Access programs
Sydney Opera House New Year’s Eve Accessible Viewing Area
Reserved for people who are deaf and disabled to enjoy with their family and friends.
The Sydney Opera House is a popular vantage point for Sydney’s New Year’s Eve fireworks. As large crowds are expected, a dedicated accessible viewing area is available at the Opera House for registered guests.
Site description
Accessible toilets
Changing Places bathroom
Access to electrical charging for mobility devices
Security and first aid onsite
Food and drink available onsite
No seating. Small fold-up chairs permitted if back support is required
No shade. Wear a hat and protective clothing
No sunshade. Personal umbrellas (no more than 125cm in diameter) permitted
No BYO alcohol
Moderate gradient to the site. Steep incline on Macquarie Street.
Site entry
Entry for accessible patrons is at the corner of Macquarie and Albert Streets any time from 5pm onwards. The designated accessible viewing area is 600 metres downhill on Macquarie Street. For those who require mobility assistance, an accessible buggy transport service will be provided between the Sydney Opera House site and a vehicle pick-up and drop-off location at the intersection of Macquarie Street and Bent Street from 5pm on 31 December, and will be available post-event.
Booking information
Register by calling 02 9250 7777 or by emailing bookings@sydneyoperahouse.com during business hours.
Bookings are for a maximum of 4 people (you and 3 family members or friends). Once registered you will be contacted to advise your access needs. If successful, the booking will then be confirmed.
Dancing Connections
Join Dance for Parkinson’s Australia and Sydney Dance Company for a high-quality digital dance class for people living with Parkinson’s disease, their families, friends and care partners. Filmed in the beautiful surrounds of Bennelong Restaurant within the Sydney Opera House this class explores the works of Sydney Dance Company and takes inspiration from the sculptural elegance and stunning location of the Sydney Opera House itself.
Participants are empowered to explore movement and music in ways that are refreshing, enjoying, stimulating and creative. All levels of ability and mobility welcome; no prior dance experience is required.
Annually, a Dancing Connections class is offered at the Sydney Opera House. For more information, click here.
Create Space
Create Space Dance Residency. The Create Space Dance Residency is an initiative between the Sydney Opera House, Ausdance NSW and FORM Dance Projects to provide supportive residency space for artists with disability.
The 2022 recipient, Dancer and choreographer Georgia Cranko, used the two-week residency to develop her work 'The Doubling Of Presence'.
The Create Space residency is allowing me to start to grapple with concepts of care, consent, and bodily autonomy in the context of disability. Having dedicated time in a studio is always a joy, it gives me the mental space, and the actual space to cultivate my creativity and physically explore seemingly intangible ideas. It’s so nice to play, to devise and discover new ways of telling a story and challenging audiences.
True Grit
For many years, the Sydney Opera House has been creating programs that bring the community together, regardless of background and ability levels. After community consultation, we partnered with The Australian Ballet and Lifestart to launch True Grit, our first-ever accessibility program targeted specifically to young adults. True Grit uses dance to grow employment skills, as well as to develop the participants' self-confidence and general well-being. Due to lockdown restrictions, the program went online while maintaining a high participant engagement and satisfaction.
