COVID-safe and event information
Due to the evolving COVID-19 situation and in line with the updated information provided by the NSW Government it is anticipated the Opera House will now remain closed until Friday 9 July 2021.
Affected SandSong ticket buyers will be contacted with options.
We apologise for any inconvenience and thank you for your support and understanding at this time.
When we return...
- The Sydney Opera House is registered as a COVID Safe business with the NSW Government.
- Bring and wear a mask. Patrons aged 12 and over attending performances and tours are required to wear a face mask at all times while inside our foyers and theatres, including during the performance.
- As you move around the Opera House, practise physical distancing (1.5 metres whenever possible) and follow the guidance provided by our staff and signage.
- Within venues, always take your allocated seat.
- There are new COVID-specific conditions of entry for audiences attending performances, including the digital check in of every person for contact tracing purposes. This includes the circumstances under which you must not attend the Opera House, and what’s required of you when you visit. Please read about them here.
Under the vast Kimberley sky, the red pindan dust stretches across the desert homelands of the Walmajarri, where the ancient knowledge of People and of Country is preserved through Songlines that have endured for hundreds of generations.
SandSong tells the unique story of this Place and the survival of its People.
Between the 1920s and 1960s, Aboriginal people were removed off their Country and forced into hard labour for no wages and only minimal rations.
Despite this displacement and cultural disruption, the people of the Western Desert have maintained unbroken connection to their Land, keeping stories and kinship strong.
This is the Country of Wangkatjungka woman Ningali Josie Lawford-Wolf (1967-2019), an important cultural consultant and artistic collaborator of Bangarra whose spirit, stories and artistic contributions have inspired a number of the company’s works, and enriched the broader arts landscape.
SandSong is created by Bangarra Dance Theatre in consultation with Wangkatjungka/Walmajarri Elders from the Kimberley and Great Sandy Desert regions.
This work honours the legacy of Ningali Josie Lawford-Wolf and her family - past, present and future.
★★★★★
"Bangarra's first full-length work in three years is stunning on every level”
Limelight
"Heart stopping"
The Sunday Telegraph
Watch the teaser
The Australian Ballet | New York Dialects
Two revered classics from George Balanchine, the great game-changer of ballet, with a brand-new creation from a 21st-century innovator, Pam Tanowitz.Watch the teaser
Artist Information
Creative Credits
Choreographers Stephen Page and Frances Rings
Composer Steve Francis
Set Designer Jacob Nash
Costume Designer Jennifer Irwin
Lighting Designer Nick Schlieper
Lighting Realiser Chris Twyman
Cultural Consultants Putuparri Tom Lawford and Eva Nargoodah
Cultural Contributors Wangkatjungka and Walmajarri Elders
Venue Information
In line with the NSW Public Health Order, venue capacity is currently limited to 75%. This includes all performances in the Joan Sutherland Theatre, Studio, Playhouse, Drama Theatre and Utzon Room. Please note that you may be seated directly alongside other patrons.
Our foyers will be open 60 minutes pre-show for Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and two hours pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Refreshments will be available for purchase from our theatre bars. Please remember to maintain physical distancing whilst consuming drinks in our foyers.
All Sydney Opera House foyers are pram accessible, with lifts to the main and western foyers. The public lift to all foyers is accessible from the corridor near the escalators on the Lower Concourse and also in the Western Foyer via the corridor on the Ground Level (at the top of the escalators). Pram parking will be available outside the theatres in the Western Foyer consistent with COVID-safe rules.
Transport options
- We encourage you to use private transport options to minimise crowding on public transport (in line with NSW Government advice).
- The Sydney Opera House Car Park, operated by Wilson Parking, is open and available to use. Wilson Parking offer discounted parking if you book ahead. Please see their website for details.
- Please check the Transport NSW website for the latest advice and information on travel and COVID-19 safety measures. You can catch public transport (bus, train, ferry) to Circular Quay and enjoy a six min walk to the Opera House.
Make the most of your experience...
Ticket Only
Add a drinks voucher or food voucher to your purchase and redeem it at any of the foyer bars inside the Opera House.
Attend a performance, enjoy a meal at Opera Kitchen, and take a guided Sydney Opera House Tour. See menu below. Note: the tour may be sold out or unavailable on your selected date. If there is availability, you will select your desired tour time in the following screen. Please check you have the "Tour & Dine" product displayed in your cart before you continue to payment.
Frequently Asked Questions - COVID-19 Safety Measures
Frequently Asked Questions - Performance and Venue
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