Deichbrand Festival

One of Northern Germany's Largest Festivals

Deichbrand started in 2005 as a small festival in the Hamburg hinterland and has grown into one of Northern Germany's largest open-airs. With around 60,000 festival guests per edition, it belongs to the top league of German summer festivals, alongside Hurricane, Southside, Wacken, and Rock am Ring/Rock im Park. Although formally located in Lower Saxony (Cuxhaven district), the site at Nordholz/Cuxhaven airfield is perceived as part of the Hamburg metropolitan area: Hamburg is reachable in 90 minutes via the A1 motorway, and the majority of festival guests travel from Hamburg, Bremen, and Schleswig-Holstein.

Headliners 2026

The 2026 headliner bookings cover the festival's entire musical spectrum: Rise Against (US punk hardcore institution), SDP (Berlin hip-hop rock crossover, one of the biggest German festival acts in recent years), Electric Callboy (Castrop-Rauxel metalcore-schlager phenomenon), Scooter (Hamburg hardcore techno legend), Marteria (Rostock rap), Dropkick Murphys (Boston Celtic punk), and Beatsteaks (Berlin punk rock). In addition, over 100 other bands from Rock, Pop, Hip-Hop, and Electro.

Camping and Infrastructure

The festival runs as a full-fledged camp open-air. Tickets include camping access; comfort options (caravan pitches, pre-pitched tents, glamping tipis) can be booked separately. EWE, as a partner, provides the "EWE Power Tower" – a central tower with free Wi-Fi and charging stations powered by 100% green energy. The Green Camp initiative offers preferential camping spots for environmentally conscious visitors who commit to waste separation.

Logistics from Hamburg

For Hamburg festival-goers, Deichbrand is the most important summer event not held in Hamburg itself. Shuttle buses run from Hamburg Central Station during the festival days. By car: A1 towards Cuxhaven, Nordholz exit. By train to Bremerhaven, then bus or shuttle. Nordholz airfield is a decommissioned former naval base with over 70 hectares of space – more than enough room for stages, camping, and areas.

An Identity Anchor in the Hamburg Region

Although administratively located in Lower Saxony, Deichbrand is central to Hamburg's summer festival identity. Many Hamburg festival-goers plan their summer holidays around the Deichbrand dates. In the 2026 Hamburg festival calendar, it is one of the four most important Hamburg-related events, alongside Reeperbahn Festival, MS Dockville, and Wutzrock. This profile features Deichbrand due to its significance for Hamburg guests, even though the location is administratively outside Hamburg.