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More Artist & Speakers Confirmed As Reeperbahn Festival Approaches
Reeperbahn Festival is all set for its 2023 edition, scheduled to go down in Hamburg, Germany, Sept. 20-23.
There will be many topics relevant to the recorded and live business addressed on panels, keynotes, and other formats over the course of the conference. Confirmed speakers include Angélique Thranberend (Senior Director People Central Europe, Warner Music), Katrin Neubert (Senior Vice President People & Culture, Universal Music), Stephan Thanscheidt (CEO, Head of Festivalbooking, FKP Scorpio), Sanne Kjaer-Stephansen (Head of Sustainability, Roskilde Festival), Camila Anino (Head of Partnerships & Programming, Primavera Sound), and many more.
Aside from tackling the state of business in all its sectors, topics include generational change, mental health, technological developments, social and ecological responsibility, sustainability, and various other themes to help artists and professional navigate the music economy.
Several items on the conference schedule are concerned with finding the next generation of talent, particularly in light of a shortage of skilled workers.
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Reeperbahn Festival collaborates with TINCON, a conference for digital youth culture, that mainly targets students and young adults between the ages of 13 and 25. This collaboration will see “representatives from pop culture, lifestyle, tech, net politics, activism, and science (…) share their knowledge and experiences with the audience by way of talks, workshops and Q&A’s.”
In a “10 Reasons Why” event, experienced industry pros from various fields – artists, festivals, labels, distribution, diversity, and more – will share their individual careers with the audience.
To set the tone, a session on opening night, Wednesday, Sept. 20, will address the general questions of “what’s next?,” asking, “How does the future of the music industry look, and how can we shape it in a healthy and sustainable way,” in the words of a press release sent out by Reeperbahn Festival.
This session will be hosted by German TV and radio personality Hadnet Tesfai, and feature German-Iranian stand-up artists and activist Enissa Amani, as well as producer, and singer/songwriter AY Young, and climate activist Mari Copeny, both joining via video call from New York.
See: Reeperbahn Festival 2023 Shaping Up In Germany
The heart of Reeperbahn Festival is still music, and hundreds of artists will be taking the stage during day and night across the district’s many clubs and venues. Some 300 artists representing a broad musical spectrum will perform, mostly newcomers, but also established names, like Altin Gün, The Pretenders, Circa Waves, The Hives, Blood Red Shows, Holly Humberstone, Only the Poets, Becks, Pongo, Silvan Strauss, Symba, Tua, and Billy Bragg.
Performing on opening night are Arlo Parks, Cessia, the winners of the 2022 Anchor Award, as well as U.S. singer/songwriter Iniko.
This year’s Anchor Award nominees will also perform, of course: Berq, Daisy The Great, Hannes, Ichiko Aoba, Paris Paloma, Waterbaby. They will be seen and heard by this year’s Anchor Award jury, which is comprised of Banks, Katie Melua, Tayla Parx, and Tony Visconti. The Award show takes place on the last night of Reeperbahn Festival, Saturday, Sept. 23.
Here’s a small selection of confirmed acts from all over Europe, including the UK, Ireland, as well as from across the Atlantic: Paula Hartmann, Luna, Nova Twins, 49th & Main, COMA, Aziya, LINA, Lucifer Xo, Picture Parlour, YFG Pave, Uma, Dream Nails, Sabrina Bellaouel, Floodlights, Blush Always, HENRYY, Wide Mouth Mason, REEZA, LA PLACE, RIA, Josh Island, Adwaith, Wolf & Moon, iedereen, Thomas Meilstrup, Mace The Great, CHAILD, MAZ, Vanity Mirror, Gillie, Iiska, DasRADIAL, Jack Curley, Katie Gregson-McLeod, blackwave., Go-Jo, KAWALA, diggidaniel, Mariybu, Traumatin, CHERISE, Jolle, DISKOPUNK, Susan O’Neill, Viji, NIKOTIN, Eyelar, Enkay, Sarah Reeves, Georg Stengel, AYMZ, CARY, Esfand, NANTI, The Vices, Wyn Starks, C’est Karma, Mina Richman, Will Varley, Jack in Water, Shaun Farrugia, Maria Hein, Senta, Hansemädchen, Noth, Soukou, Social Dynamics, Technofix!, Johannes Worms & Nasti, Marc Mas, Júlia Colom, Ivana, Tayne, Yecca.
Claudia Roth, Germany’s minister for culture and media, who will also be speaking on opening night, commented, “Reeperbahn Festival is not just one of the most important club festivals in Europe, it’s also one of the leading industry gatherings for the music sector and one of the top European platforms for international talent and pop culture.
“Whether at the Green Culture Summit, making its debut this year, or via panel events on issues such as the abuse of power or artificial intelligence, Reeperbahn Festival will be addressing the industry’s questions about the future.
“It is precisely this fusion of live music, cultural and creative industries and socio-political issues that makes Reeperbahn Festival stand out. It sends an important message far and wide beyond the Hanseatic city’s territory.”