Sydney Festival has announced a new chapter for one of its most popular events, Sydney Symphony Under the Stars. The free outdoor concert, a centrepiece of the summer festival since 1983, is moving to Tumbalong Park at Darling Harbour for a performance on Saturday 17 January, 2026.

Festival Director Kris Nelson said the move to Darling Harbour reflected both the event’s enduring popularity and the spirit of celebration at the heart of Sydney Festival’s milestone year.

“We are thrilled to be presenting a 50th-anniversary special edition of Symphony Under the Stars in this year’s program,” Nelson said.

“It’s a cherished free event where Sydneysiders can gather with friends and family to soak up the very best of our country’s classical musicianship. Being in Darling Harbour, at the heart of one of the city’s most iconic locales, makes it all the more special.”

Sydney Symphony Under the Stars. Photo supplied

It will be the first Symphony Under the Stars concert in the Sydney CBD for eight years after it moved to Parramatta for the 2018 Sydney Festival. In 2017, approximately 36,000 people attended the event, when it played The Domain and Parramatta Park’s Crescent Amphitheatre.

Parramatta City Council recently announced the withdrawal of $400,000 of annual funding for the 2026 event, however, and Sydney Festival had stated that the event would not be part of its 2026 offering.

Presented in partnership with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the 2026 Tumbalong Park concert will honour five decades of Sydney Festival through music and imagery. Archival footage and historical photographs will be projected on screen, celebrating the international artists and Australian luminaries who have shaped the festival’s history.

Sydney Symphony Orchestra CEO Craig Whitehead said the orchestra was proud to play a central role in the anniversary celebrations.

“The Sydney Symphony Orchestra is honoured to join in celebrating 50 years of Sydney Festival with this special edition of Sydney Symphony Under the Stars,” he said. “A highlight of Sydney’s summer calendar, this free event brings people together through the shared joy of live orchestral music.”