ABOUT THE 2023 BALLS
There will be opportunities to attend several balls during Waltz Week
THE OFFICIAL "WALTZ WEEK" BALLS
As a group, plan to get tickets for the "AKADEMIKER BALL" taking place on Friday, Feb 24th and the FEUERWEHRBALL taking place Saturday, Feb 25th. These will be a delightful finish to our week of workshops and play (See details below). PLEASE NOTE: These Ball sell out quickly, so we need to get your payment in before Dec 15th to guarantee you a spot. We will arrange the tickets for you as part of Waltz Week.
ADDITIONAL BALLS DURING WALTZ WEEK
The RUDIFONA "MASKED" BALL is taking place Monday, Feb 20th, at the Hofburg Palace. This is a great option if you would like to experience more than one kind of ball at the Hofburg during your time here, this one being a "masked" ball. There may be more balls announced as the time draws near. We will update this site as we learn more. Keep checking back if you are interested in exploring these options (See list below).
PURCHASING TICKETS
In order for us to buy tickets for you to any of the three balls, your tickets must be ordered through our website by December 15th. This will ensure enough time for our Vienna team to purchase and collect them. Tickets ordered after December 15th cannot be guaranteed. We will do our best to get them for you, but these balls can sell out quickly once the box office opens. You will be refunded in full for any tickets which you paid for but could not be obtained. Tickets for the all three balls can be purchased on our registration page (Prices shown below reflect ticket price + internet fee). Tickets for any of the other balls can be purchased via the contact information listed below.
*NOTE*
If you are planning on going to any of the non-official Waltz Week Balls without a partner, please see the note at the bottom of this page.
THE BALLS:
1. Monday, Feb 20th: The Rudolfina-Redoute ("The Masked Ball") at the Hofburg Palace
The Rudolfina-Redoute is the oldest, most traditional ball organized by a student fraternity. Of the many Redoutes that once took place, the Rudolfina-Redoute is the only one that still survives today. Redoute means ‘masked ball’ where the ladies, who come alone or with a partner, wear a mask and can invite the men to dance.
Location: Hofburg Imperial Palace
1 Heldenplatz, Vienna, Austria
Times:
- Doors open: 7:30 pm
- Traditional Opening Ceremony: 9:00 pm
- End of ball: 4:30 am
Dress code: (see website for more details and photos of appropriate attire)
- Ladies: Long evening gown with mask (no pantsuits, cocktail dresses, traditional costumes)
- Gentlemen: Black tail with white bow tie, black tie (tuxedo) or uniform
Website: https://www.rudolfina-redoute.at/en/
Tickets:
- €120 Cost per person (entrance only, no table seat or food/drinks included)
- €150 Cost of person PLUS seat in one of the outer rooms
- There is also a cost for coat check at the venue (cash only). Usually around €10
2. Friday, Feb 24th: The Akidemiker Ball ("The Academic Ball") at the Hofburg Palace
Plan to get tickets to the Akidemiker Ball as this will be a part of our official Waltz Week program.
Location: Hofburg Imperial Palace
1 Heldenplatz, Vienna, Austria
Times:
- Doors open: 7:30 pm
- Traditional Opening Ceremony: 9:00 pm
- End of ball: 4:30 am
Dress code: (see website for more details and photos of appropriate attire)
- Ladies: Floor length evening dress (no pantsuits, cocktail dresses, traditional costumes)
- Gentlemen: Tailcoat, tuxedo, black suit with tuxedo bow tie (no hanging tie)
Website: https://www.wiener-akademikerball.at/ (in German only)
Tickets:
- €150 Cost per person with seat in the Zeremoniensaal
- PLEASE NOTE: Price may be more if we can get a table in the Festsaal (the main ballroom). These are limited and very hard to obtain. We will keep you posted.
- There is also a cost for coat check at the venue (cash only). Usually around €10
2. Friday, Feb 24th: The Akidemiker Ball at the Hofburg Palace -- This is another lovely option for a Ball to attend on the Saturday prior to Waltz Week, particularly since it will be in a completely different venue. The Theme of this years ball is "A night in Venice". The website is in English and very informative. It says,
"On 16th of February 2019, Kursalon will open its doors for the 13th annual Johann Strauss Ball. This time, the glittering ball night is inspired by the world famous Operetta “A night in Venice“ by Johann Strauss jr. The glamourous ball opening will be directed by the classical Orchestra “Alt Wien” and accompanied by one of Vienna’s famous dancing schools. The theme “A night in Venice” will appear throughout the highlights of the evening. Enjoy an elegant Gala dinner before the opening or have a glass of sparkling wine at one of the many bars. Let yourself be guided through the night with the music of our live orchestra, band and DJ in the 4 sumptuous halls of the historic Kursalon building and be part of an unforgettable ball night in Vienna."
