Thirty days. A 100-minute drive out of Brisbane. Fifty-three community events and tours. A whopping 190,000 blooms. Over 350,000 attendees. That's some of the maths behind 2023's Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers, which has just dropped its annual program for its whopping 74th year celebrating blossoms and colourful petals as far as the eye can see. Winter might not be here yet, and autumn hasn't even reached its final month, but it's never too early to start making spring plans. Once again, this bloom-filled festival will return for the entirety of September — and if its record-breaking popularity in 2022 is any guide, it just might top its attendance figures again. This excuse for Brisbanites to head west to frolic among the flowers didn't always run for 30 whole days, but it's been brightening up the Darling Downs city for as long as it can since 2021. For 2023's event, it'll also mark the 50th anniversary of the carnival's exhibition garden program, which sees folks around Toowoomba open up their own patch of turf to visitors. From Friday, September 1–Saturday, September 30, garden lovers can look forward to blossoms and floral displays galore as the event takes over a variety of locations — including Laurel Bank Park and the Botanic Gardens of Queens Park — to showcase all of the gorgeous florets and growths and gardens around town, kaleidoscopic arrays of tulips, petunias and poppies included. Among the 2023 highlights, the floral parade returns and there'll be an extra batch of twilight tours through Laurel Bank Park. Or, there's a succulent fest with plenty of plants to buy, a bonsai show, a heap of strolls across Toowoomba, a sideshow alley filled with games, the dog-friendly Petals and Pups program, and three nights of fireworks mid-month. The beloved ferris wheel is making a comeback, letting attendees scope out the flowers from great heights. For film buffs, so is the cinema under the stars. And, it wouldn't be the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers without the three-day Festival of Food and Wine, which celebrates regional produce and Australian music, with the onstage talent still to be revealed. Still on bites to eat, the #trEATS regional food trail showcases local eateries, and sees participating cafes, restaurants and bars serve up floral-inspired dishes. And, for those fond of a sip, there'll be a pubs tour as well. Beer-loving outfit 4 Brothers Brewing is whipping up a signature floral tipple for the fest, while Pechey Distilling Co is getting botanical — naturally — with its gin and vodka. Basically, there's no bad time to head along throughout September, so much so that you might want to make the trek more than once. Indeed, when it comes to scenic spring sights, there's no prettier place to be. And, given it takes less than two hours to head up the mountain from Brisbane, it's perfect for a weekend day trip. Updated September 1. Top image: Tourism and Events Queensland.
The Melbourne Festival program has been released, and as you can imagine, it is jam-packed with world class music, dance, theatre, film, visual art and forums. It is Melbourne’s flagship cultural event, and with good reason. Some of the artists featured are on the rise and pushing boundaries, where others are well-renowned, established organisations that are bringing their award winning pieces to this great city. One thing Melbourne Festival loves to do is to collaborate, collide and blur the lines between art forms. This year we will see legendary Detroit techno producer and DJ Jeff Mills work with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for Light from the Outside World. Framed Movements, curated by Hannah Mathews, examines the shifting boundaries between art and dance, and Complexity of Belonging — a collaboration between Anouk van Dijk from Chunky Move and Berlin director Falk Richter — uses dance and acting to explore identity in the age of social media. A strong point of difference for Melbourne Festival when comparing it to the plethora of arts events this city holds is it’s strong acknowledgement of the role of circus in Melbourne’s art scene. Opus from France and Cirkopolis from Canada both look spectacular and provide a rare opportunity for an Australian audience to see the tricks of pioneers in their field, while The Nanjing Project is a collaborative work between Australian and Chinese circus performers. If it’s music you’re after from this year’s program, we imagine you will be spending a fair amount of time at the Foxtel Festival Hub. We are particularly excited about Since I Left You, where musicians Jonti and Rainbow Chan will rearrange and reinterpret the Avalanches seminal record — and its 3,500 vinyl samples — via live performance. Or you may be drawn to Pop Crimes, a celebration of Roland S. Howard’s songs, with many musical guests performing on what would have been his 55th birthday. If you’re more interested in shaking your groove thing, head to The Bamboos' performance during the middle weekend. If you haven’t had your film fix from Melbourne International Film Festival this year, ex-MIFF director Richard Moore will be curating films for Art Politics and Protest. While we’re on the subject of film, Clint Mansell — renowned for his eerie and expansive soundscapes in Darren Aronofsky films — will be performing a retrospective of his film scores with a nine-piece band (and accompanied by haunting visuals, of course). Theatre is going to be high on the agenda this year as well. Revered master of stagecraft Heiner Goebbels will bring 40 Slovenian teenagers to town for his lauded 2012 work, When the Mountain Changed Its Clothing, while Hipbone Sticking Out and Hello, Goodbye & Happy Birthday are two Australian productions to consider. For dance, we can’t go past Trisha Brown Dance Company from the USA performing 18 of her brilliant postmodern dances. Our art pick for the festival at this stage is Carsten Höller’s Golden Mirror Carousel, partially because it looks awesome, and partly because you can ride it. Like last year, the festival will begin with Tanderrum: a powerful event of story, song and dace, where elders from the five clans of the Kulin nation invite the people of Melbourne to celebrate the ancestors who were here long before our time. The Ilbijerri Theatre Company will facilitate the event, and it is a proud symbol of the resilience of Melbourne’s Koori culture, and statement of optimism for the future. We could easily go on, but we’ll stop there for now. Melbourne Festival is on from October 10-26. Tickets go on sale at 9am on Tuesday, July 29. Head to the festival website for all the details.
It took almost two years, 10,000 nautical miles, a run in with Egyptian pirates and a stint in liquor licence limbo, but in October 2016, Sydney's permanent floating venue, Seadeck, finally opened to the public. After cruising around Sydney Harbour since then, it's sailed all the way up Australia's east coast for an 11-week Brisbane stint, sailing around the Brisbane River for the first time ever starting Saturday, July 1. It's a 42-metre, 410-passenger, handcrafted vessel — from the handmade tiles and custom-designed brass bar to the bespoke furniture from every corner of the glove, everything you see was tailored for floating. Even the palm trees, standing four metres tall, took a dozen specialists to make to the right specifications. Each of the three decks is connected by sweeping staircases and cast iron lace railings, an homage to Hollywood's golden age of the '20s, '30s and '40s. Yes, it's the epitome of swank. Last year, we sat down with the team behind this massive venture — that's managing partner Scott Robertson (Future Music Festival, DIVISION Agency), executive chef Drew Bolton (Vine Double Bay) and design director Alex Zabotto-Bentley (AZBcreative). "It isn't a nightclub, it's all about impeccable service, beautiful food and nice drinks," says Robertson. Bolton is happy to help with that, bringing the Vine ethos to Seadeck. "At Vine, we reinvent modern European flavours with great respect for regional produce," says Bolton. "At Seadeck, our food will also be very produce drive but more casual and playful," he adds. Seadeck focuses on bar friendly snacks, like fresh ceviche, oysters and lobster rolls, but patrons should still expect the refined food experience that Vine exudes. Design-wise, this lap of luxury is the handiwork of Zabotto-Bentley, who radiates passion about the vessel. "Imagine it's the 1930s and you're cruising the Nile or the Dalmatia Coast," he says. "The people on board were seen to be on a floating oasis in the middle of the sea, and that's what we want to recreate here." Seadeck will be cruising around Brisbane River for 11 weeks from Saturday, July 1 starting with an afternoon cruise at 2pm. Tickets, available from the Seadeck website, start from $25 general admission on Friday nights and $40 general admission on Saturdays and Sundays. If you're feeling the need to blow some serious dosh, VIP packages and hosted bottle service is also available. By Marissa Ciampi and Lauren Vadnjal.
It's always a good idea to wear sneakers when you're walking around a gallery, but they're the only kicks that'll do when Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street arrives Down Under. First staged by The Design Museum in London, this exhibition pays tribute to the footwear's origins and evolution — through sports to fashion, surveying iconic brands and names, and obviously touching upon basketballers Chuck Taylor and Michael Jordan's relationships with the shoes. In total, more than 200 sneakers will be on display during Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street's Australian-premiere and Australian-exclusive season at the Gold Coast's HOTA Gallery. The six-level spot will give over its walls and halls to shoes, shoes and more shoes over the summer of 2023–24, starting on on Saturday, November 25, and marking the site's first major design exhibition since opening in 2021. While a hefty amount of trainers will feature, the entire showcase will span 400-plus items. The other objects at Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street include photos, videos, posters, artworks and process material, all helping to explore the journey that the footwear style has taken in its design and culturally. Expect to learn more about sneakers that were initially made specifically for getting sweaty, which is where the Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars and Nike Airs come in (and, with the latter, to add to a year that's already seen the movie Air step through the story behind them). Also set to feature: the shoes that've become cultural symbols (such as the Vans Half Cab and Reebok InstaPump Fury), future advancements in making kicks (as seen with Biorealize for Puma) and big-name collaborations (Jordan, of course, plus Run-DMC and more). Attendees will also check out sneakers that've made a splash on the runway (Comme des Carçons and A-Cold-Wall*, for instance), find out more about plant-based sneakers (such as Veja and Native Shoes) and customisable kicks (as Helen Kirkum and Alexander Taylor are doing), and dive into celebrity endorsements (Travis Scott with Nike, Pharell for Adidas and the like). Laid out in chapters called 'STYLE' and 'PERFORMANCE', the exhibition's first part goes big on aesthetics and its second on the act of making the best trainers — covering Chuck Taylor's basketball clinics, sneaker culture in New York City and everything that's happened since. Images: Ed Reeve, Design Museum London.
UPDATE: June 14, 2020: Amazing Grace is available to stream via Binge, Foxtel Now, Google Play and YouTube. In January of 1972, Aretha Franklin walked into Los Angeles' New Temple Missionary Baptist Church, stood in front of Reverend James Cleveland and the Southern California Community Choir, and started singing. For two nights, she turned a place of Christian worship into somewhere heavenly for everyone — because you don't need to have faith to recognise a transcendent experience. Those lucky enough to be there, including Mick Jagger and Rolling Stones' drummer Charlie Watts on the second evening, were understandably ecstatic. As the Queen of Soul recorded her latest gospel album, the crowd sang and cheered, with many moved to tears. And, for nearly half a century, their joy was the stuff of legend. Music fans, even those who don't consider themselves aficionados of the genre or who weren't yet born, have long wished they could've been there That envy wasn't just sparked by stories, or by the success of Franklin's resulting album, which is still the biggest-selling disc across her entire recording career. In addition, it stemmed from wondering what could've been. As the two shows left attendees rapturous, filmmaker Sydney Pollack recorded the whole thing with the intention of turning it into a documentary, however technical problems and legal issues got in his way. After 47 years and a lot of wrangling, the concert doco now exists. It's a case of better late than never, obviously. An exceptional film, as well as a hefty reminder about the importance of following standard filmmaking procedures (Pollack didn't use clapperboards while he was shooting, making it immensely difficult to synchronise his audio and visuals), Amazing Grace was definitely worth the wait. Directed by Pollack but brought to completion in the years after his 2008 death by editor Alan Elliott, this is a concert doco of the highest order. For the first time, the entire world can watch one of the finest performances by one of the finest singers ever to unleash their vocal cords — and understand why Franklin, this record and the shows it sprang from are all so revered. There's nothing quite like seeing someone at their very best, which Amazing Grace firmly demonstrates. And yet, the movie's power runs much deeper. This is a snapshot of collective reverence, respect and euphoria, radiating from Franklin's passionate gaze, floating through the air with her melodious voice and infecting everyone in earshot. Solely focusing on its star and those in the room with her, it's a portrait not just of two memorable gigs, but of the way that great art transforms those making and witnessing it. The act of peering intimately at Franklin, who manages to seem both serene and determined whether she's holding a prolonged note or taking a moment's pause, is truly one of bearing witness. So too is seeing the effect that she has on her audience when she's belting out a tune (when she's not singing, she barely says a word). To appreciate all of the above requires something that every concert demands, yet is becoming all too rare, especially with today's gig-goers increasingly filming on their phones first and watching the show in front of them second. Amazing Grace is a testament to many things, including Franklin and her prodigious talent, a community not often seen on-screen, and the perseverance required to actually get this movie into theatres — but it also proves an ode to simply being in the moment. When you're so lost in what you're doing that nothing else matters: that's what Amazing Grace immortalises. The world around Franklin and her on-lookers could've completely disappeared and no one would've have noticed — not the charming Reverend Cleveland, who emcees the proceedings; not her father CL Franklin, who kicks off the second night with a few words; and not even Pollack, who is sometimes spotted flitting around the church. Capturing this is one thing; conveying it to Amazing Grace's viewers and making them feel the same way is another entirely. Both feats are achieved here, perhaps never more so than when Franklin unfurls all 11 minutes of the documentary's titular track. How sweet the sound — and sight, and experience — indeed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N7WthSspQ4
Summer isn't even here yet, and 2023's Meredith Music Festival hasn't happened so far either, but it isn't too early to start thinking about autumn 2024. The reason? That's when the Aunty team unleashes its other big annual festival at the same Victorian spot, with Golden Plains just announcing its packed lineup. Music lovers, next year's pilgrimage to the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre to dance among the autumn leaves will take place from Saturday, March 9–Monday, March 11, 2024. So, mark those dates in your diaries ASAP. Then, go enter the ticket ballot, as the second round is up and running until 10.16pm AEDT on Monday, October 23. This Golden Plains will mark the fest's sweet 16th, and comes with The Streets, Yussef Dayes, King Stingray and Black Country, New Road leading the bill. So, that means one of the defining voices of 00s-era Britain in Mike Skinner, Dayes' drumming and jazz prowess, a Yolŋu surf‑rock favourite that Aunty has been trying to get on the lineup for ages and one helluva post-punk band — and that's just the first four acts. Joining the above is everyone from Cymande, Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul, Wednesday and Regurgitator to Boris, RVG, Kutcha Edwards and WITCH (We Intend To Cause Havoc). The list still goes on from there, too. Catering to 12,000 punters each year across three days and two nights, Golden Plains has long proven a favourite for its one-stage setup, which skips the need for frantic timetabling. How does the Aunty crew describe 2024's fest? "Come as you fancy. Time and space to wibble. A soundtrack built for wobble. Autumnal autonomy. Two days and two nights at the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre, with controls set to premium mode," they advise. "The Sup' has been designed and refined over 30‑odd years for the sole purpose of hosting something truly remarkable. It's one of the best places on earth to spend a long weekend with friends and lovers — finding yourself, losing yourself and losing yourself again." GOLDEN PLAINS 2024 LINEUP: The Streets Yussef Dayes King Stingray Black Country, New Road Cymande Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul Wednesday Regurgitator Boris RVG Kutcha Edwards WITCH (We Intend To Cause Havoc) Braxe + Falcon MAVI Anz MJ Lenderman DJ Koco Sarah Mary Chadwick Elsy Wameyo Soju Gang Split System The Belair Lip Bombs Storytelling with Uncle Barry Golden Plains will return to the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre from Saturday, March 9–Monday, March 11, 2024. Head to the festival's website for further details, or to enter the ballot's second round before 10.16pm AEDT on Monday, October 23. Images: Benjamin Fletcher / Theresa Harrison.
