By early evening the coffee houses are full, the first concert-goers are filing into the Musikverein and the Staatsoper, and the Heurigen gardens on the city's edges are filling with people ordering the new vintage. Later, the bars and clubs take over, and the U-Bahn keeps running while the city's night does.
Vienna's nightlife runs on two tracks. One is formal and musical: opera and concerts, many of them surprisingly affordable, plus a coffee house culture that functions as a place to sit for hours rather than a quick stop. The other is informal and seasonal: wine taverns, summer open-air film screenings, and free music in the subway stations. It suits visitors who want an evening built around music, conversation and wine rather than around a single big night out, and it rewards those willing to move between the two tracks in one evening.
Where to go out in Vienna
1. The coffee houses
The Kaffeehaus is the basic unit of a Viennese evening. The traditional baroque coffee houses cluster on the Ring and the main streets of the Innere Stadt, while cozier, less formal modern-style coffee houses sit on the Innere Stadt's backstreets and in districts such as the 4th, 7th and 8th. Most serve beer, wine and liqueurs alongside coffee, many serve meals, especially at lunch, and most have a selection of tortes and cakes.
This suits a slow start to the night or a late one: you can sit, relax and read, since many coffee houses keep a large selection of international newspapers. A practical point from the sources: coffee in a typical coffee house often arrives with a glass of cold water, and in most restaurants you can ask for free tap water ("Leitungswasser") with any order.
2. Opera and concert halls
For a serious program, concerts at the Musikverein and the Staatsoper can be attended for as little as a few euros in standing room, and they feature some of the best musicians in the world, including the Vienna Philharmonic. The Vienna State Opera is the most famous opera house in the city. Note that much of the musical scene is absent during the summer months, apart from ensembles that cater to tourists.
This suits anyone who wants a formal evening without a formal budget. The practical point is the standing-room ticket: it is the cheap way in, and it is worth knowing before you assume the evening is out of reach.
3. The Hofburg concerts
From May to December you can attend concerts of the Vienna Hofburg Orchestra in the Festival Hall and the Redoutensäle of the Hofburg Imperial Palace, with a program of Viennese waltz and operetta melodies alongside opera arias and duets. On the evenings of December 31 and January 1 the same orchestra performs traditional New Year's Eve and New Year's concerts in the Hofburg's festival halls.
This suits a visitor who wants an easy, atmospheric evening in a grand setting. The sources are blunt about the trade-off: these concerts, like those of similar ensembles, are quite expensive for what they offer and are intended for the entertainment of tourists.
4. Heurigen and wine taverns
New wine is usually enjoyed at a Heurigen, a family-run vineyard bar allowed to serve the new vintage. They can be found in Grinzing and Sievering in the 19th district and in Mauer and Rodaun in the 23rd district, as well as in almost every suburban area; there are even some Stadtheurigen in the centre. White wine is more common than red, and Grüner Veltliner is served almost everywhere.
This suits a long, unhurried evening of wine and food rather than a night of bars. One practical point: taverns can call themselves Heurigen whether or not the wine they serve is their own, so for genuine in-house product look for a Buschenschank, which can only be open 300 days a year or until its house-made wine runs out.
5. The ball season
During the carnival season, Vienna holds many glamorous balls, some in elegant locations such as the Hofburg or the City Hall (Rathaus). The best known and most elegant are the Opera Ball in the State Opera and the ball of the Wiener Philharmoniker; many professional guilds hold their own, such as the Kaffeesiederball run by the Vienna coffee house owners. A different twist is the Life Ball, an AIDS/HIV benefit with celebrities and attendees in outrageous costumes.
This suits a visitor who wants one highly formal night and is willing to plan around a calendar. The practical point: the ball calendar can be found on the pages of the Vienna City Council, so check it before fixing your dates.
6. Summer open-air film and dance
In summer there are many open-air film festivals, for example at Karlsplatz, the Vienna Turf Krieau, the Prater, the Arena, the rooftop of the City Library on Urban-Loritz-Platz and Schloss Neugebäude. The same season brings the ImPulsTanz Festival for contemporary dance and performance, which is also useful if you are interested in dance workshops.
This suits a warm-weather evening when you want to be outside and pay little or nothing. The practical point is simply that these are seasonal: they exist in summer, not year-round.
7. Free music in the U-Bahn
The Vienna U-Bahn-Stars are a free music event running daily in the subway stations Westbahnhof, Praterstern, Karlsplatz, Stephansplatz, Neubaugasse and Spittelau.
This suits a night when you are already moving around the city and want something to break up the journey. It costs nothing and requires no planning, which is its main practical advantage.
8. Football and the stadiums
International soccer matches are played at Ernst Happel Stadium on the riverbank in the Inner East district. The city has two club teams in the Austrian Bundesliga: SK Rapid Wien play at Allianz Stadium in the Outer West, and FK Austria Wien play at Generali (or Viola) Arena in the Outer South.
This suits an evening built around a match rather than around food and drink. The practical point is location: the three grounds sit in different parts of the city, so check which one you are heading for before you set out.
How a night out unfolds
The sources describe a city whose evening has a clear shape. Coffee houses serve meals, especially at lunch, and are often cheaper than restaurants, so they work as an early stop; concerts and opera fill the earlier part of the night, with the Hofburg Orchestra playing from May to December and its New Year's concerts on December 31 and January 1. The ball season belongs to the carnival season. Wine taverns follow the vintage rather than the clock: the new wine season officially begins on November 11 (St Martin's Day), but as early as September, partially fermented new wine called Sturm is available around town at stands and in 2-litre green bottles. Summer shifts the whole evening outdoors, with open-air film festivals and ImPulsTanz, while much of the serious musical scene is absent during the summer months apart from tourist-oriented ensembles. Beyond these markers, the sources do not specify how late venues stay open.
Festivals and events worth timing a trip around
- Ball season — during the carnival season, with balls in locations such as the Hofburg and the Rathaus, including the Opera Ball and the ball of the Wiener Philharmoniker.
- Vienna Hofburg Orchestra concerts — May to December, plus New Year's Eve and New Year's concerts on December 31 and January 1.
- Open-air film festivals — summer, at venues including Karlsplatz, the Vienna Turf Krieau, the Prater, the Arena, the City Library rooftop on Urban-Loritz-Platz and Schloss Neugebäude.
- ImPulsTanz Festival — summer, for contemporary dance and performance, with dance workshops.
- New wine season — officially begins November 11 (St Martin's Day), though Sturm appears around town from September.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to catch a ball in Vienna?
During the carnival season. That is when the city's many balls take place, some of them in elegant locations such as the Hofburg or the City Hall, and the ball calendar is published by the Vienna City Council.
Can you attend opera or a concert in Vienna cheaply?
Yes. Concerts at the Musikverein and the Staatsoper can be attended for as little as a few euros in standing room, and they feature some of the best musicians in the world. Be aware that much of the musical scene is absent during the summer months, apart from ensembles aimed at tourists.
What is a Heuriger, and how do you find a genuine one?
A Heuriger is a family-run vineyard bar allowed to serve the new vintage, found in areas such as Grinzing, Sievering, Mauer and Rodaun, and in almost every suburban area. Taverns can use the name whether or not the wine is their own, so for genuine in-house product look for a Buschenschank.
Do you need to buy bottled water in Vienna?
No. The city's water comes from mountain spring aqueducts and is unchlorinated and of high quality, so you can drink tap water unless you prefer sparkling. In most restaurants you can get a glass of drinking water free with any order by asking for "Leitungswasser".
Check the ball calendar or the season's concert listings, pick the part of town that matches the evening you want, and plan your night around it.