In Vienna on Friday the 36. Danube Island Festival started – in almost perfect conditions. The sun was shining and the temperatures were summery for the numerous visitors. High politics was also present at the kick-off. Mayor Michael Ludwig (SPo) completed the obligatory tour in the afternoon.
Ludwig had brought almost the entire city government with him. That the large Inselsause is organized by the SPo, was at the latest at this time no longer to be overlooked. For the political celebrities were flanked by large bunches of red balloons as they strode to the photo opportunity on the working world island.
After the rendezvous with the photographers Ludwig went to pay his respects to the various stands. So he was allowed to examine for example with the Viennese gardeners the one or other freshly planted little plants. For the city and party leader, who was newly elected last year, this is only his second island festival in this function. But he is still a veteran. "The Donauinselfest has been with me for 36 years, I was there when it was founded", he revealed.
Opening with Mando Diao
The rest of the program takes place on the stages. 13 stages will be played this year, about 1.500 artists are in action. Headliners include Austropople legend Wolfgang Ambros, Seiler& Speer, Christina Sturmer or the Swedish indie band Mando Diao.
Mando Diao closed the first evening of the Vienna Donauinselfest with a routine performance on the main stage, which was played by o3 on Friday. With two new songs they rewarded their fans with a foretaste of the upcoming album. In total, the organizers counted a million visitors on the first day of the festival.
After the energetic performance of Folkshilfe, the Swedes had a hard time keeping up the same momentum with the audience. At the latest to the hits like "Down In The Past", "Long Before Rock’n’Roll or "Dance With Somebody but the crowd had danced warm and sang along loudly.
Mando Diao, who are celebrating their 20th band anniversary this year, are no newcomers to the Donauinselfest, having already headlined the FM4 stage two years ago. In their performance today, Friday, the band, dressed all in black, relied on a mixture of songs from the latest album "Good Times" and old hits.
Jugo without urdens
Before Mando Dia, rapper Jugo urdens kicked off his performance on the FM4 stage by announcing that he will no longer use the surname urdens and will only appear as Yugo in future. It is phonetically identical, but spelled differently "the best car in the world", like the singer its fans eintrichter. Dem "Yugo" has dedicated the rapper (the current) album and song. The hymn to the rather infamous than famous small car worked well and clearly has what it takes to become a hit.
"Runs brother runs", the catchy hookline of "Lauft" (Running), a further title from the album, likewise invited to sing along. Beautiful, and almost contemplative, the number "I don’t understand". The song "Woman even got the man with the very short hair an appearance in the eponymous magazine, as he revealed.
New women’s stage
At the Vienna Donauinselfest there is a separate women’s stage for the first time this year. The aim is to motivate more women to visit the festival and to increase the number of women on the stages. For on the stage of the newly created "Ebner-Eschenbach Area" only female artists are allowed to perform.
The new area was set up where last the "Praterinsel" with rides such as Tagada or Breakdance attracted. At first glance, the area named after the writer Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach is no different from the other areas. In the pleasantly shaded area in front of the stage, both women and men gathered on Friday afternoon – because they are very welcome in the audience, as the organizers emphasized.
On Friday evening Jazz Gitti stood on the "Ebner-Eschenbach-Stage, for the Saturday are among others Yasmo& the Klangkantine as well as the Kernolamazonen announced, on Sunday then Birgit Denk and Virginia Ernst.
Day two gets wet
On Saturday u.a. Wolfgang Ambros, Seiler& Speer, Christina Sturmer, Die Seer and the rapper Yung Hurn on the program. As far as the weather is concerned, the motto today is "No risk, no fun"."
According to meteorologist Christian Csekits from the Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics, who is monitoring the weather for the Donauinselfest, it could get very wet at times today. In the afternoon, when ever increasing crowds of visitors stream towards the island, it becomes cloudy at first. At times, rain showers and thunderstorms will also descend, he announced in a written update this morning. It could also rain heavily. At least Csekits has one piece of good news: "It’s not a continuous rainstorm, so there will be dry spells in between." Also in the evening and at night it remains changeable with partly thundery rain showers. The maximum temperature is about 26 degrees.
In view of the only moderately joyful weather prospects, visitors should not forget the rain protection. But: umbrellas are forbidden on the festival grounds and will be removed.