Musicals & opera
West Side Story on Sydney Harbour
If you love your stage show to come with plenty of musical and theatrical highs – you’re in luck. Sydney hosts an impressive number of musicals each year, from the latest Broadway and West End shows to timeless classics. The best bit? You get to enjoy your entertainment in establishments that are just as alluring as the drama unfolding before you. Here’s what you can look forward to for the rest of the year.
Showing at: Sydney Lyric Theatre
Dates: 27 February to 12 May 2024
The Emmy®-winning writer from Schitt’s Creek, David West Read, flips the script on Shakespeare in a hilarious and poignant story of self-discovery and second chances which proves there’s life after Romeo. After premiering on the West End and earning a staggering eight Olivier Awards nominations, & Juliet has also been one of the most unexpected theatrical triumphs on Broadway, with Forbes Magazine boldly saying: “This is easily the best musical of the year”. Coming to Sydney for a 2024 season, come and sing along to this pop extravaganza, with music from Katy Perry, Britney Spears, The Backstreet Boys, Ariana Grande, Pink, Just Timberlake and more.
Showing at: Capitol Theatre
Dates: 24 March to 1 June 2024
Next year, the number one, party musical Grease is returning to the Australian stage in a new, multi-million-dollar live production. Starring Joseph Spanti as Danny, Annelise Hall as Sandy, Patti Newton as Miss Lynch, Jay Laga’aia as Vince Fontaine and Marcia Hines as Teen Angel - alongside all those unforgettable songs such as 'Summer Nights', 'You're the One That I Want' and 'Greased Lightnin' - get ready to dust off your leather jackets and pull up your bobbysocks as Danny and Sandy fall in love all over again.
Showing at: Theatre Royal Sydney
Dates: 31 March to 12 May 2024
Due to popular demand, the iconic rock'n'roll musical The Rocky Horror Show will be doing the Time Warp again on Theatre Royal Sydney's stage for a return season in 2024, starring Australian superstar Jason Donovan as Frank N Furter. Seen by over 30 million people worldwide, performed in over 30 countries, on every continent and translated into more than 20 languages, one of the world's favourite musicals follows squeaky-clean sweethearts Brad and Janet on an adventure they’ll never forget. Time to sharpen those stilettos!
Showing at: Seymour Centre
Dates: 9 to 25 May 2024
Following the Broadway Revival in 2023 and a sell-out season in Melbourne, the Tony Award-winning musical Parade by Jason Robert Brown is coming to Sydney in 2024. With a book by acclaimed playwright Alfred Uhry (Driving Miss Daisy) and a rousing, colourful and haunting score by Jason Robert Brown (Songs for a New World, The Last Five Years, Bridges of Madison County), this is the true story of an unsolved murder that divided a nation.
Showing at: Hayes Theatre
Dates: 23 May 2024 to 22 June 2024
Catch the Australian premiere of the bold and genre-busting musical that started life in Canada before becoming a hit in Chicago and New York, and then a record-breaking online phenomenon (with over half a billion views on TikTok). The hilarious premise? The lives of six teenagers from a chamber choir are cut short in a freak rollercoaster accident and when they awake in Limbo, a mechanical fortune teller invites them to compete to win a prize like no other – a shot at returning to life. Bursting with witty, memorable songs and featuring some of the most compelling characters in modern musical theatre, this show makes a uniquely uplifting and deeply funny case for what makes a life worth living.
Showing at: Capitol Theatre
Dates: 9 June 2024 to 28 July 2025
Murder, greed, corruption, exploitation, adultery, treachery and all that jazz... so begins the international multi-award-winning musical, Chicago. The longest-running musical on Broadway, this masterpiece is coming to the Capitol Theatre in 2024. Starring Anthony Warlow as Billy Flynn, Zoë Ventoura as Velma Kelly, Lucy Maunder as Roxie Hart, Peter Rowsthorn as Amos Hart and Asabi Goodman as Matron ‘Mama’ Morton, expect a glittering score that includes 'All That Jazz' and 'Razzle Dazzle'.
Showing at: Capitol Theatre
Dates: 6 August to 1 September 2024
Sydney, your prayers have been answered! Direct from London's West End, the Broadway hit Sister Act is coming Down Under this August. If you aren't familiar with the story made famous by the 1992 film starring Whoopi Goldberg, let's recap: disco diva Deloris’ life takes a surprising turn when she witnesses a murder and is placed under protective custody, hidden in the one place she shouldn’t be found - a convent - where she helps the struggling choir find their true voices while rediscovering her own.
