The Salzburg festival complex is located at the foot of the Menchsberg mountain, 400 metres from the historic city centre and the cathedral.
At the beginning of the 17th century, the Palace Stables were built on this site, followed a little later by the Riding School. In 1917 Salzburg decided to hold theatre and opera festivals, so these buildings were rebuilt by the architect Clemens Holzmeister, assisted by the artist Oskar Kokoschka.
The construction itself took only 4 years, and the new festival complex was inaugurated in 1960, with a ceremony featuring the comic opera buffa The Cavalier of the Roses, written by Richard Strauss in the early 20th century. The exterior of this new theatre retains many of the period details of the facades of the former stables, as well as the western portal of the Riding School building. The façade itself is decorated with graceful columns and a small balcony on the upper tier of the building. Also noteworthy are the five massive bronze entrance doors, above which a Latin saying about the theatre's connection to divine providence is preserved.
The festival complex is partially cut deep into the rock, which frees up more space for the audience. For example, the auditorium of the Bolshoi Theatre has a capacity of 2,100 spectators. Not only stage productions, including opera, but also symphonic concerts, including those performed on the piano, take place here; however, the acoustics of the hall allows for vocal performances. The main hall of the new festival complex in Salzburg is also distinguished by its stage, which is considered one of the widest stages in the world - its dimensions exceed 100 metres.
