On Wednesday September 16th this year’s edition of the Reeperbahn Festival opened its doors, so to speak. Four days filled with laughter and fun, even though the weekend was rather rainy at certain points. The first day began with a show from Dolphin love, the indie groove project of German artist Constantin Kopp, at Bahnhof Pauli. This was quickly followed by an acoustic set from up-and-coming indie rock band Keo at Spielbudenplatz.
Next up was the Austrian rising star Mira Taylor. Mira often connects with her fans online, by for example doing meetings on Zoom or interacting with them on her social media. Said efforts to build a fanbase could be noticed during her set as well, as there were two people in attendance who stood out particularly by knowing all her songs. Then it was time for Kayla Shyx, who has been having a hugely successful career, especially over the past years. She performed as part of two free surprise sets that Amazon Music Germany put on at the festival. Tension and excitement built up before the singer took to the stage. A white veil covered her, revealing that she was painted in silver as she removed it. Both the fans and she herself had fun – hands up in the air, jumping, noticeably grateful for the energy at this show.
Irish band Bleech 9:3 was a must to see this festival. They played a set at the Motolow Club and what a show they put on! As expected, they had great stage presence and the show made fans want to see the band live again. Surely, they won’t have to wait for too long, as Bleech 9:3 is only getting started. This first night ended with American indie pop band almost monday at Spielbudenplatz. The band’s just released their latest album THANK GOD IT’S ALMOST MONDAY, and the set truly highlighted the fun in their discography,
The first act of the second day of Reeperbahn was English singer Tom A. Smith, once again at the Molotow Club. Those in attendance knew beforehand that he’d put on a good show, but even they were surprised by how well he captured the attention of the fans from his place up on the stage, interacting with them whilst performing. He made sure to move around the stage as possible, even making it down into the crowd several times.
Next up were Jonny and Queen Mahoro. Mahoro is best known for his appearance on The Voice of Germany back in 2017, making indie music in German ever since. It was then time for an acoustic performance at the N-Joy Reeperbus from German duo Kasi & Antonius.
Singer Hana Lili had been on the radar of the Reeperbahn attendees for a while, and the Welsh singer did not disappoint. While Welsh is her native language, her music is all sung in English, making it easy for the crowd to understand her. Lili is a proper rockstar, giving the crowd all her energy. During ‘Sick of Myself’, she organized a female-only moshpit, which she even joined herself. The last act of the second day was another set by Keo, non-acoustic this time.
Master Peace started the third evening with a bang. Both his band members as well as the crowd danced and jumped along to his catchy songs. The happiness to just be in this room at this moment caught onto every attendance. Master Peace truly knows how to get a crowd going!
During ALT BLK ERA’s set, the small club Betty was filled to the brim. The UK’s alternative dance scene has truly gained a new talent in this female duo. Surely they will be playing way bigger venues when they return to Hamburg! Finally, this third day ended with a set from Berlin-based singer-songwriter WizTheMC at the Große Freiheit 36.
The fourth and final day of the Reeperbahn Festival started with German artist Aaron. Besides appearing on stage with Zartmann often, he’s started building his career as a solo artist and has gained an impressive fanbase of his own. The latter was very noticeable during the set, which was lovely to see.
The second act of the day was Italian-Palestinian singer Tära. Her set was nicely intimate, with attendees noticeably living truly in the moment, being present for every word that came out of the singer’s mouth. Even though she sings her songs in Italian, she never lost the audience’s attention. Her music also has notable Arab influences, with Tära calling the genre she writes music in Arab n’ B. A keffiyeh and a small palestinian flag hugged Tära’s mic stand at one point.
Nearing the end of the festival, LA-based singer, producer and visual artist Maiah Manser put on a set at the Bahnhof Pauli. Just like her socials suggest, Manser’s live set felt very ethereal. The crowning end of the festival were Pale Waves at the Docks. The venue with a capacity ranging between 1250 – 1500 was filled front to back. When they were announced as being on the festival’s line-up it gained a lot of attention, and it was clear that a lot of fans had made it to Hamburg to see them play. Reeperbahn Festival 2026 was a success and we’re looking forward to next year!
All photos of the festival can be found here.
