It’s frosty – there’s no doubt about it. And while curling up in bed with a wheat pack and a hot choccy may seem like the sensible winter in Perth option, there’s plenty of things to do in the great, wet outdoors. From sensational festival of light and art to vegan foodie fests and live music, there’s heaps of things to do in Perth this July. Check them out – but stay toasty!
1. Australian Rock Collective Pink Floyd
Australian Rock Collective (ARC) will be delivering a tribute tour to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon (1973) – arguably the most successful concept album of all time. ARC isn’t just any ordinary band either, made up of four Aussie rock legends; Darren Middleton of Powderfinger, Mark Wilson of Jet, Davey Lane of You Am I, and Kram of Spiderbait. Find out more about ACR’s The Dark Side Of The Moon tour here.
2. Lightscape
Spanning six weeks across June and July this year, Lightscape is set to transform Kings Park and Botanic Gardens/Kaarta Koomba into a winter wonderland of light, colour, and sound. The breathtaking, interactive experience is bound to leave you awe-inspired as you journey along a 1.8-kilometre trail in an after-dark setting through the park grounds, all whilst gazing upon 100,000 tiny, twinkling illuminations. Read all about Lightscape here.
3. Good Food And Wine Show
The Good Food & Wine Show is making a return this winter to tempt turophiles with over 500 wines and all the cheese you can snack on. Wines from around the country including the likes of Barossa, McLaren Vale, Margaret River, and Clare Valley will be showcased at the event along with — obviously — lots of cheese. There’s also exclusive masterclasses and chef demonstrations so it’s set to be a ‘gouda’ time for all. Read all about the Good Food and Wine Show here.
4. Scandinavian Film Festival
The 2023 Scandinavian Film Festival is returning to Perth from Thursday 20 July until Wednesday 9 August with a line-up that will warm the winter chill. Showcasing the best new cinema from the Nordic region, highlights include: Godlands, Let The River Flow, Fathers & Mothers, Shadow Island, and Four Little Adults. With fresh new films from Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Iceland, there’s a fantastic mix of drama, comedy and the very popular Nordic noir.
5. Shrek Rave
Touring the country during winter, this all-star Shrek shindig has layers of all the fun stuff, from Shrek DJs spinning party bangers and hits from the movie to Shrek visuals, giveaways, and an ‘I’m A Believer’ singalong at the strike of midnight. Even the name of the Shrek-themed bevvies are on point: Shrek Juice, Donkey Drank, and Farquaad Fizz. It doesn’t get more Shreksy than that. Find out more about the Shrek Rave here.
6. Schools Out Winter Fest
After the thumping succuss of the inaugural festival in 2022, Schools Out will once again enliven the Perth Exhibition and Convention Centre this July. The mega space will be transformed into a winter wonderland of sorts, complete with a massive ice rink, snow slides, and even ‘snow’ which will magically fall from the ‘skies’, amongst the plentiful offerings. Find out all the details about Schools Out Winter Fest here.
7. Wild About Babies
Wild About Babies is a free exhibition that shines a light on endangered animals, and aims to raise awareness about the growing, widespread issue. Roam the Perth Cultural Centre and outdoor precinct of the WA Museum Boola Bardip and discover a great eastern lowlands gorilla – a mother and universal protector – along with 20 life-sized baby animal sculptures. Read more regarding Wild About Babies here.
8. Revelation Perth International Film Festival
The 26th annual Revelation Perth International Festival is returning to Luna Cinemas Leederville from Wednesday 12 to Sunday 16 July with a program celebrating the work of local and international creatives. This year will showcase 17 documentaries, 16 feature films, a locally made web series, talks and workshops, a family-friendly animation showcase that’s completely free, over 80 short films, and more.
9. Vegan Artisan Market
On Sunday 2 July from 9am until 2pm, mosey on over to Mahogany Creek Hall for the Vegan Artisan Market. Here, you can find conscious handmade items like earrings, clothing, dog accessories, and candles. Crowd favourite food stalls will be on site too, such as Faux Sho Vegan Pantry, Cucina Lab, ANUKA Artisan Chocolate, as well as a good old fashioned sausage sizzle, to name a few vendors.
10. An Evening With Peter Singer
On Friday 21 July from 7pm, head to the Perth Concert Hall for An Evening With Peter Singer – one of the world’s leading thinkers on ethics and social justice. The philosopher is said to be one of the most influential of our time, and he’ll be sharing his latest insights on topics such as animal welfare, effective altruism, and global poverty. You’ll be able to engage in thought-provoking conversation throughout the evening and leave with a new perspective on the world around us.
11. NAIDOC Week: Kurunpa Kunpu Strong Spirit
National Aboriginal and Islanders Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) Week is a national celebration held across the first week of July each year. It’s an opportunity to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
To mark NAIDOC Week, the Fremantle Arts Centre will host an in-conversation artist talk on Tuesday 4 July with skilled First Nation and wood artists Tanya Singer and Errol Evans, and renowned non-Indigenous furniture design Trent Jansen to discuss their cross-cultural collaboration three years in the making. The trio have produced an exquisite collection of highly crafted timber furniture which highlight the impact of climate change, and the resilience of First Nations peoples and their connection to Country. The exhibition, Kurunpa Kunpu: Strong Spirit is on display until Sunday 23 July.
12. Scarborough Sunset Markets
Every Saturday evening from Saturday 13 May until the end of winter, you’ll be able to wander up the Scarborough Esplanade, which will be filled with a lengthy selection of food trucks and artisanal market stalls. Watch the sunset over the ocean while you browse the goodies on offer, all while sat next to a fire pit during those chilly evenings where a marshmallow over a flame is an absolute must. Find out more details about the Scarborough Sunset Markets Winter Edition here.
