The North Face transforms Sydney’s World Square into immersive climbing experience.

Sydney, AUS – September 23, 2024 – The North Face shows us how they play differently, with a FREE 3-day climbing takeover at World Square, set to take place from Friday, 11th October to Sunday, 13th October.  

The North Face invites customers to step into total immersion of the world of climbing, bringing the spirit of the outdoors to the heart of the Sydney CBD. Transforming World Square into an epic playground, this one-of-a-kind activation is designed to break down the barriers of climbing, making the sport more accessible and inclusive for all.

This comes as The North Face premiers their new brand anthem: “We Play Different” which celebrates the fearless spirit and core values that has defined the brand over the last 60 years. Filmed in the world’s most epic unconventional playgrounds, the campaign highlights the personal triumphs and milestones achieved by its world-renowned global athlete team and pays homage to the conquests and personal journeys of those who play differently in their approach to exploring places no one else has been – from summits, cliffs, trails and peaks.

“We Play Different”aims to challenge its customers to defy norms and explore new paths. To continue this theme, The North Face will be encouraging the climbing curious to get involved in beginner friendly, FREE climbing workshops in the middle of World Square shopping centre, in partnership with one of Australia’s leading bouldering gyms: BlocHaus. 

The North Face athletes and special guests, including Lucy Stirling, Ben Cossey, and  olympian Tom O’Halloran, will join the weekend-long celebration to coach, champion and educate consumers, helping to build a strong climbing community both on and off the mountain.

Participants can expect beginner friendly climbing sessions, live music, interactive games, free drinks, prizes and much more! The activation is open to the public for one weekend only, providing a unique opportunity to explore new ways to play and embrace the outdoors in an urban environment.

DAILY PROGRAMMING

Friday 11th October

10am-7pm: Open Climbing Session and special appearance from The North Face Athlete Lucy Stirling 

4-7pm: Live DJ – DAYZZI B2B D.A.U.G

Saturday 12th October

10am-7pm – Open Climbing Session and special appearance from The North Face Athlete Tom O’Halloran 

1-5PM – Live DJ: (TBC)

Sunday 13th October

11am-5pm – Open Climbing Session and special appearance from The North Face Athlete Ben Cossey 12-4PM – Live DJ – BASCHOE

ATHLETE BIOS

Lucy Stirling | @lucyclimbing

Lucy Stirling is an Australian climbing icon. Over the last decade, she’s made her mark as one of the country’s most successful competitive climbers, competing in 26 Open World Cups and 3 Open World Championships from 2014 – 2022.

In recent years, Lucy experienced a paradigm shift. While she’d done her best to balance outdoor climbing with her competitive career, her burning desire for adventure was growing, along with her ‘to-do list’ of challenging outdoor projects where she now focuses her energy. 

Tom O’Halloran | @tom_ohalloran

Tom O’Halloran is a professional rock climber from the Blue Mountains. While his focus has been on climbing hard in the outdoors, Tom also competed on Australian Ninja Warrior, and became the first Australian male Olympian to compete in climbing for the 2020 Olympic Games.

When Tom’s not climbing, he’s sharing tips about it on his YouTube Channel where his content centres around lessons he’s learnt from climbing at the top level and outdoor ascents. 

Ben Cossey | @benjcossey

Ben Cossey is a climber, boulderer, coach and physio living in the Blue Mountains. Climbing for over 21 years, Ben has made first ascents and repeats of the hardest sport routes in the country, and he is known around town for being an obsessive trainer. 

With the personality fit for the big screen, Ben will have a feature climb film being released early 2025 exploring climb areas in QLD & northern NSW.