Broome, WA · Winter-Spring
Shinju Matsuri (Festival of the Pearl)
Nine days in late August to early September
Shinju Matsuri, the Festival of the Pearl, celebrates Broome's pearling history and the Japanese, Chinese, Malay and Aboriginal heritage that built the town. Across nine days in late August and early September, events run from Chinatown to Cable Beach: long-table dinners, art trails, dragon boat races and a closing fireworks night over Roebuck Bay.
Around 25,000 people take part, timed to Broome's dry-season peak of warm days and cloudless nights. If the dates align, the Staircase to the Moon rising over the mudflats is the natural spectacle the festival wraps itself around. Cable Beach camel trains at sunset complete the picture.
- Cultural Festival
- Regional Tourism
- When
- Nine days in late August to early September
- How often
- Every year
- Venue
- Cable Beach, Chinatown and townwide
- Crowd
- Estimated 25,000
- Entry
- Free + ticketed
- Setting
- Outdoor
Dates shown follow the event's typical pattern; exact dates change each year, so confirm on the official site before booking travel.
Getting there by bus
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Fares and timetables are confirmed on the operator's site before you book.