Which Austrian concert is traditionally broadcast on New Year's Day rather than New Year's Eve?

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The Austrian concert traditionally broadcast on New Year's Day is the Vienna New Year's Concert.

The concert is performed by the Vienna Philharmonic in Vienna's Musikverein, especially its richly decorated Golden Hall. Its program is strongly associated with the Strauss family, including waltzes, polkas, and marches by Johann Strauss II and other members of the musical dynasty. The event is broadcast internationally and has become one of the best-known classical music traditions connected with the New Year.

The first concert in the modern tradition took place on January 1, 1941, during the Second World War, under conductor Clemens Krauss. The concert is commonly linked in popular culture with New Year's celebrations, but its main performance is on New Year's Day, not New Year's Eve. The Radetzky March is a customary encore, with audiences traditionally clapping along.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Oct. 2026

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