events: perth + fremantle

The highly anticipated Valentine's Concert is the City of Joondalup's premier performing arts event, and this year stars Dan Sultan supported by Andrew Winton. Located in the stunning grounds of the Joondalup Resort, the Valentine's Concert provides the perfect setting for romance.
Joondalup Resort, Country Club Drive, Connolly Ph: 9400 4705

Comedy rock superstar Tim Minchin is back on the road with his biggest live show ever, for the second time. This show includes brand new songs as well as those much loved Minchin classics, but this time as you've never heard them before - with the 55-piece WA Symphony Orchestra.
Challenge Stadium, Mt Claremont Ph: 13 61 00

The Cat Empire announce the party of summer featuring The Cat Empire, Tijuana Cartel, Brow Horn Orchestra & DJ Jumps.
Fremantle Arts Centre, Finnerty St, Fremantle Ph: 9432 9555

Join us early at Cottesloe Beach for the Festival's most stirring and quintessentially Western Australian opening ever. As light glimmers off the ocean, Indigenous elders and performers join audiences and artists from around the world with a Welcome to Country. Hundreds of local vocalists and musicians then greet the dawn with a joyous celebration of the people, natural wonder and artistic life of WA. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
 www.perthfestival.com.au

The oldest annual international multi-arts festival in the southern hemisphere offers some of the world's best theatre, music, film, visual arts, street arts, literature and free community events.
www.perthfestival.com.au

Bring a picnic, sit back and relax under a balmy, starry sky and be immersed in wonderful choreography from around the globe.
Quarry Amphitheatre, Waldron Drive, City Beach Ph: 13 61 00

Appearing in entranceways, basking beneath bridges or wedged into alleyways, the irresistible RedBall sneaks into well-known places and half-noticed spaces, transforming the City into an unexpected canvas of possibilities. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
www.perthfestival.com.au

This walk-through encounter has been made for you - no one else. This is a show for one person at a time and involves travelling through a series of beautiful and complex environments. Step into an enchanted labyrinth of sound, smell, taste, touch and feel - a hidden realm where memory, wonder, amazement and chance converge. Navigate a winding path of endless possibility from your earliest memories to now and glimpse a startling window into the future. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
Secret location www.perthfestival.com.au

Romance, action, strange men in rabbit masks, Super Night Shot has it all. Proving all the world's a stage, renegade theatre making collective Gob Squad sync their watches, pick up their video cameras and take to the streets of Northbridge exactly one hour before start time to make your show. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
State Theatre, Studio Underground, Cnr William and Roe Sts, Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

National Theatre of Scotland returns to Perth with an exhilarating production that draws you into the explosive world of boxing. Cameron Burns is going places. He's going to see his name in lights. He's going to make the world take notice. He's fighting for his club, his mum, his place in the world. And this boy is a natural. He has an affinity with the violence, the balance, the ritual, the grace and the power. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
ABC Studios, 30 Fielder St, East Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

Twenty years after Nevermind wrenched grunge into the mainstream, Rasta pioneer Little Roy pays a reggae tribute to the genius of Nirvana. Filled with dancehall dub and Kingston grooves, the project has been enthusiastically embraced by original members of the Nirvana camp. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
Festival Gardens, WA Museum grounds, Perth Cultural Centre, James Street, Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

Australia v Sri Lanka
WACA, Hale St, East Perth Ph: 13 61 00

Visit the Fremantle Boat Show to discover your perfect boat. For three days only, you'll see the very best on-water and on-land displays in the heart of Fremantle's famous maritime precinct..
Esplanade Reserve Park & Fishing Boat Harbour, Fremantle freoboatshow.exibit.com.au

From the seminal to the scene-starting, the esoteric to the exhilarating, the Laneway Festival is again pleased to be able to bring you a roll call of artists that is as exciting as it is diverse including Active Child, The Horros, The Panics and Pajama Club.
Perth Cultural Centre, Northbridge Ph: 1300 369 882

Cast your eyes to the skies as heavenly bodies glide, float and careen through the air, leaving a burst of feathers in their wake. Beginning with a single quill, a trickle grows into an incredible cascade, a seemingly endless blizzard of white, showering you in two tonnes of downy bliss. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
Between Council House and St Georges Cathedral, St Georges Tce, Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

From the wildly inspired mind of Perth's very own Academy Award winner, Shaun Tan, The Red Tree draws you into a vibrant world of bold imagery and sparkling live music. A young girl embarks on an epic adventure in an unfamiliar land filled with peculiar creatures and dream-like landscapes. The Red Tree creates a path that gradually leads her home. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
Subiaco Arts Centre, 180 Hamersley Rd, Subiaco www.perthfestival.com.au

