Salzburg Festival, Salzburg

The Great Festival House, located at Hofstallgasse 1, 5020 Salzburg, Austria, is a premier event venue known for its stunning architecture and exceptional acoustics. It serves as a vibrant cultural hub and a crucial part of Salzburg’s cultural landscape, hosting a diverse lineup of events including classical concerts, contemporary performances, and theatrical productions.

Meeting, Conference, and Event Facilities

The Great Festival House offers extensive meeting, conference, and event facilities, making it an ideal venue for various functions. Here are the key details:

Function Rooms and Capacities

• Main Auditorium: With a seating capacity of 2,179, this is one of the largest and most impressive venues in the world. The square auditorium offers ideal acoustic conditions and sightlines, making it suitable for both scenic and non-scenic events.

• Interval Hall: Located adjacent to the entrance foyer, this hall is largely based on the original ground plan of the archiepiscopal princely stables. It features a floor of green serpentine with mosaics of horses by Kurt Fischer and a steel relief by Rudolf Hochlehner entitled "Homage to Anton von Webern".

• Patrons’ Lounge: Financed by American patrons of the arts Donald and Jeanne Kahn, this lounge serves as a reception area for patrons, sponsors, and their guests. It is also used for press conferences and various other functions connected with the Salzburg Festival.

• Office Space and Tunneling: The building includes office space and tunneling into the Mönchsberg, providing additional facilities for events and meetings.

Services

• Acoustics and Lighting: The auditorium is designed to provide ideal acoustic conditions, and the lighting system includes 825 adjustable electric circuits with a power of over 5000 watts each, along with a digital light console and a depot of around 2,000 individual lights.

• Stage Machinery: The stage features five lifting podia, each 18 meters by 3 meters, with a loading capacity of 20 tons each. The stage machinery includes hydraulic systems and a gridiron with 155 hoists, a third of which are hydraulically driven and electronically controlled.

• Electroacoustics: The sound control board has up to 192 inputs, 20 main outputs, and 4 auxiliary outputs, with sockets for loudspeakers and microphones throughout the entire stage and auditorium.

• Decor and Furnishings: The décor for the concert hall was renewed in 1993 by Richard Peduzzi. The main curtain behind the iron stage curtain is one meter thick and was designed by Leo Wollner. The interval hall features mosaics of horses by Kurt Fischer and a steel relief by Rudolf Hochlehner.

The Great Festival House offers a unique blend of historical architecture, state-of-the-art facilities, and cultural significance, making it an ideal venue for various events, conferences, and meetings.