🎻 Essentials
The Opera, concerts and what to wear
Buy from the house, not the man in the wig. Dress as for a good evening out — and a standing-room ticket at the Staatsoper is one of the great bargains in music.
What to wear
Dress codes are the question everyone asks and few venues answer in writing, so treat this as what you will see rather than a rule. The Viennese dress for the evening: at the Opera and the Musikverein, a suit or a dress is the norm in the stalls and boxes, and jeans and trainers stand out. Standing room is more relaxed. Premieres, galas and the ball season are another matter — the Opera Ball (next on 4 February 2027) has formal evening-dress rules of its own; check them on the Staatsoper site before you buy.
How to buy
- Vienna State Opera — only at wiener-staatsoper.at or the federal theatres' box offices. Every seat has subtitles in several languages.
- Standing room — 435 places, sold from 10:00 on the day of the performance. With a Bundestheater card and the Standing Room PLUS option they can be bought online the day before. Rules for the 2026/27 season were being revised when we checked, so confirm on the Staatsoper site.
- Musikverein and Konzerthaus — from their own box offices and websites.
- Vienna Boys Choir — sings Sunday Mass at the Hofburgkapelle at 09:15 during the season, September to June; tickets through the Hofmusikkapelle.
The Vienna Tourist Board advises against buying from street vendors. The recognised agencies it names include oeticket and Wien-Ticket. More on concerts.
Etiquette
Arrive early — latecomers wait for a suitable break. Phones off, not silent. Applause between movements of a symphony will earn you looks at the Musikverein.
