Krug’s Grande Cuvée musical pop-up

An extravaganza in Shoreditch with the Philharmonia Orchestra

Music and champagne have long been the dream duo – whether by the haha at Glyndebourne or in the Royal Opera House’s Crush Room. So, with the release of its annual Grande Cuvée, the Krug champagne house is to explore these links, highlighting the parallels between the blending of champagne and the harmony of an orchestra. London’s Shoreditch will see this come to life during an immersive, dynamic pop-up exhibition running from April 7 to 11 – for which tickets (£60 per person for two glasses of Krug Grande Cuvée and full musical experience for an hour and a half) have just gone on sale.

Enormous screens will display films illustrating the profusion of musical parts that come together to create a performance. London’s Philharmonia Orchestra was taped for many hours performing Stravinsky’s seasonally appropriate composition The Rite of Spring. Selected highlights are juxtaposed with footage (on a different set of screens) of the gathering of House of Krug cellar master Eric Lebel and his tasting committee in Reims. They will be seen crafting the perfect Krug Grande Cuvée blend from more than 400 wines – around 120 of which have a vintage of over 10 years. This annual tasting is a process of meticulous creativity in order to produce the fullest expression of champagne possible.

“Everything we do at the House of Krug is destined to offer moments of pure pleasure, and this will be one of them,” explains Olivier Krug, a sixth-generation Krug family member and director of the company. “Bringing this to the London public has been a long yet exciting process – but it is important to us because we have a very close and emotional relationship with Krug lovers in the UK.”

Esa-Pekka Salonen, the Finnish principal conductor and artistic advisor of the Philharmonia Orchestra, chose The Rite of Spring because he believes that it pushes each musician to their limit – working not only individually but also as an ensemble.

The blend of 100 musicians, over 30 different instruments, Stravinsky’s dramatic and swooping score, 400 champagnes and the visual record of Krug’s tasting tale will make for the most delightfully multisensorial evening.