On Thursday Bert and Ernie traded Sesame Street for a lane near the Canberra Theatre, the venue where in October they duo will be among plenty of their other friends.

For the children who got to meet and give high fives to the pair, their sheer size was probably the big surprise.

The promoters of Sesame Street Presents Elmo's World Tour hope that sense of wonder will continue on stage in what for most will be their first experience of musical theatre.

"This is a true musical, so it's probably one of the first musicals that kids will ever see in their lives … it's all singing, all dancing, a one hour non-stop live show on stage,"  promoter Fred Porter said.

The musical revolves around Elmo who sets out on a trip around the world with the goal of ending up in Australia. Abby Cadabby's magic enables the characters to have a cultural experience as they learn how to say "hello" in many different languages.

Mr Porter said that it was a learning opportunity for not only children but adults as well.

"It's very educational … it is teaching kids important life lessons at a really early age," he said. "Things like co-operation, sharing, understanding different kinds of people and respecting the cultural differences in society.

"It definitely is a wonderful learning tool and experience in that way."

Sesame Street had its debut on ABC TV in 1971 and the musical is an example of its ability to be adapted across the mediums.

"Sesame Street is a brand … it really does speak to all generations … parents know it, kids know it, grandparents know it," Mr Porter said.

The production features many of the well-loved Sesame Street characters from the television show. These include Grover, Zoe, Big Bird, Cookie Monster and the Count along with Bert and Ernie.

The show, in Canberra for the first time, has toured Australia for the past four years and has also made an appearance in Taiwan. The accompanying soundtrack was recorded in New York by a team of voice actors from the original Sesame Street cast.

Tickets for the show on October 9 are available at canberratheatrecentre.com.au