Carols by Candlelight 2026: how to watch on Channel 9 and 9Now, start time by state

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Vision Australia's Carols by Candlelight 2026 is on Christmas Eve, Thursday 24 December, live from the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne. The show starts at 8pm and is broadcast on Channel 9 and streamed free on 9Now. This page has the start time in every state, the Christmas Day replay, how to listen on radio, and the other big carols nights on TV this December. Checked against Vision Australia's own pages on 10 November 2026.

Carols by Candlelight 2026 at a glance

	Carols by Candlelight 2026
Date	Thursday 24 December 2026 (Christmas Eve)
Start time	8pm, gates open at 4pm
Finish	No set time, usually around 11pm
Venue	Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Kings Domain, Melbourne
TV	Channel 9 (Nine Network), free-to-air
Streaming	9Now, free, live and on demand
Replay	Christmas Day, 25 December, on Channel 9
Radio	3AW (Melbourne), 2GB (Sydney), 4BH (Brisbane) and others; audio described on Vision Australia Radio
Rehearsal night	Wednesday 23 December from 4pm (ticketed, not televised)
Tickets	On sale now through Ticketek, from the Vision Australia Carols site

What time does Carols by Candlelight start in my state?

Vision Australia says the Nine Network telecast "kicks off" on Channel 9 and 9Now from 8pm local time on 24 December. In Victoria, New South Wales, the ACT and Tasmania, 8pm local time is the live show from Melbourne.

The other states are behind Melbourne on daylight saving time, so the live show starts earlier on their clocks:

State or territory	Live show starts (local time)	Telecast, per Vision Australia
Victoria, NSW, ACT, Tasmania	8pm AEDT	8pm, live
South Australia	7:30pm ACDT	8pm local time
Queensland	7pm AEST	8pm local time
Northern Territory	6:30pm ACST	8pm local time
Western Australia	5pm AWST	8pm local time

If you are outside the eastern states and want to watch it as it happens, Nine's exact listing for your area will appear in our TV guide in the week before Christmas:

Channel 9 TV guideWhat is on today, tonight and this week

How to watch Carols by Candlelight for free

• On TV: Channel 9 with a normal TV antenna. No subscription. Find the Nine channel number for your area in the TV guide.
• Streaming: 9Now, on the web, phones, tablets and smart TVs. It is free; you sign in with a free 9Now account. The live broadcast and, afterwards, the full show and clips of each performance are on 9Now.
• Radio: Vision Australia lists 3AW 693 in Melbourne, 2GB 873 in Sydney and 4BH 1116 in Brisbane among the stations that simulcast it live.
• Audio description at home: Vision Australia Radio carries an audio described simulcast across its network (local services in Perth, Adelaide, Darwin, Albury, Melbourne and regional Victoria, and streamed online), with commentary on what is happening on stage.

The Christmas Day replay

Vision Australia says the broadcast is replayed on 25 December, and that the full broadcast and the performance clips can be watched any time on demand on 9Now. Nine sets the replay time; in past years it has been the early afternoon of Christmas Day. Check the Channel 9 listing in the TV guide closer to the day.

Who is hosting and performing in 2026?

The 2026 hosts and line-up had not been announced when we checked on 10 November 2026. Vision Australia announces them through its Carols Club newsletter and its social channels, and we will add them here when they are confirmed.

For reference, the 2025 Carols were hosted by David Campbell, co-host of Nine's TODAY Extra, and Sarah Abo, co-host of TODAY. The 2025 performers included Vika and Linda Bull, Tim Campbell, Casey Donovan, Morgan Evans, Michael Cormick, Rodney Dobson, Jemma Cher and Jersey Forever. Every artist gives their time for free.

Going in person

• Gates open at 4pm and the main event starts at 8pm; Vision Australia asks everyone to be seated by 7:45pm.
• Rehearsal night is Wednesday 23 December from 4pm. It is also ticketed, but some accessibility options (such as Auslan interpreting) are only at the main event.
• On the lawn: picnic blankets, cushions and low chairs (no higher than 20cm) are allowed. Umbrellas must be closed from 7:45pm. You cannot bring your own candle.
• Accessibility: Auslan interpretation at the main performance (book seats near the interpreter with the code AUSLAN), audio description receivers, and wheelchair and carer access. The 2026 Access Key guide is on Vision Australia's accessibility page.
• Getting there: the Bowl is in Kings Domain, off Linlithgow Avenue, close to trams, trains and buses.

Other carols on TV this December

• Carols in the Domain, Sydney: The Salvation Army's Carols in the Domain is on Saturday 19 December 2026, according to the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, whose event page says you can watch on Channel 7 and 7plus from 8pm. The Carols in the Domain site lists Nine among its partners, so we will confirm the channel against the TV guide closer to the night. In 2025 it was on Channel 7 and 7plus on Saturday 20 December.
• Lord Mayor's Christmas Carols, Brisbane: shown on Channel 9 in Queensland in past years. The 2026 date and broadcast had not been announced on 10 November.

A short history

Carols by Candlelight started with Melbourne radio broadcaster Norman Banks. On Christmas Eve 1937 he passed a window and saw an elderly woman alone, singing along to "Away in a Manger" on the radio by the light of a candle. A year later, in 1938, about 10,000 people came to the first Carols by Candlelight in Alexandra Gardens. Since 1959 it has been held at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, and it is now run by Vision Australia, which supports people who are blind or have low vision. Vision Australia calls it the oldest and most prominent Christmas entertainment event in Australia.

More for Christmas viewing

• Christmas movies streaming in Australia 2026: where Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually and 27 more are streaming now.
• Boxing Day Test 2026: how to watch: free on Seven and 7plus, live on Kayo.
• Sydney to Hobart yacht race on TV.
• Streaming free trials in Australia: which services you can try over the holidays.