New Years Day Concert in Vienna

Tickets to see the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra's New Year's Day concert are like gold-dust.

A ballot for tickets traditionally starts the day after the previous concert and a huge number of people apply.

For those lucky enough to receive a ticket, a show like no other is on offer.

This orchestral performance has a tradition that stretches over 65 years and can claim some of the finest composers in the history of classical music.

The venue for the orchestra is Vienna's Golden Hall in the Musikverein and is widely recognised as one of the finest venues in Europe.

On New Year's Day the atmosphere is particularly special, with the seasonal decorations still draped around the streets.

Musical inspiration for the orchestra comes from the Straussian era and includes 'Tales from the Vienna Woods' and the 'The Blue Danube Waltz'.

Public performances occur on December 30th and 31st and traditionally represent 'rehearsals' for the New Year's Day show.

All three shows are exceedingly popular and the New Year's Day performance is screened around the world on TV.

Vienna is a marvellous city at anytime of the year, but especially so around the festive period.

The food and drink is exquisite and the sightseeing in the capital is intriguing in itself, those lucky enough to get a ticket for this performance will have a marvellous time in Austria.