From light shows for astronauts to fiery ocean sunsets, witness the finest of light shows in Perth and beyond.
Feature by: Carolyn Beasley
On the 20th February 1962, astronaut John Glenn became the first American to orbit the earth, and the people of Perth (Boorloo) were cheering him on. As Glenn crossed the coastline of Western Australia, the people of Perth switched on lights, waved torches and lit lanterns. Glenn knew at that moment, he was not alone in the darkness.
In communication with Muchea Tracking Station at Chittering, just north of Perth, Glenn said: “Just to my right I can see a big pattern of lights apparently right on the coast.…The lights show up very well, and thank everybody for turning them on, will you?” Perth was dubbed the ‘City of Lights,’ and if Glenn passed over Perth today, he would barely recognise the lightscape below.
Perhaps the most spectacular of Perth’s light shows occurs at Optus Stadium, with its unique position beside the Swan River (Derbarl Yerrigan). Home to major events such as AFL, international cricket matches and concerts with up to 60,000 visitors in attendance, the stadium is a canvas for rainbows of brilliant iridescence, including the interior, exterior and the striking halo roof.
Matagarup Bridge, Perth
Adjacent to the stadium is the pedestrian-only Matagarup Bridge, whose curvaceous spans represent both intertwined swans and the Wagyl, a water serpent of local Noongar culture. The bridge, also home to the Matagarup Zip + Climb, is illuminated every night of the year with colours reflecting international sporting events or promoting significant charities.
The newest addition to Perth’s infrastructure light show is the Boorloo Bridge, a pedestrian and cycle bridge that links the Victoria Park foreshore to Perth, via the kangaroo haven of Heirisson Island. The spectacular bridge features two cable-stayed spans including seating areas and art works. After sunset, the bridge sparkles with 17,000 LED lights.
In the city centre, don’t miss the 13-storey modernist Council House, which is illuminated in vibrant colours. Or visit Kings Park (Kaarta Koomba), set high on the escarpment overlooking the glittering city and broody, darkened river.
Often called the sunniest capital city in the world, Perth is endowed with extraordinary natural lightscapes, too.
Kings Park overlooking the city and Swan river
From Kings Park, early risers will be rewarded with dawn’s whimsical pink reflections in the Swan River and high-rise silhouettes, especially from the sloping lawns of Fraser Avenue or the War Memorial. At day’s end, sunset over the Indian Ocean is an unforgettable experience. Snack on fish and chips as the sun slides away, or savour sunset dining at Indigo Oscar at Cottesloe Beach. In the city at Elizabeth Quay, Songbird Bar at The Ritz-Carlton, Perth is a sublime vantage point for magenta evening hues reflecting on the Swan River.
Beyond the city limits of Perth, much of Western Australia is blissfully devoid of human-made light sources. In these places, the night sky is awash with wonderous constellations, shooting stars and from horizon to horizon, the sparkling Milky Way.
Just an hour from Perth, at the Gravity Discovery Centre and Observatory, join an evening astronomy tour to peer through specialised scopes at celestial bodies, distant galaxies and otherworldly phenomena.
Night sky at The Pinnacles, Nambung National Park
Just further north, Australian Pinnacles Tours Perth leads stargazing tours to the mysterious Pinnacles Desert near the town of Cervantes, where limestone pillars stand sentinel, silhouetted against a star-studded sky. The spires are significant to local Noongar Aboriginal people, and it’s easy to imagine their ancestors recounting the Dreamtime stories of these same night skies.
At certain times, when solar storms are peaking, the skies near Perth and further south carry one of the planet’s most ethereal natural light displays. The Aurora Australis, or Southern Lights, send curtains of light in pink, green and red dancing across the night sky like wandering spirits. In recent years the Aurora has been observed from Albany (Kinjarling), and even close to Perth at points like Lake Leschenaultia or Mount Dale.
While the Aurora can be fickle, Western Australia’s favourite lunar show is as predictable as the tides. The Staircase to the Moon is a wonderous evening display seen from points in the north west, including Broome (Rubibi) in the Kimberley. As the full moon ascends over the watery horizon, pools of seawater trapped in the mudflats glow with the pearly iridescence of the reflected moon, creating the dreamy illusion of a staircase to the horizon. Families picnic on the shore or raise a glass from the Mangrove Hotel as the moon whispers an invitation to climb into a fairytale.
The 'Willie' (modelled on the designs of early 1900s pearl luggers) at sail at sunset on Cable Beach, Broome
Across Western Australia, from north to south, nature and human ingenuity create lightscapes that inspire awe. Turn your face to the dawn, the brightening of a new day. Answer Country’s daily invitation and step into the light.
Published in February 2026.