Imperial Days in Bad Ischl
Around 18 August, Bad Ischl is dedicated to the birthday of Emperor Franz Joseph I. Numerous festivities take place in the imperial town during this period to mark the occasion. The arrival of the imperial train at the railway station, the Imperial Festival in the Kurpark on 15 August and the Imperial Mass on 18 August are always fixed points.
With plenty of charm, a little nostalgia and a healthy pinch of ironic entertainment, the imperial city serves up a colourful cocktail of hospitable festive cheer around the emperor's birthday.
Imperial Days
Programme 2025
Friday, 08 August
3:00 pm, Ischler Musik Salon Jazz/ Modern, Café Zauner Esplanade
4:15 pm, Ischler Musik Salon Jazz/ Modern, Café Ramsauer
7:30 pm, concert by the Musikkapelle Jainzen, Kreuzplatz
8:00 pm, Lehár Festival, premiere of Die blaue Mazur - operetta by Franz Lehár
Saturday, 09 August
20:00, Lehár Festival, Orpheus in the Underworld - operetta by Jacques Offenbach
Sunday, 10 August
09:00 a.m., preparation and evaluation of horse-drawn carriages, trotting track
11:00 a.m., concert by the spa orchestra, Trinkhalle
approx. 13:00, Horse-drawn carriage gala parade, town centre
15:00, Carriage gala finale, trotting track
15:30, Lehár Festival, Die blaue Mazur - operetta by Franz Lehár
20:00, Organ concert - Heribert Metzger, parish church
21:00, Summer cinema, Kurpark (in case of bad weather Trinkhalle)
Monday, 11 August
3:00 pm, Ischl Music Salon Folk Music, Café Zauner Esplanade
4:15 pm, Ischl Music Salon Folk Music, Café Ramsauer
8:00 pm, Lehár Festival - Susanne Marik: Sugar Sugar Baby- The 50s and 60s PART 2 - Kongress&TheaterHaus
Tuesday, 12 August
15:30, Meeting point Trinkhalle: Special guided tour "Marie Valerie in Ischl"
19:30, Concert of the Salinenmusikkapelle, Kurpark (in case of bad weather Trinkhalle)
Wednesday, 13. August
10:00 am, yodelling course on the Katrin - with Anita Biebl; Katrin cable car
3:30 pm, meeting point Trinkhalle: special guided tour "Kaiserschmarrn"
3:30 pm, Lehár Festival, A Night in Venice - operetta by Johann Strauss
Thursday, 14 August
07:00 am, weekly market; until 12 noon, Auböckplatz and KFJ-Straße
11:30 am , Photo audience with the imperial court, Hotel Austria
15:30, Meeting point Trinkhalle: themed tour "The Habsburgs in Ischl"
15:30, Lehár Festival, Die blaue Mazur - operetta by Franz Lehár
18:00, 50s Schlagerrevue, k.u.k. Hofbeisl & Schirm
7.30 pm , Festival ORGEL BEWEGT! - "AD MEMORIAM 2 - Memorial concert for parish priest Christian Öhler "; on admission, Bad Ischl parish church
8:00 pm, Lehár Festival, Die blaue Mazur - operetta by Franz Lehár
Friday, 15 August
10:00 am, Concert by the Lauffen market band for Lauffner Kirtag, Lauffen
10:30 am, k.u.k. Weißwurstfeiertag "Salty Dixie Ramblers"; k.u.k. umbrella & guest garden
11:15 a.m., railway station: arrival of the Imperial Train
2:00 p.m., Kurpark: Imperial Festival of the Citizens' Music Band
3:00 p.m., racecourse: Emperor Franz Joseph Memorial Trot
3:30 p.m., meeting point Trinkhalle: Special guided tour "Katharina Schratt"
8:00 pm, Lehár Festival, Orpheus in the Underworld - Operetta by Jacques Offenbach
8:00 pm, Trinkhalle: JAZZMED feat Stefanie Pitsch & Vusa Mkhaya
Saturday, 16. August
from 10 am, Kaiserbummel, town centre
11:00 am, Ischler Musik Salon Kurquartett, Esplanade
11:30 am, photo audience with the imperial court, Hotel Austria
3:30 pm, meeting point Trinkhalle: special guided tour "Bad Ischl and the salt"
6:00 pm, Elvis lives! Tribute Elvis Presley on the 48th anniversary of his death feat. JJ King; www.kukhofwirt.com/events, k.u.k. Schirm & Gastgarten
6:00 pm, OMK Mitterweißenbach concert, Kurpark (bad weather Trinkhalle)
8:00 pm, Lehár Festival, Eine Nacht in Venedig - Operetta by Johann Strauss
Sunday, 17. August
10 am, Meeting point Trinkhalle: Special guided tour "Franz Karl, Sophie & their children in Ischl"
10:00 am, Walk "Villas of Bad Ischl" Marie-Theres Arnbom, Hasnerallee 2
10:30 am, Matinée in the Lehárvilla, guided tour with musical accompaniment
12:00 hrs, Der Kaiser lädt zum Brunch, Hotel Grand Elisabeth
15:00 hrs, Ischler Musik Salon Kurquartett, Café Zauner Esplanade
15:30 hrs, Lehár Festival, Orpheus in der Unterwelt - Operetta by Jacques Offenbach
16:15 hrs, IschlerMusik Salon Kurquartett, Café Ramsauer
18:00 hrs, Richie Loidl's Showtime Boogie Project, k.u.k. Schirm & Gastgarten
6:00 pm, Kurkonzert der Bürgerkapelle Bad Ischl, Stadtzentrum
8:00 pm, concert by the St. Florian Boys' Choir, Stadtpfarrkirche Bad Ischl
Monday, 18 August - Emperor's birthday
7:30 am, Kurpark: Gathering of the traditional units
9:00 am, Kurpark: Departure of the units to the Catholic parish church via Pfarrgasse
9:30 am, forecourt of the Catholic parish church: Assembling of the units
10 am, Catholic parish church: Imperial mass (incl. choir of the St. Florian Boys' Choir) Catholic parish church: Imperial Mass (incl. choir of the Florian Boys' Choir) followed by a reception in front of the Kaiservilla
11:30 am, procession from the church via KFJ-Straße to the Kaiservilla
12:30 pm, line-up in the Kaiserpark & finale in front of the Kaiservilla
3:30 pm, meeting point Trinkhalle: special guided tour "Emperor Franz Joseph I"
3:30 pm, Lehár Festival, A Night in Venice - Operetta by Johann Strauss
Status: 07 August 2025