11 Of The Best Opera & Classical Music Festivals
GARSINGTON OPERA
In 2011, Garsington moved from its Oxfordshire home to Wormsley Estate, home of the Getty family, in the Chiltern Hills near Stokenchurch. The performances, which are held in the spectacular Japanese-style Opera Pavilion, consist of a programme of four operas. This year, you can choose from Donizetti’s L'elisir d'amore, Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades, Handel’s Rodelinda and Beethoven’s Fidelio. The 90-minute-long dinner interval is a central feature of an evening at Garsington and there are a variety of dining and picnicking options available – a complete fine-dining experience in the restaurant, a catered picnic hamper, or you can bring your own picnic and set up in one of the many spots around the site. The caterers also offer a number of pre-performance dining options in the late afternoon.
Near Stokenchurch, Buckinghamshire; 28th May-22nd July. Click here to book & for more information.
Where To Stay
For an uber luxe and ultimate foodie treat, book into Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons which is under 20 minutes away. For an equally luxe stay, Cliveden House Hotel, the celebrated haunt for politicos and literati on the banks of the River Thames, is no more than a half-hour drive. Or if you fancy staying in the centre of Oxford, The Old Bank is a smart 43-room boutique hotel bang on the high street and surrounded by some of the oldest colleges.
GRANGE PARK OPERA
Just 20 miles from London by the Surrey Hills, Grange Park Opera was founded in 1998. It moved in 2017 to its current location in West Horsley Place, a 350-acre estate with a glorious, sprawling 14th-century house surrounded by formal gardens with secret corners, aged trees, box hedges and a majestic crinkle crankle wall. The modern five-storey opera house, modelled on La Scala in Milan, seats 700 and, this year, the programme includes Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra and Tchaikovsky’s Mazeppa. Before the opera, you can pre-order champagne and canapés, served in the Rose Garden, and during the interval, a three-course meal is served in the Marquess’ library, the magnificent Stone Hall, the Red Drawing room and the Morning Room. Or you can order a hamper or bring your own picnic to enjoy in a private Indian pavilion.
West Horsley Place, Surrey; 5th June-13th July. Click here to book & for more information.
Where To Stay
To complete the evening, we’d opt to stay overnight at stunning Beaverbrook, just seven miles away. The hotel was the home of newspaper baron Lord Beaverbrook in the early 20th century where he entertained glamorous guests from Elizabeth Taylor to Ian Fleming and Winston Churchill. Views are outstanding and the grounds are vast, but the spa and pool is where we’ll be heading for a bit of R&R. For something a little lower key, we also love former coaching inn The Talbot in nearby Ripley. It is one of England’s most storied inns and was once a popular rest stop for travellers journeying between London and Portsmouth. With period features that showcase over 500 years of history, the inn is famed for being the romantic setting where Lord Nelson and Lady Emma Hamilton’s relationship blossomed in 1798.
Verity Milligan for Garsington Opera
ALDEBURGH FESTIVAL
Founded by composer Benjamin Britten, the Aldeburgh Festival has been a pilgrimage for classical music and culture buffs since 1948. This year’s event opens with the world premiere of Colin Matthews’s new opera A Visit to Friends, with a libretto by William Boyd that takes the Chekhov short story as its inspiration. Continuing its commitment to celebrating contemporary voices, the festival comprises 20 premieres and 14 commissions over 17 days. Four featured artists – tenor Allan Clayton, violinist Leila Josefowicz and composers Helen Grime and Daniel Kidane – are at the heart of this year’s programme. Other concerts include the London Symphony Orchestra and Antonio Pappano, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
Aldeburgh, Suffolk; 13th-29th June. Click here to book & for more information.
Where To Stay
In the heart of the town, The Suffolk has six en-suite bedrooms decorated in soothing colours with a mix of antique and vintage furniture – the perfect setting in which to relax and recharge. Be sure to book into the restaurant. Tucked away just outside Aldeburgh, Five Acre Barn is one of the country’s most architecturally appealing B&Bs and, about 25 minutes away in Saxmundham, Wilderness Reserve is an 8,000-acre estate of woodland and lakes with a range of luxe accommodation.
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CHELTENHAM MUSIC FESTIVAL
Set in beautiful Cotswolds surroundings since 1945, Cheltenham Music Festival returns for its 80th birthday celebrations for eight days in July. From world premieres at Cheltenham Town Hall to emerging talent in the Pittville Pump Room, it will bring together music from across the classical spectrum, featuring the world's best talent.
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire; 4th-12th July. Click here to book & for more information.
