A wealth of vibrant traditional performances, engaging experiences and free family-friendly fun will delight Western Australians over the coming months, with four major cultural festivals to be held as part of the 2026-27 Global Connections Through Local Events program.
Supported by the WA Government through the Office of Multicultural Interests, the events will share in a total of $900,000 funding, with $300,000 allocated to Diwali Mela and $200,000 each for the WA Chinese Cultural Festival, Arab Festival and Africa Week.
The Chung Wah Association's WA Chinese Cultural Festival will kick off the program at Charles Paterson Park in Burswood on Saturday 17 October, with more than 15,000 people anticipated to attend the vibrant showcase of Chinese culture and community.
This premier event will feature a dragon boat tug-of-war, lion dancing exhibitions and a singing competition.
A highlight of the night will be the 300 spectacular drones that will form images including a dragon boat and galloping horse through the night sky over the Swan River as part of a digital synchronised opus.
This will be followed by the Australian Arab Association's popular Arab Festival on Saturday, 24 October, where the heritage, traditions and contributions of Western Australia's Arab communities will bring Burswood Park to life with live entertainment, authentic Arab cuisine and small business stalls.
Langley Park will then be transformed by the Indian Society of Western Australia's Diwali Mela 2026 across two days from Saturday, 31 October to Sunday, 1 November. A staple of WA's annual cultural calendar, thousands of people are expected to turn out to celebrate the Festival of Lights, which will feature business and food stalls, children's activities and cultural performances.
Finally, Africa Week will round out the program in the first half of 2027 with details yet to be announced.