Add To Cal: 11 Captivating Perth Festival Events To Hit Up In 2025

This year’s Perth Festival is set to bring an incredible mix of international and local artistic talent to the shores of Perth/Boorloo and we couldn't be more excited. 

The month-long showcase of art, music, theatre, dance and film takes place from 7 February to 2 March with a lineup of over 100 events, including 64 free performances from a musical festival at the East Perth Power Station to the breathtaking Karla Bidi (fire trail) of light, sculpture and soundscape along the river. 

Not sure where to start? Here’s our hit list of the must see events at this year’s Perth Festival.

Music

Casa Musica

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For the first time in over 40 years, the East Perth Power Station will be open to the public as Perth Festival’s newest precinct, transforming the long-dormant site into the ultimate destination for epic summer nights. Set along the river’s edge, the iconic venue will become the beating heart of this year’s festival celebrations with an art commission featuring projected works from three First Nations artists and a free music event, Casa Musica, every Wednesday to Sunday afternoon. The event will bring a celebration of music, food and culture inspired by the piazzas and parks of southern Europe where you can witness world-class performances from across the country and beyond. 

Jordan Rakei

Joining the explosive East Perth Power Station lineup, Grammy-nominated powerhouse Jordan Rakei, master of soul, R&B and jazz will bring the house down with his fresh and critically acclaimed album The Loop for one night only. The New Zealand born, Australian-raised singer, multi-instrumentalist and producer’s ability to move between genres will seriously blow your mind as you get taken on a journey through times of darkness and hope, all inspired by musical legends like Stevie Wonder and D’Angelo. Expect bold production, awe-inspiring orchestral arrangements, stunning choirs and hypnotic beats. 

PJ Harvey 

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The UK’s queen of cool PJ Harvey will kick off her Australian tour under the stars at Kings Park for a special one-night performance. As you settle in for a picnic amidst the lush surrounds of the Botanic Gardens you’ll be treated to tracks from her most recent release, Grammy-nominated I Inside The Old Year Dying alongside a selection of classics. PJ’s catalogue features ten studio albums and her work has been used throughout Peaky Blinders, The Virtues and Bad Sisters. To say she’s a legend is a serious understatement. 

Film

Lotterywest Films

Perth’s balmy nights were made for outdoor cinema sessions. Running prior to the official Festival until 6 April, Lotterywest Films bring award-winning cinematic experiences to UWA Somerville from 15 countries. There’s documentaries, comedy and drama that will make you laugh, cry and marvel well after the film ends. Plus you can pack a picnic and BYO wine while sitting back under the dreamy Perth night sky. 

Samsara: A Cine-Concert

Film, traditional Balinese music and EDM collide in Samsara: A Cine-Concert - a bold and memorable cinematic concert set in 1930’s Bali, unfolding in a black and white silent film soundtracked by live music from Indonesian ensemble Gamelan Yuganada and world-renowned electronic duo Gabber Modus Operandi. The film tells the story of a man from a poor family who is rejected by the wealthy parents of a woman he loves. Striking a bargain with the Monkey King, he performs a dark ritual to gain wealth where he must pay a terrible price. A universal story about the insatiable hunger to be what we’re not, the film asks - how far are we willing to go?

Dance 

The Wild Between Stars: Ballet at the Quarry

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Ballet at the Quarry is a summer ritual here in Perth and this year’s program features three world premieres that celebrate the relationship between land, sky and music. From dance drawing on rich Indigenous history to neo-classical pieces, the choreography and jaw-dropping atmosphere will leave you spellbound. 

Perth Moves

Perth Moves is back and bigger than ever before with a free program of dance classes for all abilities, an all-styles dance battle and an LGBTIQ+ Elders Dance Club by All The Queens Men. Led by STRUT Dance, there’ll be six nights of dance classes culminating in the world premiere of Manifest, a powerful work by Belgian choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, featuring 12 local dancers and a ‘silent choir’ of 150 community volunteers. No dance experience is required - just be ready to celebrate movement, music and connection in the heart of the city. 

Larsen C

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Inspired by a 10,000 year old glacier in the Antarctic, Larsen C embodies the fierceness of life. Brought to Perth Festival by Greek choreographer Christos Papadopoulous, the movement, lighting, set and music are a dreamlike sequence where bodies constantly move as one, incredibly slowly, just like the ice itself. 

Theatre

Is This A Room?

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This real-life thriller stages the official FBI transcript from the day Reality Winner was surprised at her home, interrogated in her small back room and charged her with leaking proof of Russian interference in the 2016 election. An unnerving drama, your heart will be racing as questions of honour, patriotism, language, power and who has access to what in this critical American moment are woven together in an exploration of personal and political motives. 

Big Name, No Blankets

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Big Name, No Blankets celebrates the journey and impact of Sammy Tjapanangka Butcher and his brothers, the founding members of an iconic Australian band who were the first rock ‘n’ roll band to sing in Aboriginal languages. Packed with rockstar performance, iconic songs and lots of laughs, it’s a big-hearted story for the whole family that shows how music can make real change. 

Food

Killa: Pindan to Plate

Take your seat at an opulent long table and be surrounded by a video installation as you’re immersed in a ‘nose to tail’ dining experience. Curated with a team from the Kimberley, Killa: Pindan to Plate is a visual feast. As head chef of the Double Rainbow kitchen prepares eight courses of saltwater treats, smokey pindan-inspired beef and honey-driven desserts, the whole journey of the ‘killa’ - Kimberley cattle taken straight from the bush and shared amongst families comes to life, inviting you to share in cultural narratives and life experiences from the west Kimberley coast.

Main image credit: Perth Festival | Supplied