What's on in Hamburg, Germany through the year

Busy — Christmas holidays in Germany, school holidays in 6 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in January.

Still on: Storm surge season (15 Sep – 31 Mar)

Quiet — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in February.

Still on: Storm surge season (15 Sep – 31 Mar)

Busy — Easter holidays in Germany, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in March.

Still on: Storm surge season (15 Sep – 31 Mar)

Busy — Easter holidays in Germany, school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in April.

Peak crowds — Hafengeburtstag, Whitsun/Pentecost holidays in Germany

• Festival

  Hafengeburtstag

  8–10 MayMajor festivalCrowded

  The port's birthday over three days in May: tall ships up the Elbe, a tug ballet, and the whole city on the Landungsbruecken. It is the weekend Hamburg decides summer has started. Source ↗

• Season

  Alster and pool season

  15 May – 10 Sep · usuallySummer season opens

  The outdoor pools open in May and the Alster banks fill with rowers, beer and barbecues. Everything here is planned for the fortnight of proper summer that may or may not arrive.

Busy — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather

Nothing new starts in June.

Still on: Alster and pool season (15 May – 10 Sep (usually))

Peak crowds — Hamburger DOM, Summer holidays in Germany

• Festival

  Hamburger DOM

  24 Jul – 30 AugMajor festivalCrowded

  North Germany's biggest funfair runs on the Heiligengeistfeld three times a year, five weeks each, with fireworks every Friday. The summer run is the one that overlaps the school holidays. Source ↗

Still on: Alster and pool season (15 May – 10 Sep (usually))

Peak crowds — Hamburger DOM, Summer holidays in Germany

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: Alster and pool season (15 May – 10 Sep (usually)), Hamburger DOM (24 Jul – 30 Aug)

Busy — Reeperbahn Festival, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

• Festival

  Reeperbahn Festival

  16–19 SepMajor festivalCrowdedBook early

  Four nights, six hundred-odd shows in seventy small venues around St Pauli, mostly bands nobody has heard of yet. One wristband, and the queues are the whole experience. Source ↗

• Hazard

  Storm surge season

  15 Sep – 31 MarFlood season

  The city counts its storm tide season from mid-September to the end of March. A few times a winter the Elbe comes over the Fischmarkt, which the city treats as routine rather than news. Source ↗

Still on: Alster and pool season (15 May – 10 Sep (usually))

Busy — Autumn holidays in Germany, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in October.

Still on: Storm surge season (15 Sep – 31 Mar)

Peak crowds — Winterdom, Christmas markets

• Festival

  Winterdom

  6 Nov – 6 DecMajor festivalCrowded

  The winter run of the funfair fills the Heiligengeistfeld for a month from early November, which is the warmest thing to do outdoors here before the Christmas markets open. Source ↗

• Festival

  Christmas markets

  18 Nov – 23 Dec · usuallyChristmas & New YearCrowded

  The historic market in front of the town hall is the postcard one; the maritime markets on the Fleetinsel and in HafenCity are better, and the St Pauli one is not for everyone. Source ↗

Still on: Storm surge season (15 Sep – 31 Mar)

Peak crowds — Winterdom, Christmas markets

Nothing new starts in December.

Still on: Storm surge season (15 Sep – 31 Mar), Winterdom (6 Nov – 6 Dec), Christmas markets (18 Nov – 23 Dec (usually))