Coburg's Got Talent
Coburg’s Got Talent 2026: Nine Acts and One Very Packed Amphitheatre
Cold air, clear skies and just enough winter sunshine made its way onto the Deck for the return of Coburg's Got Talent.
Our extended lunchtime on Monday 20 July saw the outdoor amphitheatre surrounded by a sea of students, filling the steps, lining the walkways and finding whatever vantage point they could to catch a glimpse of some of Coburg High's most talented.
After a year away, CGT returned with nine acts, a lot of music, a little dance, and an impressive reminder of just how much talent is hiding in our classrooms.
Our MCs Amanda and Ada H got the afternoon underway and entertained the masses between acts, rallying the crowd and giving plenty of encouragement to every finalist who stepped onto the stage.
And what a group of finalists they were.
Ada and Louis from Year 12 opened proceedings with a heartfelt rendition of Jason Isbell's Elephant, performing with an emotion that immediately quietened the very large lunchtime crowd. Marianna and Emily followed with KATSEYE's My Way, bringing their friendship to the stage for a performance that was an absolute delight to watch.
The beautiful solo voice of Year 11’s Samira, accompanied simply by the keys, floated across the Deck, before Ninyana from Year 12 took her seat at the piano and very quickly discovered that the opening notes of Dr Dre are one way to get several hundred teenagers extremely excited.
Year 7’s Matilda and Maddie then took us into the world of Hilda, with a performance built around adventure, courage and friendship, before Anthony from Year 8 brought one of the songs of the year to the stage with Olivia Dean's So Easy (To Fall In Love) and a voice that more than did it justice.
Ashley from Year 7 took us back a couple of decades with Green Day, guitar in hand, before Year 9’s Mateo and Sidney slowed things down with a beautiful rendition of Leon Bridges' River. Then, with nine acts nearly done and the crowd very much ready for one last burst of energy, Bethanna, Ivy and Charlotte did exactly that. Their Dancehall routine had the audience cheering from the opening moves and proved a very fitting way to bring the afternoon to a close.
Of course, while the performers were being watched, we were also keeping a close eye on the audience. A special congratulations goes to Loretta in Year 11, whose relentless enthusiasm, cheering and support for every act earned her the highly prestigious title of Most Supportive Audience Member.
Then came the difficult job of choosing our award winners.
Our School Captains Astrid, Evie, Sophie and Lucas carefully deliberated before awarding Captains' Choice to Sidney and Mateo for their performance of River. Our judging panel of Benita, Luke, Brent, Lachie and Nat awarded Judges' Choice to Ninyana, whose piano mashup had well and truly won over the crowd.
And finally, our Coburg's Got Talent 2026 Winners were Ivy, Bethanna and Charlotte, whose energy, choreography and epic moves brought the event home in spectacular fashion.
A huge thank you must also go to Anna B, our resident music extraordinaire, who kept microphones working, tracks playing and sound levels under control. The afternoon simply would not have run smoothly without her.
More than anything, though, the afternoon was a wonderful reminder of just how talented our students are. Standing up in front of hundreds of your peers and sharing something you've worked hard on takes a tremendous amount of courage. Every one of our finalists did exactly that, and delivered!
We already can't wait to see which new, and returning, faces find their way onto the stage next year.
Nat Stewart
Student Leadership Coordinator