2025 – Vienna in Strauss and bliss
Vienna celebrates 200 years of Johann Strauss – from January 1 to December 31, 2025 – with a premiere every week. From ten different genres, indoors and open air. At venues such as the Musikverein, Konzerthaus, Theater an der Wien, Volksoper and State Opera. But also in surprising places in all 23 districts, such as the Central Cemetery, at the Danube Island Festival or at the Open Air in the Sky.
The great Viennese orchestras and contemporary artists celebrate with us.
Let‘s do Strauss
You can expect traditional Viennese Johann Strauss music as well as contemporary experiments. For example, you can look forward to AI composition in collaboration with Ars Electronica Linz. Another focus is on cultural mediation, such as through the collaboration with SUPERAR throughout the festival year.
With this enormous range of themes, artistic performances and city-wide events, we celebrate the diversity and cultural vibrancy of Vienna, where Strauss comes into its own 365 days a year.
Short film contest by VIENNA SHORTS and Johann Strauss 2025 Wien
DANUBE SO BLUE – REFRAMING AN EVERGREEN
It is one of the most famous pieces of music in the world and has also made a lasting impression on film history – Strauss’ “An der schönen blauen Donau”. VIENNA SHORTS and Johann Strauss 2025 Wien are looking for contemporary and unconventional cinematic interpretations that allow this popular evergreen to shine in a new light. Whether music video, animation or artistic experiment, whether poetic, political or personal – the approach is free to choose.
Singing competition final
On 8th May 2024, the final of our MUT special edition on Viennese operetta / Johann Strauss II, a collaboration with the Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz, took place at the MuTh.
First place went to Friederike Meinke, followed by Verena Tranker and Marie-Dominique Ryckmanns. In addition, numerous special prizes were awarded by cooperating theatres, as well as two media prizes by radio klassik Stephansdom and Orpheus Magazin.
We would like to thank all participants, our jury and our audience for a successful evening!
Johann Strauss 2025 Wien takes over flying fox sponsorship
Johann Strauss 2025 Vienna is sponsoring flying foxes at Schönbrunn Zoo to mark the anniversary of Die Fledermaus and the anticipated Fledermaus Day 2025.
Intendant and Artistic Director Roland Geyer is delighted about the connection and the bat-themed day in the festival program. Although there are differences between flying foxes and bats, zoo director Dr Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck emphasises the importance of their protection for ecosystems and expresses his thanks for the support provided by the sponsorships.
3 program pillars. How it's Strauss
We span the spectrum from classical Strauss concerts and operettas to contemporary pop music and performance art.
PUR - VIENNA IN MY MIND
Original Strauss music in top-class concerts. This pillar provides the nucleus of the entire festive year and demonstrates the uniqueness of Johann Strauss’ timeless compositional art: pure, unedited in its magnificent orchestration, its enchanting melodies that continue to inspire new enthusiasm throughout the world to this day.
March 29, 2025 | Musikverein Vienna
Johann Strauss Operetta pastiche with Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Christian Thielemann, tenor Piotr Beczała, and others.
MIX - REJOICE IN LIFE
Distilled, edited and reassembled: Take Strauss’ music, his operettas and themes from his art and life and build something completely new from them or around them. So on Bat Day, you have the chance to immerse yourself in the world of bats. Strauss will present this exciting mix to a wide audience at the Danube Island Festival.
From February 15, 2025 | Dianabad
World premiere with theater ensemble Nesterval, based on Donauwalzer and operetta Fürstin Ninetta
OFF - INCREASED PULSE
Here we catapult Strauss’ music into completely new dimensions: Inspired by his operetta characters, for example, there is a light installation around his monument in the Stadtpark. We track him down in his grave and lure him above ground with a happening. This extraordinary whirl of wild spin-offs opens up spaces beyond the usual theater and concert business.
From March 21, 2025 | Stadtpark
Light installation with 7 female roles from Strauss operettas
Special themed days also make Strauss accessible to the whole family – and with a low threshold. Examples include Danube Waltz Day
Why Vienna?
