Social Events

We will celebrate the opening of the conference with music, snack and drink on Wednesday 23rd July 2025 from 6-9pm at HfMT. Streaming will be available for online delegates. This Welcome Gathering is included in the conference registration and delegates attending at HfMT will receive details about this. Although there is no fee, registration is essential.

The traditional conference dinner is probably the most pleasant opportunity to build relationships in the music therapy community. An evening cruise on the event ship MS Koi on the Elbe is planned for July 26, including dinner and music under the stars... The sound of the waves and the proverbial stiff breeze are included free of charge :-)
Capacity on the ship is limited, so it's worth booking your ticket quickly (possible during the registration process).

Please note: all social events can also be booked at a later date after registration, provided there is still capacity available.

24 July 2025

Jam, Dance & Connect

Stay together after the first conference day and immerse into our international music therapy community!

You are invited to

  • hop on the stage in the famous jazz hall
  • dance to live folk music made in Germany (rare stuff, you’ll be surprised)
  • hang out with friends and colleagues at the bar,
  • linger on the lawn and under the trees with view over the Alster lake
  • enjoy live acts by HfMT-musicians and others,
  • help yourself to a tasty dinner at one of the food trucks.

Meeting point: HfMT (Jazzhall)
Start:
7:00 pm
Price:
The evening event is free of charge with the exception of food and drinks.
Please register for this event during the registration process until 28 June 2025.

25 July 2025

Musical Salon – Lecture with music on the history of the Budge Palais
Photo: Malzkornfoto

The building that now houses the Hamburg University of Music and Drama has an eventful past. Together with students, Prof Dr Beatrix Borchard, emeritus musicologist, has worked intensively on the history of the Budge Palais. Her lecture on the joint search for traces will be accompanied by pieces of music that were once played in the couple's parlour.

Meeting point: HfMT (Fanny Hensel room)
Start:
6:30 pm
Price: 32,40 €
There will be a maximum of 50 participants. First come, first served. Please register for this event during the registration process, the deadline is 06 June 2025.

“Yeah, Yeah, Yeah” … The Beatles-Tour in Hamburg

In 1960 an unknown “boy-group” from Liverpool premiered in Hamburg. In the legendary St. Pauli district the Beatles became a professional live band and “grew up”, as John Lennon said. On the famous guided tour “The Beatles in St. Pauli”, musicians take you to the original Beatles locations and present early Beatles songs live on the street and - as a sing along event - in a bar.

Meeting point: Underground station "Feldstraße"
Start:
7:00 pm
Price:
37 €
There will be a maximum of two groups à 30 participants. First come, first served. Please register for this event during the registration process, the deadline is 06 June 2025.

Guided walk in the footsteps of Jewish history
© SHGL Olaf Pascheit

We offer a walk to Hamburg's nearby Grindel district. Two Historians from the Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial will introduce you to important places and evidence of the neighbourhood's Jewish history. To round off the tour, you can stop off at Café Leonar, which has been serving traditional Jewish specialities again since 2008.
This walk can be combined very well with the Musical Salon (starting at 6.30 pm). In this case, both offers must be booked separately.

Meeting point: HfMT (Entrance Milchstraße)
Start:
8 pm
Price: 12 €
Minimum number of participants per walk: 25 people. A maximum of 2 walks are offered.
First come, first served. Please register for this event during the registration process, the deadline is 06 June 2025.

Go on tour trough the Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg’s famous concert hall

Take a look inside and you will learn a lot about the origins, the architecture and the programme. Towards the end, a vocal improvisation is planned in the concert hall where you can experience the special acoustics for yourself.
Finally take the ‘Tube’, the longest curved escalator in Europe, up to the Plaza and enjoy the magnificent view over the city and the harbour from there.

Meeting point: North aisle in front of the box office on the ground floor of the Elbphilharmonie
Start:
7:30 pm
Price:
30,00 €
There are 5 tours on offer, each with a maximum of 30 people. First come, first served. Please register for this event during the registration process until 4 June 2025.

26 July 2025

Social Dinner on a unique Elbe Cruise

The traditional conference dinner is probably the most pleasant opportunity to build relationships in the music therapy community. In typical Hamburg style, we are moving this dinner to the water. Enjoy an evening with good food & drinks, music and dancing under the stars on board the MS Koi and get to know Hamburg from the water. The sound of the waves and the proverbial stiff breeze are included free of charge :-)

Meeting point: Anchorage of the MS Koi, Hamburg-Altona, at the 'Fischauktionshalle'
Start: 7:00 pm
Price:
94 €
Capacity on the ship is limited, so it's worth booking your ticket quickly during the registration process, at the latest by 28 June 2025.

Information on accessibility:

  • Boarding & disembarking the ship:The gangway of the ship is wide enough to push a person in a wheelchair across. Depending on the water level, the gangway may be slightly steeper at some berths.
  • Moving around the ship: A small threshold must be overcome to access the interior. Stairs must be negotiated between the different decks.
  • Toilet: not barrier-free

Further information is available on the shipping company's website (FAQ)

Live Drumming & Favourite Tunes: Picnic on the Alsterwiese next to the HfMT

Need some fresh energy after an exhausting day at the congress? Then how about a groovy picnic right next to the HfMT, at the start of which you'll be part of an energising drum circle, organised by our partner GEWA. Afterwards, it's time to chill out and chat on the lawn on this cosy July evening. Please bring your own food and drinks.

Meeting Point: HfMT outdoor area
Start:
6:30 pm
Price: This social event is a free offer for the young community and all those who want to join us.
For planning reasons, your registration is still necessary (possible during the registration process).