NEWS: 2026 Festival postponed until 2027 and OPEN CALL deadline extended

Due to a significant reduction in our MA7 funding for 2026, WIENWOCHE will be adapting its programme structure for the coming year. Our commitment to artists, communities, and grassroots cultural work remains unchanged therefore we want to respond to the new financial framework with transparency, responsibility and care.

The most important changes are that we will continue with the current theme “AGE OF DESCENT(DISSENT)” of the WIENWOCHE 2026 open call but with an adjusted timeline and scope as follows: 

1. Applicants are invited to propose their projects but with the change that these will only be publicly realised in 2027. We want to offer our sincere apologies to everyone who has already applied with the hope to realise in 2026. We fully recognise the time, labour, imagination, and emotional investment that goes into preparing an application. As a result we will allocate time for project development and financial support to do so in this “bridging” time in 2026. Selected projects will receive a 5.000 EUR support budget for this work. On top of this a package of workshops and project support for this project development will be offered by each of the external jury and members of the WIENWOCHE team.

2. An amount of 10 - 15.000 EUR per project is foreseen for the 2027 edition of the festival and the concept and topic where “AGE OF DESCENT(DISSENT)” remains also the same. We are hoping we can guarantee this as a minimum and MA7 have informed us that they are trying hard to secure this for us.

3. As a result of these major changes the open call deadline has been extended to January 18th 2026 to accommodate this extra news and to allow us to consider the kinds of projects which would need support and development to work with us in this interim period until 2027. This also affects the selection process which will be postponed. Applicants will be informed on next steps after the open call deadline.

WIENWOCHE has always existed in dialogue with political realities so this coming year we will have to adapt but we are determined not to step back. We see our actions as key to ensure the continuation of WIENWOCHE according to its values and history as part of a wider effort to sustain the independent scene in this difficult political and financial situation for the freie Szene and we will work in exchange, solidarity and collaboration with partners also affected. We remain dedicated to building solidarities, amplifying marginalised voices and keeping alive the spirit of dissent that has shaped WIENWOCHE since its beginning and we will ensure that 2026 becomes a meaningful, generative year leading toward a strong and ambitious festival edition in 2027.