A brand-new winter festival is coming to Manly this week – here’s what to know about Rise Manly

Manly may be a summer beach day spot for many, but with Felons expanding and a new winter festival, it’s becoming an all-year destination so that beautiful ferry journey is worthwhile year round.

Presented by Northern Beaches Council, Rise Manly is a new “winter event series”, bringing music, light, culture and community to the Northern Beaches suburb. Nine days of large-scale light installations, roving performances, family-friendly activities, night markets and late-night trading will begin this Friday, June 20. The Corso and Manly’s laneways will be buzzing with live performances, artworks and more, as the incredible shops, restaurants, bars, cafes, fitness and wellness businesses team up to present this 10-day party.

From live music nights at Felons and bespoke menus to a surf festival and live artistry from a Sydney-based artist, here’s what to expect at Rise Manly.

Rise Manly: Indulge

Felons Manly has quickly become a local favourite, and recently announced an expansion, less than a year since opening its first venue outside of Brisbane. There’s no rest for the team — next up, Rise After Dark is a 10-day series of free late-night live music. Celebrating emerging talent in jazz, funk, indie and experimental genres, each night features a different act performing under the Felons neon signs. The lineup is:

Friday 20 – End Notes
Saturday 21 – Lady King
Sunday 22 – DINK
Monday 23 – The Mail Order Cowboys
Tuesday 24 – RAD Live Music Trivia
Wednesday 25 – Maitê Inaê
Thursday 26 – Omatomico
Friday 27 – Nic & His Hipshots
Saturday 28 – Scratch Band
Sunday 29 – Beat Mystique by Sultry

Signature cocktails will be shaken all night long, and Felons Imperial Stout — a decadent, velvety-smooth and bold brew — will make its once-a-year return too. Tuesday’s Live Music Trivia will be given a special Rise After Dark twist and presented in collaboration with a special musical guest (Tuesday, June 24; 7pm-9pm).

Felons also has a weekly specials menu that will be operating as normal throughout RAD. For an added bonus, visit on: Monday for pizza night ($20 for a pizza and schooner of core range beer), Wednesday for steak night ($28 for a 250g Hereford striploin with fries and IPA), Thursday for a burger ($20 for a double cheeseburger with pickles and onions) and Sunday for the Sunday roast ($28 for lamb shoulder, Yorkshire pudding and all the trimmings). Entry to RAD is free.

READ MORE: The Felons Manly team are opening a brand-new restaurant

Elsewhere, The Manly Pavilion will transform into a European ski village, with cosy comfort food, fireside drinks, live music, an inflatable igloo, ice sculptures, fire dancing and, of course, spectacular views (June 20-29, 11:30am-10pm). Vini’s Café will also become a winter wonderland, inspired by Finland. A flickering LED fireplace, reindeer hides, timber stump tables, fairly lights and a simulated Northern Lights sky will bring the hut to life. Stop for a gin and grapefruit drink and Nordic-inspired canapes ($15 per person).

Winona Wine will host a free, one-off organic and sustainable wine tasting night at their Pittwater Road store (June 28, 3pm-6pm; free), while 4 Pines will host two events: a winter solstice celebration with music, limited release brews, mulled ginger beer and comfort foods (June 21 from 4pm); and a five-course extravaganza at their restaurant, Bonsai Izakaya (June 27 from 6:30pm; $70 per person).

Find the full Indulge lineup at hellomanly.com.au.

Rise Manly: Shop

Op for Change on Sydney Road will host a special pop-up shop outside the main store, bursting with pre-loved fashion, homewares and one-of-a-kind treasures — all supporting community causes. A range of workshops, from jewellery upcycling to styling sessions and drawing classes, will also be available (June 20-29, 10am-4pm).

For more fashion finds, go to This Goes With That, where guest stylists will help you create a new winter look, and you’ll be granted an additional raffle ticket if you bring in an item to donate (June 20, 6pm). Hotel Steyne will host a Vinyl Fair on Saturday, June 29, welcoming more than 14 vendors selling quality vinyl from across the state.

Finally, Manly Food Co-op is hosting two sweet opportunity to sample their honeys, at Honey Tasting Challenge (June 25 6:30pm-7:30pm & June 29 4:30pm-5:30pm). A selection of local honeys and put you palate to the test by matching each to expert tasting notes. Get them right and you’ll win a prize. Participants will also take home a 10% off voucher and a curated set of honey-based recipes.

Rise Manly: Experience

The final pillar of the festival includes the most events of the series. Perhaps the most exciting is Manly Surf Festival, which will take place over three days, including six surfing divisions. A King and Queen of the Beach will be awarded to local surfers, and junior surfers from the Northern Beaches, Eastern Suburbs, Cronulla, Wollongong and Central Coast will have their moment in the spotlight. Head to Queenscliff Beach to watch the show (June 20-22, 8am-4:30pm).

Shelly Beach is one of the best snorkelling spots in Sydney, and nature’s most dazzling underwater show will be underway throughout the festival. See the hypnotic displays when snorkelling during the cuttlefish mating season and use the code RISEUP20 for 20% off when booking at snorkellingshellybeach.com (Friday to Sunday 10am–3pm, Monday to Thursday 11am–2pm).

At Q Station, the one-hour Quarantine Wander History Tour will reveal the historic significance of The Wharf Precinct, the most pivotal area for understanding the arrival and daily operations of the early residents (Monday-Thursday 11am, Friday-Sunday 10am; adult $30, child $15).

Artists will create thought-provoking masterpieces live performances at Art Cube Live. Sydney-based artist Reubszz will capture the essence of Manly in winter on Friday (June 20, 9am-5pm; 27 The Corso) while three emerging artists will transform a large cube into a stunning masterpiece (June 20-22, 9am-5pm; 6 The Corso). There will also be several light installations, including Glow Tunnel at 65 The Corso (June 20-29, 5pm-9pm).

Rise Manly: Relax

If all of that sounds too much, relax and unwind with a touch of winter wellness. Ruby Lane Wholefoods will host a special immersive breathwork and sound healing experience, led by Dr Andrew Callister and Laura Gutierrez. A nourishing dinner and drinks will then follow, provided by the Ruby Lane chefs (June 27, 6pm-9pm; $119 per person).

Alternatively, unwind in the cosy confines of the wood-fired sauna, with perfect views of Sydney Harbour, at Q Station. Pair it with a cold water plunge at Quarantine Beach for the ultimate rush of euphoria (June 21-22 & 28-29; 7am-4pm).

READ MORE: Winter solstice in Sydney: here’s everything you need to know

Rise Manly

When: Friday, June 20 until Sunday, June 29.
How to get there: Ferries are available from Watsons Bay or Circular Quay. Check timetables at transportnsw.info