Easter Festival.
Easter, the festival and the time of change as well as renewal has been musically synonymous in Salzburg for many decades with exclusivity in the best sense! As a private festival, Herbert von Karajan founded the festival in 1967, which is financed from this idea to this day almost 90% from private funds and fulfills the greatest possible artistic freedom.
The 2023 Easter Festival will continue the tradition and at the same time break new ground, in that from now on a changing orchestra will lead the festival each year at the request of artistic director Nikolaus Bachler.
A new "Tannhäuser", with top-class cast in all roles, as well as touching orchestral concerts await you in the unique festival city of Salzburg. The oldest civic orchestra, the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig under their maestro Andris Nelsons are responsible, in the easterly thought of Goethe completely after the motto: "Here I am man, here I may be."
Experience a few spring-like, soothing days and come to Salzburg!

Summer festival
With Sartre’s apt statement "Art exists only for and through others", the directorate invites you all to a new festival season in the city on the Salzach.
Giuseppe Verdi is on the programme with two new productions: firstly, his early work "Macbeth" and the wonderful Asmik Grigorian as Lady Macbeth. It is said that conductor Welser-Möst and Grigorian explicitly wished for this work. Secondly, with his late work "Falstaff", whose title role will be sung by Gerald Finley. "Le nozze di Figaro" brings a new conducting face to Salzburg, the proven expert on historical performance practice Raphaël Pichon. Gluck’s "Orfeo ed Euridice" and Martinů’s "Greek Passion" complete the new productions, as well as Purcell’s "Indian Queen", Berlioz’s "Les Troyens" and Bellini’s "I Capuleti e I Montecchi" in three concert performances.
The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, among others, has always provided the great sound of the Festival. Maestro Muti traditionally takes the podium, as do Franz Welser-Möst, Andris Nelsons and the Czech Jakub Hrůša, who seems to get on very well with the orchestra. The Berlin Philharmonic with Kirill Petrenko, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and many more underline the special quality of these festival weeks.
The founding idea of the Festival seems more relevant than ever in 2023: uniting peoples and promoting peace "in the heart of Europe". During these weeks, Salzburg exudes its incomparable charm and its very special atmosphere - whether during a personal analysis of the works in the breaks with a glass of champagne, at a reunion with Festival friends or at culinary "delicacies" before or after the musical performances.