It is with great sadness that the Board of Blackwater Valley Opera Festival have taken the difficult decision to cancel this year’s Festival, which was scheduled to run from 26th May-1st June.

As the Covid-19 situation develops the primary concern for the Festival is to keep everyone safe and healthy.  We are disappointed not to be welcoming our guests to the beautiful Blackwater Valley in early summer and also enormously apprehensive for our artists and local community who have been preparing for this Festival over the last year and the resulting impact that this postponement will have on their lives and businesse

As a small festival, with minimum public subsidy, we are doing our very best to find a way to support our artists at this challenging time and to ensure that the Blackwater Valley Opera Festival continues to exist for seasons to come. We have inevitably already invested significantly both in this season, and in our community education work across Munster. 

We are committed to making sure that the Festival will continue to thrive long into the future and look forward to welcoming even more visitors to the region to enjoy our 2021 Festival. We fully intend to present our opera double bill Gianni Schicchi and Pagliacci as the centrepiece of our summer festival next year.

We are also working hard to confirm if a small programme of recital and concert events can take place at some of our stunning venues along the Blackwater Valley later in the year. Further details will be announced in due course. The Festival is also committed to continuing its Educational Outreach programme in local schools when circumstances allow

We would like to thank our loyal audiences, donors, Friends, venues and volunteers for their wonderful support. The Festival acknowledges the contributions of Kildare Village, Marsh, Waterford Leader, John Pollard Foundation, Arts Council, Waterford Local Authority, Failte Ireland, Cork County Council, Kinsale Capital, AIB, MSL Mercedes-Benz and all of our Festival sponsors.

For further information please contact Festival Director Eamonn Carroll eamonn@blackwatervalleyoperafestival.com. We will address all queries as soon as possible.

The Board and Management of the Blackwater Valley Opera Festival