Culture and Local Tradition of Linz
The third largest city in Austria, Linz is a dynamic and varied cultural center with a wide range of activities, establishments and projects. From classical music to modern media arts, from historical heritage to future-oriented innovation, Linz presents its cultural richness and inventiveness in many ways. The city has forty-three galleries and exhibition halls, thirteen cultural centers, one club and four educational institutions.
The Culture Mile and the Festivals
The Donaulände, sometimes known as the Culture Mile, a park along the Danube connecting two of Linz’s main cultural venues – the Lentos art museum and the Brucknerhaus concert hall – is one of the most notable features of its cultural environment. Young people love the park to relax and enjoy the view of the river and the city. It also hosts many celebrations showcasing the variety and inventiveness of Linz culture.
Made up of annual events in early September, the Ars Electronica festival is one of the best-known celebrations. Celebrated at the intersection of art, technology and society, the festival features events, exhibitions, seminars and lectures hosted by activists, scientists and artists from around the world. The Ars Electronica Center, a museum and research center considered the core of media art in Linz, is behind the event.
Every year at the end of summer, the Stream Festival also attracts many people to the Culture Mile. The celebration of Linz’s musical and cultural variety honors local and international musicians of all origins and genres. From June to August, the festival also offers free concerts at the Musikpavillon, a pavilion in the park open Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The Street Art and the Capital of Culture
Every July, the Pflasterspektakel, an international street art festival held on and around Landstraße and the main square, showcases Linz’s active street art culture. Hundreds of performers – musicians, dancers, acrobats, clowns, magicians and puppeteers – who entertain attendees with their talents abound at the event. As guests can participate in competitions, games and seminars, the celebration also promotes involvement and interaction.
Much like Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, Linz’s street art culture reflects its cultural diversity, which was noted in 2009 when the city was designated the European Capital of Culture. Linz received this designation for its efforts to preserve and honor its cultural heritage as well as encourage originality and creativity. Throughout the year, the city has planned a range of activities and projects focusing on the themes of history, identity and change, including theatre, films, exhibitions and concerts.
The Media Art and the Open Data
Media art is another area in which Linz is a pioneer; This is demonstrated by its most recent project, the Valie Export Center, inaugurated in 2020. The center resides in the Tabakfabrik, a former tobacco factory transformed into a creative center. Serving as an international research center for media and performance arts, the center is a cooperation between the city and the Linz University of Art and Design. In addition to the heritage and archives of Valie Export, Linz’s best-known media artist and winner of numerous national and international awards.
There are other media art archives in Linz, apart from the Valie Export Center. Since its founding in 1979, the city has also held the Ars Electronica archives, which include documentation and artwork from the festival. These two archives combined make Linz one of the most important media art sites in the world.
In the area of open data, i.e. the concept of making data freely available and accessible to everyone, Linz is also in the lead. Launched in 2009, the Open Commons Linz project offers a wealth of data on urban life, local government, leisure and tourism, including geodata and statistical statistics. With the Public Server, the municipal cloud accessible to any resident of Linz, and the Hotspot project, which installed 202 hotspots offering free WLAN, Linz is the leader in Europe when it comes to universal access to open data.
Music in Linz
Named in honor of Anton Bruckner, one of the most prominent composers of the 19th century, the Brucknerhaus is a well-known concert hall in Linz. Born near Linz in Ansfelden, Bruckner lived most of his life in Upper Austria. Located on the banks of the Danube, about 200 meters from the Lentos Art Museum, the Brucknerhaus opened in 1974. The Bruckner Orchestra, which presents both modern compositions by Austrian and foreign composers as well as classical music, has taken up residence at the Brucknerhaus. In addition to cultural events throughout the year such as the International Bruckner Festival, the Linz Fest and the Ars Electronica Festival, the Brucknerhaus also organizes. With 1,420 seats, the Brucknerhaus offers an astonishing perspective on the river and the city. Every music lover visiting Linz must visit the Brucknerhaus.
