New opera house in Hamburg: Billion dollar project meets with resistance!

New opera house in Hamburg: Billion dollar project meets with resistance!

On November 26, 2025, the Hamburg citizens gave the green light for the construction of a new opera house in Hafencity. This project, which has been on the agenda for a long time, is financed by the foundation of billionaire Klaus-Michael Kühne. Almost all parties represented in parliament, including the SPD, Greens, CDU and AfD, agreed to the contract that obliges the city of Hamburg to make the property at Baakenhöft available and develop free of charge. The city is also contributing around 148 million euros for specific additional costs, including flood protection measures and site preparation, while the Kühne Foundation is prepared to cover up to 340 million euros for the actual construction costs. A further 104 million euros are planned for the preparation of the site, as Tagesschau reports.

The winning design for the new opera house comes from the Danish architectural group Bjarke Ingels Group. Construction is scheduled to begin in around four years, while completion is targeted for 2034. These developments offer Hamburg the prospect of a cultural highlight that could put the city in the international spotlight. According to an assessment by the government parties, this represents a unique opportunity to strengthen the city's perception and cultural offerings.

Financial and historical concerns

Despite the positive voices from Parliament, there are strong criticisms and concerns that should not be ignored. Architectural historian Frank Schmitz warns in an open letter that citizens should deal with financial and historical issues. The focus is particularly on the origin of the Kühne Foundation's funds. There are calls for a study commission to clearly define responsibilities. In this context, the Left has warned that the city will find it difficult to bear responsibility for two venues, the old and the new opera house, especially since the number of opera visitors has been declining for over 50 years, according to NDR.

The historical significance of the location is also discussed. Troops for the genocide against the Herero and Nama were embarked here in 1904. This did not leave the “Opera Plans Initiative” unpunished; Before the vote, she handed over 10,000 signatures to the Senate and called for an appropriate culture of remembrance of the colonial past. These controversies must play a central role in the public discussion in order to take the concerns and opinions of citizens seriously.

The next steps

The project company that will manage the construction of the opera is entrusted with dividing the shares between the city, the State Opera and the Kühne Foundation. The opera house will be handed over to the city as a gift after its completion. So while the city of Hamburg would like to use its financial resources to make the new opera house more attractive, it remains to be seen how the discussion about responsibility and financial obligations will develop in the coming period.

Overall, the city's decision is a step into an exciting, new era for Hamburg's cultural scene. However, the new opera house could also become a touchstone for the city's social values ​​and responsibility in a changing world in which historical responsibility is more in focus than ever, as Deutschlandfunk summarizes.