837th Hamburg Port Anniversary 2026: All Ships & Highlights

Bild von Vossy auf etwasmeerzeit.de | Alle Rechte verbleiben bei (©) etwas *zeit
From May 8 to 10, 2026, Hamburg will celebrate the 837th Port Anniversary. The world's largest port festival attracts around one million visitors to the river Elbe annually. Following the opening church service at the "Michel", the nautical festivities will kick off on Friday at 1:30 PM with the spectacular Grand Arrival Parade. Highlights on Saturday include the unique Tugboat Ballet and the massive evening fireworks display at 10:45 PM. This year's partner region, the British Liverpool City Region, will also provide international culture, musical highlights, and culinary diversity ashore.

All news also on X formerly Twitter

Modern shipping is increasingly showing its environmentally friendly side at the festival, as demonstrated by the premiere of the "Mein Schiff 7," which is designed for climate-neutral methanol operation. In total, nine giants of the seas will showcase the technological and tourist diversity of the cruise industry. Here is the complete overview of the expected ships mooring on the starboard and port sides of the Hamburg terminals over the weekend:

  • Mein Schiff 7 (TUI Cruises): Length 315.7 m, 111,500 GT, 2,894 passengers, built in 2024, berth Cruise Center HafenCity (Fri, May 8)
  • AIDAperla (AIDA Cruises / Hyperion Class): Length 300.0 m, 125,572 GT, approx. 3,300 passengers, built in 2017, Cruise Center Steinwerder (Sat, May 9)
  • AIDAluna (AIDA Cruises / Sphinx Class): Length 252.0 m, 69,203 GT, 2,050 passengers, built in 2009, Cruise Center Altona (Fri, May 8)
  • AIDAsol (AIDA Cruises / Sphinx Class): Length 252.0 m, 71,304 GT, 2,174 passengers, built in 2011, Cruise Center Altona (Sun, May 10)
  • MSC Preziosa (MSC Cruises / Fantasia Class): Length 333.0 m, 139,072 GT, approx. 4,000 passengers, built in 2013, Cruise Center Steinwerder (Sun, May 10)
  • Vasco Da Gama (Nicko Cruises): Length 219.0 m, 55,877 GT, 1,266 passengers, built in 1993, Cruise Center Altona (Sat, May 9)
  • HANSEATIC spirit (Hapag-Lloyd Cruises / Expedition): Length 139.0 m, 15,651 GT, 230 passengers, built in 2021, Cruise Center HafenCity (Sat, May 9)

In addition to civilian holiday cruisers, highly advanced research and naval vessels will be presented. The Helmholtz Centre's new "Coriolis" sails with innovative solid-state hydrogen storage, while the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency's "Atair" relies on LNG propulsion. Geopolitical security and fleet logistics will also be addressed at the port anniversary: The extremely fast British anti-submarine frigate "HMS Sutherland", the German supply tender "Rhein", and the minehunter "Datteln", built from non-magnetic steel, invite the public for exciting "Open Ship" tours.

However, the foundation of this maritime heritage is formed by historic windjammers and working ships. The over 110-year-old Norwegian bark "Statsraad Lehmkuhl" and the German sail training ship "Alexander von Humboldt II" lead the traditional fleet. Furthermore, the rough and labor-intensive harbor past is kept alive at the Museumshafen Oevelgönne with steam tugs like the "Claus D.", old fishing ewers, and the lightship "ELBE 3". The festival traditionally concludes on Sunday at 3:00 PM with the grand Departure Parade heading towards the North Sea.