The Vienna Coffee Festival 2023 drew crowds to Marx Halle from September 8-10, marking a decade of caffeinated celebration. Coffee culture took center stage as attendees investigated festival highlights like tastings, live demonstrations, and product displays.
The venue’s return to Marx Halle—a hub in Vienna’s tertiary district near biotech and media firms—ensured familiarity for returning vendors and streamlined logistics. For history-minded visitors, the adjacent St. Marx cemetery park, now a public green space housing Mozart’s memorial, offered a quiet retreat between coffee tastings. Organizers confirmed the festival will return September 12-14, 2025, keeping the same industrial-chic space for its adaptability to workshops, events, and crowds. The festival reflects the global coffee culture evolution, showcasing the diversity and significance of coffee across different societies. In particular, the event highlighted the principles of third wave coffee culture, which emphasize craft and traceability in coffee sourcing.
This year’s anniversary edition introduced the Vienna Coffee Festival Awards, a premier in its 10-year history. Winners were announced live on opening day, with categories spotlighting local businesses and individuals shaping the city’s coffee scene. A partnership with the Vienna Chamber of Commerce added prestige, while sponsorship packages offered growth opportunities, including a €20,000 prize for a leading 2024 supporter.
The awards aimed to deepen industry engagement and recognize innovation, from sustainable practices to customer experience. This year’s festival expanded its cultural offerings with coffee-themed art installations that explored centuries of brewing traditions across continents. Interactive workshops proved popular, like Burgenland baker Ewald Kaiser’s Rainbow Bagel sessions—a colorful nod to community diversity. New “Coffee in Good Spirits” events blended java with cocktails, offering hands-on learning.
Guest shifts at the espresso bar featured baristas from top local cafés, while live music and street food stalls transformed the festival into a multi-sensory experience. The Rainbow Bagel emerged as a culinary symbol, pairing with specialty drinks and drawing lines of enthusiastic tasters.
Accessibility remained a priority, with Marx Halle just steps from the U3 subway’s Schlachthausgasse station and trams 18 and 71. Organizers emphasized walkable transit links to minimize traffic and encourage local and tourist attendance alike.
Visitors praised the venue’s central location, which balanced urban convenience with ample space for sprawling exhibitions. As interest grows, the 2025 dates aim to build on this momentum, leveraging consistent logistics and expanded programming. With its mix of tradition and innovation, the festival continues to brew Vienna’s reputation as a global coffee capital.
