The evolution Reeperbahn Festival took in the past few years has actually been quite amazing. Steady year on year growth in attendance has turned the music festival that takes place in over 70 venues all around Hamburg’s Reeperbahn street into Germany’s biggest club festival, attracting more than 32.000 visitors over each of its four days. And while some festivals struggle to balance growth and booking quality, Reeperbahn Festival almost singlehandedly manages to bring some of the great newcomers of the summer as well as some proper indie headliners to town each year. Over 450 bands have made it into the line up this year. And there is a whole range of art programs throughout the schedule too.
At the same time, Reeperbahn Festival has developed into one of the major tech and music industry meetings in Europe. Sort of like a SXSW in Hamburg’s St. Pauli district. A historically red light and amusement district attached to the Elbe river and harbour that nowadays usually attracts tourist and chubby party lovers from the suburbs. Not on the last weekend of September though. From September 21st to 24th, it seems, culture is taking control of the heterogenous club scene across St. Pauli.
And Bloody Nora, what a musical line up they put together for the 11th edition this year. Team Poule favorites include the renamed and restyled band formerly known as Rangleklods: Blondage, as well as grand masters Wild Beasts, French pop band Hyphen Hyphen, German rockets Sea Moya, Still Parade, Woman and Vimes, and attached below, finally, Yumi Zouma. The New Zealand quartet released a magnificent album on Cascine and are currently touring relevant parts of Australia, Japan and China, before making a stop in Hamburg on their way into Italy, Israel, and the UK. Catch Yumi Zouma at Prinzenbar on Friday, 21h10. Team Poule says, oh #RBF16 you will be quite the ride.
