The Concrete Playground Hot List

Secret Garden 2012 by Anastasia Tighe. See the gallery here.

There’s a certain magic about nightfall. When the mother of all celestial light bulbs cuts her fuse for the day, what might at best pass for mundane in the stark light of day can take on a quality of enchantment, mystery, and charm. There's a reason vampires don't conduct their business during peak hour despite maximum strike potential. And you won't catch a witches coven congregating around a bubbling cauldron on a sunny Sunday in Bondi, now will you. No. Why? Because everything's so much more intriguing beneath a cloak of darkness.

As part of Art Month, Art at Night will be making the most of the city’s power grid with galleries staying open to the public well beyond the close of business. Some of the best new artists showcasing alongside art bars and FBi DJs is surely reason enough to stay up late and call in sick, but if you needed more convincing, Slow Blow, Wooden Shjips, 2 One Another, and La Traviata will be taking Sydney nightlife up a notch. So crank the coffee machine – it’s after hours adventure week!

Art At Night

The details: Thursday, March 8-Friday, March 23 @ all around Sydney

Visiting galleries of an evening has really started to catch on in Sydney. As its contribution to this widening field, Art Month is hosting six nights of Art at Night, with six Sydney precincts opening their doors late. Each evening one gallery hosts an art bar and FBi DJs, with a constellation of late-opening galleries around it. So take your love of art out after dark. Read more

2 One Another

The details: Friday, March 9-Saturday, March 31 @ Sydney Theatre

Human interaction is the clay from which Sydney Dance Company's new season forms. Read more

Down the Rabbit Hole

The details: Friday, March 9-Wednesday, August 1 @ White Rabbit Gallery

White Rabbit's latest exhibition takes us on a trip to the East, via China and Taiwan. Read more

Infinity

The details: Thursday, March 22 @ The Compound

A kaleidoscopic installation dropping into Chippendale for one night only. Read more

Fantastic Planet Film Festival

The details: Thursday, March 22-Sunday, April 1 @ Dendy Newtown

The most interesting new fantasy, sci-fi, horror, Asian and cult films crammed into 11 days at the Dendy. Read more

Wooden Shjips

The details: Saturday, March 24 @ Oxford Art Factory

Wooden Shjips' maximum-volume psych transcends things like time and space barriers. Read more

The Dailies

The details: Friday, March 23-Sunday, April 22 @ MLC Centre

Demand, whose works feature inside New York City’s Guggenheim and MOMA galleries, has earned plenty of praise for his genius minimalistic takes. Read more

21 Jump Street

The details: Thursday, March 15-Wednesday, April 11 @ various cinemas

Chaotic and far-fetched yet funny enough to have audiences rolling in the aisles. Read more