The 15 best festivals in Perth and Western Australia

January/February

Things get a little saucy and sweaty when Fringe World takes over Perth each summer, attracting hundreds of thousands of party people. Out of 400-plus Fringe festivals across the planet, Perth’s manic month-long edition is the third-largest, with around half of the acts from WA, a third from interstate and 20 per cent from overseas. Fringe World’s magic lies in its variety – each year the program is packed with everything from comedy and circus to theatre, visual art, musicals, dance, cabaret and family entertainment. From the Spiegeltent to the Pleasure Gardens, there’s a plethora of delights for all ages and tastes to explore.

February

Laneway has long been a champion of indie music since launching in 2005. The one-day festival is famous for bringing out some of the hottest new acts alongside local talents and international superstars, with previous headliners including Billie Eilish, Tame Impala, Stormzy and Rüfüs Du Sol. You can get hot’n’sweaty in the front row at Wellington Square each February, with the festival also hitting up Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne.

February/March

Every Australian capital has its own namesake cultural festival, but Perth takes the crown with the country’s longest-running one. More than 70 years ago, this four-week summer extravaganza was born as a ‘festival for the people’, celebrating Perth’s vibrant culture and community on the shores of the Derbarl Yerrigan (Swan River). You don’t have to spend a cent to have a blast at Perth Festival, with free outdoor concerts, striking art exhibitions, inspiring talks and late-night dance parties. However, money will score you entry to world-class plays, movie screenings under the stars, dazzling dance showcases, world premiere concerts, plus panels and workshops during the annual Writers Weekend.

March

Lace up your walking shoes and start snapping. This is set to be another momentous year for the world’s largest annual free-to-the-public outdoor sculpture exhibition. Following the grand celebration of its 25th anniversary in Sydney last year, Sculptures by the Sea will return to the sandy shores of Perth for its 20th year. The immensely popular event attracts more than 250,000 visitors from near and far, so you know it’s worth the hype. In 2024, the sculpture fest featured more than 70 weird and wonderful sculptures by renowned local and international artists from 15 countries, all dotted along the postcard-perfect Cottesloe Beach.

March

It feels a little lazy to say that eating and drinking yourself silly is one of the best things to do in Perth, but it would be disingenuous to suggest otherwise. City Feast (formerly City Wine) brings together the top chefs and producers across the state for a celebration of our thriving culinary scene. Popping up in the newly refurbished Wellington Square, you can eat your way through more than 50 diverse stalls showcasing our state’s most talented chefs and boutique wine, spirit, beer and cider producers, including Old Young’s, Republic of Fremantle, Wise Wine and Swan River Distillery.

April

The ancient red rock gorges of Karijini’s 2.5-billion-year-old national park come alive for this spectacular arts and cultural festival with a focus on celebrating local Aboriginal culture. For more than a decade, the Karijini Experience has brought together thousands of visitors and hundreds of artists under the starry night sky, offering a diverse line-up of food, culture, art, music and storytelling events. From morning yoga and boomerang sand art crafts to weekend markets and a bush tucker high tea, the celebration welcomes both locals and blow-ins alike.

April

If you’re a foodie with a passion for the deep blue, then add Shore Leave to your festival bucket list. Taking place in Geraldton, this ultimate seafood fest celebrates all things ocean and adventure, with more than 30 events hosted across five jam-packed days. From the iconic Abrolhos Island long table lunch and Mid-West paddock to plate culinary experience, to tours, markets and music, there’s almost too much to see, eat and do.

May

Peppered over WA’s Great Southern region, this premier regional foodie festival fuses incredible flavours, fine wines and otherworldly landscapes. Dive into more than 40 culinary experiences spread across 11 glorious days, with everything from lavish long lunches and gourmet degustations to premium pairing events and bustling community markets.

May

Located on the banks of the Ord River, Kununurra is the launch pad of a cultural experience distinct to WA’s precious Kimberley region. The annual Ord Valley Muster is the biggest festival in the region and celebrates the North West’s vast and dramatic landscapes with culinary, creative and cultural events. Rally the squad and adventure on down for comedy in the park, dinner under the stars, the top-end mustering rodeo, a yoga boat ride and more. 

June

Celebrate winter's most delicious harvest at this three-day festival held in the heart of Australian truffle country in Manimup, a 3.5-hour drive south of Perth. Truffles are of course at the centre of all weekend activities, including candlelit long table lunches laden with freshly harvested shavings of ‘black gold’, intimate fireside cooking masterclasses, truffle dog demonstrations and truffle hunts in orchards. However, the festival also celebrates 50 other kinds of the region's most prized produce with an undercover marketplace, free cooking demonstrations and wine tastings.

July 

Pass the popcorn! Australia's leading festival of indie cinema stretches its wings around Perth city every winter, with the 2024 showcase featuring more than 30 feature films and documentaries, plus more than 80 short films. From coming-of-age narratives and dark comedies to fantasy, horror, drama, family animation and documentaries, there really is a flick for every movie lover out there. 

September

If you like to bust a move on the thumping, neon dance floor but would like to emerge, like a butterfly, from the sweaty underground den of nightclubs, Listen Out is for you. This massive over-18s festival spotlighting dance, R’n’B, hip hop, electronic and house music returns to the fresh air of Perth’s Western Parklands – HBF Arena each Spring, also stopping in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

October

West Coasters are well-versed in the art of sipping world-class wine in the sun. So, it’s good news that each October, a festival entirely dedicated to our state’s finest booze brings together more than 50 wineries, breweries and distilleries all in one place. You can soak up the festival buzz under the central music gazebo, with a cab sav or cocktail in one hand and a bao bun or burger in the other. Alternatively, sign yourself up for a Barrel Session, featuring wine tastings by Millbrook, spirit samplings with Swan River Distillery and more. Oh, and yes, we’ll take a top-up, thanks! 

November 

Set amidst the rolling vineyards of WA’s coastal wine region, Pair’d is a ‘wine first’ event set to uncork its inaugural year in 2024. The four-day festival showcases the South West’s world-class wines, paired with incredible culinary, music and cultural experiences. Vinophiles can sip wine in the sun at a long Nature’s Table lunch, sample 18 of the region’s top wines at the Grand Tasting, and brush shoulders with Michelin-star chefs in a world-first Wine Dinner Series. When happy hour hits, head to Castle Bay, which will transform into a beach club with daybeds, seafood platters and, of course, more wine. 

December

Kicking off in Brisbane then blazing through Perth and Adelaide, this epic series of one-day summer festivals is sure to make Sydneysiders and Melburnians sweat with envy. In 2024, Grammy-nominated Aussie producer Fisher will return to home turf as a headliner at the New Year's Eve festival, and will be joined by a powerhouse line-up of international and local acts spanning dance, hip-hop and indie genres. Sounds like a wild and wacky festival you'll wanna be at.