Theatre Shows & Musicals for Kids, Teens & Adults to See In Australia 2026

We love theatre and musicals, so we’ve gathered top shows in one place for you. Updated regularly - check back often!

Note: Details may change, so check the official show websites for the latest updates. This post contains affiliate links, which help support our site at no extra cost to you.

Photo by Daniel Boud - supplied

MJ THE MUSICAL (REVIEWED)

  • Synopsis: He is one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Now, Michael Jackson’s unique and unparalleled artistry is heading to Australia in the multiple Tony Award®-winning musical MJ. Centred around the making of his 1992 Dangerous World Tour, MJ goes beyond the singular moves and signature sound of the star, offering a rare look at the creative mind and collaborative spirit that catapulted Jackson into legendary status.

  • Age Recommendation: Recommended for ages 8 years and up.

  • Duration: 2 hours and 30 minutes, including 20-minute interval.

  • Warnings: TBA

  • Showing in the following cities:

  • Our Sydney review here.

  • Watch the show trailer here.

Photo by Daniel Boud - supplied

ANNIE THE MUSICAL (REVIEWED)

  • Synopsis: The beloved tale of Annie has been capturing the hearts of theatregoers around the globe for generations. And now the legendary, joyous and inspiring production returns to Australian stages. The ever-popular Broadway musical Annie will light up Sydney’s Capitol Theatre from March next year in an exciting new production directed by Karen Johnson Mortimer and produced by John Frost for Crossroads Live.

  • Age Recommendation: Recommended for ages 6 years and up.

  • Duration: 2hrs 30 minutes, including 20-minute interval.

  • Warnings: May contain loud noises, flashing lights, smoke effects, and strobe lighting.

  • Showing in the following cities:

  • Our Sydney review here.

  • Watch the show trailer here.

Photo supplied

BEETLEJUICE THE MUSICAL (REVIEWED)

  • Synopsis: The brilliantly-bonkers and genius mind behind the cult-sensation soundtrack to Beetlejuice The Musical, is about to bring his own creation to life in a way you’ve never seen before. This is no ordinary casting news – this is a World Premiere with a man born for the bizarre, taking centre stage in the role he helped bring (back) to life!

  • Age Recommendation: Recommended for ages 14 years and up.

  • Duration: 2 hours 30 mins, including 20-minute interval.

  • Warnings: This production contains coarse language, mature themes, sexual references, exploration of death (including the death of a parent) and references to suicide and drug use. This production also contains substantial haze and fog, sudden loud noises, pyrotechnic and strobe lighting effects.

  • Showing in the following cities:

  • Our Melbourne review here.

  • Watch the show trailer here.

Photo by Daniel Boud - supplied

CATS THE MUSICAL (REVIEWED)

  • Synopsis: On 27 July 1985, a ground-breaking musical production had its Australian Premiere at Theatre Royal Sydney, heralding an era of the British “mega-musical” in Australia. Now, 40 years later, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s record-breaking musical CATS returns to Theatre Royal Sydney to celebrate it’s 40th anniversary, opening in June 2025.

  • Age Recommendation: Recommended for ages 5 and up.

  • Duration: 2 hours and 20 minutes, including a 20-minute interval.

  • Warnings: TBA

  • Showing in the following cities:

  • Our Sydney review here.

  • Watch the show trailer here.

Photo sourced - The Book of Mormon Facebook Page

THE BOOK OF MORMON (REVIEWED)

  • Synopsis: The New York Times calls it "the best musical of this century." The Washington Post says, "It is the kind of evening that restores your faith in musicals." And Entertainment Weekly says, "Grade A: the funniest musical of all time." It's THE BOOK OF MORMON, the nine-time Tony Award®-winning Best Musical. 

  • Age Recommendation: Recommended for ages 14 years+ due to strong sexual references.

  • Duration: 2 hours and 30 minutes, including a 20 minute interval.

  • Warnings: Contains explicit language, strong sexual references, strobe lighting, flashing lights, smoke, haze, gunshots and effects.

  • Showing in the following cities:

  • Our Sydney review here.

  • Watch the show trailer here.

