July keeps the momentum of the festival season going as Austrian artists take to stages across Europe while a wealth of new releases arrives from the country’s vibrant music scene. From indie, pop and hip-hop to jazz, electronic and experimental music, the month showcases both established names and exciting emerging voices, accompanied by an extensive programme of festivals and open-air concerts throughout Austria. Explore the latest Austrian Music Highlights for a curated selection of July’s standout releases, international tours, and the festivals shaping the Austrian summer.
Release Radar
Viennese rapper-turned-genre-shapeshifter BIBIZA (born Franz Laurenz Bibiza) is kicking off a new era. “Frank” is the first single from his upcoming album Rocknrollst☆r, due at the end of July 2026, and it’s a hard swerve from the sound that made him one of Austria’s biggest pop exports. Where his earlier work leaned synth-heavy, “Frank” pushes into polished guitar riffs, live drums, and glam-rock swagger — think Falco theatrics colliding with a Britpop rockstar fantasy. Alongside the song, BIBIZA also announced the new album, which will arrive at the end of July under the title “Rocknrollst☆r.” It’s a persona shift as much as a sonic one — in interviews, he’s described diving into a new stylistic identity for the record, exploring the line between his stage persona and himself. The rollout comes with a full-scale live takeover. Dates confirmed so far include Vienna’s METAStadt on 24 July, followed by festival stops at Szene Openair in Lustenau, Rock im Dorf in Kirchdorf an der Krems, Open Flair in Eschwege, San Hejmo and MS Dockville festivals in Germany, and Obstwiesenfestival in Dornstadt through August. A proper club tour then runs through the fall, hitting Chemnitz, Rostock, Oldenburg, Kiel, Düsseldorf, Osnabrück, Reutlingen, and back home to Wels and Oslip in Austria in October. Call it BIBIZA unplugged from the drum machine — same Wiener Schmäh, considerably louder guitars.
With her new album “The Beauty in Between,” Sophie Abraham opens a multifaceted new musical chapter that blends intimacy with sonic openness. The cellist and composer moves confidently between classical, jazz, and improvised music, creating a sound entirely her own. At the heart of the album’s nine pieces lie the beauty of in-between tones, moments of pause, and the power of musical encounters. The pieces invite listeners to engage with subtle nuances and emotional depth. Read more in our interview with the artist (in German), here.
“IT IS ABOVE ALL THE BEAUTY IN DIFFICULTY THAT FASCINATES ME” – SOPHIE ABRAHAM
On Nachtvogel (Unit Records, June 25, 2026), Helene Glüxam explores the sonic and musical possibilities of the double bass far beyond its traditional role as an accompaniment instrument. Together with her bright voice, she uses the contrast between low and high registers to create a distinctive soundscape where experimentation, improvisation, and song come together in equal measure.
Helene Glüxam, who was awarded the Austrian Jazz Prize in the “Best Newcomer” category in 2025, eschews any flashy showmanship or superfluous gestures. Instead, she focuses on the essentials: her exceptionally versatile bass playing, the unmistakable timbre of her voice, and her ability to breathe life and emotion into every single note. It is precisely this minimalism that proves to be her greatest strength. With advanced playing techniques, minimalist arrangements, and a remarkable sonic imagination, she creates music that moves between jazz, improvisation, rock influences, and experimental song forms, without ever conforming to a single stylistic category. Read the full article (in German) here.
Sixtus Preiss – “133” (Else Records // Release Date: July 17, 2026)
The number 133 seems somehow familiar. So I did a quick search. The angel number 133 stands for new beginnings, creativity, and support from higher powers. In this case, the higher powers are presumably Peter Rom (guitar), Manu Mayr (bass), and Lukas König (drums). A fitting name, then. As for the “new beginning,” however, that’s only partly true. Because this dream lineup centered around Sixtus Preiss on synthesizers and keyboards isn’t new—it just dates back over ten years now. The charmingly breezy instrumental earworm “Lololo” from back then may have been a while ago, but it hasn’t been forgotten. “133” sounds significantly wilder and more determined, and at the same time serves as a promising preview of the upcoming album this fall. It’s so wild that “133” might simply be a reference to the TV crime series Polizeiruf. But that can certainly be clarified at the upcoming concert as part of the Kultursommer festival. Either way, it’s highly recommended.
NESS – “Alles nur für mich” (Warner Music International // Release Date: July 17, 2026)
With “Alles nur für mich,” NESS presents a pop single that combines summery lightness with a personal message. Carried by catchy melodies and an airy sound, the Viennese artist tells the story of the end of a relationship that took more energy than it gave. The focus isn’t on the pain of saying goodbye, but on the moment when she starts looking forward again. With a positive vibe and a palpable sense of new beginnings, the song becomes an anthem for self-care and newfound self-confidence. “Alles nur für mich” conveys optimism without losing sight of its emotional depth, and it’s precisely this that creates a summery vibe that lingers long after the song ends. Discover more releases in the original Release Radar from mica – music austria (in German).
