Botanic Gardens Opera Goes Centre Stage

Covent Garden is coming to to Botanic Gardens next week, affording local opera lovers an opportunity to enjoy a performance of one of the world's favourite operas - and for free.

Billed as one of the highlights of the city's summer calendar - next week's 'Opera in the Gardens' - will feature romance and intrigue.

This is the sixth successive year Belfast City Council has joined with the Royal Opera House and BP to transport the Covent Garden show to the city park.

'Opera in the Gardens', on Wednesday 16 July, will see Mozart's classic comic opera, 'The Marriage of Figaro', broadcast via satellite from the Royal Opera House in London to a giant screen on the Great Lawn at Botanic.

Gates open at 5pm, with entertainment starting on the Great Lawn from 5.45pm. This year's programme will open with a live performance by John Anderson's 'Voices of Ireland', returning to Botanic Gardens after their successful appearance last year.

'Voices' features great soloists and a superb choir, and their repertoire of familiar songs includes the music of Van Morrison, Enya, Brian Kennedy and more.

The main performance, relayed from Covent Garden, starts at 7pm. The performance is also being simultaneously screened in both the Covent Garden Piazza and Trafalgar Square, Canary Wharf, Sunbury, Aberdeen, Victoria Square, Birmingham, Liverpool and Thurrock.

Admission is free, and on a first-come-first-served basis. Entrance to Botanic Gardens is via either the main Stranmillis Road gates, the Stranmillis Embankment (beside Queen's PEC) or College Park (behind Queen's University).

Bar and food facilities will be available on site. Picnics are permitted: however, in the interests of safety, patrons are asked not to bring barbecues, flaming torches, cans or glass, as these will not be permitted on site.

(BMcC)