Afrika Tage (Africa Days) celebrates the spirit of that great continent in an 18-day festival in Vienna. The event entertains and enlightens as it builds bridges between cultures. Fill your senses (and your stomach).
- Music, dance, kids activities, food, shopping, and information with an African theme
- Concerts in the evening with international performers
- Held on the Danube Island on the Danube river
- Top event for kids, too
- 2021 dates: TBA (usually mid-July to early August)
- See also: The Weltmuseum | Events in Vienna
Afrika Tage in Vienna
Each year, a piece of Africa puts ashore on the Danube in Vienna, setting up stall(s) on the long artificial island that splits the river as it passes through the city.
The Afrika Tage festival is much as you’d expect: a colourful and vibrant celebration of the continent’s culture with an opportunity to learn about the people and places (and the problems). Here’s the official aftermovie from 2019:
A visit is a treat for all the senses.
There are the forms and colours, especially in the clothing, arts and crafts at the African bazaar that dominates the festival site.
Then there are the sounds, whether from a drum or dance workshop or one of the evening concerts.
Various stands selling African cuisine provide the tastes and smells.
And the info booths from NGOs active in Africa should leave you touched with a better understanding of the continent’s diversity and challenges.
For me, the highlight is always browsing the bazaar for African crafts, but parents tend to value the kids activities, such as a Nigerian drum session or a ride on a camel.
In the evenings, most visitors turn up for the food, drink and, particularly, music. From about 6pm, the Afrika Tage turns into a music festival, with concerts by African or Africa-inspired performers each evening.
2021 highlights
It’s early for 2021 lineups, but the organisers hope to include many of the performers booked for the (cancelled) 2020 event. These included several household names:
- Youssou N’Dour
- Alpha Blondy & The Solar System
- David Rodigan
- Russkaja
- Milow
- Steel Pulse
- Marla Glen
Check the official website for full news of the event.
2021 dates and tickets
Dates for the 2021 Afrika Tage have not crossed my desk yet, but the music tends to start around mid-July and end in early August. Opening hours are usually:
- 2pm to midnight (weekdays)
- 11am to midnight (weekends)
The exception is often the first day, when the location commonly opens from 5pm for the evening concert.
The festival has various ticket options. See the website for details. A day ticket typically costs around €9 if you enter before 5pm. Go in later and you start to pay more normal festival concert prices.
Entry is often free on Mondays. Or “free”, as the tacit agreement is that you make a donation to charity once inside.
How to get to the Africa festival
The festival takes place just downstream of the Nordbahnbrücke bridge on the Donauinsel. The island’s a popular recreational area and event location (see, for example, the huge open-air Donauinselfest music event).
Railway and subway stations occupy both ends of the Nordbahnbrücke, with pedestrian access across to the island. The two stations are:
- Handelskai: on the U6 subway line and also various city train lines (S1, S2, S3, S4, S7 and S45)
- Neue Donau: also on the U6 subway line
Address: Near the Nordbahnbrücke bridge on the Donauinsel (Danube Island), Vienna