Glyndebourne Opera Festival - Britain's Most Elegant Opera Evenings

• What: Britain's summer opera house, on an East Sussex Estate
• When: May 18 to August 31
• Where: Glyndebourne in Lewes is not far from Brighton
• What's on this season
• Admission: From £140 for opera, from £60 for choral works. Book online or email the box office.
• Website

For three and a half months, every summer, the Glyndebourne Estate, with its purpose built opera house and its own opera company, hosts the Glyndebourne Festival Opera. Tickets are snapped up very quickly and there are waiting lists to get on waiting lists - so book early.

Founded in 1934 , The Glyndebourne Opera house was built and funded by John Christie, owner of the estate, and, through Glyndebourne, a founder of the Edinburgh Festival. Today the opera, with its new theater, opened in 1994, and studio stage, is a uniquely British institution, funded by foundations, private donations and subscription memberships.

An evening at Glyndebourne is an essential part of an opera fan's summer social season. And, an essential part of that evening is evening dress - black tie is not optional. Another essential is a picnic on the grounds of the estate before the production. Some people book their champagne picnic hampers from Glyndebourne's caterers, others bring their own, but either way, elegance is the name of the game.

The Hottest Ticket in Town

Glyndebourne tickets first go on sale, by postal ballot, to members who pay thousands of pounds for the privilege of high priority booking in early January.

Opera lovers with less of the readies can still enjoy priority booking in March by joining the Glyndebourne Mailing List (before January 31. It costs £10 to join the mailing list.

Tickets for the general public go on sale in April and by that time numbers are limited so you have to be quick.

Glyndebourne out of season

In the winter months, the Glyndebourne Opera Touring Company does occasional performances at its home base. Tickets cost less then and dress is optional so it's worth checking the website if you are planning a visit outside Glyndebourne's festival season.

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