Upcoming Holidays and Festivals in Austria
- 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
2018
July 20–August 30: Salzburg Summer Festival
August 15: Assumption (Mariä Himmelfahrt; closures)
September 20–24: St. Rupert's Fair, Salzburg (Ruperti-Kirtag, traditional festival, procession, fireworks)
September 27–October 14: Wiener Wiesn-Fest, Vienna (Oktoberfest-like celebrations in the Prater)
September 29—30: Vienna Wine Hiking Days (vineyards open to public for hiking and sampling)
Early October (various weekends): Almabtrieb processions, Alpine regions (cows come down from the mountains dressed in their finery)
October 5–21: 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)
Late November–December 26: Christmas markets
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
2019
January: Perchtenlaufen, alpine regions (winter processions)
January–February: Fasching, a.k.a. Fasnacht (carnival season in western Austria; balls, parades)
January 1: New Year's Day (closures)
January 6: Epiphany (Dreikönigstag; closures)
January 26–February 4: Mozart Week, Salzburg (Mozartwoche)
January–mid-February: Vienna Ball Season (2,000 hours of dancing)
April 13–April 22: Osterfestspiele Salzburg (Salzburg Easter Music Festival)
Mid-April (8 days): OsterKlang Wien (Vienna Easter Music Festival)
April 21–22: Easter Sunday and Monday (Ostersonntag and Ostermontag; closures)
May 1: May Day (maypole dances; closures)
May 10–June 16: Vienna Festival (arts, music)
May 30: Ascension (Christi Himmelfahrt; closures)
June 7–10: Whitsun Festival, Salzburg (Baroque music concert series)
June 9–10: Pentecost and Whit Monday (closures)
June 20: Corpus Christi (Fronleichnam, religious processions; closures)
Late June: Midsummer Eve celebrations
June 21–23 (likely): Danube Island Festival, Vienna (music)