"Klagenfurt saves money"

“100 concert events and not a cent of funding”

Thomas Semmler with Melissa Naschenweng.

(Bild: Pressefoto Scharinger/Daniel Scharinger)

In the "Krone" series on the financial difficulties of the provincial capital, organizer Thomas Semmler talks about possible savings plans.

Klagenfurt still has no budget. Many cultural events are also being canceled because there is no funding from the city with a twelfth budget.

Thomas Semmler has been organizing concerts in the provincial capital with Semtainment since 2015. "But I haven't seen any funding to date. We've put on a total of 100 concerts - and haven't received a cent of support, even though we regularly rent the ancient exhibition halls, provide entertainment, added value, advertising value and full hotel beds. We pay for all the city's services, but have never received a cent back!" says Semmler.

"Everything is associated with risk"
This year, Semtainment is organizing ten events - from Smokie to Nik P. to Robbie Williams. "Just blaming the city for the fact that nothing can be organized anymore is a cheap excuse. Doing something would be the right recipe. Of course, everything involves risk, but that's the way it is. If Semmler's agency had collected the subsidies that are paid for sporting events, for example, it would have made millions.

But huge public subsidies will soon be a thing of the past anyway. "If someone is dependent on funding of a few thousand for an event, they've done something wrong - it can be done without the city's help."