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?
New Arrivals
Friday 3 July – 30 July 2026
I was fortunate enough to speak with these two artists who have recently emigrated from Canada about what inspired them to chronicle their interpretation of West Australian landscapes and immigration, and their methods. They are wonderful, warm people to speak to and their exhibition is breathtaking. We’re lucky to have them here in our portside city.
L.PENTZ ARTISTS STATEMENT:
“I am a new arrival to Australia who wonders how to feel “Home” now.
Immigrants bring not only their memories of home, family and culture, but also the valued fragments and swatches they have carried from those places – the handwritten letters, the photographs, the significant cloth, the heirloom. We treasure these tactile vessels which hold powerful connections for us to cherish from times, places and people who are no longer present.
The written words, in their orderly rows, are most powerful for me. Their content is personal so I leave their meaning up to the imagination of the viewer.
The quilt is a metaphor for “Home” as it is made slowly by hand to give shelter and comfort to the family.
Four squares represent stability and security; the quilt is a tangible symbol of warmth, protection and family history. It’s a labor of love and community, frequently made from previously owned family clothes.
I’ve used antique, handmade, Asian rice-husk paper to record the “written” ink marks, and water stains from my new island home.
The repeated figure drawing is a sister, though I may never have met her.
This solitary poet has left her written marks recording her thoughts, of “Home”?
I want viewers to experience calm from the natural materials, the quiet watermarks, and the slow labor of the stitching. Each one may engage in their own imaginings of what the lines of the poems may hold.”
D. PENTZ: ARTISTS STATEMENT
“I am a visual artist that responds to wild country – open space, woodlands, ocean shorelines, or rolling valleys.
I reinterpret what lsee and feel, and respond to it through abstracted shapes, colour, and texture.
I might have an over-all vision of design in mind, but I’m also willing to let intuition or “gut- reaction” dictate unexpected directions in the image’s development.
The eye and mind of the beholder complete the journey.
I moved to Australia in 2022 and abandoned my three-colour restriction (black, white, iron oxide) and began painting with a full range of acrylic stains and pigments. The ancient landscape of the Australian outback prompted a new connection with country; my focus went underground. My compositions now draw from a land stained by floods, melted by lava, wildfire scorched, and dried by sun; a landscape of compression and upheaval, pulled apart, textured and reshaped. I travel the Outback landscape sketching the seams and colours folded in the layering of rock and sediment. Returning to my studio, I try to give visual expression to what I see, feel, and encounter on my Walkabout experiences.”
Found and Sorted Real Estate Gallery 138 South Terrace, Fremantle
https://www.pentzgallery.ns.ca/
Off the Screen – Matilda Slatter
Friday 10th – 24th July
I had the pleasure of meeting Matilda, a young emerging artist, and discussing her first exhibition, a few days after the launch. By that point, nearly all of her paintings had sold!
South Terrace Piazza
Alexandr Misko – The International Guitar Sensation LIVE at Fremantle Town Hall (Second Show by Popular Demand)
21 & 22 July 7:30pm – 9:30pm
The international guitar sensation brings his groundbreaking stage show to Australian shores for the very first time!
Show #1 SOLD OUT
Show #2 by popular demand!
📍 July 21 & 22 at Fremantle Town Hall
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7:00pm doors / 7:30pm show
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Seated Concert
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FAMILY FRIENDLY with $25 tickets for under 18s
Hailed as “the future of guitar” (Total Guitar), Misko is a globally renowned virtuoso known for his jaw-dropping technique, emotional depth, and genre-defying style. Fusing classical precision with elements of jazz, rock, and modern fingerstyle, his performances are both technically astonishing and deeply moving.
Misko’s self-taught, boundary-pushing approach has captivated millions online, earning him a massive global following and praise from some of the world’s top music publications. With lightning-fast fingerpicking, percussive tapping, and masterful arrangements, he transforms a single acoustic guitar into an entire musical universe — live and without loops.
A must-see for fans of instrumental brilliance, next-level guitar playing, and world-class musical storytelling!
City of Fremantle Town Hall 151 High Street, Fremantle
Hurtigruten Nordic Film Festival
Friday 24 July – 16 August 2026
Winter is here and so too is the 2026 Hurtigruten Nordic Film Festival, presenting the best new cinema from the Nordic region this July until August at Luna Leederville and Luna on SX. Festival goers are invited to plunge into a unique cultural journey through Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Iceland with this year’s brilliant and diverse line up featuring award-winners, box office hits and thought provoking debuts from a new generation of filmmakers in tandem with the latest new films from the region’s most loved actors and directors.
