I just booked tickets to an opera at the opera house for our last night in Sydney. Should we take a tour also before that, or are we likely to see what should be seen when we go to the opera?

Take the tour. It's a great insight into the workings & history of this iconic building & you won't have an opportunity of seeing any "backstage" areas otherwise.


In today's security environment, you will almost certainly be unable to proceed past the bottom of the steps on the main floor unless you have tickets for the relevant performance, so you would only see the Opera Theatre and not the Concert or Drama theatres.

There's sometimes a "Pre-show" talk, so if you;re interested, you could contact the SOH & see if there's one prior to the performance you're attending.

I like to take visitors to Benelong for a pre- performance snack/ meal or supper. It would be something special for your last night here.

Enjoy

Thanks for the suggestions, Bokhara.

Hi - congrat on scoring those tix. What are you going to see?

Re the tour. I took it a few years back and was rather disappointed. For various reasons (rehearsals etc) we did not get to see the backstage areas that I would have found very interesting. But the guide was excellent and there were plenty of stories about how the House was built - the architect, the challenges, the politics. All good stuff.

So do go if you have time but it wouldn't be a sin if you didn't! What I would highly recommend, if you won't already have done so, is to take a good look at the place from the outside especially at sunset.

If your budget doesn't stretch to to the Bennelong Restaurant there is now another eatery around the west side on the same terrace level as the entrances to the Drama Theatre and Playhouse. Still quite pricey and never tried it. Else there is always the cheap and cheerful cafe west side, one level down, that does sandwiches and stuff. You can sit at a table looking out over the Bridge and enjoy for the price of a cup of coffee.

Have a great time.

We're going to see Rigoletto.

How dressed up does one have to get for the opera? My husband is wondering whether to bring a sportscoat and tie.

We have 5 full days in Sydney, so we should have time for the tour (and to try to plan it when we can see everything there is to see). We're staying in the Rocks area (at the Russell) so should be able to look at the Opera House at sunset time.

When you go to the opera you will be surprised to see the difference in dress styles. Most Aussies don't dress formally and you will see everything from suits to jeans ( wouldn't surprise me to see someone in shorts !). I guess smart casual would be the norm. Enjoy Rigoletto and your trip generally.

I would think peteralan's "smart casual" would be fine. If it's cool, a jacket by all means. He won't need a tie, but it's a nice opportunity to dress up a bit if you feel like it.

I've seen jeans too, but must admit I think it's a bit TOO casual for my taste. I often wonder whether these folk would wear jeans to La Scala, the Met or Covent Garden? It amuses me to see comments about Australians' so called "overly casual" dress - and then to observe the accents of those so dressed.

( I know peterh, I'm a stuffy old duck!)

I'm sure you'll love Rigoletto Judilie, I'm going next month - looking forward to it. This year's productions have been super.

judilie, Bokhara will be the one in the outfit she bought to wear to the Melbourne Cup last year and the copy Manalo Blahniks.