6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Wexford Festival Opera to hold public vote to decide on main production for 2026
Wexford Festival Opera is renowned worldwide for its commitment to staging rarely performed operas, and now for the first time in the festival's history, the public are invited to vote for which opera they would like to be part of the three main stage operas in 2026.
Today, Rosetta unveiled the three opera titles which the audience can choose from, each being previously staged at the festival. The opera with the most public votes will be presented in a brand new main stage production in autumn 2026.
The first option is L'equivoco stravagante, composed by Italian Gioachino Antonio Rossini and first performed in 1811 in Bologna, Italy. This opera was last staged at Wexford Opera Festival in 1968.
The second option is Il barbiere di Siviglia, composed by Giovanni Paisiello in 1782, last preformed at Wexford Festival Opera in 1993.
And the final option is Don Gregorio, composed by Gaetano Donizetti in 1826. This opera was the most recently viewed one at Wexford Festival Opera in 2006.
This is a unique and one-off opportunity for audiences to have their say on which of these three special operas deserves a spotlight in 2026.
Award-winning director, Max Hoehn, will be tasked with delivering a new production of the winning opera, on the main stage, designed by Darko Petrovic.
'The 75th anniversary is an incredible milestone and a very special birthday for Wexford, and for our Wexford Festival Opera family all around the world,' said Rosetta
'For the first time in our history, we're giving opera lovers the chance to directly vote for an opera they wish to see. We're inviting everyone to be part of something truly special, whether you're a long-time Festival attendee or planning your first visit in 2026. The choice is yours! We can't wait to discover the final result.'
The artistic vision for next year's festival, is to build a programme around the theme of, one for the head, one for the heart and one for fun, which has been at the core of the festival for nearly three quarters of a century. That phrase is believed to have originated from Wexford Festival Opera patrons and was noted in the Grove Dictionary of Opera.
Voting is now open and will close at 5pm on August 22, 2025, with three ways to cast your vote. The public can do so online on Wexford Festival Opera's website, by sending their vote via post to the National Opera House or in person at the Opera House.
All audience members who cast a vote will be entered into a draw to win tickets to the opening night of the winning performance.
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