The Nürnberg Pop Festival – southern Germany’s largest club and showcase festival – will take place once again, this year from October 9-11. Concerts are held as part of the festival in various cultural venues such as churches, museums, clothing stores, record stores, on rooftops, public squares and, of course, in clubs and cultural centers. This is where the music world and music fans come together to exchange ideas and quench their thirst for good humor and musical enjoyment. The accompanying Pop Conference offers a wide range of panel discussions, lectures and workshops on all aspects of the music industry and culture. This year 8 Austrian acts will be performing at the renowned festival! Plus, an Austrian Heartbeats Reception will take place Friday afternoon! Get all the delicious details below.
Austrian acts at NBP 2025
Friday, October 10:
Anna Buchegger
Classical, jazz, pop – there is hardly a genre in which Anna Buchegger‘s versatile voice has not met with an enthusiastic response. She proved her talent not only during her brilliant Starmania success in 2021, but also in performances at Salzburg’s Haus für Mozart or as an interpreter of numerous cover versions. With every single experience, the 25-year-old has got to know herself and the music business better. She listened more closely to herself, reflected and learnt new lessons time and again. Increasingly, the desire for something new matured. For a mixture of alpine folklore with contemporary pop music. Without any (right-wing) political stink, bourgeois small-mindedness or slipping into shallow realms. On her album ‘Windschatten’, Buchegger creates nothing less than a new era of musical folk culture. She combines the raw originality of the countryside with the playful sound aesthetics of contemporary urban pop productions, opening up a pigeonhole that has never existed before. On ‘Windschatten’, Buchegger deliberately tackles the edgier, uncomfortable topics that are often swept under the carpet in public. She doesn’t mince her words and digs deep into those areas that people tend to ignore and push aside in everyday life.
Concert: 16:30 at Kater Murr
Magdalena Wawra
Magdalena Wawra stands for German-language indie pop with authenticity, clear lyrics and an unmistakable sound. With her debut EP, shows and collaborations with artists such as Marlo Grosshardt, Florian Paul & die Kapelle der letzten Hoffnung, MOLA and SOFFIE, she has made a name for herself in the scene. Now a new highlight in her musical journey is on the horizon: Her first album is in the works. Created in the Zonkey studios on the outskirts of Vienna, the concept album shows an impressive diversity. The sound? A homage to Neue Deutsche Welle, paired with modern synthesizers, horns and the organic ‘band-in-a-room’ feel. It’s music that invites you to dance, think and sometimes do both at the same time. Catchy hooklines, playful melodies and an unmistakable voice make their sound unique. With her single ‘wie man tanzt’ (>780K streams, airplay on FM4, NDR2, FluxFM, Deutschlandfunk Kultur, Ö1, Bayern 2, and many more) she has proven that melancholy and a driving bass are an unbeatable duo, attracting attention beyond the scene. Their album promises what characterises them: authentic stories, un-embellished emotions and music that stays in your head.
Concert: 17:45 at Kater Murr (Also playing Saturday, TBA)
Sharktank
The three-piece band Sharktank formed in 2020 around Katrin Paucz, Michael ‘Mile’ Lechner and Marco Kleebauer, who produced Bilderbuch, among others. The Austrian band is a perfectly coordinated team on and behind the stage. They combine indie pop and rap. A playful mix of melodic vocals, clever rap and catchy indie sounds. Sharktank are multi-faceted. Sharktank are sophisticated. But always casual in the end. Their song ‘Washed Up’, released in August 2020, now has over 15 million streams on Spotify. Whether at festival appearances or as support for AnnenMayKantereit, Sharktank are busy on the road alongside their own tours. The trio swim with the big fish and serve their audience a mix with guaranteed catchy tunes.
Concert: 23:45 at Festsaal im Künstlerhaus
Laurenz Nikolaus
Saturday, October 11:
Dani Lia
A viral moment and 12 million streams with her debut single ‘alles verloren’ and a celebrated EP with ‘alles auf dich’: Dani Lia is without doubt one of the most sought-after acts in New Gen at the moment. Somewhere between hip-hop vibes and indie mood, the Austrian writes songs about little things that sometimes mean the world. Leaving someone or feeling alone alone. Not always being completely with yourself, but sometimes just being all over the place.
Concert: 19:45 at Heilig-Geist-Saal
Napaea
NAPAEA is a Folk-Pop Band from Graz, Austria. Inspired by the Punkrock shows of their teenage years, NAPAEA deliver an energetic and emotional performance wherever they go. As an independent act, NAPAEA has toured all across Austria, Germany, the US and the UK. In the fall of 2018 the band released their debut album From the City Into the Lake, which was praised for its Folk and Bluegrass vibes. Museum of Broken Relationships is the name of the new EP by Austrian folk-pop band NAPAEA – and it is full of energy, a modern sound and catchy pop songs. Written in Dublin, the USA and Austria, the six songs were fine-tuned in Berlin in collaboration with producer Kevin Lehr (ISAAK, Tagträumer). Each individual song impresses with its varied arrangements with catchy tunes, while the band remains true to its folky core with harps and concertina, creating the unmistakable NAPAEA vibe.
Concert: 20:00 at Ultra Comix Galerie
Vicky
Vicky does what she wants – and she does it damn loud. The Viennese artist, who now lives in Berlin, has a clear message with her provocative lyrics and uncompromising beats: no rules, no filters, no no desire for norms. With viral hits such as ‘T-Shirt hoch, Titten raus’ and ‘aufwachen blaumachen’, she has already already collected millions of streams and gathered a growing community behind her.
Their music is a mixture of ghetto tech, hyper-pop and absolute escalation – raw, direct and always with a good portion of middle finger. Vicky doesn’t mince her words and talks in her songs about personal experiences, social constraints and the freedom to simply be yourself. She doesn’t shy away from breaking taboos and singing against outdated ideas.
Concert: 19:30 at Kulturgarten
Wallners
If you don’t want to be alone with what you feel, the music of the Viennese dreampop band Wallners is the perfect emotional accompaniment. Their sometimes acoustic, sometimes electronic, but always warming songs are like good friends that you can call at any time when you feel like it. Like a blanket to hide under when you don’t really understand the world out there anymore. With ‘End of Circles’, the band is releasing its long-awaited debut album. The credo of the record: it’s okay to let things happen. It’s important to feel something. Let it happen. This applies even more to Wallner’s concerts: watching the band play and listening to their music makes you feel safe.
Concert: 20:00 at Katharinenruine
MEET & GREET THE AUSTRIANS
On Friday, October 10, Austrian Music Export will be hosting an Austrian Heartbeats Reception at Kater Murr starting at 3:30 p.m., followed by semi-acoustic sets by Anna Buchegger and Madgalena Wawra. We look forward to good music, delicious drinks, new contacts, and lots of fun!
More info here.
Networking: 15:30 – 16:30
Anna Buchegger: 16:30 (More info here.)
Magdalena Wawra: 17:45 (More info here.)
