Last updated: 30 October 2026
Richmond and Essendon bring Dreamtime at Maali to Optus Stadium on Sunday 4 July 2027, a Round 16 match in NAIDOC Week and the first of two years in Perth. When the game last came west, in 2021, more than 55,000 people filled the stadium. The Australian Football Hall of Fame holds its first WA event two days later, on Tuesday 6 July. The bounce time is still to be announced, so plan the weekend around it: Saturday in the city, a flexible game-day morning, and Monday for whatever you missed. The stadium is one train stop from the CBD, or a walk across Matagarup Bridge, so the Perth tours below start close to your hotel.
The Dreamtime weekend
Times are AWST. Watch the AFL's Dreamtime announcement and the fixture for the bounce time before you book game-day plans.
Saturday 3 July
- 2:00 pm: Perth's Premier Pathways, a 2.5-hour walk from Perth Town Hall to Yagan Square, including the story of Yagan.
- 6:30 pm: Eat Drink Walk Perth, three small bars, wrapping up about 9:30 pm.
Sunday 4 July, game day
- 10:00 am: Fremantle Convicts, Culture & Street Art, if the bounce is in the afternoon or evening. It finishes about noon.
Monday 5 July
- 10:00 am: Fremantle, or 2:00 pm: Perth's Premier Pathways, whichever you didn't fit in.
Perth's Premier Pathways: Saturday afternoon
Perth's Premier Pathways runs from Perth Town Hall to Yagan Square through the arcades, laneways and street art: London Court, the State Buildings, Wolf Lane. Along the way you hear how Perth got its name and the story of Yagan, the Noongar warrior the square is named after. It leaves at 2:00 pm and finishes about 4:30 pm, with a beverage included. $69 per adult, $45 per child.
Ideal timing for Dreamtime: Saturday 3 July, or Monday if Saturday is a travel day.
Eat Drink Walk Perth: the night before
The bar tour starts at 6:30 pm from Perth Town Hall and visits three of Perth's small bars, about 40 minutes in each, with two drinks and grazing food included; extra rounds are at your own cost. It wraps up about 9:30 pm in central Perth. $89 per adult.
Ideal timing for Dreamtime: Saturday 3 July. It runs on Friday and Saturday evenings, so it is the night-before pick.
Fremantle Convicts, Culture & Street Art: a flexible morning
This 2-hour walk covers the convict-built port, its characters and its street art, with a morning beverage included. It leaves at 10:00 am from the Fremantle Visitor Information Centre and finishes about noon. Fremantle is about 25 minutes from Perth by train. $65 per adult, $45 per child.
Ideal timing for Dreamtime: game-day morning if the bounce is later in the day, otherwise Monday 5 July.
July departures open on the live tour availability page closer to the date. July is winter in Perth, so bring a jacket.
Prefer true crime to small bars?
Crimes of Perth is a two-hour true-crime walk at $60, led by specialist guides on selected Saturdays. Dates vary, so check the tour page for one that fits your stay.
Travelling in a group
Supporter groups and clubs can have any walk above to themselves. Every tour runs privately for groups, up to 100 people by arrangement, and the private-only Scavenger Hunt at $35 per person splits a touring party into competing teams. Enquire through our contact page.
Planning notes and accessibility
Two Feet & a Heartbeat is a registered WA Companion Card affiliate. The card covers the companion's tour cost; it does not automatically cover food, drink or tastings, which the companion pays for if they take part. Companion Card bookings are made by contacting us directly, and our Companion Card guide has the detail. For questions about pace, surfaces and routes on any walk, see the accessibility page. Every tour here leaves from central Perth or Fremantle; no car needed.
Lock in the weekend
Book Saturday first: the city walk in the afternoon, the bar tour that night. Then fit Fremantle around the bounce once the AFL sets it. Browse all Perth and Fremantle walking tours and build the weekend around the game.
FAQs
When is Dreamtime at Maali 2027?
Sunday 4 July 2027 at Optus Stadium in Perth, Richmond v Essendon in Round 16, during NAIDOC Week. The AFL has not yet announced the bounce time.
What can I do in Perth the night before Dreamtime at Maali?
The Eat Drink Walk Perth bar tour runs on Saturday 3 July at 6:30 pm from Perth Town Hall: three small bars over 3 hours, with two drinks and grazing food included, $89 per adult.
Is there a walking tour that covers Perth's Aboriginal history?
Perth's Premier Pathways tells the story of Yagan, the Noongar warrior Yagan Square is named after, and how Perth got its name, as part of a 2.5-hour walk through the city centre. It leaves Perth Town Hall at 2:00 pm, $69 per adult.
Do the tours accept the Companion Card?
Yes, on any tour you book around the Dreamtime at Maali weekend. Two Feet & a Heartbeat is a registered WA Companion Card affiliate: the card covers the companion's tour cost, while paid inclusions such as drinks are at their own cost if they join in. Contact us directly to book with the card. How the Companion Card works on our tours.
