45Hertz Festival

The Hamburg Messe Esplanade as an Urban Festival Stage

The Esplanade in front of the West Entrance of Hamburg Messe – on the edge of the Schanzenviertel and Karoviertel – is a spacious, flat area of approximately 5,000 m². It typically serves as a preparation area for trade fairs and congresses, and in the summer, it is used for festivals and open-air concerts. The 45Hertz Festival is one of the defining event series that utilizes this space as an urban festival stage.

Three Weeks, Many "Day Festivals"

The "Day Festivals" concept is 45Hertz's unique feature: over almost three festival weeks, several one-day mini-festivals take place, each with its own musical profile. One day might be Techno, another House, another Hip-Hop, another Indie-Pop, and another a Family Day with child-friendly programming. This structure allows you to attend a specific day based on your musical preferences, rather than having to commit to a continuous festival.

From Electronic Festival to Genre Hub

45Hertz started as a pure electronic festival within Hamburg's techno scene. Over the years, the festival has grown and significantly expanded its genre spectrum. Hip-Hop has been established as a second pillar, Indie-Pop complements the program in line with international festival trends, and the Family Day opens the format to a low-threshold, cross-generational audience.

Open Art Space and Street Food

In addition to the musical programming, the area functions as an open art space: installations, murals, and sculptures are set up throughout the festival weeks and are freely accessible. Street food stalls featuring Hamburg chefs complement the gastronomic offerings. The area remains open between concerts – not as a bar, but as a place to relax.

An Urban Open-Air Format in the Hamburg-Mitte District

In the Schanzenviertel and Karoviertel – both districts with a dense bar and club scene – 45Hertz is the largest contiguous open-air festival of the summer. It complements Hamburg's festival program with a format that presents electronic and urban music in an open open-air form, without the festival camping logistics of other open-airs.