Bronte Beach stayed quiet and orderly on Christmas Day after a public appeal from Waverley Mayor Will Nemesh encouraged revellers to give the area a miss. Instead, large festive crowds gathered along the Coogee foreshore.
While thousands of backpackers in Christmas outfits were seen celebrating at Coogee, Bronte avoided the kind of unauthorised gathering that caused concern last year. Social media footage showed Coogee’s beachfront packed with people in Santa hats and festive clothing, stretching across much of the shoreline.
NSW Police confirmed that by 7pm there had been no incidents of note at Coogee, with no arrests or major problems reported.
The calm at Bronte followed a warning issued by Mayor Nemesh a week earlier, asking people not to repeat last year’s informal Christmas Day party. The mayor pointed to increased safety risks linked to the redevelopment of the Bronte Surf Life Saving Club, which has left around half of Bronte Park closed to the public.
Council also raised concerns about temporary fencing, reduced open space and narrow movement areas, which could have made crowd management difficult if large numbers had gathered.
Mayor Nemesh said council could not legally stop people from using a public beach, but asked visitors to stay away from Bronte for their own safety. He also referenced broader safety concerns in the area, noting the proximity of Bronte to the site of a recent attack that deeply affected the community.
Council staff, contractors and police were on site at Bronte throughout the day and reported that crowd numbers remained low and manageable. By evening, the park and beach were clean and looking much the same as they do on a typical summer day.
Mayor Nemesh thanked those who respected the request to stay away, saying the cooperation helped prevent a repeat of the chaotic scenes seen in 2024.
He said council had run a targeted communications campaign in the lead-up to Christmas to explain why Bronte was not suitable for large gatherings this year. The mayor added that council worked with neighbouring Randwick Council during the day, sharing resources as needed to manage the situation at Coogee.
Published 18-December-2025
