Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour is located at Fleet Steps, Mrs Macquaries Point, Sydney.

When walking from the train, bus, or ferry remember that access to the venue via the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney is only possible prior to 6:30pm in March and 6pm in April.

Please note there is a marine exclusion zone for the duration of the event.

Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour 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 Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour 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. 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

Biodegradable ponchos will be available to purchase at the event. 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 request an exchange or refund at least two working days before the Event. We will only exchange or refund your tickets in our sole discretion or as required by law.

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 Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour or pause for up to 50 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.

See full terms and conditions

Accessible Seating

Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour 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 best seats for persons with limited mobility who are not wheelchair users are in the first 5 rows of sections A–E.

When patrons enter the venue via ‘Entry (Sections A–E)’ they will walk downhill to their seats and then up a few stairs to seats in higher rows if seats are not booked in row A. Upon exiting the venue, the path is uphill and persons with limited mobility may consider requesting the use of a Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour wheelchair and assistance if required

Assistance Animals

Assistance animals trained to assist people with disability are welcome at Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour. 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.

Lift access

There is a lift available for wheelchair users or people with limited mobility.

The lift provides access from Ground level (bottom of the grandstand) to level 1 (HSBC Platinum Club) and Level 2 (Northern Terrace and upper Grandstand).

Stairs

If you have difficulties with stairs, we advise purchasing tickets in the first five (5) rows of sections A to E to minimise the number of stairs you must climb. When booking via the phone, please let our box office staff know so you can be seated in this area to best suit your mobility requirements. Our ushers are also very helpful, so please ask them for assistance.

Refer to Access Guide which includes venue step count and surface description to assist with choosing your seats.

Audio Described Performance

Wed 2 April 2025, 7:30pm

To book an Audio Description headset and seats in the best area to receive the Audio Description transmission, please call (02) 9318 8200

Captioned Performance

Tue 8 April 2025, 7:30pm

Closed captions for the performance will be transmitted to the GoTheatrical app on your Apple or Android device.

Auslan Interpreted Performance

Tue 1 April 2025, 7:30pm

To book the special allocation of seats directly in front of where the interpreters will be, please call (02) 9318 8200 or email customerservice@opera.org.au

We recognise the needs of breastfeeding parents but are unable to provide dedicated parent facilities at Handa Opera on the Harbour. All children (including infants) attending the event are required to have their own ticket, available for purchase online, over the phone, or at the box office. If the event team can offer any additional assistance regarding breastfeeding at Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour, please phone our box office on (02) 9318 8200.

There are five bar and restaurant areas at Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour with a range of options.

The site opens at 5pm so you can enjoy a drink and some food while you watch the sun set over the harbour.

With five pop-up restaurants and roving bars on site, there’s an option to suit every appetite and budget.

Please don’t bring a picnic. Only food and beverages purchased on site can be consumed within the venue.

There’s no compulsory dress code. Wear what you’ll feel comfortable in and make sure you wear sensible shoes, as you will have to walk up and down stairs to reach your seats.

Sydney weather is full of surprises so we recommend that you dress with this in mind and bring warm, weatherproof clothing.

Please purchase your tickets through authorised ticket sellers.

Opera Australia is the primary ticket seller for Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour. We have also authorised other ticket sellers (including Sydney Opera House, Ticketmaster, TodayTix).

Opera Australia will cancel any tickets that we can identify have been purchased through unauthorised sellers for more than 10% above their original cost. Unauthorised sellers include but are not limited to Viagogo, Tickets Australia, Ticket Merchant, Ticket Blaster, TicketBis, Ticketmaster Resale, Queen of Tickets, eBay or Gumtree.

If you attend an event with such a ticket, we will not admit you into the venue. We will also void forged and fraudulent tickets (for example, where multiple copies have been made of the same tickets).

There are an increasing number of unauthorised ticket resellers operating online. We don’t want anyone to have a nasty surprise, so if you have any questions or concerns about the validity of your tickets or the authorisation of your ticket seller, please contact us on 02 9318 8200 or email customerservice@opera.org.au.

You can also find detailed information about unauthorised ticket sales on the NSW Fair Trading website.