Carmen on Cockatoo Island
25 November–18 December 2022Carmen on Cockatoo Island
25 November–18 December 2022Choose a date to see seats and prices
See All Events2022
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18 Dec 2022
Venue
Eastern Apron and Bolt Wharf, Cockatoo Island
Language
Sung in French with English surtitles
Running time
Approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes, including one interval.
Please note
This production contains adult themes, sexual references and depictions of violence against women.
The ultimate femme fatale is back, in a brand new island performance in the middle of Sydney Harbour.
Carmen tosses her hair, stamps her feet and the whole world falls under her spell.
Revel in the irresistible Spanish tunes, sultry story and dark undercurrent of Carmen. You’ll hear the flirty Habanera and famous Toreador song amid a spectacle that features motorbike stunts, crashed cars and fireworks.
Your night begins with a ferry ride across the glittering water to the world-heritage listed sanctuary of Cockatoo Island. Step off the boat and you’re surrounded by layers of history. Once a meeting place for the Eora Nation, the site is now dotted with the industrial relics of a century of ship-building and architectural marvels dating back to Sydney’s convict past.
Today, the island is a world-class contemporary arts venue, hosting everything from the Biennale of Sydney to live concert performances. It’s the perfect backdrop for Bizet’s gritty tale of fate and freedom.
Raise a glass with friends and grab a snack from an array of pop up bars and eateries on the foreshore before settling in under the stars for an unforgettable night out.
Carmen on Cockatoo Island
The Experience - Concept renders
Carmen on Cockatoo Island
The Experience - Concept renders
Carmen on Cockatoo Island
The Experience - Concept renders
Carmen on Cockatoo Island
The Experience - Concept renders
Carmen on Cockatoo Island
The Experience - Concept renders
Carmen on Cockatoo Island
The Experience - Concept renders
Getting to Cockatoo Island
Cockatoo Island is accessible by the Opera on Cockatoo Island Shuttle Ferry, public ferry, or water taxi.
We strongly recommend adding the Cockatoo Island Shuttle Ferry to your purchase during checkout as the public ferry and water taxi services have limited capacities.
Stay at Cockatoo Island
Once the performance ends, spend the night relaxing in a distinctive heritage apartment, holiday house, or camp under the stars, surrounded by landscaped gardens and sweeping views.
New to opera? We promise you’ll know Carmen’s famous tunes
Maybe this is your first Carmen. It could be your first live opera. So how come you’ve heard so many of these songs before? Well, for starters, it has more smash hits than any other opera. Even Beyoncé’s movie debut was an adaption of this famous opera.
Frequently Asked Questions
Opera on Cockatoo Island is performed at the Bolt Wharf on Cockatoo Island, Sydney Harbour.
Cockatoo Island is accessible by the Opera on Cockatoo Island Shuttle Ferry, public ferry, or water taxi. We encourage customers to book in to a timeslot for the pre-performance shuttle service using the Opera on Cockatoo Island Shuttle Ferry, and arrive early for a drink and enjoy the atmosphere before the event starts.
Once on Cockatoo Island, the performance venue is a short walk through the Industrial Precinct from any of the island’s wharves. Please note the site includes former industrial spaces and outdoor areas. We advise sensible footwear as the site has uneven ground throughout.
Opera on Cockatoo Island Shuttle Ferry
The pre-performance shuttle service starts at 4.30pm and runs from King Street Wharf to the Camber Wharf Visitor Marina on Cockatoo Island. The ferry takes approximately 15 minutes, and does not stop at any other wharves. Pre-Booking is essential.
The post-performance shuttle service starts from 10.30pm, with the last ferry leaving Camber Wharf Visitor Marina at 12.15am. Please note: the ferries will be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis, and it may take some time for audience members to leave the island at the end of the performance.
You can purchase tickets to the shuttle service when you book tickets to Opera on Cockatoo Island by adding the service while in your cart. Alternatively, you can sign in to your account and add tickets to the shuttle service to your Opera on Cockatoo Island tickets. Tickets are $20 return.
