The magic of live opera will echo across Waterford and Cork from 26 May to 1 June 2026 at Blackwater Valley Opera Festival. With one month to go, there are still lots of opportunities to get your hands on coveted tickets for performances across the week-long celebration of music, culture, and food in exceptional surroundings.
The festival will present two opera productions featuring internationally renowned artists at Lismore Castle and St Carthage’s Cathedral, alongside performances in Dungarvan, Lismore, Youghal and Castlemartyr. With over 100 artists and more than 75 hours of live music, the programme spans opera, concerts and recitals across the region.
Mozart’s Don Giovanni at Lismore Castle is now fully booked, with limited availability remaining across other festival events. From operatic masterpieces to much-loved classical works, brought to life in some of Ireland’s most historic and atmospheric venues, the programme promises an unforgettable experience, complete with bespoke dining and relaxed summer hospitality.
Festival highlights include:
Opera at the Castle
Few operatic experiences can rival an evening at Lismore Castle. The evening begins with a drink at the opera bar, time to wander through the castle gardens in full bloom in late May, and dining at the festival hospitality village in the castle grounds, before taking seats in the purpose-built covered auditorium - in place for four nights only. This year’s production is Mozart’s Don Giovanni, featuring a predominantly Irish cast with the Irish Baroque Orchestra. Conducted by Peter Whelan and directed by Tom Creed, it moves between comedy, danger and seduction.
In Conversation: Don Giovanni
An In Conversation event at Lismore Heritage Centre on Tuesday 26 May offers insight into Mozart’s Don Giovanni ahead of the Lismore Castle performances. This free event, with pre-booking required, features Dieter Kaegi, alongside Tom Creed, Peter Whelan, Aedín Cosgrove and Catherine Fay,
Opera in the Cathedral
With projection and lighting design, St Carthage’s Cathedral in Lismore provides an evocative setting for Handel’s Acis and Galatea, presented as opera after dark during the festival week. Daytime events over the June Bank Holiday weekend include the Irish Writers’ Series: Samuel Beckett, Irish Salon Opera: The Deserted Village by John William Glover, and the RDS Collins Memorial Recital.
Wordless Opera
Wordless by design, using sound and the idea of the forest to communicate without spoken text, When Forests Sing promises to be a very special performance. The opera brings together musicians and performers living with disabilities and emerging professional artists from the Open Youth Orchestra of Ireland and the Royal Irish Academy of Music, alongside young people from the local area. Technological instrumentalists, choir, composed and recorded forest sounds combine to form a large-scale ensemble and engaging theatre experience.
Concerts at Dromore Yard
A romantic, semi-restored 19th-century farmyard on the banks of the River Blackwater provides the setting for some of the festival’s most anticipated performances by celebrated Irish pianists Dearbhla Collins and Finghin Collins, mezzo-soprano Niamh O’Sullivan and pianist Gary Beecher. It’s a great opportunity to see some international talent perform such as Magdalene Ho, Pierre Génisson and Elias David Moncado.
Unique Recital Locations
Throughout the week, a series of classical music recitals will take place in historic homes and venues across the Blackwater Valley, giving audiences a unique opportunity to experience Ireland’s cultural heritage through the magic of live performance. Recital highlights include Gemma Ní Bhriain and Maire Carroll - Through her Eyes: Love and Loss at Tourin House and Tara Erraught and Dearbhla Collins - Arias and Lieder at Ballynatray House.
Emerging Talent
The festival supports emerging talent through its Bursary Awards programme, which in 2026 will support 10 artists and performers with €50,000 in funding, made possible through festival donors. Recipients appearing at this year’s festival include Cuan Durkin, Seth Collin and Eléna Esposito in the Irish Heritage Recital, Conor Prendiville and Dida Condria in the BVOF Bursary Recital, and Jane Sullivan, 2026 RDS Collins Memorial Recital winner, with Senan Sheridan, RDS Jago Award winner. Tickets for selected recitals are available.
Free Open Air Recitals
Experience classical and operatic music in a welcoming, relaxed outdoor setting with Free Open-Air Lunchtime Recitals across Waterford and Cork – in Lismore, Dungarvan, Youghal, and Castlemartyr. These performances are accessible and free to attend, with pre-booking advised.
Engage Your Senses
Food lovers can look forward to a feast of flavours throughout the week, including a Mozart-inspired menu by Eunice Power and gourmet table picnics by Eamo & Ró in the grounds of Lismore Castle. Table picnics at Dromore Yard are provided by Mezze, with dining packages also available alongside selected lunchtime recitals at local restaurants and cafés including Farmgate Lismore, Fuller’s Bistro, Barron’s Coffee House, and The Saucy Hen. Pre-booking is essential.
Opera for the Young
As part of the festival’s commitment to inspiring creativity and sharing opera and classical music with children and young people across the region, hundreds of primary and post-primary students will take part in educational workshops, attend the opera dress rehearsal, and perform at the opening ceremony on Tuesday 26 May in Lismore.
Blackwater Valley Opera Festival is supported by grants from the Arts Council of Ireland and Waterford City & County Council. The festival’s lead sponsors are The James and Deirdre Dyson Trust, John Pollard Foundation, Kildare Village, Silvercrest Asset Management Group, and Curraghmore Whiskey.
Limited tickets remain for selected events, with concession rates for senior citizens, students and community groups - contact the BVOF Box Office on 087 407 9250.
For full programme details, including opera, concerts, recitals and events across the week, visit blackwatervalleyopera.ie.
