The 21st annual Noosa Festival of Surfing will go back to its roots in 2012, with six days instead of nine and all of its attractions, including free movies and live music, happening on the beach at First Point.

Festival director Phil Jarratt said this week that the festival had to remain affordable and represent great value to its core group of competitors, and in the current economic climate, many of them couldn't afford to come to Noosa for longer than a week and pay for big ticket concerts.

"People come from all over Australia and the world for the festival, and the vast majority of them come every year. With the event expanding every year, the cost of attending has grown too, and with our strong dollar, overseas competitors in particular were really getting slugged. We've decided that right now bigger is not better. We want to present a value-for-money festival that will encourage people to keep coming every year, so we've stripped back the competitor numbers, reduced the length of the festival to work within a week-long vacation, and, subject to permissions, we'll present free entertainment right on the beach at the contest site every afternoon and evening."

The festival will begin on Sunday, March 11, with a full day of clubs tag team surfing and specialty events, ahead of the thrilling five kilometre stand up paddle race, which will finish at First Point just in time for the official opening ceremony and ceremonial paddle out, plus live music at the beach bar as the sun sets over Laguna Bay. Throughout the week, surfing will be at First Point or secondary site Noosa West, depending on conditions, but regardless of which break the contest is held on, the afternoon action will be at First Point from 4pm when the beach bar opens throughout the festival with live music and other entertainment.

The stand up paddle pro will get underway Monday morning, heralding a week of surfing action each day from 7am to 5pm. Amateur divisions will be on from Monday, and the surfing pros from Wednesday. Junior events Friday and all finals Saturday.

The festival's beach expo, with exhibits of all kinds of surfcraft and other goodies, will open at noon on Wednesday and then from 10am to 6pm Thurs-Sat. The expo will feature product launches, signing sessions, giveaways, quizzes and other fun each afternoon around beer o'clock. All entertainment at the beach site will be free and open to the public, including the end of week surf movie on the beach and live music acts every evening. The beach bar will be upgraded with plenty of rain cover, lighting and a stage and sound system for sunset acoustic music programs.

The festival will conclude with presentations and after-party on the beach from 4pm on Saturday, March 17.

While the major focus of the surfing program will be on the amateur divisions, with a second chance round being reintroduced to give all surfers more water time, Jarratt said the professionals would not be neglected. "We are working closely with our partners Surfing Australia and ASP Australasia towards implementation of an exciting program."

The professional surfing program is expected to include:

Mens LQS longboard pro Womens LQS longboard pro Noserider Pro Finless Pro Stand Up Paddle Pro & 5K race

Noosa Festival of Surfing amateur division entries will open on Thursday, June 16, with all divisions capped at 24 entrants under the new shortened format. First in, best dressed! Further information visit www.noosafestivalofsurfing.com, or phone Sam on 0439 666 172.