The Drop Festival 2019

Manly, Australia

The Drop Festival 2019: Back Bigger and Better than Before!

After a successful first edition, The Drop Festival returns in 2019, bigger and better than before. This year’s edition will be ‘dropping in’ on the Sydney Surf Pro on Saturday March 23rd, as well as four other locations around Australia. The proudly local event is environmentally sustainable and encourages a lifestyle of good food, art and community culture. 

“Back for its second year running, bigger and better than before!”

This year’s edition welcomes two new locations, with some of the greatest surfing events on the planet acting as the perfect festival backdrop. The festival, proudly supported by triple j and the World Surf League (WSL), will take place during the first weekend of each of the three WSL Championship tour events. Along with Manly, the festival will also take place in Newcastle, Coolangatta, Torquay and Busselton. 

The lineup features brother and sister duo Angus and Julia Stone, as well as Australia’s favourite electric-dance act Client Liaison. Surf rock legends Hockey Dad, ARIA accredited The Jungle Giants and rising star Alex the Astronaut make up the 2019 Drop Festival bill.

Where to view The Drop Festival 2019

The Drop Festival will take place at five different beachfront locations around Australia. 

Newcastle: King Edward Park (York Drive, Newcastle NSW 2300)

Manly: Keirle Park (277 Pittwater Road, Manly NSW 2095)

Coolangatta: Queen Elizabeth Park (Marine Drive, Coolangatta QLD 4225)

Torquay: Torquay Common (1 Bell Street, Torquay VIC 3228)

Busselton: Barnard Park (108 Marine Terrace, Busselton WA 6280)

How to get around Manly

Located 7 miles from Sydney’s CBD, the coastal city of Manly can be easily accessed by ferry, bus, plane, or car. Manly is regularly frequented by visitors via Sydney’s famous ferries. The 30 minute trip departs regularly from Circular Quay in Sydney’s CBD. A ‘Fast Ferry’ option is also available, departing from Circular Quay’s Wharf 6 with a travel time of 17 minutes. Water taxi’s services such as Sydney Water Taxis, Yellow Water Taxis and Palm Beach Water Taxis are also available to travel to and from Manly. 

By road, Manly can be accessed by car or bus. Manly Warringah Cabs have serviced the northern beaches area since 1953, and other Sydney Taxi companies also operate throughout the area. If you are traveling by car, Manly has several council as well as private car parks available. Bus services are also available, connecting Manly with Sydney CBD, the Northern Beaches, St Leonards and Epping. Direct airport transfers are also available from Sydney Airport, with a travel time of around 40 minutes. 

During the festival, four shuttle bus routes will operate to and from the festival. Shuttles will run from Manly Wharf, Warringah Mall, North Sydney Station and Gordon station. Tickets for the shuttles can be in advanced for half price online, or in person on the day; and start at $5 for a return ticket (excluding booking fees). Shuttles run every 5-15 minutes depending on which route you take. Parking is also available during the festival at Stella Marist College Seniors Campus, Stella Marist College Main Campus and St Pauls Catholic College, for $5; which can be paid in cash on the day until full. 

Where to stay for The Drop Festival

The coastal city of Manly offers a wide range of accomodation options, from backpacker hostels to waterfront hotels. Airbnb also offers everything from private rooms to luxury apartment and designer penthouses! You can explore a range of nearby options below. 

Due to its close proximity to the Sydney CBD, visitors can also stay in or around the Circular Quay area and travel to and from the event by ferry. 

Things to do in Manly

There is an endless list of things to see and do in the city of Manly. Everything from adventures and tours to sports and fitness activities, entertainment and events can be found in Manly. During your visit to Manly, a trip to the beach is essential! Home to Australia’s top surfers such as Layne Beachley and Tom Carroll, Manly was voted Australia’s number one beach by trip advisor in 2018! The coastal city is also known for its various water sports and activities. You can hire kayaks, paddle boards or boats at the Manly Kayak Centre; or book an ultimate offshore adventure and go whale watching with Manly Ocean Adventures. If you’d rather stay on dry land, Manly offers over 20km of dedicated bicycle tracks, and Manly Bike Tours offers the city’s largest fleet of bicycles available to hire. 

If you are exploring Manly on foot, be sure to wander into the various secret laneways, and discover locally owned cafes and bars. In the evening, the city comes alive with music and you can find a live band playing in just about any bar. You can find a wide range of activities and things to do in Manly here.

The Drop Festival 2019 Tour

Taking place across five waterfront cities around Australia, the Drop Festival tour will return down under for the 2019 season. The first stop on The Drop Festival nationwide tour, coincides with Surfest; the largest surfing festival in the southern hemisphere. Celebrating its 34th anniversary in Newcastle Australia, over 700 competitors from more than two-dozen countries will take to the waters at the stunning Merewether Beach. Following the world famous event, The Drop Festival will then head down to Manly, NSW for the Sydney Surf Pro. The official Rad Season Overall Local Trials will take place throughout the week before the festival wraps up the second stop of the tour. 

Moving up north to the sunny Gold Coast, the Quicksilver Pro will take place at Coolangatta Beach. The first stop on the Men’s Surfing Championship Tour 2019 will showcase state-of-the-art, high performance surfing. The fourth stop on The Drop Festival tour will be in Torquay, during the Rip Curl Pro. Taking place at Bells Beach, the second stop on the Men’s Championship Tour for 2019 is the oldest contest on the schedule and the longest running pro event in the world. 

Finally, the festival will ‘drop in’ on the Margaret River Pro in Western Australia for its last stop. Home to some of the best surfing beaches in the country, the event will host the top ranked 34 male and 16 female surfers over a 12 day period. 

The Drop Festival 2019 Dates

The next edition of The Drop Festival will take place across five weekends, following the World Surf League championship events from March to June, 2019.

Newcastle: Saturday 16 March 

Manly: Saturday 23 March

Coolangatta: Saturday 6 April

Torquay: Saturday 20 April

Busselton: Saturday 1 June