News and Blog

The red carpet was rolled out at Buxton Opera House on Saturday 12 July for the much-anticipated opening night of Hamlet. Guests arrived to live music from a string quartet, setting the tone for an elegant evening celebrating the return of Ambroise Thomas’s rarely staged opera – performed in Buxton for the first time since … Continued

This year the start of the Buxton International Festival coincides with the Buxton Carnival and Well Dressing. Please aware of the following road closures and timings.

What connects a solo French opera and a sharp American satire? In Daisy Evans’ double bill, La voix humaine and Trouble in Tahiti become two sides of the same story, both set in the same 1950s apartment block. In this interview, Daisy shares how she brought them together and why their themes of loneliness and … Continued

Ahead of his appearance at Buxton International Festival, author and historian Peter Parker reflects on the criminalisation of gay men in post-war Britain — and the quiet acts of resistance that helped change the law. How did this period lay  the ground for the modern gay rights movement? A lot of people assume gay rights … Continued

Ahead of his appearance at the Buxton International Festival, Iain MacGregor shares insights from his new book The Hiroshima Men — a powerful, unsettling account of the individuals at the centre of the world’s first nuclear attack and the enduring human cost. What led you to write this book? I was researching The Lighthouse of … Continued

Buxton International Festival is pleased to share the news that its Vice President, Louise Potter, has been awarded an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours this week for services to the ‘economic development of Buxton’. Michael Williams, CEO of Buxton International Festival, said, “We are absolutely delighted by this well-deserved honour for one of our … Continued

Director Christopher Gillett on Directing and Adapting Mozart’s The Impresario for BIF 2025 When Mozart’s The Impresario (Der Schauspieldirektor) first hit the stage, it was a knowing wink at the chaos of putting on a show – artistic egos, backstage politics, and the sheer absurdity of opera itself. Centuries later, the challenge remains: how do … Continued

5 Things You (Probably) Didn’t Know About Ambroise Thomas’ Hamlet Ambroise Thomas might not be the first composer that comes to mind when you think of Hamlet, but his 1868 opera has plenty of surprises. It’s moody, dramatic, and full of curious details that make it stand out from the crowd. Here are five reasons … Continued

We talked to Jack Furness about Hamlet, gothic horror and the thinking behind the production. Jack is increasingly sought after for his bold vision, conceptual clarity, and emotionally intense productions. Known for his work in contemporary and site-specific opera, Jack’s recent credits include Irish National Opera, Scottish Opera, Garsington, Edinburgh International Festival, and Buxton. He’s … Continued

How do you breathe new life into an artform that’s often seen as elite and out of reach? That was the challenge we faced in January 2024 when we set out to commission Shorts – four bold, 20-minute operas that would resist nostalgia and instead speak directly to the present and future. The goal wasn’t … Continued

Tony and Olivier Award-winning stage and screen actor Richard McCabe (Notting Hill, Peaky Blinders, Wallander, The Audience) will lead the cast of Mozart’s The Impresario in Buxton this summer. This comic opera, originally composed for a Viennese court entertainment in 1786, is reimagined with a modern twist by director Christopher Gillett, who also provides the … Continued

Get ready for a night to remember as the Buxton International Festival 2025 kicks off in style on Saturday 12 July 2025. Join us for our red carpet opening night, a special celebration marking the start of another unforgettable summer of opera, music, books and jazz. This year’s opening night features the premiere of our … Continued