Australian Art Orchestra invites you to wander through a full day of improvisation, cross-cultural sounds and unexpected sonic discoveries across the city on 8 July.
Sonic City is set to turn Melbourne’s CBD into a vibrant, self-guided sonic adventure on Wednesday 8 July.
Presented by the Australian Art Orchestra, this one-day celebration spreads live performance, improvisation and experimental music across multiple iconic venues, encouraging audiences to create their own journey through the city’s streets and cultural spaces.
Sonic City 2026
- 11:00am – AAO Listening Room online launch with Sosefina Fuamoli
- 1:00pm – Vahideh Eisaei & Ying Yang at Blender Studios
- 3:00pm – Barney McAll solo at Melbourne City Library Gallery
- 5:30pm – Margie Lou Dyer Quartet at The Couch, Bourke Street
- 7:30pm – Australian premiere of Smoke Between Mountains by Aaron Choulai at Immigration Museum Long Room
- 9:30pm – DJ sets at Robot Bar
Blending jazz, contemporary composition, traditional influences and electronic elements, the program offers both free and ticketed performances that highlight collaboration and cultural exchange. From intimate solo sets to a major world premiere, Sonic City reimagines the CBD as a living, breathing musical landscape.
The day features a rich mix of artists. Persian-Australian vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Vahideh Eisaei joins Chinese-Australian artist Ying Yang for a cross-cultural duet.
Renowned pianist Barney McAll delivers an intimate solo performance, while the Margie Lou Dyer Quartet brings blues-inflected jazz. The highlight is the world premiere of Aaron Choulai’s Smoke Between Mountains, performed by the Australian Art Orchestra Ensemble with kotoist Miyama McQueen-Tokita and First Nations percussionist Adam Manning.
Beyond the stages, Sonic City partners with local businesses like Captains of Industry, Crumpler and Pizza Pizza Pizza for a stamp-collecting trail with rewards, turning the city itself into part of the experience.
Whether you catch one show or roam the entire program, Sonic City promises a fresh way to experience Melbourne’s creative energy. This is the kind of boundary-pushing event that makes the city’s arts scene so special.
