The Maschseefest 2017 is open!

At 6:00 p.m., the moment had finally arrived: Hannover’s Mayor Stefan Schostok, Hans Christian Nolte, Managing Director of Hannover Veranstaltungs GmbH (HVG), and André Lawiszus, Project Manager at HVG, officially opened the 32nd Maschseefest. Led by the Ultimate Compressed-Air Orchestra and surrounded by a large crowd, colorful stilt walkers, and numerous musicians, they kicked off the 19-day festival with this vibrant parade.

Mayor Stefan Schostok commented: “Even though summer vacation is over, the best weeks of summer are still ahead for Hanover with the now-traditional Maschsee Festival. For the 32nd time, the festival will feature an exciting program of international cuisine, concert highlights, and a wide variety of entertainment for all generations—including the youngest children.”

International Cuisine
Specialties from Tyrol to the Yukon, from Cape Town to Japan, offer everything a food lover’s heart desires. On the western side of Lake Masch, the culinary journey around the lake begins with paella and Spanish tapas. The journey continues along the northern shore with international specialties from Canada, Tyrol, Miami, South Africa, and Greece. In the east, on the Rudolf-von-Bennigsen shore, the newly designed Food Village offers a wide variety of international dishes “to go.” The journey then continues via San Francisco toward Geibel, where authentic Hamburg Labskaus, seafood specialties, rustic snacks, and a culinary journey through France await discovery. The deck chairs on Pier Island offer a chance to catch your breath as you make your way around Lake Maschsee. From the new Löwenbastion, visitors can enjoy the view of the colorful north shore while savoring healthy food and exclusive wines. A few meters further on, Irish zest for life invites you to linger. At the Maschseequelle, visitors can once again look forward to classic grilled specialties.

Reservations can be made at www.maschseefest.de/tischreservierung. From Monday through Saturday, regular hours begin at 2 p.m.; on Sundays, they begin at 11 a.m.

“I’m particularly pleased that the Maschseefest—arguably the largest open-air party in northern Germany—is also increasingly serving as a platform for corporate events, business meetings, and employee gatherings. It’s a unique opportunity to get to know Hannover from a new perspective—business and leisure come together right in the heart of the city,” says Hans Christian Nolte.

19 days of nonstop music: open-air and free
of charge. At the Maschsee Stage on the north shore, the new Löwenbastion, and the Maschsee Spring, visitors can look forward to a wide variety of concert highlights—featuring national and international singers and musicians. All concerts are free for visitors!

During the three festival weekends, the radio stations radio ffn, Antenne Niedersachsen, and RADIO 21 will take the stage on the north shore. As is tradition, ffn will kick things off: On the first weekend, two absolute megastars—Lions Head and Mighty Oaks—will take the stage. On the second festival weekend, Antenne Niedersachsen takes the Maschsee stage with comedian Matze Knop. On the third weekend, RADIO 21 presents the Bon Jovi tribute band BOUNCE, Beyond Music, and Goldplay, a Coldplay cover band. On Wednesdays, 89.0 RTL takes the reins on the stage on the north shore with its resident DJs Stevie T. and Marc Radix.

© HVG / Kevin Münkel

The new Löwenbastion has also put together a diverse program. On opening night, MUNIQUE (soul, R&B, funk, rock & pop) will take the stage with special guest BRIXX. Under the banner “Unplugged Thursday,” “The Voice of Germany” stars Mic Donet and Dimi Rompos will perform live and unplugged. The action continues with “Thank God it’s Friday,” which kicks off with an open stage for singer-songwriters. On Saturdays, it’s “Rock you Baby”: MIT 18, the Westernhagen cover band, Heavy Entertainment – a Tribute to Robbie Williams, the Queen Revival Band, and MUNIQUE with a special guest will then rock the stage. Sundays are a bit more laid-back with “Soul’n Brunch.” Kim Sanders & Band and James Kakande will kick things off, followed on the second weekend by Maya Fadeeva and the band WANDA, before Jenniffer Kae and MUNIQUE, featuring Vanessa Ekpenyong, Tommy Reeve, Dimi Rompos, Alexandra Prince & BRIXX, bring the grand finale.

