Ensemble der Harry-Potter-Theaterproduktion auf stimmungsvoll beleuchteter Bühne in Hamburg
© Manuel Harlan

Theater & Stage Arts

Fantastic productions and theatrical art in Hamburg

Whether spoken, musical or dance theatre - the "boards that mean the world" have a long tradition in Hamburg. To this day, Hamburg's theatre scene is one of the most renowned and diverse. Curtain up for world-class superlatives!

 

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      Hamburgs Performing Arts

      Famous: from then to now

      1678 is an important year in the history of Hamburg's theatre scene. It was the year in which an opera house was founded on the Gänsemarkt, the first in Germany to be financed by the citizens. Telemann, Handel, Puccini, Tchaikovsky and Mahler are just some of the names associated with the theatre. Today it is still world famous - as the Hamburg State Opera. It is also home to the Hamburg Ballet, made world famous by John Neumeier. Hamburg's two other state theatres are no less impressive: The Deutsches SchauSpielHaus Hamburg, founded in 1900 on private initiative in St. Georg, is Hamburg's largest theatre and one of the most important in the German-speaking world. The Thalia Theatre bears the name of the Greek muse of comedy, because in its early days in the 1840s it was not allowed to perform serious plays. Since 1912, it has had its main theatre in the old town, where its repertoire includes classics and contemporary works. Contemporary performing arts with music, theatre, dance and performances can be found at Kampnagel, a multifunctional stage complex in Winterhude and Germany's largest independent performance and production venue.

      Established: even beyond Hamburg's borders

      Hamburg is home to Germany's largest private theatre: the Ernst Deutsch Theatre, which sees itself as a forum for social debate and promotes young talent. Icons have appeared on its stage and it is Germany's most popular Low German folk theatre: the Ohnsorg Theatre! Founded in 1841, the St. Pauli Theatre is the oldest private theatre in Hamburg, located next to the Davidwache, and presents renowned artists with intelligent entertainment. Strange, beautiful, shrill: that's Schmidt's Tivoli on Spielbudenplatz in St. Pauli. Its repertoire includes "Die Heiße Ecke", a musical with cult status.

      The Reeperbahn is also home to the Imperial Theatre, Hamburg's only crime theatre. The Altona Theatre brings literature to the stage, including classics, bestsellers and young works. The Hamburger Kammerspiele, not far from the Outer Alster, is one of the city's top private theatres. Hamburg's oldest vaudeville theatre is located on Steindamm in St. Georg: the Hansa Theatre stands for first-class acrobatics and the finest entertainment. The Winterhuder Fährhaus Comedy Theatre stages upmarket boulevard plays with a celebrity cast. And the Theatre at the Grossmarkt, in Hamburg's listed Grossmarkthallen, is showing Harry Potter and the Cursed Child to great acclaim. The English Theatre of Hamburg, Germany's oldest English-language theatre, offers a cultural experience in the original English.

      Free, experimental and special

      It is the city's largest and best-known off-stage venue: Hamburg's Sprechwerk presents drama, dance theatre, children's theatre, performance, cabaret and improvisation. The LICHTHOF theatre in Bahrenfeld is a venue for independent performing arts. Hamburg's oldest off-stage theatre is the monsun.theatre, which focuses on contemporary drama. The Klabauter Theater, near the Berliner Tor, shows integrative theatre. The Harburg Theatre, whose history is closely linked to Altona, is firmly anchored in Hamburg's cultural landscape. In the east of the city, Das kleine Hoftheater offers high-quality entertainment theatre. Theatre at eye level can be found at Das Zimmer, the theatre in a former shop, the smallest private theatre in Hamburg with 40 seats. The Opernloft in the old ferry terminal in Altona offers special access to operas - here each opera lasts a maximum of 90 minutes - and the Hamburg Kammeroper (Allee-Theater), which stages the works in specially produced German versions. And what could be more fitting for the port city of Hamburg than a theatre on a ship? From its picturesque berth on the Nikolaifleet, the theatre ship claims to be Europe's only seaworthy stage.

      Theatre for babies, children, teenagers and families

      There is a huge range of educational theatre in Hamburg. In addition to the extra offerings of established theatres such as the Hamburg State Opera's jung, the Junge SchauSpielHaus, Thalia jung&mehr or musical adventures at Kampnagel such as the Klangfest by Kinder Kinder e.V., the Hanseatic city has a lot to offer for young theatre fans. Germany's first private children's theatre is the Theater für Kinder (Allee-Theater), which has been offering first-class theatre entertainment for the little ones since 1968. Children's theatre for all generations is on the repertoire of the FUNDUS THEATER | Forschungstheater in Hamm. Anchored in the middle of the city on the Isebek Canal is the HoheLuftschiff of the Theater Zeppelin ensemble, Hamburg's floating children's theatre. Haus Flachsland in Barmbek is home to Hamburg's only puppet theatre, the Hamburger Puppentheater.

