Local Artists, Queer Culture Parties, Outdoor Cinemas and Upcoming Musicians Lead Fed Square's Just-Announced Open Air 2026 Program
A month of live music, outdoor cinemas, dance performances and community celebrations in the heart of the city.
Fed Square comes alive in the summer, like all sorts of things across Melbourne, but it's mostly thanks to the massive summer program of Open Air. The annual event, which transforms the inner-city space into a cultural and entertainment hub for a whole month, is set to return in February 2026. And now we know what to expect in this year's festival.
For the live music fans, the Candlelight Concert Series returns from Tuesday, February 10 to Thursday, February 12. On the lineup, you'll be able to park up on a picnic or alfresco table and enjoy tunes from Folk Bitch Trio, Dean Brady and Tina Arena, who's performing as a part of her 50th anniversary tour.
Folk Bitch Trio
Earlier in the festival is Garage Band, the annual spotlight of young Victorian musicians, exclusively aged 21 and younger, this time in collaboration with JOF (Joseph O'Farrell). Later in the festival, on Saturday, February 21, the Afro-Caribbean Carnival will return, featuring Sister Nancy and General Levy leading the vibrant street party celebrations.
On Thursday, February 26, The Beatles Dub Club will bring the explosive beats that have rocked Glastonbury, Boomtown, Latitude, Isle of Wight, Camp Bestival, and Green Man with covers, remixes and tracks of The Fab Four as you've never heard them before. Then on Friday, February 27, Fed Square and All the Queens Men will present a New Orleans-style celebration of queer culture, featuring Big Freedia.
Then, rounding out the music program is a celebration of global sound, with imported acts FRANÇOIS K, ΣTELLA, and GANAVYA LIVE ending the month with a bang. And that's just the music program.
Cinephiles, your film program includes the returning Outdoor Cinema. This year, Outdoor Cinema: In Defence of Satire will run from Monday, February 2 to Thursday, February 5, screening Dr Strangelove and How I Stopped Worrying about the Atomic Bomb (1964), Network (1976), This Is Spinal Tap (1984) and The Player (1992).
Dr Strangelove And How I Stopped Worrying About the Atomic Bomb
Then Open Air's Silent Cinema with Live Scores returns from February 16–20. DJ Lori brings sound to one of Australia's greatest silent films, For the Term of His Natural Life (1927), then The Fall of the House of Usher (1928) with a live DJ score by Emelyne; Charlie Chaplin's 1936 masterpiece Modern Times paired with a bold new live score performed by Sally Ford and the Idiomatics and Blue Grassy Knoll performing a rousing score to Buster Keaton's The General (1926) in a special 100th anniversary screening. Then, to mark Lunar New Year, the landmark of Chinese silent cinema, The Goddess (1934) accompanied by Chinese-Australian musician Mindy Meng Wang and Burkhard Dallwitz.
And finally on the performances front, Valentine's Day will see Nongkrong – Pasar Senja take over the square, a celebration of Indonesian music, performances, art and community experiences. Then City Sessions returns on February 22 with dance crews from across Australia performing dance battles, showcases and live sets to show you what Australia's dance community can do.
Open Air will take place in Fed Square from February 2–28. For more information on the program, visit the website.
Images courtesy of Fed Square.
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