The award-winning Buxton International Festival is an annual celebration of world-class opera, music, books and jazz with over 160 events to choose from every summer. Here are five reasons to make Buxton your ‘go-to’ summer festival for 2025 (10-27 July).
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Buxton’s location – at the heart of the Peak District
The beautiful spa town of Buxton sits in heart of Derbyshire’s Peak District, worth a visit in itself. All the festival’s events are within easy walking distance of each other. If you enjoy walking, there’s a variety of scenic walks within close proximity to the town. For breathtaking scenery and diverse landscapes, the Peak District offers some of the most rewarding walks and hikes in the UK. If you prefer exploring quaint villages and towns, be sure to visit places like Bakewell – famous for its Bakewell Pudding and picturesque riverside walks; Castleton, close to some of Derbyshire’s famous underground caves; Matlock, a pretty Victorian spa town and home to Abraham’s Heights cable car ride; and Eyam, the historic plague village with a rich and poignant history.
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Operas Galore
In 2024, Buxton staged five new operas in four days and was nominated for a prestigious International Opera Award. 2025 sees a yet more impressive plans:
- Ambroise Thomas’ Hamlet, conducted by Adrian Kelly with the Orchestra of Opera North
- A double bill of Leonard Bernstein’s Trouble in Taihiti and Francis Poulenc’s La Voix Humaine, a Buxton International Festival and Norwich Theatre production
- Opera Zuid production of Mozart’s The Impresario
- La Descente d’Orphée aux Enfers, a Vache Baroque production
- Shorts – four brand new 20-minute operas by composers Thandanani Gumede, Jasper Dommett, Martin Green and Carmel Smickersgill
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Jazz Weekender Tickets
- Jazz Weekender tickets for just £175 offering 12 world-class gigs varying from jazz, blues, funk and Latin, plus an Oscar Peterson extravaganza. Stand-out artists include Ineza, Graham Clark Quartet, Emily Masser Quartet, Trio JDM, Baiana, Alan Barnes with an all-star band, Dean Stockdale Quartet, Emma Rawicz Quartet and Xhosa Cole Quartet. On sale NOW – Click here to book.
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Books
33 book talks including Diane Abbott MP, Baroness Lola Young, Petroc Trelawny, Ben Macintyre and Jonathan Sumption.
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World Class Classical Music Concerts
World-class concerts every day from artists including Stephen Hough, Imogen Cooper, Benjamin Grosvenor, The Tallis Scholars, and The English Concert.
Public booking opens at 10am on Tuesday 15 April 2025