Secure your seats for Phantom of the Opera on Sydney Harbour as pre-sale starts tomorrow

• Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour 2026: pre-sale tickets will be available from Tuesday, August 26, 2025
• The Phantom of the Opera is the production that will impress audiences next year
• Sydney’s unique floating stage pops up from late March to late April each year

Sydney’s most spectacular stage event is set to return in 2026 – and it’s a big one. The Phantom of the Opera will once again take over Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour, bringing a milestone celebration to the city’s iconic floating stage.

The open-air production will run from Friday, 27 March to Sunday, 26 April, 2026, transforming Mrs Macquarie’s Point into a theatrical wonderland complete with Sydney Harbour as the backdrop, nightly fireworks and an atmosphere unlike anything else on the city’s cultural calendar.

READ MORE: Learn about last year’s Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour with Cody Simpson

A milestone year for Phantom

This isn’t just another revival. Opera Australia’s 2026 season will mark the 40th anniversary of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s legendary musical, which first premiered in London in 1986 before going on to conquer Broadway two years later.

Since then, The Phantom of the Opera has been staged in 205 cities across 58 territories, translated into 21 languages and seen by more than 160 million people worldwide. It’s widely recognised as one of the greatest musicals ever written; a sweeping gothic romance filled with obsession, passion and tragedy, underscored by one of theatre’s most unforgettable scores.

For Sydney audiences, the 2026 production will also feel like something of a homecoming. Phantom previously played on the harbour in 2022, drawing rave reviews for its scale and spectacle. Director Simon Phillips will once again be at the helm, reprising his atmospheric staging that captured both the intimacy of Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel and the grandeur of Webber’s music.

Why Sydney?

Opera Australia has confirmed that Sydney has been chosen to launch the global anniversary celebrations—a major coup for the city’s theatregoers, placing the Harbour City at the centre of Phantom’s worldwide milestone. With its unrivalled setting and reputation for drawing new audiences, Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour is the perfect stage to kick off festivities that will roll out across the globe next year.

The pop-up stage has become one of the city’s most anticipated autumn events. Built over the water, with seating arranged on the Fleet Steps at Mrs Macquarie’s Point, the view of the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge adds a picture-perfect backdrop to every performance.

Audiences can arrive early to enjoy pop-up dining options and bars scattered along the harbourside, making it as much a night out as a night at the theatre. And of course, no performance is complete without the fireworks display that lights up the skyline at intermission.

READ MORE: Risk averse? Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour to show The Phantom of the Opera again

How to get tickets

Subscription packages have been available since Tuesday, August 5, but pre-sales begin tomorrow. Adult tickets range from $79–$399, with concession pricing available.

Pre-sale opens Tuesday, 26 August at 10am and closes two weeks later on Tuesday, 2 September at 9am. During this time, tickets will be available via Opera Australia’s exclusive pre-sale page, placing hopeful ticket-buyers in a virtual queue to ensure fair access

General public sale opens to everyone from Tuesday, September 2, 2025.

Tip: Popular performances, such as Saturday nights and the closing weekend, are expected to sell quickly, so booking early is strongly recommended.

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The Phantom of the Opera on Sydney Harbour

When: March 27–April 26, 2026.
Where: Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour, Fleet Steps, Mrs Macquaries Point, NSW 2000.
Tickets: From $79 per person.

opera.org.au