Our favourite Swedish band is hitting the Gasometer. Get ready for heart-pumping rhythms and garage rock vibes!
Dance until your feet hurt!
Mando Diao
Mon. 04th Dec
8pm
49.99€
Recommended if you like:
IKEA, pretty boys from the North, FM4 radio station, dancin’ until the early morn’, wearing earplugs as a fashion accessory, collecting band tees
An afternoon with the kiddos
Klassik Cool! Frau Holle
Mon. 04th Dec
3pm — 4pm
Free (registration required!)
Recommended if you like:
enjoying a moment of peace, tapping your toes to classical tunes, spending time with the kids but not having to entertain them yourself for a change, wholesome concerts
“Once upon a time, long, long ago, beyond the high snow-covered mountains, there lived a woman with her two daughters….’ Sound like your kids’ cup of tea? Well, why not take them to a ‘KLASSIK COOL!’ interactive concert then? Here, they’ll dive into a rather unique fairy tale world, complete with talking apples and singing bread rolls. This quirky blend of storytelling, piano, and classical music might just keep them glued to their seats for 45 minutes. And after the concert, they get the chance to experiment with the instruments themselves (good luck to your ear-drums!). Suitable for ages 2 and up.
Have you been good this year?
See the Krampus Show
Tue. 05th Dec
6pm
Recommended if you like:
scaring the kids, harking back to your childhood to get in the Christmas mood, ancient traditions still being practiced, fire and horns, being a bit evil on Christmas season
Celebrating that creepy Central European folklore dude, Krampus, this Tuesday with a show of horns and fire. The Schwechat Krampus group “Lucifer’s Inferno” puts on a family-friendly show with pyrotechnics and eye-catching costumes in the huma eleven parking lot (near the Mitte/McDonalds entrance).
Roam the Wien Museum's hall till midnight!
Wien Museum Opening
Wed. 06th Dec
8pm
Recommended if you like:
whispering ‘that’s so Vienna’ at every exhibit, imagining yourself in a period drama, free museum entries, seeing what’s new in town
After being closed for a while, the Wien Museum reopens on December 6. Following an official opening (with the Mayor and all), everyone is free to enter and roam the halls from 8pm till midnight. Check out the revamped space and the free ‘Vienna. My History’ exhibit.
Punk's not just alive, it's kicking!
PUNK´S NOT DEAD VOL. 19
Wed. 06th Dec
8:30pm — 11:30pm
14.70€
Recommended if you like:
embracing chaos a lifestyle, dancing like no one’s watching, nostalgic punk classics, DIY punk fashion experiments, underground music scene, mingling with punk rockers from around the globe, going to work the next day fresh as a daisy
PUNK’S NOT DEAD is coming to Rhiz Vienna with a lineup that’ll make your grandma’s vinyl collection look like child’s play! Brace yourselves for DARKO, THE SINO HEARTS, and a mystery act who might just be your next musical crush. Miss it and weep, punk lovers!
Get the blues for the Blues
Blues Fever Festival 2023
varies, check out website!
Thu. 07th Dec — Sun. 10th Dec
Recommended if you like:
dancing, singing, blues, learning something new, watching seriously talented dancers do their thing, partying in a different way
With 10 amazing teachers, 5 parties and 7 live bands the name ‘Blues Fever’ is more than justified. A weekend full of social dancing, high-level classes, panel talks about the Blues, master classes AND competitions. So if you get the blues for the Blues, then this one is for you!
Tune in to Emma
Emma-Mo: Album Release Show
Thu. 07th Dec
7pm — 10pm
Free!
Recommended if you like:
singing in the shower, musical surprises, toe-tapping beats, giving high fives in slow motion, checking out local talent, Singer/Songwriter music, ever so cooly closing your eyes and listening to the music
Emma-Mo’s second album is about to drop, and she’s taking it up a notch, promising a more personal and honest musical journey. Catch her album release show this Thursday.
