Melbourne is turning the volume all the way up as the city prepares to welcome home one of its most iconic exports, AC/DC. In a nod to the legendary band’s roots, hundreds of Victorian bagpipers will descend on Fed Square on Wednesday 12 November for The Great Melbourne Bagpipe Bash, an event set to recreate one of the most famous moments in Australian rock history and attempt a world record at the same time.
The Great Melbourne Bagpipe Bash will bring together pipers of all ages and skill levels to celebrate AC/DC’s 1975 anthem It’s A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll). The classic song, written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young and Bon Scott, was immortalised in a music video filmed right in the heart of Melbourne on Swanston Street.
Directed by Paul Drane for ABC’s Countdown, the original video featured Bon Scott playing bagpipes while the band performed atop a flatbed truck rolling through the city, joined by three members of the Rats Of Tobruk Pipe Band. It was a moment that perfectly captured AC/DC’s larrikin energy and Melbourne’s street culture, fusing rock and tradition in a way no one had ever seen before.
Nearly fifty years later, the city that gave AC/DC one of its earliest stages is ready to recreate that moment on a grand scale. The challenge? To break the long-standing world record for the largest bagpipe ensemble, currently 333 pipers, set in Bulgaria in 2012.
“This is going to be one for the ages,” said Lord Mayor Nick Reece. “Melbourne, grab your mates and dust off those bagpipes – we’ve got a world record to break at Fed Square this November. It’s the first of our celebrations marking the band’s long-awaited return to Melbourne – and it’s going to be dynamite.”
“Hundreds of bagpipers playing an AC/DC classic in the heart of the city feels like the perfect Melbourne moment,” said Katrina Sedgwick OAM, Director and CEO of MAP Co, the organisation behind Fed Square. “It’s a celebration of our music legacy and creative spirit that continues to define our city.”
The event invites pipers young and old to register, download the sheet music, and start practising to be part of music history. Participants are encouraged to don kilts, school uniforms or even skinny jeans in honour of the band’s signature style. Whether you’re part of a school band, a piping group, or simply a fan ready to cheer from the sidelines, the organisers want Melbourne to come together for a day of noise, nostalgia and national pride.
Fed Square has long been a gathering place for major cultural moments, from live music broadcasts and public celebrations to spontaneous singalongs. As Sedgwick noted, “Fed Square has always been the place where Melbourne comes together to celebrate its music, culture and community and this will be one for the ages.”
Registrations are now open for pipers keen to take part in this historic performance. Sheet music and event details are available through Fed Square’s official channels.
Event details
Date: Wednesday 12 November 2025
Time: 4.30pm arrival, for 5.10pm performance
Venue: Main Square, Fed Square, Melbourne
Cost: Free
Register online: https://fedsquare.com/events/the-great-melbourne-bagpipe-bash
The Australian AC/DC concerts are:
12 and 16 November, Melbourne, MCG
21 and 25, Sydney, Accor
30 November, Adelaide, Supercars
4 and 8 December, Perth, Optus Stadium
13 and 17 December, Brisbane, Suncorp Stadium
AC/DC Setlist, Glasgow, 21 August, 2025
If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It) (from Highway To Hell, 1979)
Back in Black (from Back In Black, 1980)
Demon Fire (from Power Up, 2020)
Shot Down in Flames (from Highway To Hell, 1979)
Thunderstruck (from The Razor’s Edge, 1990)
Have a Drink on Me (from Back In Black, 1980)
Hells Bells (from Back In Black, 1980)
Shot in the Dark (from Power Up, 2020)
Stiff Upper Lip (from Stiff Upper Lip, 2000)
Highway to Hell (from Highway To Hell, 1979)
Shoot to Thrill (from Back In Black, 1980)
Sin City (from Powerage, 1978)
Hell Ain’t A Bad Place To Be (from Let There Be Rock, 1977)
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (from Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, 1976)
High Voltage (from TNT, 1975)
Riff Raff (from Powerage, 1978)
You Shook Me All Night Long (from Back In Black, 1980)
Whole Lotta Rosie (from Let There Be Rock, 1977)
Let There Be Rock (from Let There Be Rock, 1977)
Fling Thing (b-side to Jailbreak, 1976) (special addition for Glasgow)
TNT (from TNT, 1975)
For Those About To Rock (from For Those About To Rock, 1981)
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