Vienna - On the last day of January, 31st January 2025, in the capital of Austria, Vienna, at the Hofburg Palace, the traditional 26th St. Sava Ball was held, gathering over 2,500 guests, including many distinguished figures from the worlds of art, diplomacy, and social life.
This year, the ball was hosted across 14 halls of the magnificent Hofburg. The event, which has for decades celebrated Serbian tradition and culture, is of a humanitarian nature. All proceeds from ticket sales and auctions this year went to the Dukić family, a single mother with three daughters from Obrenovac, to help purchase a home. The event was organised by the humanitarian organisation Serbian Centre in Vienna, in cooperation with the charity group Serbs for Serbs.
The significance of the St. Sava Ball and the role of the Serbian community in Vienna is best illustrated by the fact that this ball is the only foreign event among the 14 most prestigious balls held at the renowned Hofburg. The first St. Sava Ball took place in Vienna in 1846, when the composition "Serbian Quadrille" by Johann Strauss Jr. was performed, written on the initiative of Prince Miloš Obrenović. After several decades of hiatus, the tradition of the ball was revived in 1998, and since 2023, it has been held in the iconic Hofburg Palace, one of the most important symbols of Vienna’s culture and history.