© Sebastian Madej
With their new album «Happy Birthday!», Sportfreunde Stiller are celebrating their 30th anniversary. The release coincides with the start of the 2026 World Cup and evokes memories of Germany’s «summer fairy tale» in 2006.
«54, 74, 90, 2006.» With this song, Sportfreunde Stiller are forever closely linked to Germany’s «summer fairy tale» of 2006. That’s another reason why their band’s history can’t really be told without mentioning soccer. Twenty years later, the World Cup is back, this time in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. «Happy Birthday!» doesn’t offer a new soccer stadium anthem, but it fits perfectly into this interplay of memory, the present, and community.
Even after thirty years, Sportfreunde Stiller still make music «with their hearts on their sleeves.» Okay, sorry, that was the last soccer reference—I promise. The new album features ten songs and comes in the familiar Sportfreunde Stiller style. Honest lyrics, catchy choruses, and a good dose of humor. So «Happy Birthday!» is a lovely birthday gift to oneself. Especially when you look back at the band’s history. It quickly becomes clear that it hasn’t always been all sunshine and rainbows. That’s why it’s all the more wonderful that the three of them are «still here.» But why not give it a listen for yourself?
Anyone who would like to congratulate the Sportfreunde in person on their 30th anniversary will have the opportunity to do so on October 9, 2026, in Sursee. The three guys will be playing at the Nachteulen Festival in the Sursee City Hall.