Opened in April 2013, the contemporary opera house The Musiktheater is state-of-the-art. With five stages of different sizes and a sophisticated acoustic system, this opera house is considered one of the most modern and inventive in Europe. From operas and operettas to ballets and musicals, the Musiktheater presents a diverse range of events. While some projects are adaptations of ancient or modern works, others are original creations by Austrian and international artists. In addition to a shop, café and restaurant, the Musiktheater also hosts Located next to the central station in Volksgarten Park, the Musiktheater is It is best to enjoy the art of musical theater in Linz at the Musiktheater.
In Linz, the Landestheater regional theater has a long and rich heritage. Founded in 1803, the Landestheater resides in the center of the city on the Promenade. From classic plays and comedies to modern tragedies and experimental works, the Landestheater presents a range of theatrical events. The Landestheater also has a section for young audiences, known as u\hof:, which presents theater productions aimed at children and adolescents. Equipped with a hydraulic elevator and a revolving stage, the 800-seat Landestheater is The Landestheater offers Linz access to the artistic theater scene.
Linz’s other scene is lively and varied, offering an array of musical and creative manifestations that challenge mainstream society. Founded in 1979, the independent cultural association Stadtwerkstatt is one of the best-known sites of the alternative movement. Located on the north bank of the Danube in the Urfahr district, close to the Ars Electronica center, the Stadtwerkstatt organizes, in addition to various creative and cultural events, including exhibitions, seminars, conferences and festivals, musical concerts. The Stadtwerkstatt is also home to Café Strom, a café/bar where you can enjoy a drink and chat with nearby activists and artists. In Linz, the Stadtwerkstatt is a place to appreciate underground art.
Cinema and film in Linz
Since the end of the 19th century, Linz has had a long and rich cinematic heritage. In 1896, in Linz, in a vaudeville theater known as “Roithner’s Vaudeville”, Upper Austria held its first film screening. Since then, Linz has seen several cinemas, film festivals and films evolve. Among the most important cinemas in Linz are the City-Kino, specializing in independent and arthouse films, Austria’s oldest theater, the Moviemento, which shows the latest blockbusters and 3D technology. Additionally, Linz hosts the Linz International Short Film Festival, which highlights the best foreign short films in several genres and categories. Iranian-born director and producer Parisa Ghasemi launched the celebration in 2018. The festival seeks to encourage diversity and inventiveness in short film production as well as communication and interaction between viewers and creators.
Culinary specialties in Linz
With a varied cuisine for all tastes, Linz is also a city of gastronomic pleasures. Regional and seasonal foods like potatoes, cabbage, pork and fish shape traditional Linz cuisine. Linz’s usual delicacies include strudel, a pastry with a thin crust and sweet or savory filling; knödel, a dumpling made from bread or potatoes and filled with meat or cheese; and Linzer torte, a cake with a lattice shell and jam filling). Besides other restaurants and cafes offering unusual and international cuisine like Italian, Turkish, Chinese, Indian and Thai cuisine, Linz also has some of Linz’s best-known chefs, including Georg Essig, owner of Der neue Vogelkäfig, a restaurant with innovative flavors. and modern, and Lukas Erich, who runs Verdi, a Mediterranean cuisine restaurant. Celebrating its gastronomic diversity and culture, Linz welcomes guests to savor its excellent and distinctive cuisine.
Regular events in Linz
- Ars Electronica Festival: Celebrated since 1986, the Ars Electronica festival is a brilliant example of media art with events, concerts, seminars and interventions in public space. An unmissable event, themes like “RADICAL ATOMS” and “Artificial Intelligence – The Alter Ego” captivated the public.
- Black Humour Festival: Organized every two years at Posthof, the Black Humor Festival brings together European participants for a humorous show guaranteed by laughter and entertainment.
- Bubble Days: LI.K.I.DO organizes an annual event in June called Bubble Days, which features extreme sports events, art exhibitions, live music and boat tours, providing a distinctive experience in the port of Linz.
- Christkindlmärkte: Overflowing with seasonal joy and mouth-watering cuisine, savor the festive atmosphere at the Christmas markets on Hauptplatz and Volksgarten.
- Crossing Europe Film Festival: A cinematic extravaganza since 2004, the Crossing Europe Film Festival presents films from around the world complemented by events, talks and live music, becoming a film buff’s paradise.
