The Belleayre Music Festival is one of the major musical events of the summer in Upstate New York. It takes place at the well-known Belleayre Ski Resort, less than an hour’s drive south of Albany, in the heart of the Catskill Forest Preserve. The festival has one concert per week through July and August, and goes into early September. The programming reflects a wide diversity of musical styles, every year featuring some of the most renowned artists in jazz, blues, R&B, rock, country, and classical music.
The festival has been produced regularly for decades, but started gaining popularity in earnest when artistic directorship was taken over by Mel and Phyllis Litoff in 1993. In fact, the large white tent under which the festival takes place each year is today known as the Phyllis Litoff Pavilion.
All of the activities of the Festival take place under the auspices of the Belleayre Music Conservatory, formed after the state of New York threatened to close the Belleayre Resort in 1990 during tough economic times. To save the Resort from financial collapse, the Conservatory established the Music Festival to use the Resort facility during its usually dormant summer months. Since then, the Conservatory has presented over 100 performances during the summers, to an ever-increasing audience, and in doing so bolstered the cultural and economic wellbeing of the Belleayre Mountain Resort and its local community.
Belleayre Music Festival Information
- Public Transportation: Poor
- Handicapped Accessibility: Good
- Performances/Programs: Classical, jazz, pop, opera, and country artists are all invited to perform at this summer festival in the Catskills. Concerts are typically held on Friday and Saturday nights
- Ticket Prices: $36-$66. Lawn Tickets are $25. Admission is free for children under 12. Student Rush tickets available the night of performance
- Group Discounts: Special rates are available for groups of 20 or more for tent seating
- Subscriptions: Select 5 or more shows to get a 10% discount on the order. For $100, you can get a general admission lawn ticket for every Saturday night show in the festival (a 33% discount).
