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Vienna is an exciting city to be in. More so when it is New Year’s eve. As many people await the coming in of the New Year, plenty of festive events take place around the city you just need to pick which part you would like to be in. One thing is certain – Vienna New Year will be unforgettable.
The outdoors is the best place to be at when you’re in for the Vienna New Year’s Eve. But then again, there are other great things you can do indoors. Find out here which activities suit you.
You can take:
- a bus
- the tram
- the underground services
- rail services
Going around the city should not be a problem because Vienna has one of the best public transport systems in the European continent.
Vienna Philharmonic New Year’s Concert
One of the most awaited events in Vienna is the New Year concert. This is not only being awaited by local residents in Vienna and the rest of Austria but by people from all over the world.
Don’t miss the famous concert called “Neujahrskonzert” performed by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. This amazing musical performance especially dedicated to the Strauss family and the Waltz has been going on since 1939 and has become an Austrian tradition.
The Vienna Philharmonic initiated the classical music concert at a time when Austria needed a source of inspiration and hope for a better tomorrow.
The concert drew such rave reviews that it soon caught the attention of Europeans. It started broadcasting in 1989 and today the concert is beamed across 73 countries with an estimated audience of 50 million. The Vienna Philharmonic performs waltz and operetta music of the Strauss family.
Also, The Vienna Philharmonic performs waltz and operetta music of the other well-known Austrian composers like:
- Franz Schubert
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- Joseph Haydn
The concert lasts for about two and a half hours with about a dozen compositions played ranging from waltz music to polka, mazurka and marches.
Aside from the orchestra the concert also features several dance interpretations by the Vienna State Opera Ballet.
Vienna New Year Concert 2021 Tickets
Tickets to new year concert in Vienna are usually sold one year in advance.
Application Period: February 1 – 29, 2020
During this period, interested persons are invited to apply on this website for tickets to [Source] :
- the Preview Performance (December 30, 2020, 11:00 AM)
- the New Year’s Eve Concert (December 31, 2020, 7:30 PM)
- the New Year’s Concert (January 1, 2021, 11:15 AM)
| Tickets | Price Range Categories |
| the New Year’s Concert | €35 – €1200 |
| the New Year’s Eve Concert | €25 – €860 |
| the Preview Performance | €20 – €495 |
Vienna City Hall New Years Eve
Attend New Years Eve Gala at the Vienna city hall.
This takes place at the town hall’s Rathauskeller and features Viennese artists and a ball orchestra for live music.
Program: 18:30 – 02:30
| Category | Price |
| VIP (Table rows 1-3) | 420.00 € |
| A (Table rows 4-6) | 360.00 € |
| B (Table rows 7-10) | 320.00 € |
| Gallery | 270.00 € |
Booking Vienna City Hall New Years Eve here.
New Year’s Eve Vienna Imperial Ball
Being at the famous Kaiserball is another unique and elegant experience. This will be your opportunity to attend a formal event at the halls of the Hofburg Imperial palace inclusive of dinner and the three-four time.
| Ticket Ballroom | Price |
| Grand Ticket | EUR 780 |
| Star Ticket | EUR 440 |
| Circle Ticket | EUR 170 |
Vienna New Years Eve Ideas
Open-air events and parties held in numerous tents of all sizes are surely worth attending. Most are situated all over the Austrian capital’s first district. For those who love to be indoors, they can always check out the various clubs (WUK, Flex, Passage) and pubs (B72, rhiz, Chelsea) where they can enjoy drinks, music, and people.
Dancing to live music played by DJs is not only a great form of entertainment but it is a good form of exercise for the body as well. There are last-minute waltz courses offered at parties so be sure to learn to do it before the clock strikes 12.
Watch the beautiful display of fireworks just before midnight. This particular activity is supported by various private organizations.
Vienna Philharmonic New Year Concert 2011
For 2011, the New Year’s concert featured a ballet performance and for the first time ever, it took place at the Castle in Vienna-Laudon Hadersdorf. This was a spectacular event with the snow castle serving as the backdrop while the Vienna State Ballet was performing.
Featured soloists for this event were Maria Yakovleva and Eno Peci and their costumes were made by Johan Engels for the fifth time.
As for the music, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra welcomed Franz Welser-Most who is the musical director of Staatsoper. Johann Strauss music was highlighted because this music depicts how Austrians think.
This musical event started at 9:35 p.m. while the live feed over TV ORF 2 started at 11:15 p.m. from Musikverein’s Golden Hall. Viewers also saw the tour of the Vienna Philharmonic during the break.
As always, millions of people all around the globe were able to watch this yearly New Year’s concert in Vienna from their own homes. 45 million people viewed the event which was covered by 74 TV stations from 71 countries.
Vienna has gained international recognition for holding its annual concert to welcome the new year. This event began as a way to entertain local residents and give them hope for the future.
For this reason, the Vienna Philharmonic based in the Austrian capital has earned the title of musical ambassadors as it spreads hope, peace, and friendship all around the world.
Vienna New Year Concert 2010 Sets New Records
The New Year concert set two world records. One is for being broadcast on television in 72 countries and the other for being aired on the internet for the very first time. Organizers of the concert reported that almost 50 million people around the world viewed the concert making it the biggest classical music event on an international perspective.
Viewers were spread out in:
- Australia
- India
- China
- Russia
- the U.S.
And if that’s not all, here’s another trivia.
The Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year concert was not even conducted by a young man but rather by an 85-year-old conductor from France by the name of Georges Pretre.
The same man conducted the 2008 concert but in 2010, the orchestra performed new musical pieces. One of them was the Merry Wives of Windsor in honor of the Vienna Philharmonic’s founder Otto Nicolai on his 200th birth anniversary.
The octogenarian conductor received a standing ovation for three minutes. Georges Pretre is actually the only Frenchman who ever conducted the orchestra.
Related articles:
- Viennese Waltz Music History Info & Pro Dance Lessons
- Vienna Opera House – Tour, Events & Schedule
- House of Music Vienna – Haus der Musik Entrance Fees & Tour
