The Channel 7 Mandurah Crab Fest was back with a bang over the weekend, with more than 120,000 visitors flocking to the city’s waterfront spaces to enjoy the return of the much-loved festival.
Kicking off on Friday night with Soiree by the Bay and a Street Party, the jam-packed Crab Fest weekend was all about food, cooking demonstrations, entertainment, action sports, fireworks and celebrating Mandurah’s blue swimmer crab, with crowds keen for a slice of the fun.
Mayor Rhys Williams said after three years of not holding the event, it was amazing to see Mandurah come alive for one of the most successful Crab Fests ever.
“This year’s return of the Channel 7 Mandurah Crab Fest was a phenomenal success and it was a great pleasure to be able to welcome back the big crowds and showcase the Mandurah experience,” Mayor Williams said.
“We saw more than 120,000 visitors from across the State and locals come into Mandurah over the weekend to celebrate our iconic Blue Swimmer Crab and our beautiful city. This remains one of this State’s most significant free regional events and was only possible thanks to the huge effort and months of work from our staff and close to 100 volunteers on the ground and behind the scenes in bringing Crab Fest to life.
“A special thanks to our event partners and sponsors for their support of Crab Fest 2023, and more than 100 local businesses who were involved this year, we could not have done it without you.”
Kate Molinari from Channel 7, the event’s naming sponsor, said the organisation was proud to be associated with the festival and see it’s epic return in 2023.
“Channel 7 has a long and proud history with the Crab Fest since the event began in 1999, and we’re excited to be part of a festival that is loved by many across the state and beyond. It was great to see Mandurah buzzing all weekend and our team from 7NEWS, Better Homes and Gardens and Home and Away had such a great time!” Mrs Molinari said.
The Spudshed Cooking Stage was a huge crowd pleaser throughout the weekend, with host Paul West and Food Ambassador ‘Fast’ Ed Halmagyi cooking up a storm with Channel 7 celebrities, Spudshed owner Tony Galati and Mayor Williams. Some lucky audience members also got to sample the culinary creations fresh from the stage kitchen.
The Seaside Estate Music Stage was the musical heartbeat of the festival all weekend, with headline acts Electric Fields, Gretta Ray and pop icon Vanessa Amorosi wowing the crowds, plus a range of amazing local talent on Saturday and Sunday.
The exclusive Crab Fest ticketed events also drew great numbers to enjoy a range of experiences designed especially for Crab Fest weekend, including delicious food, drinks, cocktail making and even pilates sessions beside the water.
More than 50 food vendors served up mouth-watering crab and seafood inspired dishes including crab paella, crab and prawn arancini, crab bao buns and fresh crabs to enjoy at the festival or take home. There was also plenty on offer for non-seafood lovers, including all the festival favourites.
Other highlights of WA’s biggest free regional event included the Children’s Area with dedicated Children’s Stage (presented by Alcoa Australia), the Mandurah Mazda Action Sports Games with wakeboarding, BMX, scooter and skateboarding competitions, the spectacular fireworks display over Mandjar Bay, and a new addition to Crab Fest – the Spudshed Yellow Brick Road.
The Channel 7 Mandurah Crab Fest is delivered by the City of Mandurah and supported by the State Government through Tourism WA’s Regional Events Program.
