Boris Grebenshikov and Aquarium bring a new record and the old codes of Russian rock to Vienna
Boris Grebenshikov performs at Simm City Festsaal Zentrum in Vienna on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at 20:00. He comes to the stage with Aquarium, a group that is much more than a single name from rock history. For audiences from the Russian-speaking world, Aquarium is a cultural sign of recognition, and for curious listeners outside that circle it is one of the most interesting entry points into a world in which rock meets poetry, folk, reggae, Celtic motifs and chamber-like details.
This concert is not conceived merely as a reminder of the past. The Vienna performance is part of the current concert phase in which Grebenshikov and Aquarium present the album "Strange News from Another Star", released first on Bandcamp on January 15, 2026, and then in a broader digital edition on February 18, 2026. In the announcement of the Vienna programme, special emphasis is placed on the combination of new songs and Aquarium classics from different periods, which is an important note for everyone wondering what kind of evening they can expect: not a museum-style career overview, but a concert that places older songs alongside new material.
Ticket sales for this event are under way. For fans travelling from Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary or other countries in the region, Vienna is a practical stop, because it lies between major Central European dates of the tour and offers an opportunity to hear Grebenshikov in a space that is not a huge arena.
Why Boris Grebenshikov matters
Grebenshikov, often recognised by the initials BG, occupies the place of author, singer, guitarist and central figure in Aquarium’s biography. Aquarium was formed in 1972 in Leningrad and has survived several completely different musical eras: from the Soviet underground scene, through a late breakthrough toward the West, to a long period of international touring and recording with musicians from various traditions.
His importance lies not only in the fact that he early on connected the Russian language with the rock idiom. His distinctiveness lies in the way the songs expand the space between popular melody and literary image. In the same evening, one can hear from him an acoustic ballad, meditative folk, a rhythm that evokes reggae, a violin that draws the song toward a chamber tone and a flute that opens a Celtic or Eastern trace. That is why comparisons with Bob Dylan, David Bowie or Marc Bolan are not merely labels, but an attempt to explain to foreign audiences how wide the field is that BG covers.
For those coming for the first time, the shortest description would be this: Aquarium is a band in which the song rarely moves in a straight line. The lyrics are not only stories, but images; the arrangements are not only accompaniment, but small landscapes. Well-known titles such as "Gorod Zolotoy" and "Rock and Roll is Dead" are often mentioned as entry points into that world, but the Vienna evening should not be viewed as waiting for one chorus. Grebenshikov’s stronger side is precisely continuity: songs from different times remain open to new readings.
The new album as the concert’s framework
"Strange News from Another Star" provides important context for the performance. The album is connected with an international team of musicians and collaborators, and the discography page itself lists a rich range of instruments and participants: piano, harmonium, Hammond, Wurlitzer, flute, whistles, violin, banjo, ukulele, kantele, bodhran, oboe and trombone. This is in keeping with Grebenshikov’s career: he rarely accepts a single genre, so the new phase does not sound like a simple renewal of an old recipe.
For the Vienna performance, the announced line-up includes Boris Grebenshikov on vocals and guitar, Konstantin Tumanov on accordion and keyboards, Brian Finnegan on flute, Andrey Surotdinov on violin, Alexander Titov on bass, Liam Bradley on percussion and drums, and Gleb Grebenshikov on percussion. Such a line-up explains well why the concert can have both rock energy and a finer, almost chamber-like texture. Flute and violin in Aquarium are not ornaments that appear at the edge of a song; they are often part of the recognisable colour, especially when Grebenshikov’s vocal shifts toward a narrative, calmer tone.
What the audience can expect
The concert announcement speaks of the new album and Aquarium classics from all periods, but it does not provide a complete set list. That is important: there is no need to guess the order of the songs or promise titles that have not been confirmed for Vienna. Still, based on the announced concept, one can expect an evening with several clearly different layers.
- New material - songs from the current phase, connected with the album "Strange News from Another Star".
- Aquarium classics - older repertoire that audiences associate with different decades and with the very history of Russian rock.
- Acoustic and poetic moments - space for Grebenshikov’s voice, lyrics and guitar, without the need for a large production gesture.
- Folk, reggae and Celtic traces - elements that have long been part of his musical language, especially through the flute, violin and rhythm section.
This is a concert for long-time fans who know why Grebenshikov’s performances are listened to between the lines as well. But it is not closed only to the initiated. For those just entering his catalogue, the Vienna performance can be a good beginning because it combines the new album, better-known parts of the repertoire and a performance in a hall where details can be heard more closely than in large halls.
It is worth securing tickets in time. The audience for Grebenshikov in Central Europe often comes from multiple cities and multiple languages: some listeners have followed Aquarium for decades, some come because of the cultural weight of the name, and some out of curiosity toward an author who has connected the Russian poetic tradition with a global musical vocabulary.
Simm City Festsaal Zentrum: a hall that keeps the audience close to the stage
Simm City Festsaal Zentrum is located in Vienna’s 11th district, Simmering, at the address Simmeringer Hauptstraße 96A. It is a concert and multi-purpose hall situated within Zentrum Simmering, which makes arrival by public transport easier for visitors, as well as finding one’s way before and after the concert.
