Esteemed Newcastle Surfest Brings Notable Athletes Together in June

The Burton Automotive Newcastle Surfest is set to mark its 39th event—a beloved festival that has been in action since 1985. Since then, the event has grown exponentially and has become known as Australia's largest surfing festival, according to the official Surfest website.

Some of the most notable surfers in the world have left the Surfest victorious in previous years, such as Mick Fanning, Kelly Slater, Sally Fitzgibbons and Johanne Defay. In 2024, the two gifted athletes who took home the titles included Australians Joel Vaughan and Ellie Harrison. This was Vaughan's second consecutive victory as he also landed the title in 2023.

Surfest is an opportunity for like-minded surfers to come together and battle it out on the waves. As stated on the organizations website, "Surf organizers think that the event is more than a great surf competition—it is a celebration of a city and its people and their special relationship with Australian beach culture,"

Burton Automotive Newcastle Surfest Ready to Commence

As part of the 2025 World Surf League (WSL) Challenger Series, athletes will be trying to qualify for the 2026 WSL Championship Tour. However, their Surfest performances will need to be strong and consistent. Newcastle Surfest marks the first stop of the Challenger Series this year after a monumental partnership with the WSL was made.

"The WSL is extremely excited to see such a historic event return to the world stage as a Challenger Series event in 2025," WSL APAC President Andrew Stark explained, per Newcastle Surfest. "The sport's biggest names have competed at this event for almost four decades, and the continued success of Newcastle SURFEST is a testament to the passion of the surf community. We can't wait to see the world's best come back to Newcastle and battle it out for the Mark Richards Trophy once again."

The event is scheduled to take place from June 2 to June 8. The stakes are high for many athletes, but the ultimate goal of Surfest is to enjoy being surrounded by a supportive community and fellow surfers who have dedicated their lives to their sport.