Updated 24 June 2025
Read Time: 2 minutes
Avatar: The Last Airbender Live in Concert
⛰️ Key Details:
📍 Location: Darling Harbour Theatre
🚗 Getting There: It’s a short walk from Town Hall train station or Convention stop on the Light Rail
🎟️ Ticket Price: $147.40 AUD
⏳ Running Time: 2.5 Hours with a 10 minute intermission 1.5 Hours in.
A Night of Nostalgia and Sound 🌊🔥🌪️🪨
I get it – another film live in concert? I swear I didn’t plan to fall into this niche, but somehow, it’s where I’ve ended up (and honestly, I’m not mad about it). Last night, I watched one of my all-time favourite childhood shows come to life through a live orchestra. Avatar: The Last Airbender Live in Concert blends visuals from the original animated series with a powerful live orchestra that plays every note of the beloved score in real time. The orchestra even featured one of the original musicians who recorded many of the Eastern instruments for the show’s original soundtrack.
The animation was projected on a screen above the stage while the orchestra performed the soundtrack live, from tense Avatar state scenes to the tender moments between Iroh and Zuko, I was more than happy with the set list.
Honestly, the only thing I didn’t love was that in some scenes (especially in Book One) they inserted a lot of black frames or replayed clips in slow motion. I’m guessing it was to fill gaps where there wasn’t enough footage. It felt a bit jarring at times, but thankfully, I only noticed it in a few moments during Book One.
Comparing It to Other Live Film Concerts 🎻🎬
Not long ago, I also saw In the Mood for Love accompanied by a live orchestra at the Sydney Opera House, and I couldn’t help but compare the two experiences. While In the Mood for Love was played in its entirety, Avatar showed the series in a recap style, with each scene being jam packed with different fan favourite songs.
Where In the Mood for Love gave space to silence and longing, Avatar was constantly moving like water, air, fire, and earth in motion (okay that’s a bit cringe but its true). The audience reactions were different too: the Avatar crowd was full of fans, cheering when title cards of fan favourite moments would come up, like The Last Agni Kai or the battle between Ozai and Aang. It felt communal, almost like a concert and a rewatch party rolled into one.
Both experiences were memorable in their own right, but Avatar hit a different emotional core. Maybe because it was tied to my love of the show, or maybe because the score for the show is just so damn good.
Final Thoughts 🌟
Whether you’re a lifelong fan or just someone who appreciates great music and storytelling, Avatar: The Last Airbender Live in Concert is absolutely worth seeing. It’s more than a concert. It’s a celebration of one of the most meaningful animated series ever made, elevated by a full symphonic experience.
All in all, it was a great experience and I have to be real. I did cry twice (those Appa and Uncle Iroh scenes hit different live) 🤧
Great review! I also felt during the show that it was a communal experience.