37th Maschsee Festival

The 37th Maschsee Festival in Hanover kicks off at the end of July with 19 days of maritime open-air fun right in the heart of the city 

“The Maschseefest offers 19 days of a maritime open-air experience for everyone. The Maschseefest is a firmly established highlight on the city’s calendar of events and, as Lower Saxony’s largest folk festival, attracts thousands of visitors from Germany and neighboring European countries every year—a testament to our reputation across Europe as a flagship of Northern Germany’s festive culture. After being battered by extremely bad weather last year, we’re hoping for stable weather with plenty of sunshine this year following the summer break, and we look forward to presenting the festival with its usual high quality,” says Hans Nolte, CEO of Hannover Marketing & Tourismus GmbH.

News

The Food Mile on the east bank is moving. Until now, food stands offering a wide variety of food and drinks lined the northern part of the Rudolf-von-Bennigsen-Ufer. Now the food vendors are moving to the Geibel and will become the new gathering spot in Südstadt. Spanning approximately 1,400 square meters, the new Food Village at Geibel now offers visitors not only a wide variety of delicacies but also a diverse program of events from Wednesday through Sunday, featuring live music, DJ sets, and morning drinks. Among other highlights, the Soulclub will be performing on Fridays. And guests at the Geibel won’t have to miss out on fine wines paired with a relaxing view of the lake: Enrico Leone and Le Sommelier, two special wine venues from Hannover, are setting up shop on the east bank.

In the upper section of the Geibel, the tour operator America Unlimited is also bringing an exclusive relaxation area with a California vibe to Hanover: the America Unlimited Sunset Beach. There, visitors can relax in lounge chairs under palm trees, enjoying a chill-out atmosphere with a view of the lake. A special highlight is America Unlimited’s mobile travel agency, located right on Sunset Beach. There, travel experts will offer tips for your next vacation in the U.S.

The former Food Mile on Rudolf-von-Bennigsen-Ufer is being transformed into a San Francisco-themed area. With street food-style pizza, burgers, and tacos, guests will be transported right to the West Coast of the United States—to California.

The Food Mile on the west bank will remain.

The north shore will be glowing blue in the future, as KONE is the new partner of the Maschsee Pavilion. The global market leader in the elevator, escalator, and automatic door industry will sponsor this prominent location through 2026. The globally active company, with Finnish roots and its German headquarters in Hanover, offers the perfect venue for international events and gatherings of all kinds. As usual, the venue will serve trendy cocktails and long drinks, non-alcoholic beverages, and finger food—all while offering a magnificent view of the action.

As usual, a colorful and free program of hands-on activities with plenty of creative and physical activities awaits young guests on the Kinderwiese on the west bank. For the first time this year, the Turn-Klubb zu Hannover (TKH) will also be there, featuring, among other things, an air track. There will be plenty of acrobatics on the air track.

Delicacies from around the world

With its culinary oases spread across some 20,000 square meters, the Maschseefest has established itself as a paradise for foodies—and that’s not about to change. International cuisine—ranging from Middle Eastern to Mexican, Asian, Scandinavian, and Hanseatic—whether exclusive, exotic, home-style, or “on the go”—takes guests on a culinary journey around the world. The international travel portal “Big 7 Travel” ranked the Maschseefest 9th among the best summer festivals for foodies in 2022. This makes it the only festival in Germany to be included among the top ten on the list.

Feast
Your Way Around the Lake In the northwest, the RADIO 21 Lounge serves refreshing drinks with a view of the north shore. At “Waldkater meets Spain” on the west shore, guests can enjoy a variety of tapas and other Spanish specialties.

Passing the SeeBiergarten with Reimann’s Grill, then Bolero Island—where cool mixed drinks are served to the sound of music from the turntable—the route continues to the north shore:
At the KONE Pavilion, you can enjoy cocktails with a sensational view across the water.

The bustling Leuchtturmeck is a traditional favorite for beer and grilled specialties. At Welcome to Miami, you’ll find gourmet burgers, hot dogs, and fresh bowls.

