Waverley Liberal councillors’ plan to bring back Bondi Beach New Year’s Eve party

Plans to revive Bondi’s former glory are on the table with grand visions of a New Year’s Eve dance party hosting ‘top tier talent’ to create an internationally renowned music festival.

Plans to bring back a New Year’s Eve music festival on the “best beach in the world” are in the pipeline with a bid to restore Bondi to it’s former glory and “bring the vibe back”.

The iconic stretch of sand was formerly a global destination for New Year’s, hosting international acts and huge crowds of revellers for more than 20 years.

At the turn of the millennium, Bondi hosted dance music royalty DJ Carl Cox who recently described his 1999 set as “one of the most memorable moments of my career”.

However, since 2014 Bondi has mostly laid dormant on December 31, with the long running festival Shore Thing being cancelled after community opposition and concerns of over anti-social behaviour.

The crowd at NYE Millennium party at Bondi Beach.

Now, there’s a chance Bondi will be restored to its former glory in time to ring in 2026, and put the beach back on the global stage.

A notice of motion will be raised by Waverley Councillor Michelle Stephenson at the next meeting, seeking to bring back a New Year’s event at Bondi Beach.

Cr Stephenson, who was among revellers welcoming the 2000s, said “continuing the tradition” was part of a greater goal of “bringing the vibes back”.

A partygoer rings in the New Year at Bondi Beach.

“When I was running for council I heard from everyone that Bondi had lost something. Covid really knocked our community down,” she said

“We need to look for new ways of connection, for those moments to bring the community back together, music brings joy, these events bring joy.”

When asked about concerns over anti-social behaviour, Cr Stephenson noted the dramatic change in drinking habits among young people over the past decade.

“Kids aren’t drinking like they used to, alcohol fuelled violence is down. It’s such a different environment now at music festivals, people are there for the music,” Cr Stephenson said

British DJ Carl Cox pictured in 1999.

“If anyone has concerns, the one thing we have learnt from mardi gras dance parties is how best to handle large volumes people, we will have buses waiting to get people out of Bondi.”

Founder of popular New Year’s festival Lost Paradise and industry stalwart Simon Beckingham said there was scope for Bondi New Year’s to become a “big spectacle” live streamed around the world.

Lost Paradise founder Simon Beckingham.

Mr Beckingham said booking the right talent would be crucial, naming Dom Dolla, Fiisher, and Barry Can’t Swim as “top tier artists” who’d ideally fit the bill.

“Talent goes a long way, you need the right talent to sell tickets and make it a stand out show and a prestigious event where it’d be a privilege for talent to play on an iconic beach,” he said.

NYE at Bondi Beach pictures taken at Shore Thing in 2014.

“We’d really want to put it on the map and amazing show, there's no point in bringing it back if you don’t go to the whole way,” Mr Beckingham said

The proposal is supported by Waverley Mayor Will Nemesh, who said he wanted to see “more options to have fun” in Bondi.

“Bringing back a New Year’s event at Bondi Beach is part of our plan to create more fun for our residents, visitors and community,” he said

“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.”

If passed at next week’s meeting, council will start taking expressions of interests from companies and promoters.