Europäische Meisterschaft im Poetry Slam
Europäische Meisterschaft im Poetry Slam

Information
More detailsMore international wordplay! The European Poetry Slam Championship is taking place in Austria for the first time. Where? At Next Liberty! Thirty champions have qualified. From Sweden to Greece and from Portugal to Ukraine, everyone is here to celebrate the linguistic diversity of our continent. German translations of the texts will be projected live. The European Championship rules apply: self-written texts, free choice of topic, four-minute time limit, no costumes or props. Only the poets, with their scripts and voices, are allowed—it doesn’t get any more vibrant than this! And the audience gets a say: Anyone who wants to can join the jury upon entry and help decide who takes home the title. …
From a local perspective, we’re keeping our fingers crossed for Austria’s champion Lia Hartl, who won the junior title at Next Liberty in 2024: She will represent Austria in 2026 as the reigning champion.
Alongside Austrian champion Lia Hartl, a total of 28 countries will compete: Belgium – Denmark – Germany – Estonia – Finland – France – Greece – Ireland – Italy – Croatia – Latvia – Luxembourg – Netherlands – North Macedonia – Norway – Austria – Poland – Romania – Scotland – Sweden – Serbia – Slovakia – Slovenia – Switzerland – Spain – Czech Republic – Ukraine – Hungary.
All texts are projected onto the screen in German translation while the poets perform. From Finnish to Greek, everything remains understandable. Otherwise, the rule is: if you don’t understand the poem, feel it!
Supported by the City of Graz, the Province of Styria, the Federal Ministry for Culture, Media, and Sport (BMKMS), the Poetry Slam’md association, and E-Werk Franz.
TIMETABLE
SEMIFINAL 1 – Nov. 20, 2026 – 5:00 p.m.
Which 5 nations will advance to the final?
Hosted by:
Fabian Navarra & Francesca Herr
SEMIFINAL 2 – November 20, 2026 – 7:30 p.m.
Which 5 nations will make it to the final?
Hosted by:
Elif Duygu & Yasmo
FINAL – November 21, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
The final featuring the top 10!
Hosted by:
Elif Duygu & Katharina Wenty
Special Guest: Valerio Moser, 2025 European Champion in the “
” category
Photos: ÖSLAM24 Recap – The Austrian Poetry Slam Championships (c) Stella