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There’s always a lot going on at Sydney’s favourite house. So much so that it can be hard to keep track – with new headliners dropping every other week, and huge events taking over the various venues seemingly out of nowhere.
Keen to go to a show under the sails over the next few months? We’ve rounded up a few top picks in the Sydney Opera House winter to spring season:
Backstage tours give you a peek behind the curtain
Explore the inner workings of Australia's most famous buildings on one of these expert-led tours.
Dates: Daily
Tickets: From $48
Table Top Shakespeare will turn pantry items into Shakespearean stars
Forget actors – this delightfully bonkers production has vases, jars, Dettol bottles and salt and pepper shakers taking centre stage. Six performers from acclaimed UK theatre company Forced Entertainment will retell Shakespeare’s most iconic tales using whatever they can find in the pantry, with plenty of relish, marmalade and dish soap along the way.
Dates: September 22–27
Tickets: $75
Curious will bring some of the world’s biggest thinkers to the Opera House
Keen to expand your mind? The Sydney Opera House’s ideas festival, Curious, will reurn with a line-up of influential thinkers, comedians, creatives and chefs exploring everything from the mysteries of consciousness to family drama, the past and what the future might hold.
Dates: October 4 & November 4
Tickets: From $39
A Place in the Sultan’s Kitchen will serve up a family story with a side of curry
Part theatre, part live cooking show and part family memoir, A Place in the Sultan’s Kitchen (or How to Make the Perfect One-Pot Chicken Curry) follows theatre-maker and singer-songwriter Josh Hinton as he attempts to recreate his grandmother’s chicken curry live on stage. Expect music, memories and some seriously enticing smells.
Dates: October 14–17
Tickets: $59
DanceRites will bring First Nations dance to the Opera House forecourt
Australia’s only national First Nations dance comp will return to what we reckon might be the country’s most iconic stage. Head to the Opera House forecourt to see dancers from across Australia come together for a vibrant celebration of culture, community and contemporary First Nations dance.
Dates: October 25–26
Tickets: Free
Hellhouse is serving up eight films for a very scary Halloween
If your idea of a solid Halloween involves being thoroughly freaked out, Hellhouse has you covered. The stacked horror film program spans cult classics and contemporary cinema from Australia and around the world, moving from bone-chilling metaphorical monsters to gloriously schlocky scares.
Dates: October 27–31
Tickets: $30
On The Steps will bring some of the world’s biggest artists to the forecourt
The beloved alfresco summer series is back, with this year’s line-up featuring James Blake, Wolf Alice, Dizzee Rascal, DMA’s and more.
Dates: December 1-12
Tickets: $129.90
Christmas Carol Goes Wrong will put a chaotic spin on a Christmas classic
It’s Christmas Eve, the cast is ready to tell Dickens’ most famous festive tale – what could possibly go wrong? Quite a lot, it turns out. The Cornley Amateur Drama Society will return to Syd this summer with its gloriously chaotic take on Christmas Carol, promising plenty of mishaps, mayhem and silly-season cheer.
Dates: December 17–29
Tickets: From $79.90
Hook’s Neverland will whisk you away to a spectacular circus world
Peter Pan’s Neverland will get a dazzling circus-coded makeover in this world-premiere adventure. Expect breathtaking aerials, astonishing magic, exhilarating circus performances and outrageous comedy as Hook’s Neverland brings a spectacular new world to life.
Dates: January 9–17, 2027
Tickets: From $74.90
That’s absolutely not all you can expect to see at the Opera House winter and spring. You can check out the ever-evolving program of events here.
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