Sugar Baker Ball
January 2025 | ||||||
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Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su |
Program and cast
THE Ballroom Dress code
Ladies:
Floor-length ball gown; gala dress
(no short skirts and dresses, cocktail dresses, trouser suits, etc.; no traditional attire)
Gentlemen:
Smoking/tux; dark suit with bow tie
(no tie; no traditional attire)
The ball programme for the upcoming ball is still in work and will be published after finalization
Meanwhile the programme of the last ball as an example:
08:00 pm – Doors open
9:00 pm – Grand opening of the ball in the banquet hall (Festsaal). Spectator places are limited; therefore the entire opening will be live streamed onto a large screen in the ceremonial hall (Zeremoniensaal)
For the seventh time in a row the ball 2024 will be opened by "Vereinigung Wiener Staatsopernballett", ballet professionals from the Vienna State Opera. Solo dancers Liudmila Konovalova and Mihail Sosnovshi will dance to "Gold and Silber" (op. 79) by Franz Lehár, choreographed by Lukas Gaudernak.
A performance by awarding-winning star guest, opera singer Herbert Lippert. The successful tenor and painter will receive this year’s Celebrity Cake (Prominententorte).
The opening will be completed by the opening committee of the Wiener Tanzschulen (Viennese Dance Schools) who will perform a dance to Josef Strauss Son’s “Wiener Jubel-Gruß-Marsch” under the direction of Richard Fränzl and Eddy Franzen.
09:45 pm – Alles Walzer! (Everybody waltz!) - The dance floor will open to all guests.
11:15 pm – "HEINDL Praline Rain of Delights": Lucky balloons, each filled with a voucher from confectioner Heindl will come flying down from the roof. Those lucky enough to catch one can pick up a sweet treat in “Entreezimmer” on first floor.
11:50 pm – Midnight Quadrille under the direction of Richard Fränzl and Eddy Franzen. After that, the Celebrity Cake will be presented, followed by the prize giving ceremony for the Zuckerbäcker Awards for the most artful cake design.
01:30 am – “Julius Meinl Coffe Cocktail Rain”: snatch a prize – each balloon filled with a prize voucher wins either one of 50 Meinl Coffee Cocktails or even three Meinl coffee capsule machines. Cocktail prizes can be picked up at the Meinl Café at Trabantenstube, the coffee machines are to be fetched at Entréezimmer on first floor.
02:30 am – “NIEMETZ Lucky Balloon Shower”: every balloon wins and can be exchanged into a sweet surprise from Niemetz confectionery. Those lucky enough to catch one can be pick up their prize in ”Entreezimmer” on first floor.
05:00 am – Final dance
Musical programme
09:45 pm – 5:00 am in the Banquet Hall (Festsaal) – the Viennese Ball Orchestra Wolfgang Steubl and alternately the Wolfgang Steubl Bigband
10:00 pm – 4:00 am in the Ceremony Hall (Zeremoniensaal) – Tanzcafe
10:00 pm – 4:00 am in the Forum – Caribbean Lounge with Carla Natascha & Band
11:30 pm and 1:00 am in the Forum – Live Latin dance show
10:00 pm – 4:00 am in the Garden Hall (Gartensaal) – Hit radio Ö3 ball disco
Supporting programme
Rittersaal (The Knight’s Hall)
Baking demonstration in our Show Bakery
Trabantenstube
Meinl Café: sweeten your ball evening with a Meinl Coffee Cocktail.
Entreezimmer
Prize pick-up for balloon showers, sweet pastry heaven, cake guarantees and the gift for all the ball's ladies
Seitengalerie (Side Gallery)
Karin van Vliet - Styling corner
Point of sale for the “Grand Raffle” – every lottery ticket wins!
Hall/Foyer
Cake display of the ZuckerBäcker Awards: Cast your eyes on the fanciful cake creations of the participants
Sample freshly baked bread straight from the oven from the master baker
Gardehalle I
“Süße Versuchung” - Sweet temptation: Various small treats are waiting to be tasted! The proceeds will be donated to Österreichische Kinderdörfer - a local children’s village charity.
Hofburg Gallery
Ball buffet
Schatzkammersaal (Treasure room)
Delicacies in the “Heuriger” of the Viennese Butchers (from 0:00 to 04:00 am)
Zeremoniensaal (Ceremonial hall)
11:15 pm – “Sweet AUER candy heaven”: Numerous delicious prizes will slowly be dropping from the ceiling of the hall. Those lucky enough to catch one can pick up a sweet treat in “Entreezimmer” on first floor.
Cake guarantee
Your pre-ordered cake can be picked up from in “Entreezimmer” on first floor until 4:00 a.m., preferably when leaving Hofburg.
“Riesentombola” - GRAND raffle - eVERY LOTTERY TICKET wins!
This year, the ZuckerBäckerball has, once again, cakes and sweets to give away. A part of the raffle proceeds will be donated to SOS-Kinderdorf Österreich.
Issuing of the raffle prizes
Passageraum + Gardehalle I
Please collect your raffle prize winnings between the hours 10:00 pm and 04:00 am.
Damenspende - a gift for all the ball's ladies
In exchange for the red coin received upon arrival, all female ball guests can pick up a free gift in “Entreezimmer” on first floor between 10:00 pm and 04.00 am.
Important information
Ticket information
Upon leaving the Hofburg your ball ticket loses validity.
Smoking
Smoking is strictly prohibited in all rooms of the Hofburg - except for the outdoor area before the main entrance from Heldenplatz. We kindly ask all ball guests to adhere to this policy and to comply with the instructions of the security personnel. The smoking ban also applies to the use of e-cigarettes.
Video recording and images
By attending this event, each event guest (i.e. the ticker holder) hereby gives consent and permission that any image recordings made of them during or in connection with the event may be used by the organisers “Verein Förderung des Lebensmittelgewerbes” without any form of compensation, without temporal or spatial restriction, by means of any current or future technical process.
Vienna Hofburg Kongreszentrum
The Kaiserball developed from the imperial tradition of the so called “Hofball” (court ball) and “Ball bei Hof” that were organized by the imperial couple Franz Joseph (1830–1916) and his wife Empress Elisabeth (1837–1898), who is better known as Sisi. Both ball events were taking place in the Hofburg being the imperial winter residence of the Habsburg family.
The Hofball used to take place towards the end of January, with Empress Elisabeth deciding the precise date. Once the court had gathered in the Zeremoniensaal - which is still one of the most stunning rooms at the Hofburg to this day- selected guests were invited to pay their respects to the Emperor and Empress in person. The popular buffet was set up in the nearby Grosser Redoutensaal. Meanwhile the dance floor was positively brimming with activity - after all some 2,000 ballgoers were in attendance. The last waltz commenced at exactly quarter past midnight, and drew this spectacular imperial event to an end.
The “Ball bei Hof” took place just two weeks later. This more intimate event, reserved for the ruling elite, drew around 700 high-ranking royals and members of the diplomatic corps. To qualify as "Hochadel" (higher nobility), aristocrats were required to demonstrate a lineage going back at least eight generations on both the maternal and paternal sides.The most valuable porcelain in the imperial dining service was unpacked for a formal dinner which was served in the Radetzky apartments and neighbouring rooms. The strict seating order was dictated by rank. Ladies spared no expense and took every care to ensure their appearance matched the occasion, happily parting with between 300 and 500 Gulden for an evening dress - more than the annual income of a court servant.