'Megastar’ line-up as five new operas announced for Buxton International Festival 2024

Buxton International Festival (BIF) is celebrating an exceptional 2023 festival which far exceeded attendance expectations.

Once again, the Festival’s cutting-edge opera program emerged as the greatest draw with its popular books program a close second.

Adrian Kelly, Buxton’s artistic director said: “Buxton International Festival has built its success on a commitment to the highest artistic standards in opera, music, books and jazz.

“As we watch audiences grow and return year after year, we realise we have the formula to produce something very special.”

During this year's festival there were 150 events over 18 days with 28,821 tickets sold and more than 2,000 people attended the top book events.

Adrian Kelly said: “With the festival’s ambition and popularity on the climb, we are excited to announce our plans for 2024.”

Next year the festival will return with five eagerly awaited operas and, in a major coup for BIF, a performance from the Cuban-British director, choreographer and ballet dancer, Carlos Acosta.Giuseppi Verdi’s Ernani which is an operatic dramma lirico in four acts which tells the tragic love story of Elvira, who is caught between three men: her lover, her guardian and the King of Spain.Adrian Kelly conducts this new production at Buxton Opera House with The Orchestra of Opera North.The festival will be joining forces with The Early Opera Company for a new production of Handel’s Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disingannol conducted by Christian Curnyn in Buxton Opera House.

In its second collaboration with Norwich Theatre, BIF presents Peter Brook’s adaptation of Bizet’s La Tragedie de Carmen in Buxton Opera House.

Brook’s adaptation includes elements of the Georges Bizet opera as well as the original Prosper Mérimée novella.

The Boatswain’s Mate is a new BIF production, written by British composer and suffragette Ethyl Smyth, centres around a humorous battle of the sexes on the seafront in Margate and will be performed at the Pavilion Arts Centre.

The last of the BIF’s new productions for 2024 is Haydn’s two-act operetta, La canterina. This comedic opera has all the ingredients for a riotous show and will also be performed at the Pavilion Arts Centre.

Superstar Cuban-British director, choreographer and a long-time principal dancer at the Royal Ballet, Carlos Acosta, will make his debut at Buxton International Festival with his intensely personal evening of dance, On Before.The show pays homage to Acosta’s late mother and he will perform as both a soloist and alongside Laura Rodríguez.

Michael Williams, BIF’s CEO said: “We are dancing into 2024, with megastar Carlos Acosta and a line-up of operas, books and jazz to make your mouth water. We’re all looking to the arts to lift the spirits and Buxton promises to deliver.”

BIF’s opening Jazz Weekender, is now an eagerly-awaited festival opener, and will feature Adrian Cox Clarinet Fantasy with special guest, Tommy Blaize - a regular on BBC TV’s Strictly Come Dancing.

Neil Hughes jazz director added: “The Jazz Weekender has been causing ripples across the jazz world with our star-studded line ups.

“Now in its third year, we will set the bar high once more.”

Priority Booking for Carlos Acosta and Jazz Weekenders opens on Monday November, 27.