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Vienna celebrates New Year with music and fireworks

Xinhua, January 1, 2016 Adjust font size:

Around 600 thousand people took part in the 2016 New Year Festival overnight Thursday, organized by Vienna city government, despite the potential terrorist attack atmosphere in some European states.

Guarded by hundreds of armed polices, Vienna, the second largest capital in German speaking territory marked the 2016 New Year Festival with its traditional art, while some European cities cancelled Festival due to the potential attack alarm.

Austria celebrate the 2016 with their nation's pride, classic music and wiener waltzes, and it's a fortune that the celebration tuned out to be successful, ending with the smiles and cheers.

Hours before 12 o'clock on Thursday night, thousands of people gathered in front of the city hall for the last seconds counting down to usher in the new year.

Vienna organized a very large festival and set up 13 stages in the city for people to take part in, especially in the old town. Large fireworks also displayed at the Rathausplatz and in the Prater park at midnight as well.

On Friday, the New Year concert by the world famous Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra was held, over 50 million people from some 100 countries worldwide were expected to be tuning in to the concert.

It was the third time maestro Mariss Jansons returned to the concert after conducting the New Year's Concert in 2006 and 2012, but this year the concert was protected by armed police force.

To secure the safety of these events, around 500 police have been patrolling Vienna's city centre, many are armed with rifle, Austrian special forces Cobra and Wega units were also deployed on the streets. Endit