Glyndebourne will hold two fun-filled Family Open Days on Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 September 2023. Coinciding with the last weekend of the school summer holidays, they will offer people of all ages the chance to discover a taste of the creativity within this world-famous opera house and take part in a variety of hands-on activities.

Inspired by the work of Glyndebourne Festival 2023 visual artist, Turner Prize-winning Lubaina Himid, the weekend is aimed at inspiring the curiosity and creativity of younger audiences. Activities and creative workshops will explore the sights, sounds, tastes and smells of opera, and are suitable for all the family to enjoy.

Children are invited to play, collaborate and perform in an immersive outdoor theatre experience led by innovative art collective Leap then Look, set against the spectacular backdrop of the South Downs.

There will also be the opportunity to experiment with different sounds and rhythms in a ‘sound-garden’ created by Junk Orchestra, an organisation which re-invents recycled objects as musical instruments.

Other activities include the chance to dress up in stage costumes, design a block-printed stage curtain, paint an object for our chorus of recycled bottles and create an artwork inspired by music.

Visitors can also join Glyndebourne’s gardening team to explore the variety of textures, scents, colours and sounds found in our special gardens.

Glyndebourne’s art and archive exhibitions will be on display during the Open Days, including Lubaina Himid’s What Does Love Sound Like? and Staged Nature, a group exhibition which includes a previously unseen iPad animation by David Hockney.

Visitors will also be able to picnic in the gardens or enjoy a light lunch or afternoon tea in Glyndebourne’s Mildmay restaurant.

The Family Open Days are part of Glyndebourne’s autumn season, which offers events from September to December, including exceptional opera and concerts at affordable prices, and talent development work to support emerging singers and musicians.

Tickets are £5 per child / concession and £10 per adult and can be booked via the Glyndebourne website here.