ImPulsTanz expects more than 200,000 festival visits

Vienna’s ImPulsTanz festival expects to exceed 200,000 visits this year, ORF reported. Festival director Karl Regensburger said on Thursday that ticket sales were likely to reach about 49,000 by the festival’s closing day on Sunday.

By the beginning of this week, 47,700 tickets had been sold. With 53,500 tickets issued, including 4,500 free tickets for artists, the press and others, Regensburger expects attendance to be close to 100 percent. The festival is already sold out, he said.

High demand led organisers to schedule 22 additional performances. Regensburger said there could easily have been 10 more, but the team had to stop adding shows because of working-hour and rest-period requirements.

Including the additional performances, the festival has presented 136 shows by 52 companies and artists since July 9. Its workshops and research projects recorded about 47,800 attended course sessions, with 240 workshops and 44 studios offered.

The Public Moves programme, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, is expected to attract 25,000 participants and the same number of spectators by the end of the festival. About half of the projected 200,000 visits will be to free events.

Festival covers 48 percent of costs

Regensburger also praised the festival’s self-financing rate of about 48 percent. Its total budget of 10.8 million euros includes 4.25 million euros in subsidies from the City of Vienna, 1.4 million euros from the Culture Ministry, 650,000 euros from international organisations, and 1.4 million euros from sponsorships and business partnerships. Ticket revenue accounts for a further 2.1 million euros.

Regensburger joked that he was still trying to catch the Salzburg Festival, whose self-financing rate is more than 70 percent, but said ImPulsTanz would never reach that level.

Final performances and closing party

The festival’s final days include Amala Dianor’s premiere of “Underflow” at the Volkstheater on Thursday evening. Chris Haring and his company Liquid Loft will present a spin-off version of “Hold&Resist” at mumok, while Trajal Harrell will collaborate with Portuguese fado singer Lula Pena at Odeon as part of his “Histoire(s) du Théâtre” series.

Austrian choreographer Lisa Hinterreithner will stage the world premiere of “many in a bed” at the mumok Hofstallung. At Kasino am Schwarzenbergplatz, Vienna performance duo maria mercedes will present “shining rose”, featuring imaginative costumes.

On Friday, “the biggest expressions ever” will turn the courtyard of Vienna City Hall into a party venue. French composer and DJ Awir Leon will provide some of the music, while Dianor and his company will invite festivalgoers to take part in performances and battles. Dianor said the evening would focus on freedom and sharing space and movement.