Waterside events in Hamburg: a foretaste of the 2019 summer programme

The 2018 summer in Hamburg was a real joy even before it had begun. With plenty of warm days, conditions were excellent for all those Hamburg events that were staged by or on the water. Naturally, anticipation is high for the events lined up for 2019, such as the Hamburg Port Anniversary, the Elbjazz Festival, the Vogelball, the Hamburg Cruise Days festival and many other highlights that will once again lure millions of visitors to the Elbe and the port. These are reasons enough to take note of the dates for 2019. At www.hamburg-travel.com/urbanshore the video clip “Events at the waterside” from our ongoing URBAN SHORE marketing campaign looks back at some of this year’s highlights, while also feeding the appetite for the upcoming event season.

Festivals, concerts, book readings, parties, masquerade balls, live concert screenings, and poetry slams in the open air – and all of this against the unique backdrop of the River Elbe. At Hamburg’s waterside, a multitude of exciting activities and events ensured a continuous flow of inspiration in 2018. And there is one thing for sure: this flow of inspiration is far from ebbing away. Because at Hamburg’s URBAN SHORE, people are getting together as a community. Whether it is at the MS Dockville, the Elbjazz Festival, the popular Port Anniversary festival or the concert screenings of the Elbphilharmonie: this is where people of all ages got together to celebrate and enjoy the unique energy of Hamburg’s event scene.

Each year, a wealth of music, art and cultural events across Hamburg’s various stages, boards and dance floors are forging an unparalleled experience for all senses. As Hamburg’s 2019 calendar of events is now in the planning stages, here’s a foretaste of some of the upcoming highlights:

Music city on the water

Revolving around the core theme of identity, the Hamburg International Music Festival will be featuring classical music, performances and arts from 27 April to 29 May 2019. Venues include e.g. the spectacular Elbphilharmonie Hamburg in the port as well as the premises of the listed Bille power station, an impressive industrial heritage landmark directly on the Elbe. The Elbjazz Festival will bring top-class jazz to the Elbphilharmonie as well as to shipyards and historic vessels across Hamburg’s port district. From 16 to 18 August, the MS Dockville music festival will be presenting the latest music trends in front of an industrial harbour backdrop and between container stacks. Taking place at the same venue, the more electronic-minded Vogelball event (3 August) and the MS Artville festival (21 July to 11 August) will present artworks and performances off the beaten track. On a more contemplative note, the Elbphilharmonie’s Concert Cinema programme in late August/early September will feature live concert screenings to ring out Hamburg’s open-air season at the waterside.

There are also numerous music events lined up close to water in the larger Hamburg Metropolitan Region, such as the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival (SHMF) from 6 July to 1 September, Wacken Open Air, the legendary heavy metal festival from 1 to 3 August, as well as A Summer's Tale, the boutique music festival from 1 to 4 August, and, in the very heart of Hamburg, the Reeperbahn Festival – Europe’s biggest club festival and industry meeting, to take place from 18 to 21 September 2019.

Spectacular events at and on the water

A maritime world of experience: from 10 to 12 May 2019 the Hamburg Port Anniversary invites you to join the largest port festival in the world. Speaking of unparalleled maritime events, the annual Hamburg Cruise Days festival from 13 to 15 September is of course another must from Hamburg’s 2019 event agenda. Europe’s largest cruise-related public event transforms the port of Hamburg into one big stage for cruise giants, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors and featuring a record-breaking ship parade with as many as 12 cruise liners in 2019.

Video clip “Events at the waterside” gives a foretaste of next year’s event summer

The video clip “Events at the waterside” is the last of a total of three videos from the URBAN SHORE campaign that present Hamburg’s waterside and lets audiences immerse themselves in life on Hamburg’s waterfront. At www.hamburg-travel.com/urbanshore you will also find related clips, such as “Life at the waterside” and “Culture at the waterside” as well as many other ideas, suggestions and package deals for a visit to Hamburg.

All those who would like to make the most out of their cultural trip and explore the different faces of the city can benefit from attractive deals – ranging from maritime accommodation packages (starting from €116 for two nights, as well as the option of train journeys within Germany) to themed harbour boat trips, maritime musicals as well as a digital calendar with up-to-date information on cruise ship arrivals. The Hamburg CARD is an excellent travel companion as it allows visitors to travel across the city at low rates and with high flexibility, while at the same time exploring Hamburg’s most beautiful spots and greatest tourist attractions. The HAMBURG CARD is valid as a ticket for all means of transport of the Hamburg Transport Association (HVV).

Further information on Hamburg:

- Media services as well as general information on Hamburg: mediarelations.hamburg.de

- Pictures and footage for free editorial use: mediaserver.hamburg.de

More Hamburg:

Many more Hamburg tips for download or online at the following Websites:

- HHT website: hamburg-travel.com

- Hamburg CARD: hamburg-tourismus.de/card

- Calendar of events: www.hamburg-travel.com/experience/events

- Event app, including “culture alert”: hh-events.de

- Hamburg App: hh-app.de