Badu Gili Celestial Lighting of the Sails
Showing from 15 December 2023
Monumental Steps and Podium Level
Experiences
Badu Gili - meaning ‘water light’ in the language of the traditional owners of Bennelong Point, the Gadigal - is a free daily experience that explores First Nations stories in a spectacular six-minute projection on the Opera House’s eastern Bennelong sails.
Watch the sails illuminate with Badu Gili: Celestial, a new projection celebrating the work and stories of two female First Nations artists from Australia and New Zealand, created in collaboration between the Opera House, Biennale of Sydney and the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain.
Screenings from sunset, 9pm, 9.30pm, 10pm and 10.30pm from 15 December 2023
View scheduled daily times below.
*Please note Badu Gili: Celestial will not run on 25 and 31 December due to other scheduled events.
December 2023 | Lighting 1 | Lighting 2 | Lighting 3 | Lighting 4 | Lighting 5 |
15 December | 8.30pm | 9pm | 9.30pm | 10pm | 10.30pm |
16 December | 8.31pm | 9pm | 9.30pm | 10pm | 10.30pm |
17 December | 8.32pm | 9pm | 9.30pm | 10pm | 10.30pm |
18 December | 8.32pm | 9pm | 9.30pm | 10pm | 10.30pm |
19 December | 8.33pm | 9pm | 9.30pm | 10pm | 10.30pm |
20 December | 8.33pm | 9pm | 9.30pm | 10pm | 10.30pm |
21 December | 8.34pm | 9pm | 9.30pm | 10pm | 10.30pm |
22 December | 8.34pm | 9pm | 9.30pm | 10pm | 10.30pm |
23 December | 8.35pm | 9pm | 9.30pm | 10pm | 10.30pm |
24 December | 8.35pm | 9pm | 9.30pm | 10pm | 10.30pm |
25 December | - | - | - | - | - |
26 December | 8.35pm | 9pm | 9.30pm | 10pm | 10.30pm |
27 December | 8.36pm | 9pm | 9.30pm | 10pm | 10.30pm |
28 December | 8.37pm | 9pm | 9.30pm | 10pm | 10.30pm |
29 December | 8.37pm | 9pm | 9.30pm | 10pm | 10.30pm |
30 December | 8.37pm | 9pm | 9.30pm | 10pm | 10.30pm |
31 December | - | - | - | - | - |
Badu Gili: Celestial is a free event for everyone to enjoy. It is the first year-round sails lighting experience to be launched by the Opera House.
Wheelchair accessible
Find out more information about accessibility at Sydney Opera House
Run time
Projection runs for approximately 6 minutes.
Event duration is a guide only and may be subject to change.
Age
Suitable for all ages.
Young people under the age of 15 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
Viewing
Best viewed from the top of the Monumental Steps.
Also on this page
Viewing map
Celebrating First Nations culture
As a celebration of the rich history and contemporary vibrancy of Australia’s First Nations culture, Badu Gili continues the traditions of Bennelong Point, formerly known as Tubowgule ('where the knowledge waters meet'), a gathering place for community, ceremony and storytelling for thousands of years.
Badu Gili: Celestial, the vibrant new animation of powerful First Nations storytelling features the work of Meriam artist, Gail Mabo from Mer Island in the Torres Strait, and international First Nations artist Nikau Hindin, a Te Rarawa and Ngāpuhi woman from Aotearoa/New Zealand.
Using Mabo’s star maps constructed out of bamboo and cotton, and Hindin’s Māori aute (bark cloth), the digital animation explores the ancient practices of celestial navigation across two cultures, with vibrant symbols and sounds bringing to life the stories of our skies and waterways.
A soundscape accompanies the animation, with powerful music by Nigel Westlake supporting Mabo's work, and Te Kahureremoa Taumata (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) and Te Kuru o te Marama Dewes (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Rangitihi) complementing Hindin's.
An important pillar of the Opera House’s year-round First Nations program, Badu Gili is an essential Sydney cultural experience for both visitors and the local community that aims to foster and celebrate a shared sense of belonging for all Australians.
View the Sydney Opera House Reconciliation Action Plan

Badu Gili: Celestial is presented in collaboration with the Biennale of Sydney and the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain.


Meet the artists
Gail Mabo is a Meriam artist from Mer Island in the Torres Strait. Her multidisciplinary practice stretches from dance to visual arts and is always grounded in Indigenous cultural knowledges. Mabo’s star maps, constructed out of bamboo and cotton, demonstrate her people’s complex understanding of celestial navigation and have come to define her artistic practice.
Image credit: Erin Ricardo

Nikau Hindin is a contemporary Māori artist deeply engaged in the renewal of the Māori aute (bark cloth) making tradition in Aotearoa New Zealand. Unlike other bark lineages across Te Moana Nui a Kiwa (The Great Ocean), the Māori bark cloth technique that Hindin employs was last practiced in Aotearoa more than a century ago when the paper mulberry tree that is the main source of bark was almost made extinct.
Including motifs from Māori culture as well as other designs, architecture, and textile traditions, Hindin also uses the bark as an instrument to express another Indigenous technological lineage, the kites or manu. Manu means both kite and bird in Māori, and while often used for recreation, they were also used for divination, communication, and as a guide to new auspicious lands to settle on.
Image credit: Holly Burgess


Where to eat & drink before and after Badu Gili
Satisfy your hunger at one of the many restaurants and bars here at the Opera House. Start your evening at Bennelong Restaurant enjoying their Badu Gili mocktail and meal from their à la carte menu.
Other information
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 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.
Covid-safe information
The health and wellbeing of everyone attending the Opera House is our top priority. We’re committed to making your experience safe, comfortable and enjoyable, with a number of measures in place including regular cleaning of high-touch areas, air conditioning systems that maximise ventilation, and hand sanitiser stations positioned in all paths of travel. We encourage you to wear a mask in indoor settings or when physical distancing can’t be maintained, and please stay home if you feel unwell. If you need to discuss your ticketing or booking options, contact our Box Office team on 02 9250 7777.
Nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of everyone on site, and we are closely following NSW Health guidelines and advice. The Sydney Opera House is registered as a COVID Safe business with the NSW Government. For detailed information about our COVID-19 safety measures and what’s required of you when visiting, please see our plan your visit page.
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.
For detailed information about our COVID-19 safety measures and what’s required of you, please see our plan your visit page.
The Sydney Opera House no longer requires patrons to show that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Contact information is required when making a booking with us and upon arrival at the Opera House, as set out in our General Terms and Conditions for Tickets and Attendance at Events and our Customer Privacy Statement.
As the ticket purchaser, you are responsible for recording the contact details of your guests. Contact information will only be used for the purposes of contact tracing, if required, and will be deleted at least 28 days after your event.
Frequently asked questions
No. When you arrive at the Opera House, make your way up the Monumental Steps to the Podium where you will enjoy the best view of the sunset projection.
Yes - we encourage everyone to capture this special experience. If you post on social media, please tag #BaduGili or #BaduGiliCelestial to share your photos or video with us.
It’s a great idea to arrive early, grab a drink and soak up the view.
Please note sunset varies each day so be sure to check sunset times on the day.
Badu Gili is an outdoor event, during winter we recommend dressing warmly.
You can enjoy one of the many restaurants and bars here at the Opera House. Our restaurants offer everything from casual snacks to award-winning fine dining. Find what you’re after, see our restaurants.
Please check with our staff when you arrive.
The projections will run as scheduled all year round, and will go ahead in wet weather.
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