While the Théâtre de l’Archevêché and its open-air theatre have lost none of their charm over the past 75 years, in 1954 the Festival began expanding into other venues in Aix and the surrounding region for performances of its operas and concerts. Here are some photos of these unique spaces!
In 1975, Ella Fitzgerald and the Festival d’Aix offered the people of Aix a memorable jazz concert on the place des Cardeurs, just a short walk from Hôtel de Ville.
In 2006, for the centennial of the death of Paul Cézanne, the Festival d’Aix programmed a large, free concert at the foot of Montagne Sainte-Victoire. Nearly 11,000 people came to enjoy Mahler’s Fifth Symphony, performed by the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Sir Simon Rattle.
Deep in the Aix countryside lies the Domaine du Grand Saint-Jean, which houses a sixteenth-century building, a large wooded park, a chapel, a farm and a sheepfold. Since 1999, it has also been home to an 800-seat theatre. Through 2013 — the final year of its operation by the Festival — the Grand Saint-Jean hosted several productions, including the premiere of Vasco Mendonça’s The House Taken Over, staged by Katie Mitchell.
The Stadium de Vitrolles, designed by the architect Rudy Ricciotti — well known for his other iconic buildings in the region, such as the Mucem in Marseille and the Pavillon Noir in Aix-en-Provence — was inaugurated in 1994, but would be left abandoned as of 1999. Thanks to the impetus of Pierre Audi, general director of the Festival, the building underwent the first steps towards rehabilitation in 2022, when it hosted performances of Mahler’s Resurrection, staged by Romeo Castellucci. In July 2023, the Stadium will once again welcome festivalgoers and the Orchestre de Paris for BALLETS RUSSES.
You will also like

With Christmas soon upon us, the time has come to choose your gifts!
If you want to give your loved ones an original treat, the Festival d’Aix gift card is sure to be a hit.

OPERA AWARDS: THE FESTIVAL D’AIX WINS THE FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR AWARD
The Festival d’Aix-en-Provence had the great honour and immense joy of being named Festival of the Year by the International Opera Awards — a...

ON 8 DECEMBER 2023, DISCOVER THE PROGRAMME FOR THE 2024 FESTIVAL ON THE FESTIVAL’S NEW WEBSITE
Join us in a month at festival-aix.com to discover the programme for the 2024 Festival d’Aix-en-Provence!

TRIBUTE TO JORGE LAVELLI (1932-2023)
The Festival d'Aix-en-Provence was saddened to learn of the death of Jorge Lavelli on 9 October 2023. Born in 1932 in Buenos-Aires, he arrived in...

[ VIDEO ] 2023 IMMERSIVE WORKSHOP AND RESIDENCY BY ENOA
Designed for exceptional artists who are well-established in their discipline but unfamiliar with the world of opera, enoa’s* Immersive Residency aims...

[ VIDEO ] ‘PASSERELLES OUVRE LE BAL !’
To celebrate 15 years of outreach training and audience awareness-raising activities driven by Passerelles, the 2023 Aix en Juin programme kicked off...

RAISING AWARENESS OF OPERA: THE OJM TRAINS YOUNG ARTISTS
Every year, in its commitment to making music and opera accessible to as many people as possible, the Orchestre des Jeunes de la Méditerranée (OJM)...

FILMED RECORDING OF THE OPERA INNOCENCE GARNERS AN AWARD AT THE 2023 GOLDEN PRAGUE FESTIVAL
The video recording of Kaija Saariaho’s opera Innocence was awarded the prize for Best Recording of a Stage Work at the 60th Golden Prague...

AUDITIONS: 2024 VOICE RESIDENCY OF THE ACADÉMIE
The auditions of the young artists you will hear in June and July 2024 at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence are underway. Singers, pianists and...