Upcoming Holidays and Festivals in Austria

Salzburg's skies light up during the St. Rupert's Fair in September.

Before planning a trip around a festival, verify the festival dates on the festival's website or with a local tourist information office. For more information about these and other events, visit the official tourism sites for Austria, Vienna, and Salzburg.
This list includes major festivals in major cities, plus national holidays observed throughout Austria. Many sights and banks close down on national holidays — keep it in mind when planning your itinerary. Note that this isn't a complete list; holidays can strike without warning.
See upcoming holidays and festivals across Europe

2019

Late November–December 26: Christmas markets

December: Perchtenlaufen (winter processions), Alpine regions

December 6: St. Nikolaus Day (parades, children set a boot outside the house and receive presents)

December 8: Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Mariä Empfängnis; closures)

December 24: Christmas Eve (Der Heilige Abend, when Austrians celebrate Christmas; closures)

December 25: Christmas (closures)

December 26: St. Stephen's Day (Stefanitag; closures)

December 31: New Year's Eve (Silvester, a.k.a. Altjahrstag; fireworks), throughout Austria, but particularly Vienna

2020

January 1: New Year's Day (closures)

January–February: Fasching, a.k.a. Fasnacht (carnival season in western Austria; balls, parades)

January–mid-February: Vienna Ball Season (2,000 hours of dancing)

January 6: Epiphany (Dreikönigstag; closures)

January 23–February 2: Mozart Week, Salzburg (Mozartwoche)

March 19: St. Joseph's Day (closures in some areas, including Tirol)

April 4–April 12 (likely): OsterKlang Wien (Vienna Easter Music Festival)

April 4–April 13: Osterfestspiele Salzburg (Salzburg Easter Music Festival)

April 12–13: Easter Sunday and Monday (Ostersonntag and Ostermontag; closures)

May 1: May Day (maypole dances; closures)

May 4: St. Florian's Day (closures in Hallstatt and the rest of Oberösterreich)

May 15–June 21: Vienna Festival of Arts and Music

May 21: Ascension (Christi Himmelfahrt; closures)

May 29–June 1: Whitsun Festival, Salzburg (Baroque music concert series)

May 31–June 1: Pentecost and Whit Monday (closures)

June 14: Corpus Christi (Fronleichnam, religious processions; closures)

Late June (3 days): Danube Island Festival, Vienna (music)

Late June: Midsummer Eve celebrations

July: Tyrolean Festival Erl, Tirol

July 9–August 9: ImPulsTanz Festival (Vienna International Dance Festival)

July 10–August 17 (likely): Carinthian Summer, Carinthia (traditional and contemporary music festival)

July 14–August 25 (likely): Innsbruck Festival of Early Music

Mid-July–August: Salzburg Summer Festival

July 22–August 23: Bregenzer Festspiele (Bregenz Festival; theatre and opera performances, orchestra concerts)

July 24–August 1: La Strada Street Theatre Festival, Graz (urban dance)

August 15: Assumption (Mariä Himmelfahrt; closures)

August 20–23: Saalfelden Jazz Festival

August 22–August 30 (likely): Schubertiade Festival, Schwarzenberg (classical music)

Mid-August–September: Grafenegg Music Festival (classical music)

September 3–7 (likely): Ars Electronica Festival, Linz (arts and technology festival)

September 23–27: St. Rupert's Fair, Salzburg (Ruperti-Kirtag, traditional festival, procession, fireworks, closures)

September 24–October 11 (likely): Wiener Wiesn-Fest, Vienna (Oktoberfest-like celebrations in the Prater)

September 26—27 (likely): Vienna Wine Hiking Days (vineyards open to public for hiking and sampling)

Mid-September–early October: Wiener Wiesn-Fest, Vienna (Oktoberfest-like celebrations in the Prater)

Early October (various weekends): Almabtrieb processions, Alpine regions (cows come down from the mountains dressed in their finery)

October 7–18 (likely): Salzburg Kulturtage (series of affordable concerts)

October 10: Referendum Day (closures in Carinthia)

Mid–October: Salzburg Kulturtage (series of affordable concerts)

October 26: Austrian National Day (Nationalfeiertag; closures)

November 1: All Saints' Day (Allerheiligen; closures)

November 11: St. Martin's Day (children go door to door for goodies, like trick-or-treating; closures in Burgenland)

November 15: St. Leopold's Day (closures in Vienna, Melk, and elsewhere in Niederösterreich)