Evenings & festivals

For two days there’s a festival on the west shore of the Turnersee at the Bike Break. From 11:00 more than 20 regional craftspeople offer jewellery, home and garden decorations and culinary treats, and a DJ plays. For children there’s a petting zoo, a craft corner and face painting, and in 2026 also juggling and acrobatics shows, graffiti and breakdance workshops, a bouncy castle and a tournament on the giant table football. You can easily stroll there on foot.

One September evening, the Seelach-Zentrum on the west shore of the Klopeiner See becomes a meeting place for regional food: producers from southern Carinthia offer their specialities, such as the well-known Jauntaler salami, with drinks by the lake – a convivial end to the swimming season. No detailed programme has been published; check the date and schedule in advance with the tourist information in Seelach.

On summer evenings, brass bands, choirs and small bands play all around the Klopeiner See – on the lake promenade on the north shore in Seelach, on hotel terraces and in restaurants. In 2026 the evening series “PromenadenZauber” ran on the waterfront promenade (August to September, evenings from 18:00). The dates change every year; the current programme is in the events calendar on suedkaernten.at and is posted at the tourist information office in Seelach.

On selected summer evenings the lake promenade on the north shore of the Klopeiner See in Klopein becomes a lively place to stroll: from 18:00 there is live music, stalls with regional food and drink and plenty going on by the water. You wander along the promenade, have a bite to eat and stay until it gets dark over the lake. Entry is free, and for families and couples it is an easy evening without the car, as there are bus stops right on the north shore.

The highlight of the summer on the Klopeiner See is “See in Flammen” (“Lake in Flames”), one of the biggest lake fireworks displays in Austria, held every year at the beginning of July. On the evening before, the PromenadenZauber invites you to stroll along the north-shore promenade; on the main evening there is a farmers’ market, street theatre, jugglers, music and fire shows from the afternoon onwards, before the big fireworks light up the sky over the lake at 23:00.

Throughout the season there are more festivals: the family lake festival at Whitsun with lots of attractions for children, the Seefestl am Turnersee in early June (right near us), the fun Sautrogrennen (pig-trough race) at the end of July, in which teams paddle across the lake in wooden troughs, and the Genuss-Seefest in September with regional specialities. From May to September a water and light show also paints colourful pictures on the Klopeiner See every Thursday and Sunday. The exact dates change every year – we are happy to tell you what’s on during your stay.

Once every summer, teams race each other across the Klopeiner See paddling wooden troughs of the kind once used for scalding pigs. The event is organised by the Musikverein Möchling-Klopeiner See brass band and takes place at the Campingbad Nord on the north shore. Most recently, around 30 teams took part. You can watch from the shore, with brass band music, dancing and food. Bring the children – they have especially great fun – and pack sun protection and swimming things.

Since summer 2026, images have been projected onto a water screen around 40 metres wide on the north shore of the Klopeiner See after dark, accompanied by music and light effects. Two productions by Austrian artists are shown: the fairy tale “Elementaria” about a fairy from the Klopeiner See, which children enjoy too, and the abstract image-and-sound work “ÆTERNA PROFUNDIS” by Studio MO:YA. You watch from the shore at the Strandbad Camping Nord lido, and admission is free.

Carinthian folk song (Kärntnerlied) and Slovenian choral singing are part of everyday life in southern Carinthia: almost every village has a choral society, often bilingual. In summer the choirs perform at song evenings, lake festivals, village fairs and in churches – mostly in the evening, often outdoors, and frequently with free entry or a voluntary donation. Dates are announced at short notice, so look out for posters in the villages and the region’s events calendar.

Southern Carinthia is a sunny part of the world – and clear summer nights are plentiful here. In St. Kanzian the IAAZ astronomy club has run the Helmrich-Lambrecht-Sternwarte (observatory) since 2009. In the summer months the club members invite you to evening guided tours: through the telescopes you look at craters on the moon, the rings of Saturn, Jupiter with its moons or distant star clusters, and the volunteer astronomers are happy to answer every question from young and old.

