May is a big month for events in Austria, with Eurovision taking over Vienna, spring festivals filling castles and lakeside towns, and open-air music, sport and culture returning around the country.
We’ve picked some of the best events across Austria’s provinces, from major international festivals to local food, flowers, hiking and outdoor events. As always, check the official event page before you go, especially for tickets, weather-dependent activities and last-minute timetable changes.
Vienna: Eurovision Song Contest and city events
Vienna hosts the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in May, with the semi-finals on May 12th and 14th and the final on May 16th at Wiener Stadthalle. It is the third time the Austrian capital has hosted the contest, after 1967 and 2015.
Even without arena tickets, there will be plenty happening across the city. Rathausplatz becomes the Eurovision Village from May 10th to 17th, with concerts, club nights, karaoke, quizzes and public screenings. The Opening Ceremony and Turquoise Carpet event take place on May 10th, while the live screenings of the semi-finals and final are scheduled for May 12th, 14th and 16th.
Other side events include the EuroClub at PraterDOME from May 11th to 16th, the free Eurofan House at Wien Museum from May 11th to 16th, and the Eurovision Markt Contest at Naschmarkt on May 13th, with food from participating countries and live music.
Dates: May 10th to 17th
Location: Wiener Stadthalle, Rathausplatz, PraterDOME, Wien Museum, Naschmarkt and other Vienna locations
Price: Several city events are free, but arena shows and some side events may require tickets
More information: HERE and HERE
Vienna: Wiener Festwochen
The Vienna Festival, or Wiener Festwochen, runs from May 15th to June 21st and marks its 75th anniversary in 2026. The programme includes theatre, performance, music, debate, film and exhibitions.
Patti Smith is listed for the opening ceremony on Heldenplatz, while the May programme includes productions at venues such as MuseumsQuartier, Volkstheater, MAK, Odeon and the Badeschiff.
Dates: May 15th to June 21st
Location: Various venues across Vienna
More information: HERE
Lower Austria: donaufestival in Krems
donaufestival returns to Krems and you can still go from May 8th to 10th. The festival brings together music, performance, art, film and discourse.
The 2026 theme is “Mad Hope”, with around 60 events planned at different locations in Krems. This is one for readers looking for experimental sound, performance and art rather than a traditional spring festival.
Dates: May 8th to 10th
Location: Krems an der Donau, Lower Austria
More information: HERE
Lower Austria: Mai hoch Drei at Schloss Hof
Schloss Hof’s Mai hoch Drei spring festival runs across three May weekends, with music, regional food, crafts, family activities and traditional celebrations.
The opening weekend includes beer tapping, local music groups, Hungarian folk dancing and audience dancing with the Marchfeld folk dance group. The wider programme includes bread baking, children’s activities, pony rides, carriage rides and guided tours.
Dates: May 1st to 3rd, 9th and 10th, and 14th to 17th
Time: 10 am to 6 pm
Location: Schloss Hof, Lower Austria
Price: Included in day admission or annual pass. Day admission is listed as €24 for adults and €13.50 for children aged 6 to 18
More information: HERE
Upper Austria: FELIX Wirtshausfestival
FELIX Wirtshausfestival runs in the Traunsee-Almtal region until May 31st, celebrating Upper Austrian inn culture, regional cuisine and local producers.
The festival focuses on the traditional Austrian Wirtshaus, or inn, with special culinary events around Lake Traunsee and the Almtal valley.
Dates: Until May 31st
Location: Traunsee-Almtal region, Upper Austria
More information: HERE
Styria: Narzissenfest
Austria’s largest flower festival takes place in the Ausseerland Salzkammergut from May 28th to 31st. The main event is the narcissus figure parade in Bad Aussee on May 31st.
The flower figures are judged by a jury, with the award announcement at 3 pm. The organisers note that there will be no boat parade in 2026, as the festival will take place all day in Bad Aussee.
Dates: May 28th to 31st
Main event: May 31st from 9 am
Location: Bad Aussee, Styria
More information: HERE
Styria: Beachvolley Summeropening in Graz
The Beachvolley Summeropening takes place at Mur Beach in Graz from May 14th to 16th, marking the official start of the beach volleyball season in Styria.
Women’s and men’s teams will compete across three prepared beach courts, with the Mur promenade adding a summer feel in the city.
