Which classical concert is Vienna’s famous annual New Year’s Day performance?

Vienna’s famous annual New Year’s Day performance is the Vienna New Year’s Concert.

The concert is performed by the Vienna Philharmonic and is held in the Musikverein’s Golden Hall. Its repertory centers on the music of the Strauss family, especially Johann Strauss II, whose waltzes and polkas became closely tied to Vienna’s musical image. The concert traditionally concludes with the “Blue Danube” waltz and the “Radetzky March,” although the audience’s applause can shape the exact flow.

The first concert took place on January 1, 1941, during the Second World War. It was initially conducted by Clemens Krauss. After the war, the event developed into an internationally broadcast tradition and became one of the most recognizable classical-music celebrations connected with New Year.

Despite its name, the concert is not held on New Year’s Eve: the principal performance takes place on New Year’s Day. Preview performances are also scheduled before January 1, but they are separate from the famous broadcast.