Croí na Féile: Wexford Festival Opera 75th Anniversary Gala

What to Expect

Croí na Féile, Irish for “heart of the festival,” is the dedicated fundraising gala marking Wexford Festival Opera’s 75th anniversary, bringing together an international constellation of stars for one night rather than a full staged opera. The line-up includes tenor Joseph Calleja, soprano Ermonela Jaho, mezzo-soprano Daniela Barcellona and bass Giorgi Manoshvili, performing arias and ensemble pieces by Puccini, Verdi and other major composers rather than a single complete work. It is framed explicitly as a celebration of three-quarters of a century of the festival, which grew from a suggestion by novelist and Gramophone founder Compton Mackenzie to Wexford doctor Tom Walsh in November 1950 into one of the world’s leading opera festivals. Patron-level tickets include a champagne toast on stage with the performers after the show, and proceeds go toward the festival’s artistic programme and its work developing emerging talent, making this as much a fundraising night as a performance.

Falling on the Saturday of the festival’s opening weekend, Croí na Féile is timed to give the anniversary season its single biggest showcase night early in the run, when the town is already full for the opening of Iris two days before. The scale of the ticket pricing, running well beyond a normal opera ticket at the top Patron tier, reflects its role as the festival’s main fundraising event of the year rather than a standard mainstage performance, and it draws a mix of committed opera patrons, local supporters and visitors specifically travelling for the 75th anniversary milestone.

Good to Know

• Saturday 17 October 2026, 7.30pm, National Opera House, Wexford town
• Tickets range from €75 to €750; Patron tickets from €575 include a charitable donation and a commemorative print
• Patron ticket holders join performers on stage for a champagne toast after the show
• Features Joseph Calleja, Ermonela Jaho, Daniela Barcellona and Giorgi Manoshvili
• Book at wexfordopera.com or nationaloperahouse.ie, by phone on +353 53 912 2144, or at the box office, Monday to Saturday, 9.30am to 5pm

Getting There

The National Opera House is on High Street in the centre of Wexford town, within walking distance of O’Hanrahan train station and the main quayfront car parks. Irish Rail runs from Dublin Connolly to Wexford in around two hours, and Bus Éireann and Wexford Bus both serve the town centre directly.