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WA to host Australia’s biggest outdoor light installation in 2026

Taylah DarnellBy Taylah Darnell
It’s one of three major arts events taking over the coastal city next year.

Western Australia’s port city of Albany already sparkles thanks to its white-sand beaches, national parks and historic streetscapes. But come 2026, that glow will shine even brighter with Lighting the Sound, an immersive installation set to transform the coastal township like never before.

What is Lighting the Sound?

Presented by independent cultural organisation FORM Building a State of Creativity , Lighting the Sound will be a live, large-scale illumination by internationally acclaimed Finnish artist, Kari Kola . Primarily designed to light up the sky above Albany’s harbour, it will also direct the viewer’s gaze towards the ocean, as well as Torndirrup National Park and the Vancouver Peninsula.

Albany in Western Australia
Torndirrup National Park and the Vancouver Peninsula will be illuminated. (Image: Amazing Albany)

The open-air experience marks a significant moment of reverence for the city, which was voted one of Australia’s top 50 towns in 2022. Firstly, it marks Kari Kola’s debut Down Under, who has a portfolio that extends from Impact with Light at Stonehenge (2018, UK) to Savage Beauty in the Connemara Mountains (2020, Ireland).

Therefore, it’s no surprise that Lighting the Sound is set to be the largest outdoor light installation of its type ever staged, comparable to the likes of Vivid Sydney and Wintjiri Wiru. But this kaleidoscopic display of colour also aligns with the bicentenary of European arrival on Menang Noongar Country, a poignant opportunity for pause and reflection.

Impact with Light, Kari Kola, Stonehenge, Wiltshire, England, 2018.
Impact with Light, Kari Kola, Stonehenge, Wiltshire, England, 2018. (Image: Courtesy of FORM Building a State of Creativity)

“Everything starts from the history and the site: the Menang tribe, the bloodroot plant (Menang) and the remarkable history of cooperation. I will create red roots reaching toward the sky, connecting the land with the cosmos," says artist Kari Kola.

“This project respects the time, place and history and is done only for Albany, so it’s real site-specific work and cannot be repeated on any other location. The landscape provides an ideal setting; the presence of water adds a reflective dimension, allowing us to create a vast panoramic experience for the audience."

Giants of Mandurah in Western Australia
FORM have previously worked on projects like Thomas Dambo’s Giants of Mandurah. (Image: Duncan Wright)

FORM is responsible for ensuring WA remains a connected participant in the global creative economy, previously working on projects like Thomas Dambo’s Giants of Mandurah and Field of Light by Bruce Munro. The Perth-based company, alongside Kari Kola, has already undertaken several site visits and is also consulting with Menang Elders to secure approvals for installations.

But wait – there’s more!

Lighting the Sound is part of a wider project called Balgang Albany – a trio of signature events hosted by FORM in the waterfront city throughout 2026. Following Kari Kola’s spectacular light show, Albany Is kicks off mid-year. Intended as a legacy project, it comprises an audio app that locals can use to share what Albany means to them.

To round out Balgang Albany, one of the largest single performative gatherings the state has ever seen will unfold through Albany’s hills. Titled Carrying the Fire, the community procession is an homage to human connection and the natural world, where both locals and visitors are invited to walk into the night together, glowing lamps in hand.

Savage Beauty, Kari Kola, Galway, Ireland, 2020.
Savage Beauty, Kari Kola, Galway, Ireland, 2020. (Image: Courtesy of FORM Building a State of Creativity)

“FORM is honoured to join with the people of Albany in commemorating Albany 2026, a milestone in the enduring story of the region’s extraordinary peoples and cultures. This is our opportunity to collaborate in sharing and celebrating the unique qualities and heritage of both Menang people and more recent arrivals to this special part of Western Australia," says FORM CEO Tabitha McMullan.

The details so far

Balgang Albany is a year-long cultural and arts program beginning in 2026. The first event, Lighting the Sound, will run across three weekends in March. It will be followed by Albany Is (dates yet to be confirmed) and Carrying the Fire in November. Further information is set to roll out in the lead-up to the events, which are being supported by Tourism Western Australia and the state government.

Out-of-state visitors can fly direct to Perth from any Australian capital, as well as several regional hubs, then make the five-hour drive to Albany. Turn it into a road trip along WA’s South West Edge route, which takes in some of the state’s best hidden beaches. Once you arrive, you’ll find plenty of accommodation options waiting for you.

Taylah Darnell
Taylah Darnell is Australian Traveller's Writer & Producer. She has been passionate about writing since she learnt to read, spending many hours either lost in the pages of books or attempting to write her own. This life-long love of words inspired her to study a Bachelor of Communication majoring in Creative Writing at the University of Technology Sydney, where she completed two editorial internships. She began her full-time career in publishing at Ocean Media before scoring her dream job with Australian Traveller. Now as Writer & Producer, Taylah passionately works across both digital platforms and print titles. When she's not wielding a red pen over magazine proofs, you can find Taylah among the aisles of a second-hand bookshop, following a good nature trail or cheering on her EPL team at 3am. While she's keen to visit places like Norway and New Zealand, her favourite place to explore will forever be her homeland.
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6 reasons the best way to experience the Kimberley is by cruise

    Kate BettesBy Kate Bettes
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    This remote corner of Australia is one of the world’s last frontiers. This is how to see it properly.

