Ticketing

With reference to Ticketing, Linz09 may claim credit for an innovation. A wide range of tickets was available at the Linz09 Infocenter and/or was bookable via www.linz09.at, including tickets for different institutions not directly associated with Linz09. This was made possible through the use of the Ö-Ticket platform. This meant that Linz09 tickets could be purchased at all Ö-Ticket points of sale everywhere in Austria.

Linz09 developed two types of visitors’ passes: the Linz09 Insider and the Linz09 Card. The Linz09 Insider pass was valid for the entire year and was designed for use by Linzers, people from nearby and for others who were planning to make extensive use of Culture Capital Year. It offered a number of advantages: free admission in many of Linz’s museums all year; discounts of up to 50% on products at the Linz09 shop; invitations to special events, discounted tickets for selected events and/or institutions; and discounts on guided tours. The holders of Insider passes were kept up to date through a separate newsletter. The non-transferable year pass was € 50.00 (concessions € 30.00) and was also available from Linz’s museums. (Further information)

The Linz09 Card allowed for individual programme planning in the Culture Capital on one to three days. In addition to the advantages listed above it also gave its holders free public transport in the city (including a trip to Pöstlingberg) and between 25% and 60% discount on rail fares (ÖBB). To make it even more attractive, the pass came with a restaurant voucher, the so-called Gastrotaler, worth € 9.00 and redeemable in all partner restaurants and catering businesses. As a day pass the Linz09 Card cost € 15.00 (concessions € 10,00); the 3-day pass was € 25,00 (concessions € 20,00). In addition to the Linz09 Infocenter and Ö-Ticket points of sale, the Linz09 Card pass was available in all ÖBB stations with ticket desks, at travel agencies in the region, from tour operators (e.g. Railtours), at the Linz09 Infopoints and at museums and hotels in Linz.

More than 7,000 Linz09 Insider passes were sold, which exceeded all expectations. Roughly 22,000 Linz09 Card passes were sold. (Further Information)

In keeping with the stated aim of making the programme accessible to as many people as possible, admission at many events was either free or very moderate. A ticket for a performance at one of the theatre festivals cost € 18,00, (concessions € 13,00), with one of the Linz09 visitors’ passes € 9,00, for pupils € 7,00 and for school forms € 5,00. Linz09 also took part in “Hunger auf Kunst und Kultur” [Hungry for Art and Culture], which meant that admission for pass holders was free. In addition to the usual concessions for pupils, students, apprentices, senior citizens, etc., discounts were available not only to Linz09 pass holders but also to holders of the Aktiv Pass of the City of Linz and for members of a wide range of clubs, such as Ö1 Club and Österreichischer Automobil-, Motorrad- und Touring Club / ÖAMTC.

Another treat that the Culture Capital had in store for its visitors was the result, for once, not of a Linz09 initiative but of a cooperative venture that involved the supermarket chain Hofer KG and Linz’s museums: under the motto “Kultur als Lebensmittel” [Culture as a Vital Necessity] the Lentos Kunstmuseum, Nordico, Schlossmuseum and Landesgalerie waived admission fees on the last Saturday of the month. For school forms admission at these museums was free as a matter of principle.

back