Sydney Opera House has announced the return of Music on Tubowgule in 2026, bringing back the First Nations-led series after a successful inaugural season last year.
At the centre of this year’s program is Mungangga Garlagula, a new multidisciplinary work from didgeridoo virtuoso Mark Atkins and Australian-Finnish composer Erkki Veltheim, set for performances in the Studio on June 26 and 27.
Wajarri for “yarning by the fire,” Mungangga Garlagula is framed as a deeply human journey of homecoming, blending spoken word, soundscape and live music into an intimate theatrical experience. Atkins, a Yamatji descendant, leads the work through voice and didgeridoo, while Veltheim provides viola and electronics.
Rather than conventional concert staging, the production promises something more immersive. Country is conjured through memory, dreams and sensory texture, with a recorded soundbed featuring an exceptional cast of Australian experimental and classical musicians including Genevieve Lacey, Vanessa Tomlinson, Stephen Magnusson, Anthony Pateras and Scott Tinkler.
Atkins says the work draws on the oldest form of gathering. “The best stories are told around a campfire,” he said, adding that performing on Tubowgule feels especially significant, given the site’s history as a place where mob has gathered for tens of thousands of years.
That context matters. Bennelong Point, known to its traditional custodians as Tubowgule, has long been a Gadigal meeting place. Music on Tubowgule is designed not simply as programming, but as continuation: celebrating First Nations contemporary classical expression while reconnecting audiences to story, listening and place.
Sydney Opera House’s Head of First Nations Programming Michael Hutchings described the series as a platform for the extraordinary depth of First Nations contemporary classical music.
In a city crowded with noise, Mungangga Garlagula sounds like an invitation to hear differently.
SEASON DETAILS
WHAT: Music on Tubowgule – Mungangga Garlagula
WHEN: Friday 26 June and Saturday 27 June 2026
WHERE: Studio, Sydney Opera House
PRICES: Standard: $55 + booking fee // sydneyoperahouse.com
Insiders pre-sale: 9am AEST, Tuesday 28 April 2026
What’s On pre-sale: 9am AEST, Wednesday 29 April 2026
General public on sale: 9am AEST, Friday 1 May 2026
