The grounds of Sydney Olympic Park will be alive with the sound of high-energy music this November as rural and regional student bands go head-to-head in the 2025 Surround Sound finals.

The bands Scream Street, Ship of Thesius, The Rays and Undercover Funk will return to the 2025 Schools Spectacular SpecFest event stage to take on newcomers No Man’s Land, Onion Skin, TPS and Wild Rocket.

The Surround Sound rural and remote band competition is a Department of Education Arts Unit initiative designed to provide a platform for NSW public secondary school musicians from country areas to “strut their stuff” live.

To help prepare students for the final SpecFest main stage performance, all finalists will attend a ‘Surround Sound camp’ in the two days leading up to final competition where students will attend workshops with industry tutors to hone their performances.

Each band will perform on Friday 28 November 2025 and be given short written feedback from the judging panel. The following day the finalists will again perform to be judged more extensively on their ensemble skills, technical proficiency, musicality and performance skills.

Student Access and Engagement Advisor Simon Kermode said Surround Sound provided opportunities for young musicians to perform on a major stage, receive mentorship, and represent their communities.

“We are delighted by the standard of entries this year and proud to support these young musicians,” Mr Kermode said.

“Surround Sound is all about celebrating student bands from rural and remote NSW public secondary schools and gives regional and rural students the opportunity to perform at a professional standard and within reach of industry mentorship.

“We’re welcoming in the competition’s fourth year, making it a now an established part of the NSW performing arts calendar.”

Student performances range across contemporary genres and include both original works and reinterpretations of covers.

Meet this year’s finalists:

No Man’s Land – Bateman's Bay High School on Yuin Land

The six-piece band made up of Years 11 and 12 students and is known for its high-energy shows and recently performed at the YOUNITE Music Festival in Batemans Bay. The ensemble has been rocking together since early 2023 with their music - comprised of a vocalists, guitarists, pianist, bassist and drummer – inspired by legends like Scowl, Amyl and the Sniffers and Halestom.

Wild Rocket– Byron Bay High School on Bundjalung land

Zephyr Breeze and Kai Akiba make up this high-energy garage rock duo who have gained recognition for winning competitions Youth Rock and Boom Clash Rockstar in 2024. With Zephyr on guitar and vocals and Kai Akiba on drums, their music is influenced by 60s/70s rock and 90s grunge, and they have released multiple singles available on the popular streaming platforms.

Undercover Funk – Kooringal High School on Wiradjuri Land

The student funk and pop band are back after previously making it to the grand final of the Surround Sound competition in 2022. This new Undercover Funk cohort has been in the groove since the start of this year, featuring students from Years 8 to 12 who deliver funk-inspired covers of favourite pop and rock songs. Their tight rhythms and energetic performances turn every show into a dance party.

Onion Skin – Maclean High School on Bundjalung, Gumbaynggirr, and Yaegl land

Onion Skin is a new kid on the block comprised of four senior Maclean High School students – Luke on drums/vocals, Kaylan and Stanley shredding the guitar and Bella on bass sitting on the groove. They are set to impress on the SpecFest stage with their love of Blues and Hard Rock.

Ship of Thesius – South Grafton High School on Bundjalung, Gumbaynggirr, and Yaegl lands

Back for their third consecutive year, Ship of Thesius has just headlined on the Youth Stage at Grafton’s Jacarok festival and is ready for round two on the SpecFest stage. Playing as a band for over three years, the band performs hard rock, sugar pop, prog rock and funk original songs and covers.

TPS - The Rivers Secondary College Kadina High Campus on Bundjalung land

TPS (Ten Pack Screwdriver) is another newbie, having only played together for four months. They have wasted no time playing gigs around the Northern Rivers most recently playing in the High School showcase at Byron Bay Bluesfest and Thrillfest battle of the bands in Lennox Head, which they won. Originals and covers are their jam with influences from Tool, Opeth and Silverchair.

The Rays – The Rivers Secondary College Lismore High Campus on Bundjalung land

The Rays are Surround Sound finalists for the second year in a row. Playing together since 2022, the foursome and have gained much experience performing at numerous school events including assemblies and productions and most recently as part of the 2025 Highschool showcase at Byron Bay Bluesfest. The Rays explore a wide variety of genres and create their own music, constantly evolving as a band.