Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour to extend its season for the first time in 2026

The Phantom of the Opera

Opera Australia announced that for the first time in its history, Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour (HOSH) will add an extra week to its annual four-week season in response to the huge demand for tickets for the record-breaking The Phantom of the Opera, opening 27 March next year. 

Kicking off the iconic musical’s 40th anniversary global celebrations in 2026, the Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour production will now run until Sunday 3 May. 

The Phantom of the Opera harbour spectacular premiered in 2022 and became the highest grossing Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour production in the event’s history. 

 years later it’s proving more popular than ever with 2026 advance sales soaring well above expectations, five months out from opening night. 

Directed by Australia’s master of musical theatre, Simon Phillips, with audacious costumes and sets by Gabriela Tylesova and choreography by Simone Sault, the outdoor staging brings a whole new level of spectacle to this legendary musical’s defining moments – the mirror, the journey to the Phantom’s lair and the chandelier – on an enormous stage built over Sydney Harbour. 

With the iconic Sydney Opera House as a backdrop, a live orchestra, nightly fireworks and pop-up restaurants and bars, Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour is one of the most unique theatrical experiences in the world, and the only place where you can see a magnificent large-scale production of The Phantom of the Opera under the stars. 

Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour is supported by the NSW Government, via its tourism and major events agency Destination NSW, and through the International Foundation for Arts and Culture as Naming Rights Partner, Dr Haruhisa Handa OA’s Patron in Chief, and OA’s Principal Partner HSBC. 

** Tickets for the extra week are on sale to the public now 

** Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour – The Phantom of the Opera Friday 27 March – 3 May 2026 Fleet Steps, Mrs Macquaries Point, Sydney Bookings: +61 2 9318 8200 | opera.org.au/harbour 

★★★★★ “The Phantom of the Opera is already an extraordinary show …… the Handa Opera on the Harbour production does something that might not have seemed possible – it adds even more magic.” TimeOut “To say my jaw dropped would be an understatement. In essence, this is a must-see production for any fan of musical theatre” The Guardian