Pack up your bags, because we're heading to the beach. Running from February 11-26 on the pristine shorelines of the Gold Coast, the inaugural
Bleach* Surfing the Fringe Festival will celebrate every side of beach art and culture.
From music to visual art, writing to film and photography, anything that shares the theme of surfing will be on display across the Sunshine State's iconic beaches and venues. But they ain't no ordinary venues. Bleach* has thrown away the traditional galleries and cultural sites in favour of a mix of mostly temporary and outdoor locations, including shipping containers, the city streets and the Coolangatta foreshore.
A highlight of the proceedings will be the unveiling of the Travelling Music Truck concert series, to take place on Sunday February 12. Much like the name suggests, a band plays on a travelling truck, and it's free. To keep it interesting, the guys at Bleach* won't be announcing who is going to play until a week before the show. Tricky. Plus, each band will play several separate sets at different beachside locations on their allocated day, with the exact locations of each guerrilla concert only unveiled 48 hours prior. You're going to have to keep your eyes and ears peeled for this one.
What we can tell you now though, is that the Beautiful Girls frontman,
Matt McHugh, will give a special live performance at the festival's fashion and music home, Sway on Sunset, on February 18. Taking place on the beachside deck of Coolangatta's
Komune and curated by swimwear guru Heidi Bartholomew, Sway on Sunset will celebrate the most talked about (and gawked at) fashion item in the world, the bikini, on a runway suspended across an outdoor pool.
The music doesn't stop at Sway On Sunset either - over the course of the festivities there will be performances from Blue King Brown, Sure Cut Kids, The Paper Kites and more taking place.
For the full event rundown, plus festival updates, ticketing information, artist profiles and venue details, hit up
bleachfestival.com.au.
WORDS: Tom Hutchins