Anniversaries & Event Highlights in Austria

Eurovision Song Contest 2026 

The city of Vienna is looking forward to a major event: from 10th to 16th May 2026 the 70th Eurovision Song Contest will put Austria’s capital in the international spotlight. The opening ceremony will take place on Rathausplatz on 10th May, whilst the semifinals (12th and 14th May) and the final (16th May) will be held at the Wiener Stadthalle. Those who don’t have tickets can follow the action from the public viewing area on Rathausplatz. And there will be public viewings at many other locations across Austria. 

270 years of Mozart in Salzburg & Vienna

The cities of Salzburg and Vienna are celebrating the 270th birthday of composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with numerous events. Mozart grew up in Salzburg and spent his most successful years in Vienna. From the DomQuartier to Mirabell Palace, St. Peter Stiftskulinarium, the Mozarteum Foundation and Hohensalzburg Fortress: Salzburg will be moving to the beat of Mozart’s music all year round. City tours and the Mozart Residence offer insights into his life. And until 14th June 2026, the Museum der Moderne is presenting an exhibition titled “Under the Spell of Mozart’s Magic Flute”. 

Vienna shines a spotlight on its Mozart sites and experience worlds. Visitors can learn more about his life and work at the Mozarthaus, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2026. “Mythos Mozart” leads to buildings where the great composer worked, as well as to his grave at the Biedermeier cemetery in St. Marx. 

30th Pride Parade 

The first Rainbow Parade made its way along Vienna’s Ringstraße in 1996. Today it is one of the largest celebrations of equality in Europe. Tens of thousands of people take part to stand up for diversity, tolerance and human rights each year. Nowadays the Rainbow Parade is embedded in the Pride Parade and its programme of events during the first two weeks of June. The anniversary Rainbow Parade will take place on 13th June 2026. 

150 years of Hotel Sacher 

Hotel Sacher is one of Vienna’s most traditional hotels. The chef and imperial and royal court confectioner Eduard Sacher founded the establishment in a central location opposite the Vienna State Opera 150 years ago in 1876. Hotel Sacher soon developed into an epitome of Viennese luxury and hospitality. It is family-run to this day and represents timeless elegance, having even been included as one of “The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2025”. It was also Eduard Sacher who perfected the Sachertorte invented by his father Franz. Like Hotel Sacher, the Sachertorte quickly became famous and is still a popular specialty from Vienna today. 

30 years of the Ars Electronica Center in Linz

The Ars Electronica Center opened in Linz in 1996 as a museum of the future. Its team has been analysing and commenting on the digital revolution ever since. Exhibitions are created with experts from all over the world that deal with key questions about our future. Current themes include artificial intelligence, laser technology and neurobionics, the combination of biological systems and artificial technologies. The Ars Electronica Festival has been around for even longer, since 1979. The festival which is dedicated to the intersection of art, technology and society takes place in Linz every September. 

30 years of Donau-Auen National Park 

The Donau-Auen National Park, which stretches from Vienna to the border with Slovakia, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Its founding was cause of great debate. In the 1980s there was a plan to build a power plant in Hainburg, thereby destroying the valuable natural area. Protests and a non-violent occupation of the Hainburger Au followed. The planned construction of the power plant was aborted and the national park was created instead. The programme for the anniversary year includes a big family festival on 26th April 2026 at the National Park Centre in Schloss Orth. 

100 Years of Passion Plays in St. Margarethen, Burgenland

In 1926 the pastor of St. Margarethen had the idea of staging Passion Plays. The first performers were teenagers and the original venue was a farm. The Passion Plays took place every ten years to begin with, but have been held every five years since the Roman quarry in St. Margarethen began providing a unique natural stage for the performances in 1961. Around 400 amateurs take to the stage each time. The St. Margarethen Passion Plays will celebrate their 100th anniversary in 2026 with new production “Mirjam” running from 23rd May to 12th July. The play explores the Passion story from a female perspective. 

140 years of Sonnblick Observatory in the Rauris Valley

The observatory named after the mountain was opened on the Sonnblick in the Rauris Valley at an altitude of 3,106 m in 1886. To this day, it is the highest continuously manned meteorological observation station in Austria. Its construction was initiated by Julius Hann, who was director of the ZAMG (Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics) at the time. The goal was to study higher layers of the atmosphere from a station in the high mountains, with the Sonnblick the location of choice. There was advanced infrastructure here thanks to mining, and Rauris mine owner Ignaz Rojacher greatly supported the elaborate project. The observatory is only accessible to visitors on foot. The high alpine tour takes five to eight hours, depending on route. Next to it is the Zittelhaus alpine club hut, where up to 100 people can stay overnight.

250 years of Admont Abbey Library

The monastery library of Admont Abbey is considered one of the great works of art of the European late baroque period. 70 m long, 14 m wide and 13 m high, it is also known as the largest in the world. Architecture, frescoes, sculptures and centuries-old writings merge into a harmonious space of beauty and meaning. Containing more than 70,000 visible volumes, it is not just a place of aesthetic fascination, but also a living storehouse of knowledge that carries centuries of history, faith and spirit. The monastery library was completed 250 years ago in 1776. There will be a special exhibition on the history of the abbey to mark the occasion at Admont in 2026.

100 years of the Tiroler Zugspitzbahn 

In July 1926 the Tiroler Zugspitzbahn celebrated its opening, making the once nearly unclimbable Zugspitze accessible to mountain enthusiasts from all over the world. It is the oldest cable car in Tirol and the second oldest in Austria. Austria’s oldest, the Rax cable car in Lower Austria, went into operation about a month earlier. To celebrate its 100th anniversary, the cable car company is redesigning the interactive museum at the mountain station and passengers can look forward to various goodies throughout the whole year. 

80 years of Bregenz Festival

An anniversary sounds best when celebrated together, which is why the Bregenz Festival is hosting a singalong on the lakeside stage in summer 2026 to mark its 80th anniversary. The event, where well-known opera choruses will be performed together, will take place on 1st August 2026. From choirs to vocal ensembles and individuals – everyone is invited to join in. All you need to do is register; participation itself is free of charge. Led by conductor Steven Moore and accompanied by musicians from the Symphony Orchestra Vorarlberg, festival soloists and various regional choirs, an electrifying ensemble of hundreds of voices will come together outdoors. Videos are available to warm up and practice and there will be a joint rehearsal on 9th May 2026 at the Festspielhaus in Bregenz. 

Carinthia 200

The Carinthia200 cycling event is celebrating its premiere in Villach on 31st May 2026, with the aim of establishing the region as one of Austria’s leading road cycling destinations. A maximum of 2,000 participants can choose from three distances – 200, 155 or 125 km – with roads fully closed to traffic on all routes. The event is not a race in the traditional sense. Only the three fastest men and women of the 200 and 155 km distances receive an award. The focus is far more on the challenge and enjoying the spectacular scenery.

Wels named European Christmas Capital 2026 

In cooperation with the European Parliament, the Christmas Cities Network chose the city of Wels as European Christmas Capital 2026. This award recognises the magical decoration of the city during Advent. An innovative LED lighting concept featuring over 800,000 lights and 29 different settings enhances the atmosphere. And the three Christmas markets on the main square, in Pollheimer Park and at Gösser beer garden are also lovingly designed.