Iconic Bondi Beach NYE Festival set to return

Waverley Council have passed a motion to bring a New Year’s Eve Festival back to Bondi Beach.
The festival used to be known as Shore Thing and was cancelled after its last run in 2014 due to complaints from Bondi residents.
The comeback of the Bondi Beach NYE festival is another exciting step towards revamping Sydney’s nightlife.
READ MORE: Exclusive: Sydney’s nightlife tsar reveals plans as city comes alive with new venues

The famous Shore Thing Festival, Bondi’s New Years Eve event which used to bring 15,000 partygoers to Bondi Beach each year, is making a comeback thanks to a fight back against NIMBY residents.

Waverley Council has passed a motion to seek a partner to bring the iconic event back to the beach.

Shore Thing attracted huge names including international superstar DJs Skrillex, David Guetta, Calvin Harris and Snoop Dogg.

One notable performance was DJ Carl Cox’s 1999 New Year’s Eve set, where he welcomed the new millennium in front of a lively crowd. Many view this 2000s era as the prime time of Sydney’s nightlife.

@bondi_lines Sydney nightlife resurgence continues 😍 #bondibeach #nye ♬ original sound – Bondi Lines

Complaints from Bondi residents

On March 18, Waverley councillor Michelle Stephenson and Waverley Council Mayor Will Nemesh raised a notice of motion to bring a New Year’s Eve music festival to Bondi Beach. In hugely exciting news for Sydneysiders and tourists, the motion passed, and the possibility of a Bondi Beach NYE in 2026 is looking brighter than ever.

Although details of the event are yet to be formalised, the council will now be seeking a partner to help run the event and secure support from the state government and Destination NSW.

In 2014, the musical festival was cancelled after complaints from Bondi residents. They claimed that the festival brought antisocial behaviour to the area, deterring families from using the beach on New Year’s Day and New Year’s Eve. Residents were particularly frustrated at the protective fences that lined the beach as part of the festival’s security, claiming they blocked easy beach access.

However, Stephenson is assured that the festival will run a lot smoother this time round. She told the Rolling Stone AU/NZ on Wednesday, “As a council we have learned how to manage events more thoughtfully with reduced impact on the local community and I personally look forward to bringing in the New Year dancing on my favourite beach.”

The neighbourhood of Bondi Beach NYE festival — Bondi Beach residents campaigned to get the festival axed, complaining that it brought antisocial behaviour to the area.

A win for Sydney’s nightlife

Shore thing brought roughly 15,000 partygoers to the beloved Bondi Beach each year. Notable performances include house and techno DJ Carl Cox on New Year’s Eve in 1999, where he welcomed the new millennium with an incredible set. Many view this 2000s era as the prime time of Sydney’s nightlife.

Bringing the NYE festival back is seen to be another step in rejuvenating Sydney’s nightlife. Waverley Council Mayor Will Nemesh told Rolling Stone AU/NZ, “We want to see greater activation of our public spaces and a New Year’s Eve event is the perfect activity for welcoming in the new year.”

He continued to say, “I am energised by Council’s focus and priority to provide our residents and community with more festivals, more events and more options to have fun.”

It will be interesting to see if the Bondi Beach NYE festival can replicate the success of Laneway Festival, which sold-out in a day, breaking previous records. This was largely attributed to the festival securing Charli XCX as its headline act.

The event’s return is already generating excited reactions, particularly from those who remember the energy and impact of Shore Thing. Hopefully the organisers will focus on bringing plenty of international talent to perform at the Bondi Beach NYE festival in order to boost ticket sales.