Carols By Candlelight

If you are in Melbourne around Christmas time, don’t miss Vision Australia’s Carols by Candlelight, the most popular Christmas event.

This huge event is a massive Christmas celebration where families come together to sing along to Christmas carols.

Vision Australia’s Carols By Candlelight, 2024 Melbourne Dates & Tickets

This traditional event is held outdoors and involves live music and singing performances by popular Australian artists, famous TV personalities, and local choirs. It is telecast live on TV each year on Christmas Eve, so those who can’t attend can enjoy singing along to carols from the comfort of their homes.

In 2024, the featured artists will include Ben Abraham, Bonnie Anderson, Anthony Callea, Tim Campbell, Dear Evan Hansen, Casey Donovan, David Hobson, Jess Hitchcock, Dami Im, Sammy J, Jesus Christ Superstar, Colin Lane, Emma Memma and Elvin Melvin, Michael & Violeta, Ruva Ngwenya, Silvie Paladino, Lenny Pearce, Marina Prior, Sister Act, Tarryn Stokes, Mitch Tambo, Tina – The Tina Turner Musical, Voice of Lele, Denis Walter, Meg Washington, Dylan Wright, and many more.

The carols event in Melbourne usually includes a spectacular fireworks display. Thousands flock to the music bowl year after year, where they bring a picnic blanket and a few nibbles and settle in to listen to traditional Christmas music as the sun goes down.

The gates will open at 4pm for the main event on Christmas Eve, with the broadcast starting promptly at 8pm. They ask all attendees to be seated by 7:45pm. Queuing for general admission tickets early is advised, as the lawn area is allocated on a first-in, best-dressed basis. It is difficult to predict the exact finish time, but we anticipate it will be at approximately 11pm.

Where can you buy tickets?

Tickets can be purchased through Ticketek via the website or by phone at 132 849 from October 11.

There will be a Ticketek Box Office at the venue on the day, and you will be able to purchase tickets subject to availability; however, based on previous years’ sales, we do not expect that there will be many tickets at all available. It is recommended to buy tickets early to avoid disappointment

What can you Bring?

Patrons are encouraged to wear comfortable clothing suitable for the weather conditions. Please note that the venue only accepts contactless payment, and bar, merchandise, and food transactions are cashless. There will be no ATM on site.

You may also bring:

• Low fold-out chairs, no greater than 20cm in height
• Picnic blankets, cushions, and umbrellas. Please note umbrellas must be closed during performances as they restrict other patrons’ views.
• Collapsible prams are permitted, but if you are sitting in General Admission, prams must be collapsed and kept with you on the lawn. A detachable bassinet on the lawn is acceptable. If sitting in the stalls, prams must be stored in a designated area at the back of the stalls.

What can’t you bring?

Yes. Some items patrons are not permitted to bring to the venue. These include and are not limited to:

• Elevated seating – higher than 20cm. A limited number of chairs will be available to hire during ticket purchase.
• Alcohol (beverages available for purchase)
• Metal cutlery (including cheese and bread knives)
• Glass
• Open drink containers
• Tents or sun shelters
• Video cameras or drones
• Professional cameras
• Any item that you intend (or such quantities of the item from which Management can reasonably infer that you intend) to distribute, hawk, sell, offer, expose for sale or display for marketing or promotional purposes
• Flags, banners or promotional materials
• Illicit substances
• Animals (except for assistance animals)
• Hard-sided coolers and eskies
• Firecrackers, flares, explosives
• Flammable liquids
• Lasers or laser pointers
• Weapons and any other items which could impede safety or people’s enjoyment
• Smoking and vaping are only permitted in designated areas

Venue staff have the right to conduct security inspections and refuse entry of such items. Any items found on inspection that are not permitted must be disposed of or kept in the cloakroom and returned to patrons on exit.

Important: Please also note that flash photography and videotaping of the show are not permitted. The use of cameras is allowed. However, cameras of a professional standard will not be permitted. Any camera equipment deemed of a professional standard by event security will need to be held in the cloakroom for collection on exit.

Can you bring food?

Patrons can bring reasonable amounts of food and non-alcoholic drinks into the venue for personal consumption. Feel free to bring soft-sided bags and a hamper. Hard-sided containers such as eskies occupy too much room, so we cannot admit these. Please also note glass is not permitted inside the venue.

Can you buy food there?

Many affordable choices will be available, both hot and cold food and drinks, including alcohol.

How can you get there?

Access to the Sidney Myer Music Bowl via public transport, including trams, trains and buses, is relatively simple. The venue is easily located, with permanent directional signs to guide visitors.

Uber/Taxi
Your UBER or taxi may drop you on St. Kilda Road near the venue or Government House Drive. The closest rank to the Bowl is outside Flinders Street Train Station. You may also like to carry the number of a taxi company and call as you prepare to leave the venue.

Sections of Linlithgow Avenue will be closed to the public on 23 and 24 December 2023.

Trains
Catch any train into Flinders Street Station, and from there, walk south (away from the city) along St Kilda Road. This is approximately a ten-minute walk across Princess Bridge over the Yarra River into the Gardens. If disembarking at Richmond Station, walk east along Swan Street towards the Gardens. This is a fifteen-minute walk.

Trams
Stop 17 on St Kilda Road and Grant Street is the closest stop, and all north and south-bound trams running along St Kilda Road stop there. Catch trams travelling along St Kilda Road, numbered 3, 5, 6, 8, 16, 64, 67 and 72, and disembark at Stop 17. The main gates of the Music Bowl are a three-minute walk from the stop.

Buses
Catch buses 216, 219 or 220 along St Kilda Road.

Private Cars
Street parking in and around the Sidney Myer Music Bowl (Linlithgow Avenue and St Kilda Road) is extremely limited. If driving into the city, patrons can use the Arts Centre car park, which is located at the rear of the Arts Centre. The entrance is located at the corner of Sturt and Kavanagh Streets, Southbank. This is a paid parking facility and is open 24 hours. Please note it can fill very quickly on some nights.

TV & Radio Broadcast

The event will be broadcast live on Channel 9 and 9Now from 8pm local time on 24 December, as well as two replays on Christmas Day: 1pm on Channel 9 and 7pm on 9Gem.

Several radio stations simulcast the event on Christmas Eve. They include but are not limited to:

• 3AW 693 in Melbourne
• 2GB 873 in Sydney
• 4BC 882 in Brisbane
• Vision Australia Radio will also be streaming Carols by Candlelight with professional audio descriptions through their local stations and online.