MSO revives beloved free concert tradition at Sidney Myer Music Bowl

For the first time in 13 years, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra will present a full week of free concerts at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, marking a major return of one of Melbourne’s most popular summer traditions.

Running from February 10 to 14, the 2026 Sidney Myer Free Concerts will feature four large-scale performances celebrating orchestral classics, emerging talent, inclusive music-making and Australian composition, with all events free to attend and broadcast live on ABC Classic and the MSO’s YouTube channel.

The series opens on Tuesday, February 10 with Symphonic Celebration, conducted by Leonard Weiss. 

The program combines audience favourites with a sense of history and renewal, including Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 – performed at the MSO’s first concert in 1906 – and Beethoven’s iconic Symphony No. 5. 

The evening will also feature the world premiere of a new fanfare by the MSO’s 2026 Young Composer in Residence Andrew Aronowicz, alongside Holly Harrison’s Hellbent, with Principal Trumpet Owen Morris as soloist.

On Wednesday, February 11, the spotlight turns to the next generation, with the MSO presenting the Australian Youth Orchestra under GRAMMY Award-winning conductor Christian Reif. 

The program blends orchestral fantasy and contemporary sound worlds, from Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite to music inspired by video gaming, including Nobuo Uematsu’s Final Fantasy IX Suite.

Friday’s concert brings a powerful shift in focus, as the MSO partners with the Warrnambool-based Find Your Voice Collective for SONDER, conducted by Benjamin Northey. 

The performance marks the culmination of a year-long collaboration celebrating inclusion and access, featuring a 150-voice choir and original works by d/Deaf and Disabled artists. 

The evening will also premiere a new Acknowledgment of Country by Cybec First Nations Composer in Residence James Henry.

The series concludes on Saturday, February 14 with 50 Years of ABC Classic, a Valentine’s Day celebration of Australian music led by Northey. 

The all-Australian program will feature works by composers including Elena Kats-Chernin, Nigel Westlake and Ross Edwards, as well as a world premiere by Ella Macens.

Guest soloists include Slava Grigoryan, Aura Go (pictured above), Natalie Chee, and brothers James and Joseph Tawadros.

All four concerts will be hosted by ABC Classic presenters, with the Find Your Voice Collective performance also live streamed to Federation Square. 

The free concert series is supported by the City of Melbourne and made possible through the MSO Sidney Myer Trust Fund, reinforcing the Music Bowl’s enduring role as a shared cultural space for the city.