Angus suspects Oliver of faking tears on My Kitchen Rules, but Oliver laughs off the accusation. He says his emotions rose up while cooking the food his Italian grandfather taught him. Harrison says Angus and Simon have been stirring up trouble with the other team, and he thinks it could backfire on them. This week, Oliver sings opera to ease the tension. Harrison and Oliver also hope to work together on a television series or open a restaurant one day.
Welsh bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel says his love of singing comes from his upbringing as the son of a sheep farmer. Ahead of a tour of Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne from October 26 to November 21, 2026, he reflected on Wales, his knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II in 2017 and his hopes for opera. He said Welsh singers have long punched above their weight and that strong productions will be needed to draw audiences back to opera houses.
Opera Queensland will stage Bravo!, a show of familiar opera favourites, at the Kingston Butter Factory on Thursday 5 November. The 80-minute performance runs without an interval and suits all ages. Doors open at 6.30pm, with the show starting at 7pm. Tickets cost $35 plus a $5 transaction fee and can be booked through Logan Arts. The program suits both regular opera fans and newcomers to the art form.
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Opera singers Teddy Tahu Rhodes and Georgia Wilkinson will perform two shows of Morning Melodies at Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne, on Monday, November 9. The concerts begin at 11am and 1.30pm. Rhodes, a baritone, is known for his roles in South Pacific and Carmen. Wilkinson, a soprano, is known for The Magic Flute and The Phantom of the Opera, and won the Herald Sun Aria. The concert is aimed at opera fans and those who enjoy well-loved melodies.
New York's Metropolitan Opera is marking 20 years of its Live in HD productions with a season screening in Australian cinemas from later this month. The first production, Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte, opens on October 31. Verdi's Macbeth follows from November 14. A documentary hosted by soprano Renee Fleming, featuring highlights from more than 185 onscreen performances, is now showing in cinemas. The 2026-27 season runs through to July.
Opera Queensland staged its free Bravo! concert at Cooktown's William Daku Waterfront on Thursday 22 October. About 180 people attended, including locals, families, seniors and overseas visitors. Four singers and a pianist performed favourite operas, with the finale drawing a warm response from the crowd. On Friday 23 October, the cast visited Sunbird Cottage to perform for aged care residents. The event was supported through the Regional Arts Development Fund, a partnership between the Queensland Government and Cook Shire Council.
Artist Justene Williams has a new exhibition, Once We Were Mudskippers, at Queensland Art Gallery in Brisbane. It brings together works from the last 20 years of her career. Williams has been collected by galleries including the UK's Tate and the National Gallery of Australia. She also collaborated with Sydney Chamber Opera and was painted for an Archibald-winning portrait. The show includes new work, such as emote sculptures inspired by the video game Fortnite. The exhibition runs until March 7.
Arts Centre Melbourne has announced that Operation: Orfeo will return to the Ian Potter State Theatre in February, 30 years after its Victorian premiere season at the same venue. The work blends opera and visual art, retelling the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Staged for 80 minutes, it features the Latvian Radio Choir and is recommended for ages 14 and over. The show uses lasers. Performances run from February 18 to 20.
Dame Nellie Melba, an opera singer from Melbourne, became a global star in the early 20th century. Born Helen Porter Mitchell in 1861, she performed from childhood and later trained in Europe under Mathilde Marchesi, taking her stage name there. Her marriage ended in divorce, and she toured Australia in 1902 to huge crowds. She died suddenly in Sydney in 1931 of septicaemia after facial surgery, according to the press. Historian Leigh Boucher, co-host of The Dead Can't Sue, shared the research behind the story.
Opera Australia is staging a new production of Puccini's opera La Bohème at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne from November 7 to 18. It is the company's first new mainstage version of the work in 15 years. Set in 20th century Paris, the production features hand-painted scenery, flying balloon effects and costumes made in-house. Melbourne-born soprano Alexandra Flood will sing Musetta during a homecoming season. Finnegan Downie Dear makes his Opera Australia debut as conductor, leading Orchestra Victoria and the company's choruses.
Opera Up Late, the late-night operatic cabaret, returns to Melbourne's Regent Theatre for one performance on Sunday, November 15. Host Reuben Kaye will lead the show, which mixes opera with musical theatre classics and some pop hits. Opera Australia singers Emma Matthews, Ruth Strutt, Daniel Macey and Anthony Mackey are among the cast. This year's set is borrowed from Opera Australia's new production of La Boheme, and the show features new material and costumes. Director Shaun Rennie describes the concert as a celebration of opera, queerness and camp. Bookings are available through opera.org.au.
