Joondalup Festival has unveiled the line-up for its highly anticipated 2026 program, with three major, free public artworks set to transform parks, lakes and coast as this year's spectacular presentation.

Taking place March 7-22, this year's festival will feature a diverse range of events, activations, performances and more.

Noongar artist Phil Walleystack will be opening the 2026 festival with a performance - Phil Walleystack Kaya.

A thrilling fusion of music, storytelling, dance, and breathtaking visuals, Phil Walleystack Kaya is a bold celebration of Noongar culture, ancient and alive, powerful and contemporary. Led by Walleystack's commanding presence, the show sweeps audiences across the ancient songlines of Noongar Boodjar, where deep cultural knowledge meets cutting-edge performance.

Backed by his band and a string quartet, yidaki, contemporary and Traditional dancers and Noongar chants, Walleystack will deliver soaring vocals and deeply personal stories that ignite the stage. His magnetic performance blends culture and creativity into a live experience that is both emotionally rich and electrifying.

Spectacular visual projections transform the space — from sweeping images of Country to celestial dreamscapes — while live rhythms surge with the heartbeat of the land, creating a fully immersive sensory experience.

Staged under the open sky at Neil Hawkins Park, Kaya is a family-friendly, must-see event that invites audiences of all ages and backgrounds to come together, connect, and celebrate the living stories of First Nations culture through sound, movement, and light.

Meaning "hello" in Noongar, Kaya is more than a greeting, it's a powerful call to gather, experience, and witness culture in motion.

"Bringing Kaya to the Joondalup Festival is something I'm really looking forward to, especially collaborating with Lux Events to create a visual landscape that supports the story and invites audiences deeper into my work," Walleystack told National Indigenous Times.

"It's a piece that comes from story, connection and Country, and it feels meaningful to open the festival in this way"

Alongside the three free major spectacles, Joondalup Festival's engaging line-up will see more than a dozen events take place in unusual places across the city throughout the three-week celebration.

From sunrise yoga overlooking the Crystal People, through to music and storytelling with Indigenous community leaders, this year's Festival unlocks a world of wonder. From families and first-time attendees to culture enthusiasts exploring Perth's northern home of the arts in new ways, the 2026 program offers up a little something for everyone to enjoy.

First established in 1998, Joondalup Festival has since grown into a significant community event to deliver accessible, world-class cultural performances from across the state and country.

In 2023, Joondalup Festival was named National Winner for best cultural, arts and music event at the Australian Event Awards, as well as WA state winner in the 2024 awards and Highly Commended in the 2025 awards. Joondalup Festival also won Bronze in the 2025 WA Tourism Awards.

Joondalup mayor Daniel Kingston said this year's program is designed to bring together large-scale spectacles, community joy and artistic talent.

"We're proud to be welcoming back Joondalup Festival for 2026 with another stellar lineup. This March, we're bringing the fun to venues all across the City with a range of extraordinary performances and installations," he said.

"The Whale, Acqua Forte Parade and Crystal People are all showstoppers in their own right, and we've ensured that each of these presentations is free for everyone to enjoy.

"There's no doubt our community is going to be dazzled by the imagination, artistry and scale of this year's Festival — it's going to be one to remember."

Joondalup Festival 2026 is supported by major partners; the WA government through Tourism Western Australia's Metro Events Program, Lotterywest, the Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure, and Uptown Joondalup.

Joondalup Festival 2026 will take place from the 7th - 22md of March at various. The complete Joondalup Festival 2026 program is now available to view and book online.