Christmas & New Year Concerts in Vienna
From the Advent weeks to Epiphany, Vienna plays every night: the Philharmonic’s New Year’s Concert, Die Fledermaus and Swan Lake at the State Opera, Beethoven’s Ninth, the Boys’ Choir on Christmas morning and candlelit concerts in palaces and churches. Here is the whole calendar, with prices and how to choose.
Vienna at Christmas Is a Music Festival
The Christmas markets get the photographs — the Christkindlmarkt in front of the City Hall runs until 26 December, and the market at Schönbrunn turns into a New Year market and stays open until 6 January — but the reason to be in Vienna in the last fortnight of December is what happens after dark. The State Opera plays right through the holidays, pausing only on Christmas Eve; the Vienna Philharmonic gives its last subscription concerts of the year in the Golden Hall before the three New Year performances; the Vienna Symphony plays Beethoven’s Ninth at the Konzerthaus on New Year’s Eve; and every evening a dozen palace, church and chamber concerts start between four and half past eight.
Nothing on this page is theoretical: every date below is on sale with us as we write (15 October 2026), with the price being the cheapest seating category listed that day. Dates and prices change as the season loads, so the linked event page is always the final word.
The Calendar, 15 December to 7 January
15 – 23 DecemberThe Advent week
The Philharmonic before Christmas. The Musikverein hosts the orchestra’s December concerts on Saturday 19 December (15:30), Sunday 20 December (11:00) and Monday 21 December (19:30), and there is a Konzerthaus evening on Friday 18 December — from €190 with us. These are the last chances to hear the orchestra in the Golden Hall at ordinary concert prices before the New Year programme takes over the hall.
At the State Opera, the run-up to Christmas is built for first-timers and families: Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte on 12, 15 and 18 December (Sabine Devieilhe as the Queen of the Night, Axel Kober conducting), Bizet’s Les Pêcheurs de Perles from 19 December, the season’s third premiere — Berlioz’s La Damnation de Faust — on 17 December, and the Vienna State Ballet’s Swan Lake from 21 December. The season guide has the whole winter in one place.
Every evening, the Advent concerts: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons by candlelight in the Karlskirche at 20:15 (from €38), Mozart and Strauss in the Orangerie at Schönbrunn (from €58, or from €105 with dinner), chamber music in the two Mozarthaus rooms (from €42), the House of Strauss at 20:30 (from €69), the costume concerts of the Vienna Mozart Orchestra in the Golden Hall on 16, 18 and 21 December (from €89) and the Vienna Boys’ Choir at Sunday Mass in the Hofburgkapelle on 20 December at 9:15.
24 DecemberChristmas Eve
Heiliger Abend is the family evening in Austria: shops close in the early afternoon, the State Opera and the big concert halls are dark, and the city goes quiet well before dusk. A handful of concerts still play for visitors, and they are precisely the right size for the night: the House of Strauss at 20:30 (from €69), the Baroque Orchestra at the Palais Schönborn-Batthyány at 18:30 (from €59), the Royal Orchestra at the Haus der Industrie at 18:30 and 20:30 (from €59), the Mozart Ensemble at the Mozarthaus at 20:00 (from €42), the Wiener Ensemble on Domgasse at 18:30 (from €59) and an afternoon palace concert at Schönbrunn at 15:00 (from €68). Book the dinner before the concert early — restaurants that open on the 24th fill weeks ahead.
25 – 27 DecemberChristmas Day and the two days after
Christmas morning in the Hofburgkapelle. The Vienna Boys’ Choir sings the Christmas Day Mass at 9:15 in the emperors’ own chapel, with the Wiener Hofmusikkapelle, and again on Sunday 27 December — seats from €42 by category. It is a sung Catholic Mass rather than a concert, and the most Viennese hour of the whole holiday; our Boys’ Choir guide explains how the morning works.
The Christmas concerts in the Hofburg. From 25 to 27 December at 20:30 the Vienna Hofburg Orchestra gives its Christmas Concerts in the Festsaal of the Imperial Palace — Mozart, the Strauss family, Lehár, Kálmán and Suppé with four opera soloists, from €90. The hall was designed as a throne room and photographs accordingly.
