Review: Elbphilharmonie

Set the stage—where are we? What's it like?
Imagine 1,000 curved glass panels set atop Hamburg’s biggest warehouse, all glittering in the sun: The stunning new-meets-old structure alone, designed by Tate Modern architects Herzog & de Meuron, is reason enough to visit the Elbphilharmonie. One of the world’s largest concert halls, it officially opened in January 2017 after 10 years of construction (and a price tag of more than €800), and today it's rightly the showpiece of the city. You don’t even have to see a concert to come here (though you should, if you can); with a free ticket, you can visit the panoramic deck on the eighth-floor plaza for awesome harbor and city views, glass of wine in hand.

What's on here?
It’s all music all the time here: mainly classical (both German and international ensembles) as well as some jazz and even rock and pop on occasion. The resident NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra plays several concerts a month with special, often famous, guests.

Nice. How are the seats and the acoustics?
The Grand Hall's vineyard-style seating is arranged like clusters of grapes on different vines, meaning there’s no bad seat in the house. And the second-to-none acoustics, with 10,000 state-of-the-art fiber panels that project sound throughout the theater, will leave you awed.

Is there programming for kids?
Special 45-minute Twinkle Concerts are designed just for kids, and let them make as much noise as they want.

Anything else we should know?
On select Tuesdays, the venue hosts free half-hour concerts at lunchtime; you can eat and drink while listening to lovely chamber music. Arrive early to snag a seat.

Who should visit?
This is one of Europe’s largest and most impressive building projects of the 21st century, and every visitor to Hamburg should at the very least swing by—particularly classical music-lovers and architecture buffs. Better yet, stay for a show.