10 Years of Elbphilharmonie

Hamburg, 1 September 2026: The Elbphilharmonie celebrates the tenth anniversary of its opening on 11 January 2027. At the launch of its landmark anniversary season, Hamburg’s concert hall presented international journalists with key figures highlighting its success story. Since the Elbphilharmonie opened in 2017, annual attendance at classical music concerts in Hamburg has tripled. By the anniversary in January 2027, 7.4 million people will have attended around 6,600 concerts and events at the Elbphilharmonie, while 29.5 million visitors will have enjoyed the Plaza, the public viewing platform located 37 metres above ground level. Ten years after opening, occupancy in the Grand Hall stands at around 96%. Together with architect Pierre de Meuron, Hamburg’s Senator for Culture and Media Dr Carsten Brosda and percussionist Vivi Vassileva, General & Artistic Director Christoph Lieben-Seutter reflected on the origins of the Elbphilharmonie, its achievements to date and the highlights of the anniversary season. To mark the opening of the season, the concert with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Manfred Honeck, featuring Alexandre Kantorow at the piano, will be streamed live from 20:00 today in the Elbphilharmonie Mediatheque and subsequently be available to watch free on demand. Tickets for the gala anniversary concert in the Grand Hall on 11 January will go on sale on 3 November via www.elbphilharmonie.de. Tickets for the anniversary concert in the Recital Hall on 13 January, presented by Ensemble Resonanz, will be available from 17 September.

Ten years after its opening, the Elbphilharmonie has become both a Hamburg landmark and an internationally renowned concert venue. Its impact extends far beyond the concert hall itself: the building’s architecture, the Plaza and a concert programme that combines musical excellence with artistic curiosity have reshaped perceptions of Hamburg as a city of music. What was once a controversial project during the construction phase has evolved into a concert hall that inspires the people of Hamburg as much as it does artists, orchestras and curious visitors from around the world. At the heart of its success lies a consciously wide-ranging artistic profile: alongside the classical repertoire, the Elbphilharmonie presents jazz, non-European musical traditions, pop, electronic music and contemporary works.

The breadth and diversity of the artistic programme are equally evident in the 2026/27 anniversary season. Seven leading American orchestras will travel to Hamburg for a total of 13 concerts, including the return of the New York Philharmonic for the first time since 2017. Musician, composer and curator Rhiannon Giddens explores the global roots of American musical culture in her »Reflektor« festival, while »Elbphilharmonie Visions« places contemporary orchestral music centre stage for the third time and builds a bridge to contemporary art with an exhibition by Swiss artist Zimoun in the Recital Hall. The season also celebrates the anniversaries of artists as diverse as John Adams, Steve Reich and John Coltrane. The Beethoven Year is marked by complete cycles of the piano sonatas, piano concertos and string quartets. At the same time, projects devoted to the music of Lebanon, Sasha Waltz’s »Reflektor« festival and appearances by artists including Angélique Kidjo, Youssou N’Dour, Sophie Hunger, Dianne Reeves and the Punch Brothers open up perspectives on other musical traditions and genres. The programme exemplifies the qualities that have made the Elbphilharmonie so popular over the past ten years: the highest artistic standards combined with curiosity, diversity and fresh perspectives.

The book »Elbphilharmonie Live«, which is published tomorrow, on 2 September 2026, by Hoffmann und Campe, offers a behind-the-scenes look at the concert hall – including its inner workings – in the form of numerous previously unpublished photo essays: approximately 750 concerts a year, with countless orchestras and artists from around the world coming together at the Elbphilharmonie.
Binding: Hardcover; Number of pages: 208; ISBN: 978-3-455-02347-3

Christoph Lieben-Seutter, General & Artistic Director of the Elbphilharmonie und Laeiszhalle:
»It has paid off to harness the momentum of those early years and establish a programme that combines the biggest stars of classical music with the unusual and the unexpected – attracting new audiences to music in the process. Since opening, perhaps the most important lesson we have learned is just how significant a social role the Elbphilharmonie plays. Ten years ago, if someone had asked me why Hamburg needed a spectacular concert hall, I would probably have replied: to preserve and celebrate our musical heritage in a fitting way. After a decade marked by international crises, my answer would be different. Places like this matter because they bring strangers together, allow people to spend time with one another and demonstrate that extraordinary things can happen when people cooperate and create together.«

Pierre de Meuron, architect and founding partner of Herzog & de Meuron:
»We are proud of the Elbphilharmonie, because, in many respects, it has been an extraordinary and highly formative project for our firm. It demonstrates that a cultural institution can have an impact far beyond the boundaries of its own city. Today, the building functions not only as a concert hall but has also become a place that many people visit as part of their everyday lives and closely associate with Hamburg – a place where music, architecture and urban space converge. It is precisely this combination that has given it a presence that resonates internationally. For us, however, success is measured not only by this international recognition but above all by the fact that the Elbphilharmonie is used, visited and embraced by a broad public as an indispensable part of the city.«

Dr Carsten Brosda, Hamburg’s Senator for Culture and Media:
»With the opening of the Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg began a new chapter in the city’s history. The city’s long tradition as a cultural centre found its most visible expression in the iconic building on the banks of the Elbe. The people of Hamburg are proud of both their concert hall and their city’s cultural life. And it is not only Hamburg’s residents who appreciate the striking architecture, the unique concert hall and its outstanding musical programme. Internationally, too, the Elbphilharmonie shines as a cultural beacon, attracting visitors from around the world. They all experience a city that never stands still but continues to evolve. New cultural venues are emerging, and innovative artistic projects are taking shape. Much of this would not have been possible without the Elbphilharmonie. And so we continue to write the next chapters in Hamburg’s cultural story.«