Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is the symbol of modern Australia. It is one of the world’s busiest performing arts centres, the nation’s premier tourism destination and an architectural masterpiece of the 20th century.
A global beacon for creativity, it is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List and its social value has been estimated by Deloitte at $11.4 billion. Its broad and diverse programming attracts audiences in person and online, with more than 16 million people attending performances and tours over the past decade. In its ambition to be Everyone’s House, the Sydney Opera House continues to evolve alongside the community it was built to serve.
Bennelong Point
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia
Getting there
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Walk | 6 mins from Circular Quay |
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Train | Circular Quay Station (weekdays) and Wynyard Station |
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Bus | Young St for Circular Quay |
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Ferry | Ferries run regularly to and from Circular Quay |
During Vivid Sydney, the Sydney Opera House’s iconic sails become one of the festival’s brightest canvasses, lighting up each night with a captivating signature work. The Lighting of the Sails is co-curated by the Sydney Opera House and Destination NSW and is one of their most significant free events.
Under the sails, Vivid LIVE is the annual centrepiece of the Sydney Opera House’s year-round contemporary music program and forms part of Vivid Sydney's Music program – a whole-of-House takeover and the only time of year the world-famous venue is completely reimagined by live contemporary music and art, celebrating cutting-edge and legendary artists that defy expectations and break new ground.
Curated for the eleventh time by Sydney Opera House’s Head of Contemporary Music, Ben Marshall, Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House will feature international cult favourites, local trailblazers and influential culture-shapers in Australian exclusives, premieres, an epic orchestral collaboration, one-off projects, anniversaries and Studio Parties.
Light Events
Lighting of the Sails: Opera Mundi
Renowned French multimedia artist Yann Nguema, known for his mesmerising projections onto significant buildings around the world, brings his unique fusion...
Music Events
Alfa Mist | Vivid LIVE
London-based jazz hip-hop luminary Alfa Mist returns to Sydney Opera House off the back of his sold-out show two years ago, bringing his transcendent musical...
Mitski | Vivid LIVE
Performing for the very first time at the Sydney Opera House, American singer-songwriter Mitski returns to Australia after seven years, bringing her beloved...
Oren Ambarchi | Vivid LIVE
An extraordinary multi-instrumentalist whose work focuses on the exploration of the guitar, Australian musician Oren Ambarchi is a prolific solo artist...
Jem Cassar-Daley | Vivid LIVE
Returning to the Sydney Opera House after her captivating Forecourt performance with Dan Sultan in 2025, award-winning singer-songwriter and indie pop...
Rochelle Jordan | Vivid LIVE
With one of 2025's most critically acclaimed records to her name, the UK-born, Canada-based singer-songwriter Rochelle Jordan is riding a long-deserved...
The KLF: 23 Seconds to Eternity (Australian Theatrical Premiere) | Vivid LIVE Film
The KLF became the biggest selling singles act in the world with a series of subversive international acid house anthems. 23 Seconds to Eternity represents...
Film Program | Millenium Mambo
A stylish and seductive submersion into the techno-scored neon nightlife of Taipei.Hou Hsiao-Hsien's Palme d'Or-nominated cult classic stars Shu Qi as...
Party Dozen | Vivid LIVE
From burning up the city’s underground scene to unleashing their wild, visceral energy on the global stage, Sydney noise rock duo Party Dozen have come...
Daft Punk's Electroma | Vivid LIVE Film
When Daft Punk announced they would be directing their feature film debut in 2006, few knew what to expect. Certainly, no one banked on a 72-minute avant-garde...
Earl Sweatshirt & MIKE | Vivid LIVE
Alongside fellow stars Tyler, the Creator and Frank Ocean, a teenage Earl Sweatshirt first blew up in the late 2000s as part of LA's rabble-rousing hip-hop...
Food Events
Saltbush & Starlight
Experience the Sydney Opera House in a completely new light, via an exclusive guided tour followed by a show-stopping three-course dinner from First Nations...
Culture in Motion: Mindy Woods & Danielle Alvarez
Highlighting Byron Bay in a multi-sensory feast as part of the Regional Dinner Series, Bundjalung woman and culinary powerhouse Mindy Woods (Karkalla...
