The Hanseatic city of Hamburg has adopted the moniker of “city of music” – and that’s not just because it’s the third biggest musical metropolis in the world. The opening of the Elbphilharmonie in 2017 gave a new boost to the status of the classical music scene of a city that has already played a major role in the performing arts.
In 1678, the city’s Gänsemarkt saw the opening of the first civic music theatre in Germany, modelled on the Teatro San Cassiano in Venice. Seating two thousand, it was the largest theatre of its time in the German-speaking lands. It was not a repertory house, but rather a stage where travelling opera and theatre companies could perform, making use of the most up-to-date theatre technology. Georg Philipp Telemann used it for many premieres of his operas.
The original building was knocked down in 1764, after which a series of new theatres and concert halls were built in the Gänsemarkt, sponsored by the wealthy bourgeoisie, culminating in today’s Hamburg State Opera, on which Gustav Mahler left his mark as the first Kapellmeister. But unlike today, it was not only operas and concerts performed there: as well as classical music, ballet and opera, the various houses over the years have hosted magic shows, gymnastic concerts and even firework displays.
Today, Hamburg has a wealth of major concert halls and opera houses. But if you look more closely, you will find plenty of wonderful smaller venues too. So here is a list of the most important and most elegant venues for classical music, large and small, which might not all be the most obvious for a visitor or even a Hamburg resident when looking for an evening out. Caveat: obviously, the list is incomplete and it’s shown in no particular order.
1 Der Michel – Hauptkirche St. Michaelis
It’s pure Hamburg. For a long time, the dreamily beautiful St. Michael’s Church – commonly known as “Michel” – has been a famed icon of the city. It’s one of the most important Baroque churches in Germany and a hive of musical activity, with a plethora of concerts on offer in a magnificent setting. Oratorios, sacred cantatas, brass bands, organ, jazz, orchestral or spoken word: you’ll find something for everyone.
In spite of a somewhat difficult church acoustic, the historical atmosphere of the space is very special. Especially in summer, it’s a place of guaranteed relaxation in the heart of a bustling metropolis. At 132 metres above sea level, St Michael’s Tower is even higher than the Elbphilharmonie and gives a wonderful view over the Hanseatic city. Visitors can also get up close and personal with the Bach family: Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach is buried in the crypt.
If the Michel doesn’t provide enough music for you, check out the programmes at St James, St Peter, St Katharine and St Nicholas. When it comes to beautiful Hauptkirchen, there’s no shortage in Hamburg.
2 Laeiszhalle
If you’re looking for the aura of the “good old days” with rows of seats in red velvet and gold, head for the Laeiszhalle, a neo-Baroque shoebox built in 1908 with a lovely warm acoustic and a magnificent “Brahms foyer”. It’s the home of one of the city’s three major orchestras, the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra, but the programme also includes comedy, choral music, piano evenings, matinees and other events, with performances almost every day. With around 2,000 seats, the former “Music Hall” has enough space for everyone and is open to every genre.
3 resonanzraum
A musical experience in a different kind of space altogether can be found in the resonanzraum, a concert hall in a bunker. The former Flakbunker IV from World War II is situated in the middle of the St. Pauli district. This listed building remains one of Hamburg’s important monuments, but it’s also a focal point for the artistic community. Long queues in front of the entrance can be annoying to concertgoers coming here for the first time: closer inspection reveals the techno party happening above. Mercifully it’s not audible inside – it is a bunker, after all.
The eponymous Ensemble Resonanz make their home here (they also have a residency in the Recital Hall at the Elbphilharmonie). With concerts filled with imaginative concepts and exciting guests, they provide a programme that is often superbly innovative (and they also allow the public into rehearsals). There are many other artists who perform in this acoustically outstanding space, either on stage or in the round. In sum, great music in an extraordinary location.
4 Staatsoper Hamburg and Hamburg Ballet
For opera lovers, the obvious place to start is the Staatsoper Hamburg, one of the biggest repertory houses in Germany, boasting a galaxy of stars both on stage and directing. The opera house opened in 1827 on Dammertorstraße; its front building was destroyed in 1943 and rebuilt in 1955.
As well as the State Opera, the modern building also houses the Philharmonic Orchestra and the internationally renowned Hamburg Ballet, which has been linked with the name of John Neumeier for a long time and will surely remain so. The 2025–26 season promises excitement once again, with the arrival of Tobias Kratzer as Intendant.
For those preferring opera on a smaller scale, it’s well worth checking the offerings from Opera Stabile. Right next to the Staatsoper is the small Blackbox (a square performance space with black walls and flat floor), where there are often exciting projects in a space which puts the audience right up close to the singers.
