Every October, the southeast of Ireland bursts to life with the internationally renowned Wexford Festival Opera (WFO). From October 17th to November 1st, this year’s 74th Festival offers an exciting programme of opera, concerts, recitals, talks and free pop-up events with 70 events taking place over 16 days. The Festival’s success is also due in no small part to Wexford itself and the dedicated volunteer force who complete the experience.
Since its inception in 1951, the Festival has created extraordinary experiences for opera lovers and grown into one of the world’s leading opera festivals. It prides itself on presenting rarely performed operas and the legendary Wexford welcome it extends to visitors. It’s also home to Ireland’s world-class National Opera House, where most of the events take place. A spectacular fireworks display launches the two-week celebration making this unmissable cultural event the perfect autumn getaway.
Nestled into the heart of Wexford town is the National Opera House, Ireland’s world-class, custom-built opera house, where the flagship festival events take place. Acoustically superb and visually magnificent, this theatre is rightfully considered one of the country’s finest - and is a destination in its own right. This year’s main stage operas are Verdi’s Le trouvère, Handel’s Deidamia and The Magic Fountain by Delius. The 16-day experience also includes concerts, lunchtime recitals, shorter pocket operas, talks and free pop-up performances around the town.
Speaking about this year’s theme of Myths and Legends, artistic director, Rosetta Cucchi invites audiences to “journey through the timeless and boundless realm of myths and legends, woven into the fabric of lyric opera. This art, grand and intimate all at once, draws its power from ancient stories, fables that have echoed through centuries. From the gods and goddesses of antiquity to the larger-than-life heroes and tragic figures, the world of opera has always been a canvas for the imagination.”
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Verdi’s Le Trouvère (1857) offers a rare chance to hear the French version of Il Trovatore, featuring stunning ballet music and refined orchestration. Verdi adapted the opera into French for the Paris Opéra in 1857, adding refinements and a ballet to meet French grand opera traditions. Wexford’s fresh staging updates the action from 15th-century Spain to the Spanish Civil War (1936–39). With thrilling Verdi melodies, the music is packed with some of his most famous numbers (Anvil Chorus and Miserere, Leonore’s soaring arias), with added Parisian colour, richness and refined orchestration. The production is sponsored by Elavon.
Deidamia (1741) offers a rare chance to see Handel’s last opera, balancing humour and drama in a tale of heroism and love. We meet one of the greatest superheroes of all time, Achilles, disguised as a girl to avoid the Trojan War. A comedy-drama, full of both moving and hilarious moments, where Handel plays with gender, identity, and fate. The music is full of elegant arias and is famous for Achilles’ flamboyant aria Ai Greci Questa Spada, where he casts off his disguise. Deidamia, a co-production between Wexford Festival Opera and the Göttingen International Handel Festival, promises to be a piece of Baroque magic on stage and in the orchestra pit.
The Magic Fountain (1895) is a rarely performed, layered opera by Delius that combines human drama, romance, and a profound love of nature. Unusually, Delius wrote both the music and the libretto in English making it especially accessible. The opera offers a deeply moving experience: a mix of romance, obsession, human folly, and nature’s enduring presence, all of which remain profoundly relevant today. The music features lush, late-Romantic orchestration with a large orchestra, including sweeping strings, brass, and woodwinds. With stunning visuals and immersive soundscapes, it’s accessible to newcomers yet deeply rewarding for opera lovers. The production is sponsored by Danone and supported by The Delius Trust.
Pocket operas
As well as the main stage operas, the Pocket Operas are a beloved part of the Festival, cherished by regular attendees and a brilliant introduction to opera for first-time visitors. These special productions feature members of the WFO Chorus with piano accompaniment, offering a wonderful operatic experience up close.
This year’s Pocket Operas are: La Tragédie de Carmen (Peter Brook, after Bizet) and The Dwarf (Der Zwerg by Zemlinsky).
Lunchtime recitals: A musical feast
For those looking to enjoy a more intimate musical experience, the Lunchtime Recitals offer a wonderful opportunity. Soloists, accompanied by pianists, will perform a range of music, from operatic arias to popular songs. Held at St Iberius Church and in the O’Reilly Theatre within the Opera House, these recitals are perfect for those seeking a midday cultural treat.
Beyond the stage: Talks, lectures and interviews
The festival also offers an engaging talks series including the much loved Dr Tom Walsh Lecture, whose distinguished guest lecturer this year is Dr Bairbre Ní Fhloinn, associate professor of Irish folklore and ethnology at UCD, who will explore the fascinating connections between Irish folklore and our Festival theme, Myths and Legends. The Impossible Interview is another festival favourite with host Michael Dervan, who this year interviews the mythical Ulysses, the King of Ithaca who devised the Trojan Horse.
Concerts, free pop-up performances, late night opera
Now one of the most popular treats of WFO, spontaneous free pop-up events featuring festival artists will surprise and delight audiences in unexpected locations around Wexford.
The late night opera – Urban Legends – is a new commission with libretto by Colm Tóibín and music by Andrew Synnott. It explores three different short operas based on the legend that if you walk from one end of Wexford’s Main Street to the other end, you will pass the person you are going to marry.
A special gala event sees the RTÉ Concert Orchestra joins forces with WFO’s guest conductor Francesco Cilluffo. Featuring four of opera’s extraordinary singers including phenomenal soprano Claudia Boyle, the concert promises to be a celebration of opera’s most legendary voices and stories.
The Community Opera has become a hugely popular part of the Festival where members of the local community perform alongside a professional cast. This year’s opera is The Little Midsummer Night’s Dream, a re-adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Benjamin Britten.
Nurturing tomorrow’s stars
Founded in 2020 by WFO’s artistic director, Rosetta Cucchi, the Wexford Factory programme is WFO’s professional development academy for young Irish and Irish-based artists, designed to nurture emerging opera singers, repetiteurs, and stage managers as they take their first steps into the industry.
This year the Factory artists will perform in Rossini’s Il Viaggio a Reims directed by Rosetta Cucchi. The 200th-anniversary of Rossini’s final opera in the Italian language is one of his most entertaining operas and a source of great hilarity.
The Wexford Factory is sponsored by PwC Ireland. The programme is also supported by The Arnhold Foundation. The repetiteur and stage management programme is supported by Community Foundation Ireland.
Wexford festival Opera would like to acknowledge and thank The Arts Council, Wexford County Council, Fáilte Ireland/Ireland’s Ancient East and the festival’s friends, sponsors and donors for their invaluable and continued support.
The 74th Wexford Festival Opera runs from October 17th – November 1st. To book tickets contact the box office at 053 912 2144 or visit wexfordopera.com.