Among the cover bands performing on stage at the Maschseequelle, it’s often hard to tell the difference between the original and the cover: Die Toten Ärzte, BLACK/ROSIE, and Supernatural Play SANTANA will take the stage on the first weekend. QUEEN 2, diRE sTRINGS, and stars from Hanover’s rock scene led by Dete Kuhlmann will dominate the second weekend. On the festival’s final weekend, Mind2Mode will perform hits by U2, Depeche Mode, and Simple Minds, before crowd favorite MARIUZZ brings that authentic Westernhagen vibe to the Maschsee on Saturday.

 “Even in my seventh year as project manager, the Maschseefest is still exciting and thrilling: from the Europe-wide call for proposals, through the selection of food vendors, all the way to the opening. There are always new ideas on how we can work together to make the festival even better—such as this year’s new Food Village on the Rudolf-von-Bennigsen embankment,” explains André Lawiszus.

Cabaret, children's entertainment, and the Maschsee Pirates

© HVG / Kevin Münkel

On weekends, the square at the Anleger Stadion becomes a venue for fantastic cabaret. The atmosphere here is sometimes offbeat, sometimes daring, sometimes cheeky, and sometimes funny: Gina Ginella, as a swimming beauty, has lost her bearings and can’t find her way back to shore; Arthur wows the crowd with bizarre unicycle stunts, while Andy Clapp makes objects vanish. Last weekend, Bett-Män, illustrious bathers, and Alma Holladrio—with her yodeling diploma—were all out and about at Maschsee.

There’s also plenty to do for the little ones: Many restaurants around the lake have their own play areas, art corners, and special activities for young visitors. On the large children’s playground on the western side of Lake Maschsee, Xiè-Xiè Leisure and Experiential Education invites kids to join in on fun activities. On Wednesdays and from Fridays through Sundays, a world of fun and games opens up there, featuring face painting, a bounce house, go-karts, and much more. From 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM each day, the little ones can run around and play while the grown-ups relax on the beach chairs with a cup of coffee. The duo Einfach Riesig, Monsieur Momo, and Clown Fussel also provide plenty of laughter, fun, and shenanigans on the children’s playground. On August 3, the pirate ship “üstralala” sets sail for the first time with Captain Zopf and ship’s boy Mathjes! Together with the stowaway, Bounty the parrot, and helmsman Achim, the young passengers experience all sorts of unusual adventures. They sing quirky pirate songs and, with a little luck, might even find the key to the treasure chest. (Additional dates: August 8, 10, 15, and 17 at 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m.)

© HVG / Kevin Münkel

In the center: Lake Masch
Of course, Lake Maschsee is the real star of the festival. During the day, you can watch water sports enthusiasts or the boats of the Maschsee fleet; in the evening, you can enjoy the expansive views and the sunset. On August 5, over 100 divers from Lower Saxony will captivate spectators with a romantic torchlight swim. On August 13, things will get loud and wild when participants in the Bahlsen Crazy Crossing take to the water in their homemade boats to land on the north shore. On the final weekend, the duck race makes its way to the Maschsee. At the 8th annual NKR Duck-Fun(d)racing, 100 large Big Ducks and 5,000 little rubber ducks will take to the water to raise funds for leukemia research.

The App — The Maschsee Festival on the Go
In 2017, guests can once again conveniently plan their visit to the Maschseefest using their smartphones and enjoy an interactive experience with the newly redesigned app. The app offers practical information about the various stages and artists, the supporting program, and a map of the festival grounds. Service information and lodging options round out the features. The app is available for free in the Google Play Store and the Apple iTunes Store.

Accommodation offer
For anyone who would like to combine the Maschseefest with a short trip to Hanover, Hannover Marketing und Tourismus GmbH (HMTG) has put together a special experience package as well as a discounted group offer. For more information, visit www.maschseefest.de/uebernachten. 

For more information about the program, visit www.maschseefest.de.
Photos for editorial use are available at: www.maschseefest.de/presse