Vienna celebrates Johann Strauss: broadcast the Danube Waltz live into space!

Vienna celebrates Johann Strauss: broadcast the Danube Waltz live into space!

On May 31, 2025, Vienna will witness an extraordinary event: The “Waltz into Space” campaign celebrates the 200th birthday of Johann Strauss Sohn with a unique live broadcast of his iconic Danube Waltz into space. How OTS reports, the public viewing will take place in the popular Herrmann beach bar in Vienna, where the event begins at 8:30 p.m. The climax will be reached at 9:30 p.m. when the Danube Waltz will be transmitted in real time to the Deep Space Antenna DSA 2 in Cebreros, Spain.

This spectacular mission is made possible through the collaboration between Vienna Tourism and the European Space Agency (ESA). The effort to bring the Danube Waltz into space is intended to correct the omission from 1977, when this masterpiece was not sent into the universe on the Voyager Golden Record, as Vienna Symphony Orchestra notes.

Transmission into the vastness of space

In addition to the celebrations in Vienna, live broadcasts are also planned at several locations around the world. The sounds of the Danube Waltz are broadcast not only in the Herrmann beach bar and in New York's Bryant Park, but also in Madrid and on the ESA space probe. The signal will ultimately reach NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft after 23 hours. The beam of light that symbolizes the waltz is projected into the night sky from the roof of the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK). Johann Strauss 2025 explained.

Overall, a variety of events will take place in Vienna to mark the composer's 200th birthday. The cultural program includes 65 productions spread across 69 locations and ranges from classical concerts to theater performances, circus and installations.

Entrance and program

Entry to the Herrmann beach bar is free and seats are available on a first come, first serve basis. The main concert at the MAK, conducted by Petr Popelka, will present momentous works, including Dvořák's “From the New World” and Mozart's “Jupiter”. The broadcast of the Danube Waltz will be broadcast live into space at the grand finale at 9:30 p.m. The event will also be broadcast on ORF ON and ORF III with a time delay.

In a particularly festive setting, the mission “Waltz into Space” should be seen not only as a homage to Johann Strauss's son, but also as an important cultural event that builds bridges between art and science and captivates the audience with the music.