Milo Rau named director of Vienna Festival

Swiss theatre director Milo Rau will be the next artistic director of the Vienna Festival (Wiener Festwochen), taking charge of the 2024 edition of the major European art and culture event. Rau, 45, will take over from Christophe Slagmuylder in July on a five-year contract, the festival said in a statement. Rau is leaving his position as director of the NTGent theatre in Belgium, which he has held since the 2018/19 season. “It is not possible to carry out both activities at the same time,” he said at a press conference in Vienna on Friday. “I am very pleased that Milo Rau, one of Europe’s leading directors, will be shaping Vienna’s premier festival over the next few years. When it comes to theatre, Milo Rau is someone who knows how to inspire people,” said Veronica Kaup-Hasler, Vienna’s City Councillor for Culture. “As a politically minded artist, Milo Rau operates in various fields, from theatre to opera and film, and has excellent international connections. As a result, we now...