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Eleven unmissable events in Austria in May 2024

May is soon here and we list ten exciting happenings during the month, including spring festivals, trail runs, 'lake' openings and food celebrations.

Eleven unmissable events in Austria in May 2024
The Vienna Symphonic Orchestra at Fest der Freude. AFP PHOTO / DIETER NAGL (Photo by DIETER NAGL / AFP)

Long Night of Research

Long Night of Research, Lange Nacht der Forschung in German, takes place this year on May 24th all over Austria. It is a public event where you can spend the evening exploring the latest scientific research and innovation.

The event’s goal is to strengthen the connection between the scientific community and the general public. Universities, research institutions, organisations, etc., open their doors, and during the evening, you can listen to experts in their fields, explore interactive exhibitions, watch experiments, and connect with others.

The event is free, and you can look at the program to find out what is happening in your area. 

Gauder Fest 

Gauder Fest is a traditional spring festival held every year in Zell am Ziller, in the Zillertal Valley of Tyrol. It takes place May 2nd to 5th and is one of the largest and most famous spring festivals in the region, attracting thousands of visitors every year.

The festival celebrates the coming warmer weather and the rebirth of life in the Alpine region. It is rooted in local customs, traditions, and folklore and offers a unique glimpse into the region’s cultural heritage.

The festival’s name comes from the “Gauder,” a special type of beer brewed for the occasion. It is strong, amber-coloured beer, and the tapping of it kicks off the festival, which offers traditional folk music, parades, local food from the region and stalls with handicrafts.

Tickets to the festival cost between €27 and €57, depending on whether you would like to be seated. You can reserve your ticket online by filling out a form with some information.

 
 
 
 
 
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Salzburg Whitsun Festival

From May 17th to 20th, this yearly classical music festival takes place in Salzburg. The festival offers a wide program with concerts, chamber music and opera productions, among with other performances.

The festival is known for presenting both established artists and up-and-coming talent, and the events are taking place at various venues throughout the city.

The festival has earned a reputation for artistic excellence and innovation in the classical music scene. 

The ticket price varies depending on the event. You can buy tickets online here.

 
 
 
 
 
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READ MORE: Four of the best hidden villages in Austria’s Salzkammergut region

Alpine Trail Run Festival

This sporty trail running festival, Innsbruck Alpine in German, takes place in Innsbruck every year, this time from May 2nd to 4th. It celebrates running and outdoor adventure in the alpine landscape surrounding the city.

The festival arranges a series of trail running races of various distances and difficulty levels, where you can enjoy a run together with others while spending time in the beautiful surrounding.

In addition to the races, the festival also offers other outdoor activities such as guided trail running tours, mountain biking excursions, yoga sessions, outdoor workshops, food trucks and live music performances.

If you want to run, there are still last-minute spots left for the different races. You can sign up here

Veganmania Festival

This vegan festival, the biggest street food festival in Austria, takes place in Vienna from May 30th to June 2nd. It is a great place to go if you want to explore new vegan dishes and be inspired by like-minded people.

In addition to the many food stalls, the festival also offers cruelty-free cosmetics, creative fashion, and a line-up of different DJs.

You can enter the festival for free, and you can find more information about it here.

 
 
 
 
 
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‘Lake Opening’ Mörbisch

At Lake Neusiedler in Burgenland, you can celebrate the start of the lake season in the town of Mörbisch on May 4th.

The lake season opening offers a celebration program during the whole day, including a volleyball tournament with an award ceremony, a digital art pop-up mile, a children’s musical called “The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats,” and DJs playing 80s/90s specials.

You can enter for free and here you can read more about it.

READ ALSO: Where in Austria do locals ‘hate’ tourists?

Ukrainian Food Festival

On May 1st, in the town of Hohenems near Bregenz in Vorarlberg, you can enjoy a Ukrainian food festival and, at the same time, support the organisation Association for Ukrainian aid, Einig – Verein fur Ukrainehilfe, by making some donations. 

The festival invites you to try Ukrainian dishes, specialities and deserts and learn about Ukrainian culture. 

You can find some more information here.

Theatre: Body [SIC!]

This theatre play, which will be performed in Klagenfurt from May 1st to 8th, explores the human body in connection with the society that envelops it. 

The artists behind the exhibition are a young, up-and-coming collective that wants to offer an unconventional theatre experience. The project aims to engage the audience with the performance and invite them to reflect on the human body.

The play explores different associations with the human body and brings up topics such as body obsessions, fetishes and cannibalism.

A ticket costs around €25 and can be reserved via email or over phone.

Crossing Europe Film Festival

The Crossing Europe Film Festival is a six-day film festival held annually at the end of April in Linz. This year, it starts on April 30th and runs until May 5th.

If you are a film enthusiast, this could be something for you. The festival attracts international film professionals and enthusiasts and presents diverse contemporary European filmmaking, focusing on socio-political issues, youth, and music culture.

The festival wants to create a dialogue and cultural exchange by bringing together filmmakers, industry professionals, and audiences through screenings, panel discussions, workshops, and networking events.

You can find more information and buy tickets or festival passes here.

 
 
 
 
 
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Lendwirbel Festival

This yearly neighbourhood festival takes place from May 2nd to 5th in the Lend district of Graz. It celebrates the cultural diversity and community spirit of the area.

The themes of the festival are inclusion and diversity, and the festival welcomes everyone, including both locals and visitors from other places.

During the festival, you can enjoy music, art, and food stalls. The festival is known for its many cultural performances with live music, dance, theatre, and visual art.

You can also go there to take part in workshops, often focused on themes such as sustainability and public space, where you can learn something new and meet others interested in the topics. 

