21 things you need to do to make the most out of November in Vienna

Starting this Saturday, the contemporary music festival, Wien Modern, will be inviting you all to a series of exciting cultural encounters. Basically it’s all about contemporary arts music and let us tell you, it’s cutting edge stuff! Check out the full programme for more details

Have you also always dreamed of watching a performance about chopsticks and sushi? Yeah? Us too! So we’re happy to tell you that from November 2nd to 5th, we can do exactly that at Odeon. We can’t tell you everything about the performance because we’re not big spoilers but just to not leave you completely clueless: It’s a performance inspired by Anime, showing you the story in bits and pieces, just like in the comics.

You know that energetic sound of music that floats over to us from the Jewish people of Eastern Europe now and again known as Klezmer? If you don’t, you haven’t lived…well, danced. And if you do, you’ll know how energetic this instrument filled music can be and how it can be to dance to. And there’s a whole festival of it coming to Vienna this month! Local and international Klezmer ensembles will be filling venues all around town with the good vibes music. Be sure to check out the programme!

In June, the Ottakringer Brauerei will turn into that huge and hip market that brings a bunch of talented and up-and-coming independent designers together in one place, again – the Feschmarkt.

Around 250 stands, filled to the brim with art, fashion, jewelry and other cool kinds of unique design pieces just to make your inner-hipster scream with joy.

And did we already mention the abundance of tasty street food there’ll be on offer? ‘Cause, ya know, shopping makes everybody hungry.

Art & Antique will take you back in time by presenting notable pieces of work from over 29 exhibitioners in Hofburg. If you’re a fanatic for old porcelain table-sets and can’t get enough of well-aged furniture, then this is the right spot for you. No worries if you don’t know your Ottoman from your side-table. The event’s organisers will be more than glad to help you with any questions. And there will also be paintings and these kinda things, so really: Don’t you worry.

We might not necessarily be fond of the cold, but we do love our reindeer-motifed, wooly jumpers, our comfy thick socks and hats and our knitted underwear (yes, we knitted them ourselves ;-).

While rearranging your closet sounds boring, it can actually be quite fun and meditative. Put on one of your best playlists and dive into your wardrobe.

A tradition that sprang way back from a saint’s feast day sees people flocking to Gasthäuser (traditional Austrian taverns) to dine on delicious, succulent roasted goose. Martinigansl is a traditional dish of roasted goose accompanied typically by potato dumplings and Rotkraut. Get goose or go home this month (except you vegetarians and vegans… you guys, just ignore this tip altogether).

Tip: Check out our list of the places to get a quality Martinigansl experience.

This festival will be screening international films for kids (starting at age 4)! The topics range from a young girl that gets adopted by a gorilla to one that follows the hardships and complexities of developing romantic feelings for your best friend. Check out the full programme and find the film that’s right for you…um, we mean your kids.

With so many culture events taking place – be it exhibitions in museums, powerful plays on theatre stages, art shows that scratch that inspiration itch – getting your daily dose of culture in Vienna is easy-peasy. That is, if you have our awesome art and culture guide, which tells you all about the best events happening in Vienna right NOW (or soon-ish). If you think we’re missing any important ongoing culture events, drop us a message on Facebook, Instagram, or the good old, oldschool way, via mail.

Book enthusiasts and passionate readers will once again be spoiled by choice at this international book fair happening over 5 story-filled days at the Messe Wien, and many other locations around the city. So pack your reading glasses and warm up your fingers for some serious page-turning this month (or clicking if you read your literature on an e-book). There are many readings and discussions on the agenda so you might want to plan ahead and choose whatever sparks your interest.

Soooo there’s a really cool exhibition at FLOMYCA (Floridsdorf Museum of Young and Contemporary Art) happening at the moment. ‘New Beginnings’ is all about diversity. Six artists from very different corners of the world are showing you their angle on the subject.

Good to know: There are curator’s tours, chats with the artists, a networking brunch and a studio visit! Check out the link for specifics!

With a focus on films for, by, and about Queer* minorities the international Queer Minorities Film Festival will take place at the Schikaneder. Support this movement and these people fighting for acceptance, make their voices heard, and resist the growth of anti-minority sentiment lurking around the place. You can find more information on the programme online.

This week, the Vienna Art Week is taking place in numerous locations around the city. This is a very broad event with all kinds of performances for you to get in touch with the city’s artistic scene. There will be exhibitions, talks, guided tours, performances, movie screenings… you name it, they’ve got it. Check out their programme and plan your artsy week!

Yeaaah so Monet is definitely not from Vienna. BUT très bon for us – we got the opportunity to dive into his world! Go to Marx Halle to get the full-on, immersive experience of Monet’s work. With 76 moving images and music from Debussy to Ravel, designed to impress the impressionist you truly are inside.

That familiar and pleasant smell of Maroni (chestnuts) roasting on an open fire begins to invade the streets as Autumn sets in in October, as the little stands selling them open up around the city.

Even better, you can partake in an old Tyrolean tradition that saw farmers visit each other at this time of year after the grape harvest to try the first young wine of the season and east chestnuts.

So why not plan a chilly day meet up with friends where you hit up a Maroni stand, bring your own wine and do like the Tyrolean farmers do.

If you’re a fan of those beautiful music genres called Jazz and Swing – there is somewhere you should go this weekend. You can either sit and melt away by listening to the ‘Kurt Prohaska Trio’ performing at ‘Wiener Metropol’, ooor you could go wild and swing around the dance floor with your swinging dancing legs!

The prettiest cinema in town is hosting a special kind of film festival dedicated solely to the region of Central America. Films, shorts, and documentaries from Central America will be screened in the Metro Kinokulturhaus, sprinkled with exotic events, such as cocktail nights and live music, this intimate festival is worth checking out. Be sure to check out the complete festival programme!

Tis’ the season, and in Vienna this many people’s favourite season simply thanks to those charming Christmas markets! A wonderful vibe spreads around town as markets bloom all over Vienna, and the smell of cinnamon, mulled wine, and sweet desserts fill the air. Be sure to get some Beeren Punsch in, get in the spirit, and enjoy every chance this season to get drunk at the market. And it just so happens we put together a list of our favourite Christmas markets. 

Veganism is a big thing in this country, and the lifestyle is becoming more and more popular as more and more people come to understand that good tasty food can also come minus the meat. Nearing the end of this month, vegans and all of those interested can learn and explore more about the Vegan lifestyle at the fair happening within the fancy halls of the MAK. Vegan Planet Wien is all about exhibiting the ways of a healthy and mindful lifestyle. There will be vegan products galore on show, workshops (including cooking!) and yoga sessions. If you want more info about what will be happening over the weekend, check out the website.

Join this well-established autumn highlight for 3 nights of Indie Folk tunes that will speak straight to your melancholic heart. The dark and intimate interior of Porgy & Bess will host national and international artists that will awaken the blue bird inside of you. And while we totally made that one up and don’t know what it means, we still advise you to check out the lineup and then rush to get your ticket organised.

Yes, there’s a weekend in the month of November dedicated to that beautiful amber (now coming in a multitude of colours thanks to the craft beer trend) drink we know as beer. From tastings by large and small breweries to brewing workshops, and expert talks – they’ll have it all in the massive space of the cattle shed turned event venue, Marx Halle. If you’re a craft beer fan, this is something you won’t want to miss!

How it works? You buy tokens at a counter which is like magic beer money – you give the person behind a beer stand some tokens, and they give you a beer.