The hall’s capacity depends on the setup. For a standing concert configuration, 800 people are listed, while seated configurations, depending on the arrangement, have 496 or 490 seats in rows, with additional variants for tables and other formats. For a concert like this, the fact that Simm City is not a faceless mega-hall is especially important. The space is large enough for the full sound of the band, but compact enough to preserve a sense of closeness to the performer.
The hall’s technical data also suggest a format capable of carrying a carefully developed concert arrangement: the standard stage is listed with dimensions of 11 x 6 metres, with the possibility of reduction, and the venue page lists sound and lighting equipment as part of the hall infrastructure. For Grebenshikov’s concert, this is relevant because dynamics are more important than mere volume. The audience will probably benefit most from a clear relationship between vocals, guitar, violin, flute, keyboards and rhythm.
Practical information for arrival
Simm City is well connected to public transport. The simplest orientation point is Enkplatz, because the hall’s arrival information by public transport lists U3, Enkplatz station and the Grillgasse exit. Tram lines 6 and 71 and bus lines 15A and 76A also stop nearby, likewise at Enkplatz/Grillgasse. For those arriving by car, the hall lists access via Simmeringer Hauptstraße 96A, garage entry from Grillgasse 9 and proximity to the A23 St. Marx exit.
- Address - Simmeringer Hauptstraße 96A, 1110 Wien.
- Metro - U3, Enkplatz station, Grillgasse exit.
- Tram - lines 6 and 71, Enkplatz/Grillgasse stop.
- Bus - lines 15A and 76A, Enkplatz/Grillgasse stop.
- Car - garage access is listed from Grillgasse 9.
Since the concert is announced for 20:00, travellers would do well to arrive earlier and avoid rushing at the entrance. The hall also lists access through the shopping centre during its opening hours and from the garage, including lift options.
Vienna as a natural stop for this kind of concert
Vienna is a logical city for Grebenshikov’s concert. It has a large international audience, strong concert infrastructure and enough travellers from neighbouring countries for the performance not to remain merely a local event. In the tour schedule, Vienna comes after Prague and before Ljubljana, which gives it a Central European position between several close but different concert audiences.
For visitors from Croatia or the region, the trip can be organised as a one-day or short city visit. Simm City is not in the most tourist-exposed part of Vienna, but in Simmering, so the evening has more of an urban concert feel: the metro, a short walk to the hall and a space that is not lost in monumentality.
Tickets for this event are in demand. This should not be read as pressure, but as a practical note for audiences planning travel: with concerts that draw audiences from several countries, it is not only important to find a place in the hall, but also to coordinate transport, accommodation and timely arrival.
Who this concert is especially attractive for
The first and clearest audience is long-time listeners of Aquarium. For them, Grebenshikov does not arrive as a name that needs explaining, but as an author whose songs already have a private history: student rooms, copied cassettes, family emigrant archives, first concerts and later discoveries of new albums. For such visitors, the Vienna performance can be an encounter with songs that have changed together with their lives.
The second audience consists of lovers of poetic rock. If someone listens to authors who place lyrics, atmosphere and interpretation in the foreground, Grebenshikov is a natural choice even without complete understanding of the Russian language. His voice, the band’s dynamics and the way the songs are built often convey mood before the listener translates every image.
The third audience is those who love concerts in which musical breadth can be heard. The announced line-up with flute, violin, keyboards, bass, percussion and guitar allows for an evening in which songs can move from acoustic to electric, from meditative to rhythmic.
An atmosphere without empty glitter
The best description of the expected atmosphere is not "spectacle", but concentration. Grebenshikov’s concerts depend strongly on the audience’s attention: on the willingness to hear a line, to accept a change of tempo, to experience an older song in a new sonic garment. Simm City, with its more compact capacity and concert purpose, suits that kind of evening well.
In a hall of this size, the audience does not come only to watch a figure on a distant stage. It comes to listen to nuances: how the flute answers the vocal, how the violin pulls the melody toward melancholy, how the rhythm section holds the song without unnecessary heaviness, how Grebenshikov between songs builds a calm, sometimes ironic, sometimes almost ritual flow of the evening. This is why the Vienna concert is attractive both to those who have already heard Aquarium live and to those encountering this musical world for the first time.
What is good to know before setting off
The concert is announced as a performance by Boris Grebenshikov and Aquarium at Simm City, starting at 20:00. The announced programme framework includes the new album and classics from different periods, but the complete order of songs has not been published. Therefore it is best to arrive without expecting the evening to function as a wish list. With Grebenshikov, it is often more important how the songs touch one another than merely which songs appear.
For arrival by public transport, U3 to Enkplatz station is the most practical option. Those arriving by car should check garage access in advance and leave enough time for entry. Visitors travelling on the same day are advised to plan their return with enough reserve.
If the goal is to hear an author who has shaped decades of Russian-language rock music, yet continues to release new material, Vienna offers a very concrete reason to travel. The new album provides the present moment, the old catalogue provides weight, and Simm City provides a space in which those two layers can meet without excessive distance between stage and audience.
Sources:
- BG | AQUARIUM - list of concerts 2026-2027, confirmation of the Vienna date and surrounding tour dates.
- BG | AQUARIUM - page for the album "Strange News from Another Star", information on the release, musicians and production.
- Vienna concert announcement page - information on the programme, announced line-up and duration of the event.
- SimmCity - information on the address, capacities, stage, public transport, garage and hall access points.