Wiener Festwochen

Wiener Festwochen is an annual five-week art and culture festival in Vienna, Austria that works to establish the Free Republic of Vienna together with the citizens of Vienna and international supporters through activities such as operas, concerts, drama, performances, installations, readings, and films.

The name Free Republic of Vienna references attempts throughout history to liberate the ‘republic’ (res publica – the matters of public interest, meaning everything that concerns society) of prevalent attitudes, institutional structures and ingrained norms. In other words: casting a look at the world and at Vienna that is new, free, together, filled with humour and sincerity.

The Free Republic of Vienna is a place of production and presentation by renowned and aspiring artists from all genres and of experimental, radical as well as established artistic visions from throughout the world. Overall, the Free Republic of Vienna considers itself an all-out place where classics (and classic forms of art and genres) are not negated but are re-appropriated, with a presence of politically engaged works and formally experimental art and where new formats are created.

City

Vienna

Country

Austria

Region

Europe

Year of Creation

1951

Featured Project

Programme Book Archive

A digital archive is being published to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the Wiener Festwochen in 2021. First up are the programme books from 1951 to today, with not only insights into specific productions, but also into socially relevant themes and the reality of festival making over the past seven decades. As part of an initial approach to the subject matter, cultural scientist Aleida Assmann and theatre scholar Theresa Eisele have chosen to examine, in two essays, the relevance of the archive.

Programme Book Archive, 1951 – 2024

Resources

Hayner, Jakob. “Wiener Festwochen: das Spannendste, was Theater gerade zu bieten hat.” Die Welt, 7 June 2024, welt.de/kultur/article251911054/Wiener-Festwochen-das-Spannendste-was-Theater-gerade-zu-bieten-hat.html.

Milo Rau, “How Can we Act Together? Declaration of the Free Republic of Wien: Interview with Milo Rau,” interview by Ivan Medenica, The IATC Journal, Issue 29, June 2024, https://www.critical-stages.org/29/how-can-we-act-together-declaration-of-the-free-republic-of-wien-interview-with-milo-rau/.

Oltermann, Philip. “Bring on the Naked Rollerskating Nuns! The Wild Visions of Florentina Holzinger.” The Guardian, 10 June 2024, www.theguardian.com/stage/article/2024/jun/10/bring-on-the-naked-rollerskating-nuns-the-wild-visions-of-florentina-holzinger.

Sichrovsky, Heinz. “Spitzentöne: Die große, glückliche Sause der Wiener Festwochen.” News.at, 4 June 2025, news.at/menschen/wiener-festwochen-2025-kritik.

Speidel, Klaus. “Review: SIGNA’s ‘The Final Year’ at Wiener Festwochen.” Spike Art Magazine, 10 June 2025, spikeartmagazine.com/articles/review-signa-the-final-year.

More Information

festwochen.at

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