Get ready to rock in Freo

The City of Fremantle is excited to welcome Perth Festival’s High Voltage on Sunday 7 May for the ultimate celebration of music, culture and WA rock legend Bon Scott.

DIESEL, Southern River Band, Body Type, Eddie Perfect, Katy Steele and Dan Sultan are just some of the names in the diverse line-up of more than 50 performances and events happening across one epic afternoon in Freo. 

The family-focused High Voltage features a musical procession through the streets of Fremantle with bands playing on flatbed trucks around a 5km circuit, along with live performances and fun activities at three celebration zones. 

Each zone offers a special live experience including:

Fremantle Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge said the City was thrilled to be the backdrop for an event of this scale.

“We all remember how great Highway to Hell was in 2020, and we can’t wait to recreate that experience with High Voltage coming this May,” Mayor Fitzhardinge said.

“Fremantle is the perfect destination for this event as the spiritual home of Bon Scott – he grew up here, attended North Fremantle Primary School and John Curtin School of the Arts and was buried at the Fremantle Cemetery.

“This celebration of Bon Scott and some of the nation’s incredible musical talent is sure to be an unforgettable day out in Freo.”

This special one-day event will welcome thousands of music fans to the port city – WA’s live music epicentre – to enjoy a celebration of music and community around some of Freo’s iconic landmarks including Fremantle Oval, South Beach and the Cappuccino Strip. 

“Nearly 145,000 people turned out for Highway to Hell along Canning Highway, which generated $6.1 million for local traders. We hope High Voltage will draw similar crowds and provide a real boost for Fremantle’s businesses,” Mayor Fitzhardinge said.

Fremantle’s Finance, Policy, Operations and Legislation Committee last week supported a proposal to become a major sponsor of the event through in-kind sponsorship support by way of event fee waivers.

“It’s a great opportunity for the City to jump on board as a major sponsor of this event, which is designed in such a way that we can expect a significant return for Fremantle as a whole, with crowds likely to arrive early and linger after the main event” Mayor Fitzhardinge said.

The full Council will vote on the sponsorship proposal at its meeting on Wednesday 22 March.

Local bands and artists can still get involved in the High Voltage program with expressions of interest open until Friday 17 March through the High Voltage website.

Businesses are encouraged to get creative with themed specials or decorations for their shopfronts for the day.

High Voltage is presented by Tourism WA, produced by Perth Festival Special Projects and supported by the City of Fremantle.

Visit highvoltagewa.com.au

Image: Fremantle Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge, Premier Mark McGowan, Tourism Minister Roger Cook, Fremantle MP Simone McGurk and musicians celebrating the announcement of the massive High Voltage music event coming to Freo next May.