Pre-season trial: Dragons v Cowboys
nib Stadium, Bulwer St, Perth Ph: 13 61 00

From Europe To Las Vegas, Adam and Selina are the new breed of modern day illusionists that have captivated audiences across the world and millions in sold out theatres and on television.They've become widely known for blending their modern showmanship, spectacular illusions and their slick performance style for audiences of the 21st Century.
Regal Theatre, 474 Hay St, Subiaco Ph: 13 28 49

WA's finest musicians in ensemble perform exhilarating recent music from the Americas, outdoors in the intimate inner courtyard.
Fremantle Arts Centre, Finnerty St, Fremantle  Ph: 9432 9555

Making music full of passion and urgency, these indie rockers have established themselves as an exhilarating live band, supporting The Grates, The Panics, Faker and The Jezabels. Now the 2010 Deadly Award Band of the Year make their Perth Festival debut at the new Festival Gardens. A Perth International Arts Festival event..
Festival Gardens, WA Museum grounds, Perth Cultural Centre, James Street, Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

Seal's powerful music transcends genre and has had a phenomenal effect on music lovers worldwide. From emotional, romantic love songs such as Prayer For the Dying, Don't Cry, and the Grammy Award-winning Kiss From A Rose; to dance and soul-infused pop hits like Killer and Crazy and moving renditions of classics on Soul and Soul 2; Seal's unique voice continues to capture the hearts of millions.
Sandalford Estate, 3210 West Swan Rd, Caversham Ph: 13 28 49

Hard-hitting and lean, this unique trombone/Hammond organ/drums line-up tips its hat to jazz then slips over into funk. Extraordinarily agile trombonist Dennis Rollins has sizzled with Blur, Maceo Parker and more, while organ virtuoso Ross Stanley and fiery kit man Pedro Segundo keep the night tight. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
Festival Gardens, WA Museum grounds, Perth Cultural Centre, James Street, Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

Comprised of Jim Sclavunos (Grinderman, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds and The Cramps) and Peter Mavrogeorgis, international producing duo Silver Alert create an electrifying live score to FW Murnau's 1926 classic film Faust. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
Festival Gardens, WA Museum grounds, Perth Cultural Centre, James Street, Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

The hollers, growls and whisky-drenched tones of Clairy Browne & The Bangin' Rackettes lure you back to sixties Motown, where the dirty soul sounds of smoky vocals, feverish harmonies and gritty dancehall blues get you shaking and grinding. This nine piece rhythm and blues big band from Melbourne, take you from northern soul, jump blues, doo-wop, gospel to ska, with influences ranging from Etta James and Prince to Arquettes and Salt n' Pepa.A Perth International Arts Festival event..
Festival Gardens, WA Museum grounds, Perth Cultural Centre, James Street, Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

Uncle Jack Charles is an Australian legend: veteran actor, Koori Elder, activist and - until recently - heroin addict and cat-burglar. His is a life lived to its limit, and this is his story. From Stolen Generation to Koori theatre in the 70s, film sets and Her Majesty's prisons, Jack tells his captivating tale with humour, warmth, honesty and charm... and a few songs along the way. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
State Theatre, Studio Underground, Cnr William and Roe Sts, Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

Award-winning rag'n bone/junkyard blues theatrical company The Suitcase Royale return to Perth after conquering Europe. Prepare for an explosive, gun slingin' night pf dancing, drinking, crying and loving. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
Festival Gardens, WA Museum grounds, Perth Cultural Centre, James Street, Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

Pre-season trial: Western Force v Reds
nib Stadium, Bulwer St, Perth Ph: 13 61 00

Award-winning rag'n bone/junkyard blues theatrical company The Suitcase Royale return to Perth after conquering Europe. Prepare for an explosive, gun slingin' night pf dancing, drinking, crying and loving. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
Festival Gardens, WA Museum grounds, Perth Cultural Centre, James Street, Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

Ronan Keating, the charismatic multi-platinum Irish music superstar, will thrill his legions of Australian fans when he embarks on a national tour this summer. Joining Ronan will be fellow Irish artist, Sharon Corr, singer, songwriter and violinist, and a founding member of international superstars, The Corrs. Ronan, accompanied by his seven-piece band and a string quartet, will deliver stellar performances of songs from throughout his career. Don't miss this very special concert.
Kings Park, Fraser Ave, West Perth Ph: 13 61 00

