Wexford Festival Opera

Wexford Festival Opera Ireland’s internationally renowned Wexford Festival Opera. 75th Festival: 15 - 31 October 2026. Rare and remarkable operas await!

Awarded 'Best Festival' Award in the 2017 International Opera Awards

ABOUT US

A little south of Dublin, along the Irish east coast, you’ll find Wexford – home of the National Opera House and known internationally as the home of Wexford Festival Opera. The festival was founded by an ambitious group of local enthusiasts in 1951 and has since become a cultural crowning-jewel for locals. Year after

year, they have dedicated their time and talent to ensure that Wexford Festival Opera has become a leader of both national and international opera, praised by critics the world over. A location like no other, Wexford town is famous for its warm welcome and picturesque setting. During festival time, the streets, pubs and restaurants come alive with an excitement that draws opera lovers back again and again. Since its birth, the festival has stood for a number of things – the highest quality productions, striking a balance between tradition and innovation, as well as being a champion of often-overlooked operatic gems. This trifecta has struck a chord worldwide. More recently we saw media publications from ten separate countries, including mentions in all of the key UK broadsheets. The Wall Street Journal referred to us as ‘Ireland’s Cultural Jewel’ and Frommer’s Guide listed us as one of the top 3 Opera destinations in the entire world. These validations, along with our warm welcome, may help explain why over 40% of our patrons come from abroad. We have a history and heritage to be proud of and we are committed to maintaining the values that have underpinned our success so far. But though we look to the past for guidance, we also keep one eye on the future. We invite you to share in our ambition and discover the hidden gem that is Wexford Festival Opera. The Wexford Festival Trust
Registered Office: The National Opera House, High St, Wexford, Y35 FEP3, Ireland. Registered in Ireland No: 73941 VAT Reg. No: IE4571810K Charity No: CHY6132

Last week we had the honour of attending the Benefact Group's Service of Celebration at St Paul's Cathedral in London. T...
08/06/2026

Last week we had the honour of attending the Benefact Group's Service of Celebration at St Paul's Cathedral in London. The event marked an incredible milestone: £250 million given to good causes since 2014.

The Benefact Group truly does things differently by giving all available profits to good causes. Their inspirational support has had far-reaching, positive impacts on many communities and individuals over the years.

It was a pleasure to spend time with David Lane, Scott Hayes and John Devitt of Ecclesiastical Ireland at the event. We are very proud to partner with Ecclesiastical (part of the Benefact Group), one of our Corporate Leader sponsors, and a long-standing supporter of our volunteer programme.

Special thanks to Mark Hughes, Group CEO Benefact Group, for the invitation to attend this very special celebration. In attendance from Wexford Festival Opera were Executive Director, Suzanne Nance; Head of Development Ann Marie Dalton and Paul Cleary, Chairman of Wexford Festival Trust.

A busy few days for our Artistic Director, Rosetta Cucchi, who had the honour of being part of the jury for the 44th Int...
07/06/2026

A busy few days for our Artistic Director, Rosetta Cucchi, who had the honour of being part of the jury for the 44th International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition, which came to a close today in Jurmala in Latvia. The jury for this international singing competition brings together artistic and casting directors from the world's most prestigious opera houses to discover the next generation of opera singers.

Congratulations to all the winners - with a special mention for a familiar face; Forooz Razavi took home 2nd Prize. You might recognise Forooz as one of our Wexford Factory participants from 2025.

As part of the competition, Rosetta offered Forooz a performance engagement at Wexford Festival Opera in the future. We look forward to welcoming her back. You can see the full list of winners here https://www.belvedere-competition.com/winners

05/06/2026

A lovely birthday tribute to the fabulous Marty Whelan who celebrates his 70th this Sunday 🎉🎉🎉 Wishing you a very special birthday weekend ahead, Marty. Thank you for bringing such joy to the airwaves on RTÉ lyric fm and for your unwavering support of music and opera over the years.

You so deserve all these wonderful birthday tributes and then some! Cheers to 70 incredible years 🌟

05/06/2026

17 Days | 75 Events | 75 Years of Extraordinary

Discover Ireland’s internationally renowned opera festival, celebrated for rare and remarkable operas. Experience world-class artistry, 7 operas, 3 world premieres, concerts and recitals right in the heart of Wexford Town.

📅 15–31 October 2026
🎟️ Book now: wexfordopera.com

🎥:

Our Executive Director, Suzanne Nance, and Head of Development, Ann Marie Dalton, had a wonderful time at Blackwater Val...
01/06/2026

Our Executive Director, Suzanne Nance, and Head of Development, Ann Marie Dalton, had a wonderful time at Blackwater Valley Opera Festival, in the company of our generous partners at Castleacre Europe. It was lovely to see 'Don Giovanni' at Lismore Castle and to enjoy the hospitality at Kilmokea Country Manor & Gardens. Congratulations to all the team at BVOF on a fabulous festival that comes to a close tonight. Enjoy the well-deserved rest!

