10 Nights in Port brings sensory splendour to Fremantle this August

Breaking through the surface and bursting into life, the Fremantle Festival: 10 Nights in Port returns during Djilba season, bringing new talent, emerging artists and established acts to the port city for an epic celebration in 2022 that will enliven the senses and warm the hearts and bodies of festival patrons.

Across 10 wintery nights and days from 11-21 August, Fremantle’s streets, venues, and hidden corners will come alive with contemporary music, giant immersive projections, protest exhibitions, roaming performances and stirring cultural experiences.

Celebrating the unique culture and artistic spirit of Walyalup, Fremantle Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge said the City of Fremantle was proud to present 10 Nights in Port, as it creates opportunities to revel in experiences that unite the community.

“10 Nights in Port is a fantastic opportunity to give our community an opportunity to celebrate and reconnect as we emerge from COVID,” Mayor Fitzhardinge said.

“More broadly, it gives people from all over Perth another reason to visit our beautiful city and join the excitement of our festival.

“Our festivals also provide employment benefits to our creative sector who’ve been hit hard over the past couple of years.”

10 Nights in Port is an annual celebration of people and place with the distinct flavour of Fremantle, bringing the community together to experience and uncover amazing performances from far and wide within the port city.

This year’s festival will stretch from the coastline to streetscapes and historic buildings to create amazing stages and backdrops for incredible performances.

Transforming the coast with screen projections of epic proportions, Frankensound’s Light Waves invites audiences to immerse themselves in a cinematic and sound display of natural wonders, and as dusk falls on the Festival’s opening night, a fiery performance and installation will ignite Walyalup Koort bringing winter warmth and illumination.

For the ultimate cultural BBQ bingo night, Bindi Bindi Dreaming teams up with Famous Sharron to share Australia’s unique food and biodiversity in a mystery quiz and taste extravaganza through FABingo.

Thought provoking works will tell unique stories and focus on pathways forward, including an exhibition of screen protest works created by artists experiencing disability, Sam Kerr and Hugo Flavelle, showing different interpretations and experiences of accessibility, and inaccessibility.

City of Fremantle Art and Culture Manager Kathryn Taylor said it was a pleasure to welcome back amazing performers and introduce new names in 10 Nights in Port.

“We’re so grateful for our many creative partners, artists and producers who are working with us to create this year’s festival,” Ms Taylor said.

“The program presents some golden favourites and new adventures, formed by creators and cultural leaders who have a passion to create a better world by using their knowledge and art forms to take us there.”

A melting pot of music will take over the Fremantle Town Hall for two tremendous nights with Hidden Treasures, while BLACKOUT will be a one-off multi-sensory electronic dance spectacular directed by Charley Caruso and Della Rae Morrison featuring First Nations artists, creating the best beats and bass for a massive effect.

Musical acts also take to the streets with roaming performances in unexpected places through Mantle Music, as well as the celebration of young emerging musicians with Future Treasures.

Bringing together choirs from across Perth, Yedi Moort, meaning ‘song family’, will be a choral performance led by Walyalup Kannajil Choir of popular hits sung in the Noongar language, including Paul McCartney’s Blackbird, showing us that music is the universal language.

10 Nights in Port will also bring back the popular beachside bathing experience a little differently in 2022, introducing the cold-water plunge as the perfect antidote to the steaming bath to reinvigorate the senses.

Fremantle Festival: 10 Nights in Port will take place across Fremantle from Thursday 11 – Sunday 21 August 2022. For more information visit 10nightsinport.com.au.