Joined by internationally renowned composer/violist Brett Dean, the Escher String Quartet displays complete mastery of the rich textures and intense passion of Brahms' first viola quintet, a creation of which the composer said, 'you have never before had such a beautiful work from me'. The Quartet then pay homage to Dean in a performance of his brooding, forceful and moving Eclipse. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
State Theatre Centre, Cnr William and Roe Sts, Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

Get set for adventure and innovation as the sound palette explodes in lofty cathedrals of synth and searing bass, gets sparse and atmospheric and never strays from the lyrical beauty and tight hooks that put this band on top. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
Festival Gardens, WA Museum grounds, Perth Cultural Centre, James Street, Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

WA v NSW
WACA, Hale St, East Perth Ph: 13 61 00

Perth Glory v Newcastle Jets
nib Stadium, Bulwer St, Perth Ph: 13 61 00

James Thiérrée sweeps you into a fantasy world of shape-shifting illusion, slapstick humour, startling beauty and melancholic whimsy that leaves you asking, 'how did he do that?' Raoul returns to a home upended, and quite possibly possessed. to keep domestic life from unravelling completely, he goes toe-to-toe with a surreal collection of adversaries - everything from hostile appliances to giant jellyfish to a face in the mirror with plans of its own. Are these manifestations of an untethered mind or something more sinister? A Perth International Arts Festival event.
Regal Theatre, 474 Hay St, Subiaco Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

Poetry and calamity invigorate this brilliantly woven fairy tale for a cold winter's night. Struck by a sudden and strange paranoia, King Leontes imagines plots abounding all around. He sets off a disastrous chain of events that threaten his kingdom, yet receives a miraculous chance at redemption from the Gods. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
His Majesty's Theatre, 825 Hay St, Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

At the dawning of King Henry V's reign, power and morality collide amid plots of intrigue, duplicity and a perilous turn to France. Outnumbered five to one, the English army faces the Battle of Agincourt, roused from their fears by the lyrical eloquence and raw power of Henry's St Crispin's Day Speech. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
His Majesty's Theatre, 825 Hay St, Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

Mozart's enchanting music, at first delicate and tender, then playful and humorous, takes centre stage, as a talented ensemble of young singers led by a single pianist fill the score with new energy, humanity and colour. This is raw, intimate operatic theatre at its very best. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
Octagon Theatre, UWA, Winthrop Ave, Crawley www.perthfestival.com.au

Showing intuitive feel for Brahms evolving style, the Escher String Quartet hold forth on a stunning display of technique and interpretation. Brahms Op.51 quartets were 40 years in the making, completed after the composer destroyed 20 earlier versions. This evolution leads to Anton Webern's ground-breaking 20th-century miniatures. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
State Theatre Centre, Cnr William and Roe Sts, Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

Take a trip into the fantastic and foreboding worlds of 30 artists from opposite sides of the globe. From oblique takes on portraiture and collage to snapshots of society at its best and worst, these far reaching photographic practices question what it means to look, catch or construct images for the 21st century. A fleeting glimpse into the life and times of both countries and beyond, Hijacked 3 disrupts the way you think about photography. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
PICA, Perth Cultural Centre, Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

For the first time in 20 years, Icehouse make their triumphant return to Perth. One of Australia's most beloved, revered and successful bands, Icehouse has been warmly embraced in their recent return to the concert and recording arenas. Charismatic ARIA Award-winner Washington is the show's special guest, along with premier singer/songwriter Josh Pyke and the vivacious Clare Bowditch. This vibrant and eclectic line-up promises a bedazzling evening of Australian music.
Kings Park, Fraser Ave, West Perth Ph: 13 61 00

The priestess Leïla loves Nadir, a fisherman, but it's complicated by her vows and by Nadir's friendship with his romantic rival Zurga and by Nourabad, an authoritarian high priest. The lovers escape certain death and elope to freedom aided by Zurga who overcomes his jealousy when he realises that Leïla once saved his life. This is a free event.
Supreme Court Gardens, Riverside Drive, Perth Ph: 9278 8999

Always up for a challenge, the Escher String Quartet pit the suppleness of the String Quartet against the might of the Romantic piano. After completing the cycle of quartets, the group are joined by Australia's most awarded chamber music pianist, Caroline Almonte, for the monumental Piano Quintet in F. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
State Theatre Centre, Cnr William and Roe Sts, Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

