1. An external shot of The Sydney Opera House
    Photograph: Supplied/SOH
  2. Sydney Opera House - top of the sails.
    Photograph: SOH/Hamilton Lund
  3. Sydney Opera House open day
    Photograph: SOH/Anna Kucera
  4. Penn and Teller at the Sydney Opera House
    Photograph: SOH/Daniel Boud
  5. The Sydney Opera House with artwork projected onto it via light.
    Photograph: Supplied/Destination NSW

Sydney Opera House

Sydney's iconic performing arts venue is one of the most photographed (and controversial) buildings in the world
  • Theatre
  • Sydney
Alannah Sue
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Time Out says

City icons that spark pride are a divisive topic for Sydneysiders. For example, Bondi Beach – Sydneysiders either rate it, or hate it. Same goes for the humble bin chicken – either glorious, or disgusting. But, there is one certified icon that bucks the trend: Sydney Opera HouseOur reader research confirms that essentially every Sydney dweller loves this UNESCO World Heritage Listed architectural masterpiece (whether they’ve been inside it or not). After all, it isn’t just one of the most famous buildings in Sydney, but one of the most famous buildings in the whole world. Just try not to pull out your phone for a pic as you’re walking past or cruising by on a ferry (we dare you).

Sandwiched between the Royal Botanic Garden and the water in Circular Quay, the Sydney Opera House is our city's premier venue for classical and contemporary music, theatre, dance, high-end cabaret, and of course, opera. Holding true to its original ambitions as “The People’s House”, the Opera House also hosts various talks and workshops that explore interesting ideas.

Many have pondered the building’s design over the years, comparing it variously to shells, waves, and even a family of swans. Apparently it’s meant to be a big cloud. We'll always see it fondly as The Dishrack, though. If you don't feel like shelling out on a show or a tour, it's still free to sit on the steps for a quick lunch, and walk by the water and marvel at those 1,056,000 pearly, self-cleaning Swedish tiles.

As peaceful as it looks now, the beloved building had a controversial beginning. It was dreamed up by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, who beat out alternative designs for Sydney's Opera House to win an international design competition – but by the time the building was completed in 1973, Utzon had been fired, and he left the country in disgrace.

Where to eat and drink near Sydney Opera House

For the ultimate Opera House dining experience, book a pre-theatre dinner at Bennelong, the classy fine diner that resides under the sails. Or, in the Western Foyers you'll find Midden by Mark Olive, which utilises native ingredients to celebrate the famous chef's Indigenous heritage. Want to grab a waterside cocktail or a refreshing beer? Opera Bar combines beauty and convenience with idyllic views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Also along the promenade, Opera Kitchen offers an eclectic market hall of options for nosh, spanning Italian to Japanese and good ol' fish and chips (and it's all a bit more affordable than the fancy restaurant, too). For more options, check out our list of the best restaurants and bars in Circular Quay.

Sydney Opera House tours

The Sydney Opera House offers a range of tours that invite you to look behind the curtain. With access into areas that are normally reserved for stars and their minders, the daily Backstage Tour will have you treading the boards of its illustrious stages, and sneaking into dressing rooms while you are regaled with the secrets and stories that go on behind the curtain. Or if you'd like to find out more about how the building was made, the Architectural Tour on Saturday mornings invites you to journey into the minds of the architects who designed the House. Find out more about the tours offered by the Sydney Opera House over here.

(Time Out tip: We’re also big fans of Sydney Architecture Walks, an indie tour group operated by working architects. They’ll take you on a deep dive into the surprising history and unhinged political hijinks behind the Opera House with the Utzon and the Sydney Opera House tour.)

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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

Rent

4 out of 5 stars
Nearly 30 years after it burst onto Broadway, Rent remains a landmark. It won four Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize, but its true legacy lies in how it blew open Broadway’s doors to the misfits, bringing ’90s rock, raw emotion and the gritty diversity of real New York life to the stage. It didn’t just reflect a generation, it shaped one. For theatre kids like me, Jonathan Larson’s words were the ones we belted backstage and found ourselves in. And it wasn’t just us, Rent inspired Lin-Manuel Miranda to write In the Heights and paved the way for the Glee generation: a wave of fans and artists who saw musical theatre as urgent, inclusive and unapologetically cool. Now, Opera Australia is reigniting that spark for a new generation with a bold, heart-filled production. What’s the premise of Rent? Jonathan Larson’s rock musical Rent follows a group of seven struggling young artists and friends trying to survive and create in New York City’s Lower East Side during the late 1980s. As the AIDS epidemic spreads and claims lives around them, they grapple with love, illness, addiction and the looming threat of eviction. At the same time, they face a growing disillusionment with capitalism and the gentrification rapidly reshaping their neighbourhood. Who makes up the cast of Rent? As in Puccini’s La Bohème, the inspiration behind Rent, the story begins with two friends: Mark (Henry Rollo, Rocky Horror Show), a struggling documentary filmmaker, and Roger (Harry Targett, Dear Evan...
  • Musicals

