The mdw’s first-ever Pop-Up Advent Calendar this past December saw musical performances play out at various spots all over Vienna—getting the public in the Christmas spirit in a special way and making for unforgettable concert moments.
24 Days of Music, 24 Encounters: A City Full of Surprises
From 1 to 24 December, the mdw opened a new “door” every day—surprising people in a different district of Vienna each time with pop-up concerts by up-and-coming young musicians at unconventional locations. A central point in planning this musical Advent calendar was for its pop-up concerts to be freely accessible to all, allowing music to be heard and experienced live outside of the city’s major concert halls.
In cooperation with the City of Vienna, the festive opening concert took place at the Vienna City Hall: “Silent Night”, performed by the Motus Quartet, resounded amidst the imposing ambiance of this history-steeped stone structure as did a devotional yodel sung by mdw Rector Ulrike Sych and Vienna’s Executive City Councillor for Cultural Affairs and Science Veronica Kaup-Hasler together with the entire audience. Cooperating with the city also paved the way for a concert at second-hand retailer “48er Tandler” in Margareten, where piano-and-saxophone sounds enthused shoppers as they browsed through well-preserved vintage items.
The sites at which these performances took place—ranging from shopping centres like Lugner City and Kaufpark Alterlaa to Vienna Central Cemetery, the Engelmann figure-skating rink, and the open-air market Kutschkermarkt in Währing—were just as diverse as the artists who performed. Among the performers were singer-songwriters such as Emma Winter, trios like “dirndlarei”, saxophone and string quartets, and also larger ensembles like the “Salonorchester der Wiener Schätze”.
Another special highlight was the “Christmas Song Sing-Along” at the mdw Campus in Vienna’s 3rd district, where neighbours, entire families, and other members of the interested public joined mdw students, teachers, and employees to form a Christmas choir.
Those who missed these unique pop-up concerts can look forward to the 2026 Advent season, when the mdw’s Pop-Up Advent Calendar will celebrate its next edition with a new batch of pre-Christmas musical highlights.