If you're thinking of heading to Tassie for Dark Mofo this year, this could be the clincher. MONA is hosting its next big exhibition, Zero — a celebration of Germany's radical artists of the 1950s and 60s. The show gets its name from the term the artists used, collectively, to describe themselves. They didn't identify as belonging to a movement, style or group, but instead felt connected by a "vision of the things", as explained by Otto Piene, one of the founders. The show will feature artworks by original Zero artists, as well as those that have since absorbed their influence. These include Heinz Mack, Otto Piene, Günther Uecker and Adolf Luther from Germany; Lucio Fontana, Nanda Vigo, Grazia Varisco, Enrico Castellani and Gianni Colombo from Italy; with Marcel Duchamp, Yves Klein and François Morellet from France; Henk Peeters from The Netherlands; Christian Megert from Switzerland; Jesús Soto from Venezuela; and Yayoi Kusama from Japan. Given that these artworks were often ephemeral, many will be reconstructions. Expect sound effects, music, optical illusions, moving parts, shifting lights and reflective materials. There'll be a particular focus on vibration, which Mack described in 1958 as "resting restlessness…the expression of continuous movement, which we call 'vibration'…Its harmony stirs our souls, as the life and breath of the work." Taking care of curation is Mattijs Visser, founding director of the international Zero Foundation. "Zero is one of the most significant, yet largely forgotten, art movements since the Second World War...Zero needs to be discovered now, while several of their speakers are still with us," he says.
It has been almost 50 years since Philip K. Dick pondered whether androids dream of electric sheep, and 35 years since Blade Runner brought that question to the cinema. In celebration of the long-awaited big screen sequel, Blade Runner 2049, Melbourne's Cinema Nova is throwing another query into the mix: do replicants have a hankering for themed cocktails? Eagle-eyed fans of the first film will have spotted that, yes, bioengineered beings can have a beverage. And we all know that the trackers tasked with retiring them can too. Accordingly, downing a few drinks like Harrison Ford's Rick Deckard seems like a fitting way to mark his return. When Bar 2049 pops up for a month from September 28 — a week before the new movie releases on October 5 — here's hoping there's some of his booze of choice (that is, whiskey), in Cinema Nova's two new tipples: the Nexus 9 and The Offworld. Bar 2049 won't just boast drinks to match the occasion, but will transform the existing Nova Bar & Kitchen into an immersive, eye-catching Blade Runner-like space that takes its cues from both Ridley Scott's original flick and Denis Villeneuve's forthcoming, Ryan Gosling-starring follow-up. Custom wall murals from street artist Chris Hancock of Blender Creative and video installations from filmmaker Ben Helweg will create a striking, futuristic look, while an audio soundscape will blend Vangelis' iconic score with synth pop. Other touches searing themselves into your memory include neon lighting and lasers, LCD screens, floor decals, mannequins and silver unicorns. If that doesn't cause an emotional reaction that proves you're not a robot, then a 'Tastes From The Future' food menu should. The latest example of Cinema Nova's Blade Runner love — with the theatre screening the classic movie several times over the years — Bar 2049 is open from 10am daily, licensed from midday, and serves up dinner from 5pm weeknights and midday on weekends. Find Bar 2049 at Cinema Nova, 380 Lygon Street, Carlton from September 28 to October 27. For more information, keep an eye on the cinema's website and Facebook page. Images: ©2017 Alcon Entertainment, LLC. All Rights Reserved via Sony Pictures Releasing International.
When Wednesday, November 1, 2023 rolls around, it will have been five years since Queensland's Containers for Change refund scheme launched, doing the planet a solid by encouraging folks to recycle their drink containers — and also giving everyone who participates some cash back for their efforts. How is the Sunshine State marking that milestone? By expanding the scheme to say cheers to glass wine and spirits bottles (after you say cheers to them yourself by sipping their contents, that is). The refund system has proven popular over its run so far, receiving more than 102-million empty drink containers in its first two months, rocketing up to over 400-million containers in its first five months and currently sitting at more than 6.4-billion recycled containers. Expect those numbers to grow with its big upcoming change, which was first floated back in November 2022, and is now confirmed to kick in this year. Accordingly, your gin shrine will be able to help the planet, with each bottle between 150 millilitres and three litres scoring you a ten-cent refund. You'll just need to take the glass remnants of your dinner party or at-home cocktails to one of the scheme's 360 collection points, as is currently the case with other containers at the moment. The CRS, as the program is also known, currently accepts water bottles, beer cans, juice containers and more — saving a hefty amount of aluminium, glass, plastic, steel and liquid paperboard items from landfill and our waterways, with a focus on beverage containers between 150 millilitres and three litres in volume — but glass vino and spirits bottles aren't covered. To decide whether to change that state of affairs, the Queensland Government ran a consultation period, with 6600-plus folks providing their thoughts, 98.1 percent of which were in favour of adding more containers to the refund program. "Plastic bottles, cans, poppers and very soon glass wine and spirit bottles will all give you a ten-cent refund, just in time for the festive season," said Queensland Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon, announcing the news. "When we launched Containers for Change five years ago, only 18 per cent of beverage containers were being recovered and recycled in Queensland. "Since then that number has grown threefold, with Queenslanders having returned more than six billion containers and receiving $630 million in return. Stacked end to end, the recovered containers would run the length of Queensland about 300 times." Until the change kicks in, Queenslanders will need to keep popping their glass wine and spirits bottles in their yellow bins at home — and not getting any money in return — as CRS collection points won't accept them until November hits. Glass wine and spirits bottles will be added to the Containers for Change program from Wednesday, November 1, 2023. For more information about Containers for Change, visit the scheme's website — or check out our how-to guide to the scheme as it currently exists.
It's frequently referred to as the Olympics of the art world — and at 2024's edition, Australia has won gold. The event: La Biennale de Venezia, aka the Venice Biennale. The award: the coveted Golden Lion for Best National Participation. And the winning artist: Indigenous talent Archie Moore. The First Nations artist's exhibition kith and kin received the top gong, both chronicling history and making it. The work is a hand-drawn genealogical chart that spans back 65,000 years. The win gives Australia its first ever at the Venice Biennale. Both a personal and a political piece, kith and kin works through Moore's Kamilaroi, Bigambul, British and Scottish heritage across the installation's five-metre-high, 60-metre-long black walls. More than 2400 generations are covered. On display at the Australia Pavilion, the exhibition uses chalk on blackboard, with a reflective pool sitting in the middle of the room and 500-plus document stacks suspended above it. Every aspect of kith and kin makes a statement. With its size and scale, it speaks to Australia's Indigenous peoples being among the world's longest-continuous living cultures. The use of black is also designed to look like a celestial map, and therefore nod to the resting place of First Nations ancestors. Highlighting the decrease in Indigenous Australian languages and dialects since colonisation, the fragility that stems from not being able to pass down knowledge and injustices such as deaths in custody are all also part of the work — with the aforementioned piles of paper primarily from coronial inquests. "The phrase 'kith and kin' now simply means 'friends and family'. However, an earlier Old English definition that dates from the 1300s shows kith originally had the added meanings of 'countrymen' and also 'one's native land', with kin meaning 'family members'," notes Moore's explanation of the work. "Many Indigenous Australians, especially those who grew up on Country, know the land and other living things as part of their kinship systems — the land itself can be a mentor, teacher, parent to a child. The sense of belonging involves everyone and everything, and for First Nations peoples of Australia, like most Indigenous cultures, is deeply rooted in our sacred landscapes from birth until death." "I was interested in the phrase as it aptly describes the artwork in the pavilion, but I was also interested in the Old English meaning of the words, as it feels more like a First Nations understanding of attachment to place, people and time." kith and kin was curated by Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art's Ellie Buttrose, and also has a date with the Brisbane gallery as part of its 2025–26 program after its Venice run. In Italy, the work is on display until Sunday, November 24, 2024. "In this quiet, impactful pavilion, Archie Moore worked for months to hand-draw in chalk a monumental First Nation family tree. Thus 65,000 years of history (both recorded and lost) are inscribed on the dark walls and ceiling, inviting viewers to fill in the blanks and grasp the inherent fragility of this mournful archive," said the jury of the 60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia about Moore's exhibition. "The official documents drawn up by the State float in a moat of water. The result of Moore's intensive research, these documents reflect the high rates of incarceration of First Nations people." "This installation stands out for its strong aesthetic, its lyricism and its invocation of a shared loss of an occluded past. With his inventory of thousands of names, Moore also offers a glimmer of the possibility of recovery." "As the water flows through the canals of Venice to the lagoon, then to the Adriatic Sea, it then travels to the oceans and to the rest of the world — enveloping the continent of Australia — connecting us all here on earth. Aboriginal kinship systems include all living things from the environment in a larger network of relatedness, the land itself can be a mentor or a parent to a child. We are all one and share a responsibility of care to all living things now and into the future," said Moore about his win. "I am very grateful for this accolade; it makes me feel honoured to be rewarded for the hard work one does. I am grateful to everyone who has always been part of my journey ‚ from my kith to my kin — to my Creative Australia team and everyone else back home and those of the Venice lagoon." kith and kin is on display at the Australia Pavilion, Giardini di Castello, 60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, until Sunday, November 24, 2024 — head to the exhibition website for further details. Images: Archie Moore / kith and kin 2024 / Australia Pavilion at Venice Biennale 2024 / Photographer Andrea Rossetti / © the artist / Images courtesy of the artist and The Commercial.
"Your nose like a delicious slope of cream / And your ears like cream flaps / And your teeth like hard shiny pegs of cream." Diner en Blanc — like Howard Moon's poem — will have you in all white. But sorry, Booshers: the sixth edition of this Brisbane event is just for the sophisticated. Now on five continents, the Diner en Blanc began in Paris 29 years ago thanks to François Pasquier and friends. This year, 2000+ of Brisbane's creme de la creme will once again dress in all white on Saturday, November 4 for the event held at a predictably stunning location that remains secret until the very last moment (over the last few years, the beautiful banks of the Brisbane River at Portside, Roma St. Parklands and the Brisbane Botanic Gardens proved welcoming venues). Following an evening of elegance, fine dining and live music, the foodies then pack up their crystal, dinnerware, tables and litter. Like ghosts (white 'n' all), they leave behind no sign of their rendezvous (but don't get any ideas, a white sheet thrown over your figure will not do for an outfit). Diner en Blanc guests must either be invited by a member from the previous year, or get on the waiting list for a ticket. Here's what happened in 2014: Image: Mish Photography.
As every horror fan knows, some things just won't die. In countless scary movie sagas, that statement applies to determined heroes and heroines facing off against insidious killers and creepy forces, to those fear-inducing evil-doers, and to plenty of ominous entities lingering around and wreaking havoc well after their time has expired. As many a long-running series has also shown (think: Halloween, Saw, The Grudge, The Ring and Child's Play, just to name a few), it also proves accurate when it comes to the franchises themselves. Add Scream to the pile of horror series that just keep kicking on — including, come January 2022, with a fifth film. An instant classic ever since the first movie smartly blended slasher scares and self-aware laughs back in 1996, the franchise has served up three sequels so far, as well as a TV spinoff. Now, it's returning with a flick that's being badged a 'relaunch', but will also include a heap of familiar faces. As 2018's excellent Halloween demonstrated, bringing back original cast members can turn out rather nicely for horror sagas — so the new Scream has enlisted Courteney Cox, David Arquette and none other than Neve Campbell. They'll all reprise their roles as reporter Gale Weathers, deputy-turned-sheriff Dewey Riley, and initial Ghostface target Sidney Prescott, respectively. Yes, this series has always had a thing for Sid, and it still does. Cox, Arquette and Campbell will co-star alongside The Boys' Jack Quaid, In the Heights' Melissa Barrera and You's Jenna Ortea. Behind the lens, with filmmaker Wes Craven — who directed all four original Scream films — passing away in 2015, Ready or Not's Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett will take the helm. And, story-wise, expect everyone to head back to the original setting of Woodsboro, California — where more scream-inducing incidents are clearly going to take place. If you're keen to rewatch your way through the franchise to-date, Scream, 1997's Scream 2 and 2000's Scream 3 are all available to stream in Australia on Stan (with 1 and 3 on Amazon Prime Video, too), with Scream 4 on Google Play and YouTube Movies, and Scream: The TV Series on Netflix. In New Zealand, Scream and Scream 3 are available on Amazon Prime Video, Scream 2 is on Google Play and YouTube Movies, Scream 4 is on Neon and Scream: The TV Series is on Netflix. Or, you can revisit the original Scream's trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWm_mkbdpCA The new Scream movie will hit cinemas Down Under on January 13, 2020.
On the big screen since late June, Baz Luhrmann's Elvis Presley biopic has already proven one for the money, and currently sits among the top ten box-office drawcards for 2022 so far. But if you've already seen it in cinemas and you're keen for a repeat date with Austin Butler as the king of rock 'n' roll, you can now get all shook up from your couch — yes, Elvis is the latest high-profile flick to release on digital while it's still showing in movie theatres. As always, the silver screen is the best possible setting for Luhrmann's step back into Presley's life. Butler's swinging hips and slicked-back pompadour deserve to be projected onto the largest surface possible. The film's unsurprisingly enormous playlist of tunes sounds a treat echoing out of cinema speakers, too. Still, giving audiences more choice when it comes to how, where and when they see movies — and catering for everyone who hasn't been able to make it to a big-screen showing so far — is always a great thing. Elvis follows in some pretty hefty footsteps this year alone, with everything from Dune, The Matrix Resurrections and Spencer through to West Side Story, Everything Everywhere All At Once and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent doing the same thing. Yes, fast-tracking from the big to the small screen is that common. That doesn't make Elvis entering the building — your building — any less welcome. Thank you, thank you very much indeed. If you've somehow missed everything to do with Luhrmann's film, it sees Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and The Dead Don't Die actor Butler slip into Presley's blue suede shoes to play the music icon from his teenage years through to his death — covering everything from the singer's days on the carnival circus through to his Las Vegas residency. Fame, love, scandal, Graceland, drugs, stress, all those songs: yes, they're all included. Shot in Australia, Elvis also stars Tom Hanks (News of the World) as Presley's manager Colonel Tom Parker, alongside a wealth of local talent — including Olivia DeJonge (The Staircase) as Priscilla, Richard Roxburgh (Fires) as Presley's father Vernon, Oscar-nominee Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog) as singer Jimmie Rodgers and David Wenham (The Furnace) as country artist Hank Snow. Charting its namesake's rise not just to popularity, but to icon status; exploring the role that manager Parker played in that journey; showing the toll that such a life took, and what it says about America and pop culture: that's all in the movie's remit as well. That and some phenomenal live performance scenes that'll test out your home speakers. Check out the trailer for Elvis below: Elvis is currently screening in Australian cinemas, and is also available to stream online via video on demand — including via Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Read our full review.
The finishing touches are currently being put on a colourful new hotel with multiple dining options just metres from Sydney's Oxford Street. ADGE Hotel + Residencies is the ambitious new transformation of the Riley Street building formerly known as Cambridge Hotel. The new hotel will open in August with 93 guest rooms before expanding to 242 in early 2023 — all of which will be bursting with creativity and colour thanks to SJB. The Sydney-based practice has been in charge of the interiors as part of the $65-million transformation and has reinvented the space from a straight-and-narrow accommodation provider to a space filled with bold flourishes and personality. On entry to the lobby, you'll notice bright carpets, eye-catching furniture and a huge mural from Australian artist Adrian Hing. These standout features foreshadow what you'll find upstairs in your room, with each suite equipped with more retro-influenced carpets and plenty of colourful, one-of-a-kind light fixtures and eccentric pod-style bathrooms. Down in the lobby, you'll also find one of Surry Hills' best cafes, Soul Deli. The Korean favourite recently relocated from down the road, with owners Daero Lee and Illa Kim transforming its original 185 Campbell Street into a new wine and Korean tapas bar. Soul Deli brings Korean staples to the classic Australian cafe menu. Hotel guests and Sydneysiders alike can stop into the new lobby location for sticky fried chicken, house kimchi toasties, specialty coffee and Korean fried doughnuts. Joining this inventive breakfast and lunch spot within ADGE is longstanding eight-seat omakase restaurant Raida Noda's Chef Kitchen and a soon-to-open Italian restaurant with a high-profile chef set to be in charge. Bookings are now open for the hotel with rooms starting from $199 a night. ADGE Hotel + Residencies is opening in August at 222 Riley Street, Surry Hills.
It's called a cabinet of curiosities and, once you walk inside The Inchcolm by Ovolo in Spring Hill, the L-shaped glass counter filled with all kinds of knickknacks will definitely pique your interest. Maybe your eyes will be drawn to the Etch A Sketch, the plate with John Lennon's face on it, the bowling pin and the cassette tape. Or, you could instantly scope out the mannequin head, the Polaroid camera or the Elvis Presley box set. Either way, the cabinet is quite the centrepiece — and conversation piece, too. The gleaming piece of furniture has been part of the The Inchcolm since 2018, when the now century plus-old site was first taken over by the Ovolo hotel chain. Now, it remains after the venue's latest revamp. Visually, not too much has changed, but Ovolo has altered a few names here and there, and also shifted the focus of its entryway bar setup. The Inchcolm by Ovolo is actually the hotel's new moniker, and it's the first 'by Ovolo' site in Australia. As for the bar, the space formerly known as Salon de Co is now called The Inchcolm Bar. If you're not staying on the premises, it's the latter that's the main drawcard — and it has ditched its sit-down restaurant in favour of a boutique bar and bistro vibe. Its inspiration: Bar Marmont at Los Angeles' Chateau Marmont. In other words, the theme here is retro glamour, all in keeping with the buildings old-school heritage. Or, as Dave Baswal, Ovolo Group Managing Director ANZ, explains, "think a 1920s Paris salon where Gertrude, Ernest and Pablo would comfortably rub shoulders while sharing trailblazing ideas." Yes, he's talking about Stein, Hemingway and Picasso. If you visited The Inchcolm before the change of focus, you'll still recognise the velvet furnishings, dark-hued colour scheme, mood lighting and eye-catching floral wallpaper. Now it all adorns a space that's both a bar and a bistro in one. So, you can sit back and sip martinis — there's 11 different types on the menu, and the five signature versions cost just $12 during the daily martini hour from 5.30–6.30pm — or you can choose from an all-day dining lineup between Tuesday–Saturday. Food options include cheeseboards, charcuterie, escargot, steak tartare, caviar and oysters to nibble on — plus steak frites, gnocchi, southern fried chicken and burgers for something more substantial. Three kinds of toasties, including one with three cheeses, are also on offer, as is tiramisu, mud cake and creme caramel for dessert. If you're after something to drink other than martinis, the wine list spans seven pages, while the spirits offering runs over five. And, if you'd like to combine your visit with an overnight stay, The Inchcolm by Ovolo is dog-friendly, and features a complimentary sweets bar.
Her milkshake brought all the boys to the yard back in the early 2000s. It also sent Kelis soaring up the charts. Now, that hit track is set to echo through Beyond The Valley. The end-of-year music festival is in announcement mode, dropping its lineup for 2023 — and not just Kelis but also RÜFÜS DU SOL, Central Cee and Peggy Gou lead the bill. Last year, Beyond The Valley also went retro with one of its big-name acts: Nelly Furtado. This year, it's harking back to the same era. Expect to hear fellow nostalgic hits 'Trick Me,' 'Bossy,' and 'Millionaire' when Kelis takes to the stage as well, and to revel in all things noughties. Taking place at Barunah Plains in Hesse in Victoria from Thursday, December 28, 2023–Monday, January 1, 2024, 2023's Beyond The Valley will welcome back RÜFÜS DU SOL, in what'll be their third stint at the festival since it began in 2014. British rapper Central Cee will bust out 'Doja', of course, and show why he's notched up two-billion streams. And Peggy Gou hits the decks fresh from her latest single '(It Goes Like) Nanana' doing huge things. Also on the lineup: Destroy Lonely, DMA'S, G Flip, Mall Grab and The Jungle Giants, as well as COBRAH, BIG WETT, Lastlings, King Stingray, Becca Hatch, CXLOE, JessB, Channel Tres and Romy. And yes, the list still goes on from there. Fancy listening to podcasts at a music fest? There's a dedicated stage for that, too, with everyone from Vanderpump Rules star Scheana Shay to Aussie Rules footballer Mason Cox on the lineup. The event's Barunah Plains site comes compete with a 100,000-square metre-natural amphitheatre — and it'll be setting up three main stages, a 70-metre-wide LED wall, a ferris wheel and more. Fancy hitting up an inflatable wedding chapel? Checking out Poof Doof Pride Patrol's roving drag performances? Trying to find Schmall Klub's hidden party? Having a swim? Doing some yoga? Get ready for that as well. BEYOND THE VALLEY 2023 LINEUP: RÜFÜS DU SOL Central Cee Peggy Gou Destroy Lonely DMA'S G Flip Kelis Mall Grab The Jungle Giants BIG WETT Boo Seeka Cassian Channel Tres COBRAH Conducta b2b Notion DJ Heartstring Ewan McVicar Jayda G KETTAMA King Stingray Lady Shaka Lastlings Logic1000 LUUDE Mella Dee Overmono Rebūke Romy Ross From Friends (DJ set) salute STÜM Taylah Elaine Willaris. K 6 SENSE Baby G Becca Hatch Blusher CRUSH3d Crybaby CXLOE dameeeela Effy Forest Claudette FUKHED Gold Fang House Mum JessB DJ JNETT Mia Wray Miss Kaninna PANIA Pink Matter Saoirse Shake Daddy Sunshine & Disco Faith Choir Tyson O'Brien PODCAST STAGE Scheananigans with Scheana Shay Curious Conversations with Tully and Sarah Flopstars Jamo and Dylan In Bed with Georgia Grace The Maria Thattil Show The Mason Cox Show Where's Your Head At Yarning Up First Nations Stories with Caroline Kell Beyond The Valley will run from Thursday, December 28, 2023–Monday, January 1, 2024 at Barunah Plains, Wentworths Road, Hesse, Victoria. Ticket presale registrations are open now, closing at 3pm AEST on Monday, August 21 — with presales starting that same day at 6pm AEST. General sales kick off at 12pm AEST on Tuesday, August 22. For more information, head to the fest's website. Images: Jordan Munns / Josh Bainbridge.
