Festivals and Series
Sydney Opera House’s annual programs and special event series
UnWrapped
An ongoing series dedicated to uncovering the best independent creators. UnWrapped hands over the stage and introduces audiences to an eclectic panorama of the finest original performances by groundbreaking and unique local artists.
Utzon Music
Australia’s finest classical musicians and creatives bring their music to the Utzon Room for a series of dynamic and inspiring performances.
Chefs of the House
Take your seat at the table as four of Australia’s most established and celebrated chefs who helm the kitchens at the Opera House showcase their culinary excellence. Chefs Danielle Alvarez, Peter Gilmore, Matt Moran and Mark Olive will each host a series of dinners in one of the Opera House’s most exclusive, hidden spaces.
First Wave
Marking the return of surf films to the Sydney Opera House, First Wave shines a light on this legacy with a selection of recently restored psychedelic surf classics including the world premiere of the new restoration of Crystal Voyager, while also considering the current tide of Australian surf films with a selection of contemporary documentaries.
Piano+
The Piano+ 2024 season brings four exceptional international pianists to Australian audiences giving solo recitals in the International Recital Series, while the Emerging Artists Series showcases three captivating winners from the explosive 2023 Sydney International Piano Competition.
Our annual festivals
All About Women
All About Women is the Sydney Opera House’s centerpiece talks festival about gender, justice, and equality, held annually in the week of International Women’s Day. For over a decade, the celebrated event has filled our venues with inspiring moments and buzzy, agenda-setting conversations.
DanceRites
DanceRites is Australia’s national First Nations dance competition, and will be held in the Sydney Opera House Forecourt on 19 and 20 October 2024. Dance groups from across the nation will share their culture and compete for the $22,000 DanceRites prize.
Vivid LIVE
Vivid LIVE is the annual centrepiece of the Sydney Opera House’s year-round contemporary music program – a whole-of-House takeover and the only time of year that the world-famous venue is completely reimagined by live contemporary music and art, celebrating cutting-edge and iconic artists that defy expectations and break new ground.
Stream, read & listen
UnWrapped 2023 | Green Room music | Three Marys
Part of Unwrapped 2023, this international collaboration by award-winning composer Andree Greenwell and librettist Christine Evans, this fully staged chamber opera melds music, myth and imagination in an intergenerational story of women who must flee for their lives.
Under the Sails with the LSO
In our 50-year history, the Sydney Opera House has welcomed thousands of world-class performers to its halls. But no orchestra has as long and rich a shared history with the Opera House as the London Symphony Orchestra.
Love List: Ryuichi Sakamoto by Groovescooter
Ahead of the Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus encore screening this May, Paris Pompor and Georgie Zuzak from co-presenters Groovescooter have put together a Love List dedicated to Ryuichi Sakamoto.