    Vast, rugged and deeply spiritual, the Kimberley coast in Australia’s North West feels a world away from everyday Australia – and there are countless ways to explore it. But if you want to reach ancient rock art, hidden gorges and lonely waterfalls, it has to be by boat. Whether you’re aboard a nimble expedition vessel or a luxury yacht with all the trimmings, exploring by the water brings exclusive experiences, shows unique views and makes travel easier than any other mode. And that’s just the beginning of Australia’s North West cruises.

    The True North Adventure Cruise in between sandstone cliffs.
    Adventure starts where the road ends.

    1. Discover Broome, and beyond

    Explore your launchpad before you set sail: Broome. Here camels and their riders stride along the 22 kilometres of powdery Cable Beach at sunset. That’s just the start.

    At Gantheaume Point, red pindan cliffs plunge into the turquoise sea, whose low tide uncovers fossilised dinosaur footprints. Broome’s pearling history runs deep. Japanese, Chinese, Malay and Aboriginal divers once worked these waters, and their legacy lives on in boutiques where South Sea pearls still shine.

    If the moon’s right, you may catch the Staircase to the Moon over Roebuck Bay. Or simply kick back with a cold beverage and a film under the stars at Sun Pictures , screening since 1916.

    Ride a camel along Cable Beach as the sun sinks into the Indian Ocean, casting golden light across the sand and sea.
    Ride a camel along Cable Beach. (Image: Nick Dunn)

    2. Unmatched access to The Kimberley

    Once you’re onboard, expect a backstage pass to some of the most isolated places on Earth. No roads. No ports. No phone reception.

    At Horizontal Falls/ Garaanngaddim, 10-metre tides surge through twin gorges like a natural waterpark ride that’ll make your palms sweat. Then there’s Montgomery Reef/ Yowjab: a giant living platform of coral and seagrass, where the sea pulls back to reveal waterfalls, sea turtles and ospreys.

    Up north, King George Falls/ Oomari rage 80 metres down red cliffs. Zodiac boats often nudge in closer so you can feel the spray on your sun-warmed cheeks. You might even fly in to reach Mitchell Falls/ Punamii-unpuu, a four-tiered cascade where you can swim in freshwater pools above the drop.

    Come spring, some itineraries veer west to Rowley Shoals: an atoll chain of white sand and reef walls. Then it’s up the winding Prince Regent River to King Cascade/ Maamboolbadda, tumbling over rock terraces, and into a Zodiac to view the Gwion Gwion rock art, whose slender, ochre-painted figures are older than the pyramids.

    A cruise drifts beneath King George Falls, where sheer sandstone cliffs frame the thunderous plunge into turquoise waters.
    Get closer to the Kimberley than ever before.

    3. Taste the Kimberley with onboard hospitality

    You might spend your days clambering over slippery rocks or charging past waterfalls. But when you’re back on the water, it’s a different story. Meals are chef-prepared and regionally inspired: grilled barramundi, pearl meat sashimi, mango tarts, and bush tomato chutney. One night it’s barefoot beach barbecues with your shipmates; the next, alfresco dining on the ship.

    Small expedition ships each have their own personality, but many carry just 12 to 36 guests, making being out on the water a whole other experience. You might sink into a spa on the foredeck or sip coffee in a lounge while watching crocodiles cruise by. It’s choose-your-own-relaxation, Kimberley style.

    4. Expert-led excursions through the Kimberley

    These voyages are led by people who know the Kimberley like the back of their sunburnt hand. Attenborough-esque naturalists might gently tap your shoulder to point out rare birds or tell the story beneath a slab of rock. Historians can explain exactly how that rusted World War II relic came to rest here.

    If your ship has a helipad, you might chopper straight to a waterfall-fed swimming hole. If not, you’ll still be hopping ashore for that wet landing at a secret creek.

    Then come the evenings: songlines shared by Traditional Owners under the stars, or astronomy sessions that link what’s overhead with what’s underfoot and what’s within.

    A small group glides through Kimberley’s rugged coastline by boat, passing ancient cliffs.
    Explore with naturalists and historians by your side.

    5. Relax in luxurious lodgings

    Just because you’re off-grid doesn’t mean you have to rough it. These Kimberley vessels are small in size, but mighty in luxury. True North’s ships come with their own helicopters and a no-sea-days policy, so you’re always in the thick of it. Try the luxurious offerings from Ocean Dream Charters for exploration in style. Kimberley Quest offers a fast boat for easy, off-ship adventures. On the larger end of the scale, Coral Expeditions has open-deck bars and curated wine cellars. And then there’s Ponant’s luxury yachts – sleek and incredibly stylish French sailing yachts.

    A helicopter soars above the sea, with a sleek cruise ship gliding in the distance.
    See the Kimberley from sky to shore.

    6. The adventure continues with pre- and post-cruise experiences

    You’ve already come this far – so, why not go further? Broome makes it easy to ease in before you board, or wind down when your voyage ends, and there is no reason to stop there.

    Head an hour and a half south to Eco Beach to stay off-grid and off the clock. Join a Yawuru guide for a mangrove walk or ocean forage. Dive even deeper into Broome’s pearling past at Willie Creek or Cygnet Bay, where divers and craftspeople still pull the seawater-slicked gems from the deep.

    If you’re still craving adventure, it’s time to go further. Soar over the Buccaneer Archipelago, or detour inland with a 4WD trip along the Gibb River Road. Book a scenic flight over the Bungle Bungles. Or – because you never know when you’ll be back – do all three.

    aerial of people walking on eco beach in the kimberley western australia
    Stay off grid at Eco Beach. (Image: Tourism WA)

    Find out more about your trip to Australia’s North West at australiasnorthwest.com .