Vienna Opera Ball dress rehearsal tickets cost €50 to €120 for Wednesday 3 February 2027 at the Vienna State Opera, and there is no dress code. Anyone 18 or over can enter the raffle on the Opera Ball's website from 11 to 18 November 2026, and only those drawn can buy. If drawn, you see the ball's whole opening in the decorated opera house, but the debutants and the orchestra are not yet in gowns and tailcoats.
When is the Vienna Opera Ball dress rehearsal 2027?
The dress rehearsal is on Wednesday 3 February 2027, the evening before the Vienna Opera Ball 2027 on Thursday 4 February. Doors open at 19:00, the run-through of the opening starts at 20:00, and the evening ends at 21:00, after one hour.
| At a glance | Dress rehearsal 2027 |
|---|---|
| Date | Wednesday 3 February 2027 |
| Venue | Staatsoper (Vienna State Opera) |
| Doors | 19:00 |
| Rehearsal starts | 20:00 |
| End | 21:00, no dancing |
| Tickets | €50 standing, €70 to €120 seated |
| How to get one | Raffle, 11 to 18 November 2026 |
| Dress code | None |
Sources: Dress rehearsal 2027, Vienna Opera Ball; Staatsoper calendar, 3 February 2027.
How do you get tickets for the dress rehearsal? Register 11 to 18 November 2026
You register for a raffle on the dress rehearsal page of opernball.at between 11 and 18 November 2026 and ask for up to 4 tickets. The raffle only decides who wins the right to buy tickets, and the people drawn hear by 12 December.
The raffle, step by step:
- 11 November: registration opens. The organiser's countdown runs to 11:11. You do not need to be quick, because the time you register within the window makes no difference to your chances.
- 18 November: registration closes.
- By 12 December: winners are told. If you have heard nothing by 12 December, you have not been drawn.
- Within 14 days of being told: winners pay for their tickets.
Each e-mail address and customer number counts once, and you must be 18 or over to enter. The Staatsoper turns away registrations from tour operators and commercial resellers. It sells these tickets only to the people who attend. Any resale or transfer needs its written permission. Do not buy one second-hand.
How much does the Vienna Opera Ball dress rehearsal cost? €50 to €120
A standing place on the Balcony or the Gallery costs €50, and a seat costs €70 to €120. You pay only after winning the raffle, within 14 days of being told. For two people, that comes to €100 standing, or €140 to €240 seated.
The 2027 prices, by place:
- Boxes 1 to 13: €120 for seats 1 to 4, €70 for places 5 to 7
- Proscenium box, row 1: €120
- Balcony and Gallery: €120 in rows 1 to 2, €100 in rows 3 to 4, €90 in rows 5 to 6
- Standing room on the Balcony and the Gallery: €50
There are no stalls on the list, so the audience watches from the boxes, the Balcony and the Gallery. The raffle page also shows a seating plan of a box.
What do you see at the dress rehearsal? The whole opening, from 20:00
You see the ball's whole opening, run through in the decorated house. At the ball, the opening committee is about 150 young couples, the debutants, in white gowns and tails, and the opening waltz is The Blue Danube. At the rehearsal, neither they nor the orchestra wear ball dress.
At the ball the opening starts at 22:00 and lasts about 50 minutes. The 2027 programme has not been published yet.
Arrive when the doors open at 19:00, because until the rehearsal starts at 20:00 you can look round the rooms, some of them already decorated. The flower arrangements for the ball are already up. The Main Staircase, the Gallery and the Balcony are open. So are three state rooms: the Gustav Mahler Hall, the Schwindfoyer and the Schwindloggia. At 21:00 the evening ends with the rehearsal, and there is no dancing in the ballroom.
The Palmenbar in the Schwindfoyer and the buffet in the Parterrefoyer are open, both run by the caterer Gerstner. The Staatsoper's page for the night lists free cloakrooms by the Operngasse entrances.
Is there a dress code for the dress rehearsal on 3 February? No
Unlike the Opera Ball the next night, the dress rehearsal on 3 February has no dress code. Rehearsal guests like to dress festively. So dress up if you like, but you do not need a ball gown or tails to get in.
For the ball's own dress code, see our page on the Vienna Opera Ball 2027.
What is the difference between the dress rehearsal and the Opera Ball on 4 February?
The rehearsal is only the ball's opening, run through in an hour without ball dress, and there is no dancing for the audience. The ball the next night, Thursday 4 February 2027 from 20:15, has about 5,000 guests and a dress code, and entrance costs €435.
Tickets for the ball itself:
- Entrance, at €435 including a €35 donation, went by a raffle that closed on 5 June 2026.
- Table seats, at €665 with entrance included, went on sale on 24 June 2026.
