Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour becomes an Italian piazza this Sunday, October 25, as Little Italy by the Sea returns for 2026. The festival runs from 11 am to 7:30 pm and honours the Italian families who shaped Fremantle’s fishing and maritime community.
Food, family, and the Blessing of the Fleet
The festival centres on Piazza Italia, where Nonna Angela’s Piazza hosts a Big Italian Lunch. If you want to cook rather than just eat, Nonna’s cooking demonstrations share treasured family recipes. Here, learn to make fresh pasta, pizza dough, mozzarella, arancini, and traditional sweets. Storytelling sessions and a licensed Italian Piazza Bar, serving Italian wines, Aperol Spritz and Italian beers, sit alongside the Main Festival Stage, which programs music, dance and fashion showcases throughout the day.
The Piazza of the Fishermen in Mews Park is Little Italy by the Sea‘s emotional core. The Blessing of the Fleet honours the Italian fishing families who built one of Australia’s most significant maritime communities. Nearby, you can watch the Traditional Rope Coiling Competition and the Great Waiters Race. Then, book into a Long Table Italian Lunch overlooking the harbour or an Italian Cocktail Masterclass on aperitivo culture.
Parade, passeggiata, and Sanremo under the stars
In the afternoon, families will gather at Bathers Beach for the Grand Venetian Carnivale Parade. Children in handcrafted Venetian masks join stilt walkers, musicians, dancers, mermaids and the Magical Unicorns as the procession winds along the harbour promenade. It ends at the Piazza of the Fishermen and flows into La Passeggiata Italiana, the traditional Italian evening stroll. Style awards follow, including Bellissima, Bellissimo, La Famiglia, Gli Innamorati, Bambino Italiano, Eleganza Italiana, and the Lo Spirito d’Italia Award.
At dusk, Sanremo Sotto le Stelle brings Italian classics and contemporary favourites to the harbour in a concert inspired by Italy’s Sanremo Music Festival. Finally, the evening closes with fireworks to honour the Italian community and the Blessing of the Fleet.
Activities for kids and families
Bathers Beach also hosts the Mermaid Aquarium Experience, a Magical Unicorns area, LEGO building activities and roaming Italian-themed performers. At the WA Shipwrecks Museum Precinct, you’ll find Monster Truck Rides, Princesses and Superheroes, and displays of Italian and exotic vehicles. The Retro Spaghetti Eating Competition returns, and this year’s edition adds new street theatre and cultural activations.
At a glance
- Date: Sunday 25 October 2026
- Time: 11 am to 8 pm
- Where: Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour and Manjaree / Bathers Beach
- Cost: Free
For bookings, click here. For more information on events, check out the festival highlights on its Facebook page.
