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.
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.
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.
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.
Productions TitleYearDirector(s)Designer(s)Choreographer(s)Conductor(s)La traviata2012Francesca ZambelloBrian Thomson, Tess SchofieldBrian Castles-OnionCarmen2013Gale EdwardsBrian ThomsonKelley AbbeyBrian Castles-OnionMadama Butterfly2014Àlex OlléLa Fura dels BausBrian Castles-OnionAida2015Gale EdwardsBrian Castles-OnionTurandot2016Chen Shi-ZhengBrian Castles-OnionCarmen2017Gale Edwards, Andy MortonBrian Castles-OnionLa bohème2018Andy MortonBrian Castles-OnionWest Side Story2019Francesca ZambelloJerome RobbinsGuy SimpsonLa traviata2020, 2021Constantine CostiBrian Thomson, Tess Schofield, John Rayment, Des O'NeillShannon BurnsBrian Castles-OnionThe Phantom of the Opera2022Simon PhillipsGabriela TylesovaSimone SaultGuy SimpsonMadama Butterfly2023Àlex OlléAlfons Flores, Lluc CastellsBrian Castles-OnionWest Side Story2024Francesca ZambelloBrian Thomson, Jennifer IrwinGuy SimpsonGuys and Dolls2025Shaun RennieBrian Thomson, Jennifer IrwinKelley AbbeyGuy SimpsonThe Phantom of the Opera2026Simon PhillipsGabriela TylesovaSimone SaultGuy SimpsonAida2027Gale EdwardsMark Thompson, Matt Scott, Tony David CrayLucas Jervies
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