Wanda, Ambros, FW: The Danube Island Festival starts on Friday

He surrenders in three days 14 stages Total 700 hours of free software. Musical highlights from the 41st edition of the festival include Wanda, Ronan Keating, Der Nino from Vienna, Wolfgang Ambros and Christina Stürmer. However, thunderstorms and climate protests can dampen the party's mood somewhat.

17 themed islands

As usual, the outdoor party extends over 4.5 km. A total of 17 themed islands offer not only concerts but also various sports programs, dancing, cabaret and children's programs from the afternoon hours onwards. However, the main hub is the festival stage, which will once again be shared by FM4, Radio Vienna and Ö3.

Opening day there will be broadcast on FM4. German pop band Provinz will headline on Friday (10:30pm). Before that, there will be a small focus on rap with Juju (8.30pm) and Clueso (7.30pm), after Resi Reiner (6.15pm) will delight the audience with indie songs.

At the same time, the focus is on the talent of the local singer-songwriter on the rock scene, where two very popular stars of the genre appear there: Nino from Vienna (8:05 p.m.) and Vodo Jürgens (9:40 p.m.). Meanwhile, the Schlagerbühne concert features veteran Austrian rock and roll singer Peter Kraus (9.15pm) and Italian-Argentine poet Cimino Rossi (10.30pm).

In the morning, there will be an unplugged concert on the festival stage for the first time from 10.30am with Sasha and Alec from TheBossHoss, moderated by Paralympic swimmer Andreas Onja. The call is general to people with special needs, their families and caregivers.

The festival stage on Saturday is owned by Radio Vienna

The festival stage on Saturday belongs to Radio Vienna. Before Irish singer Ronan Keating – once the voice of Boyzone – plays there (at 10:15 p.m.), the stage is in Austrian hands. Christina Stürmer (8:45 p.m.) will likely attract a lot of visitors, as will Wolfgang Ambros (7:15 p.m.).

The astrpop champion is also celebrating a small anniversary, as he makes his 10th appearance at the Danube Island Festival with his No. 1 from the Vienna Woods. Things look more international on the rock scene, with rockers from Northern Ireland (The Cure?, 8.45pm) and Germany (Madsen, 10.15pm). The visits section on this day will be presented by Claudia Young (6.30pm), Andy Borg (7.45pm) and The Mattacostix (9.15pm), among others.

Sunday: Wanda is in the lead

On Sunday, Ö3 will have his say on the festival stage. With Wanda (9.30pm) fronting, who has just released her sixth album 'Ende nie', things will be very tight again. Pop singer Alice Merton (8pm) and musician Thorsten Einarsson, who was born in Iceland and grew up here, are supposed to spread the good vibes.

On the final day, the rock scene delivers tougher tunes with performances by Emil Bolz (8:15pm) and Skindred (9:45pm), while Mark Bircher (7pm) and Jung Zillertalern (8:45pm) take you back to the idyllic world of popular music He can dive.

Don't forget your rain jacket!

Anyone planning to visit the island should pack a rain jacket – umbrellas are not allowed on site. Because even if a lot of sun and hot temperatures of up to 34 degrees are expected on Friday during the day, according to the Geosphere Austria website, from the current perspective, strong thunderstorms could occur in the evening and night hours.

An APA spokesperson said the outlook for the rest of the weekend remains somewhat challenging. However, one or two showers don't seem to be out of the question on Saturday either, as according to the current situation, the weather on Sunday should be more stable and no longer too hot with a maximum temperature of around 29 degrees.

Exhibition: Danube Island Festival 2023

Climate protests are possible

The party mood may be dampened a bit in the meantime, and not just because of the weather. Because “The Last Generation” had previously announced climate protests at the festival site. Allergy sufferers need to take appropriate precautions, especially due to the high levels of fungal spores and moderate levels of grass pollen.

Although organizers have refrained from announcing visitor numbers for several years, other data surrounding the festival is making people sit up and take notice: some 110 tents have been set up, 450 kilometers of power cables have been laid, and twelve kilometers of barriers have been installed. In addition to the 1,500 employees plus 500 volunteers, there are also 300 security guards and 250 rescue and emergency paramedics. About 300,000 pairs of sausages, 400,000 beer mugs and five tons of ice cubes will be sold at numerous food stalls over the three days of the festival.

It is also necessary to take care of mental health. This year, for the second time, there is a dedicated pastoral care festival in the field of electronic music theater and with touring bands. Pastors, youth workers and teachers from Catholic and Protestant churches listen to people's concerns – regardless of their worldview. People who women who feel harassed can turn to have been making the rounds for several years. They can be identified by stickers that say “I'm your lifeline.”

Access: Public transportation is recommended

When traveling to the festival, it is recommended to give preference to public transportation. The Wiener Linien relies on shorter intervals on festival days and also runs feeder lines U1 and U6 every three minutes in the evening hours. The best way to reach the site by bus or tram is lines 25, 26, 31 and 29A. Here also the time slots on Friday and Saturday nights are shortened. Anyone coming with a bike or e-scooter must park it outside. Such vehicles are not permitted on site.