Glyndebourne Festival Opera
Glyndebourne Festival Opera takes place May 21 - Aug 30, 2026 in Lewes, United Kingdom. The dress code is Black tie / long evening dress is the strong convention; bring flat shoes and a wrap for the gardens. Typical cost ranges from 250 to 900 EUR per person.
The definitive English country-house opera festival, staged since 1934 in the Sussex Downs, where world-class productions pause for a 90-minute dinner interval of champagne picnics in black tie. The 2026 season includes the house's first-ever Tosca alongside new Monteverdi and Strauss productions. It is formal, eccentric and quietly magical.
- When
- May 21 - Aug 30, 2026
- Where
- Lewes, United Kingdom
- Dress code
- Black tie / long evening dress is the strong convention; bring flat shoes and a wrap for the gardens
- Cost
- Typical cost ranges from 250 to 900 EUR per person.
- Weather
- 16 - 23C, mild English summer with a chance of showers
- When to book
- General booking opens early Mar and prime summer Saturdays go fast; join the free mailing list for returns and standing tickets
- Getting there
- LGW (London Gatwick), about 45 min by car; or train London Victoria to Lewes plus shuttle
- Where to stay
- South Lodge (Horsham), Pelham House (Lewes), Wingrove House (Alfriston)
- Official site
- https://www.glyndebourne.com/
How to attend
Public booking opens in early March at glyndebourne.com (members book earlier); tickets run roughly 30 - 300 pounds with standing places far cheaper. Join the free mailing list for returns. Take the train from London Victoria to Lewes with the connecting shuttle, or drive and park on the lawns.
Insider tip
Reserve your lawn picnic spot or restaurant table the moment you book seats - the 90-minute dinner interval on the lawns, sheep grazing beyond the ha-ha, is the whole point of the evening.
Get inside Glyndebourne Festival Opera
Booking matters here: general booking opens early Mar and prime summer Saturdays go fast; join the free mailing list for returns and standing tickets. Members track that window, what it really costs, and 573 more events across the season.
Free while in beta. One email when your invitation is ready, nothing else.