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Enjoy these photo highlights of last week’s events: the series of Voix de Silvacane concerts under the vaults of the Cistercian abbey in La Roque-d’Anthéron, and the premiere of Orfeo vacilla, a modern and moving circus-inspired variation on Gluck’s Orphée et Eurydice at the Centre International des Arts en Mouvement. Festival d'Aix-en-Provence 2026 © Vincent Beaume / © Christophe Reynaud de Lage

Only his hands can be seen above the orchestra pit: despite his imposing stature, the conductor Klaus Mäkelä is almost invisible to those seated in the auditorium of the Grand Théâtre de Provence, which has been plunged into darkness for several minutes in anticipation of the start of the rehearsal. With a decisive gesture, the passionate Finn launches the opening chord of Strauss’ The Woman without a Shadow. At the piano, Rupert Dussmann then lets rip with the triple opening motif like a thunderclap, sombre and mysterious. But almost immediately, stage director Barrie Kosky, positioned with his entire team in the centre of the auditorium, calls out to Klaus Mäkelä with a touch of humour: the conductor had not waited for the director’s cue, which was intended to allow for a longer, more intense silence before the music began. Klaus Mäkelä’s hands make a brief apologetic gesture, prompting a few laughs, before Barrie Kosky continues speaking. “Applause, applause, applause… silence!” He is envisaging the applause that will greet the beginning of the performances before gradually fading away. A striking silence then ensues, which the opening notes forcefully slice through. With a stage director so thoroughly attuned to the subtleties of opera, the silences form part of the rehearsal process. [...]

Discover the first photos of rehearsals for Accabadora. This world-premiere production by composer Francesco Filidei, which draws on the rich traditions of Sardinia, is staged by Valentina Carrasco and conducted by Lucie Leguay. Festival d’Aix-en-Provence 2026 © Jean-Louis Fernandez

Slip behind the scenes via this photo report to discover rehearsals for the revival of Mozart’s Requiem, an iconic Festival production staged by Romeo Castellucci and conducted, once again this summer, by Raphaël Pichon. Festival d'Aix-en-Provence 2026 © Jean-Louis Fernandez

One hour before each opera performance, the preludes introduce the work and its origins and provide insights to help understand the production.

Aix en juin opened last week with Panorama, a musical presentation of the Festival; Passerelles day and its art workshops; a group performance; and the first screenings with a film series. Look back on all these moments in pictures ! Festival d'Aix-en-Provence ©Vincent Beaume et ©Laurie Wagner

Step into the intimate world of studio rehearsals for this production of Richard Strauss’s The Woman Without a Shadow, staged by Barrie Kosky and conducted by Klaus Mäkelä. Festival d'Aix-en-Provence 2026 © Jean-Louis Fernandez

Immerse yourself in the creative process of this new production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s The Magic Flute, staged by Clément Cogitore and conducted by Leonardo García-Alarcón. Festival d’Aix-en-Provence 2026 © Jean-Louis Fernandez

As daylight fades over the Théâtre de l’Archevêché, the teams working on Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) prepare for their second on-site rehearsal.

For over 12 years, the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence has been running sessions of the Orchestre des Jeunes de la Méditerranée (OJM) across a number of cities throughout the Mediterranean region. These residencies are dedicated to the professional development of young composer-performers and to the emergence of new repertoires, shaped by the richness and cultural diversity of the Mediterranean. Every year, five young artists are selected to participate in the Collective Composition Session, during which they write a collaborative piece that draws on their individual languages and instrumental practices. For this year’s concert, the collective project has been expanded into an orchestral work to be performed by all the musicians of the OJM! Discover this collective work in concert on 20 July at the Grand Théâtre de Provence. Also on tour on 21 July at the Festival de Vauvenargues and on 22 July at the Centre International des Arts en Mouvement. The OJM's Collective Composition Session is part of the Saison Méditerranée 2026 by Institut français programme.

Behind the scenes, the Festival d’Aix is already bustling with activity! Every note and every movement are being fine-tuned in the rehearsal studios, while the sets are gradually being installed on the stages of the various Festival venues. Explore the latest preparations with this photo report of the installation of sets for The Magic Flute and Requiem at the Théâtre de l’Archevêché. Next, artists will be taking over the space and bringing it to life. And before long, your patience will be rewarded: opening night is less than a month away! Festival d'Aix-en-Provence 2026 © Camille Pin Did you know? Most opera sets are built around custom-made metallic structures, which are transported on tour and then often recycled. To reduce its environmental impact, the Festival d’Aix has been working, since 2022, with four opera houses — the Opéra National de Lyon, the Opéra National de Paris, the Théâtre du Châtelet and the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie — to develop standardised structures designed to be reused from one production to another. As part of its commitment to this initiative, the Festival d’Aix incorporates these structures into its sets whenever possible: this year, they account for 34% of the total weight of the set for The Woman without a Shadow.

With performances often finishing late into the evening, getting to and from the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence may sometimes seem difficult without a car. To help make your journey easier while simultaneously limiting your environmental impact, several simple and user-friendly options are available.