Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour
Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour (HOSH) is an annual open-air event presented by Opera Australia on Sydney's iconic harbour off Mrs Macquarie's Point, set against the backdrop of the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
During the 2013 production of Carmen, the stage was transformed into the set of The Ellen DeGeneres Show for the program's first ever overseas pre-recorded taping. Welcoming more than 3,000 fans, Ellen DeGeneres played a variety of games during filming and hosted a Q&A session at the end.[1]
Aida was the first production in which Haruhisa Handa, the main benefactor of the production, attended.
In recent years, Opera Australia has moved away from staging opera classics and moving towards musicals. The first musical on the harbour, West Side Story in 2019, saw a record 65,000 people attend the production, leading to Opera Australia going with The Phantom of the Opera a few years later.[2]
For the 2025 production of Guys & Dolls, the designer Brian Thomson incorporated for the first time the live orchestra on stage, rather than underneath, via a massive scaffolding structure and a translucent One Way sign.[2]
In July of 2025, it was announced The Phantom of the Opera would be returning to the Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour stage, which would launch the musical's global 40th anniversary celebrations.[3]
Productions
| Title | Year | Director(s) | Designer(s) | Choreographer(s) | Conductor(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La traviata[4] | 2012 | Francesca Zambello | Brian Thomson, Tess Schofield | Brian Castles-Onion | |
| Carmen | 2013 | Gale Edwards | Brian Thomson | Kelley Abbey | Brian Castles-Onion |
| Madama Butterfly | 2014 | Àlex Ollé | La Fura dels Baus | Brian Castles-Onion | |
| Aida | 2015 | Gale Edwards | Brian Castles-Onion | ||
| Turandot | 2016 | Chen Shi-Zheng | Brian Castles-Onion | ||
| Carmen | 2017 | Gale Edwards, Andy Morton | Brian Castles-Onion | ||
| La bohème | 2018 | Andy Morton | Brian Castles-Onion | ||
| West Side Story | 2019 | Francesca Zambello | Jerome Robbins | Guy Simpson | |
| La traviata | 2020, 2021 | Constantine Costi | Brian Castles-Onion | ||
| The Phantom of the Opera | 2022 | Simon Phillips | Gabriela Tylesova[5] | Guy Simpson | |
| Madama Butterfly | 2023 | Àlex Ollé | |||
| West Side Story | 2024 | Francesca Zambello | |||
| Guys and Dolls[6] | 2025 | Shaun Rennie | Brian Thomson, Jennifer Irwin | Kelley Abbey | Guy Simpson |
| The Phantom of the Opera | 2026 | Gabriela Tylesova |
References
- ^ "Ellen DeGeneres extravaganza hits Sydney". 9News. 23 March 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
- ^ a b "Musical review: Guys & Dolls, Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour". artshub.com.au. 24 March 2025. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
- ^ "Phantom Returns to Sydney Harbour for Global 40th Anniversary Launch". www.danceaustralia.com.au. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
- ^ "A History of Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour". features.opera.org.au. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
- ^ "The Phantom of the Opera on Sydney Harbour". Opera Australia. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
- ^ "Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour – Opera Australia". Time Out Sydney. Archived from the original on 27 November 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2025.