© Ballett John Neumeier / Kieran West

Hamburg's culture before Christmas

Culture and arts during the "most wonderful time" of the year

classic to new 10 cultural tips from Hamburg for young and old during the advent season

During the Christmas season, Hamburg shows its particularly radiant and beautiful side. And even at this special time of year, Hamburg's multifaceted cultural landscape is always worth a visit. Here are a few tips:

classic to new 10 cultural tips from Hamburg for young and old during the advent season

During the Christmas season, Hamburg shows its particularly radiant and beautiful side. And even at this special time of year, Hamburg's multifaceted cultural landscape is always worth a visit. Here are a few tips:

1.Advent and Christmas concerts in Hamburg's Michel

© ThisIsJulia Photography
© ThisIsJulia Photography
© ThisIsJulia Photography
© ThisIsJulia Photography
© ThisIsJulia Photography
© ThisIsJulia Photography
© Hauptkirche St. Michaelis / Peter Vette
© Hauptkirche St. Michaelis / Peter Vette
© Hauptkirche St. Michaelis / Peter Vette
© ThisIsJulia Photography

The main church of St Michael's, affectionately known in Hamburg as ‘Michel’, is worth a visit all year round. In the run-up to Christmas, this city landmark puts on a programme that is very popular with locals and tourists alike. First and foremost, of course, the classic: ‘The Christmas Oratorio’ by Johann Sebastian Bach on 21 and 22 December 2024. The renowned actress Iris Berben will be a guest on 7 and 8 December 2024 for the traditional ‘Texts and Songs for Advent’ series. The ‘Christmas concert to sing along to’ will take place on 19 December 2024.

St. Michaelis Church

Address

Englische Planke 1
20459 Hamburg

your discounts

Adults: 6.00 € instead of 8.00 €; children (6-15 years): 4.00 € instead of 5.00 €

and more

Michel - St. Michaelis Kirche

Englische Planke 1
20459 Hamburg

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2.The pleasure of deception at the Hamburger Kunsthalle

© Hamburger Kunsthalle_Foto Kay Riechers
© Ralf Sürbaum
© ThisIsJulia Photography
© Hamburger Kunsthalle_bpk_Caspar David Friedrich. Wanderer über dem Nebelmeer, um 1817_Dauerleihgabe der SHK_Foto Elke Walford
© Hamburger Kunsthalle_Foto Hanna Lenz (4)_M
© Hamburger Kunsthalle_Foto Kay Riechers
© Hamburger Kunsthalle_Café-Restaurant THE CUBE_Foto Kay Riechers
© Hamburger Kunsthalle_Foto Hanna Lenz (3)_M
© Hamburger Kunsthalle_Foto Hanna Lenz (8)_M
© ThisIsJulia Photography
© Hamburger Kunsthalle_Foto Kay Riechers

Reality and fiction. Especially at Christmas time, these boundaries become blurred when children ask the question of all questions: Does Father Christmas really exist? From 6 December 2024, the Hamburger Kunsthalle will be exploring dreams and visions, concealment and disguise, and the joy of deception in the cross-genre and cross-epoch exhibition ‘Illusion. Dream - Identity - Reality’.

Hamburger Kunsthalle

Address

Glockengießerwall 5
20095 Hamburg

your discounts

31 % discount

Hamburger Kunsthalle

Glockengießerwall 5
20095 Hamburg

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3.Christmas time in the Laeiszhalle

© Maxim Schulz
© Thies Rätzke
© Thies Rätzke
© Thies Rätzke
© Thies Rätzke

In December 2024, the tradition-steeped concert hall once again has a number of festive programme items in store: a ‘Festive Christmas Concert’ with actress Esther Schweins and the Carl-Philipp-Emanuel-Bach-Chor Hamburg will take place on 7 December. Bach's famous ‘Christmas Oratorio’ will be performed on 16 December by the Ensemble Resonanz - ‘in a different way’. The Prague Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra will perform its ‘Christmas Gala of Classical Music’ on 18 December.

Laeiszhalle

Address

Johannes-Brahms-Platz
20355 Hamburg

Laeiszhalle

Johannes-Brahms-Platz
20355 Hamburg

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4.Christmas sounds in the new NICA Jazz Club

© Art-Invest Real Estate (Blue Bridges Foto), Aeny (Renderings)

Hamburg's club scene has one more location! The NICA Jazz Club opened in November 2024 in the heart of the city centre, next to the town hall on Alter Wall. With a view of the canal, lovers of top-class live music will get their money's worth here. On 1 December 2024, an intimate evening with two-time Grammy award winner Dee Dee Bridgewater is on the programme. On St Nicholas' Day, the folk-jazz quartet Leléka will perform a Ukrainian Christmas concert. There will be a Christmas concert by the internationally acclaimed vocal group New York Voices on 20 December and a day later a Christmas special by Torsten Goods, who is regarded as the German George Benson.

