Vienna: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Concert in Karlskirche
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The Vienna New Year’s Concert is one of the most prestigious and popular musical events in the world, attracting the attention of millions of spectators in over 90 countries. Broadcast from the historic Golden Hall of the Musikverein, this annual appointment with great classical music has over the years become a cultural institution that celebrates the excellence of the Viennese musical tradition.
The uniqueness of this event lies in its ability to combine the elegance of Austro-German music, mainly that of the Strauss family, with the festive atmosphere of the beginning of the year. The concert on 1 January is preceded by two rehearsals open to the public on 30 and 31 December, thus offering more opportunities to witness this unique experience live.
The event is part of a broader context of celebrations that enliven Vienna during the Christmas and New Year period. The city is transformed into a veritable capital of music, with numerous concerts, cultural events and the characteristic Christmas markets making the festive atmosphere even more magical.
If you want to fully enjoy the Viennese experience during this period, it is advisable to plan your stay well in advance, exploring the different options for sleeping in Vienna to find the accommodation that best suits your needs.
The tradition of the New Year’s Concert has its roots in 1939, when Clemens Krauss conducted the first concert on 31 December. From 1941, the event was moved to 1 January, the date on which it is still held today. Initially conceived to raise funds during the difficult wartime period, the concert has grown to become a symbol of peace, hope and rebirth.
Over the decades, the concert has seen some of the greatest conductors in history take turns on the podium. From Herbert von Karajan to Claudio Abbado, from Lorin Maazel to Riccardo Muti, each maestro has left his own interpretative mark on this extraordinary event. The Wiener Philharmoniker, the orchestra performing on this occasion, is considered one of the best orchestral ensembles in the world, known for its warm and refined sound.
A special feature that makes this concert unique is the tradition of always including some new works in the programme. Every year, pieces are performed for the first time that had never been performed in previous editions, alongside the unfailing classics such as the Blue Danube Waltz and the Radetzky March, with which the concert traditionally ends to the rhythmic applause of the audience.
Television has played a key role in the global spread of the event. The first broadcasts date back to the 1950s, but it is since the 1980s that the concert has reached a truly global dimension, becoming one of the most watched cultural events in the world with over 50 million television viewers.
The Musikverein is considered one of the concert halls with the best acoustics in the world. Inaugurated in 1870, the building is located on Karlsplatz and is home to the Vienna Philharmonic. Its exterior architecture, by Theophil Hansen, reflects the neo-Renaissance style typical of the Ringstraße era.
The Großer Saal, also known as the Golden Hall, owes its name to the splendid golden decorations covering the walls and ceiling. With a capacity of 1,744 seats between stalls and loggias, this rectangular hall has perfect proportions that contribute to its exceptional acoustic quality. The gilded coffered ceiling and the caryatids supporting the balconies create an atmosphere of imperial sumptuousness.
The hall’s acoustics are the result of a fortunate combination of factors: the size of the hall, its rectangular shape, the materials used for the wooden walls and the particular arrangement of the audience. Many experts consider it to be the concert hall with the most perfect acoustics ever built, particularly suitable for romantic and classical repertoire.
During the New Year’s Concert, the hall is decorated with over 40,000 fresh flowers from Sanremo, Italy. This tradition, which began in the 1980s, adds a touch of colour and fragrance to the already sumptuous setting. The floral decorations transform the hall into a spring garden, creating a lively contrast to the Viennese winter.
For those wishing to discover other landmarks of the Austrian capital, we recommend a visit to the Hofburg, the majestic imperial palace that tells centuries of Habsburg history.
The repertoire of the New Year’s Concert focuses mainly on the music of the Strauss family, with Johann Strauss son being the most represented composer. His famous compositions, ranging from waltzes to polkas, form the core of the programme, flanked by pieces by Johann Strauss the father, Josef Strauss and Eduard Strauss.
Each concert presents a selection of around 15-20 compositions, chosen by the conductor in cooperation with the orchestra. The first part of the programme generally includes lesser-known pieces or absolute novelties for the concert, while the second part features the most famous compositions expected by the audience. The programme is kept partially secret until the performance, adding an element of surprise to the event.
