What's happening in Perth

The family had been kayaking and paddleboarding in Geographe Bay when they were swept out to sea in rough conditions.

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Fans heading to Optus Stadium for AFL matches this season will notice some significant changes designed to enhance their matchday experience and reduce environmental impact.

From the Fremantle versus Melbourne clash on Saturday, March 21st, followed by the West Coast versus North Melbourne match on Sunday, March 22nd, full-strength beer will be available throughout the stadium’s general public areas for the first time, bringing the venue in line with other major Australian stadiums.

The change follows a comprehensive review and consultation process with key stakeholders, including regulatory bodies, suppliers, and hirers. While 13.5 per cent wine has been available across all areas of the venue, 4.5 per cent beer has previously only been served in specific member and hospitality areas, which can serve up to half of attendees at some events. Full-strength beer will now be available alongside existing mid-strength options, giving fans more choice regardless of where they’re seated.

Sport and Recreation Minister Rita Saffioti said the changes would improve the fan experience while maintaining a strong focus on safety and responsible service.

“Optus Stadium is a world-class venue, and these changes are about improving the experience for fans and offering more choice, wherever they’re seated,” Saffioti said.

Australia’s first major stadium with fully reusable cups

In a groundbreaking sustainability initiative, Optus Stadium will simultaneously become Australia’s first major stadium to offer 100 per cent reusable drink cups to all patrons.

Environment Minister Matthew Swinbourn highlighted the environmental benefits of the initiative, which grew out of the Cook Labor Government’s Plastic Free Riverpark Grant Program.

“When changes like this are applied at scale, across tens of thousands of fans at a venue located right on the river’s edge, they deliver real environmental benefits and show how major venues can operate more sustainably,” Swinbourn said.

Following a competitive tender process, the stadium’s operator VenuesLive has awarded the contract to Western Australian business FSG NickNack, a division of FrothStop Group, to supply and manage the reusable cup system. Dedicated return bins will be located throughout the venue, with cups collected, washed, sanitised, and reused for future events.

FSG NickNack’s cup and washing equipment technology has proven itself internationally, successfully supplying cups for more than 100,000 people at a single-day event and washing 700,000 cups during a five-day festival.

Strong fan support during trials

The reusable cup initiative builds on sustainability measures already in place at the stadium and supports the WA Government’s Plan for Plastics. A trial conducted during the 2024 AFL season showed strong patron support, with most fans reporting a better drinking experience compared with disposable cups.

With the introduction of the reusable cups, the price of a beer at the stadium will rise by 40 cents.

The post Optus Stadium To Introduce Full-Strength Beer & Reusable Cups appeared first on So Perth

After a more than seven-year absence from Australian stages, Lily Allen is returning with her biggest tour yet. The British singer-songwriter has announced she’ll perform at RAC Arena later this year — on Sunday, November 1st — as part of her biggest ever headline tour of Australia and New Zealand.

The show, titled Lily Allen performs West End Girl, will see Allen perform her critically acclaimed fifth studio album in its entirety, in the order the songs appear on the record. The album, which dropped in October, has already amassed more than 275 million streams globally and debuted at number six on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart.

Perth will be the final stop on the tour, which kicks off in Auckland on October 21st before moving through Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne. The tour marks Allen’s first visit to Australia since her No Shame tour in 2019.

A return to music

For fans who’ve followed Allen’s career since her 2006 debut Alright, Still, this tour represents a significant moment. After announcing she was stepping away from music following her 2018 album No Shame, Allen turned her attention to theatre, starring in sold-out runs of 2:22 A Ghost Story and The Pillowman, as well as co-hosting the award-winning podcast Miss Me with her best friend Miquita Oliver.

West End Girl uses Allen’s move to New York as the basis for a narrative journey across 14 new songs. Written primarily in collaboration with her musical director Blue May, the album has earned widespread critical acclaim, with the Sunday Times UK calling it “fantastic” and BBC declaring it “one for the history books”. 

Influencing a new generation

During her time away from music, Allen’s influence has only deepened among a new generation of pop artists. Billie Eilish has spoken about crying the first time she heard Smile, while Olivia Rodrigo — who invited Allen to perform Fuck You at Glastonbury in protest at the US Supreme Court — credits her with showing how to “say what the fuck you want”. 

The artist’s impact has been recognised beyond streaming numbers, too. Allen recently appeared twice in triple j’s Hottest 100 2025, with ‘Pussy Palace’ landing at number 38 and ‘West End Girl’ at number 88. She’s also been nominated for three BRIT Awards 2026: Artist of the Year, Mastercard Album of the Year, and Genre Category: Pop.

Tour dates and locations

• Spark Arena, Auckland — Wednesday, October 21st
• Brisbane Entertainment Centre — Friday, October 23rd
• TikTok Entertainment Centre, Sydney — Sunday, October 25th
• Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne — Wednesday, October 28th
• RAC Arena, Perth — Sunday, November 1st

How to get tickets

Telstra Plus Members can access presale tickets from Wednesday, February 4th at 11:00 am via telstra.com.au/plus. The lilyallenmusic.com and Frontier Member presales commence Thursday, February 4th at midday, with general sale beginning Monday, February 9th at 1:00 pm.

Tickets and tour information are available at lilyallenmusic.com/tour.

The post Lily Allen Is Bringing Her Biggest Tour Ever To Perth This November appeared first on So Perth

A friend of the family that were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide in Mosman Park say the children’s National Disability Insurance Scheme funding had recently been cut.

While the new bridge rounds out the Fremantle port, don’t expect the next year without a crucial river crossing in one of Perth’s busiest corners to be smooth sailing.

The data comes as new figures reveal a record number of WA suburbs now have a median house price of over $1 million.

The note is believed to detail how overwhelmed the parents were feeling before their deaths, and is alleged to indicate a level of planning.

How did the sexual abuse of a young boy on the cusp of his teenage years by a teacher at his former school go unnoticed for 16 months?

The 44-year-old West Australian billionaire spent a night behind bars before appearing in Perth Magistrates Court on Friday.

Officers were called to the scene just after 8am on Friday, arriving to find a 50-year-old man, a 49-year-old woman and two boys aged 14 and 16 dead.

A West Australian racetrack has been closed pending an internal investigation after two greyhounds were euthanised and several more were injured during a meet on Wednesday.

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Consumer Protection commissioner Trish Blake confirmed her agency was pursuing the Australian Property Alliance, which was established by Nicheliving’s directors after the company was deregistered as a builder in 2024.

Majid Jamshidi Doukoshkan, 45, is one of three men accused of a violent attack on Ninette and Philip Simons at their home in Girrawheen in 2024.

From a collapsed real estate firm in South Africa, to troubled NDIS businesses in Australia, an expanding business network is drawing increasing scrutiny.

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Perth have overcome a slow start that cost them an Ignite Cup final spot to beat South East Melbourne and spice up the top-four race in the run towards the NBL’s finals series.

WA’s peak environmental body says while a ban on demersal fishing is necessary to protect species recovery into the future, it was undermined by approvals for seismic blasting to explore for new gas reserves.

After attending home inspections shoulder-to-shoulder with sometimes hundreds of other people, David* turned to Facebook Marketplace in his search for somewhere to live.