From 19 to 21 August 2022 the Port of Hamburg will once again be the stage for the Hamburg Cruise Days and Blue Port Hamburg. The event invites visitors to immerse themselves in the fascinating world of cruises.
There hasn’t been a large urban event at the Port of Hamburg since 2019. But the wait is finally over. This summer the port will once again become the stage for the Hamburg Cruise Days and Blue Port Hamburg, inviting visitors to immerse themselves in the fascinating world of cruises.
During the Hamburg Cruise Days visitors can discover five cruise ships, enjoy two evening spectacles, be amazed by Blue Port Hamburg, and indulge in a high-quality shore programme and a concept that’s tailored to the current situation. The event, which usually takes place every other year, had to be cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic in 2021.
Because of the pandemic, which did not allow us to make concrete plans for a long time, we made some adjustments to this year’s edition of the event, said organiser Uwe Bergmann. “This year’s event area has been reduced to increase the quality of the presentation, and we look forward to new kinds of evening shows.”
Pure Hamburg Cruise Days
To make clear that this year’s event will take place under different conditions and on a smaller scale than usual, the organisers are calling the event ‘Hamburg Cruise Days pur‘ (‘Pure Hamburg Cruise Days’).
In order to safely host the Hamburg Cruise Days the event area will be concentrated in the space between Landungsbrücken, the flood protection wall and the new stairways, up to the end of the Kehrwieder canal.
Five cruise ship companies are expected in the port on the three days of the event: AIDAprima and AIDAsol (AIDA Cruises), Queen Mary 2 (Cunard Line), MSC Magnifica (MSC Cruises) and MS Otto Sverdrup (Hurtigruten).
Kick-off on Friday with Blue Port Hamburg illumination
The organisers are exploring new horizons this year with the evening presentations: in a moving kick-off to the event on Friday evening, the Queen Mary 2 will accompany the illumination of Blue Port Hamburg by light artist Michael Batz. From 9.45 pm on the Port of Hamburg will once again shine in breathtaking magic blue light over the entire weekend.
Pas de Deux: the highlight on Saturday evening
The highlight of the weekend will be a spectacle that symbolises encounters. This year, rather than the traditional parade, two stately cruise ships, will take centre stage in a multimedia spectacle near Landungsbrücken. At around 10.30 pm, the AIDAprima and the MSC Magnifica will perform a captivating pas de deux at Landungsbrücken in an unforgettable audio-visual experience. The rendezvous on the water is also a deeply impressive demonstration of navigational skill of the captains and officers on board and in the port. Organiser Uwe Bergmann: “With this production, we want to tell a story that can be seen as a message to Hamburg residents, tourists and the industry – a story that arouses anticipation for the next event, planned for 2023, and gives us hope that better, carefree times lie ahead.”