Perth bursts to life with Fringe World 2027

Perth is again set to burst into life this summer as Fringe World returns from Wednesday, January 20 to Sunday, February 14.

Presented by ARTRAGE, Fringe World 2027 will feature 500 events across 100 venues over 26 days, with circus, comedy, cabaret, theatre, dance, street performance, magic, music, family entertainment and more.

Under the theme Fringe in Motion, the 2027 program celebrates a festival that moves, grows and transforms through the artists who create it and the audiences who bring it to life.

Bringing this theme to life is Alive All Hours, a 24-hour arts and culture celebration running from 5pm on Friday, January 22 to 5pm Saturday, January 23.

“Alive All Hours is an invitation to experience Perth at a different pace and a different time of day,” said Fringe World Creative Director Jo Thomas. “We want people to join a dance, discover a performance and explore places they might usually walk past. It brings together the artists, audiences and spaces that make Fringe World possible, giving people another way to take part in the Festival.”

Adding to the festivities, a free, all-ages dance event at Yagan Square will invite audiences to join in everything from the Nutbush and Macarena to ballroom, boot scooting and hip-hop, accompanied by DJs and live music.

Free and ticketed activities will also extend across Northbridge, with experiences planned at WA Museum Boola Bardip, the State Library of Western Australia and more.

The Pleasure Garden will once again be at the heart of the action, with a program featuring Canadian circus company Vague de Cirque‘s At Play. Arthur Hull makes his Fringe World debut with his blockbusting musical cabaret FLOP! The Best Songs From The Worst Musicals, while family shows include a jungle disco with Party Animals and the “infectiously joyful” Yelling at Children.

A new partnership with Arts and Culture Trust (ACT WA) will bring Fringe World to Subiaco Arts Centre, with a program including The Last Great Hunt’s THE PRESENT, award-winning singer Michelle Pearson and the WA premiere of Story Soup.

Audiences can also encounter FAUNA, a four-metre-tall, part-plant, part-animal puppet created by Erth Visual & Physical Inc. Exploring nature and conservation, the work will appear at The Pleasure Garden and Subiaco Theatre Gardens, presented by See Subiaco.

From Joondalup to Busselton, Fringe World 2027 will bring performances to venues including DADAA, Planet Royale, The Jonesway Theatre, The Rechabite and The Blue Room Theatre. Audiences can even catch live stand-up comedy at a working launderette in West Perth while doing their laundry.

“Fringe World is one of Western Australia’s great summer celebrations, supporting local artists and creative businesses while attracting visitors to experience the best of our State,” said Minister for Creative Industries Minister Simone McGurk. “As the third largest Fringe festival in the world, this is a unique offering only in Western Australia.”

Fringe World runs from Wednesday, January 20 to Sunday, February 14, 2027. Tickets are on sale now from fringeworld.com.au and via the Fringe World app.