Reeperbahn Festival 2012

3 days, about 40 locations, more than 200 shows, 18,000 visitors

The Reeperbahn Festival is a club festival unique all over Europe. On the last weekend of every September dozens of new international bands meet an enthusiastic audience in Germany‘s music metropolis Hamburg. Visitors not only enjoy the exciting festival programme, but also the matchless setting: the Reeperbahn – world famous, atmospherically dense and lined with countless cutting-edge music clubs.

Important: There are two types of submissions for this listing.

• German artists may submit at no cost. One selected band will be eligible for a 2,000 Euro travel stipend to come to the US and play either CMJ 2012 or SXSW 2013, courtesy of Sonicbids.


• Artists from outside of Germany can submit for $10. Three artists will be selected for a 1,000 Euro travel stipend to play at Reeperbahn, courtesy of Sonicbids.

Since 2006 Reeperbahn Festival Music regularly sends Hamburg‘s Reeperbahn into raptures staging spectacular live music events. For three nights more than 190 bands and solo artists play in about 30 clubs, bars and theatres. The wingding in Hamburg‘s red-light district was inspired by South By Southwest Festival (SXSW) in Austin, Texas.

During Reeperbahn Festival handpicked newcomers from all over the world appear on the scene – all of them with the potential to star and usually before their great breakthrough. Artists like Bon Iver or Philipp Poisel were still new and hot when Reeperbahn Festival afforded them a stage. Their career took off shortly afterwards.


Check out our interview with Bjørn Pfarr, Reeperbahn Festival's Head of Booking, to get the inside scoop on what it takes to be one of the festival's performing bands here

The Reeperbahn Festival’s success has many good reasons. Besides an exquisite choice of music, the festival’s promoters consequently lead the trumps of an urban club festival:

• Instead of remote views on grainy video screens during a crowded mega event every club concert guarantees an intimate experience, up close to the performers.


• Instead of a glissade on muddy meadows every change of location is a neon-coloured walk through the nocturnal hustle and bustle of Hamburg‘s red-light district.


• Instead of the concrete desert of a stadium parking lot every interval offers especially out-of-town visitors a chance to explore adjacent neighbourhoods like the Karoviertel and the Schanze with hip stores, bars, and restaurants or to immerse into the overwhelming atmosphere of Hamburg‘s harbour.

Reeperbahn Festival Arts offers special highlights, too, like music related exhibitions, film screenings, readings, walking tours, street art, the Comicfestival Hamburg and Flatstock Europe Poster Convention which is one-of-a kind in Europe. Artists from all over the world display their music posters and sell unique copies and prints at extremely low rates. (cf. press info Reeperbahn Festival Arts)

And Reeperbahn Festival Campus offers an industry meeting for the music and creative industries, happening right in the pulsating centre of the festival‘s events in special locations at the Spielbudenplatz. (cf. press info Reeperbahn Festival Campus)

Since 2009 Reeperbahn Festival presents itself to international circles. Through successful appearances at Eurosonic Festival in Groningen, SXSW in Austin, Texas, SPOT Festival in Aarhus, Denmark, Liverpool Sound City in England and the Expo in Shanghai, China, Reeperbahn Festival establishes itself on the world map of the music biz.


Last year Sonicbids selected bands were Eastern Conference Champions (USA), The Dodoz (France), and The Lanskies (France).


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