Accessible performances
We want everyone to have the opportunity to experience the magic of live shows and special programs at the Sydney Opera House. Here you'll find our program of inclusive performances for people of all ages and abilities. Click any of the below buttons to see performances from that company or genre.
Sydney Philharmonia Choirs – Handel: Messiah performed in Auslan
Handel’s greatest and most loved choral masterpiece sung by more than 500 voices at the Sydney Opera House. In a world first and in collaboration with Accessible Arts and Sydney Opera House, the concert is signed live by a choir of 18 to bring another element of meaning to this powerful piece of music.
Keep Cooking Simple with Yotam Ottolenghi
Spend your afternoon with the chef who has made tahini and pomegranate molasses pantry staples across the world. Yotam Ottolenghi joins Adam Liaw for a no holds barred conversation, sharing the stories behind his iconic recipes. Auslan Interpretation by Sweeney Interpreting.
Bell Shakespeare: John Bell, One Man In His Time (Audio Described)
Join John Bell AO as he shares his reflections on the timeless and poetic language of Shakespeare’s plays and his lifetime spent performing and directing them.
Presented in association with Bell Shakespeare.
Take an online tour of the Sydney Opera House
Follow our tour guide behind the scenes at the Sydney Opera House where performers like Julie Andrews, Bob Dylan and Prince have all gone before, and discover spaces and places normally hidden from the public. Throughout your journey, learn from our tour guide as they uncover the history of this iconic building through untold anecdotes and fun facts.
Accessible theatre for children with disability
Accessible theatre for children with disability
In 2016, we presented Oddysea, an immersive sensory theatre experience designed specifically for young people with profound and complex disabilities. Sensorium Theatre’s hands-on story telling made use of all the senses – touch, taste, smell, as well as sound and vision - giving a life-changing experience to those young people who face the most challenges in coming to a regular Opera House show. Oddysea was enabled privately by an Opera House Idealist major donor.
Kids & Families
How to book an accessible performance:
- Please call +61 2 9250 7777 or email accessibility@sydneyoperahouse.com
- For web bookings, please select Auslan, Audio Described or Caption prices when choosing the price type on the event page. Click the Book Now link on the event page for Sing & Play events. Relaxed events do not have allocated seating, please book standard tickets.
Relaxed performance, 14 May 2021, 10.30am.
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge
An immersive introduction to classical music performed by the ACO, based on the book by Mem Fox and Julie Vivas.
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Audio described performance, 23 May 2021, 10.30am. Pre-show tactile tour 9.45am.
Bluey's Big Play
Join Bluey, Bingo, Bandit and Chilli in their first live theatre show made just for you with brilliant created puppetry. This is Bluey as you’ve never seen it before, brought to real life!
Relaxed performance, Friday 10 December, 10.45am.
Audio described performance, Saturday 11 December, 10.30am. Pre-show tactile tour 9.45am.
Grug
Ted Prior’s hugely popular character Grug is brought to life on stage in this magical stage production.
Talks & Ideas
How to book an accessible performance:
- Please call +61 2 9250 7777 or email accessibility@sydneyoperahouse.com
- For web bookings, please select Auslan or Caption prices when choosing the price type on the event page. Relaxed events do not have allocated seating, please book standard tickets.
Live Captioned and Auslan Interpreted talks available to rent on demand
All About Women Festival
All About Women returned for its ninth year in March 2021 with an incredible line up of thinkers including Caitlin Moran, Isabel Allende, Koa Beck, Laura Bates, and many more for a vibrant one-day festival celebrating feminism.
If you missed out on the festival, you can rent a selection of talks on demand.
Auslan interpreted, On Demand
Men Who Hate Women
Online trolls aren't just playing around. When the Everyday Sexism founder, Laura Bates, became their target, she went deep into investigating the proliferation of extremist online communities that are radicalising boys and men with deadly consequences IRL.
Auslan interpreted & live captioned, On Demand
Life: A Survival Guide
Life is messy – especially during a pandemic. How do we survive? Our expert panelists are here to help us build a toolbox for mental wellbeing and a stronger, calmer life.
Auslan interpreted, On Demand
White Feminism
White feminism is an ideology that seeks individual power over community wellbeing. Join author Koa Beck for a look at the racism embedded in much of the movement's history, and learn how we can all make feminism truly inclusive.
Auslan interpreted & live captioned, On Demand
Sex Work & Feminism
Sex workers are tired of being spoken for. You're invited to listen to these voices from the sex worker community and consider why feminism needs to develop a more nuanced view of the oldest profession.
Auslan interpreted, On Demand
The Soul of a Woman
Join Isabel Allende, prolific writer and lifelong feminist, as she maps the movement across continents, cultures, and centuries. What incredible things have we achieved, and what must we keep fighting for?
Auslan interpreted & live captioned, On Demand
How Smart is Artifical Intelligence?
Artificial Intelligence systems are trained to represent, interpret and codify human beings. But does the process of classification itself carry implicit bias? And in a data-driven age, what does this mean for the future?
