Each January 1, the Vienna Philharmonic plays a concert of waltzes, polkas, and marches in a golden hall filled with flowers. It is shown on television in many countries. The music is short, bright, and easy to like, which makes it a good first concert to watch at home with children. The best part comes at the end, when the audience claps along.
Quick facts
- Who plays: the Vienna Philharmonic, an orchestra from Austria
- Where: the Golden Hall of the Musikverein, in Vienna
- When: January 1, starting at 11:15 in the morning, Vienna time
- The music: most of it by the Strauss family and composers of their time
- First held: 1939
- In 2027: Tugan Sokhiev conducts, for the first time
The music
The Strauss family wrote dance music in Vienna in the 1800s. Johann Strauss Sr. led a famous dance orchestra. His three sons, Johann, Josef, and Eduard, all became composers too. Read Johann Strauss II for kids.
Most pieces on the program are one of three kinds.
- A waltz. A dance in three beats: strong, weak, weak. It lasts eight to ten minutes.
- A polka. A dance in two beats. Fast polkas last two or three minutes.
- A march. Music for walking in step.
The composers liked jokes. In some pieces, players strike an anvil, crack a whip, fire a toy gun, or blow a train whistle.
The 2027 concert
The 2027 concert marks 200 years since the birth of Josef Strauss, the middle brother. Josef trained as an engineer before he joined the family orchestra. The Vienna Girls’ Choir sings in the 2027 concert.
A new conductor leads the concert most years. The orchestra announces the next one on January 1, a full year ahead.
The two encores
The printed program ends, and the audience keeps clapping. Then come the pieces that everyone is waiting for.
The Blue Danube. The strings start with a soft shimmer, and a horn plays the first notes of the tune. The audience claps at once, because they know what it is. The conductor stops the orchestra and turns around. The players shout a New Year’s greeting to the hall. Then the waltz begins again. See The Blue Danube guide.
The Radetzky March. The last piece is a march by Johann Strauss Sr. The audience claps in time. The conductor turns to face the hall and conducts the clapping: soft for the quiet parts and loud for the loud ones. Read Radetzky March for kids.
When to watch
At 11:15 in the morning in Vienna, it is 5:15 in the morning in New York and 2:15 in the morning in Vancouver. Few families will watch it live. Many public broadcasters show it later on January 1. Check the listings for your station.
The full concert lasts about two and a half hours with a break. For young children, watch the last half hour, which has the fast pieces and both encores.
What to watch for
The flowers. The hall is decorated with thousands of flowers. Ask your child to name the colors.
The dancers. During some pieces, the television broadcast cuts to ballet dancers filmed in palaces and gardens around Vienna.
The conductor’s face. In the fast polkas, conductors often smile, joke with the players, or stop conducting and let the orchestra play alone.
The odd instruments. Watch the percussion players at the back. They handle the bells, whistles, and other surprises.
The hall. The Golden Hall is long and narrow, with a painted ceiling and golden statues along the walls.
Things to do together
Clap the Radetzky March. Practice before the day. Play the march and clap with soft hands, then loud ones, when the music changes. On January 1, follow the conductor.
Waltz in the living room. Count “one, two, three” and step on each count, with a big step on “one.”
Waltz or polka? At the start of each piece, guess which it is. Count the beats to check: three for a waltz, two for a polka.
Tally the pieces. Keep a score sheet with three columns for waltzes, polkas, and marches.
Dress up. The audience in Vienna wears formal clothes. Children may enjoy putting on their best for the sofa.
Play these before the day
- “The Blue Danube,” by Johann Strauss II
- “Radetzky March,” by Johann Strauss Sr.
- “Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka,” by Johann Strauss II, a fast polka whose title means “chit-chat”
- “Pizzicato Polka,” by Johann and Josef Strauss, where the strings pluck every note
A child who knows these four will hear old friends on the day.
Print and play
Make cards for the day with the listening bingo maker. Use the words waltz, polka, march, horn, harp, flowers, dancers, and clapping. Draw the hall on a listening journal page.
For more concerts on a screen, read how to watch an orchestra concert at home with kids. For a concert in person, see first orchestra concert with kids.
Sources
Checked in November 2026.
- Vienna Philharmonic. The New Year’s Concert 2027 will be conducted by Tugan Sokhiev.
- Vienna Philharmonic. Press downloads for the New Year’s Concert 2027.
- Vienna Tourist Board. New Year’s Concert performed by the Vienna Philharmonic.
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Use it with your kids
Print a listening page, a practice chart, or a composer fact sheet. Or try a tool, such as the composer timeline or the piece picker.