2026 Ministerial Welcome message
Hon Don Punch MLA
Minister for South West
Hon Stephen Dawson MLC
Minister for Regional Development
Hon Don Punch MLA
Minister for South West
​Hon Roger Cook MLA
Premier; Minister for Tourism, Trade and Investment​
Hon Stephen Dawson MLC
Minister for Regional Development
​Hon Roger Cook MLA
Premier; Minister for Tourism, Trade and Investment​
The Cook Labor Government is a proud sponsor of the Manjimup Cherry Harmony Festival through Tourism Western Australia’s Regional Events Scheme, funded by Royalties for Regions.
The Regional Events Scheme (RES) was established to support event holders across the State with the development of events to drive tourism to regional Western Australia. The RES plays an important role in creating a timely reason for visitors to travel to the State’s regions, activating pockets of Western Australia and creating vibrancy, while showcasing the host region’s unique and diverse attractions.
A total of 64 regional events across Western Australia have been awarded funding through the
2026-27 funding round. This includes a $150,000 funding pool for the Regional Aboriginal Events Scheme, which exclusively allocates funding to events delivering Aboriginal activities and experiences.
The Western Australian Government is proud to sponsor these regional events, which help bring vibrancy to local communities and drive visitor spend, injecting millions into regional economies.
Tourism is a key part of our plan to diversify the economy, create jobs and develop business opportunities, especially in regional Western Australia. Events play an important role in this plan and also contribute to the Government’s vision for Perth and Western Australia to be the fastest growing events destination in the South East Asia region.
The Western Australian Government sponsors a range of sporting, cultural, arts and culinary events across the state, to attract visitors and encourage them to stay longer, disperse further and spend more while they are here.
We hope everyone enjoys Manjimup Cherry Harmony Festival and takes the time to explore the South West region.
Welcome message from the Festival Committee
The Manjimup Cherry Harmony Festival committe welcomes you to the 2026 festival!
The Mission of the Manjimup Cherry Harmony Festival is to provide the ultimate celebration of cherries, local produce and entertainment which will enhance the profile of the Southern Forests region and recognises harmony within its communities. The harmony component is still a key point due to the tumultuous history of the town’s industries. The resilience of the community needs to be celebrated and we need to recognise what the community still has to offer, in spite of the many challenges in recent history.
​
​
Vision
The vision of the Manjimup Cherry Harmony Festival Committee was, and is to be the best event within the Warren Blackwood region attracting local, national, and international visitors. ​
​The Manjimup Cherry Harmony Festival is a very successful annual community event. It has developed into a positive and harmonious Festival to attend in the beautiful Southern Forests Region of Western Australia, and it belongs to the community. It is held on the second Saturday in December annually.
In 2026 the Festival celebrates its 25th year. (In 2023 the Manjimup Cherry Harmony Festival presented Manjimup Markets and More). During the lifespan of the Festival, it has seen continuous growth in both attendance and recognition. In achieving this growth, the Festival has retained the cherry as its central theme for all events.
The Cherry Festival weekend commences on Friday 11 December (evening), followed by Saturday 12 December Cherry Harmony Festival day, Saturday 12 December (evening) Community Concert and Sunday 13 December, the popular Very Cherry Brekkie.
The Committee always encourages local businesses to run satellite events to enhance the Cherry Festival weekend. In doing this, visitors coming to the area have a variety of different events and venues to attend and are able to taste the wonderful foods that are grown in the Southern Forests region.
​
We encourage participation of local community groups including sporting teams, dance studios, cultural groups, musicians, artists, not-for-profits, and school groups to use the festival as a medium to showcase their skills and knowledge. ​​
​
The festival committee members are volunteers whom donate their time and expertise for the success of the festival. The festival is heavily reliant on volunteers before, during, and after the event to ensure it runs smoothly. We extend our gratitude and appreciation to all that contribute to making the Manjimup Cherry Harmony Festival the exceptional event that it is, and extend an invitation to join our volunteer workforce to guarantee many more festivals in the future.
​
We are sure that you will find the 2026 Manjimup Cherry Harmony Festival an absolute delight!
​
- The 2026 Manjimup Cherry Harmony Festival Committee
Australian icon Ernie Dingo will return to Manjimup this year as part of the Cherry Harmony Festival’s 25th anniversary celebrations.
​
The much‑loved actor, presenter and entertainer will join an impressive line‑up of special guests at the 2026 festival, returning after his previous appearance in 2004. Cherry Harmony Festival committee chair Pam Bodsworth said organisers were thrilled to welcome him back: “It’s fantastic to have him come back to celebrate 25 years.”
Mr Dingo, a Wadjarri/Yamatji man from Western Australia, has built a long career across film, television and theatre, including roles in Bran Nue Dae, Mystery Road, The Great Outdoors and Going Places with Ernie Dingo. He has received major honours, including the Order of Australia (1990), NAIDOC National Aboriginal of the Year (1994), and being voted a National Living Treasure (1997).
His return forms part of the committee’s focus on celebrating the “best of the best” from the festival’s history, inviting back special guests from the past 24 festivals.
​
Ernie Dingo - Biography
Ernie is one of Australia's most loved personalities. His laid back style and earthy honesty have made him welcome into our TV homes on such programs as The World Around Us and his extremely popular hosting role on The Great Outdoors. He has extensive experience in Master of Ceremony, Product Launch and Corporate Hosting roles.
The Aboriginal Australian actor who has had an extensive career in film and television, is best known to international audiences through his film roles as Charlie in Crocodile Dundee II and as the Australian detective who chases William Hurt around the globe in Wim Wenders, Until the End of the World, Dingo has also become a familiar and popular figure on Australian television.
One of Dingo's main skills as an actor is an ability to engage audiences with an open, easy screen presence and use of humour, while also capturing serious moods dramatically and convincingly. It is perhaps this versatility, above all, which has made him highly effective as a cross-cultural communicator.​
Dingo's television career is particularly significant for the way it has broken new ground in the medium's presentation of cultural difference. Initially taking roles scripted specifically for an Aboriginal actor by white writers and directors, he has worked consistently to broaden expectations of what Aboriginality can include and to introduce and popularise an understanding of Aboriginal perspectives on Australian life.
Ernie Dingo grew up around the small Western Australian town of Mullewa, where the local Aboriginal people still speak the traditional Wudjadi language. He first moved into acting in Perth when a basketball team to which he belonged formed a dance and cultural performance group Middar.
Ernie Dingo has been acclaimed by some as one of Australia's finest contemporary actors. In addition, he has established a place as a major figure in extending mainstream awareness and understanding of Aboriginal Australia.