Welcome to our feature – Arts Scene Around Freo – compiled by our Arts Editor, Gayle O’Leary. Here we will bring to your attention community Arts events happening around Freo – visual arts, live performances, music gigs of various sorts, you name it. Each week we will post Arts Scene on our homepage as well as in The Weekly Edition. If you’d like to have your event included, let Gayle know!
So, what’s happening this week?
Pasar Malam | Night Market
Opening Night – 8 May 2026
FSN note: unmissable and FREE!
Pasar Malam (Night Market) is an immersive exhibition of screen-printed works exploring the transgressive, shadowy spaces that exist in our communities. Each artwork has been created by Krack studio in collaboration with leading Indonesian and Australian artists. Engaging activities include printmaking workshops as well as a night of festival and food, a Pasar Malam/night market style event staged here at WFAC.
Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre
https://www.visitfremantle.com.au/exhibition/pasar-malam-night-market-opening-night
The Paper Bird Illustration Exhibition & Award
Friday 8 May 2026 Opening Night
9 – 23 May 2026
Visit the inaugural Paper Bird Illustration Exhibition to wander hundreds of storied artworks from over fifty local, national and international Illustrators, both emerging and established.
Prints, originals and a limited edition 2026 Exhibition Catalogue will be available for sale.
Entry is free.
Opening Night Celebration and Award Presentation on Friday 8 May | 6:30 – 8 PM
Paper Bird Illustration Market on Saturday 9 May 2026 10am – 3pm
Moores Building Art Space 46 Henry Street, Fremantle
https://paperbird.com.au/illustration-exhibition-award/
OCEAN — Celebrating the 100th Birthday of Sir David Attenborough
Friday 8th May, 2026 5pm
Fremantle will honour the 100th birthday of Sir David Attenborough with a unique cultural event celebrating his extraordinary legacy and enduring message about the future of our oceans, which is at the heart of his most recent documentary, Ocean with David Attenborough.
Presented by Freo.Social — OCEAN: A Celebration of Sir David Attenborough’s 100th Birthday — is timed to coincide with Attenborough’s centenary on Friday 8 May 2026 and will bring together film, science, live music, and immersive visuals.
“Sir David Attenborough has shaped how generations of people see and understand the natural world,” said James Legge, Director of Freo.Social.
“We wanted to mark his 100th birthday in a way that felt meaningful — by bringing the community together to celebrate his extraordinary legacy and reflect on the message at the heart of the film.
“This is a chance for Western Australians who care deeply about the ocean to share this special moment.”
The evening will begin with a free screening of one of the most powerful environmental films of our time Ocean with David Attenborough.
Following the film, respected ocean environmentalist and Prime Minister Award winner, Professor Michael Wear – owner of Tidal Moon and a Mulgana Traditional Custodian of Shark Bay – will discuss the film’s message and highlight the opportunities available to protect and help restore our oceans.
The night will then transform into a vibrant, ocean-inspired celebration featuring live music from Grammy Award-winning artist Lucky Oceans, guitarist and songwriter Rick Webster and the Imperial String Quartet, as well as immersive visuals, special guest appearances, and curated DJ sets throughout the evening.
Freo.Social
Roger Leevers: Retrospective
Opening 6pm | 8 – 24 May I
Roger Leevers Retrospective is presenting of a broad range of media and experience accumulated over sixty odd years of his career.
The ocean has featured repeatedly as sailing and fishing are easily accessed in Geraldton. The Abrolhos Islands nearby have a lengthy history.
Yachts, historical sailing boats and fishing boats all feature in Acrylic, Watercolours, Linocuts and Drawings. Imperative viewing.
In Fremantle in the 80’s Roger Leevers drew blackboards for the Matilda Bay Group, in 1996 chosen as ships artist for the Endeavour Replica World Tour
Upstairs, 35 High Street, Fremantle
Opening on Saturday May 9 at 5pm
Essex Street Gallery
Backyard Truth Dwelling Series
Backyard Truth-Telling showcases emerging and established Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian storytellers, sharing their lived experiences in their own voices and in their own way.
