Time to swap Christmas baubles for palace balls, punch for sparkling wine, and sausages for…nope, keep the sausages. It’s New Year’s Eve in Vienna.
Discover the delights of December 31st in Austria’s capital, what to expect at the New Year markets (if they open), and local tips on getting the most out of your year-end trip. Warning: may include waltzes.
- See also: Christmas in Vienna
Last year looked very different, of course, since Vienna was in full lockdown – no public gatherings, fireworks banned, no markets etc.. Fingers crossed for this year.
Be sure to check official sites for the latest public health developments that might affect and change the below, which is mostly written from a pre-COVID perspective. For example, if Vienna leaves lockdown before New Year, then COVID status (and possibly testing) requirements are still likely, especially when visiting events.
Let’s begin with how the locals welcome in the New Year…
How is New Year’s Eve celebrated?
(Waltz your way along the Graben pedestrian precinct below the giant chandeliers)
New Year’s Eve is known as Silvester in Austria. This German word comes from the same-named pope and saint, who died on December 31st, AD 335. None of which has any relevance, though, to how Vienna celebrates the turn of the year.
People party just like the rest of the world (when allowed). Aside from parties, though, Vienna has one or two little traditions not shared by such cities as New York, London or Tokyo.
In the hour before midnight on New Year’s Eve, for example, the main national TV station plays Dinner for One, a short comedy sketch recorded in 1963 (in English!).
At midnight itself, the giant Pummerin bell of Vienna’s St Stephen’s cathedral then rings in the New Year with the chimes simultaneously broadcast across TV and radio.
Once the last echoes of the Pummerin fade away, all hell breaks loose as fireworks across the city burst into action (again, when allowed!).
Broadcasters then switch to the Blue Danube waltz and everyone dances in the New Year as lights explode across the night sky.
Then, just to add that special touch of romance to the evening, we all swap marzipan pigs. Seriously – they count as lucky charms here.
The fireworks make quite a sight (and noise), leaving Vienna a smoky haze in the early morning redolent with the smell of gunpowder (possibly just my overwrought imagination).
To get a good view of any fireworks over the city, head up into the Vienna hills. Alternatively, find your way to a place known for great views of Vienna (if they are open). Inevitably, you’ll need to reserve a place/seat at the commercial locations and book well in advance.
(Read more about Vienna’s New Year traditions.)
The Silvesterpfad
New Year’s Eve in Vienna is all about the Silvesterpfad, which translates literally as the “New Year’s Eve trail”. Sadly, this has already been cancelled for 2021/2022.
The name covers a series of events and activities around the city centre that typically begin at 2pm on December 31st and run through to 2am the next day. Last time out (2019/2020), some 800,000 people celebrated along it.
The city puts up temporary stages, so live performers, bands, orchestras, and DJs can entertain everyone until midnight and beyond.
The Viennese ballroom dancing schools offer free waltz courses on the Graben (the pedestrianised zone that leads away from St Stephen’s Cathedral). And the State Opera House puts up a big screen outside with opera highlights. Dozens of food stands ensure you don’t go hungry or thirsty.
Finally, at midnight, people gather in one of two places:
- The Stephansplatz square in front of the cathedral to hear the Pummerin’s midnight chimes “live”
- The Rathausplatz square in front of the Rathaus town hall for a communal waltz and firework display
Consider it a grand city-wide party. Hopefully, it will return in December 2022.
(Read more about Vienna’s Silvesterpfad.)
New Year markets
Vienna is, of course, famous for its Christmas markets, but why stop there? Why indeed.
A couple of these markets typically morph into New Year alternatives (known by various German words, including Neujahrsmarkt, Silvestermarkt, and Silvesterdorf) from around December 27th.
At the best ones, you get all the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes that make the Christmas versions so popular, but without the nagging sense of guilt that you ought to buy a few presents while there.
Even after 25 years in the city, I still love browsing these seasonal markets and enjoying a warming mug of Glühwein or similar.
I have a soft spot for the Schönbrunn Neujahrsmarkt, as it’s a little away from the centre and has a bit more space than most seasonal markets. Sadly, it will not take place in the Dec 2021 / Jan 2022 season. And very few of the other markets have yet confirmed they will open.
(Read more about Vienna’s New Year markets.)
New Year events
NB: Events will not happen during the current lockdown (with very few exceptions). Even after, details can change at short notice, so check with official homepages for up-to-date info and any requirements for your COVID and test status.
The big traditional event is the New Year’s Concert given by the world-famous Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra at the Musikverein. What few people know is they actually hold three concerts with the same programme:
- A “preview performance” on Dec 30
- A Silvesterkonzert on Dec 31
- The actual New Year’s Concert on Jan 1st
Good luck getting tickets for any of these. And I don’t mean that sarcastically – a lottery system decides who can buy a ticket. You need to register at a special page on the orchestra’s website much earlier in the year to have a chance.
You’d think tickets would be astronomically expensive and some are, but prices actually start from around €20. Vienna has a strong tradition of ensuring access for (almost) anyone to cultural activities like opera, theatre and classical concerts.
(Read more about the New Year’s Concert and how to get tickets.)
A lot of hotels and town palaces host special Silvester gala evenings for the 31st, too. The most well-known is probably the Hofburg Silvester Ball (already cancelled for 2021) in the former winter palace of the Habsburgs that dominates the city centre.
Other prominent annual events normally include the one at the Rathaus or the gala (and concert) at the Kursalon.
I should also mention the exhibitions, should you wish a dose of culture before the festivities begin. The museums usually pull out their best efforts for the end of the year: check the suggestions for December and January.
This coming New Year has top-class exhibitions showcasing the work of, for example, Titian and Modigliani.
The weather
If you’re out and about enjoying the New Year, dress up warm. Obviously, nobody can say quite what the weather will be, but you’re on safe ground if you assume “cold”. Temperatures below 0°C are not unusual, especially late into the night.
Public transport
Under normal circumstances, the municipal transport services (Wiener Linien) extend operations for New Year’s Eve. So the subway lines run through the night at short intervals, only reverting to the normal nighttime schedule in the early hours. Many daytime tram lines and some bus lines also operate through the night, too.
When the Silvesterpfad is on, the trams that encircle the city centre on the Ring boulevard and buses that go through the centre usually don’t operate once the festivities are in full swing. For the same reason, the Stephansplatz subway station typically closes.
January 1st is a public holiday, but public holiday travel timetables in Vienna are usually better than most city’s normal timetables, so you needn’t worry about getting around on public transport on New Year’s Day.
Useful German phrases
Finally, to end this little guide, how about a couple of useful New Year phrases in German:
- Happy New Year / “guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr” (often shortened to just “guten Rutsch”)
- Sorry, I can’t hear you over the noise of the fireworks / “Ich kann Sie nicht hören wegen der Kracher”
- A marzipan pig – how delightful / “Ein Schwein aus Marzipan. Wie nett”
So…guten Rutsch!
(Let’s hope 2021 really does turn out a little better than 2020 and New Year celebrations in Vienna are possible in one form or another.)