Activate Perth

Musos in the Mall is back 🎶 Head to Forrest Place for an evening of free live original WA music, pop-up bars, food trucks and good vibes in the heart of the city. Catch performances from @sleepy.soph , @navyjuneband and @heysohungryband as the CBD comes alive with local talent. 📍 Forrest Place 📅 Friday 29 May ⏰ 5pm – 7:30pm #CityOfPerth #CityOfLight

So the cat’s out of the bag about the new MONSTER location…which raises two questions: 1) How many emerging artists, filmmakers and creatives can we assist and pump out in the next year?! and 2) Who the hell keeps putting these poor cats in these damn bags?! Super excited to build this studio and artist hub to find out! A life long thank you goes to the heroes at @activateperth and @cygnet_west for their belief and vision as they support the local Arts scene and also for trusting this mad scientist with such an amazing location as we dream of tilting the scales of artistic output in WA and beyond. High fives all around. Song credit: ‘The Boulevard of Broken Memes’ by The STEVES

From empty warehouse to creative engine. 486 Murray Street is being reimagined as a live, working hub for artists, makers and cultural operators in the heart of the Perth CBD. Supported by Cygnet West’s @pop.up.place program, the project shows what can happen when vacancy is treated as opportunity - using short-term, activation-led leasing to bring spaces back to life. Led by Monsters As Friends, the building will be filled by a network of creatives across shared workspaces, content production, workshops and exhibitions - turning an empty warehouse into something alive, filled with grassroots creative energy. “This isn’t about fitting into a traditional tenancy model,” says founder Steve Browne (@stevebr0wne ). “It’s about creating a space people can actually use, where ideas are tested, things are made, and creatives aren’t priced out before they’ve even started. The goal is simple, keep the space alive and let the people in it shape what it becomes.” Activate Perth has played a key intermediary role in bringing the project to life, connecting landlord, agent and operator while providing strategic support and visibility to ensure the concept lands successfully. We can’t wait to see how this takes shape! Watch this space… 📸 @benfordmedia #ActivatePerth #FillThisSpace #PerthCBD #CygnetWest #PopUpPlace

What does a genuinely inclusive workplace look like in 2026? As Autism Acceptance Month comes to a close, it felt like the right moment to move beyond awareness. Last Thursday at Central Park, All Minds Belong + Auticon hosted Autism at Work: From Awareness to Advantage, bringing together employers, advocates and lived experience voices to explore what inclusion actually looks like in practice. This wasn’t about ticking boxes, it was about real design choices. The conversation challenged how we think about recruitment, workplace design, communication and leadership. Because different ways of thinking aren’t barriers, they’re only treated that way when systems aren’t designed with intention. When neurodivergent people are supported to thrive, the impact isn’t isolated but it’s universal: stronger teams, broader perspectives, and more resilient organisations. These are no longer ‘nice to have’ conversations, they are workforce capability discussions. Because inclusion isn’t charity; it’s capability unlocked. A shout out to the team at @centralparkperth Business Centre for providing the venue, Nico from @contideli for the delicious pizza and conti rolls and to Beth from @firesauce.creative for facilitating the conversation. Also to Activate Perth for helping connect the event with the space and supporting Not For Profits in hosting important discussions to take place in the city. But we feel this conversation raised an important question for our city… What would the workplace look like if it were designed for difference rather than simple accommodation? And what untapped talent might already be sitting quietly on the sidelines waiting for the right environment to shine? And could Perth become the first Australian city that proves inclusion isn’t a policy, it’s a competitive advantage? Also, if you’re part of a not-for-profit and looking for a space to host an important event, conversation or community gathering, please get in touch via the link in bio. Activate Perth is here to help connect great ideas with the right spaces in the city. 📸 @lets_capture__000_ #ActivatePerth #MindsOfAllKinds #Auticon

🎷 INTERNATIONAL JAZZ DAY @ YAGAN SQUARE — FREE LIVE MUSIC! 🎶 Perth, this one’s for you. Join us Thursday 30 April, 4:30–5:15pm at Yagan Square (near the digital tower) as some of WA’s hottest emerging jazz musicians take over the city for a high‑energy, open‑air celebration of International Jazz Day — and yes, it’s 100% FREE. From smooth standards to bold contemporary sounds, all led by Music Director Holli Scott and featuring an incredible lineup of vocalists, rhythm section and horns. ✨ Grab a mate ✨ Grab a seat (or just stand and vibe) ✨ Stay for the swing, the solos and the city energy This is jazz in the wild — vibrant, youthful, joyful and right in the heart of Perth. Free. All welcome. Don’t miss it. 🎺🎹🥁 #bigband #internationaljazzday #jazz #freeconcert #edithcowanuniversity