Stanley Kubrick has influenced filmmakers the world over for his meticulous attention to detail and unique vision. But what you may not know about the man who made 2001: A Space Odyssey and A Clockwork Orange is that before he was a filmmaker, he was a photojournalist for Look Magazine, for whom he captured the street life and subjects of New York City in the second half of the 1940s. Glimpses of Kubrick's iconic style are apparent in these photos, capturing a sense of Kubrick's fascination and bewilderment of the strange quirks of human nature. [Via The Inspiration Grid]
The creative process of artists is as fascinating as it is mysterious. Songwriters are a famously cagey breed of individuals and are often particularly guarded as to the true meaning behind their music. Yet, bizarrely, these same songwriters seem to possess an irrepressible urge to share their innermost feelings with thousands of people through the medium of song. These quotes from ten songwriting legends provide a fascinating insight into what drives these musicians to be musicians. Whether it's because they weren't good enough for art school, because they are an emotional train-wreck or because they are just a wee bit insane, here is a little peek into why musicians do what they do and what inspires their art. David Bowie “I always had a repulsive need to be something more than human. I felt very puny as a human. I thought, ‘Fuck that. I want to be a superhuman.’” Tori Amos “Some people are afraid of what they might find if they try to analyze themselves too much, but you have to crawl into your wounds to discover where your fears are. Once the bleeding starts, the cleansing can begin.” Bob Dylan “Songs, to me, were more important than just light entertainment. They were my preceptor and guide into some altered consciousness of reality. Some different republic, some liberated republic… whatever the case, it wasn’t that I was anti-popular culture or anything and I had no ambition to stir things up. I just thought of mainstream culture as lame as hell and a big trick. It was like the unbroken sea of frost that lay outside the window and you had to have awkward footgear to walk with.” Richey Edwards - Manic Street Preachers “We started at a time when rock’n'roll was dead over here. The UK was in the grip of dance, rap, and the acid house thing. All that Manchester sound stuff that sounded so contrived… The only real rock’n'roll was coming out of America. We were consciously reacting against all that. Our friends laughed at us because they said there was no audience for us. But we felt we had to do something to bring back rock’n'roll, so that’s how the Manic Street Preachers came about.” Michael Gira “[Music] was a kind of sado-masochism. I would take the things that were painful to me and elevate them and, through the mantra of music, make them into a release.” Sonic Boom “I think a composer is literally an antenna to take in feelings, emotions etc and analyze, re-synthesize and then broadcast out to other humans. We felt we were making music (in the mid ’80s) for a sector of society including ourselves who seemed uncatered for. We could only imagine that there were other people out there wanting something more than what was currently on offer and in the realm which interested us. Luckily, we slowly seemed to find the other alienated types seeking something special from the music in their lives — i.e. not aural wallpaper as music is sometimes used.” Leonard Cohen “It seems like the height of folly to decide to solve your economic problems by becoming a singer. But I’d always played guitar, and I’d always sung. And I’d played in a country-western band, in Montreal… I came down to New York, and I didn’t have very much success in getting the ear of anyone. I visited some agents and they’d say, ‘Turn around, kid… let’s have a look at you. Aren’t you a little too old for this game?’ I was 32 at the time. I think I was eating very little; I was about 116 pounds…and going to all the clubs, and listening and playing and writing. Just the ordinary cliche of a young writer in New York.” Nick Cave “I kind of came in through the back door. I was always something of an imposter, I guess, because I couldn’t really play music or sing very well and it was some years before I was able to do anything that was worthwhile musically. I did music because I failed art school. If I hadn’t failed art school I probably would have carried on and been a moderately successful painter.” Jarvis Cocker - Pulp “If somebody told me in 1981 that it would take 13 years to get recognized, I would have been horrified. I guess it was self-belief that kept it going all the time, because for a long time nobody else seemed to like it. But we thought we were doing something that was worth doing, so we kept doing it and hoped that the world would come round to our way of thinking.” Patti Smith “These things were in my mind from the first moment I entered the vocal booth: The gratitude I had for rock and roll as it pulled me through a difficult adolescence. The joy I experienced when I danced. The moral power I gleaned in taking responsibility for one’s action.”
2011 has been an epic year by all counts, and now is the time to relive the best times with the best company. If you're already busy on New Years, or you just can't wait the extra 8 days til 2012, then why not Knock Off 2011 with the Funkoars and special hip hop guests? The Funkoars have been purveyors of Aussie hip hop for quite a while now, and unlike some of their counterparts, they aren't constantly touring, but rather crafting their releases and focussing on producing quality music. Their most recent album, The Quickening, was an ARIA chart topper, and they have been keen to tour it since its release earlier this year. They are also part of the Adelaide Certified Wise crew, and share a bond with heavyweights Hilltop Hoods, performing on each other's tracks and collaborating at a number of events. The Knock Off 2011 show will of course be headlined by the explosive stylings of the aforementioned Funkoars, but they'll also share the stage with Lazy Grey, DJ Flagrant, Crate Creeps and Pure Product, who are all sure to make this party one not to miss. Even if you're not a hip hop head, there'll be no denying the palpable energy there'll be in the Hi-Fi this Friday.
The Way, Way Back is the newest piece of cinematic excellence put forth by Oscar winners Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, writers of the acclaimed The Descendants, and is sure to challenge for silverware come award season. The film tells the heartwarmingly awkward tale of Duncan (Liam James) as he struggles to express himself in a world he doesn't feel comfortable in. This is made all the more complex when his recently divorced mother, Pam (Toni Collette), takes him away on a "spring break for adults" vacation with her obnoxious new boyfriend, Trent (Steve Carell). Thankfully he befriends Water Wizz water park employee Owen (Sam Rockwell) and finally begins to feel like he belongs — but not without a few hiccups along the way. The comedy is beautifully simple and the all-star cast promises to take us on an emotional roller-coaster as we contemplate the awkward moments of our teenage years and the simple acts of kindness it takes to make someone feel wanted. The Way, Way Back is in cinemas August 1, and to celebrate we have ten double in-season passes — as well as one major prize pack containing a The Way, Way Back drawstring beach bag, towel, sunscreen and a Slip n Slide — to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to our newsletter (if you haven't already) and then email hello@concreteplayground.com.au with your name and address. https://youtube.com/watch?v=GiH5wmuexZY
Swedish fashion blogger and international face of Rekorderlig Cider, Caroline Blomst, had a very busy schedule while visiting Australia for the first time this month. Attending shows at L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival, shooting street style for her blog in Sydney and Melbourne, as well as a Sydney exhibition of her work at the Somedays Gallery in Surry Hills were just a few of the things on her to-do list. Blomst and her boyfriend Daniel Troyse launched their blog, Stockholm Street Style, in 2005, and in 2007 the pair added Caroline’s Mode. According to Blomst, “People have a hard time understanding that it’s a job and not a hobby.” With her Stockholm-meets-Paris style, she adds “I try and keep it simple, minimalistic and comfortable but still I want to add some pieces to make it chic which is the Paris part”. We caught up with the fashion forward model-turned-blogger to ask her thoughts on blogging, designers and Australian fashion. What have you learnt since you started blogging? In the beginning hardly anyone knew what a blog was, it was only the hardcore bloggers that knew. I think in the last 2 years maybe people are starting to learn what a blog is. I’ve been doing this fulltime - 6 months into blogging, so since late 2005. The hard thing is to make people realise that it’s a job and that we do it seriously. It’s not a personal blog, it’s more like a fashion magazine in the blog forum but from my sense of style. It’s still something new to people but for me it's like I’ve been doing it forever. Do you have any advice to give to fellow bloggers? I think if you want to start a blog today it is very important that you find a niche, that you do something that not everyone is doing. For example, if you want to do street style you might want to focus on bloggers or you might want to focus on models or men? Something that makes you unlike everyone else and also consistency - keep updating frequently. We do five posts a day for street style I know that’s quite a lot but I think for blogs its hard because on the internet you need to keep going all the time. Make your own content so that you’re not constantly re-posting other peoples' stuff. Who are some of your favourite designers? My favourite designers are Isabel Marant (surprise surprise!). I also love Chanel, Celine, and Balenciaga. Swedish designers? I’d say Carin Wester - she does both menswear and womenswear - and it’s really nice stuff. Also in Australia, which is totally new to me, I have discovered Bec & Bridge (which I love!), Scanlan and Theodore and Maurie & Eve. What is it about the designer that makes you love them? I think for Isabel Marant they have a very French chic but kind of minimalistic style, which is very much me. Carin Wester, I mean she makes very casual pieces that are wearable for everyday; the casual kind of approach but you feel well dressed. Balenciaga and Celine for their great accessories like bags and shoes, and also Chanel for their bags. What are your thoughts on Australian fashion? I think it looks kind of similar to the fashion in Europe. Actually people were telling me when I came, 'oh they are so behind' but I think that is not true at all. I think you have a lot of interesting designers that I had never heard of before. It’s been very interesting getting to know what they do. What did you get up to at L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival? We went to some shows - the opening show, the Harper’s Bazaar show and maybe 4 other shows and we tried to stay outside shooting some street style. We also promoted Rekorderlig Cider that sponsored some of the shows. So which city in the world is your favourite fashion city? I would have to say Paris. I mean shooting street style in Paris is amazing because of the light and they’re are so many people to pick fromm and the shopping - they have everything. I would choose Paris for fashion definitely.
For the first time in 50 years, a cyclone is set to cross the southeast Queensland coast. The Bureau of Meteorology and various levels of governments have been advising residents of the region, and of northern New South Wales, to get ready for Tropical Cyclone Alfred since last weekend. At the time of writing, the storm is expected to make landfall on Friday, March 7, 2025 — or perhaps even on Saturday, March 8 — but the areas bracing for impact are already preparing. In southeast Queensland, public transport has ceased, CityCats, ferry services, buses and trains alike. Venues are closing and events are cancelling. Schools are closed from Thursday. Sandbag depots have also closed — and Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has advised major roads and bridges may close if winds reach 90 kilometres per hour. Staying home, if it is safe to do so and you haven't been asked to evacuate, is the recommendation. On Wednesday, March 5, Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner noted that "tomorrow and Friday are not days to be out and about". As at 7.46am on Thursday, March 6, the Bureau of Meteorology advises that Alfred is still a Category 2 cyclone, and is expected to stay at this intensity when it crosses the coast. It's currently working its way towards the southeast Queensland coast at seven kilometres per hour, and is still predicted to hit land between Maroochydore and Coolangatta. Wind gusts of up to 120 kilometres per hour are expected already, then up to 155 kilometres per hour from either Thursday afternoon or Friday morning. Heavy rainfall is forecast from Thursday evening, which may cause flash floooding, along with a storm tide is likely if the cyclone crosses the coast at high tide. Wondering where to keep up to date with the details regarding latest conditions, warnings, alerts and more? Here's a rundown of resources worth bookmarking. Stay safe and dry out there. Weather Updates The Bureau of Meteorology's Queensland warnings page, New South Wales warnings page, national warnings page, tropical cyclone advice, Queensland X, NSW X and Facebook Windy wind tracker Government Updates Brisbane City Council's emergency dashboard, newsroom, X and Facebook Queensland Government's disaster alerts, hub and alerts Queensland Government's Get Ready site Queensland local government emergency dashboards Gold Coast disaster and emergency dashboard Sunshine Coast disaster hub New South Wales State Emergency Services website Roads and Public Transport Translink's website, X, Facebook and Instagram Qld Traffic Live Traffic NSW NSW Travel Alerts Hazards Near Me NSW app Preparation Guides Brisbane City Council's guide Queensland Government's Get Ready site New South Wales State Emergency Services' guide Emergency Services 000 Queensland State Emergency Services' website and 132 500 New South Wales State Emergency Services' website, Facebook, X and 132 500 Queensland Fire Department's website Evacuation Centres Brisbane City Council's emergency dashboard Gold Coast disaster and emergency dashboard Sunshine Coast disaster hub New South Wales evacuation centres ABC Emergency — Website and Radio Frequencies ABC Emergency website Brisbane: 612AM Gold Coast: 91.7FM Sunshine Coast: 90.3FM, 95.3FM or 1566AM Wide Bay: 855AM, 100.1FM, 88.3FM NSW North Coast Richmond and Tweed: 94.5 FM Murwillumbah: 720 AM Grafton: 738 AM
2025 has been waiting for this: by the time that March is out, Brisbane will be home to a new restaurant from Melbourne-based chef and restaurateur Shane Delia. News arrived in 2024 that the high-profile culinary figure was heading north, opening his first Brissie — and Queensland — eatery. Now, that soon-to-launch dining spot has a name: Layla. Delia joins the list of well-known hospitality folks setting up shop in Queensland, after Adrian Richardson launched BŌS, and Andrew McConnell opened both Supernormal and Bar Miette. While that trio of venues all made a beeline to Brisbane's CBD, Layla is settling into West End as part of the Thomas Dixon Centre, Queensland Ballet's base. [caption id="attachment_979995" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Angharad Gladding[/caption] The opening date: Friday, March 28. When Delia's newcomer joins Delia Group's roster of venues alongside the Victorian capital's Maha, Maha North, Maha East and Jayda, diners can expect Delia's focus on Middle Eastern flavours and rich, bold, spice-fuelled dishes — plus an evolving menu. The venture is a partnership with Queensland Ballet, with Delia Group teaming up with the former's hospitality partner VenuesLive. Delia has appointed Simon Palmer (ex-Black Hide by Gambaro, -Urbane, -Gerard's Bistro, -E'cco Bistro) as Layla's Head Chef, with the pair working together on the menu, which will be on offer for both lunch and dinner. For seating options, whether you're heading in before a show, for a date or to celebrate an occasion, patrons will be able to choose from the main dining room and an outdoor courtyard. "It has always been a dream of mine to open a restaurant in Brisbane. I'm super excited by the opportunity to contribute to the dining landscape here, taking guests through an unrestricted spice journey with Layla," said Delia. "All of my venues have a Middle Eastern overlay, which will still be a part of Layla. Opening a restaurant in an entirely different climate, I'm excited to do something different and draw inspiration from other parts of the world, working with incredible fresh Queensland produce," adds Shane. The eatery will anchor the Thomas Dixon Centre's dining options, not only adding to the performing arts precinct but helping it become a new arts and hospitality hub. [caption id="attachment_972449" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Maha East[/caption] [caption id="attachment_893063" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Maha North, Pete Dillon[/caption] Layla will open at the Thomas Dixon Centre, 406 Montague Road, West End on Friday, March 28, 2025. Head to the venue's website for more details and reservations.Top image: Angharad Gladding.
