Midsummer Festival
Baroque music festival at the Château d'Hardelot, between France and Great Britain
About Midsummer Festival
Midsummer Festival: Baroque Music at the Château d'Hardelot
The Midsummer Festival is a baroque music festival that annually celebrates the arrival of summer at the Château d'Hardelot, in Condette, Pas-de-Calais. Created in 2009 upon the castle's reopening after extensive restoration work by the Department, it has become an essential event for lovers of ancient and baroque music.
A Franco-British Musical Dialogue
The Château d'Hardelot is home to the Centre culturel de l'Entente cordiale, dedicated to cultural relations between France and Great Britain. The Midsummer Festival fully embodies this mission by exploring the musical links between the two sides of the Channel through the centuries. The program highlights French and British baroque composers, from Purcell to Rameau, from Handel to Lully.
A Unique Elizabethan Theatre in France
One of the jewels of the Château d'Hardelot is its Elizabethan theatre, unique in mainland France. Inspired by 16th-century London theatres, it offers an exceptional setting for baroque music and opera performances. Concerts also take place in the castle's gardens, courtyard, and chapel.
An Original and Demanding Program
Each year, the Midsummer Festival invites the best ensembles for ancient and baroque music: Le Concert Spirituel conducted by Hervé Niquet, the Ensemble Clematis, La Grande Garabagne, and numerous internationally renowned soloists and artists. The program combines concerts, baroque operas, recitals, and interdisciplinary performances.
Midsummer Festival — edition 2026
The Midsummer Festival returns from June 20 to 27, 2026 at Château d'Hardelot in Condette (Pas-de-Calais) for its 10th edition, which also celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Elizabethan theatre. Under the artistic direction of Sébastien Mahieux, this edition explores Franco-British baroque music by Handel, Purcell, Vivaldi, and Charpentier, with a special anniversary evening on June 24 for the summer solstice.
Midsummer Festival 2026: 10 Years for the Elizabethan Theatre
From June 20 to 27, 2026, the Midsummer Festival celebrates the summer solstice at Château d'Hardelot in Condette (62), with a special edition marking the 10th anniversary of the Elizabethan theatre, unique in continental France. Under the artistic direction of Sébastien Mahieux, the program is imbued with Shakespearean imagination and celebrates summer as a fusion of heritage and contemporary creation.
A Franco-British Baroque Dialogue
True to the vocation of the Centre culturel de l'Entente cordiale, the festival explores the musical ties between France and Great Britain through the works of Handel, Purcell, Vivaldi, Charpentier, and Monteverdi. Concerts take place in the wooden Elizabethan theatre and the winter garden, in an intimate atmosphere that brings musicians and audience closer.
Ensembles and Guest Artists in 2026
- Ensemble Le Stagioni (directed by Paolo Zanzu) — opera Aci, Galatea e Polifemo by Handel
- Le Concert de la Loge (directed by Julien Chauvin), with Tim Mead, countertenor — Vivaldi, Échos de Venise
- Ensemble Il Caravaggio (directed by Camille Delaforge) — The Witch of Endor, Purcell and Charpentier
- Ensemble La Palatine, with Marie Theoleyre, soprano
- Collectif ActeSix — opening and nocturnal concerts
- Simon Pierre (violin) and Jean-Luc Ho (harpsichord) — Handel / Purcell duo
- Compagnie J'ai tué mon bouc (Julia Baudet, Louis Berthélémy, François Gardeil) — anniversary cabaret
Anniversary Evening on June 24
The night of the summer solstice, Wednesday, June 24, will be dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the Elizabethan theatre with a public meeting with its architect Andrew Todd (Studio Andrew Todd), followed by the show Le lieu de nulle part, a joyful Elizabethan cabaret created by the company J'ai tué mon bouc.
Programme Midsummer Festival 2026
Saturday, June 20, 2026 — Opening
- 4:30 PM — Winter Garden · "Music and cup of tea — A tea on arrival" by Collectif ActeSix (1h, 10-15 €). The musicians arrive by bike through Pas-de-Calais.
- 6:00 PM — Winter Garden · "Open your ears!" with Caroline Mounier-Vehier (discussion about Handel's opera, 40 min, free)
- 8:30 PM — Elizabethan Theatre · Aci, Galatea e Polifemo by Handel by Ensemble Le Stagioni, directed by Paolo Zanzu, with Lila Dufy, Laura Muller and Rafael Galaz (1h20, 15-25 €)
- 10:00 PM — Winter Garden · "The sweet song of the night" by Collectif ActeSix (nocturnal concert, 40 min, free upon reservation)
Sunday, June 21, 2026
- 4:30 PM — Winter Garden · "And is that your job?" by Ensemble La Palatine, with Marie Theoleyre (soprano) — Handel, Monteverdi, Lambert program (1h, 10-15 €)
Wednesday, June 24, 2026 — Summer Solstice · 10th Anniversary of the Elizabethan Theatre
- 6:30 PM — Winter Garden · Meeting with Andrew Todd, architect of the Elizabethan theatre (50 min, free upon reservation)
- 8:30 PM — Elizabethan Theatre · Le lieu de nulle part — anniversary Elizabethan cabaret by Cie J'ai tué mon bouc (Julia Baudet, Louis Berthélémy, François Gardeil) (1h10, 15-25 €)
Friday, June 26, 2026
- 8:30 PM — Elizabethan Theatre · Vivaldi, Échos de Venise by Le Concert de la Loge, directed by Julien Chauvin, with Tim Mead, countertenor (1h15, 15-25 €)
Saturday, June 27, 2026 — Closing
- 4:30 PM — Winter Garden · "Music and cup of tea — English Duo" with Simon Pierre (violin) and Jean-Luc Ho (harpsichord) — Handel and Purcell (1h, 10-15 €)
- 6:00 PM — Winter Garden · "Open your ears!" with Camille Delaforge and Ensemble Il Caravaggio (40 min, free)
- 8:30 PM — Elizabethan Theatre · The Witch of Endor — Purcell and Charpentier by Ensemble Il Caravaggio, directed by Camille Delaforge (1h10, 15-25 €)
Highlights Midsummer Festival 2026
- 10th edition coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the wooden Elizabethan theatre, unique in continental France
- Special anniversary evening on June 24 (summer solstice) with an Elizabethan cabaret created for the occasion
- Opening opera Aci, Galatea e Polifemo by Handel by Ensemble Le Stagioni
- Vivaldi concert with countertenor Tim Mead and Le Concert de la Loge directed by Julien Chauvin
- Free "Music and cup of tea" and "Open your ears!" program in the winter garden to meet the artists
- Artistic direction: Sébastien Mahieux
Prices Midsummer Festival 2026
Practical information — Midsummer Festival
Access to the Château d'Hardelot
By car
The Château d'Hardelot is located in Condette, accessible via the A16 (exit 28 Neufchâtel-Hardelot). Free parking on site.
By train
Nearest station: Boulogne-Ville (10 km). TER from Lille, Calais, and the coast.
Festival Venue
- Elizabethan Theatre of the Château d'Hardelot
- Gardens and outdoor spaces of the castle
- Chapel and historic rooms
Ticketing
Tickets available on the Château d'Hardelot website: chateau-hardelot.fr. Affordable prices with discounts for young people and groups.
Practical Information
- Indoor and outdoor concerts: bring appropriate clothing
- Restaurant and refreshment stand on site during festival evenings
- Castle and exhibition tours available during the day
Contact
Official website: www.chateau-hardelot.fr
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Where does it take place — Midsummer Festival
Château d'Hardelot - Centre culturel de l'Entente cordiale
1 rue de la Source, 62360 Condette