LES MISÉRABLES to Make Sydney Opera House Premiere

Opera Australia has announced that Cameron Mackintosh's production of Les Misérables will play the Sydney Opera House for the first time, with performances set for the Joan Sutherland Theatre beginning 27 August 2027.

It marks the first time the fully-staged production has played in Australia in over a decade, when it broke box-office records. The arrival at the Sydney Opera House brings together the musical and the venue for the first time.

Les Misérables, which celebrated its 40th Birthday in the West End last October, has been seen by more than 150 million people in 57 countries, and has been translated into 22 languages. It has won over 275 major awards around the world, among which five Olivier Awards (including a special recognition award in April 2025), eight Tony Awards, five Helpmann Awards, and more recently Best West End Show at the 2026 WhatsOnStage Awards, with the movie winning three Oscars.

Les Misérables is the longest running and indisputably one of the most popular musicals in the world. Based on Victor Hugo's classic novel, Les Misérables is an epic and uplifting story about the survival of the human spirit. Its timeless themes, unforgettable characters, and sweeping score with songs including 'I Dreamed a Dream', 'On My Own', 'Bring Him Home', 'One Day More', and 'Master of the House' have made it a defining work of musical theatre.

Cameron Mackintosh's production of Les Misérables is written by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg and is based on the novel by Victor Hugo. It has music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer and original French text by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel, additional material by James Fenton and adaptation by Trevor Nunn and John Caird. Orchestrations are by Stephen Metcalfe, Christopher Jahnke and Stephen Brooker with original orchestrations by John Cameron.

The production is directed by Laurence Connor and James Powell, designed by Matt Kinley inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo with original costume design by Andreane Neofitou, additional costume design by Christine Rowland and Paul Wills, lighting by Paule Constable, sound by Mick Potter and projections realised by Finn Ross & 59 Productions. The Australian production is directed by Christopher Key, with music supervision by Alfonso Casado Trigo.

Opera Australia's Director of Opera Amy Lane said '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.'

Producer of Les Misérables, Sir Cameron Mackintosh said, '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.'

Minister for Jobs and Tourism, Steve Kamper said, '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.'

The 2027 Sydney season comes 40 years after Les Misérables first premiered in Australia in 1987, marking a new milestone in the musical's enduring Australian history.

Les Misérables: The Arena Concert Spectacular recently concluded a world tour having sold over 1.3 million tickets across 35 cities globally, including Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, and earlier this year First Night Records released Les Misérables: The 40th Anniversary All-Star Cast – the ultimate and complete recording – available now through streaming and digital platforms and as a double CD.

Les Misérables is supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency Destination NSW.

Early access to Les Misérables tickets is available from 13 October by booking an Opera Australia 2027 Season Subscription of two or more productions via opera.org.au/subscribe-sydney.

Priority pre-sale access to single-performance tickets begins Tuesday 27 October 2026.

Audiences can join the waitlist via www.lesmis.com.au/#waitlist.