Have you been to the Swell Sculpture Festival?

As someone who loves the beach and outdoor art displays, I look forward to the Swell Sculpture Festival each year. It’s held at Currumbin Beach on Australia’s Gold Coast and the festival dates for 2021 are set for the 10th to 19th September so mark your diary. 

The festival includes a display of 50+ artworks by local and international artists displayed right on the beach and along the Pacific Parade.  You can see it lit up in the evening or enjoy a wander through as part of a day at the beach.  Usually, there are even a couple of mobile baristas on site so you can sip your caffeine hit while you contemplate the display and some food trucks supplementing the local cafes with quality food choices.

There will be other activities to enjoy too;  Live music, artist master classes, children’s workshops and artist talks take place across the 10-day program.  We’ve been to the Swell Sculpture Festival open-air art displays most years over the past decade and will no doubt be back this year.  Each year’s displays are unique and to avoid spoilers of the current year’s pieces I’ve included photos below that were taken at the previous year’s displays.

We like to head down as part of a day at the beach and there is plenty of sand to choose from:  Currumbin itself, the sheltered Currumbin lagoon to the north, or Kirra Beach is a little quieter to the south.  These are all great white sand beaches, all offer surf options and the lagoon provides a calm water alternatively. 

Taking a picnic is great for a relaxed afternoon or alternatively, grab lunch at one of the nearby cafes or the surf clubs which all have amazing sea views.  Club food isn’t gourmet dining but you can look out over the sparkling ocean and have the feel-good factor of knowing profits go to a great cause.

How to get there

The sculptures are located along the length of Currumbin beach from the Vikings Surf Club to the point, you can’t miss it.