Skip to content

Sydney Opera House

multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

One of the 21 Finalists

Sydney Opera House

City of Sydney, Australia

The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney, Australia. It is one of the 20th century’s most famous and distinctive buildings.

Designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, the building was formally opened on 20 October 1973 after a gestation beginning with Utzon’s 1957 selection as winner of an international design competition. The government of New South Wales, led by the premier, Joseph Cahill, authorised work to begin in 1958 with Utzon directing construction. The government’s decision to build Utzon’s design is often overshadowed by circumstances that followed, including cost and scheduling overruns as well as the architect’s ultimate resignation.

The building and its surrounds occupy the whole of Bennelong Point in Sydney Harbour, between Sydney Cove and Farm Cove, adjacent to the Sydney central business district and the Royal Botanic Gardens, and close by the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Though its name suggests a single venue, the building comprises multiple performance venues which together are among the busiest performing arts centres – hosting well over 1,500 performances annually, attended by more than 1.2 million people. Performances are presented by numerous performing artists, including four resident companies: Opera Australia, The Australian Ballet, the Sydney Theatre Company and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. As one of the most popular visitor attractions in Australia, more than eight million people visit the site annually, and approximately 350,000 visitors take a guided tour of the building each year. The building is managed by the Sydney Opera House Trust, an agency of the New South Wales State Government.

On 28 June 2007, the Sydney Opera House became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Official

New 7 Wonders of the World

Great Wall of China

series of fortifications built along the historical border of China

Machu Picchu

15th-century Inca site in Peru

Taj Mahal

A white marble mausoleum in Agra, India

Chichén Itzá

Pyramid at Chichén Itzá, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Colosseum

elliptical amphitheatre in Rome

Cristo Redentor

statue of Jesus in Río de Janeiro, Brazil

Petra

Arabian historical and archaeological city, Jordan

Worldmap

The 21 Finalists

Latest News

New7Wonders continues, find out how in our News Room

Bernard Weber Joins Global Visionaries in Authoring an Inspirational Book Launched at the United Nations

Bernard Weber, Founder-President of New7Wonders was invited to contribute to a groundbreaking initiative, “Vision for the Future”, an e-book designed to capture and share inspiring success stories from leaders and changemakers around the world, featuring the personal narratives from 25 visionaries who are making a significant impact in their respective fields. Vision For The Future … Continued

Petra honours all the New 7 Wonders of the World on 7 Wonders Day

On July 7, the official 7 Wonders Day around the world, Petra celebrates and honours all the New 7 Wonders of the World, with a visual recreation, by people standing together, of a human number “7” next to the historical treasury site in Jordan. With this 7 symbol, as well as other events to celebrate … Continued

Symbolic giant human “7” created at Machu Picchu, one of the New 7 Wonders of the World

To mark the official 7 Wonders Day, celebrated on 7 July every year around the world, Machu Picchu organises the highest-ever altitude recreation of a giant human number “7”. With this striking visual, Machu Picchu honours the world’s first-ever global vote to elect the New 7 Wonders of the World, a campaign organised by the … Continued

Bernard Weber & New 7 Wonders featured in Switzerland’s number one magazine

Zürich, 10 October 2023 The number one magazine in Switzerland publishes a cover article honouring the New 7 Wonders movement Founder-President, Bernard Weber. Coop magazine, with a readership of 3 million in a nation of 9 million inhabitants, also tells the story about how the world’s first ever global voting campaign for the New 7 … Continued

New7Wonders Wonder Marker at the Great Wall celebrated across Chinese News Media

Beijing and Zurich, 10 July 2023 The official unveiling of the New7Wonders Wonder Marker on 7 Wonders Day 2023 at the Great Wall has been widely reported across mainstream and social mobile media throughout China, recognising and celebrating the importance of this historic moment. Video news reports, distributed through the main mobile news portals that … Continued

Wonderful Content loading...

Hello! Contact New 7 Wonders Close

Do you have any questions about the New7Wonders campaigns?
Are you writing an article, do you have a project in mind?
Maybe you have an idea using the New7Wonders concept?
Whatever it is, just say "Hello!" to us, and we will reply as soon as we can.

If you are from the press or a media organisation, or a social media reporter, please use this form to contact our Communications Department.

If you have an idea involving the New7Wonders concept, or maybe you want to associate New7Wonders with your product or brand, or any other commercial or business or new creative idea, please use this form to contact Jean-Paul de la Fuente, New7Wonders Head of Value Development.>