Dubai March 12th, 2023: The world’s eyes turn to Dubai, as it played host to the fabled Vienna Ball, globally renowned for its cultural refinement as much as its unmatched guest list.
Undoubtedly the highlight of UAE’s society calendar in 2023, this never before moment saw nearly 600 guests, including the cream of UAE society, turned out in their regal best at the Al Joud Ballroom at Hilton Dubai Al Habtoor City Hotel. This historic event was organized by Monochrome Event Management together with the two well-known agencies from Austria ESM Event Management and Imperial Events, the event enjoyed the honorary patronage of Dr. Michael Ludwig, the Mayor of the City of Vienna.
With the grandeur of European high culture meeting the best of Middle Eastern hospitality, it was an occasion to remember, marking the very first time the event was being hosted in the Middle East. The evening started off with a champagne reception and gala dinner, with the highlight being the classic Grand Opening which featured nearly 20 couples of debutants. Taking pride of place at the venue were some of the most sought after Austrian and international artistes and performers from the likes of the Association of the Vienna State Opera Ballet, the Symphonic Orchestra of the Austrian Armed Forces, and the Len Phillips Swing Orchestra from London.
The Vienna Ball has a storied legacy that dates back to 1814, when a European monarchy and aristocracy devastated by the Napoleonic wars sought solace in recreation. This eventually led to a cultural flowering, the ultimate expression of which was the Vienna Ball, which blended the best of European classical music and dance with fine cuisine and highly refined entertainment. Much more than a society event, the Ball is regarded as a cultural institution, a fact recognised by the likes of UNESCO, which has officially listed it as a part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The organizers of Vienna Ball Dubai, three well-known PCO companies, said, “Our team consists of event professionals with an experience for years in organizing seminars, dance championships, balls, congresses, symposiums, etc, and came together as a team for bringing this Vienna Ball to Dubai”.
ESM Event Management and Imperial Events have organized more than 100 balls in the “Viennese format” in Austria, Russia, Japan, Czech Republic, Germany, Great Britain, Ukraine, China, Switzerland, Italy, Kazakhstan, France, Latvia, and Spain – in such prestigious venues as the Royal Albert Hall in London, the Hofburg in Vienna, the Gostiny Dvor in Moscow, the National Opera and Ballet Theater in Kiev. The largest of these, the Vienna Ball in Moscow, has been attended by as many as 2000 guests.
The team takes legitimate pride in the fact that they have hosted some 120,000 guests at their balls over the years, counting among them more than 12,000 young ladies and gentlemen from across the world who have taken centrestage on these occasions as debutantes. The gala concerts that accompanied these events have seen many revered symphony and jazz orchestras as well as world-renowned opera stars, such as Roberto Alagna (France), Jose Cura (Argentina), Dmitry Hvorostovsky (Russia), Dmitry Korchak (Russia), Kristina Opolais (Latvia) and Lawrence Brownlee (USA) al Bano Carisi (Italy) as well as Hollywood stars like Fran Drescher, Kelly Le Brock, and prima ballet dancers such as Evgenia Obraztsova, Maria Alexandrova, Nikolay Tsiskaridze from the Bolshoi Theater, among others.
“We take special pride in the fact that nearly all of our balls were organized as charity events.”
