The Passionsspielhaus is the open-fronted stage at the north end of the village where the Passion Play is performed every ten years. The current building dates from 1900, with a covered seating area for around 4,500 spectators facing a stage that is deliberately open to the mountain air behind. The performance lasts about five hours, runs from May to October in the appointed year, and uses only villagers — actors, musicians, and crew all have to have been born in Oberammergau or lived there for twenty years.
In non-play years the theatre runs guided tours behind the scenes, with costumes, backdrops, and the workshop where the village builds its own props. It is also used for opera, oratorio, and concerts through the summer. The 2030 production will be the 43rd time the play is staged.