Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour Madama Butterfly

Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour is an open-air and all-weather event.

The venue, audience seating, and the stage are completely uncovered. The event is an all-weather experience and we’re committed to going ahead with a performance of Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour even in doubtful or unfavourable weather conditions. Please come prepared so that you are as comfortable as possible, and ready to support the performers, who will carry on singing and dancing in the rain.

Bring warm and waterproof clothing

Sydney weather is full of surprises so we recommend that you dress with this in mind and bring warm, weatherproof clothing. Please note that although umbrellas can be brought to the venue, out of consideration for other members of the audience they cannot be used during the performance.

Ponchos

Ponchos will be available to purchase at the event for $5. We'll be selling the Biowear Eco Poncho. Made of corn, soy, and sunflower starches, these ponchos are biodegradable. Once disposed of, the poncho takes about a year to break down and become a protein of the ecosystem. We'll be donating any profit from the sale of ponchos to Clean Up Australia.

Performance pauses and cancellations

We will only cancel a performance during electrical storms (within 10km radius) or during times of extremely high winds and/or rain. We will not cancel a performance until 7.30pm or later. We may decide to cancel a performance once the show is underway. Please plan to travel to the venue for a 7.30pm performance start time even in unfavourable weather conditions.

In some weather conditions, we may delay the start time of Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour or pause for up to 50 minutes at any point throughout the performance.

Auxiliary expenses including travel, accommodation or hospitality which you have arranged in conjunction with the performance are at your own risk and Opera Australia cannot refund these.

Yes! You can exchange your tickets up to two working days before the performance you hold tickets to. To arrange an exchange please contact the Box Office on +61 2 9250 7777 (Monday to Sunday 9am – 5pm). 

It’s a great idea to arrive early, grab a drink and soak up the view. The venue opens at 5.30pm every evening. 

If you are collecting your tickets from the on-site box office on Mrs Macquaries Road at Fleet Steps, we recommend doing this at least 1 hour before the event starts. If you have already received your tickets, aim to arrive at least 30 minutes before the event to give you time to find your seats.

If you are late, we will seat you as soon as possible, but please be aware that some events have lock out periods where late comers cannot be admitted until a suitable break in the performance.  Occasionally this is not until the interval, or if there is no interval, late comers may not be admitted at all. Latecomers may not be admitted to their allocated seats.  Details of our right to refuse admission can be found in our General Terms and Conditions for Tickets and Events.

Handa Opera in Sydney Harbour has wheelchair locations, companion seats and level access seats available. 

Wheelchair accessible seats

Customers requiring wheelchair and/or companion seating should contact the Ticketing Services Office on +61 2 9318 8200, Monday – Friday 9am to 5pm. Wheelchair locations and companion seats are in sections F, G and H, Row JJ.

Level access seats

The best seats for mobility impaired audience members (who are not bound to a wheelchair) are in the first 5 rows of sections A-E. The path to these seats is downhill to seats in row 1 and then up a few stairs to seats in higher rows. On the way out, the path is back uphill and mobility impaired patrons should consider requesting the use of a wheelchair (subject to availability) and assistance in exiting the venue.

Please also note that whilst Front-of-House do their very best to move patrons promptly, patrons requiring assistance exiting the venue may experience delays. 

You’re welcome to take photos of the site and venue before and after the performance, however, no photography is permitted during the performance.

Plan to arrive early and savour a drink and something delicious while you watch the sun set over the harbour. Five different restaurant and bar areas on site serve a range of foods to suit every appetite and budget.

Please don't bring a picnic. Only food and beverages purchased on site can be consumed within the venue.

Sorry, you can't bring your own food or drink into this event.

The authorised agencies for this event are Sydney Opera House, Opera Australia, Today Tix, TIX and Ticketmaster.

Only tickets purchased by authorised agencies should be considered valid and reliable.

The Sydney Opera House is the only authorised ticket seller for Events at the Sydney Opera House, unless we specify on our website that there are other authorised ticket sellers for a specific event.

Tickets purchased from Ticketmaster Resale, Viagogo, Ticketbis, eBay, Gumtree, Tickets Australia or any other unauthorised re-seller may be cancelled without notice and/or the holder may be refused admission to the event.