- A few spectator tickets, at €110 to €290, go mainly to members of the Opera's circle of friends, with no guarantee.
- The Opera Ball Office sells every ball ticket. There is no other seller.
So for most visitors without a ball ticket, the dress rehearsal is the way to see the opening inside the house.
Not drawn? A 40-minute tour of the house instead
If you have heard nothing by 12 December, you can still see inside the Staatsoper on a standard guided tour of about 40 minutes. Tours are in German, English, French, Spanish, Italian or Japanese. On 4 November 2026 a tour cost €18 for adults and €14 for people under 27.
Seniors and children from 6 also pay €14, and children under 6 go free. Tour dates go online around the middle of each month for the month after, so the February dates should appear around mid-January. You buy online, or on site from 30 minutes before a tour while places last.
In 2026, ORF2, ORF ON and 3sat showed the ball from 20:15. The 2027 times are not out yet. If you would rather dance than watch, our calendar of the Vienna ball season 2027 lists balls that sell tickets to anyone. Our guide to Vienna in February covers the rest of the month.
How do you get to the Staatsoper from the Naschmarkt? About 16 minutes on foot
From our apartments by the Naschmarkt, Vienna's open-air market, the Staatsoper is about 16 minutes on foot by our estimate. Or take the U4 one stop from Kettenbrückengasse to Karlsplatz. The rehearsal ends at 21:00, and the U4 runs to about midnight, so you come home the same way.
On weekdays the U-Bahn, Vienna's underground, runs from about 05:00 to about midnight. It runs all night only on Friday and Saturday nights and before public holidays. If you stay in town after the rehearsal and miss the last train, the walk home is about 16 minutes by our estimate.
When we checked on 4 November 2026, no works were announced on the U4 between Kettenbrückengasse and Karlsplatz for 3 February 2027. Check wienerlinien.at before you go.
Where to stay for the dress rehearsal: 2 nights from 3 February
Our apartments are a minute from the Naschmarkt and from Kettenbrückengasse, our U4 station, one stop from Karlsplatz. Check-in is from 15:00, which leaves time to change before the doors open at 19:00. We have a two-night minimum, so arrive on Wednesday 3 February for the rehearsal and stay through Thursday 4 February. That is the night of the ball itself, and in 2026 the ball was on television from 20:15. Check-out is by 11:00 on Friday 5 February. The Double MINT has 55 m² for up to 3 guests. If you are drawn for 4 tickets and all four of you are adults, book the Penthouse Maisonette, which takes 4 adults. Or book two apartments in one booking. This link opens our booking page with both nights already selected: check these two nights and book.
Frequently asked questions
Can you dance at the Vienna Opera Ball dress rehearsal? No, the evening ends when the rehearsal ends, at 21:00. There is no dancing in the ballroom for the audience.
Are the bars open at the dress rehearsal? Yes, the Palmenbar in the Schwindfoyer and the buffet in the Parterrefoyer are open. Both are run by the caterer Gerstner.
Does it matter when you register for the raffle? No, the time you register between 11 and 18 November makes no difference to your chances. Winners hear by 12 December 2026 and have 14 days to pay.
Can you bring friends to the dress rehearsal? Yes, one registration can ask for up to 4 tickets. The tickets are sold only to the people who attend, and passing one on needs the Staatsoper's written permission.
Which rooms can you walk round at the dress rehearsal? Until 20:00 you can walk the Main Staircase, the Gallery and the Balcony, and the Gustav Mahler Hall, the Schwindfoyer and the Schwindloggia. Some of the rooms are already decorated for the ball.
Can anyone go to the Vienna Opera Ball? For 2027, entrance tickets at €435 went by a raffle that closed on 5 June 2026. A few spectator tickets, at €110 to €290, go mainly to members of the Opera's circle of friends, with no guarantee.
Can you visit the Vienna State Opera for free? Not at the dress rehearsal, where the cheapest place is standing room at €50. On 4 November 2026 a standard guided tour cost €18 for adults and €14 for people under 27, and children under 6 went free.
Sources
Our team checks the dates, prices and figures on this page by hand against official sources.
- Wiener Staatsoper: dress rehearsal 2027, Opera Ball 2027 tickets, Opera Ball 2027 date, the Opera Ball on television, calendar, 3 February 2027, guided tours
- Vienna Tourist Board (wien.info): U-Bahn hours, the Vienna Opera Ball, Opera Ball programme, in German
- Wiener Linien: U4 modernisation, in German
- ÖAMTC: U-Bahn closures and major works in Vienna, in German
- Wikipedia: U4 station list
Last updated: November 2026. Christian, Host & Founder, MINT @Naschmarkt.
