Vienna might be known for its grand architecture, coffee houses, and classical music but beneath the historic surface, there’s a vibrant creative scene buzzing with designers, photographers, filmmakers, illustrators, and all kinds of new-generation thinkers.

Whether you're a designer, illustrator, filmmaker, or working in any creative field, this guide will help you find your people in the city. From casual meetups to vibrant community events,
Vienna
offers countless opportunities to connect, collaborate, and get inspired.
Creative Lunch Club is a global community for people working in the creative industries. Whether you are a graphic designer, a photographer, a marketer, or a filmmaker, the Creative Lunch Club gives you the chance to regularly meet other creatives in your city for lunch.
Design Austria is Austria’s central hub for design and visual communication, supporting creatives with events, workshops, and initiatives that connect and inspire the local design community.
CCA - Creative Club Austria is a leading platform for the Austrian creative industry, celebrating and promoting creative excellence through events, talks, and community gatherings.
Illustration Ladies is an international community for female and non-binary illustrators, creating space for connection, support, and visibility through meetups, drawing sessions, and workshops. It’s a space to share ideas, grow creatively, and support each other in an often isolating industry.
CreativeMornings is a global series of free, monthly morning talks that bring creatives together for coffee, inspiration, and good vibes.
Creative Therapy Session is a monthly meetup in Vienna for creatives to connect, share inspiration, and enjoy an evening together. ✨ It takes place every first Thursday of the month and welcomes all creative minds.
Impact Hub Vienna is a community for impact-driven entrepreneurs, offering coworking, programs, and events that foster collaboration and social innovation.
A community-driven hub in Vienna that supports collaboration among entrepreneurs and creatives through flexible workspaces and events.
MuseumsQuartier Wien is a cultural district in Vienna combining museums, contemporary art spaces, performance venues, and cafés across historic and modern architecture. It hosts exhibitions, festivals, and lively public courtyards year-round.
Schraubenfabrik is one of Vienna’s first coworking spaces, housed in a former factory near the city center. It’s a vibrant community where creatives, freelancers, and small teams come together to work, share ideas, and collaborate in an inspiring atmosphere.
DACHSBAU is a dynamic creative hub located in the renovated Stadtbahn arch 335 along the Donaukanal in Vienna. On the ground floor you’ll find flexible studios of various sizes suited for visual artists, makers and small teams; above there is a co-working floor with shared desks, 24/7 access and communal facilities. The site offers a great blend of character, where industrial architecture meets creative energy.
A creative powerhouse in Vienna, Die Angewandte blends experimental art, design, and research, fueling a vibrant community of makers and thinkers.
WUK is a beloved Viennese cultural hub, a former factory turned vibrant space with studios, workshops, concerts, exhibitions and community events.
The Akademie der bildenden Künste Wien is a creative hub in Vienna where fine arts, architecture, conservation, and cultural studies meet through studios, labs, and public exhibitions. It’s a lively spot for bold ideas and hands-on making that keeps the city’s art scene moving.
MAK sits at the intersection of art, craft, and design, with a collection of around 900,000 objects spanning five centuries. It holds the world's largest collection of Wiener Werkstätte objects and is a reference point for anyone serious about Viennese design history. The building alone, along the Stubenring, is worth a visit.
Secession was founded in 1897 by Klimt and a group of artists who walked away from the conservative art establishment, and it's still artist-run today. The Art Nouveau building is an icon, and what goes on inside lives up to it: contemporary exhibitions that take genuine risks. Austria's only artist-run exhibition hall.
mumok is the largest museum of modern and contemporary art in Central Europe, occupying a dramatic basalt lava building in the MuseumsQuartier. The collection spans classical modernism, Pop Art, Fluxus, Conceptual Art, and Vienna Actionism, with works by Warhol, Picasso, and Beuys. A serious institution that still manages to feel alive.
MAST Weinbistro in Vienna’s 9th district is a modern wine bistro known for its carefully curated natural wine list and seasonal, ingredient-focused dishes. The minimalist space and relaxed atmosphere make it a popular spot for long dinners, small plates, and great bottles with friends.
Bruder in Vienna’s 6th district is a supercool restaurant and bar known for creative dishes made with seasonal ingredients, house-made ferments, and bold flavors. Alongside the food, Bruder serves inventive cocktails and natural wines in a relaxed, design-driven setting.
Bistro Fantasy is one of Vienna’s most exciting new bistros, located on Gumpendorfer Straße in the 6th district. The spot blends a raw, urban interior with a relaxed atmosphere and serves creative dishes from breakfast to dinner, alongside natural wines, cocktails, and excellent small plates. Known for its minimalist vibe and high-quality, ingredient-driven food, it has quickly become a popular meeting place for locals and creatives alike.
Carla Mittersteig is a spacious second hand store offering furniture, fashion and vintage finds. A relaxed place to browse quality items while supporting a social project.
Filmcasino is a classic Viennese cinema with a beautifully preserved 1950s interior, screening arthouse, indie and international films.
