Pinchgut Opera has announced that it will now be offering permanent $20 Student Rush tickets for every performance. From one hour before the curtain rises, students with a valid ID will be eligible to purchase a discounted ticket at the box office.

“That’s right: world-class opera for literally $20,” wrote Pinchgut in a Facebook post. “Let’s show Timothèe Chalamet that opera is still relevant.”

Sara Macliver and Kyle Stegall in The First Murder, Pinchgut Opera. Photo © Anna Kučera

Pinchgut now joins the ranks of organisations including Opera Australia, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Musica Viva Australia, all of which offer rush tickets starting from $20. The company already offers discounted tickets for concession card holders and patrons under the age of 35.

Ticket prices for Pinchgut’s current production of The First Murder at the Roslyn Packer Theatre range from $245 for premium seats to $69 for under 35s (plus booking fees). These Student Rush tickets will now be the cheapest available for a Pinchgut performance.

The First Murder earned a five-star Limelight review from Shamistha de Soysa, who called it a “brilliantly conceived production [with] an ingenious creative team … and a finely tailored coterie of solo singers.”

Music Australia’s recently released The Bass Line report found that opera has seen a significant decline in attendance and revenue across 2024–25, recording a 22 % decline in revenue and a 16.5 percent decline in audience attendance from the previous year. This is despite a 7.6 percent bump in classical music attendance across the same period.

The report also found that the biggest barrier to audience attendance is ticket prices, now increasingly compounded by the costs of transport, food and drinks.

Pinchgut Opera’s The First Murder (Il primo omicidio) runs at Roslyn Packer Theatre, Walsh Bay, Sydney, until 31 May.