Perth, a sleepy city? Hardly. The west coast capital has upped the ante with festivals across all seasons. When something is on, expect locals to come out in droves. Whether celebrating food or wine, cultural experiences, music festivals, or a sporting match for the ages, there’s always something to get the masses out and about.
While Perth’s weather is hardly extreme, some events are held to take advantage of its Mediterranean climate and mood. When planning your visit to Perth, consider what season will amplify your west coast experience.
Summer
Make the most of Perth’s spectaculr beaches, like Cottesloe, in summer.Credit: Nick Rains/Tourism Australia
Summer is simply divine in Perth – lazy beach days, balmy nights, and mostly optimum weather. Clear blue skies are commonplace, and so too is actual sun; compared to other Australian cities, Perth receives the most rays making it the country’s sunniest capital. (Saying that, always wear sunscreen and accessorise with sunnies and a hat.)
However, some days can be brutal, with Perth’s hot, dry summer temperatures reaching over 40 degrees. When it gets that hot, retreat to a modern igloo, i.e., somewhere, anywhere with decent air conditioning: just don’t risk turning lobster-red in the scorching heat. Thankfully, the Fremantle Doctor – an afternoon ocean breeze – provides some respite.
Don’t miss
The beach. Need not worry about playing towel Tetris – Perth’s 19 beaches boast long stretches of pristine white shores, so you won’t get on anyone’s sandy toes – promise.
Make sure to catch a sunset over the Indian Ocean, best enjoyed with takeaway fish and chips (you know, life’s simple pleasures) or revel in a scenic sundowner, aka a Sunday sesh at Coast Port Beach (coastportbeach.com), Cottesloe Beach Hotel (cottesloebeachhotel.com.au) and The Left Bank (leftbank.com.au) along the water.
Key events
Fringe World’s Pleasure Garden.
The year starts with a bang – or should I say good laughs with the annual Perth Fringe World Festival (fringeworld.com.au) kicking off around mid-January until mid-February. Perth is recognised as the third-largest Fringe festival in the world. Over a month, there’s an eclectic calendar of entertainment with over 400 shows – cabaret, comedy, musicals, circus, various oddball displays, and so on – at 90 venues throughout the city.
The heart of Fringe – The Pleasure Garden – has multiple venues, including the novel Aurora Spiegeltent, beer gardens, pop-up food vendors, and a silent disco taking centre stage at Northbridge’s Russell Square.
The tail end of summer brings a kaleidoscope of colour at the Perth Festival (perthfestival.com.au). Australia’s longest-running arts festival combines music, theatre, visual arts and literature, showcasing local and international talent.
The weather and the arts aren’t the only things that sizzle; every Friday night, shopping hub Forest Chase turns up the heat with its Twilight Hawker Market (facebook.com/PerthTwilightHawkersMarket). Travel the world by the forkful with street food vendors selling exotic cuisines for mostly under $20. Treat your palate to flavours from American brisket to Columbian arepas while soaking up the atmosphere and free entertainment.
Autumn
Fremantle’s historic thoroughfares burst with colour and spectacle with the Fremantle International Street Arts Festival.
There are still some hot days here and there, but the weather is ideal for outdoor activities and lengthy urban walkabouts. Perth experiences warm days and cooler nights with occasional rain and humidity, with temperatures ranging from 13 degrees to 26 degrees. Forget packing heavy layers – overall, it’s comfortable weather.
Don’t miss
See Perth in a new shade by heading to inner-city neighbourhood Subiaco for its annual orange makeover. For 10 days, Subi Spritz (subispritz.com.au) brings the Mediterranean feel and flavour with over 20 events to experience la dolce vita, including a dedicated Aperitivo Trail, long lunches, Italian master cooking classes and more. Expect the Aperol to be flowing.