Because everything depends on the weather, dates are announced at short notice – a tour only takes place under a clear sky and with enough people signed up. A tour usually lasts around an hour and a half and only begins after dark – a special adventure for children, who for once get to stay up late.

The Casino Velden stands right on the Corso, the lakeside promenade of Velden am Wörthersee. Roulette, blackjack and poker are played at the tables, and there is also a slot machine area. You can eat beforehand in the restaurant “Die Yacht”; packages such as “Dinner & Casino” combine dinner and gaming chips. Entry is from age 18 with a valid official photo ID – copies or digital IDs are not accepted.

For an evening out, allow for the drive to the Wörthersee and set off in the late afternoon: first a stroll along the promenade, then dinner and the casino. Smart casual clothing is expected; evening wear is not necessary. The casino is also a welcome change for adults on rainy days.

Every August the Earth crosses the dust trail of a comet, and the Perseids appear in the night sky. Around the peak on 12/13 August you can see up to 60 shooting stars an hour under a clear, dark sky, most of them in the second half of the night. The best place to watch is away from the lit-up lakeshores, for example in a meadow or on a rise towards the Karawanks. Lie down on a blanket, give your eyes 20 minutes to adjust to the dark and simply look up at the sky – you don’t need a telescope.

At the Moped-Nostalgie-Treffen, old 50 cc mopeds and light motorcycles gather at the Gasthof Wallerwirt in Gösselsdorf. On both days a guided ride sets off at 11:00 – in 2026 on Friday towards Globasnitz and on Saturday as a lakes tour with a stop at the Klopeiner See. On Friday evening there is a barbecue in the apple orchard, where you can take a leisurely look at the machines. On Sunday the meet ends with a late-morning drinks get-together (Frühschoppen).

On the Feast of the Assumption, the centre of Globasnitz/Globasnica turns into one long festival street with market stalls, music and farmhouse food. In the Jauntal valley, “Farant” used to be the end of a hard week’s work on the farm, celebrated with a snack, cider and dancing. The day begins with a pilgrimage mass, at 10:30 there is the festival procession and the tapping of the first beer barrel, and at 17:00 the Jauntaler Salamikrone is awarded for the best farmhouse salami.

Two weeks before the Bleiburger Wiesenmarkt, the Freyung is set up at Kiki Kogelnik’s Freyung fountain on the 10.-Oktober-Platz. The decorated pole with the town’s coat of arms and a wooden sword arm is a medieval symbol of market freedom. As the bells ring, the town judge leads the town council and groups in traditional costume in a procession from the town hall to the fountain, accompanied by accordion music. Afterwards there’s the first Wiesenmarkt mead from the Lebzelterei Stöckl and the tapping of a beer barrel. The ceremony is short and easy to combine with a stroll through Bleiburg.

Since 1393, the Wiesenmarkt has been held on the market meadow in Bleiburg around St Giles’ Day (1 September) – the oldest and largest folk festival in Lower Carinthia. Over four days, around 340 exhibitors line up across almost 7 hectares: stalls selling household goods and crafts, gingerbread and doughnuts, farm machinery, plus a Ferris wheel, rides, a petting zoo, a traditional outdoor bowling alley and festival tents. On Saturday the festival parade makes its way across the grounds. Allow half a day; it’s quieter in the morning.

If you want to experience Carinthia at its warmest, go to a Kirchtag (village fair). In many villages around the Klopeiner See the feast of the parish patron saint is celebrated in summer – with Mass, brass band music, dancing and Carinthian delicacies, often organised by the fire brigades and local clubs. Locals and guests naturally sit at the same table, and quite often a Carinthian song rings out, in some places in Slovene too, because southern Carinthia is bilingual. The dates are usually announced at short notice on posters – just ask us where the next one is.

The biggest event in the region is the Bleiburger Wiesenmarkt at the beginning of September: held around St Giles’ Day since 1393, it is the oldest and largest folk festival in southern Carinthia – with around 300 stalls, a Ferris wheel, a craft market and a petting zoo.

