17 C
Byron Shire
November 7, 2026

Legend Groove Terminator at the Nudge

Nudge Nudge Wink Wink returns to the Billinudgel Hotel on Saturday with Australian dance music icon Groove Terminator headlining fresh local talent and our beloved residents – all ready to deliver a serious dose of dance delight, all while supporting youth mental health organisation Human Nature Adventure Therapy.

Cinema: 500 Miles

Is it even possible to not love a film with Bill Nighy? Well, no! In this beautiful, sweeping and life-affirming adventure that celebrates the human spirit, 500 Miles follows a broken family that must come together when two young boys, Charlie and Finn, run away from home in England to reach their beloved but estranged grandfather (Nighy) on the west coast of Ireland.

Mandy Nolan

Mandy Nolan’s Soapbox: Don’t scrape

The arts are an essential industry. We need artists as much as we need accountants. We need dancers as much as we need doctors. We need comedians as much as we need civil engineers. We need filmmakers as much as we need financial planners. We need musicians as much as we need ministers.

Crooked Colours

Balance leads to bliss. Extracting harmony from the union of seemingly disparate elements, Crooked Colours exist at an elusive crossroads between delicate acoustic instrumentation, evocative vocals, and dancefloor-ready synth transmissions.

It’s a killer

The Killer Queen Experience is Australia’s premier tribute to Queen, delivering a powerhouse two‑hour show packed with the band’s greatest hits and fan‑favourite deep cuts. Formed in 2003, the show has grown from a local Brisbane act into an international touring production, performing across the UK, Europe, Asia, India, and the Pacific.

Cinema: NAZA

A must-see, award-winning documentary investigating AI warfare in Gaza. Fresh from winning the Special Jury Prize at the 2026 Venice International Film Festival, NAZA, the latest documentary from Academy Award-winning filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor (No Other Land), examines artificial intelligence and surveillance in Israel’s military operations in Gaza.

Interview with Genevieve Clay-Smith, director of Boss Cat showing at the Byron Bay Film Festival

When Sonja (Olivia Hargroder) loses her mother without warning, the only steady presence left in her life is her grandmother, Doris. But Doris’s idea of stability means dismantling everything Sonja has built. For Sonja, who lives with Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) and has spent her life fighting to be underestimated by no one, Doris’ plan feels less like protection and more like erasure. Directed by Genevieve Clay-Smith, Boss Cat is a vibrant, big-hearted Australian dramedy about independence, family and self-determination, anchored by a fearless lead performance.

Haven turns one: a three-day celebration

Haven’s story starts with a supermarket. The venue at 102 Jonson Street occupies the former Woolworths building, a site presented as a temporary home for music and community, before the building is eventually redeveloped. Instead of hiding that impermanence, the team made it the point. The space was built entirely from salvaged materials, turning a commercial site into a cultural one which is reminiscent of a futuristic Pan-Asian set from Blade Runner and Ghost in the Shell.

Cinema : Meet the future of friendship

In a dystopian future some children are genetically engineered – ‘lifted’ – for enhanced academic ability

Interview with Boy & Bear : acoustic reinvention

Known for their rich harmonies, heartfelt songwriting and uplifting live energy, Boy & Bear will bring a more intimate side of their music to Byron Wellness Festival with beautifully reimagined versions of favourite songs, soulful acoustic arrangements and the kind of shared musical moments that invite you to slow down, breathe and be present.

Cinema

Cinema: 500 Miles

Is it even possible to not love a film with Bill Nighy? Well, no! In this beautiful, sweeping and life-affirming adventure that celebrates the human spirit, 500 Miles follows a broken family that must come together when two young boys, Charlie and Finn, run away from home in England to reach their beloved but estranged grandfather (Nighy) on the west coast of Ireland.

John Campbell’s top 10 flicks for 2014

JC looks back over cinema releases for the past year

Tomorrowland: A World Beyond

Review by John Campbell In the dim and distant, Tomorrowland was one of the four...

Southern Blast in Byron

Surfrider Foundation Australia – the not-for-profit agency dedicated to the protection of Australia’s oceans – has launched a series of film events across Australia’s east coast to raise support for their campaign to Save The Southern Sea from fossil fuel exploration. Their 12th stop will be at Byron Community Theatre on 30 November.

Seven in print

Byron Shire Echo issue 41.21 – November 4, 2026

Cartoon of the week – 4 November, 2026

The Echo loves your letters and is proud to provide a community forum on the issues that matter most to our readers and the people of the NSW north coast. So don’t be a passive reader, send us your epistles.

Interviews

Interview with Boy & Bear : acoustic reinvention

Known for their rich harmonies, heartfelt songwriting and uplifting live energy, Boy & Bear will bring a more intimate side of their music to Byron Wellness Festival with beautifully reimagined versions of favourite songs, soulful acoustic arrangements and the kind of shared musical moments that invite you to slow down, breathe and be present.

Love Songs and an Empty Sky

Kavisha Mazzella is an ARIA award wining singer songwriter with a very unique twist. A meditator, chanter, sufi poem lover and singer of love songs in Italian, she presents two very different styles of performance.

Something for everyone at the Picture House

From Australian superstar musos, to brand new documentaries, to comedians at the top of their game, there really is something for everyone at the Brunswick Picture House.

Thirty-six unmissable films

The 2026 Russell Hobbs British Film Festival features an unmissable line up 36 films, including five retrospectives which will screen from 28 October to 29 November at Palace Byron Bay and Ballina Cinemas.

A timeless story of self-discovery

A husband with a promotion, two adorable children and a lovely new house. Nora thought she had it all. But did she? What was the discontent that was whispering to her in the shadows?

Wanderlust come to Mullum

Wanderlust invites the community to a magical evening celebrating connection and conscious living at the Wanderlust Night Market.

Interview for Byron Bay Film Festival

Guided by Horses is a film that follows Aboriginal Professor Juli Coffin and the young people of Yawardani Jan-ga (‘horses helping’ in Yawuru language), a groundbreaking Aboriginal-led equine-assisted learning program where horses, Country and culture come together in unexpected ways.

Katchafire’s Revival 2.0

Katchafire team up with ARIA Award-winning Australian First Nations artist Emily Wurramara for their next Revival 2.0 Guest Edition single, collaborating on ‘Giddy Up’ – released on 4 September.

Festivalspre-2020
remembering the good times

Dressin’ up and shakin’ down

Off the back of new single Big Things Calling, the first taste of their forthcoming new album, Melbourne’s The Perch Creek Family Jugband have just announced their national Dressin' Up & Shakin' Down tour.

Mullum Music Festival gets Sketchy

Inspired by Mr Squiggle and Pictionary, this game-show-with-a-twist is made up of a series of playoffs between the artists and the rappers. The artist’s speed-sketch pictures relevant to a theme, topic or clue and project them onto a large screen for the rappers and audience to see.


First guests for Byron Writers Festival 2022 revealed

Earlybird tickets for the Byron Writers Festival have gone on sale as they announce their first festival guests.