- Donau in Flammen (Danube in Flames): Experience musical fireworks along the Danube from June to August, a symphony of lights and sounds not to be missed. Donau in Flammen, Danube in flames.
- Festival der Regionen: Celebrating local art and culture every two years, the Festival der Regionen explores ideas such as ‘the other’ and ‘marginal areas’, providing a distinctive perspective on regional identity.
- Höhenrausch: Since 2009, Höhenrausch has been an annual art project exploring the concept of “the other shore” using works by international artists placed in various locations and locations.
- International Brucknerfest: Since 1977, the international Brucknerfest has been a classical music spectacle that partners with Ars Electronica and Klangwolke to rival the grandeur of Vienna and Salzburg.
- Kinderfilmfestival (Kid’s Film Festival): A global children’s film festival, the Kinderfilmfestival (Kid’s Movie Festival) presents original language films with live syncs, providing plenty of fun for young movie fans.
- Kinderkulturwoche (Children’s Week of Culture): Children’s Cultural Week, or Kinderkulturwoche, is a varied program of performances, seminars and introductory courses for children and adolescents intended to inspire invention and discovery.
- Klangwolke (Cloud of Sound): Combining music, lasers and visual creativity to create an immersive experience for more than 110,000 attendees, Klangwolke (Cloud of Sound) is an annual outdoor multimedia event.
- Linzfest: Celebrated since 1990, Linzfest honors culture with events ranging from theater to art installations to gastronomic delights, all around a different theme each year.
- Pflasterspektakel: Attracting more than 250,000 people each year, Pflasterspektakel is one of the largest street art events been in Europe since 1986, offering musical acts, juggling, acrobatics and much more.
- Stadtfest (City Festival): Held in August, the Stadtfest (City Festival) attracts around 100,000 people to the center of Linz presenting live music of several genres.
The History and the Future of Linz as a Cultural City
Linz has not always been a cultural city. In reality, he must confront and overcome a dark and terrible past. Once Nazi Germany acquired Austria in 1938, Linz became a playground for Adolf Hitler’s power fantasies. Originally Führerstadt, the city where he grew up, Linz was to develop as a major industrial and commercial city as well as a center of European art. Hitler wanted to create a large museum complex to house his own art collection and saw Linz as a showcase of Nazi philosophy and taste. However, his ideas were never implemented and Linz suffered significant damage and losses during World War II.
Declared a city of peace in 1986, Linz sought to combat all kinds of political extremism, racism and anti-Semitism. Part of this dedication was and still is the critical study of the city’s Nazi past and the tribute to the victims of the Holocaust and other victims of atrocities. Furthermore, Linz strives to promote a culture of tolerance, diversity and communication as well as friendly and productive interaction with surrounding nations and regions.
Linz was awarded the title of European Capital of Culture in 2009 in honor of its cultural potential and successes. Supported by the federal, state and city governments as well as additional EU funds, sponsors and ticket sales, the “Culture Capital Linz” initiative was financed equally. The renovation, development and construction of cultural institutions, including the Ars Electronica Center, musical theater and exhibition halls, attracted a total of more than 70 million euros. Alongside these efforts to beautify the town were added improvements to the promenade and the parish square.
Recognized as a “City of Media Arts” in 2014, Linz is now part of UNESCO’s global network of creative cities. Cities that effectively support and integrate media arts receive this distinction, thereby improving urban life and including civil society in these electronic creative forms. Along with Enghien-les-Bains, Lyon, Sapporo, Dakar, Gwangju, Tel Aviv-Jaffa and York, Linz is one of eight cities in the world that can call itself a City of Media Arts. The network seeks to encourage local and global cultural growth, help realize current potential and provide jobs supporting the social and economic goals of cities. Together with St. Pölten, which aims to improve collaboration and cultural exchange between the two cities, Linz is also part of the “Culture Connects” program.
From its grim past to its dynamic present as a cultural metropolis, Linz has evolved considerably. It has shown its ability to change and reinvent itself, to welcome and celebrate its diversity and inventiveness, to motivate and interact with its residents and guests. Linz is always on the move and constantly looking for new approaches to transmit and explore its cultural heritage.