Photo sourced - Back to the Future Australia

BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE MUSICAL (REVIEWED)

  • Synopsis: Theatre-lovers, film buffs, DeLorean enthusiasts and time travellers alike are invited to come back in time with Marty McFly and Dr. Emmett Brown.

  • Age Recommendation: Recommended for ages 6 and up.

  • Duration: 2 hours and 35 minutes, including a 20 minute interval.

  • Warnings: Contains flashing lights, strobe effects, smoke/haze and pyrotechnics.

  • Showing in the following cities:

  • Our Sydney review here.

  • Watch the show trailer here.

PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL (REVIEWED)

Photo by Daniel Boud

  • Synopsis: Head to Hollywood with the dazzling stage adaptation of one of the most beloved romantic comedies of all time – Pretty Woman: The Musical. Bursting with glamour, charm and all the iconic moments you know and love, this joyous musical hit will premiere at QPAC’s Lyric Theatre this October.

  • Age Recommendation: Recommended for ages 12 and up.

  • Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes, including interval.

  • Warnings: This production contains explicit language, strobe lighting, flashing lights, smoke, haze, gunshots and effects., It also contains mature themes, including prostitution, sexual references, and implied nudity, so it may not be suitable for all audiences. Parental discretion is advised.

  • Showing in the following cities:

  • Watch the show trailer here.

  • Our review here.

Photo by Jeff Busby

A CHRISTMAS CAROL (REVIEWED)

  • Synopsis: This five-time Tony Award®-winning production of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol will return to Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre for a strictly limited 5-week season from 27 November.

    On a winter Christmas Eve, the cold-hearted miser, Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by four ghosts. Transported to worlds past, present, and future, he witnesses what a lifetime of greed and fear could lead to and sees with fresh eyes the possibility of joy and kindness. Can Ebenezer be saved before it’s too late?

  • Age Recommendation: Recommended for ages 8 and up.

  • Duration: 2 hours including 20 minute interval

  • Warnings: This performance contains theatrical smoke, haze and lighting effects, and loud noises.

  • Showing in the following cities:

  • Watch the show trailer here.

  • Our review here.

Photo supplied

ANASTASIA

  • Synopsis: ANASTASIA is a lavish musical for the whole family, transporting audiences from the twilight years of the Imperial rule to the euphoria and exuberance of Paris in the 1920s, as a brave young woman named Anya sets out to discover the mystery of her past.

    Pursued by an army officer determined to silence her, she enlists the aid of a dashing conman and a lovable ex-aristocrat. Together, they embark on an epic adventure to help her find home, love, and family.

  • Age Recommendation: Recommended for ages 8 and up.

  • Duration: 2 hours and 25 minutes including 20 minute interval

  • Warnings: This production contains theatrical haze, strobe lights, gunshot sound effects and smoking.

  • Showing in the following cities:

  • Watch the show trailer here.

Photo supplied

ORPHEUS & EURYDICE

  • Synopsis: Journey to the underworld and back. Gluck’s heartbreaking opera follows the grieving Orpheus into the jaws of Hades to rescue his beloved Eurydice. He must complete his quest without looking back, or lose Eurydice forever.

  • Age Recommendation: Recommended for ages 13 and up.

  • Duration: Approximately 80 minutes, with no interval.

  • Warnings: This production contains infrequent partial nudity and some strobe lighting and flashing lights.

  • Showing in the following cities:

  • Watch the show trailer here.

Image supplied

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

  • Synopsis: The cult Broadway and Hollywood sci-fi smash musical Little Shop of Horrors is back – bigger, bolder, and hungrier than ever! 

    Step inside Mushnik’s flower shop on Skid Row, in this black comedy musical, where down-on-his-luck Seymour discovers a strange and unusual plant with a taste for more than just plant food. Meet Audrey II – the foul-mouthed, R&B-singing carnivore with a killer personality that’s ready to take over the stage (and the world). 

  • Age Recommendation: Recommended for ages 12 and up.

  • Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes including interval, subject to change without notice.

  • Warnings: This production will contain haze/smoke, mature content, drug references and depictions of violence.

  • Showing in the following cities:

PUTTING IT TOGETHER

Image Supplied

  • Synopsis: Putting It Together is a dazzling celebration of Stephen Sondheim’s greatest work.
    Set at a glamorous cocktail party, the show blends wit, charm, and razor-sharp insight as the cast navigate the complexities of love, ambition, and desire.

