UPU
7 – 10 May 2025
In the Studio
Theatre
Be immersed in the heart of the Pacific Ocean with UPU, a dynamic and electrifying theatre experience. With powerful poetry, compelling storytelling and unforgettable performances, it brings the ocean’s rich voices to life, exploring cultural struggles, joy and identity across the islands.
| Date | Time |
| Wednesday 7 May 2025 | 7pm |
| Thursday 8 May 2025 | 7pm |
| Friday 9 May 2025 | 7pm |
| Saturday 10 May 2025 | 7pm |
| Ticket | Price |
| Standard | $45.90 |
| Concession Australian Pensioners and full-time Australian Students, must show valid ID | $30.90 |
$8.95 booking fee applies per transaction
Prices correct at the time of publication and subject to change without notice. Exact prices will be displayed with seat selection.
The only authorised ticket agency for this event is Sydney Opera House. For more information about Authorised Agencies, see the frequently asked questions below.
Sydney Opera House Insiders pre-sale
9am, Tuesday 25 March 2025
Become a Sydney Opera House Insider to receive exclusive pre-sale access
What’s On e-newsletter pre-sale
9am, Wednesday 26 March 2025
General Public tickets on-sale
9am, Friday 28 March 2025
Wheelchair accessible:
There are a number of wheelchair and companion seating locations in our theatres. To book accessible seating contact Box Office:
Telephone
+61 2 9250 7777
(Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm AEST)
Email bookings@sydneyoperahouse.com
Find out more about accessibility at Sydney Opera House.
Run time
The duration of this event is 70 minutes.
Event duration is a guide only and may be subject to change.
Age
Recommended for ages 15+
Performance will contain strong language and adult themes.
Children aged 15 years and under must be accompanied at all times.
The Opera House is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children that visit or engage with us. Read our Child Safety Policy.
NZ HeraldIt swept the audience up in wave after wave after wave of passion, emotion, of storytelling at its finest that pulled at the soul.
Useful information:
Poems as broad and deep as the Pacific Ocean itself
UPU – meaning ‘word’ in many different languages of the Pacific Islands– is a collection of voices from a people who live on a sea of islands connected by the largest body of water on earth, known as Te moana Nui a Kiwa, or the Pacific Ocean.
Through the words of 28 poets, ranging from young voices to acclaimed literary figures, UPU explores a rich tapestry of stories, experiences, and perspectives from First Nations peoples of the islands.
These poems reflect on cultural identity, history and the challenges faced by Pacific communities — from Hawaiians debating Captain Cook’s legacy, the joys of SPAM in Guam and other Americanised islands and the Marshall Islands’ struggle against rising seas. The show’s magic comes alive through a cast of Pacific performers, each with a rich background in theatre, film and television, whose passionate delivery of these powerful poems will transport you across the ocean.
Enhanced by evocative lights, projections, and a multi-layered soundscape, be immersed in an intimate and unforgettable experience. UPU is a celebration of the Pacific, its people and their stories.
Presented by Sydney Opera House
Plan your visit
Venue information
Our foyers will be open 90 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and two hours pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Refreshments will be available for purchase from our theatre bars.
All Sydney Opera House foyers are pram accessible, with lifts to the main and western foyers. The public lift to all foyers is accessible from the corridor near the escalators on the Lower Concourse and also in the Western Foyer via the corridor on the Ground Level (at the top of the escalators). Pram parking will be available outside the theatres in the Western Foyer.
Getting here
The Sydney Opera House Car Park, operated by Wilson Parking, is open and available to use. Wilson Parking offer discounted parking if you book ahead. Please see the Wilson Parking website for details.
Please check the Transport NSW website for the latest advice and information on travel. You can catch public transport (bus, train, ferry) to Circular Quay and enjoy a six minute walk to the Opera House.
Frequently asked questions
Ticket purchases and collection at our Box Office is discouraged and eTicket or postal delivery methods should be used, wherever possible. However, if you are collecting your tickets from the Box Office, we recommend doing this at least 60 minutes before the event starts. If you have already received your tickets, the venue doors will be open 45 minutes pre-show for Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and 30 minutes pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Please take your seats as soon as you arrive.
If you are late, we will seat you as soon as we can and, where possible, in your allocated seat. However, to reduce movement in the venue as well as minimise disruption to the performance and other patrons, ticketholders may be seated in an allocated latecomer’s seat. Please be aware that some events have lock-out periods. In these cases, latecomers will be admitted at a suitable break in the performance. On occasions, this may not be until the interval, or at all where there is no interval.
Details of our right to refuse admission can be found in our General Terms and Conditions for Tickets and Events.
In accordance with our venue security procedures, Opera House security will be scanning and checking bags under the Monumental Stairs, prior to entering the building. Bags will be scanned by an x-ray machine, and staff will wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when handling your belongings, such as gloves. Cloaking facilities will be open 60 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and 60 minutes pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. However it is strongly encouraged that you travel lightly to minimise contact and queuing. Any bags larger than an A4 piece of paper will need to be checked into the Cloak Room.
The authorised agency for this event is the Sydney Opera House.
Only tickets purchased by authorised agencies should be considered reliable. If you purchase tickets from a non-authorised agency such as Ticketmaster Resale, Viagogo, Ticketbis, eBay, Gumtree, Tickets Australia or any other unauthorised seller, you risk that these tickets are fake, void or have previously been cancelled. Resale restriction applies. For more details, please refer to our General Terms and Conditions for Tickets and Attendance at Events.
Please contact Box Office on +61 2 9250 7777 as soon as possible to advise if you can no longer attend.
Foyers will be open 90 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and two hours pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Refreshments will be available for purchase from our theatre bars.
The venue doors will be open 45 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and 30 minutes pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances.
Please bring a credit or debit card for any on site purchases to enable contactless payment. You’re welcome to bring your own water bottle but no other food and drinks are permitted inside our venues.
The health, safety and wellbeing of everyone at the Sydney Opera House is our top priority. In line with this commitment, the Opera House became a smoke-free site in January 2022. Read our Smoke-free Environment Policy.
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