Editing Vienna Opera Ball (section)

== Organization ==
[[File:Vienna Opera Ball 27 February 2014 03.jpg|thumb|Opera singer [[Margarita Gritskova]] singing an aria during the opening ceremony (2014)]]
[[File:Vienna Opera Ball 27 February 2014 05.JPG|thumb|Debutantes' entry during the opening of the ball (2014)]]
Each year, almost overnight, the [[auditorium]] of the Vienna State Opera is turned into a large [[ballroom]]. On the eve of the event, the rows of seats are removed from the [[stalls (theatre)|stalls]], and a new floor, level with the [[Stage (theatre)|stage]], is built.

The dress code is [[White tie|evening dress]]: white tie and tails for men; strictly floor-length [[gown]]s for women.
White [[opera gloves]] are still mandatory for female [[debutante]]s at the Vienna Opera Ball.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.wiener-staatsoper.at/en/staatsoper/vienna-opera-ball/make-your-debut/ |title=Make Your Debut At The Vienna Opera Ball-Dresscode |website=Vienna State Opera |language=en |access-date=9 November 2019}}</ref>

The ball does not start until around 10 pm when the [[Austrian president]] and his guests enter the imperial balcony. Their arrival is heralded by trumpets. The [[Austrian national anthem]] is played followed by the [[European anthem]]. There are performances of the state opera ballet company and classical arias sung by the opera stars. These are normally a small selection of Italian opera and famous Austrian pieces. The highlight of the opening ceremony is the introduction of 180 [[debutante]] couples. These are carefully selected young women and men who have successfully completed an audition in the opera, selected according to their Vienna Waltzing skills. The debutante dance is choreographed and supervised by a professional dance school (Santner Dance School). The debutantes are led into the opera house to the sounds of [[Carl Michael Ziehrer]]'s ''Fächer[[polonaise (dance)|polonaise]]''. Dances are then, for example, the [[Polonaise (dance)|Polonaise]] in A-Dur, Op. 40 by [[Frédéric Chopin]] and Johann Strauss' ''Warschauer-[[Polka]]''. The last dance of the debutantes is always the ''Blue Danube'' [[Viennese Waltz]] by [[Johann Strauss II]], after which the floor is opened to all guests.

The ball runs until 5 am. The opera house offers all access to the guests, with various other rooms and lounges open with different types of music and dance. There is catering on all floors offered by Café Gerstner and various other caterers, as well as a [[hairdressing service]], a make-up service and an in-house [[tailor]], and medical teams on standby. <ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/jane-fonda-attends-opera-tycoon-after-admitting-offered-pay-money |title=Jane Fonda attends opera with tycoon after admitting he 'offered to pay me quite a bit of money' |website=[[Fox News]] |date=17 February 2023 |first=Elizabeth |last=Stanton}}</ref>

Various dances moderated by the head of the dance school take place every two hours, such as the popular [[cotillion]]. 

In a joint venture, [[ORF (broadcaster)|ORF]] and [[Bayerischer Rundfunk|BR]] broadcast live from the ball for several hours each year.