The Perth International Cabaret Festival (PICF) has announced it will cease operations immediately. This means the cancellation of its planned 2025 program and marks the end of the state’s only dedicated cabaret festival.
Despite four successful festivals to date, strong audience return rates and measurable economic impact, the Festival’s Board said the decision to wind up PICF was unavoidable due to an inability to secure core operational funding. A similar fate befell Propel Youth Arts WA earlier this week.
Chair John Poulsen called the outcome “heartbreaking,” noting the PICF’s contribution to the cultural, social and economic life of Perth.
“We created something truly special,” he said, adding that the Festival’s sudden closure would affect more than 50 artists and numerous contractors who had been scheduled for PICF 2025.
The Festival was founded in 2019 by Graham Lovelock and Ali Welburn, modelled on the long-running Adelaide Cabaret Festival, and launched in 2020, with the Perth International Cabaret Festival making its stage debut in 2021.
Read: Life is a cabaret WA old chum
The inaugural PICF was originally planned for 2020, but had to be delayed due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic that year.
PICF was led artistically by Helpmann Award-winner Michael Griffiths and quickly become a winter staple in Perth’s cultural calendar.
A legacy of innovation and inclusion
PICF’s four iterations to date included over 100 shows and events, more than 300 featured artists (including Caroline O’Connor, Meow Meow, Lior, Mama Alto and Vika and Linda Bull), and generated an estimated $10 million in total economic impact.
In 2024 alone, the Festival hosted 50 artists and attracted over 5,800 attendees.
PICF was also noted for its inclusive programming and was the first WA arts organisation to stage a smoking ceremony on the stage of the Edwardian His Majesty’s Theatre. Across the Festival’s history, 60% of its artists were drawn from within WA and it maintained a 98% audience return rate.
The challenge of funding stability
Despite these achievements, the Board stated that without stable, recurrent funding, the Festival could not sustainably continue.
“This is a heartbreaking outcome for a Festival that consistently delivered cultural, social, and economic value,” Poulsen said. “Our small but passionate team was on the brink of announcing a world-class 2025 program, including international acts, alongside local and national artists.”
The closure is likely to raise wider questions about the fragility of arts organisations in WA. Poulsen expressed disappointment that PICF would no longer be able to contribute to the State Government’s 10-year Creative WA plan.
“We were looking forward to Perth International Cabaret Festival being part of the State Government’s Creative WA 10-year strategic plan which supports the growth of emerging talent,” Poulsen said. “It was about making WA a place where local creatives stay to work, produce and mentor others and where those who have left are encouraged to come home.”
The Board, artists and organisers thanked audiences, staff and supporters for their role in building a Festival that celebrated “diversity, excellence and joy”, and which, in their words, “belonged to Perth and Western Australia and deserved to thrive”.