      OUR RECOMMENDATION Theaters & Stages in Hamburg

      Hamburgische Staatsoper
      © ThisIsJulia Photography

      Hamburgische Staatsoper

      Visitors to Hamburg who are looking for high-class opera entertainment will be spoiled with grandiose performances in the time-honoured Hamburg State Opera.

      Hamburgische Staatsoper
      Hamburgische Staatsoper

      Hamburgische Staatsoper

      Große Theaterstraße 25
      20354 Hamburg

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      mehr-theater-02c-jochen-quast
      © Jochen Quast

      Harry Potter and the enchanted child - Theatre at the Großmarkt

      Hamburg’s new visionary theatre with capacity for up to 3,500 visitors. The Harry-Potter-Theater am Großmarkt presents theatre performances, concerts, musicals, shows and much, much more. A visit is not only worthwhile because of the great programme, but also because of the spectacular display of architecture at the listed Großmarkthalle.

      Harry Potter and the enchanted child - Theatre at the Großmarkt
      mehr-theater-02c-jochen-quast

      Theater am Großmarkt

      Banksstraße 28
      20097 Hamburg

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      Kampnagel
      © ThisIsJulia Photography

      Kampnagel

      Kampnagel enjoys worldwide recognition as an international production house. It offers a multi-faceted platform for contemporary performing arts, as well as for concerts, conferences and a diverse range of festivals and thematic focuses.

      Kampnagel
      Kampnagel

      Kampnagel

      Jarrestr. 20
      22303 Hamburg

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      Komödie Winterhuder Fährhaus
      © Thomas Huang

      Komödie Winterhuder Fährhaus

      Laughter is good for you! The "Komödie Winterhuder Fährhaus" offers charming entertainment theatre, prominent comedies and classic folk plays.

      Komödie Winterhuder Fährhaus
      Komödie Winterhuder Fährhaus

      Komödie Winterhuder Fährhaus

      Hudtwalckerstr. 13
      22299 Hamburg

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      Ohnsorg Theater
      © ThisIsJulia Photography

      Ohnsorg Theater

      In the centrally located Ohnsorg Theater, visitors can regularly enjoy high-class performances, some of which are also performed in Low German.

      Ohnsorg Theater
      Ohnsorg Theater

      Ohnsorg Theater

      Heidi-Kabel-Platz 1
      20099 Hamburg

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      opernloft-saal-vorn-silke-heyer
      © Silke Heyer

      Opernloft

      Opera can be awesome - but only in the opera loft! Because here every opera is a special event. Here every opera lasts a refreshing 90 minutes. And only here can you look directly from the theatre hall onto the Elbe.

      Opernloft
      opernloft-saal-vorn-silke-heyer

      Opernloft

      Van-Der-Smissen-Straße 4
      22767 Hamburg

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      DISCOVER NOW Culture & Music in Hamburg

      Zwei Musiker auf der Bühne beim Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg mit bunter Lichtshow.
      © Stefan Malzkorn

      Great freedom for music Concerts & Live Music

      From classical music to electro festivals, from music history to a thriving live music scene and vibrant nightlife… Hamburg’s got it all!

      Concerts & Live Music
      Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg mit gläserner Wellenarchitektur und Backsteinsockel am Wasser
      © Mediaserver Hamburg / Jung von Matt

      Hamburg's landmark on the Waterfront Elbphilharmonie

      In building the Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg certainly put itself on the map! Our concert hall, with its impressive glass wave architecture and interior furnishings, is unparalleled anywhere else in the world.

      Elbphilharmonie
      Ausstellungsraum der Hamburger Kunsthalle mit Gemälden alter Meister in eleganter Rundpräsentation
      © Hamburger Kunsthalle / Foto: Kay Riechers

      Artistic highlights Art & Exhibitions

      A visit to one of Hamburg’s museums involves rare old pieces on display in our magnificent buildings, but you’ll also find a number of smaller, owner-operated galleries, as well as contemporary art, pop up installations, street art and collections aimed specifically at the littlest visitors.

      Art & Exhibitions

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