What highlights await you in Hamburg during 2012?

Although the past year was an eventful one, the prospects for 2012 are extremely promising. A wide range of diverse events await us.

2012 will be a year of several high points for motorbike fans. Right at the start of the year, on January 27th and 28th, the engines will be running hot and humming at the Hamburger Motorrad Tage, the city’s motorbike event, and visitors will be able to look at and examine the latest motorbike models on display. The legendary bikers’ church service, held in Hamburg’s St Michaelis church, takes place on 10th June. Each year around 10,000 bikers attend this service, driving off in convoy afterwards to celebrate in Kaltenkirchen. Hamburg is again firmly in the hands of motorbike enthusiasts just a few days later as they meet up for the Harley Days, from 22nd to 24th June, to indulge in their shared hobby.

The Port of Hamburg will also be busy again in the coming year. There’s hustle and bustle with both large and small cruise ships entering the port. You’ll find a complete list (in German) of all those ships arriving under http://www.hamburg.de/kreuzfahrtschiffe/ . A particular highlight, and certainly worth a trip to the port, are the regular annual visits of the impressive Queen Mary 2. During this year’s Cruise Days, from 17th to 19th August, seven cruise ships will drop anchor in the Port of Hamburg. At night, artist Michael Batz’s Blue Port lighting production submerges the port in magical blue light, illuminating the ships to create a fascinating, all-embracing work of art. Equally to be recommended is the port’s annual birthday festivities, which will be celebrated on a large scale this year, from 11th to 13th June. This year we welcome India as our partner country.

High spirits and colourful parties are popular again this year. Laughing and dancing partygoers meet up at major events including the Schlagermove, Hamburg’s festival of Schlager, or popular, music, and the Christopher Street Day gay pride parade. Schlager music fans get out their 1970’s trousers and flower print shirts on 7th July to dance to the best Schlager songs, accompanied by 45 decorated trucks. The event starts and finishes at the Heiligengeistfeld in St. Pauli. On Saturday 4th August the Christopher Street Day Parade sets off on its procession from St. Georg. Whether leather boys, feather boas, dykes on bikes, dance groups or bikini girls – it’s going to be colourful again!