40 images for 40 years of the Sydney Opera House

Naval ships approach Sydney Opera House as part of celebrations to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first arrival of the Royal Australian Navy fleet into Sydney Harbor. (Saeed Khan / AFP/Getty Images)

Oct. 21, 2013 8:16 AM PT

Share via
- Email
- Facebook
- X
- LinkedIn
- Threads
- Reddit
- WhatsApp

The Sydney Opera House, which attracts about 8 million visitors a year and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007, celebrated its 40th anniversary on Oct. 20. The iconic venue was designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, whose design was chosen from over 200 submissions in an international competition. Construction on the performance center began in the late 1950s, and it was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1973. In its 40 years it’s hosted thousands of performances, Olympic ceremonies and has served as a focal point for cultural events. Here’s a look at the venue over the years.

Cranes rise over Sydney Opera House during its construction in 1963. (J. R. T. Richardson / Getty Images)

Projections light up the performance venue during Vivid Sydney, an annual festival of light, music and ideas. (Saeed Khan / AFP/Getty Images)

Workers install lights in preparation for Vivid Sydney. (Saeed Khan / AFP/Getty Images)

Workers remove an antiwar slogan painted on the Sydney Opera House. The statement was made in protest to the war in Iraq. (Greg Wood / AFP/Getty Images)

Jupiter, Venus, Mercury and Mars converge over the concert hall in a rare planetary alignment on May 13, 2011. (Cameron Spencer / Getty Images)

An aerial view of the opera house and its iconic sails. (Torsten Blackwood / AFP/Getty Images)

Giant neon tubes line the sails of the Sydney Opera House on the day the International Olympic Committee announced that Sydney would host the 2000 Olympic Games. (Torsten Blackwood / AFP/Getty Images)

30 skydivers create the symbol of the Olympic Games over the Sydney Opera House as part of a campaign to have sport parachuting included in the 2000 Olympics. (Shane Sparks / AFP/Getty Images)

Queen Elizabeth II, left, appears at a ceremony to mark the opening of the new Colonnade at the Sydney Opera House on March 13, 2006. (AFP/Getty Images)

A LEGO re-creation of the 1973 opening of the Sydney Opera House. In the foreground, a LEGO Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. (Handout / Getty Images)

Australian comedian Barry Humphries, dressed as his Dame Edna Everage character, models an Ascot hat inspired by the Sydney Opera House. (Wesley / Getty Images)

Fireworks and projections commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first arrival of the Royal Australian Navy fleet into Sydney Harbor. (Cameron Spencer / Getty Images)

Images of Australia’s flag light up the Sydney Opera House. (William West / AFP/Getty Images)

A model at Australian Fashion Week. (Matt King / Getty Images)

Vivid Sydney 2011. (Mark Nolan / Getty Images)

The Olympic torch passes by before the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics. (Nick Wilson / Getty Images)

A darkened Sydney Opera House during Earth Hour 2013. (Lisa Maree Williams / Getty Images)

The Sydney Opera House celebrates St. Patrick’s Day. (Brendon Thorne / Getty Images)

The opera house turns pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. (Brendon Thorne / Getty Images)

The concert hall’s sails are lighted red for World AIDS Day. (Greg Wood / AFP/Getty Images)

The concert hall a few days before its 30th anniversary. (Nick Wilson / Getty Images)

Dust engulfs the opera house. (Brendon Thorne / Getty Images)

Musician Arkady Shilkloper plays an alphorn atop the Sydney Opera House’s largest sail. (Mark Metcalfe / Getty Images)

The Queen Mary 2 ocean liner cruises by the Sydney Opera House. (Cameron Spencer / Getty Images)

Fireworks explode during the 2000 Sydney Olympics closing ceremony. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Fireworks light up the skies over Sydney Harbor to celebrate New Year’s 2011. (Torsten Blackwood / AFP/Getty Images)

Inside the Sydney Opera House’s Concert Hall, a venue with 2,679 seats. (Cameron Spencer / Getty Images)

A pianist rehearses on a grand piano. (Cameron Spencer / Getty Images)

Rows of seats inside the Concert Hall. (Cameron Spencer / Getty Images)

The Grand Organ inside the Concert Hall contains over 10,000 pipes. (Cameron Spencer / Getty Images)

The pipes of the Grand Organ. (Cameron Spencer / Getty Images)

Power cords and electrical equipment in the Dame Joan Sutherland Theater. (Cameron Spencer / Getty Images)

Tourists walk through a foyer. (Cameron Spencer / Getty Images)

Tourists stroll along Circular Quay, a walkway leading to the Sydney Opera House. (Roslan Rahman / AFP/Getty Images)

Architect Jørn Utzon stands in front of his creation during its construction. (Hulton Archive / Getty Images)

Jørn Utzon at his home in Elsinore, Denmark, in 1957. (AFP/Getty Images)

Scaffolding covers the Sydney Opera House during construction in 1966. (Keystone / Getty Images)

Bennelong restaurant at the Sydney Opera House, as seen on July 24, 1973. (Keystone / Getty Images)

Travel & Experiences

40 images for 40 years of the Sydney Opera House

More From the Los Angeles Times

What’s that smell? Readers share the scents that remind them of L.A.

Yosemite reservations system halted reportedly for Trump ‘blessing’; you can still book Firefall

These 24 Angeles National Forest trails and campgrounds are closed following the Eaton fire

These are our favorite ‘mental health escapes’ within driving distance of L.A.