Wexford Festival Opera has announced that Gioachino Rossini’s L’equivoco stravagante will be one of the main stage operas for its 75th Anniversary Festival in October 2026.
This marks the first time in the Festival’s history that the public had the chance to vote for an opera. Fans from 30 countries took part choosing from three previously performed comedies. Rossini’s opera last staged in Wexford in 1968 came out on top. The other two options in the vote were Il barbiere di Siviglia by Giovanni Paisiello and Don Gregorio by Gaetano Donizetti. The result was officially verified by the Festival’s Company Secretary. Artistic Director Rosetta Cucchi said the vote was a special way to involve audiences in planning the Festival’s big anniversary: “Rossini’s L’equivoco stravagante is a wonderful choice. We’re excited to bring it back in a new production directed by Max Hoehn and designed by Darko Petrovic.” The 2026 Festival will be built around the theme “The Best of: one for the head, one for the heart, one for fun.” Meanwhile, the 74th Wexford Festival Opera kicks off on October 17th, 2025, featuring 16 days of operas, concerts, talks and free performances. The theme this year is “Myths and Legends”, exploring powerful stories from the past and present. The full 2026 programme will be revealed during this year’s festival. For more visit www.wexfordopera.com.
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