Jung von Matt and the Vienna Tourist Board sent the world’s most famous waltz into space correcting a 48-year-old oversight

Now, thanks to the ‘Waltz into Space’ mission, this oversight has been corrected in true Viennese style: with grace, grandeur and perfect timing, as the happening marks the 200^th anniversary of Johann Strauss II. At last, the famous Viennese waltz became a part of humanity’s message to potential extraterrestrial life.

Stefan Bauernberger, Creative Director at Jung von Matt DONAU, said: “If aliens ever find us, let the first thing they hear be a waltz.”

The celestial send-off took place on May 31st – where the Wiener Symphoniker, conducted by Petr Popelka, performed “The Blue Danube” live in the grand halls of the MAK – Museum of Applied Arts. This once-in-a-lifetime event was transmitted via the Deep Space Antenna 2, one of the most advanced communication instruments on Earth – travelling at the speed of light into deep space. In just 23 hours and 3 minutes, it overtook NASA’s Voyager 1, making “The Blue Danube” the furthest-travelled waltz in human history. Audiences from around the globe joined the mission via livestream, as well as at live-viewing events in Madrid, New York, Cebreros and Vienna.

Before the “The Blue Danube” left Earth, more than 13,743 people from over 90 countries had already become SpaceNote Ambassadors – each adopting a note from the original score via space.vienna.info. Their names will travel through the galaxy alongside the masterpiece. Among them: cultural icons, scientists, musicians and visionaries, including the President of Austria, Alexander Van der Bellen.

Mike Nagy, Executive Creative Director Jung von Matt DONAU, added: “In a time when space exploration is becoming increasingly private and commercial, ‘Waltz into Space‘ reminds us that culture – not just technology – is humanity’s gift to the universe.”