Head On Perth

For the first time in its history, Head On Photo Festival is expanding its footprint to Western Australia, with an outdoor and indoor festival program running from Sunday 1 February to Sunday 1 March 2026.

Set to take over the Northbridge Piazza in early 2026, the festival’s arrival signals a significant moment for the WA arts scene. To celebrate the expansion, organisers have announced the inaugural WA Life Photo Awards, a competition inviting local photographers to capture the true spirit of the West.

Perth by Johannes Reinhart
Perth by Johannes Reinhart

Festival organisers are calling for entries that go 'beyond the postcard'. While Western Australia is famous for its turquoise beaches, mining and quokkas, Head On is seeking a deeper narrative – from the red dirt of the Kimberley to the urban energy of the Perth CBD.

"We want to see your interpretation of life in the West," the festival stated. "Whether it’s street photography, portraiture, landscape, or conceptual, we are looking for work that captures the essence of life here."

Fifteen finalists will have their work professionally produced and exhibited during the first-ever Head On Photo Festival Perth, running from 1 February to 1 March 2026.

The prize pool includes $1,500 cash for the Overall Winner. For Runners-up and a Youth Winner there are $500 vouchers from Camera. Entries will be judged by a panel of industry experts, including Tace Stephens, Connie Petrillo, and festival director Moshe Rosenzveig OAM.

Winners will be revealed at the historic festival launch at 7PM on Saturday, 31 January 2026.

Entries for the WA Life Photo Awards are open now and close on Sunday, 11 January 2026.

You can find out more on the Head On Foundation website.

Upcoming Events Submit an Event

February

Melbourne: 28 Nov 2025 – 26 May 2026. The exhibition celebrates the wide-ranging photographic practices of more than eighty women artists working between 1900 and 1975.

Sydney: Until 11 April. Unfinished Business brings together the voices of 30 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living with disabilities from remote, regional, and urban communities across Australia.

Canberra: Until 6 Sept 2026. Trent Parke’s photographic series The Christmas tree bucket 2006–09 is a tender and darkly humorous portrayal of his extended family coming together to celebrate Christmas.

Melbourne: 11 Feb – 25 April 2026. Familial brings together six international artists whose work navigates the emotional and psychological terrain of family.

March

Sydney: Until 7 Feb 2027. From his archive of more than 200,000 images, Close Up celebrates the historic moments and pivotal people he famously captured.

Sydney: 03 March – 26 March 2026. NSW at Night is a photography exhibition offering a glimpse into life after dark across New South Wales, through the people, places and rhythms that shape it.

Melbourne: 5 March – 7 August 2026. Between the mid-1970s and early 1990s, artist and social documentary photographer Viva Gibb (1945-2017) documented the suburbs of North and West Melbourne, where she lived.

Melbourne: 7 March – 24 May 2026. Photos of flowers from the NGA collection by prominent photographers drawn such as Robert Mapplethorpe and four groundbreaking Australian photographers.

Melbourne: 10 March – 5 May 2026. TOPshots is an annual celebration of emerging photo-media artists selected from a large pool of entries.

Melbourne: 13 – 22 March 2026. Award-winning photographers Andrew Tan and Rosalind Pach invite you to explore the city as a living, shifting experience.