Where To Stay
There is, of course, no shortage of places to stay in the Cotswolds. Our favourite, within walking distance of the centre of town, is boutique guesthouse No.38 The Park in a beautiful Georgian townhouse adjacent to Pittville Park. Just under 20 minutes away, the beautifully redesigned Cowley Manor has 36 spacious rooms and an impressive restaurant, headed up by one of our favourite chefs, Jackson Boxer.
BUXTON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL
The annual festival in this Derbyshire spa town is a must in any opera enthusiast’s calendar. In addition to world class opera, the festival also offers music, jazz and book evenings. The main venues – the Matcham-designed Buxton Opera House, the Octagon, the Pavilion Gardens complex and the Buxton Crescent Hotel – are all within easy walking distance of one another. Highlights this year include Ambroise Thomas’ Hamlet; a double bill of Leonard Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti and Francis Poulenc’s La Voix Humaine; Mozart’s The Impresario; and four new 20-minute operas by composers Thandanani Gumede, Jasper Dommett, Martin Green and Carmel Smickersgill.
Buxton, Derbyshire; 10th-27th July. Click here to book & for more information.
Where To Stay
In the centre of town, the Buxton Crescent Spa Hotel is a beautiful Grade I-listed Georgian building which has recently been restored to its 18th-century splendour – expect luxurious rooms, good food and a vast thermal spa. Or a little further away – about half an hour by car – book into one of our favourite hotels, The Cavendish, located on the edge of the Peak District in the picture postcard village of Baslow on the Chatsworth Estate.
GLYNDEBOURNE FESTIVAL
Since 1934, audiences have dressed up and prepared lavish picnics for their visit to Glyndebourne. Set in chalk hills of the South Downs, the festival is one of the most celebrated in the world – every year, their six operas offer some of the best music and a night you’ll never forget. This year, choose from the following performances held in their state-of-the-art indoor auditorium: Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, Wagner’s Parsifal, Handel’s Saul, Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, Verdi’s Falstaff and Janáček’s Káťa Kabanová. If al fresco dining isn’t for you, the restaurants offer a range of indoor options from classic fine dining to modern plant-forward cuisine.
Near Lewes, East Sussex; 6th May-24th August. Click here to book & for more information.
Where To Stay
Glyndebourne is one of the best excuses to construct a short break in the South Downs. Opt for Olga and Alex Polizzi’s stylish The Star, a striking Grade II-listed 15th-century building in Alfriston. It combines brilliantly with a visit to Charleston and the cottage owned by Virginia Woolf nearby, which are two of the most atmospheric literary shrines in Britain. We also like Victorian country house hotel Horsted Place Hotel, a Gothic Revival manor house built in 1850 on the edge of Uckfield, which is set in landscaped gardens with extensive views towards the Downs.
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PEXELS/Armando Filomeno
LUCERNE FESTIVAL
The Lucerne Festival, set against the picturesque Lake Lucerne and Swiss Alps, brings together the crème de la crème of classical music – world-famous orchestras, celebrated stars and outstanding newcomers. Performances are held in the KKL Luzern, with its outstanding concert hall renowned for its acoustics as well as its architecture. The month-long summer festival puts on over 100 events – this year’s many stars include the likes of Sir Simon Rattle, Martha Argerich, Lang Lang, Daniel Barenboim and Anne-Sophie Mutter.
Lucerne, Switzerland; 12th August-14th September. Click here to book & for more information.
Where To Stay
The iconic Belle Epoque Palace hotel opened in 1906 and had a huge makeover to re-open in 2022 as the Mandarin Oriental Palace Luzern, one of the grandest dames in Switzerland. All the rooms have stunning views of the lake and mountains and, if you want to blow the budget, book the Panoramic Rooftop Terrace Suite. Perched above the lake, but just minutes from the historic centre, Art Deco Hotel Montana, built in 1910, retains many of its original character – a spiral staircase, high ceilings, parquet floors and mosaic tiles – with a hint of modernity. Further up the hill, 500m above the lake, the revamped Bürgenstock Resort was once home to Audrey Hepburn and Sophia Loren and, today, consists of four hotels to suit all budgets, an amazing spa and a choice of restaurants. Aim to arrive in style from the city – by boat and then funicular.
VERONA OPERA FESTIVAL
This is one of Italy's most iconic and historic summer opera festivals, typically running between June and September. It takes place in the ancient Roman amphitheatre known as the Arena di Verona, located in the heart of the city. Dating back to the first century AD, the Arena is one of the world’s best-preserved Roman amphitheatres and is renowned for its remarkable acoustics as well as being one of the largest open-air venues that can accommodate up to 15,000 spectators. This year’s festival showcases well-known operas such as Verdi’s Rigoletto, La Traviata, Aida and Nabucco, Bizet’s Carmen and a one-off concert with the king of tenors, Jonas Kaufmann. Other performances include Zorba The Greek, Carmina Burana and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.
