Blackwater Valley Opera Festival

Name: Blackwater Valley Opera Festival
Address: The Blue House, Lismore, IE
Telephone: +353874079250

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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

10/09/2026

BVOF 2026 IN DAS OPERNGLAS 🖤❤️💛
Blackwater Valley Opera Festival features in the latest edition of German opera magazine Das Opernglas, following their visit to Lismore during this year's festival.

The review takes in Don Giovanni at Lismore Castle, Acis and Galatea at St Carthage's Cathedral and our Cushendall recital at Villierstown - capturing something of the range of music, artists and settings that shaped BVOF 2026.

Among the highlights from their review:
🎭 Don Giovanni - described as “a picture-book Don Giovanni”, with Jolyon Loy praised for bringing “the full seductive power of his splendid baritone voice” to the title role.

✨ Acis and Galatea - Handel’s pastoral opera at St Carthage’s Cathedral was hailed as “an enchanting rendition”, performed in one of the most distinctive settings of festival week.

🎶 Cushendall Recital - Sharon Carty and Benjamin Russell were praised for “a lively interpretation”, Carty for her “clearly focused, agile mezzo-soprano” and Russell for a “sonorous, virile baritone” combining “excellent technical control with exemplary diction”.

A wonderful piece of international coverage for BVOF 2026, bringing the festival - and Lismore - to readers across Germany.

Read our English translation of the full review on the BVOF website.

📸 Frances Marshall
Visit Waterford

08/09/2026

THE REVIEWS ARE STILL COMING IN... 🎭
Three months on from BVOF 2026, it's wonderful to see international coverage of this year's festival continuing - the latest to reflect on our 2026 opera programme.

For DON GIOVANNI:
• “This was a fast-moving and highly entertaining version of the opera providing Blackwater Opera with another winner.”
• “Andrew Murphy was an outstanding Leporello.”
• “Amy Ní Fhearraigh, Carolyn Holt and Aimee Kearney were all excellent.”
• “Gavan Ring delivered some fine Mozartian singing.”
• “The cast responded with enthusiasm to Creed’s imaginative direction.”

For ACIS AND GALATEA:
• “The presentation used the magnificent cathedral architecture to good effect in this first-rate presentation.”
• “Fine performances from Dean Power, Jade Phoenix, Yannis François and Patrick Hyland.”
• “Under the excellent baton of Oliver-John Ruthven.”

A welcome addition to this year's reviews - and another opportunity to share the work of the artists, creative teams and musicians who made BVOF 2026 possible.

🔗 Read more on our website, or look out for the print edition of Opera with Opera News

📸 Frances Marshall

Visit Waterford Opera Magazine with Opera News St Carthage's Cathedral - Lismore

06/09/2026

HAVE YOUR SAY ON LISMORE’S FUTURE 📍
Lismore is at the heart of Blackwater Valley Opera Festival, Ireland’s Summer Opera Festival - welcoming thousands of visitors, audiences and artists to the town and surrounding area each year.

📅 Closes 20 September
🔗 https://buff.ly/dhXBKIh

The first public consultation on Lismore’s Town Centre First Plan is now underway, helping to shape a vision for the future of the town.

You don’t need to live in Lismore to take part. If you’ve visited for Blackwater Valley Opera Festival, your experience of the town - from accommodation and hospitality to amenities, accessibility and the overall visitor experience - is valuable too.

Take a few minutes to share your experience of Lismore and what you would like to see for its future.

Visit Waterford Taste Waterford Eamo Ró Eunice Power Outside Catering Lismore Castle Arts Lismore Town Association Lismore Town Team

04/09/2026

FESTIVAL DINING - PART OF THE EXPERIENCE 🍽️
Opera, music, beautiful settings - and time around the table.

Dining was an important part of the Blackwater Valley Opera Festival experience again this year, giving audiences the opportunity to make a full day or evening of their visit.

🏰 At Lismore Castle, audiences attending Don Giovanni could enjoy four-course formal opera dining, curated by Eunice Power, before the performance - making dinner part of a very special evening in the Castle grounds.

🧺 Also at Lismore Castle, Eamo & Ró created Gourmet Table Picnics to enjoy outdoors before the opera - a more relaxed option and a chance to settle in and enjoy the atmosphere before the performance began.

🌿 At Dromore Yard, Mezze created Middle Eastern-inspired table picnics for audiences to enjoy before the concerts, adding another distinctive local food experience to the weekend.

Across the Blackwater Valley, local restaurants also created dining packages to accompany festival recitals and performances during festival week:
🍴 Fuller's Bistro, Lismore
🍴 The Saucy Hen, Villierstown
🍴 Barron's Coffee House, Cappoquin
🍴 Farmgate Restaurant, Lismore

Our thanks to all our dining and restaurant partners for being part of this year's festival and for the warm welcome they extended to audiences and visitors. 🥂

📸 Patrick Browne, John D. Kelly

Eunice Power Outside Catering Eamo Ró Mezze - Middle Eastern Foods Fuller's Bistro 11 Main Street, Lismore, Co.Waterford Barrons Coffee House Farmgate Lismore Taste Waterford Visit Waterford

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

Address

The Blue House
Lismore

Telephone

+353874079250

Website

http://www.blackwatervalleyopera.ie/

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