

Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour
Madama Butterfly on Sydney Harbour
PRINCIPAL PARTNER HSBCFleet Steps, Mrs Macquaries Point, Sydney
24 March–23 April 2023
Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour
Madama Butterfly on Sydney Harbour
PRINCIPAL PARTNER HSBCFleet Steps, Mrs Macquaries Point, Sydney
24 March–23 April 2023
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23 Apr 2023
Dates
24 March–23 April 2023
Venue
Fleet Steps, Mrs Macquaries Point, Sydney
Language
Sung in Italian with English surtitles.
Running time
Approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes, including one interval.
Please note
This production contains sexual references, themes of sexual abuse and suicide.
“A modern Butterfly soars as art and spectacle combine on Sydney Harbour” (Limelight)
The critically acclaimed and wildly popular Madama Butterfly returns to the Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour stage.
Under the stars, with fireworks every night as well as pop up bars and eateries, this is “the most impressive outdoor event in Australia… You don’t need to understand opera to understand what makes the occasion great” (Concrete Playground).
Take your seats overlooking ‘Paradise’ – complete with a bamboo grove, a giant moon, and a rising sun floating in the harbour. The picture-perfect backdrop of the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge twinkles with thousands of city lights as night falls.
For innocent Cio-Cio-San, love flutters on wings of desire. For brash Pinkerton, a flight of fancy is irresistible. On their wedding night, passions ignite. Yet, how ephemeral is their ecstatic embrace?
Puccini’s intimate ode to unrequited love has always been shocking. East meets West, devotion meets disregard, expectation meets disappointment. In the clash, Cio-Cio-San’s dreams shatter.
Madama Butterfly on Sydney Harbour is a “five star world-beating triumph, surely one of the most spectacular outdoor operas ever staged anywhere” (Time Out).
Join us for Sydney’s best night out.

Cheat Sheet: Madama Butterfly on Sydney Harbour
Here’s everything you need to know…
What happens in the story? Who was the composer? What should I expect from the music?

Page to stage: Madama Butterfly on Sydney Harbour
Take a look at the costume and stage design for this beautiful opera on the Sydney Harbour.

The HSBC Platinum Club
Add a taste of luxury to your evening with pre-performance drinks and fine dining.
Enjoy exclusive access to an undercover pop-up restaurant and bar with uninterrupted views overlooking Sydney Harbour, exclusive menus, superior NSW wines, five-star table service, and dedicated restrooms.

The history of Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour
From La Traviata to The Phantom of the Opera. Find out more about the spectacular 10-year history of Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour, and discover extraordinary behind-the-scenes stories.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
Mrs Macquaries Road, leading into the venue, is likely to experience traffic congestion. We highly recommend avoiding this road by catching public transport or parking in surrounding car parks and then catching our free shuttle bus. Or, be delivered right to the Point in style by catching a water taxi.
Public transport
When walking from the train/bus 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. After this time, the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney is closed from all entrances and not possible to walk through.
The nearest train stations are:
St James: approximately a 16-minute walk* (1.3 km)
Martin Place: approximately an 18-minute walk* (1.5 km)
Circular Quay: approximately a 29-minute walk* (2.3 km)
*These linked maps and estimated walk times use routes outside of The Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney. If you’re walking before the Garden gates close (prior to 6.30pm in March and 6pm in April), using a route through the Garden will save time.
Bus route 200 stops on Macquarie Street. View the timetable.
All schedules, times and dates can be viewed at the transportnsw.info.
Parking
The Domain Car Park is the closest car park. The car park is open 24 hours. A free shuttle bus is available to guests who park in the Domain Car Park (see details below). Parking spots for those with mobility parking scheme permits are located at the northern end of the ground floor.
There is metered parking along Mrs Macquaries Road, Hospital Road and Macquarie Street. Meters accept credit card or payment by mobile phone.
Art Gallery Road, leading into the venue, is likely to experience traffic congestion. We highly recommend arranging an alternative drop off/meeting point.
Complimentary shuttle bus (wheelchair accessible)
The pre-performance shuttle service starts at 4:30pm and runs on a loop from the Domain Car Park (departing from Sir John Young Crescent on the ground floor) to the venue entrance on Mrs Macquaries Road. The shuttle ride takes approximately 5 minutes, depending on traffic. The pre-performance shuttle bus does not stop at the Art Gallery of NSW.
The post-performance shuttle service starts from 8:45pm and runs until midnight, or until the last patron has left, and stops at both the Art Gallery of NSW and the Domain Car Park.
View shuttle bus drop-off and pick-up points
View shuttle pick-up point at the Domain Car Park
The Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour shuttle bus departs from the ground floor of the Domain Car Park and is wheelchair accessible.
Water taxi
Water taxis run a special service during the Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour performance season.
Water taxis will depart regularly from Man O’War Jetty (near the Sydney Opera House) from 5pm until 7.30pm* and drop off at The Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool wharf in Woolloomooloo Bay, which is a 3-minute walk to the venue. Please note there is a number of stairs leading up from the Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool wharf to the performance venue.
After the performance, taxis will recommence for the return trip and make a drop-off stop only at Circular Quay. Tickets are $15 one way or $30 return.
* This is a latecomers service and will get you to the venue AFTER the start of the performance. Note that patrons arriving late will not be admitted until a suitable break in the performance. This break may not be until interval. Patrons who are late may not be seated in their allocated seat.
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 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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Visiting Sydney?

