Salam Salon

The festival center “Salam Salon” serves as a popular gathering place for the festival community at Spektakel Wien. Orwa Saleh Orwa Saleh, the host, warmly invites everyone to the salon, where music, conversations, film, art, and culinary delights are shared in an open space.

As part of the "Salam CEU" project, students from the Central European University (CEU) have designed several programs specifically for Salam Salon.

On event evenings, the Mosaic association, takes care of the culinary experience. They view cooking with women as a creative process and integrate art therapy into their work.

Saturday, 29.03.2025 – 6:00 PM & 7:30 PM
Reorienting: Echoing the History of the Festival & Salam Sessions

For over two decades, Salam Music Festival has brought the vibrant sounds, rhythms, and stories of North Africa, the Middle East, and beyond to Vienna audiences. This year, Spektakel invites you to revisit the festival’s journey – a celebration of music, art, and social connection that has shaped Vienna’s cultural landscape. Step into the past and present of Salam Music & Arts Festival, explore iconic performances, and engage with a legacy of community, artistic expression, and cultural dialogue. 

Following the exhibition, the Salam Sessions will take place at 7:30 PM, curated and organized as always by oud-player Orwa Saleh.The evening will begin with a performance by cellist Rina Kaçinari and her new duo project with Orwa Saleh. Afterward, the stage will be open to all musicians and music enthusiasts.

Saturday, 29.03.2025 – Sunday, 06.04.2025
The Carpet Mosaic: A Collective Collage 

This installation transforms the familiar image of the carpet —a symbol of home across many cultures— into a collective, shared creative experience. Step in and be part of the artwork! Choose and arrange images of carpets from different cultures represented at the Salam Music Festival over the years. Each piece comes with details about its origins and the stories woven into its patterns. Together, we will create a layered, evolving collage that reflects the deep connections between music, tradition, and the spaces we call home. 

Wednesday, 02.04.2025 – 6:30 PM
Documentary Film: „No Land’s Song“ & Panel Discussion

Join us for a screening of the powerful documentary No Land’s Song by Ayat Najafi, which follows composer Sara Najafi 's fight to revive female solo singing in Tehran. The film highlights her fight for musical freedom and the broader struggle of women in Iran to reclaim their artistic voices.

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with artists and researchers from the region, reflecting on the situation of artistic freedom in Iran during the past decade – exploring challenges, resilience, and current fight of the voices that refuse to be silenced. 

Panellists: