Hotel heiress Paris Hilton
© AFP/Getty Images/File Chad BuchananVIENNA (AFP) - Hilton, 25, will travel to the Austrian capital with her parents and three friends but her regular party companion Britney Spears will not be part of the group, Lugner added.
"They unfortunately do not get along anymore," he said Wednesday.
Rumours that Hilton, a notorious party-girl, would attend Vienna's glitzy event this year caused a media stir in Austria, with newspapers saying she could receive up to 1 million dollars (770.000 euros) to make an appearance.
"She is a very good advertisement for the Opera Ball," Lugner's wife Christina told the press conference.
The 74-year-old Lugner traditionally invites a celebrity as his date to the ball. He has in the past been accompanied by stars like Faye Dunaway, Sophia Loren and last year, "Baywatch"-star Carmen Electra.
The Opera Ball, the highlight of Vienna's social calender, is an old-fashioned and exclusive affair with single tickets costing 215 euros and loges going for as much as 16,000 euros.
©AFP