Love Actually in Concert Heads to Australia and New Zealand for 2026 Holiday Tour
Richard Curtis’ beloved Christmas classic will be accompanied by a live symphony orchestra as the hit live-to-picture production tours Australia and New Zealand this December.
One of the world’s most successful live-to-picture concert experiences is returning to Australia and New Zealand this festive season, with Love Actually in Concert touring five cities as Richard Curtis’ beloved romantic comedy is brought to life with a live symphony orchestra.
The production will visit Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney in December, alongside New Zealand dates, transforming the 2003 holiday favourite into an immersive concert event as a full orchestra performs Craig Armstrong’sacclaimed score live in sync with the film. The performance also incorporates the movie’s iconic soundtrack, including Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You and Love Is All Around.
The Australian tour opens at Perth’s Riverside Theatre on Dec. 9, before travelling to Melbourne’s Plenary at the Convention and Exhibition Centre on Dec. 11, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre’s Great Hall on Dec. 14, and concluding at Sydney’s Darling Harbour Theatre on Dec. 17.
The performances will feature the Perth Symphony Orchestra, Australian Stage and Screen Orchestra and The Metropolitan Orchestra, with acclaimed conductor Sarah-Grace Williams leading the Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney concerts, while Craig Dalton will conduct the Perth performance.
“Love Actually has become a cherished Christmas tradition for audiences around the world and performing its beautiful score live with a full symphony orchestra creates a truly unforgettable cinematic experience,” Williams said.
“Craig Armstrong’s music brings extraordinary warmth, humour and emotion to every scene, and hearing it performed live allows audiences to experience the film in an entirely new way. Whether it’s your first viewing or your fiftieth, there is something truly magical about sharing this story together in a concert hall. It’s the perfect way to begin the festive season.”
Released in 2003, Love Actually has evolved from a seasonal romantic comedy into a perennial holiday favourite. Written and directed by Richard Curtis, the ensemble film follows ten interconnected stories of love unfolding in the weeks leading up to Christmas, featuring a cast that includes Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Bill Nighy, Laura Linney, Keira Knightley, Rowan Atkinson and Martin Freeman.
Its popularity has also made Love Actually one of the most successful titles in the growing live-to-picture concert format, where audiences experience classic films accompanied by a live orchestra performing the score in real time. The format has become a major global business over the past decade, with productions based on franchises including Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and Home Alone drawing audiences to concert halls around the world.
Central to the experience is Armstrong’s evocative score. The Golden Globe, BAFTA and Emmy-winning composer—whose credits include Moulin Rouge!, Elizabeth: The Golden Age and Me Before You—created one of contemporary cinema’s most recognisable romantic soundtracks, balancing sweeping orchestral themes with a carefully curated collection of pop classics.
More than two decades after its theatrical debut, Love Actually continues to attract new generations of viewers, ensuring the concert presentation remains as much a communal holiday tradition as a film screening.
Tickets for Love Actually in Concert go on sale Friday, Aug. 7 at 1 p.m., with the Australian and New Zealand tour presented by TEG Dainty.
Australian Tour Dates
- Dec. 9 – Riverside Theatre, Perth
- Dec. 11 – Plenary, Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre
- Dec. 14 – Great Hall, Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
- Dec. 17 – Darling Harbour Theatre, ICC Sydney