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.

Book now

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.

Book now

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.

Book now

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 projections, 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.

Book now

Sounds like...

Humperdinck

Hansesl & 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.

Book now

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.

Book now

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.

Book now

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.

Book now

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.

Book now

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.

Book now

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.

Book now

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.

Book now

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.

Book now

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.

Book now

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.

Book now

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.

Book now

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.

Book now

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.

Book now

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.

Book now

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.

Book now

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.

Book now

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.

Book now

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.

Find out more

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

Subscribe SYDNEY now

Or, enjoy 15% off tickets when booking 2 or more performances in Melbourne.

Subscribe Melbourne now