AL-DAR draws from the rich repertoire of Syrian cuisine. The fresh specialties are served with fine wines from Lebanon in an atmospheric Middle Eastern setting. Right next door, Tulum entices guests with Mexican delicacies set to Latin American music and a lively fiesta atmosphere. At StrandAlm, a historic alpine hut meets a sandy beach, and German cuisine—featuring beer garden classics—meets Alpine and North German specialties. Maki, nigiri, special rolls, sashimi, and hot sushi rolls are on the menu at Su-shin. Delicious drinks and cocktails are served at the heimW Bar.
Lindenblatt goes Maschseefest: In cooperation with Aresto, the best of the restaurants 800 Grad and Lindenblatt are stylishly brought together at the Maschseefest. The tradition of the Aresto stand—featuring exquisite wines and the popular winemaker evenings—continues. At the WATERKANT – Madsack SeeSalon, the menu features the specialties the German coast has to offer—including exquisite coastal wines.

On Rudolf-von-Bennigsen-Ufer, the Hamborger Veermaster—one of the oldest restaurants and lively spots on Hamburg’s Reeperbahn—entices guests to enjoy a feast of Labskaus or Rollmops and to dance by the lake. In the neighboring Scandinavian fishing village, visitors will find everything from flame-grilled salmon and fried fish to vegetarian cuisine in the typically colorful houses.

At Geibel, you will end up in the newly designed Food Village East.

Further along toward the Löwenbastion, guests can drop anchor at the Pier Garten for a cold beer and other refreshing drinks. At Supperclub34 at the Halfway-House, you can sip drinks in style while lounging in beach chairs. The restaurant serves a creative selection of fine dishes. Connoisseurs gather for a summer party in the cozy lounge atmosphere.

Street food by the lake - the culinary world tour of the Löwenbastion offers a variety of food from all over the world. The offer ranges from different pulled pork creations to a large selection of vegetarian and vegan products and unusual dishes.

Next up is Irish folk music, accompanied by cider and ale, our own craft beers, and a wide selection of traditional dishes.

In the southwest, the Musik-Park at the source of the Maschsee is opening once again, offering a program of food and drinks to complement the musical lineup. At the Food Village West, a colorful mix of food stalls featuring Middle Eastern and Asian specialties, pizza, falafel, churros, and ice cream rolls “to go” invites visitors to refuel by the lake.More than 4,000 seats; table reservations now available
Many restaurants around the Maschsee are offering exclusive events during the 19-day festival, such as winemaker evenings, tastings, Sunday brunches, and special themed evenings. Reservations can be made at www.maschseefest.de/reservierungen/

Maschsee Festival Hours

Monday through Thursday: 2 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Friday through Saturday: 2 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. to 1 a.m

Special Opening Hours for the Geibel
To protect residents of the Südstadt from noise, the following special opening hours apply at the Geibel (east bank):
Sunday through Thursday: until 10 p.m. (until 11 p.m. on opening Wednesday),
Fridays until 2 a.m. (Friday, August 4, only until 11 p.m.),
Saturdays until 2 a.m. (Saturday, August 5, only until midnight).
For closing times at 10 p.m. and 11 p.m., the last order must be placed by that time. The venue must actually close no later than 30 minutes afterward.

Program highlights 
Maschsee Stage at the end of the north shore at the "Hellebardier"

The lineup includes a performance by German rapper Malik Harris, presented by bigFM, on August 2. The following day (August 3), the cover band Munique will kick off the event with their traditional high-energy mix of various musical genres.

The lineup presented by the NP and HAZ is also sure to turn heads—for example, the hip-hop band Passepartout on August 10, or “Scorpions” guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who will be a guest at the NP Rendezvous on August 18. From August 16 to 18, RADIO 21 will transform the Maschsee Stage into a rock venue with fantastic cover bands like Re-Play and Reckless Roses.

