Perth's Fringe World Festival, managed by Artrage, has terminated its partnership with Woodside following a multi-year campaign led by members of the Western Australian arts community.

The first 'fossil free' festival season in Perth is set to kick off on January 19 and Perth Festival following on February 9. This shift towards a more sustainable arts scene isn't new to Perth. In 2023, Perth Festival ended its association with Chevron, another fossil fuel giant, in response to community pressure.

The campaign against Woodside and Chevron began approximately five years ago, initiated by artists and activists. The movement encompassed protest performances, a stakeholder petition, and even the creation of an alternative fossil free festival. Despite these victories, other arts organisations such as the WA Ballet, WA Youth Orchestra, and WA Symphony Orchestra remain partnered with Woodside. The decision to cut ties with Woodside is seen as a significant victory for environmental activists.

"When we all first sat in a room together five years ago to set this goal of kicking these huge companies out of our biggest festivals, I'm not sure how many of us thought we would actually achieve this. I would urge others to draw inspiration from what we have done and call out the promotion of fossil fuel extremists," Anthony Collins, a leader of the campaign from Fossil Free Arts, said.

Noemie Huttner-Koros, an Artist, Writer and Community Organiser with Arts & Cultural Workers for Climate Action, echoed this sentiment.

"It's so exciting to hear that Fringe World and Artrage, the third largest Fringe festival in the world, has now completely cut ties with Woodside - a fossil fuel company which is taking us on a path of climate catastrophe and gas-fuelled disasters. Thanks to a broad coalition of concerned community members, artists and audience members, this will be the first festival season in WA where the two biggest arts festivals - Fringe World and Perth Festival - will no longer be sponsored by fossil fuel companies."

Woodside meanwhile, was in the news in December after confirming it is in discussions regarding a potential merger with Santos.

In an ASX statement, the company said discussions remain confidential and incomplete, but "there is no certainty that the discussions will lead to a transaction".

"As a global energy company, Woodside continuously assesses a range of opportunities to create and deliver value for shareholders. Woodside will continue to update the market in accordance with its continuous disclosure obligations," the statement read.