Must-See Events in 2025

With so many extraordinary and exciting concerts the year, it can be hard to know what to choose. We’ve come up with this selection of unforgettable concerts where you’ll feel the connection with Chief Conductor Simone Young and our musicians, with world-class guest artists, timeless masterpieces, and unmissable concert experiences that simply must be experienced live.

Want further inspiration? You can listen to some of our Season highlights on Spotify as you browse.

Ravel & Falla

10–13 July | Sydney Opera House Concert Hall

Spanish music is full of life. From Ravel’s heart-pounding conclusion to Bolero to Falla’s rousing The Three-Cornered Hat, this concert will thrill and transport you.

Listen to This

22 July | City Recital Hall

Join Benjamin Northey and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra for Listen to This, a concert helping you understand, explore, and listen to orchestral music like never before.

Javier Perianes performs Saint-Saëns

30 July–2 August | Sydney Opera House Concert Hall

Prepare for a fascinating voyage through exotic landscapes to the great expanses of the human heart, with music by Saint-Saëns, Shostakovich and Rossini.

Stephen Layton conducts Bach, Mozart & Handel

21 & 23 August | Sydney Opera House Concert Hall

Stephen Layton is one of the world’s greatest choral conductors, an expert in vocal music from the Renaissance to the modern day. In this concert he conducts Baroque and Classical masterpieces by Bach, Handel, Mozart and Haydn, featuring guest soloist Sara Macliver.

Simone Young conducts Richard Strauss

3–6 September | Sydney Opera House Concert Hall

Chief Conductor Simone Young is one of the world’s leading interpreters of Richard Strauss’ music. In this concert she draws out the vast power of three very different works, alongside Australian pianist Andrea Lam and the virtuosity of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.  

Donald Runnicles conducts Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony

12–14 September | Sydney Opera House Concert Hall

Principal Guest Conductor Sir Donald Runnicles leads this concert of dramatic music, from the defiance of Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony to the heroism of Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto.

Kutcha Edwards & the Sydney Symphony

14 October | Sydney Opera House Concert Hall

Come together at the Sydney Opera House as iconic activist and multi award-winning songwriter Kutcha Edwards – ‘quite possibly the finest contemporary singer of his generation’ (Rhythms Magazine) – presents Ngarli-Wangu, together with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Conductor in Residence Benjamin Northey.

Daniel Müller-Schott performs Tchaikovsky

22–25 October | Sydney Opera House Concert Hall

The enchanting worlds of Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky and Dukas are full of magic and mischief, and utterly captivating to experience firsthand.

Family Concerts with the Sydney Symphony

It's never too late to introduce your family to the magic of live orchestral music and make unforgettable musical memories together with the Sydney Symphony.

Toy Story in Concert

16–19 July | Sydney Opera House Concert Hall

Experience this groundbreaking family favourite like never before, as we celebrate its 30th anniversary by travelling to infinity…and beyond!

Ready, Set, Listen!

26 July | Ashfield Town Hall

Welcome to Ready, Set, Listen!, Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s family event, specifically designed for little ears.

Peter and the Wolf

23 August | Sydney Opera House Concert Hall

Join the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House for Peter and the Wolf, an enchanting musical tale that has been inspiring young music lovers for generations.

Looking for something else?

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