Sunday Music at Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre (WFAC) has been a staple of the live music scene since 1981, with this year's curated lineup promising a mix of genres by both local and international artists.
The 2025-26 season opens on Sunday 5 October with Kankawa Nagarra, also known as Olive Knight, an 82-year-old powerhouse of Australian blues, country and gospel and elder from the Wangkatjungka community in the Kimberley. Alongside is ICONYX, whose connection to the late Archie Roach and Gurrumul grants her rare permission to perform and reimagine their music; the two Blak female musicians present an array of moving and powerful music.
Complementing the season opening will be a ceramics market on the top lawn, with over 45 artists taking part as part of 'Wedge: The Australian Ceramics Triennale'. WFAC's new garden café, Plated, will also be serving on the opening weekend.
City of Fremantle Director of Creative Arts and Community Pete Stone says the team is thrilled to announce the lineup for the first half of the Sunday Music season.
"Sunday Music is everything that's great about Freo. It's sunny arvos under the trees in the front garden at Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre, with the most diverse range of the best new and established acts you'll find anywhere in the country. And this year the café will be open again, so jump on your bike and head down. It's free, it's just for you and it's the perfect end to a Freo weekend."
Fremantle Community Bank (part of Bendigo Bank) has doubled its Sunday Music sponsorship support for this season.
"Sunday Music heralds the start of summer in Fremantle. It's a wonderful family friendly event, supports local artists and is the perfect place to be on a Sunday afternoon. We are delighted to support this iconic program," says Fremantle Community Bank Chair Debra Rule.
Performing in Australia for the first time this October is Los Angeles six-piece Swimming Bell bringing their signature lush Californian alt-folk. Compared to a folk-era Sharon Van Etten, Meg Baird and Rosali, Swimming Bell is the musical project of Katie Schottland, a Philadelphia-born singer-songwriter whose ethereal melodies and intricate harmonies create a dreamlike sonic landscape.
Little Guilt arrive as a cocktail of honeyed vocals later in the month, hypnotic synths and wistful lyricism brought forth with driving guitars. Since their formation in early 2021, the indie outfit (comprised of Ella Melton, Lachlan Thomson, Joe Knowles, Brady Kiernan and Bevyn Tarboton) have unwittingly captured the hearts of music lovers in both the digital realm and on stage through sold-out venues around the country.
Mahamudo Selimane is a renowned singer/guitarist from Mozambique who has toured around the world with his band Eyuphuro (one of Peter Gabriel's 'Real World' label's first releases) 'Zukhuta' includes Mahamudo's long-time collaborator John Wilson, drummer Hardy Perrine, saxophonist Marc Osborne and Grammy-winning Lucky Oceans who pioneers the use of pedal steel guitar in African music. For this show, the band expands to include vibrant front man Quentin (Queency) Thony.
In November, the month kicks off with acclaimed first nations artist Bumpy, a magnetic force in Australian music having wowed audiences at the London Jazz Festival and played festivals around the country. Her sound is a shimmering mosaic of contemporary soul laced with folk, funk, and jazz. She performs alongside firm Sunday Music favourite Boox Kid with his signature dreamy electropop.
A special show on 30 November has been programmed in response to the upcoming Theo Koning retrospective hosted at WFAC. Echo - Motion - Memory features artists Jamie Oehlers, Jess Carlton, Ben Vanderwal, Karl Florisson and Harry Mitchell celebrating Theo's love of jazz, particularly Keith Jarrett's music. They will perform Jarrett's music as well as new compositions created for the day.
16 November presents Nicholas Allbrook, also known as the frontman of Pond, who has created his own programming in response to Theo Koning's exhibition at WFAC. Allbrook will be performing and inviting his friends who share the instinctive spirit of the Fremantle based artist for this super special Sunday Music session.
December sees the remarkable Stella Cain joined on stage by members of the Watkins Street Choir and two additional local choirs run by her Aunty, Anna Wallwork. The collaboration is a powerful extension of the choral elements in RODDY, her debut EP, evoking the communal warmth and connection that defines her work.
Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre's Sunday Music summer concert series is on every Sunday, 2-4pm, from 5 October 2025 until 29 March 2026. There will be no programming on 7, 21 and 28 December 2025.
More acts to be announced soon, please visit wfac.org.au for more info.
Sunday Music summer series lineup:
5-Oct-25 Kankawa Nagarra & ICONYX
12-Oct-25 Little Guilt & Brodie Loves
19-Oct-25 Swimming Bell & Clove
26-Oct-25 Zukhuta & Howie Smallman and David Milroy
2-Nov-25 Bumpy & Boox Kid
9-Nov-25 Cassis & Phantom Island
16-Nov-25 Nick Allbrook with friends
23-Nov-25 Kombi-A Train
30-Nov-25 Echo - Motion – Memory featuring Jamie Oehlers Jess Carlton, Ben Vanderwal, Karl Florisson and Harry Mitchell
14-Dec-25 Stella Cain (joined by Watkins Street Choir and more) & Have A Good Day
