Sydney Opera House hosts Wild Things from 26 September
Published on 09/27/2026 at 08:37 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Sydney Opera House hosts Wild Things, an International Kids Festival, in Sydney from 26 September to 11 October 2026. The programme brings performances, workshops and free experiences to the building and its Forecourt during the Australian spring school holidays.
The festival is the current event link between the performing arts centre and family travel to Sydney. Its programme is presented under the name Wild Things, with activities aimed at children from babies to teenagers as well as accompanying adults.
Wild Things brings 16 days of family events to Sydney Opera House
The operator describes Wild Things as a new international festival inviting children and grown-ups to explore, create and play. It runs for 16 days from Saturday 26 September through Sunday 11 October 2026, placing the event entirely within the current travel period. The festival programme at Sydney Opera House lists both free events and ticketed activities.
The Forecourt is being used as an outdoor playground for the festival. Listed programme items include ZOOOM from 26 to 29 September, Handa’s Surprise from 28 September to 2 October, We Come From Far, Far Away from 3 to 7 October and Erth’s Wild Rumpus from 26 September to 6 October. SWING, Iwagumi Air Scape and Puzzle also run on the Forecourt between 26 September and 11 October.
Utzon’s World Heritage building provides the festival setting
The event takes place in a building designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon and opened in 1973. The Opera House stands at the tip of a peninsula projecting into Sydney Harbour, with three groups of interlocking vaulted shells set on a broad platform. The UNESCO description of Sydney Opera House records its architectural and structural significance.
That setting gives Wild Things a different spatial arrangement from a single theatre production. The Forecourt becomes a public outdoor area for several festival installations, while the wider complex continues to provide the performance halls and other spaces associated with a major performing arts centre. The combination places children’s activities beside one of the twentieth century’s most closely studied modern buildings.
Sydney Opera House was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2007. Its design was awarded to Utzon by an international jury in 1957, linking the festival’s contemporary programme with a building whose construction history is part of Sydney’s cultural identity.
Visiting Sydney Opera House: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Wild Things runs from 26 September to 11 October 2026 at Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney. The festival’s opening date is 26 September 2026.
- The operator lists free experiences as well as ticketed activities. The free programme includes outdoor events, while individual festival listings determine the format of each activity.
- The Forecourt hosts ZOOOM, SWING, Iwagumi Air Scape, Puzzle and Erth’s Wild Rumpus. Other listed activities take place in festival spaces elsewhere in the complex.
- Sydney Opera House is at Bennelong Point on a peninsula projecting into Sydney Harbour. The site is formed by a broad platform, terraces and interlocking shell structures.
- Australia’s official language is English and its national currency is the Australian dollar.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
Searching for Sydney Opera House on social platforms
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Frequently asked questions about Sydney Opera House
When does Wild Things take place at Sydney Opera House?
Wild Things takes place from 26 September to 11 October 2026 at Sydney Opera House in Sydney.
What is Wild Things at Sydney Opera House?
It is an International Kids Festival with performances, workshops and free experiences, including activities on the Forecourt.
Where is Sydney Opera House and how do you get there?
Sydney Opera House is at Bennelong Point on a peninsula projecting into Sydney Harbour. It is in Sydney, Australia.
