If you drift through Vienna’s centre in August, you may wonder why you rarely hear a Viennese accent.
It’s because we’re all on holiday. The city is yours, now.
P.S. Be sure to water the houseplants and feed the parrot.
- Book a classical concert experience* for August
- See also:
Top activities in August 2026
The cool interiors of cafés, museums, concert halls, and historical buildings are a strong option in August, but what else might you do in one of the hottest months of the year?
(Incidentally, if you’re worried about keeping cool, I have a whole article on attractions and activities that help you avoid the heat.)
My quick tip
The summer normally has orchestras replacing batons and bows with sandals and snorkels. However, some classical venues use the mid-year break to offer special concerts designed for incoming visitors.
The rather prestigious surrounds of the legendary Musikverein concert house, for example, host evenings of light classical music* that include performers in period attire.
August exhibitions
(The Albertina always has top exhibitions)
The museums offer many distractions for visitors to the city. At the time of writing, for example, we have:
My highlights
- The Kunsthistorisches Museum‘s big summer exhibition brings us views of Venice, London and Vienna, as captured on canvas by the 18th-century painters Canaletto and Bellotto
- The Albertina Modern showcases US artist KAWS in dialogue with works by modern and contemporary artists
- This is your last chance to catch the solo exhibition for Anni Albers at Lower Belvedere (until August 16th), but the solo exhibition for avant garde artist Erna Rosenstein continues
- It’s also your last chance to see the Heidi Horten Collection‘s examination of the relationship btween people and animals, as seen through the lens of modern and contemporary art
- Talking contemporary art, get an overview of the entire Viennese scene in a special exhibition at the Kunsthalle Wien
- At the other end of the palace gardens, Upper Belvedere takes a behind-the-scenes look at a couple of paintings by Johann Baptist Lampi the Elder and the Younger
- Two special exhibitions for us at the Leopold Museum. One features top art from the collection of the Austrian National Bank. The other presents a dialogue in art between Herbert Boeckl and Hans Josephsohn
- View the art of Eran Shakine at the Jewish Museum. The same institution also explores aspects of forgetting in a historical and sociocultural context
- The city’s own Wien Museum ends its presentation around the mighty Donauinsel island on the Danube (until August 30th) but continues with insights into the life and art of Egon Schiele
- The Technisches Museum has a special exhibition on how we might make better use of materials and resources through more than just recycling
Check the main exhibition listings for fuller details as locations continue to expand their schedules.
Stay on the Rathausplatz
(Come for the film, stay for the gastronomy; view of the festival square from the Burgtheater roof; press photo © stadtwienmarketing))
As mentioned for July, much fun may be had on the main Rathausplatz square.
The free open-air film festival continues throughout August, with evening showings of (mainly) music performances on a huge screen.
We like to get there in the early evening for something interesting to eat and drink from the huge food court, which features cuisine from around the world (and Austria). Then find a seat to catch a bit of Sheeran or Tchaikovsky.
A fair few open-air cinemas usually fire up the popcorn machine come August. For example:
- The dotdotdot film festival has its showings of short films (2026 dates TBA)
- Frameout open-air cinema typically appears Fridays and Saturdays in the courtyards of the city’s main contemporary art quarter: the MQW (but 2026 dates TBA)
- The Architektur.Film.Sommer architecture-flavoured film festival occupies the courtyard in front of the Architekturzentrum for one day a week (2026 dates TBA)
- Stumm & Laut has open-air silent films with live electronic music (2026 dates TBA)
- Kino am Dach has screenings on top of the main city library throughout the month (a personal favourite), while the sister Kino im Schloss event arrives in Schloss Neugebäude (both TBA)
Be sure to look for the abbreviations OV (shown in the original language), OmU (ditto with subtitles…most likely German ones), OmeU (ditto, but subtitles are in English).
Dive into Anime and Manga
(Monkey D. Luffy from One Piece)
Good news for fans of Japanese pop culture…AniNite (August 7th to 9th) is a huge event attracting thousands of fans of manga, anime and similar.
Expect cosplay, entertainments, panels, special guests, street food, oodles of merchandise, a giant artist alley for both fan art and original art, and more.
You can read my personal impressions of a previous event here.
