Albany 2026: Enthusiastic crowds flock to Albany foreshore for the first weekend of Lighting The Sound

Albany’s bicentenary moved firmly into the spotlight over the weekend as thousands of people flooded to the water’s edge and key vantage points around the city to see the spectacular Lighting The Sound. The landmark event on Albany’s 2026 calendar is a record-breaking artistic display by Finnish mastermind Kari Kola. In typical Albany fashion, the opening night of the grand spectacle was interrupted by heavy rain that fell just as darkness descended on the port city. Not even that could deter the enthusiastic crowd, however, who stood their ground at the Anzac Peace Park through the early deluge, determined to be some of the first to catch a glimpse of the stunning light display. Friday’s crowd was filled with residents both old and young, as well as visitors from around WA and interstate, all keen to see the show, and the turnout on Saturday was just as impressive. As the massive project, involving 800 LED lights on 15 towers across about 15km of the Torndirrup National Park, came to life, a blanket of green covered the coastline, water and sky near Princess Royal Harbour. Red roots were intertwined with the bright green lights as the shoreline was filled with adoring fans, with many taking the chance to capture a shot of the beauty. Speaking to the Advertiser outside the Albany Entertainment Centre on Friday night, mayor Greg Stocks said the fervour developed through sneak peaks of the light show reached a peak on opening night. “What I’m delighted about is that the community has embraced this project, and WA has embraced it,” he said. “If you walk down the main street today, it was as busy as I’ve ever seen it, but the social benefit that comes out of this is as important as the economic benefit. “This walk together with the Menang-Noongar people has proven to be exactly what it should have been, the right approach. “And there’s people who will be asking, ‘Where were you when the biggest light installation in the world was lit up? I was in Albany. I was there’.” The opening of the event on Friday also featured a stirring Indigenous dance performance by local group Mooditj Nop, a traditional welcome to country, and a narration of the history behind Albany and its landmarks before the lights took real effect. The light installation, created by Kola in association with FORM, is the biggest in the world to date. Stirling Terrace transformed into a block party, with outdoor markets lining the streets and businesses extending their trading hours to welcome droves of tourists. Dignitaries including WA Premier Roger Cook and Leader of the Opposition Basil Zempilas were also in town on Friday, taking in the show from the Albany Entertainment Centre. The event was also broadcast widely in the media, with veteran news anchor Noel Brunning doing a live cross for 7NEWS Regional, ABC Drive hosting an outdoor show in the lead-up, and Channel 10 visiting from Perth to cover the event. The illumination will run on three nights over the next two weekends, headlining the bicentenary commemorations.