Rusalka
31 July – 27 August 2025
In the Joan Sutherland Theatre
Opera
A water nymph longs to live and love as a human and will sacrifice everything to get there. Superstar Australian soprano Nicole Car plays Rusalka.
Sydney Opera House Insiders pre-sale
Tuesday 22 October, 2024
Become a Sydney Opera House Insider to receive exclusive pre-sale access
What’s On e-newsletter pre-sale
Wednesday 23 October, 2024
General Public tickets on-sale
Tuesday 29 October, 2024
Wheelchair accessible:
There are a number of wheelchair and companion seating locations in our theatres. To book accessible seating contact Box Office:
Telephone
+61 2 9250 7777
(Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm AEST)
Email bookings@sydneyoperahouse.com
Find out more about accessibility at Sydney Opera House.
Language
Performed in Czech with English surtitles.
Run time
This performance will run for 3 hours and 5 minutes, including two intervals.
Event duration is a guide only and may be subject to change.
Age
Children aged 15 years and under must be accompanied at all times.
The Opera House is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children that visit or engage with us. Read our Child Safety Policy.
Useful information:
Strange magic ripples under the water. And stranger magic in her heart.
Rusalka longs for light, love and life on the surface. She’ll sacrifice anything to get it. But the water nymph can’t imagine what she’s giving up … or if the man she loves is worth it.
Nicole Car is one of the most successful Australian sopranos in decades. Don’t miss her return home in her role debut as Rusalka.
Before Disney took Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale The Little Mermaid into the lives of children everywhere, many cultures told tales of water nymphs who long to live on the surface. Dvořák’s opera draws you into a dream-like world. The lush music shimmers with intricate harmonies and sweeping melodies, including the famously beautiful Song to the Moon.
Director Sarah Giles' new production of Dvorak’s opera glimmers with dark magic and mystery.
Presented by Opera Australia
Artist information
Conductor Johannes Fritzsch
Director Sarah Giles
Set Designer Charles Davis
Costume Designer Renée Mulder
Lighting Designer Paul Jackson
Video Designer & Content Creator Designer David Bergman
Movement Director & Intimacy Coordinator Dr Lyndall Grant
Rusalka Nicole Car
The Prince Gerard Schneider
The Water King Warwick Fyfe
The Duchess Natalie Aroyan
Ježibaba Ashlyn Tymms
Opera Australia Orchestra
Opera Australia Chorus
Opera Australia
Some of Australia’s brightest stars are taking the stage in Opera Australia’s 2025 season.
Dreams, desire and destiny collide in this season of fantasy and fairy tales, heart and humour, music and magic. Plan your year of nights out under the spectacular sails of the Sydney Opera House.
Plan your visit
Venue information
Our foyers will be open 90 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and two hours pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Refreshments will be available for purchase from our theatre bars.
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.
Getting here
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 the Wilson Parking website for details.
Please check the Transport NSW website for the latest advice and information on travel. You can catch public transport (bus, train, ferry) to Circular Quay and enjoy a six minute walk to the Opera House.
Frequently asked questions
Ticket purchases and collection at our Box Office is discouraged and eTicket or postal delivery methods should be used, wherever possible. However, if you are collecting your tickets from the Box Office, we recommend doing this at least 60 minutes before the event starts. If you have already received your tickets, the venue doors will be open 45 minutes pre-show for Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and 30 minutes pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Please take your seats as soon as you arrive.
If you are late, we will seat you as soon as we can and, where possible, in your allocated seat. However, to reduce movement in the venue as well as minimise disruption to the performance and other patrons, ticketholders may be seated in an allocated latecomer’s seat. Please be aware that some events have lock-out periods. In these cases, latecomers will be admitted at a suitable break in the performance. On occasions, this may not be until the interval, or at all where there is no interval.
Details of our right to refuse admission can be found in our General Terms and Conditions for Tickets and Events.
In accordance with our venue security procedures, Opera House security will be scanning and checking bags under the Monumental Stairs, prior to entering the building. Bags will be scanned by an x-ray machine, and staff will wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when handling your belongings, such as gloves. Cloaking facilities will be open 60 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and 60 minutes pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. However it is strongly encouraged that you travel lightly to minimise contact and queuing. Any bags larger than an A4 piece of paper will need to be checked into the Cloak Room.
The authorised agency for this event is the Sydney Opera House.
Only tickets purchased by authorised agencies should be considered reliable. If you purchase tickets from a non-authorised agency such as Ticketmaster Resale, Viagogo, Ticketbis, eBay, Gumtree, Tickets Australia or any other unauthorised seller, you risk that these tickets are fake, void or have previously been cancelled. RESALE RESTRICTION APPLIES. For more details, please refer to our General Terms and Conditions for Tickets and Attendance at Events.
Please contact Box Office on 9250 7777 as soon as possible to advise if you can no longer attend.
Foyers will be open 90 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and two hours pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Refreshments will be available for purchase from our theatre bars.
The venue doors will be open 45 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and 30 minutes pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances.
Please bring a credit or debit card for any on site purchases to enable contactless payment. You’re welcome to bring your own water bottle but no other food and drinks are permitted inside our venues. Opera Bar, Opera Kitchen and Portside are also available for you to enjoy.
The health, safety and wellbeing of everyone at the Sydney Opera House is our top priority. In line with this commitment, the Opera House became a smoke-free site in January 2022. Read our Smoke-free Environment Policy.
You may also like
Dance Clan
3 – 14 Dec 2024
The Nutcracker
30 Nov – 18 Dec 2024
Cinderella
2 Jan – 28 Mar 2025