What's On

Madama Butterfly

Fire. Water. Beauty. Darkness. When love is lost, what is left behind?

Cio-Cio-San is a woman who dreams of a bigger life. Pinkerton is a man who sees only a butterfly, something he can capture and keep. His callous pursuit ripples into sweeping tragedy.

Puccini’s eternally popular Madama Butterfly is a profoundly moving experience. The yearning score soars to incredible heights (Cio-Cio-San’s dazzling ‘Un bel di’) and offers moments of exquisite stillness (the ‘Humming Chorus’).

Moffatt Oxenbould’s award-winning production is timeless. Tiny candles glimmer among floating flowers in a real onstage moat. Sliding paper panels reveal and conceal the secrets everyone is keeping. Sumptuous, colourful costumes are inspired by Japanese traditional dress. It’s a serene, stunning backdrop for the unfolding emotional turmoil.

Extraordinary singers draw every ounce of emotion out of the passionate score, led by conductors Andrea Battistoni, Erina Yashima and Paul Fitzsimon. Four emerging international stars make their Australian debuts. Sopranos Guanqun Yu and Vittoria Yeo have performed all over Europe and America and now share the role of Cio-Cio-San at the Sydney Opera House along with Australian star Olivia Cranwell. La Scala-trained tenor Oreste Cosimo and versatile young American tenor Robert Watson sing the role of Pinkerton.

This is a must-see production of a must-see opera (back by popular demand) featuring must-see singers — a bucket list performance you’ll remember forever.

Event details

Venue: Sydney Opera House
Bookings: https://opera.org.au/productions/madama-butterfly-sydney/
Start Date: Wednesday 04 March 2026

Find more events in Sydney»

Disclaimer: Australian Stage takes no responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided in event listings. You are advised to confirm performance dates/times with the company and/or venue before purchasing tickets.

Most read Sydney reviews

Izzard: The Tragedy of Hamlet
To Shakespeare’s text be true is the obvious goal here, and writer, director and actor have each scored.
The First Murder | Pinchgut Opera
In the care of Pinchgut Opera’s director, Erin Helyard, this music, formulaic as it indeed is in some respects, sprang off the page into an experience rich in emotions.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels | Redfern Lane Productions
Unabashedly and unapologetically entertaining, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels delights in its hoax hokum, a whimsical hustle of musical comedy bustle.
Continuity | New Theatre
On the set of a big-budget Hollywood eco-thriller, the clock is ticking for an on time and under budget wrap.
Cadaver Synod | NIDA and bAKEHOUSE Theatre Co
Blind faith and rational belief are always sparring partners in dramatic conflict and so it is here with the power play tinged with superstition and salaciousness.

Most read reviews

Retrograde | Melbourne Theatre Company
The script is based on a true story, although this dramatisation can feel somewhat contrived, with important assertions not interrogated, and credibility stretched as a result.
Izzard: The Tragedy of Hamlet
To Shakespeare’s text be true is the obvious goal here, and writer, director and actor have each scored.
The First Murder | Pinchgut Opera
In the care of Pinchgut Opera’s director, Erin Helyard, this music, formulaic as it indeed is in some respects, sprang off the page into an experience rich in emotions.
Sheltering | Bangarra
Even when individual works did not fully land for me dramaturgically, there is no denying the precision, intelligence and care of the artists creating them.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels | Redfern Lane Productions
Unabashedly and unapologetically entertaining, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels delights in its hoax hokum, a whimsical hustle of musical comedy bustle.