The festival scene is no longer tents and soggy sandwiches, take note of these five-star offerings around the world.
Ultra Europe
A multi-venue outdoor electronic music festival, Ultra first launched in 2013 in Split, Croatia and has since grown to be a key event on the international music stage each year. A key dance festival on the European calendar, the festival became part of the larger Destination Ultra as of 2015 – a seven-day series of events across Croatia including live music, a yacht regatta and a dynamic opening and closing party. The main festival takes over Split’s historical Stadion Poljud from 12-14 July and will include high-profile names, such as Swedish House Mafia, David Guetta and The Chainsmokers.
Henley Festival
Taking place from 10-14 July, Henley Festival has built a staunch reputation for attracting the top names in music and art. This year’s headliners includeBoy George, Tom Odell, Jessie J, Björn Again and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. British Arts Council-backed audio visual artists Mike Blow and Alison Ballard have created a vibrant installation – a key talking point of the festival. Equally, comedy is a top prior with the likes of Ed Byrne, Andy Hamilton, Julian Clary and Murray Lachlan-Young joining the stage alongside a number of up-and-coming acts including Vikki Stone, Kai Samra, Steve Bugeja and Luke Kempner. The headline restaurant is led by Michelin-starred-chef Angela Hartnett MBE, while dotted across the grounds are a host of smaller pop-ups including street food from Snob Lobster, Jessecco Prosecco, BBQ Club and Halloumi Guys. Back for its 37th consecutive year, music, art, gastronomy and comedy are all presented with style at this boutique festival.
Glyndebourne Festival
One of the world’s oldest and most celebrated opera festivals, running through the summer months in a magnificent modern theatre on the grounds of a country house, Glyndebourne Festival is unlike any others. The festival started in the mid 1930s by an eccentric aristocrat who dreamed of creating an threatre in the style of Wagner’s grand opera house at Bayreuth. Inspired by Wagner’s style, the theatre was built and has since been redesigned in 1994 to become the 1,200-person horseshoe-shaped auditorium it is today. With guests arriving in black tie, performances begin in the late afternoon with an interval for a languorous dinner overlooking the rolling hills of the South Downs.
