The most colourful time of the year in Salzburg kicks off with the Pride Festival. It’s a week packed with queer events offering opportunities to learn, experience and celebrate. Here at queersalzburg.at, we’re taking a look at the exciting new additions and established highlights the programme has in store. This will be the Pride Festival Salzburg 2026

Two firsts we’re particularly looking forward to: on the first Saturday of the Pride Festival (29 August), we’ll be heading up the Gaisberg with HOSI Salzburg and the Heublumen association – a queer hike covering almost 1,300 metres of elevation gain, a world away from club nights and dancefloors. Although there was already a hike as part of last year’s Pride Festival, this time the programme includes a hut party afterwards. The inaugural Pride hut party, featuring Austrian cuisine and drag queen Trina Crystal as host, promises an atmospheric end to the day.

Let’s move on to the new productions. Queer Witch – a show that has us excited simply because of its concept: Duo Skandl blends aerial acrobatics, object manipulation and magic into a queer spectacle that invites reflection whilst being great fun at the same time. It can be seen on Tuesday (1 September) at the GlanGärten theatre tent in Salzburg.

Another new act – the eve of the parade (Friday 4 September) belongs to the drag collective “project .png”: with their comedy/drag/burlesque show “Pretty Nostalgic Garbage”, they bring the nostalgic days of their own childhood to the stage at the small theatre on Schallmoser Hauptstraße. Personal childhood stories are told in an artistic and humorous way – an evening where you can simply leave the rigours of adulthood at the door. The line-up includes Silvia Prighdt, Limon, Morticia Grabems and a secret special guest. Tickets will be available shortly.

Essential classics

Anyone familiar with the Pride Festival Salzburg knows that some events are simply a must. One of our must-go events is Queer Karaoke on Friday (28 August) at the NarrenCastl – the perfect, slightly chaotic yet heart-warming start to the festival.

On Sunday (30 August), the Pride Picnic invites you to Hans-Donnenberg Park: come along to relax, have a chat, get to know queer organisations – and, if you fancy it, take a quick dip in the nearby Almkanal to cool off.

Anyone wishing to spend Festival Monday (31 August) broadening their horizons will find the workshop “Right-wing extremism under the microscope” at HOSI Salzburg just the thing. Organised in collaboration with the Obersalzburg Documentation Centre, it explores the causes, manifestations and identifying features of right-wing extremist movements.

Tuesday evening (1 September) is traditionally cinema night at the Pride Festival. In collaboration with HOSI Salzburg, the cinema is screening the very charming film “What a Feeling” by Austrian director Katharina Rohrer. The story follows Marie Theres, a doctor from Vienna, who, following her separation from her husband, stumbles upon Bigi’s lesbian bar quite by chance and meets Fa, a regular there.

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And how could we forget the Pride Night Kitchen Club? On Wednesday (2 September), it’s all about cooking and dining together: master chef Uli Helminger will guide guests through a four-course menu at Olina’s kitchen studio in his usual entertaining style.

Also on Wednesday: At the Dark Eagle, Birgit Leichenring from the Chemsex Network Vienna will be speaking at the health workshop about sexual health, chemsex, risks and prevention, hepatitis, STIs, HIV and treatment.

For the fourth time, a queer church service will also form part of the Pride Festival – organised on an ecumenical basis with representatives from the Protestant, Catholic and Old Catholic churches. When? Wednesday (2 September).

Pride Saturday (5 September) is the centrepiece of the Pride Festival. Two highlights kick off simultaneously in the morning: if you want to start the day in style, Gigi La Pajette’s “Brunching Divas” at the arte Hotel is the place to be – drag shows, a brunch buffet and panoramic views over the city. But be warned: experience shows that tickets sell out quickly.

Those who prefer to go exploring can join city guide Roman Forisch on his queer city tour, which takes visitors through the queer history of Mozart’s city, from Archbishop Arn to the writer Georg Trakl, amongst others.

“Be visible Schatzi“

From 4 pm, all parade participants will gather at Bahnhofsplatz for the Pride Parade: marching through the city together in a riot of colour – with political speeches and plenty of positive energy. The motto of the Salzburg CSD, ‘Be visible, Schatzi’, builds a bridge to the origins of Christopher Street Day: visibility was and remains a political act – a message that traces directly back to the Stonewall Riots of 1969 in New York, from which the global Pride movement emerged.

Then as now, taking to the streets together is more than just a celebration – it is a statement and a way of raising the profile of people of all identities and sexual orientations – from New York to Salzburg.

The grand finale kicks off at 7 pm with the HOSI Fest at ARGEkultur – spread over two floors, with DJ sets and a midnight performance by the Munich pop band SHRX. ARGEkultur provides the perfect setting: a venue that stands for openness and diversity and is, not least, renowned as the stage for the spectacular Magic Garage drag shows. So if you’ve still got energy left on the dance floor after a long day full of experiences, emotions and encounters – this is the place to be. A fitting end to a long, wonderful Pride day.

Every year, the queersalzburg.at editorial team looks forward to the Pride Festival, and this year’s programme is more diverse than ever. Whether you’re heading up the mountain, cooking together, rediscovering the city or simply celebrating queer visibility: there’s something for everyone. See you on the streets, at the alpine hut or on the dance floor. That’s what the Salzburg Pride Festival 2026 will be like. Happy Pride!
Sebastian Brandstätter

The full programme for the 2026 Pride Festival is available on the HOSI Salzburg website.
Some of the planned events have not yet been finalised. This post will be updated regularly until early September.