Buxton Festival
Buxton Festival is one of the largest arts festivals in the UK, attracting over 35,000 people to the heart of the Peak District with a first class programme of opera, literature and music. Held each July, the 17-day Festival presents rarely performed operas, from baroque to contemporary, all performed in English, that cannot be seen elsewhere. In recent years, it has succeeded in providing the UK premières of some excellent but little-known pieces (including Mozart’s Ascanio in Alba, Rossini’s Il Turco in Italia and Handel’s Hercules). The Festival’s incredible opera programme is complemented by a highly respected and much envied Literary Series, with talks every morning from speakers with a broad experience in well crafted writing, whether in biography, fiction, politics or personal memoir (speakers have included Gore Vidal, Robin Cook, Kate Adie, Tom Stoppard, Michael Palin, Germaine Greer, Patrick Stewart, William Hague, The Dowager Duchess of Devonshire and Andrew Marr). These are followed by a choice of concerts in the afternoon, coupled with relaxed late-night events including short films. The programme allows visitors to see a wide range and a vast number of performances in just a few days. For more details, click here.