Our flagship music event is back as Musos in the Mall returns in 2026. Save the date: Friday 29 May | 5–7:30pm | Forrest Place For one evening, the heart of the city shifts tempo. Emerging WA artists, live music, after-work energy meets long weekend launched well energy and a reason to linger a little longer in our CBD. Delivered in partnership with @cityofperth , this free event is about making live music accessible to everyone. So if you’re feeling the pinch of the economy but still craving connection, culture and a night out, this is your invitation to experience some of the best emerging talent in Boorloo, without spending a cent. Expect fresh sounds, hidden gems and the kind of atmosphere that reminds you why live music belongs on the main stage at Forrest Place. Line-up dropping soon… 👀 #ActivatePerth #FillThisSpace #MusosintheMall #CityofPerth

We’re a funny bunch in WA… we love all things west. We chase the sunsets. We plan our evenings around that last light dipping into the ocean. We orient ourselves by it. And right in the heart of the city, the sun still shines on our very own west… The West End. You notice it first in the bones - the heritage facades, the details, the kind of architecture that reminds you this part of the city has lived a few lives (and if these walls could talk…). But what keeps it interesting is what’s happening at ground level. The laneways are where it really reveals itself. Wolf Lane, Prince Lane, Shafto Lane - not just shortcuts but spaces with their own pulse. Small bars, street art, hidden corners you only find if you’re not in a rush… or glued to your phone. There’s a quiet confidence to it. Old sits alongside new without trying too hard. His Majesty's Theatre and King Street layered in history with contemporary players like Highs and Lows weaving into the mix without disrupting it. It’s not loud. It doesn’t need to be. It’s creative, a little tucked away and rewards those who take the time to wander. Historic bones. West-facing light. A different kind of energy. What do you keep coming back for in the West End? 📹 @benfordmedia #ActivatePerth

What’s happening in the in-between spaces in our CBD? Not the street. Not the destination. But the spaces you used to pass through without a second thought. For years, these foyers were often overlooked - designed for flow, not for staying. Functional, polished, but ultimately forgettable. That’s starting to change. Across St Georges Terrace, we’re seeing a quiet shift. These spaces are being reconsidered - not just as entry points, but as part of the public realm. Spaces with intent. Spaces that invite pause. @copiaperth is one example, but it’s part of something bigger. There’s a growing recognition that these “in-between” areas can do more - they can soften the transition between city and building, between public and private, between movement and stillness. They’re also becoming useful in a very practical way. That middle ground between working from home and the office - somewhere with just enough energy, just enough anonymity and just enough comfort to get things done. It raises a bigger question… What if we stopped treating these spaces as leftover square metres, and started treating them as opportunities? Opportunities to create moments of connection, to support local operators, to showcase art, to make the city feel more human at a smaller scale. What would make you stop, instead of walk through? And if more lobby areas and foyers were designed with intention - what could they become? 📸 @benfordmedia #ActivatePerth

The East End has always been a little different. A bit grittier. A bit quieter. A bit more independent. But that’s also where a lot of its character comes from. Small bars tucked into old buildings. Popular lunch spots, late-night food spots, creative spaces, hidden offices. Places you don’t always notice unless you’re looking for them. The East End isn’t polished in the same way as some other parts of the city, and it probably never should be. Its charm is in the mix of old and new, the unique tenancies and the people who choose to be here. Over time, this part of the city has built its own identity. Not through big developments or major projects, but through small businesses, long-term tenants and people who genuinely care about their place in the city. Every city has areas like this - the pockets that feel a bit more real, a bit more creative, a bit more themselves. For Perth, the East End is one of those places. So we’re curious, what do you love about the East End? Do you have a go-to spot? #ActivatePerth

It’s easy to focus on what’s happening at street level - the shopfronts, the crowds, the constant movement of the city. But just above eye level, another story sits quietly waiting. Upper levels filled with history, character and possibility. Rooms that once held music, laughter, late nights and creative sparks. Spaces where people gathered, celebrated and made memories. Along Hay Street Mall alone, there are around six former theatres now sitting quietly behind closed doors. Once, people would stream into the city to meet friends, dine alfresco along the strip and then head upstairs or down the mall to catch a show before spilling back onto the street afterwards. Those upper levels were part of the rhythm of the city. Now many of them sit silent. Cities like Budapest have shown how forgotten upper levels can be reborn - the famous ruin bars, studios, galleries, small venues and creative spaces tucked into old buildings, full of character and stories. Perth has these spaces too. Beautiful, layered, waiting. So we’re curious - do you have memories of the upper levels along Hay Street Mall? A cinema, a dance floor, a hidden theatre? If so, we’d love to hear them. And looking ahead… what would you love to see happen up there again? Can we recreate this former entertaining strip into its former beauty? With @edithcowanuniversity on our doorstep there certainly isn’t a shortage of local talent! #ActivatePerth

Our CBD rewards those who take a moment to look around 🎨 These are a few of the murals we’re loving around the CBD right now. Each one adds a little personality, creativity and surprise to the laneways, buildings and streets of Perth. Take a wander, look up, and you’ll probably find a few more. 📸 @benfordmedia #ActivatePerth

Last Friday of summer. First Friday with the new @edithcowanuniversity City Campus. And the streets were packed! Is it just us, or has Perth been buzzing lately? @cits_wa Video inspired by the amazing @gardenstatejournal 📹 @benfordmedia #ActivatePerth #FillThisSpace