The Salzburg Festival is the world’s largest and most prestigious festival of classical music, opera, and theater. It has been held annually since 1920 in the Austrian city of Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
This season, the program’s main theme is dedicated to the concept of “time” and how we spend it.
Key highlights of the 2026
Opera program include major new productions: Bizet’s *Carmen*, interpreted by conductor Teodor Currentzis and director Gabriela Carrizo, starring Asmik Grigorian; Richard Strauss’s *Ariadne auf Naxos* featuring Elīna Garanča (conducted by Manfred Honeck); Mozart’s *Così fan tutte*; the world premiere of Messiaen’s monumental opera *Saint François d’Assise*; and Rossini’s *Il viaggio a Reims*, featuring the legendary Cecilia Bartoli.
In the realm of drama and theater, the iconic production of Hugo von Hofmannsthal’s *Jedermann* (*Everyman*)—performed outdoors on Cathedral Square (Domplatz)—remains the central event, in keeping with a centuries-old tradition. Performances of plays by Goethe (*Faust I*), Molière (*The Misanthrope*), and Elfriede Jelinek will also be presented.
The festival will open on July 17 with *Ouverture spirituelle*, a traditional series of sacred music concerts. The program features symphonic performances by the Vienna and Berlin Philharmonic orchestras, recitals by virtuoso pianists (Grigory Sokolov, Daniil Trifonov, Evgeny Kissin, and Igor Levit), and appearances by star conductors, including Riccardo Muti, Gustavo Dudamel, and Kirill Petrenko.
