Nowhere are balls so romantically formal as in Vienna. This tradition is intoxicating to locals and visitors for far more than a single night! At the end of the blog you will read -courtesy of Austrian tourism office- a brief history of the Balls in Vienna.

Here below you can find the program of the 2018 Ball Season and you maybe choose the ball you will attend. We offer a range of 4 day packages to Vienna in January and February.

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2018 Program

January 19, 2018
Blumenball (Town Hall)
Flower Ball
Tickets: Verein der staedtischen Gartenbediensteten Wiens
Johannesgasse 35,1030 Vienna
Tel: 011 43 1 4000 8042

January 18, 2018
Ball of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Ball der Wiener Philharmoniker (Musikverein)
Tickets: Wiener Philharmoniker
Boesendorferstrasse 12, 1010 Vienna
Tel: 011 43 1 505 65 25

January 20, 2018
Pharmacist’s Ball (Imperial Palace)
Tickets: Austrian Chamber of Pharmacists
Spitalgasse 31, 1090 Vienna
Tel: 011 43 1 404 14-124

January 27, 2018
Physicians’ Ball in the Imperial Palace
Tickets: Austrian Chamber of Physicians
Weihburggasse 10-12, 1010 Vienna
Tel: 011 43 1 515 01-1234

February 10, 2018
Gala of the Viennese Industry in the Imperial Palace
Tickets: Österreichischer Wirtschaftsbund
Lothringer Straße 16/5, 1030 Vienna
Tel: 011 43 1 512 76 31 11
office@hofburg-ball.at

Feburary 17, 2017
Ball of the Viennese Coffee House Owners
Hofburgball der Wiener Kaffeesieder (Imperial Palace)
Tickets: Club der Wiener Kafeehausbesitzer
Judenplatz 3-4/1, 1010 Vienna
Tel: 011 43 1 514 50-4112

February 8, 2018
Opera Ball
Opernball (State Opera)
Tickets: Opernball-Buero
Goethegasse 1, 1010 Vienna
Tel: 011 43 1 514 44 2606

February 9, 2018
Bonbon-Ball (Konzerthaus)
Tickets: Buero Alphonsus
Tel: 011 43 1 214 35 02

February 10, 2018
Lawyers’ Ball in the Imperial Palace
Tickets: Lawyers Association
Justizpalast, 1016 Vienna
Tel: 011 43 1 40127 1535

February 12, 2018
Rudolfina Masked Ball in the Imperial Palace
Tickets: KÖSTV Rudolfina
Lenaugasse 3, 1080 Vienna
Tel: 011 43 1 405 48 11

February 13, 2018
“Elmayer Kränzchen” – Elmayer School of Dancing Ball in the Imperial Palace
Tickets: Dancing School Elmayer
Bräunerstrasse 13, 1010 Vienna
Tel: 011 43 1 512 71 97

Balls in Vienna: a brief history“In Vienna, over 400 balls are staged each winter, frequented by 300,000 dance-loving visitors from all around the world. A unique flair is invested in proceedings by the ceremonial program. The reason for the carnival-like addiction to balls amongst the Viennese can be found back in the 18th century, when the wearing of masks and costumes was reserved for the nobility, on private occasions. To compensate for this, Emperor Joseph II opened up the dances in the Redoute Rooms in the Hofburg palace to everyone. This allowed the Viennese to copy the courtly customs of these celebrations, something which they retain to this day: strict dress codes, an opening fanfare, the entrance of the debutants and debutantes and the call “Alles Walzer”, dance cards and changes of music, together with the ‘midnight interlude’, generally a quadrille, and the formal ending are all evidence of this. Another unique feature is the “Damenspende”, a selected gift for each lady as she enters the room.

The waltz, being a partner dance, was initially perceived as a provocation, and it caused moral outrage. The Vienna Congress (1814/15), meeting in the city to establish the new order in Europe following Napoleon’s campaigns, made it acceptable via the salons. The political work was so lavishly accompanied by balls that it gave rise to the legendary saying “Der Kongress tanzt!” (“The congress is dancing!”). What the Congress was dancing to ultimately moved the world more than any of its decisions: the Viennese waltz was honoured as the king of dances.

The intoxicating turning movements at waltzing speed brought an intimate pleasure into ecclesiastically-solemn ballrooms. And Johann Strauss the Elder (1804 – 1849), who established the supremacy of the waltz with 152 such successful compositions, struck up the invitation to this dreamy dance from Vienna to London with his orchestra. “Darf ich bitten?” (“May I have this dance?”) is the most wonderful invitation of a long ball evening, and it makes the heart beat that bit faster. And when it is ladies’ choice (when the women invite the men to dance), men too get to experience that feeling of being the chosen one.

Many of the Viennese balls are now organised by groups of professional persons. The “Kaffeesieder-Ball” (organised by the Coffee Brewers) transforms the Hofburg in Vienna into the most formal dance café in the city, with an elegantly charming programme; the Confectioners delight by serving up a ballet of pastries at their ball. For many, the ball staged by the Vienna Philharmonic is considered the unofficial highlight of the ball season; it is held in the rooms of the Vienna Musikverein, from where the New Year’s Day concert is also broadcast around the world every year. The Opera Ball, held in the Vienna Opera House, “in the most beautiful ballroom in the world”, is the State Ball of the Federal Republic of Austria, and also the artists’ ball of the Vienna State Opera.