North of Perth Music Festival: Everything You Need to Know
The North of Perth Music Festival is one of Western Australia's most enduring community performing arts eisteddfods, with more than 69 years of history behind it. Run in association with the City of Bayswater, the festival welcomes performers of all ages across piano, strings, singing, speech and drama. Whether your child is stepping onto a stage for the first time or a teenager polishing a senior competition piece, this is the festival Perth families in the northern suburbs keep coming back to, year after year.
What Is the North of Perth Music Festival?
The festival is a competitive performing arts eisteddfod, meaning participants enter individual or ensemble sections, perform before a qualified adjudicator, receive written and verbal feedback, and compete for prizes including trophies, gold medallions and a share of more than $11,000 in prize money. It is not a ticketed concert or a commercial showcase; it is a structured learning and competition experience aimed at students, community performers and anyone who wants to develop their craft in front of a live audience. Sections are graded by age and experience level, so beginners and advanced performers are never judged against each other unfairly. The format has proven itself across seven decades and continues to attract hundreds of entries from across greater Perth each year.
Who Can Enter?
The festival is open to all ages, from very young beginners through to adult performers. There is no upper age limit, and sections exist for primary school children, secondary students, young adults and seniors. You do not need to be enrolled in a formal music school or drama academy, though many participants do come through private music teachers, school music programmes and performing arts studios. Home-educated students enter regularly, as do adults returning to performance after a break. The key requirement is in-person attendance; auditions and concerts are held in Perth, within the City of Bayswater catchment, so the festival is best suited to families and performers based in Perth's northern suburbs and greater metropolitan area.
Performing Arts Disciplines Covered
The North of Perth Music Festival covers a broad range of performing arts, which is one reason it attracts such a diverse community of participants. The main disciplines include piano, orchestral strings, singing, speech and drama. Within each discipline there are multiple sections, often separated by age group and grade level, so there is genuine competition at every standard from preliminary through to open levels. Singing sections typically cover classical, musical theatre, contemporary and choral performance. Speech and drama sections include prose reading, poetry, public speaking and prepared monologues. Piano sections range from beginner solo pieces through to advanced recital works. If your child studies more than one discipline, they can enter multiple sections across the festival calendar.
The Prize Structure: What Participants Can Win
With more than $11,000 in prize money available across the festival, there is genuine incentive to compete at every level. Individual section winners typically receive cash prizes, trophies or gold medallions depending on the section and age group. The festival also awards Champion trophies in major disciplines, recognising the highest-scoring performer in each category across all age groups. These Champion awards are among the most coveted recognitions a Perth performing arts student can receive at a community eisteddfod level. Prize money is distributed across a wide range of sections, meaning strong performances at beginner and intermediate levels are rewarded just as thoughtfully as open-level competition. The adjudicator feedback participants receive is arguably as valuable as the prizes themselves, providing specific, professional guidance that teachers and students can act on immediately.
Notable Alumni: Heath Ledger and Lisa McCune
The festival's heritage matters because it illustrates what consistent performance experience, expert feedback and healthy competition can do for young artists. Among the festival's notable alumni are Heath Ledger, the late Academy Award winning actor, and Lisa McCune, the multi-Logie Award winning Australian actress. Both participated in Perth performing arts activities during their formative years, and the culture of community eisteddfods like this one is widely recognised as part of the ecosystem that helped develop their confidence and craft. While most participants are not chasing international stardom, the example is a genuine reminder that getting on stage regularly, receiving honest feedback and competing with peers are foundational experiences for anyone serious about the performing arts.
When Does the Festival Run? Auditions and Winners Concerts
The festival runs on an annual calendar with auditions held in September and Winners Concerts in October. This timing fits neatly within the Western Australian school calendar, making it practical for students to participate without major disruption to their studies. Entries typically open well before the September audition period, so teachers, parents and school coordinators should note the entry deadlines and plan ahead. Winners Concerts are public performances where section champions perform, giving participants a second stage experience and families a celebratory event to attend. Specific dates, venue details and the full syllabus are published on the festival website each year. Checking the City of Bayswater's North of Perth Music Festival guide is a good starting point for understanding the full festival structure and how to prepare your entry.
Information for Teachers, Music Studios and School Coordinators
Teachers and studio owners play a central role in how students discover and enter the festival. Many private music and drama teachers in Perth's northern suburbs enter multiple students across several sections each year, treating the festival as a core part of their annual teaching calendar. If you run a music studio or teach performing arts at a school, the North of Perth Music Festival is worth incorporating into your programme for several reasons: it gives students a genuine performance deadline to work towards, the adjudicator feedback is independent and professionally delivered, and the competitive format motivates students in ways that recitals alone often do not. Group and ensemble sections also exist for studios wanting to enter ensembles or duos. School music coordinators can discuss bulk entry processes and should contact the festival organisers directly for guidance on coordinating entries for multiple students.
How to Enter the North of Perth Music Festival
Entering is straightforward once you have reviewed the syllabus and identified the right sections for your age group and discipline. The festival website lists all sections, requirements, entry fees and key dates. Entries are submitted through the festival's online or postal entry process before the deadline, with entrants assigned a specific performance time within the audition schedule. Participants should prepare the required pieces or material as specified in the syllabus for their section. Adjudicators are qualified performing arts professionals who assess on criteria relevant to each discipline, including technique, interpretation and performance confidence. For families new to eisteddfods, the process is welcoming and well-organised; the festival team is accessible and happy to answer questions from first-time entrants. Visit the Perth performing arts festival entry page to download the current syllabus, check entry deadlines and register your participation for the coming year.
If you are based in Perth's northern suburbs and want your child, your students or yourself to gain meaningful performance experience with qualified feedback and real prizes on the line, the North of Perth Music Festival is the natural choice. With more than 69 years of community tradition, a broad range of disciplines and a welcoming structure for all ages and experience levels, it remains one of the most valuable performing arts events on the Perth calendar.