Wrong Side of the Road SongRites
4 September 2025
In the Playhouse
Cinema
Australia | 1981 | English | Drama | M
This documentary-style classic 80s drama follows the Indigenous bands Us Mob and No Fixed Address as they move from gig to gig. Blending dramatisation with real events, it captures the energy of life on tour while exposing the racism, hostility and harassment the musicians faced.
Date | Time |
Thursday 4 September 2025 | 6pm |
Ticket | Price |
Standard | $30 |
Concession Australian Pensioner Australian Senior Card Holder Australian Full Time Student | $26 |
Ticket + Drink | |
Standard | $39* |
Concession | $36* |
$8.95 booking fee applies per transaction
*Includes one standard ticket plus one drink redeemable on the day of the event from the Western Foyers Bar. Drink options include one glass of house red or white wine, prosecco, house beer or soft drink. See T&Cs under 'Event information'.
Prices correct at the time of publication and subject to change without notice. Exact prices will be displayed with seat selection.
The only authorised ticket agency for this event is Sydney Opera House. For more information about Authorised Agencies, see the frequently asked questions below.
Sydney Opera House Insiders pre-sale
9am, Wednesday 25 June 2025
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What’s On e-newsletter pre-sale
12pm, Wednesday 25 June 2025
General Public tickets on-sale
9am, Friday 27 June 2025
In English
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.
Warning
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that content from this event may contain images and voices of deceased persons.
Run time
The duration of this film is approximately 83 minutes.
Event duration is a guide only and may be subject to change.
The advertised start time is the introduction start time. Venue doors will open approximately 15 minutes before the advertised start time.
Age
This event is classified Mature (M) and is not recommended for children under the age of 15.
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.
Ticket + Drink Terms and Conditions
The Ticket + Drink entitles a patron to one standard entry to the film screening plus one drink. Drink options include one glass of house red or white wine, prosecco, house beer or soft drink. Red wine must be consumed prior to entering the theatre.
Redeem your drink prior to the film start time. The voucher must be redeemed on the same day as the film screening date displayed on your ticket. The drink voucher is only redeemable at the bar located in the Sydney Opera House Western Foyers. For further information please contact the Box Office: +61 2 9250 7777
Alcoholic beverages are subject to the NSW Responsible Service of Alcohol Act.
A classic First Nations rock’n’road movie, delivered with a soaring soundtrack
Wrong Side of the Road has been described as “a road movie, a protest film, a political film, a rock film,” evolving as a collaboration between the filmmakers, the community and the young musicians featured in the film. Although this film has a strong documentary feel, it is a constructed drama, stylistically accomplishing what would otherwise have been an interview situation with talking heads.
Winning the AFI Jury Prize in 1981, Wrong Side of the Road was an emergent work whose themes and content evolved from workshopping the central characters, resulting in a music-driven exposé through which personal stories were woven.
Restored by National Film and Sound Archive of Australia
Presented by Sydney Opera House and National Film and Sound Archive of Australia
3 – 6 September 2025
SongRites
SongRites is a new program showcasing First Nations voices through music, dance, film and conversation. Experience the living tradition of Songlines passed through generations, grounded in Country and culture.

Credits
Ned Lander
Director
Graeme Isaac, Ned Lander
Scriptwriters
Cast
Ronnie Ansell
Peter Butler
Les Graham
Chris Haywood
Chris Jones
Carroll Karpanny
Wally McArthur
John Miller
Veronica Rankine
Bart Willoughby
Acknowledgements
Event Sponsor
The Sydney Opera House thanks Event Sponsor Sydney Harbour Federation Trust and Idealist donors R O Albert Family and Dr Russell & Jane Kift for their generous support of SongRites.
A very special thank you to Yuwaalaraay Wirringgaa artist Lucy Simpson for the creation of our DanceRites artwork.
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 +61 2 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.
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.
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