Event: 834th Hamburg Harbour Birthday - Clear the stage on water and on land

The international ecumenical opening service in the main church of St Michaelis - known worldwide by the popular name "Michel" - marked the traditional start of the Hamburg Harbour Birthday yesterday lunchtime. The sermon was delivered by head pastor Alexander Röder together with presenter Ingo Zamperoni. After cancellations in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic and a comeback at an unusual time in September 2022, the 834th edition of the harbour festival will take place at the beginning of May for the first time in four years. It offers an unrivalled variety and proximity to ships. Majestic tall ships and huge cruise liners (four from AIDA Cruises alone) will be on display, as well as modern and historic emergency vehicles, naval vessels and lovingly restored traditional and museum ships. Many of them invite you to visit them on board at the jetties, in the traditional ship harbour, in the Hansa harbour and in the Oevelgönne museum harbour. Country partner is this year South Korea with the harbour city of Busan.

Enchanting premiere: ballet within ballet

Round 250 floating guests are expected at the world's largest harbour festival. The largest of these is the MSC Preziosa, which is around 333 metres long. After the official starting signal on board the museum ship Rickmer Rickmers - Hamburg's Senator for Economic Affairs, Melanie Leonhard, rang the ship's bell on the cargo sailing vessel - followed yesterday afternoon by the big Run-in paradeled by the Frigate Hamburg. The Tugboat ballet this Saturday at 3 pm is one of the traditional highlights of the Hamburg Harbour Birthday. The extraordinary choreographies of the several thousand horsepower harbour tugs, which sway and pirouette to well-known melodies, have been a crowd-puller for decades. This year, the term "tugboat ballet" takes on a new meaning: for the first time, the Federal Youth Ballet, founded in 2011 by ballet legend John Neumeier, will dance on one of the five participating tugboats during the performance. Another highlight is the Maritime birthday fireworks on Saturday evening from 22.30 hrs. The grand finale of the traditional visitor magnets is the big Run-out parade on Sunday at 4.30 pm. But the Complete water programme of the 834th Hamburg Harbour Birthday offers much more. Here is an excerpt:

Spectacular rescue exercise with three helicopters

The programme item "SOS - Joint Rescue Operation" on Saturday at 4.15 pm and on Sunday at 12 noon in front of the jetties will show how emergency vehicles from different organisations work together in an emergency on the high seas. In the rescue exercise, the German Armed Forces, police, fire brigade and water police will simulate a rescue operation, DGzRSADAC and the German Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) will use emergency vehicles and helicopters to simulate an accident on the high seas, which visitors will be able to touch. The Sea King amphibious naval helicopter, the EC 135 police helicopter and the H 145 Airbus Helicopter from ADAC will also be on board. The focus is on treating and rescuing injured people from a ship after an explosion on board. In addition, the THW's oil spill response team will demonstrate the recovery of an oil spill. The THW pyrotechnicians provide another facet of the realistic scenery with special effects.

Water ski acrobatics with superheroes and stunts

On Friday at 6.30 p.m. and Saturday at 7.15 p.m., the action will be fast-paced in front of the THW pontoon at the Landungsbrücken. There the only water ski club in Hamburg The daring water skiers dressed as Asterix and Obelix, Batman, Superman or Tarzan whizz across the water pulled by two 360 hp motorboats and surprise with breathtaking stunts and spectacular formations such as a pyramid with six artists on just four skis. They defy the waves and strong currents.

Action with personal rescue

With a large floating work platform and accompanied by special operation boats, the THW will be demonstrating the rescue of people from flooded areas under the programme item "THW - Helping with technology". On Saturday and Sunday at 10 a.m., guests can experience the diverse tasks of the federal volunteer emergency organisation up close in front of the jetties.

Demonstrations of modern and historic emergency vehicles

The Hamburg fleet will be presenting a selection of its special ships on Friday at 7.30 pm. The municipal company, which is responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the harbour infrastructure, will be presenting the Diving vessel Düker Tothat Bridge inspection vessel Brückenkiekerwhich Icebreaker and tug Johannes Dalmannthat Sounding vessel Deepenschriewer II and the hybrid-powered Chicago leveller. On Saturday at 6.15 pm, the programme includes a demonstration of the ocean-going tugs Elbe and Holland. The tugs, which are more than fifty metres long, were built in the 1950s and were used on the high seas for many years. The Elbe was one of the most powerful salvage tugs of its time. Now museum ships, the tugs tell of the hard everyday life of the deep-sea towing and salvage business in the last century.

Winning with speed and skill

Historic and modern mooring boats will meet for an exciting race, the "Mok fast!", on Saturday at 5.30 pm in front of the Landungsbrücken and at 6.15 pm in the Museum harbour Oevelgönne. The skippers demonstrate their driving skills on the robust and highly manoeuvrable boats that normally assist in mooring a ship. The Museum Harbour Oevelgönne will also be the venue for the Betting rigs through the harbour basin. When it comes to propelling the boat with just one oar at the stern - the wrigg oar - muscle power and the right rowing technique are required to get through the narrow harbour basin as quickly as possible.

Stand at the helm of a tall ship for once

The open-ship offers are a special highlight of the Hamburg Harbour Birthday. Numerous ships such as the Polish three-masted full-rigged ship Dar Młodzieżythe three-masted barque Alexander von Humboldt IIthe Flying P-Liner Beijing as well as modern emergency vehicles from various institutions through to traditional and museum ships invite you to visit. Guests can discover the maritime world for themselves, stand at the steering wheel on the bridge, visit the cabins below deck and ask the crew questions. The crew of the Peking will be demonstrating sailing manoeuvres such as yawing the yards, whereby the crossbars on the masts are turned in the optimum direction for the wind. Those interested can have the special features of the tall ship explained to them on the Peking and immerse themselves in the maritime history of the four-master.

Ride along and be there live

Birthday guests can also travel on many ships and experience the parades up close. So the Tugboat Elbe and Holland and others more about Visit on board.

Further details on the 834th Hamburg Harbour Birthday

• The Complete programme with all times and locations can be found here
• The Highlights at a glance you will find here
• The Water programme in detail you will find here
• The Land programme in detail you will find here
• One interactive map shows all harbour party locations
• The Hamburg harbour birthday via webcam visit