This was DIY’s 9th year of media partnership with Reeperbahn, over which time the Hamburg festival (now in its 19th year) has established itself as one of the foremost conference and showcase events for the European market – and this year was no exception. With around 50,000 visitors, 4,000 trade visitors, and 480 shows by approx. 420 artists from 30 nations, it was back to full strength after the pandemic.
What’s more, many of the artists were also represented by their labels, with showcases from Epitaph, City Slang, Orchard, Transgressive, Nettwerk, Secretly, and PIAS from the UK alone.
You can read more about some of the best artists we saw this year in DIY magazine’s article, “Reeperbahn Festival 2024: an international treasure trove of emerging talent.”
Rewarding and recognising talent
Reeperbahn has also created its own accolade – The Anchor Awards, now in its ninth year – which gives up-and-coming musicians from around the world the opportunity to impress a specially selected jury panel of international industry names.
2024’s list of nominees included South Africa’s Moonchild Sanelly (who recently teamed up with Self Esteem for joint effort ‘Big Man’, as well as sharing her latest solo single ‘Big Booty’), British pop riser Beth McCarthy, and Aussie R&B powerhouse Milan Ring. Completing this year’s shortlist were Berlin duo strongboi, Austria’s KÄSSY, and the Mongolian-raised, Germany based ENJI.
On the jury panel, meanwhile, were Warpaint’s Emily Kokal, musician and singer Julia Stone (of Angus & Julia Stone), multi-hyphenate artist and activist Tayla Parx, and songwriter Tim Bendzko.
After much deliberation and in the face of stiff competition, the jury eventually awarded the Anchor Award 2024 to strongboi; watch their performance here:
A different approach to most conference showcases
Although on the surface, the expansive programme could have been challenging to navigate, this was overcome by the helpful signposting of the conference content, which covered a total of 850 programme items across 70 venues. “Theming” events by category also made for easier planning to get to the most relevant subjects and talks.
Theme strand #1 – Time Capsule
A time capsule for the past, present, and future.
This thematic strand encouraged us to look at the interaction between past and future, and think about how our past is reflected in the present.
In doing so, discussions covered our present and dealt with change, innovation and history(ies), but also a little with the nostalgic feeling that currently accompanies us in pop culture.
Theme strand #2 – Tracks of Identity
People as individuals and their personal development / belonging / identity / coping strategies
In this thematic strand, the talk was about pop culture, music, and various other forms of (artistic) expression, discussing the relevance of creative spaces and (online) community, as well as the search for coping strategies, identity and belonging in
this pluralistic, challenging world.
Theme strand #3 – Echoes of Change
Politics / human rights / protest / resistance / solidarity / change
In Echoes of Change, subjects covered current social changes, the challenges of our time, and our political coexistence in the 21st century. We looked at how to shape our future sustainably with reflection, discussion and (political) action – all of which gave attendees a lot to think about and gave rise to lively debate.
Introducing new International connections and opening up new markets
Reeperbahn Festival may have established itself within Europe, but it is also keeping its eye firmly on the future with standout showcases from Korea and Taiwan – two new major markets which were excellently represented.
Gateway to India
India is one of the fastest growing music markets in the world, with a projected growth rate of 15% in the music, podcasts and radio segments between 2020 and 2025. Delegates were given an overview of the unique characteristics, trends and opportunities of the Indian music market with a presentation from IIMW (India International Music Week) – India’s first global music conference, which also has an additional showcase festival to bring the global music community closer together.
Deep In The Roots
Afrobeats, Amapiano, and Afro-House – sounds from the African continent – have been becoming increasingly popular for years, especially in Germany, which is currently the sixth largest market for Afrobeats listeners in the world. According to the IFPI Global Music Report 2024, the sub-Saharan region of Africa records the fastest growing music market, with an impressive growth rate of 24.7%.
With next year being Reeperbahn Festival’s 20th anniversary – not to mention the 10th anniversary of the Anchor Awards – 2025’s edition is sure to be an event you won’t want to miss.
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