SPECIAL PRESENTATION
The first Special Presentation is Icelandic comedy/drama THE LOVE THAT REMAINS (Ástin sem eftir er) from director Hlynur Pálmason (A White, White Day, Godland). This brilliant and bittersweet film tenderly captures a year in the life of a family of five, as the parents navigate their separation, exploring love, family and shared memories. It also features a ‘Palm Dog’ winning performance from Pálmason’s own dog Panda, an Icelandic sheep dog.
Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value, Fjord) stars in festival Special Presentation BUTTERFLY, an intriguing drama about a pair of estranged sisters who must reunite after their mother’s sudden passing. The sisters travel to Gran Canaria, where they grew up at a resort, following their mother’s mysterious death at an esoteric retreat in the mountains, plunging them headfirst into a journey of revelations about their childhood and the hidden heart of the tourist island.
HIGHLIGHTS
From debut director Elle Sofe Sara, comes the festival highlight and powerful, music-filled new drama Árru follows a family of Sàmi reindeer herders whose fight to protect their Indigenous lands from a proposed copper mining project exposes long-buried family secrets.
Winner of six Icelandic Film Awards, a box office hit in Iceland, and adapted from the best-selling novel by Sigríður Hagalín Björnsdóttir, THE FIRES is a breathtaking thriller directed and co-written by Ugla Hauksdóttir in her debut feature film that follows a volcanologist facing two simultaneous disasters.
And Mads Mikkelsen (Another Round) gives a career-best performance in the humorous, intriguing, and devious tale about identity THE LAST VIKING, starring Nikolaj Lie Kaas (Department Q) alongside a stellar ensemble.
To close the festival, we are celebrating the 60th Anniversary of Ingmar Bergman’s radical masterpiece PERSONA, on the big screen. Enjoy a Elderflower cocktail on arrival.
Luna SX Fremantle & Luna Leederville
https://www.lunapalace.com.au/festivals/nordic-ff
Rove and Friends in Fremantle!
Saturday 25 July 2026 6pm
National treasure and Dockers supporter ROVE McMANUS is coming to Freo and he’s bringing some friends!
July 25 – catch Rove, Brodi Snook and your host Luke Joseph Ryan in what’ll be the biggest party in Fremantle since the America’s Cup.
Will sell-out, tickets are limited. Be quick!
Federal Hotel 23 William Street, Fremantle
https://megatix.com.au/events/rove-friends-in-fremantle
Uncommon Threads Art Exhibition
July 25 – August 21 2026 (open for cafe hours)
Textile Art by Ali Biddiscombe. Line Art by Zita Pal. Naïve Wooden Boats by Peter Woodward.
Three Fremantle friends have come together to present Uncommon Threads, an exhibition that showcases very different art mediums.
Following the success of her first textile art solo exhibition in 2025, Ali Biddiscombe asked friends to join her in putting together a mixed media exhibition in the popular Amante Café Fremantle from July 25.
The result is an eclectic and contrasting display of Ali’s textile art, Zita Pal’s colourful line art and Peter Woodward’s naïve boat collection.
Ali Biddiscombe. Textile Art.
This is Ali’s second exhibition of textile art and features a new and vibrant collection. It’s an eclectic display which includes a nod to some favourite iconography and the Artemis Space Mission.
Ali’s passion for Japanese stitching and her own style of slow stitching is also well represented. She uses recycled and repurposed materials from many sources and the occasional new item to create her pieces. She continues to teach one to one and small groups at home to share her passion for stitching and textiles and to pass on her knowledge which spans four decades.
Peter Woodward. Naïve Wooden Boats.
Peter once saw a representation of a Turkish vessel in an Istanbul hotel and instantly liked it. He noticed that the artist had used old electronic components in the piece. Inspired, he pulled a microwave and a television remote apart including parts in his own, unique pieces.
Peter enjoys naïve representations of objects from the real world and this collection is inspired by Indonesian Phinisi sailing vessels at Labuan Bajo on Flores.
Zita Pal. Line Art.
Doodling is something Zita has always done instinctively to sharpen her recall and attention. She uses it in art because she enjoys the process as well as the aesthetic.
