The greatest screen music does far more than accompany the action. It builds new worlds, heightens every emotion and often stays with us long after the final credits. Over the coming months, audiences can experience some of their favourite films, television series and games in a new way, with their scores and soundtracks performed live by everything from rock bands and specialist ensembles to full symphony orchestras.
The season begins with Avatar: The Last Airbender in Concert (5 October 2026). A live orchestra performs Jeremy Zuckerman’s much-loved music while a two-hour visual journey through all three seasons is projected onto the big screen. Taiko drums, erhu, strings and woodwind bring the adventures of Aang, Katara, Toph, Sokka and Zuko vividly to life.
December brings a feast of festive films shown in full with live orchestral accompaniment. John Williams’s celebrated score adds even more magic to Home Alone in Concert (2 and 3 December 2026), while Kermit, Miss Piggy and Michael Caine retell Dickens’s timeless story in Disney’s The Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert (7 and 17 December 2026).
Two hugely popular romantic comedies also return. The Holiday in Concert features Hans Zimmer’s enchanting score performed by a full concert orchestra beneath the film (9 and 11 December 2026), while Love Actually in Concert brings Craig Armstrong’s evocative music – and ten interweaving stories of Christmas romance – to the big screen (15 December 2026).
The cinematic celebrations continue between Christmas and New Year. The Music of Zimmer vs Williams sees the 70-piece Manchester Concert Orchestra bring together music from Star Wars, Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, Interstellar and Pirates of the Caribbean (27 December 2026).
The Hallé then turns its attention to the electrifying music of 007 in The Name’s Bond, James Bond (29 December 2026). Vocalists Alison Jiear and Matt Ford join the orchestra for songs including Goldfinger, Live and Let Die, Skyfall and Nobody Does It Better. The following afternoon, Hiccup and Toothless take flight in How to Train Your Dragon 2 in Concert, with the complete film presented in HD and its thrilling score performed live by the Hallé (30 December 2026).
January brings two very different celebrations of film music. John Williams: Music and Movies combines the Hallé’s live performance with scenes from E.T., Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Superman and Jurassic Park (29 January 2027).
The following evening, the Hallé accompanies Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood on the big screen (30 January 2027). Composer Jonny Greenwood joins the orchestra on the ondes Martenot for a rare opportunity to experience his atmospheric, string-led score performed live alongside the complete film.
Fans of animation can return to the world of Avatar with The Legend of Korra in Concert (1 February 2027). Jeremy Zuckerman’s genre-defying score blends classical orchestration with jazz, electronic and world-music influences, performed live alongside HD projections of memorable scenes from the series.
Twilight: New Moon in Concert follows on 16 February 2027. A 12-piece ensemble of rock and orchestral musicians performs in perfect synchronisation with the complete film, drawing audiences back into Bella Swan’s world of romance, heartbreak and supernatural danger.
Finally, Sonic Live in Concert celebrates the music of one of the world’s most recognisable video-game characters (19 and 21 February 2027). A live ensemble, rock musicians, electronics and vocalists race through music from the Genesis era to the present day, accompanied by memorable moments from across Sonic’s 35-year history.
Whether you want to rediscover a favourite film, immerse yourself in an animated world or hear some of cinema’s greatest themes played at full orchestral scale, there is plenty to experience on The Bridgewater Hall’s stage.