Krampus-edition
Die 1. Rosa Wiesn Wiens
Thu. 07th Dec
6pm — 4am
Recommended if you like:
dressing up and going out, enjoying a good beer under a starlit sky, dancing until dawn, cranking up the oompah music while you do your makeup, debating whether glittery beards are the next big thing, turning a beer stein into a fashion accessory
The first-ever Pink Oktoberfest is hitting the city with a fabulous ‘Krampus Edition’. Pink, plush, and oh-so-posh – from 8pm till the stroke of midnight, and then party till 4am. Late-Bird tickets available from 10:3opm at a reduced price.
Go crazy at this Silent Disco
Silent Disco | WUK Wien
Thu. 07th Dec
11pm — 5am
19€
Recommended if you like:
wearing headphones on the dancefloor, choosing what you want to hear while partying, not getting your eardrums destroyed while having simple small talk, complaining about others’ lack of rhythm while not realizing they’re dancing to another song
The WUK Wien is hosting a Silent Disco – a party where every guest gets a pair of headphones which receive the music played by the DJs on their turntables. There’ll be all kinds of music played: Hip-Hop, House, Charts, and some Classics. The best thing is, you can always switch to a different channel if the music doesn’t suit you.
If you’re new to the Silent Disco format, you should definitely check that out. If not, you already know you’ll be there. The only party where you can actually have a chat with someone without you two having to scream ‘WHAT??’ for the twentieth time.
Here comes Santa Claus!
HoHoHomo Special // Titti titti bang bang
Thu. 07th Dec
Doors at 6pm
Recommended if you like:
dancing until dawn, glitter and glam, being queer, queer parties, dressing up in outlandish outfits, parties where anything could happen, voguing, struting, and werking, hearing that ‘you’re perfect, you’re beautiful, you look like Linda Evangelista, you’re a model’
All the naughty children are up for a night of joy, music, glitter, treats, snacks, and free shots. Don’t know about you, but we’re in!
Thursday is the new Friday
ZUCKERWATT w/ VICTOR RUIZ
Thu. 07th Dec
11pm — 6am
Recommended if you like:
turning your living room into an international dance floor, wearing sunglasses at night because you’re that cool, finding your soulmate in a bass drop, crafting stories about that one night at a DJ set, Grelle Forelle
The globetrotting maestro, Victor Ruiz, is coming to Grelle Forelle! This Brazilian beat wizard is all about self-expression and pure escapism. So, if you’re one of those Grelle-Forelle-folks who appreciate this kind of music night, come out to play on Thursday, which, this week, will be our Friday.
For queers & friends
G.Spot X-MAS Mini Edition im LUFTBAD
Thu. 07th Dec
10pm — 4am
10€
Recommended if you like:
sipping exotic cocktails under Christmas, holiday parties with a twist, dressing up in outlandish outfits, finding new ways to wear tinsel that would make Santa blush
A tantalising celebration is happening at Luftbad. As the dark red lights cast their seductive glow, let eclectic beats by DJs IGUANO, PHIL, and MO lead you on a sensuous journey through the festive eras… well, you get the gist. This is going to be a HOT Christmas party.
Gingerbread and Garters
Full of Desire and Sheyn Christmas Pop-up
Thu. 07th Dec
6pm — 8pm
Recommended if you like:
debating if Santa wears chic undergarments, turning your Christmas shopping into a treasure hunt, sipping mulled wine while discussing modern art, feeling cold, but so hot in cute lingerie, indulging in a little holiday mischief, gender-neutral fashion
A cool, genderless lingerie brand, Full Of Desire, and Sheyn, the Vienna-based 3D printing homeware brand, are collaborating to create a Christmas Pop-up. They promise winter treats and drinks, a cozy atmosphere, and an array of unique goodies you might not find at any other Christmas market.
This is poster perfect!
The Vienna International Gig Poster Show
Fri. 08th Dec
2pm — 8pm
Recommended if you like:
jamming to classic rock in your living room, pretending to be in a music video, hunting for that one band tee you swear is vintage, arguing about the best guitar solo of all time, doodling band logos on your notebook
The Vienna International Gig Poster Show is back in town. At this event, 14 artists from six countries display their gig posters for big-name bands like Queens of the Stone Age, Foo Fighters, and Nine-Inch Nails. Think limited edition, band-approved, signed, and numbered silk screen prints – a collector’s paradise and a must-see.
