Vienna in July sees the locals waving bye bye as you enter the city. The school holidays have started and the weather is warm and sunny (usually), so many Viennese disappear on holiday or out to weekend homes in the country.
- Book a concert experience* for July
- See also:
Top activities in July 2025
So what seasonal festivals and activities might you enjoy this month, in addition to the usual palaces, museums, concerts, tours, and other attractions?
My quick tip
One option for cooling down in the evenings is a classical concert in one of the historical churches.
Perhaps a spot of Mozart in some glorious Baroque ambience?
I have a fair few suggestions on my concerts page.
July art exhibitions
(Lower Belvedere always has something interesting on)
Top tip
Insider tip
My highlights
A few enjoyable exhibitions should keep you out of the sun for a few hours. We already have notice of some coming treats:
- Possibly a highlight of the art year in Vienna: Lower Belvedere reveals the methods and materials behind Klimt’s paintings in the Pigment & Pixel exhibition (look for the reconstructed Faculty Paintings, too)
- The same location also pulls back the curtain to highlight female artists from the modernist era (1910 – 1950). Radical! features over 70 names from more than 20 countries
- Upper Belvedere has its own Klimt treat: a beneath-the-canvas look at Klimt’s unfinished work, The Bride
- The Albertina brings its solo exhibition for Francesca Woodman (until July 6th) to an end but continues an exhibition revealing how travel has inspired some of the best of art from the 1700s and 1800s
- And the Albertina starts three new exhibitions: solo exhibitions for Jitka Hanzlová & Brigitte Kowanz and the Viennese Bohème showcases works by the Hagen Society, who helped pave the way to Vienna Modernism
- Discover the breath and depth of the Viehof Collection of contemporary avant-garde art over at the Albertina Modern as well as drawings and sketches by none other than Damien Hirst
- The Leopold Museum draws two exhibitions to a close: their look at the final years of Schiele’s life and artistic output (until July 13th) and an artistic trip through the Biedermeier era (until July 27th)
- Discover the joys of expressionism across different media at the Heidi Horten Collection and also compare views of Vienna through the eyes of three artists separated by decades and centuries
- July sees the start (from the 17th) of an exhibition at Belvedere 21 around sculptor Fritz Wotruba with a focus on his reception, work and influence outside of his native Austria
- mumok continues Mapping the 60s by illustrating seminal art events, publications and movements with works from their collection. And slip forward to the 80s for another introspective retrospective
- Water as a resource and cultural factor gets a wide-ranging treatment over at the MAK museum
- Discover the art movement that was Viennese Realism after 1950 at Wien Museum MUSA
- The main Wien Museum site takes a wider look at culture, specifically the role of international influences immediately post-WWII on (re)building the domestic variety
- View a century of Austrian history in photos at the National Library with highlights for particular anniversaries like 80 years of freedom from the Nazis
- And more photos over at the Jewish Museum, where Roger Cremers documents the echoes of the Shoah and WWII. The museum also offers perspectives on a deity in the G*d exhibition
- The Weltmuseum has an exhibition illuminating the role of the Qur’an in the history of European thought and another on the surprising sociocultural history of the lowly trousers
- …and follow the development of radio in Austria at the Technisches Museum
Watch this space or check the main exhibition listings for more suggestions as they come in.
Films on the Rathausplatz
(The space in front of city hall turns into an open-air movie theatre)
The Rathaus Film Festival starts in late June and continues daily through July and across summer (June 28th to August 31st).
Each evening, sit back and enjoy a free open-air viewing of opera, ballet, classical music or a more popular musical genre on the giant screen. And all on the Rathausplatz square in front of the giant Neogothic city hall.
But there’s much more to this event than a bit of balmy audiovisual entertainment. Numerous gastro booths line the square, selling food, drinks, and snacks from all over the world.
So you might watch Lady Gaga duet with Tony Bennet, then go for paella afterwards. As one does.
Other film festivals
Various other open-air cinematic festivals and events commonly run in July as well, should the Rathaus version get too busy for you. For example:
- The Frameout open-air cinema in the MuseumsQuartier (2025 dates TBA)
- The dotdotdot festival of short films (July 27th to August 26th)
- The Kaleidoskop festival on Karlsplatz square (2025 dates TBA)
- The Kino am Dach cinema on the roof of Vienna’s main library (2025 dates TBA but usually all month)
The EUROs
(An excited fan…cough, me, cough…with the national team bus)
The Women’s EURO 2025 football championships run from July 2nd to the 27th in Switzerland. For open-air public viewing and pub options, try these tips. Though local coverage and the availability of screens may be less than otherwise, since Austria narrowly failed to qualify.
