Enjoy performances of Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde and Verdi’s Macbeth in the heart of the Cotswolds
Benefit from expert commentary on the music and productions with our Tour Director alongside exclusive guest speakers, including festival cast and organisers
Explore the local area with new visits to the wildflower meadows and woodland of Cotswold Lavender and nearby Snowshill Manor, in addition to the award-winning Bourton House Garden and historical Chipping Campden
“Really excellent talks from Russell, and the added bonus of talks from members of the opera company - fantastic!”
- ACE customers who travelled on the 2025 Longborough Opera Festival tour with Russell Keable
Small-Group Tour
Please note that this is an exclusive small-group tour and we would encourage booking early to avoid disappointment.
Known for its strong casting and innovative productions, Longborough Opera Festival offers an intoxicating combination of high quality music alongside exquisite dining and an uplifting summer atmosphere in the heart of the Cotswold countryside.
The festival has grown from strength to strength since its foundation in 1991, when Travelling Opera performed two productions in a converted stable block, through the building of its main theatre which salvaged seats from London’s Royal Opera House, to its highly acclaimed full-length production of the Ring Cycle under Artistic Director Polly Graham. Among its many unique strengths, the festival’s theatre offers a smaller and more intimate experience than many; this allows audiences to appreciate details such as orchestral textures and diction, which – together with the delightful surroundings and delicious local cuisine – make for a truly absorbing evening.
“The perfect balance of music and beautiful gardens… The added bonus of talks by the artistic director, and the unexpected appearance of ‘Figaro’, put the finishing touches to a truly enjoyable tour”
– ACE customer who travelled on the 2025 Longborough Opera Festival tour with Russell Keable
Following a sell-out inaugural tour in 2025, ACE is delighted to offer a follow-up departure in 2026, taking in two main performances: Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde and Verdi’s Macbeth. The operas will start mid-afternoon (Tristan) or early evening (Macbeth), interspersed with a three-course interval dinner provided by Cotswold Fine Dining and taken in the festival’s restaurant.
Tristan is set to be a spectacular revival of Longborough’s acclaimed production, directed by Carmen Jakobi with the Longborough Festival Orchestra, and conducted by the festival’s veteran Wagnerian Music Director Anthony Negus. A medieval romance at heart, the opera relates knight Tristan’s mission to escort the Irish princess Isolde on her journey to marry the eponymous character’s uncle. The couple accidentally drink a love potion, paving the way for a devastating climax driven by the opera’s rich thematic tapestry weaving together honour and forbidden love.
Commerce and Crafts in the Cotswolds
New for our 2026 tour, we are delighted to be visiting the nearby medieval market town of Chipping Campden. The historical word ‘chipping’ derives from the Old English word ‘ceping’ meaning ‘marketplace’. Like many such towns, Chipping Campden was at the heart of the flourishing wool trade, boasting a very fine ‘wool church’ in St James alongside other remnants of the region’s thriving industries; while arts and crafts from the 1900s onwards are remembered in the town’s absorbing Court Barn Museum.
Verdi didn’t undertake his adaptation of Macbeth lightly, calling Shakespeare’s tragedy ‘one of the greatest creations of man’, and his Lady Macbeth is widely considered among the most demanding in the operatic repertory. Our performance will be directed by award-winning director Karolina Sofulak and conducted by rising star Nil Venditti, who made her BBC Proms debut in 2024 and is currently Principal Guest Conductor of the Royal Northern Sinfonia. Macbeth will feature the Longborough Community Chorus working alongside the Festival Chorus and Orchestra.
“The performance was tremendously good: a young cast with an excellent, high-energy, brilliantly funny production. Our group were thrilled by the whole thing”
– Tour Director Russell Keable reflecting on the 2025 operas
Our Tour Director will prepare us for each performance during a series of dedicated lectures, and we will also benefit from special guest talks with festival directors as well as behind-the-scenes insights, subject to final confirmation.
From a base in the historical market town of Moreton-in-Marsh, we will delve into the local area with a visit to the fabulous Cotswold Lavender, whose vibrant crop should be at its finest in mid-July alongside wildflower meadows, woodland walks and a distillery that extracts the lavender’s essential oils. Nearby Snowshill Manor and Garden is a trove of treasures assembled by artist and architect Charles Wade, set within delightful gardens; while Bourton House Garden offers a stunning topiary walk and specimen trees – perfect complements to our summer evenings spent soaking up beautiful music in an equally glorious setting.
Our Accommodation
Occupying a 16th century manor house, our hotel – the four-star Manor House Hotel based in the historical market town of Moreton-in-Marsh – offers beautifully designed, recently refurbished rooms, and is surrounded by delightful walled gardens. Our customers in 2025 appreciated both the character and comfort levels of this special property, with one commenting: “I loved this hotel and especially the gardens and terraces to relax on, and my bedroom, which was excellently furnished.” At only a 15 minute drive away, the hotel is also among the most conveniently located for this magical summer festival.
Russell Keable
Russell studied conducting with George Hurst and Norman Del Mar at London’s Royal College of Music.
Russell led ACE’s inaugural tour to Longborough in 2025, and reflected on his experience of the operas: “Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande was outstanding (the best of the four productions that I’ve seen over the years, including at Glyndebourne and the Royal Opera House). The cast was strong, the orchestra was outstanding, and the production was compelling and imaginative. We spent a lot of time as a group discussing the details of what we’d seen afterwards.”
5
£2695
LOBO-26
