It’s been over five years since COVID-19 first shuttered theatres across Australia. You’d think we’d be past the “post-pandemic” qualifier by now, but the truth is that Australian performing arts organisations — opera companies included — are still dealing with the aftershocks. Audiences haven’t fully returned to pre-2020 levels, and the ones who have come back don’t always look the same.

So what are companies actually doing about it? I’ve been watching closely, talking to people inside several organisations, and attending a lot of performances. Here’s where things stand.

The Numbers Problem

Let’s start with reality. Opera Australia has been transparent about the fact that subscription numbers haven’t recovered to pre-pandemic levels. They’re not alone — this is a global trend affecting symphony orchestras, theatre companies, and ballet companies alike. The loyal subscriber base that once formed the financial backbone of arts organisations has shrunk, and it’s not bouncing back.

The reasons are complex. Some older subscribers passed away during the pandemic years. Others discovered they were perfectly happy staying home with streaming services. And the habit of regular cultural attendance — which takes years to build — was disrupted for long enough that many people simply fell out of the routine.

What’s Actually Working

Flexible ticketing. The rigid subscription model — buy eight operas in February, attend them across the year — is losing ground to more flexible options. Companies that offer pick-your-own packages, last-minute deals, and easy exchange policies are seeing better results. Opera Australia’s flex subscription has been a step in the right direction, letting audiences choose three or more performances rather than committing to the full season.

Targeted digital marketing. This is where the real shift has happened. Rather than broad-brush advertising, companies are using data to identify and reach specific audience segments. First-time attendees get different messaging from lapsed subscribers. People who attended Carmen get targeted about Tosca. It’s basic marketing science, but the arts sector was slow to adopt it.

Some organisations have brought in specialist help. AI consultants Sydney have been working with cultural organisations on audience analytics — identifying patterns in booking data that humans miss, predicting which patrons are at risk of lapsing, and tailoring communications accordingly. The early results are promising, though it’s still early days.

Community partnerships. Several companies have started partnering with organisations outside the traditional arts ecosystem — multicultural community groups, universities, corporate wellness programs, even dating apps. Victorian Opera’s collaboration with Melbourne’s Greek community for a production of Orfeo ed Euridice was brilliant, drawing in audiences who had cultural connections to the source material but had never attended opera.

Reduced-price initiatives. Opera Australia’s $20 rush tickets for under-30s remain one of the best deals in Australian cultural life. Similar schemes at other companies have been effective at getting younger audiences through the door. The key question — which nobody has fully answered — is whether these audiences convert to full-price ticket buyers over time.

What’s Not Working

“Come to the opera — it’s not scary!” campaigns. I’ve seen so many of these, and they’re counterproductive. They confirm the exact fear they’re trying to address. It’s like a restaurant advertising “Our food won’t make you sick!” — technically reassuring, fundamentally off-putting.

Digital streaming as audience development. During the pandemic, many companies streamed performances online, and there was a hope that this would create new audiences who’d eventually attend in person. The evidence suggests otherwise. Digital audiences and in-person audiences are largely different groups with different motivations. Streaming is valuable in its own right, but it’s not a reliable pipeline to bums in seats.

One-off events without follow-through. Opera in the park, opera at the pub, opera at the cricket — these are fun, and they generate media coverage. But without a clear pathway from the pop-up event to a ticketed performance in a theatre, they’re marketing exercises that don’t convert. I’ve been to several “opera in unexpected places” events and never once been offered a discount code, a brochure, or even an email signup for the company’s next season.

The Demographic Challenge

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: audience development for opera in Australia is fundamentally about demographics. The art form’s core audience is older, wealthier, and whiter than the general population. Changing that requires more than marketing tweaks — it requires programming that reflects the diversity of contemporary Australia, casting that looks like Australia, and storytelling that resonates beyond the traditional European canon.

The Australia Council’s most recent participation data shows that first-generation Australians from non-English-speaking backgrounds attend performing arts at roughly half the rate of the general population. That’s a huge untapped audience, but reaching them requires genuine cultural engagement, not just translated flyers.

What I’d Like to See

More experimentation. More willingness to fail. More honest assessment of what’s working and what isn’t.

The companies that will thrive are the ones that treat audience development as a core strategic function — not a side project, not a marketing department afterthought, but a fundamental part of how they plan seasons, design experiences, and allocate resources.

The audience is out there. We just need to be smarter, more welcoming, and more imaginative about inviting them in.