- City and world famous
- Viennese & cosmopolitan
- Boundless enthusiasm
- Danube waltz: Vienna’s anthem
- “Die Fledermaus”: top operetta
- Melodies for millions
- Music: Beginning and end of the year
- Viennese waltz: Worldwide & at home
- Vienna: Unique through Strauss Music: joie de vivre & festive mood
- Anniversary year: Join in & be amazed
Johann Strauss
As famous as Johann Strauss is, there are still new sides to be discovered
from 0 to 100.000
Gesangswettbewerb 200 Jahre Strauss MUT-Special Edition
Ziel des europaweiten Wettbewerbs ist es, Talente für das Operettengenre zu finden und zu fördern, offen für alle Sänger*innen und Musicaldarsteller*innen mit Operetteninteresse.
from A to Z
"ARYANISED"
The Nazis erased his Jewish roots from his family history.
BILLARDS
was Johann Strauss’s favourite game.
COBURG
From 1885, Johann Strauss was a citizen of Coburg.
DANCING
was something he couldn’t do.
ERDÄPFELNUDELN MIT WEINBERLN
Potato fingers with raisins were his favourite food.
FOR PLEASURE
he never went to the theatre or the opera.
GÖTTIN DER VERNUNFT
The Goddess of Reason was his last operetta.
HYPOCHONDRIAC
Strauss had a fear of illnesses of all kinds.
INDIGO
Indigo and the Forty Thieves was his first operetta.
JEAN / SCHANI
was his nickname, from the French “Jean” for Johann.
KAISER FRANZ JOSEPH
had the same tailor as the waltz king.
LETTERS
He wrote suggestive letters to his sister-in-law.
MEYSZNER
Johann Strauss had no children of his own, but adopted Alice Meyszner, the daughter of Adele, his third wife, from her first marriage.
“NEUROSIS WALTZ”
He was plagued by numerous fears: of poverty, thunderstorms, travelling by train, going blind, heights and germs.
OPERA
Ritter Pásmán was his only opera.
PNEUMONIA
He died of pneumonia in 1899 in the Wieden district of Vienna.
QUADRILLE
The Fledermaus-Quadrille i is the highlight
of every ball event to this day.
RAVEN-HAIRED
He died his hair jet-black.
SUNSHINE
He hated fine weather, found sunshine “repellent”
and never went for walks.
TIME AND TIME AGAIN
the New Year’s concert draws huge audiences around the world.
UNSTOPPABLE COMPOSING MACHINE
He composed day and night, fuelled by red wine and cigars.
„VON SCHÖNAU, EDLER“
His friends gave him this imaginary title to please him.
“WHAT HAVE I GOT TO DO WITH ME?”
He refused to read his own biography.
X-RATED CARICATURES
The cartoons he liked to sketch included pornographic images.
YOUTUBE
The playlist “The Best of Strauss” has 15 million hits.
ZENTRALFRIEDHOF
He only ever attended one funeral: his own at Vienna’s Central Cemetery.
Roland Geyer
Intendant & Artistic Director
“In 2025, we will honor hope and cohesion with Johann Strauss’ lively music.His complete works, spanning the year from New Year to New Year’s Eve, will inspire joy and let Vienna shine culturally. The Strauss festival year is based on four pillars: a variety of new events as a tribute to Vienna, the artistic range of Strauss, sustainable value creation in art, business and tourism. By opting for the international spelling of his name, we are positioning Vienna as a vibrant world cultural metropolis.”
If you have any questions or suggestions, you can reach us at our contact address: kontakt@jost25.at
About Johann.Strauss-Festjahr2025 GmbH
The city of Vienna founded Johann.Strauss-Festjahr2025 GmbH as a company of Wien Holding in late July, 2022. Under the artistic direction of Roland Geyer a creative team is conceiving, inspiring and coordinating a series of festivals centring on the life and works of Johann Strauss for all Viennese and their guests.
Johann Strauss Team
Artistic Director
Roland Geyer
Intendant &
Künstlerischer Geschäftsführer
Roland Geyer
Commercial Director
Simon Posch
Curation & Project Management
for concert (from classical to electronic music), music theatre, dance, literature, drama, exhibition, performance, installation, film & TV, immersive & digital arts, science, education & outreach, art in public space, open-air events
Karin Bohnert, Elisabeth Geyer, Marie Huber,
Laurin Pikus, Sarah Scherer, Teresita Traun, Christoph Zauner
Coordination & Operations Management
Britta Kampert, Bettina Loibl
Office
Elke Voglmayr
Marketing & Communications
Anna Faist, Jacqueline Haberl,
Ines Oberngruber
Finance & Controlling
Miriam El Sayed