Unlike traditional art forms that rely on planning, technique and perfection, doodling thrives on spontaneity. In elevating doodle art from a private act of concentration to a public form of expression, Zita celebrates creativity, curiosity and the beauty of imperfection.
Louise Bower, Amante and Co.
Louise Bower at Amante & Co said the idea for the Art Wall at Amante Cafe began with a simple blank wall that had the potential to become something more meaningful than just part of the café’s interior.
What started as an empty space soon became a dedicated canvas for artistic expression with regularly rotating exhibitions celebrating the creativity of emerging and established artists across a variety of artistic styles and mediums.
She said that as a proud supporter of the local arts community, artists not only improve the café’s aesthetic, but they also gain valuable exposure and create a meaningful connection between art and the people who visit our space.
Amante and Co Café, corner Price Street and South Terrace, Fremantle
Storytellers Residency: A Story That Could Be True
Thursday 30 July 6pm – 9pm
Oral Storytelling at Moore and Moore Cafe
Welcome to A Story That Could Be True, as we continue the journey, bringing the art of traditional oral storytelling to a contemporary audience.
In residency this month Leon Cossar joins us from Victoria, bringing the story of Ivan and The Grey Wolf.
An old idea suggests that in times of trouble the directives needed to find a genuine way forward can’t be found at the centre, because the centre can’t be located.
Myth points to the hero/heroine as the energy that journeys out to the far edge and returns with the regenerative principle that can revivify and reestablish the centre.
We might be living in such times…
So let’s turn to a Russian folktale that speaks to us in an old dream language: of golden apples, firebirds, grey wolves, horses with golden manes and the woman of soul at the edge of the world.
It’s a story of loss, adventure, sacrifice, trickery, wonder, betrayal and love. It’s a story that could be true…
About the Storyteller:
Leon Cossar M.A is an Australian poet, mythologist, storyteller, and leading teacher in the field of rites of passage. His work centres around the perennial question that has troubled cultures across time: What to do with the men?
Bringing a multi-disciplinary approach – ranging from anthropology, philosophy, mythology, and history – Leonexplores the question in a manner that is simultaneously captivating and provocative.
Through speaking engagements, online and in-person courses, Leon seeks to educate individuals, communities, and organisations about the importance of meaningful, timely and appropriate rites of passage for boys and men.
Moore and Moore Cafe, Henry Street, Fremantle
https://events.humanitix.com/story-that-could-be-true
Fremantle Chamber Orchestra
Saturday 1 August 2026 3pm
Ellie Malonzo plays Sibelius
Sibelius’s Violin Concerto is the pinnacle of Romanticism. It’s a journey with tender and intimate melodies, contrasting with lush rhythmic passages of raw passion, emotion and sublime beauty. With a big orchestra and amazing violinist Ellie Malonzo, this will be a spectacular performance.
Haydn’s Symphony 94 “Surprise” is uplifting and grand by the mature father of symphonies. Haydn, with 93 symphonies under his belt, knew what he was doing. Albicastro is a unjustly forgotten Baroque composer. His Concerto a quattro in C is a jewel.
With the eminent Paul; Wright conducting this promises to be a truly grand listening experience.
Tickets or information call Natalie on 0438 933 250
Adult $50 Concession $40 Under 18’s $20
Limited Tix also available at the door from 2pm
Fremantle Town Hall, 151 High Street, Fremantle
https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1583959
Vessel Late Night Party with Peacefender & Local Support
Saturday 8 August 6pm – midnight
Join us for the official late-night celebration and fundraising party for ‘Between Suns’ by Khaled Sabsabi, curated by Mikala Tai at Vessel.
Experience the exhibition and celebrate with live sets from local djs (to be announced soon) , headlined by PEACEFENDER, Khaled Sabsabi himself!
Before becoming one of Australia’s leading contemporary artists, Khaled Sabsabi was making noise as a teenage hip hop producer and DJ in Western Sydney during the 1980s, performing under the name Peacefender. Mixing unlikely influences into a signature “wall of sound,” he used music to bring together the area’s Turkish and Lebanese youth — a spirit of connection that still runs through his work today. For one night only Peacefender returns to the decks for a rare live set as part of ‘Between Suns’ at Vessel.
Thanks to support from our Community Partner, Freocast we will be broadcasting the sets live on the evening, 7pm-late.
