WHAT'S NEW!? #65 - VILLACH IN AUGUST 2026

The welcome2villach team collects the most important news from around Villach in a compact, monthly “News Story”, with links to more information. In August, Villach comes alive with the city's famous Kirchtag festival and a vibrant cultural programme, while new housing developments, progress on the NikolaiQuartier and an award for the Education Campus underline the city's continued investment in the future.

• Villach celebrates the Kirchtag: Until August 2nd, Villach is once again celebrating the Villacher Kirchtag, one of Austria's largest and most popular traditional folk festivals. The highlight of the week takes place on Saturday, August 1st, when around 2,000 participants in traditional costume parade through the city centre in the spectacular Kirchtag procession, starting at 3 p.m. To make getting to and from the festivities easy and convenient, the popular Kirchtag BUS:SI shuttle service is once again available. From 6 p.m., buses are free of charge for holders of the Kirchtag Heart badge, as well as Kärnten Ticket and Climate Ticket users, with services running until after midnight and into the late evening.
   
• New affordable housing in Schlossgasse: Construction has recently begun on 12 new subsidised apartments opposite Villach's ice arena. The fully accessible homes will offer between 55 and 62 square metres of living space, each with a balcony or terrace. The project is being developed by the non-profit housing association meine Heimat, with support from the City of Villach and the Province of Carinthia. Completion is expected after approximately 18 months of construction.
   
• First milestone for the NikolaiQuartier: Another important step in the development of the new NikolaiQuartier will be reached in August with the submission of the first construction phase. The project, Haus im Leben ("House of Life"), will create 59 new apartments, modern facilities for Caritas services and a new youth centre for the City of Villach in the heart of the city. Designed as an intergenerational neighbourhood, the development encourages community living and mutual support. A publicly accessible park will further enhance the area. Completion is scheduled for 2029.
   
• Education Campus receives State Architecture Award: The Education Campus Bildungscampus – Am Stadtpark has been honoured with the Carinthian State Architecture Award. The jury praised the project, designed by balloon architekten ZT-OG, as an outstanding example of combining heritage conservation with contemporary architecture. Following the comprehensive renovation of the former Richard Wagner School, the campus now provides modern learning and childcare facilities for the primary school, kindergarten and childcare centre.

• Women's Award 2026 for schau.Räume: The founders of the Villach-based association schau.Räume, Katrin Ackerl Konstantin and Rosalia Kopeinig, have been named recipients of the 2026 Women's Award. For many years, they have used artistic projects to address issues such as feminism, queer identities, migration, violence prevention and social justice, bringing diverse lived experiences into the public eye.
   
• More nature in the city: Villach is participating as a project partner in the Interreg project "NatUrA – Nature in Urban Areas", which officially launched with a kick-off meeting in Bolzano. Together with partners across the region, the project aims to implement further measures to strengthen biodiversity in urban areas. Local businesses are also invited to take part in the initiative.
   
• Road improvements and new cycle path: Following the Kirchtag festival, the City of Villach will begin a comprehensive road resurfacing programme covering several major streets, including Badstubenweg, Warmbader Straße, Ossiacher Straße, Purtschellerstraße and Tobias-Bürg-Straße. An efficient thin-layer asphalt technology will be used to reduce construction times while conserving resources. Construction will also begin in August on the first section of a new shared pedestrian and cycle path along Vassacher Straße, between August-Jaksch-Straße and Rennsteiner Straße, improving both safety and comfort for cyclists.
   
• Events: Even after the Kirchtag celebrations, Villach's summer programme continues without pause. On August 4th, the association GEMMA celebrates its 18th anniversary with a large open-air concert party on Rathausplatz featuring regional artists and free admission. From August 6th to August 25th, the Villach Summer Cinema once again transforms the courtyard of the Music School into a charming open-air cinema. Music lovers can enjoy Villach unplugged on August 7th and 8th, when around 30 musicians and ensembles turn the city centre into an open stage. BEACHZONE Villach returns to Rathausplatz from August 15th to August 30th, while the Urban Art Festival on August 22nd and 23rd, together with the regular DRAUpuls light shows, will keep the city centre alive with art, light installations and entertainment throughout August.