Hamburg increases culture funding by €1.3 million

The city of Hamburg has added a €1.3 million boost to its culture budget, which takes nightclubs into account for increased funding.

As reported by RA, the increase was first put forward via a motion on December 12 that will see its culture budget jump by 11% over two years, with €500,000 extra allotted for 2025 and €800,000 more for 2026.

The money will go towards cultural venues via a grading system that takes into account their capacities and the number of events organised in a single year. It factors in renovations to long-running clubs including Gruenspan and Indra, while smaller clubs will also receive additional funding.

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Anna Laftrentz, chairwoman of Clubkombinat Hamburg, told RA that the move was a “step in the right direction," as well as a “very important signal to other federal states and municipalities."

“Unlike, for example, in Berlin or Munich, the state of Hamburg continues to invest in a diverse live culture and in the stage program of its music venues,” she continued.

However, the budget increase comes during a nationwide reduction in public spending across Germany, including foreign aid and humanitarian assistance, the Bürgergeld welfare system, jobseekers’ services, and social spending via reductions of subsidies to statutory insurance funds.

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Meanwhile, the Federal Ministry of Culture and Media (BKM) will receive a budget boost in 2025, jumping slightly from €2.15 billion to €2.2 billion next year, although the money will not be shared equally.

According to German publication taz, six federal culture funds – Music Fund, Translator Fund, German Literature Fund, Art Fund, Performing Arts Fund and Sociocultural Fund – will have their funding cut.

Last month, the city of Berlin announced a cut of 12% to its culture budget in 2025, which saw demonstrations take place at Platz des 18.

Isaac Muk is a freelance writer, follow him on Bluesky