Les Misérables will make its Sydney Opera House debut on 27 August 2027, with a season in the Joan Sutherland Theatre arriving 40 years after the musical’s Australian premiere. Opera Australia will present Cameron Mackintosh’s fully staged production of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg’s musical, bringing this staging back to Australia for the first time in more than a decade. The announcement follows the recent Les Misérables: The Arena Concert Spectacular world tour, which included Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. However, it is not confirmed whether this will just be a Sydney exclusive production, or will form a full Australian national tour.
Adapted from Victor Hugo’s novel, Les Misérables explores human endurance through a score that includes “I Dreamed a Dream”, “On My Own”, “Bring Him Home”, “One Day More” and “Master of the House”. The Australian production will be directed by Christopher Key, with music supervision by Alfonso Casado Trigo.
For audiences planning ahead, ticket access will open in three stages. Early access began today (13 October 2026) for those booking an Opera Australia 2027 Season Subscription of two or more productions. Priority pre-sale access to single-performance tickets starts on Tuesday 27 October 2026, with registration available through the Les Misérables waitlist. General public ticket sales shall follow on Tuesday 3 November 2026.
Producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh described the Opera House season as a longstanding ambition for the production:
I’m delighted to bring the most celebrated staging of Les Misérables in the world back to Australia, where audiences have embraced the show with such extraordinary enthusiasm over the years.
To finally see it on the stage of the Sydney Opera House is something I have been dreaming of for years, and it feels like a wonderful new landmark for this remarkable musical, especially after the success of Phantom of the Opera here in 2022.
I’m enormously proud of this production and of the way it has brought a fresh energy to a story that continues to speak to audiences around the world. I can’t wait to see it take its place on that magnificent stage in 2027.
Opera Australia’s Director of Opera Amy Lane spoke about bringing the musical into the company’s program at the Sydney Opera House:
We’re incredibly proud to be able to present this legendary musical on our iconic stage for the first time, a full forty years on from when it first took this country, and the world, by storm.
Les Misérables is one of the defining musical theatre works of the modern era and to welcome it to the Sydney Opera House under Opera Australia’s banner is enormously significant, not only because of the musical’s global stature, but because it represents the very best of epic music storytelling. It is a work of extraordinary emotional power that has connected generations of audiences around the world.
Minister for Jobs and Tourism Steve Kamper outlined the visitor and business activity the season is expected to generate:
Two global icons are coming together in Sydney, with Les Misérables taking the stage at the Sydney Opera House for the very first time. This is the kind of world-class cultural experience that attracts visitors to Sydney and keeps our visitor economy moving. Les Misérables will bring audiences, visitors and spending into Sydney, supporting jobs and businesses across our tourism and hospitality sectors.