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Enjoy a unique stay in Woolloomooloo
Only a short commute to Mrs Macquaries Point, Ovolo Woolloomooloo offers spacious and beautifully appointed rooms, indoor pool, restaurant, bar and fitness centre, overlooking the picturesque Sydney Harbour.
Book direct on ovolohotels.com and make the most out of your night.

Feel alive in Sydney
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Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour
The Experience
Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour
The Experience
Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour
The Experience
Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour
The Experience
Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour
The Experience - West Side Story (2019)
Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour
The Experience
Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour
The Experience
Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour
The Experience - West Side Story (2019)
Cast & Creative
Conductor
Director
Revival Director
Set Designer
Costume Designer
Based on original lighting design by
Sound Designer
Cio-Cio-San
Suzuki
Pinkerton
Sharpless
Goro
Opera Australia Chorus
Opera Australia Orchestra
Synopsis
ACT I
On a terrace above Nagasaki harbour, US Navy Lieutenant B F Pinkerton inspects the house he has leased from a marriage broker, Goro, who has procured for him a geisha wife known as Madama Butterfly (Cio-Cio-San). To the American Consul, Sharpless, who arrives breathless from climbing the hill, Pinkerton describes his carefree philosophy of a sailor roaming the world in search of pleasure. For the moment, he is enchanted with the fragile Cio-Cio-San and intends to undergo a marriage ceremony with her – a 999-year contract, but subject to monthly renewal. When Sharpless warns that the girl may not take her vows so lightly, the lieutenant brushes aside such scruples, adding that he will one day take a 'real' American wife.
Cio-Cio-San is heard in the distance joyously singing of her wedding day. After she has entered, surrounded by her friends, she tells Pinkerton how, when her family fell on hard times, she had to earn her living as a geisha. Soon her relatives arrive and noisily express their opinions of the marriage. In a quiet moment, Cio-Cio-San shows the bridegroom her little store of possessions, one of which she hides from public view. Goro explains that it is a sheathed knife which the Mikado sent to Butterfly's father, with the 'invitation' to commit hara-kiri – which he obeyed. Butterfly confesses to Pinkerton that she, on the previous evening, secretly went to the Mission and adopted the religion of her new husband.
The wedding ceremony completed, the guests toast the couple. Suddenly Cio-Cio-San's uncle, a priest, bursts upon the scene, cursing the girl for having renounced her ancestors' religion. Pinkerton angrily orders priest and family to leave.
Alone with his bride, he dries her tears in the moonlit garden, where they discover the depths of their love.
ACT II
Three years later, Cio-Cio-San still waits for her husband's return. Suzuki prays to her gods for aid. The maid shows Cio-Cio-San how little money is left but is told to have faith: one fine day Pinkerton's ship will appear on the horizon.
Sharpless is announced. He has not seen her again since the wedding, and Butterfly receives him with joy. He has come with a letter from Pinkerton asking him tactfully to inform Butterfly of his marriage with an American woman, but his attempts to tell her the contents of the letter are frustrated by her constant questions about Pinkerton. Had Pinkerton not said that he would return 'in the season when the robins are nesting?' In Japan, she remarks, 'the robins have already nested three times, but perhaps in America these birds behave differently?' 'I never studied ornithology', replies Sharpless.
Goro, who has been lurking outside, brings in a suitor for her hand. The girl dismisses the wealthy Prince Yamadori, insisting that her American husband has not deserted her. When they are alone, Sharpless again starts to read her the letter and suggests as tactfully as he can that Pinkerton may never return. Cio-Cio-San proudly shows him her child, insisting that as soon as Pinkerton knows of his son he will surely come back, though if he does not she would rather die than return to her former life. Moved by her devotion and lacking the heart to tell her of the lieutenant's marriage, Sharpless leaves.
Cio-Cio-San, on the point of despair, hears a cannon report; and watches Pinkerton's ship entering the harbour. Delirious with joy, she orders Suzuki to help her strew the house with flower petals. Then, as night falls, Cio-Cio-San, Suzuki and the child begin their vigil, awaiting Pinkerton's arrival.
As dawn breaks, Suzuki insists that Cio-Cio-San rests. Humming a lullaby to her child, she carries him to another room.
Knocking is heard: it is Pinkerton and Sharpless, with Pinkerton's wife, Kate, remaining discreetly outside. They have come, they explain to the startled Suzuki, so early in the morning in the hope of finding her alone and of enlisting her support in persuading Butterfly to accept Kate's offer to adopt the child. Pinkerton, overcome with remorse, bids an anguished farewell to the scene of his former happiness and rushes away.
Meanwhile Suzuki has gone into the garden to speak to Kate and, moved by her sincerity, she promises to convey to her mistress her offer to adopt the child. Butterfly rushes into the room in joyful expectation to find Pinkerton, but is taken aback when she sees only Sharpless and a foreign lady. She takes only a moment to guess the truth. She agrees to give up her child if the father will return for him. Then, she takes forth the dagger with which her father committed suicide, choosing to die with honour rather than live in disgrace. Just as she raises the blade, Suzuki pushes the child into the room. Tearfully she bids him a last farewell. With solemn ritual, she stabs herself as Pinkerton's anxious cries 'Butterfly! Butterfly!' are heard from outside.
Strategic Sponsor

Patron-in-Chief
Dr Haruhisa Handa

Principal Partner

Government Partner
