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Sydney Opera House

  • Theatre
  • Sydney
Photograph: Hamilton Lund
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Time Out says

One of the most photographed and famous (if controversial) performing arts venues in the world

This Australian icon sits on Bennelong Point and is Sydney’s premiere venue for classical and contemporary music, opera, theatre and dance. As peaceful as it looks now, the House had a controversial beginning: while it was designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, by the time the building was completed in 1973 its architect had been fired.

Many have pondered the building’s design over the years, comparing it variously to shells, waves and even a family of swans. Utzon never revealed his vision, only that it involved spheres.

The Opera House offers different tours that allow you to get intimate with the building, including some hosted in different languages and full ‘experience' packages. If you don't feel like shelling out, it's still free to sit on the steps for a quick lunch and walk by the water and gaze in marvel at those 1,056,000 pearly, self-cleaning Swedish tiles.

Where to eat and drink near Sydney Opera House

For the ultimate Opera House dining experience, book a pre-theatre dinner at Bennelong, or just pop in for a drink and a snack at the raw and cultured bar. Check out the Opera Kitchen, a harbourfront dining area that features a host of Sydney food identities including John Susman. Meander around to Bulletin Place for cocktails. Later in the evening kick the glamour up a notch at Hemmesphere and enjoy matched cigars and more cocktails into the morning.

Backstage tour

With access into areas normally reserved for stars and their minders, this tour will have you treading the boards of its illustrious stages and sneaking into the dressing rooms of the Opera and Drama Theatres, Playhouse and The Studio, while you are regaled with the secrets and stories that go on behind the curtain. Or perhaps you want to take on the conductor's baton in the Opera Theatre orchestra pit? Do note, though, that the Concert Hall is currently closed for renewal works to improve theatre machinery, acoustics and accessibility, so no peeking in there. 

Backstage tours run daily at 7am and are $175, including a hearty breakfast served in the Green Room (the Green Room is not open on Sun or public holidays). Flat, enclosed rubber soled shoes must be worn. For safety reasons children 12 years and under are not permitted. Bookings essential. There are also junior tours of the Opera House for kids.

Details

Address:
Bennelong Point
Sydney
2000
Opening hours:
Box office: Mon-Sat 9am-8.30pm; Sun two hours prior to performance (in person only)

What’s on

RBG: Of Many, One

  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Drama

One of the most talked about performances to hit the Sydney stage in recent years is back. Local legend Heather Mitchell is donning the robes again to embody the late, great feminist icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg in RBG: Of Many, One – a powerful one-woman show penned by Suzie Miller, the lawyer-turned-playwright behind international smash-hit Prima Facie (and more recently, Jailbaby at Griffin). Sydney Theatre Company is bringing this impactful play to the Drama Theatre at the Sydney Opera House from February 9 to March 30, kicking off an extensive national tour including seasons in Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra. Read on for our review from the Australian premiere... What does it take to stand firm in a rushing tide? One that suddenly comes not just from the expected direction, but from all of them, buffeting a woman from side to side?  Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the great legal mind, feminist, and later, improbably, the pop culture darling, would know better than most. And RBG: Of Many, One, written by Suzie Miller (of Prima Facie fame) and directed by Priscilla Jackman (White Pearl) tries to trace that journey, and let the audience feel the rush of all those tides.  So how did Heather Mitchell, the actress known for her screen appearance in Binge’s Love Me, and previously, for playing prominent transgender writer and former Australian Defence Force officer Catherine McGregor in the 2018 STC play Still Point Turning: The Catherine McGregor Story, find it within herself to embody an

Gatsby at the Green Light

  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Circuses

This raucous show could be the closest you’ll get to spending a whirlwind evening inside an extravagant Baz Luhrmann flick. Taking over The Studio in the belly of the Sydney Opera House, Gatsby at the Green Light is a sauced-up variety show that transports audiences into a pop-up, vintage-inspired night club (complete with a functional bar). Think of this production as a sort of live concept album – featuring a smorgasboard of circus acts, top-shelf burlesque, evocative live singing, and impressive aerial artistry – with the rare art of hair-hanging to boot.  Gatsby cherry-picks from the glitz and glamour of one of Jay Gatsby’s famous parties, remixes it, and serves it up as an escapist fantasy where the roaring ’20s meets the 2020s. In doing so, this show masters the timeless allure of a particular niche of spectacle: watching profusely talented and beautiful people performing seriously difficult tricks and dangling precariously in the air (before elegantly dismounting with a brazen wink). ARIA-nominated singer Odette is a stand out member of the ensemble, the earthy and mystical vocal quality of the siren of the Inner West providing a soulful connective thread to the mixed bag of acts. Odette collaborated with musical director Kim Moyes (best known as one-half of iconic Australian electronic duo The Presets) on an original song for the production – although, it’s her covers of hit songs that will continue to play on repeat in your mind (her audacious take on ‘Money (That’s

