Joseph Calleja on Europe's best opera festivals Munich Opera House is one of the most beautiful in the world and the festival gives you opera as it is meant to be heard: enclosed in a controlled environment. It's a much more formal festival than, say, the Proms but that gives you an excuse to don a nice frock or suit and enjoy the performance with a glass of champagne. bayerische.staatsoper.de Glyndebourne Festival Many people take picnics to Glyndebourne and eat them during the long breaks between acts, sprawled out in front of the beautiful Glyndebourne house. I always think that it's the closest you can come to experiencing what it must have been to watch opera in the 19th century, when it was absolutely normal to have dinner during a performance. glyndebourne.com Chorégies d'Orange This French festival is held in a Roman amphitheatre, which seats 9,000 people, and the singers perform without any amplification. It's quite an experience. There's also excellent wine and food from the region. choregies.fr/en Grange Park Opera This small summer festival is tucked away in the middle of the stunning Hampshire countryside. After sneaking around country lanes to get there, you're greeted by an impressive mansion, reminiscent of a Roman villa. It only holds about 550 people and from the outside you'd never guess that world-class opera was being played inside. grangeparkopera.co.uk Joseph Calleja's new album, 'Amore," is released on Decca on September 2 Joseph was talking to Judith Welikala