Opera performances, medieval lanes and well-preserved city history give Wexford Town several distinct ways to explore. When planning your trip, it is especially helpful to distinguish between a visit centred around the autumn festival and exploring the town on foot, with walks and guided tours.

Opera Tradition and Stages

Wexford Festival Opera holds a two-week opera and performance festival every year from late October to early November. It takes place at the purpose-built National Opera House and at selected venues around Wexford Town. If the festival is a deciding factor in your trip, check the specific event dates in advance.

Wexford Festival Opera began with the first Festival of Music and the Arts in October 1951. The former Theatre Royal was its home for more than 50 years. The National Opera House opened in 2008 on the site of this predecessor. This timeline connects the festival’s history with the development of its stages in Wexford.

The National Opera House presents Irish and international events: alongside opera and music, its programme includes family events, comedy, theatre and dance. The venue has two performance spaces. The larger O’Reilly Theatre is complemented by the more intimate Jerome Hynes Theatre; both names help distinguish the venue’s two spaces.

City History and Guided Exploration

Wexford Arts Centre is located in the listed historic Cornmarket building. As a presenting venue, it offers both performances and a gallery programme. This provides a different cultural perspective from the opera stages, bringing visiting productions and visual art together.

WexWalks takes you through the historic streets and winding lanes of Wexford Town. Its scope ranges from the ancient Viking settlement and medieval port town to rebellions, cemeteries and churches. The walk connects the city’s layout with different chapters of its history.

West Gate Tower is the last surviving of the six towers in Wexford’s town walls. Volunteers from the Wexford Lions Club also offer a tour of the 13th-century Selskar Abbey and Westgate Heritage Tower. This tour is scheduled seasonally until the end of September; check the specific dates before your trip.

Urban Spaces and Nature Near Wexford Town

The 80-metre-long Monck Street is protected by a retractable canopy system and designed as a pedestrian-friendly area with plenty of places to eat and be entertained. Check the current status of the canopy before a specific visit.

If you would like to explore a different setting on foot alongside the historic streets, bird-rich reclaimed wetlands beside Wexford Town are suitable for walking. These wetlands offer a distinct focus alongside the town’s history and cultural attractions.

More Perspectives in County Wexford

The wider County Wexford also offers distinctive themes for planning a regional trip. The Irish National Heritage Park is a 35-acre open-air museum with 16 reconstructed sites; its activities, reconstructions, workshops and courses are aimed at visitors of all ages. Guided tours at Hook Lighthouse, at the tip of the Hook Peninsula, explore 800 years of lighthouse history. Booking conditions can change, so check them when planning your visit. Tintern Cistercian Abbey was founded around 1200 by William, Earl Marshal. It lies in a special nature reserve and is surrounded by woodland with walking trails—a combination of history and landscape that broadens the perspective beyond Wexford Town.

For the wider travel overview: County Wexford.