“Everything Dances” opens the TV ball evening on February 8th at 8:15 p.m
Vienna (OTS) – The countdown is on – in two days the Young Women and Young Men Committee will open the 66th “Vienna Opera Ball”. The ORF will be there again this year with extensive reporting on the ball of balls. The entire television evening – presented by Mirjam Weichselbraun, Teresa Vogl, Andi Knoll and, for the first time, Marion Benda – from ORF 2 and 3sat on Thursday, February 8, 2024, from 8:15 p.m., is all about the highlight of the ball season. Christoph Wagner-Trenkwitz and Karl Hohenlohe are once again providing the pointed commentary this year. The day after the ball evening, on February 9th, Lilian Klebow will present “Alles Opernball” on ORF 1 at 8:15 p.m., a look back at all the stars, highlights, excitement and highlights of the ball event. ORF director Heidelinde Haschek will also be responsible for the broadcast in 2024. With 20 cameras – including radio, panning head, mini cameras, stationary cameras and a camera crane opposite the State Opera – it presents the Vienna Opera Ball to the ORF audience in atmospheric images. This year, the Vienna Opera Ball 2024 is again supporting – in partnership with the ORF – AUSTRIA HELFT AUSTRIA, a joint initiative of Austria’s leading aid organizations in cooperation with the ORF.
The Opera Ball evening on February 8th from 8:15 p.m. on ORF 2 and 3sat:
8.15 p.m.: Opening of the ball evening with “Vienna Opera Ball 2024 – Everything Dances”
The Opera Ball evening opens at 8:15 p.m. with “Vienna Opera Ball 2024 – Everything Dances”. This year’s ORF broadcast of the Opera Ball begins directly in the Haus am Ring, where Christoph Wagner-Trenkwitz and Karl Hohenlohe welcome the viewers and Mirjam Weichselbraun, Teresa Vogl, Marion Benda and Andi Knoll – together with the host and the organizers Provide an outlook on the upcoming ball night and show entertaining reviews of past opera balls.
9:05 p.m.: “Vienna Opera Ball 2024 – Arrival of the guests”
Andi Knoll welcomes the arriving big names from politics, business and society, from art and culture on the red carpet, Marion Benda welcomes them on the festival stairs and Mirjam Weichselbraun and Teresa Vogl invite some of the house’s stars backstage in front of the microphone. Karl Hohenlohe and Christoph Wagner-Trenkwitz report from the commentator container. Viewers can expect pictures and interviews from the red carpet, the festival stairs, festively decorated locations in the opera house and much more.
9.45 p.m.: “Vienna Opera Ball 2024 – The Opening”
Mirjam Weichselbraun asks the Federal President for the traditional interview in the tea room and Teresa Vogl captures the mood of the numerous invited artists at the State Opera on the standing ground floor. Andi Knoll mingles with the debutantes on the backstage, shortly before the official opening begins with the Austrian national anthem and the European anthem, the entry of the Young Women’s and Young Men’s Committee and the stars of the State Opera. Marion Benda brings the first reactions from the audience after the brilliant performances by Elīna Garanča, Piotr Beczała, Serena Sáenz, the State Ballet, the students of the Ballet Academy and the three orchestras and their conductors. Christoph Wagner-Trenkwitz and Karl Hohenlohe contribute their impressions.
10:55 p.m.: “ZIB 2”
11:05 p.m.: “Vienna Opera Ball 2024 – The Festival”
Mirjam Weichselbraun and Teresa Vogl conduct interviews with greats from business, politics, society, art and culture in the middle box. Marion Benda and Andi Knoll take the audience into various boxes to see prominent ball visitors – and also cast a camera eye on the most remarkable outfits. As always, the best box seat is in front of the television to experience the action at the opera and the big ball night up close!
“Alles Opernball” on February 9th at 8:15 p.m. on ORF 1
The day after the Vienna Opera Ball 2024, the ORF editorial team will report in a special broadcast about the most extravagant performances, the most beautiful, elaborate and unusual outfits and the ball whispers of the lavish night. This year, Lilian Klebow will be leading the show and the opera house for the first time. It shows how the ball guests celebrated, which celebrities danced this time and what else happened in the boxes, halls, corridors and hidden places of the State Opera. A must for all Opera Ball fans.
“Guten Morgen Österreich”, “Studio 2” and “Seitenblicke” in the spirit of the Opera Ball
The ORF society magazine “Seitenblicke” reports in several editions on ORF 2 about the numerous preparations for the Opera Ball. On February 9th, the day after the ball, the entire broadcast at 8:05 p.m. is dedicated to the highlights of the ball night. “Guten Morgen Österreich” (Monday to Friday from 6:30 a.m.) and the ORF 2 evening magazine “Studio 2” (Monday to Friday at 5:30 p.m.) also devote extensive attention to the Vienna Opera Ball.