At the Hamborger Veermaster, shanty and sea shanty choirs weave a tapestry of maritime lamentations. At Musik-Park near the source of the Maschsee, internationally renowned cover bands such as Die Toten Ärzte (July 31) and Sweety Glitter & The Sweethearts (August 2) will be performing. The best Irish atmosphere can be found on the south bank: At Irish Folk, various bands will liven up the stage with authentic folk performances on all 19 days.

You can find the complete program for the Maschsee Festival at
www.maschseefest.de/veranstaltungen/

Classics and audience favorites

A comedy show featuring Rachel from Berlin and a live performance by John Riot will take place on Wednesday, August 7, at QueerWednesday with Disko Jutta & Carrie Gold. The entire north shore will then be transformed into a rainbow mile.
The popular “Fisch sucht Fahrrad” party will draw singles and those looking to flirt to the Maschsee stage on the north shore on August 9.

On the last festival weekend (August 17), the charity race ducks will once again take to the waters of Lake Maschsee. At what is now the 13th duck race organized by the North German Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Donor Registry (NKR), large “Big Ducks” and small squeaky ducks will take to the water for a good cause under the motto “Giving the Gift of Life—Fighting Leukemia.”.

Another crowd favorite, the traditional torchlight swim—which had to be canceled in 2023 for safety reasons—is scheduled to take place again this year on Saturday, August 3, starting at 9:30 p.m.
Even the little Maschsee pirates have something to look forward to, as the “üstralala” will set sail on its adventure cruise as usual. A limited number of remaining tickets are available online at https://ticket2go.de/#!/checkout/4052.

The large children’s playground between Seufzerallee and Karl-Thiele-Weg (in front of the Heinz von Heiden Arena) is once again open this year every Wednesday (except on opening Wednesday), Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for climbing, crafts, playing, and face painting.

HAZ and NP take the stage on the north bank

The Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung (HAZ) and the Neue Presse (NP) are once again on board as media partners, just as they were last year. They will be presenting a colorful mix of programming daily on the Maschsee stage on the north shore.

Radio partners bring their own programming to the stage

In the third year of the contract, bigFM and Radio 21 are once again on board as partners. On the first weekend of the festival, bigFM will bring Malik Harris and others to the stage. On the final weekend, Radio 21 will have cover bands like Re-Play and Reckless Rose getting the crowd fired up (both on the Maschsee Stage, North Shore). Radio Hannover is partnering with the festival for the first time this year to provide the music program at the Maschsee Spring.

On “Digital Tuesday” (August 13), a variety of startups will present at the

"Carp Cave" Pitch Event: Innovative ideas and visionary concepts for creating a sustainable future.
The rainbow-colored Maschsee boat adds a touch of diversity to the lake, ferrying guests from shore to shore as part of the ÜSTRA project #buntfährtbesser.

Mindfulness Guide for a Safe and Respectful Together

The events organized by the HVG, such as the Maschseefest, are designed to be international and multicultural—open to all people, cultures, age groups, gender identities, and sexual orientations.

The programs are as diverse as the guests they are designed for. Everyone should feel comfortable. Safety is the top priority. To promote respectful interaction and prevent any form of inappropriate behavior, the HVG has, for the first time, developed a “Mindfulness Guide” in addition to its existing safety plan. Measures include the use of the Saferspaces app and a reinforced PSNV (Psychosocial Emergency Care) team from the Johanniter. The app can be accessed by scanning the QR code on one of the Saferspaces posters on the streetlights around Lake Maschsee as well as in the restrooms. Those without a smartphone can also call the Johanniter hotline (0800 0192140). In addition, the Johanniter provide safe havens and shelters.
All staff members, DJs, and restaurant operators have been trained and informed on how to prevent discriminatory behavior, document and report incidents of assault, and provide an initial safe space where those affected can, if they wish, receive support from the Johanniter.

New Power Bank Rental Service at the Maschseefest
The Hanover-based startup SHARE ensures that guests at the Maschseefest always have enough power. With power bank rental stations at the SeeBiergarten, the Courtyard Hotel, the main stage, Geibelstraße, and Maschseequelle, as well as in the downtown area, users can rent a power bank without registering and charge their cell phones on the go for one euro per half hour (up to six euros per day) and with a 40-euro deposit.

