Salam Music is an interdisciplinary music, art, and culture festival focused on the SWANA region (Southwest Asia and North Africa), which has been taking place at various venues in Vienna for over 20 years. The festival showcases different cultures and art forms through exciting and innovative artists. The main focus of the program is music, but the diverse spectrum also includes visual art, performance, and interdisciplinary participatory dialogue formats. Salam Music presents international and local artists who aim to engage and connect with people through their art, creatively highlighting global contexts and universal themes.
The music program features not only classical and traditional ensembles but also many contemporary styles, ranging from rock and post-punk to electronic music. Since 2017, international guests such as Ghalia Benali, Kiya Tabassian, Yasmine Hamdan, Emel Mathlouthi, Souad Massi, Aïta Mon Amour, Rasha Nahas, Alsarah & the Nubatones, Bab L’Bluz, Gaye Su Akyol, Renaud Garcia-Fons, Faiz Ali Faiz as well as local artists like the Orwa Saleh Ensemble, Kurdophone, Sofia Labropoulou Ensemble, Mahan Mirarab Ensemble, Golnar Shayar, Marwan Abado, Sakina Teyna – to name just a few – have been key ambassadors of the festival's vision. And many more extraordinary artists will continue to enrich the festival and inspire people in the future!
The Archive contains detailed program information from past years.
24th festival edition — April 17–26, 2026
The 24th edition of the Salam Music festival will take place from April 17 to 26, 2026, at various venues throughout Vienna. As in the past three years, Salam Music has invited a guest curator to help shape the music program this year—we are delighted to welcome Mohamed Ben Saïd to the team for the Salam Music 2026 music program.
Guest Curator 2026: Mohamed Ben Saïd
The Tunisian cultural entrepreneur, festival director, and music curator brings over 20 years of experience in concert organization, artist management, booking, and international touring. As founder of Akacia Productions (Tunis/Paris), Mohamed works with some of the most exciting artists on the alternative Arab scene and beyond. Through his work, he has transformed places such as the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Dougga in Tunisia into vibrant cultural meeting places where cultural heritage, contemporary music, and new social impulses converge.
His curatorial vision focuses on empowering artists, fostering intercultural dialogue, and promoting sustainable music ecosystems — building bridges between Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Festival history from 2002 to today
In 2002, the former director of the venue Szene Wien, Norbert Ehrlich, founded the Salam Orient Festival. The impetus for this was the events of 9/11. Norbert Ehrlich aimed to counteract the generalized opinions and prevailing image of the Arab world. This still remains a core mission of the festival to this day. Through its wide range of music, art, and culture, Salam Orient presents a nuanced perspective.
After 15 successful, intensive and beautiful years, Norbert Ehrlich handed over the festival in 2017: Katrin Pröll has taken over the directorship and together with Martina Laab, who serves as an advisor to the festival, has continuously developed the program's direction.
The diverse music program ranges from classical and traditional ensembles to bands in the rock, alternative and electronic genres. A new development in 2020 was an art section featuring visual arts curated by Christine Bruckbauer from the art space philomena+. Additionally, literature events and various dialogue formats such as artist talks, presentations, and workshops take place.
In 2023, a festival center was established for the first time, curated and organized by oud player Orwa Saleh . Also part of the core team is Regina Fisch from Tumulttotal, who has been responsible for communication and public relations since 2022. Since 2023, Stefan Wackerlig has been providing essential support to Salam Music in the areas of technical operations and production. Çağla Aydın and Vera Riesz have been indispensable as production assistants since the 2024 edition of the festival. Together, the dedicated team passionately creates a 10-day international festival celebrating music, art, and culture.
