Reeperbahn Festival 2026

Well, this was an interesting year. After all those years of visiting the festival, we felt much more adventurous and stumbled into some places we never went before. Like the bars Sorgenbrecher and Crazy Horst. New comic shops. And for the first time ever we managed to visit the Hamburg Fish Market on Sunday morning. This resulted in a very short night, as we needed to catch our train. But we got our fair share of Fischbrötchen and the flair of the Fish Market cover band. As I said … interesting.

Out of the bands I saw here are my ten favorites. In the order I saw them. The short quotes are once again taken from the band descriptions on the Reeperbahn Festival website (RBFW) – mostly the more obscure parts.

Jewls

Alternative // Cologne, Germany

»A rainy afternoon in Cologne: A songwriter with a keen sense for the transgressive and the obscure explores the dark alleys of human existence. As JEWLS, Julia Woll adorns them with black light and ivy tendrils, crafting the music of a man-made world that threatens to suffocate under its own insatiable hunger.« (RBFW)

I often scroll over singer-songwriter acts. But a friend insisted that this should be right up my alley. Glad he did. Cause this is quite post-punk.

Agatha Is Dead!

Alternative // Berlin, Germany

»Songs imbued with the wine-red romanticism of ‘I Called And Left A Message’ or ‘Begs Me To Dance’ (2022) make it clear why post-punk had such a massive impact on millions of lives during the eighties. Sleek guitar lines over erotic effects, deeply murmuring vocals, precisely contrasted drums – this band has grasped how the sound design of that era can be authentically transposed into the present.« (RBFW)

One of three bands in this list I knew before the festival. My must-see artist for Wednesday. And they didn’t dissappoint.

Efeu

Rock // Vienna, Austria

»The Viennese band delivers heart-pounding concert evenings with human empathy for all those who fail to live up to contemporary expectations and can do without glitz and glamour. Who needs that anyway?« (RBFW)

Another new location: the Baalsaal. I had a few artists lined up here. But after half an hour on Thursday, I decided against it. This room is just too stuffy and oppressive. Maybe not as bad as a full Pooca Bar. But I just couldn’t stomach another band there.

Bruchbude

Indie, Pop // Dortmund, Germany

»Look closely when it hurts; tear the paper from your mouth when necessary; tell it like it is: Bruchbude makes independent music with attitude, but without kitsch or frills. The five-piece band transforms observations on the status quo in Germany into catchy tunes that can move you to tears or accompany a day at the lake—depending on your mood.« (RBFW)

Thursday afternoon, we were sitting on Spielbudenplatz, enjoying an early beer and this band. Big surprise when they announced that they were from Dortmund as well. We all just looked at each other, befuddled; neither one of us knew this.

REDD.

Hip-Hop/Rap, Alternative // Australia

»Modern punk, summed up in a nutshell? You could say that. With one eye, REDD. looks back to the early 2000s, when skate punk à la Blink 182, Sum 41 and Avril Lavigne was all the rage. With the other, they draw inspiration from the best of today’s rappers and pop artists to craft a rather unique signature sound that transcends fleeting trends.« (RBFW)

Rock? Check. Rap? Check. Dancable, Energetic, Fun? Check. Check. Check.

Nightbus

Indie, Alternative // Manchester, GB

»As Nightbus, the trio [Note: Well, originally a trio, but now a duo] celebrate shimmering synth-pop with prominent post-punk riffs and darkwave cascades that dissolve before the mind’s eye like a dream beneath the streetlights. Light and dark in a sensual interplay, a night-time bus ride, a flashback in the rear-view mirror – who broke up with whom here?« (RBFW)

Another band I had in my playlist before the festival. Which made it the must-see for Thursday evening. I am glad the crowd I dragged with me liked the band as well. At one point we had the same thought: Yes, this song has definite Twin Peaks vibes.

Sex Mask

Alternative, Punk // Melbourne, Australia

»The music is often underpinned by gritty distortion, with cool, grooving synths and guitars seeping into a rhythmic foundation that works at any tempo. At times a Taoist enigma, then a manifesto for outsiders, and in the next moment a Jungian reflection on the unconscious, the lyrics by singer Ry Gray are also an amalgam of inspirations.« (RBFW)

Last year I was quite disappointed when Sex Mask was first announced and then canceled. I am really glad they made it this year.

DeadWax

Rock, Metal, Crossover // Leeds, GB

»Whilst others dream of time machines, DeadWax have already tracked down the local bus back to the glory days of the 90s. For over a decade, the Leeds-based quartet has been blasting through a repertoire of songs that blend rap and alternative rock, nu metal and grime at a level once thought to be a thing of the past.« (RBFW)

It felt like there was more Metal around this year. With a Wacken Open Air Showcase, MoreCore Music Awards and Heavy Reeperbahn (Spotlight On: Heavy) all featuring Metal, Hardcore, Punk and Alternative. Though putting »Hand of Juno« on the Spielbude XL stage at 3 pm on Friday afternoon – in broad daylight, with families and little children around – was an odd choice.
Anyway, of all the Metal-related acts, DeadWax was my favorite. They could have used a bigger stage.

Headsend

Rock // AU

»A certain anarchic attitude towards composition and production is naturally at the forefront, but there are also eager distortions that cut through the plaintive melodies piece by piece like the scent of a lost love wafting through memories of loss.« (RBFW)

In general, we had fewer problems getting into venues this year. At least compared to some years before Covid. But as usual, getting into the Molotow on Saturday evening is quite exhausting. I stood in line for 40 minutes to get in. In the end, I got a nice chair at the bar, and could still see half of the band. So I can hardly complain.

Eskei83

Electronic, DJ // DE

»On international festival stages such as Tomorrowland, Rampage, Parookaville, and Liquicity, as well as through millions of views of his viral live edits, ESKEI83 demonstrates what his current mission stands for: Real DJing Never Dies.« (RBFW)

I don’t think we ever picked a DJ act in all our years at the festival. But ESKEI83 was hailed as »one of Europe’s leading drum-and-bass performance DJs«, so I wanted to give it a try. In the end, we watched the complete set. Despite the rain.
Maybe now I have to give Pollerwiesen in Dortmund a chance? Nah …

All in all, I am really happy with this year’s Reeperbahn Festival. Lots of great band. Lots of new places. I feel so hyped right now; I might add The Great Escape in Brighton to my festival list next year.