Vienna traditionally celebrates the end of the school year and the start of the summer holidays in the Prater. For the third time, the Wiener Symphoniker will be providing the musical backdrop. The big Prater Picnic, which takes place on 27 and 28 June on the Kaiserwiese in front of the Giant Ferris Wheel, offers an atmospheric concert with free admission. While the audience enjoys the concert on picnic blankets, this year soprano Annette Dasch and baritone Georg Nigl will be performing alongside Viennese musician Julian le Play. Dirk Kaftan, chief conductor of the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, will conduct the concert. The Prater Picnic is the opening concert of Kultursommer Wien.

In this year's programme, which will be broadcast on ORF 2 and presented by Teresa Vogl, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra will dance into the summer: Johann Strauss' Czárdás from his only opera Ritter Pásmán meets Mikis Theodorakis' legendary Zorba's Dance and Arturo Márquez' Danzon No. 2, which has become a Mexican national anthem thanks to its incredible success. Annette Dasch and Georg Nigl will delight audiences with duets and arias by Johann Strauss, Leo Fall, Robert Stolz and Franz Lehár. Together with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the Viennese singer Julian Le Play will also present his greatest hits.

With the Prater Picnic, the Wiener Symphoniker celebrate the start of the holidays and summer with families in Vienna. ORF 2 broadcasts the concert on 28 June at 21:20.