From July 24–27, the impressive spectrum of contemporary Austrian pop music will once again resound in all its stylistic diversity at and around Karlsplatz with Popfest Vienna 2025. The opening of the Seebühne (Lake Stage) will feature an exciting cross-genre and cross-generational gathering with artists: Christina Stürmer, Sodl, Lino Camilo, and Mietze Conte.
“Culture belongs to everyone – and that’s exactly what the City of Vienna is demonstrating with this festival in the heart of the city: For four days, Karlsplatz will become a meeting place and showcase the musical diversity of Austrian pop music, with free admission. The Popfest is a sign that the City of Vienna sees art and culture as a public service and that cultural participation is a living reality in Vienna – open, accessible, and engaging.” – Veronica Kaup-Hasler, City Councilor for Culture and Science
This year’s curators, musician Verifiziert and musician and journalist Paul Buschnegg, are already filled with anticipation and extend an invitation: “Some will rediscover Popfest this year – perhaps for the first time through our program. And that’s exactly what we’re all about: discovery, surprise, amazement, confusion, and cultivating a childlike perspective that breaks down genre and bubble conventions and never lets go.”
The lineup is here!
50 acts over four days and nights, with the lake stage at the center with 14 major concerts
The line-up of this year’s Popfest not only reveals a lot about the latest state of pop culture in the city, but also about the transformation of the concept of pop itself since the existence of this Viennese institution founded in 2010.
This begins with the opening act, Christina Stürmer, the country’s first major female rock star, who provided the omnipresent soundtrack of the early youth of this year’s curators and many of the younger artists who make up the majority of this Popfest edition.
Accordingly, on the opening day on the lake stage, she will be followed logically by Sodl, Amadeus award winner and leader of her own folk & rock band, plus the pop utopian Lino Camilo and, as well, Mietze Conte: this is one of the many alter egos of the multi-talented producer Filous, a key figure in the scene and enabler in the background of so many acts in the younger Viennese pop scene.
On Friday at the Seebühne, the slick funk of Spitting Ibex rolls out the groove carpet for the large-scale rap crew of the Pan Kee Bois, Cousines Like Shit prove that wordplay and hooks count no less in the indie world than in rap, as does lovehead, and before that, Eli Preiss celebrates her completed metamorphosis from rapper to pop star.
On Saturday, the Anatolian psychedelic singer-songwriter, The Zew, supported by a band and choir, will be interspersed with a reunion with Kreisky, who are celebrating their 20th anniversary, neo-grunge/hyper-pop artist Kässy, and a joint set by rappers Crack Ignaz and LGoony. No sandwich has ever been more lavishly filled.
Vienna Museum
The new Vienna Museum established itself as a prominent and key part of the festival last year. On Thursday, legendary zither virtuoso Karl Stirner will lead the audience through the wide range of his musical collaborations. Magda, an astonishingly talented singer-songwriter, will be presented, followed by the blazing garage punk of Salamirecorder & The Hi-Fi Phonos. On Friday, the museum offers a perfect cerebral retreat with the art project Conte Potuto, the dream pop of Coucou Babe, and the lo-fi introspection of Holli. On Saturday, however, cleverness and whimsy meet in the form of Hirsch Fisch and the Strandbadparkplatzorchester, the Austropop deconstruction of Laurenz Nikolaus, and the artist of artists, Alicia Edelweiss.
Technical University
On Thursday, the high-energy Prechtlsaal at the TU will host the riot grrrl super duo Jopa, the queer internationalism of Gatafiera, and the unstoppable party machine Pau. On Friday, none other than Mel E. Logan of Y2K legends Chicks on Speed will grace the Prechtlsaal. This will be followed by the romantic retro-futurism of Neunundneunzig, the brute hedonism of the latest generation from Vicky , and the eclectic experimental pop from Cute Aggression. The evening will conclude with the techno sounds of DJ Gusch. On Saturday, the German indie legend Max Müller, who emigrated to Vienna, will perform, followed by the social realist rapper Kitana and the DJs Ebhardy and Mursal.
Club U and Cafe Kunsthalle
On the opposite sides of Resselpark, Club U in the Otto Wagner Pavilion and the Cafe Kunsthalle will once again become nightly Popfest club locations from Thursday to Saturday, hosted by various DJ collectives.
Karlsgarten and Karlskirche
Sunday begins with a very colorful round of bands in the Popfest garden at the Kunsthalle (Jo The Man The Music, Swelle and Keyhan & The Juns), before the Popfest Wien 2025 celebrates its crowning finale under the dome of the Karlskirche: with the London-based Viennese harpist Miriam Adefris, the post-ironic DIY romantic Jeansboy and an intimate solo set by the Amadeus award winner OSKA, who has just been celebrated for her latest album.
