A mudlark is foraging in the grass beneath the imposing brutalist facade of the East Perth power station, unbothered by the clamour of staging being set up around it.
The afternoon south-westerly rattles the crowns of eucalypts on the riverbank, their roots burrowing deep below the Derbarl Yerrigan as it meanders towards the city.
It’s an idyllic scene, framed by the towering heritage-listed coal plant that once powered all of Perth. Yet, this prime real estate and historical landmark has remained off-limits to the public for decades, lying dormant for more than 40 years since its decommissioning in 1981.
But this industrial relic is erupting with a new kind of energy this week as it has been transformed into a major performance venue for the next four years of Perth festival.
Over the next three weeks, the main stage will feature big-name acts including Nils Frahm, Röyksopp, Electric Fields, Moktar and Peter Garrett. On the riverbank, Casa Musica brings a free lineup of world music in a European-style piazza, while projections by First Nations artists will drench the building in stories of the site’s early history.
While the power station’s interior remains off-limits due to asbestos contamination, its graffiti-covered facade, shattered windows and overgrown plants create an industrial-cool atmosphere of their own accord. And if all goes to plan, the doors may be unlocked for the 2026 festival.
When I meet Perth festival’s artistic director, Anna Reece, at the site, the crew are in full event mode: checking the sound equipment, setting up food trucks and putting tables and signage in place.
“It definitely hasn’t been a walk in the park,” she says. “It was basically a dust bowl before we got here.
“But as soon as I saw the site, there was no going back. It was just so clear that, even though this was such a huge undertaking, that we had just found the home of the festival.”
Built between 1913 and 1916, the power station was Perth’s first major power plant, supplying electricity to the entire city for much of the 20th century. The site’s reactivation has been a long time coming, with multiple failed development proposals to turn it into a hotel, a museum, a mixed-use commercial space and even a football stadium.
Galvanised by the success of venues such as Printworks London and Carriageworks in Sydney, Reece – who is presenting the inaugural program of her four-year tenure – says the power station’s appeal as a multi-arts venue is undeniable.
“Festivals are at their best when they infiltrate places that have character, places that have stories, rather than those kind of pop-up sites,” she says.
“When you scratch the surface in Western Australia, there’s just so much to celebrate and so many stories to tell, and the power station is one of those places.
“Obviously the architecture is really interesting. And I also love the history, I love the fact it supplied electricity for our whole state. There’s a romantic part of me that thinks that this is the new energy … that arts and culture are going to invigorate this city.”
In revitalising the site, Reece worked closely with the festival’s Noongar Advisory Circle and the elder Dr Barry McGuire to research its early history, and ensure cultural safety for all guests.
“This is a place that has great significance and many stories for us as Whadjuk people,” McGuire said. “You will see that country and culture are still strong here. In the trees, the reeds, the birds’ nests and the bee hives.”
While First Nations artists including the blues and gospel musician Kankawa Nagarra and the singer-songwriter Emily Wurramara will play a central role in the power station’s programming, Reece is committed to also representing the diversity of migrant cultures in WA. On the bill for Casa Musica is Kavisha and the Continentals, a soulful celebration of Italian folk music; the Joy, a South African a cappella group; and Lindigo, an energetic eight-piece from Réunion Island.
“The Casa Musica programming is very much about recognising that WA is a migrant state,” Reece says. “We are packed full of the most incredible communities that have enriched this place that we live.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly there are already whispers in Perth about the future of the East Perth power station beyond the festival. Reece is hopeful this revitalisation will lay the groundwork for it to become a permanent arts venue.
“I really hope the right people pay attention and see the potential,” she says. “And when I say the right people, for me, in my role as advocating for the arts, that’s about cultural precincts, artist studios, spaces and galleries – not a hotel or apartments.
“With anything groundbreaking, anything that gives a city an extraordinary gift, it takes bravery and boldness and an appetite for some kind of risk.”
Perth festival is on now
