Comediennes de Luxe — Festival of Comedic Women

The Reeperbahn as a Stage for Comedic Women

Comedy is considered — even in Germany — a male domain. The Schmidt Theater has responded to this and launched its own festival in 2024, exclusively programming female and non-binary comedians: Comediennes de Luxe. In 2026, the festival will take place for the third time, for three weeks, from October 5th to 22nd, on the three stages of the Schmidt Theater right on Spielbudenplatz on the Reeperbahn.

Patron Daphne de Luxe

The festival's patron is Daphne de Luxe — one of the most famous German comedians, who rose to become a regular fixture in the German-speaking comedy scene with numerous TV appearances in the 2010s. She is not only a patron but also part of several main shows, opening the festival with the "Grand Opening Show" on October 5th at the Tivoli and performing on several evenings throughout the festival.

30 Comedians, Four Formats

Over the three festival weeks, solo shows, double features, and special formats are spread out. The range extends from classic stand-up (Alice Köfer, Gazelle — both with Hamburg premieres) to cabaret concerts (Maren Kroymann & Band, Fee Badenius) to poetry slam formats and special topics like "Geschlechtsverkehrt" (Sexually Reversed) on women's health. Several performances run concurrently on different stages, allowing the audience to create their own festival path.

St. Pauli District, Hamburg-Mitte Borough

Spielbudenplatz on the Reeperbahn is the vibrant cultural center of St. Pauli in the Hamburg-Mitte borough. Schmidts Tivoli (founded 1991), Schmidt Theater, and the smaller Schmidtchen are located right next to each other and have been Hamburg's most important address for boulevard theater, variety, and entertainment culture for years. The festival utilizes this concentration for a dense, three-week format.