Perth Festival is returning to WA with a stellar lineup in tow.
Perth Festival has confirmed its lead artists for the opening of its 2026 program, ahead of a full lineup reveal to come in October. Chief among these entries is a French theatre show, a geneticist-turned electronic artist, the Perth debut of a UK indie artist and a critically acclaimed British rock band.
Lacrima will open the 2026 season at the State Theatre Centre of WA, marking a significant coup for Western Australia’s premier arts festival across its four-day run of February 6–10.
The production, directed by renowned French filmmaker Caroline Guiela Nguyen, transforms the world of haute couture into a cinematic thriller about a prestigious Parisian fashion house commissioned to create a wedding dress for a British royal princess, revealing the hidden labour behind luxury fashion.
“This is theatre that takes hold of you – complex, surprising and deeply human,” said Perth Festival Artistic Director Anna Reece. “Lacrima grips from start to finish, pulling you deep into the exquisite and the brutal truths of high fashion.”
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The East Perth Power Station, which attracted over 80,000 visitors in its 2025 debut, will return as the festival’s major cultural precinct with three significant international acts.
Max Cooper, the former geneticist turned electronic music artist, will open the Main Stage program with an immersive audiovisual performance on February 6th, before Nilüfer Yanya comes to Perth for the first time following her US and UK tours supporting Lorde and Alex G on February 20th.
Black Country, New Road completes the initial lineup with their genre-defying sound that has earned them recognition as “the best band in the world” by The Quietus. The band built their cult following at London’s legendary Windmill venue before evolving into their current formation featuring three distinct vocalists and intricate instrumentation. They’ll be performing on Sunday, February 22nd.
Tickets for Festival Club members are on sale now, but general release ticket sales will begin on Friday, September 26th.
