Husum BigBand Festival

Big Band and Pop in One

Since its first edition in 2024, the Husum BigBand Festival has established itself as a fixture in the North Frisian concert calendar. The organizer is the BOE Music Academy, which runs an ambitious big band training program in Husum. What distinguishes the festival: It brings one of the most beautiful genres of 20th-century popular music – the big band format – to the stage and combines it with themed evenings that also appeal to audiences not necessarily into jazz.

Phil Collins in Big Band Arrangements

In 2026, the festival is under the motto "The Music of Phil Collins". Songs like "In the Air Tonight", "Against All Odds", "Sussudio", or "Another Day in Paradise" will be reinterpreted in arrangements specially written for big band. Brass sections replace synthesizer lines, the distinctive drum solo from "In the Air Tonight" becomes a big band fanfare. This translation of classic pop hits into the sonic body of a big band is a musical discipline in itself – and Husum offers it a perfect forum.

NordseeCongressCentrum as a Venue

The NordseeCongressCentrum (NCC) at Großstraße 36 is the most important event center in North Friesland. With modern stage technology, professional acoustics, and a capacity for around 1,000 visitors, it offers big band concerts the necessary sonic space. The NCC is also a venue for the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival and numerous conferences – Husum has positioned itself as a conference and cultural hub on the west coast for years.

North Frisian Winter with a Jazz Accent

In January, when the days are short and the wind sweeps across the Husum marsh, the BigBand Festival offers a warm sonic contrast. The date of January 24, 2026, provides a cultural highlight during a season otherwise characterized by the quiet off-season. Husum, called "the grey town by the sea" by Theodor Storm, proves with events like this that culture has its place even in winter. The state of Schleswig-Holstein and the district of Nordfriesland see this as an important element of the year-round tourism strategy.