It’s all kicking off this Thursday evening at 7.15pm

A SPECTACULAR fireworks display over Wexford Harbour will set the exciting tone on Thursday evening for the start of the 66th Wexford Festival Opera which will be officially opened by Arts Council chairperson Sheila Pratschke. The festivities will kick off at 7.15pm when a quayfront crowd will be addressed by Wexford Mayor Cllr Jim Moore and festival chairman Ger Lawlor.

For the first time ever, crowd control procedures have been put in place with 5,000 tickets made available on a first come first served basis at a selection of venues including the National Opera House, Wexford Borough District Council offices on Spawell Road; Wexford County Council in Carricklawn, Wexford Arts Centre in Cornmarket and the Spiegeltent ticket office in South Main Street.

Traffic restrictions will be in operation, especially along the quays which will be closed to traffic from 6pm. Wexford Bridge will be closed from 7pm. Both re-open at 8pm.

Festival organisers are advising people who wish to view the fireworks from alternative areas to visit a number of other easily accessible vantage points in Wexford town including Wexford Golf Course in Mulgannon; the front car park of St Peter’s College in Summerhill and Sarsfields GAA Club in Park.

According to a festival spokesperson, these viewing points have become so popular that it was decided to designate them this year as officially recommended alternative areas to view the fireworks.

Wexford Harbour Master’s office has issued a vessel exclusion zone notice for Wexford Harbour on the night of the festival opening.

All skippers and vessel owners are requested to remove boats from the exclusion zone from 4pm to 9pm, with access to the Ferrybank slipway limited to emergency vehicles only, and access to Ferrybank Quay limited to valid permit holders.

People are asked not to park on the quays.