The many Christmas markets alone offer wonderful opportunities to spend your free time during Advent, but Vienna has much more to offer for a wonderful December. Above all, you will get your money’s worth musically, but you can also look forward to other cultural and traditional events that will sweeten your winter.
1st Christmas markets
What would Advent be without Christmas markets? And Vienna has around 20 of them! Here you can store to your heart’s content for arts and crafts, sample delicacies and drink mulled wine, glögg or punch. Depending on the market, you can expect various special features and program points, such as Ferris wheels, carousels, ice skating rinks, face painting for children, musical performances, etc. The wonderfully decorated huts in front of the beautiful backdrops of Vienna’s palaces, churches and other buildings will really get you in the mood.
📍 Location: Various locations in Vienna
📅 Dates: Different dates depending on the market
💶 Price information: Free admission to all markets
2nd Perchtenlauf
Krampus and the Perchten are also inextricably linked to the pre-Christmas period. In the middle of the month, the traditional big Perchtenlauf takes place in the Bohemian Prater, in which three groups will be taking part this year. The event is child-friendly, making it suitable for the whole family. In addition to the spooky Perchten, the Grinch will also be there and there will be a spectacular fire show in addition to the run.
📍 Venue: Bohemian Prater, Laaer Wald 30C, 1100 Vienna, Austria
📅 Date: December 14 from 5 pm
💶 Price information: Free of charge
3rd Imperial Lights
Be enchanted by the magical world of lights at Imperial Lights. The light installations were designed to match the baroque backdrop of Schönbrunn Palace and artfully tell the imperial history of Vienna. Be impressed by this light art experience and don’t miss Vienna’s largest sound-to-light light show. Tickets for this unique walk are available here.
📍 Location: Schönbrunn Palace Park
📅 Dates: November 06 to January 06
💶 Price information: Tickets from €22
4th film festival “This Human World”
The “This Human World” film festival, which combines politics, human rights and cinematic art, is taking place for the 18th time this year. A variety of films will be shown that deal with human rights in one form or another. These can be documentaries, animated films or short films that are carefully curated to make you think. The festival will be accompanied by discussions, lectures, workshops and performances. A short film competition will also be held as part of the festival.
📍 Location: Various cinemas in Vienna
📅 Dates: November 27 to December 06
💶 Price information: Regular €9, reduced €8, 5-pass €38
5th Alex Kristian live
Especially in the darker months of the year, when the days are getting shorter and shorter, it’s good to have a good laugh. The best way to do this is with Alex Kristian’s program “50 Shades of Schmäh”, in which he deals with getting older with his usual wit. True to the motto “sensible is like dead, only before”, the comedian shows that the lights are far from out in the 50+ age group.
📍 Venue: Vienna Globe, Marxhalle, Karl Farkas Gasse 19, 1030 Vienna
📅 Dates: December 01, 09 & 17 from 7:30 pm
💶 Price information: From 29,90€
6th Candlelight
A classical concert by candlelight in a romantic setting is just the right thing for the contemplative Christmas season. In December, you can once again expect a wealth of genres and artists whose music you can experience as a classical reinterpretation, including Adele, Taylor’s Swift, Elvis Presley and Hans Zimmer. In keeping with the festive season, there are also some Christmas specials that will delight you with music from The Nutcracker, classics such as “Silent Night” and film soundtracks such as “Love Actually” or “Polar Express”. The New Year’s Concert will also take place on January 2nd. You can find an overview of the upcoming Christmas concerts here.
📍 Location: Various venues in Vienna
📅 Dates: Various dates, Christmas concerts on December 20, 21, 27 & 28
💶 Price information: Tickets from 29€
7. a Christmas story
Charles Dickens’ Christmas story is an absolute classic among Christmas tales and continues to delight young and old alike. This Advent, the story comes to the stage as a musical and lets you immerse yourself in the world of Christmas past, present and future with rousing music. The heart-warming story about the miserly businessman Ebenezer Scrooge encourages you to pause and reflect and enchants you for two hours with its charm.
📍 Venue: Museumsquartier, Museumsplatz 1, 1070 Vienna
📅 Dates: December 10 to 21
💶 Price information: From €44.90
8th Ballet of Lights: Sleeping Beauty
Experience the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty as a graceful ballet by Tchaikovsky. First performed in 1890, this classic ballet is given a modern twist in 2025 with a combination of dance and light show. The production with illuminated costumes transforms the stage into a sparkling fairytale world with a touching ambience. Get your tickets for this fantastic experience here.
📍 Venue: Das MuTh, Am Augartenspitz 1, 1020 Vienna
📅 Dates: December 19 & 20
💶 Price information: Tickets from €37
9th Die Fledermaus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awO6OMfI5sA
The operetta “Die Fledermaus” by Johann Strauss belongs to Vienna like no other. The libretto with its sharp-tongued wisdom and astute observations is especially popular on New Year’s Eve. This year too, you can experience “Die Fledermaus” on New Year’s Eve, let yourself be carried along by the singing and the orchestra and laugh at the humorous events on stage.
📍 Venue: Volksoper Wien, Währinger Straße 78, 1090 Vienna
📅 Dates: December 02 & 31
💶 Price information: Standing room from €4, listening seat from €12, regular seat from €36
10th New Year’s Eve Trail
On New Year’s Eve, Vienna’s city center and the Prater are transformed into a unique party mile. The New Year’s Eve trail in the city has eight stations, where you can enjoy different music genres and performances. You can party to the greatest hits of all time at Am Hof, watch dance schools perform waltzes at St. Stephen’s Cathedral and dance to Latin music at Kärtner Straße. At Neuer Markt there is a varied children’s program from 2 to 6 p.m. and you will find delicacies from Viennese cuisine all along the path. Finally, you can welcome in the New Year at the Prater with the big fireworks display.
📍 Location: Various locations in Vienna
📅 Dates: December 31
💶 Price information: Free of charge