Opening Show 2026
This year's Reeperbahn Festival Opening Show will take place on Wednesday, September 16, and will address the key questions at the heart of the festival's theme, "Forever Legit?". At its core is the question of the cultural legitimacy, relevance, and future viability of the creative and music industries in a time of profound social and technological transformation. These developments often become visible particularly early within the music industry. At the same time, the sector demonstrates how younger generations are no longer merely consuming music, but are actively shaping the future of the industry through their values, expectations, and participation in the development of new technologies.
The goal of the four-day Reeperbahn Festival 2026 is to spark discussions on multiple levels, challenge existing structures, and develop new approaches that promote social justice, sustainability, and fairness alongside innovation. At the same time, live music experiences and the communal enjoyment of music continue to reveal a fundamental human need for social connection, offering hope and a sense of orientation in times of change.
The Opening Show itself reflects this spirit of transformation: moving from the Operettenhaus to Schmidts Tivoli, it creates a new setting for the festival's official kick-off.
This year, the approximately 70-minute Opening Show will be hosted by Austrian-American TV presenter Yasmine Blair. We are delighted to welcome opening remarks from Björn Böhning, State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry of Finance, and Dr. Carsten Brosda, Senator for Culture and Media of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. Detlef Schwarte, Director of the Reeperbahn Festival, will set the stage for invited guests from politics and the international cultural and music industries.
Musical highlights will include a live performance by Dutch singer-songwriter Dotan, whose songs have featured in productions such as Grey's Anatomy and True Spirit. Representatives from the music industry, academia, and the cultural sector, including Johann Scheerer (musician, producer, author, and founder of Clouds Hill), together with additional participants, will discuss the festival's guiding theme, "Forever Legit?", exploring how societal legitimacy is established and the role the music ecosystem plays in that process.
In his keynote address, electronic music visionary SCHILLER will introduce this year's Guest Country of Honour, Ukraine. Drawing on his extensive experience from numerous concert tours and wartime encounters, he will share powerful personal insights. At the heart of the keynote is the unwavering desire for freedom shown by a population living under extraordinary circumstances, and its determination to preserve human creativity and self-expression despite danger and uncertainty.
Following the keynote, SCHILLER and Julia Sanina, frontwoman of the Ukrainian rock band The Hardkiss, will perform their musical collaboration "My Silence."
Together, they will provide an inspiring opening to the festival's upcoming days, during which the unifying power of culture, creativity, and music will take center stage.
Reeperbahn Festival Opening Show
Invitation only!
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Schmidts Tivoli
Doors open: 4:30 PM
Show starts: 6:00 PM
Duration: approx. 70 minutes
The event is supported by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media and the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.