Our top picks for Perth Festival 2026

Visit Perth02 Feb '264 min read

The Embassy

Perth Festival 2026 is set to transform the city once again, turning towers, cathedrals, riversides and even the night sky into vibrant spaces for art, storytelling and surprise. Across 23 days, more than 100 events, including world premieres, free experiences and bold new collaborations, will fill Perth with creativity and connection.

With so much brilliance unfolding across the city, we’ve rounded up our top picks – your essential guide to the unmissable moments of Perth Festival 2026.

The Embassy – Old-World Glamour & Big Band Magic

Step into 1970s‑style sparkle as Perth Town Hall transforms into The Embassy, a nostalgic venue filled with jazz, blues, cabaret and soul. Expect big‑band swing, smoky blues and dazzling drag, with Perth’s own Ali Bodycoat leading The Embassy Big Band for two standout nights of rich, vintage charm. Cabaret favourites, Le Gateau Chocolat, Meow Meow and Marney McQueen will also bring a theatrical flair to one of the city’s most recognisable buildings.

Why we love it:

If you're craving a little glamour and a lot of personality, this is the festival’s most atmospheric hotspot.

Karla Bidi – A river of light across the city

Karla Bidi returns as one of the festival’s most breathtaking outdoor experiences. Inspired by Noongar traditions of lighting fires to welcome visitors, this luminous project stretches glowing beacons from the hills to the Indian Ocean, paired with an all‑new soundscape of song and story that lights up the Derbarl Yerrigan/Swan River.

Why we love it:

It’s a sweeping, joy‑filled spectacle that pulls you in and gently encourages you to pause, imagine and reflect. And the best part? It’s completely free.

Karla Bidi

Perth Moves – Dance that takes over Forrest Place

Forrest Place becomes a vibrant dance hub with eight nights of public dance classes, an all‑in dance battle party, and the world premiere of Concrete Echoes, uniting 200 dancers right in the heart of the city.

Why we love it:

It’s community powered joy – high energy, inclusive, and impossible to watch without wanting to join in.

Lotterywest Films – Cinema under the stars

The festival favourite returns to the UWA Somerville Auditorium, framed by tall pines and balmy summer nights. Expect standout world cinema, including Richard Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague, a love letter to 1960s Paris and a treat for cinephiles.

Why we love it:

If your perfect festival night is a picnic blanket and an indie gem, look no further.

Lotterywest Films

Performance Highlights – Theatre, Dance & Opera Reimagined

From Aakash Odedra’s solo dance work Songs Of The Bulbul to the operatic fever dream of Philip Glass’s The Trial (staged inside a CBD office tower!), this years performance line up is nothing short of bold, imaginative and innovative.

U>N>I>T>E>D gives us a dance experience like no other as human bodies collide with digital culture.

Lé Nør [the rain] delivers a sharp, emotional climate story about desire, love and the endurance of the human spirit amid collapse.

Why we love it:

Bold, surprising and theatrical – everything we want out of a Perth Festival performance.

International extravagance – Perth is the stage for world class entertainment

Perth Festival’s international program brings artists and storytellers from across the globe to transform the city’s streets, halls and open air spaces into vibrant cultural encounters.

Meet Jaha Koo as he recounts the evolution of kimchi culture, the bitter pain of unadulterated racism, the shame of trying to blend in and the deep umami taste of home in his show Haribo Kimchi.

The soul of East African folk meets the improvisational spirit of New York jazz in this magical performance by Somi.

Why we love it:

Perth Festival gives you the rare chance to see world leading artists and boundary pushing performances right here in WA.

Perth Festival runs across the city from 6 Feb to 1 Mar 2026. Discover the entire program here.