Großes Festspielhaus

Also known as Festspielhaus

The Grosses Festspielhaus (Large Festival Hall) opened in 1960 as a major expansion of Salzburg's Festspielhaus complex, carved in large part from the Moenchsberg cliff face to achieve its 2,179-seat auditorium. Architect Clemens Holzmeister cut the main stage directly into the rock, creating one of the widest stages in the world at 100 meters.

The Grosses Festspielhaus is Salzburg’s largest performance venue and the primary opera stage for the Salzburg Festival, one of Europe’s oldest and most prestigious classical music festivals (running since 1920). The hall opened in 1960, designed by Clemens Holzmeister with its main stage carved directly into the Moenchsberg cliff face. The result: a 100-meter wide stage, one of the widest in the world, and 2,179 seats. The festival runs in July and August; performances require advance booking and range from standing room tickets under EUR 20 to premium seats in the hundreds of euros. Guided tours of the building are available outside festival season. The Grosses Festspielhaus connects directly to the older Felsenreitschule (open-air rock theater) and the Festspielhaus complex on Hofstallgasse in Salzburg’s Altstadt.