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  1. An external shot of The Sydney Opera House
    Photograph: Supplied/SOH
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  2. Sydney Opera House - top of the sails.
    Photograph: SOH/Hamilton Lund
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  3. Sydney Opera House open day
    Photograph: SOH/Anna Kucera
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  4. Penn and Teller at the Sydney Opera House
    Photograph: SOH/Daniel Boud
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  5. The Sydney Opera House with artwork projected onto it via light.
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Sydney Opera House

Sydney's iconic performing arts venue is one of the most photographed (and controversial) buildings in the world
  • Theatre
  • Sydney
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Alannah Le Cross
Written by Alannah Le Cross
Arts and Culture Editor, Time Out Sydney
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Time Out says

City icons that spark pride are a divisive topic for Sydneysiders. For example, Bondi Beach – Sydneysiders either rate it, or hate it. Same goes for the humble bin chicken – either glorious, or disgusting. But, there is one certified icon that bucks the trend: Sydney Opera House. Our reader research confirms that essentially every Sydney dweller loves this UNESCO World Heritage Listed architectural masterpiece (whether they’ve been inside it or not). After all, it isn’t just one of the most famous buildings in Sydney, but one of the most famous buildings in the whole world. Just try not to pull out your phone for a pic as you’re walking past or cruising by on a ferry (we dare you).

Sandwiched between the Royal Botanic Garden and the water in Circular Quay, the Sydney Opera House is our city's premier venue for classical and contemporary music, theatre, dance, high-end cabaret, and of course, opera. Holding true to its original ambitions as “The People’s House”, the Opera House also hosts various talks and workshops that explore interesting ideas.

Many have pondered the building’s design over the years, comparing it variously to shells, waves, and even a family of swans. Apparently it’s meant to be a big cloud. We'll always see it fondly as The Dishrack, though. If you don't feel like shelling out on a show or a tour, it's still free to sit on the steps for a quick lunch, and walk by the water and marvel at those 1,056,000 pearly, self-cleaning Swedish tiles.

As peaceful as it looks now, the beloved building had a controversial beginning. It was dreamed up by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, who beat out alternative designs for Sydney's Opera House to win an international design competition – but by the time the building was completed in 1973, Utzon had been fired, and he left the country in disgrace.

Where to eat and drink near Sydney Opera House

For the ultimate Opera House dining experience, book a pre-theatre dinner at Bennelong, the classy fine diner that resides under the sails. Or, in the Western Foyers you'll find Midden by Mark Olive, which utilises native ingredients to celebrate the famous chef's Indigenous heritage. Want to grab a waterside cocktail or a refreshing beer? Opera Bar combines beauty and convenience with idyllic views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Also along the promenade, Opera Kitchen offers an eclectic market hall of options for nosh, spanning Italian to Japanese and good ol' fish and chips (and it's all a bit more affordable than the fancy restaurant, too). For more options, check out our list of the best restaurants and bars in Circular Quay.

Sydney Opera House tours

The Sydney Opera House offers a range of tours that invite you to look behind the curtain. With access into areas that are normally reserved for stars and their minders, the daily Backstage Tour will have you treading the boards of its illustrious stages, and sneaking into dressing rooms while you are regaled with the secrets and stories that go on behind the curtain. Or if you'd like to find out more about how the building was made, the Architectural Tour on Saturday mornings invites you to journey into the minds of the architects who designed the House. Find out more about the tours offered by the Sydney Opera House over here.

(Time Out tip: We’re also big fans of Sydney Architecture Walks, an indie tour group operated by working architects. They’ll take you on a deep dive into the surprising history and unhinged political hijinks behind the Opera House with the Utzon and the Sydney Opera House tour.)

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Want some drama? Here’s the best shows to see in Sydney this month

Details

Address
Bennelong Point
Sydney
2000
Opening hours:
Box office: Mon-Sat 9am-8.30pm; Sun two hours prior to performance (in person only)

What’s on

Dungeons and Dragons The Twenty-Sided Tavern

5 out of 5 stars
Let’s just start by saying I’m not a D&D player. I’ve played a couple of times with my family, led by my teenage son as Dungeon Master, but that was just to show interest in something he loves. So I do understand the basics – that said, you don’t need any prior knowledge of D&D to get swept up in the magic that is Dungeons and Dragons The Twenty-Sided Tavern. If anything, this show is probably the best way I’ve found so far to get a better grasp on the complex game that is D&D. This is an interactive show that began in New York as an Off-Broadway production – the same director, Michael Fell, also rehearsed with the Australian cast. In what ways is it interactive? The story lies in the audience’s hands, as well as with the roll of the 20-sided dice.  As you enter The Studio at the Sydney Opera House, you pick a coloured sticker from a basket. Depending on what colour you choose, you get aligned with one of the three classes: Warrior, Mage (Wizard) or Assassin/Entertainer. Throughout the show, you make decisions for the character in your assigned class, mostly by choosing options via your mobile phone (after scanning a QR code) – and sometimes just by yelling out. (Top tip:Make sure you turn up with a fully-charged phone.) You answer polls and take part in little games to choose what character the actors play, then make decisions or see the outcomes of characters’ actions. Dice rolls are directed by the Dungeon Master, played by the charismatic Cody Simpson-lookalike William...

