Sea of ​​Lights at the Danube Island Festival: Memory of victims from Graz!

Sea of ​​Lights at the Danube Island Festival: Memory of victims from Graz!

Graz, Österreich - On June 20, 2025, Vienna will again become the stage of the popular Donauinselfests . This year, however, the festival is shaped by a special sympathy. Just a week after the tragic killing spree in Graz, in which eleven people died, the festival with a sea of ​​lights at 9:58 p.m. on the opening day shows that solidarity and empathy are among its basic values.

The SPÖ Vienna has organized the sea of ​​lights, which will take place on all stages of the festival. They invite all festival goers to join together and to commemorate the victims and their relatives together. "We are making a sign of connection with Graz," explains an organizer.

For 42 years the Danube Island Festival A fixed institution in Vienna and attracts over a million people every year. It is known for its wide music program and the variety of culinary offers. With numerous stages-including a children's stage-and over 1,000 artists, the event is the largest open-air festival in Europe.

In the early years, the festival was strongly shaped by a family atmosphere. Memories of the first festival in 1984, organized by Harry Kopietz, show how modest everything started. At that time, the first cardboard cups that lined the island the next morning were symbolically for the start of a great tradition.

a festival for all

year after year, the Danube Island Festival has developed into a magnet for Viennese and tourists. Even though the 2020 Coronabed Festival could not take place in the usual framework, it has nevertheless conquered a permanent place in the cultural calendar through innovation and adaptation. "The festival is indispensable," says Kopietz and the statistics show that: over 7.5 million sausages and 10 million beers have been sold over the years.

Another important aspect is the compatibility of celebrations and sustainability, such as the use of reusable cups that have been Standard since 2005. This not only ensures entertainment, but also for the environment. The motto "Together, Peace, Solidarity, Empathy" sums it up and shows that the Danube Island Festival is more than just a festival - it is a symbol of the community.