Anyone who loves music will enjoy Vienna. The beautiful city of Vienna has a long and illustrious history when it comes to music.
This has continued right up to the current day. Vienna is a great place for lovers of both modern and classical music. Here is an overview of some of the city’s best music venues and experiences.
Opera for the masses
The art of opera has a long and illustrious history. Historical records show that the Romans enjoyed a form of opera as far back as the 1500s. For this reason, many historians say that the Italians gave us opera. However, other historians say that modern opera actually has its roots in Vienna. Up until 1762, there was no story to an opera. It was just a performance of a series of songs.
In 1762, that all changed when the Viennese turned operatic performances into a story instead of a series of standalone songs. There are three great places to see an opera in Vienna – The Vienna State Opera the Volksoper and the Theater an der Wien. All three venues have great acoustics.
There are also outdoor performances between April and September. The square outside the State Opera building is the venue for most of these outdoor performances, which are extremely popular. If you want opera tickets in Vienna you need to book well in advance, because tickets sell out fast, especially for the outdoor performances.
Other live music performances to enjoy in Vienna
Vienna offers an eclectic mix of live music. Every year Vienna hosts numerous music festivals and concerts, there is everything on offer in the city from the classics to hip-hop. For those who love the classics there is a chance to see the Vienna Philharmonic perform music by Schubert, Mozart and a range of other composers.
If you prefer smaller more intimate venues there are plenty of other performances in the city’s churches and halls. These quieter affairs are not widely advertised, but you can pick up information from the local tourist office.
You shall go to the ball
Vienna during the ball season is a unique experience, quite like anything you will see anywhere else. Between November and January every year, the city steps back in time and is transformed by people dressed in dinner suites and ball gowns.
Even if you are not lucky enough to get tickets to the ball you can still enjoy the spectacle. All you have to do is to find a table near one of the ball venues and enjoy the show.
Vienna’s wonderful festivals
Every year the city of Vienna hosts dozens of festivals. The city is famous for the Viennale, which is a very popular film festival. The Donauinselfest is another popular festival, which is now in its 20th year. Artists from an eclectic mix of genres including rock, punk, jazz and hip-hop visit this festival every year.
Vienna is a beautiful city that offers you plenty to do and see. The food and drink is wonderful too especially the coffee and cakes.
