At its 40th anniversary, the Opera House launched its ‘Decade of Renewal’, a bold plan to open up the building to more of the community, while setting the stage for future generations of artists, audiences and visitors. This year, at its 50th anniversary, the Renewal is now complete.

This report considers the economic contribution of the Opera House to New South Wales, its social value to Australia, as well as the important contributions it makes across digital platforms, celebrating First Nations arts and culture, and advancing social and environmental sustainability. The report builds on reports produced by Deloitte in 2013 and 2018, to highlight how the value of the Opera House has evolved throughout the Decade of Renewal.

In 2022-23 the Opera House precinct generated $1.2 billion in economic value and supported 8,000 full-time equivalent jobs. Its biggest impact comes from the role of the Opera House in attracting tourists to visit Sydney from around the country and around the world. In fact, the tourism contribution of Opera House alone is worth more than $800 million.

The social value of the Opera House is estimated at $11.4 billion in 2023. This is a 38% real increase over the decade in like-for-like terms. The social value of the Opera House comprises the value to audiences from attending events and performances, the value Australians place on the existence of the Opera House, and the digital value of the Opera House.

Of course, the Opera House is not just a building, a performance venue or a website – it’s one of the strongest brands in the world, making Australia one of the only countries that is recognisable by an arts and culture centre. In fact, the Opera House is the best-known human-made symbol of Australia’s national identity.