The Vienna Opera Ball in the ORF.at network, on Ö3 and in the programs of the ORF regional studios as well as on ORF KIDS
The ORF.at network and ORF TELETEXT report in detail about the ball event of the year in stories. The TV reporting can be followed via live stream on the ORF-TVthek and subsequently accessed as video-on-demand on ORF ON and in the ORF-TVthek app. Hitradio Ö3 offers a view of the “Ball of Balls” in the Vienna State Opera. Ö3 reporters report from the Opera Ball, take a look behind the scenes and report on the social event the day after in the Ö3 alarm clock. The highlights of the evening and the best photos will be made available on the Ö3 homepage (oe3.ORF.at).
ORF KIDS is also dedicated to the Opera Ball. On Saturday, February 10th, at 8:55 a.m. there will be a visit to the Ballet Academy of the Vienna State Opera, where a rehearsal for the ball of balls – the Vienna Opera Ball – will take place. The children tell us whether they are excited and where their passion for ballet dancing comes from.
ORF Vienna accompanies the Viennese through the prominent ball night on February 8th. On the day of the ball, ORF Vienna reporters will report directly from the opera to inform the audience about this Vienna ball highlight. In addition, Katharina Reigersberg from the “Vienna Today” team will accompany a blind ball visitor with his personal assistant this year. The news magazine “Vienna Today” gives viewers the opportunity to experience the Vienna Opera Ball 2024 in a different way. ORF Radio Vienna also makes it possible to experience the ball of balls live. In the week before, all listeners have the opportunity to win two tickets for this special event. The ORF Vienna social media channels provide extraordinary insights into the exhilarating experience. At the center of ORF Vienna’s activities this year is the Radio Vienna Opera Ball Disco with DJ Mel Merio as a program item for all ball guests. With popular Radio Vienna hits and well-known party classics, she creates a brilliant, energetic and glamorous dance atmosphere.
The Opera Ball 2024 on ORF III – Continuation of the focus with documentaries and reporting from the Haus am Ring
ORF III has been dancing in three-quarter time since Sunday, February 4th and is presenting a series of documentaries about Viennese ball culture until the Vienna Opera Ball, shows numerous film classics and provides information with current reporting and interesting TV discussion sessions. On Tuesday, February 6th, there will be documentary highlights in “Heritage Austria” with the ORF III new production in the main evening “Opera Ball – Austria – Land of Orders”, “The Opera Ball Revue: Fashion from back then” (9:05 p.m.) as well as “The Vienna Opera Ball – The Good Spirits” (9:55 p.m.) on the program. “Culture Today” will also report directly from the Haus am Ring for a week starting on Monday, February 5th, and will show both the preparations and the dismantling work one day after the “Ball of Balls”.
AUSTRIA HELPS AUSTRIA – an initiative by ORF and leading aid organizations
The Opera Ball – in partnership with the ORF – is once again sending a signal of solidarity this year and is supporting for the second time AUSTRIA HELPS AUSTRIA – a joint initiative of Austria’s leading aid organizations in cooperation with the ORF, which was launched in 2020. With this, the ORF founded its third aid brand to raise awareness and secure help for those organizations that help locally and directly. The first campaign was launched in August 2020 in response to the Corona crisis and its social consequences, the second campaign followed in April 2021 and was implemented by the aid organizations involved in all federal states. Even in current and future domestic crises and disasters, AUSTRIA HELPS AUSTRIA will support the people in Austria with the help of donors.
“The Vienna Opera Ball 2024” – barrier-free for audiences with visual and hearing impairments
Through the barrier-free transmission, ORF 2 offers its audience with visual and hearing impairments an impression of the live action at the Vienna Opera Ball: After getting in the mood for the evening with “Vienna Opera Ball 2024 – Everything Dances” at 8:15 p.m. on ORF 2, “Arrival of the Guests” (9:05 p.m.), “The Opening” (9:45 p.m.) and the big live broadcast “The Festival” will be broadcast live with subtitles and audio commentary from 11:05 p.m. The experienced commentator duo Sandra Spick and Johannes Karner provide the acoustic description of the ball events for blind and visually impaired people with their usual quality and expertise. This live audio commentary can be received on the second audio track and adjusted via the remote control. The live subtitles of the entire broadcast are available to deaf and hearing-impaired audiences on ORF TELETEXT on page 777 and on the ORF TVthek. The barrier-free programs are available seven days as video-on-demand on on.ORF.at and in the ORF TVthek app.
“From the Vienna State Opera”: “The Magic Flute for young and old” on ORF III and on ORF KIDS
“The Magic Flute for Children” has introduced generations of young visitors to the world of musical theater. Every year, on the day after the Opera Ball, several thousand children from all over Austria can experience an abridged performance of the Mozart opera in the festive ballroom, in which the character of Papageno – this year played by Rolando Villazón – leads the performance as the director. This year, “From the Vienna State Opera: The Magic Flute for Young and Old” is on ORF III’s program as part of “Experience Stage” on Sunday, February 25th at 8:15 p.m. and on Sunday, March 3rd. at 12:00 p.m., on Saturday, March 16th, at 9:00 a.m. and on Monday, April 1st, at 3:00 p.m. on ORF KIDS and after the first broadcast on demand for around six months on kids.ORF.at available.