Sydney Opera House Strategy
2018–23

The Opera House is Australia’s premier cultural institution and tourism destination, and a celebrated community meeting place. It is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a masterpiece of human creative genius and a world-class performing arts centre.

The local Gadigal people knew the land on which the Opera House stands as Tubowgule. For thousands of years it has been a gathering place for storytelling, ceremony and celebration. We are committed to continuing that tradition and, in doing so, fostering a shared sense of belonging for everyone.

One of the world’s busiest performing arts centres, the Opera House hosts about 2,000 performances a year across its six theatres and the Forecourt, including: the renowned work of seven flagship resident companies; a diverse Sydney Opera House Presents schedule that includes contemporary music and performance, First Nations artists, talks and ideas, classical music and children, families and creative learning programming; and a broad range of shows and community events presented by third parties.

Since embarking on a decade of renewal at our 40th anniversary, we have made tremendous progress on many of the goals in our 2013 Enterprise Strategy, as highlighted in the following pages. A December 2018 report by global professional services provider Deloitte estimated that over the same period the Opera House’s iconic value increased from $4.6 billion in 2013 to $6.2 billion, and its annual economic contribution by 55%, from $775 million in 2013 to $1.2 billion.

In developing this refreshed strategy, we have taken into account significant changes in artistic taste, technology and the demographics of the community we serve, as well as increases in security concerns and building costs.

This document sets out updated strategic goals for the second half of our decade of renewal, divided into three streams: the many people, inside and outside the organisation, involved in bringing the Opera House to life; the experiences we offer; and the building.

Consistent with our practice to date, this strategy will inform the development of portfolio-based strategies and annual key performance indicators. This will ensure we are all aligned behind clear and consistent goals.