Glyndebourne Festival Opera

Pinnacle of English opera and site of a million perfect picnics, Glyndebourne Festival Opera was founded in 1934 by John Christie and his soprano wife Audrey Mildmay, at their South Downs home. Luckily for thousands of music-lovers since, that home was a beautiful 700-year-old stately with enchanting gardens, a lake and a ha-ha, where the artier end of England’s elite come throughout summer to take Moët (and mosquito spray) with their Mozart. The festival attracts the very best international conductors, orchestras and singers – from Pavarotti in the 1960s to Vladimir Jurowski, who became musical director in 2001 – and many performances over the decades have entered opera folklore. But Glyndebourne, despite its state-of-the-art auditorium and starry productions, isn’t purely a musical experience. It is an English summer idyll, with elaborate picnics (white china and linen, Sauternes on the strawberries), evening dress and well-heeled gossip – real life is left somewhere else, miles away, back up the M23.

Highlights

Six productions each year mean six great first-night performances, but we especially like the very last night at Glyndebourne for that bittersweet ‘summer’s nearly over’ atmosphere. The ritual that makes the whole thing so very civilised is the 80-minute dinner interval, when the serious picnicking takes place.

Glyndebourne Festival Opera Highlight Image

In The Know

Head Count

Around 90,000 people visit Glyndebourne each summer. The auditorium seats nearly 1,300, with 44 standing in the upper circle, plus six wheelchairs at foyer circle level.

Meeting Point

The Long Bar, in the foyer, is the festival’s unofficial meeting-up place.

Best View

The horseshoe-shaped auditorium is acoustically superb, but some seats have restricted sightlines and others have limited views of the supertitles. The stalls and circle are excellent, as are the ground-level foyer circle seats, although some in the foyer circle sides have a restricted view.

What If

I wouldn’t know a Valkyrie if she bit me? Glyndebourne attracts the glitterati of the international opera world, but don’t expect to be surrounded by dedicated music buffs. This is a chance to dress up, picnic like kings and enjoy the Sussex countryside; plenty of regulars come for the social scene, as much as the music. But if you want to learn more, attend a pre-performance talk. On selected days, opera specialists spend 45 minutes priming you for what’s to come.

Packing Tips

Take a picnic blanket or two, and dress in your poshest Sunday best. You can travel there in civvies and change on site: there are changing facilities in the Plashett Building next to the carpark.

Dos and don'ts

• Dress up. Glyndebourne is a smart affair, with black tie and evening dresses the norm. Note: wedges work well here (stilettos just sink into the lawn). And men, how often to you get to wear a dickie bow?
• Get there early. There’s a sense of enjoyable ritual about locating your picnic spot and setting it all up for the interval, not to mention the chance of an aperitif.
• Get there early (part II). Latecomers are not admitted into the auditorium until there’s a suitable pause in the performance. You’ll be shown to the Organ Room to watch it on a TV screen, and that’s not half as much fun.
• If you’re picnicking and it starts to drizzle, don’t worry: there’s a marquee and a covered picnic area.

Need To Know

Children

This can be a lovely family trip, as long as your little ones are big enough to sit still, keep quiet and enjoy the story (if they’re not, you might put them off for ever).

Parking

There's ample parking on site for all visitors.

Disability Access

There is excellent access to most areas: you can request a parking space near the house; the auditorium has space for six wheelchairs, and ushers are ready to help whenever necessary. All the restaurants except Middle Wallop provide wheelchair access; let staff know when you book, so they can allocate you a convenient table. The auditorium is equipped with a Sennheiser infra-red sound-enhancement system; receivers can be borrowed from the house manager’s office.

Food & Drink

A champagne picnic is the classic way to dine at Glyndebourne: bring your own or pre-order one, from around £55 a head, and pick it up on arrival; then head to the SunkenGarden or a spot by the pond to spread out your blanket. Leith’s runs the festival catering, and very good it is, too: festival-goers can choose between contemporary Mildmay Hall, classic Middle/Over Wallop (two levels of the same restaurant), and the newly refurbished carvery, Nether Wallop. Dinner is normally served during the extended 80-minute interval. Pre-booking is essential: do so online at www.diningatglyndebourne.com or by ringing 01273 812510. There are also two bars – the Long Bar and the Lawn Bar – where you can nibble on smoked salmon sandwiches, champagne, and strawberries and cream.

Sleep

We’re fans of Drakes in Brighton, as well as Hotel du Vin. You could also check in at the relaxing George in Rye, or opt for historic rural luxury at 900-year-old AmberleyCastle near Arundel. For details and online bookings, go to www. mrandmrssmith.com; alternatively, ring 0845 034 0701.

VIP

There are several boxes in the auditorium. The very best are the central A, B, C, E and F boxes in the foyer circle: these can all seat up to eight people, bar box C, which seats 10