From September 16 – 19, 2026, the Reeperbahn will be the hotspot for music fans, newcomers, and the music industry – for exchange and inspiration. Join us in creating a festival that opens up perspectives and enables meaningful encounters! Reeperbahn Festival is Europe’s premiere platform for pop culture and international musical talent and, per usual, Austrian artists will be making their mark in Hamburg this year. Stay tuned for details about concert times and the Austrian Heartbeats Showcase and Reception.
AUstrian Artists at RBF26
Culk
Like faded snapshots of a fading past, captured only briefly in motion, the sounds of Culk flicker through the mind. The images are blurry, the emotions oscillate between alienation and connection, yet the songs are incredibly warm in their lyrical intimacy and musical hypnotism. As early as 2019, the band delivered a memorable concert at the Reeperbahn Festival, during which hardly a dry eye was to be found. Yet even for those present, it was impossible to foresee that they would go on to create two utterly outstanding post-punk masterpieces in ‘Zerstreuen über Euch’ (2020) and ‘Generation Maximum’ (2023). Yet Culk have achieved it; they have since become the singular authority on German-language guitar poetry, straddling dreamy slowcore, post-punk revival and ethereal wave, whilst always focusing on the articulation of their unmistakable sonic vocabulary. This is how the band sounds, speaks and resonates with a contemporary saudade, unlike any other in the local underground scene today.
Concert: TBA
Hidden Gemz
Even though they caused a stir on the Vienna music scene three years ago with their single “Miss Monroe” (2023) seemingly out of nowhere and subsequently went on a support tour with Bilderbuch, Hidden Gemz had been playing in the Gürtel bars of the Austrian capital long before that. Their skill and style have grown gig by gig and have now crystallised into a signature sound that oscillates between the multifaceted pop rap of Brockhampton, the electronically amplified adventurous spirit of Gorillaz and the alternative R&B of Dominic Fike. It’s a mix that very few dare to attempt. The highlight thus far include “The Gemz Mixtape” (2024), which showcases the DIY musicians at their best and dissolves a laid-back summer vibe into delicious beat cocktails – sometimes with guitar and drums, sometimes in urban trap mode, but always in a damn good mood and armed with unmissable, catchy hooks. With fresh material such as the single “Small City” (2026), they’re coming to us for the first time this September.
Concert: TBA
HVOB
A voice atop cascades of subtly shimmering beats, a sound with global appeal: Few duos in the world of electronic music made such a cross-genre impact during the 2010s as Her Voice Over Boys, aka HVOB. Anna Müller and Paul Wallner capture the urban spirit of the 21st century with delicate production strokes, painting a picture of a better world along the way. Minimalist yet immersive, albums such as their debut, “HVOB” (2013), and its follow-up, “Trialog” (2015), create atmospheres of great emotional depth, shifting seemingly effortlessly between introspective deep house and hypnotic spoken-word accents, ambient sounds and delightfully plucking synth sprinkles. It is a sound that is just as suited to headphones on a rainy bus journey as it is to the very biggest festival stages – the elegance with which HVOB master this balancing act remains to this day a mysteriously beautiful enigma. Whether at Fusion or South by Southwest, at Melt! or in the Nevada desert at Burning Man: Time and again, the Viennese duo’s shows are praised by fans and critics alike as visceral and unpredictable events. Now that their last album, “TOO” (2022), has become a sweat-inducing club manifesto through industrial influences and peak-time qualities, they have recently returned to a pulsating downtempo sound on singles such as “Home” (2025). Accordingly, HVOB hold all the cards for their gig with us.
Concert: TBA
Jo the Man the Music
With a voice as delicate as a blackbird’s flight, her hands on the guitar, ready to strum away – Johanna Gußmagg doesn’t need much to craft music that is both laid-back and haunting, somewhere between bedroom pop and raucous indie rock. So, bedroom rock without any pretensions? Perhaps. In any case, it’s direct, unpretentious and honest. Singles such as “Skinny Dipping” or the beautiful cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” (2025) have recently demonstrated emphatically that, as Jo The Man The Music, she ranks among the most interesting new singer-songwriters from Austria. Having started making music in Graz, she moved to Berlin in 2024 to develop her skills as a singer and guitarist. No sooner said than done. She now crafts incredibly organic and warm songs like “Soft Skin” (2025) with a ease that is nothing short of astonishing – and yet, in every melody and every arrangement, you can hear the passion and raw emotion she pours into them. With the eponymous EP “Soft Skin” (2026), she finally emerges from her cocoon this year and takes to stages across Europe as an alternative indie-pop poet, more self-assured than ever.
Concert: TBA
KARL
Who is KARL? Who is this guy turning Vienna’s pop scene upside down with his funky urban tales? He’s someone just like you and me, someone like all of us who dream of the good, true, beautiful life. Riding a wave of brilliantly upbeat hooks, the newcomer has been surfing through playlists and radio stations in the tranquil Alpine nation since the start of this year, blending 80s synth-pop, indie rock arrangements, and Viennese charm. Now, to the applause of an ever-growing audience, singles such as “Schau Schau” and “Sapperlot” (2026) are becoming proper feel-good anthems of the particularly catchy sort under his guidance. They’re the kind of songs that stick in your head for weeks and make the perfect soundtrack for a day at the lake. But KARL has also recently demonstrated his ability to produce pure city-pop gold and give it a contemporary twist with the emotional “Letzte Nacht” and its cinematic atmosphere, which hovers somewhere between longing and farewell. Here, too, the melodic sensitivity of this singer–songwriter is evident in countless facets. However, KARL manages all this without a trace of starry airs and graces, instead demonstrating a wealth of passion in his songwriting and live performances. If you don’t believe it, come and see for yourself.
