Pflasterspektakel

Pflasterspektakel is an annual street art festival held in Linz, the capital of Upper Austria. It takes place over three days in July in and around the main square and the Landstraße. The festival features a wide range of performances, including musical acts, juggling, acrobatics, pantomime, improvisational theatre, clownery, fire dancing, and painting. There is also a programme designed specifically for children. In 2010, around 400 artists from over forty nations participated in the event. The festival was created by Siegbert Janko, a cultural manager of Linz since 1985. He drew inspiration from the Djemaa el Fna market place in Marrakesh, which he visited before 1985. The inaugural festival took place in July 1987 under the name Internationale Straßenmusikantentage, featuring about 150 musicians, mostly from Austria and Germany. By 1989, artists from Eastern Bloc countries were performing, and organisers had to select artists due to high demand. In 2000, the festival attracted over 250,000 visitors who came to see artists from Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Australia. The festival begins on a Thursday at 4 p.m. and continues on Friday and Saturday from 2 p.m. until midnight each day. Some musicians play in pubs until 1 a.m. Artists perform at around forty locations throughout the city, with two courtyards reserved for unplugged or a cappella performances. In case of rain, the event moves indoors to the old city hall and other venues. The event is sponsored by the municipality, LINZ AG, local newspapers, and a bank. Artists are only paid for their travel costs, accommodation, breakfast, and a small daily allowance, with their main income coming from visitors' donations.