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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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Your Mandurah guide: art, dining & dolphins await in WA’s coastal gem

    Monique CeccatoBy Monique Ceccato
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    Discover the perfect road trip stopover between Perth and wine country.

    Western Australia punches above its weight when it comes to coastal hot spots, but no other town or city has seen a tourism boom quite like Mandurah. Named Australia’s Top Tourism Town in 2023 , it’s the relaxed, beachside break you’ve been searching for. And it’s perfectly placed, sitting between Margaret River and Perth, as it’s just a 55-minute drive from Perth’s CBD. Which is why we’ve put together your ultimate Mandurah guide.

    Aerial view of Mandurah.
    Plan your perfect coastal escape to Australia’s Top Tourism Town of 2023.

    The best things to do in Mandurah

    Wetlands and rivers, ocean and inlet; Mandurah’s laid-back lifestyle centres around the aquatic. Its waterways cover twice the ground of Sydney Harbour – measuring some 134 square kilometres in total – and form a unique environment for oceanic and estuarine flora and fauna to thrive.

    In the city’s estuary lives perhaps the region’s most famed inhabitants – a resident pod of 100 bottlenose dolphins – and the inlet’s silty bottom is home to the prized blue manna crab. Spot the former breaching and playing on an hour-long dolphin cruise through the channels, or try your hand at catching the latter by wading through the estuary’s shallows with a scoop net in hand.

    While swimming at the circular Kwillena Gabi Pool, chance encounters with the local wildlife aren’t uncommon. The sheltered estuarine pool takes its name from the traditional custodians of the land, the Bindjareb people, and directly translates to ‘dolphin waters’. Jutting out of the eastern foreshore, it’s enclosed by a ring of net-free floating pontoons, which allow the dolphins to swim freely through the attraction.

    If that’s a little too close for comfort, book a kayak tour with Down Under Discoveries . The dolphins have been known to cruise beside the paddle-powered crafts, which are a fun, family-friendly way to explore the city’s inner waterways.

    Dolphins swimming in Mandurah.
    Watch dolphins glide by as you explore Mandurah.

    You don’t have to be on the water to appreciate the coastal city’s aquatic beauty, with 600 kilometres of cycleways and scenic walking trails traversing Mandurah’s estuary, inlet and coast.

    Follow the 30-kilometre coastal trail and you’ll come face to face with one of Thomas Dambo’s headline-making ‘Giants of Mandurah  sculptures, Santi Ikto, along the way. There are five sculptures around Mandurah in total, hidden among gum-filled reserves or sitting sentry over the water.

    Head to the Mandurah Visitor Centre to pick up a map to pinpoint their exact location and download the traveller’s companion to learn more about the sights along the way. Or join a three-hour e-bike tour from The Bike Kiosk and you’ll stop by two of the giants – Santi Ikto and Yaburgurt Winjan Cirkelstone – as you sightsee central Mandurah.

    The towering Santi Ikto, one of Thomas Dambo’s iconic Giants of Mandurah.
    Meet Santi Ikto, one of the legendary Giants of Mandurah.

    Where to eat in Mandurah

    Mandurah’s culinary scene reflects its laid-back lifestyle, with large, honest meals and locally brewed beer. After visiting Lake Clifton’s 2000-year-old thrombolites, head to the peppermint and gum-shaded beer garden at Thorny Devil Brewery . Tuck into a platter of house-smoked meats and an ale pulled fresh from the tanks. Closer to town and right on the waterfront is Boundary Island Brewery ; here, woodfired pizza, pub-style seafood dishes and easy-drinking brews are centre stage.

    On a Murray River Lunch Cruise , the focus is as much on the environment around you as the food you’re filling up on. Help yourself to the colourful salads and freshly cooked meats on the buffet as you meander up the winding, jarrah tree-lined waterway, stopping at the heritage Cooper’s Mill for a quick walking tour along the way.

    Keep your eyes trained on the Creery Wetlands as you pass – you’ll spot much of the region’s migratory birdlife, and, as always, might see the playful bottlenose dolphins in the inlet.

    The most memorable meals aren’t necessarily always the fanciest, and lunch aboard a self-skippered Mandurah BBQ Boat is a testament to that. All food and beverage prep is left up to you as you cruise through the canals, sausages and steaks sizzling away on the central hot plate.

    If seafood is more your kind of fare, board the Wild Seafood Experience , where dolphin cruise meets long table lunch. Eight courses of crab, crayfish and scallops await.

    A table filled with plates of crab, crayfish, and scallops.
    Dine on the water with eight courses of ocean-fresh fare.

    Where to stay in Mandurah

    With so many waterways comes abundant waterside stays. Like the self-contained Seashells Mandurah on the shores of Comet Bay. The calm, oceanic outlook from the one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and villas is as close to Maldivian as Mandurah gets. Families especially enjoy the property, bouncing between the protected cove and the beachfront pool for endless hours of fun.

    Seashells Mandurah; on the shores of Comet Bay.
    Stay right by the sea.

    The Sebel Mandurah , just a hop, skip and jump from the Mandurah Ocean Marina, has a different outlook entirely, overlooking the estuary and lively foreshore on the other side. It’s also within walking distance of the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre , cinema and a swathe of waterfront bars and eateries.

    But you can’t get any closer to the water than on a vessel from Mandurah Houseboats . You don’t need a skipper’s ticket to hire one, nor do you need comprehensive boating experience; just a full driver’s license and your undivided attention during the pre-departure tuition will do. Then you’re free to take to the estuaries and tributaries for a few nights of peaceful rest, surrounded by the very element that makes Mandurah so special.

    A houseboat cruising in Mandurah along the river
    Captain a houseboat to explore Mandurah at your own pace.

    Plan your next WA getaway in Mandurah.