Salzburg Marionette Theatre tickets

Magic Flute or Sound of Music?

Choose by language and by story. The Magic Flute is Mozart's opera, performed in German, with explanations projected beside the stage in English, French, Spanish and Chinese. The Sound of Music is the Broadway musical, performed in English. Both are family shows, and both use the theatre's own hand-carved marionettes. If you have never seen a marionette opera, the Flute is the better first choice, because it has been the company's most performed production since 1952. If English matters most, or the story is the reason you came to Salzburg, book the musical.

• Magic Flute: German, with explanations in four languages
• Sound of Music: English, with an interval after the first act
• Both: marionettes made in the theatre's own workshops

Full opera or short version

The Magic Flute comes in two lengths. The full opera runs 2 hours 10 minutes, with an interval after the first act. The short version runs about an hour, and the theatre recommends it for adults and for children from 8. Both tell the same story: the Queen of the Night sends Prince Tamino to rescue her daughter Pamina from Sarastro, and Tamino and the bird-catcher Papageno must pass trials along the way. The full version suits an unhurried evening. The short one suits families, early dinners and tired travellers. You choose the version when you pick a date.

The seasonal repertoire

The company runs a seasonal repertoire. Its winter programme lists productions such as The Nutcracker, Hansel and Gretel in a short version, The Little Prince and Snow White next to the two shows on this page. Which of them plays on a given night depends on the calendar, so never plan around a title without checking your date. The Nutcracker belongs to this rotating group, and the theatre's page for it gives a summary in German and English. The two bookings on this page cover the signature opera and the English-language musical.

Read next: How the Salzburg marionettes work

What you are buying

A ticket admits you to one performance. Neither food nor drink is part of the booking, and the theatre's terms don't allow you to bring them into the venue, so eat before you go. Your confirmation shows the production, the date and the start time. A cloakroom is available. The tickets on this page aren't suitable for children under 4. The theatre may make minor changes to the cast, the programme or the schedule, which is normal for a company that rotates many productions through one stage.

• Admission to one performance
• No food or drink included
• Not suitable for children under 4
• Free cancellation until 24 hours before, when you book here

Booking here or at the box office

A booking made through this page goes through GetYourGuide, which lets you reserve now and pay later and refunds a cancellation made at least 24 hours ahead. The theatre runs its own sales as well, on its website and at its box office, and its termination policy gives the buyer of a dated ticket no right of withdrawal. That difference is the main reason to book through GetYourGuide when your plans might move. Buying direct makes more sense if you want to phone the theatre first about access needs, since it asks visitors to call for accessibility information.

Why marionette opera suits adults

Adults often assume a puppet show is for children. Here it is closer to chamber opera at doll scale. The figures are hand-carved and costumed, the company's founder was a sculptor, and the theatre keeps its own workshops. Small gestures carry the drama: a turn of the head, a hand raised to a face. Guests who arrive expecting a novelty often say they stop noticing the strings. The humour of Papageno and the severity of the Queen of the Night work well at this scale, because a marionette can be funny and solemn within a single movement.

What is live and what is recorded

The music is recorded. Wikipedia notes that the company's soundtracks are recorded today, so what happens live is the puppetry: every movement is made by hand, in time with the music. If hearing a live orchestra and singers is your priority, the city's opera houses are a better fit. If you want to watch music turned into movement at small scale, in a room built for it, this is the place. Treat the evening as theatre first and a concert second.

Choosing a date

The calendar is the authority. The theatre publishes an annual schedule and a separate winter repertoire, and the booking calendar lists the production and start time per date. If you want a Magic Flute and The Sound of Music on consecutive evenings, check both calendars and book each separately. The theatre's site also lists a 35-minute Highlights programme with excerpts from both shows, which it recommends for adults and children from 6. It is a separate programme and does not run on every date.

Read next: Visit the Salzburg Marionette Theatre

A company with a Mozart pedigree

The company has staged Mozart for most of its history. Its first public performance in 1913 was a Mozart opera, and by 1991 it had added Così fan tutte, completing the repertoire of all five great Mozart operas. Its Magic Flute toured in the 1950s, including to Japan, where it opened the first Osaka Festival in 1958. That track record is the reason the Flute is the safe first choice. The Sound of Music, performed in English, is a newer addition, first staged in Salzburg in 2008.

If you have one evening in Salzburg

Look at the calendar for your trip first, then decide. If both shows are on, pick the one whose language suits your whole group: the musical for an English-speaking party of mixed ages, the opera for a group that likes classical music or wants a shorter show in its short version. If only one is on, book that one rather than chasing the other, because the repertoire is seasonal and the theatre can't promise a production for a given date.

Who this isn't for

Look elsewhere if you want live singers and an orchestra, expect the film's scenes to appear one for one, or have a child under 4 in your party. It is also the wrong evening if you need a particular production on a date the calendar doesn't show, because the repertoire is seasonal and no title is guaranteed. And if you want a long, formal night at the opera in evening dress, Salzburg's opera houses are the better fit.