Opera Australia’s annual Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour programming is yet to be announced due to an alleged funding cut by Haruhisa Handa.

In its recent 2027 season announcement featuring classic works like “La bohème” and “The Magic Flute,” Opera Australia did not include any listings for Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour or a mainstage musical. Currently, Opera Australia’s website directs those on the 2027 season of Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour page to join a waitlist for updates.

The Financial Review reported two anonymous theories regarding the missing listings. It is suspected that funding from Handa’s International Foundation for Arts and Culture is on hold due to the billionaire’s “frustration” with the Opera company’s staging of musicals. A different source told the Financial Review that the delay may not be related to musicals, but rather due to an ongoing negotiation with Handa over his level of support.

The International Foundation for Arts and Culture has provided funding to the Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour since 2012, resulting in around $1 million a year. Handa is still listed as Opera Australia’s patron-in-chief, along with other backers including the NSW government’s tourism agency, Destination NSW, and its home state’s arts agency, Create NSW.

The season announcement closed with the statement, “OA is deeply grateful for the continued support of its generous donors and corporate partners, and for the sustained investment from federal and state governments that allows the national opera company to bring these exceptional experiences of music and song to our stages.”

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