The 50th anniversary of the opening of the Sydney Opera House is a moment to celebrate a cultural landmark and recommit to its place as the ultimate stage for our young artists and creatives in NSW.
Since its opening on this day in 1973, the Opera House has hosted a roll call of the biggest international stars, many of who describe it as a “once in a lifetime” in their careers.
It is the same thrill for the 345,000 children and families a year who attend the House, creating lifelong memories and connection.
More than 12,000 school children from NSW participate annually in events ranging from instrumental and choir performances to graduations, eisteddfods and speech days. Three-quarters of those children will be from public schools, and most from Western Sydney.
On Saturday, the NSW Government will host an “open House” event in which 37,000 people from Sydney and across the state who entered a ticket ballot will get a look behind the scenes and back-of-house before normal service resumes.
Minister for Arts and Music John Graham said:
“The Sydney Opera House is a reminder that we take chances in NSW. Of course, there was intense debate over cost, project mismanagement, waste and government dithering but who can now imagine Sydney Harbour without these sails? It has repaid the debt 100-fold.
“This was a piece of cultural infrastructure that was given momentum by a Labor Premier and opened by a Liberal one, because, like the Opera House, culture in this state is broadly bipartisan and worth fighting for.
“This weekend we pay tribute to Danish designer Jorn Utzon for his genius while we honour how much his building means to millions of us in NSW and remember that we must always keep artistic endeavours relevant to a diverse community.
“We are committed to ensure there is affordable access to Sydney Opera House from our outer suburbs and regions into the future. Under the Minns Labor Government it will remain ‘The People’s House’.