Best Classical & Opera Festivals 2026

The best-loved Classical & Opera festivals

How we rate this: we read attendee reports from public discussion and score each festival on value, music, access, safety and facilities. These are the classical & opera events with the warmest word of mouth. It is early, honest signal, not paid placement and not our own opinion.

1. 1Aspen Music Festival and School · CO5/5

   “Would definitely go back, and highly recommend!”

2. 2Sun Valley Music Festival · ID5/5

   “The highlight of our summer.”

3. 3Bravo! Vail Music Festival · CO5/5

   “Wonderful concert in the best venue”

4. 4Big Ears Festival · TN5/5

   “Went last year and had a blast”

The most talked-about Classical & Opera festivals

The classical & opera events generating the most public discussion in our records, and what makes each one land.

1. 1Aspen Music Festival and School · CO

   Aspen Music Festival and School is an eight-week classical-music season woven into the town of Aspen itself rather than a single festival weekend: nearly 200 public events run from

2. 2Bravo! Vail Music Festival · CO

   Bravo!

3. 3Sun Valley Music Festival · ID

   The Sun Valley Music Festival is one of the largest free classical music festivals in the country, staged over roughly four weeks each summer at the open-air Sun Valley Pavilion in

4. 4Big Ears Festival · TN

   Big Ears is a four-day festival of adventurous, boundary-crossing music, spanning jazz, classical, folk, electronic and experimental sounds, spread across historic theatres, church

5. 5Britt Music & Arts Festival · OR

   The Pacific Northwest's premier outdoor summer performing-arts festival, set on an intimate hillside pavilion in Jacksonville, Oregon, with the Rogue Valley and ponderosa pines as

The 2026 Classical & Opera scene by sound

How the 40 US classical & opera festivals split by sub-genre

Contemporary Classical is the biggest strand, tagged on 1 of the 40 classical & opera festivals we track. Tap a sound to see only those festivals.

Classical & Opera festivals by month

When the 40 US classical & opera festivals happen across the year

Classical & Opera season peaks in June, with 17 festivals that month. Tap a month for the full calendar.

Where the Classical & Opera scene clusters

The states with the most classical & opera festivals

It clusters hardest in California (5 festivals), then New York (4) and Colorado (3). Tap a state for its full list.

Classical & Opera festivals 2026: quick answers

The questions people ask most, answered from our data

How many classical & opera festivals are there in the US?

We track 40 US classical & opera festivals, 37 of them live or upcoming for 2026.

When is classical & opera festival season?

It peaks in June, with 17 classical & opera festivals that month.

Where are the most classical & opera festivals?

California leads with 5, then New York (4) and Colorado (3).

What are the best classical & opera festivals for 2026?

By attendee sentiment, Aspen Music Festival and School, Sun Valley Music Festival and Bravo! Vail Music Festival lead our read.

Stay up to date

Dates move, lineups shift, prices climb. Froligo Pulse is built to tell you the moment a festival you care about changes. For what the classical & opera scene is talking about this week, read the Froligo Desk.

Other genres