Event Details
Welcome to the Salzburg Festival 2026
From 17 July to 30 August 2026, Salzburg turns for the 106th time into the world capital of classical music and spoken theatre. Founded in 1920, the Salzburg Festival is regarded as the world's most significant festival for opera, theatre and concert, drawing an international audience from culture, politics and business every year. Tickets for the most popular performances are known to sell out months in advance.
Highlights
- 171 performances across 19 venues throughout the city
- Five new opera productions, including Bizet's "Carmen" and Strauss' "Ariadne auf Naxos"
- An expanded new staging of Mozart's "Così fan tutte"
- The legendary play "Jedermann" on the Cathedral Square with Philipp Hochmair
- Performances by the Vienna Philharmonic and the Berlin Philharmonic
- Two world premieres in the drama program, including a new work by Elfriede Jelinek
- Youth program "jung und jede*r" with heavily discounted tickets
Program
Summer 2026 centres on five staged opera productions, three of them new: "Carmen" by Georges Bizet, "Ariadne auf Naxos" by Richard Strauss and "Saint François d'Assise" by Olivier Messiaen. These are joined by Mozart's "Così fan tutte", Rossini's "Il viaggio a Reims" and further titles such as "Lucio Silla", "Werther" and "Der Prinz von Homburg". The drama program is once again led by "Jedermann" on the Cathedral Square; the revival runs from 18 July to 25 August with 15 performances. The concert program features the Vienna Philharmonic and the Berlin Philharmonic, complemented by the "Ouverture spirituelle" series titled "Miserere". Performances usually begin in the early evening; exact times depend on the production and venue.
Tickets
Direct sales for the 2026 summer festival opened on 27 March 2026 through the official website and the ticket office at Wiener Philharmoniker Gasse 3. Around 217,000 tickets are on offer in total, priced between 10 and 485 euros, with half of all tickets costing between 10 and 120 euros. "Jedermann" tickets range from 10 to 205 euros. Heavily discounted youth tickets are available for anyone under 27 through the Ticket Gretchen app, and subscriptions carry an additional 20 percent discount.
Visitor Tips
- Book very early: popular performances such as "Jedermann" and "Carmen" often sell out months in advance.
- From 1 July to 31 August, a summer traffic scheme applies in Salzburg's old town; public transport and park and ride are recommended.
- Secure central accommodation early, as demand runs very high during the festival period.
- Even without a ticket, it is worth visiting: the free opening festival offers public program highlights.
- Allow enough time for travel and security checks at the venues, especially on weekends and at premieres.
