Disclosed is a tire building drum with a first bladder or sleeve, wherein the tire building drum has a first release member and a first actuator for generating a relative movement between the first release member and the drum body to move the first release member in a first release direction with respect to the drum body from a first fixation position in which the first release member fixates the first circumferential edge of the first bladder or sleeve to the drum body into a first release position in which the first release member releases the first circumferential edge from the drum body. Also disclosed is a method for operating the aforementioned tire building drum.