The Melbourne metalcore band will headline and personally select the lineup for the second artist-curated heavy music event at St Kilda’s Riviera Beach Club, bringing Stand Atlantic, Alpha Wolf, SACE6 and more to the beach on 20 February 2027.
Thornhill will take charge of Melbourne’s Riviera Beach Club in February 2027, headlining and curating Surf’s Up! Festival with a lineup that brings together some of Australia’s leading heavy music acts and international guests.
The Destroy All Lines event takes place on Saturday 20 February 2027, continuing the venue’s emerging relationship with Australia’s heavy music community following the successful Polaris-curated Life’s A Beach event earlier this year.
Thornhill have personally selected every artist on the bill, assembling a lineup featuring Stand Atlantic, Alpha Wolf, American duo SACE6, Justice For The Damned, Philadelphia metalcore outfit Varials, Headwreck, Bloom and Adelaide’s Blinder.
For Thornhill, the event represents an opportunity to bring together artists from different corners of the Australian heavy music scene while taking ownership of the programming.
“We’re bringing Surf’s Up! Festival to life. Personally curated by the 4 of us, we are stoked to be joined by some of the best names in Australian heavy music. Expect big riffs, good times and a whole lot of energy. Melbourne, we’ll see you in February!” the band said.
The concept follows Polaris’ Life’s A Beach event, which established the Riviera Beach Club as an alternative setting for heavy music. The St Kilda beachside location provides a different environment from the traditional indoor venues and festival grounds normally associated with Australian metalcore.
Thornhill have the catalogue and touring history to headline an event of this scale. Their 2019 debut album, The Dark Pool, reached number 20 on the ARIA Australian Albums Chart. Its successor, Heroine, lifted the band to a new level commercially, reaching number three in 2022 and earning an ARIA Award nomination.
Their 2025 album Bodies continued that progression. The record debuted at number four on the ARIA Albums Chart and won the ARIA Award for Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album. It also collected Best Independent Heavy Album or EP at the AIR Awards, received an Australian Album of the Year nomination at the J Awards and was nominated for Most Performed Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Work at the APRA Music Awards.
International touring has further expanded Thornhill’s audience. The band have shared stages with Sleep Token, Bring Me The Horizon, Architects, Avenged Sevenfold and Northlane, alongside appearances at Download in the UK, Welcome to Rockville, Hellfest, Graspop Metal Meeting and Good Things. Their 2026 Bodies Australian headline tour became their biggest domestic headline run to date, with sold-out performances.
Stand Atlantic bring a different dimension to the bill. The Australian alternative rock band have released five studio albums, including 2026’s Godbreath, and have built an international following through appearances at Warped Tour, Reading & Leeds, Slam Dunk and Good Things. Their recordings have also attracted chart recognition in Australia and the UK, alongside Billboard chart appearances.
Alpha Wolf are another major Australian heavy music name on the programme. Their 2020 album A Quiet Place To Die debuted at number six on the ARIA Albums Chart and earned an ARIA Award nomination. In 2024, Half Living Things reached number two in Australia, reinforcing the band’s position among the country’s leading metalcore acts.
The band have also established an international touring profile, while their 2027 schedule already includes Froth and Fury Fest and the Hellbound 2 Cruise.
American duo SACE6 add an international element to the lineup. Combining pop, R&B and metal influences, the pair released their debut album brutalist in 2026. They made their Australian debut supporting nothing,nowhere. in April and are scheduled to return in 2027 for a national tour with Dayseeker.
Sydney’s Justice For The Damned will represent the heavier end of the Australian contingent. Their 2025 album Stay Relentless reached number 13 on the ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart. The band have previously toured with Killswitch Engage and Kublai Khan TX and will close out 2026 with international dates supporting Guilt Trip in Europe and the UK, followed by SPEED’s end-of-year show.
Varials bring another American metalcore perspective. The Philadelphia band released their fourth album, Where the Light Leaves, in 2026 and most recently toured Australia with Spite. They are currently touring North America with Wage War.
Brisbane’s Headwreck add another rising Australian name. Their 2025 album Attitude Adjustment debuted at number 43 on the ARIA Albums Chart, and the band are also scheduled to perform at Good Things Festival in December 2026.
Sydney’s Bloom have developed an international touring profile, including appearances alongside Silverstein, Bad Omens and Make Them Suffer in North America, as well as a performance on the inaugural Hellbound Cruise.
Completing the announced lineup is Adelaide’s Blinder, whose music draws on grungegaze, nu metal and shoegaze. The band recently supported Ocean Grove on their Australian tour.
Surf’s Up! Festival gives Thornhill a chance to present a broader picture of the contemporary heavy music scene, combining established Australian acts, emerging performers and international visitors.
The February event also extends the Riviera Beach Club’s role as a summer destination for live music, following Polaris’ successful artist-curated outing. With Thornhill now taking responsibility for the programming, the festival concept is developing into a platform for Australian heavy artists to present their own musical communities.
Surf’s Up! Festival takes place on Saturday 20 February 2027 at Riviera Beach Club, St Kilda, Melbourne. The event is strictly 18+.
DAL and Oztix pre-sale tickets go on sale Thursday 5 November 2026 at 10am AEDT. Fans can register for early access at https://daltours.cc/SurfsUp.
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