Evening concert, any category · 75 min
Vivaldi's Four Seasons on period instruments in the church, plus one or two changing pieces. Entrance ticket only: transfers, food and drinks are not included.
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The church
A baroque church built on a vow
A promise made in a plague year
Emperor Charles VI commissioned Karlskirche in 1713 as a vow after an outbreak of plague in Vienna. He dedicated it to Saint Charles Borromeo, a saint revered as a healer of plague sufferers.
Father and son
Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach won the design competition, and building began in 1716 under the supervision of Anton Erhard Martinelli. After Fischer von Erlach died in 1723, his son Joseph Emanuel completed the church in 1737, with some changes to the plans. It served as the imperial patron parish church until 1918.
A dome seventy metres high
The dome rises 70 metres above the church. Its fresco, by Rottmayr with Gaetano Fanti, shows Charles Borromeo interceding for the sick, and it is the church's central painted vault.
Columns borrowed from Rome
Two tall columns stand either side of the portico, inspired by Trajan's Column in Rome. Spiral reliefs wind up them with scenes from the life of Saint Charles Borromeo.
Why Vivaldi suits the room
The Four Seasons was published in Amsterdam in 1725 as part of Vivaldi's Op. 8, and each concerto came with a sonnet. Those poems give the music its pictures, from birdsong to a storm, a hunt and thin ice, so a painted dome is a fitting place to hear them.
The programme
The concert, season by season
The programme is Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, followed by one or two extra pieces that change from week to week. The sonnets behind the concertos bring in thunder and lightning, cracking ice, birdsong, a sleeping shepherd boy and hunting parties.
The extra pieces rotate and may come from Bach, Biber and other major composers. Doors open 30 minutes before the concert, and nobody is admitted once it has begun.
- Arrive
Karlsplatz, 30 minutes early
Doors open half an hour before the music. Your voucher shows the meeting point for the seat category you chose.
- Settle
Beneath the fresco
Find your seat in the nave. Guests who wrote about comfort found the folding chairs easier than the pews, and one notes the benches have cushioned covers.
- I
Spring
The poem behind it pictures singing birds of many kinds, flowing streams and a passing thunderstorm.
- II
Summer's storm
Sultry heat and buzzing flies give way to a thunderstorm of thunder and lightning.
- III
Autumn's hunt
A harvest celebration, then hunting scenes told from the side of both the hunters and the hunted animal.
- IV
Winter's ice
Frozen landscapes, shivering in the cold and careful steps over ice, set against a warm fire indoors.
In the nave
Who plays, and what they play
The ensemble, its instruments and the pieces on the stands.
Orchester 1756
A classical ensemble that plays on period instruments. For this concert, a string quartet with basso continuo.
A historical sound
Period instruments give the concert its special sound. A string quartet with continuo is a small ensemble, so the sound is intimate rather than orchestral.
The programme
Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter from Op. 8, Nos 1 to 4, plus one or two additional pieces that change weekly.
The lead violin
Reviews praise the lead violinist, whose playing guests describe as expressive and full of character.
Three seat categories
Category I, II and III are sold on one listing. GetYourGuide shows which seats are open for your date and party size.
Length
The concert runs 75 minutes. Starting times appear on GetYourGuide when you check availability.
Seats and visits
The concert seats and the daytime visit
| Option | What you get | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Evening concert, any category · 75 min | Vivaldi's Four Seasons on period instruments in the church, plus one or two changing pieces. Entrance ticket only: transfers, food and drinks are not included. | Couples, families and groups who want the music itself in a baroque setting; not for children under 6 or wheelchair users. |
| Category I | The top of the three seat categories sold on the concert listing. One guest who bought the best-seat ticket called it well worth the extra. | Parties who care more about the seat than the fare. |
| Category II and III | The two other categories on the same listing. A guest in the least expensive seats still reported a great view. | Anyone who wants the full concert for less. |
| Daytime visit with terrace · separate listing | Entry to the church with the panoramic terrace, treasury, organ loft and church model, plus an audioguide and a guided tour. | Visitors who want to see the church by day, before or after an evening concert. |
Looking at Category I? Check those seats on the concert listing ↗
Pick your Karlskirche visit
The two ways into Karlskirche we would weigh
The Four Seasons concert and the daytime church ticket, each opening its own GetYourGuide page.
Daytime visit with terrace · separate listing
Entry to the church with the panoramic terrace, treasury, organ loft and church model, plus an audioguide and a guided tour.
Open this listing ↗More Vienna evenings on GetYourGuide
At the door
Before you go in
Doors and timing
Doors open 30 minutes before the concert. Entry stops once it has started, and if you step out you cannot come back in, so leave margin for the walk.
Finding your entrance
The meeting point depends on the seat category you booked. Your voucher shows the one for your ticket.
Temperature
The church has no air conditioning: cold in winter, hot in summer. Dress in layers you can add or remove quietly.
What stays outside
Luggage and large bags, baby strollers, food and drinks, pets and smoking are not allowed in.
Photos
Pictures are fine before and after the performance but not during it.
Who can come
Children under 6 are not admitted, and the concert is not suitable for wheelchair users. The balcony may not always be open.
Read before you go
Read before you go
the evening in order
The Karlskirche concert, from Karlsplatz to the last chord
How an evening of 75 minutes of Vivaldi unfolds, from the doors to the applause.
Read this note → the musicThe Four Seasons: what each concerto paints
A short guide to the four concertos, their sonnets and the pictures Vivaldi hid in the strings.
Read this note → the buildingKarlskirche: a plague vow, a dome and two columns
The story of Vienna's great baroque church, from the emperor's vow to the concert seats of today.
Read this note → the seatsCategory I, II or III: choosing your seats
What the concert listing sells, what guests say about comfort, and how to pick for your party.
Read this note → the practical bitWhat to wear to Karlskirche, and what to leave behind
Temperature, bags, photos and who can come, before you walk through the doors.
Read this note → the second listingPairing the concert with a daytime visit
A separate listing opens the church by day, with its terrace, treasury and organ loft.
Read this note →FAQ
Questions before you take your seats
Which pieces will be played?
Vivaldi's Four Seasons in full, meaning Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter from Op. 8, Nos 1 to 4. One or two extra pieces change from week to week and may be by Bach, Biber or other major composers.
How long is the concert and when do doors open?
The concert lasts 75 minutes and doors open 30 minutes before it begins. Starting times show on GetYourGuide once you check availability for your date.
What if we arrive late?
No entry is allowed after the concert has started. Leaving during the music also means you cannot return to the concert hall, so settle in before the first piece.
Will the church be warm or cool?
Karlskirche has no air conditioning, so it is cold in the winter months and hot in summer. Bring a layer for winter evenings and something light for summer ones.
Can we take photos?
Yes, before and after the performance, but not while it is playing. Cameras are on the list of items not allowed inside.
Are children and wheelchair users admitted?
Children under 6 are not admitted, and the concert is not suitable for wheelchair users. Baby strollers and large bags are not allowed in either.
Which seat category should we choose?
Category I is the top of the three. Guests who commented on comfort liked the folding chairs, while the pews were described as hard and creaky, though one reviewer notes cushioned bench covers. The balcony may not always be open.
Can we cancel, and what is not included?
You can cancel free up to 24 hours before and reserve now to pay later. The ticket covers entrance to the concert only: transfers, food and drinks are not included.
Four seasons of music under one green dome, with a seat waiting for your party.
Reserve your seats for the concert ↗The fare shown is the cheapest per-person price; the total for your party, in your own currency, appears on GetYourGuide before you pay.