Austrian Artists at Reeperbahn Festival 2025

How can you translate elements of classical folk music into the modern age without sounding cheesy or simple-minded? Anna Buchegger achieved what hardly seems possible last year with her studio debut ‘Windschatten’ (2024) in such a virtuoso manner that many observers of contemporary pop music must be rubbing their eyes and ears. As if it were the most natural thing in the world, the Viennese singer, composer and contemporary witness fuses idiosyncratic pop arrangements with chamber orchestral touches, Alpine folk music and Salzburg yodelling – all infused with a downtempo foundation and a coherent atmosphere. Buchegger combines this highly eclectic sound concept song by song with a lyrical reckoning of Austria’s cultural status quo, and in songs such as ‘Zvü’ or ‘Vaterland’ he always pleads for asking the really unpleasant questions, for a loud no to business as usual. Undoubtedly one of the most exciting artists currently coming out of the cultural metropolis of the Alps – and a truly memorable experience live.

Concert time & location: Sep. 17, 21:10 – 22:10, Imperial Theater

Anna Ullrich is causing a shake-up in Europe’s techno scene as a DJ and producer, conjuring up the spirit of the 90s. Between childishly freaky trance and the minimalist techno beats of yesteryear, the Viennese artist has found a style that cries out for change and upheaval. No matter what happened, no matter what others say will happen: unbroken optimism is the order of the day and can, no, must be celebrated with heart, mind, and all limbs. With tracks like the nostalgic yet wonderfully future-proof “Wir haben Spaß und ihr nicht” (We’re having fun and you’re not) (2023) or the sumptuous “Sommernacht” (Summer Night) (2024), there’s hardly any other option. She demonstrates her ability to fuse physical BPMs with a wistful sound on her new single “If I Could” (2025) with its grand melodies and brilliant production values. There’s no doubt about it: Anna Ullrich makes dance music for dance enthusiasts and anyone who wants to become one. So, dress comfortably, tune in, and enjoy your date in Hamburg.

Concert time & location: Sep. 18, 00.05-00.45, Schmidtchen

bac (pronounced bee ay see) from Villach, is just 19 years old and has not only stormed the viral Spotify Top 50 charts in the entire DACH region with his music, but recently also the German and Austrian charts. In his new single “Rosaroter Tee”, the musician with Ethiopian roots exudes a positive lightness in his fresh and straightforward manner. Even before the release, several videos on his social media channels went viral and have already reached several million views in total. Rappers and indie alternative musicians are among his followers, whose numbers have rapidly doubled in the last two months. With the lyrics of his new single “Do you want a pink tea, or an Oreo soufflé? If not, it’s okay anyway, time is passing anyway”, he not only inspires his fans, but also the social media teams of well-known cookie brands. “Rosaroter Tee” is the perfect song for the fall season: with laid-back piano and relaxed lyrics, bac masters the balancing act between pop and spoken word.

Concert time & location: Sep. 19, Kaiserkeller, time TBA

Beaks is the music project by Anna Francesca, who has been writing for years but only recently found a way of sharing her text through songs. Coming from poetry, she plays words like an instrument, embedded into a sound that’s minimalistic and effortless. Her lyrics are introspective snapshots of life – perhaps even dream sequences – reflecting the essence of the human condition. Oscillating between reality and a dizzy daydream, Beaks is sleepwalking with open eyes. This becomes evident in her single “Dirty Girls,” that ends with the words: “How do dreams work? Will I wake up if I die?”

Concert time & location: Sep. 17, 19:20-19:55, Nochtspeicher

Donna Savage positions her unconventional rap style, with which she has recently caused an unseemly stir in the Viennese hip-hop scene, somewhere between gutter romanticism and high-rise glamour. The artist celebrates the grit of rap, knows how to connect with the street, and doesn’t indulge in cheap posing. Sure, representation is part of it, but graffiti, photography, and skateboarding are also close to her heart. She also studied printmaking for her master’s degree and is therefore well-versed in various artistic fields. This is certainly evident in her muscular beats and pointed lyrics in tracks like “Schumacher” and “Rückhand,” as her beats and samples are bursting with attention to detail, a sense of adventure, and self-confidence. Since her first solo show in 2023 at the Berghain canteen, Donna Savage has also earned a reputation for having a knack for crazy live shows, which we can only confirm. If you want to see for yourself, you have the chance in September.