Picnic at Hanging Rock

4 out of 5 stars
Perhaps it’s unpatriotic to suggest it, but I’d argue that Australia has produced strikingly few immortal works of art, particularly narrative art. But, we’ll always have Picnic at Hanging Rock – which can make a strong claim for being the most important Australian artistic work of the 20th century, and one that still casts a shadow over the 21st.  The novel by Joan Lindsay first saw the light of day in 1967, but it was Peter Weir’s 1975 film adaptation – a haunting and subtle work and the ne plus ultra of Australian Gothic – that really struck a chord with audiences. This year marks the film’s 50th anniversary, which seems to be the reason behind this haunting new production for Sydney Theatre Company’s 2025 season, the latest of numerous stage adaptations.  STC Resident Director Ian Michael (Constellations, Stolen) and playwright Tom Wright (whose adaptation was first staged by Malthouse Theatre and Black Swan Theatre in 2016) are certainly betting on Picnic at Hanging Rock’s cultural staying power. This Picnic is in no way naturalistic, but it certainly evokes a sense of the uncanny Both Lindsay’s novel and Weir’s film are elliptical and meditative, posing questions rather than offering answers. This production is perhaps more opaque than either, taking an experimental direction that ramps up the themes of horror and suspense. This works a treat in the early movements of the play, keeping the audience off kilter, forcing us to engage with a conceptual realm where time,...
  • Drama

Henry 5

4 out of 5 stars
Henry V (stylized as Henry 5 in this production) is inarguably one of William Shakespeare’s most martial works. First performed somewhere between 1599 and 1605, there’s debate over whether the play is a deliberate act of nationalistic propaganda – certainly, its initial staging came at a time of English military adventurism, particularly in Ireland and against the Spanish. And Shakespeare, who benefited from royal approval from both Elizabeth I and James I, knew which side of the bread his butter was on. It’s always been popular in times of war – Sir Laurence Olivier’s 1944 film adaptation came mere months after the Allied invasion of Normandy, and leans into the stirring patriotism, the blood and the thunder. The text itself is deliciously ambiguous – occasionally frustratingly so in a time when, culturally, audiences demand straight lines and clear demarcations of morality. Kicking off Bell Shakespeare’s 2025 season, this latest production bucks that trend. Former Associate Artistic Director Marion Potts returns to the company after a 15-year absence to direct this carefully concentrated version. It excises many characters and subplots (farewell, Pistol and the lads from the Boar’s Head) and, of course, keeps the sinew-stiffening and blood-summoning speeches, but leans into the cost of war, taking pains to underscore the horrors. It's 1415 or thereabouts, and newly crowned King Henry (newcomer JK Kazzi), having been convinced in a very funny scene of his claim to certain...
  • Drama

Utzon Music

There are very few buildings as special as Sydney Opera House. Even for Sydneysiders who love to throw shade on our beautiful city, the magnificent harbourside venue is almost universally loved – its uniquely organic arc defining Sydney’s world-famous skyline. And while most people who head to the House for a show have sat within the insulated walls of the Concert Hall or the Playhouse, fewer lucky visitors have been treated to a show in the Utzon Room: a stunning glass-walled space with views across the water to Sydney’s beautiful Botanic Garden.   Named after Danish architect Jørn Utzon, the Utzon Room is an intimate, 200-person space that gives guests an entirely different Opera House experience – one in which Sydney’s harbour plays a pivotal role. For the past 17 years, the secret waterfront venue has played host to a carefully-curated series of performances as an ode to the creative ambition of the man behind the House. Utzon Music is a year-long event series that celebrates awe-inspiring art, bringing world-renowned musicians into the small, unassuming space for afternoon performance set against the silent hum of the harbour.   For its 18th edition, Utzon Music is back under the direction of renowned arts advocate, performer, composer and recorder virtuoso Genevieve Lacey. For Utzon Music 2025, Lacey has programmed a diverse showcase of soloists and chamber musicians for ten super special one-off performances – with a vision of celebrating “human curiosity and...

Seasonal highlights at Sydney Opera House

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 autumn season:  The Opera House’s May cinema season Sydney’s outdoor cinema season wraps up in the cooler months, but if you’re keen to catch a movie in a unique location, the Opera House is here to help. From Thursday, May 1 until Sunday, May 4, the Playhouse will screen a series of new and classic films. The line-up includes a sing-along screening of Wicked, the latest release from Parasite director Bong Joon Ho Mickey 17, the late David Lynch’s iconic Mulholland Drive, Studio Ghibli's cherished Howl’s Moving Castle and a special screening of The Correspondent with a live Q&A.  Tickets start at $30. Generations and Dynasties, a celebration of First Nations talent Following its debut last year, this powerful series showcases creative First Nations families through conversation, storytelling, and performance. The 2025 program will take over the Utzon Room on Tuesday, April 29, Wednesday, May 14, Thursday, August 7 and Thursday, August 14, showcasing the musical talent, creativity and resilience of four First Nations families. Tickets start at $25. You Are Here, a creative play designed to encourage storytelling between children...
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