For something quirky and touching on history, head to the regional town Toodyay for the Moondyne Festival (moondynefestival.com.au), where pioneer clothes and curly moustaches are welcome. The free colonial festival celebrates the state’s best-known bushranger, Moondyne Joe. Expect street entertainment and re-enactments of the notorious convict’s brazen escapades. Make sure to wax the mo’ for the moustache competition.
Key events
While the Perth Festival overlaps in Autumn, there are other events worth your time and dime.
The colourful and ’gram-worthy exhibition, Sculpture by The Sea (sculpturebythesea.com/cottesloe), is held at arguably Perth’s most famous beach, Cottesloe. The free display showcases sizeable contemporary artworks by local and international artists, staged along the sea wall, sand and surrounding grassed areas.
Catch the train to Mandurah for the Channel 7 Mandurah Crab Fest (crabfest.com.au). The free family-favourite event celebrates the regional city’s red claw delicacy with entertainment for young and old, cooking demonstrations, celebrity appearances and much more.
Fremantle’s historic thoroughfares burst with colour and spectacle with the Fremantle International Street Arts Festival (streetartsfestival.com.au). Performers delight audiences with open-air theatrics, with the excitement extended to pop-up bars and eateries, getting into Fremantle’s renowned artsy spirit. For more laughs, check out the Perth Comedy Festival (perthcomedyfestival.com).
Winter
While you don’t need a snow jacket, days can get chilly with the weather moderately cool and wet. Temperatures range from 8 to 19 degrees, with downpours and storms occasionally experienced. When the weather is not optimal, expect Perthians to go into full hibernation mode; locals hardly exert themselves in bad weather.
Don’t miss
See the City of Light in a new light with the Winter Lights Festival (winterlightsfestival.com). The free event transforms Brookfield Plaza into a neon-lit wonderland with moving projections and glowing laneways. Twilight markets, performances and live music also bring this vivid festival to life.
Key events
Celebrate all things WA at the WA Day Festival (celebratewa.com.au). Occurring every first Sunday and Monday of June, the two-day event includes free entertainment and live performances by some of WA’s best bands and upcoming artists. At night, a spectacular drone show lights up the sky over the Swan River, showcasing the state’s iconic stories and scenes soundtracked with WA’s music catalogue.
See a different side to Fremantle at 10 Nights in Port (10nightsinport.com.au). For – you guessed it – 10 nights, streets, venues, and hidden pockets highlight the city’s creative strokes with music, projections, performances and captivating cultural experiences.
Spring
Spring is a delightful time in Perth. You can smell it in the air with wildflowers in bloom; feel the warmth on your skin with sunny temperatures averaging 11 to 23 degrees. Little rainfall is experienced, making it a time to take advantage of the comfortable, clear-sky weather and spend days outside.
Don’t miss
Kings Park comes alive in spring.
Purple reigns over Perth with jacaranda trees in bloom. The best streets to see Perth’s bold hue is Applecross’s Nisbet Road, North Perth’s Leake Street, and Subiaco’s aptly named Old Jacaranda Way.
Capture Perth’s other vibrant scenes at Kings Park and Botanic Garden (bgpa.wa.gov.au) with roughly 3000 species of Western Australia’s unique flora. Head to Araluen Botanic Park (araluenbotanicpark.com.au) to continue your walk in nature. Go on a guided hike (hikecollective.com.au) to appreciate Perth’s oldest botanic garden in the Perth Hills, bushland setting and seasonal florals.
Key events
Roll up, roll up to Perth’s big day out, the Perth Royal Show (perthroyalshow.com.au). The last week of September lures the young and old to Claremont Showground to revel in the state’s biggest agricultural fair. Prestigious competitions and exhibitions operate alongside theme-park rides, animal nurseries, nightly fireworks, and drone shows. Make sure to leave with a memento show bag.
Wave the jazz hands as The Perth International Jazz Festival (Perthjazzfest.com) brings on the beat the first week of November. Watch homegrown and international jazz artists take the stage from rooftops, brass band walks in parks to intimate basement gigs throughout the city.
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