Strauss concerts you can book now
Every listing below puts Strauss waltzes and polkas at the centre of the programme, usually alongside Mozart. Check the venue and start time on each event page.
- Classics of Austria at the House of StraussLive classical concert in the original Strauss hall of 1837, where all four members of the Strauss dynasty performed: orchestra and soprano play Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms and Strauss. Museum entry and sparkling wine reception included – on selected dates with a 3-course dinner.Tickets
- Schönbrunn Palace ConcertsEvening concert at Schönbrunn Palace with music by Mozart and Johann Strauss. Concert starts at 20:30, admission from 20:00, duration approx. 1 hour 45 minutes including an interval.Tickets
- Vienna Residence Orchestra: Viennese Classical ConcertsClassical concerts with music by Mozart, Strauss, Beethoven, Vivaldi and other composers. Admission 30 minutes before the start; duration approx. 90 minutes.Tickets
- Imperial Gala Concert - Palais AuerspergMozart, Strauss, Vivaldi and Schubert highlights with soloists, soprano and ballet in the imperial Palais Auersperg – concert or 4-course dinner & concert.Tickets
- Strauss Dinner ShowJohann Strauss show with the Strauss Philharmonic Orchestra, ballet and world-class sopranos, including a four-course gourmet dinner.Tickets
- Vienna Hofburg Orchestra: New Year's Concert at the HofburgNew Year's concert with morning and evening performances. Admission 30 minutes before each performance; duration approx. 90 minutes.Tickets
Johann Strauss and Vienna
Johann Strauss II was born in Vienna in 1825, the son of Johann Strauss I, whose Radetzky March still closes the New Year's Concert. Against his father's wishes he formed his own orchestra at nineteen, and by the 1860s he had turned the waltz from a ballroom dance into concert music: An der schönen blauen Donau in 1867, Geschichten aus dem Wienerwald in 1868, Wiener Blut in 1873 and the Kaiser-Walzer in 1889. His operetta Die Fledermaus of 1874 remains the most performed work of its kind.
Strauss died in Vienna in 1899 and is buried in the Zentralfriedhof beside Brahms and near Beethoven and Schubert. The city marked his 200th birthday in 2025 with a year of celebrations, and his music has never left the concert programmes: almost every Viennese orchestra that plays for visitors ends the evening with the Blue Danube and the Radetzky March.
- Blue Danube, 1867The waltz that became Vienna's anthem; encore of the Philharmonic's New Year's Concert.
- Die Fledermaus, 1874The definitive Viennese operetta, staged at the State Opera and Volksoper around New Year.
- Kaiser-Walzer, 1889The Emperor Waltz, a staple of every palace concert programme.
- Radetzky March, 1848By Johann Strauss I, the clap-along finale of Viennese concerts.
Where to hear Strauss in Vienna
The most authentic address is the House of Strauss in Döbling. The Casino Zögernitz, opened in 1837, is the last original concert hall in which all four members of the Strauss dynasty performed. Its Classics of Austria concerts combine an orchestra and a soprano playing Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms and Strauss with a museum visit and a glass of sparkling wine; on selected dates a three-course dinner comes first.
The Vienna Hofburg Orchestra plays its Christmas, New Year's Eve and New Year concerts in the Hofburg Festival Hall, with Strauss waltzes and polkas, operetta and four vocal soloists; for most visitors they are the closest they get to the Philharmonic's sold-out event. At Schönbrunn, the Palace Orchestra plays Mozart and Strauss in the Orangery on most evenings, with dinner and palace-tour packages.
For a Strauss evening with a show character, the Strauss Dinner Show in the Prater combines the Strauss Philharmonic Orchestra, ballet and sopranos with a four-course dinner. The Imperial Gala Concert at Palais Auersperg and the Vienna Residence Orchestra's Vienna Classic Concerts mix Strauss waltzes with Mozart, Vivaldi and Schubert in baroque palace rooms. Even the Vienna Mozart Orchestra at the Musikverein ends its Mozart programme with Strauss encores.
