Night Out at Reeperbahn Festival

Four busy days of the Reeperbahn Festival, and somehow we managed to go in with almost no plan at all. With so many newcomers as well as unknown names to us on the line-up, we barely knew what we were getting ourselves into - which made the whole thing slightly messy, but also meant that every night came with a few surprises. Since we usually didn't head out until the afternoon, it never felt particularly stressful either. There was always time for one more drink, one more show, and eventually the inevitable question: one more act or home? 

Photo Credits: Cenia Zitter

Small Acts, Big Impressions

One of the most inspiring parts of the Reeperbahn Festival was getting to see so many smaller acts from all over the world, often far from home and far from the stages they might usually play. Some of these artists are already well established in their home countries, yet here they were performing in tiny venues around the Reeperbahn, a contrast that made the whole experience feel particularly special.

In 4 days we managed to see almost 20 different live acts, mostly from the UK and the US. And while it was great to reunite with old acquaintances like Nothing But Thieves, who delivered an outstanding acoustic performance at Übel und Gefährlich, or Pale Waves, who brought us right back to 2018 at DOCKS, it was the smaller, upcoming acts - Theatre, Keo, modernlove., and Ruby Duff - that ultimately left the biggest impression on us.

There were a few acts we unfortunately didn't get to see properly - we simply hadn't planned enough time to queue. Bleech 9:3, Tom A. Smith, JERUB, Bleach TV and English Teacher were already playing to packed rooms by the time we arrived. Judging by the buzz around them, we definitely weren't the only ones keen to see what they had to offer.

Photo Credits: Cenia Zitter

Always trust your music nerd friends

With the weak excuse of 3 long, slightly rainy days behind us and the call of a comfy bed right ahead of us, we almost skipped Vienna Vienna on Friday at 22:35, a solo act that blends catchy indie-pop with punchy guitars, post-punk influences and a flamboyant, almost theatrical energy. What a miss it would’ve been! Even though he had already been recommended to me by a friend that shares my taste in music, I definitely underestimated him and would now call him one of the unexpected favourites of the weekend.

Somewhere Between a Gig and a Night Out

One of the things that makes Reeperbahn Festival different from most festivals is that there really is no festival bubble. You're constantly moving between tiny clubs, bars and venues, while the rest of the Reeperbahn carries on around you. And while the area isn't for everyone - it can get pretty rough and extremely busy, especially on Friday and Saturday nights - it also has a charm of its own, not least because of its long musical history.

If you’re not too fussed about catching the full line-up or getting into every venue, and are mainly looking for an excuse to grab a drink and have a shimmy with your friends, you could always skip the tickets and make use of the stages, food and drinks set up around Spielbudenplatz and Heiligengeistfeld. We caught Heidi Curtis, almost monday, Keo, Nectar Woode and Mira Taylor across the two locations, all in shorter, stripped-back sets that still had us stopping for a listen (when it wasn’t raining). 

The festival itself felt surprisingly relaxed, though. Getting drinks or finding a bathroom was never much of a struggle, and there was something quite fun about simply wandering from one venue to the next. The crowds, on the other hand, could sometimes feel a little dead. With a mixture of slightly older festival-goers, people who were simply there for a night out and plenty of people discovering artists without knowing much about them beforehand, not every room had the kind of crowd energy you'd expect from a packed-out gig.

But that unpredictability is also part of the fun. You could watch a band play, turn around afterwards and spot another artist in the crowd who you'd literally seen on stage two hours earlier. With so many newcomers playing such small venues, there was a strange but exciting feeling of being right at the beginning of something - even if you had absolutely no idea who you were about to see next.

Photo Credits: Cenia Zitter