The Aix-en-Provence Opera Festival:
Music in a mediterranean setting

• Unpack for a long-stay tour with 10 nights in the centre of Aix, just minutes from Festival venues

• Delight in a diverse program of 7 performances, including four fully-staged operas and solo recitals

• Discover historic venues, including the courtyard of the Archbishop’s Palace and the eighteenth-century Jeu de Paume Theatre, as well as the modern Grand Théâtre

• Traverse the charming streetscapes of Aix, the seat of the rulers of medieval Provence

• Follow in the footsteps of Paul Cézanne and other painters

• Explore historical Arles, and visit areas of outstanding natural beauty such as the Luberon and the Calanques near Cassis

THURSDAY 10 JULY – ARRIVAL IN AIX (Canapés)

Group members arrive during the day. As well as private transfers, there are regular coach services from both Marseille airport and the Aix-en-Provence TGV station, which is located outside the town. In the early evening, meet your fellow tour participants, the tour leader and tour manager for drinks and canapés in the Aquabella Hotel.

FRIDAY 11 JULY – IN AIX – PERFORMANCE 1 (B, L)

This morning, a local guide orients us to the history and architecture of Aix. We stroll along the elegant Cours Mirabeau, often described as one of Europe’s most beautiful boulevards, appreciating the fine, aristocratic mansions and public spaces which adorn the city. After a welcome lunch in a local restaurant, the early afternoon is free to relax before a talk on this evening’s performance, followed later by the performance itself in the modern, air-conditioned surrounds of the Grand Théâtre. After the performance, we discuss our impressions over drinks in our hotel.

Performance details
Venue: Grand Théâtre de Provence
Program: TBA
Performers: Jakub Józef Orliński (countertenor), Michał Biel (piano)

SATURDAY 12 JULY – HÔTEL DE CAUMONT (B, L)

This morning, we visit one of the most prestigious historic residences in Aix. The eighteenth-century Hôtel de Caumont, located just off Cours Mirabeau, is approached through a Cour d’Honneur and boasts more than 1,000 square metres of private gardens. Today, most of the building functions as an art gallery, hosting outstanding exhibitions of leading French artists, but you can also visit its beautiful salons, relax in the garden, and watch a short film on Cézanne. We have lunch in the elegant restaurant after our visit. We have scheduled this evening to be at leisure, but you may be interested to attend a recital by Albanian operatic soprano Ermonela Jaho at the Conservatoire Darius Milhaud. We can assist with the purchase of a limited quantity of tickets; contact us for further information.

SUNDAY 13 JULY – CÉZANNE & AIX, PERFORMANCE 2 (B, L)

This morning we venture a little way out of Aix to explore sites associated with Paul Cézanne. The artist’s strikingly original response to the countryside of Aix laid many of the foundations for Modernism, making Cézanne a revered figure. We visit the landscapes where he worked and painted. [NB At the time of publication, Cézanne’s atelier in Aix-en-Provence is still closed for restoration.] There will also be time for a visit to a Provençal winery to sample the delicious rosé, which is characteristic of the region, and to enjoy an informal lunch together. The afternoon is free, to rest and relax before our evening performance in the courtyard of the archbishop’s palace. Converted into a fully-equipped theatre, it hosts open-air performances that commence after sunset at 9.30pm. Tonight the performance is of Charpentier’s opera Louise, which premiered in 1900. Afterwards, we discuss our impressions over drinks in the hotel bar.

Performance details
Venue: Théâtre de l’Archevêché
Program: Gustave Charpentier, Louise
Performers: Giacomo Sagripanti (director), Christof Loy (stage direction), Elsa Dreisig, Adam Smith, Sophie Koch, Nicolas Courjal and the Choir and Orchestra of the Opéra de Lyon

MONDAY 14 JULY – COASTAL PROVENCE, PERFORMANCE 3, BASTILLE DAY (B, L)

Today’s excursion takes us to a pretty corner of the Mediterranean, just to the south of Aix. Nestled between France’s highest cliffs at Cap Canaille and the deep inlets of Les Calanques, the fishing village of Cassis has attracted artists and travellers for more than a century. After strolling through the village and enjoying a coffee at the port, we take a short cruise to three of the calanques, or creeks, to learn a little about their formation and history. After lunch together in a restaurant overlooking the sea, we drive to a series of high vantage points along the famous Route des Crêtes, where the views in all directions are sensational. Returning to the hotel, there is time at leisure before we attend tonight’s world premiere at the Jeu de Paume Theatre of Sivan Eldar and Ganavya Doraiswamy’s Nine Jewelled Deer, with the participation of artist Julie Mehretu.

Performance details
Venue: Théâtre du Jeu de Paume
Program: Sivan Eldar and Ganavya Doraiswamy, The Nine Jewelled Deer
Performers: Peter Sellars (stage direction), Julie Mehretu (visual artist), Ganavya Doraiswamy and Aruna Sairam

TUESDAY 15 JULY – FREE TIME – PERFORMANCE 4 (B)

The day is then free to relax or to explore Aix, before we meet for a pre-performance talk in the late afternoon. There is the option to visit the contemporary Granet XXE and Musée Granet collection together with your tour leader. This evening we have another performance at the Grand Théâtre, with Sir Simon Rattle conducting the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in a new production of Don Giovanni. 

