Wien Modern: A festival for diversity and new sounds in the heart of the city!
Wien Modern 2025 celebrates diversity in contemporary music with 44 premieres at 29 venues. Visit the festival!

Wien Modern: A festival for diversity and new sounds in the heart of the city!
An unmistakable highlight in the Viennese cultural scene is the Wien Modern festival, which is celebrating its 38th edition this year. It all started 37 years ago on the initiative of the renowned conductor Claudio Abbado. At that time, contemporary music was a marginal phenomenon that was hardly heard in a museum-based and exclusive music establishment. Today that has changed and the festival has become an advocate for this often marginalized art form. This describes it the standard the development of Wien Modern as an important update for the local music scene.
The festival opened on October 30, 2025 with a variety of events that will take place at a total of 29 venues in 11 districts until the end of November. Under the motto of addressing social diversity and responsibility, Wien Modern invites audiences and artists to experience different perspectives. This year, the opening ceremony will be enriched by a novel collaboration with the Viennale, presenting the first film matinee since 2014, according to the festival program wienmodern.at.
Creative movements and premieres
An exciting range of 44 premieres and 30 Austrian premieres awaits visitors. In this way, Wien Modern not only creates space for new musical trends, but also challenges common clichés. Director Bernhard Günther describes the festival as a platform on which the diversity of contemporary music is celebrated. “We want to create a space that makes it possible to interact with different perspectives,” he emphasizes, emphasizing how important such a nomenclature – i.e. a system of terms within music – is in cultural communication Merriam Webster explained.
The festival has continuously developed over the years and made it closer to the people. Even though the city of Vienna went through a gray phase from 1910 to 1988, the heyday of contemporary music shows that change is possible if you make a decision. It's about more than just musical performances - it's about creating a connecting experience that reaches all Viennese.
A look into the future
The anticipation of the coming events is palpable in the city. With a diverse program, Wien Modern is destined to remain an integral part of Vienna's cultural landscape, appealing not only to music lovers but also to a wide audience. The courage to show and promote the diversity of the current landscape of contemporary music is a mainstay of this festival. We can't wait to see what creative gems will unfold over the course of the month.