Music festivals from Jazz to Rock

Music festivals focusing on contemporary sounds fill the capital’s event schedules. Some bring people to Vienna in their tens of thousands, while others appeal to select groups looking to go on a more personal journey through the city’s musical landscape.

Party, Party

The Danube Island Festival is the granddaddy of them all: on the last weekend of June international stars and local heroes create a party atmosphere to tell the grandkids about, at Europe’s largest free open-air music festival. Artists perform music from every genre under the sun on around a dozen stages to three million visitors.

The Film Festival is one of the city’s most popular summer attractions. Attracting round 850,000 people each July and August, this annual event on Rathausplatz is a magnet for late-night crowds looking to get away from it all with a culinary and cinematic flight of fancy. Fine food and free music films covering everything from opera to pop set the scene for a perfect summer’s night – daily and admission is completely free of charge!

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4 pictures

Wiener Concert Schrammeln on a roof with the Vienna skyline in the background — The Neue Wiener Concert Schrammeln play at the wean hean Wienerlied festival. – © Stephan Mussil

Akkordeon Festival 2016 - Player, Jure Tori — Accordion Festival – © Petra Cvelbar

Popfest 2016: concert at night, crowd and stage outdoor with small lake, tents — Innovative music from Austria at Popfest Wien – © Simon Brugner

Africa Days Vienna – © www.afrika-tage.de

The Neue Wiener Concert Schrammeln play at the wean hean Wienerlied festival. – © Stephan Mussil

Accordion Festival – © Petra Cvelbar

Festivals for your kind of music

In addition to these two fan favorites, the city also offers an impressive range of genre-specific events for music lovers to enjoy. A selection of festivals for anyone looking to find out more about the sounds of contemporary Vienna:

Annual festival tips

International Accordion Festival – celebrating the instrument’s versatility (February/March)
Vienna Blues Spring – the world’s longest festival devoted to the genre (March/April)
wean hean – the Wienerlied Festival (April/May)
Vienna at Rosenstolz – Landpartie – new folk music (May)
Summer stage at the Theater am Spittelberg – world music, Viennese music, pop, comedy, children’s theater (June - September)
Popfest Wien – Austria’s innovative pop scene on Karlsplatz (July)
Africa Days Vienna – toe-tapping world music (July/August)
Gürtel Night Walk – the city’s longest music drag (end of August)
Waves Vienna – from alternative to electronica (Autumn)
Vienna at the Rosenstolz – Viennese music and Wienerlied performances (October)
KlezMore-Festival – Jewish klezmer music (November)
Vienna Jazzfloor – 100 concerts in nine clubs (November)
Voice Mania – a cappella festival (November/December)
Wintertainment at the Theater am Spittelberg – (December)