Burleigh Festival

Overview

Sand, sun, surf are always reasons to head to Burleigh Heads. Here's another: the new Burleigh Festival. It'll debut across the weekend of Friday, September 16–Sunday, September 18, taking over Justins Park on the foreshore for three days. On the agenda: food, wine, music and surfing — aka a golden quartet for any festival, especially one setting up shop right by the water.

Burleigh Heads' culinary scene sits at the centre of the new fest — and while the event is free overall, obviously you'll be paying for what you eat and sip. Food-wise, venues such as Tropic, Tommy's, Maman, Costa Taco and Tarte will serve up their signature dishes, spanning everything from Mediterranean bites and Italian cuisine through to Middle Eastern-inspired and Mexican dishes.

Also on the vendor list: Al Natural Oysters, Freddy's, Lil Mami, Lucia, NAAMI and Rosellas. And, to wash everything down, Burleigh Festival is celebrating local wine via tipples from Naked Bunch, Flor Grocer and Jackson West.

Grabbing a plate, some vino and enjoying a beachside picnic is one of the fest's big drawcards — but the event will give you something to watch and listen to as you eat and drink, too. The music lineup includes Angus Kaftan, Bronte Alva, Hollie Joy, Lily Papas and more, with Boo Seeka curating the bill.

If it's the surfing part of the program that'll have you rushing to the shore and vicariously living out your Point Break or Blue Crush dreams, you'll be able to catch spectacular wave action via the the inaugural Burleigh Festival King and Queen of the Point surfing competition. Hosted by Burleigh Boardriders and Summer of Surf, it'll run across two days, on Saturday, September 17–Sunday, September 18, and see top surfers — such as Marlon Harrison, Sean Gunning, Freya Prumm, Alyssa Lock and Tru Starling — competing for a $5000 prize pool.

Updated September 16.