Concert time & location: Sep. 20, 21:55 – 22:45, 25 Club

“I’ll keep doing this until I’m a grandmother,” Ella Stern proudly announces on her social media profiles. There’s no doubt about it: the singer already has the necessary vitality, translating her favorite songs into German on TikTok in 2020. But since this year at the latest, it has become obvious that an artistic talent with a promising future is waiting in the wings. Singles such as “leider not” and the collaboration “Bild wie Monet” (2025) with the Viennese pop trio Freude are already million-hit earworms on relevant platforms, combining melodic catchiness with clever lyrics and singalong hooks. Ella Stern writes with unparalleled ease, creating perfect soundtracks for a sunny afternoon by the water, whether on the Danube or the North Sea, but also for the dopamine rush after a successful date. Even when things get serious, the cheerful songwriter remains relaxed: her latest single “EMMA” (2025) is a reckoning with the expectations of parents that can never really be fulfilled. This strikes a chord with Gen Z and wins her an online audience of millions, who will celebrate her modern pop concept live for the first time on the upcoming “darf ich bitten” tour. But first, she’s coming to us in Hamburg. We beg your pardon.

Concert time & location: Sep. 17, time tba at Schmidtchen

A healthy dose of self-irony, sick lines over thick trap beats, and the right features on the hook: EN60 throws everything into the mixer and celebrates the result according to all the rules of the art. The Viennese rapper not only shows a keen sense of style in terms of track design and precise autotune vibes, but also in terms of his appearance. Singles such as “Pinke Gucci Tasche” (2024) and “Birkin Bag Style” (2025) underscore the self-proclaimed Handychillen CEO’s penchant for all things fashion. His sparkling, often tongue-in-cheek lifestyle suits him well and is as popular with fans as it is with the arts pages. Last year, EN60 went on the “Funny Dinner Tour” with his colleague Skrt Cobain, bringing exquisite electronic hip-hop cuisine to stages between Vienna and Warnemünde. Features with other big names of the new German rap generation such as Yung Hurn, Yungpalo, and Ski Aggu prove that this guy can easily juggle baba life and rapper life under one cap.

Concert time & location: Sep. 18, 22:20 – 23:00 at Mojo Club / Mojo Jazz Café

GARDENS’ songs speak of failure, growing up, and everything in-between. Sometimes raw and garage-like, sometimes shimmering and folky. What began as a chance encounter between flute lessons and party cooking is now a band that moves somewhere between Courtney Barnett, Julia Jacklin, and the spirit of old rock records, and seems to find a home between Californian hippies and the hallways of Vienna’s shared flats. With their debut single, “Waves,” GARDENS landed directly in the Austrian FM4 charts—the first proof that earnest music could find its place, directly in the spotlight.

Concert time & location: Sep 18, 22:30 – 23:15, Schmidts Tivoli / Angie’s

How often do we hear older generations say that rock ‘n’ roll is extinct? The energy is supposedly lacking, the spirit is dead. Not true! Glazed Curtains are another band that completely disproves this hasty judgment. With heavy riffs, crashing drums, and a vocal performance that can sometimes oscillate from harsh to edgy to soulful within a single song, the four full-blooded musicians from Brunn am Gebirge have been developing their very own signature sound since 2016. Their influences range from 70s hard rock to 90s grunge to 2000s nu metal, and Glazed Curtains transcribe them into the present with virtuoso songwriting. The results, called “Hey You!” (2019) and “Excuse Me I Got Insomnia” (2023), are bursting with power and passion, but also demonstrate a band that is consistently evolving. With their latest album, “Claustrophobia” (2024), they’re perhaps more spectacular than ever. A live experience that will stay with you forever.

