Events, Concerts, Performances

Pre-Opening Walk

Discover the pulse of the festival before it begins. Join the Pre-Opening Walk for exclusive previews, personal encounters with artists, and a journey through Linz’s vibrant art spaces—all in one inspiring afternoon and evening.

Ars Electronica Opening

The Ars Electronica Festival 2025 opens with a grand celebration, commemorating the 200th anniversary of Johann Strauss (son) and 30 years since Austria’s accession to the EU, with global artists setting the stage for the festival program.

Big Concert Night

Viktor Ullmann & Peter Kien / Filharmonie Brno (CZ), Dennis Russell Davies (US/AT)

Composed under the harshest conditions—amid the deprivation, fear, and horrors of the Terezín ghetto, and in the constant awareness of possible deportation to a death camp—The Emperor of Atlantis is a powerful example of artistic resistance and creative resilience. The Train Hall of POSTCITY—Ars Electronica’s main venue since 2015—is a stage charged with profound symbolism for this opera.

The Emperor of Atlantis

Viktor Ullmann & Peter Kien / Filharmonie Brno (CZ), Dennis Russell Davies (US/AT)

On Saturday, September 6, The Emperor of Atlantis returns for its second performance in this year’s Ars Electronica Festival. Staged in the Train Hall of POSTCITY, this location serves as a space charged with profound symbolism. Composed under the harshest conditions this work remains a striking testament to artistic resistance and creative resilience.

Ars Electronica Nightline

From inner chaos to collective resonance, the Ars Electronica Nightline 2025 turns the POSTCITY Train Hall into a pulsating playground of sonic experimentation, physical expression, and emotional intensity. With a strong showing from Switzerland’s thriving electronic scene—presented with the kind support of the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia—this year’s lineup fuses visceral live acts with immersive performances and high-intensity DJ sets.

Theater & Digital Media

Theater has always been an art form that merges and incorporates different media and artistic disciplines. Digital tools have become more present not only in the artistic elements of theater—from stage design to dramaturgical development to audience engagement—but digital technologies themselves have also increasingly become central to what is presented on stage.

POSTCITY Events

POSTCITY, the former postal distribution center at Linz Main Station, will become the stage for a diverse program of events probably one last time.

Deep Space 8K

Since 2009, Deep Space 8K has been a central highlight of the Ars Electronica Festival and a major attraction at the Ars Electronica Center. Equipped with cutting-edge projection technology, it offers a unique immersive experience that captivates audiences with interactive 3D content, ultra-high-resolution imagery and live performances with stunning visuals.

Ars Electronica Campus Events

In POSTCITY and at the University of Arts Linz on Linz’s main square, a variety of different performances await you as part of Ars Electronica Campus alongside exhibitions.

Ars Electronica Center Events

In addition to the exhibitions at the Ars Electronica Center, a series of extraordinary events also take place during the Ars Electronica Festival. First and foremost the concerts and presentations in Deep Space 8K.

Ars Electronica Features Events

Ars Electronica Features is a curated platform that is continued together with international partner institutions. It presents projects in which art and technology come together in a special way.

Ars Electronica Futurelab Events

The Ars Electronica’s artistic R&D laboratory and atelier invites you to participate and create the futures together at POSTCITY and in Deep Space 8K: You have the chance to explore collaborative research prototypes, installations, workshops, talks, tours, multiplayer artworks, and performances.

create your world Events

create your world will once again take place on the first floor of POSTCITY. On 2,000 square meters you can experiment, tinker, present and discuss—you shouldn't miss it.

Ars Electronica Animation Festival 2025

The 2025 Ars Electronica Animation Festival is a platform for exploring the latest developments in digital animation art. Highlighted programs—including the Prix Ars Electronica Best-Of, the thematic program Panic, and Austrian Panorama—celebrate the medium’s rich diversity and dynamic range.

Flood the Zone with Courage

Flood the Zone with Courage is a collaboration between Ars Electronica and the Circus of Knowledge at JKU Linz. The project invites artists, activists, students, and citizens to develop new forms of protest—performative, participatory, and radically collective.

Brucknerhaus Linz

The International Bruckner Festival Linz, organised by the Brucknerhaus, takes place every year from September 4th to October 11th. The visualised Klangwolke, part of the Bruckner Festival, is also staged by the Brucknerhaus.

Pianographique: Mishima-Suite by Philip Glass

Maki Namekawa (JP), Cori O’Lan (AT)

Maki Namekawa—renowned as one of the most distinguished interpreters of Philip Glass’s compositions for piano—will perform a suite of seven pieces from Mishima live in Deep Space 8K at the Ars Electronica Center. The concert will be accompanied by real-time digital visualizations created by Cori O’Lan.