Putting on a show at the Perth International Burlesque Festival

Corsets, fishnets, feathers and pasties might well be the visual shorthand for burlesque, but this performance artform is so much more. At its heart, burlesque is the art of the tease and about performance, control and anticipation.

It's an interesting reversal of the conventional idea of stripping. The performer is ostensibly being looked at, but they are the one with the power. They decide where you look. They direct your attention. They interrupt it. They reveal something and then conceal something else. The audience doesn't simply consume the performer, the performer plays with the audience's desire to see.

Burlesque started as a 16th century literary style used to mock serious subjects by treating them in a foolish style. Over time it has evolved in many different directions. It's this variety you'll find at the Perth International Burlesque Festival, an annual over-18s event which this year features performances in Perth, Geraldton and Margaret River.

This year marks the festival's 13th season and turns up the dial on decadence, showcasing an elite powerhouse line-up of global headliners, regional showcases and boundary-pushing local talent.

This is WA's premier showcase of the art of tease, rather than the art of undressing. Championing diversity, empowerment, body positivity and artistic excellence, the festival continues to put WA burlesque and variety arts firmly on the global map.

Curated by Festival Director Jessica Anne Gough aka The Sugar Duchess - this marks her eighth year on the throne.

"One of the things I love about this festival is that it's very community driven," she says.

"I'm very passionate about making the experience for the audience the most amazing, weird, wild event and a nurturing space for the artists. So many of our artists come back year after year because they love what the festival is about - which includes diversity, inclusion and different bodies and are applauded for who they are.

"One of the things I am most proud of about this festival is that the burlesque community comes together for it each year - and as well as locally, they come from around the world."

Kitty Obsidian and Kelly Ann Doll will be performing at the festival.

This year's headliners include Sin City's Raquel Reed, one of the world's top 10 burlesque performers, Kelly Ann Doll and Aussie Kelly Ann Doll who is the reigning Miss Viva Las Vegas 2025.

Also headlining is Kitty Obsidian, a proud Wiradjuri/Gamilaroi trans performer ranked 33 in the annual 21st Century Burlesque Top 50 who specialises in slow seduction, ferocious fetish and brings their award-winning brand of activism to the stage.

While there's plenty of tease on stage, The Sugar Duchess says the festival is also a perfect opportunity for audiences to glam up, no matter your style, and enjoy the visual feast.

"The shows all have different flavours and to match that people come as their biggest, brightest selves, including people busting out their ballgowns. How often do you get to do that. Like the artists, it's a wonderful opportunity for people to express themselves," The Sugar Duchess adds.

The festival runs the range of styles from old school glamour to comedy burlesque and boylesque, as well as unusual styles such as gorelesque, horror-inflected featuring blood, monsters and deliberately grotesque transformations.

"We celebrate the variety and being able to produce this festival allows me to amplify hundreds of voices, which is a real privilege."

Perth International Burlesque Festival 2026 runs from October 9-24. Tickets at perthburlesquefestival.com