West Coast, Best Coast: Make Perth Festival Your Summer Escape
Perth Festival returns to Perth/Boorloo, Western Australia from Friday 6 February – Sunday 1 March.
The country’s largest State, boasting the nation’s longest coastline and sunniest capital city, Western Australia is a place to recharge your spirit – outdoors in the fresh air and wide-open spaces, where it’s always summer somewhere.
Plan your dream adventure for Perth Festival with these unforgettable experiences.
East Perth Power Station
Once an industrial giant, this soaring riverside relic is transformed into an electrifying hub for big-name music and unforgettable summer nights.
On the Main Stage, expect serious energy from international artists including Morcheeba, Max Cooper, Sudan Archives and Black Country, New Road. Under open skies, this striking outdoor venue is set to become the spot for balmy-night gigs – perfect for anyone who prefers their live music wrapped in atmosphere and sunset glow.
While you’re there, don’t forget to look up. Each night, the Power Station becomes an awesome outdoor gallery as part of Boorloo Contemporary. Lance Chadd Tjyllyungoo’s breathtaking depictions of this Country illuminate the building façade every night after dark and Kait James is flying the flag for rethinking First Nations’ cultural stereotypes with her series of colour pennant flags.
Lotterywest Films
When the sun dips and the warm nights kick in, Lotterywest Films takes over the beloved Somerville Auditorium at The University of WA. Nestled beneath towering pines and a canopy of stars, you can sink into a deckchair and catch hand-picked award-winning international films – from festival favourites to powerful dramas and under-the-radar gems.
Add delicious food, golden-hour ambience and that unmistakably relaxed Somerville vibe, and you’ve got one of Perth Festival’s most magical summer rituals.
The Embassy
Cabaret favourites Le Gateau Chocolat, Meow Meow and Marney McQueen are set to bring their unmistakable mix of wit, glamour and theatrical flair to The Embassy, where Perth Town Hall spends the summer reinvented as the place for good times and great company. Think warm timber, a nostalgic glow and a program that swings from intimate late-night jazz to big, brassy band moments – elegance and unpredictability brought to life in one of the city’s most recognisable buildings
International and Local Art
Perth Festival’s 2026 program is packed with standout international work and Songs of the Bulbul is one of the big ones to watch. Choreographer-dancer Aakash Odedra blends Kathak dance, Sufi poetry and contemporary movement into a stirring reimagining of the nightingale myth — all atmosphere, emotion and stunning stagecraft.
It’s just one part of a stacked season that also features LACRIMA, a cinematic deep dive into the hidden world behind haute couture; Lé Nør [the rain], a moody live film performed on stage with WA’s own The Last Great Hunt’s signature flair; and U>N>I>T>E>D, a high-voltage fusion of dance, ritual and future-leaning spectacle. Together, they form a program built to surprise, captivate and stay with you long after you’ve headed back into the summer night.
Perth City
With weather as welcoming as its friendly locals, Perth / Boorloo offers adventures for everyone. Framed by the Swan River, the city boasts 19 pristine beaches, each blessed with dreamy Indian Ocean sunsets, and is home to one of the world’s largest inner-city parks. Add a thriving metropolis of curated cultural experiences, luxury hotels, shopping precincts, rooftop bars and waterfront dining at Elizabeth Quay / Goomup on the beautiful Swan River, and it’s easy to see why Perth is such a relaxed and naturally adventurous capital city.
Learn more here.
Perth Beaches
In Perth, life’s a beach – and there are 19 of the beauties to explore along the coast. Perth’s beaches are blessed with snow-white sands and pristine waters, and attractions abound both above and below water. Dip and dive with dolphins, soak up an Indian Ocean sunset or indulge in an impromptu seaside picnic or dining experience. More active? Surf, windsurf, fish or snorkel. As Australia’s sunniest capital, it’s a good bet that every day is beach weather.
Learn more here.
Fremantle
Fremantle / Walyalup, or ‘Freo’ as the locals call it, is Perth’s port city, situated where the Swan River meets the Indian Ocean. Just a 30-minute drive or train from Perth city, it’s bursting with vibrancy, colour and quirky culture. It’s not just art galleries, pubs and cafés that are sprinkled throughout this bohemian town – the bustling Fremantle Markets (still going strong after 100 years) and one of Australia’s first micro-breweries, Little Creatures, are there too. Dig into fresh seafood harbourside and enjoy a cocktail on the beach as you watch an Indian Ocean sunset.
While you’re in Fremantle, catch Brad Rimmer’s Loom of the Land exhibition for Perth Festival – a personal response to place that articulates what remains of the short European history that has dramatically altered the landscape, and the people that inhabit it.
Rottnest Island
Rottnest Island / Wadjemup – or ‘Rotto’ as it’s affectionately known – is a little pocket of paradise, jam-packed with adventure. Getting to this car-free, protected nature reserve is easy: take a short ferry ride from the mainland or arrive in style by helicopter or airplane. You’ll be greeted by 63 stunning beaches, 20 beautiful bays, spectacular marine life and the world’s happiest animal – the adorable quokka!
Learn more here. 
Swan Valley
Perth is home to the Swan Valley, the only wine region within an Australian capital city. With more than 40 wineries and 70 restaurants and cafes, the Swan Valley is both rich in history and contemporary. Thriving in its Mediterranean-style climate, this is Western Australia’s oldest wine region. Toast to golden hour at an award-winning winery and enjoy an Aboriginal bush tucker guided tour.
Learn more here.
Plan your dreamlike adventure in Western Australia as part of Perth Festival here