Across three weekends in May, audiences are invited into intimate backyard settings in and around Walyalup/Fremantle to listen to stories that speak to the resilience and self-determination of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, confront difficult truths, hidden histories, and reimagined futures.
*Please note, these events are free but booking is essential
Samson House: Sat, 9 May, 4:30pm – 7:30pm
Walyalup Aboriginal Cultural Centre Sat, 16 May, 4:30pm – 7:30pm https://events.humanitix.com/backyard-truth-telling-series-walyalup-aboriginal-cultural-centre
Randwick Stables, Hamilton Hill Sat, 23 May, 4:30pm – 7:30pm
Book Launch & Author Talk – Gillian O’Shaughnessy on Salt City Runaway
Monday 11th of May from 6:30pm
New Edition Bookshop is proud to host award-winning local writer Gillian O’Shaughnessy in Fremantle, celebrating the release of her debut flash fiction collection, Salt City Runaway. Gillian will be in-conversation with Linda Martin from Night Parrot Press.
Book sales and signings available on the night. Nibbles provided and drinks available at the bar. Grab your tickets through the link below.
Ode To Sirens, 25 High St, Fremantle
https://events.humanitix.com/gillian-o-shaughnessy-on-salt-city-runaway
Fremantle Chamber Orchestra
Saturday 16 May 2026 2:30pm
FCO with Ellie Malonzo: Fremantle Chamber Orchestra celebrates 21 years of making music to love, performed by musicians we love.
Amazing violinist AND composer Ellie Malonzo (16) will present her newest composition (a WORLD PREMIERE): Concerto for Violin and Viola No. 2. She is joined by her teacher, Paul Wright, on the viola. Ellie is also soloist in the heartwarming Romance by Svendsen.
Works by Corelli, Gesualdo, Bottesini and Mozart will complement the rich program beautifully.
Basilica of St Patrick 47 Adelaide Street, Fremantle
https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1547672
Ecoburbia House Concerts
Saturday 16 May, 6pm – 9pm
Elias Bartholomeo and Ray Jones – a private musical evening
A Private Musical Evening (yup back to the evening) with Ray Jones and Elias Bartholomeo May 16th 6pm at Ecoburbia
If you saw these guys last year you will probably just want to book again. Several people have thanked us for bringing Elias back. Our last musical event booked out so book early for this one!
https://events.humanitix.com/elias-bartholomeo-and-ray-jones-a-private-musical-evening
Sign of Four
Monday 18 May, 6pm – 9pm
Join Sign of Four at Sue’s charming Fremantle home for an unforgettable house concert experience.
6pm doors for a 6:30pm show with an intermission.
Sign of Four are so excited to reunite in WA for a new season of musical adventures. Join us for the ride!
This show will also feature guest drummer and long-time collaborator Joel Drieberg.
BYO drinks and snacks.
//
Sign of Four are a genre-blurring string quartet pushing the edges of folk, classical, and jazz. With mandolin, guitar, octave viola, violin, percussion and lush vocals, they reimagine everything from Piazzolla to Sting with flair, fire, and finesse. Formed in 2022, their ever-shifting sets feature bold improvisation, intricate textures, and mad-scientist invention. With deep classical chops and global grooves, they’re as comfortable in concert halls as living rooms, pulling strings and expectations in thrilling, unexpected directions.
A local house in Fremantle, location revealed upon booking
https://events.humanitix.com/sign-of-four-house-concert-in-south-fremantle-3y3ju4he
Fremantle Heritage Festival
18 April to 18 May 2026
Something for everyone of all ages, this festival includes a wonderful exploration of Fremantle – Walyalup’s rich and dark history. For those for fancy a walking tour or those who prefer to stand, or sit, in repose. Dip your toes in. Concerts, Walks, sailing adventures and more during Heritage Festival month, running like Fenians until May 18.
https://visitfremantle.com.au/heritage-festival-2026
Here’s a few of the featured events:
Our Horrible Asylum – the board game
Sat, 9 May, 10am – 12:30pm
Join architect Fiona Giles for an extraordinary morning of board game playing at the Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre during the Heritage Festival 2026!
