Situated along the stunning Bondi to Tamarama coastal walk, Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi is one of Sydney’s most popular events, with 500,000 visitors viewing sculptures by artists from around the world.

With plans underway for the 26th Bondi edition, Sculpture by the Sea will be the world’s largest free public sculpture exhibition in 2024, the three week extravaganza set to feature more than 100 sculptures by artists from Australia and beyond. The popularity of the has also led to the creation of Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe in Perth on Australia’s Indian Ocean coast, and has even made it as far as Aarhus, Denmark. Staged since 2005, the Cottesloe exhibition features over 70 sculptures and is enjoyed by 220,000 visitors, making it as much a part of Perth as the Bondi show is of Sydney.

Claire Healy, Oasis, Sculpture by the Sea Bondi, 2001. Photo, Clyde Yee

This year’s Sydney edition will take place from 18 October to 4 November, the two kilometre walk connected by various walkways and stairs. A sublime and social way to spend an afternoon or evening, the organisers have devised three walking routes: ‘Easy’ whereby you can see almost all of the exhibition while avoiding most of the stairs; ‘Blue’ which indicates a walking tour specifically for those not comfortable with stairs or walking long distances, focusing on Marks Park, where you can find the Sculpture Inside gallery which showcases artists’ smaller works; and ‘Red’, a route for those who are comfortable with stairs, moderate slopes and walking over a kilometre.

Recognised by many as the start of summer in Sydney, Sculpture by the Sea Bondi is one of the city’s most iconic events, and although as yet there’s been no information released on this year’s artists or sculptures, to whet readers appetites, we take a look back at pictures from previous years’ editions, showing just why the Bondi to Tamarama Beach coastal walk during Sculpture by the Sea is so beloved.

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Margarita Sampson, Urchins, Sculpture by the Sea Bondi, 1997. Photo, Clyde Yee.

Crowds, Sculpture by the Sea Bondi 2014. Photo, Jarrad Seng.

Stephen Marr, The Optimist, Sculpture by the Sea Bondi 2012. Photo, Marianna Massey.