The world’s biggest (free) open-air music event is held on an island in Vienna, a city not known for its sea view but the biggest influence in the art world. Vienna has the huge Danube, with its long constructed Donauinsel island. It hosts the Donauinselfest – a weekend-long fun bits full of music, merriment, and blissful Monday mornings.
- Forecast of the list of thing that one should indulge in this festival:
An annually arranged music event featuring mostly local acts and the rare worldwide superstar.
Typically, well over 2.5 million people visit.
There is a slew of other festival activities that visitors can enjoy simultaneously.
Dates of the fest in 2021: September 17-19 (shifted from its usual June date and downscaled).
- History of Danube:
For visitors expecting a lumbering behemoth of a river running from Germany to the Black Sea, the Danube in Vienna is frequently a letdown.
The Thames, for instance, winds its way through the heart of London. In Paris, the Seine is comparable. As a result, many people seem to assume that one of the nondescript streams in Vienna’s center really is the famous Danube.
None of them, though, are. The Danube is a deep blue river that flows from northwest to southeast. It’s about the same width as you’d expect a large European river to be. However, as you can see, it passes through Vienna’s upper reaches, away from the historic core.
- About the mammoth music festival:
What was the largest music festival ever held, in your opinion?
Glastonbury before the construction of the wall? Perhaps one of the 1960s’ enormous free festivals? Perhaps something absurdly enormous in South America?
None of the above is correct.
There was once a music festival that drew such a large crowd that it set a Guinness World Record.
The festival in question was Austria’s Donauinselfest (Danube Island Festival), which took place in Vienna from June 26 to June 28, 2015. The three-day event drew a record-breaking throng of 3.3 million people! The festival takes place on Donauinsel, a 13-mile-long island in the heart of Vienna, Austria. The festival venue itself is 4 miles long and is divided into numerous zones, each of which has over 2,000 artists. There are 17 themed regions and 13 stages.
- The area and activities of the festival:
Actually, the Donauinsel (Danube Island), which is 21 kilometers long and 250 meters broad, is a flood control structure, a definition that has all the sex appeal of a broken exhaust pipe.
This man-made island, however, also functions as a recreational park where visitors may hike, swim, cycle, trampoline, climb, dine, drink, and generally have a good time. Every year for one weekend, a portion of it is transformed into a massive open-air music festival known as the Donauinselfest (Danube Island festival). People can do anything; there are myriads of activities apart from just jiving along with the music acts performed by famous musicians.
Around 13 stages, 600 hours of music, and 17 specialized activity zones are typical of the Donauinselfest.
- The entry:
While other festivals may draw a greater crowd, Donauinsel is the largest open-air fest in a single place rather than a series of venues scattered throughout a town or city.
The best part is that Donauinsel is completely free. It’s hosted by Austria’s Social Democratic Party, which is akin to the Liberal Democrats hosting Glastonbury.
As you might expect, the term “free” next to the phrase “festival” has a certain allure; the Donauinselfest attracted 2.7 million guests over the course of three days the last time it was held.
People come together like a wave and gather in Austria for the largest weekend music festival that comes absolutely free.
- Types of musical performances:
Rock, pop, rap, hip hop, electronic music, swing (yes), folk, metal, and everything in between is among the genres represented to the crowd in this open-air fest.
Although the majority of the artists are from Austria, earlier events have featured international names such as Mando Diao, Lisa Stansfield, Amy Mcdonald, Michael Bolton, Sean Paul, Bob Geldof, and a who’s who of the German-speaking music worlds.
There are also a variety of different activities to keep you entertained in between performances, as well as a variety of booths to keep you nourished and hydrated (not free, obviously).
Everyone was there to see famous artists including Natalie Imbruglia, Anastacia, Taio Cruz, and hundreds of other DJs, bands, and artists.
The Rock The Island competition, in which unsigned acts battle for a spot on the famous main stage, is another major draw.
What’s new in 2021?
The event in 2021 restores to a classic style while also revisiting parts from the pandemic in 2020.
Instead of a three-day event in one site, the 2020 festival was spread out over 80 days throughout Vienna. It started with a double-decker bus with an open-air stage on the roof traversed the city, performing over 200 brief performances in parks, tram depots, and other public spaces.
The bus, as well as the three-day island festival, both will return in 2021. The exact arrangement for the main weekend thrill will be determined by public health developments, but a scaled-down version of the regular event is planned. This means, there will be at least four stages and solely local acts at the time of joining the biggest music festival. Though there are certain protocols that visitors have to follow.
How to get tickets?
For entry, you do not need to pay for a ticket because, as previously stated, admission is free. Be prepared to see a large number of people over the course of the three days over the weekend, while the rasterized 2021 music fest is going to be more subtle and may have limited access.
The Donauinselfest is generally held in June, however, in 2021, it will be held from September 17th to 19th. The bus will be on the road during the months of August and September.
Check out the official website for more information (which also has full program information, once available).
