Popular WA music festival waves goodbye

Wave Rock Weekender has announced its 21st and final festival set for the September long weekend, Friday, September 25, to Monday, September 28. Tickets sold out in no time following the news, with the lineup set to be announced on Thursday, July 16.

Known for its low capacity and its close proximity to Wave Rock, a 2.7 billion-year-old granite formation 3.5 hours south-east of Perth, the festival is renowned for its unique natural surroundings and its showcase of both up-and-coming and established artists.

“It has been a wild and beautiful ride, but we love a happy ending, and so it will end on a total high like it deserves,” said festival director Paul Sloan. “To do that, we’ve assembled a monster lineup of old Wave Rock favourites, some hot new acts and a couple of appropriately big surprises.”

The festival first began in 2006, and over the course of its two-decade-long history, Wave Rock Weekender has showcased an array of artists who would go on to play huge stages across the globe, including Tame Impala, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Spacey Jane, Methyl Ethel and Stella Donnelly.

In recent years, the festival attracted criticism from Ballardong elder Farley Garlett, who said some festivalgoers were drinking alcohol and partying on Wave Rock (Katter Kich), which he described as a sacred site. Festival organisers responded by saying the event had long been run in consultation with Traditional Owners, that attendees were generally respectful, and that they were continuing to work with Indigenous representatives on cultural protocols.

Wave Rock Weekender’s final festival hits Hyden Caravan Park from Friday, September 25 to Monday, September 28, 2026. Follow X-Press on Facebook and sign up to our newsletter for the full lineup announcement.