The Festival d’Aix-en-Provence 2024 will be held from 3 to 23 July 2024.

Founded in 1948, the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence quickly established itself as one of the major events of the international opera season. Commited to the creation of new opera productions and to the organisation of concerts of the highest calibre, the Festival is able to collaborate with stage directors at the forefront of their craft, visionary orchestras and conductors, top-tier casts, and the greatest contemporary composers. Contemporary music indeed holds a special place at the Festival, with the creation and commission of major new works by renowned composers each year. Thanks to its reputation, it can form co-productions with the leading international opera houses, who present Festival productions throughout their seasons.

Under the skies of Provence, in the courtyard of the Théâtre de l’Archevêché or of the Hôtel Maynier d’Oppède; or on stage at the Théâtre du Jeu de Paume, the Grand Théâtre de Provence or the Stadium, the Festival d’Aix offers moments of intense communion during which the magnificent voices of the most talented singers from around the globe blend with the song of the cicadas. It has also made a name for itself as a hub of fervour and innovation, by implementing new approaches and repertoires, pushing the boundaries of opera, creating links with other arts, and altering the relationship between the works, the venues, and the audiences — who in turn have the chance to discover new forms, artists, and horizons. For over 75 years, opera at the Festival d’Aix has been a reflection of the world, expressed in artistic parables from which beauty, emotion and lively thought spring forth. And it is why the Festival was awarded in 2023 the Best Opera Festival award by the German magazine Oper! and the Best Festival award by the International Opera Awards.

The Festival also includes the rich and varied offerings of ‘Aix en juin’, with a programme aimed at local audiences. These festivities, which are completely free, help create a strong regional presence, another defining trait of the Festival d’Aix!

Added to all this are the dynamic roles played by its Académie, renowned the world over, and enoa (European network of opera academies); the vitality of its Mediterranean projects, driven by the Orchestre des Jeunes de la Méditerranée and the Medinea network; and the vital outreach of its awareness-raising initiatives, artistic practice, and opera discovery activities, conducted through its department for cultural initiatives, Passerelles, which engages with over 4,000 participants each year.

Another unique feature of the Festival is its Workshops, located in Venelles, a few kilometres from Aix-en-Provence; it is here that the sets and costumes for its opera and music theatre productions are thought up, designed and crafted. These Workshops — pioneers in the ecodesign of stage sets — drew up the very first 100% ecodesigned and 100% recyclable live performance sets ever.

The Festival d’Aix-en-Provence 2024 has been committed for many years to a sustainable development approach in its activity. Non-profit Social Responsibility (NSR) is one of its core values, and has been included in its statutes since 2020. This commitment is particularly evident in the Festival’s fight against discrimination and its support of equality in the workplace and accessibility for the widest audience possible.