- FRINGE WORLD Festival returns to WA in 2026
- Event expected to attract more than half a million people over four weeks, helping to support local businesses
- Cook Government supporting festival with more than $4 million in funding, including $2.5 million from Lotterywest
FRINGE WORLD Festival will return in 2026, thanks to strong support from the Cook Government and Lotterywest.
In 2026, FRINGE WORLD will deliver a showstopping program that brings the Western Australian community together to experience incredible local and international talent. The festival remains the third largest fringe festival in the world.
The 2026 Festival will run from 21 January to 15 February and is expected to attract more than half a million people over a four-week period. Attendees come from across Perth as well as enticing regional, national and international visitors, generating millions of dollars for the local economy.
The month-long stage provides a crucial platform for WA artists to showcase their talents, grow their presence, connect with the community, and stay rooted in WA's arts scene. The 2025 Festival showcased 2,700 artists across 577 events.
The Cook Government is supporting the festival with $4.19 million in total. This includes a Lotterywest grant of $2.5 million that has been provided to ARTRAGE to deliver the 2026 Festival, supporting greater accessibility and ensuring more WA families can come together and enjoy everything FRINGE has to offer.
Since 1994, Lotterywest has provided more than $17 million in grants to ARTRAGE, which delivers FRINGE WORLD Festival each year.
As stated by Premier Roger Cook:
"FRINGE WORLD has become a cornerstone of Western Australia's arts scene and part of the fabric of Perth's summer - helping to support local businesses and generate millions for the local economy.
"The diverse program gives Western Australians the opportunity to experience a wide array of performances, as well as providing a fantastic platform for artists to showcase their talents and connect with a broad audience.
"There will once again be something for everyone at FRINGE 2026, which I'm sure will be another showstopping event."
As stated by Creative Industries Minister Simone McGurk:
"The ARTRAGE FRINGE WORLD Festival occupies a special place in the WA creative industries events calendar and the WA Government is proud to be investing in such a significant community event.
"We know a thriving creative arts sector is what makes a community a great place to live, so we are committed to growing our local creative industries as part of diversifying our economy.
"I look forward with great anticipation to seeing the outcomes of the WA Government's support in next summer's program."
