Vienna to temporarily close composer homes and an opera stage amid budget cuts

Vienna will temporarily close several historic composer homes and an opera stage in 2026 as the city cuts arts spending, officials and cultural institutions said after the government announced austerity measures last month. The city said the measures responded to "global political developments" and rising energy and labor costs and included unpopular price increases for public transit, resident parking permits and dog licenses.

Vienna’s administrative group for culture and science said it remained "committed to the Viennese approach to culture: culture must remain affordable for everyone" and that its funding would continue to provide for 11,000 free events annually. To reduce the culture budget the city cut €5 million for several theaters, including Musiktheater an der Wien, reduced the Vienna Philharmonic’s Summer Night Concert subsidy by €250,000 (about 12 percent), and cut €1.3 million from the Wien Museum’s budget.

The Wien Museum said it would temporarily close the Johann Strauss apartment, the apartment where Schubert died, Haydn’s final residence and the Neidhart Festsaal, and would reduce opening hours at some other historical venues while still offering free admission to its permanent collection.

Wien Museum director Matti Bunzl said he was "incredibly grateful to be a part of a policy that values culture to this degree and also finances it.

wien museummusiktheater an der wienkammeroper closurevienna philharmonicsummer night concert subsidyjohann strauss apartmentschubert apartmenthaydn final residenceneidhart festsaalmatti bunzlstefan herheim€1.3 million wien museum cut€5 million theater cuts€250,000 subsidy cuttemporary composer home closuressecond stage closurereduced opening hours historical venuespublic transit price increasesresident parking permit hikesdog license price increaseimpact on emerging talentcultural austerity measureswien museum renovation €108 million