The Blackwater Valley Opera Festival in West Waterford draws to closes tomorrow (Monday, 1st June).

The week long celebration is in its 16th year and organisers estimate around 5,500 people have been attending this years events.

Visitors have been travelling from all over the world including, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, the US, Europe and from all over Ireland.

Festival Director Eamonn Carroll says they have an amazing community of support, “with our volunteers, our friends of the festival, patrons, donor, sponsors, our partners. We have wonderful support from Waterford City and County Council, Failte Ireland.”

“We have established the festival as a hugely important asset, not just for West Waterford but for the region and for Ireland
and of course our wonderful artists. We have up to 150 artists and singers, musicians, creative teams working on the festival this year, creating employment for artists and opportunities for them to perform in front of hugely appreciative audiences,” he added.

Approximately 8,000 children and young people have participated in the Festivals schools education programme over the lifetime of the festival, and Eamonn Carroll says, “it’s an incredible testimony to our team for their work with schools, workshops and schools to bring classical music and opera to life with young people and for young people and interest them in Opera. I think some people think that opera is not for them and we’re trying to break down barriers and make sure that
opera is for everyone in the community.”

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