Iris by Pietro Mascagni at Wexford Festival Opera

What to Expect

Iris is one of three mainstage productions at Wexford Festival Opera’s 75th anniversary season, a three-act opera by Pietro Mascagni, sung in Italian with English surtitles, that premiered in Rome in 1898. The story follows a young woman lured from her home into the city’s dark pleasure quarters, a narrative that explores vulnerability and exploitation through her experience navigating a corrupt urban world. Musically, the opera is best known for one of the most dramatic choral sequences in the repertoire, with its “Hymn to the Sun” providing both a prologue and an epilogue that frame the whole piece. This Wexford production is conducted by Francesco Cilluffo, his third time interpreting Mascagni’s score, continuing the festival’s long-standing reputation for reviving operas that the major international houses tend to overlook. Wexford Festival Opera has built its identity on exactly this kind of programming since 1951, giving neglected composers a stage rather than sticking to the standard repertoire.

Good to Know

• Opening night Thursday 15 October 2026 at 8pm; further performances on 20, 23 and 28 October at 7.30pm and 31 October at 5pm
• Tickets range from €40 to €175 depending on date and seat; the 15 October and 31 October performances are already sold out
• Sung in Italian with English surtitles
• Book at wexfordopera.com, by phone on +353 53 912 2144, or at the box office, Monday to Saturday, 9.30am to 5pm
• Part of the wider Wexford Festival Opera 75th anniversary programme, running 15 to 31 October 2026

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. Accommodation fills up quickly during the festival, so booking well ahead is worth it.