Anniversary!
The 2026/27 season marks the tenth anniversary of the Elbphilharmonie’s opening. This is both a cause for celebration and an opportunity to reflect on the journey so far.
The Best of 10 Years
On 11 January 2017, after a long period of construction, the big moment finally arrived: the Elbphilharmonie was opened! Since then, the venue has become a vibrant Hamburg landmark that delights countless people with music every day. Join us as we look back on some special concert moments. Read what Hamburg’s Senator for Culture and the General & Artistic Director of the Elbphilharmonie and Laeiszhalle have to say about the past ten years, and explore the world of the Elbphilharmonie – online and in person.
10 Years of Elbphilharmonie | Review
Stars in the Grand Hall :From classical and jazz to pop and world music: pure excitement for the past 10 years
Great diversity in the Recital Hall :From chamber music and jazz to receptions and video installations – this space has seen it all
Artists in the spotlight :Artists in Residence & Reflektor Festivals
What do artists such as Brad Mehldau, Sophie Hunger, Anoushka Shankar, Max Richter and Bryce Dessner have in common? They have all – and many more besides – already had the opportunity to curate their own »Reflektor« festival. Over the course of a long weekend, artists are given carte blanche and takeover the Elbphilharmonie to present their own projects, musical friends and more across a series of concerts. In the 2026/27 anniversary season, folk musician Rhiannon Giddens and dancer and choreographer Sasha Waltz – two exciting personalities – have once again been invited to showcase their versatility.
Whilst the »Reflectors« tend to focus on the genres of jazz, rock and pop, in classical music, resident artists are a fixed and important part of the Elbphilharmonie’s programme. Conductors such as Klaus Mäkelä, Teodor Currentzis, Sir Simon Rattle and Barbara Hannigan, and soloists such as pianist Alexandre Kantorow, violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja and cellist Kian Soltani take turns stepping onto the stage.
More stories and images from the first decade of the Elbphilharmonie can be found in the illustrated book »Elbphilharmonie LIVE«.
A conversation with Christoph Lieben-Seutter and Carsten Brosda :»The people of Hamburg have fallen in love with the idea that culture can be something truly meaningful, that matters.«
Dr Carsten Brosda took office as Hamburg’s Senator for Culture in February 2017, just a few weeks after the opening of the Elbphilharmonie. This shared anniversary provides the perfect opportunity for a conversation with Christoph Lieben-Seutter, General & Artistic Director of the Elbphilharmonie and Laeiszhalle, about the significance of the venue in Hamburg and around the world, and about ten years of working together to shape the city’s cultural life.
»The Elbphilharmonie isn’t just something to see – it’s something to experience.«
Christoph Lieben-Seutter
CHRISTOPH LIEBEN-SEUTTER (CLS) The upcoming season marks not only the tenth anniversary of the Elbphilharmonie’s opening concert, but also your appointment as Senator for Culture. Did you think back in 2017 that we’d still be sitting here 10 years later?
CARSTEN BROSDA (CB) I was convinced you’d be sitting here; when it comes to politicians, long-term predictions generally make less sense. Looking back, the city has undergone an incredible transformation since then. The way people in Hamburg talk about music and culture today, as if it were a given, would have been unthinkable ten years ago. And that, of course, has a lot to do with the Elbphilharmonie and the work you and your team are doing here. I get the feeling that the people of Hamburg have fallen in love with the idea that culture can be something truly meaningful, that matters. How have you experienced that? Has the work gotten any easier over the years?
CLS For me, it was as if a switch had been flipped in the opening year. Classical music used to have a loyal but also fairly small, contained audience in Hamburg. Since 2017, it’s become the talk of the town. [...]
CB The Elbphilharmonie is living proof that Hamburg sees itself today as a city of culture. Back then, we were pinning our hopes on it becoming a landmark. It has become not only a symbol of Hamburg, but a landmark for Germany as a whole. Cologne Cathedral, Neuschwanstein Castle, the Brandenburg Gate – these are all landmarks that are old, built before the dawn of democracy, predating the 21st century and none of them are in the north either. After its opening, the Elbphilharmonie suddenly became a part of Germany’s international image. [...]
CLS Yes, one secret to its success is certainly that the architecture and location promise a level of quality that must then be delivered in terms of substance. The Elbphilharmonie isn’t just something to see – it’s something to experience. And when all goes well, those high expectations are exceeded, creating an emotional bond and a desire for people to return.
CB I can imagine that this standard and these expectations can sometimes become a burden. Back in 2017, did you expect the enormous level of demand to remain this strong for so long?
CLS Back then, in an interview with the Abendblatt newspaper, I predicted that the first time a concert wouldn’t sell out would be in the spring of 2019. In reality, every concert remained sold out right up until the pandemic, and even after that, following a brief period of readjustment, we were fully booked again for another two years. This attendance rate remains a world record to this day, with the only difference being that tickets are now occasionally available at shorter notice, which has had a positive effect on the diversity and age range of our audiences. We are now seeing a higher proportion of younger concertgoers who are less inclined to purchase tickets for a classical concert five months in advance.
Read on to find out what the programme highlights are for the 2026/27 season and which idol Christoph Lieben-Seutter would still like to see perform on stage at the Elbphilharmonie. Read the full interview
The Elbphilharmonie in figures
Updated in April 2026
Exclusive insights :The Elbphilharmonie Sessions
Here, you can explore the spaces behind the scenes at the Elbphilharmonie, from the car park to the roof structure. Numerous artists have already recorded an »Elbphilharmonie Session«.
