Elbphilharmonie
Elbphilharmonie
4.5
About
The Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg’s newest cultural landmark, officially opened in January 2017. An attraction for Hamburg residents and visitors from all across the world, the concert hall lies on the banks of the Elbe and is surrounded on three sides by water. Perched on top of a former harbour warehouse is a new glass structure that rises up to a height of 110 metres above ground level. In between: the Plaza, a public viewing platform with breathtaking 360° views. Variety, artistic quality and accessibility are primary criteria by which the Elbphilharmonie measures its musical profile. The Grand Hall is the heart of the Elbphilharmonie. No member of the 2,100-strong audience is seated more than 30 metres away from the conductor. Classically designed, the Recital Hall’s elegant milled wood panelling ensures perfect acoustics. Plenty of room for creativity can be found in the Kaistudios a few floors below: participatory projects and musical instrument workshops open to all age groups.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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  • Baumwall • 5 min walk
  • Rödingsmarkt • 10 min walk
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See what travellers are saying
  • nickcambridge
    London, United Kingdom491 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Extraordinary concert hall
    The design of this extraordinary concert hall in the round and with soaring balconies is unique. A jazz concert was remarkable and last minute tickets go on sale 90 minutes before the performance. You can get a free visit ticket.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written October 9, 2023
  • Wanderer
    Holbeach, United Kingdom396 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nice Views on a sunny day
    There is a small fee to now go up to the plaza level which many tourist book guides list as as free, the cost was 3 euros each. We decided to "skip the queue" by grabbing a coffee opposite and booking a slot for 30 minutes later to save standing in a 30 minute queue. Plan ahead and get your tickets online in advance is my advice. Views from the plaza were nice on a sunny day, Hamburg doesn't have the greatest skyline, but it's a different angle to see the magnitude of the port and really see a tale of two city halves with the elbe dividing, with a trip up the long curved escalator as part of the trip!
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written October 10, 2023
  • Skogsmulle2013
    Umeå, Sweden309 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A remarkable building
    What a remarkable building! Great architecture, spectacular views over the river and the city and, on top of everything else, a magnicifent concert hall. Together with a great concert it made up for a memorable evening.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written October 31, 2023
  • ghanbg
    Nuremberg, Germany657 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Must go (and see a concert if you can)
    Amazing building, one of the rare ultra modern tourist attractions in Germany. Beautiful views over the harbour and Elbe river. If you can manage, get yourselves tickets to see a performance in the Große Saal (Great Hall), very Special atmosphere and acoustics.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written October 31, 2023
  • Portpad Traveller
    Melbourne, Australia171 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Incredible architecture and great views
    The planning that went into this building must have been amazing, as the result is just mind-blowing. It is like a labyrinth with multiple, swirling stairs seemingly going everywhere, but there is plenty of signage for patrons to find their seats at concerts, and the concert hall itself is stunning. The visitors area almost halfway up is spectacular and immense, with great, 360° views of the city. There is a large bar and cafe there too. The English-speaking guide was very good, answered our questions informatively, and was easy to understand.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written January 31, 2024
  • Petra A
    Dubai, United Arab Emirates919 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great view of beautiful Hamburg
    Dear friends, We visited with a ticket per person of 3EU for 1 hour - afterwards we found out that it was actually free of charge. It’s advisable to take sunglasses with you. It was extremely windy and there is a nice restaurant upstairs. You will have a good view around, as well as seating facility is available everywhere.
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written May 4, 2024
  • GoAlong2
    Seattle, Washington891 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Good views and interesting architecture
    This large concert hall dominates the harbor skyline. An outdoor balcony circles the building about halfway up, offering great views of the surrounding city and harbor. The tickets are free, and the line can be long, but the views are good and the building is interesting.
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written August 1, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles3,850 reviews
Excellent
2,445
Very good
993
Average
299
Poor
73
Terrible
40

mikael.bjerrum
Copenhagen, Denmark662 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2021
Visiting the building requieres a ticket (cost 2 Euro) which can be bought online or at site. Because of corona you will have a time slot of one hour to visit the "Plaza" the place 37 meter over ground where you can go around the building and njoy views of the harbour and the city. Thinking about the fact that the building is 108 meters tall it is difficult to undertsand why this feature og view point was created at only 37 meters height. It is an OK experience, but not a must when visiting Hamburg.
Written September 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MarFan11
Johannesburg, South Africa6 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Friends
Went on a winter’s Sunday morning- and fortunately was not crowded as I have heard it often is. Only the Viewing deck, gift shop, restaurant and hotel are open for tourist viewings - the auditorium is only open for concert goers. Good views of Harbour and surrounding areas from the Viewing deck- definitely worth a visit. Recommend buying tickets online before you get there
Written January 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

lonewolf44
Kingston upon Thames, UK1,303 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020
The tour of the' Elbphi' (currently self-guided to comply with social distancing rules) is brilliant. Book ahead to ensure you aren't disappointed. Currently you can access both the large and small auditoriums which often aren't open due to concerts taking place. It's an impressive building and if you like modern architecture it's a rewarding way to spend an hour in Hamburg. There are guides positioned at strategic points on the clearly signposted tour to direct you and answer questions. Make a point of going in to the toilets as well: the design is amazing. The views across Hamburg's port are also stunnning. Excellent experience.
Written August 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Wanderer
Holbeach, UK396 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Couples
There is a small fee to now go up to the plaza level which many tourist book guides list as as free, the cost was 3 euros each.

