Amelie Deuflhard, Artistic Director KampnagelThe coming years will serve as a testing ground at the intersection of art, architecture, and urban society. We are opening up the process, making change visible, and inviting the public not only to observe this transformation but also to experience it firsthand. This is unprecedented in the cultural landscape.
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Kampnagel is preparing for a phase that neither we nor other cultural institutions have ever experienced in this form. Oscar Piegsa aptly summed up how this process is perceived from the outside in Die Zeit following our press conference:
“When a theater invites the press to present its new season, one of the most important questions is which dates you should go ahead and block off in your calendar right now. But of all things, there was no precise answer to that question yesterday at Kampnagel. Göksu Kunak’s new performance? It’ll probably take place in December. Ursina Tossi’s next world premiere? Hopefully in June!”
This quote – admittedly taken somewhat out of context – seems to leave one at a loss at first. But as apt as the jab may seem at first glance: our program isn’t quite as vague as it seems at first glance.
This is where the second part of the UNDER CREATION slogan comes in: it’s not called “The show goes on” for nothing. Kampnagel is undergoing renovations, yes. But that doesn’t mean the place will be closed for three years and then reopened with a red ribbon (shout-out to the opera). Moving to an interim venue (another nod to the opera) wasn’t an option either.
You’re probably still itching to ask: What exactly does the renovation entail, and how can you still experience Kampnagel’s programming despite the construction? Let’s get specific: Starting in September 2026, one of the largest renovation and refurbishment projects in Kampnagel’s history will begin. But instead of suspending or relocating its performances, Kampnagel is transforming the construction site into a space of artistic possibility. The process will be open and transparent, making changes visible and allowing the public to experience the transformation firsthand. Programmatically, this can best be explained through three pillars for the upcoming season: GROSSE BÜHNE, PERFORMATIVE CONSTRACTION SITE, and [k] AND THE CITY.
Große Bühne
During the first phase of construction, Hall k6 – the fundamental heart of Kampnagel – will remain intact, hosting, as usual, international guest performances, major dance productions, concerts, and collaborations. Thus, k6 becomes a cornerstone and a place of continuity within a changing venue – a space for shared experiences and large-scale artistic productions.
THE PERFORMATIVE CONSTRUCTION SITE
In the PERFORMATIVE CONSTRUCTION SITE project, Kampnagel, in collaboration with Raumlabor Berlin and Migrantpolitan, transforms the renovation itself into a performative process. Artists such as Stefan Kaegi, Göksu Kunak, and Hools of Fashion use demolition and renovation as raw material for interventions, audio walks, and social sculptures. The project kicks off with visionary Jack Halberstam, who examines the construction site as a queer-feminist space of transformation. In this way, the construction site itself becomes the raw material for an experiment at the intersection of architecture, performance, and activism.
[K] and the City: The City Becomes a Stage
As Kampnagel undergoes structural changes, its reach is expanding at the same time. Under the label [K] AND THE CITY, productions are moving into public spaces in collaboration with Hamburg institutions, neighborhoods, museums, churches, theaters, and districts. Kampnagel is spreading its wings – and turning the city itself into a stage. The central project of this new direction is KEY TO THE CITY by the internationally renowned New York artist Paul Ramírez Jonas (grand opening and key distribution: March 18, 2027; all details TBA).
The new season makes the renovation visible, audible, and tangible. It opens up processes rather than merely presenting finished results, creates new spaces for encounter, and views transformation as an artistic practice. Kampnagel remains active not in spite of the renovation – but precisely because of it.
Many dates were already set at the press conference, and we have plenty to draw from. Nevertheless, the point raised in the newspaper’s objection cannot be entirely dismissed: we certainly need to remain a bit more flexible than usual. At the same time, the concept gives us the chance to react spontaneously to things that would otherwise remain hidden behind construction fences. The first events, however, are set in stone – you can find all the details in our freshly printed program booklet or on the website.