At the end of July the Petzen Bergbahnen and the mountain’s residents celebrate the traditional Almkirchtag (alpine village fair) at the little chapel of St. Hubert and St. Anna, right next to the top station of the cable car. The day starts with a Frühschoppen (late-morning drinks with music), at 11:00 there is an open-air festival mass, and afterwards it carries on with live music, dancing and food and drink at the huts. On this day the cable car runs from as early as 7:00; if you prefer, you can walk up.

Every year at the beginning of August, the Stadtrichter association holds a three-day street festival in Klagenfurt’s old town. In 2026 it took place for the 30th time. On six squares there is live music from jazz and rock to folk music, plus jugglers, stilt walkers, acrobatics and barrel-organ players. Carinthia’s largest flea market also takes place, and there is a dedicated children’s area (Kinderwelt). The innkeepers keep everyone supplied with food and drink.

The Wiesenmarkt, first recorded in 1362, is Carinthia’s oldest folk festival. It starts on the last Saturday in September with a big procession through the town and lasts ten days: a funfair with rides and a children’s lane, festival halls with music, festival inns, a traders’ and flea market, and local traditions. On the last evening the “Freyung” is ceremonially taken down to close the market. A rewarding outing for guests at the end of the season, especially with children.

The Villacher Kirchtag is one of Austria’s biggest folk festivals. For a week the old town becomes a festival zone: live music on several stages every day, folk-costume groups, market stalls, festival tents and fairground rides. The highlight is the big folk-costume parade on Saturday. In the evenings it gets very crowded and loud – for a more relaxed visit with children, the afternoon is better.

Once a year, at the beginning of September, the Bürgerlustpark in Völkermarkt, high above the Völkermarkter Stausee, becomes a meeting place for wine lovers. Around 20 winemakers from Carinthia, other parts of Austria, Slovenia and Italy pour their wines, accompanied by dishes ranging from venison goulash to Kaiserschmarrn, wine ice cream and live music until well into the evening. The festival is organised by the Wirtschaftsverein Zukunft Völkermarkt.

When the buckwheat – called “Had’n” here – blooms pink in the Jauntal, the municipality of Neuhaus celebrates its Had’n Herbstfest (autumn festival). The innkeepers serve Had’nsterz, Had’nkranznudeln and other buckwheat dishes, along with regional produce and local customs. At the Jauntaler Had’nzentrum in Schwabegg you can see the Had’n mill, and since 2026 the Landgasthof Hafner has had the GenussWerk with a self-service shop for Had’n and Jauntal salami.

For ten days, everything on the Lorettowiese next to the Basilica of Maria Loreto in St. Andrä im Lavanttal revolves around chicken and turkey. Eight innkeepers from the region cook 35 to 40 different poultry dishes, from Carinthian classics to international recipes. There’s live music every day and a supporting programme, one highlight being the Highlander competitions. Admission is free – you only pay for what you eat and drink. A good plan is an afternoon trip to the Lavanttal that turns into an evening on the festival grounds.

For four days in mid-September, Udine’s old town becomes Friuli’s big food festival. Around the Piazza Libertà and in the lanes of the old town, stalls offer Friulian wines, San Daniele ham, Montasio cheese and gubana. The osterie stay open late, and there are tastings, workshops and concerts, with a closing concert on Sunday. Plan a whole day for the trip. The easiest option is to park on the edge of town and walk into the old town.

In autumn, Southern Carinthia celebrates its harvest with wine, cider and food festivals, such as the wine festival in Völkermarkt, the Had’n-Fest in Neuhaus or the Sittersdorf wine festival. The tourism region’s culinary bus takes you to selected festivals and back again, so you can leave the car behind and relax over a glass of wine. The timetable and stops are announced for each festival – ask at the tourist information beforehand.