There are three unmissable pieces: the Blue Danube Waltz, which is performed as the first encore after the applause of the audience, the Overture from ‘The Bat’ in the second part of the concert, and the Radetzky March, which traditionally closes the event with the audience clapping their hands in time following the conductor’s instructions.
In recent decades, the programme has also occasionally included compositions by other composers of the time, such as Franz Lehár, Carl Michael Ziehrer or Karl Komzák, thus expanding the representation of the rich Viennese musical tradition of the 19th century. These inclusions keep the programme fresh and interesting, while respecting the original spirit of the event.
Tickets for the New Year’s Concert are among the most coveted and difficult to obtain in the world of classical music. The sale follows a special system that aims to ensure fairness and transparency in the allocation of seats. The process starts at the beginning of each year for the following year’s concert, thus requiring planning well in advance.
The main sales method is an online lottery that generally opens between January and February on the official website of the Vienna Philharmonic. Interested parties must register during this period, indicating the number of tickets they want (maximum two per person) and a preference between the 1 January concert and the general rehearsals on 30 and 31 December. The draw takes place afterwards, and winners are notified by email.
Ticket prices vary considerably depending on the location in the hall. For the 1 January concert, costs range from EUR 35 for standing room in the upper galleries to over EUR 1,000 for the best seats in the stalls. The dress rehearsals on 30 and 31 December have slightly lower prices, offering a more affordable alternative to attend virtually the same show.
A quota of tickets is reserved for sponsors, business partners and subscribers of the Vienna Philharmonic, making the number of seats available to the general public even more limited. Some tickets can be purchased through package tours offered by specialised agencies, albeit at significantly higher prices. It is important to be wary of unauthorised sellers or offers that seem too advantageous.
For those who cannot get tickets but still wish to experience the musical atmosphere in Vienna at this time, the city offers numerous other events and alternative concerts during the festive season.
The dress rehearsals on 30 and 31 December are an excellent alternative to the official concert on 1 January. These rehearsals, which are in fact real concerts open to the public, present the same programme that will be performed on New Year’s Day, with the same interpretative quality and the same hall layout.
The main difference from the official concert concerns the atmosphere: during rehearsals the conductor may occasionally stop the orchestra to repeat certain passages or give directions to the musicians, although this rarely happens. Often these interruptions, when present, offer the audience a privileged insight into the creative and interpretative process, making the experience even more interesting from an educational point of view.
The advantages of attending dress rehearsals are manifold. Tickets are slightly cheaper than for the 1 January concert, with prices ranging from EUR 25 for standing room to around EUR 800 for the best seats in the stalls. Moreover, with two dates available instead of one, the chances of winning the lottery to buy tickets increase significantly.
It is important to note that for both the general rehearsals and the official concert, children under the age of 5 are not allowed to enter, and children between 5 and 12 years of age get a reduced ticket.
The television broadcast of the New Year’s Concert reaches an estimated audience of more than 50 million viewers in more than 90 countries annually. The television direction of the event is entrusted to ORF, Austria’s public television, which takes care of every detail of the filming. The cameras capture not only the musical performance, but also the details of the hall’s splendid decorations, the floral decorations and the reactions of the audience, creating a visual narrative that enriches the musical experience.
In recent years, the concert has also become available through online streaming platforms, allowing the event to be followed in high definition on a computer, tablet or smartphone. Many TV broadcasters also offer the possibility of watching the concert in replay on subsequent days, for those who were unable to follow the live morning broadcast on 1 January.
A well-established tradition for many fans is to organise New Year’s Eve brunches or lunches accompanied by the broadcast of the concert, turning listening into a convivial occasion. Some bars and restaurants in different countries broadcast the concert, creating thematic events that combine music and gastronomy.
For those who are in Vienna during the Christmas period and cannot attend the concert live, many of the city’s historic venues broadcast the event, offering the opportunity to experience the special atmosphere of the New Year’s Concert in the cultural setting of the city.
In Vienna, you can enjoy classical music concerts not only on New Year’s Eve, but all year round. We have written a detailed guide to the main venues in the city and here are some of the favourite concerts for tourists.
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