Belgian opera manager Peter de Caluwe will be the new artistic director of the Salzburg Festival. The board of trustees officially presented the 63-year-old on Friday. "With Peter de Caluwe as artistic director, we have been able to bring an excellent visionary to Salzburg," said the chairwoman of the board of trustees, Salzburg's governor Karoline Edtstadler (ÖVP).

Press conference of the Salzburg Festival

De Caluwe will succeed Karin Bergmann on October 1, 2027. Bergmann was appointed interim director following the departure of Markus Hinterhäuser in spring 2026. He will begin his preparation period as early as October 2026 and will work closely with Bergmann and the festival team, it was stated.

He approached the task with great joy and humility before the history of the Salzburg Festival, its artistic tradition, and the people who have shaped it, de Caluwe explained. He was deeply moved to be able to help shape the future of the festival.

"My guiding principle is actually quite simple: the highest artistic quality and the greatest openness," emphasized the designated artistic director. "I want to keep the European and humanistic idea from which the festival originated alive and carry it forward into our time – with curiosity, courage, and trust in the power of art."

Born in Dendermonde, Flanders, in 1963, de Caluwe directed the La Monnaie opera house in Brussels from 2007 to 2025. Prior to that, he worked for many years at the Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam.

The Salzburg Festival will retain its president, Kristina Hammer. Her contract has been extended for another five years, as the board of trustees also announced on Friday. This ensures "personnel continuity in challenging times," said Edtstadler.

Founded in 1920, the Salzburg Festival attracts around 250,000 visitors each year with approximately 200 events over six weeks. Last year, the festival achieved an occupancy rate of 98.4 percent.

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