- Home
- /
- All events
- /
- Season 2026
- /
- Season Guide
Season Guide
Explore what's in store for 2026 and plan your year of fabulous nights out.
With this one-sentence guide to every opera in the season, with music clips, it's easy to curate your season subscription package.
Create your Sydney Subscription or Melbourne Subscription Package by choosing two or more performances and save.
Opera Gala at the Sydney Opera House
31 December 2025
Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House
Glamorous | Celebratory | Once-in-a-lifetime
Sydney’s world-famous New Year’s Eve fireworks are the cherry on top for this glamorous night of gorgeous music.
A must-see if you love big voices, big laughs and fireworks – both dramatic and literal.
Puccini
Madama Butterfly on New Year's Eve
31 December 2025
Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House
Moving | Soaring | Iconic
An unforgettable, visually stunning production of one of opera’s most iconic works kicks off the New Year’s celebrations.
A must-see if you love tearjerker films, beautiful stagecraft, gorgeous singing and fireworks.
Sounds like...
Puccini
Madama Butterfly
3 January – 25 March 2026
Sydney Opera House
Heartfelt | Gorgeous | Transportive
A woman with a dream meets a man with a desire, but their marriage ripples into sweeping tragedy. A must-see opera in an award-winning production.
A must-see if you love tearjerker films, beautiful stagecraft, Japanese aesthetics and gorgeous singing.
Sounds like...
Puccini
Turandot
15 January – 27 March 2026
Sydney Opera House
Epic | Passionate | Resonant
Turandot fiercely protects her heart. This new production of Puccini’s grand opera features monumental sets, immersive visuals, mesmerising dance and opera’s electrifying aria ‘Nessun dorma’.
A must-see if you love music that gives you goosebumps, contemporary dance, mythic fairytales reimagined for today.
Sounds like...
Humperdinck
Hansel & Gretel
27 January – 28 February 2026
Sydney Opera House
Whimsical | Magical | Family-Friendly
Hansel and Gretel’s fairytale escape from the wicked witch of the woods, in a whimsical production with larger-than-life sets. Humperdinck’s magical score is enchanting.
A must-see if you love magical sets, nostalgic tales, operas to share with friends or younger theatregoers.
Sounds like...
Schubert
A Winter’s Journey
16 & 17 February 2026, Melbourne Recital Centre
20 & 23 February 2026, City Recital Hall, Sydney
Elegant | Textural | Reflective
Schubert’s exquisite song cycle meets the glowing artwork of Australian painter Fred Williams, in an evocative presentation featuring tenor Allan Clayton and pianist Kate Golla.
A must-see if you love refined lieder, subtle storytelling, voice and piano at their most intimate.
Sounds like...
Opera Up Late
21 February 2026, Sydney Opera House
15 November 2026, Regent Theatre, Melbourne
Naughty | Hilarious | Uncensored
Cabaret meets opera in an irreverent late-night performance hosted by Reuben Kaye, featuring drag, opera classics and a few pop numbers.
A must-see if you love the classics of opera and musical theatre, glitz and glamour for your night out, jokes you couldn’t tell your mother.
Tchaikovsky
Eugene Onegin
17 – 28 March 2026
Sydney Opera House
Lyrical | Reflective | Romantic
A profound tale of unrequited love and unintended consequences, Tchaikovsky’s Romantic opera features sumptuous sets and costumes, a lush score and lashings of emotion.
A must-see if you love Tchaikovsky’s depth, Pushkin and poetry, soul-stirring performance.
Sounds like...
Musical
The Phantom of the Opera on Sydney Harbour
27 March – 26 April 2026
Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour
Iconic | Spectacle | Bucket List
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic musical in an unforgettable spectacular: performed on the enormous overwater stage on Sydney Harbour with fireworks every night.
A must-see if you love musical theatre, thrillers, spectacle, fireworks, an all-in-one special night out.
Sounds like...
Verdi
La Traviata
8 – 16 May 2026
Regent Theatre, Melbourne
Glamorous | Romantic | Emotional
Glamour, riches and a tragic secret: La Traviata is the story of a courtesan falling in love. Classic opera with stunning costumes and outstanding music.
A must-see if you love Moulin Rouge!, a good tearjerker film, gorgeous period costumes, music you can hum after the show.
Sounds like...
70th Anniversary Gala
17 May 2026
Regent Theatre, Melbourne
Iconic | Grand | Unmissable
A glittering, milestone concert celebrating 70 years of bringing Australia the best opera, featuring a starry cast, Opera Australia chorus and Orchestra Victoria.
A must-see if you love opera’s biggest hits sung by opera’s biggest stars, experiencing history first-hand.
Gilbert & Sullivan: A Musical Celebration
22 – 24 May 2026
Regent Theatre, Melbourne
Zany | Bubbly | Feel-Good
Enjoy a sparkling concert of wit, whimsy and unforgettable song with highlights from The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, H.M.S. Pinafore and Iolanthe.