Performance details
Venue: Grand Théâtre de Provence
Program: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Don Giovanni
Performers: Sir Simon Rattle (conductor), Robert Icke (stage direction), Andrè Schuen, Kryzysztof Baczyk, Golda Schultz, the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra

WEDNESDAY 16 JULY – CHÂTEAU LA COSTE (B, L)

This morning we head to a valley about half an hour’s drive north of Aix to visit Château La Coste. This extraordinary property is the vision of entrepreneur Paddy McKillen who, apart from growing and producing wine, has commissioned leading architects to create pavilions dotted around the estate, where paintings and sculptures by equally famous artists are displayed. On arrival, we tour pavilions by Richard Rogers, Oscar Niemeyer and Andy Goldsworthy, before lunch in the elegant Tadao Ando-designed restaurant, where we are surrounded by artworks by Louise Bourgeois, Alexander Calder and others. After lunch, we return to Aix. The evening is at leisure, but you might like to attend a performance of Sir Simon Rattle and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra playing a program that includes works by Wagner and Bruckner; we can assist with the purchase of a limited quantity of tickets. Contact us for more information.

THURSDAY 17 JULY – THE LUBERON, PERFORMANCE 5 (B, L)

Provence is justly famous for its beauty, a beguiling blend of wild landscapes, ancient villages and rolling fields. Today we travel to the pretty district of the Luberon, passing through Lourmarin, officially one of The Most Beautiful Villages of France, and Roussillon, famous for the rich red ochres of its soil. We enjoy lunch together before continuing to a nearby village, to enjoy a stroll and explore its cobbled streets, medieval church and tree-lined squares. Returning to Aix-en-Provence, we enjoy a performance this evening by renowned tenor Jonas Kaufmann, together with soprano Diana Damrau.

Performance details
Venue: Grand Théâtre de Provence
Program: A selection of works by Gustav Mahler and Richard Strauss
Performers: Jonas Kaufmann, Diana Damrau, Helmut Deutsch

FRIDAY 18 JULY – ARLES, PERFORMANCE 6 (B, L)

Many travellers regard Arles as Provence’s finest small city. Today we explore Arles’ Roman and Romanesque heritage, including the great amphitheatre and the church and cloister of Saint-Trophime. We also visit the Fondation Vincent van Gogh to see its special summer exhibition. After lunch together, there is time to investigate a few of the city’s delightful boutiques or to take a stroll alongside the mighty Rhône. On the return your tour leader will give a talk in the coach about this evening’s performance. After sunset, we return to the Archbishop’s Theatre for a new production of Francesco Cavalli’s seventeenth-century opera, La Calisto.

Performance details
Venue: Théâtre de l’Archevêché
Program: Francesco Cavalli, La Calisto
Performers: Sébastien Daucé (conductor), Jetske Mijnssen (stage direction), Lauranne Oliva, Alex Rosen, Giuseppina Bridelli

SATURDAY 19 JULY – FAREWELL PERFORMANCE 7 (B, L)

The morning is at leisure, to pack or do any last-minute shopping, but includes a final pre-performance briefing in the hotel. We then enjoy a farewell lunch in a fine local restaurant before an afternoon at leisure ahead of our final performance at the Festival, an anniversary performance of Bizet’s Pearl Fishers in concert at the Grand Théâtre. We share a drink afterwards in our hotel bar, as we discuss our experiences of this year’s Festival.

Performance details
Venue: Grand Théâtre de Provence
Program: Georges Bizet, The Pearl Fishers
Performers: Marc Minkowski (conductor), Pene Pati, Mané Galoyan, Florian Sempey, Edwin Crossley-Mercer, the Choir of the Opéra Grand Avignon and the Musiciens du Louvre

SUNDAY 20 JULY – DEPARTURE (B)

The tour ends after breakfast in the hotel.

Hotel Aquabella, 4*, 10 nights
www.aquabella.fr/en

The Hotel Aquabella is the only substantial 4-star hotel with resort facilities located within the old city of Aix-en-Provence. It has large public areas, with open plan bars, lounges and dining areas. The modern rooms are well-proportioned, and bathrooms have a choice of bath or shower. The large swimming pool will be especially inviting in the afternoon heat.

The hotel is within an easy walk of most Festival venues, as well as being close to shops, cafés and restaurants.

• Best available tickets to 7 performances at the 2025 Aix-en-Provence Festival

• 10 nights’ accommodation in a 4-star hotel

• All breakfasts, 8 lunches, dinners or suppers, plus welcome and farewell drinks and canapés

• Entry fees and tickets to sites as described in the itinerary

• All ground transport, guided tours and entrances, and tipping

• Talks by Limelight's Editor-at-Large Clive Paget throughout

• Services of an experienced tour manager throughout

A $1,000pp deposit is required at the time of booking to hold your place on tour.

A second deposit of $2,500pp is due on 12 March 2025.

We will invoice you for final payment for the tour, due on 26 April 2025.

When you book on one of tours, we ask you to accept our terms and conditions. You can read our terms and conditions here.