Localista Articles

First Nations works, international collaborators and powerful presentations: explore March at AGWA

Three new and unique exhibitions are opening this March at The Art Gallery of Western Australia, joining the four exhibitions currently running, including Pippin Drysdale’s Infinite Terrain, closing April 6, and Paola Pivi’s I don’t like it, I love it, closing April 26. Read below to discover the new instalments, featuring works from the Sta...

Perth debut of Billy Elliot the Musical coming March 20

The Western Australian amateur premiere of Billy Elliot the Musical is set to hit the stage at Koorliny Arts Centre for the first time, running from Friday, March 20 to Saturday, March 28. Based on the acclaimed film about a young boy’s struggle to make his dream come true amidst the 1984 miners’ strike in Northern England, the musical featur...

Sculpture by the Sea makes a triumphant return to Cottesloe for 2026

Following a ceremony this morning, the 21st iteration of Sculpture by the Sea is officially underway in Cottesloe. After 2025’s hiatus, 70 sculptures are now on display at Perth’s most famous beach, with artists from eight countries participating, including five artists from India making up the India Showcase. Stephen Tepper received the...

Discover the stories of Australia’s most successful Winter Olympic Games to date

You’ve probably heard that this year’s Milano Cortina Olympic Games has been Australia’s most successful Winter Games to date (three golds, six medals total and 14th ranking overall), but have you met the athletes that were responsible for this feat? Australia shocked the world with outstanding performances from an island nation (we’re not e...

Trying to squeeze in last-minute Fringe plans? Try a Fringe Field Guide.

As we approach the final days of Fringe, those of us with debilitating FOMO will be scrambling to make plans, search through the 280+ shows performing over the next four days, and curate an itinerary that balances everything from entertainment value to convenience. Luckily, Fringe and the City of Perth have done that for us. Fringe Field Guid...

First performances announced for new Minderoo Centre for Performance Excellence with WAAPA’s 2026 program

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-e...

FringeConnect Stirling 2026 brings Fringe magic to Scarborough

With Fringe World’s closure for 2026 just around the corner, you’d be missing out if you didn’t visit ArtConnect Initiative Inc.‘s FringeConnect Stirling in Scarborough for its inaugural season. From Thursday, February 5, to Sunday, February 15, the Scarborough Sports and Community Club will host over fifty performances, with tickets on sale now...

Lash Out brings all-female circus spectacular to Fringe

Internationally acclaimed Head First Acrobats have introduced their newest addition to Fringe 2026, with Lash Out, an all-female circus cabaret sensation. Featuring jaw-dropping aerial acrobatics, fire breathing, sultry burlesque and hilarious hosting, expect a circus with bite, beauty and attitude. Lash Out hits Lotterywest De Parel Spiegeltent...

Stay forever young with the 27 Club’s tribute to fallen rock icons

Declared “a masterclass in rock ‘n’ roll”, Amplified House’s debut rock music show, 27 Club, will have you praying to the rock gods for more. A hit show at Edinburgh Fringe and winner of the Best Music Award at Adelaide Fringe, 27 Club features music and lore from Joplin, Winehouse, Cobain, Morrison, Hendrix and more performed by Aussie rock leg...

Ogre-inspired burlesque parody Swamplesque returns to Fringe for one final fairytale

After taking Australia by storm and smashing box office records at Edinburgh Fringe in 2024 and 2025, the award-winning ogre-inspired burlesque and drag parody, Swamplesque, returns to Perth for its final season. With a smorgasbord of performance styles in store, the show promises a night of laughter, surprises and a touch of risqué. The show wi...

Soaking up the sounds of America’s greatest songwriters

Classic music on a balmy summer night has Fringe World written all over it, particularly with Night Owl’s Fringe World 2026 offerings! Stories and iconic anthems from beloved musicians like Simon & Garfunkel, Carole King & James Taylor and classic California bands like The Doors, The Eagles and Neil Young will be presented with live vocals and i...

Michelle Pearson unpacks society’s obsession with Skinny in new cabaret show

Multi-award-winning international cabaret performer Michelle Pearson returns to Perth this January to present her hit musical cabaret, Skinny, which makes its WA debut at Fringe World. Fresh from its off-Broadway debut in New York, a string of five-star reviews across UK festivals and the Edinburgh Fringe, and multiple award wins at Adelaide Fri...

Get ready for a summer of Fringe magic at The Rechabite’s Heart House

The Rechabite’s Heart House program is once again set to bring special Fringe magic to audiences this summer, with a hand-picked selection of fourteen different shows offering music, circus, comedy, cabaret, burlesque, and more. Amidst the hustle and bustle of Fringe, the Northbridge venue is set to offer delicious food, sensational beverages an...

Buckle up as Speed: The Movie, The Play hits The Pleasure Garden this year

Nineties fiends, speed demons and comedy lovers unite! After six long years, award-winning comedy Speed: The Movie, The Play is set to return to Fringe World, with its 60-minute loving homage to the 1994 action thriller Speed. Set on an actual bus, Speed: The Movie, The Play will hit Speed Bus at The Pleasure Garden from Wednesday, January 21, t...

Introducing the South West Biennial – a new platform for contemporary art in regional WA

Bunbury Regional Art Gallery has announced the launch of a new biennial platform, showcasing contemporary art practice in the South West. The inaugural Biennial, entitled Tracework, will run from Saturday, March 21, to Sunday, July 19, 2026, throughout BRAG, Albany Town Hall, Holmes à Court Gallery at Vasse Felix, Margaret River HeART, Southern ...

Uncovering the secrets of Lost in the Hollow

Looking for a Fringe World show with a difference?  Lost in the Hollow invites audiences to crack riddles, uncover secrets and race the clock in a fast-paced, 70-minute immersive puzzle hunt where nothing is quite as it seems. The latest instalment of Tales of the Cursed King from the team at REmida Perth, the experience drops players into a ...

The Windmill Comedy Club brings another round of laughs to Fringe World

Delivering a space for expert and novice comedians since 2020, The Windmill Comedy Club will keep the laughs in full swing at Fringe World 2026, with six standout comedy acts taking the stage at the Old Mill Education Centre from Thursday, January 22, to Sunday, February 15. Located beneath the sails of South Perth’s Old Mill, The Windmill Co...

The government has granted kids aged 5 – 15 a $50 voucher to spend on arts and culture – here’s where to spend it.

The Access All Areas initiative is here, just in time for Christmas. The program provides up to 50,000 vouchers for children ages 5 to 15 to access live performances, exhibitions and cultural events across WA, as part of the Cook Labor Government’s cost of living relief measures. Parents can reserve a $50 voucher per child and claim rebat...

On women & resilience with Lester Prize People’s Choice Award winner Jessica Logan

As the 2025 Lester Prize main exhibition drew to a close, there was just one more award to be handed out—the People’s Choice Award, as voted by the general public on-site at WA Museum Boola Bardip and online through the virtual exhibition. Jessica Logan‘s portrait Half Time has just been announced as the winner of the prize, worth $15,000, th...

Say farewell to the Geoff Gibbs Theatre with its final performance of ballet & contemporary dance

From November 14 to 19, the last public performances will take place in the Geoff Gibbs Theatre, with a stunning program of ballet and contemporary dance works. Verge celebrates 45 years of dance performance at WAAPA’s Mount Lawley campus, so it is fitting that this be the last performance before the relocation to the brand-new ECU City campu...