Austria’s reigning indie-pop prodigy is back with news of album number two. Oskar Haag — the youngest-ever winner of the FM4 Amadeus Austrian Music Award and, at just 20, already a veteran of Eurosonic Noorderslag and The Great Escape — will release his new album “Lost Cause” on 25 September 2026, a 15-track follow-up to his 2023 debut “Teenage Lullabies,” which entered the Austrian charts at #6. The record arrives once again via his own label, Lullaby Records, now backed by Sony Music. Preview single “Surf Song” is already out, hinting at the emotionally raw, haunting songwriting that’s made Haag a favorite of everyone from festival crowds to Chris Martin. It follows a steady stream of 2026 output, including the singles “The Day” and “He’s Good,” and last year’s EP “Field of Love.”
A full “Lost Cause Tour” is set to accompany the release, opening with solo UK dates across England, Scotland, and Wales before rolling into German clubs — Hamburg lands 3 December, Augsburg 10 December, with more stops expected to follow. Not bad for someone who first played Popfest Vienna solo at 15, and returned three years later as its headliner…
Especially Special
… Speaking of Popfest …
Popfest Wien 2026: The Karlsplatz Takeover Returns
Vienna’s Popfest is nearly here — the 17th edition of the free, open-air festival takes over Karlsplatz from 23 to 26 July, with additional events spread across the Wien Museum, TU Wien, the Künstlerhaus Factory, Karlskirche, Karlsgarten, and Club-U. This year’s edition is curated by Viennese musician and artist Sofie Royer alongside composer and producer Wolfgang Lehmann — a pairing that’s shaping up to bring some fresh perspective to the festival’s usually genre-spanning lineup.
The Saturday, 25 July bill on the Seebühne stage is a solid snapshot of that range: Afropop artist Rose May Alaba, jazz mega-group Shake Stew, plus Alpha Romeo & die Sommerreifen, Gardens, and Cordoba78, rolling into a late-night walking concert with Oliver Welter after midnight. Friday leans into rap with Joshua Pepe and EN60, while the lineup overall deliberately pushes indie, rap, soul, jazz, and Afropop against each other rather than sorting acts into neat genre lanes. As always — free entry, open sky, and four days of proof that Vienna’s pop scene refuses to sit still.
Brünnhilde Brennt: Bayreuth’s Anniversary Gets a Fever Dream
Wagner’s flames have never burned quite like this. For the Bayreuth Festival’s 150th anniversary, tradition takes a hard left turn: “Brünnhilde brennt” (“Brünnhilde Burns”), a new commission by Austrian composer Bernhard Lang with a libretto by Michael Sturminger, drags the Ring’s most mythic heroine out of legend and into a mirror. Still trapped in her ring of fire, Brünnhilde slips into delirium and comes to as Hermine — a working opera singer whose life and role start bleeding into each other. Two women, one identity, and a stage that refuses to stay still. It’s a bold pairing for a milestone year: Bayreuth’s weightiest anniversary, handed to Lang’s restless, genre-blurring sensibility. Expect the composer’s signature loop-and-fracture technique to do to Wagnerian myth what it’s done elsewhere — pull it apart and let the pieces talk back.
Jonathan Stockhammer conducts, Neil Barry Moss directs, and the co-production between Bayreuth and Oper Dortmund gives the piece real legs: it premieres at Bayreuth’s Friedrichsforum on 2 August 2026 (with further performances 4 and 6 August), before continuing to Dortmund on 4 April 2027.
To everything tour, tour, tour
Cousines Like Shit‘s “Concrete Tour” hits Germany this August
Vienna’s Avant Trash duo Cousines Like Shit — cousins Hannah and Laura Breitfuss — are trading their summer break for the road, bringing their “Concrete Tour 2026” through Germany and beyond with a full band in tow. The pair built their name on razor-sharp punchlines aimed at social absurdity and the contradictions of being human, wrapped in a sound they’ve dubbed “Avant Trash” — text-forward, deceptively catchy, and impossible to pin to a single genre.August and September dates so far include Hamburg (24 August) and Berlin’s Neue Zukunft (26 August, with support from Liiek and Face Value), followed by stops in Karlsruhe, Jena, Hannover, Augsburg, Ulm, and Kusel, plus a run into Bioul, Belgium — though several of those dates are still being finalized, so keep an eye out for updates. Expect the same self-aware commentary that’s made them festival favorites — just louder, and with more cousins in the room.
After a busy summer festival season, Cari Cari continue their international tour with a string of dates across Germany and Switzerland. Following appearances at Im Grünen Festival (Kirchanschöring, Germany) and Noisehausen Festival (Schrobenhausen, Germany) in July, the duo heads to Mühle Hunziken in Rubigen, Switzerland (30 July), Substage in Karlsruhe, Germany (31 July), before continuing to festivals including Picture On Festival in Bildein, Austria and Nürnberg Pop Festival later in the summer.
Following the release of his new album Rocknrollstar, BIBIZA brings his energetic live show across the German-speaking region. August sees him appear at Open Flair Festival in Eschwege (5–9 August), Metropolink Festival in Heidelberg (7 August) and MS Dockville in Hamburg (14–15 August), before embarking on an extensive headline tour through Germany and Switzerland in autumn.
Arianna Alfreds