News and Blog

Buxton International Festival has proudly been named the winner of the Best Annual Arts and Culture 2024 category at the SME Midlands Enterprise Awards. This prestigious recognition highlights BIF’s exceptional contribution to the region’s arts and culture scene as one of the leading arts festivals in the UK. Now in its eighth year, the SME … Continued

Buxton International Festival (BIF) has been nominated for a prestigious Achievement in Opera award by the 2024 UK Theatre Awards, marking another milestone in the Festival’s growing reputation. The UK Theatre Awards celebrate the creative excellence and outstanding work seen on and off stage throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This year’s awards ceremony … Continued

Buxton International Festival is excited to share that we are one of five festivals to be nominated for ‘Best Opera Festival’ in the 2024 International Opera Awards. The International Opera Awards are an annual celebration of excellence in opera around the world.  The shortlisted nominees revealed come from over 25 countries. Alongside the festival award, … Continued

Buxton International Festival is holding auditions for the 2025 company. All company members will sing in the chorus for Ambroise Thomas’ Hamlet. Some performers will combine this with principal roles in chamber productions including Trouble in Tahiti (which shall transfer to Norwich Theatre), or as covers in Hamlet; some performers may sing in our flagship ‘new … Continued

Adrian Kelly, BIF’s Artistic Director introduces ‘Shorts’, an innovative new opera project for 2025. Shorts is all about the future of opera. While opera remains a captivating experience for those who have already discovered it, there is no question that audiences are declining. And while many of the works that are most cherished by opera … Continued

BIF is delighted to announce initial plans for 2025.  The festival will be held between 10 and 27 July 2025. Highlights include: Ambroise Thomas’ Hamlet, conducted by Adrian Kelly with the Orchestra of Opera North Opera Zuid production of Mozart’s The Impresario Shorts – Four new and punchy 20-minute operas by composers Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, Jasper … Continued

British Jazz Artist Alan Barnes is back in Buxton this July, after his outstanding sell-out performance with Wynton Marsalis last year. In his second guest blog for BIF, Alan tells us what to expect from this year’s gig: My last blog, titled ‘Buxton, Wynton Marsalis and Me‘, ended with the band enjoying a celebratory and … Continued

New for 2024 – the Festival Hub will be open every day of the festival, 4 – 21 July, 10am – 4pm each day. We invite you to use the Hub as a meeting point, an information resource for the Festival, and a place to sit, read the Festival review,  chat to our team and … Continued

There’s just a few days to go until Buxton International Festival 2024 opens on Thursday, 4 July. We’re opening in style and are rolling out the red carpet for our opera premieres and to welcome Golda Schultz, Gary Matthewman, and Adrian Cox with his New Orleans Social Club to Buxton. Rehearsals are in full swing … Continued

From devolution debates to foreign policy and the quest for a greener future, BIF’s 2024 Book Festival features a number of prominent voices from across the political spectrum, with compelling narratives and bold visions. Here’s a round-up of talks that will captivate anyone interested in the current and future state of British politics:

Handel’s Il trionfo del tempo e del disinganno (The Triumph of Time and Truth) is one of five operas at this year’s Buxton  International Festival. This production sees Christian Curnyn, one of the UK’s leading conductors specialising in baroque repertoire, returning to Buxton with the award-winning Early Opera Company, following their triumphant Acis and Galatea in … Continued

As rehearsals for La tragédie de Carmen get underway, BIF caught up with mezzo-soprano Niamh O’Sullivan who’s taking on the title role.  Known for her dynamic stage presence and powerful vocals, Niamh shares her experiences and insights on bringing one of opera’s most iconic figures to life and why Peter Brook’s re-imaging of Bizet’s opera … Continued