GVL live at the Reeperbahn Festival 2025
From 17 to 20 September, the Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg once again opened its doors with a diverse mix of live acts and a high-calibre conference programme. GVL was also on site with a team this year and took the opportunity to engage in dialogue with performers, labels and industry participants.
The Reeperbahn Festival and conference is a real highlight for us as a collecting society every year – not only because of the inspiring content, but above all because of the intensive encounters with our rights holders," says Sandy Backhaus, Head of the Performers' Rights Holder Service.
‘You get into conversation, meet familiar faces again and discover new perspectives – often all within a few hours. The direct exchange with artists and labels is particularly valuable for us: their experiences, questions and ideas give us important insights into their reality and help us to further develop our services.’
The GVL's programme items at the Reeperbahn Festival 2025 were once again very well received and offered in-depth insights into the work of a collecting society. Performers and labels gained practical insights into rights management, received clear explanations of GVL's data and remuneration flows, and took the opportunity to talk to our experts in person.
‘This is the fourth time we have invited people to the Reep for a “S(ch)nacken” together with Initiative Musik,’ Backhaus continued. ‘The large turnout and the many stimulating discussions show how well established this event has become in the festival programme. Here we experience our rights holders in a way that is more personal and approachable than is rarely possible on other channels – a real gift for our work.’
On the Wednesday of the festival, GVL Managing Director Guido Evers was a guest at the Musikdialog der Hansestadt Hamburg 2025 (Music Dialogue of the Hanseatic City of Hamburg 2025). This traditional event, which always takes place immediately before the start of the Reeperbahn Festival, brings together key players in the music industry to discuss current developments, challenges and perspectives – this time, among other things, the festival study published in September.
