Festivals And Events In Innsbruck
Festivals are quite important in Innsbruck, the Austrian capital of Tyrol, a city bursting with social activity and culture. Along with classical music, opera, and theater, Innsbruck has a great variety of events including sports, carnivals, and Christmas markets across the year.
Air & Style: The Ultimate Snowboard Festival
Undoubtedly recognized to snowboarding aficionados is the most well-known snowboard event in Europe, Air & Style. Rather than only a competition, Air & Style honors music, culture, and freestyle snowboarding. Here on big jumps, quarterpipes, and rails, the greatest riders from the globe show their skills and creativity. You could even find some of the best artists in the business playing live there. Air & Style is a phenomena rather than simply an occurrence.
The History of Air & Style
Launched in 1994, former snowboard pro and photographer Andrew Hourmont created Air & Style. With an eye on the Straight Jump, often known as the Big Air, his concept was to set up a tournament showcasing snowboarding freestyle ability. Along with another extreme snowboard enthusiast friend, Charly Weger, he planned the first Air & Style Contest in Innsbruck, Austria. Having only expected a few hundred spectators, they were astounded to see thousands of people gather to see the riders do incredible feats and fly into the skies. < The event, which marked remarkable success, hailed the beginning of a new era in snowboarding.
Air & Style has grown into among the most important and prestigious snowboarding events worldwide since then. Drawn to it have been some of the best names in the sport—Jamie Anderson, Shaun White, Travis Rice, Mark McMorris, and many more. Along with new sports including skateboarding and freestyle motocross, it has added competitions in Beijing, China, and Munich, Germany. Its locations and styles have evolved as well. Now a member of the TTR World Tour, the top snowboarding ranking system worldwide, Air & Style has also been acknowledged with a maximum rating of 6 Stars for its events.
Air & Style has also run across other hardships and tragedies along the path. Following the concert, a lethal stampede claimed six lives at the 1999 Innsbruck tournament. The tragic incident that appalled the snowboarding community caused the event to be relocated and the stadium underwent modifications. Another challenge Air & Style faced was the 2002 breakup of the International Snowboarding Federation, therefore endangering the viability of the sport. Still, Air & Style overcome these obstacles and went on innovating and growing.
The Highlights of Air & Style
Over its existence, Air & Style has seen numerous unforgettable events and turning points. The following highlights explain why Air & Style is a memorable event:
- In 1999, Tony Hawk won the first and only Air & Style Skateboard Contest in Seefeld, Austria, beating some of the best skaters in the world.
- In 2000, the prize money for the Air & Style event reached a record high of 250,000 US dollars, which included an Audi A3 for the winner.
- In 2008, Kevin Pearce became the first rider to win two Air & Style events in one season, winning both the Straight Jump in Munich and the Quarterpipe in Innsbruck.
- In 2010, Sebastien Toutant won the first Air & Style event in Beijing, China, held at the iconic Bird’s Nest Stadium, the venue of the 2008 Summer Olympics.
- In 2012, Mark McMorris and Yuki Kadono made history by landing the first triple corks at an Air & Style event, a trick that involves three rotations and four flips in the air.
- In 2013, Air & Style celebrated its 20th anniversary with a special two-day event that featured a burn Style Session, where legendary riders from the past and present performed classic tricks, and a 6-star event, where Eric Willett won on his birthday.
- In 2014, Shaun White, a two-time Air & Style winner and Olympic gold medalist, became the majority owner of the Air & Style Company, bringing his vision and passion to the event.
- In 2016, Anna Gasser became the first woman to win an Air & Style event, beating the men in the Straight Jump in Innsbruck with a cab double cork 900.
- In 2018, Air & Style added a new discipline, the Rail Jam, where riders compete on a series of rails and boxes, adding more variety and excitement to the event.
The Music of Air & Style
Air & Style is about music as much as snowboarding. From rock, pop, hip hop, electronic, and more, live performances by some of the most well-known and gifted musicians in the music business abound at Air & Style events. The music acts are deliberately chosen to fit the mood and intensity of the event, therefore producing a special and unforgettable environment. Among the performers that have presented at Air & Style events are:
- Muse
- The Prodigy
- The Black Eyed Peas
- Cypress Hill
- The Hives
- Mando Diao
- The Ting Tings
- Deichkind
- Cro
- Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
- Kendrick Lamar
- Flume
- Major Lazer
- K.I.Z.
- Casper
- Bilderbuch
- Kraftklub
- Wanda
- and many more.
New Orleans Festival: A Celebration of Jazz and Blues in the Heart of Europe
If you enjoy jazz and blues music, you perhaps wish to visit Innsbruck, Tyrol, late July. That’s when the city stages the New Orleans Festival, a yearly celebration bringing Big Easy culture and attitude to the Alps. Beginning in 1998, the celebration boasts a range of local and international performers and free access to all guests.
