The Viennese ball calendar opens on November 11, 2015 at the same time as the carnival season when various dance schools waltz along Graben in the old town. The first ball of the season is the Vienna Red Cross Ball inside City Hall on November 20, 2015. It is followed at the turn of the year by the elegant Hofburg Silvesterball. Held in the staterooms of the former imperial Hofburg palace, it offers a full program including live performances, gala dinner and fireworks after midnight.
By January the Viennese ball season is in full swing. The Confectioner’s Ball at the Hofburg (Jan 14, 2016) is immediately followed by the Flower Ball inside City Hall (Jan 15, 2016). 24 hours later, it is time for the inaugural Vienna Boys’ Choir Ball (Jan 16, 2016) at the Kursalon, which is expected to attract numerous big-name artists. The Vienna Philharmonic Ball (Jan 21, 2016) at the Musikverein is another major highlight. Vienna’s classic gay and lesbian ball, the Rainbow Ball, is held at the Parkhotel Schönbrunn on January 30, 2016. Held on the same evening, the Vienna Sciences Ball will see the capital’s scientific and research community flock to City Hall. The absolute highlight of the season is the Opera Ball at the Vienna State Opera (Feb 4, 2016), after which some of the guests head to the Rose Ball at the Kursalon to see the night out. And anyone still in good enough shape to keep the party going has two events to choose from the following night: the Coffeehouse Owners’ Ball at the Hofburg and the Bonbon Ball at the Konzerthaus.
And that’s just a handful of the events on the 2015/16 ball calendar; check www.vienna.info for an overview of all the main ball events in the capital.
- Vienna Red Cross Ball, Nov 20, 2015, Rathaus, 1010 Vienna, www.wienerrotkreuzball.at
- Hofburg Silvesterball, 31 Dec, 2015, Hofburg, 1010 Vienna, www.hofburgsilvesterball.com
- Confectioners’ Ball, Jan 14, 2016, Hofburg, 1010 Vienna, www.zuckerbaeckerball.com
- Flower Ball, Jan 15, 2016, Rathaus, 1010 Vienna, www.wien.gv.at
- Vienna Boys’ Choir Ball, Jan 16, 2016, Kursalon Wien, Johannesgasse 33, 1010 Vienna, www.muth.at, http://ball.wsk.at
- Vienna Philharmonic Ball, Musikverein, Jan 21, 2016, Musikvereinsplatz 1, 1010 Vienna, www.wienerphilharmoniker.at
- Rainbow Ball, Jan 30, 2016, Parkhotel Schönbrunn, Hietzinger Hauptstrasse 10-14, 1130 Vienna, www.regenbogenball.at
- Vienna Science Ball, Jan 30, 2016, City Hall, 1010 Vienna, www.wissenschaftsball.at
- Opera Ball, Feb 4, 2016, Opernring 2, 1010 Vienna, www.wiener-staatsoper.at
- Rose Ball, Feb 4, 2016, Kursalon Wien, Johannesgasse 33, 1010 Vienna, www.rosenball.eu, www.kursalonwien.at
- Coffeehouse Owners’ Ball, Feb 5, 2016, Hofburg, 1010 Vienna, www.kaffeesiederball.at
- Bonbon Ball, Feb 5, 2016, Konzerthaus, Lothringerstrasse 20, 1030 Vienna, www.bonbonball.at
