The Grange Festival has announced an additional performance of Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin” on June 30, responding to exceptional demand during its member pre-sale and first day of public booking.

Opening day sales for the 2026 season surpassed all previous records, registering 43 percent above the prior year’s figures, which had themselves set a benchmark.

The new “Eugene Onegin” production is directed by Max Webster and conducted by Lidiya Yankovskaya, making history as the first woman to conduct an opera production for the Festival. The cast features Vladislav Chizhov in the title role, making his UK debut following a career centered at the Bolshoi Theatre, alongside Ruzan Mantashyan as Tatyana, currently performing the role in a sold-out run at the Opéra National de Paris. The cast also includes Vladislav Chizhov, Alice Chung, Ryan Vaughan-Davies, and Diana Montague, among others.

“We are thrilled to see such a strong appetite for excellent opera, and to be growing the audience for our one-of-a-kind Festival. Our membership has increased, member pre-sale ticket sales have increased, and tickets sold to the general public during our on sale have also increased–there are very few arts organisations who can say those things. After last year’s record attendance we’re seeing double-digit growth again, and are so pleased to be helping so many people discover the exceptional work of our creatives, artists, musicians and makers,” said Tyler Stoops, CEO of the Grange Festival, per an official press release.

The 2026 season runs June 2 through July 12, comprising seven programs and 26 performances, including three new opera productions, three concerts, and the return of Ballet Black.

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