Must-see entertainment in Austria

  • Lipizzaner horses at the Spanish Riding School, Hofburg.

    Spanish Riding School

    Vienna

    Vienna's world-famous Spanish Riding School is truly reminiscent of the imperial Habsburg era. This equestrian show is performed by Lipizzaner stallions…

  • Streetside view approaching Burgtheater

    Burgtheater

    Vienna

    The Burgtheater hasn't lost its touch over the years – this is one of the foremost theatres in the German-speaking world, staging some 800 performances a…

  • Maria, from The Sound of Music, in wedding dress at the Salzburger Marionettentheater.

    Salzburger Marionettentheater

    Salzburg

    The red curtain goes up on a miniature stage at this marionette theatre, a lavish stucco, cherub and chandelier-lit affair founded in 1913. The repertoire…

  • Staatsoper

    Vienna

    The glorious Staatsoper is Vienna's premier opera and classical-music venue. Productions are lavish, formal affairs, where people dress up accordingly. In…

  • Wiener Musikverein at evening

    Musikverein

    Vienna

    The opulent Musikverein holds the proud title of the best acoustics of any concert hall in Austria, which the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra embraces. The…

  • MuTh

    Prater & East of the Danube

    This striking baroque-meets-contemporary concert hall is the home of the Wiener Sängerknaben (Vienna Boys' Choir), who previously only performed at the…

  • Konzerthaus

    Schloss Belvedere to the Canal

    The Konzerthaus is a major venue in classical-music circles, but throughout the year ethnic music, rock, pop or jazz can also be heard in its hallowed…

  • Radiokulturhaus

    Schloss Belvedere to the Canal

    The line-up swings from classical concerts to jazz quartets and cabaret at the Radiokulturhaus. Housed in several performance venues including the Grosser…

  • Burgkapelle Vienna Boys' Choir Tickets

    Vienna

    The Wiener Sängerknaben (Vienna Boys' Choir) sings during Sunday mass in the Burgkapelle in the Hofburg; book at least six weeks in advance at www…

  • Theater an der Wien

    Vienna

    The Theater an der Wien has hosted some monumental premiere performances, including Beethoven’s Fidelio, Mozart’s The Magic Flute and Johann Strauss II’s…

  • Schlosskonzerte

    Salzburg

    A fantasy of coloured marble, stucco and frescos, the baroque Marmorsaal (Marble Hall) at Schloss Mirabell is the exquisite setting for these chamber…

  • WUK

    Vienna

    Charmingly housed in a vine-trailed building, WUK is many things to many people. It hosts numerous events in its concert hall: midsize international and…

  • Votivkino

    Vienna

    Built in 1912, the Votiv is one of the oldest cinemas in Vienna. It’s been extensively updated since then and is now among the best cinemas in the city…

  • Jazzland

    Vienna

    Buried in a 500-year-old cellar beneath Ruprechtskirche, Jazzland is Vienna’s oldest jazz club, dating from 1972. The music covers the whole jazz spectrum…

  • Volksoper

    Vienna

    Offering an intimate experience, the Volksoper specialises in operettas, dance performances, musicals and a handful of standard, heavier operas. Standing…

  • ARGEkultur

    Salzburg

    This alternative cultural venue was born out of protests against the Salzburg Festival in the 1980s. Today it’s a bar and performance hybrid. Traversing…

  • Hofburg Concert Halls

    Vienna

    The Neue Hofburg’s concert halls, the sumptuous Festsaal and Redoutensaal, are regularly used for Strauss and Mozart concerts, featuring the Hofburg…

  • Grosses Festspielhaus

    Salzburg

    Designed by architect Clemens Holzmeister in 1956 and built into the sheer sides of the Mönchsberg, the cavernous Grosses Festspielhaus stages the…

  • Opernhaus

    Graz

    A visit to the opera here is also stepping foot into an opulent neobaroque and neorococo backdrop splashed in gold, white and red tones. There's space for…

