Inter/Wall Festival celebrates anniversary

This year, the Inter/Wall Festival celebrates its fifth anniversary. Light artist Michael Batz, who also illuminates the famous Blue Port, will showcase the award-winning architecture at Alter Wall 2-32 and the four surrounding bridges on the Alsterfleet as Blue Bridges in all their splendour at dusk. In addition, Alte Wall 38 (future House of Parliament) and Alte Wall 40, where The Hoxton Hotel will open in 2026, will also be included in the lighting display. Concerts and projections – this time from a boat – round off the programme. This year, the festival has a special motto: "5 for Karl". In addition to the festival anniversary, Alte Wall is also celebrating Hamburg-born former Chanel fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld. As a special highlight, Alte Wall 2-32 will once again be illuminated in parallel with Blue Port from 10 to 21 September – in its signature blue.

Karl Lagerfeld, the festival's namesake patron, held an iconic reverence for the number 5—it was woven into the very fabric of his aesthetic philosophy, appearing throughout his art, creations, music, personal life, and designs. Last year, a boulevard along the canal opposite Alter Wall 38 and 40 was named in his honour: Karl Lagerfeld Boulevard. Now, with generous support from Hamburg's city government, the boulevard's spherical lights will glow blue for the first time, artfully amplifying the illumination around the Blue Bridges—the Rathausschleusenbrücke, Marion-Gräfin-Dönhoff-Brücke, Adolphsbrücke, and Graskellerbrücke. One of the construction cranes between Alter Wall 38 and 40 will also be bathed in blue. And adding another spectacular dimension: the famous strobe lights otherwise seen only atop the Eiffel Tower in Paris will animate Alter Wall 40 anew, creating dazzling effects every 30 minutes from dusk onwards.

The festival opens on August 28 with music from Hamburg's beloved Police Orchestra. The following evening, the Nica Jazz Club presents two concerts featuring the band RSxT with groove-driven sounds spanning jazz and pop along the Fleet. Duo Parlament takes the stage on August 28 and 30, serving up spirited musette classics, Italian pop hits, and jazz improvisation. On August 30, the Floodgate Brass Sextet performs Hamburg's one and only lock-side concert. This year also brings artistic projections from a boat, illuminating the facades of Alter Wall 2-40 on two evenings. "The Inter/Wall Festival has become essential to Hamburg's summer cultural calendar, drawing larger crowds to the city centre year after year," explains Martin Wolfrat, Partner and Head of Hamburg at Art-Invest Real Estate. "During festival days alone, we've documented evening foot traffic increases exceeding 20,000 visitors compared to the previous year. When the programme resonates, both locals and tourists embrace the city. That's precisely why we're committed to sustaining this privately funded festival for the long term."

"The Inter/Wall Festival is celebrating its 5th anniversary, and Blue Port its 10th. The combination of these two illumination events creates a magical axis of light along the water through the heart of Hamburg and will inspire people. Because light is life and inspiration, light brings people together, light makes difficult things easy and wonderful things imaginable. And we need that more than ever in these times," says Michael Batz, artistic director of the Inter/Wall Festival and the brains behind Blue Port. Michael Batz is one of the most renowned artists in the Hanseatic city. In addition to highly acclaimed book titles, his projects include numerous plays, performances and art events, as well as internationally recognised light projects, including "Blue Goals" and "Blue Port". Michael Batz is a recipient of the Biermann-Ratjen Medal from the Hamburg Senate. He has also received the Hamburg Theatre Prize – Rolf Mares and was honoured as "Hamburger of the Year". Since 2018, he has also been honorary lock keeper of the Congregation of Alster Lock Keepers S.C. In 2021, he was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit and, most recently, the Citizens' Award for voluntary work.

www.alter-wall-hamburg.de