MSO Offers $20 First Look Seats for Upcoming Concerts

The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra will begin its 120th anniversary celebration in 2026 by launching a new ticketing initiative, First Look Seats, which offers $20 seats for MSO newcomers at every MSO concert, all year.

First Look Seats by MSO aims to reduce price barriers for curious music lovers wanting to experience the magnificence of the MSO for the very first time. Among the first events in 2026 to provide an entry point to the MSO and orchestral music are classical masterpieces, contemporary collaborations and cultural celebrations.

CEO and Director of Programming Richard Wigley said: “MSO concerts provide a unique environment for audiences to immerse themselves in the thrill, emotion and energy of live orchestral music. First Look Seats will make one of Melbourne's most revered cultural institutions even more accessible.”

Through First Look Seats, $20 tickets will be available for all MSO concerts across the following month. New audience members can purchase up to four seats per concert, up to three times across the year.

In January, the MSO performs two collaborative concerts at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl with Aussie rock legends Hoodoo Gurus on January 29, and New Zealand's powerful and uplifting Signature Choir, featuring 90 Pasifika voices on January 31.

In February, the annual Chinese New Year concert (February 21, Hamer Hall) features Chinese conductor Li Biao conducting Beethoven's Seventh Symphony, as well as performances by cellist Zlatomir Fung in his Australian debut, and guzheng artist Mindy Meng Wang.

Strauss & Mozart at Frankston Arts Centre and Melbourne Recital Centre (February 27-28) features new MSO Concertmaster Natalie Chee and MSO Chief Conductor Jaime Martín in a rare solo, when he swaps baton for flute to perform Mozart's Flute Concerto in G Major. These performances are sold out, with tickets only available as part of First Look Seats.