Italian star tenor Andrea Bocelli to play an exclusive concert at a surprise Sydney venue

In a shock addition to the 2025 stadium concert calendar, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli will play for one night only at a beloved Sydney venue.

Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli will perform an epic concert with a 70-piece orchestra and 60-person choir at the Sydney Cricket Ground in April.

The superstar maestro has a huge following in Australia, selling out five concerts on his 2022 tour which featured his children Matteo and Virginia, and Delta Goodrem and Natalie Imbruglia, as special guests.

“I remember the enthusiasm of a public that I now carry in my heart. So much so that – despite my not being particularly fond of the long distances to be covered by plane – I return again, with enthusiasm to a land that, although it is so far away, I feel so close,” Bocelli said.

“I remember the benevolence with which you not only welcomed me, but also my children Matteo and Virginia, and the warmth with which the audience embraced us in a big hug, as long as the whole evening.”

Delta Goodrem has been a special guest on Andrea Bocelli’s previous tours. Picture: NCA.

Unlike the one-off gig by Billy Joel at the MCG in 2022 and Coldplay concerts in Perth in 2023 which were underwritten by the respective state governments, promoter TEG said there was no taxpayer funding supporting the Bocelli show on April 3.

It is the first concert at the iconic venue since U2 played their Joshua Tree shows in 2019 and TEG CEO Geoff Jones said he plans to stage more concerts there.

“Sydney has always been a very strong market for the Maestro Bocelli, and to stage this special performance at the SCG, is a match made in heaven,” Jones said.

“TEG has not received any government funding for this show.”

Bocelli played five sold out shows in Australia on his 2022 tour. Picture: David Wolff-Patrick / Redferns.

The beloved Italian singer has one of the world’s most recognised voices, selling more than 90 million albums and generating over 16 billion streams with his renditions of classics including The Prayer and Time To Say Goodbye.

The one night only concert in Australia show was a last-minute addition to his Asian tour, slotted in between his shows in Hanoi and Taipei.

Bocelli said he loved hearing the Australian accent when fans sang along at his concerts because it has a “particular musicality.”

“Needless to say, the Australian artists I have worked with over the years have always had impeccable diction, whatever the language of the songs we were singing,” he said.

“I personally have a soft spot for the Australian accent: a unique way of expressing oneself that immediately conveys a sense of warmth and friendliness.

“There is a particular musicality in the way words are pronounced, with those elongated vowels and the rising tone, almost as if each statement were an invitation to continue the conversation.”

Australian soprano Amy Manford will guest star at the epic SCG concert. Picture: Tony Gough.

While other special guests are yet to be confirmed, Bocelli said he will be sharing the stage with Australian soprano Amy Manford, his son Matteo, and Italian singer Mariam Battistelli.

Bocelli also returns with two of his lifelong friends in the entourage for the shows – flautist Andrea Griminelli and conductor Carlo Bernini.

“Maestro Carlo Bernini is a fine artist who, before being a conductor, was my piano teacher in our twenties, and then became, for the next thirty years, one of my closest and most trusted collaborators,” Bocelli said.

Tickets for the Andrea Bocelli Live concert will be available to Telstra Plus members via a pre-sale on Wednesday from 9am via www.telstra.com.au/tickets with general tickets on sale from 10am on February 17 via Ticketek.

Originally published as Italian star tenor Andrea Bocelli to play an exclusive concert at a surprise Sydney venue