Buxton International Festival starts this week with more than 120 events across town

The 17-day Buxton International Festival (BIF) kicks off on Thursday July, 6 and will feature more than 120 events and visitors from all over the world will come to Buxton to take in the shows.

Adrian Kelly, BIF’s artistic director said: “Buxton International Festival has firmly established itself in the cultural calendar. It’s an unapologetically ambitious, creative and accessible festival that takes risks and entertains. 2023 will be no different – bold, brave and back in full technicolour.”

Festival highlights include three new opera productions, Vincenzo Bellini’s La sonnambula, GF Handel’s Orlando and Mozart’s Il re pastore.

BIF and Norwich Theatre launch a brand-new musical based on the early life of Buxton’s Vera Brittain, with music by Ivor Novello, entitled The Land Of Might-Have-Been.

The jazz line-up includes the iconic trumpeter Wynton Marsalis plus pianist/vocalist Tom Seals and The Super Big Tramp Band. The concerts’ programme features Nicola Benedetti and The English Concert, The King’s Singers, Sarah Connolly, Lucy Crowe, Joanna MacGregor and Gwilym Simcock.

The books guests include playwright Sir David Hare, Turner Prize winner Jeremy Deller, BBC correspondent Jeremy Bowen, MP Jesse Norman, vaccine queen Dame Kate Bingham, writer, communicator and strategist Alastair Campbell and journalists Gary Younge and Polly Toynbee amongst others.

Due to popular demand, the ‘Jazz Weekender’ ticket returns until Monday July, 10.

The Weekender also includes a ticket to ‘The Land Of Might Have Been’ plus one of the Festival’s top book events, an afternoon with playwright Sir David Hare.

The Festival is also offering a new Jazz Café at the Pavilion Gardens Restaurant, a late-night venue with concerts starting at 10pm, open for three nights on July, 13, 14 and 21.

Neil Hughes, BIF’s jazz director said: “Building on last year’s success, there are big bands and late-night concerts - 2023 is going to be spectacular.”

Festival CEO Michael Williams added: “It’s a stop-in-your-tracks, shout-from-the-rooftops festival this year. Buxton 2023 is full to the brim with daring and excellence.

"It’s contemporary, relevant, reflective and provocative with sumptuous opera, glorious music and opinion-forming book talks. We reach for the stars in Buxton, make no mistake.”

For the full line up and tickets visit www.buxtonfestival.co.uk