Halloween in Salzburg 2024
Halloween is literally breathing down our necks. Next Thursday (31 October) we will celebrate this festival with its ancient history. This tradition has also spread to Salzburg. And the city’s queer scene is celebrating with it. At Mexxx Gaybar and with the Halloween performance of Magic Garage. This is what queer Halloween will be like in Salzburg in 2024.
Halloween has its origins in the Irish-Celtic festival of the dead called ‘Sauen’. On 31 October, the Celts celebrated the end of summer and the beginning of winter, which for them was also the beginning of a new year. The celebration took place on the evening before All Saints’ Day, which is where the name comes from, as Halloween is short for “(All) Hallows” Eve(ning).
According to Celtic belief, the veils between the world of the living and the realm of the dead were said to be particularly thin at midnight. This invited the spirits to visit the world of the living. To appease the spirits, a place was set at the table, but kept free so that they could join the meal. In addition, people dressed up to hide from evil spirits.
Happy Halloween!
Irish immigrants brought this festival to the United States. There, carved pumpkins and the hunt for sweets ‘trick or treat’ were added to the costumes and Celtic beliefs. So this old custom has also found its way into the present day. Even to Salzburg.
If you’re still looking for the perfect party for the night of horror in Salzburg, you’re sure to be in good hands at the Mexxx Gay Bar. The bar has once again been decorated in an imaginative and spooky style. On the same evening, Magic Garage kicks off with “Chainsaw Mascara” at Jazzit. There, the performers dress up and apply make-up to resemble both the dead and the living to deliver a unique drag show with Drag-O-Ween. Tickets for the Magic Garage show and party are still available here.
So if you want to have a borderline experience, you should judge your pumpkin, check your make-up utensils and find a suitable outfit in your wardrobe. Since 1 November (All Saints’ Day) is a public holiday in Austria and Catholic Germany, nothing stands in the way of a queer party night between the worlds. Happy Halloween!
A contribution from Sebastian Brandstätter and Peter Goebel
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Christmas will be over again in three months. So it's time to think about how you want to spend the Advent season. The Salzburg Christmas market on Domplatz and Residenzplatz squares offers a very idyllic opportunity. In addition, there are a number of queer events during this time – from cultural to sex parties – and thus a very good opportunity to experience Salzburg in a touristy, queer and Christmassy way. [Read more]
DomquartierI gladly recommend a visit to the Domquartier in museum …
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