Verona, Italy; 13th June-6th September. Click here to book & for more information.
Where To Stay
For traditional Italian Baroque style combined with contemporary art (including works by Damian Hirst), five-star Byblos Art Hotel ticks all the boxes. Located in the Valpolicella vineyards, this designer hotel is just 15 minutes from the city centre, making it ideal for wine and opera fans alike. If you prefer to stay in the historic centre of Verona, the Due Torri Hotel is housed in a 14th-century palace close to the church of Saint Anastasia, and a stone’s throw from Juliet’s famous balcony and the Arena.
GSTAAD MENUHIN FESTIVAL
In 1957, violinist Yehudi Menuhin and his family moved to the Swiss alpine town of Gstaad where he founded the festival after being asked by the director of tourism to ‘enhance the summer season with some concerts’. Today, the festival consists of more than 50 concerts over a seven-week period and showcases an array of world-class soloists and ensembles. This year’s 69th festival finishes its three-season ‘change’ cycle with a programme focusing on the theme of migration, brought to life through personal stories – many of the musicians performing have lived through experiences of fleeing and starting a new life in exile, facing political oppression, enduring war or persecution or carry with them a deep longing for their homeland.
Gstaad, Switzerland; 18th July-6th September. Click here to book & for more information.
Where To Stay
The very chic and celebrity-packed Gstaad is expensive. Made famous in the 1960s for its jet-setting guests, the fairytale castle Gstaad Palace perches above the village and was the first hotel to open here in 1913. Stay here for Swiss hospitality at its best. Other favourites, closer to the designer shops that line the cobbled main promenade, include Le Grand Bellevue which sits within gorgeous private parkland and The Alpina Gstaad, one of the region’s most impressive hotels with eyewatering prices to match. To escape the glitz, head 8km down the road to Rougemont – a hidden gem, this is one of the prettiest and most authentic villages in Switzerland in the heart of the Pays-d’Enhaut in the Vaud Alps. It is fast becoming a gastronomic haven too, showcasing regional as well as world-class food. Stay at the 12-room Hôtel Valrose.
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Ennevi Foto
FESTIVAL D'AIX-EN-PROVENCE
This festival in southern France is a three-week event known predominantly for opera, but it also showcases a variety of orchestral, chamber, vocal and solo instrumental works. Since the first performance of Mozart's opera Così Fan Tutte in 1948, Mozart has always been the major opera composer in Aix – this 2025 season, one of his masterpieces, Don Giovanni, is the highlight. The Grand Théâtre de Provence will be home to a new production of what must be the opera of operas, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle. Another event this year is Gustave Charpentier's Louise, a hugely popular work that offers a leading role to French soprano Elsa Dreisig.
Aix-en-Provence, France; 4th-21st July. Click here to book & for more information.
Where To Stay
The Lubéron is full of luxe hotels, but we’d recommend staying close to the city centre within walking distance of the various festival venues. Hidden within stone walls in a haven of greenery, the 35-room Villa Saint-Ange is housed in a former 18th-century family residence that has been meticulously renovated, retaining many of the original features. Or book into the Relais & Châteaux La Villa Gallici, another elegant 18th-century residence with lavish interiors and sumptuous fabrics.
PEXELS/AXP Photography
PEXELS/AXP Photography
SALZBURG FESTIVAL
Located in Mozart’s birthplace, the Salzburg Festival was founded more than 100 years ago and offers a diverse array of opera, drama and concerts performed in historical venues across the city, such as the Rock Riding School, Great Festival Hall and Cathedral Square. Operas this year include Michael Jarrell’s Kassandra, Handel’s Giulio Cesare in Egitto and Mozart’s Mitridate, re di Ponto; concerts will see performances by the likes of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and recitals by Evgeny Kissin, one of the most outstanding pianists of our time.
Salzburg, Austria; 18th July-31st August. Click here to book & for more information.
Where To Stay
Right opposite the Festival Hall and close to Mozart’s birthplace, the artHOTEL Blaue Gans is Salzburg's oldest inn, dating back more than 600 years. It has been lovingly restored by the owner and transformed into a creative oasis, with works of art and installations, both traditional and modern. Rooms retain their historical touches but have been brought right up to date. The restaurant serves one of the best Wiener Schnitzel we’ve tasted. Within ten minutes’ walk of the city’s main sights across the Makartsteg footbridge, Hotel Sacher Salzburg is the city’s grande dame. It’s in the old town between the river and the Mirabell gardens (made famous as a location in The Sound of Music). Rooms are luxe and elegant with a touch of resplendent 19th-century pomp. Head to wood-paneled Zirbelzimmer for Austrian fine-dining and to the Café Sacher Salzburg for a slice of Sachertorte.
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