Rio Tinto Christmas Lights Trail Accessibility and Sensory Guide

Event details

From 28 November to 28 December, the City transforms into a magical wonderland, offering 31 nights filled with festive fun.

You can walk the full trail to see all 22 installations, or take the family-friendly route, “The Merry Mile”, a shorter 1.6km trail showcasing 14 installations. Enjoy festive entertainment and performances throughout the city every night of the trail, including visits from Santa Claus on 5 - 24 December, 6:30pm to 8:30pm in the Council House Lobby.

Lights are operational from 6pm to 1am every night. For more details on this event, visit visitperth.com.

Citiplace Rest Centre

Citiplace Rest Centre offers toilet facilities, parenting rooms, wheelchair hire on Saturdays and Sundays (only), stroller hire and locker hire. Located at City Railway Station Complex on the corner of Barrack and Wellington Streets, Perth.

Opening Hours:

• Sunday to Thursday 7am to 11pm
• Friday and Saturday 24hrs

Hire costs will apply; for further information call the Citiplace Rest Centre on (08) 9461 3554 or visit visitperth.com.

Toilets

Accessible Toilets can be found at the following locations:

• Citiplace Rest Centre - Fri to Sat 7am to 2:30am, Sun to Thu 7am to 11pm
• Pier Street Car Park - Mon to Thu, Sat 6am to 6pm, Sun 7am to 6pm, Fri 6am to 10pm
• Raine Square Food Court - Mon to Fri 8am to 9pm, Sun 11am to 5pm, Sat 8am to 5pm
• Perth Town Hall Undercroft Portable Toilets - 24 hours 
• Supreme Court Gardens - 6:30am to 9:30pm 
• Barrack Square Gardens - 24 hours
• Elizabeth Quay - 8am to 10pm

Changing Places locations

Citiplace Rest Centre includes an accessible toilet with hoist and adult change table.

A Changing Places facility is located at Elizabeth Quay, opposite the Elizabeth Quay Water Park. Facilities include a toilet, adult-size change table, hoist and space for assistants. Access is via an MLAK key, which can be obtained from the Master Locksmiths Association of Australasia.

Rest points

There are several rest points located along the Rio Tinto Christmas Lights Trail to provide opportunities to pause and enjoy the festive atmosphere. These locations have public seating available. Please see the map for the exact locations.

In addition to existing seating along the route, the Family Rest Stop (Stop 13) features picnic tables in a semi-enclosed space offering a comfortable place to relax, enjoy refreshments, or take a break between installations.

ACROD parking

This festive season there will be lots of parking options with City of Perth Parking so you can get all you need while in the City. Every City of Perth Parking car park has ACROD parking available.

• CPP His Majesty’s Theatre, Hay St
• CPP Pier Street, Pier Street
• CPP Council House, 27 St Georges Terrace
• CPP Convention Centre, Mounts Bay Road
• ACROD Bay – City of Perth Library, Hay St (east)
• ACROD Bay – Chemist Warehouse, Murray St Mall (east)
• ACROD Bay – Central Park, Hay St (west)

$5 nighttime parking

After 6pm at all CPP car parks. Head to cityofperthparking.com.au for more information.

Perth Trails App

Get the map on your smartphone! Download the Perth Trails app to help guide you through all 22 magical stops along the Rio Tinto Christmas Lights Trail.

Event services and entertainment

Audio described access tours

A DADAA (Disability in the Arts, Disadvantage in the Arts, Australia) guide will take you, your families and friends on a tour to see the installations on the accessible route ‘The Merry Mile’.

9 and 10 December, 6:45pm and 8pm, Forrest Place

16 and 17 December, 6:45pm, Forrest Place

Bookings for these tours are essential, and places are limited. To book, please email DADAA at the details below, and include the following information:

• Number of visitors with disability and access requirements 
• Number of support workers or carers 
• Preferred date of tour
• Preferred time of tour
• Email and mobile number

Managed by DADAA Access Tours, please contact Jacqueline Homer via email at [email protected] or phone 9430 6616.

Auslan Santa and Friends

6, 9, 13, 16, 20 December, 6:30pm – 8:30pm, Forrest Place

Join Santa and his helpers as they share Christmas stories with you in Auslan. Fun for all ages, suitable for both families who speak Auslan and those who are learning. No bookings are required; however, there may be a line.

Activation hubs

Visit the Activation Hubs located along the Rio Tinto Christmas Lights Trail. Each precinct offers scheduled entertainment and activities from 6pm to 9pm nightly throughout the trail period.

Forrest Place Stage

Features musical acts and entertainers, including brass bands, choirs, and local ensembles.

Sensory considerations:

• Loud amplified music, live singing, and crowd noise.
• Lighting levels vary depending on performances and projections on the GPO building.

Murray Street and Hay Street Malls

Includes roving entertainers, acrobats, and jugglers performing at various times throughout the evening.

Sensory considerations:

• Roving performers may use bright costumes, props, and interactive movement.
• Performances take place in open public spaces with fluctuating crowd noise.

Perth Town Hall

Hosts the Activity Corner with craft workshops and face painting on select nights.

Sensory considerations:

• Craft materials and paints may have mild smells or tactile textures.
• Activities may involve close interaction with staff or volunteers.
• The area can become busy at peak times.

Barrack Square

Features fire performers and circus acts near the riverfront.

Sensory considerations:

• Fire performances may include open flames, smoke effects, and bursts of light or heat.
• Background music or rhythmic drumming may be present.
• Large crowds may gather during scheduled performances.

Sensory guide

Please refer to the Installation Guide below. This chart displays information on the sensory-friendly installations and those that may have negative triggers.

Sensory-friendly

Sensory-friendly refers to environments that have accounted for sensitivities linked to those with visual/hearing impairments or neurodevelopmental disorders. Installations identified as being sensory-friendly are:

• Situated outdoors in the open air
• Have space around the display for visitors to spread out
• Consist of low-voltage LED lighting with minimum/no moving of lights (i.e. flashing in sequence/patterns)
• Requires little/no interaction and can be based on individual needs
• Has no audio/music linked to the display and only environmental/public noise emissions is experienced.

Negative triggers

The negative triggers expected from installations may include:

Audio/music – Moderate Sensory Activity

• Installations that include audio/music are repeated throughout the night and run times vary (minimum 5 minutes) depending on the installation. Some soundtracks may start abruptly and could be unexpected to the visitor.
• Music is either Christmas-related or programmed soundtracks (without narration/lyrics).
• Sound will be louder in certain positions around the installations due to the position of speakers.
• Music may include high-pitched tones or whistle noises.

Flashing/moving lights – High Sensory Activity

• Installations that have been identified with flashing/moving lights include repetitive or synchronised movements of varied pacing and light output.

Installation guide

* Displays in Forrest Place are affected by the audio/music from the ‘Christmas Melody’ installation. To avoid any audio, we recommend visiting Forrest Place prior to projections starting at approx. 7:45pm.