“The opening ceremony of the festival is entirely in keeping with Hugo von Hofmannsthal’s statement that “to stage a musical theatre festival in Salzburg means to bring ancient traditions back to life”. We want to share our enthusiasm for music, theatre and the visual arts with all the people of Salzburg and our guests at the start of the Salzburg Festival. We are opening the theatre doors and inviting everyone to take part in our programme. This year, there will be 79 programme items at 29 venues over three days.”

Kristina Hammer, Markus Hinterhäuser, Lukas Crepaz, Directors of the Salzburg Festival

The opening ceremony of the Salzburg Festival invites you to listen. Listening means being present. Being open to others, to new perspectives, to what resonates between the lines. Those who listen create connections – with people, with moments, with themselves. It takes courage, trust and a little curiosity. But that is precisely the art of engaging with life. Especially in a time when artificial intelligence is radically changing so much, authenticity is more important than ever. What is happening now. Live. On stage. Whether at concerts in Salzburg’s most sublime sacred spaces, at open rehearsals or at contemporary historical events: listen – and encounter one another. Because: “All real life is encounter” (Martin Buber),” says organiser Renate Stelzl.

Issuing of over 11,300 admission tickets

Free admission tickets for designated performances can be ordered online at www.salzburgerfestspiele.at from 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, 5 July 2025. As usual, the admission ticket is a print@home PDF that you can print out or save on your mobile phone.

In addition, there are numerous freely accessible events.

More about the programme and the tickets