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The town famous for its Giants is hosting Australia’s biggest outdoor painting festival

Credit: Brian Osborne

Kassia Byrnes Kassia Byrnes
Australia’s biggest and longest-running outdoor painting festival is returning to this small WA town in 2026.

Mandurah knows art. This little town, just an hour’s drive from Perth, is home to the magical Mandurah Giants – a series of five large-scale art pieces by Danish recycling artist Thomas Dambo – hidden around the stunning canals, wetlands and gaping bays that make this town so picturesque. Later this month, this artistic side will be turned up to 11 with the return of Australia’s biggest and longest-running outdoor painting festival: Plein Air Down Under.

What is Plein Air Down Under

Quick Draw artists at PADU 2025
Join in the Quick Draw competition. (Credit: Overland Media)

En plein air is a French term for painting in the open air, which simply describes what to expect from this festival. Established in 2019 by the not-for-profit Mandurah Plein Air Artists Inc, each year hundreds of artists gather in and around Mandurah to capture the region’s picturesque coastline, waterways and streetscapes in their artworks.

“For a week, the whole region becomes an open-air studio, and everyone is welcome to wander through it," said Barbara Thoms, festival manager of Plein Air Down Under. “It never gets old watching an artist at work; transforming a blank canvas into a beautiful piece is truly inspiring."

Held around Mandurah, Pinjarra, and the Peel Region of Western Australia, Plein Air Down Under puts on a series of free, live painting demonstrations in oil, watercolour and pastel, live music, exhibitions and art activities for all ages. Want to try your own artistic hand? Sign up for artist-led masterclasses and painting demonstrations.

Highlights for 2026

Artist Leon Holmes painting at Plein Air Down Under
Watch Mandurah’s own Leon Holmes create his art. (Credit: Brian Osborne)

In 2026, internationally renowned artists Greg Barnes (from the USA), Mandurah’s own Leon Holmes and Mount Barker’s Andy Dolphin will run masterclasses, demonstrations and live painting sessions throughout the festival.

“I’ve painted in some beautiful parts of the world, but there’s nothing like setting up an easel in your own backyard with 200 other artists beside you," said Holmes.

Local Quinns Rock artist Leanne Pearson, alongside Georgia Mansur from NSW and Linda MacAulay from Victoria, will also be teaching one-day workshops.

On September 28, watch (or maybe even get involved) as artists of all ages compete in the Quick Draw painting competition, when artists race against the clock to complete a painting in just two hours.

When there isn’t an artist to observe live, head to the festival hub inside the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre. Here, there’ll be more chances to enjoy the art and vibes, with more demonstrations and an art exhibition showcasing both open-air artworks from the festival and studio-based paintings, all celebrating regional, rural, and remote environments.

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Getting to Mandurah

mandurah
Escape to seaside Mandurah, accessible by train from Perth. (Credit: Unsplash/Serina Bird)

Mandurah is just 70 kilometres south of the Perth CBD, a 50-minute drive along the Kwinana Freeway or a 55-minute train from the Perth Underground Train Station. It’s ideally located en route to the Margaret River Region.

While you’re there

Giants of Mandurah in Western Australia
Be sure to find Thomas Dambo’s Giants of Mandurah. (Image: Duncan Wright)

Seeing the Mandurah Giants is obviously top of the list on a visit here. Several of them are accessible by car, but why not cycle? Hire an e-bike or electric scooter from The Bike Kiosk, also conveniently located at the Mandurah Visitor Centre, where you’ll find information on the Giant trail. Don’t want to go it alone? Book one of the tours, and you’ll get the lay of the land as you go.

Get out on the water with a 3.5-hour Mandurah Cruises’ Wild Seafood Experience, where fresh blue manna crab and crayfish-laden courses will be served. Or, opt for the Giant & Dolphin Sightseeing Cruise to spot one of the Giants from the water.

Or drive 30 minutes to Yalgorup National Park, the Swan Coastal Plain’s largest national park. Find a thriving habitat for migratory waterbirds, kangaroos and wallabies.

This small town packs a pleasantly large punch with its dining scene. Keep it casual with an award-winning brew and an extensive dinner menu at Boundary Island Brewery. Or try Mandurah’s best steaks served with a side of Mandjar Bay views at Brewvino.

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Details

Artist Corrine Rapley
Watch artists in the great outdoors, or head to the festival hub. (Credit: Veronika Sajova)

Tickets: Purchase tickets from the Plein Air Down Under website.
Cost: Watching the artists and attending the public demonstrations is free. Festival registrations are open to artists of all skill levels and cost $10 for participants aged 18 and under and $120 for adults.
Dates: The main weekend of festival activities is 26- 28 September, with events starting from 22 September.
Program: Download the full 2026 program.

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Kassia Byrnes
Kassia Byrnes is the Native Content Editor for Australian Traveller and International Traveller. She's come a long way since writing in her diary about family trips to Grandma's. After graduating a BA of Communication from University of Technology Sydney, she has been writing about her travels (and more) professionally for over 10 years for titles like AWOL, News.com.au, Pedestrian.TV, Body + Soul and Punkee. She's addicted to travel but has a terrible sense of direction, so you can usually find her getting lost somewhere new around the world. Luckily, she loves to explore and have new adventures – whether that’s exploring the backstreets, bungee jumping off a bridge or hiking for days. You can follow her adventures on Instagram @probably_kassia.
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Australia’s second-oldest wine region is also one of its best, but you may not have heard of it

(Image: Tourism Western Australia)

    Kate Bettes Kate Bettes
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    A 25-minute drive from Perth is all you need to be amongst generations of grape growers. 

