Glyndebourne commits to 2021 festival

Glyndebourne has announced plans to stage its 2021 festival. The annual opera festival, which was cancelled in 2020 due to Covid-19, is scheduled for 20 May to 29 August.

All performances will take place inside the Glyndebourne opera house, with an audience of 600 – 50% of the venue's 1,200 capacity.

The traditional 90-minute interval for refreshments and picnics in the gardens is being extended slightly to allow for staggered entry and exit.

Stephen Langridge, Artistic Director of Glyndebourne, said: "We have been planning for a variety of scenarios to ensure we could adapt the festival, in any way necessary, without lowering our artistic ambition.

"The plan we’re announcing draws on our experience of staging socially-distanced events in 2020 and gives us flexibility to accommodate any restrictions that might be in place this summer."

Mariame Clément, who directs a new production of Rossini’s 'Il turco in Italia' for the festival, said: "It’s been a very difficult time for our industry, trying to find ways to perform that keep everyone safe.

"I have every confidence that together we can create a production that delivers the exceptional artistic standards for which the company is known."