Thursday 3 December 2026, shortly before 6 pm by the big Christmas tree in front of Schloss Mirabell (Mirabell Palace): first you hear the bells, then you see fur, horns and carved wooden masks. From 6 pm, the Krampus figures of the Alt Gnigler Krampus Perchten Pass, a Krampus group from Gnigl founded in 1966, run at our Salzburg Christmas market at Mirabellplatz (Mirabell Square); Krampus is a horned, fur-clad figure from Alpine folklore who accompanies St. Nicholas. St. Nicholas comes with them and brings sweets for the children. In 2026 this Krampus run with St. Nicholas at Mirabellplatz takes place on a single evening only.
What is the Krampus run with St. Nicholas at Mirabellplatz? An appearance by the Krampus figures of the Alt Gnigler Krampus Perchten Pass from the Salzburg district of Gnigl on Thursday 3 December 2026, from 6 pm, at the Christmas market at Mirabellplatz. St. Nicholas comes along and hands out sweets to the children. Only Krampus figures run, no Perchten (fur-clad, masked figures from Alpine winter folklore). Entry is free.
The date, time and our full programme are further down.
When is the Krampus run at Mirabellplatz in 2026?
The Krampus run with St. Nicholas (in German: Krampuslauf mit Nikolaus) is on Thursday 3 December 2026, from 6 pm. It only takes place on this evening; there’s no second Krampus or St. Nicholas date at our market. On Thursdays the market is open until 8 pm, so after the run there’s still time for a Punsch (hot punch).
The runners are the Alt Gnigler Krampus Perchten Pass, a group that has existed since 1966 and is a fixed part of our market every year. More about the group is in our portrait of the Alt Gnigler Krampus Perchten Pass, and you’ll find their own dates at altgnigler.at.
What to expect at the Krampus run
On this evening, only Krampus figures run, and St. Nicholas comes with them. The Alt Gnigler keep their two kinds of figure strictly apart by the calendar and have put it into a rhyme in dialect on their website: “Zur g’rechten Zeit am g’recht Ort, ziahn Krampus z’erst dann Perchten fort” – at the right time, in the right place, first the Krampus go out, then the Perchten. In Advent it’s the Krampus figures’ turn; the Perchten only come in the Rauhnächte, the “rough nights” of midwinter.
The Krampus figures wear fur suits of goatskin and sheepskin and carry bells and switches. Their wooden masks are one-offs; for a good 30 years most of them have come from Wolfgang Gangl, a mask carver from the Pongau region. How these masks are made and what makes a Perchten mask different is explained in Krampus masks and Perchten masks.
It doesn’t stay entirely tame. Tanja Konrad, whose hut stands right by the big Christmas tree, ventured out briefly last year to film, and promptly a Krampus pulled her hat off her head: “There were a few swats too, of course.” If you stand right at the front, you’re in the thick of it.
Christmas programme
Thursday 3 December 2026, from 6 pm: Krampus run with St. Nicholas at Mirabellplatz. The Alt Gnigler Krampus figures run, and St. Nicholas hands out sweets to the children. All dates for 2026 at a glance.
Tips: where to stand, when to arrive and getting there
The run starts at the big Christmas tree in front of Schloss Mirabell. That’s also where the wind players perform during our Advent music, so the tree is easy to find. A few tips for the evening:
- Arrive early: Better come half an hour before. That leaves time to find a spot and have a Glühwein (hot mulled wine, spiced with cinnamon, cloves and orange).
- Front or back: Right at the front you see the masks up close and may feel the switch now and then. If you’d rather keep your distance, stand further back or at the edge by the huts.
- Dress warmly: In December it gets dark in Salzburg around 5 pm, so at 6 pm it’s already night and usually cold. Gloves and a hat help while you wait.
- Stay afterwards: The market is open until 8 pm.
Trolleybus (Obus) lines 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 stop right at Mirabellplatz. From the main station (Hauptbahnhof) it’s a walk of around 10 to 15 minutes. If you come by car, park in the Mirabell-Congress-Garage (underground car park next to Mirabellplatz) in front of St. Andrew’s Church (St. Andrä). What to bear in mind with children, when taking photos and about keeping your distance is in our tips for the Krampus run.
Opening hours & getting here
On 3 December our market is open until 8 pm. Trolleybus lines, the walk from the main station and parking at a glance.
With children: St. Nicholas brings sweets
At our market, 3 December is an evening for the whole family. St. Nicholas comes with the Krampus figures and hands out sweets to the children. There’s no separate St. Nicholas evening at our market in 2026; you’ll see Krampus and St. Nicholas on this one Thursday.
The Krampus figures aren’t quiet – you’ll hear their bells from a long way off. With young children it’s better to stand further back or at the edge by the huts. Explain to them beforehand that there’s a person under every mask. That helps a lot of children.
We’ve collected all the Krampus dates in the city, including the Krampus runs (sometimes called Krampus parades) and their schedule, in Krampus in Salzburg 2026. More ideas for families are in Salzburg in December with kids.
Krampus and Perchten: the custom in brief
Krampus accompanies St. Nicholas in Advent. By old custom, Perchten belong to the Rauhnächte between 21 December and Epiphany (Dreikönig). According to Salzburg Tourism, Perchten runs now take place throughout December, but the Alt Gnigler stick to the calendar: as a Krampus Pass – Pass is the local word for a Krampus or Perchten group – they’re out from the first Advent weekend until 8 December, and as Schiachperchten (“ugly” Perchten; “schiach” means wild and ugly) with six horns only from 21 December until Epiphany. That’s why you’ll only see Krampus figures at our market on 3 December.
How to tell the two apart is in our article on the difference between Krampus and Perchten. What else is customary in the Rauhnächte is explained in Rauhnächte in Salzburg.
Frequently asked questions
On Thursday 3 December 2026, from 6 pm. The Krampus figures of the Alt Gnigler Krampus Perchten Pass run, St. Nicholas comes along, and on this evening only.
Yes. Entry to the Christmas market at Mirabellplatz is free, at the Krampus run on 3 December too.
The run starts at the big Christmas tree in front of Schloss Mirabell. At the front you’re in the thick of it; further back or by the huts you have more distance. It’s best to come half an hour early.
Yes, at our market 3 December is an evening for the whole family: St. Nicholas comes along and hands out sweets to the children. The Krampus figures are loud with their bells, though. With young children, stand further back and explain beforehand that there’s a person under the mask.
Trolleybus (Obus) lines 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 stop right at Mirabellplatz, and from the main station it’s a walk of around 10 to 15 minutes. You can park in the Mirabell-Congress-Garage in front of St. Andrew’s Church.
No, on 3 December only Krampus figures run. The Alt Gnigler only appear as Perchten in the Rauhnächte from 21 December. For the first Rauhnacht, on Monday 21 December 2026, the organiser of the Christkindlmarkt – the Austrian name for a traditional Christmas market – plans a Perchten run on Domplatz, expected at 7 pm. We collect more dates in the city in Krampus in Salzburg 2026.
Sources
Retrieved on 2 November 2026: Christmas market at Mirabellplatz: programme 2026 · Opening hours & directions · Alt Gnigler Krampus Perchten Pass, website (home page, association, custom) · questionnaire from Tanja Konrad (October 2026) · Salzburg Tourism: Krampus and Perchten · organiser of the Salzburg Christkindlmarkt (Perchten run on 21 December 2026) · schedule for 3 December 2026 (Krampus figures only, with St. Nicholas, the only date): information from the Weihnachtsmarkt Mirabell association (2 and 3 November 2026)