For the second edition of PUPPETS!, we are once again inviting outstanding European ensembles to showcase the diverse aspects of marionette theatre on stage in Salzburg.
October 23–25, 2026
What makes the Salzburg Marionette Theatre different from other theatres? – On the stage, the marionettes are the protagonists, and the people are behind – or rather, above it all. Because, while down on the stage these finely-crafted marionettes perform plays, fairy-tales, musicals and operas, it's the skilled puppeteers two metres above them who guide all their movements with a special technique, each on 12 strings. The puppeteers, who have mastered this unique method, bring the marionettes to miraculous life.
This special performance technique, has been declared a cultural asset worthy of preservation, as the "most highly developed form of puppet and figure theatre", earning the Salzburg Marionette Theatre a place in the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The successful co-production with the Salzburg Festival is back: Matthias Bundschuh’s production of Stravinsky’s "The Soldier’s Tale", designed by the German artist Georg Baselitz, will go on tour in autumn 2026. Once again, the performances will feature Dominique Horwitz as narrator and a chamber ensemble led by violinist Isabelle Faust. Some of the performances will be presented in French.