Everyone loves a festival …
Whether it’s a street performance, an outdoor celebration of food, film, music or the arts. Perth’s Inner City hosts a long and diverse list of festivals all year round, large and small, so whenever you’re visiting this wonderful city, you’ll find a festival happening somewhere, whether it’s a month-long international arts festival, a Christmas lights festival or a local street celebration of food and music. They all bring that special sense of community joy, wonderment and fun that we get when we’re enjoying something alongside others.
We’ve rounded up some of the best festivals in Perth’s Inner City right here. (Dates subject to change).
JANUARY – MARCH
Southside Summer
Free family fun activities, activations and live entertainment at Mindeerup, South Perth Foreshore. Southside Summer is part of Fringe World Perth’s most popular annual festival. Bring your family, a picnic and rug, and settle in for a beautiful sunset over the city, along with roving entertainment, live music and awe-inspiring circus shows.
Subilicious
Subilicious is a little naughty, plenty of nice and a whole lot of fun! As part of the legendary Perth Fringe Festival, Subiaco has its own festival hub in the beautiful grounds of the Subiaco Arts Centre, hosting a wide range of exciting events.
City of Light Show Series
The inner city lights up with free family entertainment, food trucks, drone and fireworks displays and light shows over the Swan River.
Fringe World
The Perth Fringe, the multi-arts festival that hits Perth each year and shakes it up! It’s rude, colourful, funny, inclusive, diverse, different, loud – if you have to ask, you really need to come along!
Perth Festival
Just when you think you've finally overdosed on arts and culture at Fringe, the legendary Perth Festival arrives, with a staggering menu of music, art, dance and culture on offer. It’s the cultural highlight of the year.
City Feast
One for the foodies. Sip and savour the incredible flavours of Western Australia through an expanded range of food and beverages. Experience a culinary journey in the City Kitchen, where talented chefs showcase their skills by preparing gourmet meals using fresh produce from across the state. Food, wine, and a showcase of the best boutique spirit, beer and cider in the state. Yes, please!
St Patricks Day Festival
Join the inner city Perth community celebrate all things Irish with a vibrant parade winding through the heart of Leederville, followed by a lively festival that promises fun for the whole family! Enjoy toe-tapping Irish music and performances, delicious food, free kids’ activities and stalls. Don't forget to wear your best green attire and join in the festive spirit!
Subi Spritz
Be transported to Europe for ten days and nights of autumnal la dolce vita. Subiaco’s places, spaces and parks will host more than twenty-five events celebrating life’s simple pleasures – long lunches in the park, pop-up pasta restaurants in hidden laneways, European wine tastings, daily aperitivo hour, live music and more. Molto bene!
Sounds of the Bunuru
Roll out your picnic rug and enjoy an evening of live music under the stars at Sounds of Bunuru Concert at Ryrie Reserve in Como, a free community event featuring children's craft and rides, cultural immersions by Djoona and roving entertainment the whole family will enjoy.
Hyde Park Festival
Hundreds of sensational stalls, amazing multicultural food, pony and camel rides, sideshow alley, live music - Hyde Park Festival is two days of non-stop fun. All proceeds go towards The Rotary Club of North Perth’s charitable causes and beneficiaries.
Neon Picnic
An environmentally friendly free family event in the park supporting local music and businesses, in particular community radio station RTRFM. Catch some of the best local music Perth has to offer, enjoy kids’ sports and activities, arts and crafts, food vans and local beer and wine.
APRIL – JUNE
Lightscape, Kings Park
Winter sensation ‘Lightscape’ is a reimagined trail of magical light and sound installations. All of Perth seems to visit this – it’s an unforgettable experience of colour-changing creations amongst the tall trees.
WA Day
If you’re lucky enough to be visiting Perth on WA Day weekend, you’re in for a treat! Discover what makes our great state and city tick, with live performances, exhibitions, music, art, food and culture.
JULY - SEPTEMBER
Wallabies v South Africa, Optus Stadium
One of the international sporting highlights happening in Perth in 2024. Optus Stadium will host the Rugby World Champions South Africa when they take on arch rivals the Wallabies on Saturday 17 August, 2024. It will be the first time the Springboks have played a test match in Perth since 2017 and the team’s Optus Stadium debut, while the Wallabies will be making their fourth visit following the Bledisloe Cups in 2019 and 2021 and Wallabies v England test in July 2022.
The Pickle After Dark 3.0
West Perth’s vibrant Pickle District will come alive after dark, with a free roving art crawl through the district’s streets and laneways. Enjoy open access to local art galleries, classical music, film, light installations, dance, eats and drinks.
Revelation Film Fest
One for the avid film buffs. The ‘Rev’ has developed a reputation as Australia’s leading independent screen event, as it advocates for Australian screen culture and indie film makers. The event includes over 200 international and Australian films, presented at cinemas across Perth.
OCTOBER – DECEMBER
Unwined, Subiaco
This is heralded as WA’s premium wine and food festival. Explore the best of WA’s wine, beer, cider and spirits all in the one space, including more than forty wineries. Kick back under the trees and enjoy live music, delicious tapas and some of the state’s best drops, on the lawns of Subiaco’s Market Square Park.
Jazz Picnic in the Park, Perth
A popular gathering for lovers of jazz! This all ages, family-friendly, alcohol-free event is a musical adventure set amongst nature. Everyone is invited to take part in the jazz parade around Hyde Park, or bring a picnic and just take it all in. All that jazz, that is!
Evernow
Evernow is a major new festival held during the Noongar season of Kambarang – the wildflower season of birth and new life. Celebrating the unique place, land and culture of southwest WA, it’s a free and inclusive event.
PrideFEST Fair Day
Held at Hyde Park, Fairday is the perfect place to get in the mood for PrideFEST month. There’s a huge line-up of free live entertainment across three stages, along with stalls, art exhibitions, food vans, amusement rides, DJ’s, drag shows, even the PrideFEST Bakeoff and Fairday Dog Show.
Christmas Lights Trail
Each year, for almost seven weeks, the Christmas Lights Trail lights up the city and Northbridge with dozens of amazing light installations. You can walk the full trail, or take the family-friendly route to enjoy festive entertainment on Friday and Saturday evenings – including visits from the big man in red himself!
And that wraps up another year of festival fun in inner city Perth! Festival time in the city brings everyone together in a communal atmosphere of fun and shared delight. Make sure you pop one in your itinerary next time you’re in our wonderful city.
