Summer in the west is a glorious time. From movies under the stars to trips to the beach and the outrageous laughs to be had at Fringe World, there’s so many ways to be entertained around the city over the next few months.
This list isn’t exhaustive, but it will certainly give you some ideas of where to look, play, be challenged or have fun.
Sculpture by the Sea
Sculpture by the Sea at Cottesloe Beach returns from March 6-23 after a year’s hiatus. Expect the iconic exhibition to showcase the works of local, national and international sculptors, transforming Cottesloe Beach into a temporary sculpture park for what is Perth’s largest free-to-the-public arts event.
Find out more at www.sculpturebythesea.com/cottesloe
Perth Comedy Festival
The Perth Comedy Festival runs from April 2 to May 17 and serves up another round of international hilarity, teasing more of the big names set to hit the stage in 2026. From the quick wit of Stephen K. Amos to the physical mayhem of The Umbilical Brothers, this lineup brings global comedy gold – including Colin Mochrie and Asad Mecci, Schalk Bezuidenhout, Chan Lok Tim, Joanne McNally and Nurse Georgie Carroll. At venues all over Perth.
Find out more at www.perthcomedyfestival.com
Perth Festival
A hallmark of summertime, Perth Festival brings art in all its forms from around WA and the world. One of Australia’s longest running cultural festivals, this year’s program is designed to excite, challenge and provoke as the city comes alive in a kaleidoscope of creativity. Highlights include Lacrima, a breathtaking new work of French theatre from filmmaker Caroline Guiela Nguyen and Black Swan State Theatre’s Meow Meow’s The Red Shoes, a mischievous and subversive cabaret spectacular.
The East Perth Power Station returns as a riverside hub alive with music, art and community, from free sunset sessions at Casa Musica to main stage performances by Max Cooper, Nilüfer Yanya, Baker Boy and Sudan Archives. The Embassy brings its late-night flair with jazz, soul and cabaret. On from February 6 to Mach 1.
Find out more at www.perthfestival.com.au
West Australian Opera
West Australian soprano Jessica Blunt makes her role debut as Violetta, a popular courtesan who is harbouring a deadly secret in Sarah Giles’ lavish retelling of Verdi’s famous opera La Traviata. Paul O’Neill, James Clayton and Matthew Lester round out the all-star cast in the March 14-18 season at His Majesty’s Theatre.
Find out more at www.waopera.asn.au
West Australian Symphony Orchestra
WASO heads out of Perth as Concertmaster Laurence Jackson takes centre stage to celebrate classical music at its finest in Mandurah and Bunbury. Beethoven, Dvorak, Mahler and Haydn are on the menu in February. As part of Perth Festival, you’ll see WASO in Echoes Through Time at St Mary’s Cathedral and The Trail in Forrest Chase. Rounding out the month, Timeless Stories is led by conductor Benjamin Northey and features mezzo-soprano Jessica Aszodi.
Find out more at www.waso.com.au
Outdoor cinemas
If you like your cinema outdoors, then Luna Outdoor in Leederville is the place to be over summer. This hidden gem screens the latest festival favourites, cult classics and arthouse adventures. Plus, it wouldn’t be the same without the hosted cult phenomenon The Room, now in its 15th year, hosted by Tristan Fidler, James Palm and new host Alice Finnegan.
For 18 balmy weeks beneath the Somerville pines at UWA, Lotterywest Films will roll out a hand-picked lineup of Cannes-laurelled adventures, pulse-quickening thrillers, eye opening docos, spicy romcoms and emotional dramas. Travel across the globe from the streets of 1960s Paris and the mountain villages of Italy to the coastlines of Brazil and the towns of the American south.
Telethon Community Cinemas happen at Bassendean, Burswood, Joondalup and Murdoch and they’re screening new and recent movies along with the odd classic with plenty of family-friendly flicks. Look out for some free screenings too. Snuggle down in a beanbag at Rooftop Movies which run on top of the Roe Street Car Park in Northbridge until the end of March. There’s also Moonlight Cinema located at May Drive Parkland in Kings Park. If they’re not sold out, check out Film Club at Rendezvous Scarborough.
Candlelight concerts
From Vivaldi’s Four Seasons to 80s Rock Anthems, a tribute to Taylor Swift or Ed Sheeran and Bridgerton on Strings, there’s something for everyone at Candlelight Concerts at venues like Perth Town Hall and Perth Modern School.
Find out more at www.candlelightexperience.com
West Australian Ballet
This year begins with a stalwart on the WA calendar, Ballet at the Quarry (February 6-28). This season features four world premieres created especially for this unique and breathtaking location, from internationally acclaimed choreographers Tim Harbour and Ihsan Rustem and WA Ballet’s own Chihiro Nomura and Polly Hilton in their mainstage choreographic debuts.
Each new work illuminates a different area of dance – from luminous lyricism to striking athleticism – together forming an unforgettable celebration of artistry, light and movement. Bring a rug and a picnic.
Find out more at www.waballet.com.au
Community picnic
Yirra Yaakin’s annual Family Picnic on February 22 from 3-6pm is a chance to connect with community and bring people together to share the stories and spirit behind contemporary Aboriginal theatre.
Meet and yarn with Yirra Yaakin artists, staff and creatives in the gardens surrounding Subiaco Arts Centre (Wandarguttagurrup), where they are the company-in-residence. Enjoy music, food and entertainment and discover more about the company’s exciting year of programming.