13. Booyeembara Park Mountain Bike Trails
Booyeembara Park in Freo’s east is now home to 400-metre trails for both intermediate and experienced track-goers, along with a pump track for those that are still finding their feet as riders. Power down advanced features like drops, tabletops, shark fins, and a wooden wall ride on the black trail, or make your way around the blue trail with its large tabletops, hip jumps, berms, and rollers. Read all about the Booyeembara Park Mountain Bike Trails here.
14. Noongar Storytime
Every Thursday throughout the entire year, excluding school holidays, AH Bracks Library in Melville will host Noongar Storytime with Rickeeta Walley from 10:15am. Suitable for ages two through to five year olds, this free weekly program introduces simple Noongar language, engaging children’s imaginations by using traditional storytelling and creative play, with no bookings required.
15. Hatched: National Graduate Show
From now until Sunday 23 July at the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA) in Northbridge, join the gallery as it presents a new generation of artistic voices in its flagship annual exhibition Hatched: National Graduate Show. Now in its 32nd year, Hatched is showcasing the work of 26 graduates from 21 art schools, with many a different medium to discover through the PICA’s gallery maze.
16. Honeywood Estate Local Farmers Market
The Local Farmers Market at Honeywood Estate is reoccurs every Sunday from 8am until 12pm for a day where you can explore all that local farmers, producers and manufacturers have to offer, with the addition of baked goods, coffee, crafty goods and entertainment. The Honeywood locale provides a great opportunity to take a scenic route out to the nearby Perth Hills too – out in that luscious greenery and pristine country air. Find it on the oval next to The Honeywood Primary School on Litoria Drive in Wandi.
17. Spanish Film Festival
From Thursday 15 June though to Monday 5 July, the Spanish Film Festival is making a comeback with a curated selection of films from Spain and Latin America set to screen at Palace Cinemas Raine Square, Luna Cinemas Leederville, and Luna on SX. During the festival you can catch films with the likes of: Two Many Chefs, Prison 77, The Kings Of The World, and Staring At Strangers, to name a few quality cinematic hits.
18. AGWA’s 31st Pulse Festival
Between 28 April and 20 August 2023, the Art Gallery of Western Australia (AGWA) will see the return of their annual, and 31st The Western Australian Pulse festival. The Pulse program for 2023 is an avant-garde youth festival and provides a platform to showcase the state’s young talent across all creative forms. For the first time, WA’s talented young creatives are invited to take over the State Art Gallery too. As well as celebrating young artists through the exhibition, the program also features all forms of art and culture, including music, design, fashion, writing, and performing arts.
19. Instagrammable Cafes
No doubt there’s heaps of coffee spots in Perth. While some excel for coffee connoisseurs with a focus on the speed beans, they lack in aesthetics – which is more than A-okay for some guzzlers. But others may be looking for the whole shabang – the visuals, if you will. And blessed be, Perth has a number of Instagrammable cafes where you can snap and sip amongst the likes of old-world charm or green gardens. Check out the full list here!
20. Western Australian Road Trips
Mitsubishi Motors Australia’s recently carried out a mammoth study, Secret Road Trip Hotspots that analysed over 38,000 Trip Advisor attractions to reveal a final list of 141 nature-based spots in Australia. And they’ve revealed the best places to visit to avoid the crowds and inspire different road trip and destination planning. Find out which 10 Western Australian road trip hotspots are on the list here.
21. Discover Fremantle
Fremantle is a one-stop-shop and more boasting a sensational drinking and dining scene, specialty shops galore, and plentiful live music; not to mention its maritime history and colonial architecture-lined streets. From charming cafes and impressive bars to famed markets and museums; Fremantle has got the lot. Take a look at our list of the best things to do in Fremantle while you’re visiting the seaside locale.
22. Dino Fest at Kings Park
On Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 July at Kings Park, step back in time 66 million years and come face-to-face with life-size dinosaurs at Dino Fest! Discover the Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus, Carnotaurus, and plenty of other cute baby dinos and a whopping 30-plus other creatures. The 45-minute dinosaur encounter includes kids’ activities and a Dino Trail, and you can always make a day out of it and park up a picnic too in the May Drive Parklands.
23. Melville Midwinter
On Saturday 1 July head on over to Dyoondalup Point Walter for Melville Midwinter. The third annual festival celebration of the winter solstice will see a combination of story, song, dance, music sculpture, projection, poetry and puppetry amongst toasty fires and a waxing crescent moon. The Melville Midwinter is a free, family-friendly event and you’ll find a spread of delightful foods on offer too!
24. Thai Food Fair
On Sunday 2 July get on over to Royal Park Hall in Perth for the Thai Food Fair. And although there’s not a whole lot of information to accommodate this particular event – one things is for sure – there will be a decent amount of Thai food. Check out the Facebook event page here.
25. Truffle Extravaganza at Fremantle Markets
From Friday 7 until Sunday 9 July the Fremantle Markets will host their annual Truffle Extravaganza in collaboration with Great Southern Truffles, following the Manjimup Truffle and Wine Festival. As you wander through the historic markets you’ll discover and array of stalls where sampling is by no means off limits, as well as the opportunity to learn how to incorporate truffles into your own cooking at home. Plus, the market’s eateries usually get in on the action with special menu items during the Extravaganza. Read all about the Truffle Extravaganza here!