The 74th Wexford Festival Opera will light up the National Opera House from 17th October, and the festival will once again join forces with RTÉ to bring a taste of that operatic magic to audiences at home and abroad.
Audiences in Ireland can tune into Opera Night with Paul Herriott on RTÉ lyric fm or watch live online via RTÉ Culture to experience the three mainstage operas at Wexford this year: Le Trouvère by Giuseppe Verdi (Friday October 17th at 8pm), Deidamia by G.F. Handel (Saturday October 18th at 7.30pm) and a recording of The Magic Fountain by Frederick Delius (Saturday October 25th at 7.00pm).
built around the theme of Myths & Legends.
RTÉ at Wexford Festival Opera 2025 - the programme
LE TROUVÈRE (1857) by Giuseppe Verdi
Conductor: Marcus Bosch. Director: Ben Barnes.
Le trouvère premiered at the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels on January 12, 1857.
This is a rare chance to hear Verdi's French version of Il trovatore, which includes the addition of ballet music of extraordinary quality as well as adjustments to the score. The opera's intricate plot revolves around the rivalry for the love of the young Leonora between the troubadour Manrique and the Comte de Lune (Friday October 17th at 8pm)
DEIDAMIA (1741) by George Frideric Handel
Conductor/Director: George Petrou.
An Opera Seria in three acts, Deidamia was composed in 1740 and premiered in 1741.
Handel's last Italian opera before he turned to oratorio is an unjustly neglected tragi-comic masterpiece, and the title role in particular covers the entire expressive spectrum, from flirtatious love song to heartfelt lament. Deidamia will be a co-production with Göttingen International Handel Festival (Saturday October 18th at 7.30pm)
THE MAGIC FOUNTAIN (1895) by Frederick Delius
Conductor: Francesco Cilluffo. Director: Christopher Luscombe.
A lyric drama in three acts, with a libretto by the composer, The Magic Fountain was unperformed during Delius's lifetime, receiving its concert premiere in 1977 and stage premiere in 1997. Set in a mythical, exotic location, it centres around the legend of a magical fountain that grants eternal youth (Saturday October 25th at 7.00pm)
Wexford Festival Opera 2025, runs from 17 October until 1 November 2025. Artistic Director Rosetta Cucchi's 2025 programme is built around the theme of Myths & Legends. It promises 16 days of captivating performances, rare operas and new discoveries.
Take a deeper dive into this year's Wexford Festival Opera programme here
