The Original Guide to What’s On in Perth & Western Australia

Between April 6 and 18, the festival invites you to monolithic performances within a surround sound speaker array, basement shows traversing experimental theatre, avant-garde metal and free jazz, oddball parties and folk shows, and that’s not even half of it. An Ocean of Ears opens the festival on Tuesday April 6 with sound bubbling and fizzing through the Old Customs House in Walyalup/Fremantle with works by artists based between the Philippines, Los Angeles and across Australia. On April 7, an absurdist film with a challenging provocation. Live performance enters the fray on Thursday April 8, while a dance collaboration interact with the impressive and immersive speaker system. On Friday April 9, listen to Dryandra Woodland, and head on down to Serf Punk at The Bird to hear musique concrete, dance and medieval music collide in a strange revelry. Saturday April 10 offers artist talks, with a chance to dig deep into the peculiar minds of a handful of festival artists. The Rechabite is the venue of choice for the festival’s second week. Upstairs in the Hall, on Wednesday April 14, WAM-nominated songwriting wunderkind Nika Mo launches a new album on Tone List featuring a nine-piece band that smashes improvised music and avant-garde folk together in a sticky mess. On Friday April 16, ambient music, avant-garde metal, noise and experimental theatre co-exist. The festival closes with a cocoon-like experience in the intimacy of Backlot Cinemas,

Hosting over 100 talented emerging Aboriginal artists, the galleries will brim with contemporary work, fresh from the studios of WA’s Aboriginal Art Centres and independent artists. Not to be missed, the exhibition will open with a very special performance by the Red Sand Beat Band, who are travelling here from the Ngaanyatjarra Lands. Their laidback reggae desert beats and lyrics tell stories of their homelands, daily life and keeping culture strong. Revealed is an annual exhibition which provides an important platform for emerging WA Aboriginal artists to connect with new audiences. Come along and be immersed in Aboriginal culture and art and support the next generation of artists. All artworks in the exhibition are for sale. Visit https://www.fac.org.au/whats-on/post/revealed-wa-aboriginal-art-market-2021-online-event/ to view the full list of exhibiting artists.

Rain, Hail or Shine is a specially themed collection of new shows and live interactive experiences throughout the month of April. Expect a fun, family day out jam-packed with scientific stories of storms, wind, and fire.

Join Scitech’s puppets on the big stage for One Fine Day and discover the ingredients for fire in A Perfect Firestorm. Plus, splash around in Discoverland, blast sky high in the Planetarium, and experience the changing Noongar seasons in the stunning Banksia woodland exhibit.

With kids under 4 free, $5 all-day parking, and picnic facilities, Scitech presents the perfect holiday destination, whatever the weather. Plan ahead and book your tickets online now!

It is deep Autumn and Sam (Colin Firth) and Tusker (Stanley Tucci), partners of twenty years, are on holiday. They are travelling across England in their old campervan visiting friends, family and places from their past. Since Tusker was diagnosed with young-onset dementia two years ago their lives have had to change. Jobs have been given up and plans put on hold. Their time together is now the most important thing they have. As the trip progresses, their individual ideas for their future begin to collide. Secrets are uncovered, private plans unravel and their love for each other is tested like never before. Ultimately, they must confront the question of what it means to love one another in the face of Tusker’s irreparable illness.

We have all had moments of ‘what if’.. what if we could fly to the moon tomorrow, what if our pets could speak to us, what if dinosaurs came back from extinction. Spend three days exploring the unknown and dive into your imaginations. Through developing characters and storytelling telling skills and techniques, Geckos will help kids jump in to a world where the what if’s are brought to life! Ages 7-11

WAAPA's elite Indian Ocean Ensemble brings to life George Frideric Handel's much-loved Music for the Royal Fireworks. String, wind, brass and percussion students join in to entertain with their own favourite chamber music works, including a vibrant new creation from WAAPA's Seven Seas World Music Ensemble.

With his distinctive sound and stylistic diversity, Scofield is a masterful improviser whose music generally falls between post- bop, funk-edged jazz and R&B. This concert features music from two of his albums, Electric Outlet (1984) and Quiet (1996), as the Jazz Guitar Ensemble is joined by WAAPA alumni to honour this guitar great. 

Arrangements are courtesy of Freddie Grigson, Kristian Borring, Sam Foster, Ben Jobson and Bryn Larkin

The campus is open for backstage tours, interactive demonstrations and Q&As, taking place throughout the day. To check out what's on, head to https://www.ecu.edu.au/open-day/ to plan your day and get the most out of it!

