1 October - 9 November 2025

Oliver Messel: Designer. Maker. Influencer

This autumn, head downstairs underneath the auditorium to the Art Gallery to see original costumes, stage designs, photographs and props by Oliver Messel and a series of creative responses by MA Costume students from Wimbledon College of Arts (UAL).

Oliver Messel: Designer. Maker. Influencer explores Messel’s stagework at Glyndebourne in the 1950s and 1960s. Regarded as one of the most visionary designers of the twentieth century, Messel’s imaginative work transcended the boundaries of stage, film, and interior design, earning him widespread acclaim. Drawing together archival material with new works by contemporary artists and designers, this exhibition celebrates the remarkable imagination and ingenuity of Messel, as well as his enduring influence today.

In this extended version of the Festival 2025 exhibition, we have partnered with MA Costume students from Wimbledon College of Arts to reimagine Messel’s design aesthetic and working methods in new and contemporary ways. Part of a six month collaboration between Glyndebourne and the University of the Arts, London, works made by the 14 students include fully realised costumes, props, models, puppets, masks and photography.

The exhibition will also include prints for sale by artist and designer Luke Edward Hall.

The exhibition is available to view for all ticket holders and by appointment. Please contact art@glyndebourne.com for more information.

Oliver Messel at a costume parade for Il barbiere di Siviglia, 1954. Credit: Guy Gravett / Glyndebourne Productions Ltd

Messel’s first stage design for Glyndebourne was for Ariadne auf Naxos (1950), which debuted at the Edinburgh International Festival. He went on to design a further eight operas for the Company.

A prominent figure at Glyndebourne, Messel’s influence extended far beyond the stage. In 1951, at his house in London, the Glyndebourne Festival Society was launched. Messel was also instrumental in the creation of the Glyndebourne Festival Programme Book, designing the cover for its inaugural edition in 1952. He went on to create covers and interior pages for six more editions — the most by any designer or artist to date.

Much of the material in this exhibition is on display for the first time, offering fresh perspectives on Messel’s artistry for a new generation of Glyndebourne audiences.