Corona is also the dominant theme in Salzburg at the moment. So we are surfing a Corona wave through the Christmas season and the turn of the year – Christmas 2021 in Salzburg.

These lockdowns at irregular intervals are annoying and make rethinking necessary in many respects. Take Salzburg’s Christkindlmarkt, for example, which has now been extended until 9 January 2022 following the lockdown that has just ended in Austria since 13 December 2021. The thought is a bit strange to go to a Christmas market on 8 January and drink mulled wine, which is also not available (no alcohol). On the other hand, the stall holders have to get through these pandemic times somehow. So a rethink is called for.

Also for the entry rules to Austria: A 2 G plus proof obligation (vaccinated or recovered and current PCR test) applies in principle. If a booster vaccination is proven, the PCR test obligation does not apply. This also applies to Austrian citizens.

The bar and restaurant operators also have to rethink. Since last Monday, the closing time in Austria is 11 pm. The HOSI bar is open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. for all those who need some distance from the Christmas overkill. And on New Year’s Eve the closing time was lifted. The HOSI bar is open longer on New Year’s Eve. “We are also open on New Year’s Eve, but longer (I don’t think the restrictions are there),” says Katharina, front woman at the HOSI office. The rules change all the time, so sometimes you can’t keep up with the changes. Wolfgang from the Dark Eagle understandably doesn’t want to go along with this and will keep the Dark Eagle closed until the beginning of next year. For 2022, however, he promises “A lot will happen at the Dark Eagle next year.” We are curious.

David from Mexxx, on the other hand, makes the most of the limited opening hours. At the moment, this means that Mexxx is open daily from 6pm to 11pm. Longer on New Year’s Eve. What really applies on Christmas days remains to be seen. The plan is probably to relax the restrictions on those days a bit. So rethinking once again.

Stefan from the Fungo Bar now announces the current opening hours on his Facebook page – which change every week. Jens from the Jacky O’ Club on Giselakai groans: ‘There are new regulations every week, so it’s impossible to plan for next week. You have to read up on them first.’ Jens opens his shop at 5 p.m. every day as long as the 11 p.m. curfew applies. On New Year’s Eve, however, celebrations will continue into the new year due to the lifting of the closing time – with a DJ in the impressive vaulted cellar of the Kapuzinerberg. That is, unless there is another last-minute change of plan. The whole procedure is reminiscent of last year’s situation, when nightlife was turned upside down.

And culturally?

Winterfest celebrated its belated premiere on 13 December. The 20th edition of Winterfest opened this week with “Backbone” by Gravity & Other Myths at SZENE Salzburg. The artists from Australia were celebrated by the audience with standing ovations. Now the team is preparing the next premieres in parallel: on Tuesday, 21 December there will be two to choose from: “Very Little Circus” by the Swiss clown duo Wakouwa Teatro at 6 pm in the Volksgarten and “Sweat & Ink” by Cirque Barcode at 8 pm in the SZENE Salzburg. “Very Little Circus” is a clownish theatre piece combined with juggling, music, a lot of wit and a big portion of heart.

The exceptional, multi-award-winning acrobats of Cirque Barcode from Canada bring an extraordinary production to the stage with “Sweat & Ink”. Against a backdrop of black and white projections and accompanied by electronic music, the artists show a struggle with their inadequacies and limitations and recognise the deceptive fallibility of their memories.

‘The most electrifying sexperiment in musical history!’ wrote the Kronen Zeitung newspaper about the Rocky Horror Show at the Salzburg State Theatre. The rock musical by Richard O’Brian (1973) will be revived on 27 December (7.30 pm) and 31 December (3 pm and 8 pm), among other dates. This also gave rise to the successful film ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ in 1975. So: ‘Let’s do the Time Warp again’.

On New Year’s Eve, as in the previous year, all private fireworks and firecrackers are prohibited. However, the big New Year’s Eve fireworks display over Hohensalzburg Fortress will take place this year. At least some normality has returned. And the curfew is also lifted on this day in Salzburg.

“On good days our laughter is genuine”

And what’s happening in January? Doris and Astrid from HOSI Salzburg are kicking off 2022 with Lady’s Night on 7 January. On 19 January, Johannes Oerding will be coming to the Rockhouse in Salzburg to start his Kontouren Tour 2022. The title ‘An guten Tagen’ (On Good Days) is a real earworm. We are looking forward to the likeable Hamburg native’s guest performance in Salzburg. At the end of January, the Mozart Week can (hopefully) begin. More on that and much more later.

Now I wish all readers of gaysalzburg.at a Merry Christmas 2021 and a Happy New Year 2022. Also to the meanwhile many users of the English language version. See you soon in Salzburg.
Peter Goebel

The latest corona rules in Salzburg on the website of Tourismus Salzburg GmbH (TSG). An overview of the Christmas markets currently taking place is provided by the TSG on this page.

PS: Rethinking one more time 😉 In the meantime, it has been announced that the ban on alcohol at the Christmas markets has been lifted.

PPS: Yesterday (20.12.) the HOSI Salzburg changed its mind and will unfortunately be closed on New Year’s Eve after all.