Concert time & location: Sep. 19, 13:30 – 14:15, Nochtwache

Concert time & location: Sep. 19, 20.35 – 21.10, Docks / Prinzenbar

They’re not even a year old yet, and lovehead are already turning heads among fans and feature pages alike across Germany. The trio from Burgenland, Austria, consists of Anna, Elena, and Mara. The three musicians first met on Instagram in 2021 – and, in true style, simply formed a band right away. Open-mindedness and positive vibes have been written into the band’s artistic DNA from the very beginning. After all, where there’s an artistic will, there’s also an artistic path, especially in these times. The first single, “denkst du an mich?” (Are you thinking of me?), went viral immediately with six-figure streams and, with its powerful and melodic indie rock sound, recalls the heyday of the early bands from the Hamburg School: lo-fi sound design, quirky lyrics, vibrant hooks with singalong qualities – what more could you want? All those lucky ones who have seen lovehead live can confirm: This trio is well-rehearsed, grooved and ready for a sweaty evening on the Reeperbahn.

Concert time & location: Sep. 19, Kaiserkeller, time TBA

As the daughter of Bosnian war refugees, Kitana had to learn one thing about life at an early age: it isn’t fair. Some are blessed with everything, others have to fight. Like the eponymous character from Mortal Kombat, Kitana has not only learned to fight, but also to assert herself. The 29-year-old, who has chosen to live in Vienna, earned her stripes as a rapper the hard way. As a teenager, she wrote her first lyrics, inspired by Nas and Mobb Deep, by the poetic yet socially critical East Coast hip hop, and learned to freestyle in rap battles. Her own style, just as free and unconventional, then emerged quite naturally. Kitana spits dirty lines and the next moment caresses the ears with autotune, sounding rough and authentic, but never impulsive or rash. Quite the opposite. Her debut, “Lorbeeren” (2022), released at the height of the pandemic, showcases an artist who can rap and sing, bite and rhyme—all across a broad spectrum of topics and with an incredible sense for the right key. With this year’s second album, “Fatality” (2025), she drills her sound into the rugged German rap landscape and establishes herself as an MC without direct comparison.

Concert time & location: Sep. 19, 21:20 – 22:10

Magdalene Baehr creates a thoroughly idiosyncratic journey back into recent music history on her first two singles, which she promptly places on Warner Music. Blessed with six-figure streaming figures straight out of the gate, the ballad-like “Brich mich” sounds like a mixture of chanson, empowerment anthem, and contemporary indie-pop surprise. This is precisely what Magda is, having appeared on the Austrian music scene this year and immediately enjoyed widespread popularity across generations. The second single, “Wandrisse,” is also immediately convincing with delicate tempo shifts and a coherent chord dramaturgy, but also demonstrates how compositional understatement can pay off and prove its worth in an age of increasingly shrill pop music. What’s particularly fascinating is that the actress and violinist sounds like an experienced singer-songwriter without airs and graces, even though she’s released very little else besides her two singles. If you value picturesque pop with a lot of feeling and intelligence, you should mark their concert with us in September in red.

Concert time & location: Sep. 18, 20:15 – 21:00, Kaiserkeller

Peroxide-blonde hair over shiny black leather, deep, grooving guitar riffs over electronic beats, and a voice like smoke on water: Pure Chlorine reconciles opposites and crafts pop music with a middle finger. From early blues-infused numbers like “Crown” (2020) to the cheekily self-confident EP-style banger collection “Sorry That I Smashed Your Ego” (2022) to the rhythm massage “Setup” (2024), the singer with the deep timbre has established a sound signature recognizable among thousands. This is hardly a given in the peaking streaming age, which rewards even commercially AI-generated voices with fame. Instead, Pure Chlorine celebrates humanity, which is also characterized by imperfections and problems—but precisely because of this, it is real, raw, and approachable. She translates topics such as mental health, the associated stigmas, and the struggle of a generation whose world seems to be falling apart into loud songs full of energy, anger, and hope. It’s high time this artist finally gets the attention she deserves and finally comes to us.

