Heavy Lineup Returns! Surf’s Up! Festival in Melbourne 2027

Lucas Bennett 11/02/2026

Get ready for a seismic experience. Australian metalcore band Thornhill is set to headline and curate the heavy music spectacle of Surf’s Up! Festival, a one-day event packed with raw energy at Melbourne’s Riviera Beach Club on Saturday, February 20, 2027.

The lineup promises a potent mix of heavy sounds, featuring Stand Atlantic, Alpha Wolf, the US duo SACE6, Justice for the Damned, Philadelphia’s Varials, Headwreck, Bloom and Blinder, and of course, Thornhill. This carefully selected bill brings together some of the most compelling names in Australian heavy music, promising big riffs, unforgettable moments, and an explosive amount of energy.

Fans eager to secure their spot can catch presale tickets on Thursday, November 5, at 10 a.m. AEDT, with general tickets dropping on Friday, November 6, at 11 a.m. The event is geared toward ages 18 and over.

Thornhill, the guiding force behind the festival, expressed their excitement over the collaboration. “Personally curated by the four of us, we are stoked to be joined by some of the best names in Australian heavy music,” they stated, promising an unforgettable day of heavy music.

This marks the second artist-curated heavy bill at the St Kilda venue, following a successful Polaris-programmed edition staged there in February as part of the Life’s A Beach series. The scale and quality of the curation suggest a commitment to delivering top-tier heavy sounds.

The reason for the buzz is, of course, the incredible momentum building behind the artists themselves. Thornhill arrive off a stellar run, having solidified their place at the top of the charts. Their third album, Bodies, debuted at number four on the ARIA albums chart in 2025, earning the ARIA Award for best hard rock or heavy metal album, alongside the award for best independent heavy album or EP at the AIR Awards. This success followed their 2022 album Heroine, which reached number one on the Australian albums chart and received an ARIA nomination.

The supporting acts are also delivering serious firepower. Stand Atlantic recently saw their fifth album, Godbreath, hit number one on the ARIA albums chart, making them the Sydney band’s first chart-topper. They have toured extensively with major acts like Sum 41 and ONE OK ROCK.

Alpha Wolf has also garnered significant recognition, earning an ARIA nomination for best hard rock or heavy metal album for their 2020 release, A Quiet Place to Die, and a Grammy nomination for best boxed or special limited edition package for Half Living Things. Meanwhile, SACE6 released their debut album Brutalist and have shared the stage with acts like Dayseeker and Northlane. The Canadian band Varials is currently on a North American run supporting Wage War, following their 2026 release, Where the Light Leaves.