KiezKultur Festival 2027

The sixth edition of the KiezKultur Festival takes place on 15 and 16 October 2027 in Hannover-Linden. Over two days, more than 60 emerging artists from Germany, Austria and Switzerland will play across 15+ stages in the clubs and cultural venues of the neighbourhood, from the Faust grounds to the Glocksee. With LUX, a new venue joins the festival in 2027. All venues are within walking distance, so the whole district becomes one festival site. Around 25 readings, workshops, live podcasts and a convention for young music industry professionals complete the programme. A festival pass will cost around 50 euros, and we expect more than 2,500 visitors. 

The 2027 music programme has no genre boundaries and focuses on what is happening in pop right now. At least 90 % of the line-up will be newcomers: artists at an early stage of their career with first releases, a growing audience and first industry partners. At least 55 % of the acts will be FLINTA* artists, and we will actively book LGBTQIA+, BIPoC and disabled artists. At least ten acts will come from Hannover and Lower Saxony and play in front of industry guests and a national audience. The booking team will scout throughout the year and announce the line-up in five waves between May and August 2027. No artists have been booked yet. The cultural programme brings local initiatives and collectives together with nationally known authors, podcasters and performers. The focus of the 2027 edition is on what happens after the show. We will raise the average artist fee to 850 euros and cover accommodation, catering and backline, so that travel is affordable for acts from Austria and Switzerland as well. Every act will receive professional photos of their performance. At the convention, an expanded Delegates Tour will bring artists together with bookers, labels and publishers.

In 2027 we will also create more places for young people behind the scenes. Trainees from Musikzentrum Hannover will run technical production and stage management, students from the Institute for Journalism and Communication Research will support communications, and young photographers will document the festival for an expense allowance. Each of them will have a fixed mentor in our team. Access is a core part of this edition. Together with Normal in Linden, a local initiative for people with disabilities, we will expand our buddy system, train our team and publish accessibility information for every venue. Our awareness team will be paid for the first time. We are opening new spaces: an awareness and quiet room and a menstruation room with free hygiene products. For 2027, we want the festival to be more visible in Hannover and beyond. Our own channels (newsletter, app, website, Instagram) will be active throughout the year leading up to the festival. In the city, posters, flags and smaller events will point to the festival, and our marketing will reach further outside the region through partner festivals, ticket exchanges and media partners. 

The 2027 edition is also more strongly rooted in its neighbourhood. We will launch merchandise together with regional, sustainable brands, work with local businesses to improve the infrastructure between venues, for example by lighting the paths, and start a sharing concept: decorations, equipment and materials from our storage will be shared with other event organisers in the city during the year. Public funding for 2027 will go mainly into artist fees, travel costs and documentation, so that we can pay fair fees and keep tickets affordable at the same time.