A unique cultural event in the Cotswold calendar, Longborough Festival Opera is returning from Monday 26 May to Saturday 2 August 2025, after enjoying a successful 2024 season.
With 90-minute intervals, the performances are perfect paired with a picnic, or alternatively, guests can dine at the on-site restaurant.
SoGlos has rounded up 2025’s highlights below.
For more information about Longborough Opera Festival, visit lfo.org.uk.
Wahnfried: The Birth of the Wagner Cult at Longborough Festival Opera 2025
Tuesday 27 May to Saturday 14 June 2025
The Birth of the Wagner Cult by Avner Dorman is a brand-new production, premiering in the UK at the 2025 festival.
This opera begins with the death of Richard Wagner and spans forty epic years of history.
Audiences will witness the Wagner family's determination to construct the myth of the composer, their brutal infighting and their disturbing political affiliations.
Nominated for a prestigious International Opera Award in the Best New Opera category, Longborough’s production features a cast of leading British singers including Susan Bullock CBE as Cosima Wagner and Mark Le Brocq as Houston Stewart Chamberlain — and is directed by the festival's artistic director, Polly Graham.
Rossini: Il Barbiere di Siviglia at Longborough Festival Opera 2025
Sunday 8 June to Sunday 13 July 2025
Known for its effervescent melodies and comedic brilliance, Rossini's Il Barbier di Siviglia is considered one of the greatest masterpieces of comedy within the opera genre and remains a popular work after 200 years.
An unofficial prequel to Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, the story is set to immerse audiences with humour, romance and unforgettable music.
The new fully staged production provides an epic and intimate musical start to the festival's summer season, following Figaro’s escapades as he plays matchmaker and troublemaker, with disguises and deception.
The production is conducted by the resident conductor of Irish National Opera, Elaine Kelly, and directed by Louise Bakker. Performances of Il Barbiere di Siviglia take place from Sunday 8 June to Sunday 13 July 2025.
Debussy: Pelléas et Mélisande at Longborough Festival Opera 2025
Saturday 28 June to Thursday 10 July 2025
To continue the season, Claude Debussy’s timeless masterpiece of Pelléas et Mélisande will be performed, showcasing the love triangle between Prince Goulad, mysterious princess Mélisande and Goulad's half-brother, Pelléas.
Inspired by the mythical world of Arthurian legend, the story provides shimmering orchestral interludes and haunting vocal melodies that will unveil relationships in all their complexity and instability.
Performances of Pelléas et Mélisande are scheduled from Saturday 28 June to Thursday 10 July 2025.
Purcell: Dido and Aeneas at Longborough Festival Opera 2025
26 July to 2 August 2025
Providing a fulfilling end to what promises a thrilling and entertaining season is Purcell's Dido and Aeneas — sometimes called the first English operatic masterpiece.
Based on Virgil’s Aeneid, the opera tells of love and tragedy between Dido, Queen of Carthage and the Trojan hero Aeneas, the new production features singers from Longborough’s Emerging Artists and Youth Chorus programmes, along with one of the world’s leading baroque ensembles, Barokksolistene.
This version of Dido and Aeneas will be expanded into a full evening of entertainment, restoration-extravaganza style, offering fresh and vibrant arrangements of Purcell’s score.
Dido and Aeneas runs from Saturday 26 July to Saturday 2 August 2025.
Hospitality at Longborough Festival Opera 2025
To make a visit to Longborough extra special, festivalgoers can choose to spend the 90-minute intervals between performances dining at the on-site restaurant, tucking in to three-course meals.
Public booking for Longborough Festival Opera opens on Monday 10 March 2025, when ticket prices will be announced.
For more information about Longborough Festival Opera, visit lfo.org.uk.
