Sydney Opera House was designed by the Danish architect Jørn Utzon, who won an international design competition in 1957.

The construction began in 1958, and the building was formally opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 20 October 1973.

In 2007 the Sydney Opera House became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and was also a finalist in the New 7 Wonders of the World list. Perhaps that is why Sydney Opera House holds an opera that is titled “The Eight Wonder” and tells the story of the Sydney Opera House itself. “The Eight Wonder” first premiered at the Sydney Opera House in October of 1995.

The building comprises multiple performance venues, which together host more than 1500 performances per year, attended by more than 1.2 million people. As one of the most popular attractions in Australia, the site is visited by more than 8 million people annually.

You can hear more interesting facts about this unique building during the Sydney Opera House official guided tour, or if you want to know more about the aesthetic details of its design, you can choose the architectural guided tour instead.

If you have any questions or wish to plan your visit, check our F.A.Q. here.