Perth's iconic Australia Day Skyworks, which once drew crowds of over 300,000, has been cancelled for the first time in nearly four decades. The city will instead host a scaled-down event featuring a drone display and small fireworks show at Langley Park.
Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas cited community sentiment and the massive cost as reasons for the change. He said the city is seeking a 'middle ground' that balances celebrations for families, new citizens, and Indigenous communities.
The Skyworks tradition began in 1985, with families gathering along the Swan River foreshore and tuning into local radio stations for synchronized music. However, the event faced challenges over the years, including crowd violence in 2004, a fatal plane crash in 2017, and COVID-19 disruptions.
Attendance declined significantly, with only 30,000 to 40,000 people watching from the South Perth foreshore in 2022, compared to 106,000 in 2020. The City of South Perth incurred costs of nearly $905,000 for the 2022 event but recouped only a third of that.
Mayor Zempilas defended the new format as sound leadership, noting that the city will host a citizenship ceremony and the Birak Concert. 'Until there is a change of date mandated by federal parliament, we will mark the day respectfully,' he said.
