Over 300 performances and concerts in the heart of the city are now on offer thanks to the new campus of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA).
The 2026 Performance Program welcomes audiences to the Minderoo Centre for Performance Excellence for the first time, which includes six new public performance venues and cutting-edge acoustics, engineering and technology inspired by the world’s best theatres, ushering in an exciting new era for WAAPA.
Through the support of the Minderoo Foundation, the Premier Visiting Artists Fund begins in 2026, bringing the world’s pre-eminent creative artists to Perth.
In March, WAAPA is proud to present the inaugural Premier Visiting Artist, internationally renowned classical pianist Alexander Gavrylyuk. The Ukrainian-born pianist, described by Roger Woodward AC OBE as ‘easily the most compelling pianist of his generation,’ will be at WAAPA for a week-long residency and concert.
October will see Grammy-winning jazz composer and bandleader Maria Schneider collaborate with the WAAPA Big Band, performing her celebrated works in the new McCusker Recital Hall at ECU City.
2026 Performance Program highlights extend to LINK Dance Company’s Enter Coda at The Liberty Theatre in May, and a mid-year production of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet at the Heath Ledger Theatre starring the graduating Acting students.
Throughout the year, music lovers will enjoy a range of concerts from classical to jazz, contemporary to new music. There are free concerts for all, and free weekend music workshops for high school students.
The inaugural performance in the new Playhouse Theatre is set for September, with a production of Purcell’s The Fairy Queen performed by the Classical Voice and Music students, with the Broadway hit musical & Juliet to follow that same month at The Regal Theatre.
In November, the Performance Making students will stage a contemporary Australian reimagining of Euripides’ The Bacchae in WAAPA’s new Flex Theatre.
That’s not to mention that throughout the year, Perth audiences can enjoy a range of concerts from classical to jazz, contemporary to new music. There are free concerts for all, and free weekend music workshops for high school students.
With more announcements to come, WAAPA’s 2026 Performance Program is already setting up the Minderoo Centre as an exciting new venue to slot into Perth’s arts and culture calendar.
