If you want to see all the artworks in Europe’s largest open-air gallery, you’ll need comfortable shoes. You’ll need to plan for exactly seven kilometers of walking if you want to stroll past the nearly 1,500 photographs, some of which are a massive 200 square meters in size. The best part? This massive dose of culture won’t cost you a cent. The La Gacilly-Baden Photo Festival is once again transforming the spa town south of Vienna into a walk-through open-air museum this year.
Starting at the visitor center on Brusattiplatz, the route splits into a garden route and a city route. The massive images blend seamlessly into the public parks and historic alleys of Baden.
Focus on the UK and the State of the Earth
The main theme for 2026 is “SO BRITISH!” The focus here is on the often eccentric everyday life on the island. Among other things, you’ll see works by Martin Parr, arguably the most famous chronicler of English society, and Terry O’Neill, who photographed icons like the Beatles and David Bowie.
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In addition to British humor, the festival takes a deep dive into the state of our planet. The program features a photographic tribute to researcher Jane Goodall as well as images by marine biologist Laurent Ballesta, who dives deep into the fragile ecosystem of our oceans. Those who appreciate in-depth reporting will learn here, through concrete science, how Tyrolean char are used for environmental monitoring.
Queen guitarist and Magnum legends
For tech and music fans, there’s a real rarity this year: Queen guitarist Sir Brian May is exhibiting parts of his private 3D photo collection under the title “Stereoscopic Adventures In Hell.” To mark the 200th anniversary of photography, a historic Kaiserpanorama will be specially set up in the Kaiserhausgarten for the occasion.
In addition, this year the festival is celebrating a large-scale retrospective of the legendary photo pioneer and Magnum founder Robert Capa.
Last year’s open-air exhibition was a huge success, drawing over 336,000 visitors. So you have all summer and fall to enjoy international photographic art in a green setting without having to wait in line for a ticket.
📸 Location: La Gacilly-Baden Photo Festival
📍 Starting point: Brusattiplatz Visitor Center, 2500 Baden
💶 Admission: Completely free
📅 Date: June 12 – October 11, 2026