Experience something truly special as you play Fiona’s unique board game, designed to tell the spatial stories of people who once lived and worked at the former Fremantle Asylum—the building that is now the Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre.
This heritage event brings together architecture, history, and interactive gameplay over light refreshments. You’ll engage in meaningful conversations and discover new perspectives on the historical significance of the heritage WFAC building.
In this intimate gathering, up to eighteen participants will form three supportive groups to experience ‘Our Horrible Asylum’—a game that sensitively honours the difficult and often traumatic stories of those who lived and worked at the asylum. After gameplay, we’ll come together for a gentle, reflective discussion about how “playing history” creates connections with others and contributes to preserving our shared heritage.
Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre
https://events.humanitix.com/heritagefestival2026-boardgame
FREMANTLE’S LOST TREASURE
From Sat 18 April Free | Various Locations | Family Friendly Help a time-travelling professor complete his map and find his hidden stash of gold. Completing the map uncovers the final hidden beacon, returning the professor safely to the present. All players who complete the map go in the draw to win the professor’s hidden chest of gold coins, valued at $1000.
https://visitfremantle.com.au/heritage-festival-2026
REBEL HEARTS: ESCAPE FROM FREMANTLE PRISON
Sat 18 April + Sat 2 May + Sat 16 May | From $13 | Fremantle Prison | Family Friendly
Follow a story that has captured imaginations around the world—the meticulously planned breakout that freed a group of Irish political prisoners and carried them towards hope across the ocean. Trace the Fenians’ journey from incarceration to escape, culminating in their dramatic rendezvous with the American whaler Catalpa, a feat still celebrated for its ingenuity and nerve.
https://visitfremantle.com.au/heritage-festival-2026
ART BEHIND BARS: PRISON ART TOUR
From Sat 18 April | Free | Fremantle Prison | Not recommended for children under 12
Join us on this exclusive tour as we reveal the experiences of prisoners expressed through art. View convict-drawn frescoes and religious works, European landscapes, Aboriginal landscapes in the renowned Carrolup style, dot paintings, graffiti and tattoo art.
https://visitfremantle.com.au/heritage-festival-2026
The Unyoung Chronicles Exhibition
24/5/26 – 3/7/26 6:30am to 3pm Mon-Sun + 5pm to 9pm Thurs – Mon (closed 3pm – 5pm)
UnYoung Chronicles is a group of artists exhibiting in a café (only people who go to galleries go to galleries) for six weeks (photos, sculptures, oils, acrylic, vox populi) 23rd May to 3rd July. By holding the exhibition where people eat and drink, we hope the theme surrounding customers will inspire conversations about getting older.
Unyoung Chronicles celebrates the richness and diversity of these bonus years, showcasing how individuals are embracing ageing in creative, meaningful, and inclusive ways. Through a multi-faceted initiative, we aim to challenge outdated perceptions of ageing and promote the idea of positive ageing as a time for personal growth, connection, and contribution.
South Freo Continental 318 South Terrace, South Fremantle
theunyoungchronicles.weebly.co
If there’s any missed local shows and events that are about to open, do make sure to email Gayle so we can include your show, event, gig.
* Arts Scene Around Freo is compiled by our Arts Editor, Gayle O’Leary. If you’d like your community event listed email Gayle here.
~ WHILE YOU’RE HERE –
PLEASE HELP US TO GROW FREMANTLE SHIPPING NEWS
FSN is a reader-supported, volunteer-assisted online magazine all about Fremantle. Thanks for helping to keep FSN keeping on!
~ Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to receive your free copy of The Weekly Edition of the Shipping News each Friday!
