Last updated: 10 August 2026
Fremantle Festival: 10 Nights in Port takes over Walyalup/Fremantle from 20 to 30 August 2026, and it starts in ten days. Opening Night is Thursday 20 August, 6 to 9 pm at Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre, and it is free. Almost everything on the program happens after dark, which leaves your days wide open. That is the whole planning trick. Book the 10 am Fremantle Convicts, Culture & Street Art walk on a festival morning: two hours, $65 an adult, done by midday, through the same streets the festival lights up at night. The afternoon stays yours, and the evening stays free for a show. Below is an hour-by-hour festival day, the evening walk that pairs with the program, and one plan for a night off in Perth.
How the festival works
Ten nights, one port city, events all over it. The program runs mostly in the evenings and the days are free, so you never have to choose between a show and a daytime plan. Per the official program, this year's highlights include:
- Tides, Tuesday 25 and Wednesday 26 August: musician Lucky Oceans performing with projections by Brendan Hutchens, beneath the Batavia at the WA Shipwrecks Museum.
- The RAFT, Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 August: circus and physical theatre from the Circus WA Youth Academy.
- Map of Memories | Chin Wagon: free storytelling with Andrea Gibbs, at various locations across the festival.
Times and bookings for every event are on the official 10 Nights in Port program.
The Batavia's stern at the WA Shipwrecks Museum, where Tides plays on 25 and 26 August. Photo: Marlene Oostryck, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
A festival day in Fremantle, hour by hour
Use this for any day from 20 to 30 August. Evening start times vary by show, so check the program for your night.
- 10:00 am: Fremantle Convicts, Culture & Street Art walking tour. Two hours on foot, morning beverage included, $65 adult and $45 child.
- 12:00 pm: Walk ends. Lunch in Fremantle; you will have clocked plenty of options during the tour.
- Afternoon: Free time. If Map of Memories | Chin Wagon, the free storytelling sessions with Andrea Gibbs at various locations across the festival, is on your list, check the official program for session times.
- 5:30 pm: Early dinner before the program starts.
- Evening: Your show. On Thursday 20 August it is Opening Night at Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre, 6 to 9 pm, free.
- Show-free night? Crimes of Fremantle runs 1.5 hours on select evenings, $60.
Fremantle Convicts, Culture & Street Art: the daytime anchor
Two hours through the port city's convict history, culture and street art, with a morning beverage included. $65 an adult, $45 a child. Recent departures have been at 10:00 am; confirm the time for your date when you book. By night the festival animates these same streets, so walking them with a guide in the morning makes the evening program land harder.
Ideal timing for 10 Nights in Port: any festival morning, 20 to 30 August. You finish about midday, so it cannot clash with a show. Full details on the Fremantle Convicts, Culture & Street Art tour page.
Crimes of Fremantle: for a night without a show
True crime after dark: 1.5 hours, $60, led by specialist guides. It runs on select evenings only, and dates depend on those guides' availability, so it will not line up with every festival night. Pick a night you have not booked a show, perhaps between Tides midweek and The RAFT on the closing weekend, then check live dates for Crimes of Fremantle before you lock anything in.
Ideal timing: a festival night you are keeping show-free. The Crimes of Fremantle page has the full story.
Eat Drink Walk Perth: the night off
Ten nights is a lot of festival. For an evening in the city instead, Eat Drink Walk Perth departs Perth Town Hall at 6:30 pm and wraps up about 9:30 pm: three small bars at roughly 40 minutes each, two drinks and grazing food included, $89 an adult.
Ideal timing: it overlaps festival show times, so save it for a night you are skipping the program, or for the evening you arrive or the one after the festival closes on 30 August.
Planning notes and accessibility
- Companion Card: Two Feet is a registered WA Companion Card affiliate, and the card covers the companion's tour cost. It does not automatically cover food, drink or tastings, so on the bar tour a companion pays for inclusions if they take part. Book by contacting us directly; more detail in our Companion Card guide and on the accessibility page.
- Groups in town for the festival: every walk runs privately for groups, up to 100 by arrangement, and the private-only Scavenger Hunt is $35 per person. Enquire via the contact page.
- August evenings: late winter in Fremantle is cool after dark and can be wet. Bring a warm layer for anything outdoors at night, festival or tour.
Lock in the festival week
The festival has your nights covered from 20 August. Sort your days and your show-free evenings now: check live availability for festival week and book. You can also give a walk as a gift certificate if you are sending someone to the festival.
FAQs
When is 10 Nights in Port 2026?
From 20 to 30 August 2026, city-wide across Walyalup/Fremantle. Opening Night is Thursday 20 August, 6 to 9 pm at Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre, and it is free.
What is there to do during the day at 10 Nights in Port?
Festival events run mostly in the evenings, so days are free. A 10 am, two-hour Fremantle walking tour ends by midday and leaves the rest of the day open. For Map of Memories | Chin Wagon, the free storytelling sessions with Andrea Gibbs, check session times on the official program.
Does Crimes of Fremantle run every night during the festival?
No. It is a 1.5-hour, $60 true-crime walk that runs on select scheduled evenings with specialist guides. Check live availability before you plan a festival night around it.
Can I use a Companion Card on these tours?
Yes. Two Feet is a registered WA Companion Card affiliate, and the card covers the companion's tour cost. It does not automatically cover paid food, drink or tasting inclusions, and Companion Card bookings are made by contacting us directly.