Location: Johannesgasse 33, 1010 Wien, Austria
Doors open: 6:00pm for dinner guests
Traditional Opening Ceremony: 9:00pm
End of ball: 4:00am
Dress code:
Ladies: floor length evening dress
Gentlemen: smoking jacket, tuxedo
There are 3 Ticket Options::
1) ENTRANCE TICKET: 49 €
Includes entrance fee (without reserved seat and without dinner)
2) SILVER PACKAGE: 130 €
Includes: Entrance ticket,
Reserved seat in the side hall (Schubert or Lehar Hall),
3-course gala dinner,
Drinks during dinner (sparkling wine, white wine, red wine, beer and
nonalcoholic drinks)
3) GOLDEN PACKAGE: 170 €
Includes: Entrance ticket,
Reserved seat in the main hall (Strauss Hall),
3-course gala dinner,
Drinks during dinner (sparkling wine, white wine, red wine, beer and
nonalcoholic drinks)
For details, ticket purchase, and information (in English)
- WEBSITE: www.johannstraussball.com/en
- TELEPHONE: +43 1 512 57 90
- SNAIL MAIL: Johannesgasse 33, 1010 Vienna, Austria
- EMAIL: sound@soundofvienna.at
3. Friday, Feb 22nd: The 61st Wiener Kaffeesieder ("Coffee House Owners") Ball -- This is the official ball event for "Waltz Week" participants. The event includes nine rooms of dance music (from orchestra & big band in the Grand Hall, to salsa, jazz, dixie, disco, and more in the smaller salons)
Location: Hofburg Imperial Palace
1 Heldenplatz, Vienna, Austria
Doors open: 7:30 pm
Traditional Opening Ceremony: 9:00 pm
End of ball: 4:30 am
Dress code:
Ladies: ball gown or floor length evening gown
Gentlemen: evening tails, smoking jacket, or uniform (bow ties only! No regular ties allowed)
Tickets: € 162 per person (Entrance only plus €12 ball booking fee. No table, seat, or food/drinks included, however a little gift for the ladies is included)
The Kaffeesieder Ball is considered one of the largest and finest of the Vienna ball season. More than 5,500 guests attended last year at the Hofburg.
More information: http://www.kaffeesiederball.at/ This is an excellent website with details, pictures, and all of the information you need to prepare for the ball. Click on the "English" language option on the top right corner of the page
To check for other Ball options in Vienna and nearby cities, you may find the following links useful:
Other Ball Options:
If you are still looking for some options for Balls to attend before or during Waltz Week, in addition to this listed above, here are some other options:
Ball der Wiener Installateure (Plumber’s Ball)
Date: Fri. 15 Feb 2019
Location: Vienna City Hall (Wiener Rathaus), Friedrich-Schmidt-Platz 1, 1010 Wien
Price: Entrance Only €35.- Entrance + Seating €65.-
Tickets & Info: http://www.installateure-swv.at/
Österreichischer Weltraumball 2019 (“Space” Ball)
Date: Sat, 16. February 2019, 19:00 - 03:00
Location: Palais Niederösterreich, Herrengasse 13, 1010 Wien
Orchestra: Dr. Krisper und Ballband “Radio Kings Quartet”
Opening Ceremony: Tanzschule Dobner
Ticket – Standard: 85 EUR (seating is additional)
Tickets & Info:: ball@oewf.org
Ball der Wiener Berufsfeuerwehr (Fireman’s Ball)
Date: Sat. 16 Feb 2019, 8 p.m
Location: Vienna City Hall (Wiener Rathaus), Friedrich-Schmidt-Platz 1, 1010
Ticket – Standard: 55 EUR
Tickets & Info: https://www.skv-berufsfeuerwehr-wien.at/tickets-feuerwehrball-wien/
Druggists' Ball
Date: Sat. 16 Feb 2019, 9pm
Location: Parkhotel Schönbrunn, Hietzinger Hauptstraße 10-14, 1130 Wien
Price: EUR 60,-
Tickets & Info:
+43 1 512 62 29
http://www.drogistenverband.at/faktuell.htm
Policemen's Ball
Date: Fri. 22 Feb 2019
Location: Vienna City Hall (Wiener Rathaus), Friedrich-Schmidt-Platz 1, 1010
Tickets & Info: http://wienerpolizeiball.at
Polnischer Frühlingsball (Polish Spring Ball)
Date: Sat. 23 Feb 2019
Location: Palais Ferstel, Strauchgasse 4 / Freyung, 1010 Wien
Price: EUR 80,-
Tickets & Info: http://taktkultur.at/de/veranstaltungen/id-17-polnischer-fruehlingsball/
Special Note:
Partnering for the Viennese Ball
Please note: you do NOT need a partner to attend Waltz Week in Vienna. This is one of the main reasons we established this fabulous event -- so that solo dancers and couples coming to Vienna will have partners to dance with! Rest assured that we will be rotating partners throughout all of our classes and during our evening dance excursions, so again, no worries if you do not come with a partner.