If you require assistance, please contact our box office on +61 2 9318 8200.
Public Ferry
The F3 and F8 services operate to Cockatoo Island, departing from Circular Quay and Barangaroo as well as from wharves along Parramatta River. For further information, including timetables, visit the Transport NSW website.
Please note: Sydney Ferries have limited capacity, and we cannot guarantee entry on your preferred service. There may be lengthy delays upon leaving Cockatoo Island, and you may be required to order a water taxi if you miss the last service.
Water Taxi
If you would prefer to organise your own arrival and departure from Cockatoo Island, there are a number of private water taxi services available on Sydney Harbour.
To arrange this you will need to contact the water taxi service of your choice and book with them directly.
Opera on Cockatoo Island is an open-air and all-weather event
The venue, audience seating, and the stage are completely uncovered. The event is an all-weather experience and we are committed to going ahead with a performance of Opera on Cockatoo Island even in doubtful or unfavourable weather conditions. Please come prepared so that you are as comfortable as possible, and ready to support the performers, who will carry on singing in the rain.
Bring warm and waterproof clothing
Sydney weather is full of surprises so we recommend that you dress with this in mind and bring warm, weatherproof clothing. Sensible footwear is advised as there are uneven surfaces throughout the site. Please note that although umbrellas can be brought to the venue, out of consideration for other members of the audience they cannot be used during the performance.
Ponchos
Ponchos will be available to purchase at the event for $5. We’ll be selling the Biowear Eco Poncho. Made of corn, soy, and sunflower starches, these ponchos are biodegradable. Once disposed of, the poncho takes about a year to break down and become a protein of the ecosystem. We’ll be donating any profit from the sale of ponchos to Clean Up Australia.
Ticket exchanges
You may call our box office on +61 2 9318 8200 to exchange your tickets. You must do this before midday on the day of any weeknight performance, and midday Friday for weekends.
You can also exchange your tickets online, or receive a credit voucher for the value of your tickets, right up until the start of the performance.
Performance pauses and cancellations
We will only cancel a performance during electrical storms (within 10km radius) or during times of extremely high winds and/or rain. We will not cancel a performance until 7:30pm or later. We may decide to cancel a performance once the show is underway. Please plan to travel to the venue for a 7:30pm performance start time even in unfavourable weather conditions.
In some weather conditions, we may delay the start time of Opera on Cockatoo Island or pause for up to 15 minutes at any point throughout the performance.
Auxiliary expenses including travel, accommodation or hospitality which you have arranged in conjunction with the performance are at your own risk and Opera Australia cannot refund these.
Accessible Seating
Opera on Cockatoo Island has wheelchair and companion seating allocations available.
Customers requiring the wheelchair and/or companion seating should contact the Opera Australia customer service team on 02 9318 8200, Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm. Wheelchair and companion seating can only be booked over the phone.
The seating banks for Opera on Cockatoo Island are flat on the ground. All seats are able to be accessed without climbing stairs.
Assistance Animals
Assistance animals trained to assist people with disability are welcome at Opera on Cockatoo Island. Please phone our box office on 02 9318 8200 to make your booking so we can allocate you appropriate seating.
Courtesy wheelchairs
Patrons requiring a wheelchair should make contact with the onsite Box Office who will arrange for a transfer to allocated seating by wheelchair.
Opera on Cockatoo Island is planned as a COVID-Safe event.
The event will comply with all Public Health Orders and adhere to our epidemiologist-approved COVID-Safe Plan. Full details of our COVID-Safe Plan will be published on this page closer to the event.
A range of pop-up bars, eateries and an undercover restaurant will be available at Opera on Cockatoo Island, designed to suit all budgets and dietary requirements. Full details will be published on this page in the lead-up to the event.
Please don’t bring a picnic. Only food and beverages purchased on site can be consumed within the venue.
