Thousands Of Fans Will Celebrate At We Are The Voice In Melbourne This March, As The Farnham Band Reunites To Attempt A World Record And Support Head And Neck Cancer Australia
by Paul Cashmere
The full performer line-up has been unveiled for We Are The Voice, the ambitious world record singalong celebrating the music of , set for Friday 13 March 2026 at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne.
Presented with the support of Australian Book Of Records, the event will attempt to establish a new benchmark for the largest crowd singing songs made famous by Farnham. The audience will become the headline act, forming a mass choir guided by long-time Farnham musical director Chong Lim and the reunited Farnham Band, performing together for the first time since their appearance at Fire Fight Australia in 2020.
Farnham, who continues his recovery following treatment for oral cancer, will not attend but has given the event his blessing. In a statement, he praised the musical direction and the calibre of guests, highlighting Jack Jones and the Choir Of Hard Knocks among the evening’s contributors, and expressed his hope that audiences embrace the night in the spirit of unity and celebration.
The concert draws on a catalogue that has defined Australian popular music for nearly six decades. Farnham first topped the national charts in 1967 with Sadie (The Cleaning Lady), becoming the country’s biggest-selling artist of that year. Through the 1970s he established himself as a formidable live performer before reinventing his career with the 1986 album Whispering Jack. That record remains the highest-selling Australian album of all time, propelled by You’re The Voice, a song that has become an anthem of national solidarity and a fixture at major public gatherings.
It is You’re The Voice that will form the emotional centrepiece of the evening, alongside other Farnham classics expected to echo across the Bowl. Under the direction of Chong Lim, the Farnham Band will anchor proceedings. Lim’s association with Farnham spans decades, shaping the sound of the singer’s most celebrated tours and recordings.
Hosting the event is entertainer Em Rusciano, who will guide the evening with a blend of humour and vocal firepower. Choir master Jonathon Welch AM, founder of the Choir Of Hard Knocks, will prepare and conduct the assembled crowd, effectively transforming thousands of ticket holders into a single coordinated choir.
The guest line-up also includes ARIA Hall Of Fame inductee Jack Jones, country artist Taylor Moss, vocalists Crackup Sister Iffy, also known as Nerida Matthaei, and Rachel Bostock. Adding an unconventional element, hypnotist entertainer Mark Anthony will attempt to set a separate world record for hypnotising the largest number of people simultaneously on stage.
For Head And Neck Cancer Australia, the cause at the heart of the event, the singalong represents a significant awareness campaign. CEO Nadia Rosin said Farnham’s public disclosure of his diagnosis has brought overdue attention to a disease affecting more than 5,500 Australians each year, many of whom are diagnosed at advanced stages. Funds raised from We Are The Voice will support advocacy, education and early detection initiatives.
The Australian Book Of Records brings recent experience in large-scale participation events, having overseen record attempts including the largest gathering of dancers performing The Nutbush and the biggest assembly of bagpipers. Co-founder Helen Taylor said recognising Farnham’s cultural contribution through a public record attempt was both fitting and symbolic.
Beyond the statistics, the night is positioned as a collective affirmation of Farnham’s enduring place in Australian life. From his teenage chart breakthrough to the commercial dominance of Whispering Jack and decades of sold-out tours, Farnham’s repertoire has been part of the national soundtrack. While he will not take the stage in March, his presence will be felt in every chorus sung back from the lawn and grandstand of the Bowl.
Tickets for We Are The Voice are on sale now.
Fri 13 Mar 2026, Melbourne, Sidney Myer Music Bowl
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