Trafalgar airs & grasses

It is one of the quintessential English events: every year audiences pack a hamper and revel in the world's finest opera on the lawns of Glyndebourne.

Now Londoners are going to get the Glyndebourne experience for the first time, and for free - in Trafalgar Square.

On 7 July, the square will host its first live opera production, the English National Opera's La Bohè­¥.

To transform Trafalgar Square into a rural idyll - or an approximation of one - the ENO will carpet its entire span with synthetic grass.

Artistic director Sean Doran said: "This is the first live opera there. It will use the whole scale of the space.

"It's a simple idea of acknowledging the style of the space - which is all concrete as we know - and turning it into a green pasture.

"We hope it will soften Trafalgar Square, and we hope families will think it a good idea to come and picnic in the heart of London and listen to one of the great operas.

"I suppose you could call it the Glyndebournisation of London."

The announcement comes after the ENO revealed it is to perform on the last day of this year's Glastonbury Festival. Both appearances come thanks to a new "partnership" with O2, which will see the telecommunications giant donate an undisclosed sum - believed to be around £500,000 - to the company.

This latest example of increased corporate sponsorship to arts organisations was today praised by Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell, who said: "I welcome news of this partnership between ENO and O2. English National Opera, as one of the country's foremost opera companies, has done wonderful work in introducing new people to opera, whilst maintaining an imaginative and accessible programme.

"This initiative will maintain that tradition and, I hope, extend opera's reach to new audiences. O2 are to be congratulated on their generosity and on entering into this partnership with ENO."

The digital TV channel Artsworld has already provided the ENO with millions of pounds of sponsorship. After the muchdelayed refurbishment of the Coliseum the company appears at last to be returning to some semblance of calm.

Mr Doran said: "The ENO is about taking opera to as many people as possible - that is why we are funded - and this is what this new idea is all about."

La Bohè­¥'s heroine, Mimi, will be sung by Mary Plazas, who recently starred in the acclaimed production at the Royal Albert Hall.

Later today the ENO will reveal details of next year's season at the Coliseum.