Showing at: Theatre Royal Sydney
Dates: 25 October 2024 to 1 December 2025
Following sensational sell-out seasons across Australia, the pop musical phenomenon SIX the Musical is returning to Theatre Royal Sydney in October 2024! Having now won 35 major international awards, including two prestigious Tony Awards and a Grammy nomination, and with a global audience of 3.5 million people per year and a staggering 600 million soundtrack streams, this high-octane 80-minute musical experience has become a cultural sensation.
Showing at: Sydney Lyric Theatre
Dates: 1 to 28 February 2025
He is one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Now, Michael Jackson’s unique and unparalleled artistry is heading to Australia in the multiple Tony Award®-winning new musical MJ. Created by Tony Award®-winning director/choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, the story is centred around the making of MJ's 1992 Dangerous World Tour, going beyond the singular moves and signature sound of the star, and taking a rare look at the creative mind and collaborative spirit that catapulted Jackson into legendary status.
Looking for the perfect spot to fuel up or enjoy a tipple before or after your show? Follow our guide below for nearby dine-dining, cheap eats, cocktail bars and more.
Head across from The Star to LuMi for a fine dining degustation based on seasonal ingredients and Italian inspiration. The waterfront location is the cherry on top. For a relaxed pre-show dinner, Bar Zini in Pyrmont does simple but high-quality Italian, and wine bar Mister Percy offers a modern taste of the Mediterranean underneath the Woolstore 1888 by Ovolo hotel.
The Capitol Theatre is located at the intersection of two of Sydney's most delicious neighbourhoods: Chinatown and Thaitown. Down some dumplings at Nanjing Dumpling off Dixon Street, or try authentic Thai noodles, soups and curries from Yok Yor, Show Neua, or award-winning Porkfat on the other side of George Street.
Just across Belmore Park will take you to the ever-trendy neighbourhood of Surry Hills. Try Nomad for elegant dishes cooked with fire or Pellegrino 2000 for intimate Italian (also a favourite post-show restaurant of Taylor Swift). Tio’s Cerveceria can provide the margaritas.
Head down George Street to Regent Place, a food-focused shopping centre home to some of Sydney’s most underrated Asian eateries. Yunn does noodles from China’s Yunnan region, Bistro Nido serves a modern take on French and Japanese fusion, and Ice Kirin Bar scoops tea-infused and mochi-covered ice-cream.
Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour
From the chefs behind some of Sydney’s favourite restaurants, Clam Bar is a New York-style steak house that amps up the luxury with a raw seafood bar, caviar and exquisite cocktails. You can also continue your evening post-show at Restaurant Hubert, where French food mixes with live jazz, or Aster Bar on the rooftop of the InterContinental Sydney, with incredible harbour views.
This CBD theatre is close to plenty of good eating and drinking options. Go where the locals are lining up: Soul Dining for modern Korean fine dining and Caterpillar Club for late-night drinks and live jazz in an underground speakeasy.
The YCK Laneways are a five-minute walk from the theatre and a hidden maze of small bars and lively restaurants open until late. Try award-winning Mexican at Esteban, rum flights at The Lobo, New Orleans-style soul food and jazz at The Swinging Cat or artful Japanese and sake cocktails at Kuro. Not sure where to start? Try a secret bar tour here with Local Sauce.
Just down the road you’ll find award-winning Kindred, with a menu of hearty and shareable Italian dishes and freshly made pastas. Or head to Ester in Chippendale, a much-loved and constantly evolving fine diner that deserves to be on your bucket list.
Spend your pre- or post-show meal among the buzz and good vibes of Darling Square, a dining precinct adjacent to Darling Harbour. Top restaurant picks are XOPP, a next-generation venture from now-closed Chinese institution Golden Century; Nakano Darling, a lively Japanese izakaya; or 789 Korean BBQ, where you can cook your own dinner over a charcoal grill.
State Theatre
Named Gourmet Traveller’s NSW restaurant of the year in 2023, AALIA is a Middle Eastern restaurant that explores dishes and techniques from Arab and North African cuisines. Alternatively, head to French brasserie Manon for classics like mussels, steak frites and beef Bourguignon (and a TikTok-famous hot chocolate!).
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