A Date with a Star: The Maschsee Takes Center Stage

When it comes to a big lakeside party, nothing can hold a candle to the Maschsee—it’s the star of the summer. A sunset under palm trees, right by the water with a view of the urban skyline of Lower Saxony’s capital—it’s truly one-of-a-kind. During the day, you can enjoy a sightseeing cruise on one of the boats in the ÜSTRA Maschsee fleet; in the evening, you can gaze romantically at the starry sky. And in between, you can dive right into the party scene time and again. 

Getting There and Back, Parking, and Getting Around the Lake

The HVG recommends using public transportation to get there. Specifically for the Maschseefest, ÜSTRA’s special bus line 267 runs between the Kröpcke stop and the beach. Along the way, there are several stops right on the waterfront promenade. Bus line 800 operates on the section from Altenbekener Damm to Aegidientorplatz.

Light rail lines 1, 2, and 8 run from the main train station and Kröpcke to Aegidientorplatz; lines 3, 7, and 9 take you to the Waterloo station (each is a 10-minute walk to Lake Maschsee)

Temporary Bike Path to the Maschsee Festival 
The most environmentally friendly way to get there is by bike. We want to make this as easy as possible. That’s why, in addition to numerous bike parking spaces, there will once again be a permanent bike path along the Rudolf-von-Bennigsen-Ufer. From mid-July through approximately August 22, 2024, the bike path leading into the city on the east side of the

The Rudolf-von-Bennigsen-Ufer between Altenbekener Damm and Kurt-Schwitters-Platz has been rerouted onto the roadway. The actual bike path directly along the Maschsee will be "taken out of service."

Road Closure in the Western Part of Südstadt

Last year, there was no traffic circling in search of parking in the metropolitan area around Maschsee, resulting in significantly less noise, exhaust fumes, and pollution for nearby residents. The traffic plan newly tested in 2022—the closure of the western part of Südstadt—contributed to this. This year, too, the area between Maschsee and Hildesheimer Straße will again be temporarily closed to non-residents. The closure is in effect on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., as well as on Saturdays from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The manned checkpoints can only be passed with a valid permit.

Festive Attire: Collection by HEIMATHAFEN
Susanne Flohr and Volker Reckhoff from the sailing school on the north shore are offering a piece of the Maschsee Festival to take home—with a specially designed Maschsee Festival collection. The exclusive festival motif adorns T-shirts for women and men, blue-and-white gym bags, and coffee mugs. These items are available for purchase at the beginning of Rudolf-von-Bennigsen-Ufer, Monday through Friday from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Maschsee Festival Experience Package with Overnight Stay at a 3- or 4-Star Hotel

For anyone who would like to combine the Maschsee Festival with a short trip to Hanover, HMTG offers a tailored experience package as well as a discounted group special.

Practical & easy to navigate: www.maschseefest.de You can find
all the information about the 2024 Maschseefest, as well as the complete program and a map for download, translated by AI into ten languages online
at www.maschseefest.de, plus

On Facebook: www.facebook.com/hannovermaschseefest

and Instagram: www.instagram.com/maschseefest_hannover/

#maschseefest #visithannover

Don't want to miss a thing before and after the Maschsee Festival?

Be sure to check out our new website, www.hannover-living.de—featuring an extensive calendar of events, a restaurant, nightlife, and leisure guide with a filter function for easy searching, as well as plenty of insider tips and information on the various trendy neighborhoods in the state capital.

Photos for press download can be found at

https://www.maschseefest.de/presse/

Press contact

Ela Windels

Hannover Marketing & Tourism, Inc.

Vahrenwalder Street 7

30165 Hanover
, Germany; Phone: 0049(0)511/1234 90 26; Cell: 0049(0)173 238 49 75

Email: presse@hannover-marketing.de; windels@hannover-marketing.de