The Origin of the Festival
Markus Linder, a singer and comedian who developed feelings for the city of New Orleans on a trip, conceived the festival. With the municipal marketing team’s assistance, he planned the inaugural festival edition in 1998 and chose to bring part of its appeal and music to his birthplace of Innsbruck. The celebration has become more well-known and expansive since then, drawing thousands of people annually.
The Venue and the Schedule
Usually taking place at the end of July, the event falls in line with Austria’s summer vacation. The main stage is set on the market square in Innsbruck, a classic and gorgeous area in the city core. Depending on the year and the count of performers, the festival spans four days to one week. Starting in the afternoon, the music go until late at night and provide a vibrant and celebratory environment.
The Artists and the Music
From traditional to modern, from acoustic to electric, from solo to big band, the New Orleans Festival highlights a wide spectrum of jazz and blues forms. Though they hail from several nations and backgrounds, the performers have a love of New Orleans music. Among the noteworthy artists gracing the festival stage are Les Getrex and his band Creole Cooking, Larry Garner, STB Dixie Train, Talismen Blues Band, The Gang ft. Tyrolean Blues All Stars, Clari Musi, Alpendollar, Hot Rod and Jazz Orchestra Tirol. Apart from the events, the festival presents a gospel brunch on Sunday where guests may savor a mouthwatering cuisine and some soulful music.
The Sister Festival in Fürth
The popularity of the New Orleans Festival in Innsbruck motivated a like celebration in Fürth, Bavaria, 1999. With free entrance and three-day events in the midst of the city, the Fürth New Orleans Festival adopts the same idea and structure as the original one. Celebrated in 2019, the event honored the late New Orleans iconic singer Dr. John and had a unique roster of musicians.
International Film Festival Innsbruck
Showcasing films from and about the Global South—that is, Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe—the International Film Festival Innsbruck (IFFI) is among the most esteemed and varied film festivals in Europe. Held yearly in Innsbruck, Tyrol since 1992, the festival seeks to further social justice, artistic expression, and intercultural communication by means of films.
A History of Innovation and Expansion
Founded in 1992 under the non-profit Otto Preminger Institute – Association for Audiovisual Media Design, the IFFI is committed to advancing cinema culture and education. Celebrated to mark the “500th anniversary of the discovery of America,” the inaugural edition of the festival was called the “America Film Festival.” The celebration concentrated on South American films, which the mainstream media and film business sometimes ignores.
The festival debuted the creative “CineVision” program in 1996, which sought to show movies from the Global South challenging Western media’s prevailing narratives and preconceptions. Along with documentaries, short films, and experimental works, the program highlighted movies from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. The initiative drew praise from everyone around and was a success.
The festival added the rebuilt and much bigger Leo cinema to the already-existing Cinematograph cinema in Museumstrasse in 1999, therefore broadening its venues and audience. Three venues were now part of the event to handle the increasing number of films and guests. Reflecting its larger scope and aim, the festival also adopted the International Film Festival Innsbruck moniker.
A Focus on Films from and about the Global South
Films from the Global South—often neglected or underrepresented in the mainstream film business and media—have great emphasis among the IFFI. The festival seeks to give directors from these areas a stage on which to highlight their social concerns, creative vision, and cultural variety. Through the movies, which expose the viewers to several points of view and realities, the festival also aims to promote intercultural communication and understanding among them.
The festival offers experimental and hybrid forms in addition to feature movies, documentaries, short films, and animation. The movies are chosen according on their creative excellence, creativity, relevancy, and social influence. To enhance the movie experience and understanding of the viewers, the festival also plans unique events like retrospectives, tributes, seminars, panel discussions, and masterclasses.
To celebrate the top films and directors in every edition, the festival grants various medals. Among the honors are the Südwind Film Prize, an Audience Prize, the Film Prize of the State of Tyrol, the Prize of the State Capital of Innsbruck, and the Prize of the University of Innsbruck. Experts, scholars, activists, and movie buffs make up a jury deciding the awards.
A Team of Passionate and Dedicated Professionals
Under a single vision and love of movies, a team of enthusiastic and committed experts drives the IFFI. Hans Kohl, a well-known film critic and journalist who has participated with the festival since its start, is the president of it. Helmut Groschup, a film historian and educator, founded and directs the festival; he has been instrumental in developing the concept for it. Anna Ladinig, a film curator and researcher, has been the festival director since October 2019; she has injected novel ideas and viewpoints into the event. Franz Frei and Ute Mader make up the executive committee and handle festival administrative and financial concerns.
Among the several partners and sponsors the IFFI receives are the Südwind Association, the Austrian Film Institute, the State of Tyrol, the City of Innsbruck, and the Austrian Development Agency. The festival also works with several cultural and educational establishments like the Tyrolean Film Commission, the Tyrolean Film Archive, the Tyrolean Film Academy, and the Innsbruck Film School.
