This New Year market spreads across a beautiful square and entices visitors with a post-Christmas bonanza of food, arts, crafts, and (probably) pigs.
- Strong on quality wares and a variety of food stalls
- Often has special New Year punch mugs
- Usually continues the Christmas market at the same location
- Skips 2025 due to construction work
- Book a concert experience* for your New Year trip
- Nearby:
- See also:
- New Year markets in Vienna
The New Year market
(The market in a previous year)
This New Year market has essentially always been a continuation of the lovely Christmas market on the same site: Maria-Theresien-Platz square. Same stands, more or less; same contents, more or less.
The market sits between two of the prestigious buildings that popped up during the great period of urban (re)construction that marked the second half of the 19th century in Vienna.
Perhaps it’s coincidence but, when I last visited, the stalls nearest the Naturhistorisches Museum (natural history museum) sold food and drink, while those nearest the Kunsthistorisches Museum (prestigious art museum) sold creative handicrafts and similar.
So a deserved flourish of the hat to the planners.
Incidentally, if it all gets too cold for you, both those museums have excellent cafés inside.
The notable differences I found when compared to the Christmas market:
- Most of the mugs continued with Christmas market themes, but the mug stand also had some featuring New Year symbols
- One or two stands added traditional New Year motifs to their wares, too. Pig-shaped items, in particular, count as lucky charms that the Viennese exchange with friends and family at New Year
(An earlier New Year mug in action)
- Discounts on Christmas stock proved rare, but with exceptions. For example, I found 30% off ceramic plates at one stall
If you want cheap Christmas items, visit the city’s department stores. They usually sell off their seasonal stock after Boxing Day at a steep discount. Though you won’t get the kind of handcrafted unique items sold at the seasonal markets.
Punch was, as at every Christmas and New Year market, ubiquitous, and the food included all the seasonal snacks and fare plus the traditional fried sausages, langos, and roast chestnuts. And a couple of international dishes added a global flavour to proceedings.
(Appropriately-themed snow globes)
The arts, crafts and other items left quite an impression on me, too.
Expect the likes of candles and woolly hats, regional schnapps and liquors, wintry decorations made from cinnamon sticks, dried fruits and bay leaves, jewellery, toys, ceramic flowers, and much (much) more.
Next dates & times
The market typically follows on without a break from the Christmas market. I don’t have confirmed details for the next event, but the square hosts no Christmas or New Year market in 2025 because of construction work around the entrances to the museums.
Last time out, the market opened until December 31st. Scheduled opening times from the 25th were 11am to 7pm. However, the market closed at 6pm on New Year’s Eve.
How to get to Maria-Theresien-Platz
The location is positioned quite perfectly for public transport.
Subway: the Volkstheater U2/U3 station or the MuseumsQuartier U2 station
Trams: the market borders the Ring, which hosts a continuous stream of trams. Take the 1, 2, D, 46, 49 or 71 lines to Ring/Volkstheater or the 1, 2, D or 71 to Burgring.
The 1, 2, D and 71 services will possibly not serve these stops on the evening of December 31st, though, if the Silvesterpfad New Year celebrations mean too many people are walking around their routes.
Address: Maria-Theresien-Platz, 1010 Vienna | Website