Clear your calendars and gather your friends for an epic line-up of live music, hilarious comedy, contemporary art and workshops as Creative Open returns this winter!

The four-day winter arts and music festival is back bigger and better than ever.

There will be more than 80 events across multiple venues from Thursday 25 to Sunday 28 July.

Live music is a massive part of this year’s program as we continue to promote the Northern Beaches live music scene and night-time economy.

With the support of the Live Music Office and APRA’s Live and Local program, Council has pulled together local venues, award winning performers and fresh talent, to offer an amazing program of free live music.

Punters are spoilt for choice, with a long list of amazing talent including Hayley Mary from The Jezabels headlining an incredible line-up at New Brighton’s Shark Bar.

For the first time, Creative Open is bringing the laughs, with not one but two Comedy Galas at Manly and Avalon.  

At Freshwater Brewing Company, home of this year’s Festival Hub, there will be night markets, amazing live music sets, circus acts, workshops and talks in front of a vintage caravan stage.  

This year, Manly Corso will be buzzing with Creative Open Live! Enjoy an epic line up of local and international live music talent taking over the Corso all weekend including Black Bird Hum, Lady King, Ellis Hall, Roshani and many more.

Art lovers can go behind the scenes at galleries and studios to witness the creative process unfold and learn new skills through a range of events and workshops, including print making, painting, sculpting, woodturning, photography, jewellery making, glass blowing and creative writing.

Festival highlights:

• ARIA Award-winning Hayley Mary (The Jezabels) will perform for free at New Brighton’s Shark Bar, alongside the razor-sharp madness of Thunder Fox, pop-psych-rockers Echowave, and Great Job! Saturday 27 July, 8pm – late. 
    
• As this year’s festival hub, Freshwater Brewing Company will host four-day Freshie Palooza, with circus, timber artisan and woodwork talks, stencil-making workshops, and an impressive line-up of free live acts including The Strides, Gold Fang, Ruby Jackson, Loretta, Edgecliff, Yasmina Sadiki, Ah Honey, ROY, Haley Holgate, Ben Harris and more. Multiple dates and times, so check the program.
   
• Enjoy a great line-up of local and international acts on the Creative Open Live! stage in Manly, featuring Sydney reggae band Black Bird Hum, local singer songwriter Ellis Hall, soul and R&B artist Lady King, the genre blurring ROSHANI, plus many more!
   
• Triple J legends Skunkhour will bring you forward and take you back with their timeless sound, conquering rhythms, and iconic songs when they perform, supported by The Toothpicks, at Avalon Beach RSL, Saturday 27 July, 8.30pm – late.
   
• Laugh until your belly hurts, with Canned Laughter Winter Gala at 4 Pines Manly, featuring Daniel Muggleton, Laura Coleman, Elliott McLaren and Freddie McManus. Thursday 25 July, 7–10pm.  
   
• Continue the laughs at Ava Fun Time, live comedy at Avalon United Cinema, featuring Marty Bright, Elliot McClaren, Jasper Jones, Nick Bartlett, Dan Muggleton, Gary Eck and Andrew Barnett. Saturday 27 July, 8–10pm.
   
• Perouse market stalls at the Creative Open Night Markets at Freshwater Brewing Company, Friday 26 July, 5–8pm.
   
• Explore a range of remarkable art exhibitions and open studios including ArtBau, Smashing Times Mosaics, Eramboo, Northern Beaches Gallery, Oily Rag Studios, Le Corail, Diezel, Northern Beaches Woodturners, pod & pod and Laetitia Touyeras. Check the program for dates and times.
   
• Try your hand at a new artistic practice, with workshops and talks including photography with Dark Room Social, jewellery making with The Metal Space, glass blowing with Mai Mai Glass, ceramics with Simply D Ceramics and creative writing for kids with The Imaginarium by Inkling Writing Studio. Check the program for dates and times.
   
• Drop by Manly Library to share your own music or poetry at Open Mic Night, Friday 26 July, 5.30–7pm. Pop back again on Saturday 27, 11am–3pm, for a special Zine Fair.
   
• Enjoy Happy Hour at Manly Art Gallery & Museum, Friday 26 July, 5.30–7.30pm.

Check out the Creative Open festival program and start planning your long weekend of arts and culture.