Heino announces: More years at Ballermann — until his 100th birthday?

No farewell in sight: Heino intends to keep standing on the Bierkönig stage

On a late May evening, the air still warm on the Schinkenstraße, Heino once again set the Bierkönig stage alight. After six shows this season the 86-year-old looks remarkably fresh. He puts it plainly: 'I'm really up for Mallorca!' His manager Helmut Werner added — with a familiar wink: the arrangement is such that Heino could perform 'until his 100th birthday'. Yes, you read that right: the singer could still be on stage in shorts (or in a suit, depending on his mood) until 2038.

Why this sounds surprising to some and logical to others

Those who were there recall the odd but warm scene: fans with plastic cups, a few schlager melodies, and the occasional hush when he begins 'Ein Gläschen am Morgen'. On some numbers he was accompanied by erotic entertainer Michaela Schäfer — fitting the Ballermann spectacle like salt to sangría.

The reasons for the long engagement are quickly explained: on the one hand Heino attracts an audience — younger listeners curious about the cult phenomenon, and older generations who have known him forever. On the other hand there are numbers that speak: media report a fee of around 25,000 euros per show, including flight, hotel and catering. As a result the Bierkönig has introduced a minimum consumption for the first time — 25 euros — so the overall calculation works out. Some huff, others pay and keep celebrating.

Werner emphasizes seriousness: The planning apparently targets two anniversaries: Heino's 100th birthday in April 2038 and the Bierkönig's 50th anniversary. If both coincide, it is planned to be a big event. Whether the audience will remain the same until then? No idea. I for one already imagine the streets: decorated lanterns, souvenir stalls, and an older gentleman crooning 'Blau blüht der Enzian' with a deep dark voice.

Heino himself reacts calmly, almost like a neighbor telling you his plans in the stairwell: 'I want to have fun, it's not about the money.' A sentence that at least sounds honest. And honestly: whoever arrives in Palma — at Son Sant Joan, perhaps around noon, with the sun still mild — and dives into the bustle of the Schinkenstraße quickly realises: Ballermann lives on stories, and Heino is writing another chapter.

Whether everyone always likes it musically is another question. But at least: the island has another talking point, and we have a story we'll be discussing in the café on the Passeig for weeks. I for my part look forward to the anecdotes — and to the odd glass when it's once again time: stage free for Heino.