Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour — Attraction in Sydney

Not a fan of the outdoor opera on 20.04.23 Sydney Harbour for the following reasons;

Weather; Due to the fact that this opera is on from March to April, it could rain, shower, pour, and the opera will still go on - and you will not get a refund, this is the major reason why I am not a fan of any opera on Sydney Harbour. I prefer the Opera house. For example, I attended this opera on 20.04.23 and it rained during the performance - the raincoats which you buy will not keep you dry, warm or comfortable, don't forget if it rains you will need to dry your own seat you are not allowed to use an umbrella therefore, if you do go to the opera and it rains - I recommend that you bring your own overcoat and dress for rain.

Although the websites says ' strictly no one can enter once opera starts, this was incorrect, at least 6 people came on during Act 1 - which was contrary to what the website advised, and was quite irritating for us opera lovers.

Safety; Due to the fact that it rained on the night I went, I note that there are no safety rails for anyone trying to get to their seats (if you are sight, mobility or intellectually impaired) it is very difficult to navigate stairs in the evening, especially since there is no railings to help you get to your seat.

HSBC Premium lounge; Don't bother wasting your money on coming here - it is absolutely not worth your money, (they do not sell champagne here, its just cheap prosecco ($40.00 and $30.00 a glass or basic red or white wine). In my opinion, the meals (200.00 per person) are nothing special - go to the finger wharf (recommend Elements Seafood Bar and Grill) to kick off the evening, and then head to the opera, don't' waste your money in the lounge - not worth it.

Seating; try and get seats in the 'E, F, G section, and try and get seats in the front, so that you can see the screen which has English subtitles to let you know what is happening. If you sit in the back rows, there is a high chance that you will not be able to see the English subtitles. However, if you are booked into the HSBC lounge, G, H, I sections at the back will get you there quicker, ahead of the crowds.

Value for money; I booked premium seats, HSBC lounge pre-dinner, break, drinks - In hindsight, they were not worth it, just go downstairs and buy a glass of wine and save yourself the money, nothing special about the HSBC lounge, the location itself is very special, just do the what everyone else is doing, and enjoy.

Vibe; Being at the SRBG is enough and being next to the Sydney Harbour and listening to the opera is enough, however, if the weather is bad, then the whole experience is ruined - your better off spending your money and going to the Sydney Opera House to watch any opera. In my opinion - more comfortable seating, better service, better food (Bennelong, if you book) and overall better experience.

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Wow!!! What a spectacular production of one of Andrew Loyd Webber’s most popular musicals!

The cast is so on point with their performances and vocals! Special mention to Joshua Robson for his spectacular portrayal of the phantom. His voice was powerful enough to fill the open air setting as if it were a small theatre!! Bravo!!

The rest of the cast were also excellent and gave extremely memorable performances. I think at times let down by the sound levels as talking parts were difficult to hear and levels for singing parts were sometimes haphazard.

The orchestra is cleverly hidden away for the performance, but again, this does effect the sound quality ever so much. Still, an excellent effort considering the challenging acoustics of the outdoor setting.

The stage and costumes are sensational and the use of pyrotechnics throughout the show made for moments when the whole audience jumped out of their seats!

If you are booking seats and don’t want to pay for the premium middle sections then go for the right (east) side of the grandstand as this gives you the best view of the magnificent sweeping staircase where most of the action takes place.

If you have a delicate posterior then my tip of the day is to bring along your own cushion as the hard plastic seats are difficult to stay comfortable for the whole performance.

If you are driving to the show then take advantage of the discounted parking at the Wilsons Domain car park and get the free courtesy bus that runs you right to the entrance of the venue.

If you get a clear night with no rain like we did you are in for a once in a lifetime...

To say that Handa’s version of Phantom of the Opera was both breathtaking & mesmerising, would be doing the production a disservice. It was nothing short of spectacular.

How can you improve on one of the most successful musicals of all time? Set it outdoors on one of the most beautiful harbour’s in the world. With the twinkling lights of Sydney’s skyline and harbour bridge, and the illuminated sails of the opera house standing sentry, it’s an experience i promise you will never forget. The sets were clever, costumes, spectacular and the performers literally moved me from goose bumps to tears. They were undeterred by the squalls that rolled through, and the movement of their costumes in the breeze only added to the magic of their performances. It was a truly wondrous experience i am sure I will never forget.

The food and drinks on offer were even a as step up from the norm and I was pleasantly surprised that there were actually gluten free and vegan/plant based options on offer (even though rather disappointingly they had run out gluten free pizza bases). i managed to find a plant based gf mezze plate and I heard that one of the other bars had plant based burgers on offer. I’m so used to not being able to eat when I attend shows, so I was pleasantly surprised.

Only down side to the night were the queues for the loo’s—so be warned! All in all, a pretty...