Cultural Summer Vienna 2024: A colorful get-together

After 44 With event days and over 500 acts, the Vienna Cultural Summer looks back on a successful season. The open air attracted over 86,000 visitors this year. For the first time since the Cultural Summer began, an event evening had to be completely canceled due to weather. It is all the more pleasing that the total number of visitors has increased compared to the previous year. For many, the free festival is now an integral part of the summer: in a survey, almost 60% of visitors said they were familiar with the cultural summer stages from previous years. Nevertheless, the festival reached over 40% of the guests for the first time this year, also thanks to the repositioning of three locations.

Art as a bridge to exchange

Whether improv theater, cabaret quiz, trick show or popular African dance – this year the audience particularly often got involved in dancing and joining in. In the program, which ranged from popular performances to special niche performances, everyone was able to discover and try out something new. One visitor sums it up: “For me, the word ‘culture’ has taken on a new meaning and value!” At the start of the festival, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, together with pop star Julian le Play, provided two atmospheric Prater picnics on the Kaiserwiese. The Kultursommer Plus program series, which offered open formats such as styling corners, painting sessions, art buffets and children’s parties, was particularly popular. “The diversity of the offering once again offered many people new, sometimes first, points of contact with culture. What excites me are the new spaces for shared experience, encounters and dialogue that have been created around the cultural summer stages spread throughout the city,” emphasizes City Councilor for Culture Veronica Kaup-Hasler.

Culture around the corner

For six weeks, the cultural summer ensured a colorful atmosphere in parks and public places. A visitor says: “What I think is very good is the mix of the audience – regardless of the event. Here, children, pensioners, people from the neighborhood and those interested in culture enjoy the cultural offerings side by side.” The informal atmosphere often motivated people to visit: “Around the stage in the park, I feel like I’m in my own garden.” Almost half of all respondents gave the free one Admission is the main reason for your visit. “With the cultural summer stages, we bring art and culture directly into the familiar surroundings of the Viennese. The free entry encourages you to discover previously unknown cultural offerings,” says Mayor Michael Ludwig. The Vienna Cultural Summer took place in nine outlying districts in 2024 and promoted collaboration with the existing cultural and culinary offerings. The event team actively pointed out nearby restaurants. Bringing food along to the stages was expressly welcome.

Inclusive environment for more cultural participation

In order to give everyone access to culture, the production team designed both the stages and the audience area to be as barrier-free as possible. The stages at Schrödingerplatz and the choir and brass music evening at Rathausplatz were equipped with induction loops for hearing aids. Sign language interpreters translated over a dozen events. In some cases, the signing itself became a work of art, which was exciting for both deaf and hearing people. A visitor says: “I was at a theater in sign language – I would probably never have seen that without the cultural summer.” Overall, many supported groups with multiple disabilities took advantage of the cultural summer offer. In addition, the game plan reached both younger and older generations. The morning program for children and families was even expanded thanks to the support of some districts. The festival also took place in all houses for life, with the support of some districts. Artists like Karl Markovics and Sandra Pires played atmospheric garden concerts for the residents of the pensioners’ houses.

“The Vienna Cultural Summer has shown that culture brings people together regardless of age, origin or life situation. This shared experience is the heart of our festival,” says managing director Caro Madl happily. Siglind Güttler, also part of the management, is convinced that we are on the right track with the inclusive concept: “In the next few years we will continue to work hard to make culture even more accessible and the stages even more barrier-free.” 2025 will be the summer of culture Vienna from June 26th to August 10th.