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DONAUINSELFEST
Europe's biggest free festival, on the Danube Island in Vienna, Austria, every last weekend of June. Three days, eleven stages spread across 4.5km, up to 3.3 million visits combined, 100% free entry from the first concert to the last. Launched in 1983. 44th edition in 2027, June 25 to 27.
Donauinselfest 2027
The Donauinselfest festival.
In a nutshell.
The Donauinselfest has been held every year since 1983 on the Donauinsel, the long artificial island built on the Danube to protect Vienna from flooding. Organised by Vienna's SPÖ (the Social Democratic Party), it occupies a 4.5km-long site stretching between the Nordbrücke and the Reichsbrücke, with eleven open-air stages under sixteen covered zones. It's one of the biggest music festivals in the world by attendance: up to 3.3 million visits combined over the three days of an edition. The festival's defining feature has never changed since it launched: entry is completely free, on every stage, with no ticket to buy. 2027 marks the 44th edition, June 25 to 27 — the last school weekend of June, as every year.
The Donauinselfest doesn't lean on any single dominant genre: its lineup covers rock, pop, electronic and world music, with a deliberate mix of young Austrian talent and international headliners — past editions have hosted everyone from Zucchero and Natalie Imbruglia to Bilderbuch, a leading name in Austrian pop, and the Leningrad Cowboys. Beyond the concerts, the site also offers sports activities, a family space and community stands, in the spirit of a big popular celebration rather than a niche festival.
The island transforms into a pop-up village for three days: eleven stages spread across 4.5km, connected by the paths of the Donauinsel itself. Crowd density varies enormously by stage and time slot — it's worth allowing time to move from one end of the site to the other, and not expecting to catch several simultaneous headliners on stages far apart. Vienna in late June is warm and generally sunny, though summer showers are always possible by the Danube.
Donauinselfest · what's confirmed
What we know about Donauinselfest 2027.
- Dates
- June 25–27, 2027, announced by the organiser.
- Confirmed
- Tickets
- Free entry.
- Confirmed
- Line-up
- Not yet announced by the organiser.
- Upcoming
"Confirmed": read on the festival's official website. "To reconfirm": announced, but not yet rechecked by us. "Estimate" or "upcoming": not yet announced by the organiser. See the official website
Donauinselfest in practice
Profile of the festival.
Capacity, atmosphere, crowd, hours and on-site budget: the full profile of Donauinselfest 2027 before you get your tickets.
Attendance
Up to 3.3 million visits combined
A figure combined across the edition's three days, not a daily site capacity — one of the highest totals in the world for a music festival, free on top of that.
An all-genre lineup
Rock, pop, electronic, world music
No dominant genre: young Austrian talent and international headliners share eleven stages, alongside sports and family activities.
Eleven stages over 4.5km
The full length of the Donauinsel
The site stretches between the Nordbrücke and the Reichsbrücke, with eleven open-air stages spread under sixteen covered zones — allow time to move from one end to the other.
History
Since 1983, 44th edition in 2027
Founded by SPÖ politician Harry Kopietz — 15,000 visitors expected the first year, 160,000 showed up. Run since by Vienna's SPÖ, on the last school weekend of June.
What to pack
Summer clothes and good walking shoes
Late June in Vienna: warm, often sunny days, showers possible by the Danube. The site is 4.5km long — good shoes aren't a luxury.
Budget
€0 entry, the rest is on you
No ticket to buy, on any stage: the only budget to plan for is food on site and getting to Vienna.
Donauinselfest 2027 practical info
Practical info.
Dates, hours, transport and lodging: what you need to know before you go.
Dates and hours
Three days, Friday to Sunday (2027: June 25–27), on the last school weekend of June. Non-stop concerts across the eleven stages from afternoon into late evening.
Free entry, no exceptions
Every stage is open access, with no ticket or registration, from the first concert to the last — unlike other big free festivals, there is no paid stage or VIP package at the Donauinselfest. Just show up.
