Wexford Festival Opera invites the audience to choose an opera for the Festival’s 75th Anniversary.

While preparations are in full swing for this year’s 74th Wexford Festival Opera (17 October - 1 November), we're already looking ahead to a monumental milestone: the 75th anniversary Festival in October 2026. For the first time in the Festival's history, the Artistic Director is inviting the public to vote for an opera they'd like to see staged as part of the 75th Festival. Today Artistic Director Rosetta Cucchi unveiled the three opera titles which you can choose from. Productions of each of these operas were previously staged at WFO. The title with the most votes will be presented in a brand new main stage production in autumn 2026.

• L’equivoco stravagante (G. Rossini, 1811) | Last staged at Wexford Festival Opera in 1968
• Il barbiere di Siviglia (Giovanni Paisiello, 1782) | Last staged at Wexford Festival Opera in 1993
• Don Gregorio (G. Donizetti, 1826) | Last staged at Wexford Festival Opera in 2006

This is a fantastic and once-off opportunity for audiences to have their say as to which opera deserves a special spotlight in 2026 and to bring back a beloved opera, or to see a production that's always been on their wish list. Award-winning director, Max Hoehn, will direct a new production of the winning opera title, which will be presented on the main stage of the National Opera House in 2026 and designed by Darko Petrovic.

Artistic Director Rosetta Cucchi said: “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. 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.”

Rosetta Cucchi has chosen to build the 75th WFO programme around the theme of ‘The Best of: one for the head, one for the heart, one for fun’ - a concept centered around a tradition, which has long been associated with the Festival. This phrase (‘one for the head, one for the heart, one for fun’) is believed to have originated from Wexford Festival opera-goers themselves and was noted in the Grove Dictionary of Opera.

This audience vote will choose their favourite comedic opera for fun. While this idea is aimed at making audiences feel truly part of the 75th Festival it also invites audiences to revisit and rediscover some of the truly wonderful operas presented at the Festival throughout its rich history.

Read the full Terms and Conditions here.

Competition!

As a special thank you to everyone who casts their vote, you will be entered into a competition to win a pair of tickets to attend the opening night of the winning opera's performance in October 2026.

How to vote?

Voting is now open and closes at midnight, Friday, 22 August, 2025. The voting process will be officially verified by Wexford Festival Opera’s Company Secretary. We encourage you to share this page to anyone you think might like to cast their vote.

There are three ways to cast your vote:

• online through the button below
• by post to: 75th Anniversary Vote, Wexford Festival Opera, High Street, Wexford, Y35 FEP3, Ireland
• in person at the National Opera House in Wexford, Ireland