Maybe you always leave your Mother's Day shopping till the last minute. Perhaps you're known for being immensely organised, but you can't pass up an opportunity to nab your mum one more gift. Or, you could simply be in the mood to treat yourself — or you just really love markets, taking in the riverside air, and having an excuse to stop for a bite and a drink. Whichever applies, Portside Local Markets has you covered from 12–4pm on Saturday, May 7. Shop, stroll, sip: yes, that sounds like a mighty fine weekend itinerary. More than 40 stalls will offer up plenty for you to browse and buy, including art, plants, ceramics, accessories and more. If you've been to markets at the Gasworks, or in Fish Lane, Coorparoo and Gabba South City, you'll have a firm idea of what you're in for — because The Market Folk is behind all of the above, and is running this new Portside pop-up as well. To give your shopping a soundtrack, live tunes will echo through the Hamilton precinct, too. And, if those hunger pangs strike — or you're just keen on having a drink — everywhere from Sono, Bamboo Basket, Burrito Bar and Ginga Sushi to Mr & Mrs Jones, Belvedere Bar 'n' Grill, Byblos Bar and Restaurant and Gusto da Gianni will be open.
Meltemi Mediterrania lands in Broachbeach, bringing the bold and diverse flavours of countries from Spain to Morocco, Sardinia to Lebanon and Turkey to Greece with it. With three distinct spaces, including a main dining room, a bar and an expansive al fresco area centred around an olive tree, it's sure to be a bustling spot come summer. This is the latest venture from Dino and Kate Georgakopouls, who own the lively Xenia Grill venues in Main Beach and Coolangatta. Dino, who was an engineer before becoming a chef, says he wants diners to feel they have been transported from the Gold Coast to the European Coast, "We want people to feel like they're sitting overlooking the Mediterranean, as a gentle breeze blows over them." To achieve this vision, Space Cubed Design Studio has created a space featuring curved fixtures, a concrete wrap-around bar, cut-out wall arches, and signature light fittings. A large mural of a coastal European town adorns the main dining area, and a copper mirror in the bar glows with a golden hue, reminiscent of a Mediterranean sunset. In the kitchen, hatted chef Tapos Singha mans a rotisserie that showcases ingredients from lobster to lamb skewers, which guests can observe from their seats. Dino has two spits in his own backyard, and says rotisseries "play such a special role [in Greek and other Mediterranean cultures], and we want to expand people's minds — and tastebuds — to show how many variations there are." Each section of the menu features a dish from a different country. Greek saganaki sits alongside Sardinian coral trout crudo, Turkish sesame-crusted bread rings, next to Spanish octopus with pimentón and romesco. To drink, try a Nick the Greek cocktail, with rosemary-infused ouzo, lemon, star anise and lemonade, a Negroni Scalas with Campari, Greek vermouth and Beefeater gin or work your way through the Mediterranean-inspired wine list. Dino says that the Greek philosophy of filoxenia, or love of the stranger, underpins the ethos of the restaurant. "Each of the cultures we've brought together all has something in common: connection through food. By having the flavours of these countries on the table at the same time, we're redefining share-style dining and showing that they can all be enjoyed side-by-side." Images: Dan Peled.
Since airing a year ago, The Handmaid's Tale has become the most watched series in the history of SBS On Demand, with over 26-million chapter views. It has also nabbed eight Emmy and two Golden Globe awards, including one for Best Television Series and Best Actress in a Television Series Drama. Now, the wildly popular and horribly disturbing series is back for season two. The 13-episode season will premiere on Thursday, April 26 at 8.30pm with a special double episode airing on both SBS and SBS On Demand. Thankfully, this is only hours after season two hits Hulu in the US. For those who somehow managed to avoid binge watching season one, here's a bit of background — but beware, there are spoilers ahead. Created by Bruce Miller (Eureka, The 100), the series is based on the award-winning novel by Margaret Atwood. It follows a dystopian near-future New England where a totalitarian Christian theonomy has overthrown the US government, now called the Gilead. The series centres around the life of Offred (Elisabeth Moss), who, along with the country's few remaining fertile women, is forced into sexual servitude as a 'handmaid' to the ruling elite. The end of season two sees Offred falling pregnant and being dragged off to the back of a van — quite the nail-biting cliffhanger. This season will focus on Offred's pregnancy and her ongoing fight against the Gilead. The provoking and disturbingly relevant series explores themes of women's rights and governmental control, which are all too timely and downright believable for comfort right now. If you haven't managed to watch season one yet, it's currently available to binge on SBS On Demand. Get watching.
Touring to Australia for the first time in more than five years for your first Aussie festival headlining slot since 2011 is one way to celebrate 35 years as a band. The group: Tool. The fest: Good Things. For 2025, Maynard James Keenan and company lead the fest's big names. Also on the bill: Weezer and Garbage. Get ready to hear 'Sober', 'Forty Six & 2', 'Buddy Holly', 'Island in the Sun', 'Vow' and 'Only Happy When It Rains' like it's the 90s and early-00s again — all on Sunday, December 7 at Brisbane Showgrounds. The rest of the bill includes All Time Low, Machine Head and The All-American Rejects, as well as Knocked Loose, Lorna Shore, Refused, New Found Glory and Make Them Suffer. And, you can catch Dayseeker, James Reyne, Kublai Khan TX, Cobra Starship, Goldfinger, Tonight Alive and more. Good Things 2025 Lineup Tool Weezer Garbage All Time Low Machine Head The All-American Rejects Knocked Loose Lorna Shore Refused New Found Glory Make Them Suffer Dayseeker James Reyne Kublai Khan TX Cobra Starship Goldfinger Tonight Alive Bad Nerves Civic Dead Poet Society Fever 333 Gwar High Vis Inertia Palaye Royale Scene Queen South Arcade Wargasm Windwaker Yours Truly Top Tool image: Scott Moran. Good Things images: Kane Hibberd.
UPDATE: September 23 2020: A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. Fred Rogers never made a splash in Australia. But watching A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood, it's easy to see why the ordained Presbyterian minister turned children's television host is so beloved in the US, even 17 years after his death — and why adults who grew up watching Mister Rogers' Neighbourhood still hold him in such high regard. This thoughtful, full-hearted film doesn't merely tell viewers that Rogers was universally adored, or show the widespread devotion among his fans. As she proved in both The Diary of a Teenage Girl and Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Marielle Heller is far too soulful and observant a filmmaker for such a blunt approach. Rather, in a sensitive and astute manner reminiscent of Rogers himself, this delightful movie explores his appeal by examining his impact on one reluctant and cynical man. If you're a newcomer to Rogers, or you're jaded or skeptical by nature, consider Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys) your on-screen surrogate. A writer for Esquire in 1998, he's the fictional stand-in for journalist Tom Junod, whose article 'Can You Say ... Hero?' inspired the film. Known for hard-hitting reporting, Vogel is taken aback when he's assigned to profile Rogers. He's also nowhere near as enamoured with his subject as everyone else, including his starstruck wife Andrea (Susan Kelechi Watson). Indeed, he's still hesitant when Rogers (Tom Hanks) engages in a generous chat on the phone and appears genuinely interested in getting to know him. Taking its cues from Rogers' puppet-filled TV show in inventive ways, A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood begins by recreating Mister Rogers' Neighbourhood's opening. To the sounds of a gentle theme sung by Rogers, a model town fills the screen, before cutting to the show's star arriving home, popping on his famous red cardigan, swapping his dress shoes for sneakers and addressing the camera. Purposefully affable and inviting when watched by kids on weekdays for 33 years, it remains just as cosy here. To segue into the bulk of the film, Hanks' pitch-perfect version of Rogers says that he's going to tell a story about his hurt friend Lloyd — and while that might seem like cutesy gimmickry, it works perfectly in Heller's hands. With screenwriters Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster (Maleficent: Mistress of Evil), she understands that Rogers left such a lasting imprint on so many people because he made kids feel like he really saw them. Accordingly, treating Vogel in the same way isn't just a creative flourish — it's essential. The same idea applies to A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood's audience, who the film never forgets. This movie is well aware that viewers are experiencing the famed figure through Vogel's eyes — and it wants you to feel like you're in his shoes, being seen, welcomed and accepted by the kindly host as well. A new father struggling with issues with his own long-absent dad (Chris Cooper) that stem back to childhood, Vogel's backstory assists. While somewhat generic, it's also immensely relatable. Everyone has pain from the past they haven't fully processed, which was Rogers' whole remit. His show helped kids express their emotions and personalities in healthy ways, and tackle topics as dark as death, divorce and war. Even though Vogel is much, much older, it's a role Rogers is still eager to play for his new friend. Conveying that compassion, grace and sincerity is a task only Hanks could've mastered. It's a case of getting a beloved, benevolent icon to play just that — although Hanks ensures that Rogers is a person rather than a shining picture of perfection. This isn't a warts-and-all tell-all and, as 2018 documentary Won't You Be My Neighbour? demonstrated, that film will never exist. Instead, A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood remembers a man who considered himself ordinary while having an extraordinary effect on others. You could say the same about Hanks, which is what makes his casting so sublime. His is a superb, deservedly Oscar-nominated performance that's never an act of simple mimicry, but that he's as revered — and has been a reliable screen presence for decades, too — is never forgotten. Amidst cardboard backdrops recreating Mister Rogers' Neighbourhood, talking puppets and scenes of Rogers making adults wait so he can spend more time with his child fans, A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood doesn't completely or even primarily belong to Rogers. His influence looms large, but this is really Vogel's story — and that makes the film all the better. Rhys finds his character's world-weary centre, then allows it to slowly crumble as his bond with Rogers grows. In the process, the movie mirrors the way the TV host found a place in millions of children's hearts, and cracks the cloak of cynicism hanging over some of its own viewers, too. It's easy to think that a feature like this will be too sappy, kitschy or hokey, just as Vogel thought about Rogers — but a man brimming with empathy and this charmingly made movie about his impact are both the perfect antidotes to distrust and disillusionment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CELbK9q_ZeA
Fancy seeing one of Brisbane's most popular spaces in a completely new light? Or, to be more accurate, with more than 8000 square metres of lights flickering over the top of its lush greenery? As every home renovation-focused TV show has told us time and time again, a splash of colour can make a world of difference — and, at Roma Street Parklands' returning Enchanted Garden, it can turn an already picturesque space into a glorious festive wonderland. This is a family-friendly affair, and it's back from previous years. That said, there's a big difference in 2021: it's no longer free. You'll pay $7 to head along and stare up at all that dazzling brightness — all between Wednesday, December 1–Thursday, December 23. And, once you're in, you can soak up the luminousness for as long as you like. Attendees shouldn't go expecting the kind of setup that you've been ignoring on every street corner in Brissie's suburbs. Lights will twinkle and decorations will sparkle; however, this isn't a tacky DIY display. Nope, not at all. Instead, there'll be a lighting trail that uses LED fields, holograms and 3D-printed birds, all spread across 11 different activations. That said, a word of warning: people love all things glittery, so prepare to have as much company as is permitted in these chaotic times. If you're organised enough, you can always pack a picnic, arrive early and enjoy dinner beforehand. Plus, you can BYO drinks to one of the few public places that allows them in our fair town — although Roma Street Parklands' licensed areas are only licensed until 8pm. Food trucks will also be onsite at the Celebration Lawn and Lakeside Lawn from 4pm daily if you don't get around to taking care of your own nosh, and The Garden Room will also be doing meal options. Tickets go on sale at 11.30am AEST on Thursday, November 4.
