The Glyndebourne Festival

Glyndebourne is synonymous with all that represents excellence in the musical traditions of Great Britain. Year after year, this remarkable festival presents five or six operas during the summer months. Its reputation undoubted, it continues both to enthral and to challenge in equal measure.

We are delighted to offer you the opportunity to enjoy this unique Festival as we have secured tickets for three operas from the 2027 season – Operas will include Rossini’s La Cenerentola, Verdi’s La Traviata and Mozart’s Idomeneo to include each evening a seated interval dinner with wine.

Our seats will be within the Foyer Circle, offering excellent sight of the stage. Further details of the productions can be found in the Day by Day descriptions. 

Supporting the opera programme, Professor Peter Hill will join us once again when he gives a series of morning lecture/seminars on each of the opera days, supported by piano accompaniment when the opera of the evening will be analysed and discussed. He has led opera tours for us to Dresden, Leipzig, Parma and in recent years at Glyndebourne, and his contribution will enhance everyone’s enjoyment.

For this gently paced visit we shall be based in the picturesque Sussex village of Alfriston, a few miles from Glyndebourne at the charming Alfriston Hotel. Formerly known as Deans Place, it opened as The Alfriston in March 2025 after being completely refurbished and upgraded. As the hotel is a mixture of historic and more modern parts, the comfortable bedroom vary in size and outlook.  Whilst most rooms have bathrooms with baths and overhead showers, there are a limited number of rooms available with walk-in showers. The hotel has a bistro style restaurant, a spa and swimming pool, with plenty of places to sit and relax, both inside and in the surrounding gardens.

Day 1: Monday 5 July

Participants can arrive at our hotel, The Alfriston Hotel, in Alfriston, from 4.00 pm onwards. We meet for drinks and our first group dinner in the hotel - wine, water & coffee are included with all group lunches and dinners.

Day 2: Tuesday 6 July

After breakfast we meet in the hotel’s Sussex Room when Professor Peter Hill will give the first of his three morning Seminar/Lectures, using the piano to support his analysis. Peter is a distinguished lecturer and keyboard recitalist, known for his acclaimed recordings of Bach for Delphian, including the Well-Tempered Clavier, Goldberg Variations and French Suites.  This morning Peter will introduce tonight’s opera, Rossini’s La Cenerentola. We have a light buffet lunch after Peter’s lecture and mid-afternoon we travel to Glyndebourne where we have a group dinner during the long interval.  This is the first new staging of La Cenerentola at Glyndebourne in over 20 years. Rossini’s joyful comedy will be directed by Olivier and Tony-nominated theatre director Max Webster, known for his spectacular and theatrical stagings, and working at Glyndebourne for the first time. Enrique Mazzola will be conducting the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. The cast includes Svetlina Stoyanova as Angelina, Levy Sekgapane as Don Ramiro, Mikhail Timoshenko as Dandini, Marco Filippo Romano as Don Magnifico and Michael Mofidian as Alidoro.

Day 3: Wednesday 7 July

After breakfast Peter will introduce Verdi’s La Traviata, after which we have a light buffet lunch and mid-afternoon travel by coach to Glyndebourne. There will be a group dinner during the long interval.  This will be a revival of Tom Cairns’ stylish and sophisticated production of Verdi’s La Traviata with twenty performances featuring two casts. The role of Violetta will be shared by Louise Alder, making a role debut, and Elisa Verzier, who gave an acclaimed performance as Violetta during Glyndebourne’s 2024 Autumn Season; Amitai Pati and Julien Dran as Alfredo, with Ricardo José Rivera and Audun Iversen as Giorgio Germont. Riccardo Frizza will conduct the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Day 4: Thursday 8 July

We meet after breakfast when Peter will introduce Mozart’s delightful Idomeneo.  Set on the island of Crete just after the end of the Trojan War, it was first performed in the Court Theatre at Munich in 1781. We have a light buffet lunch and mid-afternoon travel by coach to Glyndebourne. There will be a group dinner during the long interval. This evening’s new production will be directed by Stephen Langridge and conducted by Robin Ticciati who will lead the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. It is the first time the pair – who hold the roles of Artistic Director and Music Director at Glyndebourne – have collaborated on a main stage Festival production.  The cast includes Ian Koziara as Idomeneo, Deepa Johnny as Idamante, Katharina Konradi as Ilia and Golda Schultz as Elettra.

Day 5: Friday 9 July

After a leisurely breakfast the group disperses.

The Operas:

Please note that the tour price includes tickets for three Operas. If you would like to attend fewer than three, then the difference in cost (which also includes dinner) will be deducted from the final balance - we will not be able to confirm the exact amount until December 2026. Please confirm your opera preference(s) on booking. We are required to purchase all the opera tickets in advance and in the event of you having to cancel this would be non-refundable, unless we were able to re-sell the relevant ticket.