Sep 25/26
Millerntor-Stadium
STANDS is where football, culture, and creativity come together to create a unique vibe.
STANDS
On september 25th and 26th the Millerntor Stadium in the heart of Hamburg becomes a space for subcultures and creativity.
TICKETS
CONFERENCE
FRIDAY, 25/9
Where football, culture and creativity come together. A gathering for the people building culture through football, fashion, music, design and community. Made for those shaping what comes next.
AGENDA
THE PROGRAM FOR FRIDAY. JUST CLICK FOR MORE INFORMATIONS ON THE TALK, PANEL OR FIRESIDE-CHAT!
When a Collaboration Becomes Culture
Jeff Staple has collaborated with Hiroshi Fujiwara, Wu-Tang Clan, André 3000, and brands including Nike, Timberland, PUMA and Coca-Cola - not to mention creating one of the most iconic sneakers of all time, the Staple Pigeon Dunk - but never with a football club. His first collaboration with FC St. Pauli marks more than another product launch. It represents a moment where one of street culture's most influential designers and one of football's most culturally distinctive clubs chose to build something together. This conversation explores why some collaborations become cultural moments while others remain marketing campaigns, and what it takes to create work that communities genuinely choose toadopt. With: Jeff Staple, Ryan McLaughlin (Moderation)
Can Culture Be Built?
Football clubs increasingly think like brands, but culture isn't something you launch. It's something communities decide to carry forward. Some clubs build their identity around a city, others around a region, tradition, purpose or a clear set of values. Yet all face the same challenge: remaining authentic while growing, whether that's reaching new audiences, attracting partners or expanding internationally. This conversation brings together four clubs with fundamentally different realities to explore how football organizations become cultural brands, and whether culture can ever be intentionally built, or only earned. With: Afram Kakur, Ashish Patel, Claudia Hartung, Felicia Mutterer, Pete Martin
Building Identity Beyond the Badge
For the world's most culturally relevant clubs, success is measured by far more than trophies or league tables. They are building identities that shape neighborhoods, influence fashion, inspire artists and create communities that extend well beyond ninety minutes on matchday. From Los Angeles to Hamburg, the clubs leading this shift understand that brand is no longer about a crest or a campaign, it's about belonging. What does it take to build a football club that people want to identify with, even when they're nowhere near the stadium? This opening conversation explores how football organizations are redefining what it means to become cultural institutions, balancing commercial growth with authenticity while remaining deeply rooted in the communities that gave them their identity in the first place. With: Rich Orosco, Martin Drust, Asad Raza
When Brands Stop Sponsoring Culture and Start Building It
another collaboration, another capsule collection, another campaign. But as collaborations become the default growth strategy, genuine cultural impact has become harder to achieve. What separates partnerships that communities genuinely embrace from those that simply borrow credibility? Bringing together perspectives from football, global brands and the creative industries, this conversation explores how collaborations can move beyond marketing and become part of culture itself. With: Rogelio Vega, Vincent Brass, Franziska von der Ahé, Till Jagla, Ryan McLaughlin (Moderation)
Why Do We Still Become Fans?
For generations, fandom was inherited. You supported your local club because your family did. Today, fandom is increasingly chosen rather than inherited, shaped by music, creators, women's sport, digital communities and entirely new ways of belonging. While clubs compete for attention, fans are redefining what loyalty actually looks like. This conversation brings together perspectives from football, music and women's sport to explore how communities are built, why different generations connect in different ways, and what every organization can learn from the world's most passionate fans. With: Heiner Kuhlmann, Sunniva Ferri, Afram Kakur, Charlie Copsey, Aissu Diallo
Creating Places Worth Belonging To
In an increasingly digital world, the most memorable experiences are still physical. While brands compete for attention online, the organizations that create genuine belonging understand the enduring power of shared spaces, rituals and human connection. Drawing on Airbnb's work at the intersection of design, hospitality and community, Mick McConnell explores how experiences can be intentionally designed to foster participation, loyalty and emotional connection. His perspective offers valuable lessons for football clubs seeking to transform supporters into communities, and stadiums into places people feel they belong.With: Mick McConnell
Why Women's Football Is Building Culture Differently
Women's sport isn't simply attracting new audiences, it's redefining what fandom looks like. Community, accessibility and authenticity have become competitive advantages, creating spaces where supporters don't just consume sport, they actively shape it. This conversation explores why some of the most innovative ideas around community-building are emerging from women's sport, and what the wider football industry can learn from its continued growth. With: Maggie Murphy, Charlie Copsey, Lisa Tellers
Every Shirt Tells a Story
A football shirt has become one of culture's most powerful canvases. Some commemorate history. Others celebrate communities, collaborate with artists or become fashion statements in their own right. Increasingly, the shirt is no longer just something supporters wear on matchday - it's how clubs communicate who they are. From independent creators and collectors to football clubs experimenting with design, collaborations and women's collections, this conversation explores how the football shirt evolved from performance apparel into one of sport's most recognizable cultural artifacts. With: Jan Borgmann, Mat Davis, Claudia Hartung, Felicia Mutterer, Asad Raza
Building a Creative Club
Football clubs increasingly compete not only on the pitch, but for cultural attention. Some of the most influential clubs today aren't simply investing in players—they're investing in artists, musicians, designers and filmmakers. The result isn't just better marketing. It's a different kind of football organization. Patrick Mushatsi-Kareba and Jonas Weber come from very different worlds, yet both have spent their careers building platforms where creativity and community reinforce one another. This conversation explores what football can learn from modern creative culture, why clubs should think more like cultural institutions, and how collaboration creates long-term relevance rather than short-term attention. With: Patrick Mushatsi-Kareba, Jonas Weber, Niko Backspin
Can Products Create Culture?