A series of pinot-inspired events will showcase premium local produce and varieties of renowned regional pinot in the Southern Forests region. Foodies, wine-lovers and romantics will have the chance to sip, taste and explore this stunning corner of Western Australia across the four-day celebration, falling over Valentine’s Day and Lunar New Year. The Southern Forests is Australia’s most exciting emerging wine region and the leading pinot region in WA, known for quality, expressive wines. The region produces boutique, artisanal gourmet produce that are favourites among the world's top chefs and foodies, such as fresh local marron and black truffles. Pinot Picnic is an opportunity for local wineries and restaurants to showcase their world-class pinot and gourmet fare. The full program will include family picnics, live entertainment shows, sparkling soirées, tasting masterclasses, vineyard experiences and wine-matching brunches, lunches and dinners. The event offers the chance to sip, taste and explore Manjimup and Pemberton, in the heart of Karri Tree country just three and a half hours from Perth. Pinot Picnic will have available a range of hampers containing regional pinot and the best local produce to be on sale at events and for remote guests.

WAAPA has a thriving postgraduate research program covering a broad range of performing arts disciplines, with a particular strength in practice-led research. Our strengths include interactive digital music systems, performance practices on historic piano, new directions in jazz, physiological analysis of human movement, theatre-making, choreography, and much more. The WAAPA Postgraduate Research Showcase is in part a performance event, and in part a series of short research presentations. It offers a rare opportunity for audiences to sample innovative arts projects in their nascent stages, and to view the ideas that will transform the future of arts discourse. Hosted by: WAAPA Higher Degree by Research students

Written and directed by Scott Mcardle. Originally produced and presented by second chance theatre. In collaboration with the Blue Theatre

Lucy and Arnold are 13. Both outcasts. Both have seen hard times. Both irrevocably changed from one adventure into the bush looking for a dying kangaroo. Now they must navigate a wasteland of broken hearts, peed pants and carrot spew. It’s homework, hormones and homicide.

A hit of The Blue Room Theatre 2019 season, this modern suburban coming-of-age story explores how we hurt each other, how we help those that are hurting, and how your music taste is never better than when you’re a teenager.

The Moro Spanish Film Festival presented by Palace returns to Palace Cinemas Raine Square, Luna Leederville and Luna On SX from 28 April - 16 May which a curated selection of films we missed last year as well as some brand-new titles, offering film lovers a cinematic journey across Spain and Latin America.

The inaugural CinefestOZ Albany will take place from 29 April to 1 May, allowing a new audience of movie lovers to experience and celebrate the very best in Australian Film. This year's program is packed with 7 features, 12 short films, special film events, the Cinesnaps schools program and an Industry Program session. It boasts an array of live screenings and exciting events which are sure to satisfy every movie buff. Hurry, tickets are now available for purchase!

Coopers and Live Nation have joined forces once again crank up the Live, Loud and Local gig series by taking the show on the road nationally to pubs in 2021

Enjoy visiting the charming and picturesque small townships of the Blackwood River Valley region to discover an array of wonderful regional artists exhibiting in 21 venues including home studios, galleries, cafes, retail showrooms and beautiful garden settings. The trail winds its way through Nannup, Bridgetown, Greenbushes, Balingup and Mullalyup and you are guaranteed to find something you love amongst the paintings, sculptures, textiles, jewellery, ceramics, mosaics and so much more that is on show. Come discover and enjoy what the heart of the Southwest has to offer!

A grand celebration of Subiaco arrives this April, showcasing what makes Subiaco so unique and highlighting our many, amazing hidden gems. Transitioning from a one-day street party to a 10-day event series, Celebrate Subi will invite locals and visitors to discover pop-up spaces, live art, distinctive dinners, heritage walking tours, laneway activations, wellness sessions in the park and so much more!

At the Freo Big Top we are running our fantastic School Holiday Program to support people of all ages and levels, to stay active, engaged and amazed! Over two weeks in April, book into: "Flip and Fly" for the little ones; "Jump into Circus!" for the active and curious or "3 Days in the Big Top" for those with determination and focus. Or kickstart your child’s circus career, with an introductory program to aerials and acrobatics. And for YOU! And the bored teen. Don’t miss out on our fun programs for adults (14 years+) from 6pm onwards. Come and have a good ole’-fashioned circus experience down at the Freo Big top these Autumn holidays. Head to our website and book your spot at www.circuswa.com/holiday-programs/

Experience a taste of Italy at the Multicultural Language Centre with our very first Italian cooking workshop as part of West Australian Opera and See Subiaco's Cooking with Opera series. Some of the world's most famous chefs, named their dishes after beloved opera singers and composers; from the Donizetti cake, to Risotto Giuseppe Verdi, Pasta alla Norma and the Sicilian pastry, the Iris. In this special workshop, Cooking with Opera's Daniele Foti-Cuzzola and Multicultural Language Centre's Liliana Aguirre will run a hands-on cooking workshop where you will learn to make two historical opera dishes; fresh handmade pasta with an all Norma sauce, named after Bellini's opera and the Iris, a show stopping Sicilian dessert named after Mascagni's opera. Enjoy the evening with a taste (both figuratively and literally) of Italian culture with cooking, good wine, opera and amazing company!

