Vienna dances: Johann Strauss turns 200! Celebrations in full swing!

Vienna dances: Johann Strauss turns 200! Celebrations in full swing!

Vienna is all about Johann Strauss! On October 25, 2025, the great composer known as the “Waltz King” will turn an incredible 200 years old. An occasion that the city would like to celebrate properly. Because Strauss' melodies are not only part of Vienna's cultural heritage, but also from countless performances and are firmly anchored in the hearts of the Viennese. Today, June 12, 2025, preparations for the anniversary celebrations are in full swing.

Johann Strauss was born in 1825 at Lerchenfelder Straße 15 in Vienna, more precisely in the “Zur goldenen Ente” inn. His musical career began thanks to support from his mother and secret lessons in his first year of life. Despite the resistance of his father, Johann Strauss (1804–1849), the young Strauss soon found his place in Vienna's music scene. And it was worth it! Today he can look back on a rich body of work that includes great classics such as the “Donauwalzer” and “Die Fledermaus”.

Anniversary celebrations

The 200th birthday celebrations will take place in Vienna City Hall and a special highlight will be the birthday hour with the mayor. In addition to numerous other events in the city, citizens can expect a musical fireworks display that turns out to be a gift for the composer. The opening exhibition “New Dimensions” in the Johann Strauss Museum will offer interactive insights into his eventful life. The exhibition will show how Strauss shaped Viennese society with his works.

Anyone who would like to follow in the composer's footsteps will find some of the original locations of his life in Vienna, including an apartment and a small museum on Praterstrasse. Anyone who wants to experience the charm of the Habsburg monarchy can do so at the Hotel Sacher, where Strauss often dined. Entry to the Johann Strauss Apartment costs 5 euros, while the “House of Strauss” in Casino Zögernitz offers multimedia experiences related to his works for 23 euros.

Strauss' musical legacy

Strauss’ influence is still omnipresent today. Around 200,000 Viennese have learned waltz at the Elmayer dance school, which corresponds to around 10% of the population. The Viennese music scene is also enriched by annual performances of “Fledermaus” at the State Opera and a Strauss program on January 1st at the Wiener Musikverein. The Theater an der Wien also remains an important venue for the composer's operettas.

But it's not just his music that remains unforgettable. Eduard Strauss, Johann's great-grandson, is concerned about his ancestor's legacy. He describes Johann as “not a good person” and fights for a more realistic image. In this context, he also criticizes common performance practice and wants to highlight the satirical nature of Joe Strauss' works. Interestingly, after Johann's death, Eduard destroyed many original scores, which made performance practice seriously difficult.

The annual celebrations in honor of Strauss and the still high status of waltzes and operettas make it clear that the fame of the “Waltz King” is still very popular. The great tradition of New Year's concerts, which are heavily influenced by his compositions, also underlines his lasting influence on classical music.

Vienna can look forward to a brilliant celebration in the anniversary year, because Johann Strauss remains a legendary figure in Viennese music history. Like the city itself, his music lives on in people's hearts, and not just at New Year's time.

If you want to go to Vienna for the celebration, you should prepare well: direct flights from German cities are easily possible and hotels like the Sacher or Graf Stadium offer excellent accommodation. Experiences full of music and memories are created!

World reports that the 200th anniversary celebrations are in full swing, while Johann Strauss 2025 offers further insights into the anniversary activities. Also My learning provides exciting information about the life's work of the Waltz King.