Elbphilharmonie i Hamburg - konserthus och landmärke

The Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg is a concert hall, but also a landmark. This year, the concert hall is celebrating its 5th anniversary, and a lot of festivities are being organised to mark the occasion. We took a look at the beautiful building from the inside and out.

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Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg

The Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg was designed by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron and, with its undulating forms, is reminiscent of the sea and nature.

The Elbphilharmonie is located in the HafenCity area, by the harbour in the centre of Hamburg.

Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg - a landmark event

The Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg is a landmark that keeps popping into view almost everywhere you go in the city. The building appears in different ways from different angles, but from any perspective, the undulating roof is reminiscent of rippling water.

Plaza

Even if you don't plan to attend a concert, you can visit the Plaza on the 8th floor of the concert hall, 37 metres above the ground. The open floor plan here is really cool and you have a view of the city and the harbour that stretches for miles. There is also a café here.

To visit the Plaza you need to buy a ticket at the price of €2/person. It is also possible to book a guided "Plaza Tour" for €10/person.

Concert halls

The most outstanding room, which is the heart of the Elbphilharmonie, is the Great Concert Hall (Grosser Saal), which has 2100 seats. This gigantic hall offers an enormous amount of space and is designed to provide the best possible sound.

Konserthallen i Elbphilharmonie i Hamburg

A closer look at the walls reveals small tiles with different depths of recesses. Japanese acoustic engineer Yasuhisa Toyota is responsible for the design of these 10 000 individually shaped tiles, which together provide the best possible acoustics.

No detail has been left to chance and if you go to a concert, even going to the toilet can be an experience. There's nothing wrong with the view while washing your hands!

5-year anniversary with drone show

This year marks the fifth anniversary of the completion of the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, which became the city's landmark. During these years, the concert hall has developed into a huge tourist magnet with lots of annual visitors.

Brief facts from the first five years of the Elbphilharmonie

Number of visitors to the Plaza: More than 14.5 million
Number of concertgoers: Around 3.3 million
Number of concerts: More than 2900
Number of guided tours: 9782
The most played piece: Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony No. 7
The most played composer: Ludwig van Beethoven

To celebrate the 5th anniversary in a spectacular and unique way, they contacted the artist duo DRIFT. They created an artistic display with 300 drones, which would move around the concert hall in a moving art installation.

Artist duo DRIFT on stage (centre) during a press conference.

To see the show, we, and many others, went out in boats in the evening. As the clock approached 23:00, the boats flocked around the Elbphilharmonie, and all eyes were on the concert hall.

Music was heard throughout the harbour area and the 300 drones moved in soft formations around the building. A fascinating spectacle! The 5th anniversary is now continuing in various ways, including the Hamburg International Music Festival.

Visiting the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg

We can definitely recommend a visit to the Elbphilharmonie during your trip to Hamburg. The easiest way is to buy a ticket to the Plaza viewing area. If you want to experience even more, you can book a guided tour or attend a concert. Either way, start your visit with a ride on the world's longest curved escalator.

Rulltrappan på Elbphilharmonie i Hamburg

More to see and do in Hamburg and Germany

Beyond the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, there is much more to see and experience in this northern German city. You won't want to miss strolling around the harbour area, and perhaps taking a boat trip. Other interesting experiences include Miniatur Wunderland with the world's largest model railway and a guided tour in the footsteps of the Beatles.

READ MORE: Guided Beatles tour in Hamburg - go to the Reeperbahn!
READ MORE: Miniatur Wunderland - the largest model railway in the world
READ MORE: Restaurants in Hamburg - our top 7 tips
READ MORE: Things to do in Hamburg - 23 sights and experiences

Have you visited the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg?

Have you visited the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, or would you like to make a visit?

Facts about the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg

Address: Am Kaiserkai, Hamburg
Start of construction: 2007
Inauguration: 2017
Developer: City of Hamburg
Maximum height: 110 metres (26 floors)
Nickname: Elphi
Read more: You can find more information about the Elbphilharmonie at concert hall website.

9 Comments

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4000mil says:

How nice it was in Hamburg! Nice to read your reports too. Although I did not dare to read the Beatles before writing myself! 😅

05 May 2022 - 7:06

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Yes, very nice, and fun to meet! Of course it is a bit special when you write about the same thing, but I still think you have your own way of writing, so it will always be different. Will read about the Beatles tour with you now 🙂 .
  
  05 May 2022 - 7:32
  
Mr Nils-Åke Hansson says:

300 drones and getting them to synchronise with each other. The concert hall was magnificent.

05 May 2022 - 8:02

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  The show with the drones was impressive! Everything moved so smoothly, as if it was "easy", but we suspect it was anything but!
  
  05 May 2022 - 19:40
  
Ann-Louise Paulsson says:

What a cool building, I really want to go there!

05 May 2022 - 17:23

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Isn't it cool? Hamburg is an exciting city to discover! 🙂
  
  05 May 2022 - 19:41
  
BP says:

What an amazing creation, because it is indeed a creation. Incredibly beautiful and I can imagine that Hamburg is very proud of its Elphi. The city needed a landmark that is different. The drone formations must have been WOW! As I like all kinds of cranes, I really liked the framing along the Elbe river:-)

05 May 2022 - 20:53

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Isn't that great? And yes, the drone show was cool, unlike anything else we've seen. and you got cranes on the purchase 🙂 .
  
  06 May 2022 - 8:49
  
Lena+in+Wales+and+Spain says:

The more posts about Hamburg, the more I realise that a lot has happened there since I used to go there several times a year. Interesting!

07 May 2022 - 8:37

Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg - concert hall and landmark building

Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg

Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg - a landmark event

Plaza

Concert halls

5-year anniversary with drone show

Brief facts from the first five years of the Elbphilharmonie

Visiting the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg

More to see and do in Hamburg and Germany

Have you visited the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg?

Facts about the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg

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9 Comments

4000mil says:

Helena says:

Mr Nils-Åke Hansson says:

Helena says:

Ann-Louise Paulsson says:

Helena says:

BP says:

Helena says:

Lena+in+Wales+and+Spain says:

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