Plan your weekend at Manly Jazz 2025

When places become synonymous with music events, you know they must be hitting the right note. 

For country music, that’s Tamworth. Elvis might have Graceland but he also has Parkes. And when it comes to jazz, that place is Manly. 

Coming up faster than a pivot arpeggio in a bebop jazz piece, Manly Jazz 2025 will be striking up the band from Friday 19 September to Sunday 21 September. 

Shake off the winter blues and get into the spring swing of things in Manly. 

Get the pitch right 

Whether you’re talking music or sales, Manly Jazz has the perfect pitch. 

So what’s the pitch for why you should attend? 

As the longest-running jazz festival in Australia, having kicked off in 1978, we really know what we’re doing when it comes to entertainment and music events. 

You’ll be spoilt for musical choice – an incredible 70+ acts will be performing across 4  stages and 13 official venues around Manly, plus there will be numerous roving performers providing little pops of musical colour. 

This event always attracts a crowd, meaning the place will be jumping. 

This year features amazing acts including Sydney Conservatorium Big Band, Craig Calhoun and the Brothers of Oz, The Great Ladies of Jazz featuring Nicki Parrott, and Boogaloo Biscuit. Even our local schools get to showcase their talent on the Jazz Stars of the Future stage. Get your toes tapping to music from schools such as Balgowlah Boys Campus Jazz Orchestra, St Augustine’s College Big Band 1 and Mosman High Jazz Ensemble. 

Improvise

If you know your jazz, you’ll know that improvisation is at its heart, involving spontaneous musical creation that makes each performance unique. 

While Manly Jazz is organised for a seamless experience, it’s also the ideal event for embracing the spirit of improv by figuring it out as you go. 

Stage-hop as the mood takes you between the 4 stages – Beachfront, Sydney Rd, Jazz Stars of the Future and St Matts (on Saturday only) – it’s a quick and easy stroll between each. 

Get carried away, literally, by the roving performers. Don’t be afraid to abandon your seat and let the music lead you in a new direction in the true spirit of improvisation. Saturday has amazing vibrant acts like The Jitterbug Club (Swing Dancers) and the dynamic Sax Summit, while on Sunday tag along with the New Orleans-style roaming King St Brass Band or acoustic band Sentosa Trio. 

Pop in to Bucketty’s Jazz Garden for one (or more) of their award-winning brews and a steak sanga while enjoying Manly’s lively atmosphere. 

Try some syncopation 

Syncopation in music refers to the accentuation of unexpected beats, creating a sense of surprise and vitality. 

Bring that concept to Manly Jazz by interspersing your big stage experience with local business venues offering live music as well as their own unique theme and atmosphere. 

Pubs and hotels 

Iconic Hotel Steyne will feature DJs and local live musicians across the entire 3 days, as will Ivanhoe Hotel just down the Corso. Felons Manly will present 3 afternoons of jazz by the harbour, while New Brighton Hotel will come alive Saturday and Sunday with jazz and live jam sessions. On Sunday, the Manly Club on Gilbert Park will host a celebration of jazz grooves.  

Bars 

Enjoy world-class jazz and cocktails on Friday night at Cibaria 55 North Bar, playful jazz and singalong tunes at Henry G’s on Friday and Saturday, and everything from jazz and blues to soul and rock at Donny’s Bar on Sunday. Kick back with a cocktail while enjoying vintage jazz energy on Saturday at Insitu and then on Sunday enter the very cool cat world of live jazz in a speakeasy-style setting at The Cumberland. 

Books and music 

Head to Manly Library on Friday for its Open Mic Night. Get in on the action with your own performance or simply sit back, enjoy and support our local talent. Open to anyone aged 16 years and over. 

Good for the soul 

Music and religious worship go together like a saxophone and a trumpet. On Saturday, head to St Matthews Manly, which will showcase local school and community bands. On Sunday, start your day off with a beautiful and uplifting jazz gospel service at Manly Presbyterian Church. Hallelujah! 

Take an interlude 

In jazz, an interlude is a musical section bridging 2 parts of a piece and offering a contrast or moment of reflection. 

With such a packed program, you might also need your own interlude during the weekend. And there’s no better place for a moment or 2 of reflection than Manly. 

With the village in full swing, why not get away from it all on a relaxing and scenic walk? 

Stroll to Shelly Beach, continue through the carpark on the headland and enjoy a fresh ocean breeze from the clifftop lookout. If it’s a warm day, take a quick dip at Shelly before heading back to the party. 

Walk across to the harbour and do a short and easy section of the Manly Scenic Walkway from West Esplanade and around to Fairlight Beach. Along the way pop in to Manly Art Gallery & Museum for some quiet time among the inspirational artworks and Manly memorabilia. 

Take the 161 bus from Manly Wharf to North Head’s Fairfax Walk. This 20-minute loop walk punctuated by 2 award-winning lookouts will amaze you with its (calming) rhythm and (ocean and harbour) blues. 

And all that jazz 

With its fascinating and colourful evolution, from its origins in late 19th Century New Orleans and through big bands, bebop, cool jazz and free jazz, as well as fusions with funk and rock, it’s no surprise that jazz also has a very fun and lively vocabulary. 

If you want to fully immerse yourself in jazz culture, even if just for the weekend, here’s a sample of terms you can throw casually into conversation and impress your friends (Source: The Doyle Collection). 

Axe: Any instrument, even the voice.  

Bad: Good. Get it? 

Cat’s meow: Even better than bad. Which is good. Confused yet? 

Eight to the bar: No, it has nothing to do with drinking – it’s actually a continuous eight-note rhythm, typically on boogie-woogie piano. 

Java: Coffee. Keep your energy up all weekend with a regular java! 

Lick: A solo. 

Noodlin’: Playing random notes without direction. 

Oliver Twist: A good dancer. 

Smokin’: Playing well. 

Tubs: A set of drums. 

Zoot: Nice clothes. 

So put on your zoot and head to Manly Jazz 2025. It promises to be the cat’s meow!