International Summerfestival

Pop meets avant-garde at the International Summer Festival at Kampnagel. Artists from all over the world bring theatre, dance, performances, concerts and parties to the stages of the former crane factory with Hamburg's most beautiful temporary beer garden.

From 6 to 24 August 2025, the Kampnagel site will transform into a vibrant melting pot of theatre, dance, music and discourse. Under the motto “Room to Dream”, the festival invites visitors to step off the beaten path and discover new perspectives.

The festival opens with a concert by Pakistani musician Ustad Noor Bakhsh in the Avant-Garten, followed by the production “Nôt” by choreographer Marlene Monteiro Freitas. Other highlights include the world premiere of “longing to tell”, a collaboration between akua naru, Tyshawn Sorey, Ensemble Resonanz and Anta Helena Recke, as well as Florentina Holzinger’s new work “A Year Without Summer”.

Canadian artist Kid Koala will bring creative energy to Hamburg’s city centre with pigeon painting and robot dance parades, while the collective Nesterval will create an immersive theatre village in the Volksdorf open-air museum. The Elbphilharmonie is also part of the festival: among others, Seun Kuti, Noname and Isabelle Huppert will perform there together with the Symphoniker Hamburg in Rufus Wainwright’s “Dream Requiem”. The Avant-Garten will also host a free daily open-air programme with readings, discussions and headphone performances.

Did you know?

Kampnagel is Europe’s largest production centre for contemporary performing arts.

Who is it for?

Perfect for culture enthusiasts, festival fans and anyone wanting to experience Hamburg’s creative scene.