Overview
- City authorities closed the 100-year-old connection canal and two historic swing bridges after officials found massive wood-boring shipworm damage that weakened the submerged timber structures.
- The Maritimen Tage opened as scheduled, with the festival reapproved on a revised safety plan that relies on a temporary pedestrian pontoon, one-way visitor routing and security-managed flows to maintain evacuation routes.
- Organisers cancelled the traditional fireworks and estimate about €100,000 in immediate extra costs to build temporary access and manage crowds for the five-day event.
- More than 40 visiting ships, public Weser tours, music stages, a science mile and a street-food market remain on the programme, with the festival concentrated around the Neuer Hafen to keep attractions accessible.
- Officials say the closed bridges and damaged quay could stay out of service until roughly 2029, with renovation planning aimed to start in early 2027 and planners and contractors already assembled.