Europe's Biggest New Year's Party in its 12th Year

Europe's Biggest New Year's Party in its 12th Year

Austria's largest and most favourite New Year's Eve party is again taking place this year in the Inner City of Vienna. The night of 31 December 2001 to 1January 2002 will convert the entire City into one giant party zone - thus making the Wiener Silvesterpfad (Vienna New Year's Eve Trail) enter its twelfth round. Thousands of Austrian and foreign visitors come to the capital city every year in order to see in the New Year peacefully and boisterously. They make the Wiener Silvesterpfad (Vienna New Year's Eve Trail) one of the most successful New Year's events in Europe.
Three-four time, techno or super folk hits - The programme caters for all different tastes

This year the organisers have again prepared a colourful programme which guarantees to offer something for everybody. Amongst others, classical waltzing tunes, pulsating beats, super folk hits and an amusing kids' programme will create a great atmosphere.

New: 5 locations in the City of Vienna should become so-called "musical streets" - providing a cross-section of the music scene from pop to hip-hop.

Those of you who'd rather spend New Year's Eve in a romantic atmosphere than in the hurly-burly are in the best hands at Spittelberg. There, New Year's Eve will again have "Kerzen statt Raketen" (candles instead of rockets) as its motto.

The final fine-tuning of the programme is still running at full steam, but here's a little foretaste of what to expect:

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Rathausplatz

Tra***ionally, the square in front of the Vienna City Hall is the entrance to the Silvesterpfad (New Year's Eve Trail). The afternoon programme will be taken care of by the Vienna Dancing Schools. From 2 p.m. all visitors can learn here how to give their waltz to the left the finishing touch. And again there will be special "dancing classes" for kids. The "courageous" will also be able to slide into the New Year on the huge slide provided by Bank Austria.
From 7 p.m. a musical show programme will revolve exclusively around the Danube metropolis. Its motto is "Typically Vienna -Viennese songs, the Viennese waltz and the Viennese operetta". The organisers have planned a varied event which should attract and captivate night owls, Viennese song lovers, waltz dancers and operetta fans alike - a total of 5 hours of perfect and humourous entertainment will create a boisterous atmosphere until midnight. Various artists and ensembles will request the honour of your company in short performances of about 20 minutes each on stage. Amongst them are: Adi Hirschall with humorous Viennese songs from three centuries; the "Art-Schrammeln" with tra***ional and newly arranged melodies in a high quality Schrammel instrumentation; the "ALTWIENEU" Ensemble with satirical folk songs, G'stanzln (four-line songs with humorous content) and homorous songs; and "Wiener Walzertraum", a mixed palm-court orchestra, with a potpourri of waltzes and operettas.
The New Year's Eve path in the sign of the euro: At 10 p.m. a mobile exchange office of the Austrian National Bank opens directly on Rathausplatz. Here you can change 2 houres before midnight shillings for euro coins. Beginning at midnight you will get there the first euro bills, too. Dr. Klaus Liebscher, the president of the national bank, will personally be there *****bmit the brandnew euro bills hot from the press.
Midnight will see the beginning of "Crossing all over Vienna" - a production blending well-known and popular pop and rock songs. The special thing about this event is that all the titles have been newly arranged specially for New Year's Eve. An e-guitarist will improvise varations on the Danube waltz, a Viennese violinist will play a solo on a rock piece. A selection of classic and pop singers will round off this sound show with their interpretations of hits such as "Simply The Best" or "Time To Say Goodbye".
A large screen will provide for an excellent view, even from the rows at the very back. It will capture the events and the atmosphere on the Rathausplatz.
The New Year's Eve party on the Rathausplatz will also continue on the morning of New Year's Day. On 1 January 2002, the New Year's Concert will be broadcast live on the large screen, the restaurateurs will serve an invigorating hangover breakfast, and a "New Year's Quartet" will provide Viennese sounds before and in between.
L?ảwelstra?Ye (Beim Burgtheater)

The square in front of the Caf?â Landtmann will turn into "Astro Village" on this year's New Year's Eve. From 2 p.m. you can have your fortune told by palmists, risk a glance into your future with the fortune tellers, or entrust yourself to one of the soothsayers. A programme on the show stage will provide the musical background, and at the Austrian Lotteries' Fortune Wheel, every visitor has the chance to win immediately. Select restaurateurs will cater for your culinary needs.

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A large screen will provide for an excellent view, even from the rows at the very back. It will capture the events and the atmosphere on the Rathausplatz.