A Guide to Glyndebourne Festival

Experience opera the way we do it. Electrifying, real, intense, creative, moving, extraordinary. All happening in one of the most evocative and beautiful spots in the country. Glyndebourne stories begin long before the curtain goes up, and end long after it has come down. And we’d love you to write your own.

We have another season of extraordinary opera lined up for you this summer. We can’t wait to share it all with you.

Festival 2027 features three new productions, all directed by Festival debutants – South African writer-director Yaël Farber directs Janáček’s Jenůfa; Max Webster directs Rossini’s La Cenerentola; and Glyndebourne’s Artistic Director, Stephen Langridge, directs Mozart’s Idomeneo. We also see the return of Diane Paulus’ thrillingly visceral 2024 production of Bizet’s Carmen and Tom Cairns’ stylish and sophisticated production of Verdi’s La traviata.

Public booking opens on Sunday 28 February 2027

In this short video, our staff members share their top tips for first timers:

There’s a lot to enjoy at Glyndebourne, so don’t forget to leave yourself enough time to see it all. The gardens open two hours before the start of the performance giving you ample opportunity to see everything we have to offer. Enjoy one of the most beautiful landscapes in the country and explore our 12 acres of gardens.

There is also a thriving visual arts exhibition programme and our historic Organ Room to explore during your visit

When it is time for the performance to start, you will hear the bells ring. The bells sound ten minutes, five minutes, and three minutes before the start of the performance. Take your seats in our state-of-the-art indoor auditorium and enjoy the excellent acoustics in an intimate setting.

For many, a picnic in the gardens is a quintessential part of the Glyndebourne experience.

Our 90 minute interval gives you the opportunity to relax in a beautiful setting and enjoy a picnic you’ve brought along, or ordered from Dining at Glyndebourne. With the unpredictability of the English weather, we have a number of under-cover picnicking options at Glyndebourne in marquees and stretch tents in the garden – find out more about under-cover options.

We also have three on site restaurants, from afternoon teas to French fine-dining and traditional British favourites. You can make a restaurant reservation request when you book your tickets, or book on our dedicated dining website.

You can find the interval time on our performance schedule. When it is time for the performance to resume, you will hear the bells ring. The bells sound ten minutes, five minutes, and three minutes before the performance resumes.

When the performance has ended there’s no need to rush to leave. The grounds close 90 minutes after the end of the performance, and the Long Bar is open if you want to stop for a hot or cold drink before you go, or drop in to our shop for a browse. The audience coach service departs from the coach park approximately 20 minutes after the end of the performance.

Black tie and Glyndebourne are synonymous. Whatever your style, take this rare opportunity to dress for the occasion.– whether that’s a tuxedo or a head-to-toe sequin outfit, adding a flair to formal wear is what our audiences do best. Visit our what to wear guide to see some examples and get some inspiration. We have on-site changing rooms if you’d rather not travel in your finery. Audience changing facilities are located at the bottom of the main audience car park, which you can see on our map.

Photo: Pablo Strong

Photo: Sam Stephenson

Glyndebourne is just outside of Lewes and a mere hour away from London by rail. We take our green credentials very seriously and encourage as many audience members as possible to make the journey to Glyndebourne by train, and then take the audience coach from Lewes station. We offer a return coach journey from Lewes train station to Glyndebourne which will be bookable online after ticket allocation.

For those who would rather make the journey by car, we have a large car park and even offer charging for electric cars.