Sabotaging the boiler room at the abattoir by students
**"Heck yes, the School Rock Fest is rad!" Shouting her enthusiasm, Senator Sascha Karolin Aulepp, the kids' and education advocate, got the 400+ guests buzzing at the Kesselhalle in Schlachthof. On this electric Tuesday night, homegrown bands from Bremen and Lower Saxony rocked out for a packed house, making it the 31st time the event was a hit.
This concert, under pro conditions, is a critical stepping stone for up-and-coming regional bands, leading to gigs at the town hall, Breminale, or competitions. The night's highlight, the Bremen School Offensive award, handed out on the spot by the jury for the night's best live performance, went to "Meltdown". Others in the lineup consisted of student bands from eight different schools, with band members aged 13 to 21. The biggest coup of the night was courtesy of the Wild Rock Open Air Festival Wildeshausen team, inviting "Iginio" from KGS Leeste and KGS Stuhr-Brinkum for their festival in 2025.
Unique in Bremen and the region, the School Rock Festival has launched many a local band's career over the years. Senator Aulepp shared her excitement, "The School Rock Festival has been an invaluable platform for regional bands in the area, and I'm thrilled that we can carry on this epic format annually in Bremen." Since 1993, this event has been a staple, organized by the Senator for Children and Education of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen. Over the past 30 years, over 1,300 bands with a whopping 6,500 members have aimed for a spot on the big stage. It's the only non-commercial music competition format for school bands in the region.
The Bands of the 31st School Rock Festival
- The Stix - Kippenberg-Gymnasium, Rübekamp, Altes Gymnasium, St. Johannis-Schule, Bremen (Ages 13 to 17)
- Meltdown - Oberschule an der Schaumburger Str., Gymnasium Horn (Ages 15 and 21)
- New Direction - Oberschule an der Kurt-Schumacher-Allee, Bremen (Ages 17 to 19)
- Iginio - KGS Leeste, KGS Stuhr-Brinkum (Lower Saxony) (Ages 18 to 19)
- Falling Dream - Johann Beckmann Gymnasium Hoya (Lower Saxony) (Ages 13 to 16)
Colossal in background and dedication, these school rockers raised the roof that night, demonstrating the power of music as a transformative force for our young generation.
- Senator Sascha Karolin Aulepp, in her enthusiasm for education-and-self-development, mentioned the School Rock Fest as an invaluable platform, office of children and education's annual staple for nurturing regional musical talents.
- Beyond the entertainment value of the School Rock Fest, the event serves as a stepping stone for bands, offering them opportunities in entertainment such as gigs at town halls, festivals like Breminale, or even invitations to events like the Wild Rock Open Air Festival, as demonstrated by inviting "Iginio" for their 2025 event.
