Elevate Festival - Music, Art and Political Discourse

Graz, Austria, 28 February - 04 March 2018

Elevate is an annual interdisciplinary festival held in various central venues around the Schlossberg in Graz, Austria. With its unique combination of critical political discourse and contemporary music and art, the Elevate Festival stands out of the "usual" festival circus. Amongst the guests are Human rights experts, climate researchers and activists from all over the world, who gather in Graz once a year with musicans and artists, illuminating pertinent issues of our future. The organisational body is a not-for-profit association. Therefore all the discourse and film programme of the festival is free of charge. To get an overview of the topics, speakers and artists of the previous years, check out the history 2005 - 2017 page.

Political Discourse & Activism

With an extensive programme of discussions, workshops, lectures, and film screenings, the Elevate Festival wishes to foster a better understanding of the most important issues of our time. People from all over the world get together to exchange their ideas and views, to analyse complex issues and problems, work out approaches to global solutions and take a public stand on political events.

Democratisation, civil society, climate change and human rights - with issues such as these the Elevate Festival has always strived to analyse current social, economic and ecological developments. But more importantly, its aim is to present alternatives,which can contribute to a better future for everyone. The emphasis on creating a dialogue across the generational, ideological and other lines that divide us. 14 years of Elevate - 14 years of music, arts and discourse in and around the Schlossberg in Graz.

Music and Arts

Presenting an eclectic array of styles, the performing artists at Elevate have one thing in common: the courage to break away from conventions, seeking for adventurous aesthetics far removed from the mainstream. Elevate offers a musical journey away from well-known Best-Of-Sets, challenging both artists and audiences alike.

For a few days, Elevate creates an environment in which trance meets reflection, empathy meets disturbance and rhythm meets emancipation - an open space for new experiences some where between critical distance and unrestrained surrender.

The core of the program are concerts & sound performances, over the last years interdisciplinary performing arts & installations gain importance.

The festival's opening event will be held on February 28th, 2018.

An extensive media archive section is in the making too. Lots of music videos and political discourse from the previous years can be found online.