The Salzburg Marionette Theater (Salzburger Marionettentheater) is a local Salzburg institution that has delighted children and adults alike for over a century. This internationally acclaimed theater company produces a wide repertoire of operas, ballets and other productions and is based in a Baroque-style theater in Salzburg city.
The company began with Anton Aicher, a local artist who started performing Mozart operas with marionettes in 1913. The theater company expanded and began touring internationally in the 1920s. Further exposure was gained when the Salzburg Marionette Theater became the visual inspiration for one of the songs in the film version of The Sound of Music. If you have seen the film, you will no doubt remember the spectacular puppet show used in the song The Lonely Goatherd. In 1971, the theater moved to its current home in a beautiful former ballroom.
Visit the Salzburg Marionette Theater to enjoy stunning renditions of operas and ballets by Mozart, Rossini, Tchaikovsky, Offenbach and Strauss. The company also performs a selection of captivating musicals and Shakespearean productions. Marvel at the traditional marionettes, meticulously carved from linden wood and adorned with ornate period costumes.
The theater is internationally renowned for its detailed stage design and production style and regularly enchants audiences from around the world. See a production with no dialogue, such as The Nutcracker, or watch a play in Italian or German with English subtitles. Enjoy a Salzburg classic and see the theater’s rendition of The Sound of Music.
Book your tickets to see a production at the Salzburg Marionette Theater online, by telephone or visit the theater’s box office. Productions are aimed towards a general audience, but all of the shows, even the operas, are designed to keep children enthralled. Specific performances and short afternoon programs for children are also available.
The theater is located next door to Salzburg Landestheater, nearby the Salzach River and 10-minutes’ walk from Mirabell Palace. A local bus station is located directly outside.