A Festival for Everyone
The IFFI is an event open to everyone who like movies and seeks to learn about fresh films, cultures, and viewpoints. The celebration presents a rich and varied slate of movies, events, and activities spanning all ages, tastes, and interests. Low ticket rates and free entrance for elderly, refugees, and students mean that the celebration is also reasonably priced and easily accessible.
The IFFI welcomes everyone to be inspired, informed, and delighted by the movies and filmmakers as well as to participate in the celebration of Global South films. The celebration offers a special chance to interact with other movie buffs and fans as well as to see the globe via the prism of movies.
The Leokino & Cinematograph theaters in Innsbruck will host the next IFFI from May 28 to June 2, 2024. See the festival website at www.iffi.at for further details.
The Four Hills Tournament: A Prestigious Ski Jumping Event
The Four Hills Tournament, sometimes known as the Vierschanzentournee in German or the German-Austrian Ski Jumping Week (Deutsch-Österreichische Skisprung-Woche), is among the most famous ski jumping contests. Comprising four World Cup events, this tournament has been staged yearly in Germany and Austria since 1953. With relatively rare exceptions, the event has mostly consisted in ski jumping contests held in Oberstdorf, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Innsbruck, and Bischofshofen, in that particular order.
The Champion of the Four Hills
The participant who scores the most points across the four Four Hills Tournament events will be the champion. Unlike the World Cup ranking, the winner is decided on the real points scored during the contests rather than the ranking points. Every point matters so, and the smallest error may lose the crown.
Over its history, the Four Hills Tournament has witnessed some spectacular and dramatic events. Janne Ahonen of Finland and Jakub Janda of the Czech Republic both scored the same points in the four events of the 2005–06 season, therefore conferring a shared overall title between them. The Four Hills Tournament has two winners only once, this time.
The grand slam—that is, winning all four events in one edition—was another amazing accomplishment in the history of the Four Hills Tournament. Only three skiers have ever reached this top mark in ski jumping. The first was Germany’s Sven Hannawald, who, honoring the 50th anniversary of the tournament, became the first individual to reach the grand slam in the 2001-02 season. In the 2017–18 season Kamil Stoch of Poland became the second ski jumper in history to reach this mark. Ryōyū Kobayashi of Japan turned out to be the third and most recent grand slam winner in the 2018–19 run.
The World Cup Connection
Apart from a famous tournament in and of itself, the Four Hills Tournament is part of the World Cup circuit. Included in the World Cup, the four separate events apply the same point system as all previous competitions. Comprising a sequence of competitions spread across the winter season in several nations, the World Cup is the top level of ski jumping. Established in 1979, the World Cup has been controlled by European nations mostly including Norway, Finland, Germany, Austria, and Poland.
Depending on their performance and position, the World Cup ranking is derived from the ranking points the competitors accrue in every event. Named World Cup winner based on highest ranking points at the end of the season. Halvor Egner Granerud of Norway, who took home the World Cup trophy in the 2020-21 season, is the present champion.
Offering a unique challenge and reputation for the ski jumpers, the Four Hills Tournament is among the most awaited and thrilling events in the World Cup. Along with supporting their preferred skiers, the Four Hills Tournament is a fantastic chance for fans and onlookers to see some of the finest ski jumping action on Earth.
Alpine Folk Music Competition: A Celebration of Musical Diversity and Heritage
The largest music competition in the nation devoted to Alpine folk music, the City of Innsbruck sponsors the Alpine Folk Music Competition every two years under the Herma Haselsteiner Prize name. Under Peter Margreiter’s guidance, the Tyrolean folk music organization hosts the event—which has been going on since 1974—attracting about 600 people from all throughout the German-speaking Alpine nations.
Comprising four days, the tournament takes place at the Innsbruck Congress Center at the end of October. The second and third days of the event The event seeks to give young musicians and singers from all across the Alpine region chances to participate in musical interactions and highlight the particular singing and musical traditions of the region.
With varied categories and requirements for each, the Alpine folk music competition welcomes singing groups and musical ensembles. Music ensembles have a 25-year age restriction; singing groups have a 30-year age limit. This is mostly meant to inspire small group of young musicians and vocalists. Not subject to this restriction are families and group leaders. Participants in the tournament have access to professional help from both theoretical and practical Alpine country expertise.
Apart from a competition, the Alpine folk music contest celebrates music and culture. The festival offers concerts, seminars, exhibits, and social gatherings where attendees may savor the rich and varied musical legacy of the Alpine area alongside the performers. The occasion also pays tribute to the memory of Herma Haselsteiner, a well-known supporter of folk music and culture who founded the prize in 1974.
