A WHOPPING nine events across three NSW Local Government Areas (LGAs) are
expected to draw around 700 athletes, their families, and their supporters to Mid North Coast
LGAs during February and March.
Two inaugural events targeted at future surfing champions – The Reflections Holiday Parks
Cadet Cup scheduled for Bonny Hills in the Hastings LGA and the Burton Automotive Pro
Junior slotted for Birubi Beach in the Port Stephens LGA – have been added to the Surfest
schedule for 2024. These new events will see the 38th Surfest offer a total of nine stand-
alone competitive surfing events between February 10 and March 17.
The Reflections Holiday Parks Cadet Cup will be the first ever Surfest event held outside the
Hunter region, and the addition of the event (which takes place this weekend) will enhance
Surfest’s contribution to the NSW visitor economy across three NSW LGAs – Newcastle,
Port Stephens, and Port Macquarie-Hastings.
Long term sponsors the Burton family have increased their support to Surfest with the
addition of the inaugural Burton Automotive Pro Junior – a World Surf League (WSL) Junior
Qualifying Series (QS) event for surfers aged 20 years and under – scheduled for Birubi
Beach over the weekend of February 24 and 25.
Surfest’s marquee events for 2024 are the WSL QS 5000 Burton Automotive Pro and the
WSL QS 500 Newcastle Racecourse Women’s Pro at Merewether beach from 10-17 March.
Entries for these two events close on February 13 (Pacific Standard Time). Other
competitive surfing events slotted into the bursting schedule include the Surfest Indigenous
Classic, the Sanbah Cadet Cup, the Evolution Charity Cup, and the Mutual Bank High
Schools Team Challenge.
Foundation Partner City of Newcastle will again be one of Surfest’s key sponsors. That
sponsorship ensures a high-quality webcast of the two WSL QS 5000 events that are based
at Merewether beach – a National Surfing Reserve since 2009 – will be streamed to viewers
around the globe to highlight Newcastle’s beaches, cultural activities, and night-time
attractions.
The webcast will be available via the World Surf League and Surfest websites, broadcast on
free-to-air service 7Plus, and streamed via Kayo Sports. Besides the surfing action, the
vision will carry spots provided by DNSW promoting NSW’s myriad attractions.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes says Surfest is a unique and cherished event on
Newcastle’s sporting calendar that showcases our city to the world.
“Every year tens of thousands of locals and visitors flock to Merewether to see some of the
world’s best surfers and thanks to City of Newcastle’s iconic project known as the Bathers
Way, they have a perfect vantage point to watch all the action,” Cr Nelmes said.
“Heading into its 38th year, Surfest remains the largest surfing festival in the Southern
Hemisphere, with nine events on offer in 2024, held at the home break of our very own four-
time world champion, Mark Richards.
“City of Newcastle is a proud foundation sponsor so fittingly the contest is run by former City
of Newcastle lifeguard and Freeman of the City, Warren Smith.
“We look forward to welcoming more than 700 male and female surfers, their families,
friends and fans to Newcastle, and hope they have the chance to explore everything our city
has to offer,” Cr Nelmes said.
Surfest chief Warren Smith says the nine 2024 events will ensure a great festival.
“A big thanks goes to all our sponsors that we have been working with to make the 2024
Surfest bigger and better through opportunities for great surfing from very young groms
through to the athletes about to crack the Challenger series,” Mr Smith said.
“Thanks to Kim Burton from Burton Automotive whose generosity and love of surfing has
allowed us to hold the Pro Junior in Port Stephens for the first time. And thanks to Reflections
Holiday Parks whose sponsorship has Surfest running a Cadet Cup in the Hastings LGA,” he
said.
For further information call Warren Smith: 0412127525.
Surfest Newcastle Australia 2024 event schedule
- Reflections Cadet Cup Bonny Hills Sat 10 – Sun 11 Feb
- Burton Automotive Wildcard Trials Birubi Beach Sat 17 Feb
- Burton Automotive Pro Junior Birubi Beach Sat 24 – Sun 25 Feb
- Sanbah Cadet Cup supported by Ocean & Earth South Bar Beach Sat 2 – Sun 3 Mar
- Evolution Charity Cup Merewether Beach Friday 8 Mar
- Surfest Indigenous Classic Merewether Beach Sat 9 – Sun 10 Mar
- Newcastle Racecourse Women’s Pro Merewether Beach Mon 11 – Sun 17 Mar
- Burton Automotive Pro Merewether Beach Mon 11 – Sun 17 Mar
- The Mutual Bank High Schools Team Challenge South Bar Beach Thurs 14 – Fri 15 Mar
Surfest Newcastle Australia is proudly supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and
major events agency, Destination NSW.
Surfest Newcastle Australia 2024 presented by Reflections Holiday Parks is additionally supported
by Burton Automotive, The City of Newcastle and Reflections Holiday Parks. Crowd funding from
Newcastle and Hunter Regional businesses also support the event.
For more information and full schedule of events visit surfest.com