The State Opera reopens on Christmas Day with Les Pêcheurs de Perles, then Swan Lake on 26 December (19:00) and 28 December, with La Damnation de Faust on the 27th. And the nightly calendar is back at full strength: Karlskirche, Schönbrunn (16:00 and 20:30), both Mozarthaus rooms, the palais concerts, the Minoritenkirche at 19:00 and the Strauss Dinner Show at the Mirage from €129.
28 – 30 DecemberBetween the years
The quiet days are the best-value days. Swan Lake dances on 28 and 30 December and La Damnation de Faust plays on the 29th; on 30 December the Konzerthaus gives the first of three Beethoven Ninths with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra under Manfred Honeck at 19:00 (from €195), and the same morning, at 11:00, the Vienna Philharmonic gives the Preview Performance of the New Year’s Concert — the identical programme two days early, and the gentlest of the three prices (from €1,750 with us). Our New Year’s Concert guide compares the three performances.
31 DecemberNew Year’s Eve — Silvester
Vienna gives you five ways to spend the last evening of the year with an orchestra, and they start early enough to reach the fireworks on the Ring by midnight:
Die Fledermaus at the State Opera, 18:00. The house performs Johann Strauss’s operetta every New Year’s Eve, and this year Franz Welser-Möst conducts Otto Schenk’s production with Julia Kleiter as Rosalinde, Ludwig Mittelhammer as Eisenstein, Nikola Hillebrand as Adele and the Viennese comedian Michael Niavarani as the jailer Frosch. Three acts, two intervals, champagne in the plot and in the foyers: the Fledermaus page has the cast, the prices and the three further performances in January (from €108).
The Philharmonic’s New Year’s Eve Concert, 19:30. The second of the three New Year performances in the Golden Hall, the one that flows straight into the city’s own Silvester. See the New Year’s Concert listings for the live prices.
Beethoven’s Ninth at the Konzerthaus, 19:00. The Vienna Symphony Orchestra’s Silvester tradition — the Ode to Joy at the turn of the year, this winter under Manfred Honeck — from €220 with us, and a fraction of the Golden Hall prices for an evening of equal weight. Konzerthaus dates.
The Silvester concert in the Hofburg, 20:30. Waltzes, polkas and operetta arias — the Blue Danube, Wiener Blut, Voices of Spring, the Fledermaus and Csárdás Princess favourites — with four singers in the Festsaal, from €90. The most relaxed of the big-room options and an easy walk to the Ring afterwards.
Dinner and a show. The Strauss Dinner Show at the Mirage stages a New Year’s Eve gala (from €199), Schönbrunn plays at 15:00 and 19:00 (from €78) and the Karlskirche’s Four Seasons keeps its 20:15 slot (from €38). The New Year’s Eve Gala in the City Hall ballroom opens the ball season the same night; as with every ball, our Vienna office arranges that one by enquiry.
1 JanuaryNew Year’s Day
11:15, the Golden Hall. The New Year’s Concert itself, broadcast to the world, conducted in 2027 by Tugan Sokhiev. The Philharmonic allocates its own seats by ballot; as an independent Vienna agency we list what we can source on the New Year’s Concert page, and our guide explains honestly how those tickets work.
The rest of the day is generous: the Hofburg Orchestra’s New Year’s Day concerts at 11:00 and 18:00 (from €90, with a third on 2 January), Die Fledermaus again at the State Opera (from €108), Beethoven’s Ninth once more at the Konzerthaus at 19:00 (from €195), Schönbrunn at 16:00 and 20:30, the Minoritenkirche at 16:00 (from €39), the Karlskirche at 20:15 and the Strauss Dinner Show at 19:30.
