Salzburg Festival: Philipp Hochmair to Perform as Jedermann in 2026 – with an Expanded Concept

Alongside the theater production, the 2026 festival program also addresses current social issues. The accompanying event "23,000 Lives" takes up the work of the sea rescue organization "Jugend Rettet." The documentary accompanies young people who, in 2015, bought a ship to rescue refugees from the Mediterranean, while also addressing the beginning of the Ukraine war in 2022.

The film project was initiated by Christopher Zwickler, who came up with the idea for the film adaptation after watching a documentary about "Jugend Rettet." "Mich begeistert am Stoff die Energie, mit der junge Menschen die Welt verändern," says Zwickler. For the filming, it was clear to him from the outset that the actual protagonists—the refugees—had to appear on camera.

According to Zwickler, the executives at Netflix were quickly convinced: "Es war eigentlich überraschend einfach, die Verantwortlichen bei Netflix zu überzeugen," says Christopher Zwickler with a laugh. The film features, among others, the high school student Jane and her school friend Lea, who are portrayed as representatives of Generation Z.

AI in Music: Labeling and Criticism

Another program item of the festival season is devoted to the topic of artificial intelligence in music. The music industry has agreed on two logos: one for "AI-generated" and one for "AI-assisted" music. This is intended to make it visible to consumers to what extent AI was involved in the production.

A representative of the industry summed up the fundamental criticism of AI in music: "Die Frechheit ist, dass KI nur deswegen Musik erzeugen kann, weil der Input Millionen Kreativer da hineingeflossen ist - sie wurden ausgebeutet und arbeitslos gemacht." Antje Valentin, Secretary General of the German Music Council, sees this as a challenge for the entire creative sector. "Wenn es jetzt darum geht, Hintergrundmusik zu schaffen, Werbemusik usw., das wollen wir ja und das muss uns auch etwas wert sein," says Valentin.

Steffen Holly from the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology expresses skepticism about the new labeling logos. "Ehrlich gesagt: absolut nutzlos," says Holly. He sees the real problem in the lack of demarcation within the production process: "Es werden schon heute so viele Sachen im Musikproduktionsprozess verwendet." Holly also points to the European Union's AI Act and poses the question: "Ist das schon KI, ist das kennzeichnungspflichtig?"

The most recent example of public discourse about AI-generated music is a rock song about a humpback whale named Timmy. The refrain goes: "Er hat sich das nicht ausgesucht, nicht das Leid, nicht diese Not". The song was streamed millions of times within a few weeks and stands as an example of the debate over authenticity in music production.

Stage Concept and Direct Audience Address

For the production of "Jedermann," the expanded stage concept also means a departure from a closed scenic world. Parts of the text are spoken directly from within the audience, which is intended to lend the famous death scene an added immediacy. Hochmair himself has repeatedly emphasized that what draws him to the role is the existential question of responsibility.

The program is also accompanied by a musical focus that places Brazilian music at the center. The program featured music by the trio "Tribo Choro" with Vera Rausch on flute and saxophone, along with percussionist Stefan Eibel. Led by Brazilian-born Angelo da Silva on guitar, they presented "Choro," a music genre that emerged in the late 19th century in Rio de Janeiro and means "cry, weeping" in Portuguese.

Musical Framework and Historical References

In this context, the festival management points to the historical dimension of the program. It is recalled that in the year 864, the Council of Worms sentenced an unruly plow handle to death by suffocation—an example of the long history of moral stagings to which "Jedermann" connects.

In addition to the festival program, the season also casts spotlights on social life in the city. One week before the big Christopher Street Day (CSD) parade in Berlin, the "32nd Lesbian-Gay City Festival" will be celebrated in Schöneberg this weekend. This shows how much the festival season is interwoven with urban and political events outside the festival walls.

Outlook on the 2026 Festival Season

Overall, it remains to be seen how the audience will respond to the transformed stage concept. The combination of classical tragedy, current documentary films, and discourse on artificial intelligence is regarded as a deliberate programmatic choice. The festival management sees this as an invitation to negotiate the great questions of the present through the medium of theater.

Festival visitors can expect a season that connects the traditional repertoire with contemporary issues. Initial responses from advance ticket sales indicate strong demand, particularly for the premiere of "Jedermann" and for the screening of "23,000 Lives."

With the programmatic expansion, the Salzburg Festival once again signals that it sees itself not merely as a preserver of classical works, but as a platform for engaging with pressing issues of the present—from migration and digital technologies to questions of identity.