An essential component of the identity and history of the people living in the Alps, the Alpine folk music competition is a special and useful forum for conserving and advancing the Alpine folk music. The festival honors the musical diversity and inventiveness of the younger generation as well as strengthens the bond among the Alpine nations.
Innsbruck Festival of Early Music: A Celebration of Historical Music
Celebrated annually, the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music presents Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical era music performed by some of the most outstanding artists in the world. The festival is well-known for its historically informed approach to music, in which case the artists replicate the sound and manner of the past using real instruments, texts, and techniques.
A Long Tradition of Early Music in Innsbruck
Beginning in the Renaissance and Baroque periods, when the city was a political and cultural hub of Europe, Innsbruck boasts a long and rich legacy of early music. Many eminent musicians and composers, including Pietro Antonio Cesti, Heinrich Isaac, and Paul Hofhaimer, lived and worked in Innsbruck as court musicians, therefore helping to shape the local music scene. The city also claimed the Comedihaus, the first free-standing theater in the German-speaking world, which presented outstanding opera events. Influenced composers such Mozart and Beethoven, the instrumental group from Innsbruck at that time finally became the main members of the renowned pre-classical Mannheim orchestra.
Early music in Innsbruck was resurrected and carried on in the middle of the 20th century when local musician Otto Ulf planned the first Ambras Castle Concert in 1963 in association with Ambras Castle curator Lilly von Sauter. Featuring music from the 15th and 16th centuries, the event was meant to honor Tyrol’s 600 years of existence inside Austria. The popularity of the event resulted in the founding of the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music in 1976, the first festival of Renaissance and Baroque music still running today.
A Diverse and Exciting Program of Early Music
Covering several genres and eras of early music, the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music offers a varied and fascinating programme. The festival consists in two sections: the Ambras Palace Concerts introduce the Innsbruck Festival Weeks, which take place yearly in July and August. Held at historical sites in Innsbruck and the surrounding region, including the Imperial Palace, the Court Church, the Tyrolean State Museum, and the Ambras Castle, the festival weeks comprise concerts, operas, talks, masterclasses, and exhibits. With rich costumes and staging, the event mostly centers on Baroque operas—often performed in original or rebuilt forms. From medieval chants and polyphony to Renaissance madrigals and motets, Baroque sonatas and concertos, to Classical symphonies and chamber music, the festival offers vocal and instrumental music as well.
Attracting some of the most eminent early music performers, vocalists, and instrumentalists with established reputation for skill and perfection, the festival draws < Among the prominent vocalists who have graced the event are Jennifer Larmore, various countertenors including René Jacobs, Derek Lee Ragin, Dominique Visse, and David Hansen.
Through the International Singing Competition for Baroque Opera Pietro Antonio Cesti, honoring the Italian composer who worked in Innsbruck in the 17th century, the festival also encourages fresh and developing talents in the field of early music. Starting in 2010, the competition draws young vocalists from all across the globe who vie for medals and chances to perform at the festival and other major events. Often featured as part of the festival program, the competition also provides a forum for finding fresh and neglected Baroque opera compositions.
A Resilient and Adaptable Festival in Times of Crisis
Over the years, the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music has had numerous obstacles; yet, it has always conquered them and carried on its goal of public presentation of premium early music. Political and social upheavals including the end of the Cold War, the growth of the European Union, and the emergence of nationalism and populism have impacted the celebration. Natural events such floods, landslides, and earthquakes have also affected some of the sites and infrastructure, therefore influencing the celebration. The celebration has also had to deal with organizational and financial concerns like staff changes, budget cuts, and lost sponsorships.
The COVID-19 epidemic, which has upset the creative and cultural landscape globally, has presented the festival with the most current and serious difficulty. The epidemic has caused the festival to postpone or call off some of its activities as well as to cut the audience count and artist count at the sites. To safeguard the health and welfare of all those engaged, the event has also had to apply rigorous safety precautions including social separation, mask use, and testing. Notwithstanding these challenges, the festival has not given up on its goal and love of early music; it has adjusted to the new reality by providing online and outdoor events as well as working with other festivals and venues. The festival has also taken advantage of the crisis to examine fresh and creative approaches of presenting and enjoying early music as well as to consider its function and significance in the society.
A Festival Worth Visiting and Enjoying
Not only for early music lovers but also for everyone who values music, history, and culture, the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music is a celebration worth seeing and savoring. In some of the most exquisite and historical venues in Europe, the festival provides a singular and unforgettable experience of listening to and seeing some of the best early music presentations. The celebration also offers an opportunity to explore new and intriguing works and composers as well as to deepen knowledge of the background and evolution of music. The celebration also allows the attendees to offer their thoughts and comments as well as to engage with the experts and artists. Among the people who support the festival, it builds a feeling of community and belonging; among the artists and planners, it promotes camaraderie and cooperation.