From FernGully: the Last Rainforest to Moana — and including everything from Studio Ghibli's Pom Poko and Princess Mononoke to Pixar's Wall-E, too — many an animated movie has combined stunning frames with a stirring message about the environment. Add new Irish film Wolfwalkers to the list, with the gorgeous feature heading to Apple TV+ this year and likely to become your next favourite animated flick. Story-wise, the film follows a young wannabe hunter by the name of Robyn Goodfellowe (voiced by Honor Kneafsey). In a tale set centuries ago, she moves to Ireland with her father Bill (Sean Bean) when he's hired to eradicate the last wolf pack lurking in the woods. The locals, as overseen by an English Lord Protector (Simon McBurney), want to wipe out the wolves so that they can tear down the forest in the name of progress. But, after sneaking out to go exploring, Robyn befriends a girl called Mebh (Eva Whittaker) who just might be a member of a mythical tribe that's able to shapeshift into wolves while they're dreaming. As well as a rousing eco-conscious narrative, Wolfwalkers serves up distinctive, eye-catching animation — as its first teaser trailer makes plain. Expect earthy, natural colours, with greens, browns, oranges and yellows dancing across the screen. Expect a line-heavy animation style, too, which is almost reminiscent of woodblock prints. None of the above should come as a surprise given the film's roster of talent — including Tomm Moore, director of Oscar-nominated and equally stunning duo The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea. He co-directs with a veteran of both movies, with Ross Stewart working as the art director of the former and a concept artist on the latter. Wolfwalkers is also the latest feature produced by the Kilkenny-based Cartoon Saloon, which also has the similarly Academy Award-nominated The Breadwinner on its resume. After premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival this month, just when Wolfwalkers will hit Apple TV+ is yet to be revealed, other than it'll drop sometime later in 2020. And, obviously, whether Game of Thrones star Bean will survive in his latest role is something that you'll only find out by watching. Check out the teaser trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gj72cf3x5KM&feature=youtu.be Wolfwalkers is set to hit Apple TV+ sometime later in 2020 — we'll update you with an exact release date when one is announced.
Somewhere in the world, the afterparty for the World’s 50 Best Restaurants award ceremony is wrapping up. It’s been a very big event. The restaurant world’s creme of the crop came together to feast, celebrate and form alliances in order to claw their way up next year’s list. No doubt dishes were served that we couldn’t even imagine, dishes that would break our brains if we mere mortals were we to taste them. But best of all, Ben Shewry’s restaurant Attica was named amongst some of the best in the world, once again coming in at a very respectable #32. Ahhh the World’s 50 Best Restaurant list, you're so much more than a list of places we'll blow half our savings to eat at. The list, whose organisers revealed the top 51-100 last week, is compiled by industry heavyweights and international critics (those blessed people who get to eat Michelin-starred nosh for a living), and is considered a definitive ranking of international food-goodness and tasty nom-noms. So it’s no mean feat for Australia to have a spot on the list, with the likes of Sydney's Sepia and Quay and Victoria’s Brae also nabbing spots in the top 100. Being a restaurateur these days is almost as bloody as being the head of a great Westeros house — although in the foodie game, your position is determined by this annual list and not how many shocking betrayals and gruesome deaths you encounter per season. But there's just as much intrigue happening on this humble list as there is on the influence track of any drunken GoT board game session (go with it). The three big names that consistently dominate the game are this year’s victor El Celler de Can Roca (Girona, Spain), second place Osteria Francescana (Modena, Italy) and third place Noma (Copenhagen, Denmark). This is where it gets interesting, because Noma won last year, Osteria Franescana came second and while El Celler de Ca Roca moved up from third place to first and knocked Noma off the Iron Throne before being poisoned on their wedding day allegedly by their uncle while Sansa Stark escaped to the North under Littlefinger’s protection. Or something like that. When you play the game of lists, you win or you try again next year. See the whole list of the World's 50 Best Restaurants here. Image: Attica.
UPDATE, January 13, 2022: Yotam Ottolenghi's Australian tour has been postponed again due to the pandemic. New dates have not yet been announced — we'll update you when they are. If you're a vegetarian, worshipper of eggplant or just a keen home cook, chances are Yotam Ottolenghi has had some impact on your life. In fact, we bet you've got at least one of his bestselling cookbooks in your cupboard. Next year, you'll be able to learn a few more tips and tricks from the renowned Israeli chef as he heads to Australia for a speaking tour. The trailblazing chef, author, TV personality and restaurateur whose name has become its own cooking style is touring the country in 2022 off the back of his recent book Ottolenghi Flavour, which builds on his love for innovative vegetable-based recipes. And yes, this'll sound familiar, as he was planning to head Down Under in 2021 — but we all know how this year turned out. Yotam Ottolenghi — Flavour of Life will hit Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide, Brisbane, Hobart, Melbourne and the Gold Coast in January — and, as well as dishing up a few spicy secrets behind mouthwatering hits like miso butter onions and spicy mushroom lasagne, the show will provide an opportunity to hear directly from the man himself about his influences and experiences. It also promises to delve into Ottolenghi's experience as the owner of famed London restaurants Nopi and Rovi, how he approached home cooking during the COVID-19 pandemic and how you can dial up the flavour in your own kitchen. [caption id="attachment_768174" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Flickr/Stijn Nieuwendijk[/caption] YOTAM OTTOLENGHI 2022 AUSTRALIAN TOUR: Sunday, January 16 — Darling Harbour Theatre, ICC, Sydney Monday, January 17 + Wednesday, January 19 — Canberra Theatre Centre Tuesday, January 18 + Tuesday, January 25 — Adelaide Convention Centre Thursday, January 20 + Monday, January 24 — QPAC Concert Hall, Brisbane Friday, January 21 — Wrest Point Entertainment Centre, Hobart Saturday, January 22 — Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne Sunday, January 23 — The Star, The Gold Coast The Yotam Ottolenghi — Flavour of Life will tour Australia in January 2022. For further details or to buy tickets, head to the tour website.
It's not an exaggeration to say that there's no pool in Brisbane quite like the Spring Hill Baths — and if you're going to take a spring- or summer-time dip, there's really no better spot. The heritage-listed venue dates back to 1886, making it quite the institution. It was the city's first in-ground pool, and has remained a splash-about mainstay ever since. Opening at 6.30am every weekday, it's the kind of place that you'll be happy to jump out of bed for when the sun starts streaming through the windows. Within its sturdy walls, the water is crisp, the grandstand seating oozes charm and the day is calm. Happy swimming. Image: Brisbane City Council.
If you're flying out of Sydney Airport with Air New Zealand this week, the experience might be a little different to what you're used to. The airline is trialling a new kind of employee. On loan from the Commonwealth Bank, a humanoid robot called Chip will be getting around the airport as part of a five-day experiment, interacting with customers, giving directions and even assisting with check-ins. A video released by the airline shows Chip communicating through a screen in his chest, and even scanning boarding passes with his eyes. Way cooler than those boring self-service check-in kiosks. Up until now, Chip's been spending most of his days hanging out with students and academics at CBA's Sydney Innovation Lab, so his time at the airport will both give him valuable 'real world' practice and help Air New Zealand explore ways of enhancing the customer travel experience. "The airport is a busy and often overcrowded environment with signs, instructions and messages every which way you look," Air New Zealand chief digital officer Avi Golan explained in the video. "Our customers can feel overwhelmed. The experiment is about bringing information to life, through innovative technologies." Chip will be at Sydney Airport until today, Friday, August 25. Let's see if any Aussie airlines follow suit. https://youtu.be/6DHXa8V6N4U Via The NZ Herald. Image: Air New Zealand/YouTube.
When you scroll through Netflix's menu, everything from Stranger Things to Bridgerton might catch your eye. Over on Disney+, you could make a beeline to The Mandalorian and WandaVision, while Amazon Prime Video may pique your interest if you're keen on The Boys or Tales From the Loop. But, if you're fond of homegrown films and television programs, you might've noticed that the huge range of streaming platforms on offer Down Under don't typically fund, create and make available all that much new Australian content. The current situation is somewhat better than it was. When Netflix officially launched in Australia back in 2015, its buffet of streaming movies and TV shows noticeably lacked new original local content (indeed, it took more than two years for the popular platform to finally announce that it was making its first Aussie series, Tidelands). It still doesn't overflow with Aussie fare, although it did give Aunty Donna its own delightful comedy. Fellow streamer Stan has been beefing up its catalogue with Aussie movies and shows, though, with the likes of No Activity, Wolf Creek, Bloom, Bump, After the Night, A Sunburnt Christmas, Relic and True History of the Kelly Gang among the local titles joining its ranks. If a group of Australian creatives has anything to do with it, however, there'll be much more local content added to streaming platforms in the future. High Ground's Simon Baker, Hungry Ghosts' Bryan Brown and Justine Clarke, and Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt)'s Marta Dusseldorp are all part of the Make It Australian campaign, which is lobbying the Australian Government to implement quotas. The proposal: that all streaming services operating in Australia that have at least 500,000 subscribers are required to spend 20 percent of their local revenue on new Aussie dramas, documentaries and content for children. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BVoYKwTc4E If the idea sounds familiar, that's because it has been under consideration before, and for some time — with a green paper on the topic published in late 2020, and a consultation period currently open — but nothing has come to fruition as yet. This time around, the group behind the move put forward their case at Parliament House in Canberra on Tuesday, March 16, particularly noting the importance of Australian audiences being able to watch local stories as streaming platforms grow in popularity. Similar quotas are in place regarding Australian programming on both commercial free-to-air television and pay TV — although requirements were altered in 2020 due to the pandemic. And if you're thinking that the Aussie screen industry seems to be in good shape at the moment considering that a huge number of Hollywood titles are being filmed here at present — including everything from Marvel's Thor: Love and Thunder to Nicole Kidman-starring TV series Nine Perfect Strangers, plus new movies directed by Ron Howard and starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts soon to shoot — the current situation isn't the norm. Big productions have been coming to our shores during the pandemic given that Australia's COVID-19 case numbers are low, protocols are in place and it's safe to film here as a result, but that isn't guaranteed to continue once life returns to normal in the US. For more information about the Make It Australian campaign, head to its website. For more information about the media reform green paper, head to the Australian Government website.
In 2020, when Brisbane started to settle into a state of normality again after its first lockdown of the pandemic, The Tivoli launched Open Season: an event that aimed to entice music lovers back to live gigs and shows. For three months, it filled the Fortitude Valley venue with tunes and performances — and it was such a hit that it's coming back in 2021 for another round. This year's Open Season will run twice as long, spanning from July through until December. It'll also take place at two locations, not one. In August, Woolloongabba's Princess Theatre is set to fling open its doors after a huge revamp — the venue is 133 years old, after all — and, because the same folks are behind The Tiv as well, the two sites will both be hosting this big multi-gig festival. That means you'll have multiple places to head to, and a whole heap of bands and shows to see — and that's just from the first lineup announcement (with more acts due to be added in August). Leading the bill so far are King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, who'll play a five-show residency; Regurgitator, playing their seminal debut album Tu-Plang live; and everyone from Julia Jacklin, Jarryd James and Tropical Fuck Storm to Marlon Williams and Young Franco. The return of the Nine Lives Festival at The Tiv, headlined by Stella Donnelly, Mildlife and Big Scary, is also on the program. That's not all that's on the agenda. Also included: arty dinner party Bite Club, Briefs Factory's latest cabaret experience; Briefs' latest club show, too; and the likes of Sunnyboys, HTRK, The Murlocs and Amyl & the Sniffers also hitting the stage. Some of the shows in the series are actually slated for this coming weekend, kicking off on Saturday, July 3 — but obviously that'll depend on whether Brisbane is out of lockdown. Open Season is set to kick off on Saturday, July 3 — as long as Brisbane is out of lockdown — and run through until December. For further details, or to buy tickets from Friday, July 2 (or via pre-sales from Thursday, July 1), head to the event's website. Images: Somefx.