Best known for their smash hit 'Brimful of Asha', these reinventionists return with a feel-good fusion of Indian folk and indie pop. Get set for dhol drums, the one-string tumbi and an eccentric cultural mix of Punjabi, hip-hop, thrift-store samples and funky breakbeats. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
Festival Gardens, WA Museum grounds, Perth Cultural Centre, James Street, Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

Perth Wildcats v Sydney Kings
Challenge Stadium, Mt Claremont Ph: 13 61 00

NAB Cup: West Coast Eagles v Fremantle v Essendon
Paterson's Stadium, Roberts Rd, Subiaco Ph: 13 61 00

Described as 'a fly Janis Joplin backed by a jazz combo' this sizzling rap hybrid has been turning heads at Glastonbury, touring with Billy Bragg and scored a much-deserved nomination for Best Breakthrough Act at the UK Festival Awards. Now it's your chance to hear Kate Tempest's unbelievable raw poetics and lyrical bombs. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
Festival Gardens, WA Museum grounds, Perth Cultural Centre, James Street, Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

Combine your love of film and music as Herk Harvey's 1962 B-grade horror marvel Carnival of Souls is brought to life by a seven-piece orchestra, on-stage actors and live foley/sound effects in a unique and devilishly vibrant 'live cinema' experience. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
Festival Gardens, WA Museum grounds, Perth Cultural Centre, James Street, Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

In 1979, three creative titans pooled their considerable talents to craft what would become one of the great post-modern works of the 20th century. Choreographer Lucinda Childs, composer Philip Glass and artist Sol LeWitt mixed movement, music and film in a way that would transform the world of dance forever. Shift 2012. In this Australian exclusive Lucinda Childs invites a new company of dancers to inject youthful life into this electrifying and simply beautiful work of music and motion. Here is her rarely seen signature piece, as stirring today as it was 30 years ago. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
State Theatre Centre, Cnr William and Roe Sts, Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

Combining virtuosity with tender lyricism, Chopin's First Piano Concerto is an ideal vehicle for the unique talents of Polina Leschenko. The carefree exuberance of Mendelssohn's Octet belies its fiendish technical intricacies. The tonal riches of ACO's three legendary violins - Stradivari, Guarneri and Guadagnini - are revealed in Richard Tognetti's specially created arrangement of Paganini. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
Perth Concert Hall, 5 St Georges Tce, Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

WA v NSW
WACA, Hale St, East Perth Ph: 13 61 00

He's a founding member of Jurassic 5 and Ozomatli, collaborated with DJ Shadow on two of the most in-demand remix CDs ever and is a solo dynamo. Now turntablist extraordinaire Cut Chemist unleashes his envelope-pushing cut 'n' scratch audio-visual blowout Sound of the Police. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
Festival Gardens, WA Museum grounds, Perth Cultural Centre, James Street, Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

Perth Writers Festival is a celebration of the written word in all its forms. Hear the ideas behind the words as the finest national and international writers engage in readings, talks, debates, workshops and culinary events. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
University of WA, Winthrop Ave, Crawley www.perthfestival.com.au

Experience the emotion, beauty and power of Il Divo's unique vocals and operatic arrangements as they take you on a journey that combines opera, pop and musical theatre.
Kings Park, Fraser Ave, West Perth Ph: 13 61 00

No strangers to the stage, Fremantle's own San Cisco have bought their eclectic mix of sing-a-long, super catchy tunes to Big Day Out, Laneway, Fuse and Big Sound as well as playing Peats Ridge and Pyramid Rock over the summer. This liveliness and dynamic verve is portrayed on stage while delivering their indie-pop with dashes of rock and slashes of synth.
Fremantle Arts Centre, Finnerty St, Fremantle Ph: 9432 9555

Put your creative talents to the test as we build a vibrant new Perth from the ground up. Using our special cardboard kit, you can design and decorate a dream home, nightclub, surf shop, bird sanctuary or whatever you like – the more imaginative the better. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
Western Australian Museum, Perth Cultural Centre, James Street, Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

An enigmatic genius of many guises (Palace Music, Palace Brothers, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy), Will Oldham ranks among America's most formidable singer-songwriters. After much pleading, the Bonnie Prince makes a triumphant return to Perth for a night of sublime Appalachian folk and indie rock. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
Festival Gardens, WA Museum grounds, Perth Cultural Centre, James Street, Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

