Glyndebourne's Christmas Concerts run 5 to 13 December: six shows at 2pm, 3pm or 7.30pm, tickets £10 to £82, with Britten, carols and Jingle Bells.

Glyndebourne’s Christmas Concerts are on six times between Saturday 5 and Sunday 13 December 2026, and they are on sale now. Tickets run from £10 to £82, the cheapest on Friday 11 December. There is one evening concert, at 7.30pm on Saturday 12 December; the rest are afternoon shows.

The quick answer

  • Is it on this year? Yes. Glyndebourne’s Christmas Concerts page lists six performances, and its autumn season guide says tickets are on sale now. Every date was marked “Limited” when we checked on 17 October.
  • When: 5, 6, 11 and 13 December at 3pm; Saturday 12 December at 2pm and 7.30pm. Each concert lasts two hours with a 30-minute interval.
  • Prices: £12 to £82 on the weekend dates; £10 to £72 on Friday 11 December.
  • Who is performing: the Glyndebourne Chorus, the Glyndebourne Sinfonia and Glyndebourne Youth Opera, conducted by Aidan Oliver.
  • Where: Glyndebourne, Lewes, BN8 5UU, four miles from Lewes. Parking is free.

Dates, times and prices

Glyndebourne publishes these times on the concert page and says they are subject to change.

Date Concert Grounds open Ends
Saturday 5 December 3pm 1pm 5pm
Sunday 6 December 3pm 1pm 5pm
Friday 11 December 3pm 1pm 5pm
Saturday 12 December 2pm 12 noon 4pm
Saturday 12 December 7.30pm 5.30pm 9.30pm
Sunday 13 December 3pm 1pm 5pm

Prices depend on where you sit:

Seating 5, 6, 12 and 13 December Friday 11 December
Stalls £12 to £72 £10 to £62
Foyer Circle £24 to £82 £20 to £72
Circle £12 to £82 £10 to £62
Upper Circle £12 to £61 £10 to £50

Glyndebourne’s autumn guide says concession tickets are available for every performance in the season. Booking is through glyndebourne.com or the Box Office on 01273 815000.

What is on the programme

The concert is in two halves. Glyndebourne lists:

  • Part one: Bernstein’s Candide overture, Mendelssohn’s Christus, excerpts from Grieg’s Peer Gynt, and music from Bizet’s Carmen.
  • Part two: Shostakovich’s Festive Overture, Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols, Dance of the Hours from Ponchielli’s La Gioconda, Johann Strauss II’s Perpetuum Mobile, Dan Walters’s arrangements of Deck the Hall and Jingle Bells, Paul Mealor’s I Pray, and John Williams’s music from Raiders of the Lost Ark.

The audience joins in three carols, including O Little Town of Bethlehem and God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen. Ushers hand out a song sheet at the interval.

The soloists are Clementine Thompson, Harry Jacques, Oliver Williams, Andrew Davies, Manon Ogwen Parry, Melissa Gregory and Jade Moffat. Aidan Oliver conducts and directs the chorus, Richard Milone leads the Sinfonia, and Glyndebourne Youth Opera is directed by Ashley Beauchamp.

Getting there from Lewes

Glyndebourne is four miles from Lewes.

  • By car: the audience car park is large and free, with attendants. Accessible parking has to be reserved with the Box Office in advance.
  • Coach from Lewes station: Glyndebourne runs a £10 return audience coach for its autumn season, leaving Lewes station about an hour before the performance and coming back about 20 minutes after it ends. It must be booked in advance. Glyndebourne’s travel page does not say whether the coach runs for the Christmas Concerts, so check when you book.
  • Taxi: Glyndebourne advises booking a taxi both ways in advance, because few are available locally.

If you are driving through Lewes in December, check our roadworks and travel page first. If you are making a day of it in town, our parking in Lewes page has the car parks and their charges.

What to wear and where to eat

Glyndebourne’s autumn guide says the dress code is smart casual, “whatever you find warm and comfortable”. Its three restaurants can be booked when you buy tickets, apart from Nether Wallop, which is walk-in only.

More Christmas in and around Lewes

Sources

Image: “Glyndebourne Opera House” by Gregg Gorman, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.