Hosted by Perth’s favourite Drag King Justin Sider, this show will be serving you fun, queer, high energy for all drag fans of all ages! Featuring a stellar lineup of some of the best Drag Performers Perth has to offer, and some fresh drag faces, you won’t want to miss this. So bust out your platforms, come for a whirl, and let’s dance at this outdoor extravaganza!

You can expect fun activities for the whole family, such as bungee trampolines, a #ECU30 photobooth, hop-on hop-off party bus, pop-up live music, food trucks and a chance to win some incredible prizes. Join them in Joondalup: www.ecuworldready.com.au/openday

Clear skies, Australian olive greens, beautiful blue tones, white washed beaches, wind swept flora and an energy that oozes Perths relaxed lifestyle. This series takes Perth-born artist, Felicia Aroney, home.

“What’s My Scene”, “I Want You Back”, “Miss Freelove ‘69”, “Like Wow – Wipeout!”, “1,000 Miles Away”, “Bittersweet”, “My Girl”, “Come Anytime”, “I’m Crackin’ Up” – tracks that represent the unmistakable sound of the irrepressible Hoodoo Gurus. Those are are just a sample from their canon of instantly identifiable songs that have helped provide a soundtrack to the lives of Australian and international fans right through the 80s to today. The Hoodoo Gurus formed in Sydney on January 1, 1981 to play their first “show” in an inner city lounge room. Founding members Dave Faulkner and Brad Shepherd have been joined along the way by Rick Grossman (’89) and Nik Rieth (’19). The band’s debut "Stoneage Romeos", full of garage punk songs and pop references, was named Australian Debut Album of the Year and was released in America where it stayed at number 1 in the Alternative/College charts for 7 weeks, becoming one of the most played albums for the year on the college network.

From working with Grammy Award winning musicians to commissions from the likes of Google, Twitter, Netflix and Perrier, Tee Ken Ng is a Perth-based artist, filmmaker and designer with a global reach and reputation. This exhibition focuses on his recent animated music video for another Perth luminary, Tim Minchin. Presented as an installation of the swirling hand-made zoetropes that bring Minchin’s song Leaving LA to visual life, it reveals the unique and exquisite charm, art and craft of Ng’s animation practice. Combined with live video projections of the zoetropes in action and an accompanying soundtrack, Ng creates a sense of being within the animation itself as the entire piece becomes a living artwork that will fully encompass you. Image credit - Film still of Tee Ken Ng’s zoetrope-animated video for Tim Minchin’s Leaving LA, 2020. Photo: Tee Ken Ng. Tim Minchin and Tee Ken Ng surrounded by zoetropes in Tee Ken Ng's studio for Tee Ken Ng’s zoetrope-animated video for Tim Minchin’s Leaving LA, 2020. Photo: Cam Campbell.

Spend these sunny Autumn weekends lazing on our lawn, sipping on your favourite Aravina wine or beer, along with our delicious pizzas and listening to some of the best local talent around.

Laine Wolfe | Saturday 20 March | 12 - 3pm

Kareema | Sunday 21 March | 12 - 3pm

Ricky Green | Saturday 27 March | 12 - 3pm

Charlee Jones | Sunday 28 March | 12 - 3pm

Laine Wolfe | Friday 2 April | 12 - 3pm

Kareema | Saturday 3 April | 11.30am - 2.30pm

Mitch Baker | Saturday 3 April | 2.30pm -5.30pm

Katie White | Sunday 4 April | 11.30am - 2.30pm

SoWhat | Sunday 4 April | 2.30 - 5.30pm

Ricky Green | Monday 5 April | 12 - 3pm

Katie White | Saturday 10 April | 12 - 3pm

Ricky Green | Saturday 17 April | 12 - 3pm

Katie White | Saturday 24 April | 12 - 3pm

Ricky Green | Sunday 25 April | 11.30am - 2.30pm

Whiskey Dogs | Sunday 25 April | 2.30 - 5.30pm

Kareema | Monday 26 April | 12 - 3pm

Bella Blackmore | Saturday 1 May | 12 - 3pm

Ricky Green | Saturday 8 May | 12 - 3pm