[Decoded] Waverley Council wants New Year’s Eve festival to return to Bondi Beach

There was a time when Bondi Beach didn’t just have a lacklustre shimmer under fireworks on New Year’s Eve, it raved into the future. From the turn-of-the-millennium madness of NYE 1999/2000 to the epic Shore Thing era featuring The Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim, and Skrillex, Bondi wasn’t just a postcard, it was an epicentre of global club culture. Now, after more than a decade of silence, it may finally return to the most iconic beach in the world.

Waverley Council has officially opened expressions of interest to bring back a New Year’s Eve festival on Bondi Beach, reigniting hopes that Shore Thing, the legendary party that ended in 2014, might be reborn for a new generation of ravers, music lovers, and sun-soaked dreamers.

Australia has thrown some wild parties, but NYE 1999/2000 on Bondi Beach is still spoken about with reverence. That night, more than 20,000 revellers danced through the new millennium under a technicolour sky, powered by an all-star electronic lineup. It was a defining moment in Australian dance culture, placing Bondi firmly on the international map.

Throughout the 2000s and early 2010s, Shore Thing brought dance music royalty to Sydney’s most iconic beach. The Chemical Brothers, Snoop Dogg, Fatboy Slim, Calvin Harris, and Skrillex all lit up the sand, backed by massive production and a crowd that knew how to party. It wasn’t just a beach event, it was an annual pilgrimage for lovers of electronic music from across Australia and the globe.

Fast forward to 2025, and Sydney’s nightlife is still recovering from a tough decade of lockouts, red tape, and COVID-related shutdowns. But the desire to bring back Bondi’s beach festival is about more than nostalgia—it’s about reigniting Sydney’s soul.

“Sydney needs to come alive again,” says Damion Pell, Editor of Decoded Magazine. “We need to remove restrictions, embrace our culture, and become a truly international city once again. Reviving Bondi Beach on New Year’s Eve is a powerful statement—it’s not just about the music, it’s about reclaiming our identity as a city that celebrates life after dark.”

Waverley Councillor Michelle Stephenson, who attended Shore Thing herself in the 2000s, agrees. “Live music is one of the key factors we want to utilise to bring energy back to Bondi. Post-COVID, locals were feeling a lack of connection to the community and each other. This is how we bring that back.”

The council has already re-engaged Fuzzy Events, the producers behind Field Day and past Shore Thing editions, to take over Bondi’s Mardi Gras beach party, signalling a potential return of serious festival expertise to the shoreline.

And the industry is watching. Olly Arkins, Managing Director of the Australian Festival Association, recently addressed the council in support of the plan. “Events like this create unforgettable experiences for audiences and provide huge cultural cache for our city. Having an event on Bondi Beach during New Year’s Eve… I can’t think of anything more Sydney than that.”

It’s not just about international acts either. Arkins stresses that a new NYE festival would be a golden stage for emerging Aussie artists. “Festivals are one of the few opportunities for up-and-coming local artists to get in front of large audiences. A 15,000-strong crowd on Bondi Beach? That’s career-changing.”

Cr Stephenson already has her dream lineup. “Homegrown heroes like Dom Dolla and Fisher would absolutely destroy that stage, but artists like John Summit, Barry Can’t Swim, Vintage Culture, and Peggy Gou would take it to the next level. The list is endless.”

She’s not wrong. Bondi deserves a lineup that reflects the city’s status as a global capital of culture, music, and sunshine. And with Sydney already hosting Field Day on January 1, the idea of a NYE blowout on the beach followed by a recovery party in the Domain sounds like a dream double-header.

While Australia’s festival circuit has taken a beating—Splendour, Groovin the Moo, and even Bluesfest facing cancellations or scaling back—Bondi Beach is uniquely poised to revive not just a party, but a cultural movement. As we approach 2025’s NYE, one thing is clear: Sydney is ready for its moment. It has been waiting. And if Bondi Beach is anything like it used to be, when that needle drops again, it’s going to echo across the world.

Decoded Magazine will keep you updated on the progress of Bondi’s NYE resurrection. Summer in Sydney might just be about to get legendary again.

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