"Hamburg, my pearl" sings Lotto King Karl, and even if you don't have to like his music, he speaks from the heart of many Hamburg residents. Hamburg is a dream for music lovers especially. Between St. Pauli and Elbphilharmonie, neighborhood spirit and high culture, the Hanseatic city vibrates with music.
From the Beatles, the Beginnners and Boy, Deichkind, Jan Delay and Samy Deluxe to Hamburg's rock legend Udo Lindenberg, the city on the Elbe has produced and shaped many famous musicians and bands. But beyond the charts and current radio hits, there are incredibly many brilliant newcomer musicians to discover. Here you'll find some of our recommendations for your own house concert in Hamburg as well as information about the booking process!
Hamburg has been a music city for as long as it has been a port. St. Pauli and the Reeperbahn made their name on it, and the Star-Club residencies of 1960 to 1962 are where the Beatles turned into a band that could hold a room. The city never coasted on that: the Schanzenviertel and Karolinenviertel keep an independent scene going, the Elbphilharmonie has pulled in a serious classical audience since 2017, and the Reeperbahn Festival fills the whole district with new acts every autumn.
For a house concert, Hamburg's classic Altbau flats do most of the work - tall rooms, good acoustics and enough floor space for a band that travels light. There is also a genuine host culture here. Hamburg audiences turn up, they listen, and they bring friends, which is exactly what an artist hopes for when they agree to play someone's living room instead of a club.
A living room concert is exactly what it sounds like: a professional musician plays a full set in a private home, for an audience the host has invited. You will see the same thing called a house concert, a house show or - because of where we started - a SofaConcert. They all mean the same evening.
There is no stage, no ticket desk and no support act. A typical concert in Hamburg runs 60 to 90 minutes, often split into two sets with a break, in front of anywhere from 15 to 50 guests. Most take place in an Altbau flat, a loft near the harbour or a garden. The artist brings whatever they need; you provide the room and the people.
Everything you need to plan, folded into the order you'll actually do it.
Pick a date and a room - thirty people fit a living room more easily than you'd think. Then browse the artist list for a singer-songwriter, duo or band.
Send as many free enquiries as you like. Each artist replies with a non-binding offer, so you can weigh up a few before choosing. Settle the scope in writing in the booking system - that written record is what the contract is based on.
Confirming creates the contract and reserves your date. You deposit the fee plus the booking fee, which is held in trust and only released to the artist after the concert. You then get their contact details to sort out the last bits.
Browse Hamburg and northern German acts, send free enquiries and book the one that fits your evening.
A few of the acts playing around Hamburg.
List your space for free and touring artists apply to play your living room. You pick whoever you like the sound of, and you're never obliged to say yes - here is what hosting involves.
You would be joining people all over Europe who open their doors a few times a year and have turned their living room into somebody's favourite venue.
Some of the most recent spaces to join.
The choice can feel overwhelming. Don't worry - we'll help you.
Tell us the details of your concert and any particular wishes, and we'll do the rest.