The 26th annual Sculptures by the Sea opens up at Bondi

From the wacky sculptures to the thought-provoking artwork, there’s much to see during the popular festival.

Thousands of art lovers will descend on Bondi this weekend for the 26th annual Sculptures by the Sea.

The world’s largest free-to-the-public outdoor sculpture exhibition is expected to attract bout 450,000 people over the next 18 days.

The sculptures will be on display along the two-kilometre coastal walk from Bondi to Tamarama in Sydney until November 4.

There will be 100 artworks to check out, with nearly half on display from overseas as artists from 16 different countries are being featured this year.

The Sharnana sculpture is simply ‘jawsome’. Picture: NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Acclaimed Chinese artist Professor Shen Lieyi won highly respected $100,000 Aqualand Sculpture Award for his arborescent work titled Tracing.

His three-metre-high piece is made from bronze and granite and takes inspiration from source of flowing water and the challenges of life.

Professor Shen Lieyi’s Tracing won the 2024 Aqualand Sculpture Award. Picture: Sculpture by the Sea

The Aqualand Sculpture Award is the second most valuable annual sculpture award worldwide, with the winning piece always acquired for permanent public placement.

But other sculptures are sure to catch people’s attention as they make their way through the exhibition.

The banana shark sculpture is a must-see. Picture: NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Ocean Shores artist Drew McDonald’s sculpture Sharnana will surely draw a crowd when they pass by the unique artwork.

A little walk further and the eye-catching King Kong’s balls by French artist Denis Defrancesco is a must-see.

It’s not every day you see gorilla chilling out near Bondi. Picture: NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Niharika Hukku work’s Shelter is perched on top of the cliff face while Alyssa Sykes-Smith Reclaimed Chaos is also visible on the walk. Picture: NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Yuko Takahashi’s piece Fortitude sits by the rocks. Picture: Sculpture by the Sea

Sculptures by the Sea first began in Bondi in 1997 as a one-day exhibition.

Initially run by volunteers, it’s since evolved into the world-class exhibition many have come to know and love.

There’s been more than 2,600 sculptures by thousands of artists from 51 countries exhibited since the beloved festival began.