- Admission prices in Sydney have jumped in 2026, pushing up the price of a day out at the city’s attractions.
- From the Archibald to the Museum of Contemporary Art, prices have risen by as much as 25 per cent.
- Here’s what you’ll pay in 2026 – and how to make your day out more affordable.
The rising cost of living in Australia has caught up with a day out – the admission prices for some of Sydney’s most popular attractions and things to do have gone up, in some cases by four times the rate of inflation.
The entry fee to the Museum of Contemporary Art has gone up 25 per cent to $25, while admission to the Art Gallery of NSW’s Archibald Prize exhibition has jumped 20 per cent in 2026 for an adult ticket, up to $30.
Meanwhile, Taronga Zoo has cracked the $50 barrier at the gate, up to $55 from $51 in 2024, and a tour of the Sydney Opera House, the most visited tourism destination in Australia, is also now $50, up from $48 in April 2025. The Opera House has also now increased its “on the day” tour price to $55 to encourage visitors to book early.
Many other major institutions have shifted to peak and off-peak pricing, meaning the day you choose to visit now matters almost as much as where you go.
Now of course, many of these exhibitions and experiences are worth every cent of the admission price – and more – delivering moments and memories. But the rise in admission prices are rarely publicly announced, leaving visitors unaware of the price rise until they reach for their wallet.
Archibald, MCA and Opera House all up $5
The Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes exhibition is one of the Art Gallery of NSW’s biggest drawcards and in 2026 it’s going to cost you a little more to go and see it, unless you fall in to the youth category. In good news for young people, the AGNSW have actually dropped prices.
In 2025, the prices were: adult $25, concession $22, family $63 (two adults + up to three youth), youth $13 (12-17 years), children under 12 enter free. The new prices in 2026 are: adult $30, concession $25, family $70, youth (12-17 years) $10. There is also a $2 surcharge on all tickets on weekends on public holidays, a popular time particular for tourists.
It must be pointed out that there is no admission to the Art Gallery itself.
“The increase in ticket prices for the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes 2026 exhibition, from $25 to $30 on weekdays and $32 on weekends for adults, reflects rising operating costs,” a spokesperson for the AGNSW said. “The revised pricing aligns with benchmarked rates for comparable major ticketed exhibitions and is the first price rise since 2023. To increase accessibility, we will continue to offer two‑for‑one tickets on Wednesdays sessions after 5pm.”
Over at the Museum of Contemporary Art, which for 25 years had been free to enter, the general admission price of $20 that it only introduced just over 12 months ago has increased to $25.
When the admission price was first introduced in December 2024, MCA chairwoman Lorraine Tarabay said she was “disappointed” to reintroduce the general admission charge, but that it would help the museum “remain sustainable”.
The general admission fee is now $25 for an adult – a rise of 25 per cent – $20 for concession and students. In another win for young art lovers and tourists, under 18s get in free.
According to the Sydney Opera House’s 2025 annual report, the iconic attraction welcomed more than 457,525 paid tour patrons in a 20 per cent increase on the 2024 financial year. While patron numbers are down on pre-Covid levels, revenue from the tours is not, according to the annual report. “Revenue is now broadly in line with pre-COVID-19 levels,” according to the report.
In general, ticket prices to most cultural institutions, galleries and museums in Sydney are on par with similar venues in other Australian capitals and around the world – and in many cases cheaper once the exchange rate is taken into account.
Like the AGNSW, the National Gallery of Victoria is free to enter but charges an admission fee of special exhibitions which varies. The next exhibition there is Cartier, featuring nearly 400 extraordinary jewels, gems and jewellery, is $43 for an adult.
If we look overseas, the Tate Modern in London is free to enter but admission to special exhibitions is extra. Currently the Frida: The Making of an Icon exhibition is £25 – which on current exchange rates in $47.
Admission prices for both New York’s Guggenheim museum and the Museum of Modern Art is US$30 (AUD$41), and includes access to special exhibitions. Meanwhile The Met has “pay what you wish” tickets for New York State residents, but for all other adults it’s also US$30 (AUD$41).
Madame Tussauds Singapore is $34 ($AUD37) while if you head to the Sydney waxworks, it will cost $39 for a weekday ticket and $49 for weekends, school holidays and public holidays. the for a pre-booked ticket
Why are admission prices in Sydney going up?
There are several factors at play here. One is that the tourism industry is still recovering from the pandemic with many attractions only now starting to hit the same numbers as they did prior to 2019.
Cultural institutions are absorbing the same wage, energy and insurance increases as everyone else is and many like Taronga Zoo and the Art Gallery of NSW have major capital projects to fund or maintain. Government support doesn’t necessarily keep pace with the operating costs of these vital institutions so the cost is pushed on to the ticket buying tourist or Sydneysider. In other words, cozzie livs.
There’s also been a broader shift to dynamic pricing, which airlines and the concert promoters are spearheading, which can mean big price increases if you want to visit at a busy time.
How Sydney visitors can save in 2026
If there’s one takeaway from this year’s round-up of admission prices in Sydney, it’s that when you visit and how you buy your ticket now matters almost as much as which place you choose.
Weekday visitors who book online in advance can still see the city’s best museums, galleries, zoos and aquariums for something close to the price they paid two years ago. Walk-up weekend visitors during school holidays are paying a premium that once didn’t exist.
For locals, an annual membership to one or two of your favourite institutions – Zoo Friends at Taronga, Art Gallery of NSW membership, a Merlin Annual Pass if you’ve got young kids — is the single biggest lever you have to keep costs down but that’s not much help for visitors. For travellers and tourists with a tight schedule, combo passes and advance bookings are the equivalent.
Another way to save is to plan your visits around the special deal days. The Museum of Contemporary Art offers a “MCA Late” deal, giving visitors two tickets for the price of one for entry between 5 – 9pm on Thursdays.
The AGNSW has a similar “2 for 1” ticket deal for its Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes exhibition on Wednesdays after 5pm. That means two adults can see the whole gallery’s permanent collection then go the exhibition for just $15 per person.
And for everyone, many of the best things to do in Sydney – the harbour, the beaches, the coastal walks, the permanent collections at our biggest museums – are free for all.