Utzon Music

There are very few buildings as special as Sydney Opera House. Even for Sydneysiders who love to throw shade on our beautiful city, the magnificent harbourside venue is almost universally loved – its uniquely organic arc defining Sydney’s world-famous skyline. And while most people who head to the House for a show have sat within the insulated walls of the Concert Hall or the Playhouse, fewer lucky visitors have been treated to a show in the Utzon Room: a stunning glass-walled space with views across the water to Sydney’s beautiful Botanic Garden.   Named after Danish architect Jørn Utzon, the Utzon Room is an intimate, 200-person space that gives guests an entirely different Opera House experience – one in which Sydney’s harbour plays a pivotal role. For the past 17 years, the secret waterfront venue has played host to a carefully-curated series of performances as an ode to the creative ambition of the man behind the House. Utzon Music is a year-long event series that celebrates awe-inspiring art, bringing world-renowned musicians into the small, unassuming space for afternoon performance set against the silent hum of the harbour.   For its 18th edition, Utzon Music is back under the direction of renowned arts advocate, performer, composer and recorder virtuoso Genevieve Lacey. For Utzon Music 2025, Lacey has programmed a diverse showcase of soloists and chamber musicians for ten super special one-off performances – with a vision of celebrating “human curiosity and...

Kutcha Edwards & the Sydney Symphony

Activist and multi-award-winning songwriter Kutcha Edwards is widely regarded as one of Australia’s finest contemporary voices. A natural performer (despite never being officially trained), he found his footing in the ‘80s and ‘90s as a member of bands The Black Arm Band and Blackfire. Decades on, the highly respected Elder and Songman has carved out a successful solo career, blending ‘Bidgee’ blues with traditional songs of people and Country. On October 14, the Mutti Mutti artist will curate and headline a special evening of music in the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall. Titled Ngarli-Wangu (meaning “our song” in Mutti Mutti), the one-night-only event will see Edwards joined on stage by conductor-in-residence Benjamin Northey and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, along with a selection of special guests. Together, they will perform anthems that have shaped the Blak artistic landscape over the past four decades. More than a concert, Ngarli-Wangu is a celebration of heritage. As a survivor of the Stolen Generations, Edwards draws deeply from his lived experience to create his powerful sound and personal music that simply must be experienced live. Tickets are on sale now for this one-off performance, with prices from $49 plus booking fee, concessions available. Secure your seats here. 

On The Steps

It’s hard to name a more iconic Australian live music venue than the Sydney Opera House. In fact, I dare you. And while the Concert Hall, Utzon Room and other architecturally stunning indoor spaces have their merits, a show on the Opera House forecourt – out in the air, with views across the harbour – is beyond special.Last year, the Sydney Opera House On The Steps series brought some of Australia’s most beloved musicians to the Opera House forecourt, with Crowded House, Troye Sivan, Missy Higgins and Tina Arena performing outside of the country’s most famous building, as well as global acts including Two Door Cinema Club, Declan McKenna and Glass Animals. For anyone lucky enough to attend, the On The Steps shows were a highlight of Sydney summer 2024 – gorgeous amber sunsets and joyful crowds gathered on the Mayan-temple-inspired steps to see their favourite artist perform in front of one of the world’s most beautiful city skylines. Now, the organisers have confirmed that On The Steps is coming back for 2025, with this year’s line-up looking better than ever.The first act confirmed to light up the steps for the 2025 summer season will be the iconic Scottish rock band Franz Ferdinand, who will be performing a one-off show on Wednesday, December 3. Franz Ferdinand’s forecourt show will be the first time they’ve performed in Australia since 2018, when they brought their distinct breed of post-punk indie rock on a tour around the country. Next up, the hugely talented British...

Gatsby at the Green Light

4 out of 5 stars
This review is based on the 2023 season of Gatsby at the Green LightThis 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...
  • Circuses

Bell Shakespeare's seasonal highlights

Fans of the Bard, we’ve got news. Two thirds of the way through a huge 2025 season, with critically acclaimed productions of Henry V and Coriolanus all wrapped up and a beloved production of Shakespeare’s most famous love story returning to the Opera House this summer, Bell Shakespeare has just released the details for its 2026 season. Next year, Sydney’s Shakespeare enthusiasts will be treated to a world premiere of Mackenzie, a new production of Julius Caesar and the return of Bell Shakespeare's critically acclaimed 2023 production of Macbeth. The first Bell Shakespeare production to light up our stages in 2026 will be a new production of Julius Caesar, opening in the Harbour City in March before touring Canberra and Melbourne. This entirely new staging will be directed by Artistic Director Peter Evans, with Leon Ford (Elvis, Hamlet) as Cassius and Brigid Zengeni (Coriolanus, The Artful Dodger) as Brutus. Next up, Bell Shakespeare will bring to life a new reimagining of Macbeth, described by the theatre as “hilarious, twisted, and deeply camp”. Mackenzie is the brainchild of award-winning creator Yve Blake in partnership with Artistic Director Virginia Gay, who have rewritten the Macbeth story with the titular character being a 13-year-old child star in the heights of early 2000s TV stardom, and Lady Macbeth her “ruthlessly ambitious stage mum”. Mackenzie will open in Sydney in June of 2026, before showing in Melbourne.For the company’s annual national tour, Bell...
  • Drama
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