Salzburg Festival nearly sold out while others in classical music struggle to regain audience

• People fill the cobblestone streets of the city where Mozart was born, rushing to 213 performances over six weeks. While many classical music institutions struggle to regain audience, the Salzburg Festival is on track to draw people from over 75 nations to opera, concerts and drama. “We played through the pandemic,” said Kristina Hammer, who took over as the festival’s president in 2022.