This year, Perth Festival is bringing city streets to life with Australian music, performance, film and dance. Due to recent COVID-19 restrictions, the dates of the festival have been rescheduled to run from Monday 15 February to Sunday 14 March. The revised schedule is here.
 
Built on a bedrock of Indigenous culture, the Perth Festival theme for 2021 is Bilya (river) – signifying connection and inspiration flowing through us all.
 
Throughout the festival, the Perth Cultural Centre will come to life for City of Lights, supported by Lotterywest, where the entire family can walk through a series of spectacular free projections and explore the surrounding venues.
 
Projections will turn the precinct into an immersive 360-degree cinematic thoroughfare, with its buildings drenched in vivid colours, telling powerful stories of our place in the world.
 
Seven films, including a tribute to the waterways of our city, will run in a continuous loop from 8pm to midnight from Tuesday to Sunday nights until 14 March.
 
“Championing local talent and Aboriginal culture, Perth Festival is celebrating our community and our stories in a safe and welcoming environment,” Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas said.
 
“I encourage all Western Australians to bring their friends and family and walk through the Perth Cultural Centre, exploring it from surprising new angles. While there, why not can grab a bite before you see a show, drop into a local bar for a post-show drink or catch some free tunes at The State Theatre Centre’s Courtyard Sessions.”
 
Perth Festival Executive Director Nathan Bennett said the organisation was thrilled to play its part as a major cultural event in driving visitation into the city and supporting the hospitality and retail businesses.
 
“The City of Perth is a long-term civic partner of the Festival and we share a common goal to enhance Perth’s vitality and unite the community through shared cultural experiences,” Mr Bennett said.
 
Throughout city venues, Perth Festival is also championing WA artists, sharing amazing local stories through literature and music.
 
Perth Festival has a WA Health-approved COVID Safety Plan and will continue to closely work with
artists, partners and the State Government.
 
Perth Festival runs 15 February to 14 March. Lotterywest Films runs 15 February to 28 March.  
 

Backgrounder

Projections at City of Lights
Perth Cultural Centre | 16 February to 14 March, Tuesday to Sunday | 8pm to midnight | Free | perthfestival.com.au
 
WA Mixtape
Government House Gardens | 20 February | 6 to 9pm (doors open 5pm) | Ticketed | perthfestival.com.au
Perth Festival will celebrate local music heroes with WA Mixtape, a special chilled-out evening of classic WA covers and originals presented in association with RTRFM at Government House Gardens.
 
Literature Weekend in the City
His Majesty’s Theatre | 20 and 21 February | Various times | Pay what you can | perthfestival.com.au
On 21 and 22 February, His Majesty’s Theatre will be buzzing as lovers of books and the people who write them share the joy at more than 30 events for Literature Weekend in the City. An array of local writers – and international and national special guests joining live by video link – will take centre stage at the freshly refurbished heritage theatre.

Witness Stand 
Ozone Reserve and sites along the Swan River | 19 February – 14 March | Various times | Free (registrations required) | perthfestival.com.au
Across a city connected by its river, Witness Stand invites us to sit, listen and reflect at culturally and historically significant sites along the Swan. On a series of tiered seating stands at seven locations, including Ozone Reserve, audiences listen to recorded sounds, voices and music about the life-giving Derbarl Yerrigan during the 2021 Festival theme of Bilya (river).
 
Picture caption:
Projections at City of Lights. Artist Kye Howard, photo by Jess Wyld. 

ENDS

Issued by: Brooke Hunter, Senior Media and Communications Advisor, 0448 610 834, brooke.hunter@cityofperth.wa.gov.au

The City of Perth acknowledges the Whadjuk Nyoongar people as the Traditional Owners of the lands and waters where Perth city is situated today, and pay our respect to Elders past and present.