Castleacre to support Festival's innovative pop-up performances in new corporate partnership
Judy Ryan, Associate Director and Mark Hewlett, Chief Executive of Castleacre Insurance Group and Suzanne Nance, Executive Director of Wexford Festival Opera. Photo: Patrick Browne
Making extraordinary moments happen on the streets of Wexford this October.
Wexford Festival Opera today announced a new corporate partnership with Castleacre, who will be official sponsor of the Festival’s innovative free Pop-Up programme, which runs throughout the Festival.
This year Wexford Festival Opera celebrates its 75th Anniversary with a highly anticipated programme of world class performances that will burst out onto the stage and into the streets of Wexford from 15 - 31 October.
Now one of the Festival’s most eagerly anticipated traditions, the free Pop-Up performances bring bursts of musical and artistic magic to unexpected corners of Wexford. Performed by Festival artists, these brief 10-minute moments of spontaneous song, surprise performances and theatrical flair, bring a taste of the Wexford Festival to everyday spaces - including shops, cafes, and public spaces. The Pop-Up Performances are a central part of Artistic Director Rosetta Cucchi’s vision to bring the Festival closer to people living and working in Wexford, inviting them to encounter opera and the arts in the most joyful and welcoming way.
Photo: Patrick Browne
Commenting on the new partnership Mark Hewlett, Chief Executive of Castleacre Insurance Europe, said:
We are delighted to support the 2026 Wexford Festival Opera Pop-Up events programme that runs alongside the main Autumn festival. The Pop-Up opera performances offer in essence what the main Festival is famous for – innovation and extraordinary experiences. The beauty of these short impromptu performances, which happen across Wexford in all sorts of unexpected settings such as cafes, shopping centres and other public spaces, is that they are entirely free to attend and bring the magic of opera to new audiences. We feel very privileged to partner with Wexford Festival Opera in helping deliver this truly accessible and inspiring programme.
Suzanne Nance, Executive Director of Wexford Festival Opera said:
Wexford Festival Opera is honoured to welcome Castleacre as a new Corporate Partner during our milestone 75th Anniversary year. This partnership reflects a shared commitment to community connection, cultural enrichment, and making world-class opera accessible to all. Initiatives such as our Pop-Up programme play a vital role in bringing opera beyond the theatre walls, connecting with new audiences, and creating the unique sense of shared experience that defines Wexford Festival Opera. We are deeply grateful for Castleacre’s generous support of the arts and are delighted to have them alongside us for this landmark celebration and into the future.
Castleacre Insurance brokers advise heritage and private clients on risk management and insurance and have offices in Wexford and the UK. The company has a long-standing reputation for supporting events that bring music and opera to wider audiences, including Wild Arts, Holland Park Opera, and the Blackwater Valley Opera Festival. Castleacre Insurance Europe was formed in 2020 by Directors Mark Hewlett, Hugo Johnsen and Guy Everington and is an extension of their established UK business, Castleacre Insurance Services Ltd, set up in 2005. Based on their extensive experience arranging insurance for private clients, families and trusts, historic buildings and estates, the company offers risk management advice to clients across Europe and the UK. https://www.castleacreinsurance.com/