Aix-en-Provence Opera Festival: Music in a Mediterranean Setting
july 2027
CLIVE PAGET
*** Preliminary Itinerary ***
Participate in France’s premier music festival, enjoying operas and vocal recitals from the baroque era to contemporary premieres in outdoor venues and historic theatres
OVERVIEW
Each year in July, the epicentre of France’s musical life moves from the theatres and concert halls of Paris to sunny Aix-en-Provence. The elegant medieval capital of Provence provides a beautiful and relaxing environment for the three-week Festival, dedicated to lyric music, with repertoire ranging from the baroque period to contemporary works commissioned by the Festival. Performances take place in indoor and outdoor venues, ranging from a charming eighteenth-century theatre to the purpose-built Grand Théâtre de Provence, inaugurated in 2007.
Limelight Arts Travel’s 11-day tour includes two weekends, so we can be sure that all major performances are included. Accommodation is in a central 4-star hotel with a swimming pool. As well as the Festival performances, there is a program of excursions to nearby sites of historical interest and natural beauty.
The experience is rounded out by the expertise of tour leader Clive Paget, Limelight Magazine’s Editor-at-Large.
Hero image courtesy Vincent Beaume and the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence
TOUR LEADER
Clive Paget is a leading arts writer and critic and is Editor-at-Large for Limelight in Australia. He also writes for Musical America, Opera News, BBC Music Magazine, Gramophone, The Guardian, and others on a wide range of topics. Currently based in the UK, he has reported for Limelight from both New York and London.
Before moving to Sydney in 2008, Clive was Sir Nicholas Hytner’s music theatre consultant at London’s National Theatre, where he initiated many new projects. In 1997 he co-directed the world premiere of Stephen Sondheim’s previously unperformed musical, Saturday Night, and was a founder of London’s influential Bridewell Theatre.
“Clive is an excellent tour leader, so knowledgeable and able to share his knowledge in an engaging interesting way” – Carolyn F., Aix-en-Provence Opera Festival, 2025
Image of Clive Paget courtesy Sam Grimmer
Highlights
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 at least 7 performances, including 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
Traverse the charming streetscapes of Aix, the seat of the rulers of medieval Provence
Follow in the footsteps of Paul Cézanne and other renowned painters
Explore historical Arles and vibrant Marseilles, and visit areas of outstanding natural beauty such as the Calanques near Cassis
Questions?
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