  • Age Recommendation: TBA

  • Duration: 2 hours including a 20 minute interval.

  • Warnings: TBA

  • Showing in the following cities:

CLUEDO THE PLAY

Image Supplied

  • Synopsis: Murder and blackmail are on the menu when six mysterious guests assemble at Boddy Manor for a night they’ll never forget! Was it Mrs. Peacock in the study with the knife? Or was it Colonel Mustard in the library with the wrench? Based on the fan-favourite 1985 Paramount Pictures movie, Clue and inspired by the classic Hasbro board game, Cluedo is the ultimate whodunnit that will leave you dying of laughter and keep you guessing until the final twist.

  • Age Recommendation: Recommended for ages 12+

  • Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes (no interval, subject to change without notice)

  • Warnings: The play includes depictions of murder, gun shots, firearms and brief flashing lights. 

  • Showing in the following cities:

Photo by Pia Johnson - supplied

MY BRILLIANT CAREER

  • Synopsis: My dear fellow Australians… You can’t keep a fierce woman down. Sybylla Melvyn is back, and she’s bolder than ever. Hailed as a ‘funny, feminist triumph’ (The Guardian) and earning multiple five-star reviews in its sold-out premiere season, the joyous My Brilliant Career returns for a limited encore run. 

  • Age Recommendation: Recommended for ages 11 and up

  • Duration: Approx. 2 hour and 30 minutes, including interval

  • Warnings: This production contains mature themes and theatrical haze effects.

  • Showing in the following cities:

  • Watch the show trailer here.

Photo by Prudence Upton - supplied

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

  • Synopsis: The Music of the Night soars across Sydney Harbour. Let the spectacle astound you… Andrew Lloyd Webber’s global phenomenon returns on its 40th anniversary to Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour in a critically acclaimed spectacular. Forty years ago The Phantom of the Opera burst onto the West End, becoming a sensation unlike anything the world had ever seen. Celebrate Phantom’s milestone anniversary in grand style, with the hotly anticipated return of our larger than-life staging on Sydney Harbour.

    Age Recommendation: Recommended for ages 10 and up.

  • Duration: 2 hours and 40 minutes, including one interval.

  • Warnings: Material includes themes of violence and horror. Parental guidance suggested.

  • Showing in the following cities:

  • Watch the show trailer here.

THE LAST SHIP

  • Synopsis: Acclaimed musical THE LAST SHIP, written, composed and starring international music icon Sting, will be presented for the first time in the Southern Hemisphere in QPAC’s magnificent Glasshouse Theatre in 2026.

    Inspired by Sting’s childhood in Wallsend in the United Kingdom, and drawing on his own musical roots, THE LAST SHIP tells the piercing story of a community facing the disappearance of their shipyard – the heart of their existence. In a world where past and future collide, themes such as loss, pride and connectedness echo.

  • Age Recommendation: 12 years+

  • Duration: 2 hours and 30 minutes including 20 mins interval

  • Warnings: The show may contain use of strobe lighting, smoke, fog and haze.

  • Showing in the following cities:

Supplied

DISNEY’S THE LION KING MUSICAL

  • Synopsis: Disney Theatrical Group today announced Disney’s The Lion King the world’s #1 musical will return to Australia, premiering in Sydney in April 2026.

  • Age Recommendation: 6 years+ due to duration.

  • Duration: 2 hours and 30 minutes including 20 mins interval

  • Warnings: The show may contain strobe lights, fog effects, and loud noises.

  • Showing in the following cities:

  • Watch the show trailer here.

Photo by Pamela Raith Photography

HEATHERS THE MUSICAL

  • Synopsis: Welcome to Westerberg High, where popularity is a matter of life and death, and Veronica Sawyer is just another of the nobodies dreaming of a better day. But when she’s unexpectedly taken under the wings of the three beautiful and impossibly cruel Heathers, her dreams of popularity finally start to come true. That is until J.D., the mysterious teen rebel, teaches her that it might kill to be a nobody, but it is murder being a somebody…

    Wickedly funny and with dazzling book, music and lyrics by Tony Award® nominee Laurence O’Keefe and Kevin Murphy, HEATHERS THE MUSICAL is based on the hit film that starred Winona Ryder and Christian Slater.