Gasps and giggles are the order of the day as creative company DNA invites parents and children under six to revel in a cure for the common cold. A young girl is under the weather, but her imagination is as fit as a fiddle. Aches and pains and a runny nose are no match for a bed that transforms into a boat, strange sea creatures and fantastic shifting landscapes. Using amazing puppetry, live performance, music and loads of paper, Atishoo! gets children's imaginations running wild. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
Subiaco Arts Centre, 180 Hamersley Rd, Subiaco www.perthfestival.com.au

Olivia Newton-John - international superstar of studio, stage and screen and one of our most beloved pop icons, returns to Perth to perform with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra.
Burswood Theatre, Great Eastern Hwy, Burswood Ph: 13 28 49

Arguably the world's most loved TV talk-show host, Michael Parkinson brings a touch of true celebrity to the stage when he teams up with the WA Symphony Orchestra in a tribute to music in the movies. Sharing his love of the silver screen and the stars that make it shine, Parky adds his own unique brand of wit, charm and banter to the line-up of music from film classics.
Kings Park, Fraser Ave, West Perth Ph: 13 61 00u

Perth Glory v Brisbane Roar
nib Stadium, Bulwer St, Perth Ph: 13 61 00

A beautiful night of top entertainment under the stars, with every cent from ticket sales going directly to St Patrick's Community Care.
Fremantle Arts Centre, Finnerty St, Fremantle Ph: 9432 9555

Welcome to the new dance insurrection, a magnetic gender-bending blend of potent pop, driving beats and synthy goodness from former members of Le Tigre. JD Samson and company launch the night into the stratosphere with songs from Talk About Body. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
Festival Gardens, WA Museum grounds, Perth Cultural Centre, James Street, Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

Pashing, fighting, laughing, dancing and confessing ... drawn from over 500 starkly honest and highly confidential interviews with Western Australian teens, this intimate and confronting play draws back the curtain on what it means to be young in our modern, media-driven society.Five teenagers walk an emotional tightrope of online and offline relationships, colliding with one another and driving into the walls built around them. This daring, immersive production gives you a raw and voyeuristic view of their deepest secrets, rages, anxieties and hopes. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
State Theatre, Studio Underground, Cnr William and Roe Sts, Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

Singer, songwriter, poet and painter, alt-country/rock sensation Ryan Adams is a true Renaissance man. Touring on his critically adored Ashes & Fire, Adams returns to Australia with his trademark soulful lyrics and low-key melodies to deliver a truly memorable concert. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
Perth Concert Hall, 5 St Georges Tce, Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

A 19.5km ocean swim by teams of two or four, or extremely dedicated singles that has become one of the largest open water swimming events in the world.
Cottesloe to Rottnest

Forging her own path in soul music and almost single-handedly directing the genre since the '97 debut Baduizm, Badu's releases have always demanded critics attention, whilst her live shows incite rapturous engagement from audiences as she bursts through hits like On & On, Love Of My Life, Apple Tree, Tyrone, Bag Lady, Window Seat and more.
Belvoir Amphitheatre 1177 Great Northern Hwy, Upper Swan Ph: 13 61 00

Indulge in a magical night of cinematic splendour as the legendary composer for films such as The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, The Mission and Cinema Paradiso leads a 100-piece orchestra and 100-voice choir through his greatest works. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
Burswood Theatre, Great Eastern Hwy, Burswood www.perthfestival.com.au

Mellow out on a perfect summer evening with rising stars from America and the UK. After turns with Ghosthustler and VEGA, Neon Indian's Alan Polomo dazzles with dreamy sample collages and hazy 80s synth tones. Sheffield's Slow Club complete the bill and take you to a blissful happy place with sunny folk-pop melodies. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
Festival Gardens, WA Museum grounds, Perth Cultural Centre, James Street, Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

Perth Wildcats v Cairns Taipans
Challenge Stadium, Mt Claremont Ph: 13 61 00

Immerse your senses in a haunting, illuminating and mesmeric concert by polyphonic masters I Fagiolini, the only early music group ever awarded the Royal Philharmonic Society's Ensemble Prize. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
Perth Concert Hall, 5 St Georges Tce, Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

Led by musical maverick Jeremiah Lockwood, this eclectic supergroup draw talent from Arcade Fire, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV on the Radio and Balkan Beat Box. Their latest release The House of the Friendly Ghosts fuses blues guitar, afro beat, funk rhythms, sizzling brass and, yes, Jewish cantor. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
Festival Gardens, WA Museum grounds, Perth Cultural Centre, James Street, Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

