Flotsam Festival 2025 Launches with New Mick Fanning Installation at Kirra

WORDS: Natalie Schenken PHOTOGRAPHY Surf photographer Hannah Anderson

Now in its fourth year, Flotsam Festival 2025 returns bigger than ever, coinciding for the first time with the World Surf League Championship Tour’s stop on the Gold Coast, offering fans, visitors and locals a two-week celebration of film, photography and surf-inspired arts events from Coolangatta to Burleigh.

Created during COVID to support local surf creatives, the festival has grown into one of Australia’s most exciting arts events, celebrating the talent that captures and shares the soul of the Southern Gold Coast.

Festival Director Carolyn Emge says this year’s event will be the biggest yet, with a record number of exhibitions, screenings, live performances and youth showcases planned across indoor and outdoor venues.

“The southern Gold Coast’s identity is so deeply tied to the ocean. Flotsam gives people a way to connect with that heritage, whether they surf or not. You wouldn’t have a Mick Fanning if no one had ever seen the first photo or film of him.”

“This year, for the first time, the WSL is back on during Flotsam. It means if the surf’s flat or the comp’s called off, there’s still an incredible program connecting people to the stories, history and future of our surf culture.”

A new addition to this year’s Focal Point outdoor exhibition, set to be unveiled tomorrow, features an image of Mick Fanning surfing Kirra during the Cyclone Alfred swell, captured by photographer Hannah Anderson. Known for returning iconic surf photographs to the exact locations they were originally shot, Flotsam’s signature exhibition also allows visitors to scan a QR code for extra content.

“That Mick photo was a funny one for me, I think as a photographer who focuses their lens on the ocean, you see these amazing cyclone swells on the Gold Coast and you know something special could happen,” said Anderson.
“Sometimes that’s a really unusual wave, other times it’s a surfer doing exceptional things. In this case it was a mix of both. A brilliant surfer, riding a place he calls home and a perfect wave.”

Also new this year is the Kirra Immerse Hub, featuring three full days of music, workshops and surf films, and Stoked!, a photo and art exhibition developed with the Gold Coast World Surfing Reserve, showcasing the evolution of Gold Coast surf culture through powerful visual storytelling.

“Stoked! captures the spirit and history of Gold Coast surfing while reminding us how vital it is to protect the ocean ecosystems that sustain this lifestyle,” Andrew McKinnon, President of GCWSR said. “The Flotsam team have done an amazing job curating such a dynamic and meaningful creative program for the region.”

Festival born from COVID, now a major cultural event
Flotsam International Masters of Surf Exhibition: Curated by Ted Grambeau, opens at Kirra (May 6)
Flotsam Focal Point Exhibition: Self-guided walk with QR codes unlocking behind-the-scenes surf stories
Flotsam Immerse Hub (May 2–4): Beachside community space at Kirra with films, music, kids’ workshops and a sustainability focus
Flotsam Next Wave Youth Showcase beach concert (May 4) featuring the GC’s best up-and-coming musicians
Tony “Harro” Harrington outdoor photo exhibition and book launch (May 9, The Pink Hotel)
Stoked Exhibition at Dust Temple (May 4): Curated by Gold Coast World Surfing Reserve, this exhibition blends surf photography, film and art with a focus on ocean conservation.
Flotsam Homegrown film and photo showcase under the stars (May 11, Burleigh Justins Park)

For more details, please visit:
Event Website: https://flotsamfestival.com.au