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A white woman with a messy, curly ponytail and wearing a beige blazer looks worried at the camera while holding the handle of a sword.

Opera Australia

More stories. More sensational music. More of what makes opera magical. The excitement begins long before the first note. The date in your calendar. The glitter of the harbour. The magnificent sails. And then, the singing: un-amplified, unfiltered, unbelievable.

Opera Australia’s 2024 season has been brought together by two exceptional women: Lindy Hume, as guest Creative Director of the summer season, and Jo Davies, incoming Artistic Director. Together, they’ve created an exciting program, full of emotion and on-stage spectacle. 

Opera Australia has sought out some of the world’s best voices, including home-grown talent, so you can hear these masterpieces in all their glory. There’s something for everyone.

The musical theatre event of the year

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard

26 Oct – 1 Nov 2024

Musical theatre and international recording superstar Sarah Brightman leads a lavish new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical masterpiece.

  • Musical Theatre
  • Opera

New Year’s Eve and first productions for 2025 just announced!

New Year’s Eve Opera Gala 2024

31 Dec 2024

Dress up to the nines, kick up your heels and leave the crowds behind as you stroll towards the iconic sails and make it your most glamorous New Year ever.

  • Opera

Cinderella on New Year’s Eve

31 Dec 2024

A prince, a ball, a woman in flight. Will they find true love before midnight?

  • Opera

Cinderella

2 Jan – 28 Mar 2025

Feel all the magic of the fairy tale with enchanting music, playful choreography and extravagant costumes in this whimsical production of the classic opera.

  • Opera

La Traviata

23 Jan – 27 Mar 2025

Glamour, riches and a tragic secret: this is the story of a courtesan falling in love. Classic opera with stunning costumes and outstanding music.

  • Opera
Woman in gold ballgown stands away from other partygoers

Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour: Guys & Dolls

21 Mar – 20 Apr 2025

Guys & Dolls explodes onto Sydney Harbour! Expect big laughs and even bigger song and dance numbers in the Broadway classic rom-com musical.

  • Musical Theatre

Winter Season

Great Opera Hits 2024

29 Dec 2024

Listen to famous arias performed by some of Opera Australia’s finest opera singers in this relaxed 90-minute concert.

  • Opera

Past Events

New Year’s Eve Opera Gala Concert

31 Dec 2023

There’s nowhere in the world like Sydney on New Year’s Eve, so enjoy a few drinks overlooking the magnificent Sydney Harbour before you take your seats for this Opera Gala.

  • Opera

La Traviata on New Year’s Eve

31 Dec 2023

Dress up to the nines, kick up your heels and leave the crowds behind for a glamorous start to the New Year with a fresh perspective on an opera classic.

  • Opera

La Traviata

27 Jan – 16 Mar 2024

Glamour, riches and a tragic secret: this is the story of a courtesan falling in love. Classic opera with stunning costumes and Verdi’s outstanding music.

  • Opera
Woman in gold ballgown stands away from other partygoers

Orpheus & Eurydice

16 – 31 Jan 2024

Journey to the underworld and back with the grieving Orpheus. Awe-inspiring acrobatics meet Gluck’s exquisite music in this production created with the internationally renowned Circa.

  • Opera
Two cast members wearing long red skirts, one is horizontal in the air attached to an aerial rope, the other assisting her movement

The Magic Flute

17 Feb – 16 Mar 2024

Escape into an enchanted world for Mozart’s fabulous adventure. A noble hero and his loveable sidekick must rescue a princess in mortal danger.

  • Opera
A performer wears a light green blouse with pink eyeshadow looks off camera, the moon and a bird is seen behind her

Mozart’s Idomeneo

20 Feb – 15 Mar 2024

An epic opera about gods and monsters, human frailty and the power of love. Mozart’s genius is on full display.

  • Opera
Man face up surrounded by water

Theodora in Concert

8 & 9 Feb 2024

Lose yourself in Handel’s sublime music in this collaboration between the internationally celebrated Pinchgut Opera and Opera Australia.

  • Opera
The cast wears neutral outfits, all holding up a book in their right hand

Opera Up Late

1 Mar 2024

Join your host, international comedy and cabaret star Reuben Kaye, as he throws open the doors for a late-night Mardi Gras celebration for the ages.

  • Opera

Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour: West Side Story

16 – 21 Apr 2024

Experience the greatest score ever written for musical theatre, dynamic dance numbers that soar through the open air, and a love story for the ages.

  • Musical Theatre

Watershed: The Death of Dr Duncan

14 – 16 Jun 2024

A dazzling new operatic work by some of Australia’s most acclaimed creative talents, bringing a real-life tragedy, and eventual triumph, to the stage.

  • Opera
A white man with grey hair in a suit stands looking at a male dancer knelt on the floor. The dancer wears a harness and is dancing in water.

Tosca

4 Jul – 16 Aug 2024

A thriller with sensational music, opera’s best villain and an unforgettable ending, Tosca will keep you on the edge of your seat.

  • Opera
A white woman with a messy, curly ponytail and wearing a beige blazer looks worried at the camera while holding the handle of a sword.

Il Trittico

3 – 19 Jul 2024

Three short operas by one of opera’s greatest composers offer a triple helping of music and emotion: thrilling drama, personal crisis and sparkling comedy.

  • Opera
A woman dressed as a nun faces the right. Another woman wearing black holds a candle and a man faces the back wearing a copper coloured suit.

Hamlet

2 – 9 Aug 2024

Shakespeare’s searing portrait of a prince in crisis in an acclaimed contemporary opera by Australian composer Brett Dean.

  • Opera
A white man with black hair and dark beard wears all black. He's in front of a green background and is looking at a shadow.

Cosi Fan Tutte

1 – 17 Aug 2024

Two men attempt to seduce the other’s lover in an elaborate ruse to win a bet. Mozart’s sublime music makes this opera must-see.

  • Opera

Freddie De Tommaso: ll Tenore in Concert

11 Aug 2024

See why Freddie De Tommaso is winning plaudits and fans the world over in this historic Australian debut, off the back of his first two albums.

  • Opera