Every year, the Vienna State Opera transforms into the most beautiful and elegant ballroom in the world. Over 5,000 ball guests and more than 1.4 million television viewers follow this spectacular celebration. We'll be there live in our private box (or as we like to call it, our 'living room'), as Alfons Haider, Barbara Rett and Mirjam Weichselbraun guide viewers through the evening's broadcast. We'll set down our Opera Ball cocktail for the opening waltz and take a few turns to "On the Beautiful Blue Danube" by Johann Strauss.
To see and be seen
The Ball of Balls traditionally takes place on the last Thursday before Ash Wednesday and is the highlight of the Viennese ball season. At the Vienna State Opera, where opera and ballet performances usually enchant audiences, 150 dancing couples make their debut in elegant evening gowns and tailcoats, while numerous international guests from the worlds of culture, business and politics grace the occasion. After the first polonaise on the unique dance floor, the call goes out "All waltz!" and an unforgettable night filled with music, dance and indulgence begins.
A storied past
The Vienna State Opera and the Opera Ball look back on a turbulent history. While the first balls in Vienna were held as far back as the 1820s and 1830s, the Opera Ball as we know it today was first held under the name "Wiener Opernball" in 1935. During the chaos of the Second World War and in the post-war years through to 1954, the ball was not held — and there was little cause for celebration at the time. It was not until 1955 that the Opera Ball was once again ceremoniously opened, in the State Opera that had been bombed during the war and subsequently rebuilt. This year, the Vienna Opera Ball is being held for the 62nd time and, for many, it is as deeply woven into Austria's identity as the snow-capped Alps.
Stars from opera and ballet, the Vienna State Opera Orchestra and the Vienna State Ballet shape the glittering opening ceremony. The programme includes classics by Johann Strauss and Ludwig van Beethoven, among others.
The ball for gourmets
The Vienna Opera Ball unites history and culinary delight. Falstaff marks the occasion with a special edition featuring a selection of Opera Ball menus and an Opera Ball cocktail recipe to mix at home. Last year's 'Liebestrank' (Love Potion) is succeeded by the 2018 Opera Ball drink 'Glücklich ist, wer vergisst' ('Happy is he who forgets'), inspired by the operetta 'Die Fledermaus'. Roberto Pavlovic-Hariwijadi (Roberto American Bar) opts for something with a little more punch, using bourbon and whisky as a base with Falernum and orange bitters as fillers. Our own personal 'Opera Ball cocktail', by the way, is a Gin Tonic. Curtain up for the combination of O•Gin with our exciting new discovery, "Bio-Tonic Water" by Naturfrisk. This one really gets the palate dancing!
