Birthday Festival

October 2023

Join us this October for a festival of music, dance, theatre, art and free events for the whole family. 

 

Tim Minchin, a man with long hair and a beard, stands in front of a group of people in a tunnel under the Opera House steps
50th Anniversary film

Play It Safe

Celebrating 50 years of brave creativity
Rock Opera

Taylor Mac and Matt Ray’s Bark of Millions

20 October 2023
Music Theatre

Sibyl by William Kentridge

2 – 4 November 2023
Free event

Open House Weekend

21 – 22 October 2023
Three news reporters on a broken iceberg floating off to sea
Theatre

Dimanche

12 – 21 October 2023
Contemporary Music

Emma Donovan

20 October 2023
Dance Theatre

Message In A Bottle

25 – 29 October 2023
A woman in an Indian saree dancing to the sound of a Japanese drum
Dance

Chi Udaka

18 – 21 October 2023
Classical Music

Academy of St Martin in the Fields

7 – 9 October 2023
Free

ICON

20 - 22 October 2023
Children wearing cardboard costumes with a background of cardboard trees
Kids & Families

Paper Planet

23 September – 7 October 2023
Three men and three women from different backgrounds stand on a yellow platform in front of the Sydney Opera House sails in front of an audience.
Free

What Is the City but the People?

1 October 2023
Talks and Ideas

First Stories of the House

18 October 2023
Contemporary Music

Sparks

31 October 2023
Free

UNSW Sydney UTZON Lecture

17 October 2023
A mature man with white hair stares forward surrounded by details illustrations and sculptures.
Talks and Ideas

To What End

3 November 2023
Contemporary Music

Camp Cope

13 October 2023
An aboriginal man and women wearing a black suit with traditional face art.
Theatre

The Visitors

11 September – 14 October 2023
Free

Whispers by Quandamooka artist Megan Cope

28 September – 26 November 2023
Classical Music

Soweto Gospel Choir - HOPE

10 October 2023
Talks and Ideas

The Opera House Would Not Be Built Today

5 October 2023
Free livestream

50/50

3 September – 22 October 2023
Free livestream

Music of the Sails

1 – 31 October 2023
NSW Government

The Opera House’s 50th Birthday Festival is proudly supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW Blockbusters Funding initiative