According to research, a ball visit costs an average of 365 euros. Admission alone costs 140 euros. Yet another 500,000 visitors are expected. The dance event is especially popular with a young audience. The reasons.
Half a million people want to attend one or more Viennese balls again this season (from November 11). The noble dance events mainly attract a young audience. This is evident from an ongoing study by SME research commissioned by the Chamber of Commerce.
Balls are (usually) expensive fun
That’s surprising, because balls cost money. According to the research, each guest spends an average of 365 euros. 45 euros more than last year. Entrance tickets alone cost 140 euros. There is also a wardrobe, food, drinks, hairdresser, taxi, photographer, etc.
Of course, these are average values. And you can save if you don’t have a table and consume little at the event. There are student discounts and cheap school and neighborhood balls that are not in the (expensive) Hofburg.
Some organizers offer discounted late night tickets. This means that you arrive (usually after midnight) when the first guests are already leaving. This allows the organizers to increase the occupancy rate.
Popular Instagram motif
There is another trend visible: people used to go to balls to meet others. Nowadays, more and more people are using the beautiful background as a photo motif for Instagram. The atmosphere satisfies narcissistic vanity. And that is worth a lot to some people.
However. “The ball season is a crucial source of income for Viennese companies,” says department chair Maria Neumann. A total of approximately 190 million euros will be exported. Black, royal blue and emerald green are making a comeback in prom fashion, complemented by delicate pinks and purples, they say.
A quarter of the visitors come from abroad
Almost every third person surveyed aged 15 and over wants to go to a ball this time, exactly 32 percent of Viennese. While these Viennese make up a large part of the ball visitors, the rest consists of the other federal states and international guests. Chamber of Commerce department chairman Markus Grießler: “About a quarter of the visitors to the big Viennese balls come from abroad, mainly from European countries, but also many guests from the US and Japan.”
Viennese balls have a unique selling point worldwide. A visit polishes your own image. Whether with Instagram or without.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
