The Gold Coast will be turned into a living gallery of surf culture and storytelling over the next two weeks as creatives, filmers and photographers are celebrated as part of the 2026 edition of Flotsam Festival.
Returning from today until 15 May, the Festival is back with a sprawling two-week program that spreads itself right along the coastline – beaches, headlands, rooftops, shopfronts – turning the Goldy into a loose trail of exhibitions, film, photography and talks. You don’t really ‘enter’ Flotsam, you just move through it.
A big part of this year’s program leans into the coast itself. Focal Point, curated by Tim Baker, places iconic surf images back where they were originally shot, including spots like Snapper Rocks and Burleigh Headland, so you’re looking at the past and present at the same time. Elsewhere, Richard Harvey digs into old Gold Coast imagery in Wish You Were Here, tracing how the place has been sold and reshaped over the years.
There’s plenty coming in from outside, too. International Masters of Surf, curated by Ted Grambeau, brings together heavyweight names like Art Brewer, Jeff Divine and Chris Burkard – each asked to showcase a single image as part of large collection of talented photographers. The Flotsam International Surf Film Festival on 10 May sets up at Kirra for an open-air night of films, including trips into Patagonia and projects coming out of Papua New Guinea.
Environmental considerations are at the heart of the festival too. Flotsam Oceans links up with the Surfrider Foundation for beach cleans and a screening of Sensing Home, following Dave Rastovich as he spends time with coastal communities while sailing and surfing his way from Yamba to the Great Barrier Reef.
The festival continues to celebrate female surfers and creatives. (Surf) Girls On Film features short films and talks from women in the industry. This year’s host of panelists includes Lilliana Bowrey, Pacha Light, Clementine Bourke and more.
A few other bits worth checking: Media + Makers looks at where surf media’s heading, and Flotsam Canisters leans into analogue photography, ending with a raffle-style print giveaway. It all wraps with Flotsam Homegrown on 15 May – films, photos, music and a pretty easy excuse to be at Burleigh at sunset.
Flotsam Festival runs 1-15 May, with events dotted right along the Gold Coast. Full program and tickets are available here.
