Laeiszhalle Hamburg
© Maxim Schulz
Laeiszhalle Hamburg
© Thies Rätzke
Laeiszhalle Hamburg
© Thies Rätzke
Laeiszhalle Hamburg
© Thies Rätzke
Laeiszhalle Hamburg
© Thies Rätzke

Laeiszhalle

Concert hall with tradition

The first house on the square: The Laeiszhalle is Hamburg's traditional venue for exquisite musical experiences with a special focus on early music, recitals, chamber music and jazz.

On 4 June 1908, the Laeiszhalle, Germany's largest and most modern concert hall at the time, was officially opened. The well-known Hamburg shipowner Carl Heinrich Laeisz had stipulated in his will that the company F. Laeisz donated the sum of 1.2 million marks, thus enabling the construction of "a worthy place for the practice and enjoyment of noble and serious music". The sum was later increased by his widow Sophie Christine Laeisz. The architects Martin Haller and Erwin Meerwein, who had already made a name for themselves with the construction of the town hall in Hamburg, built the neo-baroque concert hall, which is still one of the most beautiful in Europe today. The resident orchestra of the Laeiszhalle is the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra.

Invited guests: The stars of classical music

The Laeiszhalle Hamburg has had its role to play in musical history right from the very beginning: Prominent artists such as Richard Strauss, Sergei Prokofiev, Igor Stravinsky and Paul Hindemith all performed and conducted their own works here. The 12-year old wunderkind Yehudi Menuhin played his violin to great acclaim at the Laeiszhalle in 1930, and Maria Callas' legendary concerts at the Laeiszhalle will never be forgotten. After the Second World War, the Laeiszhalle, having survived the bombing of Hamburg undamaged, experienced an unusual intermezzo: The occupying British forces used the building as studios for the military broadcasting station BFN and stored over 60,000 jazz records in the Brahms-Foyer. Chris Howland started his career as a radio DJ at the Laeiszhalle.

Multifaceted music culture

Even after the opening of the Elbphilharmonie in 2017, the Great Hall of the Laeiszhalle remains one of the best philharmonic concert halls in Europe. The Hamburg Symphony Orchestra regularly gives concerts here as the resident orchestra, while many other orchestras, choirs and event organisers provide a varied programme. World-class pianists such as Grigory Sokolov and Martha Argerich and singers such as Cecilia Bartoli and Jonas Kaufmann also swear by the hall with its excellent acoustics and special ambience.
The Elbphilharmonie and Laeiszhalle are under the joint general directorship of Christoph Lieben-Seutter.

from 11.90 €

Hamburg CARD

Free travel on buses, trains and harbour ferries (HVV) and up to 50% discount on over 150 tourist offers

Buy the Hamburg CARD now

DISCOVER NOW Events at this location

  • Kammerkonzert der Symphoniker Hamburg
    © Thies Rätzke

    Symphoniker Hamburg / Lunch Concert

    • 26.05.2026
    • 12:30
    • Laeiszhalle (Brahms-Foyer)
    To event
  • Rachel Eckroth Trio
    © Anne Webber

    Rachel Eckroth Trio

    • 25.03.2026
    • 20:00
    • Laeiszhalle (Kleiner Saal)
    To event
  • Timon Krause
    © Murat Aslan

    Timon Krause Other

    • 23.09.2025
    • 20:00
    • Laeiszhalle (Großer Saal)
    To event
  • Accademia Bizantina / Valeria Montanari / Stefano Demicheli / Chiara Cattani / Ottavio Dantone
    © Giulia Papetti

    Accademia Bizantina / Ottavio Dantone Classical Music

    • 01.06.2026
    • 20:00
    • Laeiszhalle (Großer Saal)
    To event
  • »Der Schatz der Familie Laeisz«
    © Philipp Rathmer

    »Das verrückte Hexenkonzert« Other

    • 03.05.2026
    • 11:00
    • Laeiszhalle (Kleiner Saal)
    To event
  • Science Slam Hamburg
    © Claudia Höhne

    Science Slam Hamburg

    • 22.10.2025
    • 20:00
    • Laeiszhalle (Kleiner Saal)
    To event
  • Teatime Classics
    © Eva Gevorgyan

    Teatime Classics

    • 11.04.2026
    • 16:00
    • Laeiszhalle (Kleiner Saal)
    To event
  • Teatime Classics
    © Daniel Delang

    Teatime Classics

    • 25.10.2025
    • 16:00
    • Laeiszhalle (Kleiner Saal)
    To event
  • Moving Shadows
    © Michaela Köhler-Schaer

    Moving Shadows Other

    • 02.01.2026
    • 20:00
    • Laeiszhalle (Großer Saal)
    To event
  • Tschechische Kammerphilharmonie Prag / Martin Kos / Petr Chromčák
    © HTK GmbH & Co. KG

    Tschechische Kammerphilharmonie Prag / Martin Kos / Petr Chromák Concerts & Music

    • 30.12.2025
    • 20:00
    • Laeiszhalle (Großer Saal)
    To event

More on this subject

Blick über die Alsterarkaden in Hamburg mit Wasser, Cafés und historischem Rathaus im Hintergrund
© Fotolia / JFL Photography

CITY AREA PORTRAIT Alt- & Neustadt

The historic core of the Altstadt (German for Old Town) district is shaped by traditional buildings such as the Hamburg city hall and the chamber of commerce, the alleyways and bridges which stretch out all the way to the HafenCity district. In the Neustadt district district between Laeiszhalle and Jungfernstieg with elegant promenades, fashion stores and gallery owners – overlooking the Alster.

Alt- & Neustadt

THIS MIGHT INTEREST YOU AS WELL Further recommendations

Thalia Theater
© ThisIsJulia Photography

Traditional stage with impressive productions Thalia Theater

A visit to the venerable Thalia Theater promises visitors a high-class and stylish theatre visit in the heart of Hamburg even today.

Thalia Theater
harburger-theater-c-Thomas-Huang-web-2-2500x1500
© Thomas Huang

Harburg Theatre

Located near the Harburg Town Hall, the Harburg Theatre is a historic and forward-looking theatre that positively enriches the Hamburg theatre scene.

Harburg Theatre
Harbour Front Literaturfestival
© Jonas Wök

Literature and Culture at the Port of Hamburg Harbour Front Literaturfestival

Against the backdrop of harbour cranes and overseas containers, the Harbour Front Literature Festival will once again bring together great German and international literature, creating a wholesale market of knowledge, news and cultural exchange.

Harbour Front Literaturfestival

Top customer reviews

No reviews available.

Write new rating

This is your text

Your rating *

Languages

Google translator for other languages

Please note that this is an automatic translation.
For better information, you can always switch to the German or English version