Thanks to our event partners for the ongoing support: City of Fremantle, Otherside Brewing, Willoughby Park and Lightning Minds, Vessel will be running a paid bar for the evening.
About the exhibition:
Vessel presents Khaled Sabsabi’s exhibition ‘Between Suns’ curated by Mikala Tai, showcasing four bodies of work spanning 1998-2025. Offering local audiences to engage with Australia’s representative at the 2026 Venice Biennale
The exhibition invites audiences into Khaled’s long-term process and enquires into mysticism, fate, and coincidence, ideas that inspire and hold us together as humans. Sabsabi brings people together in immersive and engaging experiences, to reflect on arts unique and powerful role in supporting the community through times of uncertainty. Through his work, Sabsabi explores human collectiveness and the quest for coexistence, inviting audiences to do the same.
Naval Store, 141 Queen Victoria Street, Fremantle
https://events.humanitix.com/vessel-late-night-party-with-peacefender-and-local-support
WAM Showcase – Australia Music Week
On Saturday 15 August, some of WA’s most exciting acts take over Fremantle for one night only. The WAM Showcase is back, and the lineup is stacked.
Here’s everyone playing:
Birdland, Blush, Boox Kid, Clare Perrott, Claudia Tripp, Figurehead, Georga Raath, heaven // alone, Ivory Dusk, Jack Hamilton, JJ Vacant, Lightnin Jack, Little Guilt, Maatakitj, Oakabella Mae, Odlaw, RATSALAD., Rosalie Chilvers, Soul inSync, STOW, TAIJA, Tanya Ransom, TCHÉGA, The Forever Party and The Gray Brothers.
The WAM Showcase takes over four iconic Fremantle venues: Clancy’s Fremantle, Buffalo Club, Honky Tonk Blues and Wyola Bar. One ticket gets you into all four.
Limited first release tickets are on sale now at only $20.
Once they’re gone, General Admission is $30, and door sales (if available) will be $35. First release won’t last, so get in early.
10 Nights in Port
Thursday 2026 20 – 30 August 2026
Ten nights, one port city
10 Nights in Port | Walyalup Fremantle Festival
is an annual celebration of arts, music,
performance and community.
For ten nights, the port city hosts a vibrant program of events and entertainment for all ages.
Known by several names throughout its long history, 10 Nights in Port is widely recognised as one of Australia’s oldest recorded festivals, reflecting the evolving story of Fremantle and its people.
Fremantle will come alive with ten nights of music, performance, exhibitions, film, circus, dance, workshops and community gatherings.
Opening night takes over Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre on Thursday 20 August, with the unveiling of two brand-new exhibitions.
P.S. photo above taken by yours truly during last year’s 10 Nights in Port, featuring Freak Out. And I am very excited to see what’s in store for this year!
https://10nightsinport.com.au/gallery/
Sign of Four
Saturday 22 August 2026
Show starts 7pm, with meals from 5:30-6:30pm
Drawing inspiration from jazz, folk, classical. Celtic, Latin, and contemporary music/traditions Sign Of Four is a genre-blurring acoustic ensemble
The group’s excited to announce we’ll be performing in August at the Fremantle Workers Club, and again be joined by the brilliant Joel Drieberg on drums.
We’re grateful to the Workers club for hosting this event and look forward to seeing you there, supporting them and us.
The club is offering early bird tickets until July 10 at $35 members/ $40 non members and you can also book online to enjoy dining before the show.
As a reminder of what to expect here’s a compilation video from our season earlier this year.
https://youtu.be/qMOt_8CugX8?si=hor4hfXBPgNdPYIq
On another note, many of our audience members have asked if we have a recording. So, to keep these supporters and ourselves happy, we’re planning on recording a debut CD of up to 10 original compositions on Aug 24 and 25th at Lee Buddle’s Crank Recordings. This will include professional and still photography. We anticipate this will cost $10,000 and have set up an Australian Cultural Fund where supporters can make tax deductible donations. We’re musicians not business people (yet!) and asking for financial assistance doesn’t come naturally; however, we hope this fund may be a mutually appropriate and beneficial way to involve you, our Sign of Four community in this creative project.
Here’s a link to our Australian Cultural Fund where donations can be made.
https://artists.australianculturalfund.org.au/s/project/a2EMn00000h8BAP
Thanks so much to you, our audience and supporters, live music doesn’t exist without you!
Fremantle Workers Club, 36 Ellen Street, Fremantle
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.
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