Film Festival at Vienna’s Rathausplatz
It’s one of the most popular summer events in the heart of the city and Europe’s largest cultural and culinary festival with free admission: The Film Festival at Rathausplatz founded in 1991 and located between Vienna City Hall and the Ringstrasse boulevard.
New era with a new look for the 35th anniversary
For this anniversary edition, the Film Festival is being presented in an even more open and urban way, with flowing transitions between the cinema and catering areas. Five imposing canopies called “Skyliners” will give the square a distinctive appearance and provide protection from the sun and rain. Another new feature is the Stage on the Ring for live performances and 50 chilled Viennas – the iconic Viennese street furniture – in the cinema area.
Impressions of the Film Festival 2018-2024
Music, good food and a party atmosphere
Outstanding music productions, a place for social gatherings and top-quality culinary delights – the Film Festival offers all of this at a magical location in the heart of the city. We are looking forward to a truly spectacular program in 2025. Movies from a wide variety of genres will be shown every evening on the 300-square-meter screen, ensuring there is something for every audience. The Gastro Mile invites diners to go on a culinary journey around the world: Numerous gourmet food stalls offer freshly prepared dishes from all over the world from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., with closing time at midnight.
Movie genres by day of the week
In 2025, the film program will follow a thematic weekly pattern – a common theme running through the days of the week, as it were.
Monday: classical music and national and international opera productions.
Tuesday, Wednesday: various styles of music from operetta and musicals to ballet, jazz, world music, Austropop and rock.
Thursday, Friday, Saturday: great voices, legendary concerts and current pop productions.
Sunday: Opera, presented by the Vienna State Opera
Plenty of pop and rock
The Film Festival will combine great stage moments from previous decades with recent highlights:
Billie Eilish – Live at the O2
Harry Styles – Live in Manchester
Katy Perry – The Prismatic World Tour
Oasis – Live at Wembley
Whitney Houston – The Concert For A New South Africa
Bruce Springsteen: solid rock energy for the 50th anniversary of the legendary album “Born To Run”
Best of Glastonbury with stars such as Coldplay, Dua Lipa, Shania Twain, Elton John, Guns N‘ Roses.
Austria 3 – Live in Schönbrunn: Austropop from the year 2000 with Fendrich, Ambros and Danzer.
And much more from artists including P!nk, The Rolling Stones, K-Pop-Star Rosé, Queen, Robbie Williams, Tina Turner, Bilderbuch and Seiler & Speer.
Opera, classical and jazz
In addition to Puccini’s La Bohème with Anna Netrebko and Vittorio Grigolo and Richard Strauss’ Elektra with Nina Stemme, the festival offers a variety of highlights. Die Fledermaus – one of Johann Strauss Sohn’s most popular operettas – will be performed as part of Strauss Year 2025 (to mark his 200th birthday!) as a special homage to the Waltz King.
Other movie highlights include Verdi’s Macbeth (a modern production by the Salzburg Festival), George Bizet’s Carmen (a Royal Opera House production), Gustav Mahler’s epic 9th Symphony (165th birthday) and 360° Swan Lake by the English National Ballet – an immersive dance spectacle.
A Night in Vienna honors the legendary jazz musician Oscar Peterson, who would have been 100 years old in August.
Side events: Jazz brunch, DJs, children’s opera
The Jazz Brunch is an invitation to a musical stroll every Sunday (12 noon to 2 pm). The performances of the Children’s Opera Festival start every Friday at 5 pm on a special screen in the Rathauspark. Before that, the youngsters can let off steam in the activity program offered by Mein SportPlatz. A live DJ will be on hand to deliver great sounds from Monday to Wednesday from 5 pm.
Two (live!) evenings of choral music are planned in partnership with Kultursommer Wien (July 19: pop/rock, July 20: timeless classics). Songwriter Sessions will showcase musical talents on July 12 and August 16.
35th Film Festival on Vienna’s Rathausplatz 2025
June 28 – August 31, 2025
11 a.m. – midnight (food served until 11 p.m.)
Movies begin at nightfall
Free admission!
www.filmfestival-rathausplatz.at
City Hall Square
1010 Vienna
