By: HISTORY.com Editors

1973

Sydney Opera House opens

Published: July 21, 2010

Last Updated: May 27, 2025

After 15 years of construction, the Sydney Opera House is dedicated by Queen Elizabeth II on October 20, 1973. The $80 million structure, designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon and funded by the profits of the Opera House Lotteries, was built on Bennelong Point, in Sydney, Australia.

Famous for its geometric roof shells, the structure contains several large auditoriums and presents an average of 3,000 events a year to an estimated two million people. The first performance in the complex was the Australian Opera’s production of Sergei Prokofiev’s War and Peace, which was held in the 1,547-seat Opera Theatre. Today, the Opera House remains Sydney’s best-known landmark and is recognizable the world over.

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Citation Information

Article title
Sydney Opera House opens
Website Name
History
Date Accessed
July 11, 2025
Publisher
A&E Television Networks
Last Updated
May 27, 2025
Original Published Date
July 21, 2010

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