October 23–25, 2026
Since 2024, the Salzburg Marionette Theatre has been inviting outstanding European companies to its PUPPETS! festival, showcasing the many different facets of marionette theatre in Salzburg. With its focus on the art of string puppetry, one of the most technically demanding and increasingly rare forms of puppetry, the festival is unique in Europe. From 23 to 25 October 2026, audiences can discover the diversity of contemporary marionette theatre at three venues in Salzburg’s Old Town on the right bank of the Salzach: the Marionette Theatre, the Kammerspiele and the Toihaus Theatre. Guests include figuren theater tübingen with kafkabagage, a poetic journey with the writer Franz Kafka (Kammerspiele); French puppeteer Renaud Herbin with the atmospheric production Milieu (Toihaus Theatre); and Stanelli’s Super Circus, a spectacular puppet circus by the British Upfront Puppet Theatre (Kammerspiele). A special highlight is Carnival of the Animals – An Animalic Trilogy, presented by the Salzburg Marionette Theatre with live music performed by Benjamin Schmid and musicians from the University Mozarteum, and narration by Sibylle Canonica. Film screenings, discussions, workshops for children and adults, and much more round off the festival programme.
Programme as PDF
FRIDAY OCTOBER 23
09.30: KAFKABAGAGE school performance (Kammerspiele)11.30: KAFKABAGAGE school performance (Kammerspiele)14.00: Workshop box theatre for children (Marionettentheater)18.00: KAFKABAGAGE (Kammerspiele)18.30: Atelier Gespräch (Marionettentheater)20.00: CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS (Marionettentheater)
SATURDAY OCTOBER 24
10.00: Workshop puppetry for adults (Marionettentheater)14.30: The Last Caravan (film) with talk (Marionettentheater)15.00: MILIEU (Toihaus Theater)*17.00: CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS (Marionettentheater)*17.00: MILIEU (Toihaus Theater)19.00: MILIEU (Toihaus Theater)19.30: KAFKABAGAGE (Kammerspiele)*21.00: Beats & Puppets (Marionettentheater)
SUNDAY OCTOBER 25
10.00, 10.30, 12.30, 13.00: Blick hinter die Kulissen (Marionettentheater)11.00: reading Manfred Baumann (Marionettentheater)12.00: STANELLI'S SUPER CIRCUS (Kammerspiele)14.00: STANELLI'S SUPER CIRCUS (Kammerspiele)*15.30: CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS (Marionettentheater)18.00: STANELLI'S SUPER CIRCUS (Kammerspiele)19.30: Being John Malkovich (film) (DAS KINO)
* followed by an Artist Talk after the performance
Salzburger Marionettentheater, Schwarzstraße 24 Kammerspiele, Schwarzstraße 24 Toihaus Theater, Franz-Josef-Straße 4 Das Kino, Giselakai 11
We recommend travelling by public transport. You can find the latest timetable information at: salzburg-verkehr.at
Tickets: € 25,- bis € 48,-
PUPPETS! festival pass: 30 % discount on 4 performances, valid for one person; includes Beats & Puppets Clubbing
Combination ticket: 20 % discount on 2 performances, valid for one person
Various discounts cannot be combined and can only be booked by telephone or at the box office at the Marionette Theatre. PUPPETS! festival passes and combination tickets can also be booked online.Kulturpass/Aktivcard: Depending on availability on the day of the performance. Tickets can only be booked at the box office at the Marionette Theatre upon presentation of proof of eligibility.
Advance ticket sales begin on 15 September 2026.
Tickets can be reserved and booked in person, by telephone or online (with the exception of certain concessions).Salzburger Marionettentheater & Kammerspiele Box OfficeSchwarzstraße 24, 5020 Salzburg+43 662 872406, info@marionetten.at, www.marionetten.at Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9 am – 1 pmDay/evening box office: 2 hours before the performance begins
Toihaus Theatre box office (day/evening): 1 hour before the start of each performance
Box office DAS KINO: For opening hours, visit www.daskino.at
Tickets can be reserved for a maximum of 7 days and must be collected and paid for no later than 1 day before the performance. Tickets left at the day/evening box office must be collected no later than 30 minutes before the performance begins.
The documentary film RADIKAL DINGLICH! by KompleXX Figurentheater and Alexander Hector (2026) will be screened in the foyer of the Marionette Theatre during the festival: