A State Memorial Service for Professor Richard Scolyer AO will take place at 11:00 am on Monday 13 July 2026 at the Sydney Opera House.
Professor Richard Scolyer AO was one of Australia's leading cancer researchers and clinicians whose work contributed to saving thousands of lives from melanoma. As the world's leading melanoma pathologist, Professor Scolyer was named joint 2024 Australian of the Year for his global contribution to melanoma research and clinical care.
When Professor Scolyer was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2023, he became the first brain cancer patient in the world to undergo experimental neoadjuvant immunotherapy treatment based on the melanoma science he had helped develop. Professor Scolyer publicly shared his brain cancer journey with the world to help drive the brain cancer field forward and also to provide hope and inspiration for other cancer patients and their families.
Professor Scolyer's commitment to and advocacy for his profession, coupled with his enthusiasm for life, his empathy and his humanity, resonated broadly and has left a lasting legacy.
Attend the State Memorial Service
Free tickets for the State Memorial Service will be made available to the general public via the Sydney Opera House website.
Floral tributes
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to:
- The Brain Cancer Group to support patient care.
- Chris O’Brien Lifehouse to support research via the Richard Scolyer Chair in Brain Cancer Research.
Frequently asked questions
Limited free tickets for the State Memorial Service will be made available to the general public via the Sydney Opera House website.
Limited free tickets for the State Memorial Service will be made available to the general public via the Sydney Opera House website.
Due to expected high demand, an online queuing system will be in place to ensure a fair and smooth ticketing process.
Please ensure that you only use one browser, in incognito or private mode, when joining this queue.
Due to the limited number of seats available, joining the queue does not guarantee that you will be able to successfully acquire tickets for this event.
The State Memorial will commence at 11:00 am. Doors will open at 9:30 am and attendees are kindly asked to be seated by 10:45 am.
The State Memorial Service is expected to conclude at approximately 12:30 pm.
There will be range of tributes from friends, family members and dignitaries.
The best way to get to the Sydney Opera House is via public transport.
Those travelling by car can access parking information via the Sydney Opera House website.
Limited free accessibility tickets will be available for this State Memorial Service via the Sydney Opera House website.
For enquiries about general public ticketing, please contact Sydney Opera House Box Office on 1300 764 849 or submit an enquiry on the Sydney Opera House website.