James Meehan Reserve could become the setting for Dee Why’s biggest outdoor concert-style event in more than two decades, with a 15,000-capacity music and surf-film festival proposed for the beachfront park.
Aloha Festival 2027 is proposed for Saturday, 6 March 2027, with the event planned to run from noon until 10pm behind the surf life saving club at Dee Why Beach.
A development application has been lodged with Northern Beaches Council for the festival, which would bring live music, surf films, food and other activities to the reserve.
Residents Focus On Noise And Reserve Use
Two submissions have already raised concerns about what an event of that scale could mean around James Meehan Reserve.
One resident questioned using the park for the festival and raised concerns about potential costs to ratepayers. A second submission pointed to expected noise and inconvenience for residents and visitors and called for the application to be rejected.
The event management plans address some of those concerns, with organisers proposing measures to minimise noise and road disruption during the festival.
Noise monitoring is planned for the duration of the event to ensure sound remains within the applicable limits.
Festival Program Takes Shape In Dee Why
The event itself would combine musical performances with surf-film screenings presented as part of the Australian Surf Film Fest.
The festival’s online line-up section currently displays Racheal Ken, Kerry Lee, Robert Bil and John Smith, although the available material does not establish whether those names make up the complete or final line-up.
Surf films are planned between musical performances, while food and drink outlets, licensed bars, stalls and other activities would also operate within the event site.
Other proposed elements include a SharkSmart display covering shark-management and alert technology, including the SharkSmart app and shark-spotting drones. Gotcha4Life and Blue Minds are also listed for mental health and fitness-related activities.
The festival would bring a type of event to James Meehan Reserve that the park has not hosted for more than two decades. Its last large outdoor concert was the Vans Warped Tour in 2002, when acts including Eskimo Joe, Pennywise and Guttermouth performed.
For Dee Why, the current proposal would place up to 15,000 festivalgoers at the reserve for the day while organisers manage the effects on the surrounding area.
Whether that happens remains subject to Northern Beaches Council approving the development application.
Published 4-September-2026