Get in the festive spirit!
A Christmas Carol
Fri. 08th Dec, Sat. 09th Dec, Sun. 10th Dec
From 28€
Recommended if you like:
going to the theatre, classics on stage, British Classic books, Dickens, the Muppet Christmas Carol, all them ghosts, small theatre productions, doing something a bit different, family nights out, entertaining the little snot factories
Keeping up tradition this December is the Open House Theatre, who take on the mantle of performing the classic story from Dickens on stage, A Christmas Carol. The Dickens classic has been on the Vienna calendar for 30 years and acts as the perfect thing to get you in the mood for Christmas. Oh, and did we mention the play is in English?
Dig through the racks at this vintage clothing flea market
Vinokilo Vintage Kilo Sale • Wien
Fri. 08th Dec — Sat. 09th Dec
Recommended if you like:
vintage flea markets, shopping for treasures, wearing sunglasses inside, sporting hats that cover your face, being too cool for school, having something nobody else has and calling it ‘my precious’ in a creepy voice
Vinokilo is back with a vintage kilo Sale this weekend! What’s a vintage kilo sale, you ask? Well, it just means you can grab as many clothing items as you like, and instead of paying per piece, you pay per kilo. It’s that simple.
So, if you wanna go home with a lot of clothes while only spending a few pretty pennies, we suggest you stick to the lighter stuff (yep, leave the big boots for some other sucker).
Harmonies of the North
The Acapella group SKRATTVATTEN Concert
Fri. 08th Dec
8pm
Recommended if you like:
cozy winter evenings, Nordic folklore, harmonising your shower performances, jazz in candlelit rooms, Christmas melodies, classics with a twist
If you’re more of a Friday night concert than Friday night party kind of person, this is for you. Meet SKRATTVATTEN (aka Laughing Water) – your new favourite acapella quintet. They’re ready to serve you up a musical cocktail of Scandi’ tunes, jazzy vibes, heartfelt ballads, and a sprinkle of Christmas tunes.
Perfect for anyone with ears and a soul
Peter Kern @ Tunnel Vienna Live
Sat. 09th Dec
8:30
18€
Recommended if you like:
soulful blues riffs, tapping your foot to early rock’n’roll, reminiscing about vinyl records, pretending you’re in a smoky 1950s jazz club, passionately lip-syncing to classic rock hits in the shower
Hey there, music lovers with a taste for the authentic and the timeless! Peter Kern’s upcoming gig is where you need to be. Kern hits the stage of Tunnel Vienna this Saturday with a mix of original tunes and classic covers.
Find out what's new in fashion and design (and get in the Christmas mood!)
WAMP Designmarkt // Christmas Edition
Sat. 09th Dec
11am — 6pm
free!
Recommended if you like:
fashion, design, new trends, jewellery, supporting local designers, finding that new autumn outfit you’ve been looking for, getting inspired by fashion forward pieces, going on a shopping spree
Vienna’s open-air international designer market is back! This time, it’s all about Christmas Wonderland vibes.
WAMP brings a bunch of local designers from all niches together in a great atmosphere in front of Vienna’s MQ. There are also usually a few food trucks supplying some tasty street food. After all, shopping does make us hungry.
Check out this wild Christmas bash!
Merry RoXXmas
Sat. 09th Dec
8pm
From 25€
Recommended if you like:
Christmas parties where Santa might crowd surf, twirling to electric guitar solos instead of traditional carols, finding tinsel in unexpected places the next morning
If you’re in the mood for a banger Christmas party, Merry RoXXmas at Marx Halle promises a party that will knock the halo off the Christkind’s head!
Ceramics, food, and drinks
Rami Art Market
Sat. 09th Dec — Sun. 10th Dec
10am — 6pm
Free
Recommended if you like:
dreaming of a world where Google stops guessing you’re searching for Harry Potter whenever you wanna look up something about pottery, filling every corner of your home with pottery, getting clay for your birthday, convincing the person you live with that you need a big-ass sculpture in your living room
Rami Art Market is happening again, featuring over 30 exhibitors showcasing unique ceramics and art. Don’t miss out on delicious vegan treats and a chance to buy your artsy friend something extremely artsy for Christmas. Or snag something for yourself. We won’t tell anybody.
