Festival international d’opéra baroque de Beaune
Since 1983, a summer festival of baroque opera in the Hôtel-Dieu courtyard and Beaune's historic churches.
- Music
- Beaune
- Paid or by invitation
€290for a half-day wine tour starting here, up to 4 guests
Book a driver
At a glance
- Entry
- Paid or by invitation
- Organised by
- Association Guillaume Dufay
Getting there
Coming by train or plane? Transfers from stations and airports →
About the event
Each summer, the Festival international d'opéra baroque de Beaune brings leading early music ensembles and singers to the town. Operas, oratorios and recitals are performed on period instruments in historic settings, including the courtyard of the Hôtel-Dieu and the Basilique Notre-Dame. Each year's dates are usually announced early in the year.
What to expect
Concerts take place in some of Beaune's finest heritage settings: the courtyard of the Hôtel-Dieu under its glazed roofs, the Basilique Notre-Dame, and the chapels of the Jacobins, the Charité and the Visitandines. Before some concerts, dinners with wines of the Hospices de Beaune are served at the Hôtel-Dieu, and guided tours pair heritage with song in places rarely open to the public.
History
The festival was founded in 1983 by Anne Blanchard and Kader Hassissi, who wanted to revive the baroque operatic repertoire with the authentic sound of period instruments. Over more than 40 years it has staged around a hundred baroque operas, as well as oratorios, recitals and symphonic concerts. The French music magazine Diapason once called it the Salzburg of the Baroque.
The festival has helped to launch many careers. Through a three-year residency, young conductors such as Christophe Rousset, Emmanuelle Haïm and Raphaël Pichon were able to conduct their first operas here. It has also revealed singers who went on to Europe's leading stages, among them Andreas Scholl, Véronique Gens and Sandrine Piau. It continues this work today with a resident ensemble, La Palatine, and a festival choir.
Good to know
Tips for the day
The programme is usually unveiled in February or March, and the best seats go quickly. Evenings in the Hôtel-Dieu courtyard are especially memorable; bring a light layer for outdoor concerts. Concerts often end late, so a driver waiting after the final bow makes a dinner before the performance and the journey back to your hotel effortless. Check the official website for dates, venues and tickets.
Around here
What to combine with Festival international d’opéra baroque de Beaune on the same day, nearest first.
- Culture
Mois des Climats
Each year over several weeks in late spring and early summer, usually ending in early JulyBeaune - Wine festival
Les Vin’dredis de la Halle
Friday evenings through the summer, from late MayGevrey-Chambertin - Culture
Lumières à Beaune
Every evening from late June to late September, and from the Vente des Vins weekend in November to early JanuaryBeaune
Beaune
1 km awayPommard
3 km awayChorey-lès-Beaune
4 km away
Guides about Festival international d’opéra baroque de Beaune
Questions
The 2027 dates of Festival international d’opéra baroque de Beaune have not been announced yet. Usual timing: usually four consecutive weekends in July. The organiser publishes them on festivalbeaune.com.
Did you know? Many of today's leading baroque conductors, including Christophe Rousset and Emmanuelle Haïm, conducted some of their first operas in Beaune through the festival's three-year residency programme.
Sources
A private driver for the day
No parking to find, no one left as the designated driver: everyone enjoys a glass.