WAAPA Unveils 300 Show Program at ECU’s New Minderoo Centre in Perth
Western Australia’s next generation of performers will take centre stage in the heart of Perth this year, as the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts unveils a 2026 program featuring more than 300 performances at Edith Cowan University’s new city campus.
The ambitious calendar marks WAAPA’s official move into the Minderoo Centre for Performance Excellence at Edith Cowan University, ahead of the opening of ECU City this month. The relocation represents a significant shift for the nationally recognised training institution, placing its students and productions in the centre of Perth’s CBD.
The year long program spans theatre, dance, classical and contemporary music, jazz, opera and musical theatre, with many events offered free to the public.
WAAPA Executive Dean Professor David Shirley described the move as a defining moment for the academy.
“Our new performance space and state of the art facility will ensure WAAPA continues its place at the forefront of performing arts training, both nationally and internationally,” he said.
A major feature of the 2026 season is the Premier Visiting Artists Fund, a 7 million dollar investment designed to bring internationally renowned creatives to Perth. The initiative is supported by the Minderoo Foundation through a landmark philanthropic agreement with WAAPA.
Ukrainian born Australian classical pianist Alexander Gavrylyuk will become the inaugural visiting artist, undertaking a week long residency in March before performing in Perth. He has previously been described by fellow pianist Roger Woodward as “the most compelling pianist of his generation.”
Later in the year, Grammy Award winning jazz composer and bandleader Maria Schneider will collaborate with the WAAPA Big Band for a special October performance at the new McCusker Recital Hall.
Student productions will also feature prominently across Perth’s major venues. LINK Dance Company will present Enter Coda at the Liberty Theatre in May, including an excerpt from Hofesh Shechter’s Grand Finale. Mid year, WAAPA’s graduating acting cohort will perform Shakespeare’s ROMEO AND JULIET at the Heath Ledger Theatre.
September will mark the first performance inside WAAPA’s new Playhouse Theatre, with a production of Purcell’s THE FAIRY QUEEN. Musical theatre students will later take to the stage at the Regal Theatre with the Broadway hit & JULIET.
The 2026 calendar will conclude in November with performance making students presenting a contemporary Australian reimagining of THE BACCHAE in WAAPA’s new Flex Theatre.
Beyond ticketed events, music lovers can expect free concerts throughout the year, alongside weekend workshops designed for high school students considering further study in the performing arts.
With more than 300 performances scheduled across multiple venues, WAAPA’s relocation to the Minderoo Centre for Performance Excellence signals not only a new home, but a bold expansion of Perth’s cultural footprint in 2026.