Get your music groove on
The July music does not stop at the Rathausplatz. For example:
- The Vienna Jazz Festival, Jazzfest Wien, is no local gathering of performers but a significant event on the international jazz calendar (possibly June 30th to July 13th but unconfirmed at the time of writing)
- Jazz gives way to pop, rock, hip hop and more at Popfest Wien (July 24th to 27th) on and around Karlsplatz. This music festival has dozens of live performances on various stages and showcases regional and national talents…from established musicians to relative newcomers
- And pop gives way to classic at the Summa Cum Laude international youth music festival (July 4th to 9th)
Go for food or drink
(Home to the Ottakringer Bierfest)
All that music might make you thirsty. As it happens, Vienna rolls out extra drinking water stations in summer, as well as misting stations for cooling off.
But if you fancy something with a little more pep…
- The Ottakringer brewery’s Beer Festival is a traditional mainstay of July (2025 dates TBA). Try Ottakringer’s own fine wares or those of their craft beer offshoot. They put on music sometimes, too. And street food. And offer other bonuses (like beer yoga and brewery tours)
- The MuseumsQuartier also becomes a summer hotspot in July, thanks to the unique courtyard furniture (in bright orange last year), open-air bars, and other entertainments
Enjoy a sword fight
For something a little different…the Montur und Pulverdampf festival (2025 dates TBA) is a weekend of medieval and military reenactments. Sword fights, cannon fire, historical music, fire shows, craft markets, and more. Traditionally, you get in for free if you wear a bit of medieval costume.
Enjoy the streets
(Entrance to a Heuriger)
As I mentioned for June, the summer sees all the outdoor seating pop up around Vienna’s bars, cafés and coffee houses.
Don’t assume it’s only the obvious street cafés with their pavement seating. Many places have little gardens tucked around the back or in courtyards.
July is also high season for Vienna’s many wine taverns (Heuriger). The D and 38 trams take you out to the main Heuriger territories in the low hills of Nussdorf and Grinzing, where spritzers made with homegrown wine are the order of the day.
Enjoy the water
(The Old Danube lake)
Vienna has plenty of opportunities for water-based summer fun:
- The city runs numerous public swimming facilities, including well over a dozen which are outdoor pools or recreational water areas
- The Danube and associated waterways have riverside walks, cafés and restaurants dotted along their banks. Even beaches, watersports and swimming areas in some places.
- Various boat services offer short trips or day excursions up and down bits of the Danube
Look particularly for the Old Danube (Alte Donau) recreational lake, the Danube Island (Donauinsel and Neue Donau) and the Donaukanal arm of the Danube.
The Old Danube holds a Lichterfest at the end of July, where lighted boats spread across the water beneath a professional firework display. The 2024 date was cancelled, unfortunately, but hopefully we’ll have a return in 2025.
The Donaukanal commonly hosts the annual Summerstage event across all of summer: open-air bars, concerts and readings, outdoor art exhibitions, and more.
And for something watery but a little different…escape any summer crowds and holiday stress in the centre of Vienna by floating in saltwater in a private tub for an hour.
Seasonal tip
Enjoy the cool
(Take a tour of the Schlumberger wine cellars; press photo courtesy of Schlumberger and © Bildagentur Zolles/Robert Zolles)
If it all gets a little too hot and water’s not your thing, you always have the option of escaping into wine cellars or enjoying the leafy shade in Vienna’s wooded areas. For example:
- Visit the Schlumberger wine cellars for a tour and tasting. The historical cellars maintain a 13-15°C temperature, so keep you cool while you discover the traditions of sparkling wine production
- The Vienna Woods (Wienerwald) rolls across the northwest of the city, crisscrossed by hiking paths and forest roads. Consider routes 1 to 4A on the city’s walking route suggestions
- Once you emerge from its famous entertainments, the Prater park actually offers an 11km hiking route through meadows, pastures and open woodland
- The Lainzer Tiergarten (Lainz Game Reserve) has deer, wild boar and more, but also the Hermesvilla, a 19th-century summerhouse for Empress Elisabeth
- Schönbrunn Palace has a surrounding park and gardens which includes a decent amount of woodland and tree-lined avenues for those seeking shade
See here for more details of these and other attractions and activities suited to staying cool.