Curious Festival 2026 Is All About Making Connections At The Opera House

Did you know that, in its founding document, one of the stated objectives of the Sydney Opera House was “to meet to discuss matters of national and international importance”? It’s no wonder, then, that the House’s Curious Festival is returning to provide Sydneysiders with a suite of incredible talks from speakers across the globe.

“We’ve got eight events across three of our venues, and there are events that are looking, I think, some of the most urgent questions that we’re facing today as a society,” says Chip Rolley, the Opera House’s Head of Talks and Ideas. “I’m a big believer in talks and getting people in the room to nut out what we care about, what all of this stuff – our life, all the challenges and opportunities – what does it all mean?”

Curious 2026 promises a variety of topics for attendees

Taking a break from the frantic last minute prep for the main bloc of Curious programming on October 4th to speak with City Hub, Chip’s excitement for the day is palpable. Some of the the day’s events cover some of the most relevant topics of our times, like encroaching authoritarianism and the AI wave that seems increasingly more difficult to turn off.

“I don’t know about you, but I sometimes get overwhelmed by social media,” Chip admits. “Sometimes, there’s a need for a curation of [these issues], for somebody to go, ‘Hey, this what we think you should be paying attention to, this is stuff that’s impacting your life.’

“And when you gather with other people to do that in the same room, it’s quite different from listening to a podcast or watching a film,” he continues. “You start to feel that sense of community and connection with other people over something that’s profoundly important.”

Yet Chip also promises there’ll be some fun, thoughtful talks at Curious this year. There’s the Bonfire of the Murdochs talk, where author Gabriel Sherman will break down how Succession sparked a real crisis within the Murdoch family.

Meanwhile, One Revolution After Another invites author and playwright Zayd Ayers Dohrn to break down his childhood as the son of Weathermen revolutionaries (a group that loosely inspired One Battle After Another) in a fascinating discussion.

“People see connections even the curator misses”

One event he highlights in particular is the panel featuring Palestinian chef Sami Tamimi, which Chip says might surprise attendees. “Sami has been influencing what we cook in our kitchen for 20 years,” he says, “but nowadays he’s got a laser-like focus on Palestinian food, and the connection he feels to Palestinian culture and land.”

“[This talk] is a way to actually look at the concerns and culture of that area in a different way. Food is a great gateway to understanding and appreciating different cultures, and so I think it’s a really eye-opening opportunity.”

But the real value of Curious, Chip says, is in making personal connections between talks that aren’t necessarily curated for you. He explains: “One of the great joys of doing any kind of festival where you’ve got multiple events happening in the same space or under the same theme is that people see connections that even the curator misses.”

“There are little things that happen, you make connections that you wouldn’t otherwise make, and I think that’s the source of creativity and breakthrough,” Chip continues. “And what we’re trying to do here is to engineer that with people, by exposing them to a diversity of viewpoints and subjects… to get them to be curious!”

Curious Festival runs on October 4th and November 4th. See the full program and book tickets on the Sydney Opera House website.