New 10-day winter festival supporting local business
Rise Manly is a new 10 day and night winter festival showcasing the amazing things to do, taste, and explore in Manly, running 20 – 29 June 2025.
This is a destination marketing event designed to support you and other local businesses during the quieter winter low season.
Bringing together the best of Manly’s businesses, the festival will showcase Manly in-line with festival themes - Relax, Indulge, Shop and Experience - with businesses like yours hosting exciting in-venue and popup events, experiences and activations for locals and visitors to enjoy. Event themes explore:
- Relax - Wellness, coastal vibes, hotels and retreats
- Indulge - Food, drinks and gourmet experiences
- Shop - Boutiques, wholefoods, night markets
- Experience - In venue live music, entertainment and activities.
There are 3 great ways to get involved
- Host an in venue offering
- Host a pop-up event, activation or experience in a public space (think The Corso, Beachfront or alleyways)
- Both one and 2!
Northern Beaches Council will also host activations throughout Manly’s beachfront, Corso and laneways, bringing the festival vibe. Complete an expression of interest >>
Potential ideas
Looking for ideas to get involved in the festival? Check out our list below (the possibilities are endless!).
Option 1 - In venue
- ‘One night only’ dinner and wine pairing by renowned Chefs
- Rise-themed ‘Burger, brew and talk’ with local brewer
- One-off cooking class & meal with well-known chef
- A night to remember 5-course meal, paired wine and live music
- Celebrity SUP/Kayak guided tour
- VIP Yoga or meditation on the beach
- Rise-themed interactive experience, directly outside your premise
Option 2 - Public space pop-up
- Winter garden market
- Pop-up wine or beer garden
- Fashion Show
- Interactive experience
- Hands on interactive cooking class
- Collab with neighbouring businesses
Support available to make it easy for you
As a festival venue, we want to support you! Council and the Manly Business Chamber will be visiting all Manly businesses to discuss ways to get involved.
Once onboard, you could benefit from:
- Destination marketing campaign to support the festival
- Marketing kit to promote your business
- Grants of $1000 to assist with your in-venue offering*
- Fee waivers for open space bookings*
Grants (in-venue experiences)
Businesses can, on application, receive $1000 in funding to support special offerings or one-off events in-venue, designed specifically for Rise Manly. For example, a Meet & talk with local brewer with burger and brew or a Yoga or meditation session on the beach.
How do I get involved?
To take advantage of this opportunity, select your preferred option below (or both!) and submit your expression of interest by completing the form at the bottom of this page. Note the deadlines for each option.
- In venue - Monday 28 April
- Pop-up / public space activation - 11 April 2025
All businesses will be notified if they are successful or not by Friday 30 May. If you are successful, you will be contacted to confirm details and supply a link to your proposed offering including any booking details. We will also provide you with a marketing kit and all the information you need to be part of the festival.
For all enquiries, please contact manlymainstreet@northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au
Selection criteria
Public space pop-up
- Proposed overview and attachments
- Unique offering demonstrating how the experience showcases the Rise manly themes.
- Winter theme in line with the Rise Manly event.
- Local Manly business
- Provide a welcoming, inclusive, safe event for a range of audiences
- Proposed activity must be legal
- Proposed activity must not endanger or create hazards for non-participants
- Likely boost to economic activity
- Not detrimental to other businesses
In-venue
- Proposed overview and attachments
- Unique offering demonstrating how the experience is linked/showcases the Rise Manly themes.
- Provide a welcoming, inclusive, safe event for a range of audiences
- Winter theme in line with the Rise Manly event.
- Local Manly business