Welsh National Opera Drops Bristol Hippodrome for 2024/25 Tour
Popular Welsh Opera Company has lost millions in arts funding
‘Increasing financial challenges’ has led to the Welsh National Opera (WNO) making the ‘difficult decision’ to no longer bring its 2024/25 season to the Bristol Hippodrome.
The opera company had only celebrated its fiftieth anniversary of bringing music to Bristol in 2018.
The Bristol Hippodrome is one of two venues that has been dropped due to ‘challenging economic times’.
The company will no longer be touring to Venue Cymru, Llandudno in May 2025. A performance of Rigoletto in Cardiff in February 2025 has also been cancelled.
WNO says that ‘substantial reductions’ in public funding has led to the company needing to introduce ‘substantial budget efficiencies’.
WNO receives funding through the National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) funding from both the Arts Councils of England and Wales to provide opera, concerts and outreach work across Wales and to major cities in England. However, recent funding announcements saw a 35 per cent reduction in Arts Councils England funding and an 11.8 percent drop from Arts Council Wales.
WNO Interim General Director, Christopher Barron said: “We have had to make the regrettable decision to make changes to our 2024/2025 Season, which we know will come as a deep disappointment to our audiences in Bristol and Llandudno. Our venue partners will of course be contacting all those who have already booked to arrange exchanges or refunds.
“Our new financial situation means that we have the challenge of balancing a reduced budget whilst maintaining artistic standards in providing a stimulating programme of performance and engagement activities. This means taking decisions that are difficult but, in the circumstances, unavoidable. These have been carefully considered and have been discussed with both our venues and the Arts Councils.”
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