Culture in the city

Street musicians in Salzburg: “Probably the most beautiful stage!”

The Volksliedwerk plays in squares in Salzburg's old town every Saturday in summer.(Bild: Salzburger Volksliedwerk)

Street performers are welcome in Salzburg: There are no strict rules such as seating cards. But who actually takes advantage of the flair and plays music in the city? From music students to folk musicians, the mix is colorful.

When mezzo-soprano Sarah Bröter begins to sing with a view of the cathedral, a fan club spontaneously stops: Cell phone cameras are pointed at her. Her voice gets under your skin - she sings classics from Rossini to Vivaldi. The student from the Anton Bruckner University in Linz enjoys using the open-air stage in Salzburg and Nuremberg. "Great," applauds an audience member. And her golden tin bucket tinkles neatly. After engagements at the Landestheater Linz and the Art Nouveau theater at the Otto Wagner Areal in Vienna, singing under the arcades became a holiday job for her.

Opera music is well received in the city: Mezzo-soprano Sarah Bröter.(Bild: Tschepp Markus)

Good cooperation among street performers
In Salzburg, places for music, art and pantomime don't have to be fought for. The city council's street musician ordinance explicitly allows art in special places in the old town such as Kapitelplatz or Herbert-von-Karajan-Platz. Restriction: the performance may last a maximum of one hour. According to the magistrate, there are hardly any problems or complaints. A harmonica player on Mirabellplatz a few years ago was a sad exception.

Anyone who comes regularly and plays for longer must obtain a permit: For the Volksliedwerk's street music, more than 40 groups play in city squares on Saturdays throughout the summer.