diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/admin/addon/components/dashboard-new-features.js b/app/assets/javascripts/admin/addon/components/dashboard-new-features.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..937340c1d36
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/admin/addon/components/dashboard-new-features.js
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+import Component from "@ember/component";
+import { action } from "@ember/object";
+import { ajax } from "discourse/lib/ajax";
+
+export default Component.extend({
+  newFeatures: null,
+  releaseNotesLink: null,
+
+  init() {
+    this._super(...arguments);
+
+    ajax("/admin/dashboard/new-features.json").then((json) => {
+      this.setProperties({
+        newFeatures: json.new_features,
+        releaseNotesLink: json.release_notes_link,
+      });
+    });
+  },
+
+  @action
+  dismissNewFeatures() {
+    ajax("/admin/dashboard/mark-new-features-as-seen.json", {
+      type: "PUT",
+    }).then(() => this.set("newFeatures", null));
+  },
+});
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/admin/addon/models/admin-dashboard.js b/app/assets/javascripts/admin/addon/models/admin-dashboard.js
index 400ebe161bb..c0c9f86702c 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/admin/addon/models/admin-dashboard.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/admin/addon/models/admin-dashboard.js
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ AdminDashboard.reopenClass({
     return ajax("/admin/dashboard.json").then((json) => {
       const model = AdminDashboard.create();
       model.set("version_check", json.version_check);
+
       return model;
     });
   },
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/admin/addon/templates/components/dashboard-new-feature-item.hbs b/app/assets/javascripts/admin/addon/templates/components/dashboard-new-feature-item.hbs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2aff2986402
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/admin/addon/templates/components/dashboard-new-feature-item.hbs
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+<div class="admin-new-feature-item">
+  <div class="new-feature-emoji">{{item.emoji}}</div>
+  <div class="new-feature-content">
+    <div class="header">
+      {{#if item.link}}
+        <a href={{item.link}} target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">{{item.title}}</a>
+      {{else}}
+        {{item.title}}
+      {{/if}}
+    </div>
+    <div class="feature-description">{{item.description}}</div>
+  </div>
+</div>
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/admin/addon/templates/components/dashboard-new-features.hbs b/app/assets/javascripts/admin/addon/templates/components/dashboard-new-features.hbs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..190e53a4326
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/admin/addon/templates/components/dashboard-new-features.hbs
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+{{#if newFeatures}}
+  <div class="section dashboard-new-features">
+    <div class="section-title">
+      <h2>{{replace-emoji (i18n "admin.dashboard.new_features.title") }}</h2>
+    </div>
+
+    <div class="section-body">
+      {{#each newFeatures as |feature|}}
+        {{dashboard-new-feature-item item=feature}}
+      {{/each}}
+    </div>
+    <div class="section-footer">
+      {{#if releaseNotesLink}}
+        <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href={{releaseNotesLink}} class="btn btn-primary new-features-release-notes">
+          {{i18n "admin.dashboard.new_features.learn_more"}}
+        </a>
+      {{/if}}
+      {{d-button label="admin.dashboard.new_features.dismiss" class="new-features-dismiss" action=dismissNewFeatures }}
+    </div>
+  </div>
+{{/if}}
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/admin/addon/templates/dashboard.hbs b/app/assets/javascripts/admin/addon/templates/dashboard.hbs
index 0e4f4beec26..cb87e84b471 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/admin/addon/templates/dashboard.hbs
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/admin/addon/templates/dashboard.hbs
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+{{dashboard-new-features}}
+
 {{plugin-outlet name="admin-dashboard-top"}}
 
 {{#if showVersionChecks}}
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/acceptance/dashboard-test.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/acceptance/dashboard-test.js
index b573383066b..ac67b052df5 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/acceptance/dashboard-test.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/acceptance/dashboard-test.js
@@ -127,6 +127,13 @@ acceptance("Dashboard", function (needs) {
       "its set the value of the filter from the query params"
     );
   });
+
+  test("new features", async function (assert) {
+    await visit("/admin");
+
+    assert.ok(exists(".dashboard-new-features"));
+    assert.ok(exists(".dashboard-new-features .new-features-release-notes"));
+  });
 });
 
 acceptance("Dashboard: dashboard_visible_tabs", function (needs) {
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/fixtures/dashboard-new-features.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/fixtures/dashboard-new-features.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..fe9d50b791f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/fixtures/dashboard-new-features.js
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+export default {
+  "/admin/dashboard/new-features.json": {
+    new_features: [
+      {
+        id: 1,
+        user_id: 127,
+        emoji: "😎",
+        title: "New color palettes",
+        description:
+          "New light and dark color palettes that adhere to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. ",
+        tier: [],
+        link: "https://meta.discourse.org",
+        created_at: "2021-01-18T19:59:29.666Z",
+        updated_at: "2021-01-19T19:33:16.150Z",
+      },
+      {
+        id: 7,
+        user_id: 127,
+        emoji: "👱‍♀️",
+        title: "Suspend users quickly",
+        description:
+          "Staff can now suspend or silence a user immediately, without needing to visit the review queue or admin page. ",
+        tier: [],
+        link: "",
+        created_at: "2021-01-19T19:20:09.757Z",
+        updated_at: "2021-01-19T19:20:09.757Z",
+      }
+    ],
+    release_notes_link:
+      "https://meta.discourse.org/c/feature/announcements?tags=release-notes\u0026before=0",
+  },
+};
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/common/admin/dashboard.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/common/admin/dashboard.scss
index 8d38420b7bd..0e553c4a9a8 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/common/admin/dashboard.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/common/admin/dashboard.scss
@@ -612,3 +612,42 @@
     font-size: $font-up-3;
   }
 }
+
+.dashboard-new-features {
+  .section-body {
+    display: grid;
+    grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fill, minmax(300px, 1fr));
+    grid-gap: 1.5em;
+  }
+
+  .section-footer {
+    margin: 1.5em;
+    display: flex;
+    justify-content: flex-end;
+    align-items: center;
+    .btn {
+      margin-left: 1em;
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+.admin-new-feature-item {
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: flex-start;
+
+  .new-feature-emoji {
+    font-size: 3.5em;
+    padding-right: 0.5em;
+    padding-left: 0.5em;
+  }
+
+  .new-feature-content {
+    padding-right: 0.5em;
+    align-self: center;
+    .header {
+      font-size: $font-up-1;
+      font-weight: bold;
+      margin-bottom: 0.5em;
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/app/controllers/admin/dashboard_controller.rb b/app/controllers/admin/dashboard_controller.rb
index eb246d75e54..1b75618f883 100644
--- a/app/controllers/admin/dashboard_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/admin/dashboard_controller.rb
@@ -22,4 +22,15 @@ class Admin::DashboardController < Admin::AdminController
   def problems
     render_json_dump(problems: AdminDashboardData.fetch_problems(check_force_https: request.ssl?))
   end
+
+  def new_features
+    data = { new_features: DiscourseUpdates.unseen_new_features(current_user.id) }
+    data.merge!(release_notes_link: AdminDashboardGeneralData.fetch_cached_stats["release_notes_link"])
+    render json: data
+  end
+
+  def mark_new_features_as_seen
+    DiscourseUpdates.mark_new_features_as_seen(current_user.id)
+    render json: success_json
+  end
 end
diff --git a/config/locales/client.en.yml b/config/locales/client.en.yml
index 330dcb19814..30f998f7b36 100644
--- a/config/locales/client.en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/client.en.yml
@@ -3601,6 +3601,10 @@ en:
         installed_version: "Installed"
         latest_version: "Latest"
         problems_found: "Some advice based on your current site settings"
+        new_features:
+          title: "🎁 New Features"
+          dismiss: "Dismiss"
+          learn_more: "Learn more"
         last_checked: "Last checked"
         refresh_problems: "Refresh"
         no_problems: "No problems were found."
diff --git a/config/routes.rb b/config/routes.rb
index e30b0a7d2c8..85c40920445 100644
--- a/config/routes.rb
+++ b/config/routes.rb
@@ -260,6 +260,8 @@ Discourse::Application.routes.draw do
       get "dashboard/moderation" => "dashboard#moderation"
       get "dashboard/security" => "dashboard#security"
       get "dashboard/reports" => "dashboard#reports"
+      get "dashboard/new-features" => "dashboard#new_features"
+      put "dashboard/mark-new-features-as-seen" => "dashboard#mark_new_features_as_seen"
 
       resources :dashboard, only: [:index] do
         collection do
diff --git a/config/site_settings.yml b/config/site_settings.yml
index a64dba360ce..d32b2ebc49d 100644
--- a/config/site_settings.yml
+++ b/config/site_settings.yml
@@ -2134,6 +2134,10 @@ uncategorized:
     client: true
     hidden: true
 
+  check_for_new_features:
+    default: false
+    hidden: true
+
   automatically_unpin_topics:
     default: true
     client: true
diff --git a/lib/discourse_updates.rb b/lib/discourse_updates.rb
index 6a7dc2a54b4..d5d2f3b2647 100644
--- a/lib/discourse_updates.rb
+++ b/lib/discourse_updates.rb
@@ -115,6 +115,38 @@ module DiscourseUpdates
       keys.present? ? keys.map { |k| Discourse.redis.hgetall(k) } : []
     end
 
+    def perform_new_feature_check
+      response = Excon.new(new_features_endpoint).request(expects: [200], method: :Get)
+      json = JSON.parse(response.body)
+      Discourse.redis.set(new_features_key, response.body)
+    end
+
+    def unseen_new_features(user_id)
+      entries = JSON.parse(Discourse.redis.get(new_features_key)) rescue nil
+      return nil if entries.nil?
+
+      last_seen = new_features_last_seen(user_id)
+
+      if last_seen.present?
+        entries.select! { |item| Time.zone.parse(item["created_at"]) > last_seen }
+      end
+
+      entries.sort { |item| Time.zone.parse(item["created_at"]) }
+    end
+
+    def new_features_last_seen(user_id)
+      last_seen = Discourse.redis.get new_features_last_seen_key(user_id)
+      return nil if last_seen.blank?
+      Time.zone.parse(last_seen)
+    end
+
+    def mark_new_features_as_seen(user_id)
+      entries = JSON.parse(Discourse.redis.get(new_features_key)) rescue nil
+      return nil if entries.nil?
+      last_seen = entries.max_by { |x| x["created_at"] }
+      Discourse.redis.set(new_features_last_seen_key(user_id), last_seen["created_at"])
+    end
+
     private
 
     def last_installed_version_key
@@ -144,5 +176,17 @@ module DiscourseUpdates
     def missing_versions_key_prefix
       'missing_version'
     end
+
+    def new_features_endpoint
+      'https://meta.discourse.org/new-features.json'
+    end
+
+    def new_features_key
+      'new_features'
+    end
+
+    def new_features_last_seen_key(user_id)
+      "new_features_last_seen_user_#{user_id}"
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/components/discourse_updates_spec.rb b/spec/components/discourse_updates_spec.rb
index 4b83510c245..e3f911ca6f2 100644
--- a/spec/components/discourse_updates_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/components/discourse_updates_spec.rb
@@ -144,4 +144,72 @@ describe DiscourseUpdates do
       include_examples "when last_installed_version is old"
     end
   end
+
+  context 'new features' do
+    fab!(:admin) { Fabricate(:admin) }
+    fab!(:admin2) { Fabricate(:admin) }
+    let!(:last_item_date) { 5.minutes.ago }
+    let!(:sample_features) { [
+      { "emoji" => "🤾", "title" => "Super Fruits", "description" => "Taste explosion!", "created_at" => 40.minutes.ago },
+      { "emoji" => "🙈", "title" => "Fancy Legumes", "description" => "Magic legumes!", "created_at" => 15.minutes.ago },
+      { "emoji" => "🤾", "title" => "Quality Veggies", "description" => "Green goodness!", "created_at" => last_item_date },
+    ] }
+
+    before(:each) do
+      Discourse.redis.del "new_features_last_seen_user_#{admin.id}"
+      Discourse.redis.del "new_features_last_seen_user_#{admin2.id}"
+      Discourse.redis.del "new_features"
+
+      Discourse.redis.set('new_features', MultiJson.dump(sample_features))
+    end
+
+    it 'returns all items on the first run' do
+      result = DiscourseUpdates.unseen_new_features(admin.id)
+
+      expect(result.length).to eq(3)
+      expect(result[2]["title"]).to eq("Super Fruits")
+    end
+
+    it 'returns only unseen items by user' do
+      DiscourseUpdates.stubs(:new_features_last_seen).with(admin.id).returns(10.minutes.ago)
+      DiscourseUpdates.stubs(:new_features_last_seen).with(admin2.id).returns(30.minutes.ago)
+
+      result = DiscourseUpdates.unseen_new_features(admin.id)
+      expect(result.length).to eq(1)
+      expect(result[0]["title"]).to eq("Quality Veggies")
+
+      result2 = DiscourseUpdates.unseen_new_features(admin2.id)
+      expect(result2.length).to eq(2)
+      expect(result2[0]["title"]).to eq("Quality Veggies")
+      expect(result2[1]["title"]).to eq("Fancy Legumes")
+    end
+
+    it 'can mark features as seen for a given user' do
+      expect(DiscourseUpdates.unseen_new_features(admin.id)).to be_present
+
+      DiscourseUpdates.mark_new_features_as_seen(admin.id)
+      expect(DiscourseUpdates.unseen_new_features(admin.id)).to be_empty
+
+      # doesn't affect another user
+      expect(DiscourseUpdates.unseen_new_features(admin2.id)).to be_present
+
+    end
+
+    it 'correctly sees newly added features as unseen' do
+      DiscourseUpdates.mark_new_features_as_seen(admin.id)
+      expect(DiscourseUpdates.unseen_new_features(admin.id)).to be_empty
+      expect(DiscourseUpdates.new_features_last_seen(admin.id)).to be_within(1.second).of (last_item_date)
+
+      updated_features = [
+        { "emoji" => "🤾", "title" => "Brand New Item", "created_at" => 2.minutes.ago }
+      ]
+      updated_features += sample_features
+
+      Discourse.redis.set('new_features', MultiJson.dump(updated_features))
+
+      result = DiscourseUpdates.unseen_new_features(admin.id)
+      expect(result.length).to eq(1)
+      expect(result[0]["title"]).to eq("Brand New Item")
+    end
+  end
 end
diff --git a/spec/requests/admin/dashboard_controller_spec.rb b/spec/requests/admin/dashboard_controller_spec.rb
index 46602ae91d3..b838f169dc7 100644
--- a/spec/requests/admin/dashboard_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/admin/dashboard_controller_spec.rb
@@ -15,6 +15,15 @@ describe Admin::DashboardController do
   context 'while logged in as an admin' do
     fab!(:admin) { Fabricate(:admin) }
 
+    def populate_new_features
+      sample_features = [
+        { "id" => "1", "emoji" => "🤾", "title" => "Cool Beans", "description" => "Now beans are included", "created_at" => Time.zone.now - 40.minutes },
+        { "id" => "2", "emoji" => "🙈", "title" => "Fancy Legumes", "description" => "Legumes too!",  "created_at" => Time.zone.now - 20.minutes }
+      ]
+
+      Discourse.redis.set('new_features', MultiJson.dump(sample_features))
+    end
+
     before do
       sign_in(admin)
     end
@@ -77,5 +86,49 @@ describe Admin::DashboardController do
         end
       end
     end
+
+    describe '#new_features' do
+      before do
+        Discourse.redis.del "new_features_last_seen_user_#{admin.id}"
+        Discourse.redis.del "new_features"
+      end
+
+      it 'is empty by default' do
+        get "/admin/dashboard/new-features.json"
+        expect(response.status).to eq(200)
+        json = response.parsed_body
+        expect(json['new_features']).to eq(nil)
+      end
+
+      it 'fails gracefully for invalid JSON' do
+        Discourse.redis.set("new_features", "INVALID JSON")
+        get "/admin/dashboard/new-features.json"
+        expect(response.status).to eq(200)
+        json = response.parsed_body
+        expect(json['new_features']).to eq(nil)
+      end
+
+      it 'includes new features when available' do
+        populate_new_features
+
+        get "/admin/dashboard/new-features.json"
+        expect(response.status).to eq(200)
+        json = response.parsed_body
+
+        expect(json['new_features'].length).to eq(2)
+        expect(json['new_features'][0]["emoji"]).to eq("🙈")
+        expect(json['new_features'][0]["title"]).to eq("Fancy Legumes")
+      end
+    end
+
+    describe '#mark_new_features_as_seen' do
+      it 'resets last seen for a given user' do
+        populate_new_features
+        put "/admin/dashboard/mark-new-features-as-seen.json"
+
+        expect(response.status).to eq(200)
+        expect(DiscourseUpdates.new_features_last_seen(admin.id)).not_to eq(nil)
+      end
+    end
   end
 end