Grand opera performed by tiny figures. Within just a few minutes, you forget that there are no living actors on stage, only marionettes guided with precision on strings roughly two metres long. A fascination and a kind of magic that's hard to resist, created through the sensitive interplay of light, music and puppetry.

Since 1913: An Art Form at the Highest Level

Since 1913, the Salzburg Marionette Theatre has worked with artistic care and precision to preserve this singular art form. Its refined technique has been recognised as UNESCO cultural heritage since 2016, unique worldwide in both tradition and style.

Puppeteers at work at the Salzburg Marionette Theatre, precise craft on long strings
Precise puppetry on strings roughly two metres long

A Repertoire Between Mozart and Shakespeare

Long tied to music theatre and the classics, Mozart's The Magic Flute, Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker and Johann Strauss's Die Fledermaus remain firm fixtures in the repertoire. The Sound of Music, based on the globally successful Broadway musical, is another highlight, alongside Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream.

A stage scene at the Salzburg Marionette Theatre, an elaborate production with marionettes
An elaborate production on the marionette theatre's stage

Salzburger Marionettentheater
Schwarzstraße 24, 5020 Salzburg
marionetten.at