As an icon of Sydney and one of the most famous buildings in the world, the Sydney Opera House presents over 1,200 performances annually to more than 1.2 million people.
Located on the shores of Sydney harbour, adjacent to the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the opera house with its distinctive “shells” design includes in addition to the main concert hall, four other theatres and other performances spaces that can be used as required. The building also provides a recording studio, cafes, restaurants, bars and retail shops. Regular guided tours of the front-of-house spaces occur and there is also a daily backstage tour that takes visitors backstage to see areas normally reserved for performers and crew members.
It is estimated that 8 million people visit the opera house site each year.
In 2007, the opera house was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.