You can find out more here

 The Festival of Joy

The festival of joy, Fest der Freude in German,  takes place May 8th at Heldenplatz in Vienna. It is an important annual event that celebrates the end of Nazi oppression and honours its victims. 

The festival organises ceremonies and performances that honour the memory of the war’s victims and celebrate the triumph of peace over tyranny. Political leaders will hold speeches, and there will be readings of literary works related to the topic, as well as music by the Wiener Symphoniker.

The event is for free and you can find more information here

The festival celebrates the end of Nazi oppression and honours its victims.  AFP PHOTO / DIETER NAGL (Photo by DIETER NAGL / AFP)
 

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What’s on: 10 things to do in Austria this June

Summer is almost here and a lot of things are going on in Austria. Here we list 10 of June's most exciting events to go to.

What's on: 10 things to do in Austria this June

Narzissenfest

Every year, the Ausseerland-Salzkammergut region is transformed into a sea of yellow and white as blooming daffodils cover the landscape.

To celebrate this, the region hosts the annual Narzissenfest, Austria’s largest flower festival.

This year, the town of Bad Aussee will host the festival’s main attractions from May 30th to June 2nd. – including the Narzissennacht (daffodil night) and the parade of the daffodil figures on June 2nd, which culminates with the announcement of the winning figure at 3 pm.

 
 
 
 
 
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Graz Design Month

Graz Design Month is an actually festival dedicated to design and creativity. It takes place from May 3rd to June 2nd in the city centre of Graz.

Here, you can enjoy a lot of activities, including exhibitions, workshops, lectures, and installations, presenting both local and international design talent.

Graz Design Month aims to celebrate design in all its forms, from graphic design and architecture to fashion and industrial design.

Vienna Pride

This year, Vienna Pride takes place from May 25th to June 9th. During this time, Austria’s Capital will host a variety of events to celebrate diversity, equality, and LGBTQ+ rights.

The event’s main attraction will be the Pride Parade – also known as the Rainbow Parade – on June 8th, where more than 300,000 people are expected to celebrate and demonstrate together in the city centre. 

Other highlights include Pride Village where community associations, LGBTIQ artists and cooperation partners present themselves and invite you to experience the LGBTIQ culture in Vienna, and The Vienna Pride Run on June 7th around Ringstraße in the inner city. 

Vienna Pride Parade 2023. (Photo by Alex HALADA / AFP)
 

Baden Rose Days

Every year, the Rosarium in the charming spa town of Baden, near Vienna, comes to life for three weeks during the Badener Rosentage. This year the festival takes place June 1st to June 23rd.

During the three weeks, visitors can immerse themselves in the enchanting world of blooming roses and enjoy over 25,000 rose bushes comprising more than 900 distinct varieties of the romantic flower.

To mark the onset of the rose blossom season in Baden, the city will host an exciting line up of concerts on Saturday, June 1st. The evening’s program will culminate with a piece fusing rock, opera, and classical music, promising an unforgettable experience.

READ MORE: Four of the best hidden villages in Austria’s Salzkammergut region

Sommernachtskonzert

On the June 7th, the Schönbrunn Palace Park in Vienna will host a spectacular – and free – musical programme from the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. 

Over 100,000 people are expected to flock to the palace park to enjoy the Summer Night Concert, which this year will be led by Andris Nelsons – Grammy Award-winning conductor from Latvia.

Norwegian opera singer Lise Davidsen will be heard as a soloist. She will sing two arias – from Richard Wagner’s Tannhäuser and from Giuseppe Verdi’s La forza del destino.

Tanz Ist Festival

This year from June 13th to 23rd, this dance festival is taking place in Dornbirn in Vorarlberg. 

Established in 1994 by dancer and choreographer Günter Marinelli, tanz ist festival has become a famous international dance festival that fosters collaborations between artists and institutions.

Each year, the festival focuses on a specific theme and explores various aspects of the dance world. In this edition, the spotlight shines on Canada, offering a glimpse into the country’s dance avant-garde.

The programme presents both emerging and well-known talents who have left an indelible mark on the dance scene.

Sonnwendfeier

From June 22nd to 29th, the Wachau-Nibelungengau-Kremstal region along the Danube river comes alive with dazzling summer solstice celebrations.

Throughout the period, local towns and villages alongside the river and in the river valley host traditional midsummer celebrations, from bonfires to fireworks to displays of thousands of floating lights covering the Danube river.

READ ALSO: Train travel in Austria: The best day trips from Vienna

The Donauinselfest

The Donauinselfest, also known as the Danube Island Festival, is one of Europe’s largest open-air music festivals.

This year, it takes place on the Danube Island in Vienna from June 21st to 23rd, where numerous stages will host performances by both local and international artists.

As well as music, there will be cultural performances, art exhibitions, entertainment for children, food stalls and drink stands to keep everyone entertained. 

 
 
 
 
 
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Lido Sounds Festival 

Lido Sounds Festival is a cross-genre festival taking place from June 27th to 30th in Linz. Here, you can find something for everyone’s taste; indie, alternative, pop, soul, hip-hop and rock. 

Deichkind, Kraftklub and Sam Smith have been confirmed as this years top acts. In addition, Editors, Gossip, Idles, K.I.Z, Kings Of Leon, Nina Chuba and many more are booked. 

Alpine Summer Opening

On June 16th, it is time for this years Alpine Summer Opening in Großarltal valley, Salzburg.

Old customs and traditions remain strong in the Salzburgerland region and every year, a different town hosts this lively festival to mark the official start of the Alpine summer

This year, the festivities will be held at the Maurach Alm mountain pasture in the Großarltal valley. There will be music, traditional Alpine dances and cuisine.

READ NEXT: 6 great alternatives to Austria’s overcrowded tourists hotspots

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