The annual calendar of events in Vienna, Austria, is filled with festivals, exhibitions, performances, sports, culinary and cultural things to see and do this year.
Vienna Spring Festival
Dates: mid April to early May
Performances by famous artists.
Vienna Festival International Music Festival
Where: Konzerthaus
Dates: early May to mid June
Concerts to see and hear: Twentieth-century classical music by composers from Claude Debussy and Alban Berg to Olivier Messiaen.
Viennafair Art Fair
Where: Vienna Trade Fair Center, Messezentrum, 2nd district
Dates: late April
Things to see: Contemporary art by young artists and international stars.
Night Skating
Where: Assemble at Heldenplatz, 1st district
Dates: May to September on Friday nights
Life Ball
Where: City Hall and City Hall Square, 1st district
Date: late May
Things to see and do: Austria's flamboyant AIDS charity event features outrageous costumes, dancing and Hollywood celebrities and models.
Riverside in the City
Where: walkways along the Danube Canal, the "Little Danube"
Dates: all summer
Things to see and do: For swimming, go to the Badeschiff, a former Danube barge with a pool and sun deck, moored between Schwedenplatz and the Urania. For food and beach volleyball visit the riverfront Summerstage, upstream by the Rossauer Lände subway station. For cool drinks, chill out at the Strandbar (Beach Bar) Herrmann, at the Urania, a public observatory opened in 1910. Adria Wien has a garden grill.
Summer at the MuseumsQuartier (MQ) in Vienna
Where: MuseumsQuartier, Museumsplatz 1, 7th district
Dates: late June (the 7 festival for fashion, music & photography), mid July to mid August (ImPulsTanz Vienna International Dance Festival)
Things to see and do: Rent boules, enjoy model car racing, take guided tours of the Leopold Museum (Schiele), the Museum of Modern Art and the Kunsthalle, play open-air chess, watch backgammon tournaments, enjoy weekend DJ events, readings, and children's activities.
Vienna & Wine
Dates: October and November
Things to see and do: Discover typical Viennese white wines, like Riesling, Weissburgunder and Grüner Veltliner and red wines like Zweigelt and Blauburgunder at tastings. Take guided tours of vineyards and cellars of more than 300 local vintners inside the city limits. Enter the competition for bottles of Viennese wine and instant wins.
The Magic of Advent and the New Year's Trail
Where: Around City Hall
Dates: mid November to December 24 and December 31 (New Year's Eve)
Things to see: Enjoy Christmas markets during Advent. On New Year's Eve, a dozen stages in downtown Vienna offer shows, waltzes, operetta, rock and folk music. Booths sell sparkling wine and foods from around the world.
