Kiel Week 2011 - the festival

A very special event is Kiel Week's opening ceremony, taking place in the Town Hall Square on saturday. Afterwards, during the traditional Holstenbummel, the whole city centre becomes one giant party zone, and remains so for the following days. With lots of music, international specialities and mini cabaret, there is something for everyone.

Multifaceted open-air festival
Kiel Week's stages will already be in full swing on the eve of the opening; for ten days, Germany’s longest open-air festival will be presenting a programme that could not be more multifaceted. On offer are folk, pop, rock as well as classical music. A special atmosphere and special guests are guaranteed each year for the “Gewaltig leise” (immensely quiet) series of concerts on the Krusenkoppel open-air stage. Next door, kids will be tinkering, hammering, bolting and rampaging on the adjacent Spiellinie (kid´s playground and festival area), Germany’s biggest cultural children's attraction. In addition, specialities, music and cabaret performances from all over the world will be on offer at the International Market in front of the Town Hall.

Clowns, culture and classical music
Walk acts, comedians, clowns, magicians, acrobats and pantomimes - they will all be on the streets for the entire Kiel Week. Kiel’s museums and galleries will also be pulling in the crowds with special exhibitions, while the city’s classical performance venues will present an exclusive programme of operas, plays and ballet. Another highlight will be the classical open-air concert with Kiel's Philharmonic Orchestra.

International city forum
Another top aspect of Kiel Week: institutes, associations and clubs will be inviting visitors to attend presentations and discussions on current affairs. A traditional guest at these events is the Diplomatic Corps. Additionally, delegates from Kiel’s twin cities will be meeting for an international city forum, while the Kiel Institute for World Economy will also be awarding its Global Economy Prize, as it does every year during Kiel Week. Rounding off the multifaceted programme will be the exciting popular scientific presentations on oceanography held in the aquarium, or those on economy held in the Kiel Institute for World Economics.

More than watersports
Kiel Week is never solely about watersports: an established part of the programme involves competitions and encounters in more than 30 sports, including cycling, golf, basketball, bowling, canoe polo, handball, hockey, rugby, roller-skating, chess and the schoolkids’ road race. And what else is there? An endless forest of yacht masts on the banks of the firth, over one hundred windjammers and traditional sailing boats moored on the quayside and the fascination of tall ships in the windjammer parade, with more than 100 ships taking part.

Source: kieler-woche.de