Best of Poetry Slam Day 2026 | Rising Stars

In the organizer's words:

Come, let's celebrate the festival that poetry slam deserves. We celebrate the spoken word in all its colorful facets - the battle of the arts invites you to a location that gives even the most experienced poetry slam stars goosebumps. In this one particularly special concert hall - the Elbphilharmonie.

And just after New Year's Eve, we'll be shooting all the lighting effects of this event format, which has grown up but is still as vibrant as ever. Look forward to sparkling performances, bubbling gag volcanoes, glittering eyes and a fat spark of madness. Either way: it will be a brilliant day, divided into three shows.

The starting point will be a Best of Poetry Slam event, where the potential stars of tomorrow will be presented. The young and wild, the up-and-comers who will probably be dominating the television program in a few years' time. Here you can experience them up close so that you can later say: "I was a fan right from the start!"

Julius Keinath
With pressure in his voice, Julius Keinath's lyrics meander from highly political to screamingly funny, he packs his message with anger and humor, accuses and tickles in the right places.

Elif Duygu
She switches topics with ease, is adept at every subject, writes anger from her soul and happiness into it - Elif Duygu is the Austrian slammer of the moment. It is no coincidence that she has already won the Austrian slam championship three times, performs throughout Europe and is one of the most important voices on the German-speaking scene.

Felix Treder
Felix Treder has been on stage since his early years, starting out as a poetry slammer, perfecting his stage presence with the help of the country's stand-up shows and even making forays into the wide world of battlerap - the reigning Hamburg city champion in poetry slam is one of the country's most accomplished stage artists, political, fast and double rhymes included.

Gina Walter
Gina Walter has been on stage for 10 years, whether as a presenter, podcaster, workshop leader and, above all, as a poetry slammer. Sometimes full of feeling, sometimes with a twist, always good and never flippant, she puts everyday life into her very own language and turns every show into an unforgettable highlight.

Aylin Celik
Hardly anyone packs emotions into lyrical music and soulful poetry as sensitively as Alyin Celik. The Düsseldorf native has been touring Germany for many years, producing and writing her own music, working with theaters, giving concerts and inspiring audiences both accapella and with beats, regardless of whether the stage is a europallet or a theater stage.

Julius Althoetmar
There is probably no one who was one of the absolute top poets as early as Julius Althoetmar. Even as a teenager, he was already performing on the country's major stages, rhyming his head off and deepening his love of poetry to such an extent that he has already been awarded the title of "Bavarian Champion" three times.

Jann Wattjes
Absurd flights of fancy, surprising plot twists and uproariously off-the-wall humor: all these are the hallmarks of Jann Wattjes, poetry slam champion in the team category and in demand as a solo artist and internet phenomenon, as an author and stage performer in all genres - both on Extra 3 and in high culture.

Hannah Abelius
The serial winner of the German-speaking scene Hannah Abelius has dominated the slam competitions for several years. Her always witty texts enchant every audience, from village festivals to theater crowds, from club stages to opera halls.

Moderation: Jason Bartsch
As a stage poet, he has achieved everything there is to achieve, so he set out and became a rock star together with the Lumpenpack - all the more reason for us to be delighted that Jason Bartsch is gracing us as host of the Rising Stars Show at the Elphi.

A slam by Kampf der Künste

A production of 10 Punkte GmbH

Organizer: Elbphilharmonie Hamburg

_________________________