NDR 2 Plaza Festival

Season opener for open-air concerts in Hannover

The NDR 2 Plaza Festival traditionally opens the Hannover open-air season. Since 2006, the festival has taken place annually at the end of May or the beginning of June on the Expo Plaza at the exhibition grounds. NDR 2, the pop hits station of Norddeutscher Rundfunk, is the main organizer and also uses the festival as a major listener event with live broadcasts, moderations, and promotional activities. Co-organizer Hannover Concerts is the city's established concert agency and brings operational expertise.

Headliner Peter Maffay

Peter Maffay is one of the most influential figures in German rock music. He has been on stage since the early 1970s, with a discography including over 20 studio albums, many of which were number 1 hits in Germany. Songs like Über sieben Brücken, Eiszeit, Sonne in der Nacht, and Mensch sein are staples of the German pop-rock repertoire. Maffay is known for his intense, energetic live shows and his strong connection with the audience.

Roxette with Lena Philipsson

Roxette — the Swedish pop legend around Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle — made pop history with hits like The Look, Listen to Your Heart, It Must Have Been Love, and Joyride. After Marie Fredriksson's death in 2019, the project seemed to be over. In 2024, Per Gessle decided to continue the legacy with Swedish singer Lena Philipsson (herself a Eurovision star in 2004) and present Roxette live with a new lineup. The tour features all the major classics and some new songs.

The BossHoss — Country Rock from Germany

The BossHoss have been a fixture in the German pop scene since the mid-2000s. The Berlin-based band combines country-rock aesthetics (cowboy hats, Western outfits) with pop hits and cover versions of well-known songs in country style. Live acts like Hot in Here, Word Up, or Word Up are among their classics, and the audience appreciates their energy and show.

Blue — Boyband Classics of the 2000s

Blue is the British boy band consisting of Duncan James, Antony Costa, Lee Ryan, and Simon Webbe, who dominated the charts in the early 2000s with hits like All Rise, One Love, Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word (with Elton John), and Fly By. After comeback and tour activities in the 2010s, the band is back on European stages in 2026.

ClockClock as Newcomers

ClockClock is a German pop band from Berlin that achieved considerable streaming success in 2023 and 2024 with songs like Anything and You Are the Reason. Their catchy pop songs with an indie touch make them a suitable newcomer act for the broad NDR 2 audience.

Expo Plaza as an Open-Air Stage

The Expo Plaza at the Hannover exhibition grounds has been an established venue for major events since the 2000 World Expo. With a capacity for over 20,000 visitors, a large permanent stage, state-of-the-art event technology, and good public transport connections via tram line 8, the Plaza is ideally suited for festivals of this magnitude.