650 young musicians, one iconic market, and a whole lot of free live music this September.
Grab your headphones and leave them at home, because Naarm’s most talented young musicians are about to turn Queen Victoria Market into a concert hall.
More than 650 young musicians will fill the market when The Big Busk 2026 returns on 19 September.
Presented by Melbourne Youth Orchestras (MYO), with performances spread across a main stage and multiple busking spots throughout the market, expect everything from solo performances and chamber ensembles to jazz bands, string orchestras, concert bands and full orchestras, showing off just how much talent is coming up through Victoria’s youth music scene.
Following on from an inaugural event in 2025 that raised $35,000, this year’s Big Busk has set its sights on $50,000. Every dollar raised goes towards MYO’s Future Fund, which helps make sure young Victorians keep getting access to ensemble music education, performance opportunities and creative experiences well into the future.
The Big Busk 2026 at Queen Victoria Market
- Saturday 19 September
- 8am – 4pm
- Queen Victoria Market, Naarm/Melbourne
- Free entry, donations welcome
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
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This year also marks a big step up for the Big Busk movement more broadly.
Originally kicked off by Sydney Youth Orchestras and run jointly with MYO in 2025, the 2026 edition is expanding to include Queensland Youth Orchestra and Music for Canberra, turning it into an east coast-wide celebration of young musicians performing in cities and communities on the same day.
Tasmania Youth Orchestras and Adelaide Youth Orchestras are set to join the initiative later in the year too.
Across the day, 14 MYO ensembles will take their turn in the spotlight, including string orchestras, concert bands, jazz ensembles, the Adaptive Music Bridging Program and MYO’s flagship orchestra.
MYO has been Victoria’s leading provider of ensemble music education for young people aged eight to 25 since it was established in 1967.
Each weekend, more than 650 young musicians take part across sixteen ensembles, spanning symphony orchestras, string orchestras, jazz orchestras, symphonic bands and the Adaptive Music Bridging Program.
With MYO approaching its 60th anniversary in 2027, The Big Busk is shaping up as a fitting way to celebrate decades of nurturing young musical talent while looking ahead to what’s next.
For more information, head here.
