No one had been allowed to freerun around the Sydney Opera House before, but this parkour expert was given free rein.
ADVERTISEMENTThe Sydney Opera House is one of the most famous tourist destinations in the world, and for good reason.
Since opening in 1973, the venue has played host to a who’s who of world leaders, artists and performers from Bob Dylan to Luciano Pavarotti. It is also an architectural marvel, boasting UNESCO World Heritage status and the world's highest engineering accolade - the Historic Civil Engineering Landmark award.
But not everyone who visits the site is there for a cultural experience.
Last week, Australian parkour star Dominic Di Tommaso became the first person to freerun at the iconic venue.
"It’s every freerunner's dream to take on a major, iconic landmark,” says the 29-year-old.
“To be able to do exactly that in my hometown, at the phenomenal Sydney Opera House, was a dream I have had since I started freerunning. It more than lived up to my expectations, it blew them out of the water.”
Can you walk to the top of the Sydney Opera House?
A former garbage man, Di Tommaso’s background in ballet and figure skating provided the perfect transition to the world of freerunning.
During the stunt, the performer flipped and tricked around the venue - from the roof of the world famous concert hall to the rafters in its ceiling.
“The interesting architecture was such a great space to work with for movement and physical challenges,” he continues.
“The highlight for me was doing a backflip right on top of the sails. It was really special and a career highlight for me.”
The decorated freerunner has carved out a reputation for exploring unique locations on foot. His previous projects have seen him perform on the rooftops of Bruges, the pyramids of Egypt and around Istanbul's Grand Bazaar.
But if you’re keen to visit the Opera House without doing a backflip, fear not: you can always take a walking tour of the venue instead.
Visitors to Australia’s most iconic building aren’t allowed to access the roof directly, but a new virtual reality experience provides guests with the next best thing.
An experience called ‘Climbing the Sails’ allows tourists to get up close and personal with the famous white rooftop - all while standing in the box office foyer some 65 metres below.
Watch the video above to see the parkour performance for yourself.
