Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie opens this week

Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie concert hall, which experienced a number of lengthy delays during construction, is finally scheduled to open later this week with a concert on Wednesday.

Elbphilharmonie
The Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg. Image credit: Alexander Svensson/Wikimedia Commons

German President Joachim Gauck will present the opening concert, which will feature works by Praetorius, Beethoven and Wagner. But in addition to that, some of the music to be performed at the gala remains a closely guarded secret.

On top of the various dignitaries and press representatives, only 1,000 lucky patrons were fortunate enough to be randomly selected to receive a ticket for the debut concert. If you’re not among them, you can watch the gala in 360 degree-video beginning at 18:30 Central European Time (GMT +1) on Wednesday.

The eye-catching building, designed by Swiss architect Herzog de Meuron, was initially planned to cost €77 million and be constructed within a four-year period. In the end, it took a decade to build and is anticipated to reach a final cost of some €866 million.

The Elbphilharmonie boasts impressive views of the city and is also hoping to attract visitors with a wide-ranging musical programme going beyond classical music. The renamed NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra will play at the opening concert, which will have a re-run on 12 January, and there are also plans to bring jazz artists and world music performers for future concerts.

Get more information at the Elbphilharmonie’s website.

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