Before reading, be sure you have half a pack of cigarettes and a full tank of petrol. And put on sunglasses, even though it’s dark outside. Because here’s a music festival to warm Jake and Elwood’s hearts: the Vienna Blues Spring.
- Regular performances throughout this fine blues festival
- Most gigs are at the cult Der Reigen venue (near Schönbrunn palace)
- Both regional and international musicians perform
- 2024 dates: TBA (was Mar 20 – May 31 in 2023)
- See also:
The festival
(The Trudy Lynn Band appeared in 2023; press photo courtesy of and copyright Leo Delshams)
You can imagine the likes of Beethoven and Mozart appreciating the blues, given the troubles they encountered in their own lives. And Vienna is not short of a few clubs and bars where the Mojo Blues Band and genre colleagues ply their trade.
The Vienna Blues Spring festival brings together local performers and overseas guests in a feast of blues riffs and whisky-honed voices. Regular performances take place at the Der Reigen venue: a bar, restaurant and venue with a long musical past that dates back to the 1950s jazz scene.
Occasional special gigs also take place at other locations. One tradition, for example, is blues unplugged in the Mozarthaus, where Vienna’s most famous musician once composed The Marriage of Figaro.
(Kevin Gullage & The Blues Groovers performed in 2023; press photo courtesy of and © Zach Tullier)
Though I still put on my best pained expression to Muddy Waters or BB King (who I once indirectly made laugh), I’m no expert on the genre. But you’ll find full programme details at the official website once they become available.
Consider the festival an opportunity to enjoy the local blues scene in its most intense form, with a generous number of international musicians to round out the experience.
Dates, tickets & tips
The event title hints at the usual timing of the festival. I don’t have 2024 dates yet, but the previous event ran from March 20th to May 31st.
For individual gigs, you can usually reserve and/or purchase tickets from the venues or through the event website nearer the time.
How to get to Der Reigen
The main venue is in Vienna’s 14th district, away from the centre, but close to the tourist hotspot that is Schönbrunn Palace (a place better known for music of the classical kind).
Find Der Reigen immediately opposite the Hietzing station, which is a stop on the U4 subway line.
Catch the U4 from, for example, the Karlsplatz and Schwedenplatz stations in the centre of town. Hietzing’s also a stop on the 10 and 60 tram lines, and the 51A, 56A, 56B and 58A bus lines.
Address: Hadikgasse 62, 1140 Vienna (for Der Reigen)