The Old Town Variety Show
Once again this year, the Altstadtvarieté transforms Innsbruck’s Old Town into a diverse, whimsical, and enchanting stage, with the charming Madame du Point providing the backdrop and hosting the show on stilts.
1. Start at Domplatz
The journey begins at Domplatz: The Small Balkan Band takes the stage, and Ariane Öchsner sets the tone with her juggling act—before heading high up onto a slackline stretching from the cathedral’s bell tower to the city tower.
Against this lively backdrop, other artists take the stage, each leaving their unique mark on the Old Town Variety Show:
2. Along the Highline from the cathedral to the city tower
The Tiroliners team (link) sets up a slackline from the cathedral to the city tower, crossing 135 meters of the old town at a dizzying height. It’s a spectacular sight that adds a whole new dimension to the festival. As the slackliners make their way meter by meter across the rooftops, the Small Balkan Band accompanies them on the ground—a musical escort between the two towers. The highline is particularly well visible from select vantage points—see the map (link).
No sooner have the slackliners at the Stadtturm found solid ground beneath their feet again than Maitane Sarralde takes over.
3. Facade Dance at the City Tower
With her “facade dance,” Maitane Sarralde transforms the historic wall into a vertical stage—weightless, precise, hypnotic.
The Artists
Highline: The Tiroliners
The well-known slackline club Tiroliners is the largest slackline club in Tyrol and the perfect place to go for everything related to slacklining, waterlining, longlining, and highlining. In addition to regular community meetups and workshops, the club also puts on spectacular shows—including the Krapoldi 2026 highline.
Strolling Performer & Host: Madame DuPoint
The ethereal voice of the KRAPOLDI Festival: Madame DuPoint guides the audience through the program in the Old Town with elegance, wit, and unmistakable charm. Always one step ahead on her stilts, she connects the acts, greets the audience, and ensures that every performance begins with a touch of magic.
Contemporary Dance – Information to follow shortly
Contemporary Dancer: Maitane Sarralde
BRINGING SOUND TO THE AIR – Facade dance, adapted to the space. A creation by Maitane Sarralde.
SYNOPSIS: “Bringing the Air to Life” is a 20-minute dance piece performed on the facade and on the ground. A dialogue between a floating body and the architecture, in which the air ceases to be an empty space and becomes matter and resonance. It is a sculptural, visual piece that breathes between the subtle and the explosive, transforming height into silence.
Music: Small Balkan Band
The Small Balkan Band provides the perfect soundtrack. With their fiery mix of traditional Balkan melodies and modern sounds, they set the mood for the Highline performance and captivate the audience.
