Which New Year’s Eve concert, first held in Vienna in 1939, is now broadcast internationally each January 1?

The Vienna New Year’s Concert, first held in Vienna in 1939, is now broadcast internationally each January 1.

The concert is performed by the Vienna Philharmonic in the Musikverein’s Golden Hall. Although its music is associated with the turn of the year, the performance takes place on New Year’s Day rather than on New Year’s Eve. Its repertoire is especially linked with the Strauss family and other composers connected with Viennese dance music.

The first concert took place on December 31, 1939, during the Second World War. From 1941 onward, the principal performance moved to January 1. The program traditionally ends with the “Blue Danube” waltz and the “Radetzky March,” although the order and exact repertoire can vary.

A worldwide television audience helped make the concert one of Austria’s best-known cultural exports. It is distinct from ordinary New Year’s Eve countdown broadcasts.