- Perth Festival reveals taste of 2019 program
- Celebrating 66 years with hundreds of events and artists from around the world
- Boorna Waanginy: The Trees Speak to return to Kings Park
- Festival runs from February, 8 2019 to March 3, 2019
- Supported by the State Government through Lotterywest and Tourism WA
The longest-running international arts festival in the Southern Hemisphere, the 66th Perth Festival, will return this summer bringing world class performances and a celebration of Western Australian indigenous culture.
Through Lotterywest, the State Government has been the principal partner of the Perth Festival since 1992 and is providing a grant of $7 million to support the 2019 program.
With additional support from Tourism WA, the 2019 Perth Festival will officially open with a free event to launch Boorna Waanginy: The Trees Speak.
The light and sound production will showcase Perth’s iconic Kings Park, and two streams of understanding about our land: Noongar knowledge and Western science within the beauty of our unique natural environment.
The nocturnal walk-through experience is exclusive to Perth and was a highlight of the 2017 Festival.
Showcasing a combination of the world’s best artists, alongside our State’s very own world-class talent, three other major events will headline the 2019 program: Vietnamese bamboo circus show Lang Toi; the stunning physical theatre piece The Great Tamer; and The Magic Flute, presented with West Australian Opera and the WA Symphony Orchestra.
Set to celebrate the unique qualities of Perth and engage diverse audiences, this year’s Perth Festival will feature hundreds of artists and events across the city.
The announcement of these four shows are just a taste of the wealth of cultural experiences that will appeal to locals as well as interstate and overseas visitors.
The 2019 Perth Festival runs from February 8 to March 3. The full program will be announced on 1 November 2018.
For more information, visit www.perthfestival.com.au
Comments attributed to Hon. David Templeman:
“Boorna Waanginy will give Western Australians and visitors to Perth a unique opportunity to experience a magnificent showcase of our Noongar culture and to appreciate one of our State’s most popular tourist attractions in a new light.
“The State Government, through Lotterywest, has been proudly supporting the Perth Festival for more than 25 years, with the annual event becoming one of Australia’s premier curated multi-arts festivals.
“The Perth Festival has been enriching the lives of the community and visitors since 1953, and promoting local innovation and cultural exchange.
“It’s an opportunity for Western Australian stories to share the stage with highly acclaimed national and international performances.
“I congratulate Artistic Director Wendy Martin and the Perth Festival team and look forward to the full program being released in November.”
Comments attributed to Hon. Paul Papalia:
"Through Tourism WA, the State Government is pleased to again be supporting the Perth Festival's free opening event - Boorna Waanginy: The Trees Speak.
"The return of Boorna Waanginy will see hundreds of thousands of people flood to Kings Park over four nights to take in this spectacular work, which can't be seen anywhere else in the world.
"The Trees Speak exceeded expectations last year, with about 110,000 people attending the event across three nights, and we believe in 2019 it will be even more successful.
"The launch of these key Perth Festival shows, earlier than previous years, will give interstate and international visitors more time to plan their trips to Western Australia.
"Tour operators are encouraged to sell special interest packages that highlight our exciting art scene and disperse visitors to WA's extraordinary regional destinations.
"This is a cultural tourism attraction not to be missed."
Media contact:
Culture and the Arts Minister's office - 6552 5400
Tourism Minister's office - 6552 5600