Blackwater Valley Opera Festival

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Blackwater Valley Opera Festival

BVOF joyfully engages audiences with a creative and imaginative programme of opera and classical music in the beautiful Blackwater Valley. Showcasing emerging Irish talent alongside established international artists, the festival delivers memorable and inspirational experiences that enrich the cultural life of the region. Lismore Castle provides a magical backdrop for the festival, which includes

opera, classical music recitals and concerts, schools and free events, pop-up events, dining experiences and a whole lot more... This is opera as you’ve never seen or experienced it before. Priority Booking: 20 January 2024 | Tickets on general sale from 4 February 2024
www.blackwatervalleyopera.ie

28/08/2026

MAKING FESTIVAL WEEK HAPPEN 🤝
Bringing Blackwater Valley Opera Festival to life each year depends on many people and organisations working behind the scenes and across the local community.

We are grateful for the continued support of our Grant Funders, the Arts Council and Waterford City & County Council, whose investment helps make the festival and its wider programme possible.

🚌 Our festival partners include Ireland’s Ancient East, Local Link Waterford and RTÉ Supporting the Arts. Local Link Waterford plays an important role in helping young people access the festival, providing transport into Lismore during festival week and for the opera dress rehearsal.

🎶 Through our education partnerships with Music Generation Waterford and The One Foundation, children and young people have opportunities to discover opera, singing and live performance throughout the year and during festival week.

🏰 Our thanks also to Lismore Castle and Lismore Castle Arts, important venue partners within the busy festival programme.

🚑 And across a busy week of performances and events, Portlaw First Responders provide valuable first aid support, helping us look after audiences, artists, volunteers and visitors.

These partnerships, alongside the many local organisations, community groups and suppliers who support Ireland’s Summer Opera Festival, are an important part of making festival week happen.

Thank you to everyone who plays a part. 💚

📸 Patrick Browne, Matt Brooker, John D Kelly

Visit Waterford Tourism Ireland TFI Local Link Waterford Irish Red Cross Music Generation Waterford Lismore Castle Arts The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon Waterford City and County Council Matt Brooker Photography John D Kelly Photography Brownes Photography Taste Waterford

15/08/2026

A huge thank you to our BVOF volunteers 💛
More than 100 volunteers supported Blackwater Valley Opera Festival this year, generously giving their time, energy and enthusiasm across our venues and events throughout festival week 2026.

From welcoming audiences and supporting events to helping behind the scenes, their contribution is an important part of the Festival experience. Our sincere thanks to every volunteer who joined us in 2026 - including those who return year after year and those who volunteered with us for the first time.

This year also saw Helen Hardway receive the inaugural BVOF Castleacre Volunteer Recognition Award, sponsored by Castleacre Insurance (Ireland) Services Ltd and presented by Mark Hewlett, recognising Helen's outstanding contribution and commitment. We're delighted to share this lovely photograph of Helen again.

Looking ahead - Blackwater Valley Opera Festival returns from 1-7 June 2027, and we look forward to welcoming back familiar faces and meeting new volunteers.

04/08/2026

🎶 For many children, Blackwater Valley Opera Festival begins long before festival week.

Through our partnership with Music Generation Waterford, primary school pupils are introduced to opera through creative workshops delivered throughout the year. They discover singing, explore storytelling through music and experience the excitement of working with professional artists in a welcoming and supportive environment.

When festival week arrives, that journey continues. Primary school pupils visit festival venues, participate in interactive workshops and perform in the festival's Opening Ceremony through the Discover Singing programme.

The festival also welcomes primary pupils, second-level students and local youth groups to the opera dress rehearsal, offering a unique opportunity to access world-class opera and gain an insight into how a major production comes together before opening night.

Creating memorable performances is at the heart of Blackwater Valley Opera Festival, but so too is inspiring the next generation. By giving young people the opportunity to discover opera and discover singing, we hope to nurture a lifelong enjoyment of music, creativity and the arts.

This is just one part of Blackwater Valley Opera Festival's year-round education programme. We'll be sharing more from our education programme in the weeks and months ahead.

📸 Matt Brooker

15/07/2026

🎭 Another excellent review for Blackwater Valley Opera Festival's production of Acis and Galatea, with OperaWire describing it as "beautifully presented in a perfect venue" and praising it as "an excellent performance."