Concert time & location: Sep. 19, 14:45 – 15:30, Nochtwache

Robert Stadlober has enjoyed an unconventional career with many highlights in the German cultural scene since the turn of the millennium. As an actor and audiobook narrator, dubbing artist and label operator, but above all as a singer and multi-instrumentalist, he has appeared in all corners of the local media landscape over the years, always as adventurous as he is stylish. With the bands Gary and Escorial Gruen, he regularly releases albums, goes on tour, and plays the harmonica and trumpet in addition to the guitar. Between his ambitions as a rock musician and performer in a wide variety of national and international productions, he has been fascinated for several years now by the musical settings of lyrical texts by writers such as Stefan Heym and Kurt Tucholsky. He dedicates the latter to “Wenn wir einmal nicht grausam sind, dann glauben wir gleich, wir seien gut” (2024), a particularly affectionate collection of pointed indie pop numbers reminiscent of the Hamburg School and Element Of Crime, as well as reminiscences of Leonard Cohen and Gerhard Schöne. Once again, he steps into the spotlight with eloquence and obstinacy, once again with cultural relevance, once again with obstinacy, against the zeitgeist. Live on stage, it’s a special experience, especially these days.

Concert time & location: Saturday, Sep. 20 from 20.20-21.20 at St. Pauli Kirche

Feet on the ground, hands on the strings, and head in the record box: Reverend Stomp celebrates organic rock with rough edges, which some had already (prematurely) declared dead. The Viennese quartet draws on the cozy, groovy swamp blues of the 1950s and gives the guitars of Lightnin’ Slim or Lazy Lester a stylish update, while also integrating 1960s surf rock and the dynamics of classic rhythm and blues. The result can be heard on their debut album “Mokara” (2022): a raw, wonderfully unpretentious dive bar sound accompanied by green shimmering smoke, raspy voices, and the nocturnal call of the distance. It’s hardly surprising that they sell out venues in the Austrian capital. But they could just as easily perform in the deepest south of the USA and be celebrated as true originals. The motto is clear: don’t pay attention to the hype of the industry and consistently follow your own path. With their second album “Mescalero Rangers” (2025), they have succeeded brilliantly once again this year. It’s great that they are finally coming to Hamburg.

Concert time & location: Sep. 17, 00:00 – 00:40 at Häkken

With confident consistency and a seemingly inexhaustible repertoire of fresh ideas, Sandra Hesch has been pursuing her take on contemporary pop music for over five years now. She draws inspiration from her own life story, from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, but also from her socio-political awareness. Even though songs like “Blaues Kleid” (2023) and “LG, dein Zukunfts-Ich” (2024) process personal experiences like diary entries, the young DIY artist is primarily concerned with one thing: female empowerment. “Girls support girls!” is therefore the credo of the Austrian, who has already been able to reach and build up a loyal fan base in her home country. In addition, she is involved in major campaigns against sexual abuse, educates people about the dangers of nightlife, such as knockout drops, and uses her platforms to advocate for women’s rights. Breaking taboos and confronting social issues on the content side, emotional electropop with a wide range on the musical side – both define Sandra Hesch’s style. She continues to develop this style confidently with her latest singles “Hey Hübscher” and “Long Story Short” (2025). Ready for a new kind of artist? Then her gig with us in September is a must-see.

Concert time & location: Sep. 19, 17:00 – 17:30 at Bahnhof Pauli

I’m just a moment that reaches into infinity – what Sofie Royer distills into a few words in her song “Nothing New in the West” aptly sums up the impetus behind her music. On the one hand, her songs are characterized by a great deal of closeness, addressing contemporary issues and the mindset of an entire generation. The here and now is important to the Viennese singer. But it emerges above all in contrast to yesterday and today, which she likes to draw on musically. Creatively bursting indie charm and stylish art-pop allure come together, shimmering Italo-disco from the 80s and contemporary synthwave. Between the vibes, Sofie Royer integrates one idea after another into her retro-futuristic signature sound, yet remains unmistakably the artist who, detached from the trendsetters of today, does her own thing. So it’s no surprise that she’s once again delighting listeners with “Young-Girl Forever” (2024), released last year. Pop music as an artistic venture that deserves to be rewarded.