2 – 7 JanuaryThe first week of the year
The holiday runs to Epiphany, a public holiday in Austria on 6 January, and the State Opera fills the week: Swan Lake on 2 and 5 January, Die Fledermaus on 3 and 6 January and Massenet’s Werther on 4 and 7 January — January prices start around €86 to €108 by category, a long way below New Year’s Eve. The palace and church concerts continue every evening, and the Schönbrunn market is still open for a last Punsch until the 6th.
The Big Nights, in One Table
From-prices are the cheapest seating category listed with us on 15 October 2026; every event page shows its current categories.
| Date | What | Where | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 19 · Sun 20 · Mon 21 Dec | Vienna Philharmonic, December concerts | Golden Hall | €190 |
| Sun 20 · Fri 25 · Sun 27 Dec, 9:15 | Vienna Boys’ Choir, Mass in the Hofburgkapelle | Hofburg | €42 |
| Fri 25 – Sun 27 Dec, 20:30 | Christmas Concerts, Vienna Hofburg Orchestra | Hofburg Festsaal | €90 |
| Sat 26 · Mon 28 · Wed 30 Dec · 2 · 5 Jan | Swan Lake, Vienna State Ballet | State Opera | €133 |
| Wed 30 Dec, 11:00 | New Year’s Concert, Preview Performance | Golden Hall | €1,750 |
| Wed 30 · Thu 31 Dec · Fri 1 Jan, 19:00 | Beethoven’s Ninth, Vienna Symphony Orchestra | Konzerthaus | €195 |
| Thu 31 Dec, 18:00 | Die Fledermaus, New Year’s Eve | State Opera | €312 |
| Thu 31 Dec, 19:30 | New Year’s Eve Concert, Vienna Philharmonic | Golden Hall | €2,495 |
| Thu 31 Dec, 20:30 | Silvester Concert, Vienna Hofburg Orchestra | Hofburg Festsaal | €90 |
| Thu 31 Dec, 19:30 | Strauss Dinner Show, New Year’s Eve gala | Mirage, Prater | €199 |
| Fri 1 Jan, 11:15 | The New Year’s Concert 2027 | Golden Hall | see listing |
| Fri 1 Jan, 11:00 & 18:00 | New Year’s Day Concerts, Vienna Hofburg Orchestra | Hofburg Festsaal | €90 |
| Fri 1 · Sun 3 · Wed 6 Jan | Die Fledermaus, January performances | State Opera | €108 |
| Nightly, 20:15 | Vivaldi’s Four Seasons by candlelight | Karlskirche | €38 |
| Daily, 16:00 & 20:30 | Schönbrunn Palace Concerts | Schönbrunn Orangerie | €58 |
Which Christmas Concert Is Yours?
The once-in-a-lifetime nightGolden Hall or Fledermaus
If this is the Vienna New Year you have been planning for years, it is one of the three Philharmonic performances or Die Fledermaus on 31 December. The Philharmonic is the rarer ticket by far and priced accordingly; the operetta is the Viennese choice, the one the locals dress for, and it ends in time for the fireworks.
With the familySwan Lake and The Magic Flute
Nureyev’s Swan Lake over the holidays and Mozart’s fairy tale before Christmas are the two State Opera evenings built for a first visit at any age, with seat-screen subtitles in English. The costume Mozart concerts and the Hofburg Christmas concerts are the easy wins for mixed ages outside the opera house.
Sacred and seasonalChoir, church and candlelight
Christmas morning Mass with the Boys’ Choir, the Four Seasons in the Karlskirche, the Minoritenkirche concerts and the Amadeus Concerts at the Künstlerhaus: the quiet, candlelit end of the calendar, and the least expensive, from €29 to €42.
The whole eveningDinner and concert
Dinner at Schönbrunn before a concert in the Orangerie, the Strauss Dinner Show in the Prater or the dinner-and-concert evenings at the House of Strauss and the Palais Auersperg: one booking, no logistics, the right answer for a celebration. See the dinner & concert calendar.
Booking a Winter Evening in Vienna
Book the fixed dates first. New Year’s Eve and Christmas Day performances are one-night events with the whole city competing for them; the nightly palace and church concerts can be left to the week itself. For the Philharmonic, read the guide before you decide which of the three performances you want.
