Manners and rules
Vienna church concert etiquette
How to behave at a classical concert in a Vienna church: arriving, silence, coughing, phones, applause and what is not allowed inside the Minoritenkirche.
Book a seat in the Minoritenkirche ↗Quick answer
At a church concert in Vienna, arrive within the admission window, switch your phone off, stay silent while the music plays and applaud only after the final movement. At the Minoritenkirche, photography inside, flash, video, food, drink, smoking and alcohol are not allowed. After a requiem or other sacred work, a respectful silence before applause is usual.
Why the rules exist
A concert in a church has two sets of expectations. One is the ordinary courtesy of a classical concert: everyone should be able to hear the music undisturbed. The other is respect for a building that is still used for worship. The Minoritenkirche is an active church, and the concerts are held in it as guests. The two sets of rules point the same way. Be quiet, be unobtrusive, and do not treat the building as a stage set. Most of what follows is simple common sense, stated plainly for visitors who have not been to a church concert before.
Arriving
Admission begins 30 minutes before the concert, and there is no need to arrive significantly earlier. Seating is not numbered, so staff at the entrance guide you to suitable seats. In general, concert etiquette expects you to be seated before the music starts. Latecomers are asked to wait for a break between pieces, when an usher can seat them. If you are running late, say so at the entrance and follow the instructions. Never push in while a piece is being played. A calm arrival also gives you time to read the programme sheet.
Phones and noise
Switch your phone off, not just to silent, because a vibration can carry in a stone church. Put coins, keys and bags away before the music starts. Experienced concert-goers suppress coughs and sneezes, or muffle them in a handkerchief, and do not talk during the music. Stone vaults carry sound well, which is why the church suits a concert, and why a rustling sweet wrapper or a whispered comment is noticed. With no food or drink allowed in, the most common sources of noise are gone.
What is not allowed
The concert rules are plain: no smoking, no food and drinks, no flash photography, no alcohol or drugs, no video recording and no photography inside. Treat all of them as binding. Photography is the one visitors most often forget, because the setting is so photogenic. If you want a picture, take it of the square or the arcade outside, before you go in. Inside, put the phone away and look. The mosaic on the wall and the vaults overhead are easier to remember than to photograph.
When to applaud
In a classical concert, applause is normally held until the end of the final movement of a piece. Clapping between movements of a symphony or suite is a small faux pas in the 2020s, though it is well meant. If you are unsure whether a piece has finished, wait for the performers to lower their instruments and for others to start, or check the programme sheet, which names each piece and its movements. A pause between movements is not an ending. Silence there is part of the performance.
After a requiem
Sacred works such as requiems, passions and masses were written as worship. Even in a concert, they usually receive a respectful silence before any applause. The programmes in this church include requiems on some dates. If you are at one, wait for the conductor to lower their hands and for the church to settle, and follow the room. Some audiences applaud after a pause, others do not at all. Staying quiet a little longer than you think is necessary is always correct, and it is what regular concert-goers do.
Who this isn't for
This is not a guide for a concert that invites participation, such as a singalong or a festive event with a different atmosphere. If you want to photograph the performers, film the mosaic or eat while you listen, this format will frustrate you. It is also not a substitute for the advice of the church itself on behaviour in the building. Where the church and the concert organiser give an instruction, follow it over anything written here, because they are the ones in charge of the room.
Frequently asked questions
Can I clap between movements?
Normally no. Wait until the end of the final movement of the piece. The programme sheet names the pieces and their movements.
What if I arrive late?
Latecomers usually wait for a break between pieces, when an usher can seat them. Say so at the entrance and follow the staff.
Can I take photos or bring a drink?
No. Photography, flash, video, food, drink, smoking and alcohol are all ruled out inside the church.
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