When to book each major company’s season — the Australian performing arts booking calendar
Every year we get the same question from friends who don’t follow the major performing arts calendar closely: when does X announce next year, and when do I have to book? Here’s the rolling annual calendar we work to. The pattern is consistent year-to-year, with most companies announcing within a two-week window of the same date each year.
July — the year opens
The Australian performing arts subscription year effectively begins on the third Wednesday of July, when Opera Australia announces its full annual season at a Sydney media event. Opera Australia is the country’s largest performing arts company by audience and budget, and the launch is the year’s biggest single subscription release. Subscriptions open at the launch; single tickets typically follow in late September. The Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour for the next March-April is announced separately, usually in March-April for the following year.
August — symphonies and chamber
The state symphonies announce in mid-to-late August. The Sydney Symphony Orchestra announces in mid-August, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in mid-September, and the Queensland, West Australian, Adelaide and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras across mid-to-late September. Musica Viva Australia‘s national chamber music subscription season — the country’s most consistent international touring chamber programme — also announces in mid-September. The Australian Chamber Orchestra announces in early September.
For the symphonic and chamber subscription audience, this five-week window from mid-August to late September is the year’s main event. Several state symphony subscription packages overlap with the ACO and Musica Viva subscriptions in offer-pricing — co-ordinating subscriptions across multiple companies is the cheapest way to access serious music in Australia.
September — ballet, theatre, dance
The major theatre and dance companies cluster in September. Sydney Theatre Company announces in mid-September, The Australian Ballet in late August or early September, Melbourne Theatre Company in early September, Bell Shakespeare in late September. Queensland Ballet and the smaller state ballet companies announce in mid-September. Bangarra Dance Theatre and Sydney Dance Company announce in early October.
October — Adelaide and Perth festivals
The first major festival programme launches happen in late October. Adelaide Festival launches its programme in the third week of October for the following March; Perth Festival launches in the same week for the following late February-March. Sydney Festival launches in late October for the following January.
Festival programme launches are the most time-pressured booking events of the year. Adelaide Festival’s marquee productions sell out within forty-eight hours of programme launch — accommodation in Adelaide for Festival fortnight quotes double the rest-of-year rate and the city is small. If Adelaide is on your calendar, lock the trip the day the programme launches, not when you’ve finalised which productions you want.
November — single tickets land
Through November, single tickets release for everything that announced in August-October. The Opera Australia and Sydney Symphony single-ticket release dates in late October-early November are the most heavily watched.
March — RISING and the half-year update
RISING in Melbourne announces in March each year for the following June. Brisbane Festival announces in May for the following September. Dark Mofo’s programme launches in early April for the June festival.
The booking strategy
If you subscribe across multiple companies, the August-September window is when most of your annual booking decisions happen. If you fly interstate for performances, the October festival launches are the key dates — book the trip the day the programme drops. If you only buy single tickets, the November-early December window is the one to watch; that’s when the November-released single tickets converge with the lead-up to the year’s marquee December and January programmes.
Margaret keeps a running calendar of subscription release dates as they’re confirmed each year. We’ll publish updates at Seasons as the dates land.
