Wild Things International Kids Festival

This spring school holidays, 26 September – 11 October 2026, Sydney Opera House will transform into a creative wonderland for kids and their families with the inaugural Wild Things International Kids Festival. Across 16 days, leading companies from Europe, North America, the United Kingdom, Asia and Australia will illustrate the breadth and artistic ingenuity of performance-making for young people aged 0-14 – and the young at heart.

Free, large-scale interactive installations and performances will take over the Forecourt as the space becomes a vibrant playground where families roam free among immersive activations. Inside the building, a dynamic array of performances includes two shows for babies and nine Australian premieres. With a program spanning circus, Korean pansori, wildly inventive page-to stage adaptations of classic children’s books – and James Joyce’s Ulysses – this festival takes young audiences on a journey through Taiwan, Syria, Africa, Korea, Australia’s First Nations, Antarctica, Europe, the far reaches of the forest, the deep sea and even outer space. All performances are accessibly priced at $49 and under, with free creative workshops – including one using the latest Apple technology – and play activities for a roaring good time.

List of Events Included:

Free events:

• SWING (26 Sep–11 Oct)
• Iwagumi Air Scape (26 Sep–11 Oct)
• Puzzle (26 Sep–1 Oct)
• Living Sculptures: How the Birds Got Their Colours (2–6 Oct)
• Les moutons (7–11 Oct)
• Free creative play / workshops

Ticketed shows:

• ZOOOM (Ages 4+)
• Tinker Tales! (Ages 6+)
• Grand Soft Day (Ages 2–6)
• Waiting! (Ages 3+)
• The Longest Nights (Ages 7+)
• We Come From Far, Far Away (Ages 10+)
• Volatile Ombré (Ages 1+)
• Be Kind (6–18 months)
• Handa’s Surprise (Ages 2–5)
• Cookies, Ann, Cream (Ages 10+)