Pass more than a few hours in Vienna, and you’ll soon learn that coffee is an essential part of the fabric of the city. A fact also evidenced by the lively coffee festival held at the Ottakringer brewery.
- A celebration of coffee, with talks, tastings, displays, demonstrations, and more
- Also features live music, DJs and other entertainment
- 2021 dates: Oct 8-10
- See also: Events in Vienna | Top coffee houses | What to do in January
What’s it all about?
Technically, coffee might be described as a simple drink. Much like you could call an iPhone a communication device. But there’s so much more to it than that. Coffee is part of Viennese society…rooted in tradition, yet a vibrant part of modern city culture.
Which is where the Vienna Coffee Festival comes in. Consider it a celebration of the coffee bean and its contribution to (Viennese) life.
Don’t expect lectures by white-haired historians on the role of Loos architecture in driving coffee house society in the early 1900s. The coffee festival is a contemporary celebration: the coffee is hot, the company is cool.
So there are, for example, tastings, demonstrations of the barista’s art, professional competitions, numerous stands showcasing coffee products, and talks from those who make their living through the coffee trade. But also a wealth of music and entertainment from DJs and singer-songwriters. Not to mention international food.
Get a flavour (ba dum tish!) from the 2019 post-event video at the bottom of the page.
The venue is the premises of Ottakringer brewery, which – surprise – produces beer, but also hosts a range of events through the year, such as live concerts or the rum and gin festival.
Dates & tickets
Original dates for 2021 were January 15th, 16th and 17th, but lockdown saw the event postponed to October 8th to 10th (keep an eye on the official website and their social media channels).
Opening times for the public are usually (unconfirmed):
- Friday: 2pm to 8pm (the trade get earlier access)
- Saturday: 10am to 8pm
- Sunday: 10am to 6pm
Once available, book tickets from the official website (at the last event, day tickets cost €13 online for a standard price adult).
Coffee festival highlights
To give you an idea of what to expect, names slated to appear last time out included Tim Wendelboe, the 2004 Barista world champion, and Francesco Sanapo, three-time Italian barista champion.
Austria’s own baristas battled it out for five national titles: Barista, Latte Art, Brewers Cup, Cup Tasting, and Coffee in Good Spirits.
Again, check the official website for news of the programme of performances, talks, etc.
How to get to the coffee festival
The Ottakringer Brewery is out in Vienna’s 16th district, easily reached by trams 2, 9 and 44 (look for the stop “Johann-Nepomuk-Berger-Platz”).
The 44 leaves from Schottentor near the city centre, and the 2 leaves from just about everywhere (well, almost): you can catch it from the State Opera House, for example.
“Ottakring” station is the last stop on the U3 subway line, which is about three stops on the 44 tram from the brewery.
Address: Ottakringer Platz 1, 1160 Vienna | Website
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