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Join the revolution!

The Vienna Festival (Wiener Festwochen) | Free Republic of Vienna is Europe's most significant cross-over festival with a radical socio-political impact.

© Franzi Kreis
+++ GO VIRAL! +++ 1,5 mio. users reached via Festwochen social media channels +++ MEDIA RELEVANCE! +++ 2,800 media reports in 25 countries +++ REACHING OUT! +++ 430,000 viewers via live streams and television +++ AUDIENCE ATTRACTION! +++ 100,000 visitors +++ GO VIRAL! +++ 1,5 mio. users reached via Festwochen social media channels +++ MEDIA RELEVANCE! +++ 2,800 media reports in 25 countries +++ REACHING OUT! +++ 430,000 viewers via live streams and television +++ AUDIENCE ATTRACTION! +++ 100,000 visitors
+++ GO VIRAL! +++ 1,5 mio. users reached via Festwochen social media channels +++ MEDIA RELEVANCE! +++ 2,800 media reports in 25 countries +++ REACHING OUT! +++ 430,000 viewers via live streams and television +++ AUDIENCE ATTRACTION! +++ 100,000 visitors +++ GO VIRAL! +++ 1,5 mio. users reached via Festwochen social media channels +++ MEDIA RELEVANCE! +++ 2,800 media reports in 25 countries +++ REACHING OUT! +++ 430,000 viewers via live streams and television +++ AUDIENCE ATTRACTION! +++ 100,000 visitors

The Republic of the arts

In 2024, Vienna, one of the five largest cities in the EU, experienced the rebirth of Europe's biggest crossover festival: the Vienna Festival was declared the Free Republic of Vienna. The proclamation of the Free Republic of Vienna took place in front of 36,000 people at the Cityhall Square with artists such as Pussy Riot and Elfriede Jelinek and was followed by the appointment of a 100-member council, including citizens from all parts of Vienna, but also artists like Annie Ernaux or Sandra Hüller.

During five weeks, 47 theatre, opera and music productions from all over the world as well as over 100 activist and art events took place in all parts of Vienna, the capital of modernism. The talk of the town were productions such as Florentina Holzinger's opera Sancta, the concert with the Kyiv Symphony Orchestra and Oksana Lyniv, the last play by René Pollesch and the Volksstück that toured the whole city.

The new revolutionary institutions, including a proper anthem and flag, caused the greatest stir, ranging from the much-discussed Vienna Trials to the Academy Second Modernism, the Council of the Republic to the installation of a permanent festival hub (the Club of the Republic).

'an institutional revolution.'

AFP - Agence France-Press
© Franzi Kreis

An occupancy rate of 96% and 100,000 visitors made Milo Rau's first year as artistic director of the legendary festival the most successful edition in recent decades. Several million viewers were reached via streams on television and social media, a total of 2,800 media reports were published in 25 countries, and the initiated debates shook up the city and the Austrian Parliament.

NUMBERS & PRESS QUOTES
© Franzi Kreis

The Vienna Declaration

The Vienna Declaration was drawn up by the Council of the Republic, a board of 80 Viennese citizens and international guests. It was established in order to set out guidelines for a ‘festival of the future’. For five weeks, sixty experts from the fields of the arts, culture, politics, sciences, activism and civil society explained their positions on the transformation of the Vienna Festival to the council. What is the art for our age? How can a festival radically transform its socio-political goals?

The Vienna Festival became the first festival ever to adopt guidelines that set out quotas, the democratic organization of curation and ethical and ecological standards. 'An institutional revolution that no other festival in Europe has delivered', reported Agence France-Presse.

Vienna Declaration

What's up in 2025?

Join our Republic of Love

V is for loVe!

Turning Vienna into a REPUBLIC OF LOVE


Vienna Festival (Wiener Festwochen) | Free Republic of Vienna 2025
16 May to 22 June 2025

From Laurie Anderson to Elfriede Jelinek, from Carolina Bianchi to Miet Warlop, from Lia Rodrigues to the Red Army Faction, from Japan to Palestine, from the Rammstein case to the Pelicot trial and from #MeToo to Revolutionary Love: The Vienna Festival (Wiener Festwochen) | Free Republic of Vienna declares the Austrian capital a REPUBLIC OF LOVE in spring 2025!

Last year, Vienna experienced the rebirth of Europe's biggest crossover festival: the Vienna Festival was declared the Free Republic of Vienna – the first festival ever to have its own anthem, parliament, flag and constitution!

100,000 visitors in the flesh and several million more online made Milo Rau's first year as Artistic Director of the legendary festival the most successful edition of all times: “Vienna has once again become a theatre hotspot”, cheered DER SPIEGEL, Agence France-Presse witnessed an “institutional revolution”.

Rau unveiled the 2025 programme at Vienna’s mythical Funkhaus, the former Reichssender. After an antifascist fire ritual, the artistic director, together with iconic group SIGNA, directors Lisaboa Houbrechts and Kurdwin Ayub, the Band of the Republic LUV and many other guests guided through the sinful and radiant programme for upcoming spring.

Should Rammstein, former members of terrorist organisations and radical shamans be given a stage? Is it possible to make art about the Gaza war? Can AI create real feelings? Can there be love between right-wing and left-wing activists? What are the classics of the future?

From 16 May to 22 June, Vienna is transformed into a republic of the arts. Activists, musicians, performers and philosophers from all continents will be staging more than 40 theatre and music productions, installations and rituals, accompanied by a broad philosophical programme, including works such as Laurie Anderson's State of Love, Lea Ypi’s A Speech to Europe or the Revolutionary Love series.

The Viennese REPUBLIC OF LOVE mixes things up! The ritual series Campfire meets the Brand New Classics, the newly founded Band of the Republic LUV joins the female composers of the Academy Second Modernism. Brass bands play with Congolese tenors, Eurovision Song Contest winners meet Iraqi Oud players: because V is for loVe!

Japanese director Satoko Ichihara presents her acclaimed masterpiece Kitty and Carolina Bianchi scrutinises male bonds in The Brotherhood. Milo Rau stages Elfriede Jelinek's scandal-ridden play Burgtheater and The Pelicot Trial about the eponymous case of the same name that shocked the world. In The Grief of Red Granny, Gorges Ocloo overwrites the iconic baroque work Stabat Mater by Giovanni B. Pergolesi with African traditions.

Be there when all the REPUBLIC OF LOVE's secrets are revealed - and when the REPUBLIC OF LOVE opens with a 90-minute music-politics-mystery ritual in front of 50,000 people on 16 May 2025. Join the REPUBLIC OF LOVE and be part of the experience – sinful and revolutionary, profound and crazy all at once!

In the words of Austrian choreographer Florentina Holzinger, a Vienna Festival regular: only sinners are winners!

The entire Vienna Festival (Wiener Festwochen) | Free Republic of Vienna programme is available here.


´Finally, Vienna is back to being a theatre hotspot.´

Der Spiegel

‘It’s the most exciting thing theatre currently has on offer.’

Die Welt

'One of Europe's most important cultural events.'

La Repubblica

'The most influential artist working in political theatre today'

The New Yorker
about Milo Rau
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