Ride The Wave Festival

Now established as an annual event on Birpai Country in Port Macquarie Ride the Soundwave is a ticketed all ages music festival on the Ride the Wave Festival line-up.

What makes Ride The Soundwave different from any other festival? Soundwave and its parent Ride the Wave Festival is run by local charity Make a Difference (MAD) who support marginalised people in the Port Macquarie / Hastings region.

Ride The Soundwave will help raise some much needed funds to help with the work they undertake feeding and supporting those in need as well as create awareness! 100% of entry fees go directly to the MAD charity.  

"The gig was awesome, with a massive crowd of music lovers coming together to support a great cause. It was such a good feeling to know that the proceeds from the festival would help those in need. We're grateful to have been part of such a special event."
"I like the connection between the surf and the skate world and pulling all that together."

XAVIER RUDD

With a career spanning over two decades, Xavier Rudd has established himself as a unique and compelling force in the world of roots music. His music is not just a melodic experience but a spiritual journey. Rooted in his deep connection to the earth and his ancestral lines, his songs celebrate community, culture, and the human connection to the planet. 

Xavier is set to release a new EP early in 2024, to include the recent 2023 single releases Free the People, Road Trippin’ and High Times. The year 2021 saw the release of his critically acclaimed tenth studio album, Jan Jun Moon, showcasing his creativity and excitement with a blend of natural sounds and trippy analog synthesizers. Xavier also wrapped up two European tours in 2022 and 2023, having made stops at Glastonbury, Pinkpop and Rock Werchter festivals along the way. 

To add to the events of the last 18 months, Xavier took out the Australasian Performing Right Association Award (APRA Award) for Most Performed Blues & Roots Work this year for his stunning single ‘We Deserve To Dream’, before also taking out the 2023 Environmental Music Prize. He won the publicly voted award for his 2021 single ‘Stoney Creek’ ahead of acclaimed Australian artists such as Tash Sultana, Midnight Oil, Ziggy Alberts and more. Beginning his career with 2002’s definitive To Let, Xavier Rudd put his message out into the world and was answered immediately. Fans from all over the globe were drawn to the distinctly Australian-looking musician, activist and surfer. His live performances, featuring his signature acoustic guitar and a complex array of didgeridoos and percussion, have garnered widespread acclaim.

THE DREGGS

What a way to kick off 2024, with the heads heading out on tour hitting coastal regional Australia to bring good vibes and tunes to a venue near you!  The Sunny Coast duo are on the verge of releasing their debut album but before they do so, they’ll be playing bangers from the new record and bangers from the past to make sure 2024 begins in style. 

2023 saw the guys round it out with epic performances at Spilt Milk, Queenscliff Music Festival and NYE on the Hill as well as selling in excess of 10,000 tickets around Australia at their own headline shows.

EMILY WURRAMARA

A new chapter dawns for award winning songwriter and musician Emily Wurramara.
Since audiences were first introduced to Wurramara via the Black Smoke EP (2016),
Wurramara’s natural talents as a storyteller have been on show, beautifully delivered through music that is engaging and has built a history of being deeply resonant with audiences around Australia.
Amassing over fourteen million streams on Spotify alone, as well as widespread Australia industry acclaim.. An artist whose musical output represented a new era coming to life for Indigenous Australian musicians, Wurramara’s impact was immediately felt.
A Warnindhilyagwa woman from Groote Eylandt, Emily Wurramara has spent most of her life growing up between Meanjin (Brisbane) and the Northern Territory. Writing and singing in both English and Anindilyakwa language, Wurramara’s music has added to a recent wave of contemporary Australian blues and roots music that has seamlessly brought the language of her people to new communities in a way that empowers and celebrates her culture.
Her music, honest and inspiring, has led Wurramara to establish a body of work that includes the acclaimed debut studio album, Milyakburra (2018) – a record that earned the performer an ARIA Award nomination, an AIR Award win; as well as six Queensland Music Awards.
The album spoke to Wurramara’s connection to land, country and to her family, offering new and long term audiences alike a more specific insight into her journey; intimate and nuanced, the album proved to be an exciting release, as it provided a breath of fresh air into the Australian music scene.
The years that followed Milyakburra saw Wurramara develop a respected and refined live reputation, continuing to cut her teeth as a performer on stages around the country as a headliner and supporting the likes of Midnight Oil, Jack Johnson, Michael Franti, Rob Thomas, Mavis Staples and more.
As her profile and artistic journey flourished in the public space, Emily Wurramara has also been developing her interests in the space of advocacy; dedicating herself to championing important causes that need more awareness like mental health, youth suicide prevention and environmental issues. Tying into her emotional and in depth music and songwriting skill, Wurramara’s handle on language and its emotional impact has made her into a figure of inspiration and admiration.
And as she has approached her long-awaited second studio album, Wurramara has continued to follow her natural instincts as a poet and musician, pouring her heart and clear artistic vision.
This is music that captivates from the start – a reminder of where Emily Wurramara has come from, and an exciting indication of where she is heading next.

