Children at the Theatre

Ballet is a wonderful introduction to the world of beauty and make-believe, and we love it when children attend The Australian Ballet’s performances.

We generally recommend a minimum age of six years old, but it depends on the production and the child.

Every child is different, and whether they’re old enough to enjoy a performance depends on a range of factors, including how long they’re able to sit happily and quietly, the time of the show, and – most importantly – the type of ballet.

Children at the ballet

Please note that children 15 years of age and under must be accompanied by an adult over 18 years of age.

Children under the age of 18 years are entitled to our Child (<18) price type. You can view a full list of Price Types and Concessions here.

Babes-in-arms

We encourage you to be considerate of surrounding audience members if bringing babies or children to performances, and to consider the appropriateness of performance content.

For the safety and security of all patrons, prams and baby capsules of any description cannot be taken into the auditorium. The aisles, stairways and stairwells must be kept clear at all times.

Arts Centre Melbourne, Regent Theatre and Sydney Opera House

Children under 2 years of age are permitted entry to an event at no cost and without a ticket. In these cases, children will not be allocated a seat and must be seated on an accompanying adult's lap for the duration of the event. If the child requires their own seat, they will be required to hold a valid paid ticket.

Applicable for all Mainstage and Storytime Ballet performances and Behind the Scenes Step Inside events.

Lockout Policies

Latecomers will not be admitted into the auditorium until a suitable break in the performance, which may not be until interval, and may be refused admission. This also applies when stepping out of the auditorium and wanting to re-enter during the performance. This policy is in place for the health and safety of the dancers on stage and to minimise disruption during the performance.

Child-friendly ballets

The best ballets for kids tend to be those based on fairy tales, such as The Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Coppélia and The Nutcracker, which can be enjoyed by children as young as three or four.

For other ballets, we’d generally recommend children are at least six years old, but again, it depends on the production and the child.

Preparing for the ballet

Learning about the ballet before the show can greatly increase a child’s enjoyment of the performance.

Preparation might include being familiar with the 'story' of the ballet, hearing the music beforehand, watching one of our videos, learning about the role of the conductor and the orchestra, knowing about intervals and understanding theatre protocol in general.

At the performance

If a child is too talkative, becomes restless or fidgety and is disrupting the enjoyment of the performance for others, we ask that you take your child into the foyer area to settle and re-enter the theatre at interval. There are generally one or two interval breaks of approximately 20 minutes.

Patrons are advised that some ballets have special effects such as dry ice and smoke machines, strobe lighting, and loud music and sounds.

Enquiries

Feel free to call our customer experience team on 1300 369 741 when considering a particular ballet's age suitability.