[This is a guest post by Gianmarco Segato, our retail and editorial co-ordinator, who recently visited the Buxton Festival in England. You may recognize his name from our podcast series!]

I’ve long been curious about the enticing, off-the-beaten-track operatic offerings at England’s 32-year-old Buxton Festival, and so this July, I made the trek across the pond and spent three days in this charming town, smack dab in the middle of picture-postcard perfect Derbyshire.

Buxton itself has a long history as a spa town due to its geothermal spring which rises at a constant temperature of 28 °C. It calls itself “the gateway to the Peaks District” and is surrounded by rolling hills and public footpaths which lead to breathtaking views (see photo above) directly accessible from the town centre. The 902-seat Buxton Opera House was built in 1903 by Frank Matcham, one of Britain's finest theatre architects. He also designed two famous London theatres: the London Palladium (1910) and the London Coliseum (1904 – home of the English National Opera). The interior is charming with beautifully restored gilded stucco ornaments and most importantly, a bar on every level! Front-of-house is mainly run by volunteers, who also act as bar staff. If you haven’t finished your drink by the end of the intermission, they gladly provide you with a plastic cup to take your G & T into the theatre with you. The theatre’s acoustics are very clear – perhaps a little less resonant than we’re used to at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.