How tickets work with us. You book by seating category and we reserve the best available seats within it; two seats are always seated together unless a listing says otherwise. Tickets for the State Opera are issued about a week before the performance, and your booking is confirmed at purchase. Collection is from our office at Opernring 1, directly opposite the State Opera, on the day of the performance or the day before (13:00–17:00, Sundays 15:00–18:00); where e-tickets are available for an event, we send them by email instead. Winter visitors staying several days find our hotels guide useful: everything on this page is within a short walk or a few U-Bahn stops of the Ring.
What to wear. New Year’s Eve at the opera and in the Golden Hall is the dressiest night of the Viennese year; everywhere else, smart casual is fine and warm shoes are wise, because the churches are cold. Our dress code guide covers each hall. Concert lengths: the palace and church evenings run 75 to 100 minutes; Swan Lake about three hours with two intervals; Die Fledermaus about three and a quarter hours with two intervals — see how long an opera lasts.
ONE EVENT is an independent ticket agency. All tickets offered are genuine and valid, but we are not the official box office of the Vienna State Opera. Prices include our service fee and may be higher than the original face value; the full total is always shown before you pay. We are independent of, and not affiliated with, the Vienna Philharmonic and the Musikverein.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is on at the Vienna State Opera over Christmas and New Year?
In the 2026/27 season: Die Zauberflöte (12, 15, 18 December), Les Pêcheurs de Perles (19, 22, 25 December), the premiere of La Damnation de Faust (17 December, then 20, 23, 27 and 29 December), the ballet Swan Lake (21, 26, 28, 30 December; 2 and 5 January), Die Fledermaus (31 December; 1, 3 and 6 January) and Werther (4 and 7 January). The house does not perform on 24 December.
Are there concerts in Vienna on Christmas Eve?
Fewer, but yes. The State Opera and the big halls are closed on 24 December, while the House of Strauss (20:30), the Palais Schönborn-Batthyány (18:30), the Haus der Industrie (18:30 and 20:30), both Mozarthaus rooms and an afternoon concert at Schönbrunn (15:00) play as usual. Book dinner early; most of the city closes by mid-afternoon.
How do I hear the Vienna Boys’ Choir at Christmas?
At the sung Mass in the Hofburgkapelle, the imperial chapel in the Hofburg, at 9:15 on Sunday 20 December, Christmas Day and Sunday 27 December, with seats from €42 by category. It is a Mass, not a concert — about an hour to an hour and a quarter, and the choir sings from the organ gallery at the back of the chapel.
What are the alternatives to the Philharmonic’s New Year’s Concert?
On the same dates: the Vienna Symphony Orchestra’s Beethoven Ninth at the Konzerthaus (30 and 31 December, 1 January, 19:00, from €195), the Vienna Hofburg Orchestra’s Silvester and New Year’s Day concerts in the Hofburg Festsaal (from €90), Die Fledermaus at the State Opera and the Strauss Dinner Show gala. All of them play the Strauss repertoire the day is famous for, at a fraction of the Golden Hall prices.
How much do Christmas and New Year concerts in Vienna cost?
With us, church and chamber concerts start from €29 to €42, palace concerts from €44 to €78, the Hofburg Orchestra from €90, the Vienna Philharmonic’s December concerts from €190, Beethoven’s Ninth from €195 and State Opera performances from around €86 in January to €312 for the Fledermaus on New Year’s Eve. The New Year’s Concert performances are priced separately on their listings. All prices include our service fee and may be above the original face value.
Do I need to dress up?
Only if you want to — except on New Year’s Eve at the State Opera and in the Golden Hall, where evening wear is the norm. Palace and church concerts are smart casual, and the churches are cold, so dress for it.
How do I get my tickets if I arrive on Christmas Eve?
Your booking is confirmed at purchase; tickets are collected from our office at Opernring 1/E/536-537, directly opposite the State Opera, on the day of the performance or the day before, during the collection hours shown on your confirmation. Where an event offers e-tickets, we email them instead, so nothing depends on an office visit.