Ten highlights you can’t miss from the last week of Perth Festival

They may have formed in 2014, but 2024 was a huge breakout year for the post-punk Irish five-piece, with their ambitious Romance album receiving rave reviews and two Grammy Award nominations for Best Rock Album and Best Alternative Music Performance. Now, Fontaines D.C. are kicking off their national tour with a one-off appearance on February 27 as part of Perth Festival. Led by frontman Grian Chatten, the performance is set to showcase their sonic evolution, emotive lyrics and high-energy intensity.

Also using Perth Festival as a springboard for her national tour is renowned singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist PJ Harvey. In what’s shaping up to be a dreamy performance under the night sky, Harvey will hit the stage in Kings Park and Botanic Garden on March 4. Her vast catalogue of ten studio albums means you’re guaranteed to hear hits that span her entire career, alongside tracks from her 2023 Grammy-nominated album, I Inside the Old Year Dying. Our top tip: Arrive early (gates open at 5.30pm) and bring a picnic to really soak up the magical atmosphere.

In the breathtaking surrounds of the open-air Quarry Amphitheatre is one of Perth’s favourite summer institutions: Ballet at the Quarry. This year there will be three world-premiere works from three Australian choreographers, all celebrating the relationship between land, sky and music. Inspiration has come from the rich tapestry of the West Australian landscape, and the works will touch on everything from the area’s Indigenous history to neo-classical pieces en-pointe. This is the ballet, but not as you know it.

Think of this disability-led party as a club night outside the club. Crip Rave Theory was first created as a response to inaccessible club spaces, and it’s a feel-good celebration of bodies that have been traditionally excluded from nightlife venues. Taking place on March 1, the event will be co-hosted by local disabled actor, performance maker and access consultant Crystal Nguyen, while the epic line-up includes DJ Girlname, First Nations queer performer Miss Phoria and voice artist Bella Waru. Attendees are invited to show up as their fullest selves, ready to experience a truly unforgettable night.

Papunya-based Warumpi Band made musical waves in 1983 when they released their debut single 'Jailanguru Pakarnu'. More than just a song, the release represented a historical moment – the first time a rock’n’roll hit was sung entirely in an Aboriginal language, Luritja. The band went on to become trailblazing musical icons, penning hugely impactful songs like ‘My Island Home’ and serving as a massive influence for the likes of Yothu Yindi and Coloured Stone. Now, the Ilbijerri Theatre Company honours that remarkable achievement with this joyous musical, named after the band’s 1985 album and narrated by founding member Sammy Tjapanangka Butcher.

The team behind local theatre company the Last Great Hunt are the creative force behind this playful world premiere, which is running until March 2. Created live each night via puppets, animation and some good ol’ DIY digital magic, Night Night is an incredible theatrical experience that tells a story of life, death and other dimensions. You’ll follow Pip, a haunted scientist in the Antarctic, as she embarks on a quest to discover the origin of life. It’s clever, captivating and unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.

Joining Fontaines D.C. as part of the Irish brigade descending on Perth Festival is the award-winning singer Camille O’Sullivan. Loveletter is a new show dedicated to those she has loved and lost, including dear friends Sinéad O'Connor and Shane MacGowan of the Pogues (she toured with the band for many years). The performance is set to be a highly emotional and theatrical experience, as the chameleon-like O’Sullivan pours her heart out on stage.

Tracy Letts’ Pulitzer-winning black comedy has come to Perth Festival, featuring the likes of Pamela Rabe, Hayley McElhinney, Geoff Kelso and Amy Mathews. August: Osage County is darkly funny American drama that touches on themes of addiction, personal failure and complex familial relationships. Tensions run high in this three-and-a-half-hour production (don’t worry, there are two intermissions), and it’s not hard to understand why this Broadway smash-hit is such a theatrical juggernaut. You can catch it until March 16 at the Heath Ledger Theatre.

If you’ve always wanted to see Midnight Oil’s legendary frontman perform his solo work, now’s your chance. Peter Garrett will take to the stage at the East Perth Power Station on March 28 to play songs from his second solo album, The True North. The musician, activist and former politician is renowned for speaking his truth through his music, so he’ll touch on topics close to his heart – whether that be the current climate crisis or implementing the Uluru Statement from the Heart. He’ll be joined by his band the Alter Egos and supported by Noongar songmaker Maatakitj, who will blend desert blues and dance music.

Since joining forces in 2011, UK electronic duo Chris Davids and Liam Ivory have cemented themselves as major players on the global dance music scene. With appearances at Glastonbury Festival and sold-out tours of Europe and North America, they’re ready to shake things up at Perth Festival with a gig on March 2. Drawing inspo from UK club music and vintage soul, their next-level live show will see them share their distinct sound via songs from their three albums and new forthcoming release.