Some products become collectibles. Others become symbols of belonging. Whether it's footwear, football shirts, music or entirely new manufacturing methods, the strongest products don't simply solve problems, they tell stories people want to become part of. This discussion explores how design, innovation and product thinking can shape communities, influence identity and become powerful cultural touchpoints. With: Michael Krause, Heiner Kuhlmann, Paul Rayment, Tamas Trunk, Niko Backspin
Culture Doesn't Need Permission
Some of the most interesting cultural moments aren't created inside agencies or marketing departments. They emerge when brands, creators and communities build something people genuinely want to participate in. From fashion collaborations and street basketball to entertainment launches and independent creative projects, culture increasingly grows through unlikely partnerships rather than traditional campaigns. This conversation explores how organizations can earn cultural relevance without forcing it and why the best collaborations feel less like marketing and more like movements. With: Christian Hauke, Stefanie Kim, Franziska von der Ahé, Michael Kümmerle, Aissu Diallo
Clubs That Build People
Some clubs measure success in trophies. Others measure success in what they leave behind. Beyond results on the pitch, football clubs have become places where young people find opportunity, communities find belonging, and cities build identity. This conversation explores how clubs can become lasting social institutions, why youth development extends far beyond producing professional players, and what responsibility sport has in shaping the next generation. With: Marvin Willoughby, David Bellion, Rachel Etse, Malte Schruth, Lisa Tellers
What Will Football Mean Next?
The next generation won't inherit football in the same way previous generations did. They're growing up with creator leagues, social football, seven-a-side competitions, gaming, music and digital communities influencing the game as much as traditional institutions. This conversation explores how football culture is evolving, what today's young fans value, and how the sport can remain culturally relevant for the generations shaping its future. With: Christoph Köchy, David Bellion, Lucas Teuchner, Kath Curran, Pete Martin
CULTURAL COLLABORATOR IN RESIDENCE
JEFF STAPLE
Jeff Staple is a pioneering designer, brand strategist, and cultural architect best known for founding STAPLE and creating the legendary Nike SB “Pigeon” Dunk. Since 1997, he has shaped global streetwear culture through influential collaborations with brands including Nike, adidas, Puma, Google, LVMH, Timberland, and New Balance. Beyond fashion, Jeff leads the creative agency Reed Art Department, hosts the Hypebeast podcast “The Business of Hype,” and continues to bridge the worlds of street culture, storytelling, and global brand innovation.
SPEAKERS
A mix of voices from football, brands, and culture - sharing perspectives, experiences, and ideas shaping the space.
Christian Hauke
HBO Max | Warner Bros. Discovery
Director Partnerships, Growth Marketing & Media
Afram Kakur
VfB Stuttgart 1893 AG
Director Brand & Experience
Heiner Kuhlmann
Spotify
Director Marketing
Maggie Murphy
Aston Villa Women FC
Managing Director
Patrick Mushatsi-Kareba
FC St. Pauli
Geschäftsführer
Pete Martin
Soccerbible
Creative Director
Rich Orosco
Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC)
Chief Brand Officer
Sophie Florian
Head of Industry, Beauty & Sports
NEIGHBORHOOD PARTY
SATURDAY, 26/9
STANDS Block Party transforms the Millerntor into the cultural heart of St. Pauli — bringing together music, food, creativity, local institutions, independent fashion brands and diverse communities for a urban neighborhood day.
ARTISTS
Artists at STANDS FESTIVAL on 26th of september
Charlize
Ansu
More coming soon..
IMPRESSIONS FROM STANDS 2025
WHAT IS STANDS?
STANDS is a two-day event where football, culture, fashion, music and creativity come together at the Millerntor Stadium in Hamburg – St. Pauli. The event creates space for communities, brands, artists, clubs and creatives to connect, exchange ideas and shape culture together.
WHEN DOES STANDS TAKE PLACE?
STANDS takes place on September 25 and 26, 2026.
WHERE IS THE EVENT HAPPENING?
The event takes place at the Millerntor Stadium in Hamburg – St. Pauli.
WHAT IS STANDS CONFERENCE?
September 25 is the STANDS Conference. It brings together brands, clubs, creatives and subcultures from football, fashion, music, design and community culture.
WHAT IS STANDS FESTIVAL?
September 26 is the St. Pauli Block Party. The Millerntor Stadium becomes a cultural meeting point for the district with music, food, creativity and community activities.
IS STANDS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
Yes. The STANDS Neighborhood Party on September 26 is open to everyone, bringing together music, food, football, creativity and community at the Millerntor Stadium. The B2B Conference on September 25 is aimed at professionals, brands and creatives from football, fashion, music and culture.
WHAT CAN VISITORS EXPECT AT THE BLOCK PARTY?
Highlights include: A live concert inside the stadium All-day DJ sets Drinks and live art A community court for creatives and young brands A food court A streetwear and football jersey flea market A pick-up football court
WHY WAS STANDS CREATED?
STANDS was created to reconnect culture, creativity and community.
