Events & Festivals in Vorarlberg

In terms of events and festivals, there are two that one immediately thinks of when Vorarlberg is mentioned: The Bregenzer Festspiele, a festival with a floating stage on Lake Constance. It is dedicated to concerts and opera. The other event is the Schubertiade, a small series of concerts that concentrates of Schubert music that is rarely played elsewhere.

Beyond these two, there are several small events at varying degrees of authenticity - in very touristy areas, folk culture has become commercial folklore in Vorarlberg. Nevertheless, the rural charms of the Western-most corner of Austria are still alive and fuel a vibrant culture and celebrating ancient customs.

April

The concert series of "St. Gerolder Konzerte" is held in a former monastery and comprises of cultural events of all sorts - from jazz to classical music. Nice if you happen to live there or be in the area, but probably no reason to travel there from far.

May

The Schubertiade is a festival of "unusual" compositions by Franz Schubert - music you will rarely hear elsewhere. The Schubertiade is held in the small town of Schwarzenberg in the Bregenzerwald Forest. It is a series of concerts and individual events that start in May and last until September.

New Orleans Festival: Held in Bregenz in late May; jazz and more jazz.

June

Feldkirch Festival: Held, just as one would expect, in Feldkirch. A music festival that features compositions matching with a certain topic.

July

The "Festival der Magie" is popular with locals, a convention of conjurers and illusionists from all over the world. Held in Bludenz and surely great for children.

In Hohenems, children will cheer up even more - the "Palastbelagerung" is held annually in late July. It is a Medieval theme fair and translates as "siege of the palace". More fun for the little ones. The highlight of cultural events in Vorarlberg, however, is the…

Bregenzer Festspiele: High-quality stage productions in concert, opera and operetta. The centre of the festival is the floating stage on Lake Constance, but there are several other venues in and around Bregenz. Lasts from mid-July to mid-August.

August

In August, there are several town fairs held in different places in Vorarlberg. Note for example those in Dornbirn or Bregenz.

October

"Chor- und Orgeltage Hohenems", held - the name says it all - in the historic town of Hohenems. This festival is dedicated to choir and organ music. Something for people with a specialist interest, but generally of high quality.

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Festivals & Events elsewhere in Austria

Vorarlberg - Tyrol (Tirol) - Salzburg - Upper Austria (Oberösterreich) - Lower Austria (Niederösterreich) - Vienna - Carinthia (Kärnten) - Styria - Burgenland