Localista Articles

Come From Away brings a story of hope and human kindness to Koorliny Arts Centre

Following a celebrated season in 2024, the internationally acclaimed musical Come From Away is set to return to Koorliny Arts Centre for a special encore season, running from Friday, September 11, to Saturday, September 19. Marking the 25th anniversary of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, Come From Away‘s return to the stage offers aud...

Dig into these Perth event highlights putting a spring in our step this September

With the arrival of spring, Perth’s events calendar is coming to life with things to do in every category, whether it’s arts and culture-based, or an opportunity to explore Perth’s natural attractions. With over 300 events on our guide for September, there’s never a dull moment for the month, where we’re encouraged to head outdoors, engage with ...

Grammy winners, powerful live music and groundbreaking dance round out WAAPA’s first year at ECU City

WAAPA’s last season for 2026 is here, presenting an exciting program of new works, fresh interpretations and classic stories across the final months of the year. From Saturday, October 10, to Thursday, November 19, the talent of WAAPA’s next generation of artists is on full display, accompanied by industry professionals from across Australia...

Fifty years on, the National Collection’s most valuable painting makes its way to Perth for the first time

A historic moment for Western Australia has been brought about by the Sharing the National Collection program, with an extraordinary loan from the National Gallery of Australia creating a rare opportunity for Perth to see one of modern art’s most influential works. From Friday, April 30, to Sunday, September 5, 2027, Jackson Pollock’s iconic...

Perth positioned as a leader in piano scholarship with ECU City Campus

With 160 instruments, several of which are the last of their kind in the world, WAAPA’s free Piano Encounters sessions invite visitors to experience and hear performances on these historic instruments housed within their purpose-built Piano Salon at City Campus. Dating from 1736 to 1874, the collection covers the entire history of keyboard in...

Swing into spring in Scarborough with JazzConnect 2026

JazzConnect returns to Scarborough Beach this year, bringing an expanded program of live music to cafés, bars, beachfront venues and every corner of the foreshore from Friday, August 28, to Sunday, August 30. Proudly presented by the City of Stirling, the festival is produced by ArtConnect Initiative in partnership with Perth Jazz Society. Wi...

Study science from Broome to Busselton during National Science Week 2026

Australia’s annual celebration of science and technology is here, kicking off on Saturday, August 15, and running until Sunday, August 23. This year, over 2,500 in-person and online events make up the National Science Week program, with WA’s events taking place all the way from Broome to Busselton. The program traverses talks, lectures, work...

Perth’s arts scene is ready to spring to life with these upcoming festivals

While we in Perth might consider summer the peak time for arts festivals, there are a host of events lined up for the second half of the year that prove Perth is a year-round arts hub with a bustling events calendar. From theatre and film festivals to panel discussions and writer’s workshops, Perth’s arts scene is set to be revitalised over ...

Fremantle invites audiences to ‘huddle’ for 10 Nights in Port this month

The City of Fremantle’s beloved winter arts festival 10 Nights in Port is set to return this August, inviting Perth to gather in Freo for ten nights of art, stories and experiences. The 2026 festival will take place from Thursday, August 20 to Sunday, August 30, across Fremantle Town Hall, Victoria Hall, Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre and th...

August highlights are here – explore the Perth events worth your while this month

If last month’s highlights focused on finding comfort in the cold months, this month Perth is slowly moving out of hibernation – as we enter Djilba, the season of conception, chilly mornings become warm days and we transition outdoors. It’s the perfect time for a quick staycation, especially with the final weeks of truffle season providing a...

Belmont Afterdark to bring iconic music, artists and stories to the suburbs

Afterdark Performance Lounge will return to The Glasshouse, Belmont, this winter, featuring a stellar program of cabaret, music and storytelling from Thursday, July 30, to Sunday, August 9. For two weeks, The Glasshouse will be transformed into a neon-lit pop-up performance venue, featuring an award-winning lineup, headlined by Australian sta...

Jukebox musical &Juliet turns Romeo and Juliet on its head at the Regal Theatre

What if Romeo’s ending was Juliet’s beginning? This September, WAAPA brings the international smash-hit musical that rewrites Juliet’s story to the Regal Theatre. &Juliet, performed by WAAPA’s graduating Musical Theatre students and directed by visiting UK guest director Alastair Knight, runs from Friday, September 11 to Thursday, September ...

Get to know the names behind ECU City’s landmark performance venues

When WAAPA’s 2026 performance program was announced back in March, the general public were able to get their first glimpse of the calibre of not only the Premier Visiting Artists set to visit throughout the year, but further, each new venue set to host the inaugural performances inside the brand-new Minderoo Centre for Performance Excellence at ...