    You might not know Swan Valley, but the vines here twist through almost 200 years of history. Today, plump grapes are still plucked, pressed by juice-stained hands and fermented into wine – a journey led by the same families who will pour it into your glass. And with that first taste, you’ve unknowingly become part of a generations-old tradition. 

    So, sit back and take a sip of a crisp white under that sun-speckled pergola and listen to the warbling of magpies – here’s what makes the Swan Valley so special. 

    Western Australia’s oldest wine region 

    Mandoon Estate bathed in the warm glow of sunset.
    Sip your way through Swan Valley’s rich wine heritage. (Image: Tourism WA)

    In 1829, the very year Europeans settled in Perth, the first vines were planted in the Swan Valley. Later, Croatian and Italian migrants blended their southern European winemaking traditions into the local viticulture, a combination that works so well in the Mediterranean climate here. 

    The result today is crisp, tropical Verdelho, dark, fruity Shiraz and plenty of Chenin Blanc – a third of the country’s Chenin Blanc is crushed here. 

    So where to start uncorking? Mandoon Estate has an Aboriginal art gallery and a sculpture trail, where you can taste an Indigenous food platter of smoked crocodile and emu sausages. 

    For a taste of the valley’s Italian heritage, head to Pinelli Estate Winery. Or, for something indulgent – and a little unusual, considering the inland location – RiverBank Estate Winery serves lobster straight from tanks, paired with that Chenin Blanc. 

    If you prefer something stronger in your glass, Talijancich Wines knows a thing or two about fortified drops: try its aged tawny, Muscat and liqueur Verdelho. 

    Sensational dining 

    A beautifully presented dish paired with champagne.
    Pair great food with a scenic winery setting. (Image: Tourism Caversham)

    The Swan Valley follows that great Australian wine-country tradition, with everything from unfussily fantastic pub meals and beer gardens to unexpected fine dining at cellar doors. 

    Start at Edgecombe Winery, which does brunch as well as drops. Their brioche French toast with raspberry and rhubarb coulis, poached pear and roasted pistachios will taste best when you’re perched at a table outside. Don’t forget to explore their orchard and wetland afterwards. 

    Pick up a box of freshly baked macarons from Maison Saint-Honoré (bien sûr) before heading to Valley Social for a North American barbecue-inspired feed. Chow down on beef brisket burnt ends and wash them down with a hemp-infused craft beer. 

    Baskerville Tavern is brewing beer again in the former Feral Brewpub. Order their Monday special – a classic chicken parmi – and try Slumdog Brewing’s regular range, including a tart blueberry sour made with fresh and freeze-dried berries. In winter, it’s time for their seasonal seven-malt stout, with notes of dark chocolate, coffee and caramel. 

    An unbeatable visitor’s centre

    In Guildford is the Swan Valley Visitor Centre in a restored 1866 courthouse. Its award-winning staff know everything about anything happening in the Swan Valley. Pick their brains (and pick up a free map) before setting off. But, check out the centre’s Welcome to Country mural by local Whadjuk artist Chloe Caylon first. 

    Scenic drives 

    Use that handy Visitor Centre map to get a bit of everything on the Swan Valley’s 32-kilometre scenic loop, which connects over 150 attractions. Think roadside produce stalls, art galleries and historic buildings. Just remember to organise that designated driver if you’re extra keen on the vineyard stops. 

    Other drops 

    If the thought of wine makes your temples pulse, there are plenty of other tipples to tickle your fancy. Txoko Brewing in Baskerville takes its name from a Basque gathering place for cooking, drinking and socialising. Work through its rotating beers and plates of Spanish croquettes and sardines, then settle on the grass while the kids let off steam in the playground. 

    AmberChes Spirits Distillery uses locally sourced botanicals and fruit to make saltbush gin, lemon myrtle gin and Gincello, a twist on limoncello. Try its award-winning sloe gin, which was named Australia’s best at the 2025 Gin Guide Awards. Better yet, have a go at making your own in a hands-on gin-blending and distilling class among the vines. 

    Historic architecture and an arts scene 

    Traditional art celebrating First Nations culture.
    Explore the stories behind the Swan Valley. (Image: Tourism WA)

    Next: Guildford. It is one of WA’s earliest colonial settlements – but the history here goes back much further. The Whadjuk Noongar people are the land’s Traditional Custodians, whose Dreaming tells of the Wagyl serpent creating the gum tree-lined Swan River. Today, Guildford’s original town layout remains largely unchanged. Follow one of four heritage walks past 19th-century buildings, galleries and James Street’s antique shops. 

    Take home pantry staples 

    The display counter at Margaret River Chocolate Company.
    Treat yourself to a chocolate-filled detour. (Image: Tourism WA)

    Sometimes the little stops are just as good as the big hitters. Pull over at Margaret River Chocolate Company for free tastings of white, milk and dark chocolate. Then stop by Harvey Cheese Swan Valley for Lemon Myrtle Ash Brie or St Duke’s Red. End at The House of Honey, where you can sample local honey and get buzzy on honey ice cream pancakes. 

    Nature and wildlife 

    A close-up of a koala in its natural habitat.
    Add a little wildlife adventure. (Image: Tourism WA)

    If the kids have had enough of winery lawns, save the bottles for later and head to Caversham Wildlife Park. Here, you can hand-feed kangaroos and meet koalas and wombats. Catch working sheepdogs and sheep-shearing demonstrations at the Farm Show. Elsewhere in Whiteman Park, hop aboard a vintage train or tram, or cool off in the splash pool. 

    Finish at Bells Rapids, where fuchsia grevillea, crimson bottlebrush and yellow wattles bloom each spring. 

    Start planning your culinary escape at swanvalley.com.au.