Auslan interpreted, 7 March 2021, 6pm
More Than a Woman
Ten years since Caitlin Moran's blockbuster memoir How To Be A Woman, she's juggling ageing parents, teenage daughters, and a bigger bum. How is one of our best-loved feminists finding her forties?
Contemporary Performances
How to book an accessible performance:
- Please call +61 2 9250 7777 or email accessibility@sydneyoperahouse.com
- For web bookings, please select Auslan, Audio Described or Caption prices when choosing the price type on the event page. Relaxed events do not have allocated seating, please book standard tickets.
Audio described performance, 24 June 2021, 8pm, Tactile Tour 7.15pm. Auslan interpreted performance, 27 June 2021, 1pm.
American Psycho: The Musical
Power. Privilege. Psychopathy. Meet Patrick Bateman, the man with it all; the Wall Street job, the raging ego and, of course, the secret serial murders. Step into his office as this pitch black comedy enters the deranged world of an original psycho killer.
Audio described performance, 11 August 2021, 7.30pm, Tactile Tour 6.45pm. Auslan interpreted performance, 13 August, 7.30pm
Cry Baby
Based on the cult-classic film and from the writers of Hairspray, this insanely absurd musical celebrates the joy all bad little teenage boys and girls feel the first time they hear music that causes trouble in their own homes.
Opera Australia
To book please call +61 2 9318 8200 or email ticket@opera.org.au
There are currently no accessible performances available.
Audio described performance, 24 July, 12.30pm
Aida
Verdi’s monumental music makes this historic epic an enduring favourite.
Audio described performance, 14 August, 12.30pm
The Tales of Hoffmann
Homegrown superstar soprano Jessica Pratt returns to Australia to sing all the female leads in The Tales of Hoffman, including the famous, fiendishly difficult ‘Doll Song’
Audio described performance, 22 September, 12.30pm
The Phantom of the Opera
This beloved story of a flawed genius has enchanted audiences for decades.
The Australian Ballet
To book please call 1300 369 741 or book online at www.australianballet.com.au
There are currently no accessible performances available.
Captioned performances 4 May, 6.30pm & 15 May, 1.30pm. Audio Described performance 14 May, 8pm.
Home, I'm Darling
This incisive and entertaining Olivier award-winning new comedy is full of big skirts and big questions.
Bangarra Dance Theatre
To book plesae call +61 2 9250 7777 or email accessibility@sydneyoperahouse.com. For web bookings, please select the Audio Described price type.
Audio Described performance with post show Tactile Tour 10 July, 1pm
SandSong
Stories from the Great Sandy Desert.
Additional Information
Captioned Performances
Captions are text descriptions that display a film's dialogue, identify speakers, and describe other relevant sounds that are otherwise inaccessible to people who are deaf or have hearing loss. The areas of the venue where the screens that will show the captions are visible can be booked by selecting the CAPTION seats.
Auslan Interpreted Performances
Experienced Auslan theatre interpreters stand to the side of the stage and translate what the actors are saying or singing into Auslan. A block of seats is reserved for users of this service to ensure a good view of the interpreter and the stage. The areas of the venue where the interpreters are visible can be booked by selecting the Auslan seats.
Accessible Performance and Sing & Play Sessions
Sydney Opera House in partnership with Lifestart organisation offer Accessible Sing & Play sessions. These dedicated performances are designed to ensure everyone is able to enjoy the theatre experience in a supportive, friendly and relaxed environment. The Sing & Play session is offered in the foyer area after the performance and includes a range of fun play activities supported by the Lifestart team. A supported music program based on the musical themes from the performance is also provided and facilitated by our very own Sing & Play music therapist.
Relaxed Performances
Relaxed performances are open to everyone, but with modifications to sound and lighting to be more suited for children on the autism spectrum, individuals with other disabilities that create sensory sensitivities and anyone who would benefit from a more relaxed environment.
Audio Described Performances
An audio description service is a live commentary of the visual elements of a performance by trained volunteer audio describers for those who are blind or have low vision. Audio description is relayed via a free headset and receiver linked to the FM radio system. This service can be booked by selecting the AUDIO DESCRIBED seats when booking and collecting the headset from the Box Office prior to the performance.
Assisted Listening Devices (FM Radio System)
FM radio system provides improved listening clarity for people with hearing loss who experience difficulty and fatigue, when trying to understand speech, because of distance, reverberation, and distracting background noise. Can be used with or without hearing aids.
Audio input or any electronic sound source feeds into an FM transmitter and the FM radio frequency signal is picked up by the patrons FM receiver. FM receivers and headsets are provided free of charge and can be obtained from the nearest cloakroom prior to the performance.
The FM system is also compatible with hearing aids and cochlear implants with a "T" switch via an induction loop provided. When the hearing aid is switched to the 'T' position, the wearer will receive the program sound through the hearing aid. FM Radio Systems are available in all Kids at the House venues.
Tactile Tour
Tactile tours allow patrons who are blind or have low vision to have a hands-on experience. Depending on the production/installation, patrons are given access to costumes, props and stage set in order to capture the atmosphere of the work. Tactile tours occur before the performance.
Thank you
Please join us in thanking our donors to the Opera House’s Accessible Performances program, including the Sydney Opera House Ladies' Committee.
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