What are Perth's Top Festivals for Students?
Perth may be the furthest away from all the other capital cities of Australia but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing going on! We’ve listed the best events and festivals suited for university students. We’ve got the Perth Fringe Festival, Perth Comedy Festival, and Falls Festival, among many others! Whether you want to watch a runway fashion show, or a comedy show, you won’t be disappointed.
PERTH FRINGE FESTIVAL
18th January – 17th February 2019
The annual Fringe World Festival is one of Perth’s biggest events and dubbed the 3rd largest in the world. One of the best things about it is that it’s located in the heart of Northbridge, only minutes away from The Boulevard. In 2018, the festival featured 730 events throughout 155 venues all over Perth. At Fringe, expect to see a wide variety of acts including circus, cabaret, comedy, music, and theatre just to name a few! International students, this is not one you want to miss as people travel far and wide to attend. It’s best to book your shows in advanced online as they get pretty busy!
FREMANTLE STREET ARTS FESTIVAL
Fremantle Cappuccino Strip, Fremantle
19th – 22nd April 20Dating back to 1999, the Fremantle Street Arts Festival celebrates local busking culture over the Easter long weekend. Since you’ll have the day off uni, it’s a perfect chance to come down and enjoy the open-air theatre, musical performances and good food! The festival is also completely free to attend, so perfect if you don’t want to spend your long weekend at home!
PERTH FESTIVAL
8th Feb – 3rd March 2019
Founded by the University of Western Australia, the Perth Festival is known as the oldest arts festival in the southern hemisphere. The events take place throughout Perth so it’s best to plan what you want to see in advance by checking out the schedule on their website. Shows and events are easily accessible with the majority located in the Perth and Northbridge vicinity, which is right next to us at The Boulevard, as well as at UWA Crawley campus. This is a great one for international students to explore Perth’s arts and culture.
PERTH FASHION FESTIVAL
Forest Chase, Perth
5 - 15th September 2018
If you’re a fashion lover, this event is for you! The Telstra Perth Fashion Festival highlights some of the state’s best designers. Therefore, it’s a fantastic opportunity for international students to see local Perth designers. They often even hold free runway shows, so attending won’t break the bank account! Most of the events take place in Forrest Place, only minutes away from your new home at The Boulevard! Popular Perth designers include Ae’lkemi, Bec + Bridge, Rachel Gilbert – visit the website to see the full list of this year’s designers.
FALLS FESTIVAL
Fremantle Oval, Fremantle
6th – 7th Jan 2019
Music lovers this is for you, Falls Festival is a music and arts festival held annually throughout Australia. Most recent artists include Flume, Angus and Julia Stone, Peking Duk and so many more! Single day tickets start at $139. It’s an extremely popular event for students so make sure you get your tickets fast! It takes place in the summer holidays, so Falls gives you an excuse to go outside and enjoy the music with your friends in the sun. For more information head to the Falls Festival – Fremantle website. Getting there also couldn’t be easier with the train from Perth taking you right into the heart of Fremantle!
PERTH COMEDY FESTIVAL
Venues throughout Perth
22nd April – 19th May 2019
Every April and May the world’s best comedians take to Perth’s stages with special events and showcases for the Perth Comedy Festival. You can enjoy a variety of acts like stand up, satire, improv, musical and much more. Definitely the perfect time of the year to see a show and enjoy a fun night out. Full event schedules are posted online so be sure to check out the website if you’re keen to see a comedy show!
WA DAY FESTIVAL
Elizabeth Quay, Perth
2nd – 3rd June 2019
Here in Western Australia we have WA day, which takes place on the first Monday in June every year. A public holiday to celebrate all West Aussies and to recognise our rich history. The weekend festival is held at Elizabeth Quay and brings food trucks, live entertainment, sport clinics and fireworks! As it’s held in Elizabeth Quay, you won’t have trouble trying to get there from The Boulevard. A fun weekend in Perth, definitely a great excuse to put the books down and take a study break!
IGA PERTH ROYAL SHOW
Claremont Show Grounds
22nd- 29th September 2018
The Perth Royal Show has been a tradition for decades now. Open one week in September (which happens to coincide with the uni study break!), the show features; animals, displays, fair grounds, rides, competitions and more! Make sure you don’t leave without seeing fireworks or grabbing a show bag from Side Show Alley! The first agricultural show dates back to 1834 and the first events like sheep dog trials, horse racing and wood chopping are still annual events to this day. It’s held at Claremont Show Grounds, so it’s best to take the train to this one, luckily only 15 minutes from Perth Station. Be sure to plan your day on their website beforehand!
SCULPTURES BY THE SEA
Cottesloe Beach, Perth
1st – 18th March 2019
Sculptures by the Sea is held every summer along the beautiful Cottesloe Beach. Expect to see all kinds of weird and wonderful sculptures along the sand and grass areas. Going to see the sculptures is most popular in the evening as you get to experience the west coast sunset over the water. If you’re a morning person, coming down to see the sculptures at sunrise is also a unique experience and the perfect place to go for a morning jog before class.
So, what festival are you most looking forward to? There are so many we bet it’s hard to choose! For more tips of living in Perth check out our other blogs – we cover everything in this city from weather, shopping to food!
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