The Whitlams, Skunkhour, The Beautiful Girls, GANGgajang, Winston Surfshirt and Mudhoney are among the first acts announced for a new three-weekend festival heading to Manly next month.
The inaugural Surf + Sound Festival will run from Friday, October 16th to Sunday, November 1st, bringing live music to Manly Wharf alongside a broader program of art, food and community events.
More artists are still to be announced, with the first wave already spanning Australian indie, rock, funk and roots favourites across generations.
Away from the stage, Surf + Sound will also feature a free public art trail, dining experiences and community programming, before culminating in the Surf + Sound Boardrider Battle at Manly Beach on the final weekend.
For The Whitlams frontman Tim Freedman, the festival will mark a return to the Northern Beaches four decades after his first show in the area.
“It’s been a long time between my first ever show at the Time and Tide Hotel in Dee Why in 1981 and this one,” Freedman said. “Just seven kilometres, and 45 years later. It’ll be great to be playing back in the ‘hood, at Felons for Surf + Sound.”
GANGgajang’s Graham ‘Buzz’ Bidstrup also pointed to the band’s long connection with the area, describing Northern Beaches venues including The Flix Theatre, The Royal Antler and the Manly Vale Hotel as having been “like a second home” to him.
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“Now Surf + Sound steps up to make its mark, and the GANG are really excited to be one of the first to grace its stage,” he added.
Beyond the music program, Sydney-raised, New York-based artist Jeremyville has been appointed Surf + Sound’s inaugural Art Curator. He will oversee a three-week immersive exhibition across Manly Wharf featuring sculptures, inflatables, projections and large-scale installations.
Five Australian artists — Karlee Mackie, Steve Ormandy, Funskull, Daimon Downey and Ozzy Wright — will also paint five Classic Defenders live at Manly Cove as part of an interactive outdoor art trail.
The festival’s final weekend will shift focus to Manly Beach for the inaugural Surf + Sound Boardrider Battle, spearheaded by world champion Joel Parkinson. Clubs from around Australia will compete across men’s, women’s and under-18 divisions, while a Legends Heat on Saturday, October 31st will feature Parkinson alongside world champions Mark Occhilupo and Layne Beachley.
Surf + Sound was created by five friends — creative director James ‘Jamo’ Willis, Adam Flaskas, Joel Parkinson, Paul Henry and Lachie Given — with Willis saying the idea took shape after he lost his home in the Malibu fires and returned to Australia after more than 25 years living overseas.
“What started as an idea for a surf competition became something much bigger,” he said. “Surfing, music and art have always been a huge part of my life, and bringing those worlds together in Manly is really about friendship, community and celebrating what makes this part of Australia so special.”
Further music, art, surf, food and community programming will be announced in the coming weeks. For the latest announcements and information, visit surfandsoundfestival.com.au.