Dates: May 14th to 16th
Time: From 10 am
Location: Mur Beach, Graz
More information: HERE
Salzburg: Salzburg Whitsun Festival
The Salzburg Whitsun Festival runs from May 22nd to 25th under the motto “Bon Voyage”. The programme includes opera, ballet, concerts and a staged opera gala.
Events include Rossini’s Il viaggio a Reims, John Neumeier’s ballet Die kleine Meerjungfrau, Monteverdi’s Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria and the staged gala Ciao, Bella Ciao with Cecilia Bartoli and friends.
Dates: May 22nd to 25th
Location: Various Salzburg Festival venues
More information: HERE
Salzburg: Salzburg Museums Weekend
Salzburg Museums Weekend offers free admission and special programming in museums across the city and province. In 2026, the motto is “Museum connects in a diverse world”.
Museums in the city take part on May 16th, while museums in the wider province open their doors on May 17th. Free use of bus and train lines in the Salzburg public transport network is also listed for the weekend.
Dates: May 16th and 17th
Location: Salzburg city and province
Price: Free museum admission
More information: HERE
Tyrol: listening closely
The chamber music festival listening closely runs from May 1st to 10th in Schwaz, Innsbruck and Wattens. It focuses on unusual ensembles and rarely heard or almost forgotten instruments.
The programme ranges from classical music to folk and jazz, with concerts curated by Tyrolean composer and pianist Thomas Larcher.
Dates: May 1st to 10th
Location: Schwaz, Innsbruck and Wattens, Tyrol
Price: €12 to €32
More information: HERE
Vorarlberg: Bregenz Life
Bregenz Life brings free open-air music to Kornmarktplatz from May 22nd to 24th. The festival combines live acts, food trucks and outdoor bars in the centre of Bregenz.
The 2026 programme includes acts from Austria and abroad, with music running into the evening on all three days.
Dates: May 22nd to 24th
Location: Kornmarktplatz, Bregenz
Price: Free entry
More information: HERE
Vorarlberg: Bregenzer Frühling
The international dance festival Bregenzer Frühling continues in May with Nederlands Dans Theater 2 performing SAABA and Folkå at Festspielhaus Bregenz on May 7th.
The festival runs from March to June and focuses on contemporary dance. Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan is also listed with Sounding Light on May 29th.
Dates: May 7th and May 29th
Location: Festspielhaus Bregenz
More information: HERE
Carinthia: Gates of Summer and FELLIVAL at Faaker See
Gates of Summer takes place at Strandcamping Anderwald on Faaker See from May 7th to 10th, bringing together campervan, outdoor and travel communities at the start of the season.
FELLIVAL, a dog and outdoor festival, takes place as part of the same event. It is aimed at people who like outdoor adventures with their dogs, with a focus on travelling, nature and relaxed campervan culture.
Dates: May 7th to 10th
Time: From 10 am
Location: Strandcamping Anderwald, Faak am See, Carinthia
More information: HERE and HERE
Carinthia: Klagenfurt Festival
Klagenfurt Festival runs from May 22nd to June 10th, turning the Carinthian capital into a stage for music, theatre, performance and international culture.
The opening night includes Naked Lunch presenting new songs after twelve years and Chrystn Hunt Akron’s Plasticphonia. Other May highlights listed include Lars Eidinger, Rebekka Bakken, My Ugly Clementine and Rubey, Grissemann and Stachelkunst.
Dates: May 22nd to June 10th
Location: Klagenfurt am Wörthersee
More information: HERE
Burgenland: KLANGfrühling in Stadtschlaining
KLANGfrühling runs from May 9th to 17th in Stadtschlaining under the theme “WORD”, or Logos. The festival is based at Friedensburg Schlaining but also includes concerts in all five districts of the town.
The programme has grown from a classical music festival into a wider cultural week, with concerts, readings, lectures and events across several venues.
Dates: May 9th to 17th
Location: Stadtschlaining, Burgenland
Festival pass: €195, excluding breakfast brunch and Tafelmusik
More information: HERE
Burgenland: The Great Burgenland Tour in Deutschkreutz
The Great Burgenland Tour stops in Deutschkreutz on May 26th as part of ORF Burgenland’s public hiking week.
The route is around 17.5 kilometres, with breakfast, refreshment stops, a lunch break and a musical finish in the schoolyard of the Mittelschule Deutschkreutz. Participation is free, no registration is required, and the hike takes place in any weather.
Date: May 26th
Time: Meeting point and breakfast from 8:30 am, hike starts at 9 am
Location: Deutschkreutz, Burgenland
Price: Free
More information: HERE