Defunct power plant electrified as arts festival venue

A long-abandoned inner city power station is set to become the centrepiece of Perth's revitalised arts festival.

The East Perth Power Station closed in 1981 and various plans for the site go back to at least 2000.

In February, it will host free outdoor music as well as a rare solo concert by Peter Garrett, and shows by the likes of Electric Fields, Alter Boy and Nils Frahm.

Noongar artists Allan Yarran, Ilona McGuire and Daniel Hansen have also been commissioned to create large-scale visual projections on the exterior of the building as part of an expanded visual arts program named Boorloo Contemporary.

Although people still won't be allowed inside the power station, it means festivalgoers can visit the site for the first time in decades.

More than half of the 24-day festival's events are free, and almost half of its 380-odd artists are from Western Australia.

It all points to a new era for the Perth Festival, which ended its long-term sponsorship with US energy giant Chevron in 2023.

For the first time in 70 years the event is being run by a Perth native, Anna Reece, who was appointed artistic director until 2028.

"To deliver a festival for my home and the city I love is beyond my greatest dreams," said Reece.

Her plans include changing the focus of the event to show Perth not just as a city fuelled by the mining industry, but as a capital on the rim of the Indian Ocean, which is home to diverse communities from southern Europe, Africa and Asia.

"We hope to entice our audiences into all kinds of spaces across our city with spectacular events that are accessible and immersive, that span our cultural foundations as a state and a city," she said.

In a coup for the festival, rock legend PJ Harvey and Ireland's Fontaines DC will kick off their Australian tours with concerts in Perth as part of the event.

An international highlight of the festival is the Mahabharata, a two-part theatrical performance by Toronto's?Why Not Theatre that stretches over almost five hours, inspired by an ancient Sanskrit poem and complete with an Indian feast.

Another highlight is a drama based on a frightening true story of American whistleblower Reality Winner, for which Studio Underground has staged a word-for-word dramatisation of her interrogation by the FBI.

The festival will also recreate the city's much-loved ballroom The Embassy in the Perth Town Hall, with a late-night artists' club and concerts by jazz musician Ali Bodycoat, violinist Ve'ronique Serret, Ethiopian maestro Hailu Mergia and soul singer Bumpy.

Perth Festival runs from February 7 to March 2.