The 16th edition of the Waves Vienna Festival and Conference is history, and what a Waves it was! One of Europe’s leading showcase festivals, Waves took place from October 1-3, 2026 at the Albert Hall and on Vienna’s “Gürtel” (belt), spanning the area’s most iconic clubs and venues, packing them with music, dialogue, awards, and most importantly, people. And one of the most memorable shows of this year’s festival, performing and winning the XA Export Award at Waves 2026 was: Tamara Flores.
XA Export Award Winner: Tamara Flores
Always a highlight, the XA Export Award ceremony took place on the final evening of the festival, with the award this year going to Tamara Flores – a versatile singer, flutist, and dancer from Vienna with Mexican roots. Refusing to be confined to a single genre, she seamlessly blends her classical flute training with Latin American influences in rhythm and language. Her work celebrates feminine strength, self-determination, and explores themes of nature, human connection, and inner transformation.
An international jury of festival promoters, label managers, bookers, and journalists watched their shows at Waves Vienna and thereby decided who delivered the most outstanding performance. The winner receives €4,500 from SKE/AUME, career support from Austrian Music Export, FM4 and Waves Vienna, as well as €5,000 in tour support from the Federal Ministry for Housing, Arts, Culture, Media and Sport (BMWKMS). This year’s award was presented at the Award Ceremony on Saturday, October 3rd at Vienna’s Albert Hall. Congratulations to Tamara Flores, as well as the other nominees this year: Aki Traar, Ava Fina, Cute Aggression, Ivery and Peach Tinted!
See you next year!
After Waves is before Waves: the 17th edition of the festival dates have been announced! Oct 7 – 9, 2027: Mark your calendars and see you next year!
LinkS
