From military re-enactments in the grounds of royal castles to concerts and operas in the parkland surrounding some of Britain’s most historic estates, the UK’s summer calendar is full of excellent open-air events. Our Tickets team has chosen five of its favourites – call us book tickets to any of the performances below or for more options in your region.
Glyndebourne Festival
20 May – 26 August
Glyndebourne, East Sussex
Pimm’s, picnics and Puccini is the order of the day at this much-loved cultural institution. Now in its 77th year, the annual summer festival takes place in deepest, leafiest Sussex, at a beautiful country house set among landscaped gardens, croquet lawns and ornamental lakes. Attracting both opera aficionados and the uninitiated, this year’s early evening performances include The Cunning Little Vixen, La bohème and The Marriage of Figaro.
Although registration is closed and most of the headline performances have sold out, our Tickets team has arranged a special rate for performances of La Cenerentola. On Wednesday 23 May (opening night) and Friday 1 June, we can offer the best seats in the house and a programme for £150 per person, saving our members £70. To take advantage of this exclusive price, please call us as soon as possible.
Battle Proms
7 July – 24 August
Burghley House, Lincolnshire
Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire
Hatfield House, Hertfordshire
Highclere Castle, Berkshire
Althorp Park, Northamptonshire
Ragley Hall, Warwickshire
Some of the finest castles and estates in the country provide an impressive backdrop for this day-long series of concerts. Classical music is staged all day with a grand finale of patriotic singalongs and Tchaikovsky’s 1812 overture accompanied by live canon fire and fireworks. For children there’s a traditional fairground and live battle re-enactments and some of the venues have an aerobatic display from Spitfires and modern Royal Air Force planes.
Opera Holland Park
17 July – 4 August
Holland Park, London
Alongside the packed spring schedule, which includes a Mascagni and Puccini double bill (22 June – 24 July), Opera Holland Park is giving youngsters their first operatic experience by bringing back their critically acclaimed production of Fantastic Mr Fox. Roald Dahl's classic story of cunning and wit is brought to life in one of the park’s wooded glades, as children and parents are led from tree to tree following Mr Fox as he defeats his less intelligent enemies. Call a member of our Tickets team for bookings.
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Leeds Castle
14 July
Leeds Castle, Maidstone, Kent
Set in the grounds of the 13th-century castle, this year’s programme welcomes back John Rigby as conductor and includes performances by leading tenor Wynne Evans, who sings with the Welsh National Opera, and international soprano Claire Rutter. There will also be a special performance from the Military Wives, the group who claimed the Christmas number one last year following their success on the BBC series, The Choir. To add to the occasion there will be fly-pasts by Second World War aircraft and a huge fireworks display.
Orchestra in a Field
30 June – 1 July
Glastonbury Abbey, Somerset
Stages and tents are set among the ancient orchards and historic ruins that dot the rolling parkland surrounding the abbey. As well as small shows from local music groups and choirs, the main stage will host a number of headline performances, including Bizet’s opera, Carmen, and Charles Hazlewood’s revival of Mike Oldfield’s 1970s seminal classical, Tubular Bells, on the Saturday night. Day tickets are available, but we recommend calling us to buy a weekend pass, which includes camping at Michael Eavis’s Worthy Farm, the home of Glastonbury Festival. (pictured)
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