Australia’s sunniest capital will be brimming with activity from December to March with a jam-packed calendar of activities and events showcasing arts and culture, food and wine, comedy and sport.
With warm days and balmy nights, summer is the ideal time to visit Perth. Travellers will marvel at the flurry of new bars, restaurants, shopping and cultural precincts, alongside major infrastructure developments such as Elizabeth Quay and Yagan Square - which will transform into eclectic pop-up hubs across the summer festival season.
Kicking off the summer sporting season is the Mastercard Hopman Cup, featuring world’s best tennis players Roger Federer and Serena Williams facing off at Perth’s RAC Arena. Cricket fans can see Australia versus India in the Domain Test (December 14 to 18) at Perth’s world-class Optus Stadium, and the popular Big Bash League matches will kick off there on December 26 when the Perth Scorchers take on the Adelaide Strikers.
Get your theatre, comedy and music fix at Perth’s annual FRINGE WORLD and Perth Festival – which will bring a smorgasbord of event experiences to the city.
WA’s popular festival - FRINGE WORLD is set to deliver the ultimate summer festival experience from January 18 to February 17. Now the third largest Fringe in the world, the jam-packed program - due for release on November 15 - will see a line-up of comedy, circus, free and family entertainment, theatre, visual arts, musicals, dance and cabaret presented by local, national and international artists. With more than 700 free and ticketed events held throughout the city, expect to see world class acts such as Club Swizzle, western themed circus act Railed, from the creators of 2018 smash-hit Elixir, and new shows such as Fuego Carnal – a high-octane spectacle of wild stunts and mesmerising flames.
Perth Festival will then kick off from February 8 to March 3. As one of WA’s premier cultural events and Australia’s longest-running arts festival, it provides a feast of world-class cutting edge performances for all ages. Some of the world’s greatest names in international theatre, circus, music, dance, film, literature and visual arts will head to Perth - with the program also featuring a number of world premieres and local Made in WA offerings. Highlight acts for 2019 include the world premiere of Ned Kelly, where the Lost & Found Opera will take audiences on an adventure to the outskirts of Perth; the world-renowned Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir headlining the 2019 Classical Music Program; acclaimed transgender artist
Cassils; Booker Prize winner Ben Okri; and UK performance provocateur Ursula Martinez, who will present two different shows as the 2019 Artist-In-Residence. The festival will open with the popular Boorna Waaginy: The Trees Speak, which will light up Perth’s iconic Kings Park with a nocturnal walk-through experience.
As the weather warms up, Perth will welcome the addition of vibrant outdoor pop-up bars throughout the city. The Ice Cream Factory will be returning to Northbridge from December 14 to New Year’s Day with a hot line-up of headlining acts such as The Presets, Hermitude and Cut Copy performing across seven stages. The venue will have more than 12 unique zones, including the Coconut Grove rooftop bar, The Pimms Pergola and The Corona Beach featuring a sand dance floor. Perth's hottest pop-up bar Embargo will also be returning from mid-November, and will take over On the Point - the former Ku De Ta venue
located on the Swan River.
Perth's balmy summer evenings offer the perfect setting to watch a movie under the stars. With a range of unique venues dotted across the Perth region, choose from a city roof top experience at the Rooftop Movies in Northbridge, or pack a picnic for an evening on the grass at the Moonlight Cinema in Kings Park, Lotterywest Films at University of Western Australia's Somerville Auditorium, or choose from various locations at the outdoor Telethon Community Cinemas.
Foodies will also love the range of evening markets on offer, such as the Twilight Hawkers Markets in Perth City every Friday night from November 16 to March 29, the Inglewood Monday Night Markets, and the popular Scarborough Beach Sunset Markets.
Complementing Perth’s vibrant events scene is an incredible range of nature-based experiences located a short drive or ferry ride from Perth city. Discover Perth’s 80 kilometres of metropolitan coastline, where you can swim, snorkel, and surf, or just relax on a pristine beach while taking in one of WA’s iconic Indian Ocean sunsets. Visit Kings Park and Botanic Garden – one of the world’s largest inner city parks offering stunning views over the Swan River and Perth CBD. Spend a day on Perth’s island playground of Rottnest and discover its 63 stunning beaches and 20 bays, and meet the world’s friendliest animal, the famous quokka. Take a day trip to Rockingham where you can swim with wild dolphins, or head into the Perth Hills and discover one of the many walking trails through the forests.
Summer in Perth also isn’t complete without a visit to WA’s oldest wine region, the Swan Valley. Only a short 30 minute drive from the Perth CBD – you’ll discover award winning wineries, breweries and local providores.
With a raft of new hotels recently opening across the city – there’s no shortage of unique and affordable accommodation options available. Choose from big name and luxury options such as The Westin, QT Perth or The InterContinental, or more boutique offerings including The Melbourne, Tribe Perth, Aloft and The Alex.
Summer really is the greatest show in Perth - and with a range of holiday deals now on sale through Expedia, visitors can book a trip to Perth and save up to 20 per cent off hotels. The deals are available for travel between November 1, 2018 and September 1, 2019. Bookings must be made by November 30, 2018
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