Culture as an economic factor: summer offers in Hamburg

This clientele spends between EUR 201 and EUR 500 on tickets every year and some even invest over EUR 500,"a study by Musical1 found in 2020/2021.  The website also offers musical tours of Hamburg, which is now the world's third-largest centre of musicals after New York and London. Stage Entertainment’s musicals are the main draw and its most recent production alone, MJ - The Michael Jackson Musical, sold 400,000 tickets in the first four months after its German premiere in December 2024. Stage Entertainment, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, usually invests a low double-digit million sum in its productions. The popular musical, The Lion King has been playing to near sold-out theatres since 2001, as well as & JULIA and Hercules. The Disney musical, Hercules, is on stage until September 4, 2025 and will be followed by the musical Tarzan in October 2025. People who wish to combine a trip and a musical with a journey through time will probably enjoy Back to the Future - The Musical, which celebrates its German premiere in spring 2026.

The musical business has tills ringing. In 2024, Stage Entertainment Deutschland generated around EUR 316 million in revenue in its eight theatres - four of which are in Hamburg, two each in Stuttgart and Berlin. And these centres of musicals are also reaping the rewards and generating an annual external added value of around EUR 1.3 billion from travel, overnight stays, shopping, admissions and catering, according to Stage Entertainment.

Musicals have become a real economic factor. Tourist-oriented musicals such as Harry Potter and the Cursed Child are performed all year round. On July 31, 2024, the show welcomed its millionth visitor to the Theater am Großmarkt. Matthias Lienemann, Managing Director, said in a press release by ATG Entertainment:"'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' is a magical crowd-puller in Hamburg. Over 70% of our guests have travelled from across German-speaking countries to experience the Harry Potter saga live on stage. According to our surveys, our show is the main reason for their trip to the Hanseatic city. Many stay overnight and combine a visit to the theatre with a city break."

The Theater am Großmarkt is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Launched as a multifunctional theatre with international rock and pop stars such as Kylie Minogue and British band Tears for Fears and musical productions such as "Dirty Dancing" and "We Will Rock You",  the theatre was refurbished for the premiere of Harry Potter in late 2021. Mehr-BB Entertainment GmbH (now ATG Entertainment) invested around EUR 42 million in production and conversion to make the magic as authentic as possible. 

Meanwhile, the First Stage Theatre is gearing up to celebrate its 10th anniversary in Altona next year. The theatre with just under 300 seats opened its doors in March 2016 to offer talented young actors an opportunity. The stage is now shared by up-and-coming talents and seasoned mimes and (ballet) dancers. Its productions range from musicals and family plays to the big Christmas show, which attracted nearly 17,000 spectators in 2024. To remain attractive, Dennis Schulze, Director, recently invested a six-figure sum in renovations, in time for the premiere of  "Kein Pardon" on June 10, 2025 which will be performed until July 19, 2025. The musical is based on the legendary film by German comedian Hape Kerkeling and tells the story of Peter Schlönzke, an unassuming TV fan who suddenly finds himself in the spotlight. This will be followed by The Prom musical, created by the students of Stage School Hamburg, from July 28 to August 10, 2025.

The City of Hamburg has plenty to offer off-stage this summer as well. Actors in the Opolum, for instance, take part in an escape game theatre. "Escape room + actors + immersive shows = escape room theatre" is the equation in the Speicherstadt. Visitors can choose between two indoor adventures,  "Chainsaw, the dangerous game" and "Smuggler, the ingenious plan" or three outdoor escape games called “The Conspiracy”, “Illuminati” and “Störtebeker".

Fans of digital art are in for a treat in Port des Lumieres this summer. Opened in April in HafenCity's Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier, this 1,700-square metre permanent centre for immersive art lets visitors immerse themselves in the world of Gustav Klimt, Friedensreich Hundertwasser and contemporary art. The immersive experience world “Cosmos” open its doors from July 3 to August 31, 2025 taking visitors to far-off stars and planets, cosmic nebulae and supernovae through images, videos and sounds. This material has been provided by a partnership between the French space agency CNES and NASA, among others.

Classical art in Hamburg also proved a tourist magnet last year. The U.S. art magazine, The Art Newspaper, has ranked the Hamburger Kunsthalle 133rd among the 150 most popular art museums worldwide. Around 600,000 visitors in 2024 make it the most popular German art museum. 

Meanwhile the tour operator, "Fit Reisen”, ranked Planten un Blomen sixth in Europe. This 47-hectare park in central Hamburg is one of the best in Germany and a favourite among residents and tourists alike with its evening water and light concerts. These free daily concerts from May to September are a mix of music, light and fountains.

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