- House of StraussThe Strauss family's original 1837 hall in Döbling, museum included, mostly at 20:30, about 90 minutes.
- Hofburg seasonal concertsChristmas, New Year's Eve and New Year in the Festival Hall, about 90 minutes.
- Schönbrunn Palace ConcertsMozart and Strauss in the Orangery on most evenings, at 20:30.
- Strauss Dinner ShowOrchestra, ballet, sopranos and four-course dinner in the Prater, about three hours.
- Imperial Gala ConcertStrauss, Mozart, Vivaldi and Schubert at Palais Auersperg, at 18:00 and 20:00.
Strauss at New Year
New Year is Strauss season. The Vienna Philharmonic's New Year's Concert at the Musikverein is allocated by ballot and cannot be bought through agencies, but the Vienna Hofburg Orchestra has played its own New Year concert in the Hofburg since 1980, with morning and evening performances on 1 January and an evening performance on 2 January, and a New Year's Eve concert on 31 December. Both are built around Strauss and Viennese operetta and are listed above. Schönbrunn also runs Christmas and New Year concerts in the Orangery.
Book December and January dates as soon as your trip is fixed: each seasonal concert has only a few performances.
How to choose your Strauss concert
Decide first between a concert and a show. Concerts in the Hofburg, at Schönbrunn, at the Musikverein and in the palaces are seated performances of about ninety minutes to two hours with singers and often a ballet couple; the Strauss Dinner Show is a three-hour evening with dinner served between the numbers. Then decide on the room: the Strauss family's own hall in Döbling, an imperial palace, the Orangery at Schönbrunn, a baroque palais or a concert hall. Prices, start times and inclusions are on each event page, and every ticket price includes all fees.
Strauss concerts compared
| Concert | Venue and start | Character and duration |
|---|---|---|
| Classics of Austria, House of Strauss | Casino Zögernitz, Döbling, mostly 20:30 | Orchestra and soprano, museum and sparkling wine, about 90 min |
| Hofburg Christmas and New Year's Eve concerts | Hofburg Festival Hall, 20:30 | Strauss, Mozart and operetta with four soloists, about 90 min |
| Schönbrunn Palace Concerts | Schönbrunn Orangery, 20:30 | Mozart and Strauss, about 105 min |
| Strauss Dinner Show | Mirage, Prater, 19:00 | Show with four-course dinner, about 3 hours |
| Imperial Gala Concert | Palais Auersperg, 18:00 and 20:00 | Strauss, Mozart, Vivaldi, Schubert, about 105 min |
| Hofburg New Year concert | Hofburg Festival Hall, 1 and 2 January | Strauss and operetta, about 90 min |
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy tickets for the Vienna Philharmonic New Year's Concert?
No. Those tickets are allocated by the orchestra's ballot. The Hofburg Orchestra's New Year concert on 1 and 2 January and its New Year's Eve concert on 31 December are the bookable alternatives, and both are Strauss programmes in the Hofburg Festival Hall.
Can I hear a concert where the Strauss family performed?
Yes. The Casino Zögernitz in Döbling, opened in 1837, is the last original concert hall in which all four members of the Strauss dynasty performed: Johann Strauss I and his sons Johann II, Josef and Eduard. Today it is the House of Strauss, with a Strauss museum and Classics of Austria concerts throughout the year; the concert ticket includes the museum.
Which concert plays the Blue Danube?
Almost all of them. The Blue Danube and the Radetzky March are the traditional closing pieces of the Hofburg Orchestra, Schönbrunn, Imperial Gala and Strauss Dinner Show programmes.
Are Strauss concerts suitable for children?
Yes, waltzes and polkas are the most accessible classical programmes for families. Check the minimum age and duration on the event page; the 18:00 concert at Palais Auersperg is the easiest for younger children.
Do Strauss concerts include dancing?
Most include a ballet couple dancing to selected waltzes and polkas. Guests do not dance; the concerts are seated performances.