Perth Multicultural Festival 2026: two evenings of music by the water
by 
Babylon Radio
Listen nowA floating stage, food from around the world and two evenings of music give Perth a good reason to gather by the water this November. The Perth Multicultural Festival returns to Elizabeth Quay on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 November 2026, from 5pm to 9pm each evening. Entry is free.
For people who have recently made Western Australia home, this is a chance to enjoy the city through its communities. Go with friends for the performances, take the family for an early evening of activities, or make it a date with dinner from the food trucks and a waterfront finale.
Ten cultures on the water
The programme brings together cultural groups representing Brazil, Mexico, Thailand, China, India, Burundi, Poland, Colombia, Hungary and Germany. They will perform on the floating stage, with music and dance at the heart of the celebration.
The published schedule puts the stage programme between 6pm and 9pm. Arriving when the site opens at 5pm leaves time to explore the food and activities before settling into the evening’s entertainment. The show ends with a fireworks finale.
Traditional clothing is encouraged, so visitors can bring something of their own heritage to the gathering. There is no need to know the different performance traditions beforehand. The pleasure is in seeing familiar cultures alongside ones you may be discovering for the first time.
Make an evening of it
Children’s entertainment and workshops run from 5pm until 8.30pm, while food vendors continue until 9pm. That makes an early visit a useful option for families who want activities and a taste of the performances before heading home.
So Perth’s programme preview, produced in partnership with the City of Perth, lists flag-bunting workshops, LED hula hoops, interactive circus sessions, stilt walkers and face painting. Together with the food trucks, these give the evening more variety than a seated concert alone.
The festival is also returning with national recognition. The West Australian reported on 28 October that it won Best New Event at the Australian Event Awards. Its first edition, held in November 2025, attracted more than 27,000 visitors across two days.
It is an alcohol-free community event, and you can bring a refillable water bottle for the drinking-water points around the site. The City also welcomes portable seating. Picnic tables and permanent seats are available around the inlet, so you can build in a break between exploring the activities and watching the stage. Food purchases are separate from free festival entry.
Choose the evening that suits you
The City’s accessibility guide includes an accessible viewing area near the carousel, paved routes and a sensory space near Gusto Gelato. The viewing area offers a less crowded place for people with disability to enjoy the performances.
Audio description is provided on Saturday, and Auslan interpretation on Sunday. The guide explains how to arrange these services with DADAA and includes an event map. Using that information when choosing your evening can help everyone in your group enjoy the same outing.
Getting to Elizabeth Quay
Elizabeth Quay train and bus stations are a short walk from the site, and the free Blue CAT bus stops near the Bell Tower. Use the Transperth journey planner to plan your route and return trip.
During the festival, the pedestrian bridge closes and visitors use the promenades around the inlet instead. This is worth building into your meeting point, especially if friends are arriving separately. Pick a spot on the event map, meet before the stage programme, and give yourselves time to enjoy the waterfront together.
Photographs by JarrahTree…commons.wikimedia.org, CC BY 2.5 AU.