Since the first performance of Mozart's opera Così fan tutte in 1948, the Festival created by Gabriel Dussurget has become one of the major summer events. Mozart has always been the major opera composer in Aix, and this 2025 season, one of his masterpieces is once again the highlight.

Indeed, the Grand Théâtre de Provence welcomes a new production of the opera of operas, Don Giovanni! with all the pomp and circumstance expected. Sir Simon Rattle, at the helm of Munich's fabulous orchestra, the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, brings together a magnificent cast. The seductive Andrè Schuen is the vile seducer who torments Golda Schultz, Magdalena Kozená and Amitai Pati, among others, great and beautiful Mozartian voices for this dream opera directed by Robert Icke. The acclaimed man of the stage makes his long-awaited operatic debut.

Opera tickets should be booked as soon as possible to secure the best seats at the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence.

Another event at the Aix-en-Provence Festival, Gustave Charpentier's Louise is a hugely popular work that offers a leading role to the divine French soprano Elsa Dreisig. In the drama of this French-style Bohème, young Louise confronts her parents, magnificently cast as Sophie Koch and Nicolas Courjal, in a highly anticipated opera production at the Théâtre de l'Archevêché.

As ever, Aix offers a host of surprises in both the Baroque and contemporary opera repertoires. In the mythical courtyard of the Théâtre de l'Archevêché, a very funny masterpiece by Cavalli awaits festival-goers. La Calisto is an opera based on a series of comic misunderstandings, which Jetske Mijnssen stages with yet another fabulous cast. The revelation Lauranne Oliva as Calisto is partnered by such seasoned singers as Giuseppina Bridelli, Alex Rosen and the excellent conductor Sébastien Daucé, who leads the Ensemble Correspondances.

On the contemporary opera front, following the worldwide success of Georges Benjamin's operas, we eagerly await the world premiere of The Nine Jewelled Deer by Sivan Eldar and Ganavya Doraiswamy, directed by the legendary Peter Sellars. An opera close to home always provokes strong emotions. Britten's Billy Budd is presented in an original reduced version at the Théâtre du Jeu de Paume in Aix-en-Provence. Ted Huffman, who has delighted festival-goers more than once in Aix, is responsible for staging, adaptation, costumes and props.

Other opera events at the Festival International d'Art Lyrique d'Aix-en-Provence, season 2025. Tickets for Les Pêcheurs de perles must be reserved as soon as possible. Bizet's other masterpiece, in concert version, is part of a year-long celebration with magnificent singers, the great stars Pene Pati, Florian Sempey and the sweet Mané Galoyan, led by the expert baton of the brilliant Marc Minkowski. Verdi, arguably the world's best-known opera composer, needs no celebration to fill the seats of the Théâtre Antique.

This 2025 season, the Festival International d'Art Lyrique d'Aix-en-Provence joins forces with the Chorégies d'Orange to host a major event: the version of La forza del destino directed by the highly talented conductor Daniele Rustioni, with the great voices of Anna Pirozzi, Brian Jagde, Ekaterina Semenchuk, Michele Pertusi, Ambrogio Maestri and others.

This new edition of the Festival International d'Art Lyrique d'Aix-en-Provence also promises to be a most attractive one on the concert front, with Simon Rattle and recitals by Ermonela Jaho (last year's sensational Madama Butterfly), Jakub Józef Orlinski, Stéphane Degout and Jonas Kaufmann. The greatest tenor of his generation is in Aix with Diana Damrau.

Book your tickets now to make sure you don't miss out on this superb 2025 season.