Byron Baes is Netflix’s 2022 reality series set in Australia’s most Instagrammed beach town. It follows influencers, creatives, and entrepreneurs chasing clout, connection, and meaning in Byron Bay.

The show was a cultural flashpoint: Byron locals protested before release, critics were split between “addictive trash” and “tone-deaf cringe,” and nearly every major news outlet covered its launch—including the New York Times.

Part The Hills, part Love Island, Byron Baes served up influencer hustle, awkward spiritual awakenings, and friendship feuds—and captured the impact Instagram has wrought on this previously laid-back town.