Three weekends. More than 25 live acts. 54 surfers chasing real prize money on Manly Beach. The inaugural Surf + Sound Festival has wrapped in Manly, and an estimated 300,000 people turned up to be part of it.
Running from Friday 16 October to Sunday 1 November across Manly Wharf and Manly Beach, the festival set out to celebrate the coastal culture of the Beaches. On the numbers, it landed.
Five Mates and a Big Idea
Surf + Sound started with five long-time friends: James Willis, Adam Flaskas, Joel Parkinson, Paul Henry and Lachie Given. The idea was simple. Bring surfing, music, art and community together in one place, and give back to local clubs along the way.
Presented by DEFENDER, Felons Brewing Co. and Commonwealth Bank, the first edition brought together more than 25 live music acts, seven visual artists and over 10 local businesses.
Clubs Cash In
The main event in the water was the inaugural Surf + Sound Boardriders Competition on Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November. Spearheaded by World Champion Joel Parkinson, it drew 48 boardrider teams and 54 surfers from across Australia, competing across junior, women’s and men’s divisions. Around 5,000 spectators lined the beachfront to watch.
Local clubs held their own. Queenscliff Boardriders Club and Dee Why Surfing Fraternity both brought home division titles, while the Open honours went to North Shore Boardriders and Avoca Boardriders.
Then the legends paddled out. Owen Wright took out the special Legends Heat and $10,000, in a lineup of six of Australia’s best known surfers including Joel Parkinson, seven-time World Champion Layne Beachley and Mark ‘Occy’ Occhilupo.
The money matters. Prize funds go straight back to clubs and competitors, helping grow the next generation of Australian surfers.
The final weekend wasn’t only about the waves. Pink With Purpose brought around 170 women together on Manly Beach to form a giant pink heart and walk the beachfront for Breast Cancer Trials, while a fundraiser for the Surfrider Foundation was held at Felons Manly Wharf.
Turning Up the Volume
The music program was stacked: The Whitlams, The Beautiful Girls, Skegss, Babe Rainbow, Kita Alexander, Skunkhour, Yolanda Be Cool, GANGgajang and Winston Surfshirt, plus a mix of emerging and established Australian talent.
It finished on a high. On Sunday 1 November, an estimated 10,000 people gathered around Manly Beach and Felons Manly for Winston Surfshirt’s waterfront set, before GANGgajang closed the festival in a packed Felons Barrel Room.
Art Out in the Open
Across all three weekends, a free art trail curated by Arts-Matter brought big work into public space, led by internationally recognised artist Jeremyville. DEFENDER’s Adventures in Sound activation saw five Classic Defenders painted live at Manly Wharf by Karlee Mackie, Steve Ormandy, Funskull, Daimon Downey and Ozzy Wright, each becoming an interactive artwork on the trail.
Between sets, the Manly Wharf dining precinct kept everyone fed and watered, from fresh local flavours to relaxed waterfront drinks.
Here’s to Year Two
For the founders, success wasn’t only measured in crowd numbers. It was the support of the Beaches community and the chance to put money back into local surfing. Year one proved the Beaches has an appetite for a major festival of its own.
Boardriders Results
U18 Girls: Queenscliff Boardriders Club Team A ($2,500)
U18 Boys: Dee Why Surfing Fraternity Team A ($2,500)
Open Women’s: North Shore Boardriders Inc. Team A ($20,000)
Open Men’s: Avoca Boardriders Team A ($20,000)
Legends Heat: Owen Wright ($10,000)
Open winners’ prize money: $10,000 to the club and $5,000 per surfer.
Surf + Sound Festival | Felons Brewing Co.
