Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance is celebrating 25 years with five shows at Cork Opera House.

The energetic show will run over five nights this summer, beginning August 9th until August 13th.

The event will be a sort of homecoming for Flatley, who has been a long-term resident of Castlehyde House, on the Blackwater near Fermoy. The Riverdance performer purchased both the house and estate in 1999. The property had been up for sale for a period, but was removed from the market in recent years.

Lord of Dance has promised to go all out for their 25th anniversary tour with new staging, costumes and choreography. Organisers say  there will also be the addition of cutting-edge technology, special effects and remarkable lighting.

 

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Flatley rose to fame when Riverdance was performed during an interval break in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1994. The ground-breaking choreography for Riverdance was followed by massive global success with the Lord of the Dance shows. Tickets are on sale on Friday, May 26th.

He has since seen global success for the iconic show that combines high-energy Irish dancing, original music, storytelling and sensuality. Lord of the Dance, Feet of Flames and Celtic Tiger are just some of his projects. Lord of the Dance had a record-breaking run of 21 consecutive shows at the Wembley Arena. At the time, in the late 1990s, Flatley’s legs were insured for £25m. Recently, the dancer has been busy preparing a celebration for his beloved creation.

The Chicago-born star had a health scare earlier this year in which he was diagnosed with “an aggressive form of cancer.” In a statement at the time, it was revealed that he had undergone surgery.

This is the second time the star has been diagnosed with cancer, following a spot by an eagle-eyed fan on MTV. After discovering the malignant melanoma, Flatley went on to raise money for cancer charities. he was an ambassador for an initiative in 2021 that created a virtual 33rd Irish “county” of 200,000 people representing cancer survivors in Ireland.

However, an appearance on the red carpet at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre in Dublin ensured fans that he was on the mend back to full health.