Carols by Candlelight

Carols by Candlelight
The Venue, for Carols by Candlelight, the Sidney Myer Music Bowl
Date(s)	December 24th Christmas Eve
Frequency	Annual
Venue	Sidney Myer Music Bowl
Location(s)	Melbourne, Australia
Country	Australia
Inaugurated	1938 (1938)
Founder	Norman Banks
Sponsor	Vision Australia

Carols by Candlelight is an annual Australian Christmas tradition that originated in southeastern Australia in the 19th century and was popularised in Melbourne in 1938. The tradition has since spread around the world. It involves people gathering, usually outdoors in a park, to sing carols by candlelight, featuring live performances by both national and international celebrities and accompanied by a band and or orchestra. Today, the largest such event is held annually at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne's King's Domain Gardens on Christmas Eve since 1938.

One of the earliest forms of Carols by Candlelight began in the 19th century, when Cornish Miners in Moonta, South Australia, gathered on Christmas Eve to sing carols lit with candles stuck to the brims of their safety hats. The tradition spread through Victoria and Melbourne, until it was popularised in 1938 by Norman Banks, a radio announcer, then with Melbourne radio station 3KZ. Whilst walking home from his night-time radio shift on Christmas Eve in 1937, he passed a window and saw inside an elderly woman sitting up in bed, listening to Away in a Manger being played on the radio and singing along, with her face being lit by candlelight. Wondering how many others spent Christmas alone, he had the idea to gather a large group of people to all sing Christmas carols together by candlelight. The first ever such event was held in Alexandra Gardens the following Christmas, 1938, and was attended by around 10,000 people.

Following World War II, the Carols became so well patronised that the decision was made to move it to the neighbouring park in King's Domain. In 1959, the newly constructed Sidney Myer Music Bowl provided a permanent venue, where they are still held to this day.