Long Night of the Organ – Opening of the Hamburg Organ Summer

Hamburg, City of Organs

Those who only know Hamburg through its harbour and Reeperbahn overlook its second great identity: the Hanseatic city is one of Europe's most important organ cities. With over 200 historical and modern instruments – including world-renowned ones like the Schnitger organ in St. Jacobi (1693), the Steinmeyer organ in St. Michaelis (the 'Michel') (1962), or the new Klais organ in the Elbphilharmonie (2017) – the city has been a pilgrimage site for organists for generations.

The Organ Summer

For years, the Hamburg Organ Summer has bundled the concerts of the five Protestant main churches and the Catholic St. Marien-Dom into a joint season – from early June to early September. Each church has a fixed day of the week for its concert series: St. Jacobi on Mondays, St. Michaelis on Tuesdays, St. Petri on Wednesdays, St. Nikolai on Thursdays, St. Katharinen on Fridays, and Mariendom on Saturdays. This makes the Organ Summer the most intensive systematic concert marathon in the state of Hamburg.

The Long Night of the Organ – Opening Night

The Long Night of the Organ kicks off the season each year: a multi-hour opening concert in the Grand Hall of the Elbphilharmonie, representing all participating venues. The organists of the main churches perform one after another or together, supplemented by students and teachers from the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg (HfMT). The event lasts for several hours – the exact duration and program structure for 2026 are still to be determined.

Organists 2026

As in previous years, the principal organists of the participating churches are expected to perform – including Thomas Dahl (St. Petri), Andreas Fischer (St. Michaelis), Martin Böcker, Jan Ernst, and other soloists. The exact artist list for 2026 will be published by the Orgelstadt Hamburg association in spring 2026.

In the Hamburg-Mitte District, in the State of Hamburg

The Elbphilharmonie is located in HafenCity (HafenCity district, Hamburg-Mitte borough) and has been the city's musical landmark since its opening in 2017. Its Klais concert hall organ, with 4,765 pipes, is one of the most modern instruments in Europe. The main churches are spread across the city centre – St. Michaelis (Neustadt), St. Petri (Altstadt), St. Jacobi (Altstadt), St. Katharinen (Altstadt), St. Nikolai (at the Mahnmal in the city centre). The Long Night of the Organ connects the most important of these venues in the musical opening of the summer season.