Breaking: ENO abandons northern plan

English National Opera has just scrapped its plan for a residency in Blackpool. 

Here’s the official version:

As you are aware, we have been in discussions with Blackpool Council and with the Winter Gardens to confirm new dates for ENO’s postponed performances of The Mikado. We have discussed a number of different options and all parties have worked hard to try to confirm a feasible date and budget for these performances.  

The Arts Council have recently shared with us their serious concerns regarding future levels of arts funding available to local authorities. Given that this project was to be underwritten by funding from Blackpool Council, in the current economic climate we consider that it is unwise for us to continue to develop this project. We are therefore no longer working on presenting The Mikado to Blackpool in 2017/18.

Instead, we are investigating alternative partnerships for our summer work that can make the best use of our resources, and that continue to share more of our opera with the widest possible audience. We look forward to announcing our projects for Summer ’18 and several new partnerships which will present ENO to new audiences going forward.

ENO are not having much luck at the moment.

© Chris Christodoulou/Lebrecht Music&Arts