'Lots of fun and lots of sand' for Sun & Sea at Cork Midsummer Festival

Scaffolded viewing platforms and 14 tonnes of sand in City Hall are just two of the logistical requirements for the flagship show at Cork Midsummer Festival. We've also selected 10 highlights from the festival 

A previous production of Sun & Sea in Santiago, Chile. (Photo by JAVIER TORRES / AFP) 

It caused a sensation when it was staged at the Venice Biennale in 2019, going on to win the Golden Lion at the prestigious art showcase. Now Cork audiences will get the opportunity to experience Sun & Sea (Marina), an out-of-the-ordinary opera, which will be staged on a makeshift indoor beach in City Hall as part of the Cork Midsummer Festival.

The hour-long opera is a durational performance, meaning it will run continuously from 5pm-9pm over a three-day period. The show, which represented Lithuania at the Biennale, has been developed by an all-female team of composer Lina Lapelytė, librettist Vaiva Grainytė and director Rugilė Barzdžiukaitė.