Events will launch at 6 pm on July 15, 2021 with the opening of the Spielbudenplatz in St. Pauli. Around 700 events will be held in 39 suburbs. The itinerary includes festivals lasting several days, exhibitions as well as film screenings in e.g., an open-air bicycle cinema for children and youths, performance art and readings near Lake Alster. Other venues include town halls, public squares, church gardens, parks, steamboats on Lake Alster, pontoons on the Fleet to shop windows.
The cultural revival comes after months of pandemic-induced restrictions, which dealt a severe blow to the sector. Under the theme of "Play it Loud", over 100 organisers and cultural institutions are to receive subsidies for their businesses. An independent jury had selected over 100 out of 220 multifaceted ideas for funding. "Life is meaningless without culture. The 'Summer of Culture' will bring sensuous and meaningful experiences back to the city," said Dr. Carsten Brosda, Senator for Culture and Media.