Opera Australia
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Why go
- Fully staged, open-air opera on Sydney Harbour, with an annual season at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair since 2012.
- A free annual opera performance in Sydney’s Domain.
- Performances at Arts Centre Melbourne with Orchestra Victoria outside its Sydney season.
Opening hours
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Interesting facts3
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40,000 people
The first Sydney Harbour production, La traviata, drew 40,000 people.
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1974
The company has staged 12 new Australian operas since 1974.
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A live simulcast of Die Fledermaus reached more than two million viewers in the 1980s.
Opera Australia - Wikipedia
Shorts
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Sydney Opera House New South Wales AustraliaIvy Ives
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Sydney Opera House, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 🇦🇺 |GEarth Rev…Destination Unknown Tube
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🇦🇺Australia Sydney Opera House, New South Wales Google EarthMyGoogleTravels
History
War and Peace was its opening-night production at the Sydney Opera House shortly before the venue’s official opening. The venue gave the company a permanent performance home and helped expand its repertoire and audience. By 1957, the company had become the Elizabethan Theatre Trust Opera Company.
- 1956The Australian Opera Company began in Sydney under the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust. That year, it performed four Mozart operas across Australia’s capital cities for the Mozart bicentenary.
- 1968A television recording of Tosca at the Adelaide Festival marked a milestone.
- 1970The company became The Australian Opera.
- 1974Soprano Joan Sutherland made her first appearance with the company at the Sydney Opera House. Her association helped make the company internationally known.
- 1990Baz Luhrmann’s La bohème premiered in Sydney and later played 228 performances on Broadway. The production became another internationally recognised connection for the company.
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- 1996The Australian Opera and Victoria State Opera merged to form Opera Australia.
- 2013Opera Australia staged its first full Ring Cycle in Melbourne.
How to get there
- BusAt the Sydney Opera House, a complimentary wheelchair-accessible Courtesy Bus runs from Circular Quay.
- CarAt the Sydney Opera House, an accessible underground drop-off and pick-up point is available in the evenings.
- CarAt the Sydney Opera House, limited-mobility visitors can arrange an accessible shuttle from the Macquarie Street Gatehouse.
Accessibility
- Audio-described performances Offered with Vision Australia for blind and low-vision audiences.
- Surtitles Help audiences follow sung text and are visible from most seats in resident theatres.
- Relaxed performances Guests may come and go from their seats during the show.
- Quiet Space Relaxed performances may provide a Quiet Space for guests who need a break.
- Auracast receivers Available from the Sydney Opera House cloakroom before performances.
- Venue accessibility Opera Australia works with its venues to make performances accessible.
Sources: Opera Australia - Wikipedia · Home | Opera Australia · What's On | Opera Australia · Accessibility | Opera Australia · Opéra d'Australie - Wikipedia · checked 4 Oct 2026
- Website
- opera.org.au/
- Phone
- +61 2 9699 1099
Questions and answers
How much of the year does Opera Australia perform in Sydney?
Its Sydney Opera House season runs for about eight months each year with the Opera Australia Orchestra.
Can I encounter Opera Australia productions through recordings?
In 2011, the company launched a strategy to bring opera recordings to cinemas and home media.
Has Opera Australia toured overseas?
Its first overseas tour took Rigoletto and Jenůfa to New Zealand in 1976.
Which Australian operas has Opera Australia commissioned?
Its commissions include Lindy by Moya Henderson, based on the story of Lindy Chamberlain.
Which operas have featured on Sydney Harbour?
The series has featured La traviata, Madama Butterfly, Turandot, Aida and Carmen. Aida uses Fleet Steps at Mrs Macquarie’s Point.
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