Come On In, the Water’s Fine: Poolbar Festival 2024

Photo of Poolbar Festival (c) Eva Sutter
Poolbar Festival (c) Eva Sutter

It started as a summer academy – and 31 years later, it’s a Vorarlberg institution. The Poolbar Festival in Feldkirch sprawls over five weeks (from July 4th to August 11 this year), and attracts ten of thousands of guests annually.

It’s nothing if not ambitious. The cultural festival with offerings “from niche to pop” boasts events ranging from full-on festival concerts to jazz brunches, open-air film screenings, and more. Even the location concept is unique: a public swimming pool and the surrounding park serve as the canvas for the Poolbar Generator – 40 architecture students work together with professionals to design a new temporary building concept for the festival each year.

Photo of Ernst Molden & Nino aus Wien at Poolbar Festival (c) Eva Sutter
Ernst Molden & Der Nino aus Wien at Poolbar Festival 2023 (c) Eva Sutter

Austrians at the Poolbar

A complete listing of who-all is playing at this expansive event would overtax our resources – but feast your eyes on this listing: headliners include the Austrian acts Cari Cari, Klangkarussell, and Molden & Seiler, while the list of support acts contains a lot of names you’ll recognize from these pages: Aze, Anda Morts, Berglind, Bipolar Feminin, Cousines Like Shit, Fiio, Ja, Panik, Leftovers, Nnoa, oh alien, Uche Yara, and more.

Take it from us: it’s an excellent time of year to head to a higher elevation, and Vorarlberg is always worth a trip. We highly recommend you take a look at the festival’s complete program and pick a few days to head west.