A southern suburbs extravaganza is set to take place over the Easter long weekend after a three-year hiatus.
The International Street Arts Festival returns to Fremantle from April 7, with a fully-packed four-day entertainment program that will bring the city’s streets alive with roving performers, live music and street theatre.
Coinciding with the start of school holidays, Fremantle mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge expected the district to draw crowds of visitors from interstate and overseas.
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READ NOW“We welcomed an incredible amount of people over the three days when the festival was held in 2019 and it’s exciting to bring a crowd of that size back to the streets of Freo again,” she said.
The festival started 24 years ago as a celebration of the local busking culture but has grown into an extended weekend with multiple stages, international artists and throngs of visitors.
Pitches and festival stages will be sprawled across the port city on the cappuccino strip, Esplanade Reserve, Fishing Boat Harbour and Fremantle Prison.
This weekend’s gala backs up an entertainment overload in Fremantle this year, including the return of cruise ships, the recent boat and seafood festival, a multitude of new venues and the upcoming Bon Scott tribute, High Voltage.
Joining the entertainment across Easter, mainstay eateries and bars will extend licensing into the street with pop-up bars and boutique stores lining the cappuccino strip.
For the first time, the festival will offer a behind-the-scenes tour to deliver an all-inclusive experience of Fremantle’s streets, with some live entertainment and street history. This tour will depart from Walyalup Koort.
Ms Fitzhardinge said the tour was an opportunity for audiences to see a side of the city they “normally wouldn’t see”.
Program highlights include Di Filippo Marionette; an Italian-Australian puppet duo who hand-build marionette puppets from their workshop in Italy.
The quirky duo will take to stages across FOMO Pitch, Little Creatures Brewery and the National Hotel.
Perth Sax Rockers are also set to hit the streets with their chorus of rock’n’roll tracks and high-energy performances. The 10-piece ensemble are homegrown WA talent and previously took out the award for the State’s best musical act for Fringe 2020.
Globetrotting comedy duo Agents Honeymoon and Butterfly will also perform, as will the comic act Her Majesty’s Secret Circus.
Behind the scenes walking tour tickets are limited and need to be booked online.