Reeperbahn Festival Wraps with 43,000 Attendees, Celebrates emerging Talent
HAMBURG, GERMANY - The Reeperbahn Festival concluded Sunday night after four days of music, discussion, and discovery, drawing approximately 43,000 visitors to Hamburg’s St. Pauli district. The festival showcased around 450 acts from 30 nations across roughly 70 venues, operating under the theme “Imagine Togenthernness!”
This year’s event placed a strong emphasis on the future of live music, with industry representatives from culture, music, and politics convening to address the preservation of small venues – vital for artist development - and the implementation of fairer artist remuneration models. Surprise performances throughout the festival included appearances by Nina Chuba, Zsá Zsá, Jolle, and Kraftklub.
Highlighting the festival’s commitment to emerging artists, American singer Mei Semones and her band were awarded the Anchor Award, the Reeperbahn Festival’s Young Talent Prize. Grammy-nominated songwriter Tayla Parx described the band as “unique, incomparable and in the best possible way,” adding, “She left us a feeling of ‘What the hell was that?’ and we liked that very much.” The jury, which also included Rock icon Suzi Quatro, singer Max Giesinger, avant-garde artist Laurie Anderson, and producer Bazzazian, was convinced Semones represents “an artistic voice with the strength to redefine what mainstream can mean.”
the Anchor award includes a 20,000 euro voucher for light and sound equipment and the use of a tour bus for one month. This marks the tenth year the award has been presented.
Founded two decades ago by Alexander Schulz, the Reeperbahn Festival has become a key platform for discovering and promoting musical talent across all genres, utilizing a diverse range of venues from intimate clubs to the renowned Elbphilharmonie.Pre-sale for the 2026 Reeperbahn Festival begins today.
