John Farnham fans who missed out on one of the biggest Australian music events of the year have just been handed some very welcome news.
After extraordinary demand for The Songs of John Farnham: A Living Legend – The Celebration Concert, the star-studded spectacular is officially heading back to cinemas across Australia – and this time, even more fans will have the chance to join the celebration.
HOYTS has confirmed the concert will return for an encore cinema season from Thursday, October 22, with tickets going on sale Thursday, October 8 at standard cinema prices.
And it won’t simply be a replay of the original broadcast.
The production team has gone back into the editing suite to create a new version specifically for the big screen, promising to bring audiences even closer to the performances, atmosphere and emotion inside Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena.
The news will come as a relief to thousands of Farnham fans who missed out when the original tribute concert sold out.
The September 20 event was billed as a once-in-a-generation celebration of the Australian music legend, bringing together an extraordinary 120 artists and musicians to perform songs from Farnham’s remarkable catalogue.
When tickets to the Rod Laver Arena show disappeared within hours, the concert was broadcast live into selected HOYTS cinemas around the country.
That proved almost as popular.
More than 23,000 people packed cinemas to watch the concert live, despite the broadcast being shown on just 50 screens. It took an impressive $1.16 million at the Australian box office and finished as the third-highest-grossing film of the weekend.
Now those who couldn’t secure a seat – or those who simply want to experience the night all over again – are getting another chance.
“Following the remarkable success of this Australian-first live cinema broadcast, the encore season will offer moviegoers the opportunity to relive the magic of the event or experience it for the first time,” HOYTS General Manager of Programming and Content Michelle Gater said.
And there is certainly plenty worth reliving.
The huge line-up included Jimmy Barnes, Keith Urban, Tina Arena, Jessica Mauboy, Kate Ceberano, Human Nature, Diesel, Jon Stevens, Vanessa Amorosi, Richard Marx, Ross Wilson and Farnham’s son Rob, backed by the John Farnham Band, a 38-piece orchestra and choir under longtime musical director Chong Lim.
There were also special contributions from overseas, including Celine Dion and Hugh Jackman, while Coldplay frontman Chris Martin delivered a heartfelt musical tribute to the man affectionately known to generations of Australians simply as The Voice.
The concert was about much more than nostalgia, however.
It also supported Head and Neck Cancer Australia, an organisation with particular significance for Farnham following his own battle with oral cancer, and launched the Lend Your Voice campaign, which aims to raise $1 million to support people affected by head and neck cancer and their families.
HOYTS has also confirmed it will make its own donation to the organisation as part of the encore season.
For the team behind the concert film, the return to cinemas is a chance to make an already memorable night even more special.
“We’ve gone back into the edit to build a new version for the big screen,” co-executive producers David Wilson and Chris Oliver-Taylor said, adding that the new cut would bring fans closer to the performances and the affection in the arena for Farnham.
So if you missed out the first time, consider this your second chance.
The Songs of John Farnham: A Living Legend – The Celebration Concert encore season begins at HOYTS cinemas around Australia on October 22, with tickets on sale from October 8.