A must-see if you love clever comedy, nostalgic singalongs, and lots of laughs.
Sounds like...
Encore! Songs from the Musicals
28 – 30 May 2026
Regent Theatre, Melbourne
Showstopping | Toe-tapping | Heart-moving
The magic of musical theatre in a star-studded showcase of hits from celebrated musicals including My Fair Lady, South Pacific, West Side Story and The Phantom of the Opera.
A must-see if you love toe-tapping, heart-moving, awe-inspiring music sung by Australia’s top musical theatre talents.
Sounds like...
Lehár
The Merry Widow
8 July – 18 August 2026
Sydney Opera House
Flirty | Funny | Fabulous
An opulent party of glitz, glamour and Parisian charm, featuring familiar waltzes, tuneful melodies and lively choreography. The Merry Widow is flirty, funny and fabulous.
A must-see if you love musical theatre, Gilbert and Sullivan, dance, nostalgia.
Sounds like...
Verdi
Rigoletto
21 July – 21 August 2026
Sydney Opera House
Dark | Masterful | Enduring
Verdi’s classic opera offers hit tunes, glamour, grit, lust and revenge. This popular production features a dolls-house style revolving set and a scene-stealing Fiat 500.
A must see if you love revenge dramas, royals behaving badly, ingenious stagecraft.
Sounds like...
Leah Purcell
The Drover's Wife
7 – 15 August 2026
Sydney Opera House
Raw | Expansive | Groundbreaking
A new opera based on Leah Purcell’s groundbreaking adaptation of Henry Lawson’s classic short story. Emotional melodies, lush orchestration and operatic grandeur meet contemporary Aboriginal storytelling.
A must see if you love Australian stories, outback thrillers, Henry Lawson, contemporary treatments of classic works.
La Stupenda: A Joan Sutherland Celebration
20 & 22 August 2026
Sydney Opera House
Iconic | Celebratory | Virtuosic
A dazzling program performed in tribute to Joan Sutherland. Hear the full orchestra, chorus and homegrown sensation Jessica Pratt singing highlights from La Stupenda’s career
A must-see if you love astonishing top notes, Australian voices, opera hits, mad sopranos.
Sounds like...
Puccini
La Bohème
7 – 18 November 2026
Regent Theatre, Melbourne
Vibrant | Romantic | Poetic
Puccini’s classic Bohemian love story is about youth, beauty, passion and heartache. This shimmering new production is set in snow-kissed Paris.
A must-see if you love RENT the musical, snowflakes and slow dances, bittersweet love stories.
Sounds like...
The Trumpet of the Swan
20 – 22 November 2026
Regent Theatre, Melbourne
Symphonic | Theatrical | Charming
E.B. White’s beloved novel comes alive through a vivid orchestral adaptation rich with themes of identity, resilience and voice.
A must-see if you love narrative music, modern symphonic works, stories with meaning.
Sounds like...
Twist
Watershed
21–28 November 2026
Arts Centre Melbourne
Modern | Powerful | Transcendent
A real-life crime, a public outcry, a seismic shift, this is a true story that shakes the room.
A must-see if you love choral music, stories of triumph over adversity, true crime podcasts, physically thrilling productions.
Musical
Anastasia
From December 2025, Regent Theatre, Melbourne
From March 2026, Crown Theatre, Perth
From April 2026, Sydney Lyric Theatre
Heart-warming | Beautiful | Empowering
A romantic, adventure-filled musical based on the beloved film Anastasia! This “monster hit!” (New York Times) features gorgeous songs, beautiful costumes and captivating characters.
A must-see if you love Disney films, historic dramas, singing on your way out of the theatre.
Sounds like...
Musical
My Fair Lady
From September 2026
Sydney Opera House
Witty | Transformative | Charming
Celebrating 70 dazzling years since its debut, Lerner and Loewe’s sparkling gem of theatrical history returns to the Sydney Opera House under the guidance of Julie Andrews.
A must-see if you love Julie Andrews, Pretty Woman, sharp humour, and spectacular staging.
Mozart
Don Giovanni National Tour
Mozart’s masterpiece is hitting the road, touring Australian cities and regions.
A must-see if you love stories where women get the last laugh, the movie Amadeus.
Sounds like...
Book a Subscription Package and Save.
When you purchase a multi-pack subscription of two or more productions you unlock your exclusive subscriber discount, priority booking, and free ticket exchanges, among other exclusive benefits.
Enjoy the following discounted tickets when booking a Sydney Package:
- 10% off when you book 2 performances
- 15% off when you book 3 or 4 performances
- 20% off when you book 5+ performances
Or, enjoy 15% off tickets when booking 2 or more performances in Melbourne.