Salzburg Festival

Salzburg Festival

Salzburg Festival
4.5
About
With a quarter of a million descending on the city of Mozart, the Salzburger Festspiele is the biggest cultural event in Austria and celebrates a summer of concerts and theatre. With around 220 musical events at 14 venues around the city, the 2016 festival runs from late July through August and premieres works by four composers, offers opera performances for kids, produces first-class drama from Beckett and Shakespeare, and has a full schedule of inspiring music from philharmonic and chamber orchestras.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles69 reviews
Excellent
45
Very good
15
Average
1
Poor
0
Terrible
8

These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
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Dave_PE54
Chicago, IL80 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
The Festival is so diverse in programs and venues, any broad review really doesn't give it justice. Suffice it to say from the online ticket ordering process to the individual experiences, everything came together nicely. For me, it was The Magic Flute opera at the Haus fur Mozart, a concert by the Vienna Philharmonic at the Grosses Festspielhaus, and a chamber concert at the Mozarteum Grosser Saal. The acoustics everywhere were amazing. Sightlines were good. German and English programs were available at each event for a small fee. Ushers and other attendants all could offer assistance in English. Security was clearly evident everywhere. My only critique would be the uncomfortable seats in the balcony at the Grosses Festspeilhaus. For Germans and other Europeans, this can be an annual summer pleasure. For those of us from abroad, this is an incredibly worthwhile "bucket list" experience.
Written August 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

krenno2
Chicago, IL399 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2017 • Friends
As a tourist who just happened to be here during the summer festival (last weekend of July it started) I was so happy to get to listen to some quality music for free. I assumed it would be classical music, and boy was I wrong. There seem's to be something for everyone, locals, tourists, music lovers, etc. It is amazing to see performance taking place so naturally amongst squares, gardens, and plazas. What a wonderful festival and something I wish I knew more about in terms of cultural significance and history.
Written August 14, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

gritsgal98
Maryland22 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2015 • Family
This was my first trip back to Salzburg since I was in college and it is still as beautiful as I remembered. As a musician and Mozart fan, this city has the culture of Vienna, without the stuffiness. We were there at the end of the famous Salzburg Festival and got to see open air opera shown on the side of the cathedral at night. We walked the streets in the morning and late into the night. There is a great variety of food all over Salzburg-from NY style pizza, gourmet hamburgers (served with sweet potato fries!), traditional Bavarian food..but best of all of late night dessert along the Salz River al fresco at Hotel Sacher..home of the famous Sacher Torte.
Written September 8, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Gerald O
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2024 • Couples
The Everyone was held on 22.07.2024 due to the weather in the Festival Hall. The air in the Festspielhaus was stuffy and extremely warm. The rows of seats are very narrow. In 22. Row the acoustics were disastrous and it was far too quiet to follow properly. Unfortunately, these shortcomings clouded the entire evening.
Automatically translated
Written July 23, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

sylviascolon
Pembroke Pines, FL3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2019
Great experience. We knew when we were traveling to Salzburg, that the Music Festival was a must do. We chose an event at random based on the day we were there, and it was beautiful.
Written September 9, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

mariemacLiverpool
Liverpool, UK134 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2015 • Couples
The old town is quaint with a lot to do. It resembles many other old European towns with narrow streets opening out onto wide squares. Many places to visit, lots of museums and of course Mozart woz ere! You could be forgiven for thinking he was a chocolatier rather than a famous composer. Many places to eat and drink but some do not serve throughout the day. You can hire a horse and carriage to drive around for 40 euros. With so many things to do it is worth buying a museum pass research this or go and visit tourist information. We stayed overnight and struggled to do everything. It is very easy to get around and a bit cooler on the days we visited but it is packed and touristy. Worth a visit just to tick off your list. On the other hand if you are into your classical music this will be for you. Finally in August the Salzburg festival is on but if you haven't got 500 euros for a tickets there are many free concerts taking place this month.
Written August 20, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Gianluca Z
London, UK13 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 • Couples
Salzburg Festival would deserve full marks for quality of performances and atmosphere. I have been visiting for 30 years and never fails to fascinate. In recent years my experience has been impacted by the lack of air conditioning in the venues. Climate changed and the organisers didn’t put any mitigating actions in place. This year lots of people changed their dress code and even so most people struggled. You can barely enjoy an opera, concert or theatre while humidity and 30 degrees make your indoor evening a torture for which you paid a certainly not cheap ticket.
Written August 30, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

hj012
New York City, NY22 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2016 • Family
Really an unforgettable event. Everyone dresses up for the opera, some in tuxes, formal evening wear and traditional Austrian dresses. The singing is outstanding and the staging surprising and new.
Mostly adults. My 14 year old daughter was the only child I saw there but even she thought the production was interesting (even though she is not an opera fan YET!!!)
Opera in Salzburg is not cheap and you have to order the tickets well in advance but it is truly an EVENT.
Written August 24, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nathan V
Worthing, UK205 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2015
The old town is one of the main reasons to visit Salzburg. It is quite small and easily traversed within a day, however it should be thoroughly explored. There are surprises around every corner and street. If you want to try a Mozart Ball, be sure not to be drawn in by the cheap touristy versions but find Fürst chocolates - a small shop near the main market square. Be sure to check out the market when it is on and swing by Mozart's birth house (easily identifiable by the tourists surrounding it). In summer, the Salzburg festival is a must and a free video concert is shown every night in summer consisting of some of the best opera's and concerts at the festival over the years. This is well worth a visit as the setting is simply remarkable.
Written November 5, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Wayne G
Troy, MI95 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2024 • Family
We made a point to be back in Salzburg for St Rupert's Day festival celebration on Sunday Sept 22nd, 2024 (the official regional public holiday is Sept 24th each year). Like a mini Oktoberfest, known as the most traditional festival in Austria, held for 500+ years. Historic rides, market stalls (there must have been 60 individual vendors just along the south side of the river), and beer tents; located in Alte Markt, Residenzplatz, Mozartplatz, Domplatz and Kapitelplatz. The main Stiegl tent was the place to be; had a large 10 - 12 piece band with two singers that rocked the traditional folk songs, and were quite entertaining. Had a comfortable, home-y, laid-back vibe compared to Munich. Did we spend the next day, Monday, at Oktoberfest Munich? Why yes, yes we did.
Written November 15, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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