Key discrepancies in a Waverley Council contract disclosure document – modified at least three times since first being uploaded – could point to changes in the Bondi Beach Party planned for the 2026 Mardi Gras season.
Earlier this year, Australian event producer Fuzzy secured the rights to stage the Bondi Beach Party for up to five years after a private Waverley Council tender process resulted in Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras losing its bid to continue running the event.
Fuzzy also secured a separate licence to host a 2025 and 2026 New Year’s Eve event at Bondi, with the option to host an additional year.
Mardi Gras lost the right to host the Bondi party after only 5825 people attended in 2024, despite capacity for 15,000. In 2025, Mardi Gras chose to not host it again, despite the council expecting it to go ahead.
Into that gap stepped Fuzzy, the events producer behind festivals such as Listen Out, Field Day and Harbourlife, which has brought in ex-Mardi Gras festival marketing and communications head Jake Troncone to lead a similar role within the company.
Mighty Hoopla link
On August 31, the Instagram account Progress Shark reported that a contract disclosure document uploaded to Waverley Council’s website suggested Fuzzy was partnering with British music festival Mighty Hoopla to co-produce the Bondi party. Both entities are owned by the same parent company, Superstruct Entertainment.
The document was posted as part of the council’s legal obligation under the Government Information (Public Access) Act to disclose contracts valued at $150,000 or more.
Mighty Hoopla’s London event on June 1 featured US pop star Kesha, prompting speculation by Project Shark that she could also headline the Bondi party. Other Hoopla performers have included Jade (who collaborated with Kesha on “Boy Crazy”), the Sugababes and Jessie Ware.
Adding weight to the rumours, the dates for Kesha’s upcoming “Tits Out Tour” exclude Sydney entirely, despite stops in Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide – all in February, when Mardi Gras takes place.
Kesha is set to perform in Brisbane on February 19 and in Melbourne on February 22.
Contract edits
The original council document described a “Licence for Mighty Hoopla Beach Party and Concert at Bondi Beach and Park”, naming Fuzzy Productions as the contractor. Its filename ended in “Fuzzy_Productions_Mighty_Hoopla_Beach_Party.pdf”.
This file was later replaced by one ending in “BEN_EDIT.pdf”, with the project name altered to “Licence for Beach Party and Concert at Bondi Beach and Park” – removing reference to Mighty Hoopla but keeping it in the filename.
The original document, viewed by Gay Sydney News, listed Fuzzy as paying $325,000 annually to run the Bondi party, plus an additional $175,000 in its first year. It also gave Fuzzy the right to stage a secondary event at the site for $175,000, which the council document said Fuzzy had indicated it would exercise.
Such an arrangement could see the 2026 Bondi event resemble Fuzzy’s 2023 harbourside weekend at Mrs Macquaries Point, which featured the events Harbourlife and Wet Dreams.
But the “BEN_EDIT” version also removed financial details and confirmation of the secondary event. Instead, it states: “If the Event Organiser wishes to host the Secondary Event during any Event Period, the Event Organiser must submit a written request to the Licensor at least 6 months prior to the relevant.”
The “BEN_EDIT” filename may relate to Ben Thompson, Waverley Council’s director of arts, culture and events, though this has not been verified.
A further update to the document removed “BEN_EDIT” from the filename but did not alter its contents further. Mighty Hoopla was still missing from the project name, though it continued to appear in the filename.
Despite this, a source close to the British festival, who was not authorised to speak publicly, told Gay Sydney News that Hoopla’s team is still coming to Sydney for the event.
Waverley Council declined to comment. Mighty Hoopla could not be reached.
A Fuzzy spokesperson described the disclosure document as “just an ops [operations] doc”.
Ownership and controversy
Attention has also turned to Fuzzy and Mighty Hoopla’s ownership structure.
Their parent company, Superstruct Entertainment, was acquired in 2024 by investment giant KKR. The deal has been controversial due to KKR’s defence investments, including stakes in Novaria Group and Advanced Navigation – both of which have contracts with Israel.
This week, a United Nations independent international commission of inquiry, which does not speak on behalf of the UN, found that “genocide is occurring in Gaza and is continuing to occur”, according to its head, Navi Pillay.
Pride in Protest, an activist group that has long pushed Mardi Gras to cut ties with police and corporates, criticised Mardi Gras for working with Fuzzy, citing the KKR link.
Similar backlash occurred in the UK, prompting Mighty Hoopla to issue a statement: “Whilst we cannot control agreements or investments made in our parent companies, we wish to state our clear opposition to KKR’s unethical investments.”
Superstruct has previously said KKR’s investment had helped it continue running festivals, adding: “Superstruct is independently run, making its own decisions based on what is in the best interests of our fans, artists and colleagues.”
Fuzzy, co-founded by Adelle Robinson, has a similar business structure, stating on its website: “Any profits from Fuzzy-led events or festivals are reinvested in the music business.”
Scheduling speculation
The Bondi Beach Party is expected to take place on February 21 – one week before the Mardi Gras parade on February 28 – aligning with Kesha’s Australian tour schedule.
Speculation had mounted that Kesha might instead perform at the Mardi Gras Party, but she is due in New Zealand that night for the Electric Avenue Festival.
Another possible attendee is Real Housewives of New York star Luann de Lesseps, who recently replied to an Instagram comment saying she would attend “Mardi Gras Bondi Beach in Feb”.
Eliot Hastie is a senior news producer at Channel Ten, reporting on a range of general stories, specialising in foreign affairs and LGBTQ+ stories. He’s also a reporter for Gay Sydney News, where he covers LGBTQIA+ culture, politics and nightlife. He previously helped to build and launch ausbiz, Australia's only live streaming finance news channel, where he was also an executive producer and host. He has previously worked as a finance and business journalist for publications including Fintech Business, Real Estate Business and other Momentum Media titles. Eliot holds a journalism degree from the University of Westminster and brings experience in both broadcast and digital reporting. Contact Eliot: eliot.hastie@gaysydneynews.com.au
