The acclaimed film La La Land will return to the big screen with a live orchestra when La La Land In Concert tours Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne in 2026, marking ten years since the Damien Chazelle film first captured global audiences.
by Paul Cashmere
A decade after the release of La La Land, the Academy Award-winning film starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone will be presented in Australia as a live-to-film concert event. La La Land In Concert pairs a full orchestral performance with a screening of the film, allowing audiences to experience the score in real time alongside the original cinematic presentation.
The presentation marks the tenth anniversary of the 2016 film written and directed by Damien Chazelle, whose modern musical quickly became one of the defining cinema releases of the decade. La La Land went on to win six Academy Awards including Best Original Score and Best Original Song for City Of Stars.
At the centre of the concert presentation is the score by composer Justin Hurwitz, a long-time collaborator with Chazelle. Hurwitz’s music blends traditional jazz orchestration with classic Hollywood musical arrangements, creating a soundtrack that moves from exuberant ensemble pieces to intimate piano motifs that follow the film’s central characters.
The concert format will see the film projected in full while the orchestral score is performed live by a symphony orchestra and jazz ensemble. In Sydney, Hurwitz himself will conduct the orchestra for the performances at Darling Harbour Theatre. Australian conductor George Ellis will lead the orchestras for the Brisbane and Melbourne concerts.
The music of La La Land has remained central to the film’s reputation. Songs such as City Of Stars and Audition (The Fools Who Dream) helped the soundtrack reach global audiences beyond cinema, with the score and soundtrack album earning multiple Grammy Awards as well as the Academy Award recognition.
The film itself follows the intersecting careers of a jazz pianist and an aspiring actor navigating the realities of creative ambition in Los Angeles. The story unfolds through musical sequences that reference the visual language and structure of classic Hollywood musicals while framing the narrative within contemporary Los Angeles.
For the live concert version, those musical sequences become the focal point of the performance. Jazz rhythms, orchestral themes and piano-led passages are delivered by live musicians in sync with the film, effectively turning the cinema experience into a hybrid film and concert event.
Over the past decade, live-to-film presentations have grown into a significant touring format across the global concert industry. Major film scores including those from blockbuster franchises and classic cinema titles are regularly presented with orchestras performing the music live while the film plays. The format allows audiences to re-engage with well-known films through a concert setting while highlighting the role of film composition in shaping cinematic storytelling.
The continued popularity of La La Land reflects the film’s place within that broader revival of musical storytelling in contemporary cinema. While the Hollywood musical once dominated mid-20th century film culture, modern productions that successfully capture that style have been comparatively rare. Chazelle’s film, with its references to classic musicals and jazz culture, resonated with audiences seeking a contemporary interpretation of the genre.
Beyond its awards success, the film also influenced renewed interest in film scores and musical-driven storytelling in mainstream cinema. Hurwitz’s work on the soundtrack reinforced the central role of original composition in shaping narrative emotion within modern film.
The touring production of La La Land In Concert forms part of a growing catalogue of experiential film presentations developed by Lionsgate Global Products & Experiences. The division focuses on extending film properties into live entertainment, attractions and stage productions.
For Australian audiences, the anniversary tour offers a rare chance to hear the score performed live by a full orchestra while the film unfolds on screen. The format shifts attention to the craftsmanship of the music itself, revealing orchestral details often absorbed subconsciously when watching the film in a traditional cinema setting.
Ten years after its release, La La Land remains a landmark modern musical. With the live orchestral performances accompanying the film, La La Land In Concert aims to reconnect audiences with the music that helped define its cultural impact.
Tickets for the Australian tour go on sale Thursday April 16 at 2.00pm AEST.
Tour Dates
Saturday, May 30, Sydney, Darling Harbour Theatre
Sunday, May 31, Sydney, Darling Harbour Theatre
Wednesday, June 3, Brisbane, BCEC
Saturday, June 6, Melbourne, Hamer Hall
Monday, June 8, Melbourne, Hamer Hall
Tickets: lalalandinconcert.com
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