A film festival with a unique focus: Human Rights
This Human World Film Festival 2023
multiple locations, check out website!
Thu. 30th Nov — Sat. 10th Dec
9€
Recommended if you like:
trying to understand issues bigger than you, being an active and responsible world citizen, being a film fanatic, watching documentaries
This is Vienna’s 2nd largest film festival that comes with plenty of powerful messages in powerful films that will have you thinking about the big wide world.
In 11 days, This Human World plays various documentaries and fictional feature films, short films, animations, and experimental films, all revolving around the theme of human rights issues.
This festival puts into the spotlight the films that aim to encourage people to scrutinize and re-examine their views and raise awareness about the situations where human rights are being violated. Don’t keep going on about how the world’s turning to shit on your IG feed – get educated at this fascinating festival. And check out our film recommendations here.
Lots to do at this Christmas market!
Ottakringer Weihnachtszauber
Thu. 23rd Nov — Sat. 23rd Dec
Recommended if you like:
Punsch, Christmas time in the city, the idea of saving yourself from the Christmas shopping gauntlet, the smell of roasted almonds, intimate events, discovering local designer talent
We don’t even know where to start with this one since there is so much to do! Okay, so basically, it’s an advent market in the Ottakringer Brauerei. And there is A LOT on the programme. There’s everything from typical Christmas market activities like drinking Punsch to super exciting things like curling (reservations needed)! And they also have not one, but multiple markets on different dates. We highly recommend you check out the programme on their website so you don’t miss anything!
Get ready for a blooming good time!
Christmas Exhibition and Market in the Hirschstetten Flower Gardens
Thu. 23rd Nov — Sat. 23rd Dec
10am — 8pm
Recommended if you like:
romanticising winter, pretending to be in a Disney movie, playing ‘guess the fairy tale’ with floral arrangements, navigating a Christmas market like a pro gift detective, pretty flowers
This year’s Hirschstetten Flower Gardens exhibition, which is themed ‘Christmas Fairy Tales’, brings to life nine stories, including classics like Dickens’ ‘Christmas Story’ and the Brothers Grimm’s ‘Frau Holle’.
While you’re there, check out the Advent market with over 50 stalls of traditional goodies, from gingerbread to handmade toys and ceramics. Kids can have a bit of fun, too, making Christmas decorations with the city gardeners.
Heads up! The exhibition is open Thursday to Sunday. Also, construction work limits car access to the South entrance (1220 Vienna, Quadenstraße 15), so opt for public transport or use the North (Oberfeldgasse) or West (Spargelfeldstraße 22) entrances.
Be sure to get your daily dose of culture!
All the best culture and art events happening in Vienna right NOW
Various locations in Vienna, check out our guide!
Recommended if you like:
tilting your head slightly in front of a painting and putting your pensive face on, wearing odd socks, strolling through galleries and museums on rainy days, getting inspired by the great and the up-coming greats, being a creative, seeing how people interpret our crazy world through art.
With so many culture events taking place – be it exhibitions in museums, powerful plays on theatre stages, art shows that scratch that inspiration itch – getting your daily dose of culture in Vienna is easy-peasy. That is, if you have our awesome art and culture guide, which tells you all about the best events happening in Vienna right NOW (or soon-ish). If you think we’re missing any important ongoing culture events, drop us a message Instagram, or the good old, oldschool way, via mail.
Dress up warm and get out there into nature!
Escape into the silence of nature and go for a winter hike
Fri. 01st Dec — Sun. 31st Dec
Recommended if you like:
any opportunity to wear all of that expensive hiking gear you bought, breathing in some good ol’ fresh air talking to trees, the sound of a running stream, doing a squat pee in the woods
‘It’s good for your soul, it’ll broaden your horizon, and you’ll connect with nature…’- sound like your super enthusiastic outdoorsy friend? Well, we’re about to sound a lot like them, as well. Yes, climbing up and down hills during crazy cold temperatures is somehow pleasurable for many, and when they tell you it’s the perfect escape from your worries and woes – they ain’t lying.
