Art, according to the Festival’s founding father Max Reinhardt, is “a celestial body of its own” – but one that “draws its light from the world of reality”. Confronted by a very real pandemic, the Salzburg Festival this year built on this insight. It declared art to be a “basic staple and central to the meaning of life”, deferred the decision about a would-be cancellation to the last possible starting date for rehearsals – and then went all in to make it all happen. Thus, the condensed 30 festival days became a beacon of happiness and lit up the entire culture business: yes, we can, despite everything else!