MAMA KIN SPENDER

From the mouth of Margaret River, WA (Wadandi Boodja) to Victoria’s rugged Mornington Peninsula (Bunurong and Boonwurung country), Mama Kin Spender is a rattle and hum call across the desert plains. An ARIA-nominated duo of mischief-makers, MKS is Mama Kin (aka Danielle Caruana), a storyteller and dream weaver with a penchant for soul-baring; and Dingo Spender, a producer, songwriter and instrumental wizard. Long-time friends and collaborators, MKS combine drums, percussion and blistering guitar with lightning arrangements underpinned by harmonies that shimmer and smoulder. Exploring life’s joys, bruises, stretch marks and scars, MKS possess a lyrical depth that pushes us to our far-flung edges. With two releases under their belts, including ARIA-nominated “Golden Magnetic” and “Are You Listening?”, a journey through grief, rage, reflection and arrival, MKS delve into life’s complexities with vigour.  MKS is an openhearted burst of sincerity, wonder and adventure. Their connection is primal, breathing soul and vitality into every space they inhabit. From the song writing craft to the percussive beats, MKS will leave you clutching at your chest while stomping and howling.

ROUND MOUNTAIN GIRLS

“They just blew me away!” John Williamson

It’s been well over a decade since a congregation of part time musos got together in a shed on Round Mountain in the most northern part of NSW. Hundreds of shows on, and they’ve simply become one of the most engaging live acts in Australia. RMG have opened for America, Santana, Tim McGraw and Brad Paisley; toured the UK (twice) and made friends around the world. They excel in spreading the love wherever they go. John Williamson loved them so much, he insisted they record a song together. Kim Churchill, Felicity Urquhart and Jack Thompson (the actor!) have also been guests, either on stage, or in the studio.

If Mumford and Sons, The Pogues and Metallica had a three-way lovechild it would be a Round Mountain Girl. Coined in the press as the ‘finest purveyors of Celtabillypunkfolkrootsgrasscountry in the southern hemisphere’, they are capable of taking you to places you didn’t know existed. Fast and furious, tender and humourous, great playing, great songs. You’ll forget you’ve got a mortgage, forget your dog’s just died and ignore, for a moment that the ice caps are melting. 

For a band that got together with absolutely zero expectations other than a weekly jam, they have punched way above their collective weight but when you see them play live and witness the raw energy and joy they bring to an audience, it’s all too easy to understand why.

TEENY TINY STEVIES

Sisters Byll & Beth are Teeny Tiny Stevies, the ARIA award winning songwriters who make irresistible, pop tunes for kids covering topics that parents often struggle to discuss with their children. Following the success of their animated videos on ABC TV, and their ABIA award nominated picture books, Teeny Tiny Stevies are ready to put on the ultimate live gig experience for young families. The old feel young, the young feel like grown-ups and everyone just meets somewhere in the middle for a rocking good time.

PORT MACQUARIE'S OWN COASTAL MUSIC FESTIVAL WITH A DIFFERENCE

Ride the Soundwave 2023 Gallery