Life Ball Vienna: With Le Méridien to the AIDS/ HIV Charity Event of the Year in Austria
By: Author Karl Krause
We will attend the 25th edition of the Life Ball Vienna Austria – It is time for one of the most important annual AIDS charity events in the world. Just one week after we explored the wonderful "Sound of Music" city Salzburg, we will fly to the Austrian capital Vienna with Austrian Airlines and will stay at the Le Méridien Hotel, both official partners of the Life Ball 2018. Just like any other Life Ball since 1993, the 25th-anniversary edition has chosen a specific topic. This year it is all about the famous musical drama film "Sound of Music" with Julie Andrews from 1965. With this homage to the Trapp family accompanied by the fabulous Conchita (Wurst), Austria will show off the best the alpine country has to offer.
1 Video of the Life Ball Opening Ceremony
2 Our Life Ball 2018 in Vienna with Le Méridien
3 Program of Life Ball Vienna 2018
4 "Know Your Status" Campaign – Do you know?
5 World AIDS Day
6 Unlocking the gay-friendly Austrian Capital Vienna
7 The 25th Life Ball Vienna Austria
And we will be right in the middle of all the people, international stars, and celebrities with VIP access starting with the Austrian Airlines Life Ball Aircraft and the arrival of its celebrity and VIP guests at our hotel Le Méridien Vienna, to the red carpet for Opening Ceremony at City Hall square and the after-parties at the Vienna City Hall itself. Confirmed star guests of Life Ball 2018 are Paris Jackson, Charlize Theron, Lady Shirley Bassey, Adrien Brody, Brad Goreski, Patti LaBelle, Gus Kenworthy, Kim Petras, Alcazar, Ian Bohen as well as Famous Dutch actor/model Michiel Huisman and more. Additional to the Life Ball and our hotel Le Méridian, we will explore and "unlock" the gay-friendly side of Vienna to get in touch with the Austrian LGBT community for our Gay Travel Guide Vienna. Join us on our trip to the Austrian capital and experience the "festival of life" through a couple of men's eyes.
Video of the Life Ball Opening Ceremony
Our Life Ball 2018 in Vienna with Le Méridien
Our Life Ball hotel 2018 will be the prestigious 5-star Hotel Le Méridien Vienna that is also the accommodation for the majority of the Life Ball guests arriving with the Austrian Airlines Life Ball Aircraft coming from New York. Already since 2007, the 5-star Hotel in the city center of Vienna is hosting international actors and stars for free and supports the fight against AIDS with an annual donation. Therefore, Le Méridien Vienna wants to set an example for the common values of the open-mindedness and mutual respect. Besides that, we are looking forward to testing and reviewing the amenities of the luxurious 5-star hotel Le Méridien including the pool and wellness area, the food and drinks at the restaurant YOU and the Le Moët Gourmet & Champagne Bar and the modern furnished and spacious rooms. Our goal is to unlock Vienna using Le Méridien as a base and haven for us to summarize it all by creating our Gay Travel Guide Vienna. Any tips, ideas, and things we definitely have to check out next weekend?
Program of Life Ball Vienna 2018
Starting at 4 pm, most of the food services and catering stands will begin to serve food at the Vienna City Hall square. Be aware of the road blocking and security checks because of safety reasons. At 8:15 pm the Austrian TV station ORF1 will start live broadcasting from the Life Ball location. The evening celebrations begin with the red carpet walk where the special guests can show their beautiful costumes. The Life Ball Opening Ceremony at City Hall square followed by the Opening Show on the monumental, 25 meters wide stage in front of the Vienna City Hall starts at 9:15 pm under this year's motto "An Homage to The Sound of Music". For the most recent updated program, please check the official Life Ball Website here.
Favorite Selfie of Life Ball 2018: Couple of Men with Gus Kenworthy © Coupleofmen.com
The Main Stage in front of the illuminated Vienna City Hall Life Ball © Coupleofmen.com
Beautiful costumes on the Red Carpet Life Ball 2018 © Coupleofmen.com
Wow! No words needed for the Red Carpet at LIfe Ball © Coupleofmen.com
Couple of Men in front of the Vienna City Hall for LIfe Ball 2018 © Coupleofmen.com
Daan has a lot of fun on the Red Carpet LIfe Ball 2018 © Coupleofmen.com
Gay Kiss for Aids Charity Gala Life Ball 2018 | Gay-friendly Design Hotel Le Méridien Vienna © Coupleofmen.com
"Know Your Status" Campaign – Do you know?
