All times are in Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT)
The Australia Day LIVE Concert is going to feature a tribute to the families affected by the Bondi Beach massacre & Jewish genocide terrorism on December 14.
The tribute will be done by Sydney Jewish music festival group, SHIR, which means ‘song’ in Hebrew.
The announcement comes as the New South Wales (NSW) Government emphasised all their agencies are supporting all Sydney events that day & all agencies are focused on safety.
Meanwhile, the Australia Day LIVE Concert line-up has been revealed (All are musicians except where stated):
- Cody Simpson
- Kate Ceberano
- William Barton
- Jude York
- Rrawun Maymuru
- Cianna Walker
- Disc Jockey Ha
- Diego Torre
- Victor Valdes
- The Fabulous Caprettos
- Jael & The Wena Family
- Burn The Floor (dancers)
- Doonooch dancers
Olivia Coe Fox will also sing the National Anthem, Advance Australia Fair, as well as provide backing vocals for the Yothu Yindi songs, Treaty & Djäpana. Yothu Yindi has not been announced as part of the line-up with their songs likely to be covered by another artist in the line-up.
The Australia Day LIVE Concert will also feature an “aerial show” over Circular Quay. Whilst history states this should involve planes, kites or parachuters, there is a possibility something will debut at the Concert, as stated at the end of this article.
Held from 7:30pm-9:30pm, the Australia Day LIVE Concert will be broadcast on Australian Broadcasting Corporation Television (TV) & iView.
Dawn Reflection
Sydney Opera House
Dawn Reflection sees the western Sydney Opera House sails illuminated with an Indigenous artwork for 20 minutes from 5:20am.
The artist for Dawn Reflection in 2026 is Garry Purchase, a proud Indigenous man descended from the Dharawal, Bidjigal and Dhungutti peoples & hailing from the renowned Timbery family. Painting from lived experience & contemporary social issues, his work is a modern interpretation of traditional Indigenous art, pushing boundaries to tell stories that are honest, sometimes confronting & deeply connected to identity, resilience and community.
This year, we’re honoured to have artwork of Garry Purchase who is a Dhungutti, Bidjigal man that is showcast, showcasing his artwork & it’s a complete honour for him but it’s also a complete honour for us that representation from 1st light, uh, in the skies to a 1st projection onto the Sails from a First Nations person & what it shows that where Australia Day begins here, uh, in this city, across the whole of the country, it begins in such a way with that reflection of First Nations people coming together with all of us.
Yvonne Weldon, Australia Day Council Of NSW Chair
As the projection fades into the sunrise, head to either Barangaroo Reserve to get a spot for 7:30am’s WugulOra Morning Ceremony or you could continue the Dawn Reflection by heading to…
Bondi Beach
For the 1st time in 2 years, Dawn Reflection at Bondi Beach is also included in the Sydney program. Held at 5:30am for an hour on the sand in front of the Bondi Pavilion, it will feature:
- La Perouse Elder, Aunty Lola Ryan, conducting a Welcome To Country & also reflecting in her own words what January 26 means to her,
- The Gamay Dancers with traditional dance from the local area & a smoking ceremony,
- Josh Sly playing the didgeridoo &
- The Dhinawan Yarn dancers
Photograph: Waverly Council
Other News
Firstly, the WugulOra Morning Ceremony will be simulcast on National Indigenous TV & the Special Broadcasting Service from 7:30am.
The hour-long ceremony involves a smoking ceremony, Indigenous artistic performances, speeches & the National Anthem sung by Olivia Coe Fox in both Gadigal and English.
I’m very excited for January 26th so in the morning, I’ll be starting off at WugulOra at the Morning Ceremony where I’ll be leading the National Anthem in both Gadigal and English & then in the evening, I’ll be on the Opera House Forecourt at the Australia Day LIVE Concert also singing the National Anthem as well as backing vocals for Treaty & Djäpana which I’m really excited for.
On such a day like January 26th, it’s so important that our voices are seen and heard and valued & I’m really grateful to be partaking in such massive events where you know a lot of eyes are going to be on both WugulOra & the Concert. It’s a great opportunity to be a part of & to be with such amazing artists and you know, some of the biggest names in Australia so I’m really grateful that I get to not only be there but to sing in language. You know, that’s very important to me & I’m very excited for it.
Olivia Coe Fox
Also, the 10 Kilometre (10K) Wheelchair Race has been renamed to 10K: The Great Australian Wheelchair Race while the Parade has been renamed to Boat Parade.
Lastly, Indigenous advisors have been involved in guiding the overall Australia Day In Sydney program.
