The Beach Hotel Merewether is proud to announce its official sponsorship of the 2025 Burton Automotive Newcastle Surfest presented by Bonsoy, marking a celebratory return of the iconic surfing festival to its spiritual home.
With Merewether being the original birthplace of Surfest, The Beach Hotel has long been woven into the fabric of Newcastle's surf culture. Following its recent rebrand and relaunch under new ownership, the venue is reaffirming its commitment to the local surf community by backing the event that helped define it.
"We're stoked to partner with The Beach Hotel Merewether for this year's Burton Automotive SURFEST Challenger Series," says WSL APAC President Andrew Stark. "It's an iconic venue with deep roots in the local surf scene-especially with the Merewether Boardriders and the local community. With its epic location, great food, and surf history on the walls, it's the perfect spot for competitors and fans to kick back after a day in the water. We're pumped to see it all come to life next week.".
In addition to supporting Surfest, The Beach Hotel is thrilled to sponsor Merewether's own Ryan Callinan, a world-class surfer and proud representative of the local Boardriders club. This partnership underscores the hotel's dedication to nurturing homegrown talent and celebrating the rich surfing heritage of the region.
Ryan Callinan, says: "The Beach Hotel has always been at the heart of Merewether's surf scene-whether it's boardriders swapping stories after a comp or locals celebrating a perfect run of swell. Having them back my 2025 season is more than a sponsorship; it's a show of community strength and pride. Carrying the Beaches logo in the line-up reminds me I'm representing everyone who calls this place home.".
"Surfing is in our veins here at The Beaches," says owner Glenn Piper. "Bringing Surfest back to its original home and supporting local legends like Ryan is about honouring our past while investing in the future of Newcastle's surf culture.".
The 2025 Surfest will be the opening event of the World Surf League Challenger Series, drawing over 120 of the world's best surfers to Merewether Beach from June 2-8. As the largest surfing festival in the Southern Hemisphere, Surfest continues to showcase Newcastle's vibrant coastal community to a global audience.
More than just a pub, The Beach Hotel is a proud custodian of Merewether's surf culture-supporting local boardriders, backing homegrown talent, and celebrating the ocean that shapes daily life here. From post-surf pints to world-class competitions, surfing isn't just part of the story-it's in the Hotel's bones. With Surfest returning home, The Beach Hotel stands as both backdrop and heartbeat to Newcastle's coastal spirit.