Battle of the Bands is back on the Beaches
Reviving the live music scene back to the glory days of the 1980s and 1990s, when groups like INXS, Midnight Oil and Cold Chisel would play venues across the Northern Beaches, is the thinking behind The Mona’s Battle of the Bands competition, which is set to take place in October for the second year running.
Ben Hanson, 53, partner at The Mona, created the Battle of the Bands competition.
“I’m 53 and as a youngster from Dee Why, I used to go to the Jet Club, Mona Band Room and different venues…and watch live music a lot,” he says. “I wanted to create a bit of that to remind me of the old days because all of the (young adults) nowadays are struggling to find places to see live music.”
Indie synth rock group, Speaking of Which, won $10,000 cash after taking out last year’s competition, and the same prize is once again up for grabs for the 2026 winner.
The competition will run on consecutive Saturday nights, starting on 10 October, with four bands performing and competing each night across the first three weeks. The grand final will then be held on Saturday 31 October. “One band from each week gets selected for the final, and then one (band) out of the three weeks is a wildcard, which will make four bands for the grand final,” Ben explains.
There have been 100 entrants this year, Ben says, including bands playing everything from ‘punk, to country to indie to psychedelic pop.’ From those, Ben has chosen 12 finalists to compete. A full line-up of the bands can be found on The Mona website.
It’s free to see the bands play, and across the heats the bands will be judged by Matt DeGaris from the band, I Know Leopard, and Ben. Mat McHugh, lead singer from The Beautiful Girls, will join the pair to judge the grand final.
“It’s just great to see live music on the Northern Beaches,” Ben says. “Come down, it starts about 8pm when the bands kick in. Listen, support, dance and have fun!”
Battle of the Bands
Heats: 10, 17, 24 October
Grand final: 31 October
The Mona, Mona Vale | Free
Themona.com.au