  • B72

    Vienna

    Fringe live acts, alternative beats and album launches are the mainstay of B72’s entertainment line-up, which all attract a predictably youthful crowd…

  • Landestheater

    Salzburg

    Opera, operetta, ballet and musicals dominate the stage at this elegant 18th-century playhouse. There’s a strong emphasis on Mozart’s music, with the…

  • Festspiele Ticket Office

    Salzburg

    This office sells tickets for the Salzburg Festival, which range in price from €11 to €430. Tickets sell like hot cakes – so either book well in advance …

  • Rockhouse

    Salzburg

    Salzburg’s hottest live-music venue, Rockhouse presents first-rate rock, pop, jazz, folk, metal and reggae concerts – see the website for details. There’s…

  • Brück’n Stadl

    The Zillertal

    For year-round Spass (fun), you can’t beat this lively barn and marquee combi. Lederhosen-clad folk stars get beer glasses swingin’ in summer, while…

  • Kino De France

    Vienna

    De France screens films in their original language, with subtitles, in its two small cinemas. The schedule includes a healthy dose of English-language…

  • Volkstheater street side entrance

    Volkstheater

    Vienna

    With a seating capacity close to 1000, the Volkstheater is one of Vienna’s largest theatres. Built in 1889, the interior is suitably grand. While most…

  • Vienna's English Theatre, Josefstadt.

    Vienna’s English Theatre

    Vienna

    Founded in 1963, Vienna’s English Theatre is the oldest foreign-language theatre in Vienna (with the occasional show in French or Italian). Productions…

  • Kammeroper

    Vienna

    The Kammeroper ranks as Vienna’s third opera house after the Staatsoper and Volksoper, and the small venue is perfect for unusual and quirky opera…

  • Marionetten Theater

    Vienna

    This small theatre in Schloss Schönbrunn puts on marionette performances of much-loved productions such as The Magic Flute and Aladdin, with longer…

  • Metro Kinokulturhaus

    Vienna

    Part of the Austrian Film Archive, with a collection that includes 200,000 films, two million photographs and stills, 50,000 programs and 16,000 posters,…

  • Österreichisches Filmmuseum

    Vienna

    Situated inside the Albertina, the Austrian Film Museum shows a range of films with and without subtitles in the original language, featuring a director,…

  • Kursalon

    Schloss Belvedere to the Canal

    Fans of Strauss and Mozart will love the performances at Kursalon, which holds daily evening concerts at 8.15pm devoted to the two masters of music in a…

  • Arena Wien

    Schloss Belvedere to the Canal

    A former slaughterhouse turned music and film venue, Arena is one of Vienna’s quirkier places for seeing live acts. Hard rock, rock, metal, reggae and…

  • Arnold Schönberg Center

    Schloss Belvedere to the Canal

    This brilliant repository of Arnold Schönberg’s archival legacy is a cultural centre and celebration of the Viennese school of the early 20th century,…

  • Burg Kino

    Vienna

    The Burg Kino shows The Third Man, Orson Welles’ timeless classic set in post-WWII Vienna, at least three times a week in English without subtitles. Most…

  • Tanzquartier Wien

    Vienna

    Tanzquartier Wien, located in the MuseumsQuartier, is Vienna’s first dance institution. It hosts an array of local and international performances with a…

  • Gartenbaukino

    Vienna

    With an interior dating from the 1960s, this cinema seats a whopping 736 people, and is packed during Viennale Film Festival screenings. Its regular…

  • Roncher

    Vienna

    First established on this site in 1871 and rebuilt in 1888, this grand theatre has a capacity of 1020. It hosts major musicals and theatre productions,…

  • Marx Halle

    Schloss Belvedere to the Canal

    Soaring wrought-iron arches and airy skylights lift the industrial air of this 19th-century market hall, which is now a versatile events space. Expect…

  • Dschungel Wien

    Vienna

    This theatre for children covers the entire spectrum, from drama and puppetry to music, dance and narrative theatre. There are generally several…

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