5 Das Opernloft
The Opera Loft is another excellent place to get close to singers. A little bit out of the way, but it’s easy to get to, particularly if you’re planning to explore Hamburg Harbour. Performances, which never stretch longer than 90 minutes (even Wagner), are in the former Altona Ferry Terminal. The theatre, industrial-looking from the outside, is unbelievably inviting. Friendly staff welcome you at the entrance, and there’s a small bistro with a harbour terrace which serves delicious snacks and drinks.
The audience is diverse and generally younger than in most opera houses; prior experience of opera is not required. Everyone is attentive and enthusiastic when the opera actually starts in the foyer, while in the hall, the singers use the whole space as a stage, usually accompanied by a small ensemble. It’s not for nothing that they call themselves “event opera”. It’s a brand new house in the city that will hopefully enthuse newbies and aficionados alike.
6 Elbphilharmonie
Too dry acoustically, too expensive, too much glass – is there any criticism that hasn’t been levelled at the Elbphilharmonie? This building with two concert halls, which rises to 110 metres above sea level, has become an indispensable part of the harbour city. It seems to overshadow everything, as much in the media as in the city itself.
Built on an old quayside location, it’s not only concertgoers who fall under its spell. The building has quickly become a magnet for tourists and an emblem of the city – its Grand Hall is now one of the best-loved in the world. The outer appearance of the Elbphilharmonie is enough to dazzle, and in its early years, the sight of the Great Hall alone was worth a visit, even for those with little concert experience.
Whether it’s symphony orchestras from across the world, the resident orchestra (the NDR), operas in concert, early music, jazz, pop, or world music, everything is performed here and everything is performed well. The myth of the Elbphilharmonie is alive and well. Just simply being here has become important to many – and can anyone recall the last time that was said about a new concert hall?
7 Hochschule für Musik und Theater – the Forum and St. Johannis Harvestehude
A city that offers so much music naturally also has an academy for young musicians at the beginning of their careers – which itself offers many excellent concerts. At the University of Music and Theatre (HfMT for short), there is not only the much-discussed Jazz Hall, but also the Forum, where there are frequent excellent symphony concerts and opera performances.
The beautiful HfMT building is in the well-located Pöseldorf district, and visits there can be easily combined with a lakeside walk along the Outer Alster. You can also hear many of the students in the smaller spaces on the site, for example in the nearby St Johannis Harvestehude church, or in the Spiegelsaal of the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe. There are creative musical theatre evenings, orchestral and solo concerts, which are inexpensive and often incredibly good.
8 KomponistenQuartier
If you don’t just want to listen to music, but also want to learn about Hamburg’s musical history and the composers associated with the city, you should visit the Composers’ Quarter. Whether you were born in Hamburg or are just visiting, the beautiful buildings alone are worth the trip. Near the Michel, five museums are located right next to each other in a “micro-district”.
These museums are each dedicated to Brahms, Telemann, CPE Bach, Hasse, Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn and Mahler in cosy, historically reconstructed Hamburg bourgeois and merchant houses. Mahler plays Mahler here (on the Steinway-Welte self-playing piano), and chamber concerts are held regularly in various rooms. And if there’s nothing on live, you can always listen on headphones in each of the museums. With a wonderfully wide cobbled street, free from cars and in direct proximity to the “Planten un Blomen” city garden, the Composers’ Quarter is a place to see Hamburg at its loveliest.
9 Kampnagel
Once upon a time, there was a fringe theatre for contemporary performing arts that became a State theatre. (You don’t find something like this everywhere.) Kampnagel is more than just a theatre – it is a place in itself, with industrial charm in the middle of the Winterhude district, where the motto “everyone is welcome” is made real. There is also delicious food. The former machine factory has it all: performance, dance, karaoke, classical music, modern music theatre. It’s mostly political and somewhat off the beaten track – and it’s always very different.
The atmosphere at Kampnagel is very open. Everyone can come as they please, and the dress code is casual. Whether indoors or outdoors, the Sommmerfest is a completely different (and free) exercise in art from across the entire site. Readings take place right next to rap performances, niche international theatre performances and classical concerts. It’s State theatre with a difference.
10 The wedding church of St Johannis Eppendorf
Here’s yet another approach. In the middle of Eppendorf on a large street stands the small church of St Johannis – small but mighty! It is also known as Hamburg’s wedding church because a lot of people get married here every week. The Eppendorf St Johannis concerts are also held here (almost) every Saturday. They start at 6pm and admission is free.
From small ensembles to large choral concerts with orchestra or organ, there is a lot on offer here. Hamburg choirs, university ensembles and teachers in particular favour this sweet historic church with its compact interior and marvellous acoustics. If you arrive at the northern tip of the Outer Alster on your Saturday walk and can no longer drive to the Vierlanden to see the old half-timbered churches, you should definitely not miss this little, somewhat younger architectural treasure. And there’s a good chance that you’ll catch a musical performance too.
See our listings of upcoming performances in Hamburg.
Translated into English by David Karlin.
