Festival Halls

Festspielhaüser(Grosses Festspielhaus, Haus für Mozart) and the Felsenreitschule are the two Festival Halls that form the main stages of the Salzburg Festival. The Festspielhaüser is located on Hofstallgasse Lane. Felsenreitschule was the main festival venue in the movie ‘The Sound of Music’.

Initially, the two buildings within Festspielhaüser, erected by Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich, were used as horse stables used by the Austrian military. In 1925, the buildings were used for staging production for the first time for the Salzburg Festival. Grosses Festspielhaus, also known as the Great Festival Hall, was built between 1956 and 1960. It is exclusively used for the Salzburg and Easter Festival, Osterfestspiele. The hall is decorated with paintings and sculptures, and is huge with a capacity of 2170 people. Known for its frescos, Haus für Mozart is the small Festival Hall. It also houses many beautiful artworks including paintings and sculptures.
Felsenreitschule is another Festival Hall consisting of small niches and arcades cut into the Mönchsberg mountain. Many plays and theatrical performances are staged here. It can house at least 1500 people.