Burggasse 24 is a laid-back concept store in Vienna, combining a cozy café-bar with 500 m² of handpicked vintage fashion and designer pieces under one high-ceilinged roof.
A concept store and creative lab celebrating analog experiences — think vinyl cutting, instant photography, and letterpress printing. A must-visit for artists and makers.
Forward Festival convenes 1,500+ creatives across industries for 25+ talks by established and emerging voices, sharing insights into creative processes, challenges, and breakthroughs. Interactive workshops and immersive formats invite hands-on experimentation and new ways of thinking.
Vienna Art Week is an annual celebration of the city’s contemporary art scene, featuring exhibitions, open studios, talks, and performances across museums, galleries, and independent spaces. It brings together artists, curators, and the public for a citywide program showcasing current artistic practices.
An annual music festival and industry conference in Vienna, showcasing emerging artists alongside talks and networking events across multiple venues. It brings together international professionals and music fans to discover new sounds and foster collaboration.
viennacontemporary is an annual international art fair in Vienna that brings together galleries, artists, collectors, and curators to showcase contemporary art, with a strong focus on Central and Eastern Europe. Its program includes curated presentations, talks, and special projects.
Vienna Design Week is Austria’s leading design festival, activating venues across the city with exhibitions, installations, and talks that connect local and international creatives.
Wiener Festwochen stands for a bold mix of theatre, music, and performance with a lively, socially engaged vibe. Expect provocative projects, standout collaborations, and plenty to talk about.
Viennale is Vienna’s international film festival, lighting up the city each fall with premieres, filmmaker talks, and a curated mix of new discoveries and classics.
Join us for a special pre-festival brunch hosted by Forward Festival and Creative Lunch Club at the charming Vollpension on Johannesgasse. Connect with fellow creatives and enjoy delicious treats from the wonderful grannies of Vollpension before we all head to the Forward Festival Vienna together.
Kreativwirtschaft Austria is the national platform for Austria’s creative industries. They connect, support, and empower creatives through programs, resources, and inspiring events.
Vienna Business Agency supports creative and media companies with tailored consultations, funding programmes and networking events. They assist with new product ideas, media ventures and business development from concept to market entry.
Vienna Film Commission provides free support to national and international film productions, assisting with location scouting, permitting and connections to local industry partners.
An organization that supports and connects Austria’s fashion community by providing resources, networking, and programs that increase designers’ visibility at home and abroad. Austrian Fashion Association serves as a platform for collaboration and professional development across the industry.
The best way to meet other creatives in
Vienna
is to show up consistently somewhere rather than hoping a one-off networking event leads somewhere.
Creative Lunch Clubis a good starting point and a great way to meet other creatives: you get matched with a small group of creatives for lunch, which is a much more natural way to actually get to know people.
Vienna
has a growing number of communities for creatives, from global networks like
Creative Lunch Clubto local meetup groups and coworking communities. The best place to start is joining a community that meets regularly, so you build real relationships over time rather than just collecting contacts at one-off events.
Vienna
has a range of events throughout the year where creatives meet, from industry conferences to informal gatherings. That said, traditional networking events can feel forced. Many creatives prefer more relaxed formats like
Creative Lunch Club, where you meet people over lunch rather than awkward small talk with a name badge.
A good starting point is
Creative Lunch Club, which runs regular meetups for designers and other creatives in
Vienna
. Beyond that, keep an eye on local design communities, Instagram, and event platforms for one-off gatherings tied to conferences or design weeks.
Designers tend to gravitate toward independent cafés, creative coworking spaces, and community events. Online, local design groups and communities like
Creative Lunch Club, are where a lot of the conversation happens and where lunches and meetups get organized.
Show up consistently. The creative scene in
Vienna
is more accessible than it looks, most people are open to meeting others, especially in a low-pressure setting. Joining a community like
Creative Lunch Clubis one of the easiest ways in, since you're introduced to a small group of people rather than thrown into a room of strangers.
Freelancers make up a big part of Creative Lunch Club's members in
Vienna
. It's a natural fit since freelancing can be isolating and lunch is an easy, low-commitment way to meet people. Coworking spaces are another good bet.
There are plenty of events for creatives in
Vienna
, ranging from design conferences and film festivals to photography exhibitions and music events. For regular, ongoing connection rather than one-off events, Creative Lunch Club runs monthly meetups in
Vienna
year round.
I had my first Creative Lunch Club match on October of this year, and I have met pretty great people since then. Not only creatives, which is the reason why I joined: to connect with other creatives and share what I do as well, but I have met really nice people from all over the world here in Paris. Listening to other people's stories and experiences has been lovely because it also helps you connect and establish friendships (and have great food as well!).
The CLC is great because I can easily get to know previously unknown creative people in the city, gain new inspiration, expand my talent network and also discover new corners and restaurants in the city. I think CLC members are curious and open-minded people by nature. It's always exciting to learn more about the city's creative scene and its projects. At my previous meetings, we always had interesting discussions and the time for lunch was often far too short. I'm already looking forward to my next CLC.
Thanks to Creative Lunch Club and their beautiful concept I regularly get to meet new creative people in Vienna every month.