The "Know your Status" Campaign was initiated to fight stigmatization and discrimination and to raise awareness towards the first step of banning the epidemic by taking an HIV test to find out one's status. Therefore, the campaign introduced the UNAIDS 90-90-90 objective setting the goals to archive until 2020. In 2017, the focus of the campaign lies on the 90% of people with HIV to be acquainted with their status by 2020. The "Know your Status 2018" Campaign focuses on the second objective that 90 percent of people with HIV with known status should be receiving antiretroviral treatment. The fight against HIV and AIDS continues but can only succeed if we together as a society achieve to reduce obstacles in the way of accessing HIV-related health facilities and increase awareness for prevention and treatment programs all around the world. #knowyourstatus_lifeball and #behonest are the official hashtags for the "Know Your Status" campaign.
That is why we would like to use today's opportunity to share knowledge about this important topic, help to create awareness, and show our support. Because, even though luckily nowadays there are HIV treatments, the virus has not disappeared and in many parts of the world still threatens people's lives.
All about World AIDS Day >
Unlocking the gay-friendly Austrian Capital Vienna
We traveled to Austria before unlocking the gay-friendly side for LGBT travelers from all over the world. In August 2017, we attended the Pink Lake Festival in Carinthia in the South of Austria proudly wearing our super sexy Lederhosen. In May 2018 and August 2020, we traveled to Salzburg, the Austrian city of music with Mozart and the Sound of music. This time we will see together what Austria's capital city Vienna has to offer for the gay traveler of today. We cannot wait to unlock the Museumsquartier (MQ), the Hofburg, the Prater with its Giant Ferris Wheel and the districts 4 to 6 also known as the design, contemporary art, and gay neighborhood of Vienna. Not to forget the gay scene with its world-famous gay sauna Kaiserbründl and multiple gay bars and events throughout the whole year. Stay tuned on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram by using @coupleofmen #coupleofmen and let us know what we should see and definitely should not miss!
Interesting Posts for your Gay Trips to Austria:
All you need to know about traveling Austria >
Our Gay Vienna Trip with Le Méridien Wien >
Travel Salzburg: Our Gay City Weekend Salzburg >
LGBT Travel Guide for Carinthia in Southern Austria >
Our Tips for wearing the best Austrian Lederhosen >
The best of our Gay Pride Trips around the world >
Reviews of Hotels around the world: Gay-friendly tested Hotels >
We are proudly wearing our Lederhosen in the Austrian Alps © CoupleofMen.com
Gay Austria Travel Guide
Talking about Austria, the first things that come to one's mind are endless mountain ranges of the Alpes, juicy green meadows and blossoming seasonal mountain pasture, crafted beer and delicious local dishes, the traditional garments "Lederhosen", and the cultural heritage and the cities of Vienna, Salzburg, the region Carinthia and more.
Our Travels to Austria >
The 25th Life Ball Vienna Austria
Address Le Méridian Hotel:
Robert-Stolz-Platz 1
Official Hotel Website: lemeridienvienna.com
Address Life Ball Team:
Werdertorgasse 1
Tel. +43-1-595 56 00
lifeball@lifeball.org
Official Life Ball Website: lifeplus.org
Additional to the annual Life Ball, Vienna is hosting several other Ball Events like the world-famous Opernball, the Hofburg Ball, Kaffeesiederball, Rosenball, Dancer-Against-Cancer, WU-Ball, and the Ball of the Vienna Boys' Choir. Known for its cultural heritage from its former times as Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, Austria and Vienna became particularly famous in Germany and Austria for the movies about Empress Elisabeth of Austria, aka Sissi starring Romy Schneider among others.
Please note: This trip will be made possible in partnership with Le Méridien Vienna, Austrian Airlines, and Vienna Tourism. Anyhow, our opinions are 100% authentic and our own, as usual.
By Author Karl Krause
Tags AustriaAustrian GarbsEuro Pride 2019 ViennaEuropeGay Travel AustriaGay Travel EuropeGay Travel ViennaHIV AIDS CharityLGBT EventLGBTQ FestivalLife Ball 2018Vienna
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