2024 marks seven years since Elliot Page (The Umbrella Academy) last featured on the big screen Down Under. Playing at this year's Queer Screen Film Fest, Close to You brings his absence from local cinemas to an end. The film boasts the actor's first male movie role, as a trans man heading home to his family for the first time since transitioning. It's also the Sydney-based cinema showcase's first-ever narrative centrepiece pick in its 11 year history. Close to You sits on the just-announced in-person lineup alongside opening night's Buenos Aires-set The Astronaut Lovers, plus closing night's dialogue-free Gondola — the former about two men crossing paths over a summer, the second about female cable-car conductors expressing their emotions in the sky. In total, QSFF 2024 will show 35 titles, with the fest running from Wednesday, August 28–Sunday, September 1 at Event Cinemas George Street, then sharing the love online nationally with a week of movies streaming from Monday, September 2–Sunday, September 8. Hailing from Queer Screen, which also runs the Mardi Gras Film Festival during the first half of each year, this celebration of LGBTQIA+ flicks has other recognisable names gracing its frames alongside Page. Evan Rachel Wood (Weird: The Al Yankovic Story) plays a cheerleading coach in Backspot, with Devery Jacobs (Echo) as the squad's newcomer. In the gay shorts package, both Lukas Gage (Road House) and Keiynan Lonsdale (Swift Street) make appearances via the bite-sized Stay Lost. Elsewhere on the program, other highlights include the world-premiering Strange Creatures, which heads on a road trip to Narrabri with fighting siblings; fellow Aussie effort Videoland, about a video-store clerk; and Frameline Outstanding Documentary Feature-winner Fragments of a Life Loved, a journey through former lovers with filmmaker Chloé Barreau. For both of the two Australian titles, the filmmakers will be in attendance. Or, Sydneysiders can catch Baby, about the connection between a São Paolo sex worker and an 18-year-old man just out of juvenile detention — and Hong Kong's All Shall Be Well, the recipient of this year's Berlinale Teddy Award and Frameline Audience Award for Narrative. Online, as well as Gondola, and the gay, sapphic and trans and gender-diverse shorts strands, viewers have American Parent, about a lesbian couple raising a toddler during the pandemic; Big Boys, focusing on a teen with a crush; All Shall Be Well director Ray Yeung's 2019 film Twilight's Kiss; and The Judgment, about US-based Egyptian boyfriends returning home and dealing with the supernatural, among the choices. Queer Screen Film Fest 2024 runs from Wednesday, August 28–Sunday, September 1 at Event Cinemas George Street in Sydney — and online nationally from Monday, September 2–Sunday, September 8. For more information, visit the festival's website.
Yes, it's Christmas. Already. But before you start to freak out about the Christmas presents you're yet to buy or start shutting down from the anxiety of another year passing by, take a second to enjoy it. This fine city loves an excuse for a party — and whether you celebrate the holiday or not, there's plenty o' Christmas festivity to get involved in. From markets to film screenings to gigs and Costanza-style Festivus celebrations, there's something for everyone to get at least a little excited about.
If you're in southeast Queensland and you're a fan of Lin-Manuel Miranda, rejoice: your next chance to enjoy the musical talent's work is on its way in 2025. Hamilton has already done the rounds, including a season in Brisbane. Next, it's time for another of Miranda's big Tony Award-winning shows to take to the stage locally — and his debut smash, too. HOTA, Home of the Arts is set to turn into New York City's Washington Heights for a run of In the Heights. Initially staged in 2005, then leaping to off-Broadway in 2007, then playing Broadway from 2008–11 (which is where it nabbed those 13 Tony nominations and four wins), Miranda's first stage sensation spends its time with Usnavi, a bodega owner from the Dominican Republic who dreams of going back — and who also sports a crush on Vanessa, who aspires to move out of the neighbourhood. Miranda himself originated the role of Usnavi, scoring a Tony nomination for his efforts. In Australia for this run, which began in Sydney in 2024, Ryan Gonzalez (Moulin Rouge! The Musical) has stepped into the part. When the show heads to the Gold Coast from Friday, September 12, fellow Moulin Rouge! The Musical alum Olivia Vásquez is playing Vanessa. Alongside Gonzalez, she's joined by Richard Valdez (All Together Now — The 100) as the Piragua Guy — another character that Miranda has brought to life personally, this time in the 2021 film version of In the Heights. On the stage and on-screen, the production not only follows Usnavi and Vanessa's connection, and their respective hopes for the future, but also the residents of Washington Heights, their family ties across multiple generations and their friendships. The soundtrack — which helped In the Heights win Best Musical and Best Original Score Tonys — as well as the vibe and mood bring together salsa, soul, rap, hip hip, merengue and street dance. Images: Daniel Boud.
There's something uniquely fascinating about watching an actor play against type. Whether it's comedian Adam Sandler as a lonely introvert in Punch-Drunk Love, or perennial leading man Leonardo DiCaprio as a sadistic slave owner in Django Unchained, it's often the performances that challenge our perception of an actor that end up being their most memorable. The most recent example of this phenomenon comes courtesy of Jeremy Saulnier's Green Room, a viciously violent thriller starring veteran actor Patrick Stewart as the leader of a gang of murderous neo-Nazis. To call it the most unsettling performance of his career doesn't come close to doing it justice. Suffice it to say, you'll never think about Captain Picard in quite the same way again. Against the white supremacists Saulnier pits struggling punk band The Ain't Rights, whose members include Fright Night's Anton Yelchin and Arrested Development's Alia Shawkat. With money and petrol both in perilously low supply, the group takes a gig at a remote skinhead bar in Oregon, a decision that they may not live to regret. Their cover of the Dead Kennedys song 'Nazi Punks Fuck Off' doesn't exactly get the warmest of receptions, but that's nothing compared to what's in store for them after they find a freshly murdered corpse in the green room following the show. It's the worst possible case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and with club owner Darcy Banker (Stewart) intent on eliminating all witnesses, the band soon find themselves fighting for their lives. What follows is an exercise in excruciating tension in which the odds of a happy ending seem to diminish with every scene. Green Room is not for audiences with faint hearts or weak stomachs, with Saulnier executing some of the most gruesome, shocking and genuinely upsetting violence we've seen on the big screen in quite some time. Still, it's the moments in between the carnage that are the movies' most effective. Rarely has a film captured the terror of imminent bloodshed with this kind of frenzied, animalistic intensity – and for that, credit must go not just to Saulnier, but also to his cast. Playing scared isn't always the easiest thing to do, as the bad acting in countless horror films can attest. But Yelchin and Shawkat, along with their bandmates Callum Turner and Joe Cole, are never anything less than 100 per cent convincing. Their work also makes Stewart that much more frightening by comparison. There's something utterly chilling about the way he keeps his cool, coordinating his troupe of loyal thugs even as the body count rises. Whether or not Saulnier intended the film to have contemporary political undertones, it's hard not to read something into the way in which Banker so brazenly exploits his followers, inciting violence through rhetoric while keeping his own hands (mostly) clean. Either way, it's a phenomenal turn by the actor, and well worth the price of a ticket on its own. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDpRB0XmbDw
It might long be remembered as one of Star Wars' most cringeworthy come-on lines, but to give Anakin Skywalker a break, he did have a point when he told Padme, "I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere." Two New York-based summer surfers by the names of Charlie and Spike know what he's on about. Even if they wouldn't have used such reasoning to get fresh with Natalie Portman. Instead, they've invented a sand-solution, of sorts: the Shake Tote. It looks, pretty much, to be the mother of all beach bags. And here's why. Not only is it water-repellent, it's also fitted with a mesh bottom, which means that you simply have to give it one almighty shake and the sand falls right through. So, it's actually a bag that doubles as a giant sieve. Welcome to a grit-free summer. No more jiggling each item individually while blowing grains into your neighbour's face (or your own, for that matter). No more having to unpack your bag outside because you've inadvertently carried half the beach home with you. At 42.6 x 14.7 x 15.2 cm, the Shake Tote provides you with loads of room for your swimmers, towel, read-of-the-week and sundry beachy needs. There's also a zippered pocket for stowing your valuables. The neutral, natural-coloured canvas (with dashes of black and neon orange) goes with most get-ups and the plastic shoulder straps are anti-slip. The Shake Tote came into being thanks to Quirky, a platform dedicated to unusual inventions. Users are able to put forward their own innovative ideas and/or vote on those of others. They can also earn money by supporting successful pitches and helping out with branding and style decisions. The Quirky team gets behind the manufacturing process and provides international distribution online. Order your very own Shake Tote online for US$39.99 and watch every face on the beach gaze in awe. Via PSFK.
With 64 days until the lights are on, Vivid has announced its 2013 lineup. And as the festival turns five it's vastly extending its brightly coloured reach to cover more physical ground and generate more creative ideas. In 2013 Fort Dennison, Walsh Bay and the Inner West will also get a heavy splattering of neon light and artistic innovation as the festival adds more precincts to the Vivid family. Sydney's own Spinifex Group will be the artists behind the Lighting of the Sails, the jewel in Vivid's dazzling crown, with the rest of the foreshore welcoming a global assemblage of lighting designers to the walkable stretch spanning Campbells Cove to Walsh Bay. Interactivity is key this year, with Customs House featuring a dance floor so visitors can make the building move. The festival's LIVE section will celebrate the Opera House's increasingly enthusiastic approach to popular music, populating the Kraftwerk-headlined lineup with homegrown and international acts. Empire of the Sun are premiering their second album Ice on the Dune, which was announced in true theatrical style with a bizarre video last week. Other acts include legendary soul crooner Bobby Womack, Underworld's Karl Hyde, the Sunnyboys, Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon, folk-rock tribute Sounds of the South and the 45-piece Heritage Orchestra — performing the Bladerunner score. More will be announced in the upcoming weeks. And hosting a mammoth 136 events this year is the Jess Scully-curated Vivid Ideas. Level six of the MCA will be taken over by 100 of them, with further talks and workshops spread through the Overseas Passenger Terminal, Seymour Centre, Sydney Museum and more. Semi-Permanent, Sydney Writers’ Festival and the Australian International Design Festival are getting involved in 2013, along with a slew of events supporting this year's film and photography motif. Reportage and Sydney Film Festival are two exciting additions, and a talk by Chris Ying of Momofuku-McSweeney's foodie mag Lucky Peach should give discerning ramen enthusiasts plenty to get psyched about. Check out the Vivid website for the full lineup.
