top of page
Image by Fadzai Saungweme

2023 TRAVEL INFORMATION FOR
IN-PERSON VISITORS

Information for anyone visiting Perth for the first time

FLIGHTS

WELCOME TO PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

We welcome participants from anywhere in the world to visit us in Perth for the ultimate in-person experience at Marimbafest 2023.

If you're planning to visit Perth from interstate or overseas to participate in-person, this page has information about what you will need, including transport to WAAPA, flights, accommodation and more.


WHERE IS MARIMBAFEST 2023 HELD?

Marimbafest 2023 will happen live at our new home for 2023, the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) (2 Bradford Road, Mount Lawley WA 6050, Australia).
 
WAAPA is one of the biggest tertiary music schools in Australia, with world-class performance facilities and located in the Edith Cowan University campus in Mount Lawley (10-15 minutes from Perth CBD).

ARRIVING IN PERTH FOR OVERSEAS VISITORS

FLYING TO PERTH FOR INTERNATIONAL VISITORS
Perth has an international airport which has direct flights from many international destinations, including Singapore, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Hong Kong, London, Johannesburg, Doha, Dubai and more. No matter where you're coming from, there are many carriers who will get you here!
 
We recommend using a search engine like Google Flights and searching for flights to Perth Airport (PER) to find the best option for you. Please make sure you are able to be at WAAPA by Sunday 2 July 2023 afternoon for the opening reception, and ensuring you are leaving no earlier than Sunday 9 July 2023.

If you are flying in, please email us if you need any assistance. The team is happy to help!

VISA INFORMATION
Most passport holders can travel to Australia for tourist purposes (including attending events like Marimbafest as a participant) using the Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) visa (subclass 601) for stays of up to 90 days. To find out which visa is suitable for you and your passport, please check with your country's authorities or use the Immigration website's Visa Finder and allow ample time for processing.

COVID RULES IN AUSTRALIA
Australia has no COVID restrictions active for all countries except China (pre-departure PCR test required within 48 hours as of 5 January 2023). There are no testing or vaccination requirements and there are also no mask rules on flights to and from Australia, or in any public places. While there are no legal COVID requirements in Australia, we encourage participants to be fully vaccinated (and boosted where applicable) and test for COVID if they develop symptoms and isolate if positive. Please check this Department of Home Affairs page for the most up-to-date information.

ARRIVING IN PERTH FOR INTERSTATE VISITORS

FLYING TO PERTH FOR DOMESTIC VISITORS
Perth has a domestic airport which has direct flights from all Australian capital and major cities, with carriers like Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin being the most popular. 
 
We recommend using a search engine like Google Flights and searching for flights to Perth Airport (PER) to find the best option for you. Please make sure you are able to be at WAAPA by Sunday 2 July 2023 afternoon for the opening reception, and ensuring you are leaving no earlier than Sunday 9 July 2023.

If you are flying in, please email us if you need any assistance. The team is happy to help!

COVID RULES IN PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Western Australia's COVID rules remain the same as the rest of Australia. There are no testing or vaccination requirements and no mask rule on any transportation.
 While there are no legal COVID requirements in Australia, we encourage participants to be fully vaccinated (and boosted where applicable) and test for COVID if they develop symptoms and isolate if positive. 
M2022FinalStage (23 of 48)_edited.jpg
Marimbafest 2021 and 2022 were great weeks of competition and learning. Even though I was not able to attend in person I met many other participants and faculty via Zoom; everyone was SUPER nice and encouraging.Next year, I hope to attend in person and meet all the other participants and faculty and hope to finally buy something from the Marimbafest Shop.
- Daniel Hsieh (AUSTRALIA QLD)
Marimbafest 2021/2022 Participant
Second Prize, Marimbafest 2022 Solo Competition (OPEN CLASS)
Second Prize, Marimbaf
est 2021 Solo Competition (A CLASS)
First Prize, Marimbafest 2021 Ensemble Competition (A CLASS)
J Percussion Music School
TRANSPORT AND ACCOM

TRANSPORT AND ACCOMMODATION

GETTING TO AND FROM WAAPA

Perth is a relatively traffic-free city and WAAPA's campus is located in the inner-city suburb of Mount Lawley, so it is easily accessible by any of the following ways:

DRIVING YOUR OWN CAR
If you have your own car and would like to drive to WAAPA yourself, you are welcome to park anywhere in the visitor and paid parking along Bradford Street, which will be directly outside WAAPA's main building.

The paid parking has no time limi
t, so you will be able to pay for the whole day up to 6pm. Parking is free on the weekends and after 6pm.

RIDESHARE/ON-DEMAND APPS
If you'd like to use a rideshare app for simple on-demand transport, the most popular services are Uber and Ola. Make sure you set the destination to Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) or 2 Bradford Street, Mount Lawley WA 6050.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT
There are many frequent rapid bus services that can get you from anywhere in Perth CBD/Northbridge (recommended accommodation area) to right in front of Edith Cowan University in about 15 to 20 minutes, including the bus routes 960, 361, 362 and more. Use Google Maps to find out the most convenient bus times and routes for where you are.
 
Buses and trains in Perth use the SmartRider card, which allows you to easily charge your card and tag on and off buses and trains. The fare will usually be no more than $3 for Perth CBD <-> WAAPA. A Standard SmartRider can be purchased at the airport or at any Transpeth InfoCentre.

ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS

HOTELS NEAR TO WAAPA
We recommend hotels in the Northbridge and Perth CBD area, including the following (from cheaper to expensive):

Hotel Northbridge (210 Lake St, Perth WA 6000)

Great Southern Hotel Perth (15 Robinson Ave, Perth WA 6000)

Attika Hotel (279 Newcastle St, Northbridge WA 6003)

DoubleTree by Hilton (100 James St, Northbridge WA 6003)
Alex Hotel (50 James St, Perth WA 6000)
Use Google Hotels or your favourite hotel booking service to book for the cheapest price.
 
OTHER ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS NEAR TO WAAPA
There are also numerous Airbnb short-stay accommodation options near WAAPA's main building in the Mount Lawley area.
We recommend searching in the Inglewood, Mount Lawley and Highgate suburbs on the Airbnb app/website for an option that suits you.
If you need any help finding accommodation, please don't hesitate to contact us at marimbafestaustralia@gmail.com.
bottom of page