Cast & Creative
Director
Conductor
Set and Costume Designer
Lighting Designer
Sound Designer
Choreographer
Carmen
Don José
Escamillo
Micaëla
Frasquita
Mercédès
Remendado
Dancairo
Zuniga
Morales
Synopsis
This production takes place in a timeless version of Seville. Don José, who was training for the priesthood in his native Basque country, killed a man in a quarrel and has had to enlist in the army in Seville. His mother and Micaëla, who loves him and hopes to marry him, have followed him to the south and live in a village near the city…
ACT I
A square in Seville
While Moralès and his soldiers are chatting about the passers-by, Micaëla comes looking for Don José, a corporal. Moralès explains that Don José is in another company that will shortly take over the guard, but Micaëla decides not to wait. The new guard led by Zuniga arrives, followed by a swarm of children. Moralès tells Don José that Micaëla was asking for him. While Zuniga is curious about the tobacco factory women who work nearby, Don José is uninterested.
The cigarette women come out of the factory for a break. Carmen attracts most of the attention, but she tells the men that she will love only someone who does not love her. She tosses a flower to Don José who, perturbed by the gesture, quickly hides it. Micaëla returns with a letter to Don José from his mother in which she forgives him his crime and asks him to return to marry Micaëla.
Uproar in the factory spills out into the square as Carmen and another woman quarrel. Carmen insolently refuses to answer for her fight, so Zuniga orders her to be imprisoned. Don José is left to guard her, but she promises to love him if he helps her escape. Don José lets her go and is himself arrested.
ACT II
Lillas Pastia’s tavern
Carmen, Frasquita and Mercedes are dancing. The victorious torero Escamillo arrives with a crowd of admirers. He is drawn to Carmen but she shows no interest. The crowd and soldiers leave.
The smugglers Remendado and Dancaïre try to enlist the help of Carmen, Frasquita and Mercédès in some of their plans. Carmen refuses: she is in love and waiting for Don José. Incredulous and mocking, the men suggest she brings Don José with her.
Having been released from prison, Don José arrives and Carmen dances for him. When he responds to the summons back to barracks Carmen accuses him of not loving her. In answer, Don José describes how in prison he treasured the flower she threw at him. If he really loves her, Carmen says, he will desert the army and go with her to the mountains. Zuniga reappears to meet Carmen and he discourages Don José. They fight, but when Remendado and Dancaïre disarm Zuniga, José decides to join the smugglers, leaving behind his former life.
ACT III
In the mountains
The smugglers rest while a safe route to Seville is reconnoitred. Don José is still obsessed with Carmen; she, however, is tired of him but senses that he may kill her if she leaves him.
Frasquita and Mercédès read their fortunes in the cards; when Carmen joins them she only turns up cards that foretell her death. Dancaire and Remendado return, and Carmen, Frasquita and Mercedes leave, enthusiastic at their task of distracting the customs officers who have been spotted on the smugglers’ route. Don José is left to guard the contraband.
Micaëla comes alone looking for Don José. A shot frightens her and she hides; it was Don José firing at an intruder: Escamillo. Having heard that Carmen no longer loves her soldier, Escamillo has come after her. Enraged at this, Don José appears and challenges Escamillo to a fight. They are interrupted by Carmen herself. Escamillo invites the assembled company to his next bullfight in Seville and leaves. Still jealous, Don José threatens Carmen.
Micaëla is discovered in hiding. She begs Don José to return to his mother, who is calling for him. Carmen urges him to go. He is suspicious of her motives for encouraging him, but when Micaëla reveals that his mother is dying and wants to forgive him, he agrees to return with her. Escamillo is heard in the distance.
ACT IV
Outside a bullring in Seville
A crowd has gathered to watch the procession before the bullfight. Escamillo is accompanied by Carmen. Her friends Frasquita and Mercédès warn her that Don José is in the crowd. She decides to wait and talk to him, but when they meet he pleads with her to go away with him. She will not, as she no longer loves him. As the crowd is heard cheering Escamillo’s success at killing the bull, Carmen confesses she now loves the torero and returns Don José’s ring. He kills her.
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