The annual music and culture festival 10 Nights in Port returns this August, showcasing a bunch of new talent, emerging artists and established acts in Fremantle.

Across ten nights and days, multiple venues will host music, theatre projections and incredible performances as part of this annual celebration. 10 Nights in Port will also bring back the popular beachside bathing experience a little differently in 2022, introducing the cold-water plunge as the perfect antidote to the steaming bath to reinvigorate the senses.

Ready to dive in? Here are some of our highlights from the program.

Light Waves

Transforming the coast with screen projections of epic proportions from 12 – 20 August, Frankensound’s Light Waves invites you to immerse in a cinematic and sound display at dusk falls. It’s a fiery performance and installation guaranteed to ignite Walyalup Koort, bringing winter warmth with its illumination. The audiovisual artwork recreates primal oceanic forces in digital form; imagine giant high resolution, slow-motion waves building to a peak and crashing. Light Waves is a playful reference to the power of the ocean and our relationship with it. Get ready to dip your feet in…

FABingo Bush Tucker BBQ Bingo

For the ultimate cultural BBQ bingo night on Saturday 13 August, Bindi Bindi Dreaming teams up with Famous Sharron to share Australia’s fantastic food and biodiversity in a mystery quiz and taste extravaganza. Native edible plants are identified and celebrated in this BBQ quest for tasty glory. Bush tucker knowledge is shared as a celebration of food and fun unfolds. Hosted by Bindi Bindi Dreaming, Marissa Verma, and Famous Sharron, the FABingo Bushtucker BBQ Bingo will take place live and in the online realms as a hybrid virtual experiential event. Whether you are a foodie or not, get those taste buds ready for some titillation.

Hidden Treasures

A melting pot of music will take over the streets for two tremendous nights on the 11th and 18th August. Enjoy the roving acts and let your compass take you where it wants to go because the streets will be closed to cars and full of the glittering glory of punk rockin’ beats, soul and Fremantle sounds. Plus, keep your ear peeled for shows by young emerging musicians with Future Treasures.

Mobile Moments 6.0

Filmed in Fremantle and its suburban precincts, Sarah Nelson’s films showcase the people and environments of work, home and play connecting with the community in Freo. Through a series of projections and with a multidisciplinary and creative flair, Sarah draws on her technical and physical theatre skills to reframe how we picture ourselves while we are out and about. Screening Saturday 20 August.

Soak & Plunge

This year 10 Nights in Port brings us an outdoor bathing experience with a difference. Soak & Plunge runs from 12 – 14 August & 16 – 20 August. In Soak you are invited to submerge, unwind and watch the world go by in the comforts of a hot bath overlooking Bathers Beach. Plunge is a quick cool down inspired by travel stories, rugged landscapes and European naturist traditions. Between plunging and soaking, bathers are invited to enjoy the coolness of the Indian Ocean and contemplate nature. So, bring your bathers and prepare to be enlivened.

Claiming Space

Artists Sam Kerr and Hugo Flavelle take over and create screen-led multi-artform installations featuring their experience of claiming public space. Hugo’s mobile media LIGHTHOUSE and Sam’s mobile TIKI BAR will feature in this lively exhibition. The Moore’s Building will host their visual installations as Sam and Hugo lead live TIKI TOURS during the festival. You’ll be invited to use manual wheelchairs for the ultimate experience.

10 Nights in Port runs 11 – 21 August across various venues in Fremantle.

This article first appeared in Lost in Fremantle.

Pictured top: The epic audiovisual installation ‘Light Waves’ by Frankensound. Photo: Frankensound