NICA JAZZ CLUB

Address

Alter Wall 20
20457 Hamburg

NICA JAZZ CLUB

Alter Wall 20
20457 Hamburg

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5.Between tradition and extravagance: Christmas show in the Pulverfass

© Anna Michelle Schermal
© Anna Michelle Schermal
© Anna Michelle Schermal
© Johannes Beschoner

Wild, wicked and unforgettable! The Pulverfass Cabaret travesty theatre offers an explosive mixture of comedy, cabaret and sensual entertainment with ‘DIE PULVERFASS WEIHNACHTSSHOW - auf'm Weihnachtsmarkt nachts um halb eins’. The dazzling performances blur the boundaries between tradition and extravagance. The adventure, which captivates all the senses and leaves nothing to be desired, can be experienced from 1 November to 29 December 2024 at St. Pauli.

Pulverfass-Cabaret

Address

Reeperbahn 147
20359 Hamburg

your discounts

25 % discount

Pulverfass-Cabaret

Reeperbahn 147
20359 Hamburg

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6.Flowers in winter

© Collection Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam
© framespotting
© Miguel Chevalier / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2024
© framespotting
© Badisches Landesmuseum, Karlsruhe
© courtesy of the artist and Stephen Friedman Gallery, London, Foto © Sammlung Vilsmeier – Linhares, München
© Galerie Michel Descours, Paris, (Foto: Galerie Michel Descours / Didier Michalet)
© Leihgabe der Bundesrepublik Deutschland - Sammlung Zeitgenössische Kunst / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2024

With ‘Flowers Forever. Flowers in Art and Culture’, the Bucerius Kunst Forum invites visitors to take a tour through the art and cultural history of flowers from antiquity to the present day until 19 January 2025. Visitors will be able to experience the multifaceted history of the flower on various sensory levels through the compilation of interdisciplinary and international exhibits - attracting art lovers and science enthusiasts alike.

Flowers Forever. Flowers in art and culture

Address

Alter Wall 12
20457 Hamburg

Bucerius Kunst Forum

Alter Wall 12
20457 Hamburg

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7.For families: theatre, opera and ballet during the Christmas season

© ThisIsJulia Photography
© ThisIsJulia Photography
© ThisIsJulia Photography
© ThisIsJulia Photography

Hamburg's theatres have a lot to offer families during the Advent season. From fairytale classics to modern tales and musicals - there is something for everyone here. If you want to experience a tradition that many Hamburg families have cherished for generations, you should definitely plan a visit to the Hamburg State Opera in December. There, the Hamburg Ballet will be performing ‘The Nutcracker’ in a production by John Neumeier and the Hamburg State Opera will be staging Humperdinck's ‘Hansel and Gretel’, the oldest repertoire piece on the current programme of Germany's first civic opera.

Hamburgische Staatsoper

Address

Große Theaterstraße 25
20354 Hamburg

your discounts

15 % discount

Hamburgische Staatsoper

Große Theaterstraße 25
20354 Hamburg

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8.Elbphilharmonie

© DoubleVision
© Iris Herzog stude
© DoubleVision
© Maxim Schulz
© DoubleVision

It is an architectural masterpiece, a popular viewing platform and a concert hall that is unrivalled worldwide - the Elbphilharmonie. The landmark will once again bring Hollywood to Hamburg in 2024: on 18 December, French Oscar winner Marion Cottilard will appear in the speaking role of Joan of Arc in Honegger's ‘Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher’. To mark the 200th anniversary of Anton Bruckner's birth, his works will be a special focus of the 2024/25 season, with chief conductor Alan Gilbert conducting the Austrian composer's longest and most powerful symphony No. 8 on 5, 6 and 8 December. It's worth taking a look at the December programme!

Elbphilharmonie

Address

Platz der Deutschen Einheit
20457 Hamburg

Elbphilharmonie

Platz der Deutschen Einheit
20457 Hamburg

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9.A universal genius to touch and immerse yourself in

Leonardo Da Vinci was an artist, scientist, engineer and inventor. At the Gaußhöfe in Altona, visitors can go on an immersive journey through the life of the Italian Renaissance polymath with ‘Leonardo Da Vinci - Uomo Universale’ until Christmas 2024 and independently set replica constructions in motion.

Gaußhöfe

Address

Gaußstraße 190
22765 Hamburg

Gaußhöfe

Gaußstraße 190
22765 Hamburg

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10.Musical metropolis with new musicals

© Dennis Mundkowski
© Kochfabrik

On 1 December 2024, ‘MJ - The Michael Jackson Musical’ will celebrate its German premiere in Hamburg. The story of the ‘Dangerous’ world tour from 1992 will be brought to life at the Stage Theatre an der Elbe and some of the most famous and best-selling songs in music history will be presented. The King of Pop is embodied by Benét Monteiro. A firework display of the most famous pop songs is the hit musical ‘& JULIA’, which has been back in Hamburg at the Stage Operettenhaus on the Reeperbahn since autumn.

First Stage Theater

Address

Thedestraße 15
22767 Hamburg

your discounts

30 % discount

First Stage Theater

Thedestraße 15
22767 Hamburg

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© Geheimtipp Hamburg

Pretzels, punch and bright lights Christmas markets

The Advent season in Hamburg wouldn’t be the same without the city’s charming Christmas markets. While they have been redesigned for this year’s season, the magic will still be there.

Christmas markets

MORE TIPS HERE: @hamburgahoi

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