Venues and accessibility

This venue is Ireland’s first custom-built, multi-purpose opera house and home to the world-famous Wexford Festival Opera. The stunning landmark building is nestled into the heart of the beautiful harbour town of Wexford. It is designed with a range of spaces which can be hired for conferences, photo shoots, product launches, meetings, receptions, and events. Have a look inside this award-winning National Opera House.

Discover the Spaces by taking a 360° tour of the National Opera House

• A state-of-the-art auditorium tactfully inserted into a dense, historic urban plan; a “secret gem” tucked away behind a reinstated street front.
  
• An all walnut-lined auditorium, calling to mind the interior of a stringed instrument.
  
• Lighting bridges within the auditorium, precision-crafted to be shown off, are similar to the bridges of a stringed instrument.
  
• The stage and forestage layout and technology allow the presentation of six different performances in a three-day cycle.
  
• Excellent sightlines are optimised for performance on the forestage, in accordance with the Wexford Festival Opera tradition.
  
• The horseshoe-shaped balconies, where audiences in the upper levels are better in contact with the stage, enhance the performance experience for audiences and performers alike. This layout, which was largely abandoned in 20th-century design, enhances the atmosphere by populating the side walls of the auditorium, making the audience more ‘visible’ to itself.
  
• The operational flexibility given by the orchestra pit lifts, and the stage and backstage facilities, together with the horseshoe-shaped balconies, arguably qualify the National Opera House as Ireland’s first fully specified, purpose-built opera house.

The award-winning auditorium is an impressive and inspiring space for event organisers, speakers and participants. Learn more about O'Reilly Theatre.

A more intimate space, the Jerome Hynes Theatre, is a black box theatre that offers audiences additional closeness to the action. Learn more about Jerome Hynes Theatre.

Hospitality rooms are available for hire during any National Opera House performance for private hospitality events. Learn more about each space.

The National Opera House operates over four levels. A lift services is available for access to all levels.

Disabled and adapted access toilets are situated on Level 0 (Ground Floor), Level 1 and Level 2.

The National Opera House is fully accessible for persons with restricted movements, both ambulant and wheelchair-bound. There is a convenient lift service to all public spaces. Provision has also been made to accommodate up to 17 wheelchair users and their companions per performance in a variety of prime locations within the O’Reilly Theatre and the Jerome Hynes Theatre.

If you would like to bring a companion with you for access reasons, we offer companion seating. We would ask you to ensure that a member of your party can provide you with assistance around the venue. If you or a member of your party have a special requirement, please contact the Festival Box Office when booking your tickets.

If you need the support of an assistance animal, they are welcome to attend and join you, unless otherwise prohibited by law. Wexford Festival Opera defers and follows any venue-specific policies and procedures. Please contact the Festival Box Office ahead of your visit if you need to bring an assistance animal.

All opera performances in the O’Reilly Theatre are surtitled in English. This means English translations are projected above the stage as surtitles to allow patrons to follow operas not sung in English.

Wexford Festival Opera attracts a truly international ensemble of artists and audiences. And we want everyone to get the most from your Wexford experience.

If English is not your first language, Wexford Festival Opera has many multi-lingual festival volunteers available to chat and delve a little deeper into the traditions of WFO and what makes us tick. Just let any member of the team know, and we will endeavour to assist in every way we can.

Trained staff are available during all performances. Staff and Festival Volunteers are positioned throughout Wexford Festival Opera venues should you require assistance.

Every reasonable effort is made to ensure that venues outside the National Opera House are accessible to people with disabilities. As this is not always possible, please check with the Festival Box Office team about each specific venue. Many venues may not be wheelchair accessible and/or may not have wheelchair accessible facilities.