Hiking and Austria go together like hot chocolate and winter, which you can reward yourself with once you’ve completed your trail! Check out our list of nature walks to find out where you can start your new weekend activity all by your lonesome. Oh! And make sure to get yourself a Wanderpass! This way you can gamify your hikes.
Pack some Glühwein and take a tour of the city's festive lights!
Go on a tour of the city’s Christmas lights
Fri. 01st Dec — Sun. 31st Dec
Recommended if you like:
Getting all excited for the Christmas period, warming your hands up with some hot Maroni, kissing somebody underneath every single Christmas light, skipping up the Graben boulevard singing ‘All I want for Christmas…’
The city has dressed itself up in the spirit of Christmas with a shit ton of glittering lights. Woohoo!
Especially in the city centre, Christmas lights have been draped overhead across streets. Plus, the stores and restaurants have gone to the effort to bring a smile to our faces by decorating their facades.
So, one night this month – heat up and pack yourself some Glühwein, or homemade Punsch, dress up warm and go through an enchanting walk throughout the first district, enjoying all the glitter and bling that Christmas in Vienna brings.
No Christmas is complete without cookies
Put on your cute lil’ bakers hat and get those Christmas cookies baking
Fri. 01st Dec — Sun. 31st Dec
Recommended if you like:
making things yourself, having a sweet tooth, getting baked while baking, not buying any Christmas presents this year because you just gift everyone your homemade cookies, thinking that the dough is actually more delicious than the finished cookie so you just eat it raw without putting it in the oven
What would Christmas time be without some delicious cookies, right?
Sure, you could simply buy them from the nearest supermarket, but let’s be honest, where’s the fun in that?
So we’re suggesting you go ahead and make some of your own Christmas cookie classics!
It just so happens we have put together a collection of seven fantastic Austrian Christmas cookie recipes coming from a real Oma. And everyone knows, Oma’s recipes are the best!
Bring out that woolly jumper!
Rearrange your wardrobe to winter mode, and bring out that wooly jumper!
Fri. 01st Dec — Sun. 31st Dec
when it's cold enough!
Recommended if you like:
Winter, jumpers, ugly jumpers, feeling all warm and cosy, not being cold because your favourite jumper is keeping you warm
We might not necessarily be fond of the cold, but we do love our reindeer-motifed, wooly jumpers, our comfy thick socks and hats and our knitted underwear (yes, we knitted them ourselves ;-).
While rearranging your closet sounds boring, it can actually be quite fun and meditative. Put on one of your best playlists and dive into your wardrobe.
What's greater than a good old skate?
Go Ice Skating!
various locations in Vienna
Fri. 01st Dec — Sun. 31st Dec
varies
Recommended if you like:
working on the ice skating tricks you’ve always wanted to be able to do, the feeling of sliding around, doing sports and fresh air, outside activities during winter, activities where you can hold hands with someone
We definitely think it’s time for you to get back out there even though it is winter and cold. Fresh air and movement will have your endorphins flowing and put you in a happy glow-y mood. Who doesn’t want that? Go get your friends, family, maybe even a date or take yourself and put those fancy skates on your desperate feet. You will thank us later. Oh… and not to forget there are multiple ice rinks here in Vienna such as Wiener Eislauf-Verein, Kunsteisbahn Engelmann, Steffl Arena or Eisring Süd.
Tis' the season of Glühwein and kissing when your nose is dripping
Go to a Christmas market!
Fri. 10th Nov — Sat. 31st Dec
free!
Recommended if you like:
the smell of gingerbread cookies, waking up with gifts waiting for you, being jolly, celebrating christmukkah, overcoming the cold by drinking hard spirits hidden in tea, Glühwein, meeting friends at Christmas markets
Tis’ the season, and in Vienna this many people’s favourite season simply thanks to those charming Christmas markets! A wonderful vibe spreads around town as markets bloom all over Vienna, and the smell of cinnamon, mulled wine, and sweet desserts fill the air. Be sure to get some Beeren Punsch in, get in the spirit, and enjoy every chance this season to get drunk at the market. If you need a cheat-sheet check the list of our favourite Christmas markets.