Opera in the open air, free for all, in the heart of Melbourne — if this isn’t culture done right, I don’t know what is. 🎶 Last night’s
@bmw Opera For All at
@fed.square was a public spectacular: a city-sized standing ovation for live music, community and culture. Under the baton of legendary Maestro Brian Castles-Onion, four world-class singers and a 20-piece
@orchestravictoria turned the square into an open-air opera house framed by skyscrapers and stars.
Julie Lea Goodwin, Emily Edmonds, Stephen Marsh and Asher Reichman were phenomenal — each aria delivered with precision, passion and charisma, their voices holding the space with effortless grace. “Greatest hits” from La Bohème, The Marriage of Figaro, Cinderella, The Barber of Seville, Don Giovanni, Lohengrin and Mefistofele felt even more electric shared shoulder-to-shoulder with thousands who clapped, cheered and held their breath together.
The first moment that brought a smile to my face was when the 20 musicians from Orchestra Victoria first stepped onto the stage. A sea of faces, ages and backgrounds quietly telling a bigger story: this is what the future of classical music can look like. Diversity on stage, joy in the crowd, one language between them — music. It knows no divide.
For more than 50 years, BMW has backed culture around the world, and BMW Opera For All truly lives up to its name — opera, outside, free, for everyone. Munich, Berlin, London, Moscow… and now Melbourne proudly on that list since 2023.
🎥 Reel featuring the final two breathtaking performances from BMW Opera For All, Melbourne 2026 — save this for next year’s edition, and share it with someone who still thinks opera is “not for them”.
Honoured for the VIP invitation — thank you BMW,
@operaaustralia and
@littletraincreative for championing art that belongs to all of us.
Attended by
@roslynfoo @sebnemgencerart
#opera #livemusic #melbourne #fedsquare #bmw
