ABOUT

WATER & SOUND is an annual festival for global contemporary music and world music in the historic city of Augsburg, Germany. Aimed at reaching out and challenging a diverse audience from all walks of society with unfamiliar music and sounds, the programming is focused on winning over the listener through sheer musical force. The program maps global developments in contemporary music between tradition and modernity in areas such as West African Afrobeat, North African Desert Rock, progressive currents of East and West European music and the Balkans, music of the Arab underground, and much more. So far, artists such as Fatoumata Diawara, Bombino, Yasmine Hamdan, Seun Kuti, Fanfare Ciocarlia, Dakhabrakha and Ibibio Sound Machine have been lured to Augsburg. Since 2019 Augsburg is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its historic water management system – a City of Water.

Since 2022, the Festival of Cultures has been expanded according to a concept by artistic director Girisha Fernando under the title “WATER&SOUND” and further developed to include the multidimensionality of the global theme of water – a festival for global contemporary music in the water city of Augsburg (UNESCO World Heritage Site). Along thematic focal points around regions of water and music culture, a diverse program is created. The global diversity of music is depicted here, with elementary references being made between music, culture and water. The concept incorporates international greats of global music as well as local artists and exclusive in-house productions. A supporting programme also contextualizes the global significance of water as a resource and explores the spaces between art and science through art projects, panels and artist talks. Partners include the World Heritage Office and the University of Augsburg.