Seven To Try: The Broadsheet Team’s 2026 Perth Festival Picks

It’s that time again.

Perth Festival kicks off on Friday February 6. Over the next three-and-a-half weeks, the city will play host to film screenings, art exhibitions, DJ sets, live theatre, dance, opera and more. It’s a great time – but with 128 events on the schedule, it’s hard to know where to start.

Here – in chronological order – are the Broadsheet team’s top picks from the 2026 line-up.

Ballet at the Quarry: Incandescence

I’ll never pass up an opportunity to spend a summer night at the Quarry Amphitheatre – especially for the ballet. Incandescence pairs classical ballet with contemporary choreography, all under the open night sky. It’s the perfect chance to gather a group, pack a picnic, and settle in for the evening under the stars for a performance that’s shaped by its atmosphere as much as its choreography. – Emmanuelle Lee, social media coordinator

Friday February 6 – Saturday February 28, Quarry Amphitheatre, From $85. Tickets are available online.

A View From A Bridge

You never know what’s going on in someone’s head. As you walk down the street, going about your day, you’re passing thousands of people who are having the best day of their lives; the worst day; who just fell in love; who are keeping a secret; who are on the brink; who are making new friends. But you’d never know. A View From A Bridge is a global art project from Joe Bloom which illuminates the stories of these strangers. A corded red phone is placed on a bridge, and passersby are invited to pick up the phone and tell a story while they’re filmed by a distant camera which slowly zooms out from them. The stories are then shared on social media. Bloom is bringing his project to Perth bridges as part of Perth Festival to tell the stories of Western Australians. To be a part of a global project like this one would just be so magical. – Lucy Bell Bird, national assistant editor

Friday February 6 – Sunday March 1, various bridges, Free. More information online.

Syber: 013

The East Perth Power Station is just such a vibe-y venue, so it only makes sense that two fashion brands would choose it to host their line-up of diverse DJs. I love my dance sesh to have atmosphere, but what makes Syber: 013 so unmissable is the genre mashing. They’re playing everything from Baile funk and Jersey club to trap and hip-hop. It sounds sick as fuck. – Danica Zuks, photographer

Saturday February 7, East Perth Power Station, from $59. Tickets are available online.

Haribo Kimchi

Jaha Koo stands behind a pojangmacha, slicing and sizzling through a series of courses in a performance that cuts through the sticky realities of living between cultures while searching for a taste of home. This on-stage hybrid performance pairs music and video with a gummy bear, an eel and kimchi. It promises to be a night of laughs and a play on all our senses. Haribo Kimchi is the perfect entree to Perth Festival for any food lover. – Ange Yang, contributor

Wednesday February 18 – Sunday February 22, Studio Underground, State Theatre Centre of WA, $59. Tickets are available online.

Baker Boy with Snotty Nose Rez Kids & MA: BlakOut

Visiting the long-abandoned East Perth Power Station was my highlight of the 2025 Perth Festival. Music, food trucks and Boorloo Contemporary’s projections onto the iconic industrial facade against the backdrop of the Swan River: perfection. This year, I’m excited to see acclaimed rapper and dancer Baker Boy take over the Main Stage on February 21 with songs from his new album, Djandjay. This is the Yolngu artist’s first show in Perth since 2022, so I’m excited to see and hear him perform in such an iconic location. Also on the triple header of First Nations music are Snotty Nose Rez Kids from the Haisla Nation of British Columbia, Canada, and MA, a self-taught Maori musician and artist from Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa (Wellington, New Zealand). – Sue Yeap, contributor

Saturday February 21, East Perth Power Station, from $79. Tickets are available online.

Annahstasia

I keep coming back to Annahstasia’s album Tether. Her voice has this weight to it – not showy, not polished, just very real – and it sticks with you long after each song ends. I like that her music isn’t in a hurry; it feels patient, considered, and quietly emotional without tipping into drama. This feels like the kind of show you see in a small room, sit still for, and leave thinking about on the walk home. That’s exactly why I want to be there. – Jessica Rigg, contributor

Saturday February 21, The Embassy, Perth Town Hall, $59. Tickets are available online.

U>N>I>T>E>D

Dance is a relatively foreign medium to me, (something I’d love to change), but I was drawn to U>N>I>T>E>D when I read the event description which said the show was “as much about what you feel as what you see.” That notion mirrors how I approach photography: drawing on atmosphere, emotion and personal perspective/context. I want to see how that translates into movement and live performance. U>N>I>T>E>D sounds like it’s a full-body, completely immersive experience, and I think we could all use a bit more of that in a world dominated by screens and devices. – Tori Lill, photographer

Thursday February 19 to Sunday February 22, Heath Ledger Theatre, State Theatre Centre, From $59. Tickets are available online.

Perth Festival runs from Friday February 6 until Sunday March 1. The full line-up is available online.

perthfestival.com.au/

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