Common Diversities Festival 2026: A Two-Day Celebration of Culture, Community, and Connection in Vienna

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Vienna is gearing up for a vibrant weekend of cultural exchange and dialogue as the Common Diversities Festival takes place on September 11–12, 2026. Organized by Sentro, the event brings together artists, activists, psychologists, and community members from across Europe and the diaspora for panels, workshops, and artistic performances.

Children and youth up to 18 years old enjoy free entry, while adult admission is priced at € 18, which includes one food coupon. Online tickets are available now.

Event Schedule Overview

Friday, September 11

16:00 – 17:00 | Arrival & Welcome Desk
17:00 – 17:20 | Opening Remarks & Introduction to Sentro and the Common Diversities Project
17:20 – 18:20 | Community Talk
18:20 – 18:30 | Keynotes
18:30 – 19:00 | Live Performance by the Common Diversities Festival Youth Dance Group (led by Raffi)
19:00 – 20:30 | Informal Networking & Reception

Saturday, September 12

08:00 – 08:45 | Registration, Welcome Desk & Breakfast
08:45 – 10:15 | Clay Palayok Workshop (Traditional Filipino handbuilding vessel workshop exploring ancestral memory)
10:15 – 11:30 | Embodying Bayanihan (A 75-minute body- and resource-oriented workshop with psychologists Marlisa Strauss and Helena Bartels)
11:00 – 12:00 | Artist Talk Part I: Echoes of the Unsaid with Silke Lapina and Ralph Chan
12:00 – 12:50 | From Bayanihan to Belonging: Voices Across Generations and Cultures panel featuring Minitta Kandlbauer, Maria Zelda Rojas, Romeo Molina, and Arlene Castañeda
12:50 – 13:30 | Lunch Break
13:30 – 14:30 | Community Conversation: Wow, you are not a nurse? Tell me more! (Challenging stereotypes and unlocking diverse professional talents in Austria)
14:30 – 15:30 | A Live-Podcast on Community Empowerment with Marina Wetzlmaier and Simon Inou („Gekommen, um zu bleiben“ / Anti-Racism initiatives)
15:30 – 16:05 | Rumble in the Archive: Who Gets to Tell the Story? presentation and discussion with Stephanie Willi
16:05 – 16:20 | Artist Talk Part II: Clay, Culture, and Connection with Ralph Chan and Alyssa „Mayari“ Gruezo
16:20 – 17:10 | Video Reading: „Homestories“ – Korean Diaspora in Vienna with Vina Yun and Susanne Songi Griem
17:10 – 18:00 | Zwischen Tagalog und Deutsch (Literary translation discussion and reading with Annette Hug and Arlene Castañeda)
18:00 – 18:50 | „Trailing Waterflows“: Video Podcast and Live Talk with UrbanNomadMixes founders Camilo Antonio, Franz Prüller, Pri Elamthuruthil, and Neda Hosseinyar
18:50 – 19:30 | Pahinga (Rest Break)
19:30 – 20:30 | Artistic and Cultural Performances by SangHimig Choristers, Cherubim, Our Lady of Sorrows Singers, and the Youth Dance Group
20:30 – 22:00 | Concert, Karaoke, DJ, and Closing Party

Key Highlights & Workshops

Saturday’s program offers hands-on experiences and thought-provoking discussions. Notably, the Clay Palayok Workshop and the Embodying Bayanihan session require advance registration, which closes on August 31.

Throughout the afternoon, panels will challenge narrow professional narratives surrounding the Filipino diaspora in Austria, examine postcolonial archives in Zurich, and highlight cross-cultural connections—from the Korean diaspora in 1970s Vienna to contemporary literary translations between Tagalog and German. The festival culminates in a lively evening celebration featuring choirs, dance groups, karaoke, and a DJ party.

For more information and to secure tickets, visit the official festival updates page: Common Diversities Festival Archive – Sentro