edition Nr 04

GRAZER IMPRO FEST - (GIF) 

26. AUGUST - 01. SEPTEMBER 2026, SEVEN DAYS IN VARIOUS LOCATIONS: SCHAUMBAD - FREIES ATELIERHAUS GRAZ / DIE FLÖSSEREI / AKROSPHÄRE / CAFÉ STOCKWERK / FORUM STADTPARK

Interdisciplinary walkin‘ flowin‘ jugglin‘ relaxin‘ cookin‘ sparrin‘

The Graz Improfest Episode 04 invites you to experience the power and potential of improvisation in all its facets. The focus is on creative spontaneity and the collective exploration of sound, expression, and presence. In addition to a lecture-performance on a floating raft, we invite you to blind dates with outstanding improvisers, workshops, play-fights, acrobatics and yoga, audiovisual and open improv sessions, listening sessions, and interdisciplinary performances.

In August 2026, the Grazer Impro Fest (GIF) will open its doors for the fourth time. We invite you to experience the power and potential of improvisation in all its facets. The focus is on creative spontaneity and the collective exploration of sound, expression, and presence. For one week, Graz will become a meeting place for musicians, performers, and anyone interested in improvisation—or simply curious— who wants to try something new beyond fixed structures! 

WORKSHOPS + LECTURES + CONCERTS, GATHERINGS, TALKS, PERFORMANCES 

Let it flow

We kick off the first day of the festival with a lecture-performance at the “Flösserei” featuring improvisation and nature expert, sound artist, and flutist Sabine Vogel. We’ll drift along the Mur River on a raft and immerse ourselves deeply in nature. Another special highlight this year is the Styrian Improvisers Orchestra, which, with its collective musical language, impressively demonstrates just how multifaceted and dynamic improvised music can be when performed by an ensemble. This time, the British guest conductor is the legendary improviser Steve Beresford, who is also a co-founder of the London Improvisers Orchestra.

Let’s gather

BLIND DATE - Meet, greet, and play: An evening dedicated to performances by outstanding improvisational musicians in a blind date format. The concept of the gathering is an open, participatory practice that focuses on making music together, listening, and spontaneous interaction. Regardless of prior musical experience, everyone is invited to become part of this lively process – body awareness, listening exercises, and participation with instruments, voice, or movement are at the center. In play-fight sessions set to improvised music, forces can be tested playfully and in a safe space to foster conscious encounters.

Let’s soundpaint

The Vienna Soundpainting Collective’s program promises to be particularly exciting, featuring an artist talk, workshop, performance, and improv session throughout the entire Sunday. As always, the Graz Impro Fest offers a week full of collective experiences: open digital and analog spaces, workshops, gatherings, concerts, and performances. Roles blur: performers become listeners, the stage dissolves, the audience intervenes, objects begin to speak, bodies respond. Everything is in flux.

ARTISTS:

AKROSPHÄRE, ALEKSANDRA ŠKRILEC, ALYONA PYNZENYK, ANA DSTOJIC, ANABEL SCHEFFOLD, ANNA GRENZER, AXE GRAZ, BINTANG MANIRA MANIK, COINCIDENCE ENSEMBLE, DEAE, DJ SNIFF, DOMINIK KREUZER, ELENA ARBONIES, EMILIO GORDOA, EUNHYE KIM, FELIX MARTL, FILIP NOVAKOVIC, GRAZER IMPRO KLUB, HANIC SOLEIMANI, JOSEF BÖHM, JULIA LUSSER, KASHO CHUALAN, KATHARINA KLEMENT, MIA ZABELKA, MURII ANDA, OSZILOT, RADIO HELSINKI, SABINE VOGEL, SARAH KREUZ, SÁRKÁNY LÁSZLÓ, STEFAN TIEFENGRABER, STEVE BERESFORD, STYRIAN IMPROVISERS ORCHESTRA, SUSANNA GARTMAYER,TONY ELIEH, VINCENT PONGRACZ, VIENNA SOUNDPAINTING COLLECTIVE ...

Initiator & Artistic Director: Keyvan Paydar, Curatorial Team: Keyvan Paydar & Annette Giesriegl, Sound design/Website: Denovaire, Production management: Jasmin Haselsteiner-Scharner Grafik design: Viktoria Lieb

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