Long regarded as the world capital of classical music, Vienna inspired musical geniuses including Mozart, Beethoven, and Johann Strauss II. To this day, Johann Strauss II’s “The Blue Danube” Waltz remains one of the most renowned musical pieces from Vienna.
In 1977, the Voyager spacecraft launched into the cosmos, carrying the Golden Records, an anthology of the world’s greatest songs and cultural artifacts. However, one extraordinary piece was notably absent: “The Blue Danube” Waltz by Johann Strauss II.
In celebration of Johann Strauss II’s 200th birthday, the city of Vienna is sending “The Blue Danube” waltz to its rightful place among the stars with the help of the European Space Agency.
You may be asking yourself, well, what does this have to do with NYC? Though we may be an ocean away from Vienna, New Yorkers can get an up-close glimpse of this cosmic moment in Bryant Park on June 1.
The Waltz Into Space Concert
On Sunday, June 1, 2025, at New York’s Bryant Park, a free public screening of a unique cultural event takes place: the transmission of Johann Strauss II’s “The Blue Danube Waltz” into space. Organized by the Vienna Tourist Board and the European Space Agency (ESA), in collaboration with the Wiener Symphoniker, the concert was broadcast as an electromagnetic wave from ESA’s Deep Space Antenna DSA 2 in Cebreros, Spain, on May 31.
Traveling at the speed of light, the signal is set to intersect with NASA’s Voyager 1 space probe on Sunday afternoon—the same time as the Bryant Park screening.
Bryant Park’s Free Public Screening
The Bryant Park concert screening will kick off at 1 pm on Sunday, June 1 with a live DJ, drinks, and waltz lessons led by a Viennese dance instructor. Picnic blankets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, and attendees can even enter to win a trip to Vienna!
The open-air concert screening will commence at 2:30 pm, followed by the highly anticipated transmission of “The Blue Danube” waltz into space at 3:30 pm.
The Waltz Into Space campaign celebrates Vienna’s multi-faceted cultural legacy. Beyond this one-of-a-kind celebration, Vienna is an unbeatable travel destination for those seeking world-class music, memorable culinary experiences, stunning imperial architecture, renowned art, and more.