Concert time & location: Sep. 18, 23:20 – 00:20, Knust

The Viennese band ZINN combines chanson punk with dark voices, fragile anger and a good dose of drama. Margarete Wagenhofer writes the lyrics and sings, Lilian Kaufmann provides the driving rhythms on drums and Pete Prison IV contributes bass and synthesizer. Together they create songs that focus on eco- and queer feminist perspectives – with an uncompromising attitude and a radically tender aesthetic. Their debut album was released in 2020 on Numavi Records, followed by Chthuluzän in 2023 on the Berlin label Staatsakt. ZINN refuse to conform, oppose patriarchy and capitalism – and invite you to dance in the rubble.

Concert time & location: Sep. 20, 20:00 – 20:40, Nochtwache

On Wednesday, September 17, the St. Pauli Fan Shop will become a stage for queer feminism, lively discourse, and empowering live music with Zelda Weber – presented by Ladies & Ladys Label and Counterparts.

An evening for everyone who wants more than just entertainment – for a music industry that is safer, fairer, and more diverse and can be just as queer and feminist.
Free admission | Awareness provided | All genders welcome. 5:30 p.m. – Live: ZELDA WEBER (solo)

Supported by Bundesstiftung Live-Kultur and MEWEM – Mentoring program for FLINTA in the music industry

Concert time & location: September 17, 17:30, St. Pauli Fan Shop (Official Side Event of RBF 2025)

A rising voice from the Viennese scene, Lukas Oscar is a singer-songwriter and music producer, who seamlessly blends emotional lyrics with heartfelt instrumentals. His latest album The Fun Never Ends!, released in October 2024, tackles themes of self-criticism, obsession, existential questions and the pressures of competition. His mission is to foster acceptance and recognition of difficult emotions as he believes that due to the often self-destructive and chaotic nature of our inner worlds everyone needs an outlet of some kind. 

Concert time & location: Sep. 17, 22:20 at Indra

Sodl is a rising Austrian singer-songwriter known for her raw, emotionally charged indie pop. Blending dreamy melodies with confessional lyrics and bursts of vocal intensity, she crafts songs that feel both intimate and theatrical. She began writing music as a teen, gaining early recognition with a live FM4 performance at 16.

Her debut album Sheepman explores identity, folklore, and vulnerability with a bold, surreal edge. Winner of the FM4 Award in 2025, she’s performed across Austria and beyond, quickly earning a reputation for her powerful, unfiltered live shows.

Concert time & location: Sep. 17, 20:00 at Indra

Filiah is a Vienna-based indie-folk artist who transformed burnout into creative resurgence. After her 2022 debut For Someone, she returned in 2025 with emotionally charged singles “Atlas” and “On & On,” combining poetic vulnerability and pop-infused folk to explore themes of self-discovery, shame, and empowerment.

Concert time & location: Sep. 17, 21:10 at Indra

With a clear voice, expressive lyrics and a sound rooted in both nostalgia and the present, Vienna-based Magdalena Wawra is one of the most exciting new voices in German-language indie pop. Her music combines the aesthetics of Neue Deutsche Welle with modern analog synths, brass, and raw energy – playful, emotional, and unmistakably her own. Her single Wie man tanzt was picked up by radio stations like FM4, NDR2, Deutschlandfunk Kultur, Ö1 and Bayern 2 and brought her attention beyond the indie scene. Her debut album will be released in spring 2026.

Concert time & location: Sep. 17, 23:30 at Indra

Reeperbahn Festival

Spotify Playlist – Austrian Artists at RBF 2025

Austrian Music Export Artist Glossary

The Austrian presence at RBF25 is supported by the Austrian Cultural Forum Berlin and the Austrian collecting society AKM.