There’s not long now before we meet at the beautiful Sidney Myer Music Bowl once again, for Vision Australia’s 86th Carols by Candlelight, presented by AAMI. Get your Santa hats on and your singing voices ready, because we have a star-studded line-up ready to sing you through to Christmas day!
This year’s Carols will be filled with all of our favourite regular performers, as well as some new and amazing talent joining our Carols family. All of these incredible artists are here to spread some Christmas magic to you and your family this year at the 2023 Carols!
The iconic Paul Kelly will be making his Carols debut this year, performing his 1996 classic Christmas track ‘How to Make Gravy’. Kelly’s most recent album ‘Paul Kelly’s Christmas Train’ is filled with songs that better reflect the festive season as it is down under. Having won 17 ARIA awards and been inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 1997, Kelly has, and continues, to make history in the Australian music scene, and we are so excited for him to make history on our stage, as well.
Joining Kelly in their Carols debut is the husband-wife duo BOWEN * YOUNG. Not only is it their first Carols performance, but Clare Bowen and Brandon Robert Young will be debuting their duo act as they return to Australia for the first time in over four years! Their debut album ‘Us’ will be released in early 2024, with the duo act touring Australia this coming January. Clare and Brandon’s music is inspired by Nashville, adding an Americana twist to this year’s Carols stage. BOWEN * YOUNG will also be joined by Clare’s younger brother, Timothy James Bowen, and as they say, the more the merrier!
Of course, it would not be Carols by Candlelight without our amazing regular performers. Gracing our stage once again with their soulful performances are Marina Prior, Denis Walter, Silvie Paladino, David Hobson, Simon Gleeson and Casey Donovan. And while your children bounce around waiting to catch a glimpse of the big man in red, the wonderful Emma Watkins, more commonly known as Emma Memma, will keep them entertained once again.
Finally, the magic of the Christmas spirit cannot exist without a choir performance, and the return of the Australian Girls Choir and National Boys Choir will help us all feel the magic this Christmas Eve. Alongside them will be musical director and maestro John Foreman OAM, as well as Vision Australia’s Carols by Candlelight choirmaster Dough Heywood OAM, both guiding our musicians.
The talent does not end there, and there are many exciting announcements to come. Keep an eye on our social media channels to get live updates on who else will be joining us on the iconic Carols by Candlelight stage this Christmas Eve.
