From September 12 to September 21, come face to face with awe-inspiring sculptures against the stunning backdrop of Currumbin Beach at the 23rd SWELL Sculpture Festival!
From dawn until dusk and into nightfall visitors are invited to immerse themselves at their own pace in the free main exhibition, which features over 80 large scale contemporary sculptures by local, national and international artists, and you can always delve deeper into the unique artistic elements by attending artist talks, participating in sculptural workshops and going on guided walks. In these artistic expeditions, for $16.50 per adult, guest curators will take attendees through the sculptures, giving insight and perspective into them and revealing the methods behind each creation.
You can try your hand at making your own striking work of art at one of the workshops in all kinds of different materials, from twine to ceramics and even wire! And, because nature is the co-protagonist of this event, the festival will also host a variety of wellness-focused activities, such as sunrise paddleboarding, tai chi, and a session of yoga and beach clean up, so you can give back to the stunning environment that elevates the art.
Amid so much excitement, perhaps what we’re most looking forward to this year is the expansion of SWELL Fringe, a program of arts and culture events, held at the Fringe Pavilion in Wallace Nicoll Park that expands on the beauty and creativity of the sculpture festival with artist panels, live music, a queer runway competition, a silent disco, a one-of-a-kind 3-course fire-cooked feast, and more. Plus, Fringe Bar will be open daily, providing tasty eats, refreshing sips and the opportunity to connect with other festival goers and artists!
If you’ve got younger ones with you, fear not. This year’s kids programming is more robust than ever, with workshops that will spark children’s creativity through drawing, clay sculpting and planting seedlings; interactive circus games; a pop-up library, and more!
Practical info
About an hour’s drive from Brisbane, you can park your car at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary for just $10, or you can take the Gold Coast train and then a local bus straight to the Festival, which will take roughly two hours. Make sure to check train and bus times on Translink to plan your trip.
The main SWELL Sculpture Festival is free, but there are some ticketed events. You can see the full program and get tickets to your favourite activities here.