New music, old music, reeds, marshes, vast skies and the waves of the North Sea… Aldeburgh in June offers much more than you’d expect from a classical music festival.
The 73rd Aldeburgh Festival features four Artists in Residence who have each curated parts of the festival – composers Mark-Anthony Turnage and Cassandra Miller, and singers Julia Bullock and Allan Clayton.
Other highlights include the opening night in Bury St Edmunds Abbey celebrating the 1,000th anniversary of one of medieval England’s great monasteries, the first performance of Britten’s War Requiem at Snape Maltings as part of Aldeburgh Festival and the world premiere of Violet, a new opera by composer Tom Coult and playwright Alice Birch.
We also follow the link from Benjamin Britten to the great poet TS Eliot, to whom we devote a day of events. John Tavener’s music is featured across four events, including the posthumous world premiere of one of his last pieces.
We have remarkable performances and talks from international artists and ensembles and, as always, you will find masterclasses, walks, talks, exhibitions, films, the programme at The Red House, and a hugely diverse range of activity taking place at The Pumphouse and on The Beach Stage in Aldeburgh.
Booking opens on Tuesday 18 February. To champion our work and to enjoy priority booking, please consider becoming a supporter of Snape Maltings.
Festival First-Timers
Never been before? Try the Aldeburgh Festival for £10.
As part of a commitment to making our work accessible to as many people as possible, we are encouraging those who have not been before to try something new by offering £10 tickets for first-time attenders at most festival events.
Free Festival Coaches
As part of our work to reduce the number of car journeys made to and from the festival, for 2020 coaches between Aldeburgh and Snape before and after performances will be free. You can also take the coach from Aldeburgh and Snape to events in Orford, Blythburgh, Bury St Edmunds and Ely for a small cost.
New Car Share Scheme
We have teamed up with Liftshare to create a digital platform to put willing car sharers in touch with each other. We hope you will make the most of the scheme, make friends and reduce our emissions impact. The platform will launch in the Spring – check back for more details.