Roxette are one of the most successful bands to come out of Sweden and have even had more top 10 hits in America than ABBA. With 22 chart-busting singles and total record sales of 75 million, Roxette are a band not to be missed on tour. Joining them for these special Australian shows are 1927, whose hits still remain radio favourites 20 years after their release..
Challenge Stadium, Mt Claremont Ph: 13 61 00

Get set for a high-energy night with the liveliest force in new Gypsy music. Founded in Istanbul in 2006, these globe-trotting dynamos have perfected a sound that truly bridges East and West. From heavy Turkish Romany grooves to drum'n'bass, dub, funk, jazz and hip hop, Baro Banda (aka GeckoRomanProject) get you up and moving. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
Festival Gardens, WA Museum grounds, Perth Cultural Centre, James Street, Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

Nonsensory Overload is Noble back fresh from his travels, not to mention his own TV show, doing what he does best; spinning forth hilarious nonsense for your amusement. Now is your chance to see one of the best live comics working internationally today.
Regal Theatre, 474 Hay St, Subiaco Ph: 13 28 49

Watson's recent treatment for pituitary cancer has given him not just a fresh outlook on the world, but a whole new, deeper, richer voice. "The thing that I most wanted to achieve has happened. The voice is back. And not only that, but the infrastructure that generates the noise I make, the strength and stamina I need to perform all that incredible material is back. It's been a long road and it's been hard work, but we're there..."
Burswood Theatre, Great Eastern Hwy, Burswood Ph: 13 28 49

Experience celestial magic as premier circus company Circa and polyphonic vocal masters I Fagiolini join feats of astonishing acrobatics with a soaring score drawn from centuries of sacred music. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
Winthrop Hall, UWA, Mounts Bay Rd, Crawley www.perthfestival.com.au

Eddie Palmieri is a salsa and Latin jazz superstar who has been thrilling audiences for five decades, winning nine Grammy Awards in the process. Don't miss this rare chance to see a truly timeless innovator and his band let loose on sultry Caribbean rhythms. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
Festival Gardens, WA Museum grounds, Perth Cultural Centre, James Street, Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

History comes alive as music, science and storytelling combine in an unforgettable concert inspired by the great astronomers. Canadian ensemble Tafelmusik brings open-hearted energy and vigour to the rarified world of period- instrument performance.
Perth Concert Hall, 5 St Georges Tce, Perth Ph: 9484 1133

Drawing on urban and rural folk styles, this distinctly Brazilian contemporary dance company combines the grace and technique of ballet with the raw vitality of swaying limbs, sexy swagger and pulsating rhythms. For the 2012 Festival they present two strikingly visual and spirited performances. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
His Majesty's Theatre, 825 Hay St, Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

Prepare to pick your jaw up off the floor when you hear this six-man a Capella sound machine. Armed with nothing more than silky smooth vocal cords, they fashion razorsharp harmonies and beat-boxing to produce covers of Kraftwerk, Beyoncé, Lenny Kravitz and more. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
Festival Gardens, WA Museum grounds, Perth Cultural Centre, James Street, Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

WA v Victoria
WACA, Hale St, East Perth Ph: 13 61 00

Expect the unexpected on a night of life-affirming music from the streets of Kinshasa. Filled with raw power, intense joy and delicate beauty, Staff Benda Bilili's music sees Congolese rumba blended with 70s funk, Cuban son and mambo.Discovered by Damon Albarn as part of Africa Express, this unique group is comprised of paraplegic street musicians in suped-up three-wheelers and street kids from around the Kinshasa Zoo, proving good music can never be kept down. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
Festival Gardens, WA Museum grounds, Perth Cultural Centre, James Street, Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

With remarkably fresh and intensely memorable creations like Music for a Found Harmonium and Telephone and Rubber Band Penguin Café Orchestra made a fundamental mark on British popular culture. Now a new generation tenpiece of ukeleles, strings, percussion, electric bass and piano are spinning wonder and whimsy with songs you'll be humming for days. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
Festival Gardens, WA Museum grounds, Perth Cultural Centre, James Street, Perth www.perthfestival.com.au

Bon Iver's tender, beautiful and moving music at one of the country's newest and most spectacular outdoor concert venues provides a perfect end to this year's Festival. Ranging from wistful introspection to strident potency, frontman Justin Vernon's soulful voice and delicately nuanced lyrics make the personal universal. Watch the sun set on the city skyline and indulge in the voice Rolling Stone calls 'one of the era's defining singers'. A Perth International Arts Festival event.
Red Hill Auditorium, Toodyay Road, Red Hill www.perthfestival.com.au