  • Age Recommendation: 14 years+

  • Duration: 2 hours and 30 minutes, including a 20-minute interval.

  • Warnings: Strong language and mature themes including murder, suicide, sexual violence and references to eating disorders. This production uses theatrical haze and smoke. Strobe or flashing lights and loud sound effects including gun shots are also used in this production.

  • Showing in the following cities:

  • Watch the show trailer here.

Image supplied

STEEL MAGNOLIAS

  • Synopsis: The iconic story that made us laugh, cry, and fall in love with six extraordinary women is back — live on stage in a dazzling new Australian production. Written by Robert Harling, the timeless tale of STEEL MAGNOLIAS will come alive under the direction of Lee Lewis and a cast of six powerhouse actors.

  • Age Recommendation: N/A

  • Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes including 20 mins interval

  • Warnings: This production contains theatrical haze.

  • Showing in the following cities:

Photo supplied

WAITRESS THE MUSICAL

  • Synopsis: Broadway’s smash-hit musical WAITRESS is baking its way to Australia for the very first time! Inspired by Adrienne Shelly’s beloved film and brought to life by a trailblazing creative team, including a book by acclaimed screenwriter Jessie Nelson, an original, uplifting score by Grammy® winner Sara Bareilles (Love Song, Brave) and direction by Tony® winner Diane Paulus, WAITRESS is the irresistible Broadway hit about resilience, friendship and hope that has captured hearts worldwide.

  • Age Recommendation: 13 years+

  • Duration: 2 hours and 30 minutes, including a 20-minute interval.

  • Warnings: Mature language and themes, including domestic violence.

  • Showing in the following cities:

  • Watch the show trailer here.

SIX Musical to return to Australia

Photo supplied

SIX MUSICAL

  • Synopsis: THE QUEENS ARE BACK! LIVE ON STAGE! After triumphantly taking the West End, Broadway, and stages across the globe by storm, the international smash-hit phenomenon SIX the Musical will make its royal return to Australia in 2026, with seasons confirmed at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre from July 2026, Theatre Royal Sydney from October 2026 and QPAC’s Playhouse Theatre in Brisbane from January 2027.

  • Age Recommendation: Ages 10 years+ but we believe 12 years+ due to adult themes

  • Duration: 80 minutes with no interval

  • Warnings: This production contains some adult themes including discussions of miscarriage and personal trauma of a physical and sexual nature and some sexual gestures. This production uses strobe effects, flashing lights, theatrical haze & loud music.

  • Showing in the following cities:

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE (SORT OF)

Photo by Mihaela Bodlovicast

  • Synopsis: Direct from its triumph in the West End where it won the Olivier Award for Best Comedy, Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) is a unique and audacious retelling of Jane Austen’s most iconic love story. Men, money and microphones are fought over in this irreverent but affectionate adaptation where the stakes couldn’t be higher when it comes to romance.

  • Age Recommendation: N/A

  • Duration: 140 minutes, including 20 minute interval.

  • Warnings: N/A

  • Showing in the following cities:

Photo supplied

MY FAIR LADY

  • Synopsis: Celebrating 70 dazzling years since its Broadway debut, Lerner and Loewe’s My Fair Lady returns to the Sydney Opera House. Directed by Julie Andrews, the 2016 revival opened to huge acclaim.  Now a decade on it makes a triumphant homecoming with Karen Johnson Mortimer at the helm.

Photo supplied

WHISPERING JACK - THE JOHN FARNHAM MUSICAL

  • Synopsis: John Farnham. King of Pop. Australian hero. The voice of a generation. But as a cash-strapped, middle-aged father in the midst of an Australian rock revolution, it could have gone a very different way. In an outer Melbourne suburban garage in 1986, Farnham, with a new band and manager Glenn Wheatley, began work on an album and a song called You’re the Voice that would transform his career and their lives. This is the story of an overnight sensation, 20 years in the making. 

  • Age Recommendation: N/A

  • Duration: 2 hours and 30 minutes, including a 20-minute interval.

  • Warnings: Coarse language.

  • Showing in the following cities:

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