The traditional Vienna New Year's Concert is performed each year on January 1.
The concert is held at Vienna's Musikverein and is performed by the Vienna Philharmonic. Its program focuses especially on music by the Strauss family, including waltzes, polkas, and marches. Although it is closely connected with New Year's celebrations, its date is New Year's Day rather than New Year's Eve.
The event's origins lie in the orchestra's concerts during the Second World War era. The first concert specifically called a New Year's Concert took place in 1941. It later developed into an international broadcast watched by a large audience, helping make Viennese dance music part of the global holiday season.
The program traditionally concludes with recurring encores, including Johann Strauss II's “The Blue Danube” and the “Radetzky March,” although the concert's exact programming and conducting lineup change over time. The audience's clapping during the march is a familiar feature of the televised event.