- Perth set for week of cultural immersion with a blockbuster Italian football match and Little Italy Festival taking over the city
- Top Italian Serie A men’s football teams AC Milan and AS Roma to play at Optus Stadium
- Expected to attract thousands of out-of-state visitors, injecting millions into the Western Australian economy
- Supported by the Cook Government and the only match to be played by both clubs in the Asia Pacific region this year
Two giants of Italian football – AS Roma and AC Milan – have touched down in Perth, as excitement reaches fever pitch ahead of their blockbuster clash on Friday at Optus Stadium.
The match will be the first time the two sides play each other on Australian soil and the only one they play in the Asia Pacific region this year, attracting thousands of out-of-state visitors and set to inject millions into the Western Australian economy.
The teams’ arrival marks the start of a week of events for the whole community, including open training sessions, supporter events, pre-match activations and a junior football parade.
The WA Italian Club and Dorrien Gardens will then take centre stage on Saturday, 1 June after the blockbuster match with the free Little Italy Festival, featuring Italian food trucks, music and entertainment for the whole family from 2.00pm to 10.00pm.
To mark the occasion, the Route 960 bus will have a rotating display of the name ‘Forza Italia’ which roughly translates to ‘Let’s go Italy’ and run roughly every 15 minutes from the Perth Busport to the festival.
The festive weekend of culture and sport coincide with the Italian National Day (2 June) and WA Day celebrations (3 June), meaning fans will also be able to enjoy the annual WA Day Festival with a free music concert and carnival rides at Burswood Park.
AS Roma and AC Milan will also get to experience the best of Perth, with visits to Caversham Wildlife Park and other attractions scheduled, as well as engagement with local football clubs.
WA continues to prove itself as a world-class host of major football events following its recent announcement as a host city for the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, as well as last year’s record-breaking Olympic qualifier matches for the Matildas, the London Derby with English Premier League teams Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United, and five FIFA Women’s World Cup matches.
For last remaining tickets and more information about the week of activities, visit
As stated by Tourism Minister Rita Saffioti:
“Perth is absolutely buzzing with a hive of activity this week ahead of Friday’s showdown between AC Milan and AS Roma at Optus Stadium, which is one of the many benefits of bringing these types of blockbuster events to our State.
“We’re really proud to have brought these two Serie A football teams to Australia to play each other for the first time, and we know this match is not only going to be huge for local and travelling football fans, but for our community as a whole with millions set to be injected into our economy.
“I don’t think I’ve seen the WA Italian Club this busy or excited before, and I really urge our community to embrace the excitement, soak up the atmosphere and head along to all the fun activities, events and activations that are taking place throughout the week.”
As stated by Sport and Recreation Minister David Templeman:
“We’re very excited to see Perth’s world-class Optus Stadium lit up in red, green and white on Friday as AC Milan and AS Roma take to the pitch for this colossal Italian football match.
“We know how much the game has grown in popularity in WA, particularly over the past 12 months, and it’s fantastic to yet again be hosting world-class international football right here in Perth.”
