Source : Perth Now news
The stage is set and anticipation has officially reached fever pitch as the countdown until the 59th annual Telethon enters its final hour.
RAC Arena opened to the public at 5.45pm, allowing hundreds of giddy fans waiting in the Wellington Street forecourt to stream inside ahead of the televised fundraising extravaganza.
Self-proclaimed super-fan Phoebe Butler has been coming to Telethon for the past five years with her family, and tonight is rocking a Telethon hoodie, t-shirt and socks.
She plans to stay at the Telethon live site for the entire 26-hour broadcast — a tradition she and her family started about three years ago.
“We’re going to be here the whole time, we won’t be going home, we’ll stay all weekend … we’re a bit like zombies by the time we leave,” she said.
“We slept for about 10 minutes last time, but other than that, we’re awake the whole time.”
Monique Shaddick is tonight introducing her young daughter, Savannah, to the fundraiser.
“I have been watching Telethon for many years growing up, and it was so much fun when I was a kid, but Savannah hasn’t really experienced Telethon too much, so I’m really excited to take her this time,” she said.
Paula Williamson and her friend, Shelley, were first in line at RAC Arena. They had been queuing since 4pm.
“I’m really excited because I’ve not been here before … I’ve done Telethon Mega-Bingo, but I’ve never done this,” she said.
“It’s always about helping the kids.”
And on the concourse, dozens of devotees are already participating in mammoth 24-hour community fundraisers, putting their bodies on the line for sick kids.
Aviation Rescue Firefighting Services’ Phil Birch said he and a team of 17 firefighters would be walking on a treadmill for 24 hours – each decked out in 20kg of firefighting gear.
“It’s broken into one-hour blocks doing rotating shifts non-stop for that time,” he said.
“The gear definitely makes a difference and wearing the equipment makes it a lot hotter as well. So there are two challenges: carrying the weight and also the heat buildup and your core temperature.”
They hope to walk about 120km over the 24-hour period.
“At the start there’s a bit of buzz and excitement, so hopefully we can keep that pace up,” he said.
“It’ll help when you get two new lads on and they’re fresh and full of energy to keep up the pace again, but if we can average about 5km/h, that would be a good target.”
As the crowds take their seats, Australian music powerhouse Jessica Mauboy has been warming up her vocal chords as the 2026 Telethon headliner.
Newcastle-born, Nashville-based country singer-songwriter Morgan Evans is making his Perth Telethon debut on the RAC Arena stage, while the musical line-up also includes triple-threat Natalie Bassingthwaighte who will perform with reunited electro-rock band Rogue Traders.
Home & Away stars Kyle Shilling, Hailey Pinto and Rocco Forrester-Sach, The Voice Australia coach Kate Miller-Heidke and returning favourite Shane Crawford are also in town for the event, each sure to join a panel to read community donations on live television.
The 26-hour live broadcast kicks off at 7pm and will air across Channel 7, 7plus and nationally on 7flix, but the donation phone lines are open from 6.30pm and you can call 1300 737 507.
The action continues on Sunday, with thousands of people expected at the Telethon Family Festival, a free community celebration which stretches from RAC Arena to Yagan Square.
The Lotterywest Kids Carnival, opposite RAC Arena, is expected to draw huge crowds, offering up free carnival rides, sideshow games and classic show bags without parents having to break the bank.
Nearby Yagan Square will be transformed into a family fun zone featuring free face-painting, glitter stations, food trucks, roving entertainers and a magical live mermaid show.
