Festivals, music and concerts
Summer full of culture in Waldviertel
Let Shakespeare & Co transport you to times long past as you enjoy the wonderful atmosphere of open-air theater. The beautiful venues range from fortresses and castles to open-air stages.
Loisiarte – a festival celebrating contemporary music and literature
LOISIARTE, an art festival in the LOISIUM Langenlois, has met with enthusiasm from music and literature lovers since it was first started in 2006. An enjoyable cultural experience is assured with this unique combination of contemporary composition, readings from world literature and first-class chamber music.
www.loisium-weinwelt.at/loisiarte
Grafenegg summer concerts
The star-studded Midsummer Night’s Gala in mid-June rings in the three-month concert season in Grafenegg. Following a festive start to celebrate the summer solstice, the Music Summer offers a varied lineup of concerts. They range from musical forays into South America and Swing to fantastic fireworks and romantic highlights.
Midsummer night’s comedy in Rosenburg
The unique atmosphere of Rosenburg Castle and magnificent scenery ensure an unforgettable evening of theater in Kamp Valley. The trademark of the festival is the roofed-over theater-in-the-round, a type of stage rarely seen in Austria. There are just seven rows, so the performances offer all the intimacy and proximity to the actors of a small theater despite a relatively large capacity (seating for 800).
sommernachtskomoedie-rosenburg.at
Festival featuring international concerts at Zwettl Abbey
The Egedacher organ in the abbey church in Zwettl was designed by Johann Ignaz Egedacher and is one of the largest and most expensive organ projects in Lower Austria. This festival at Zwettl Abbey (Internationale Konzerttage) revolves around this instrument and around Baroque music. The events are held in the abbey church and the library, where chamber music is featured.
Schrammel.Klang.Festival
The music created by the Schrammel brothers and cohorts is considered the pinnacle of Vienna folk music in the late 19th c. Schrammel became the term for a whole separate category of Austrian music. The multi-day Schrammel.Klang.Festival is held in the town of Litschau on idyllic Herrensee in July. The most famous interpreters of this genre also play on various outdoor stages around this lake. Music continues until the wee hours in Herrensee Theater.
Festival at Weitra Castle
The castle is perched high above the brewery town of Weitra. The audience can look forward to lively theater in a festive atmosphere in the Renaissance arcade court, which is roofed-over so events are weather proof. Audiences can look forward to talented young actors and to familiar older favorites.
Kasumama Africa Festival
The family-friendly KASUMAMA Africa Festival is held in July in the town of Moorbad Harbach in the midst of rocking stones and forests. The varied program covers the cultural diversity of the African continent. Workshops, a colorful bazaar, films, readings, live concerts and lectures provide exciting and enlightening entertainment.
Opera at Gars Castle
The astounding acoustics and enchanting setting make this Babenberg fortress in Gars an ideal venue for top quality opera productions. Today’s entry area into the castle is right behind the former drawbridge. These fascinating surroundings form an extraordinary backdrop for unforgettable events.
Teatro Barocco at Altenburg Abbey
The library at Altenburg Abbey near Horn is 50 meters long and graced with glorious frescos by the famous Austrian Baroque painter Paul Troger. In July it is transformed for several weeks into the most beautiful Baroque theater in Austria. You can look forward to opera staged in the style of Mozart’s day and a memorable encounter with art and opera.
Castle festival in Langenlois
Romantic is just the word to describe the atmosphere in the evening in Haindorf Castle in Langenlois. It becomes even more so when guests are treated to superbly staged operettas and to Kamp Valley wines and culinary delicacies. Operetta productions put on in the castle park during the festival attract thousands and are a traditional part of the summer theater lineup in Lower Austria.
Allegro Vivo
From August to September this international chamber music festival is held in the most beautiful fortresses and castles, abbeys and churches in the Waldviertel. Visitors have their choice of 50 concerts at 30 different venues. One important concert hall is the library at Altenburg Abbey, where the orchestral concerts take place. A further highlight is the arcade court in Kunsthaus Horn. Music is also performed in Gars, Harmannsdorf and at the Raabs, Rappottenstein and Rosenburg castles.