One of England’s finest Elizabethan houses will be the venue for a sensational summer of music, along with new secret spy adventure play for kids and the world’s largest gathering of Rolls Royce cars.
Throw in a new evening of opera in Burghley’s beautiful South Gardens, a summer proms complete with historic cavalry displays, fireworks and live-firing canons, along with family friendly Beastly Boring costumed guided tours, and summer 2023 is set to sizzle at Burghley House and Gardens.
For family fun, Burghley’s new Hide & Secrets adventure play is already proving a big hit since opening at the end of April. Combining play, exploration, and discovery, the attraction features six fun-packed family play zones and a spectacular Hidden Towers structure.
During selected dates in August, Burghley’s ever-popular Beastly Boring Tours, aimed primarily at six-to-11-year-olds, offer fun tours of the House for children with costumed guides revealing the grizzly gruesome, horrible history of a House 500 years in the making.
Located on the edge of the Georgian town of Stamford, in Lincolnshire, the House and Gardens, as well as the surrounding parkland, will also play host to some spectacular events spread right across the summer months.
A stately sight awaits visitors over the weekend of 23-25 June, when what is regarded as the largest gathering of Rolls-Royce and Bentley motor cars in the world rolls into the parkland. In one of the most glamorous events in the motoring calendar, hundreds of the luxury cars are expected to grace the sweeping parkland surrounding Burghley. This annual event – the highlight of the year for organisers The Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club (RREC) – has previously attracted up to 1,000 cars. Free to spectate, ticketed entry is required for trade stands and the hospitality area.
For more motor mania, Burghley will also host the inaugural ‘Festival of the Dead’ car show (2 July), when the parkland will be graced with a selection of vintage and classic cars, along with custom and exotic cars, celebrating the marques that are no longer made, covering everything from Austin Healey to Wolseley. There will also be a range of auto traders, catering options, awards and live demonstrations at the free to attend event.
For a summer spectacle, the House will be the magnificent backdrop for the 18th annual Battle Proms Picnic Concert, a celebration with music, fireworks, spitfire, cannons, and cavalry (8 July). A party in the park ‘with a difference’ the dramatic concert is a highlight of the summer social calendar and has become a firm favourite with fans. The longest running picnic proms series in the UK, the full two-hour orchestral concert from the New English Concert Orchestra will feature well-known classical pieces, before ending with a traditional ‘last night of the Proms’ flag-waving sing-along and a fireworks finale.
For those who prefer to party the night away to classic anthems under the stars in a family friendly environment, Classic Ibiza is also back for 2023 (29 July). An open-air celebration of White Isle-inspired house music, the Urban Soul Orchestra, world class DJs and critically acclaimed vocalists will bring a heady blend of Balearic beats to life.
For music and merriment, a new event will bring an operatic twist to Burghley’s event calendar. The Wild Arts Opera Evening combines arias, songs and ensembles with performance storytelling, which aims to take the audience on an emotional journey ranging from laughter to tears (20 July). Four world class singers and a string quintet will feature music by Handel, Mozart and Puccini amongst others, in stunning outdoor setting. Meanwhile, Burghley’s normally closed South Gardens will open exclusively for concert guests to enjoy some pre-concert refreshment – whether a bring-your-own al fresco snack, or a pre-ordered Burghley picnic.
Foodie fans are also in for a treat at Burghley’s annual summer celebration of food and drink, when more than 45 quality food producers will set up stalls in the picturesque Chestnut and Stable Courtyards for the free-to-enter Fine Food Market (26 – 28 August).For full details of opening times, all events, and to book online tickets, visit www.burghley.co.uk or telephone 01780 752451.
