Get the party started with some boozy tunes

For at least 10,000 years people have been getting tipsy, bending the elbow and waking up with a head full of rocks. It figures that songs about booze date back almost as far. But did you know that opera has a genre of fabulous drinking songs all of its own?

There is no drinking song in opera more famous than La Traviata’s Brindisi. A swooning, waltz-time celebration of the pleasures of love, good company and wine.

It’s one thing to listen to a recording, it’s another to experience this joyous tune live with a full orchestra and chorus. Find out for yourself this July when the Joan Sutherland Theatre is transformed into the salons of 19th century Paris.

And, if you’re curious what other drinking songs can be found in opera, read our top 5 drinking songs that will have you dancing on the tables.

What's on in Sydney

• Madama Butterfly, 29 June – 30 July, Sydney Opera House
• La Traviata, 5 July – 4 November, Sydney Opera House
• Il Trovatore, 15 – 30 July, Sydney Opera House
• Great Opera Hits, 17 July – 30 October 2022, Sydney Opera House
• The Phantom of the Opera, 19 August – 16 October, Sydney Opera House
• Cinderella, 23 October 2022 – 29 January 2023, Sydney Lyric Theatre
• Attila, 29 October – 5 November, Sydney Opera House
• Carmen, 25 November – 18 December, Cockatoo Island
• View full list of upcoming performances

Opera Australia, PO Box 291, Strawberry Hills NSW 2012, Australia