Salzburg Festival
Salzburg Festival takes place Jul 17 - Aug 30, 2026 (in progress) in Salzburg, Austria. The dress code is Black tie or dark suit for evening opera at the Grosses Festspielhaus. Austrian guests wear Tracht - dirndl and lederhosen are formal dress here, not costume, and are entirely appropriate. Typical cost ranges from 1200 to 4000 EUR per person.
Six weeks of opera, orchestral concerts and theatre staged across Salzburg's baroque old town, founded in 1920 and still the benchmark summer festival in classical music. Hofmannsthal's Jedermann plays on the cathedral square each season, and the Vienna Philharmonic serves as the festival's resident orchestra.
- When
- Jul 17 - Aug 30, 2026 (in progress)
- Where
- Salzburg, Austria
- Dress code
- Black tie or dark suit for evening opera at the Grosses Festspielhaus. Austrian guests wear Tracht - dirndl and lederhosen are formal dress here, not costume, and are entirely appropriate.
- Cost
- Typical cost ranges from 1200 to 4000 EUR per person.
- Weather
- 21 - 28C, warm with afternoon thunderstorms
- When to book
- The programme is presented the previous autumn, advance written orders are taken over the winter, and general online sale opens in spring. Jedermann and premiere nights go within hours of open sale. Salzburg hotels for August need booking 6 - 9 months out. Returns for the current season are released daily on the festival website.
- Getting there
- SZG (Salzburg), 20 min to the Altstadt; MUC (Munich) is 1h 45m by car with far more flight options
- Where to stay
- Hotel Sacher Salzburg, Schloss Leopoldskron, Hotel Stein
- Official site
- https://www.salzburgerfestspiele.at
How to attend
Tickets are sold at salzburgerfestspiele.at, with advance written orders taken over the winter and general online sale opening in spring. Prices run from around EUR 15 for standing and gallery places to EUR 450 and up for premium opera seats. Nothing is invitation-only, but the Friends of the Salzburg Festival get first access to the strongest nights, which is the practical route to a premiere.
Insider tip
Jedermann is performed outdoors on the Domplatz and your ticket still works if rain forces it indoors. Standing places in the Felsenreitschule are the cheapest way into a world-class production - often under EUR 20.
Get inside Salzburg Festival
Booking matters here: the programme is presented the previous autumn, advance written orders are taken over the winter, and general online sale opens in spring. Jedermann and premiere nights go within hours of open sale. Salzburg hotels for August need booking 6 - 9 months out. Returns for the current season are released daily on the festival website. Members track that window, what it really costs, and 573 more events across the season.
Free while in beta. One email when your invitation is ready, nothing else.