For all guests which are visiting the Officers’ Ball for the first time we have composed a list of tips for a perfect ball night:
Dresscode: We kindly ask you to adhere to the dresscode for the Officers’ Ball (for the rare case that a guest does not meet the dresscode, we reserve the right to deny entry to the ball). For our female guests we recommend to use only tried and tested footwear since unproven shoes may lead to hurting feet. Additionally, we recommend to take a second pair of more comfortable shoes with you.
Tickets: Should you wish to pick up your reserved tickets on the day of the ball you can do so between 11.00 a.m. and 2.00 p.m. directly at the Hofburg.
Arrival: Please arrive between 8.00 p.m. and 8.20 p.m. at the Hofburg and use the cloakroom located in the lower hallway. Should there be a traffic jam at the Heldenplatz, we recommend walking the last 100m on foot towards the Hofburg.
Upon arrival, we advise you to immediately proceed towards your reserved seats, take a stroll through the historic rooms in the mezzanin (see floorplan) or have a first aperitif at one of the bars. We kindly request you not to start your evening by taking pictures on the main staircase but rather after the opening ceremony since, when it is usually more quiet.
The women’s gift will be available for pickup from midnight on at the bottom of the main staircase. For this we kindly ask you to keep your women’s ticket ready.
Catering: If you have reserved a seat in one of the rooms, you may pre-order your first flight of drinks or appetizers via this link provided by the catering company “Motto”. This way you can skip queuing up at the ball evening.
Program: If you want to follow the opening ceremony you can do this not only at the main ballroom (usually this room is the most crowded) but also at livestreams at the Zeremoniensall and Metternichsaal and on all tv monitors (see floorplan). Furthermore, you also have the option to watch the opening ceremony and midnight show via our online livestreams.
There is no ball without a dance! Whether you are a beginner or expert, at the Officers’ Ball we have a dance for everyone. In 7 different ballrooms we offer dance music for every style (see floorplan).
The midnight quadrille (taking place after the midnight show) is one of the highlights of the ball night. Here 2 couples, which are positioned vis-a-vis of each other and are arranged in several columns, dance with each other. The dance instructor then announces dancing figures which the couples follow. Since the space on the dancefloor is limited we kindly ask you to be considerate of other couples (especially when dancing backwards) so as not to step on other people’s toes.
Taps: When the ball night is over (at 4.00 a.m.) it is tradition to take home some of the flower decorations as a souvenir. However, we ask you to refrain from taking home any foliage or potted plants.
For further tips and other frequently asked questions please do not hesitate to consult our FAQs.
