FAQs

Every year, Vision Australia’s Carols by Candlelight is held on Christmas Eve (December 24). This year, the date falls on a Saturday. There is also a Rehearsal night on December 23.

The gates will open at 4pm for the main event on Christmas Eve, with the broadcast starting promptly at 8pm. We ask all attendees to be seated by 7.45pm. Pre-show entertainment is also scheduled to commence at 5pm.

Queueing early for general admission tickets is advised, as the lawn area is allocated on a first-in, best dressed basis.

The event will finish at approximately 11pm.

Vision Australia’s Carols by Candlelight presented by AAMI is held at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne, on Linlithgow Avenue.

Tickets for the main event and for the rehearsal night will go on sale to the general public Wednesday October 12 at 10am AEDT.

For more information on ticket sales, including pricing, visit the tickets page.

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 on the day for walk-ups, if any. It is recommended to buy tickets early to avoid disappointment.

Tickets are sold as per Arts Centre Melbourne's Terms and Conditions of Purchase (including the Venue Conditions of Entry for the applicable Venue). For further information, please contact Ticketek on 1300 130 300.

In the case of an Event cancellation, a refund will be provided to the original ticket purchaser. If you have purchased a ticket from an unauthorised seller, you have no refund right from the Trust and may be at risk of no refund from that unauthorised seller.

The rehearsal night will run with an audience this year on December 23 and kicks off at 4pm.

For more information on ticket sales, including pricing, visit the tickets page.

Yes. The show has never been cancelled in 80+ years and it will proceed even if it rains, so please watch the weather forecast and be prepared with a raincoat. Ponchos will be available for sale at the venue in case of rain.

In the unlikely event that the weather creates extremely hazardous conditions such as extreme flooding or potential fire danger, risk assessors at the event will determine the appropriate action.

We want to you be confident that we have your safety and wellbeing in mind every step of the way.

Vision Australia’s Carols by Candlelight presented by AAMI will operate under the Art Centre Melbourne’s COVIDSafe and Wellbeing Plan.

No, in line with Victorian Government health guidelines visitors will no longer need to check-in or provide evidence of their vaccination status. All Arts Centre Melbourne team members are vaccinated.

Learn more about Arts Centre Melbourne’s COVIDSafe measures.

If you have any queries or concerns about these requirements, please contact Arts Centre Melbourne at [email protected].

The Sidney Myer Music Bowl makes special arrangements for patrons in wheelchairs and their companions, for people with low vision and for people requiring hearing aid support.

A companion attending the event to provide assistance to someone with a disability is able to attend free of charge so long as they are a Companion Cardholder.

The easiest way to organise accessible seating for any event for which Ticketek is the authorised ticketing provider is to complete the Accessible Seating Booking Form and Ticketek will be in touch.

Alternatively, you can call 1300 665 915 Ticketek's Accessible Seating booking line if you require special access, wheelchair or companion card seating, Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm (AEDT).

Both wheelchairs and walking frames can be accommodated, however there is a steep slope to access the reserved seated area so please ensure you have someone who can assist you on site. Wheelchair bays are located at the back of the stalls.

Lawn area ticket holders can remain in their wheelchair for the duration of the show but please note there are limited flat viewing areas available.

For more information, please complete Ticketek's Accessible Seating Booking Form and a member of their team will be in touch. Alternatively, you can call 1300 665 915 Ticketek's Accessible Seating booking line if you require special access, wheelchair or companion card seating, Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm (AEDT).

Patrons are permitted to bring the following items to the venue:

• Comfortable clothing appropriate to the weather, including hats and sunglasses for sun safety and rain-jackets or ponchos in case of rain.
• Collapsible prams are also welcome, although these must be cloaked inside the venue upon arrival.
• Low fold out chairs, no greater than 20cm in height.
• Picnics are welcome in appropriate containers (no glass), along with your picnic blankets, cushions and umbrellas. Please note umbrellas must be closed during performances as they restrict other patrons' views.
• Sealed water or refreshments (no alcohol). Please note any unsealed liquids will be tipped out prior to entry, but can be refilled for free inside the event.
• Please note that the venue is only accepting contactless payment and bar, merchandise and food transactions are cashless. There will be no ATM on site.

There are a number of items that 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 at the time of ticket purchase.
• Alcohol
• Knives of any kind (cheese or otherwise!)
• Glass bottles or containers
• Metal cutlery (plastic cutlery is permitted)
• Drones or any other flying equipment
• Professional cameras
• Cameras with detachable lenses
• Professional recording or broadcasting devices
• Any item that you intend (or such quantities of the item from which Management can reasonable infer that you intend to distribute, hawk, sell, offer, expose for sale or display for marketing or promotional purposes.
• Illicit substances
• Animals (except for registered assistance animals)
• Hard sided coolers and eskies
• Firecrackers, flares, explosives
• Flammable liquids
• Firearms
• Lasers or laser pointers
• Weapons and any other items which could impede safety or people's enjoyment

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

There will be a number of healthy and affordable choices available, both hot and cold food and drinks, including alcohol, including:

• Burger Maestro
• Spuds Maestro
• Dough Truck
• Crepes n Coffee
• Pizza Primo
• Schnitzel Republic
• Taco Station
• Wrap Roll It
• Boost Juice
• Amazing Calamari

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

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. For further information on how to get to the venue by public transport, contact Public Transport Victoria on 1800 800 007 or visit www.ptv.gov.au

Travelling by UBER or 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 are getting ready to leave the venue.

Sections of Linlithgow Avenue will be closed to public on 23 and 24 December 2022.

Travelling by train

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. 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 which are 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.

Travelling by bus

Catch buses 216, 219 or 220 along St Kilda Road. For more information about travelling to the venue by bus, visit the Public Transport Victoria website www.ptv.vic.gov.au

Travelling by private car

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 have the option of using 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 24hours.  Please note it can fill very quickly on some nights.

Please note Linlithgow Avenue will be closed from 5am on the 23rd December until midnight 24th December.

Special parking arrangements

If you have special parking needs please phone the venue to make arrangements on 03 9281 8000.

Wearing a mask is optional but recommended where social distancing is not possible. 

Tickets are automatically issued upon purchase by our ticketing provider, Ticketek. Please check your junk inbox to ensure it has not been sent there by mistake.

If you are still unable to locate it, please visit the Box Office at Gate 1 upon arrival and they will be able to assist you.

You can donate by clicking on the 'Donate now' button in the right top corner of the website. Alternatively, you can phone us on 1300 84 74 66 to make donation.

Your donation to Vision Australia’s Carols by Candlelight presented by AAMI is more than just a Christmas gift; it helps us provide life-long assistance to young Australians who are blind or have low vision. All funds raised go towards our children's services. You can read more about our services and find out about the impact your donation makes here: https://carols.visionaustralia.org/your-impact

Yes, all donations over $2 are tax-deductible in Australia.

Channel 9 will broadcast the whole show live from 8pm on Christmas Eve, as well as a replay on Christmas Day. Your local TV Guide will have more details prior to the event. You will also be able to stream the show online at 9NOW.

2GB in Sydney, 4BC in Brisbane and 3AW in Melbourne will have a simulcast of the event for your listening pleasure. Vision Australia Radio will also be streaming Carols by Candlelight with professional audio description, through their local stations and online.

Vision Australia’s Carols by Candlelight presented by AAMI is currently only available to watch in Australia.

We are not taking volunteer submissions for this year’s event.

It takes a whole community of people and organisations to run Carols by Candlelight each year, and we welcome your interest. If you or your organisation are interested in becoming a partner for Vision Australia's Carol by Candlelight, fill in an enquiry here.