Glyndebourne in Lewes reopens with ‘mini festival’

The opera house in Lewes was forced to shut its doors amid the coronavirus but is delighted to welcome back audiences for its first ever full summer season of open-air concerts and operas.

From mid-July, Glyndebourne has been hosting outdoor concerts performed by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, with socially-distanced seating as well as the opportunity to picnic.

During August, concerts will be performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Stephen Langridge, artistic director, said “We are in our 85th year and, so this is not the first crisis we have faced. Things are not good for the theatre and classical music at the moment, and we have been working closely with our peers, and trying to support the artists, orchestras and freelance staff who rely on us for their living - enormously helped by the generosity of our members.

“Experiencing live music and theatre, together, in an inspiring environment is what Glyndebourne is all about.

“We are fortunate in having plenty of outside space available to us, and with a little imagination, we can see exciting musical and theatrical opportunities for performance in the gardens.

“This mini festival will be intimate, unusual and unforgettable. Some cause for celebration in these tough times.”

The Glyndebourne Festival was cancelled in April due to Covid-19.

For this year’s ‘mini festival’, audiences will be fully seated in household groups for concerts and opera performances with social distancing measures carefully observed at all times.

In the event of bad weather, performances will be cancelled and tickets refunded.

Sarah Hopwood, managing director, said: “It is a huge shock and disappointment to have had to cancel the festival. However, we were not completely unprepared. Thanks to prudent financial management and to the extraordinary generosity of our members, donors, staff and the general public, we are now able to shift our focus from mourning the closure of the festival to opening a newly imagined summer season.”

The auditorium at Glyndebourne remains closed and staff are working to find a long-term solution to reopen it fully.

In order to ensure the safety and comfort of visitors, Glyndebourne will be at first making 200 tickets available every day and designated seating areas will be prepared for every household.

A spokesman said: “Our dress code is, as always, discretionary, but the many social media images of people wearing black tie for our virtual festival, Glyndebourne Open House, suggests that the desire to dress up has not gone away during lockdown.”

In the wake of Covid-19, Glyndebourne Open House was set up and has been a ‘huge success’.

“In its first four weeks, over 100,000 people have enjoyed a Glyndebourne opera online,” said the spokesman.

“We look forward to welcoming many more before the end of August.”

For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.glyndebourne.com.

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