🎼 The review highlights Oliver-John Ruthven's "beautiful, well-paced, elegant interpretation", alongside memorable performances from Jade Phoenix, Dean Power, Yannis François and Patrick Hyland.

⛪ It also commends the Irish Baroque Orchestra and Festival Chorus, the setting of St Carthage's Cathedral as "an ideal space for a small-scale work", and Eoin McNinch's lighting, which "beautifully managed" a "changing evocative setting."

🔗 Read the full OperaWire review here:
https://buff.ly/yGNwV7o
You can also explore reviews from across the 2026 festival on our website.

🙏 Our thanks to OperaWire for visiting BVOF2026 to review this year's production of Acis and Galatea.

📍 St Carthage's Cathedral, Lismore, Co. Waterford

📸 Frances Marshall

The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon Visit Waterford St Carthage's Cathedral - Lismore Operawire
Irish Baroque Orchestra Patrick Hyland Tenor Jade Phoenix Dean Power

04/07/2026

Another review for Blackwater Valley Opera Festival's 2026 production of Don Giovanni at Lismore Castle - this time from OperaWire, which highlighted Tom Creed's contemporary, comedy-led approach, Peter Whelan's musical direction and a number of standout performances across the cast.

The review singled out Amy Ní Fhearraigh's Donna Anna, Gavan Ring's Don Ottavio and Carolyn Holt's Donna Elvira, while also praising the Irish Baroque Orchestra under Peter Whelan.

Swipe through to read some of OperaWire's standout review quotes.

Our thanks to OperaWire for visiting Lismore and reviewing this year's production.
📍 Lismore Castle, Co. Waterford

📸 Frances Marshall

27/06/2026

One month on... and we're still not over it. ❤️

From opera, concerts and recitals to school choirs, community events and emerging artists. From castles, cathedrals, historic houses and unique venues to memorable hospitality and dining experiences. From audiences and volunteers to sponsors, artists, partners and supporters - thank you for making Ireland’s Summer Opera Festival possible.

Here's a look back at just some of the moments that made BVOF 2026 so special.

Thank you for being part of the journey. 🎶

🎥 Universe 42
The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon Lismore Castle Gardens Visit Waterford Dungarvan & West Waterford Chamber Of Commerce Waterford Chamber of Commerce Cork Chamber of Commerce RTÉ lyric fm ETC - Events, Tourism, Communications Tourism Ireland Fáilte Ireland Taste Waterford

19/06/2026

🎭 The curtain may have come down, but the story isn't quite over.

We're still working our way through the official BVOF 2026 photographs and videos, with plenty more moments to share over the coming weeks.

📸 BVOF 2026 Frances Marshall

17/06/2026

🎼 Mostly Mozart! at Woodhouse Estate.

The final recital of BVOF 2026 brought together soprano Aimee Kearney, baritone Dominic Veilleux and pianist Frasier Hickland, with both singers also appearing in this year's production of Don Giovanni.

A real treat in this remarkable setting and sincere thanks to our generous hosts at Woodhouse Estate for sharing it with festival audiences.

🍓🧀 Fresh strawberries, cheese straws and a little bit of festival indulgence.

📸 BVOF 2026 Matt Brooker

16/06/2026

🌳 When Forests Sing at Lismore Heritage Centre.

One of the most distinctive events of BVOF 2026, this wordless, co-creative opera by composer Karen Power brought together an inclusive ensemble for a performance that captivated a full house.

Our thanks to the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Karen Power and everyone involved in bringing this remarkable project to Lismore.

Reflecting on the performance, composer Karen Power said:

"Very proud of our inclusive ensemble and their second performance of our wordless, co-creative opera When Forests Sing... to a very full and captivated audience. What a fab Lismore reception. Huge thanks to the festival and full team behind the realisation of this large work."

📸 BVOF 2026

15/06/2026

🎹 The next generation takes the stage.
One of three BVOF 2026 events at St Carthage's Cathedral across the June Bank Holiday weekend, the RDS Collins Memorial Recital brought together outstanding young musicians.

RDS Collins Memorial winner Jane Sullivan performed with 2025 RDS Feis Ceoil winner Senan Sheridan, alongside soprano Anastasia Sereda and accompanist Iain Clarke, in a programme honouring the late Michael O'Brien.

📸 BVOF 2026 Gabriel Mueller

Address

The Blue House
Lismore

Telephone

+353874079250

Website

http://www.blackwatervalleyopera.ie/

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