Saxony, between Hamburg and Bremen, with camping on site. Many Hamburg fans go by train or festival bus. Concerts and festivals in the city itself are listed on Mood.