(Editor’s note: This is part of Thom Harding’s continuing series documenting activities in Vienna for kids and families, inspired by the birth of his own child. You can see more here and here.)
It is well-documented that Vienna is one of the most ‘livable’ cities in the world, demonstrated by it’s consistent ranking as No. 1 or No. 2 on the Economist’s Global Liveability Index since 2015 (excluding a brief relegation in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID restrictions).
Much of this comes from statistics such as the cost of housing, job opportunities and so forth. But there is an important element in livability that is harder to quantify: opportunities and programs for kids and families. In the next few months, I hope to use my status as a new father to lift the lid on the huge amount of events, locales and happenings arranged by the City of Vienna for families.
Finding light on dark days: Theatre and cinema programs for kids
It’s cold outside. And cloudy. And grey. As I write this, it is also the shortest day of the year. Although short, these uninspiring winter days can definitely stretch out when it’s too dark to go to the park at 4 p.m., and there’s no hope of getting the kids calm enough to visit a museum. But the benefit of living in a city is the abundance of theatres and cinemas scattered around. Especially as a city with a strong reputation for culture, Vienna has a lot to offer.
I wrote in a previous post about music and dance activities for kids that can get your little ones up and moving, but sometimes these heavy winter days call for something a little more sedentary. Luckily, Vienna has you covered with some great options for theatre and cinema programs in the city, especially to lift the spirits after the thrill of Christmas has subsided.
Enter stage right – theatre programs in Vienna
For younger kids in Vienna, there are quite a few options for places which you can take the little ones. Puppet theatres are as popular here as anywhere else with children, and there are a few places which host such programs throughout the year. Located centrally along the Donaukanal, Urania is a cultural institution hosting cinematic and theatric events throughout the year.
All year long, however, they have a puppet theatre hosting a range of plays featuring Kasperl and Pezi. Kasperl is a classic figure in Austria, the friendly fool who takes the place of Punch and Judy shows from the United Kingdom. There are 9-to-10 shows performed in different runs throughout the year. At only 9.50 euros for a ticket and lasting just an hour, the puppet theatre at Urania is a great way to pass the time if you’re in the city centre. You can get tickets here.
Another puppet theatre that has a great reputation is the Lilarum Puppet Theatre located a little farther out of the centre in the 3rd district (near Kardinal-Nagl- Platz). The theatre is known for it’s unique and colourful characters, with the “fourth wall” never broken by the performers or puppeteers.
Each show has it’s own music composed exclusively for that play, and the theatre hosts 10 shows over the autumn/winter season. With more than 35,000 visitors a year coming to see performances suitable for any child aged 3 years old and above, Lilarum has been running a successful program since 1985. And best of all the ticket price won’t break the bank, with single tickets running 10 euros (and only 7 euros for a little one sitting on your lap!)
For real theatrical performances (rather than puppetry), there are two places for kids which have wonderful and time-tested programs in central Vienna. Theater der Jugend/Renaissance Theatre , located centrally on Neubaugasse in the 7th district and also at the Theater im Zentrum in the 1st district has been offering shows for kids and teens since the 1940’s. Although the program is more geared towards older kids than toddlers or preschool age, the performances are always popular and well-performed.
On most days, there is a performance for younger ages (6-plus years) and one for teenagers (13-plus years), ranging from classical shows such as “Heidi” to more contemporary pieces. The younger shows are generally in the 7th district theatre, while the teenage theatregoer heads to the 1st district.
Tickets range between 10 euros and 30 euros.
A Mecca for theater
The Mecca for kids theater programs in Vienna is the Dschungeltheater located in the MuseumQuartier. Hosting multiple performances a day, the most famous kids theatre in Vienna hosts different theater groups as well as their own in-house performers, much of it physical or dance-oriented. Some of the shows are great for kids as early as 1-year old, but all of them are great for the whole family.
They have a huge selection of performances touching every age range, with tickets starting at 13 euros each. Dschungel also hosts many, many workshops and programs for kids, which I know many of the primary school students from my school have attended and loved. For English speaking children, there is also the educational youth theatre program Showtime from the Vienna English Theatre.
The good kind of screen time: Cinema programs for parents and kids in Vienna
The first time my partner told me that she was going to the cinema with our baby son, I couldn’t believe it. It made so much sense to me that cinemas host shows in the morning for parents and babies, as parents of young children rarely (if ever) get to watch a movie in the first year of having a child. The idea is that the movies shown are for adults (but usually not anything extremely loud or explosive), and babies are welcome to sit on their laps or take a nap in their carrier.
I was especially impressed with the thought that goes into these programs, as they do not completely dim the lights, keep the volume low to protect those little eardrums, and even provide emergency diapers and wipes if needed.
There are a few cinemas which host these ‘Babykinos’, but my partner has been particularly impressed with two; Votivkino in the 9th district near Schottentor), and Haydn Kino on Mariahilferstrasse. Both have a good selection of current popular movies, coffee and cake ready at the cafe and friendly staff to allow parents to enjoy these moments which are usually off-limits to new parents.
Genius!
Another great idea for kids who are still too young to attend a regular movie is the Bilderbuch-Kino, or Picture book cinema. Exactly as it sounds, these events choose a selection of children’s stories in which the illustrations are played on the screen with a voice-over reading the story. Perfect for 3-to-5-year
olds, these popular programs are a great way to pass a grey afternoon.
One of these Bilderbuch-Kino can be found in Urania (the same location as the puppet theatre mentioned above), and is hosted by the children/family organization WienXtra.
The cinema group Film Casino (with one location in the 5th district and one in the 7th district) also host Bilderbuch-Kino programs, but with one impressive difference. At Film-Casino, the picture book images and narration is also accompanied by live music, which of course is an added layer for kids and parents to experience.
So on these dark and depressing days when the kids are running around in circles at home, don’t despair! Theatres and cinemas in Vienna are here to support you, with entertaining and enlightening performances and shows to keep us going until spring breaks through.
––––––––––
See more about life in Vienna here in Dispatches’ archives.
Thom Harding was born and raised in the UK and USA, sharing his time between Bath and Boston. Upon completing his studies in Art History and Painting in Florence, Thom travelled around Mexico and India before moving to New Mexico to start his career as a Primary school teacher.
After completing his MA in Education, he now lives and works in Vienna, Austria and enjoys spending his free time hiking, reading, travelling and exploring around Europe.
See more of Thom’s work here in the Dispatches archive.
You can read more about Vienna here in the Dispatches archives.