Watching Fantasmas means beaming with joy and wonder, whether 2024's standout new comedy so far — and series overall — is embracing the idiosyncratic and fantastical, painting navigating life as a dystopian experience, or dreaming up anything and everything in-between. Wanting a world where normal colours aren't the only hues shining and palettes don't play by the rules of the rainbow is mentioned early in the six-episode HBO show, as uttered by creator, writer, director and star Julio Torres in-character as the on-screen Julio. At least as long as audiences are viewing the former Saturday Night Live scribe's latest project, they don't need to pine for the same dream: we thankfully live in a world where Fantasmas exists. With a series that uses a pitch to Crayola for clear crayons to initially weave in its championing of accepting and adoring difference, Torres welcomes viewers into a realm that couldn't have been conjured up by anyone else. Those familiar with 2017's famous 'Papyrus' sketch with Ryan Gosling (The Fall Guy) and the previous year's 'Wells for Boys' skit will know that Torres has a distinctive comedic vision, as kept dazzling when he became the co-guiding force behind Los Espookys, then the filmmaker responsible for Problemista. In Fantasmas, his way of seeing reality — and satirising it — beams bright like he's colouring in with highlighters. Streaming in Australia via Binge since June 2024, this is a show that celebrates eccentricity and confronts life's absurdities, doing so with a pencil case stuffed with crayons that no one else has ever considered picking up. It's true again here, as it was with Los Espookys: Torres leaves his viewers grateful that they inhabit the same plane where he's making TV. HBO has once more given him the means and support to craft a comedy series so singular, so clearly the work of a visionary and so gloriously surreal that it has almost no peers beyond his work — and it does indeed look and feel crafted. There's little that's the same in its narrative or aesthetics, but Fantasmas brings to mind the patron saint of spilling the contents of your head and heart onto the screen with zero willingness to compromise or hold back: David Lynch. While that's the utmost of praise, even such a comparison can't prepare audiences for a show where Steve Buscemi (Curb Your Enthusiasm) plays the letter Q as an avant-garde outsider musician and Santa Claus is taken to court by elves (SNL's Bowen Yang among them) for trying to pay them in Christmas spirit. Then there's series-within-a-series MELF — just one of Fantasmas' pop-culture parodies — which riffs on 80s and 90s hit sitcom ALF, is led by Paul Dano (Spaceman), features quite the twist on its alien-adopting premise and screens in rideshares. Fantasmas also delivers a commercial for toilet dresses fronted by an entrepreneur (Aidy Bryant, another SNL alum) with more passion than you'd expect possible for slinging clothing to deck out commodes. It's easy to keep noting the show's sketches, but the selection mentioned so far already demonstrates another few crucial layers to Torres' comedy. Pursuing nostalgia but realising that nothing is ever as you remembered, constantly and ceaselessly hustling and selling, never being able to escape content anywhere, succumbing to meaningless distractions because it's better than facing life unfiltered: add them to Fantasmas' musings. As the sets appear exactly like sets but with a DIY spin, and also as vignettes pop in and out to expand Julio's mindscape as much as the futuristic domain imagined by the IRL Torres, there is an overarching narrative at the core of Fantasmas. The series' take on Julio trades in concepts, plus in being unflinchingly himself, but doing anything is impossible without a Proof of Existence ID card. He's on a quest to secure one, which isn't straightforward. In the process, he's also searching for a tiny gold oyster earring, under the threat of becoming homeless, and pondering whether to upload his consciousness and jettison his body. As star-studded cameos stack up as well, by Julio's side are robot companion Bibo (Joe Rumrill, The Calling) and agent Vanesja (Martine Gutierrez, returning from Los Espookys and Problemista). The first yearns to become an actor, because seeking fame and fortune isn't just for people. The second is really a performance artist playing an agent, but has been immersed in the act for so long that she's long stopped merely doing the gig as a show. While marvelling at the ingenuity of Fantasmas also just comes with watching it, statements abound again and again in every element. Be it from a narrative arc, plot point, side quest, design detail or seeming throwaway joke, there's a message or several to draw from each and every second of the series — and no matter how phantasmagorical that everything it flings at the screen can get, which is very. Torres excavates and plays with a world that trusts companies and bureaucracies over humans. He sees the cold, hard truth that prizing possessions and consumerism is a form of solace and catharsis, especially when securing existence's necessities — housing being one — is a battle. Fantasmas also contemplates the sensation that being flesh and blood can feel like a disadvantage. Amid the array of relatable issues in its sights, it equally tears into perceptions of societal status, as well as class clashes, more of capitalism's many woes and inequities, health care, the treatment of immigrants and the inescapable online realm. Although purposefully eager to splash around its handmade-esque creativity, too, it does so to stress that it's the product of people chasing a dream, alongside coping with everything that dwells starkly beyond their wildest fantasies, rather than soullessly hailing from corporations bowing to an algorithm. As an actor, adding to a resume that also spans The Other Two, Shrill and Search Party, Torres is just as an inimitable as a presence as the shows that he creates, and so the Lynch parallels continue. His on-screen company in Fantasmas includes Emma Stone (Poor Things) in a Real Housewives spoof, Dylan O'Brien (Maximum Truth) wearing lingerie, Tilda Swinton (The Killer) as water, and Kim Petras and Princess Nokia as mermaid telemarketers — plus familiar Los Espookys faces and a whole heap more — with everyone from A-listers to bit-parters delightfully adopting his wavelength. Stone executive produces, too, with the two-time Oscar-winner backing up the same role on one of 2023's best and boldest new TV shows (The Curse, which she led) with one of 2024's. Perhaps, as Torres and viewers are, she's also dealing with the fact that getting through each day never stops being bizarre by leaning in. Check out the trailer for Fantasmas below: Fantasmas streams via Binge.
On the outside, Death and Taxes leans into its name — the first part, at least. Painted black, the Burnett Lane venue is presided over by a giant mural of the grim reaper, as well as a wall filled with lions. Complete with carved wooden doors with lion door knockers, as well as a deck seating area, it's an entrance that makes a statement. Step inside, and the dark colours continue. Eager drinkers will also find leather armchairs, padded green booths, mosaic tiling, wooden floors and lit candles, befitting the site's old-school whiskey bar feel. The heritage-listed site dates back to 1824, so part of that vibe just comes naturally with the territory. The overall relaxed, classic, inviting and eclectic atmosphere is only part of Death and Taxes' appeal, though. A wall filled with 500 whiskys causes plenty of excitement on its own, naturally. Rove your eyes across the lines of bottles behind the bar, choose one, and start sipping your whiskey of choice. A hefty selection of gin and rum also awaits. And, if you're after something boozy but lighter, you can opt for wine, sparkling or a range of beer on tap. If you're a cocktail fan, you won't be disappointed either — there's an illustrated booklet of options to choose from, including new takes on old favourites and more creative options. With such stellar sips, it's no wonder that Death and Taxes is a spot that you'll want to come back to over and over again.
If you fancy getting into the swing of this year's Oktoberfest celebrations a couple of months early, The Bavarian certainly has you sorted. The group is expanding its stable of German-inspired bier halls, opening the doors to its latest venue at Petrie Terrace on Friday, August 2. And to celebrate, it's handing out a whopping 500 free hotdogs from 11am. The hot dogs are made using the Bavarian's traditional German wursts, topped with American-style sauces and garnishes. Given the eatery is just as famous for its sausage offering as it is for its schnitzels and crispy pork knuckles, that's quite the deal. You'll have to head along over lunch, up until 3pm, to get your freebie — although they'll only be available until all 500 have been snapped up. Of course, the German-style fun continues long after giveaway is over, with The Bavarian The Barracks dishing up authentic eats and icy cold steins, all year round.
First Nations cultural currents run deep across Australia, marking the landscape with diverse history and meaning from its glistening coastlines, across the mountains and out to the expansive desert plains. With more than 60,000 years of human experience to contemplate, the best way to learn about this living history is by seeking guidance from the Traditional Custodians of the lands. Join First Nations tour operators and guides on these nine experiences that will take you across New South Wales on knowledge-seeking journeys.
Australian beaches are pretty damn beautiful whichever way you look at them, but the scene on Tasmania's northwest coast at the moment pretty much takes the cake. Not content with just being the only place in Australia to catch a glimpse of Aurora Australis, Tassie has had another inexplicably luminescent natural phenomena appear — but this time, in the sea. An appearance of bioluminescent phytoplankton (otherwise known as sea sparkle, which is much more fun to say) have caused parts of the ocean to light up in an otherworldly bright blue on parts of the coast. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the sparkle was spotted near the town of Penguin over the weekend, while this shot was taken by Leanne Marshall a few beaches west at Rocky Cape. A post shared by Leanne Marshall (@leannemarshall) on Mar 13, 2017 at 12:35pm PDT Apparently the phytoplankton turn bright blue when threatened, so it's hard to say how long they'll stick around for. If you can't go algae-chasing on the Tassie coastline, here's some photos of the phenomena. A post shared by Brett Chatwin (@brett.chatwin) on Mar 12, 2017 at 9:50pm PDT A post shared by Sarah Kubank (@sarah_the_explorer_76) on Mar 13, 2017 at 6:34am PDT Via The Sydney Morning Herald. Image: Leanne Marshall via Instagram.
The phrase "Hollywood on the Gold Coast" might've been coined to describe Movie World, but the film-loving theme park isn't the only way that this patch of Queensland celebrates cinema. Plenty of flicks are made at Village Roadshow Studios. Each year, watching pictures also gets its own festival. You can see films on the Goldie every day, of course, but the Gold Coast Film Festival brings together titles that you mightn't otherwise find at the region's multiplexes — or lets you catch them first. In 2024, 23 features grace the just-announced GCFF lineup, which will run for 12 days from Wednesday, April 17–Sunday, April 28 at HOTA, Home of the Arts and other GC venues. Bill Bennett's The Way, My Way will kickstart the fest, with the Kiss or Kill and The Nugget filmmaker turning his own memoir about walking the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route — all 800 kilometres of it — into a film. Then, at the other end of the event, Ewan McGregor (Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio) stars opposite his IRL daughter Clara McGregor (American Horror Story) in Bleeding Love, about a father-daughter road trip. There's a fitting feel to Gold Coast Film Festival's 2024 iteration bookending its cinema showcase with titles about travel. The Goldie is that kind of destination, including luring Brisbane movie lovers down the highway to watch along. That unofficial theme comes through in other ways, too, such as in documentary Diamond of the Sea, about ironwoman Bonnie Hancock attempting to circumnavigate Australia by paddle; The Monk and the Gun, featuring an American travelling to Bhutan; and a retro screening of Cliffhanger (yes, the action-packed 90s flick), which will take place at Burleigh Brewing. That beer-slinging spot will also host a session of music documentary The Ending Goes Forever: The Screamfeeder Story, focusing on of Brisbane's 90s indie-music favourites. Elsewhere, Steven Soderbergh (Full Circle)-produced thriller Divinity gets another Down Under run after playing SXSW Sydney 2023 — and fans of Gareth Evans' (Gangs of London) epic Indonesian action effort The Raid will be able to scope out the shiny restoration. Another overall highlight: doco Growing Happiness, which is about Scenic Rim farmers Jenny and Russ Jenner, their move to turn their fields into a sunflower farm, plus the popular festival that now takes over their land once a year (including this April during GCFF). Or, for something completely different, Sting, which is helmed by Australian director Kiah Roache-Turner (Wyrmwood: Apocalypse), sees Ryan Corr (In Limbo) joined by Alyla Browne (The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart), Noni Hazelhurst (One Night), Penelope Mitchell (What You Wish For) and Silvia Colloca (Wellmania) — and some eight-legged creatures. With 2024 marking two decades since one of the best blends of romance, comedy, drama and sci-fi of the 21st century reached screens in the form of Michel Gondry's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, the timing is excellent for checking out the French filmmaker's latest feature. In his first movie since 2015, the director draws from his own experience in semi-autobiographical comedy The Book of Solutions. On a lineup that's aiming to offer a movie (or several) for everyone, musical Greatest Days features Take That's songs, My Fair Lady gets a flashback screening and The Lie: The Murder of Grace Millane dives into the true-crime case. Or, there's also a trip to a Polish village in the 19th century with The Peasants, boxing drama Heart of the Man, psychological thriller Birdeater and Samuel Beckett biopic Dance First. Plus, short film competition SIPFEST is on the GCFF program again, returning to the HOTA Outdoor Stage with 15 bite-sized flicks — and also the annual Women in Film lunch is back. Who said hanging out on the Gold Coast just meant going to the beach? The 2024 Gold Coast Film Festival runs from Wednesday, April 17–Sunday, April 28 at HOTA, Home of the Arts and other venues on the Gold Coast. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the festival website.
Whether you call them chips, fries or frites, there's something irresistible about warm, golden slivers of potato. We all know it's true. That's probably why Caxton Street's newest addition dedicates a big portion of their menu to them. You don't open a pub dedicated to frites and burgers without offering up plenty of everyone's favourite side dish, after all. Revamping the space on the corner of Caxton Street that Casablanca's called home for 23 years, Fritzenberger Frites and Burger Brew Pub serves up exactly what its name suggests. Order up a batch, then visit the Fritzensalt station to shower them in all of the seasonings you can dream of, including Twisties-flavoured salt. Yes, really. Or, pick the loaded option stacked with candied bacon, cheese sauce, green onions and Fritzensauce. Anyone with a sweet tooth will then want to treat themselves to a dessert helping of sugar frites, made churro-style and topped with your choice or raspberry ketchup, hot chocolate or toffee sauce. With ice cream burgers, iceberg lettuce wedges with blue cheese and croutons, and Fritzen wings also on the menu, it's safe to say that you won't find this selection at any old greasy spoon. And while Fritzenburger serves up yet another take on one of Brissie's most enduring trends (burgers, duh — available here in six different varieties), you don't hear the city's collective stomachs complaining. With its own microbrewery on-site, the drinks side of the equation is also a huge drawcard (because every burger and fries combo tastes better when it's washed down with a beverage). Expect to enjoy plenty of house brews, and just a great vibe all round. Fritzenberger is the latest project from the bright minds behind Harajuku Gyoza, so they know a thing or two about mixing tasty food with brews. Find Fritzenberger Frites and Burger Brew Pub at 52 Petrie Terrace, Brisbane City. Check out their website and Facebook page for more details.
