Steirischer Herbst: The visionary autumn that transforms Graz into a stage for contemporary art
- Manuela Lenoci
- Sep 18
- 3 min read
From 19 September to 20 October 2025, Austria's most experimental art and culture festival returns: a month of installations, performances, debates and music immersed in the fairytale setting of the Styrian capital.
Since 1968, Steirischer Herbst has been one of Europe's most innovative festivals: an international platform where contemporary art meets philosophy, theater, electronic music, and the most daring visual arts. The 58th edition will enliven Graz , the capital of Styria in Austria, from September 19 to October 20, 2025 , transforming entire neighborhoods into an open-air museum.
During the festival, the atmosphere of the city changes : monumental installations rise in the squares, old factories become temporary theatres and historic cafés host talks and readings until late at night.
Graz is Austria's second-largest city and is located in the state of Styria ( Steiermark in German), a province in southeastern Austria , about 200 km from Vienna. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its perfectly preserved baroque historic center and, at the same time, for its vibrant creative scene (it was the European Capital of Culture in 2003 and a UNESCO City of Design since 2011).
The unmissable events of Steirischer Herbst 2025
This year, Steirischer Herbst promises to exceed all expectations, transforming Graz into an open-air laboratory of art, ideas, and radical visions. Strolling through Graz during Steirischer Herbst is like entering an open-air art gallery: monumental works and visual performances transform gardens, squares, and baroque facades into dreamlike settings. If you're planning a cultural escape this fall, here are the experiences you shouldn't miss:
Site-specific installations in historic courtyards and city parks
📍 Widespread locations in the historic center and city parks
Always open to visitors throughout the festival (19 September – 13 October 2025)
Free access, no reservation required
Experimental theatre and contemporary performances
Emerging artists and great masters of European theatre bring to the stage works that blend dance, spoken word, and visual arts to address the major themes of the present.
📍 Main theaters in Graz: Schauspielhaus Graz, Helmut-List-Halle, Next Liberty
Evening programming (from 7:00 pm), dates vary
Tickets from €15–30
Electronic Club Nights in the Industrial Temples of Nightlife
When night falls, Graz lights up: in the basement of Dom im Berg and in the converted spaces of the Postgarage , people dance until dawn to DJ sets and international electronic live acts.
📍 Dom im Berg (Schlossberg), Postgarage (Dreihackengasse 42)
Weekends during the festival, from 10:00 PM
Entrance fee: €15–25, reservations recommended
Talks and debates with philosophers, curators and activists
A contemporary agora: public lectures featuring leading figures in critical thinking and the art world, addressing today's social and environmental challenges.
📍 Forum Stadtpark, Kunsthaus Graz, Universalmuseum Joanneum
Morning and afternoon, daily calendar
Free or symbolic entry (€5–10), upon registration
Open Studios & Main Show Paranoia TV
The beating heart of Steirischer Herbst: open studios and a large exhibition spread throughout the city, with immersive installations and site-specific works to discover at your leisure.
📍 Kunsthaus Graz, esc medien kunst labor, Neue Galerie Graz
Daily, 10:00–18:00
Day ticket €12–15 (valid for all partner museum spaces)
How to get there from Bari
By plane: There are no direct flights from Bari to Graz. The quickest option is to fly with Ryanair, Lufthansa , or easyJet, stopping in Vienna, Munich, or Frankfurt , and then continue by train (2.5 hours from Vienna, 4 hours from Munich).
From Graz Airport (Graz Flughafen) you can take the S5 suburban train or bus 630/631, which will take you to the city center in about 20 minutes.
How to participate and purchase tickets
Many events are free, while others require a single ticket or a Festival Pass valid for the entire duration. Tickets can be purchased easily online at the official website www.steirischerherbst.at or at the festival's Infopoint in the city center.
What to see in Graz between performances
Schlossberg and Clock Tower (Uhrturm) – the symbol of the city, from which you can admire all of Graz from above.
Kunsthaus Graz – the futuristic museum of contemporary art (info and tickets at www.museum-joanneum.at ).
Graz Cathedral and Mausoleum of Emperor Ferdinand II ( www.grazer-dom.at )
Murinsel , the floating island on the Mur River designed by the artist Vito Acconci.
For excursions in the surrounding area, you can organize a wine tour through the wine-growing hills of southern Styria (info and reservations at www.steiermark.com ).
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