Vienna is alive with the sound of festivals!

There is never a bad time to visit Vienna, with festivals being held in almost every month of the year.

To start off the year, there is the ball season – a programme of ballroom dancing festivals where everyone can try the Viennese Waltz. If dancing on ice is more to your liking, the Wiener Eistraum festival sees Vienna City Hall’s plaza converted into a huge ice skating rink. There is plenty of food available to keep you going in between your laps, and the mix of classic tunes and latest pop in front of the magnificent City Hall will keep you entertained for hours.

As the weather starts to heat up, so do the festivals. Summerstage is a 5 month long festival celebrating the best of the Viennese summer. There are free concerts, sporting events, an open air sculpture park and food markets. There is always something to do in almost every corner of the city and you can easily fit in a concert or two between visiting the Hofburg Palace and other famous Viennese sights.

A festival not to be missed is the Donauinselfest in June. The festival takes place on Danube Island and attracts over 3 million visitors; featuring more than 19 stages with huge international music acts as well as Vienna’s local talent. It is a perfect festival for Vienna as it is, after all, considered to be the birthplace of music. Mozart wrote many of his famous operas whilst living and working in Vienna and you can experience some of Vienna’s new music generation at the Lange Nacht der Musik festival in June. This festival features musicians from all over Austria who play at over 60 locations throughout the city in one night.

Another summer delight is the Film Festival am Rathausplatz where the City Hall’s plaza is once again transformed. This time a huge open air cinema screen is erected and a different film screened every night. As such, it’s a great way to relax after a long day of sightseeing in the heart of this beautiful city.

Autumn is a busy time for festivals in Vienna, with the world-famous Viennale Film Festival and the Rund um die Burg. The Viennale is a film festival with a difference – aiming to defy mainstream cinema by showcasing bold film-making and a wide selection of art house international films. The Rund um die Burg is a literary festival where many Austrian writers descend on the city to take turns reading from their works for 24 hours straight. Even if you can’t speak German, it is an interesting event to witness.

Winter brings snow, ice and Christmas markets. Christkindlm?rkte are small huts that pop up across the whole city to sell Christmas gifts. As you browse around, why not try Gl?hwein – a traditional warm spiced wine.

If you’d like to know more about any of the festivals, any of the hotels in Vienna should be able to provide you with information. Experiencing Vienna’s festivals is a great way to immerse yourself in the heart and soul of this impressive city.

Paul McIndoe writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.