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Hamburg doesn’t exactly whisper when The Rolling Stones come to town. On September 9, 2017, the city becomes the launchpad for the No Filter Tour, with barricades, police, packed streets and tens of thousands of fans turning a concert into something resembling a minor civic emergency. The Stones arrive at Stadtpark and immediately remind everyone that age is apparently just another scheduling inconvenience. Mick Jagger works the crowd, Keith Richards looks perfectly at home, and Ronnie Wood adds his usual guitar firepower as the band tears through a set packed with classics and surprises. Thirty photos capture the madness, but Hamburg itself provides half the story.
September 9, 2017: Stadtpark Festwiese, Hamburg, Germany (No Filter Tour, European leg) Sympathy For The Devil/It’s Only Rock’n Roll/Tumbling Dice/Out Of Control/Just Your Fool/Ride ‘Em On Down/Play With Fire/You Can’t Always Get What You Want/Dancing With Mr. D/Under My Thumb/Paint It Black/Honky Tonk Women/Band introduction/ Slipping Away/Happy/Midnight Rambler/Miss You/Street Fighting Man/Start Me Up/Brown Sugar/Satisfaction/Gimme Shelter/ Jumpin’ Jack Flash
Mick: “We were told by our friends from Liverpool that Hamburg is a good place to make a start with your career!” *All photos by Hendrik Mulder
The Rolling Stones kick off No Filter in Hamburg
When The Rolling Stones rolled into Hamburg on September 9, 2017, the city didn’t just host a concert—it braced for an event that felt as big as a summit. Around Borgweg, the scene was more like political theater than rock ‘n’ roll: barricades everywhere, police lining the streets, and a sea of fans streaming out of the subway. Officers urged the crowd to keep moving—“don’t stand still”—while a kiosk owner sensed opportunity, packing his tiny shop with staff to handle the rush. Business was booming before the first chord rang out.
By the time the band took the stage at Hamburg’s Stadtpark, more than 82,000 fans had filled the closed-off streets and open-air venue. Tickets had gone for anywhere between €80 and €800, but judging by the energy in the crowd, no one regretted the price. For a city the Stones had largely sidestepped for decades, this was payback with interest.
A nacht to remember
The No Filter tour opener was more than a nostalgic trip—it was proof that The Rolling Stones could still command and captivate on a massive scale. Even the author, never a die-hard fan, was swept up in the energy of the night. It wasn’t just Mick Jagger’s cheeky nods to local landmarks or his perfect timing with the crowd. It was the band’s ability to turn a tightly secured, heavily policed evening into a communal celebration of rock history.
For Hamburg, it was a night when the city transformed into one giant pedestrian zone, where anticipation turned into electricity, and electricity turned into music. The Stones may have taken their time returning, but when they finally did, they gave Hamburg a night that will be etched into the city’s memory as pure rock spectacle.
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