Find out more at yirrayaakin.com.au
Get your theatre tickets
Now You See Me
For the first time in Perth, four trailblazing illusionists will unleash a mind-blowing spectacle: Now You See Me Live. Inspired by the hit film franchise, the “Four Horsemen” will stun audiences in a showcase of unmatched synergy, pushing the boundaries of stage magic to the absolute edge, making the impossible possible with an unbelievable arsenal of solo skills, shocking twists and grand feats of illusion. Crown Theatre from January 23 – February 1.
Anastasia
Inspired by the mysterious tale of Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov’s rumoured escape in the dawning days of the Russian Revolution and the animated fairytale of the same name, hit Broadway musical Anastasia is a lavish musical for all ages.
Transporting audiences from the twilight years of the Imperial rule to the euphoria and exuberance of Paris in the 1920s, a brave young woman named Anya sets out to discover the mystery of her past and embark on an epic adventure to help her find home, love and family. Crown Theatre from March.
Find out more at www.crownperth.com.au/entertainment/crown-theatre
Get to a gig
Concerts
There’s plenty of concerts on around Perth, including Wheatus, Jimmy Barnes, Ed Sheeran, Viagra Boys, Kate Bollinger, Hothouse Flowers, Bjorn Again, Kesha, Stella Donnelly, Electric Six, Jon Stevens and Wolfmother,
RAC Arena
HoopsFest and West Coast Fever games, The Lumineers, David Byrne, Disney Jr Live, Good Charlotte, One Republic, Lorde, Lainey Wilson, Hill Top Hoods and Machine Gun Kelly.
Red Hill
The Last Dinner Party, Turnstyle, Old Dominion, Pierce the Veil and James Reyne.
Astor
Deacon Blue, Teddy, Amble, Wyatt Flores, The Black Sorrows, Gregory Alan, Nick Mulvey, Thornhill, Jonathan Van Ness, Tony Hadley, Anh Do and Lloyd Cole.
Crown Theatre
Kevin Bloody Wilson and Jenny Talia, MJ: The Michael Jackson Musical and Pretty Woman: The Musical.
Fringe World 2026 – 12 January–15 February
Hypnotist Matt Hale
Perth’s viral comedy hypnotist returns home after having too much fun in Edinburgh. Matt Hale’s Funbelievable! 90s Rewind is a full-throttle comedy hypnosis show where everyday people become the stars – dancing, singing, and embracing the glorious weirdness of the decade that gave us Britpop, girl power and dial-up internet. Expect dodgy dance moves, retro fashion and a soundtrack packed with the biggest (and cheesiest) bangers of the 90s.
The Briefs Factory
The Briefs Factory return with The Hubba Hubba Club – a sweaty, glitter-drenched spectacle of filthy fun, dancefloor anthems and unrestrained chaos every Friday and Saturday of Fringe at the Rechabite. It’s the disco, dance and late-night party filled with the DJs, drag and burlesque your summer self has been craving. Loud, luscious and unapologetically queer.
Millennial: Hits of the 90s and 00s
Lisa Woodbrook and her back-up dancers return with Millennial: Hits of the 90s and 00s. Get ready for more 90s and 00s bangers in this extended edition of Lisa’s hit show at the Liberty Theatre, which is part comedy, part sing-along that culminates in one epic musical medley. Millennial includes hits from all of your favourite 90s and 00s artists including Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Hilary Duff, Backstreet Boys, N*SYNC, Vengaboys, Robbie Williams, Shania Twain, Kylie Minogue and more.
NonnaMia!
Fringe favourite Etta D’Elia is back with a brand-new show, NonnaMia! Featuring all the songs that Nonna loves to sing, but with Etta D’Elia and her jazz band’s signature swing, this concert combines heartwarming storytelling with brilliant music that celebrates everyone’s favourite matriarch – Nonna. Shows at Shelter Brewing, Encore Rockingham and the State Theatre Centre.
She Said What?
Iconic songs by Australia’s fiercest women songwriters are reimagined for chamber ensemble in She Said What? Reimagine the music of Missy Higgins, Angie McMahon and Sia alongside Katie Noonan, Emily Wurramara and Kate Miller-Heidke, with soaring vocals, strings, winds and piano. Expect raw emotion, bold storytelling and unexpected beauty as Mirabilis Collective dives into anthems of love, loss, protest and power in a show celebrating the guts and genius of Australian women in song.
Finding Connie
Before Bob Dylan and before Joni Mitchell, there was Connie Converse – a pioneering singer-songwriter who disappeared without a trace in 1974. Finding Connie is a spellbinding 60-minute concert weaving live arrangements of her songs with narration about her extraordinary life and mystery. Part music, part theatre, part detective story, this evocative production from Mirabilis Collective has captivated audiences with its blend of haunting folk melodies and lyrical storytelling.
Gasha
Enter a neon-soaked, near-future Japan where circus, dance and acrobatics collide. A haunting, visually stunning dreamworld of identity, memory and movement.
Casey Filips: Virtuoso
Tobias Finlay-Fraser is “the world’s greatest actor”, according to…himself. Played by comedian Casey Filips, this one-man comedy hour is pretentious, brilliant, chaotic and laugh-out-loud hilarious.
#Since1994
An all-female contemporary eye-catching circus explosion. Breathtaking aerials, bold storytelling and raw power are a hallmark for this groundbreaking Taiwanese troupe which flips gravity and gender stereotypes on their heads. Fierce and fearless.
Primal
Turn up the heat! This adults-only circus–cabaret hybrid unleashes fire, burlesque, aerials and pure animal instinct. A wild, sexy, high-voltage ride through desire, identity and everything deliciously untamed.
Bubba Licious
A soft, colourful sensory wonderland for babies and toddlers, filled with bubbles, puppetry, movement and gentle magic. Pure joy for tiny humans while offering a breather for their grown-ups.
Find out more at fringeworld.com.au
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