Anyone who knows me will tell you that I’m not a morning person, but I can be persuaded to wake up early for the right motivation. The Backstage Tour of the Sydney Opera House, which only runs once a day at 7am, is one of the best tours I’ve ever taken and was definitely worth the early morning.

I first read about this possibility in my Lonely Planet Australia (Travel Guide)>Lonely Planet Australia book, and immediately circled that part of the entry and knew I’d find a way to make the tour happen during my few days in Sydney. Luckily, not only was the tour available, but we ended up being the only two people and got a very personalized experience.

Sydney Opera House in the Morning Light

Overview: Backstage Tour of the Sydney Opera House

The Backstage Tour of the Sydney Opera House is only offered at 7am, because by around 9 or 10am rehearsals begin, and then all of the stage areas are off-limits to tourists. Which means that on the tour, you get to be backstage before performers arrive!

It basically is an intimate look at the Opera House, getting to see several stages and concert halls, and all of the places behind the scenes that you won’t get to go when you attend a performance. Plus, since it’s an early morning start, the tour also includes breakfast.

Seeing the Stages

As you stroll through the stages, there are a ton of pieces from the sets of various performances. It’s incredibly cool to see them up close, however they tend to be copyright-protected (who knew that theater sets were such serious business?) so you won’t see any photos of them below.

Although the sets are proprietary, fortunately the stages and theaters are not. I got some great shots from the stage looking outward:

I Danced on Stage at the Sydney Opera House!

And Did a Bit of Conducting

Of the pretty amazing performance spaces, the Concert Hall is the largest. It has also hosted an incredible list of presenters and performers, from Pope John Paul II to Kanye West to Ella Fitzgerald to Arnold Schwarzenegger. Here is a glimpse:

Backstage Access

Getting to go backstage is kind of implied in the tour name, and it was just as cool as I had imagined. Performances at the Sydney Opera House are frequent throughout the year, so there are inevitably some cool details to spot. Some of my favorites:

The Pit Dress Code (pardon that this is a bit fuzzy with the lighting). Also, thongs = flip flops in Australian.

“Don Q” Group Notes for the Dance Numbers

Lipstick Wall of Good Luck

The Green Room

The Backstage Tour of the Sydney Opera House usually begins with breakfast in the Green Room, a holding room for performers before and after a show. During my visit however, it still had not been cleaned up from the previous night, so we ate elsewhere. We still got to visit though, and get an actual glimpse of what it looks like all set up:

Food Spread from the Previous Night

Yes, the Green Room has a View of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Bring your sunnies!

Backstage Tour = Getting to Play the Piano in the Green Room

Building Architecture

Probably the most recognizable building in Australia, the Opera House with its white sails is an iconic part of the view of Sydney. Getting to go on a tour of the Sydney Opera House, there is so much you learn and also realize by seeing the building exterior up close.

A fairly unknown Danish architect won an international contest for the building’s design back in the 1950s. There was a bit of drama along the way with construction (the architect eventually resigned from the project!) but everyone of course loves the final product.

The most surprising things to me were all the things I found out about the white sails. I don’t know how much I had ever thought about it before, but the sails are meant to be like the sails of a boat, given the Opera House’s position right on Sydney Harbour (yup, I’m spelling it like the Aussies do).

Not only are the different heights of the sails a nice aesthetic effect, but it’s also functional, as it represents the varying heights of the differently-sized performance spaces inside.

And when you get up close to the sails, you realize that there’s actually texture and a pattern overlaid on top, it’s not just painted white:

Practical Tips for Visiting

For the Backstage Tour, your best bet is to reserve online in advance. Tickets purchased this way are offered at a 10% discount, and you’ll guarantee your spot, especially given the time of day. Plus, not all days are open like the morning I went. There is just the one tour at 7am each day, and there is a daily cap at 12 people.

TIP! Since the Backstage Tour has such an early start, I also recommend that you book accommodations somewhere nearby or with an easy time to get to the Opera House. That way you’ll be sure to arrive on time.

Here is a breakdown of the 2 main tours offered:

Sydney Opera House Tour
offered 9am-5pm
1 hour
37 AUD

The Backstage Tour
7am only, daily except Christmas & Good Friday
2.5 hours
165 AUD

Prices listed are before the 10% online discount, so you’ll pay a bit less when booking online.

Even if you can’t get in for the 7am Backstage Tour of the Sydney Opera House, I’d recommend taking one of the regular tours so you can see the inside of the building. Another way to get a glimpse inside is to buy tickets to attend one of the events held there, which include all sorts of musical and theatrical performances.

But really, if you want a close-up look of the inner workings of this iconic Australian landmark, and lots of time to explore inside, I can’t recommend the Backstage Tour enough!

Would you be willing to brave the early wake up to take the Backstage Tour? Any other tips I missed for visiting the Sydney Opera House?

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