School Visits

Please visit the Capitol Theatre Accessibility page or the Sydney Lyric Accessibility page for more information about venue accessibility.

If you or anyone in your group has any access requirements, please advise Ticketmaster Groups prior to your attendance

Please aim to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the performance to allow sufficient time to be admitted. Once the performance starts latecomers will be seated at a suitable break in the performance.

Please only bring bags that are smaller than an A4 piece of paper to the theatre. Due to security requirements, you may be asked to show the contents of your bags to theatre staff. Larger bags and items must be left in our Cloak Room. Space is limited and restrictions apply, so we encourage you to only bring essential items with you to the theatre and leave school bags on the bus or back at school.

We encourage you to take photos to document this special experience and to share with your school community. We recommend taking group photos in the theatre foyers.

You are welcome to take photos before or after the show. Photography during the show is not permitted. 

Seats are for sitting. Please do not place your feet on the seat in front of you. Always walk along the row rather than jumping over seats. For safety reasons stay in your seat at the end of the show until the auditorium lights go up.

We suggest school staff are strategically seated amongst students in order to provide adequate supervision. 

Entering and exiting the theatre during the show should be kept to a minimum. If you do need to exit or enter the auditorium, please do so at the end of a song when the audience is applauding, or when directed by an usher. When you return, follow the instructions of our ushers, who will get you back to your seat safely and with minimumal disruption.

Please turn OFF all electronic devices. It is highly disruptive to patrons in the seats around you and our performers. This includes texting, checking emails, using your phone torch, playing games or checking the time. If you have an urgent situation and need to use your mobile phone, please step out into the foyer for a moment to do so.

Note-taking is distracting to the performers on stage and the audience around you. Please leave note-taking for the interval and after the show.

We understand it is tempting to talk about something that is happening on stage with your group, however talking during the performance is disruptive to other patrons and performers. You can't sing or dance either; leave that to the professionals and save your performance for the trip home.

Hot food, hot drinks, takeaway food or glass are not allowed in the auditorium. Our theatre auditorium is not a place to eat whole lunches or dinners. We do understand that you might want to enjoy snacks while watching the show. We have bars in the theatre that provide a wide range of refreshments suitable for the auditorium. Our ice-cream vendor will usually come into the auditorium during interval. We also allow you to bring your own pre-purchased snacks (lollies, chips, biscuits), soft drinks or refillable water bottles (not glass) to the theatre with you.

Please note that our theatres are cashless and we accept card payments only. We do not accept Spriggy or youth cards. 

The Capitol Theatre and Sydney Lyric are cashless venues. We accept card payments only. We do not accept Spriggy or youth cards.

This information outlines key aspects of the Capitol Theatre and Sydney Lyric for visiting schools so they may better understand how safety is managed at the venues and so they can complete their own risk assessment or risk management plan. All schools are required by the NSW Department of Education to prepare a safety risk assessment before undertaking any excursions. Teachers and principals are advised that the venue staff cannot complete risk assessments for schools.

Visit the Department of Education's website for more information on the Excursions and Variation of Routine Policy.

The Capitol Theatre is a historic venue of major significance to the performing arts and Sydney. The architecture offers a glimpse of the past, and its assets and heritage should always be protected and preserved.

The Sydney Lyric is a modern and contemporary theatre that boasts a unique location. Both venues are managed by a team of highly qualified and experienced technical and administrative staff.

All visitors to the venue (including school children) have a duty of care to take reasonable care of their own health and safety, take reasonable care that they do not adversely affect the health and safety of others and to comply with any reasonable instructions relating to safety. All schools are advised to ensure that strict management and supervision of their children is always maintained when attending shows at either venue. Behaviour, noise, dress standards, language, respect, and cleanliness should be maintained to the highest standard by all school children when attending shows.

The Capitol Theatre and Sydney Lyric acknowledges its legal requirements as a PCBU as defined in the Work, Health & Safety Act & Regulations 2011. To comply with the law and ensure a safe workplace is maintained for all workers, visitors, and others, a robust WHS management plan has been developed which includes, amongst other things, procedures for managing emergencies, medical incidents and facility systems.

The venues have emergency management plans and procedures that have been written to align with AS/NZS 3745:2010 – Planning for Emergencies in Facilities. This includes comprehensive contingency plans for the management of likely emergencies during shows and events. The venues have fully compliant fire detection and suppression systems which include an emergency, warning and intercommunication system or EWIS. In the event of an emergency all persons within the venues will be instructed to evacuate to the designated evacuation point in either Belmore Park for the Capitol Theatre or Pirrama Park for the Sydney Lyric.

The venue has a robust risk management plan that has been written to align with the international standard AS/NZS ISO 31000:2009 – Risk Management. This standard provides a suitable platform and methodology for the identification, assessment, analysis, and control of risk in any workplace. The risk assessment includes procedures for managing work, health and safety risks, security, crowd management etc.

The venues have medical management procedures in place for all shows. This includes the provision of trained first aid staff, medical equipment, and procedures for medical incident management. Venue staff are trained and versed in the management of patron medical incidents.