Sydney Opera House Tour

  • Walks and tours

Even for born-and-bred Sydneysiders, the opportunity to explore a completely empty Opera House doesn’t come around every day. On this one hour tour though, you’ll get incredible access to (almost) every corner of our city’s most famous building. You’ll get the chance to explore all of the theatres (providing there isn’t a show in session) – from the majestic Concert Hall to the quaint Drama Theatre. If you’re lucky, you’ll even get a sneak peek of a rehearsal.  Walk along the outside of the Opera House, past roped off areas, and learn everything there is to know about Sydney’s famous house of art and culture. Find out where the materials to build the Opera House came from and run your hands along a few of the million white ceramic tiles that make up the glistening exterior. For those more interested in diving into a specific area of the phenomenal building, be that the food, architecture or behind the scenes, a range of speciality tours are on offer. Head straight from the tour to lunch at Opera Bar or House Canteen with the daily Tour and Dine, or for something more elevated you can book in Taste of the House which runs on the last Sunday of the month and takes you on the ultimate Opera House dining experience. Starting off at Opera Bar, you’ll stop in at House Canteen and Midden before ending at the five star fine dining restaurant Bennelong.  Get in early on Saturday mornings for an architectural tour when you can discover what inspired the Danish architect Jorn Utzon to e

Bell Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night’s Dream

  • Comedy

Out of Shakespeare’s 38 timeless plays, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is undoubtedly one of the best-known and most loved. This March, Bell Shakespeare unveils a breathless new production of the Bard’s classic comedy following four lovers romantically entangled in a magical forest. This funny, family-friendly production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream will unfold on the Sydney Opera House stage from March 2-30, kicking off Bell Shakespeare’s stellar 2024 season. Bell Shakespeare’s Artistic Director Peter Evans has pared back the play into 100 minutes of magic, mirth and mayhem. Audiences will be swept into the enchanted world of two young couples who are tangled in a love quadrangle. In pursuit of a happy ever after, the Athenians escape to the forest under the cover of darkness where they meet a mischievous sprinkling of fairies who throw their future into jeopardy.  Ella Prince plays Puck, along with Ahunim Abede as Hermia, Isabel Burton as Helena, Mike Howlett as Demetrius, Matu Ngaropo as Bottom, Richard Pyros as Oberon, Imogen Sage as Titania and Laurence Young as Lysander. A Midsummer Night’s Dream will play at the Sydney Opera House from March 2-30 and you can book tickets from $35 here.

An Evening with Rebel Wilson

  • Talks and discussions

Last week we actually spotted Aussie-actress-turned-global-megastar Rebel Wilson in the lift of the building that the Time Out Sydney offices are in, in Surry Hills. We were too star struck to ask what she was doing here, but we knew she was in town, and now we know she's going to be baring all at the Sydney Opera House, for An Evening with Rebel Wilson. What does an evening with Rebel look like? We're told she's going to get real candid – about what it meant to burst into Hollywood as the “fat funny Aussie girl”.  Having starred in countless cult-classic comedies like the Pitch Perfect franchise, Bridesmaids, How to be Single, and recently Senior Year, the actress has a career full of stories to reveal on her time in the industry, plus real-talk segues about fertility and sexuality.  Her talk will centre around how she prioritised her career over relationships for the better part of her life, and is only being true with herself and others on vulnerable stuff like relationships, losing weight and dealing with rejection.  That said, don’t expect a Debbie-downer evening. It’s almost guarantees that the actress will have you in stitches over all the good and the bad of her intriguing life.  An Evening with Rebel Wilson is on at the Sydney Opera House on Thursday, May 9 at 8:30pm. You can purchase tickets here. RECOMMENDED:  Want a bite to eat before the show? These are the best bars and restaurants in Circular Quay Check out the best shows to see in Sydney right now Get a first

The Music of John Williams in Concert

  • Classical and opera

When you think of the top ten greatest movies of all time, chances are more than half of them feature music by revered film composer John Williams. This June, you can experience some of the best moments of William’s most illustrious scores, as performed by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Sydney Philharmonia Choirs. For decades, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra has performed film scores and soundtracks from the world’s greatest blockbusters, including complete Harry Potter™ Film in Concert Series and Lord of the Rings films. These are just some of the stellar compositions from composer John Williams that have earned him 25 Grammy awards, seven BAFTAs, five Oscars and four Golden Globes.  In these Sydney Symphony concerts, you’ll witness the magic of William’s biggest and most loved pieces live at the Sydney Opera House, including the theme songs from Jaws, Star Wars, Jurassic Park, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, Schindler's List, and Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone™ in Concert. Sydney Philharmonia Choirs will join the Orchestra on stage for incredible performances of ‘Somewhere in My Memory’ from Home Alone, ‘Hymn to the Fallen’ from Saving Private Ryan, and ‘Double Trouble’ from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban™. Self-described film score geeks and Art of the Score podcast co-hosts Andrew Pogson, Dan Golding and Nicholas Buc will be there on the night sharing insights and untold stories behind the composer and his works, with acclaimed conductor Nicholas Buc al

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