By Bertil Laursen
The room at SPOT+ buzzed with ambition. Agents, artists, and managers filled the rows of chairs, all with one goal: to find a way into the German market. The panel – made up of key figures from Reeperbahn Festival, Skandaløs Festival, and Norden Festival – was assembled to provide exactly that answer. And the answer came clearly:
“It’s not about streaming numbers. It’s about live performance,” said Annika Hachmeister from Skandaløs Festival.
The three festival representatives all agreed on one thing: Northern Germany is closer – both geographically and culturally – than many people think, and the opportunities for Danish artists are real. But it requires groundwork and relationships.
Sebastian Król from Norden Festival emphasized that the Danish language is not a barrier for them: “For us, it’s not a problem if you sing in Danish. We want to represent Nordic culture.”
The festival in Kiel sees itself as a platform for exactly that, and Danish artists are more than welcome – but not without genuine engagement: “It’s important that artists connect with the festival, not just try to get booked.”
For Skandaløs Festival, it’s about creating cultural encounters in the border region.
“We want to present something meaningful – something that represents both sides of the border,” said Annika Hachmeister, adding that they often discover new Danish artists right here at SPOT. She encouraged more audience exchange between Danish and German festivals and emphasized that relationships and quality matter:
“You need to show that you share our values.”
At Reeperbahn Festival, the bar is higher. Ariane Mohr, who heads the music program for the festival, explained that they assess an artist’s “export readiness”:
“Has the artist released enough music? Do they have press and streams in Germany? Do they have a strong base at home?”
Reeperbahn is a showcase – but not a shortcut.
Moderator Lena Ingwersen from Music Cities Network tied the discussion together:
“How do we strengthen the ties? How do we get Danish audiences to German festivals – and vice versa?”
No promises of overnight success were made. But a realistic path was outlined – one that makes space for the Danish language, Nordic sound, and curious audiences.
A path that starts by crossing the border – and making contact.
Photo: Stine Rosemunte
Af Bertil Laursen
Lokalet på SPOT+ summede af ambitioner. Agenter, artister og managere fyldte stolerækkerne, alle med ét mål: at finde vejen til det tyske marked. Panelet – bestående af nøglepersoner fra Reeperbahn Festival, Skandaløs Festival og Norden Festival – var sammensat for at give netop det svar. Og svaret kom klart: “Det handler ikke om streamingtal. Det handler om liveperformance,” lød det fra Annika Hachmeister fra Skandaløs Festival.
De tre festivalrepræsentanter var enige om én ting: Nordtyskland er tættere på – både geografisk og kulturelt – end mange tror, og mulighederne for danske artister er reelle. Men det kræver forarbejde og relationer.
Sebastian Król fra Norden Festival understregede, at dansk sprog ikke er en barriere for dem: “For os er det ikke et problem, at man synger på dansk. Vi vil gerne repræsentere nordisk kultur.” Festivalen i Kiel ser sig selv som en platform for netop det, og danske artister er mere end velkomne – men ikke uden engagement: “Det er vigtigt, at man forbinder sig med festivalen og ikke bare prøver at blive booket.”
For Skandaløs Festival handler det om at skabe kulturmøder i grænselandet. “Vi vil præsentere noget meningsfuldt – noget, der repræsenterer begge sider af grænsen,” sagde Annika Hachmeister og tilføjede, at de oftest opdager nye danske artister netop på SPOT. Hun opfordrede til mere publikumsudveksling mellem danske og tyske festivaler og påpegede, at relation og kvalitet vejer tungt: “Du skal vise, at du deler vores værdier.”
Hos Reeperbahn Festival er barren højere. Ariane Mohr, der står i spidsen for musikken på festivalen, forklarede, at de vurderer artisters “export-readiness”: “Har artisten udgivet nok? Har de presse og streams i Tyskland? Har de en stærk base hjemme?” Reeperbahn er et udstillingsvindue – men ikke en genvej.
Moderator Lena Ingwersen fra Music Cities Network samlede trådene: “Hvordan styrker vi båndene? Hvordan får vi danske publikummer til tyske festivaler – og omvendt?”
Der blev ikke lovet hurtige gennembrud. Men der blev tegnet en realistisk vej – med plads til både dansk sprog, nordisk lyd og nysgerrige publikummer. En vej, der starter med at tage skridtet over grænsen – og tage kontakt.
Foto: Stine Rosemunte
