Blue Port Hamburg

With all the water that flows in and around Hamburg, one thing is clear: the colour blue belongs as much to Hamburg as the harbour or the Michel. But there is a time during which Hamburg appears especially blue. We’re talking about Blue Port Hamburg.

Every two years during the Hamburg Cruise Days, nocturnal Hamburg, including the harbour and some of its most beautiful landmarks, are bathed in a blue, almost magical light.

The Blue Port will take place from 10 to 21 September 2025.

A fascinating romantic art project

The renowned light artist Michael Batz, who installed blue arches of light in Hamburg for the Football World Cup 2006, is responsible for this. Since 2008, his “Blue Port Hamburg” art project shows the Hamburg Harbour in an ever different way; it tells stories and fascinates people. The light sources arise mainly from footpath lighting, public lighting or building lights that the artist allows to play together in an atmospheric manner.

The port of Hamburg shines in blue

With over 9,000 lighting elements, the port shimmers in blue after dusk and increasingly incorporates buildings and bridges in its spell. At the end, this makes it a unforgettable “gesamtkunstwerk” (meaning a special overall art installation in German) that inevitably entices visitors to nightly walks along the Elbe.