Supporting programs at the Vienna Museum, new formats and Popfest Warm-Up
As every year, not only will music be played, but the discourse surrounding it will also be cultivated: Two Popfest Talks (“Pop Criticism in the Feed”, “Resistance in the Filter Bubble”) will once again take place at the Wien Museum, complemented by a special styling workshop by influencer Engelord. New this year are two very different tour formats (registration only): the tour by music nerd Geri Hollerer ranges from the Wien Museum to surrounding, historically interesting pop locations near Karlsplatz, while the second tour will be a walking concert with wireless headphones by media artist Oliver Hangl and live artist Ængl through the nighttime Popfest grounds. Also new: in front of the Kunsthallen Cafe there will be a ping pong floor with outdoor table tennis and a sound program every day. After last year’s success, a cinematic Popfest warm-up will be held again this year at the Stadtkino: On the weekend before the Popfest, the Karlskino Open Air will show films selected by the curators on two evenings in the presence of the filmmakers.
The FULL program
Thursday, July 24
6.30pm – 11pm Lake Stage: Christina Stürmer – Sodl – Lino Camilo – Mietze Conte
7.30pm – 10pm Vienna Museum Foyer: Karl Stirner & Friends (Stirner&Skrepek Impro – Woschdog – 73 with KP Stickney)
8pm – 11.30pm Vienna Museum Oben: Magda – Salamirecorder & the Hi-Fi Phonos
8pm – 2am Cafe Kunsthalle: Ping Pong Floor (Park table tennis with Umdi) – Love Fi (10pm)
11pm – 2.30pm TU Prechtlsaal: Jopa – Gatafiera – Pau
from 10pm Club U: DJ Billie Stylish – Raver Resi – HNNZY
Friday, July 25
5:00 PM – 11:00 PM Lake Stage: Spitting Ibex – Pan Kee Bois – Cousines Like Shit – Lovehead – Eli Preiss
7:30 PM – 10:00 PM Vienna Museum Foyer: Conte Potuto >2.4 Hours< (Performance)
8:00 PM – 11:30 PM Vienna Museum Oben: Coucou Babe – Holli
8:00 PM – 2:00 AM Cafe Kunsthalle: Ping Pong Floor (Park table tennis with Umdi) – Hotpotposse (10:00 PM)
11:00 PM – 2:30 AM TU Prechtlsaal: Mel E. Logan (Chicks on Speed) – Neunundneunzig – Vicky – Cute Aggression – DJ Gusch
from 10:00 PM Club U: Mahlwerk
Saturday, July 26
15.00 – 02.00 Cafe Kunsthalle: Ping Pong Floor (Park table tennis with Umdi) – Sidequest (22.00)
17.00 – 23.00 Seebühne: Panasea – Kreisky – Kässy – Crack Ignaz&LGoony – The Zew
19.30 – 22.00 Vienna Museum Foyer: Hirsch Fisch & Strandbadparkplatz Orchestra
20.00 – 23.30 Vienna Museum Oben: Laurenz Nikolaus – Alicia Edelweiss
23.00 – 02.30 TU Prechtlsaal: Max Müller – Kitana – DJ Ebhardy – Mursal
From 22.00 Cub U: Raqsouna Collective
Sunday, July 27
3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Cafe Kunsthalle: Ping Pong Floor (park table tennis with Umdi)
5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Karlsgarten: Jo The Man The Music – Swelle – Keyhan & the Juns
8:00 p.m. – midnight Karlskirche: Miriam Adefris – Jeansboy – Oska solo
Talks, tours & workshops in the Vienna Museum
in cooperation with mica – music mustria, presented by Vienna Business Agency
Fri 25.7. 2:30 pm Tour: Vienna Popkultour (meeting point: foyer, registration: popkultour@popfest.at )
4 pm Talk: “Pop Criticism in the Feed”
Sat 26.7. 2 pm Styling Workshop with Engelord (registration: workshops@popfest.at )
2:30 pm Tour: Vienna Popkultour (meeting point: foyer, registration: popkultour@popfest.at )
4 pm Talk: “Resistance in the Filter Bubble”
Walking Concert with Ængl at the Seebühne
Sat 26.7. 24.00 Registration: anmeldung@oliverhangl.com , Headphones available at 23.30
Popfest Warm Up @Karlskino Open Air
Sat 19.7. 21.00 “Nuit” (short film by Grzegorz Kielawski & Alexander Bayer)
“U3000 – Death of an Indie Band” (Hannes Wesendonk)
Sun 20.7. 21.00 “Austroschwarz” (Mwita Mataro, Helmut Karner)
Live Intro Mwita Mataro, conversation with Petra Erdmann
Popfest would like to thank its sponsors and partners:
City of Vienna Culture, BMWKMS, AK Vienna, Wiener Städtische, Radio FM4, Falter, Vienna Museum, Vienna University of Technology, Karlskirche, Club U, Cafe Kunsthalle, Volxkino, mica – music austria, Vienna Business Agency, Tieb, The Gap, Augustin, Office Ukraine, MA48 and the Vienna City Gardens .
Translated from the original Press Release by Arianna Alfreds.