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...