July has seen some of the hottest weather on record in Europe. According to the World Meteorological Organisation, France, Germany and Denmark all saw their highest temperatures ever, while in the UK, 2026 became the first year on record to reach 35°C in May, June and July.
With temperatures not dropping much in the evenings, attending concerts – especially at outdoor festivals that are typically part of Western Europe’s summer scene – has become a challenge. It’s something we are going to have to get used to.
Bachtrack’s Directors Alison and David Karlin have just returned from two classical music festivals in France, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence and Festival International de Colmar in northeastern France, where Alison developed some strategies to beat the heat.
We’re just back from two festivals, Aix-en-Provence and Colmar. Both proved really challenging because of the temperature, which peaked daily between 34–38ºC from 9am, and was still very hot at midnight. The concerts and operas took place in quite different venues and suffered from different issues.
Open air venues
In Aix, in the 17th-century courtyard of the Archbishop’s Palace – now the Théâtre d’Archéveché – there is open-air seating and a section below overhanging temporary seating. We were seated there, and the heat rose to us and never dispersed. There was no breeze. It was extraordinarily hot even at midnight. In the interval, you could refill personal water bottles – they were essential for the first half.
Air-conditioned venues
Inside a modern theatre, such as Aix’s Grand Théâtre de Provence (built 2007), there can be great air conditioning and we enjoyed cool temperatures throughout. However, do make a note as to when you will be in an air-conditioned venue so you are wearing enough clothing!
Churches
Lots of festival performances take place in churches, and although in Europe we’re used to the idea of a cold, thick-walled stone nave, in a heatwave churches can become hot and airless, as the doors cannot be left open at night time to cool them.
Top tips
1 Water bottle
Bring a large, full water bottle. It might sound obvious, but drinking water in a hot venue is essential to help your body deal with the heat.
2 Fan
Take an old-fashioned fan with you. Electric fans shouldn’t be used, due to their sound disturbance, but paper or other solid material fans help move the air near you. Check before you buy that the fan opens quietly and doesn’t clatter.
3 Spritz
If you can get to a bathroom just before the start, dampen your arms, the back of your neck and your face with cold water, and don’t dry them. The water will evaporate and help cool you down.
4 Clothing for women
I’ve tried everything in the past fortnight, and the best is a linen or lightweight cotton dress. I wear nearly full-length dresses to stop sunburn as I travel to the hall. Avoid skirts and belts because anything touching your waist increases your temperature, as do long sleeves and layers. If you have long hair, tie it up to get it off your neck.
5 Clothing for men
Linen or really thin cotton shirts, ideally short-sleeved and shorts. You can find smart shorts, and believe me, people coping with hot concert halls prioritise comfort over elegance.
6 Footwear
Most people are in sandals, and if you’re also wearing a long dress, you can slip the sandals off during the concert and regulate the temperature of your feet, which is important because they conduct heat to the rest of you. If you're not a sandal person, wear comfortable trainers and thin trainer liners.
7 Food and drink
Do not eat carbohydrates or drink alcohol before an evening concert! Rethink when you have your main meal. Our first night, we had a lovely carb-filled meal and shared wine before the concert. I nearly passed out during the performance. Another lady was taken away by ambulance. Instead, have your main meal and any alcohol you want either at an earlier lunch, or after the concert. If you’re hungry before an evening performance, opt for a plate of cheese and cold meat or something protein-rich (like nuts) – not carb-rich like a pizza and dessert. Not taking on extra carbs you have to digest during the concert will really help you stay comfortable and awake.
