Bondi Festival is Back for 2024!

Waverley Council is thrilled to announce this year’s Bondi Festival, boasting an astonishing arts lineup that’s bolder and better than ever before, with first-class theatre, comedy, cabaret and interactive experiences, from Friday 5th to Sunday 21st July 2024.

Returning to its spiritual home at Bondi Pavilion (as well as various locations around Bondi), the 17- day, all-inclusive festival will have family-friendly shows and adults-only options. Alongside the world class arts line up, visitors can also enjoy Bondi’s famous ice-skating rink and the legendary Bondi Vista Ferris Wheel, an unforgettable ride with 360-degree views of the stunning Bondi Beach.

Waverley Mayor Paula Masselos is thrilled to bring our iconoclastic beach-side contemporary arts festival back to locals and visitors in Sydney’s east. She said: “I am delighted to be launching Bondi Festival 2024, our winter celebration of local artists, immersive performances and playful offerings for audiences of all ages. It is another demonstration of Waverley’s serious commitment to an exciting, vibrant arts and culture scene and local economy.”

Tanya Goldberg, who leads Waverley Council’s Arts, Culture and Events portfolio, added: “Bondi Festival is a magic time of year when Bondi’s beautiful wintery beachscape is transformed with some of the most dynamic, surprising and inspiring arts experiences on offer. Always innovating, this year’s festival features a brand-new street party in the heart of Bondi, alongside old favourites like the ice rink and Ferris wheel, and gobsmackingly talented performers across all art forms”.

Bondi Festival officially launches with the annual Waverley Art Prize announcement on 5 July. Running since 1986 and in its 38th year as a painting and drawing prize, this year the Waverley Art Prize is returning to the Bondi Pavilion Gallery as Bondi’s staple event in the local and national art prize calendar.

The opening weekend also sees the world premiere of Proud, Proud Woman: A Ruby Hunter Tribute, a special event celebrating the enduring legacy of Ngarrindjeri, Kokatha and Pitjantjatjara singersongwriter Ruby Hunter as a trailblazer for young First Nations artists. Featuring Dan Sultan, Emily Wurramara and a slew of other local musicians, the tribute night is named after Ruby’s song, Proud, Proud Woman, the first song Hunter performed in public, in 1988, at the Bondi Pavilion.

Week Two kicks off with the return of Bondi Festival 2023 favourites Gladdy Drawing Club. Presenting the performative life-drawing collab of your dreams, GDC bring their iconic inclusive and body-positive life drawing classes back to Bondi, featuring guest artists Wendy Sharpe and Andrew Yee.

In the Theatre, Burnout Paradise – the smash hit of Melbourne Fringe 2023, a wild love letter to the labour, recklessness, and euphoric optimism that precede burnout, where four performers tackle an escalating series of tasks on treadmills – and Blood on the Clocktower: Live – Sydney’s ultimate social deduction board game, transformed into a chaotic comedy show on stage – both deliver an electrifying blend of fun, eccentricity, and awe, with playful challenges and unexpected twists making every moment unforgettable.

In the Seagull Room, Queer PowerPoint, the cult hit experimental performance series will reclaim the corporate presentation from our straight capitalist overlords, bringing queer artists from Sydney and beyond to explore and share an idea, current obsession or ongoing fascination using the most staid and ubiquitous of programming tools – PowerPoint.

Last year’s massive festival hit, the immersive game of accusation, deceit and murder, Werewolves, returns to Bondi as a room full of strangers are pitted against each other as they work together to weed out the werewolves in their midst and avoid hanging their own. Also playing in the Yalangang Room, Helios, the award-winning story from international storytelling mavericks Wright & Grainger about the son of the Sun God will transplant the Ancient Greek tale into a modern-day myth that winds through rural England into the everyday living of a towering city.

At Bondi’s artisanal cellar, Native Drops, In Pour Taste will guide participants through a unique wine tasting comedy show with fast-rising comedy duo Sweeney Preston & Ethan Cavanagh and a local wine expert. Winner of the 2023 Adelaide Fringe Best Eat & Drink Award and following on from a sold-out season at Melbourne International Comedy Festival, expect roaring jokes, and five good wines!

In the Bondi Pav Bar, comedian and performer Natali Caro and friends, will be taking over the space for a unique interactive karaoke. Whether audiences are just stopping in between shows, or planning a full night of belting tunes, anything goes!

Rounding out Week Two, in the Seagull Room, award-winning artist Cameron Stead will help participants discover the fundamentals of beach drawing for all skill levels in Seaside Sketch Sesh.

Week Three brings the fun to the streets and surrounds of Bondi, kicking off with Ally Morgan’s Hymns From My 20s at Badlambs Barbershop, taking us on an hilarious retrospective through the songs she wrote in her 20s, before she turns the big 3 – 0.

In the Seagull Room, Dance Makers Collective bring their communal dance experience, The Bondi Social for a joyous evening of dancing with partners, family and friends. An ode to the bygone era of social dancing, this event mashes contemporary movement with peak dance hall and disco eras of the 1960s and 70s, soundtracked by a swinging live band for the modern lover of dancing.

Bondi Festival Local program is back, celebrating events driven by talented locals at satellite venues across beautiful Bondi. Including your returning local brewery, Curly Lewis, taking you through the art of crafting beer, walk away with the lingo and having tasted some tasty brews. Matt Ralph & The Bobs will enchant you with folk, rock, jazz, blues and gorgeous vocal harmonies, creating an immersive atmosphere for music lovers.

Bringing a close to the Festival is the Gould St Street Party, a vibrant celebration of community and creativity. A Bondi Festival first, Gould Street will be closed off and transformed into an all-day street party for everyone. The event will feature an array of eats and beats, local brewers, shopping popups, and eclectic entertainment. Visitors can explore Gould Street fashion houses and take advantage of special offers and unique experiences from a range of businesses joining in the party including hands-on workshops, tailor-made and styling sessions, and even a free photo booth experience courtesy of Wayside Chapel op-shop. Whether dancing to the rhythms of local bands or browsing the artisan markets, Gould St Street Party is set to be an unforgettable conclusion to Bondi Festival 2024.

The full program and tickets are available at https://www.bondifestival.com.au