If you’re a theatre fan, there’s no doubt you’ve heard the news that six-time Tony-winning musical The Lion King is coming to Sydney this April.
The blockbuster musical is set for a Sydney season at the Capitol Theatre, starting from April 18 and running for a strictly limited season until August 9.
This will be the third local tour for the highly acclaimed production, which over its previous two seasons has played to almost four million Australian audience members. Now set for a new staging, thirteen years after the musical’s most recent Australian run, Disney is hoping The Lion King will capture new audiences to add to its impressive stash of 120 million tickets sold in total.
The original Australian production of The Lion King premiered at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney in October 2003, returning for a second run ten years later in December 2013. Now with April 2026 on the cards, the musical will be playing to an entirely new generation of theatregoers, aligning with the current trend of heavily nostalgic tales being supersized for some of Australia’s most legendary stages.
The cast
The full cast of The Lion King was recently announced, featuring a mix of familiar faces and fresh talent.
Reprising the role of Rafiki for the third time, having performed the part in both the 2003 and 2013 Sydney productions, is Buyi Zama. She’ll be joined by another member of The Lion King’s international family, Nick Afoa, who played Simba in the 2013 production and now returns to play Mufasa (it really is a full ‘circle of life’ moment).
Australian actor Daniel Frederiksen, who has worked in television, film and live theatre, will play the famous villain, Scar, with fellow Aussie Benn Welford cast as Zazu. Kiwis Jamie McGregor and Rutene Spooner will play the hilarious duo, Simone and Pumba, while South African actor Aphiwe Nyezi will play Simba.
Rounding out the principal cast are Emily Nkomo as Nala, Ezra Williams as Shenzi and Mat Verevis as Ed.
How do I get tickets to see The Lion King in Sydney?
Tickets are now available from the official Lion King musical website. Prices start from $165 for a matinee performance to $245 for an evening performance. Be sure to check the Ticketmaster website, as some dates are already sold out for April.
The Lion King is approximately two-and-a-half hours long and includes a 20-minute interval.
The Lion King
Where: Capitol Theatre, 13 Campbell St, Haymarket NSW 2000.
When: April 18-August 9, 2026.
Price: From $165.
