Glyndebourne Festival Opera 2026
Glyndebourne Festival Opera 2026
We are delighted to reveal the Festival lineup for 2026, which will run 21 May – 30 August 2026. The flagship summer programme of world class opera.
A summer of firsts begins with Puccini’s Tosca, directed by Ted Huffman who makes his Glyndebourne debut.
Tosca is the first Puccini opera for Glyndebourne’s Music Director Robin Ticciati, who will conduct the London Philharmonic Orchestra in the first of two performance runs. The opening cast for Tosca includes Caitlin Gotimer as Floria Tosca, Matteo Lippi as Mario Cavaradossi and Vladislav Sulimsky as Baron Scarpia. The second cast will be conducted by Canadian Jordan de Souza and will feature Natalya Romaniw as Floria Tosca, Atalla Ayan as Mario Cavaradossi and Alfred Walker as Baron Scarpia.
The distinct visual style of William Kentridge will be showcased in his Glyndebourne debut production of Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo, an opera never seen at Glyndebourne before. Jonathan Cohen will conduct the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment with a cast of period specialists including Krystian Adam as Orfeo, Francesca Aspromonte as La Musica/Euridice, Leia Lensing as Proserpina, Callum Thorpe as Caronte and Davide Giangregorio as Plutone.
The third new production at Festival 2026 will see Glyndebourne favourite Laurent Pelly direct Richard Strauss’ deftly interwoven story of love and art: Ariadne auf Naxos. The cast includes Rachel Willis-Sørensen as Ariadne, Samantha Hankey as Composer, David Butt Philip as Bacchus and Alina Wunderlin performing another key coloratura role as Zerbinetta, after impressing as the Queen of the Night in Festival 2024. Robin Ticciati will conduct the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
The first of three revivals in 2026 will be Mariame Clément’s witty version of Rossini’s Il turco in Italia, which was first staged at Festival 2021 and showcases the composer at his comedic best. Vincenzo Milletarì will conduct the London Philharmonic Orchestra and a cast which includes Rodion Pogossov (returning as Don Geronio), Minghao Liu as Narciso, Elena Villalón as Fiorilla, Péter Kálmán as Selim, Anle Gou as Albazar and Matteo Mancini as Prosdocimo.
The second revival is Michael Grandage’s Billy Budd, not seen at Glyndebourne for over a decade after its acclaimed premiere at Festival 2010 and subsequent revival in 2013. Grandage’s production of Britten’s opera plunges the audience below deck, recreating an 18th-century ship. Nicholas Carter will conduct the London Philharmonic Orchestra and a cast featuring Thomas Mole in the title role, and recent Olivier Award-winner Allan Clayton (Captain Vere) and Sam Carl (John Claggart) making their role debuts.
David McVicar’s productions at Glyndebourne have become some of the opera house’s best-loved: his gorgeous 2015 production of Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail will be the final revival of the season. Evan Rogister will conduct the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and a cast filled with young rising stars, including Liv Redpath as Konstanze, Anthony León as Belmonte (in his UK debut), Julie Roset as Blonde, Thomas Cilluffo as Pedrillo and Michael Mofidian as Osmin (a role debut).
Stephen Langridge, Artistic Director of Glyndebourne, said:
‘Festival 2026 presents masterpieces from three-and-a-half centuries of opera, ranging from Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo in 1607 (arguably the first masterpiece of the form) to Britten’s Billy Budd in 1951. Our new L’Orfeo brings William Kentridge, Jonathan Cohen and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment together, while Billy Budd unleashes the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Nicolas Carter, and Allan Clayton singing his first Captain Vere in Michael Grandage’s extraordinary production. In between them you can find Mozart, Rossini, Puccini and Strauss. We are excited and proud to have assembled outstanding international artists – singers, directors, designers, conductors – to bring these great works of music theatre to life in a packed summer of opera at Glyndebourne.’
About the Glyndebourne Festival Opera
The Glyndebourne festival is held annually in England, near the town of Lewis in East Sussex on The Glyndebourne estate. The festival was founded in 1934 by philanthropist and owner of the Estate John Christie, who was a great lover of music. Amateur Opera performances were held in his house. Christie later married singer Audrey Mildmay. They came up with the idea to hold a high-level Opera festival. Thus, on may 28, 1934, the opening of the first festival was held with a production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Opera the Wedding of Figaro with Audrey Mildmay as Susanna. Over time, the Glyndebourne festival has become one of the most important events for music lovers.
In 1968, the festival expanded its program, there was a program of tours. To this day, festival performances can be seen in different parts of England.
If initially, the repertoire of the festival consisted mainly of operas by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, then later the repertoire was expanded. The audience could enjoy operas by Gioachino Rossini, Christoph Willibald Gluck, Gaetano Donizetti, Leos janáček, Richard Strauss, Igor Stravinsky, and others. These works were directed by such famous conductors as Fritz Busch (1934 – 1951), Vittoro GUI (1951 – 1960), John Pritchard (1960 – 1977), Bernard Haitink (1978 – 1988), and others. Such Opera stars as Luciano Pavarotti, Ruggero Raimondi, and others appeared on the stage of the festival.
The hall where the Glyndebourne festival was held was constantly renovated and expanded. If initially, it could accommodate 300 spectators, by 1977 – 850. In addition, a separate rehearsal room was added. However, this expansion did not meet the requirements of the festival, so in 1992 the construction of a new building began.
The new hall was opened on May 28, 1994, and could accommodate 1,200 spectators. The first production on the new stage, 60 years ago, was the Opera "the Wedding of Figaro" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Today, Opera lovers come to the festival every year and note that it retains its own style and unique atmosphere.
