While the attention of the U.K has been focussed on events such as The V Festival, Leeds/Reading, Glastonbury, and numerous other festivals this summer, Germany has been quietly preparing to herald the arrival of Reeperbahn. This three day festival takes place in the St Pauli District of Hamburg, a trendy and Bohemian part of the city.
Reeperbahn, like some of its European and International counterparts, is a veritable mix of music showcases, seminars, and masterclasses. It’s a great chance to view, hear, and discuss everything that’s currently making its mark on the music industry.
160 acts from all over the world have been lined up to play at venues across the district, representing an eclectic mix of music genres. Visitors to the festival will get the chance to see the likes of Reverend and the Makers, Fight Like Apes, and that band with the impossible name, Dananananakroyd, all on stage. They have recently been joined in the line-up by indie rockers The Editors, Dinosaur Jr, an American Alt Rock trio, and CSS, a Brazilian New Wave act who will be doing a DJ Set. Other less familiar names performing include Kante, Gemma Ray, My Awesome Mixtape, Marteria and The Band Of Brothers, The Cinematics, Turbo Weekend, and Wallis Bird. All this and much more taking place in around 20 different venues, including one called Kaiserkeller, a famous stomping ground of The Beatles in their early days.
The fun of course, doesn’t just revolve around live performances, there’s also the ‘Reeperbahn Campus’, a brand new industry event/platform for Germany. It hopes to attract an international crowd of representatives from the music, film, IT, and gaming industries. Running alongside the rest of the festival, this event will offer many panels, talks, and seminars, all focussing on the creative industries, current trends, and how the creative industries have merged. With record labels, training companies, and broadcasters previously using ‘Reeperbahn’ as a forum and networking opportunity, expanding the event in this way was a natural step. For more information on the festival visit www.reeperbahnfestival.com or www.reeperbahncampus.com
If you’re attending the festival as a music fan, rather than as a conference attendee, then maybe you’ll want to find out what other music flavoured fun Hamburg has to offer. One attraction worth mentioning is the newly opened Beatle Mania exhibition. This permanent exhibition is a must see for all fans of the Liverpool legends. For more information on this please visit www.beatlemania-hamburg.com.