Spielbudenfestival

Every summer, Spielbudenplatz becomes a stage for the curious and culture enthusiasts – when the Spielbudenfestival Hamburg delights with acrobatics, comedy, music, magic, and fire shows.

In 2026, the Spielbudenfestival will take place from 24 to 26 July, inviting international acts to transform St. Pauli into a wild, poetic and wonderfully crazy street art universe for three days. Since 2020, the Corny Littmann Foundation for Art and Culture has been bringing the international street art festival to Hamburg-St. Pauli.

The festival sees itself as an open space of experience for everyone – barrier-free, free of charge, and right in the heart of life. The acts come from a wide range of cultures and disciplines, blurring the boundaries between art forms: clowning meets performance art, juggling meets music, acrobatics meets urban poetry.

Each year, the line-up surprises with new highlights: from nostalgic travelling stages and steampunk shows to female circus collectives and captivating diabolo artistry – here, wonder, laughter, and emotion take centre stage. Sunday is traditionally dedicated to families, with a programme specially designed for children and young people.

Did you know?

The tradition of Spielbudenplatz as a stage dates back to 1795 – when jesters and magicians enchanted their audiences.

A worthwhile next stop

The Panoptikum waxworks museum, the alternative Park Fiction area, or a visit to the nearby Schmidts Tivoli theatre are perfect ways to round off the festival experience.