Hannover celebrates 10 years as a UNESCO City of Music – into the future together!

Hannover celebrates 10 years as a UNESCO City of Music – into the future together!

Hanover is celebrating a very special anniversary: ​​the city has had the title “UNESCO City of Music” for ten years now. The time has come on June 16, 2025, and the celebrations are already in full swing. Numerous measures have been implemented to promote musical diversity and social cohesion through music. Hannover-entdecken.de reports that, among other things, the New Year's reception, special funding projects and a music kiosk at Kröpcke are part of the anniversary program.

A highlight will be the public opening event, which will take place on June 28, 2025 in the pavilion, Lister Meile 4, from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Musicians, institutions, initiatives and interested citizens are invited to initiate a creative dialogue about the future of Hanover's musical life. A long-term music strategy is to be developed that promotes diversity and participation and enables fair working conditions and innovative collaborations in the music scene. The process is carried out by the organizations Netzwerk Junge Herzen e. V. (NJO) and Cultural Policy Lab (CPL).

Music scene in Hanover

Hanover's music scene is rich and diverse and includes all genres from classical music, pop and jazz to new music. The city is home to internationally renowned ensembles such as the NDR Radiophilharmonie and the Hannover Boys' Choir. This is also done by Hannover.de highlighted, where the musical excellence and the strong networking in the music scene are discussed. Since being named a UNESCO City of Music in 2014, the city has been committed to sustainably developing the music location and promoting diversity.

The motto of the anniversary year, which opened on November 30, 2024 with a big celebration in the Pavillon Cultural Center, is “Social cohesion through music”. Various projects are being planned, such as the “Public Domain” participatory project with 1,000 participants on Opernplatz and the “KlaWIR” music project at the main train station. The anniversaries of the Scorpions, the NDR Radiophilharmonie and the NDR Plaza Festival also enrich the program in this special year.

Significance of the UNESCO award

The designation as a UNESCO City of Music reflects not only the musical diversity, but also the exceptional conditions that Hanover offers for the music industry and artistic production. How unescon.de explains, membership in the UNESCO Creative Cities network shows the creative potential of the city and promotes important partnerships between culture and business. Visitors and residents of Hanover have the opportunity to experience live music performances in the city, which further enriches cultural life.

With a clear focus on the future of music in Hanover, the city is keen to maintain and strengthen existing structures. Therefore, all musicians and interested parties are called upon to take part in the planned events and the participatory process. Only together can the city's profile as a UNESCO City of Music be further sharpened and made future-proof.