Britain, Ireland and Europe offer countless festivals and musical performances, ranging from traditional ceilidhs to opera seasons and contemporary events. These can be incorporated into your group travel plans, either as part of a specialist itinerary or a multi-country adventure with a musical interlude.
Here we have highlighted just a few examples you may wish to consider for your next adventure.
Austria
Wander in the footsteps of world famous Austrian composers including Mozart, Strauss, Liszt, and Schubert. Both Vienna and Salzburg have almost daily musical performances in addition to hosting world famous festivals. You can also enjoy opera on the lake at the annual Bregenz Festival, with its dramatic stage, set on Lake Constance.
Great Britain
Britain offers an eclectic musical choice, ranging from the traditions of Elgar and Britten to the contemporary Beatles and Bowie. North and south it abounds with opportunities to celebrate musical culture. Scotland’s Celtic Connections attracts artists from across the globe and in Wales you can experience the tradition of a male voice choir.
Ireland
One never has to travel far to encounter Irish culture as informal folk music performances are a regular feature in many pubs across the island. The annual Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, which this year is hosted by Wexford, is the world’s largest annual celebration of Irish music, language, song and dance. Wexford is also home to a critically acclaimed annual opera festival.
Italy
Italy is rich in art and culture. It boasts world class theatres such a La Scala in Milan, and the Teatro dell’Opera San Carlo in Naples. Each summer the Verona Opera Festival is performed in the Arena di Verona, a spectacular Roman Amphitheatre in the heart of the historic city of Romeo and Juliet. In addition, in the birthplace of each of the great composers, there are annual opera festivals celebrating Verdi, Rossini, Puccini and Bellini.
And that’s only the tip of the iceberg….
There are musical experiences across every European nation. Did you know that, around one third of all opera performances in the world are staged in Germany; the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, which regularly performs in the Norwegian city, had Edvard Grieg as its artistical director in the 1880s; Seville, Spain’s cradle of Flamenco, was, in 2006, named as UNESCO’s capital of music; the Czech Republic’s six opera and ballet stages are in Prague, Brno, Ostrava, Opava, Liberec and Pilsen; Stockholm’s Abba Museum is dedicated to Sweden’s biggest musical export.