Food on site
Numerous stands and food trucks operate all along the site (Austrian specialities, international cuisine, drinks), at open prices. Standard payment (cash, card) at most stands.
Access and transport
The site is directly served by the U1 metro line (Donauinsel station), with extra service during the festival. Driving is strongly discouraged: little parking on the island itself, better to rely on Vienna's public transport (Wiener Linien), efficient and running part of the night on busy evenings.
Accessibility
The site and its main stages are designed to be accessible to people with reduced mobility, with dedicated zones near the busiest stages. Check donauinselfest.at in advance for specific needs, as provisions can vary from stage to stage.
TransportVienna has its own international airport, and the festival site is one metro ride from the city.
- By plane
- Vienna-Schwechat Airport (VIE), well served from all over Europe. Allow 25-30 min to the city centre by train (CAT or S-Bahn), then the metro to the Donauinsel.
- By train
- Vienna is a major rail hub: direct Railjet from Munich (4h), Budapest (2h15) or Zurich, direct trains from Bratislava (1h). The central station (Wien Hauptbahnhof) is linked to the rest of the city by metro.
- On site
- Metro line U1 serves the 'Donauinsel' station directly, right in the heart of the site — the simplest and fastest way to reach the festival from anywhere in Vienna.
- By car
- Strongly discouraged: parking on the Donauinsel itself is very limited during the festival. Better to park in town (or not at all) and finish the trip by metro.
AccommodationStay in Vienna: plenty of choice, from the historic centre to right by the Donauinsel.
- Around the Donauinsel
- The Leopoldstadt (2nd) and Donaustadt (22nd) districts, directly linked to the site by the U1 metro — handy for getting back easily after a late-ending concert.
- Historic centre
- The Innere Stadt and central districts, 15-20 min by metro from the site, with most of Vienna's heritage and nightlife within walking distance.
- Distance from the site
- From central Vienna, allow 15-25 min by metro depending on your starting district.
- Budget
- Vienna remains more affordable than other big European capitals for accommodation, with a wide offering of hostels and mid-range hotels.
DestinationVienna, imperial capital and city of music, and the Donauinsel itself outside the festival.
- Vienna
- The Hofburg and Schönbrunn, the opera and the city's classical music tradition, the Naschmarkt, the historic Viennese cafés — a capital with dense history, a few metro stops from the site.
- The Donauinsel
- Outside the festival, the island is a huge linear leisure park (swimming, cycling, walking) stretching nearly 21 km — a way to extend the stay before or after the three days of concerts.
- Usual weather
- Late June in Vienna: 20 to 27°C by day, a fairly dry continental climate, evening thunderstorms possible by the Danube.
Information last updated on October 4, 2026
Donauinselfest aftermovie
The vibe of the
festival.
The official aftermovie of the 2026 edition, published by the Donauinselfest channel.
Donauinselfest 2027 line-up
The full line-up.
Day by day.
The Donauinselfest 2027 line-up hasn't been revealed yet. We'll update this page as soon as it's announced.
Line-up coming soon
The first names usually drop in autumn, several months before the festival. Come back then: the full day-by-day line-up will show up here.
Comfort, well positioned
Get organised for
Donauinselfest.
At 6am, a ten-minute journey can feel very long. Pick the right home base now, and the route that leaves you enough energy for the rest.
Lodging
Places to stay around Donauinsel (accès U1 Donauinsel), Vienne.
Activities
Fill your days too.
Bars, restaurants, spots worth a visit between two shows: enough to fill the gaps in the schedule without improvising on the spot at the last minute.
A taste of it
Donauinselfest
like you were there.
The Leningrad Cowboys and one of the festival's stages, Bilderbuch and Natalie Imbruglia in concert, Zucchero on stage — a glimpse of the Donauinselfest's eclecticism across the years.
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01 — Donauinselfest
02 — Donauinselfest
03 — Donauinselfest
04 — DonauinselfestPhoto credits: user:W. · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0, Manfred Werner (Tsui) · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0, Philipp Naderer · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0.
Same taste, other dates
In the same style.
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