Sold-out John Farnham celebration to be broadcast live in cinemas nationwide

Hugh Jackman, Celine Dion, Richard Marx and Keith Urban will headline the 20 September concert, along with Tina Arena, Jimmy Barnes, Kate Ceberano, Ross Wilson, Diesel and more…

3 September 2026

Hugh Jackman, Celine Dion, Richard Marx and Keith Urban will perform as part of a huge celebration concert, paying tribute to Australia’s living singing legend John Farnham.

From a song about a certain cleaning lady in 1967 until he was silenced by throat cancer surgery in 2022, John has entertained us with powerful and emotional musical performances and his larrikin Aussie sense of humour.

Tickets went on sale on 2 June and were sold out within a day for The Songs of John Farnham, The Celebration Concert on Sunday 20 September. The show at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena is presented by Cochrane Entertainment and TEG DAINTY, with Hugh Jackman and Celine Dion co-headlining the concert via satellite from Los Angeles and Paris respectively.

Performing live on stage are Vanessa Amorosi, Richard Marx, Keith Urban, Tina Arena, Jimmy Barnes, Mahalia Barnes, Kate Ceberano, Diesel, Hans, Human Nature, Jack Jones, Jessica Mauboy, Ruby Rodgers, Jon Stevens, Mitch Tambo, Mark Vincent and Ross Wilson. Also John’s son, Rob Farnham, and John’s former vocalist Dannielle Gaha. They will be backed by the John Farnham Band, led by maestro Chong Lim, and a 38-piece orchestra.

Watch the celebration as it happens in cinemas…

Those who missed out on tickets will be able to head along to their local Hoyts Cinema for a live broadcast. Michelle Gater from Hoyts said: “With the Rod Laver Arena concert selling out, we are honoured to partner with Cochrane Entertainment and TEG Dainty to bring this event live to Hoyts cinemas across the country, giving many more fans the chance to share in the music, fun and emotion of the night.”

“This is far more than a concert screening. Audiences in our cinemas will join the celebration as it unfolds, sharing every performance and every moment live alongside fans at Rod Laver Arena and across Australia,” Michelle said.

Paul Dainty from TEG Dainty said: “This is an extraordinary event for Australian music, and the opportunity to take it beyond Rod Laver Arena and into cinemas across the country is unprecedented and incredibly exciting.”

The mega-event will benefit Head and Neck Cancer Australia.
(Note that John himself is unable to perform.)

More about the tribute concert: