At a glance
- When
- Saturday 7 to Sunday 15 November 2026; the street displays start on Friday 6 November
- Where
- Manly, Fairlight, Clontarf, Dee Why, Avalon, Palm Beach and Brookvale, plus two online talks
- Cost
- Most sessions are free but need a booking; the Ocean Minded Morning is $15 (booking fee applies) and the snorkel tours are booked with Ecotreasures
- Run by
- Northern Beaches Council, with partners such as Ocean Lovers Festival and Ecotreasures
- Who it’s for
- Anyone who wants a talk, walk, swim, film or exhibition about the local ocean, including families
- What to do now
- Book the sessions you want now, because at least five are already marked booked out on the council’s pages
- Last checked
- Monday 2 November 2026, against Northern Beaches Council’s event pages
- Not yet confirmed
- Wet-weather plans, parking and bus arrangements for each site, and any age limits (none are published on the event pages)
Northern Beaches Council’s Ocean Festival runs from Saturday 7 to Sunday 15 November 2026, and most of its sessions are free but need a booking. This guide lists every session the council has published, in date order, with the place, time, cost and booking status as of 2 November 2026. Sydney is on daylight saving time, so all times are local AEDT.
The council says this is the festival’s 33rd year and that its theme is “Where Protection Brings Life”. It describes the festival as a celebration of the area’s five marine protected areas, the biodiversity under the water and on the rock platforms, and the marine plants, animals and large animals that live there. The council’s festival page also says the oceans cover 71% of the planet, produce 50% of the oxygen we breathe and absorb 25% of all carbon dioxide emissions. This guide uses the council’s Ocean Festival page and the individual event pages linked in the Sources list.
What is on, and when?
| Date | Time | Session | Where | Cost and booking (council pages) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 6 to Fri 20 Nov | 6:45am to 3pm, café hours | Underwater Photography Competition 2026 finalists exhibition | Ruby Lane Wholefoods Cafe, 200 Pittwater Road, Manly | No bookings required |
| Fri 6 to Wed 11 Nov | 9am to 5pm | Binnovation marine litter challenge | Manly Corso | Free |
| Sat 7 Nov | 2pm to 4pm | Rockpool discovery and microplastics survey | Fairlight Beach Rockpool, Fairlight Walk | Free; booked out |
| Sun 8 Nov | 3pm to 4pm | Palm Beach rockpool discovery walk | Palm Beach Rock Platform, Ocean Road | Free; booked out |
| Sun 8 Nov | 4:30pm to 6pm | Capture the coast through a different lens (photography session) | Avalon Surf Life Saving Club, 558A Barrenjoey Road | Free; booked out |
| Sun 8 Nov | 6:30pm to 9:30pm | Lisa Blair talk and Turn the Tide Film Tour 2026 | Avalon Beach Surf Life Saving Club | Free; book on the council page |
| Mon 9 Nov | 6pm to 9pm | Science at sea: an evening of marine science | Manly Club, 2 West Promenade, Manly | Free; booked out |
| Tue 10, Thu 12 and Sat 14 Nov | 9:30am to 10:30am | Guided snorkel tour with Ecotreasures | Shelly Beach, Manly | Booked with Ecotreasures |
| Wed 11 Nov | 7pm to 9pm | Salty Brains trivia night | 7th Day Brewery, 14/9 Powells Road, Brookvale | Free; registration essential |
| Thu 12 Nov | 6:30pm to 7:30pm | Meet the Northern Beaches Little Penguins (online talk) | Online | Free; register |
| Thu 12 to Sun 15 Nov | 9am to 5pm | Binnovation marine litter challenge | Dee Why beachfront, The Strand | Free |
| Fri 13 Nov | 10:30am to 11:30am | Kelp City talk with Annemie Rose Janssen | The Boathouse Shelly Beach, 1 Marine Parade, Manly | Free; book online |
| Fri 13 Nov | 4pm to 5pm | Living Seawalls tour | Sandy Bay, Clontarf | Free; booked out |
| Fri 13 Nov | 6:30pm to 7:30pm | Whale Tales webinar with Dr Vanessa Pirotta | Online | Free; bookings essential |
| Sat 14 Nov | 7:30am to 9am | Ocean Minded Morning | Manly Cove Beach, West Esplanade | $15 (booking fee applies) |
| Sat 14 Nov | 6pm to 9:30pm | Best of Ocean Film Festival | The Strand, Dee Why | Free ticket; bean bags $15 |
| Sun 15 Nov | 9am to 11am | Breakfast by the Bay with the Friends of Cabbage Tree Bay | Shelly Beach boat ramp, Manly | Free |
The Binnovation dates come from two separate council pages, one for each site. Both pages repeat the same schedule: Manly Corso from 6 to 11 November and Dee Why beachfront from 12 to 15 November. The Manly page lists 9am on Friday 6 November to 5pm on Wednesday 11 November, and the Dee Why page lists 9am on Thursday 12 November to 5pm on Sunday 15 November.
Which sessions are already booked out?
Five sessions carry a “booked out” notice on the council’s pages as of 2 November 2026:
- The Fairlight rockpool and microplastics session on Saturday 7 November.
- The Palm Beach rockpool walk on Sunday 8 November.
- The Avalon photography session on Sunday 8 November.
- The Manly marine science evening on Monday 9 November.
- The Living Seawalls tour at Clontarf on Friday 13 November.
The council has not said whether it will release extra places or keep a waiting list for any of them. Check each event page again before you plan around one.
What can I do at the weekend that needs no booking?
Two items on the council’s pages need no booking. The photography exhibition at Ruby Lane Wholefoods Cafe states “No bookings required” and runs from Friday 6 to Friday 20 November, during café hours of 6:45am to 3pm, seven days a week. The council describes the café as serving breakfast, brunch and lunch, and says you can pop in for a coffee while you look at the images. The Binnovation challenge on Manly Corso and at Dee Why beachfront is free, and its pages list no booking step.
The Breakfast by the Bay on Sunday 15 November is free and also lists no booking step. The council describes it as a relaxed drop-by morning to meet current volunteers with the Friends of Cabbage Tree Bay and hear what the role involves. It says there is no commitment, and that you can just drop by, have breakfast, meet the team and see whether becoming a Friend could suit you.
What happens at the Avalon evening on Sunday 8 November?
The Avalon Beach Surf Life Saving Club hosts a talk by Lisa Blair, who the council describes as a record-breaking solo sailor, climate activist and author. She shares stories from her ocean adventures and her move from adventurer to climate advocate. After the talk, the Turn the Tide Film Tour 2026 screens: the council calls it a 60-minute collection of short films about the wonder of the oceans and the environmental challenges they face. The evening runs from 6:30pm to 9:30pm, is free, and is booked through the council’s page.
The same club hosts the photography session earlier that afternoon, from 4:30pm to 6pm. Photographer Tim Seaton leads a hands-on session on Avalon Beach, then shows a selection of his coastal photography back at the club. The council says you do not need specialist equipment, and that a phone is enough. That session is booked out.
Where are the guided rockpool walks, and what should I bring?
The council runs two rockpool sessions, both now booked out. The Fairlight session on Saturday 7 November is a guided exploration of the rock platform, then a hands-on microplastics sampling session on the beach. The Palm Beach session on Sunday 8 November is a one-hour guided walk on the rock platform off Ocean Road.
| Session | What the council tells you to bring |
|---|---|
| Fairlight rockpool and microplastics (Sat 7 Nov) | Reef shoes or shoes you can get wet, a hat, sunscreen and a reusable water bottle |
| Palm Beach rockpool walk (Sun 8 Nov) | A hat, shoes that can get wet (reef shoes), and sunblock |
| Living Seawalls tour, Clontarf (Fri 13 Nov) | Reef shoes or shoes that can get wet; shorts, skirts or pants that can roll up are recommended |
What is the Living Seawalls tour?
The Living Seawalls tour on Friday 13 November, from 4pm to 5pm, visits the installation at Sandy Bay, Clontarf. The council says the habitat panels are based on more than 20 years of research and are reviving marine ecosystems along hardened shorelines. Professor Melanie Bishop, the Living Seawalls co-lead and a marine ecologist, leads the tour at low tide. The council says snails, crabs, oysters, mussels and seaweeds are colonising the structures, and notes that Living Seawalls were finalists in the Earthshot Prize. The tour is free but booked out.
Where can I hear a scientist talk?
Four of the sessions are talks, and the council’s pages describe them as follows:
| Talk | Date and time | Speaker | What the council says it covers | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Science at sea | Mon 9 Nov, 6pm to 9pm | Leading marine scientists and researchers | Shark technology, eDNA and Sydney’s corals; pizza and refreshments afterwards | In person at Manly Club; booked out |
| Meet the Little Penguins | Thu 12 Nov, 6:30pm to 7:30pm | Dr Lisa O’Neill | More than 20 years of monitoring the Manly Little Penguin colony and how locals can help protect their habitat | Free online webinar |
| Kelp City | Fri 13 Nov, 10:30am to 11:30am | Annemie Rose Janssen | How Sydney’s kelp forests are adapting to life near the city | In person at The Boathouse Shelly Beach; free |
| Whale Tales | Fri 13 Nov, 6:30pm to 7:30pm | Dr Vanessa Pirotta | Whale songs, social interactions, migration and the pressures whales face | Free online webinar, not recorded |
The council says the whale webinar will not be recorded, so you need to register to attend live. After you register, you receive a link closer to the date. It also lists a question and answer time. The two online talks need no travel.
How do the Shelly Beach snorkel tours work?
Ecotreasures runs guided snorkel tours at Shelly Beach and the Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve on Tuesday 10, Thursday 12 and Saturday 14 November, each from 9:30am to 10:30am. The council says local eco guides lead the tours, that you explore the Great Southern Reef’s marine life, and that the tour suits anyone wanting to build confidence and knowledge in the water. Bookings are made with Ecotreasures, not the council. The council page gives the promo code LOVEOCEAN for $10 off the Flexi Manly snorkel tour ticket.
The council does not publish the full ticket price, the minimum age or the water temperature on the festival page, so check those with Ecotreasures when you book.
What are the Saturday 14 November options?
Saturday 14 November has three sessions on the council’s pages, besides the exhibition and the Dee Why Binnovation stand:
- 9:30am to 10:30am: a snorkel tour at Shelly Beach, booked with Ecotreasures.
- 7:30am to 9am: the Ocean Minded Morning at Manly Cove Beach, which the council describes as a flagship wellness event hosted by Ocean Lovers Festival. It begins with meditation and yoga, followed by an ocean plunge and then coffee. The ticket is $15 and a booking fee applies.
- 6pm to 9:30pm: the Best of Ocean Film Festival on the Dee Why beachfront. Activities start at 6pm and the films begin at 7:30pm. Read our guide to the Dee Why film night for the ticket and bean bag details.
The Ocean Minded Morning ends at 9am and the snorkel tour starts at 9:30am, so the two can be done back to back, but both sit at Manly and you would need to move from Manly Cove Beach to Shelly Beach in half an hour. The council does not publish a walking time between the two sites.
Is there anything for a weeknight?
Yes, the Salty Brains trivia night on Wednesday 11 November, from 7pm to 9pm, at 7th Day Brewery in Brookvale. The council describes it as a relaxed trivia night mixing surf, ocean life and climate questions with a few random ones, with raffle prizes on the night. It is a collaboration between Ocean Lovers Festival, 7th Day Brewery and Surfers for Climate. It is free, but you must register in advance. The council also offers a downloadable poster on the event page.
Are there any wet-weather arrangements?
The council has not published a wet-weather plan for any of the sessions. Many of them are outdoors, including the rockpool walks, the Living Seawalls tour, the photography session on Avalon Beach, the snorkel tours and the open-air film night. Check the council’s event page for the session on the day, and read any booking confirmation you receive.
How do I get there?
The council’s event pages give a street address or a named site for each session but do not give parking or bus advice. For a trip planner, use Transport for NSW. For Manly sessions, the council’s Manly parking stations page lists the fees for its four car parks, which our Manly Oval concert guide sets out.
Sources
- Northern Beaches Council: Ocean Festival, read 2 November 2026
- Underwater Photography Competition 2026 finalists exhibition
- Binnovation at Manly Corso and at Dee Why beachfront
- Fairlight rockpool and microplastics, Palm Beach rockpool walk and Living Seawalls tour
- Avalon photography session and Lisa Blair and Turn the Tide Film Tour
- Science at sea, Little Penguins, Kelp City and Whale Tales
- Manly snorkel tour with Ecotreasures, Salty Brains trivia, Ocean Minded Morning and Breakfast by the Bay
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Northern Beaches Council, Ecotreasures or Ocean Lovers Festival.
Featured image: Fairlight Rockpool (photo: Hardlinerr / CC0) (text added)