Old timers & brass bands
(Get a glimpse of the motorised past)
Classic car enthusiasts gather in the city in August for the Vienna Classic Days old timer festival.
The highlights for visitors is the Old Timer Parade (2026 dates TBA), when vehicles of all shapes, sizes and eras do a turn of the Ring, waving cheerily as we all remember the days of flapping scarfs and picnic hampers tied to the boot.
August might also see brass bands giving open-air performances as part of the Blasmusikfest (2026 dates TBA).
Locations last time out were Herbert-von-Karajan-Platz (outside the state opera house), Stock-im-Eisen-Platz (outside the cathedral), Graben (leads away from the cathedral), Michaelerplatz, and Heldenplatz.
Up to 1000 musicians then gathered at the Rathausplatz to perform jointly at around 5pm on the big day.
Enjoy the urban flair
(Calle Libre brings colour and commentary to the urban landscape)
Vienna may have a reputation for imperial elegance and genteel coffee house culture. But it’s also a modern, diverse city with quite a few areas that weren’t actually built by a Habsburg monarch.
- The Calle Libre festival (2026 dates TBA), for example, celebrates street art as a true art form, with the chance to watch those at the top of their profession creating giant murals and similar
- The Gürtel Nightwalk (2026 dates TBA) highlights an urban regeneration success story: a stretch of the Gürtel road has become a popular nightspot for clubs, bars and venues. Several throw open their doors for an evening of (free) live performances
Of course, if it’s quiet elegance or leafy suburbs you seek, then see July’s suggestions for enjoying the street cafés and wine taverns.
A taste of Vienna (and the world)
(Dumplings and Sauerkraut for the discerning palate)
A few diverse food, drink, and music (or all three) events appear in August. For example:
- Music forms the centrepiece of the Afrika Tage African festival (August 14th to 24th), with national and international performers. Enjoy plenty of African cuisine, too, as well as a bazaar and various info stands from NGOs working in and with the continent
- Two wine-themed events in August:
- The Neustifter Kirtag (August 20th to 23rd) brings traditional Austrian garb, copious quantities of wine, live music and a street market to Vienna
- The Stammersdorfer Weintage (August 29th and 30th) has live music, a tractor parade, and more
- Vienna’s established open-air markets offer extended opening hours and bonus entertainments on the Long Night of Viennese Markets (2026 dates TBA)
- The Ottakringer beer festival (runs throughout August until the 29th), with Ottakringer’s own traditional and craft beers, as well as food that goes well with a pint (or half a liter) on a balmy evening. Look out for the two-day Summer Nights mini-edition (with free entry) of the Vinyl & Music festival on one weekend
- And another beer festival deserves your attention: the Kraft Bier Fest at the Gleis//Garten (2026 dates TBA) features microbreweries and craft beer
(Late-night ambience at the Long Night of Viennese Markets; press photo © PID/Christian Fürthner)
- Shifting beverages, the three-day Liquid Market Cocktail Festival (August 27th to 29th) is the place for drinking green tea and organic coffee. OK, perhaps it’s more a place for drinking cocktails. Whatever the word is for a collection of cocktail bars (an umbrella?), this is one of them
- Summer in the MQ is not a formal event as such, but the expression of seasonal flair in Vienna at the MuseumsQuartier, where open-air bars and the famous summer furniture invite you to imbibe something cold, relax, and watch the occasional cloud meandering through the blue skies above (hopefully)
- Talking open-air bars, Summerstage on the Donaukanal has a fair few, with accompanying live music, outdoor art and other waterfront delights
Seasonal tip(s)
Cool wine cellars
(This way to cool down)
The Schlumberger sparkling wine cellars offer refuge from summer heat. These are working cellars, so you can’t just wander in happily waving your ice cream. Fortunately, they offer self-guided tours with a tasting afterwards, which I enjoyed.
Take to the water
(The Hochstrahlbrunnen fountain on Schwarzenbergplatz)
And, finally, all of July’s advice on waterways obviously applies to August, too.
If you want to make more of a trip of it, there’s always the option of a short cruise along the Danube. Ships leave from moorings on the Donaukanal, for example, at the edge of the city centre.
Plenty of tour operators will happily show you other options. I can recommend a trip up the Danube through the beautiful Wachau wine-growing area or one across the border into Bratislava, Slovakia’s capital.