1 May 2021

Annotation on 14 May concerning details of the live broadcast: The '70 Years Wiener Festwochen - The Concert' with performances like the 'Festzug' by Florentina Holzinger feat. Soap&Skin will be broadcasted live on 14 May on ORF 2, 3sat and orf.at.

Triumph of diligence, unconditional basic income, predictably unpredictable future,... are topics of three highlights of the upcoming Wiener Festwochen (starting in mid-May 2021)

Since this week, the programme of the upcoming Wiener Festwochen is online. It's the 70th edition of the festival which was re-organised after World War II in 1951. Fashion.at navigated through the online programme via calendar which starts with events like the anniversary concert or the 'Festzug' by dancer, performance artist Florentina Holzinger and musician Soap&Skin on 14 May in front of the Vienna City Hall at the Rathausplatz. The 'Festzug' references the early beginnings of the Wiener Festwochen in 1929 before the reorganisation in 1951. In 1929, a pageant of trades (in German 'Gewerbefestzug') happened during the Wiener Festwochen for honoring handicrafts. The artist was inspired by the historical event, where labour and dance were linked together, and today's society. At Florentina Holzinger's 'Festzug', human bodies and machines seem to exist already in a symbiosis. It's announced that the performance will happen at the Rathausplatz to music by Soap&Skin. As there is no audience permitted, the performance and the mentioned anniversary concert will be broadcasted live on ORF and 3sat.

Image: Campaign image for 'Festzug' by Florentina Holzinger feat. Soap&Skin. Photo: © polyeste.

The Wiener Festwochen 2021 will happen in three parts. The first part in May. The early summer part starts on 3rd June with events like the summer opening speech 'Einkommen. Die bedingungslose Rede' by Anna Rispoli, who developed thoughts upon unconditional income from the situation of today's society for a better tomorrow. The early summer part runs until mid-July.

The third, the late summer part (24 August - 25 September) will focus on theatre productions and cultural life. Literally central is the event series 'Mitten' which marks the halftime of the festival programme and is dedicated from 8 to 12 September to discussions and the elaboration of new ways of thinking such as it's announced to happen at the laboratory 'Predictably Unpredictable' where researchers, students, artists and audience will meet for the invention of festivals of the future.