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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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The ultimate Margaret River road trip itinerary for food & wine lovers

    Monique CeccatoBy Monique Ceccato
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    Time your visit to Margaret River just right, and you can spend the ultimate weekend wining, dining and exploring the region with Pair’d Margaret River Region x Range Rover.

    Wine, world-class produce, surf, sun and beaches: it’s an alluring combination. And the reason so many pin the Margaret River region high on their travel hit-lists. There’s drawcard after drawcard to the southwestern corner of Western Australia, and the Pair’d Margaret River Region x Range Rover food and wine festival showcases the best of it over the course of one weekend in November. It’s never been easier to sip, see and savour the Margaret River region.

    In partnership with Pair’d Margaret River Region, Range Rover invites you on a seven-day itinerary of refined adventure, where luxury and exploration go hand in hand. It’s the perfect WA road trip, and there’s no better way to do it than in a Range Rover.

    Day 1

    the pool at Pullman Bunker Bay
    Check into Pullman Bunker Bay.

    There’s no more popular West Australian road trip route than that between Perth and the Margaret River Region. It’s an easily digestible, three-hour drive, with worthy pit stops along the way.

    Make the first of them one hour and 15 minutes in, at Lake Clifton. Here, find a 2000-year-old living thrombolite reef. Drive for a further 40 minutes and chance meeting some of Bunbury’s dolphin population at Koombana Bay.

    Pullman Bunker Bay is the final stop, just over three hours south of Perth. This beachfront, five-star resort is the ultimate base for exploring the Margaret River Wine region.

    Day 2

    After a leisurely morning breakfast with an ocean view, start your Range Rover and head towards the Dunsborough town centre. Browsing the decidedly coastal-themed goods of the town’s many independent boutiques is a great way to while away the hours, breaking up the sartorial with an artisan gelato snack stop, or some good old-fashioned Australian bakery fare.

    Leave room; you’ll need it for the Good Natured Gathering  dinner at Wayfinder. Indulge in a four-course feast by chef Felipe Montiel, which uses produce from the winery’s market garden to enhance a selection of sustainably sourced seafood and meat. But food is just the support act. It’s organic wine that’s the star of the show, generously poured and expertly paired to each dish.

    Day 3

    Settle in for cabernet at Cape Mentelle Winery.

    With a grand total of 20 wines from vintage 2022 to try, it’s a good thing Cape Mentelle’s International Cabernet Tasting kicks off early. Make your way to the estate for a 10:00 AM start, where a global selection of wines will be poured blind, before a long lunch by Tiller Dining is served.

    Given that the Margaret River is responsible for more than 20 per cent of Australia’s fine wine production, it’s only right to delve into it while in the area.

    Continue exploring the region via taste and terroir aboard Alison Maree, a whale-watching catamaran, as you cruise Geographe Bay . Admire the rolling green hills and crisp white beaches of Quindalup in sunset’s golden light, all the while sipping through the Clairault Streicker catalogue and dining on canapes.

    For a more substantial dinner, venture into Busselton for a seven-course British x Australian mash-up , courtesy of Brendan Pratt (Busselton Pavilion) and Oliver Kent (Updown Farmhouse, UK). They’ll be putting their rustic yet refined spin on the likes of local marron, wagyu and abalone – championing the simple beauty of the world-class ingredients.

    Day 4

    Pair'd Beach Club
    Elevate your dining experiences at Pair’d X Range Rover Beach Club.

    Wrap your fingers around a wine glass and wiggle your toes into the sand at Pair’d Beach Club x Range Rover on Meelup Beach. Sit down to an intimate wine session with sommelier Cyndal Petty – or a four-course feast by Aaron Carr of Yarri – and revel in the open-air beach club, bar and restaurant’s laidback coastal vibe. It’s a whole new way to experience one of the region’s most renowned beaches.

    Follow up a day in the sun with a casual Italian party at Mr Barvel Wines . Purchase wines –including the elusive, sold-out Nebbia – by the glass and enjoy canapes with the towering Karri forest as a backdrop.

    If you’d prefer to keep it local, head to Skigh Wines for the New Wave Gathering , where the region’s independent wine makers and their boundary-pushing wines will be on show. Street-style eats, a DJ and complimentary wine masterclasses complete the experience.

    Day 5

    pair'd Grand Tasting
    Taste your way through Howard Park Wines. (Image: C J Maddock)

    Spend the morning at your leisure, driving the winding roads through the Boranup Karri forest in your Range Rover. Soak in the views at Contos Beach, and call into the small cheese, chocolate and preserve producers along the way.

    Make your next stop Howard Park Wines for The Grand Tasting presented by Singapore Airlines . Numerous wine labels will be pouring their catalogues over four hours, accompanied by food from chefs Matt Moran and Silvia Colloca, with live opera providing the soundtrack.

    Cap off a big weekend with one last hurrah at Busselton Pavilion. Six ‘local legends’ – chefs Brendan Pratt (Busselton Pavilion), Mal Chow (Chow’s Table), Aaron Carr (Yarri), Ben Jacob (Lagoon Yallingup), Corey Rozario (Dahl Daddies) and Laura Koentjoro (Banksia Tavern) – will be preparing a dish each. Dance the night away as vinyl spins and the sun sets on another day.

    Day 6

    Ngilgi Cave western australia
    Head underground. (Image: Tourism WA)

    After a busy few days of wining and dining, it’s wise to observe a rest day. There’s no easier task than unwinding in the Margaret River Region, also famous for its high concentration of world-class beaches.

    Relax on the grassy knoll as you watch the region’s most experienced surfers braving the World Surf League break at Surfer’s Point, or don your own wetsuit and try out one of Gracetown’s more beginner-friendly waves. Swimmers will find their Eden at Meelup Beach, Eagle Bay, or Point Piquet, where the sand is brilliantly white and the water as still as a backyard swimming pool.

    Not into sun, sand, and surf? Head underground at Mammoth Cave, just one of the region’s many stalactite-filled caves.

    Day 7

    Burnt Ends event at Pair'd
    Farewell the Margaret River.

    Pack up your Range Rover with new favourite wines and newfound memories, ready for the three-hour journey back to Perth.

    Prebook your discovery journey through the south-west corner of Western Australia with Pair’d Margaret River Region x Range Rover.

    Pair’d Margaret River Region is proudly owned by the Western Australian Government, through Tourism WA.