We decided to "skip the queue" by grabbing a coffee opposite and booking a slot for 30 minutes later to save standing in a 30 minute queue. Plan ahead and get your tickets online in advance is my advice.

Views from the plaza were nice on a sunny day, Hamburg doesn't have the greatest skyline, but it's a different angle to see the magnitude of the port and really see a tale of two city halves with the elbe dividing, with a trip up the long curved escalator as part of the trip!
Written October 10, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

BushmanHH
Hamburg, Germany81 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2019
It was actually 27 March 2019 when I attended Arcadi Volodos Piano Recital with my family. The Grand Hall unique terraces and acoustics design makes perception of close proximity to the artist. Getting to the Grand Hall offers fantastic view of Hamburg, day and night. Building can be visited for free just to enjoy the view, have a drink or a meal. Please note, this is "pre-corona" review and I did not visit it since 2019, so I suggest informing yourself about the current restrictions.
Written October 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ANGELO V
Milan, Italy4,812 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020
Elbphilharmonie building is visible from everywhere arounf the HafenCity quarter in Hamburg. It was inaugurated in 2017, and it's a glass-hall resembling a sail sitting on top of a former warehouse building. Some say it resembles a water wave, or a cristal - it's open to imagination!
The day I visited there was a long line at the ticket boot, so I did not go inside. However, even from the outside only, this is worth a stop. It is easily reachable by public transportation.
Written March 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Vierdank
Stockholm, Sweden6,630 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
The building is really something. Nothing less than spectacular and raises the whole environment in the otherwise not so spectacular harbour area.
The building's maritime theme, with the wave-ish glass construction on top of the old warehouse, blends excellently with the buildings in Speicherstadt and Hafen city.

The concert hall itself has marvellous acoustics. And as in every fairly modern auditorium, sound and sight is superb from nearly any seat in the hall.
The NDR orchestra has now got one of the greatest orchestra homes in the world.

What is less spectacular are the foyer areas which around the "großer saal" (big hall) merely are corridors. It is understandable that the basic measures of the building mostly dictate the spaces available. But the effect are cramped lounge areas without space and air. The frugal furnishing and all white surfaces adds a cold feeling walking these corridors.
The Elbphilharmonie falls short compared to, for instance, the Berlin Philharmonie (built 1960) in design of public spaces...

Compensation for this shortcoming is the "ride" of over two minutes up the escalator to the "Plaza", which is the stopover between the old bottom warehouse and the glass construction on top. Not being heated and halfway outside, he Plaza is quite cold in the winter. But the views over the harbour from the terraces are terrific.
The Plaza also houses the reception and lobby of the Westin hotel, which occupies the upper part of the building.

From the Plaza there are quite many stairs and steps to get up to the concert halls.
Elevators are present, but the access must feel a bit restrained for people with difficulties using stairs.

On the whole, the building is quite fantastic and you should try to visit if in Hamburg.
Concert tickets are very hard to get - so book very well in advance.
Written March 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

poczwarka
Vaasa, Finland164 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2020 • Business
Amazing place to go to have a nice view over the city. Especially the view over the river and harbor. There is always something happening there so even if you are about to meet somebody you might be afraid to miss discussion subjects- that's the place to go. The river is full of action (speed boats, turist boats, harbour and docking activities...) so there will always be something to comment. That's for sure a place I'll be back to when in Hamburg.
Admission is at full hour, for one hour and is free of charge. Be ready to queue until full hour to get in. We waited maybe 10 min (were there 16.50) and the queue was quite short.
Written September 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Chris P
3 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
We were able to attend a concert in Aug 2022 arranged by the Schleswig Holstein Music Festival (Sol Gabetta and Bertrand Chamayou). The available tickets are published sometimes only on short notice on their web site. We travelled to Hamburg in August, and this is not the main concert season. The homepage is not very convenient for searching and booking.

However, the building has really a awesome architecture and we enjoyed the view on the harbor. Make sure you arrive in time before your concert. The concert and the acoustics were great, even though we were placed right under the roof.

There is not much catering in the Elbphilharmonie. Make sure you have had dinner before your concert. If you are lucky you might get a Brezel.

There is one big flaw at the concert break: There are not enough restrooms and the bars are very crowded. It is almost impossible to go to the restroom and have a drink during the break. Would have been good if the architect had planned some more ladies' rooms for this great building.
Written August 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tom Carter
689 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Couples
Ignore the cost and the time it took to build and enjoy the magic of the place. We too a tour with presentation of the organ by Thomas Cornelius. Incredible how a set of hands and feet can create such overwhelming music.
Written February 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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