Brass Odyssey
From 22 to 24 May 2026
in Berlin
Three days of brass music with Fanfare Gertrude & Friends
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Fanfare Gertrude has turned 10 — and we celebrated with a wonderful Brass Music Festival over Pentecost 2026, featuring bands from Berlin, Hamburg, Leipzig and France. The event is over, but our WeAid fundraiser is still running: we’re still grateful for your support!
Brass Odyssey in Berlin from 22 to 24 May:
3 days of brass music concerts
On Pentecost weekend 2026, from May 22 to 24, we’re celebrating Fanfare Gertrude’s tenth birthday — and you’re invited to a long, loud birthday weekend in Berlin!
Three days full of brass and beats, featuring bands from Berlin, Hamburg, Leipzig, and France at various locations across the city. Among other places, we’ll be celebrating at NHU Nachbarschaftshaus Urbanstraße and Holzmarkt 25. More details about the programme and locations here. Admission is free.
There will be dancing, sweating, and celebrating.
You can look forward to more than 100 musicians, rock-pop brass music, bold choreographies, glitter in your hair, and partying late into the night. We celebrate the tradition of French fanfare bands and mix it with Berlin’s craziness. In short: a wild weekend for everyone who wants to experience music together, not just listen to it.
You can find the program with times and locations here.
the program and the locations
For our brass music festival, we’ve found some truly great locations in Berlin where we’ll be celebrating with you from Friday to Sunday.
May 22 (Friday), 5–10 pm & May 23 (Saturday), 2–10 pm
NHU Nachbarschaftshaus Urbanstraße
Urbanstraße 21, 10961 Berlin
Free entry
May 24 (Sunday), 1–6 pm
Holzmarkt 25
Holzmarktstraße 25, 10243 Berlin
Free entry
There will also be concerts at BRLO, at Sisyphos and on the streets of Kreuzberg and Neukölln.
So you don’t miss anything from Gertrude’s Brass Odyssey: subscribe to the newsletter and check out our social media.
Which bands?
We invited friendly bands from Berlin, Hamburg, Leipzig and France for a weekend full of brass music. Joining us are the Nymphonik Orchestra and Texas Couscous from France, Tinnitussis from Hamburg, Brazzbanditen from Leipzig, as well as the Berlin-based bands Um:laut, Ostrich Party, Fanfaroni, Brass Caravan and Krach Boom Brass Band. Get ready!
Which bands are joining?
BrazzBanditen (Leipzig)
Unmistakable glam brass: loud, glittery, danceable, playful. We are a self-organized brass band with a total of 25 musicians, and for 10 years we have been on the road in and around Leipzig and across Europe. In Leipzig, we mostly play at different cultural events and demonstrations, or organize concert nights ourselves. Our musical repertoire is wide-ranging, from punk, pop and new wave hits to Eastern European and North American brass music.
Brass Caravan (Berlin)
Just under a dozen musicians set out from Berlin heading southeast, with stops here and there and a lot of fun along the way. With a mix of original
compositions, well-known songs in new arrangements, and hidden gems, this brass band blasts melodies from Balkan and Klezmer traditions over wild grooves and energetic ska beats that get everyone jumping around.
Fanfaroni (Berlin)
At Fanfaroni, you get musical bites from all over the world, tossed in the pan fresh and crisp and served with love. The mix is as hot as pepperoni: from Balkan beats to jazz. From electro to ska. From salsa to waltz.
Fanfare Gertrude (Berlin)
Fanfare Gertrude is a Berlin brass band that brings together the French fanfare tradition with rock-pop brass music, choreography, and a lot of fun. On the street, in clubs, or at festivals, more than 25 musicians and plenty of glitter make sure people dance.
Krach Boom Brass Band (Berlin)
The Krach Boom Brass Band Berlin 3000 has been playing funky street music between New Orleans and Berlin since 2019. The band has performed several times with Fanfare Gertrude and can otherwise be found at the Oberbaum Bridge, Konnopke’s Imbiss, or in the DB train bistro. In 2025, following a viral video from a REWE store in the Schönhauser Arcaden, it became the in-house brass band on “The Voice.”
Nymphonik Orchestra (France)
The Nymphoniks Orchestra is the human adventure of a bunch of curious friends, that started music out of an exces of good mood. Eager for new faces and new experiences, the band has for only goal to spread brassy music, dance and celebration at your doorstep, on stage or in the streets of the world. Its repertoire comes from the popular rhythms of the South (cumbia, salsa, reggae, ska), of the Est (Bregovic, Markovic), and of the West (Budos Band, Mark Ronson, Earth Wind and Fire).
Ostrich Party (Berlin)
With saxophones, trombones, trumpets, tuba and drums, we take well-known pop, disco and techno songs and turn them into loud, funky dance numbers driven by brass.
The result? Big sound, fat grooves, and people dancing whether they want to or not.
And yes, we bring the party.
Texas Couscous (France)
The fanfare Texas Couscous has been doing its thing since 2006.
Like someone deep in Texas suddenly craving good couscous with harissa, this band mostly leaves you hungry for two things: dancing and the sound of their brass instruments.
Die Tinnitussis
Die Tinnitussis are a Hamburg fanfare somewhere between Balkan brass and party pop.
We are inspired by French student bands like La Grasse Bande (Bordeaux), La Cacophonie (Lyon) and Los Teoporos (Bordeaux).
We do not have an official motto, but at least one of these fits pretty well: Plus c‘est gros plus c‘est bon! The more the merrier! Big sound, big honor!
Um:laut (Berlin)
Born in the heart of Neukölln, but at home in the mysterious depths of the brass universe, Fanfare Um:laut carries you through the Berlin nights, from the first squeak of the saxophone to the last breath of the trumpets.
But always remember: do not feed the sousaphone after midnight!
Whoever follows this golden rule may have their hunger for great brass music satisfied as they please! 🎺🥁✨
Volunteers wanted
Be part of the Brass Odyssey!
From 22 to 24 May 2026, we’ll be celebrating our anniversary weekend – and we’re looking for people who’d like to lend a hand and become part of the Brass Odyssey. Whether it’s set-up, bar, stage, kitchen, awareness team or band support: there are many ways you can help. We’ll need helping hands on all three days between around 8 am and midnight. We’re planning a flexible shift system with time slots you can choose according to your availability.
You’ll get fanfare concerts, free food, free drinks and, above all, a special experience right in the middle of the action.
Want to help? Get in touch at: helfen@fanfaregertrude.de
Tasks:
- Awareness
- Set-up and pack-up & decoration
- Band guide
- Bar
- Entrance
- Cleaning
- Stage management
Tasks in detail:
Set-up, decoration & pack-up: You help set up and decorate the spaces, and lend a hand with packing everything up at the end.
Awareness: The awareness team helps make sure everyone feels comfortable and safe.
Band guide (“Space Attendant”): You are the main contact for one guest band, welcome them, support them throughout their stay and accompany them between locations in Berlin.
Bar: You are responsible for serving drinks and keeping an eye on supplies.
Entrance: You take care of admission, provide information to guests and manage the donation box.
Cleaning: You help keep things clean and tidy, check the toilets, collect cups and dishes, and help with cleaning up.
Stage management: You look after the stage, act as contact person for performing acts and keep an eye on set-up, timing and the overall schedule.
Contact
Questions? Contact us at: fete10@fanfaregertrude.de
Conacts for volunteers: helfen@fanfaregertrude.de.
Thanks to our supporters
WE AID
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