There’s a lot of planning that goes in, in behind the scenes & uh, the team are amazing and you know, we start planning the, the seeds of, I guess, you know, reflection and celebration and respect, you know, the, the moment we finish the last one-sort of thing and so it is about, you know, really working with the community and, and, and our multiculturalism to sort of, I guess, uh, uncover the new talent as well that’s coming out which is really beautiful to see.
I think with the, the, the, the evening Concert is about that connection of lullaby to Country and uh, you know, the ancestors, you know, bringing that energy here collectively, uh, between different nations of, um, of, um, you know, First Nations people from around Australia & also how that integrates, uh, you know, sorta seamlessly with the, the other performances & you know, we got the wonderful Kate Ceberano and everyone & so you know, it’s going to be, uh, uh, uh, a powerhouse performance.
William Barton, ‘Australia Day In Sydney’ Co-Creative Director
Australia means lots of things to different people. It is in this land that we share with hundreds of different traditions, nations, religions & practices, yet it is in the sharing of who we are & who we need to be – together.
Our coming together on Australia Day can & will bring all of our diversity together because that’s where kindness is, us. We don’t always agree but we can & need to be kinder to one another, to commemorate, to reflect, to respect & to honour who we are in Australia where everyone is included.
The 26th of January starts, uh, with the Dawn projection, um, you know, beautiful city & even more beautiful artwork on the sails of our Opera House. Uh, from there, we have an early morning, uh, event at Barangaroo called Wug, WugulOra. It’s been happening for a couple of decades now & it certainly shows and showcase, um, the First Nations practices and traditions and all of us coming together, um, celebrating our survival and certainly reflecting about this whole country, whose in here in this country and how we walk together…& later in the evening when we have the Australia Day LIVE Concert, there are Aboriginal artists that are participating in that & also co-directing it with, uh, sensitivity but also with inclusion from a First Nations perspective for the whole of the nation perspective.
We can make a positive difference if we actually start to walk together & we can do that starting, um, on the 26th of January to make sure that we honour and we are reflecting and being respectful in that reflection but also celebrating the survival of the world’s oldest continuous living culture.
Yvonne Weldon, Australia Day Council Of NSW Chair
Australia Day 2026, friends, is going to be the biggest yet as New South Wales proudly hosts the nation’s largest Australia Day celebration. From suntri, from sunrise to when after the sun sets, Sydney Harbour will host events that celebrate the Australian spirit, honour our First Nations history & showcase, showcase our vibrant multicultural communities.
Australia Day 2026 gives us the chance to come together again with care, respect & unity to reflect on who we are and what we stand for and recognise what makes our country so wonderful. Australia Day is about what unites us, our shared values, our diversity & the mateship that defines us as, as Australians.
We saw that spirit at its strongest at the end of last year when communities came together in solidarity following the tragic events at Bondi.
This year, the Australia Day LIVE Concert will include a special tribute featuring Sydney band, S-S-H-I-R, as, w, which, which is part of the Australian Jewish, uh, music festival group, uhm, (exhales) who, who performed a moving, uh, rendition of I Am Australian at the Bondi vigil.
An all-star Australian line, line-up will perform including Cody Simpson, Kate Ceberano, Olivia Coe Fox, William Barton & many, many more. The Concert will feature a wonderful fireworks display & a & a spectacular aerial show.
No city delivers big, bold, bold & unmissable events like Sydney. Whether you’re firing up at the barb, firing up the barbecue with friends & family, heading to the beach or joining 1 of our iconic Harbour events, there’s something, there’s something for everyone…& with a day filled with free events for all ages, I encourage everyone to get involved & make the most of Austra, Australia Day 2026 so however you choose to celebrate, enjoy your day & have a sensational Australia Day.
Steve Kamper, NSW Multiculturalism, Tourism & Jobs Minister
A Teaser?
Earlier, we speculated about the aerial show at the Australia Day LIVE Concert. The media release also mentions this:
More exciting additions to the Australia Day program are coming soon.
‘Sydney To Host The Country’s Biggest Events As ‘Australia Day’ 2026 Program Is Unveiled’ Media Release
While at the media launch, Australia Day In Sydney Co-Creative Director, William Barton, also said:
There will be, uh, you know, some special surprises that, uh, haven’t, uh, been seen before during, uh, Australia Day LIVE at the Opera House as well as for the WugulOra as well.
William Barton, ‘Australia Day In Sydney’ Co-Creative Director
So standby.
Interesting it will appear during the daytime too…
Sydney Spectaculars 
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