London & Avalon's Little Black Book of Summer

Summer belongs to those who know where to be

At London & Avalon, we have spent twenty years perfecting the art of the finest night's sleep, because we know that everything remarkable begins and ends between the sheets. And this summer, there is quite a lot of remarkable to be had.

Below is our Black Book for the season: six events drawn from that rarefied corner of British life where tradition, excellence and sheer pleasure converge. Each one is worth the late night and the early booking.

Glyndebourne Festival 

There is nothing quite like Glyndebourne at dusk. Black tie, chilled champagne, the scent of the South Downs, and world-class opera in an auditorium that holds fewer than 1,300 people.

The 2026 programme is extraordinary - Glyndebourne's very first Tosca, Monteverdi's L'Orfeo and Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos. The 90-minute interval is not an interval. It is the evening. Arrive early. Spread your hamper. Let the world wait.

Garsington Opera

Glyndebourne's quietly confident rival, nestled on the magnificent Wormsley Estate. Four productions this season - Verdi's La traviata, Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier, Monteverdi's Il ritorno d'Ulisse and Gerald Barry's The Importance of Being Earnest - performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra in an intimate pavilion theatre. Pack a hamper. Dress beautifully.

Henley Festival

Lesser known than Henley's Royal Regatta, Henley Festival is the UK's only black-tie festival, running since 1982 along the River Thames. Music, comedy, art galleries, a sculpture garden and nightly fireworks from the legendary Floating Stage, with fine dining and Michelin-starred catering throughout. Dressing up is not optional. It is the point.

The Grange Festival

 

Set within a 3,500-acre Hampshire estate of rolling hills, woodlands, lakes and water meadows, this is opera's best-kept secret - and a festival that not only rivals Glyndebourne and Garsington but, with a far broader programme, could now be said to surpass them.

The 2026 season spans seven programmes and 26 performances including three new opera productions, dance and jazz. Smaller, more intimate and considerably less known. Exactly why it belongs here.

Goodwood Festival of Speed

The ultimate summer garden party, except the guests arrive at 200mph. Three days of motorsport's greatest machinery thundering up Goodwood's famous hillclimb, with the 2026 theme The Rivals celebrating history's greatest racing duels. Hunt vs. Lauda. Ford vs. Ferrari.