Famous festivals in Vienna
Vienna is a great festival city and music festivals go on through the year beginning with concerts and lavish balls to usher in the New Year.
Here are some of the most famous festivals held in Vienna.
Perchtenlaufen
This if the first big festival of the year, held shortly after the New Year on January 5 and 6. People dress up in Perchten attire with fabulous headdresses and parade in the streets all over Austria praying for a bountiful harvest throughout the year.
Fasching
The carnival season begins in Vienna every February with the Fasching, which Viennese celebrate with plenty of dancing and a couple of masked processions. During this season, people dress up in their fanciest clothes and party until dawn. A pastry filled with jam called Fasching Krapfen is enjoyed all over the city.
Corpus Christi
Held in March on the second Thursday after Whitsun, this is another occasion for more carnivals and celebrations on the streets and lakes in Salzkammergut.
Vienna Festival Weeks
Also known as the Wiener Festwochen, this is the highlight of Vienna’s festival calendar. It extends from May to the middle of June and features a broad range of different activities, including film exhibitions, theater performances and musical concerts.
Viennale
Every October, Vienna draws the attention of the international film industry as it hosts Viennale, Austria’s biggest film festival. It’s not quite as big or as prestigious as the Cannes Film Festival but the Viennale attracts hundreds of independent films from all over the world.
Christmas Season
The people of Vienna enjoy a long Christmas season and it begins on December 6. From then until Christmas, the city celebrates with a host of colorful parades. Public holidays during this season include Christmas Day and St Stephen's Day (December Christmas Day and St Stephen's Day (December 26).
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