The city of Perth (Boorloo) loves to live the night just as much as soaking up its bountiful sunshine hours.
Feature by Jo Baker
From sipping in the afterglow of golden hour on glittering rooftops, grazing on locally coveted craft brews and bites in the urban cool of its laneway bar scene and heritage-listed buildings, to keeping the good times rolling from weeknights to bustling weekends with a phenomenal line-up of music, arts and entertainment.
A Perth-ect date night
Take a sunset soiree and smooch in one of the world’s most beautiful and expansive inner-city picnic spots, Kings Park (Kaarta Koomba). Roll out a blanket and watch the horizon-bending panorama of Perth’s iconic skyline light up and shimmer across the Swan River (Derbal Yerrigan).
If it’s dreamy Indian Ocean sunsets and salty seafood bites you’ve got a hankering for, then it’s got to be ‘The Cott’ (Cottesloe Beach), just a 15-minute drive from Perth CBD. And for culture cravers, after-hours exhibitions at the awe-inspiring WA Museum Boola Bardip will make it a night at the museum like no other.
Sunset at Cottesloe Beach
All the glitz and all that jazz
Spend an evening entwined in the city's rich cultural tapestry and heritage grandeur at His Majesty’s Theatre. The home of the West Australian Opera and Ballet stages the best in live comedy, music, musicals and theatre year-round. Ascend to the Dress Circle or Upper Circle bars for pre-show cocktails and drink in the Edwardian-era splendour from its elegantly restored wraparound balconies.
Looking for a cozier hangout? Take it underground to The Jazz Cellar, a little gem of a live music den hidden behind the façade of an old red telephone box. Or drop into the Ellington Jazz Club for a line-up of seriously smooth performances and tasty late snacks served up seven nights a week.
Gaze and muse on mysteries of the universe
Blessed with perfect clear skies for an average of 138 days and nights a year, and surprisingly little light pollution, Perth’s (Boorloo) boasts a stellar list of dark-sky gazing spots less than an hour’s drive from the CBD lights.
Your closest gateway to our galaxy lies just 40 minutes away, high in the Darling Ranges at Perth Observatory. Let their expert guides and gargantuan telescopes point you in the right direction to wander and ponder the celestial wonders of the southern skies on a Night Sky Tour. Discover the making of our mesmerising lunar companion on a Moon Tour. Or take a winter walk-through time on Wadjuk Noongar country, across the Milky Way and deep into the Dreamtime on a Cultural Night Tour.
Team up and let loose
Step up your gameplay and test your wits with next-level immersive adventures for all ability levels. Gear up with the latest generation of mind-bending virtual reality tech to battle the undead and unimaginable Armageddons at Zero Latency VR. Or step in and unlock one of a dozen (and three more coming soon) adrenalin-pumping escape room challenges, from Captain Nemo fun and fantasy to haunting 18+ horror at Escape This.
Sink the best brews and good times
Start on a high, raising a glass to the sunniest skies from the pinnacle of the rooftop bars at 18 Knots, Songbird, Stories and The Standard. From there, the best way to explore the best of Perth’s ever-evolving bar scene is to take a tour with the friendliest locals in the know. Oh Hey WA, Peddle Perth, Hidden deTours and Two Feet & a Heartbeat will lead you on your merry way to the top spots to sink the finest craft brews and cocktails paired with insanely good snacks.
Hidden DeTours tour, Perth city
Treat, woo and wow your foodie
For connoisseurs or complete newbies to Perth’s foodie scene, the Progressive Dining Tour serves up a sumptuous taster of three fine dining destinations. With each course at a different venue, you’ll get a little palate cleanser of local art, history and heritage along the way.
Prefer to snuffle out coveted local delicacies and cult favourites on a choose-your-own adventure? Manjimup rare black truffles, anyone? Or crayfish fresh from the paradise island of Rottnest (Wadjemup)? Opt for opulent fine dining jewels like Wildflower and Nobu, rustic flame-licked eats from Fallow, the intimate spaces of Ah Um and Shadow Wine Bar, or perhaps the cyberpunk odyssey of Papi Katsu.
Songbird Bar, The Ritz-Carlton
Published March 2025.