Concert: TBA
This concert is part of the AUSTRIAN HEARTBEATS showcase and reception. Stay tuned for details!
Mira Taylor
Whatever happens, whatever you’ve achieved or messed up: it’s pretty damn good to be human. This unwavering life-affirming message launched Mira Taylor onto the Austrian music scene a few years ago, and she quickly made quite the splash. Songs like “Putting On A Show” (2023) or “Charlotte” (2025) are not only wonderfully catchy pop gems but also exude the charm of a wide-eyed young songwriter. But on the other hand, the journal entries turned into songs also betray a certain melancholy and thoughtfulness, something Mira Taylor has always seen as a unique strength rather than a weakness: “My teacher often asked me why I was always crying – but that’s just the way I am,” recalls the self-assured artist in an interview. This is probably why her debut EP “Should’ve Kept It To Myself” (2023) feels emotionally accessible, like a comforting chat with a good friend, whilst musically it sits somewhere between Adele and Taylor Swift – a sweet spot that’s hard to hit. She masterfully pulls off this bittersweet balancing act with her new singles “Paris” and “Little Me” (2026) as well, which are as much a plea for vulnerability and authenticity as they are for the essence of being human.
Concert: TBA
This concert is part of the AUSTRIAN HEARTBEATS showcase and reception. Stay tuned for details!
Mudfight
Five friends from Austria with a mission: to unite outsiders and dissidents, enlighteners and outlaws, and give them a soundtrack that conveys courage and confidence. Right from their first songs, “Wasted” (2019) and “Torn Away” (2020), the Upper Austrians have gone all out, winning hearts and souls across the Alpine nation, taking to the stage at the Donauinselfest and Nova Rock, and especially blowing away those who’ve never heard of them before. Word of these “all killer, no filler” punks quickly spread, with their live and studio performances never failing to impress. Their debut album “Time For Revolution” (2022) promptly went through the roof, leading Mudfight to share the stage with giants of the international punk scene such as Dropkick Murphys, NOFX and Flogging Molly. Since then, the band has repeatedly proven that punk is far from dead – it’s more alive than ever – whether through songs like “Drug Shack” (2024) or sweat-drenched shows devoid of any hint of attitude. Now they’re coming to Hamburg for the first time with fresh material, giving us a taste of what’s to come.
Concert: TBA
NENDA
Having grown up in Austria’s Ötztal valley as the daughter of a white father and a black mother, Nenda Neururer encountered daily racism from an early age. But rather than letting it break her, the young artist rebelled against it as a teenager, writing songs and moving to London after finishing school. She’s been working as an actress there since 2017, performing at venues including the Orange Tree Theatre and the Young Vic, while also honing her vocal and songwriting skills. Then, in 2020, she released “Mixed Feelings”, a slickly arranged rap track that first stormed the FM4 annual charts and went on to rack up well over a million streams. Since then, the young Austrian has made R&B and pop, hip hop and stylish sassy vibes her signature sound, incorporating them into freshly produced tracks such as “Champagne Time” (2024) and “Alone” (2025) with a distinct flair for melody and storytelling. Now well-established as an actress in theatre and TV productions, she is also making a name for herself as a rapper between Vienna and London’s West End and is going on tour. She has been winning over audiences at small venues as well as on the big festival stages across Europe. And now the time has come for her to visit us here in Hamburg with her debut album “KRRRA” (2025), released last year.
Concert: TBA
This concert is part of the AUSTRIAN HEARTBEATS showcase and reception. Stay tuned for details!
Oskar Haag
A voice, a guitar and a stage – that’s all Oskar Haag needs to magically conjure the stars from the sky and the passion from his songs. The singer-songwriter from Klagenfurt am Wörthersee in Austria developed a passion for creating music at an early age, writing lyrics about himself and life, and mostly teaching himself to play the guitar with a gentle yet stylish touch. Right from his first song, “Stargazing” (2021), Haag climbed to the top of the FM4 charts and, aged just 15, became a highly acclaimed prodigy in his home country. After that, everything happened very quickly: he quit school without a second thought, moved to Vienna and set to work on his debut album. “Teenage Lullabies” (2023) was then released shortly afterwards and became an instant smash hit – and an autobiographical statement. Awards for his music and acting roles quickly followed, and thanks to a steady stream of successful folk-pop gems such as “He’s Good” (2025) and “Sailor And The Sea” (2026), Oskar Haag remains without question one of the most interesting newcomers this side of the Alps. It’s only natural that he’s now finally coming to visit us here in Hamburg.
Concert: TBA
This concert is part of the AUSTRIAN HEARTBEATS showcase and reception. Stay tuned for details!
Tamara Flores
Through her music, Tamara Flores bridges not only different musical styles, but also languages and cultures across all borders. Born and raised in Vienna as the child of Mexican parents, she began exploring and proudly embracing her own identity at an early age. This is reflected time and again in songs such as the physically pulsating “Chingona” and the dreamy, summery poetry of “Mi Amor” (2025). Whether she sings in Spanish or German, whether it’s slickly produced Latin pop or delicate folk compositions with a flamenco feel: The singer, dancer, and flautist shines with an unmistakable signature sound whose creative energy fuses two worlds together through tone and word. It’s hardly surprising that she’s turning heads in Vienna with it. But even in Mexico City, her songs and videos are playing on billboards and raking in top spots on renowned radio stations. Her new single, “Infinito” (2026), has everything it takes to go through the roof here, too – at the latest, after her gig here in September.
Concert: TBA
Stay tuned for details coming up! See you in Hamburg soonest! xx