That being said, however, outside of our official Waltz Week group activities, if you were planning to come on your own and attend a Viennese Ball in Europe as a single person (or as a single couple), you should be aware of a few etiquette points.
First, at these kinds of events, guests will typically dance only with the partner they came with. That is to say, unlike some of the social dance parties you might have attended in the United States, at a formal European ball, the etiquette of partner exchange is generally not done. For this reason, we highly recommend coming to these balls with a partner in hand. (Again, if you are participating in Waltz Week, this won't be a problem since we will be sharing partners throughout the evening).
If you have signed up for Waltz Week but would like to attend one of the other balls not listed on our group events calendar (i.e., any of the optional pre-Waltz Week balls), we highly recommend that you post your intentions on our "Waltz Week in Vienna" Facebook page and see if you can coordinate to meet up with other Waltz Week participants there.
Hired Dance-Partnering Services (Taxi-Dancers)
Another option for single attendees to the non-Waltz Week balls is that some of the balls may help you arrange for a local taxi dancer to attend as your dance partner. Just be aware that this can be expensive. Hiring a dance escort means that you are responsible for all of their costs, including ball ticket, tuxedo rental (if needed), transportation, meals/drinks, hiring stipend/fee, etc. That being said, ball escorts are typically charming people, lovely dancers, and enjoy being there as much as you do. If anything else, it's a wonderful way to meet a fellow dancer and get to learn more of their local culture and history first hand. Please contact the local ball committee (click on their web page link) to see if this option is available for that particular ball, or continue reading below....
Waltz Week Dance Escorts:
(for attending the optional 'unofficial' Waltz Week Balls)
"The Blue Rose Gentlemen"
Vienna's Premier Dance-Partnering Service:
We are happy to announce that Waltz Week is partnering with Vienna's premier Ball dance-partnering service called "The BlueRose Gentlemen", a group of honorable, very well-trained ballroom dancers & Austrian gentlemen who are offering our female guests their services to accompany them to any of the optional Balls during the week (or even to the "official" Waltz Week Ball if you would prefer to have your own committed dance partner remain with you for the entire evening).
DETAILS & DESCRIPTIONS:
Details about the BlueRose Gentlemen, their philosophy, their training, and their dance-partnering services can be found on their website: http://www.bluerose.at/en/index.php and are briefly outlined below:
COSTS:
For information about pricing for dance-partnering services, please contact: office@bluerose.at
FLEXIBILITY:
The "BlueRose Gentleman" organizers are more than happy to work with you to create your own unique experience for any individual Ball or dance event, and will try to arrange an escort for you that would best suit your needs and budget. Costs may vary depending on the activity and time frame. Please contact office@bluerose.at with any specific questions or requests you might have.
BLUEROSE DANCER CLASSIFICATIONS: A description of the two classes of BlueRose Club members are briefly outlined below. Further details can be found on their webpage:
1) Active BlueRose Gentlemen: These are the men who are presented on the website with photos and details. Most of them are young adults or students under the age of 40 years. All are veteran Ball attendees and competent ballroom dancers. They are the active members of the BlueRose club. All speak English, and are gracious and charming hosts.
2) Grandseigneurs (40+): These gentlemen are not presented on the website or considered to be "active" members, but are on call in the event that a guest would prefer an older dance partner or if there is a need for more partners than the active members can support in any one night. These gentlemen are all veteran Ball attendees and competent ballroom dancers. All speak English, and are gracious and charming hosts. Their partnering services are guaranteed up until 1am. Beyond 1am, individual arrangements will need to be made.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Please write to: office@bluerose.at
You can review their website at: http://www.bluerose.at/en/index.php
