Brass Odyssey Festival – Fanfare Gertrude

Berlin's Brass Festival

Brass Odyssey is a comparatively young, but central festival for Berlin's brass band scene, organized by Fanfare Gertrude – one of the capital's best-known Funky Street Orchestras. Over the Pentecost weekend, the festival brings friendly brass bands from Germany and abroad to Berlin: from France (Nymphonik Orchestra, Texas Couscous), Hamburg (Tinnitussis), Leipzig (Brazzbanditen), and Berlin (Um:laut, Ostrich Party, Fanfaroni, Brass Caravan, Krach Boom Brass Band).

City-Wide Format

The festival spans three days with various venues across the city: on Friday and Saturday, bands perform on stages, squares, and in clubs in Berlin in changing constellations, while Sunday features the grand finale at Holzmarkt 25.

Holzmarkt 25 as the Finale Venue

Holzmarkt 25 is a cooperatively run urban playground on the Spree riverbank in the Friedrichshain district – featuring a stage by the water, a market area, bars, and an alternative, very Berlin vibe. The Brass Odyssey finale takes over multiple stages on Pentecost Sunday, including the main stage in the market square and the Flamingo stage.

Funky Street Orchestra Style

Musically, the festival ranges between brass tradition, funk, Balkan, Latin, hip-hop, and beats – far from classical marching music. The bands play with energy and urban pop sensibility, with a high dance factor. The festival sees itself as a 'Brass festival for dancing, for having fun, and for never wanting to go home'.

Crowdfunding Financing

Like many Berlin indie festivals, Brass Odyssey is financed through a mix of ticket sales, donations, and crowdfunding. Admission to the Holzmarkt finale is usually free (donations welcome), while the preceding evening concerts are ticketed depending on the venue.