Practical
What to wear and bring
Dress, cash, the cloakroom, phones, photos, applause and arrival times for a concert in the Golden Hall or the Brahms Hall, from the hall's own house rules.
Reserve your seat for the concert ↗Quick answer
Dress festively but without fuss, bring coins for the mandatory cloakroom and the paper programme, switch your phone off and arrive in the hour before the concert. Coats, bags, umbrellas and rucksacks stay outside the hall, food and drink do not go in, recordings are not allowed, and applause waits until a piece has ended.
What to wear
The hall asks guests to attend in festive attire suited to the occasion and to leave sportswear and training gear at home. In practice that points to smart clothes and shoes you can sit comfortably in for two hours. The house also asks you to skip voluminous headgear out of consideration for the people behind you, so a tall hat is the one accessory best left in the cloakroom.
The cloakroom
The cloakroom is mandatory for coats and backpacks. For security reasons, coats, bags, rucksacks, umbrellas and folding chairs may not be taken into the hall, not even to a standing area, and the house may charge a fee for storing clothing and larger bags. Suitcases and large bags cannot be stored at all, so leave luggage at your hotel or in your room before you set out for the hall.
Cash
The booking notes ask you to carry cash, because both the cloakroom and the paper programme are paid for in coins on the night. The fees are small. Having the right change saves you time at the busiest moment of the evening, when everyone is trying to leave coats and find seats at once. A free programme for the evening can be opened online without charge if you would rather save the coins.
- Coins or small notes for the cloakroom
- A little extra for the paper programme
- Nothing else is required at the door
Phones and recordings
Phones should be switched off or left in flight mode in your bag. Not only ringtones but also vibrating devices and bright screens disturb other people in the audience and on stage. Video and audio recordings are prohibited before, during and after the performance without special permission. The organiser may film the event, and you may be visible in that footage as part of the audience, so be aware that the house reserves that right.
Silence and applause
In Vienna it is customary not to interrupt the music with applause, even if you are impressed. Clap when a piece has finished, not after a single movement, so that the last note can fade. Applause is welcome when soloists or conductors enter and leave. The house also asks you not to talk during the concert, because the acoustics are so good that even a whisper disturbs people nearby. That is why the Golden Hall rewards quiet audiences.
Arriving, and being late
The building opens an hour before an event and the hall is usually opened thirty minutes before the concert. Tickets for this series are collected at the lobby collection point from an hour before. Take your seat promptly when the gong sounds, because latecomers can enter only at the interval or at an applause break, and never during a movement. If you miss the start, expect to wait outside until the music pauses.
Food and drink, children, accessibility
Nothing to eat or drink may go into the hall, so have your meal before or after the concert. Children under 5 are not admitted, and every guest who is admitted needs a ticket. This ticket does not suit wheelchair users, although the hall describes a step-free entrance and wheelchair spaces for its own events. If you need one, enquire well ahead instead of on the night, because the arrangements for this series may differ from the hall's own.
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