76 program items

Festival kick-off: Entire city becomes a stage

Three-day programme: organizer Renate Stelzl with Festival President Kristina Hammer

(Bild: Jan Friese)

76 program items at 32 locations: autograph session with the stars as a highlight, a separate day for the traditional torch dance is also planned.

Concerts, readings, street theater, insights into rehearsal work or the coveted autograph session: the festival opening as a prelude has already become a tradition in Salzburg. "When the house becomes transparent, the stars are part of the festival," said Festival President Kristina Hammer, quoting a sentence by Festival founder Hugo von Hofmannsthal, which became this year's festival motto.

Visitors can expect several dress rehearsals

The festival will be extended to three days (July 19, 20 and 26) for the first time: the reason for this is that the torch dance would only have been possible on Sunday evening due to Jedermann. "That's not reasonable for our couples. Some of them come from further afield," says Alexander Wieland from Jungalpenland, who is happy with the new date on July 26. Visitors can expect several dress rehearsals, such as the Ouverture spirituelle with "Et exspecto" in the Kollegienkirche. The Jedermann dress rehearsal will open on Friday evening. Proceeds from discounted tickets are reserved for charity.

And the autograph session with the stars in the foyer of the Grosses Festspielhaus will also attract fans again this year: personal encounters with artists such as Jedermann Philipp Hochmair, soprano Asmik Grigorian and director Peter Sellars are possible.

Counting tickets - there are 11,000 available - can be reserved from July 6, 9.30 am (free of charge) and Everyman tickets can be ordered from July 10, 9.30 am.