Vienna Events and Festivals
January
 New Year’s Day Concert: the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra performs the city’s annual New Year’s concert, which is also broadcast world-wide. This is Vienna’s traditional beginning to the New Year. The Philharmonic is considered one of the finest orchestras in the world. For this concert, the programme consists of the most popular waltzes of the celebrated Austrian composer, Johann Strauss.
February
 Vienna Ball Season: Vienna is one of the last places in the world in which grand balls are the fixture of the winter social calendar. Attending a ball is without a doubt one of the best ways to experience the sophistication and charm that has characterised Vienna for centuries. Approximately 300 public events are scheduled every season, with most occurring in Feburary.
March
 Easter Music Festival: establish in 1996, OsterKlang Wien is a high point of Vienna’s annual music calendar. Orchestral performances are conducted by some of the world’s foremost conductors. Works that are featured include those of Mozart, Mendelssohn and other important classical composers.
April
 The Annual Skate Marathon: combine your sightseeing with some good exercise and the company of thousands of locals. This event combines a 42km skate marathon with 10km and 21km runs. Participants and spectators are entertained by performers at open-air concerts in the city’s Prater Park.
May
 The Vienna City Festival: this three-day celebration is packed with events that range from comedy and live music to theatrical performances. On the first day of the festival, attendees are treated to samples of gourmet dishes prepared by some of the city’s top chefs, who set up stalls around the centre. During the weekend that follows, comedy acts, musical concerts and numerous performances are staged at many venues, and the streets are lined with food and handicraft stalls.
June
 Donau (Danube) Island Festival: the Danube Island Festival is held twice annually, and has grown to become one of Europe’s largest parties for young adults. In fact, millions descend on Vienna from around the world for this weekend of free entertainment, dancing and music. Local bands and DJs provide much of the music, and performance artists from many countries round out the programme with open-air performances on the island’s many stages.
July/August
Vienna Music Film Festival: held annually for nearly two decades, this celebration of filmmaking runs through the months of July and August. An open-air cinema is set up in front of City Hall, where films are screened nightly for two months. The focus of the festival is on films that feature music, from lively musicals to filmed operas and ballets. There’s not a chance of going hungry, as food stalls appear throughout the immediate area, offering up a variety of international treats.
September
Danube Island Festival: occurring twice annually, this event is first held in June and then repeated in September. Young people from Europe and other parts of the world come to Vienna for this energetic and fun-filled celebration. There’s dancing, live music, theatrical performances and plenty to eat and drink. Open-air stages are set up around the island, and performance are held on these stages and also under large tents.
October
 Viennale – Vienna International Film Festival: this is Austria’s oldest and most important film event, which showcases top films from around the world and the best from Austrian filmmakers. Specialties of this festival are short features and documentaries. Held annually for nearly half a century, the Viennale attracts over 80,000 spectators each year.
December
 Vienna Christmas Market: in 1296 Emperor Albrecht I allowed the opening of a December market which eventually was transformed into the Christmas market known in German as Christkindlmarkt. Today shoppers from countries across Europe travel to Vienna for a weekend to soak up the Christmas atmosphere. More than 100 stalls offer up food, drink and handicrafts. Specialties of the market include roasted chestnuts and traditional Austrian gluhwein (a hot mulled wine). Every Sunday there are choirs that perform traditional Christmas carols.
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