Aliens should dance

Vienna now sends Johann Strauss into eternal space

On May 31, 2025, the world-famous "Danube Waltz" will be broadcast into the infinite expanse of space at the speed of light instead of three-quarter time.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Stock Adobe, imageBROKER/Wilfried Wirth)

Special mission "Waltz into the Space": The Vienna Tourist Board and the European Space Agency ESA want to make the aliens dance in the infinite vastness of the universe with the world-famous Danube Waltz. 

The Danube Waltz, officially "On the beautiful blue Danube", is one of the most famous waltzes in the world. Now the Vienna Tourist Board and the European Space Agency (ESA) are sending the atmospheric anthem to the stars.

Now they want to send the world-famous Danube Waltz on an odyssey into space: ESA Director Mehran Sarkarati, Vienna Tourist Board Director Norbert Kettner and Symphony Orchestra mentor Jan Nast (from left to right)

(Bild: Sebastian Kreuzberger)

Together with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the piece of music will resound there as an eternal musical link between humanity and possible extraterrestrial life - forever. Vienna Tourist Board CEO Norbert Kettner, Mehran Sarkarati, Head of Ground Station Engineering Division at ESA, and Vienna Symphony Orchestra Director Jan Nas presented the special mission of cosmic proportions on Monday. But how does this transmission work?

All Viennese are invited to experience this historic moment live at the public screening on the Danube.

Bürgermeister Michael Ludwig (SPÖ)

With state-of-the-art technology. On May 31, 2025, an interstellar concert by the symphony orchestra will be recorded at the MAK in Vienna. The Danube Waltz will be digitized and sent into space via ESA's Deep Space Antenna in Cebreros (Spain). From there, it then travels into the universe as an electromagnetic wave at the speed of light, sent in the direction of Voyager 1. In other words, at the speed of light instead of three-quarter time. 23 hours and 3 minutes later, the signal overtakes the NASA space probe, which has been traveling in space since 1977 to communicate earthly masterpieces to potential extraterrestrial beings.

The signal will travel forever through space at the speed of light, the fastest possible speed in our universe at 299,792 km/s. Incidentally, the Viennese will be able to watch the historic transmission live. The concert will be broadcast on May 31, from 8.30 pm, at Strandbar Herrmann - directly under the starry sky.