Explore the highlights of WAAPA’s standout Season Three program

The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts is set to deliver a vibrant new program for their third season of 2026, featuring standout performances, visits from alumni and international artists and bold takes on beloved classics. Season 3 runs from Monday, July 27 to Thursday, September 24, performing the majority of events at the state...

Warm welcomes and cool events shine in Bunbury’s winter program

A three-month program of winter events has launched in Bunbury, with experiences and activations poised to encourage the community to get around the cold months. Mookaroo-k Goomburrup – Bunbury Winter Events runs through June to August, featuring more than 40 events across Bunbury’s City Centre. A curated mix of community-led and City-suppor...

WAAPA Alumni feature amongst WAM Song of the Year Winners List

West Australian Music (WAM) announced the winners of the 2026 WAM Song of the Year competition two weeks ago, with winners across 17 categories beating out over 800 submissions for their respective awards. Taking out the overall Grand Prize in 2026 was Coco Elise with their song Colour The Stencil, while local First Nations artist Phil Walley...

Claremont boutique Dilettante hosts sixth annual sustainable fashion event

Multi-designer luxury fashion boutique Dilettante has offered an open invitation to fashion collectors, admirers and prospectors with the sixth annual Dilettante Circle event, held at their Claremont boutique on Saturday, July 25, and Sunday, July 26. Dilettante, a boutique focused on housing the latest in luxury fashion from Australian, Euro...

The 2026 Castaways Sculpture Awards finalists have been announced

Across Western Australia, artists have stepped up to celebrate sustainability by transforming discarded materials into art as part of the 18th Castaways Sculpture Awards. Running from Saturday, October 24, to Sunday, November 1 across three exhibitions across the City of Rockingham, this year’s Awards see the artists compete for a total priz...

X-Press Magazine celebrates 41 Years on the Streets with State Library exhibition

X-Press Magazine will be celebrating 41 years on the streets of Perth with a free exhibition showing at the State Library of Western Australia from Friday, June 19 to Sunday, September 6. The official opening of X-Press Magazine: 41 Years on the Streets will feature a panel conversation with ARIA-nominated WA musician Abbe May, X-Press Magazi...

Witty, funny and deeply moving – Company heads to Perth this June.

Company remains one of the most insightful and sophisticated musicals, even 50 years on from its 1970 debut. The Tony Award-winning Sondheim classic takes a deep dive into what it means to connect and commit in the modern world, with an acclaimed 2022 Broadway revival vouching for the story’s continuing relevance and resonance with contemporary ...

Acclaimed WA artist Stormie Mills to make Australian state gallery solo debut at AGWA

The Art Gallery of Western Australia (AGWA) is proud to present All the secrets are buried between the oceans and the mountains, Western Australian artist Stormie Mills’ first solo exhibition to be held at an Australian state gallery. Mills has spent four decades shaping the visual language of contemporary urban culture as a defining figure ...

Magical Harry Potter experience casts a spell on Perth this winter

Beginning this June, Perth will have the opportunity to step into the world of Harry Potter with the Forbidden Forest Experience – a multi-sensory experience under shadows and stars. On Friday, June 12, Kalamunda’s Jorgensen Park will transform from natural bushland into an illuminated nighttime trail that celebrates the fantasy series. ...

Renowned international choreographers to showcase bold double bill of contemporary dance at the Liberty Theatre

Two internationally acclaimed choreographers, Hofesh Shechter and Pansun Kim, are set to stage a double bill, Enter Coda, brought to life by LINK Dance Company, WAAPA’s elite graduate ensemble. London-based choreographer and composer Hofesh Shechter, known for creating physically charged dance works underscored by immersive soundscapes, will ...

“No tights, swordfights or codpieces” – revamped Romeo and Juliet comes to the State Theatre Centre

It’s been just over 400 years since Shakespeare penned Romeo and Juliet, with the classic play’s enduring power meaning a bold new production is set to light up the State Theatre Centre from Friday, June 12, to Wednesday, June 17. It’s no secret that the continued relevance of Shakespeare belongs to his ability to read and interpret the compl...

Meet Sarah Eve: the Perth-based landscape artist debuting their first solo exhibition this month

This month, Victoria Park Centre for the Arts is set to welcome a new solo exhibition from Western Australian artist Sarah Eve, titled Ancient & Ephemeral. From Friday, May 22, to Tuesday, June 2, Sarah Eve offers a visual exploration of the Australian landscape through a collection of abstract realism paintings, accompanied by an artist talk a...