Probably the most famous cultural event in the Salzburg region is the Salzburg Festival from 18.07.2025 to 31.08.2025. The artistic program is diverse at the Salzburg Festival, as well as interesting and exciting. Every year around 200 events, including operas, concerts, evenings with plays and readings are held in Salzburg. The city of Salzburg becomes a stage for art and culture – for 171 Performances on 45 Tagen at 19 Venues as well as 37 Performances as part of the Youth Programme jung & jede*r.
For around six weeks each summer, the Salzburg Festival transforms the small Alpine city into one of the world’s leading cultural destinations. The list of conductors, orchestras and soloists reads like a who’s who of the past 100 years of music history. Since Jedermann was first performed on Cathedral Square (Domplatz), the festival has continued to evolve while remaining true to its traditions. Alongside masterpieces by the great composers and its enduring focus on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the programme also regularly features world premieres by contemporary composers.
In the drama programme, the iconic Jedermann returns to Cathedral Square. Philipp Hochmair once again takes on the title role, with Roxane Duran appearing as the Buhlschaft (Jedermann’s lover). Special attention will also be given to the world premieres of Peter Handke’s Snow of Yesterday, Snow of Tomorrow and Elfriede Jelinek’s new play Among Animals.
Opera highlights include new productions of Mozart’s Così fan tutte, Richard Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos, Bizet’s Carmen and Rossini’s Il viaggio a Reims. Olivier Messiaen’s monumental Saint François d’Assise, widely regarded as one of the most important operas of the 20th century, will also be performed.
The concert programme promises exceptional musical experiences. The Vienna Philharmonic will present several concert series, collaborating with internationally acclaimed conductors including Gustavo Dudamel, Riccardo Muti, Christian Thielemann, Andris Nelsons and Tugan Sokhiev.
The Salzburg Festival’s youth programme, jung & jede*r, is another highlight, offering a diverse range of performances and activities designed to inspire audiences of all ages.
Everyman and the founding of the Festival
The Festival was born in 1920 when Everyman (Jedermann) was performed in front of the cathedral for the first time. To this day, “The life and death of a rich man” is still performed – and with good reason, too. Every new production is an exciting and independent highlight of the Festival, celebrated year after year by locals and visitors alike. Find out more about the turbulent history of the Salzburg Festival.
The casting of the lead roles in Jedermann at the Salzburg Festival has been new since 2024 and has already caused a sensation in its first year. Deleila Piasko takes on the role of Buhlschaft alongside Philipp Hochmair, who plays the title role of Jedermann. Just like in their debut year, they are set to captivate audiences once again as Jedermann and Buhlschaft.
Salzburg Festival, Everyman stage on the Domplatz © Neumayr/Leo
Public Screening
Daily screenings of Festival productions are presented by the Siemens Festival>Nights from 25 July to 30 August 2026 on Salzburg‘s Kapitelplatz.
Easter Festival and Whitsun Festival
Herbert von Karajan, also born in Salzburg, dominated the Salzburg Festival from the 1960s to the end of the 1980s. He initiated the Easter Festival and the Whitsun Festival. While the Easter Festival has music of the highest quality but on a smaller scale, Whitsun quickly became the “alternative date” for the Easter Festival subscribers. Over the years, both festivals have gone through many changes and are now regarded as the spearhead of classical music as well as the most exclusive and best festivals in the world.
Festival time in Salzburg
While some people are putting on their evening wear, others are working frantically to ensure everything runs smoothly. While some people are sitting in coffee houses, having a quick look at the libretto of the Mozart opera that evening, others are still rehearsing and adding the finishing touches at the Festival Hall. While some people are stuck in traffic and are complaining about the stifling heat, other people are already gathering at the Everyman stage in front of the cathedral. It is obviously Festival time and there are certain things you have to be aware of. Well begun is half done here, too. Go to the Festival district in the historic centre and experience it before or after a performance at the Large Festival Hall for yourself.