Since 2006 an association of music lovers has turned the Sonnegger See near Sittersdorf into a small festival site for one weekend in July. On an open-air stage and a tent stage, international and Austrian indie and singer-songwriter acts perform – in 2026, for example, Kate Nash, Cari Cari and the Babyshambles. The festival is run by around 400 volunteers; with about 2,500 visitors it stays intimate and is usually sold out months in advance.

Once a year, on a weekend in July, Klagenfurt’s Ostbucht (east bay) becomes a huge open-air stage: at the Starnacht am Wörthersee, Schlager and pop stars perform live, and the show is broadcast on ORF and MDR. In the audience you see the TV production up close, with the stage right on the water. In 2026 around 14,000 visitors came over two evenings. Buy your tickets in advance, and in good time.

Every summer Ljubljana turns into a festival stage: opera, ballet, orchestral concerts, jazz, musicals and world music, mostly in the Križanke open-air theatre, a monastery courtyard redesigned by Jože Plečnik in the old town, and on Congress Square. An evening concert combines well with a day trip to the city; allow around an hour and a half for the journey back. Tickets are available online via Eventim and at the festival box office.

For nine days at the end of June and beginning of July, the Festival Lent turns the old town of Maribor into one big open-air stage. At more than 20 venues between the Drava riverbank in the Lent quarter and the city park, there are concerts from pop to jazz, international folklore, street theatre, dance, opera and a children’s programme. In the evenings you can sit at the stalls on the Drava bank and listen to the music; for the big concerts you need tickets.

To open the season, the Klopeiner See becomes an open-water course: in the morning you can swim the Welcome Swim over 5 km, 2.5 km, 1.5 km or 500 m, with children starting over 250 and 500 m. In the afternoon comes the Swim Run Swim – swim, run along the lakeshore, swim again – with separate classes for children and young people. Start and finish are at the Strandbad Richler lido, with changing rooms and toilets on site; watching from the shore is free.

In September 2027 the Austrian Popular Sports Federation (ÖVV) is hosting the IVV Hiking World Championship around the Klopeiner See and the Turnersee. Anyone can join in, and it is not about times. You can choose routes from 6 to 24 km, such as the promenade loop around the Klopeiner See, the Gracarca heritage trail or the 3-lakes tour, plus a marathon. The warm-up programme includes guided tours on the Petzen and in the Karawanks. Start and finish is the K3 event centre in St. Kanzian.

On Austria’s National Day, the Naturfreunde Petzen invite you to their traditional autumn hike up their local mountain. Together you climb through the mountain forest in its autumn colours via Feistritz ob Bleiburg, and at the top you can enjoy the clear long-distance view over the Jauntal as far as the lakes. Taking part is free; if you ride part of the way on the cable car, you only pay for the lift ticket. Bring sturdy shoes, warm clothing and something to eat.

Once a year Klagenfurt becomes a triathlon stage: around 3,000 athletes swim 3.8 km in the Wörthersee, cycle 180 km through Carinthia and finish with a marathon along the lake and into town. As a spectator you don’t need a ticket – the best spots are the swim start early in the morning at the Strandbad Klagenfurt, the run course at the Ostbucht and the finish in the evening. Bear in mind that roads are closed on race day.

Every year at the end of August the Wörthersee turns into a running course for a weekend: on Sunday the half marathon runs from the Schlosshotel Velden along the south-shore road to the Running City at the Metnitzstrand in Klagenfurt, while the quarter marathon and the Wörthersee Walk start in Pörtschach. The Night Run kicks things off on Friday evening, and on Saturday there are children’s, family and even dog runs. In 2026 around 10,000 people took part. It is also well worth going along to watch, on the course or at the finish.

Every year at the beginning of September, the Faaker See becomes a meeting point for motorbike fans from all over Europe for a week: hundreds of thousands of visitors come for rides, live music, traders’ stalls and motorbike shows, centred on the Arneitz grounds in Faak. The highlight is the big Harley parade on Saturday. If you like motorbikes, it is a real festival; if you are looking for peace and quiet at the Faaker See, better plan your trip for another time.