Theatre and Shows in Sydney

Reserve your seats for a wonderful night in Sydney, Australia’s entertainment jewel. The exciting events calendar includes world-class theatre and shows at majestic venues, from the Sydney Opera House to art deco gems, lively concert halls, chic modernist designs and intimate playhouses.

Before or after a show you can enjoy refreshments in enticing bars, including sky bars with sweeping vistas of iconic Sydney attractions and hip small bars hidden down laneways or in basements. At the Opera Bar, marvel at the sparkling blue Sydney Harbour and the impressive Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Every year in March and April the UNESCO World Heritage-listed masterpiece, along with the Royal Botanic Garden and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, form the nightly backdrop for your favourite classics in the outdoor extravaganza, the Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour. It’s an unforgettable experience.

A beautiful foreshore walk away is Walsh Bay, where the leading Sydney Theatre Company puts on acclaimed plays in the Roslyn Packer Theatre and on a heritage-listed finger wharf. You’ll also find the Sydney Dance Company and indigenous contemporary dance troupe Bangarra in Walsh Bay.

In the city centre is the ornate State Theatre, nicknamed the Palace of Dreams when it opened in 1929. Another grand 1920s venue is the Capitol Theatre in Haymarket, a short walk from delicious Chinatown. The ICC Sydney is in Darling Harbour, and the Sydney Lyric is in neighbouring Pyrmont.

In inner- city neighbourhoods such as Kings Cross, Potts Point, Darlinghurst and Newtown  you’ll see cutting-edge shows penned by outstanding writers. One of Australia’s most respected theatres is the Belvoir Street Theatre in Surry Hills. The outstanding Seymour Centre is in inner-city Chippendale.

The Ensemble Theatre is a harbourside gem. Take a train from Town Hall across the Sydney Harbour Bridge and alight at Milsons Point for the Ensemble, via Willoughby Street. Another popular venue is the Riverside Theatre in Parramatta. Church Street here is a tasty ‘eat street’ for a pre-show meal.