Today we’re at Bord Bia Bloom with RTÉ lyric fm 💐🌸 🌺🌼 The wonderful Maria Matthews - Soprano and Rebecca Warren Pianist ...
31/05/2026

Today we’re at Bord Bia Bloom with RTÉ lyric fm 💐🌸 🌺🌼 The wonderful Maria Matthews - Soprano and Rebecca Warren Pianist Repetiteur will be treating listeners to some summer-inspired songs on ‘Hamilton Scores with George Hamilton’ from 11-1. Tune in or join us in the audience at the RTÉ lyric fm stage.

This Sunday we're heading to Bord Bia Bloom 🌸🌺🌱 The fabulous team at RTÉ lyric fm are broadcasting live from and we're...
30/05/2026

This Sunday we're heading to Bord Bia Bloom 🌸🌺🌱 The fabulous team at RTÉ lyric fm are broadcasting live from and we're thrilled to join them.

Tune in this Sunday 11 - 1pm for 'Hamilton Scores with George Hamilton' when the wonderful Maria Matthews - Soprano and Rebecca Warren Pianist Repetiteur will be representing the Festival and treating listeners and audiences to some beautiful summer-inspired songs.

Join us in the Phoenix Park for Bloom and head to the RTÉ lyric fm stage from 11 on Sunday or tune in on from anywhere online https://www.rte.ie/radio/lyricfm/ Don't miss Simon Delaney and Claudia Boyle Soprano who are also broadcasting live today!

28/05/2026

As we prepare for our landmark 75th Anniversary Festival in October, we’d like to introduce our wonderful Festival Ambassadors. Today, meet the internationally acclaimed conductor, Michele Mariotti.

Michele’s connection to Wexford began in 2006 when he conducted Donizetti’s Don Gregorio. Reflecting on his time here, Michele says: "Wexford Festival is really important for the whole world. Think how many singers started their careers in Wexford."

Since his time with us, Michele’s career has spanned nearly two decades on the world’s most prestigious stages - from La Scala in Milan and the Opéra national de Paris, to the Royal Opera House, London and the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

Huge congratulations are also in order! Michele was recently appointed Principal Conductor of the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della Rai, in Italy, starting this October. Michele is the first Italian conductor to take up this prestigious role and we are absolutely thrilled for him.

We are incredibly honoured to have Michele’s support for our milestone celebrations this year.

Help us continue launching the careers of the world's next great opera stars. Find all the ways you can play a part in our future at our website 👉 https://bit.ly/supportWFO

Today Wexford Festival Opera and Castleacre Insurance Europe announce a new partnership ahead of the Festival’s 75th Ann...
26/05/2026

Today Wexford Festival Opera and Castleacre Insurance Europe announce a new partnership ahead of the Festival’s 75th Anniversary Festival in October. Castleacre will be the official sponsor of the Festival’s innovative Pop-Up programme. Performed by Festival artists, these free 10-minute bursts of spontaneous song and theatrical flair bring the magic of opera to unexpected everyday spaces from shops and cafes to public spaces.

Commenting on the new partnership Mark Hewlett, Chief Executive of Castleacre Insurance Europe, said: ‘We are delighted to support the 2026 Wexford Festival Opera Pop-Up events programme that runs alongside the main Autumn festival. The Pop-Up opera performances offer in essence what the main Festival is famous for – innovation and extraordinary experiences. We feel very privileged to partner with Wexford Festival Opera in helping deliver this truly accessible and inspiring programme.’

Suzanne Nance, Executive Director of Wexford Festival Opera said: 'This partnership reflects a shared commitment to community connection, cultural enrichment, and making world-class opera accessible to all. We are deeply grateful for Castleacre’s generous support of the arts and are delighted to have them alongside us for this landmark celebration and into the future.'

The 75th Wexford Festival Opera runs from 15 - 31 October. For more see https://www.wexfordopera.com/

Castleacre Insurance brokers advise heritage and private clients on risk management and insurance and have offices in Wexford and the UK. The company has a long-standing reputation for supporting events that bring music and opera to wider audiences, including Wild Arts, Holland Park Opera, and the Blackwater Valley Opera Festival.

📸 Pictured are Judy Ryan, Associate Director and Mark Hewlett, Chief Executive of Castleacre Insurance Group and Suzanne Nance, Executive Director of Wexford Festival Opera. Photos: Patrick Browne

To read the full announcement see https://bit.ly/Castleacrepartnership

Address

National Opera House, High Street
Wexford
Y35FEP3

Opening Hours

Monday 9:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 9:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 5pm
Thursday 9:30am - 5pm
Friday 9:30am - 5pm
Saturday 9:30am - 5pm

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