48h Wilhelmsburg

The Hamburg Elbe Islands

Wilhelmsburg and Veddel are two districts on Elbe islands in the Hamburg-Mitte district – sandy marshland between the Norderelbe and Süderelbe, characterized by industrial facilities, port hinterland, multicultural residential areas, and a surprising number of green allotment gardens. 48h Wilhelmsburg uses precisely this topographical and social diversity as its stage. There is no classic festival meadow – the island itself is the stage.

50+ Locations, 160+ Acts

The musical performance venues are curated anew each year. Recurring locations include the Wälderhaus (incubator architecture in the center of Wilhelmsburg), the historic waterworks, the community center hall, several cafés around Stübenplatz, the churches of St. Petri and St. Bonifatius, the Veddel allotment garden, and the social center at Stadtgarten. Private individuals open their gardens and backyards for acoustic concerts. More than 160 acts perform in 30–60 minute slots, spread over 48 hours.

Music of All Genres

The booking is explicitly open to all genres: Hip-Hop, Jazz, Classical, Electronic, Folk, Punk, Indie, World Music, Choral and Vocal Ensembles. Many acts have Wilhelmsburg roots, others come from the Hamburg region and the national scene. The association Musik von den Elbinseln explicitly pursues the strategy of making the musical diversity of the Elbe islands visible in the festival.

Co-Creative Planning with the Neighborhood

What sets 48h Wilhelmsburg apart from many other district festivals is the planning process: starting in January, the organizing association, residents, businesses, churches, clubs, and cultural institutions meet for monthly curator rounds. The program, performance venues, and logistics emerge from these meetings. In 2026, the registration for locations and artists ran until January 12th – the program was then collectively curated.

A Unique Format in the State of Hamburg

In the festival calendar of the state of Hamburg, 48h Wilhelmsburg is unique. No other German festival of similar size works so consistently with private spaces, district structures, and co-creative program planning. In March 2026, the SPD parliamentary group Hamburg-Mitte confirmed that the festival's financing is secured despite the challenging situation – a political commitment to its identity-creating character for the Elbe islands.