Forget about every dog having its day — on Sunday, March 19, every dog in Brisbane can have their own festival. Victoria Park / Barrambin is putting out the welcome mat for peppy pooches and their loving owners thanks to DogFest. Has anything ever had a more appropriate title? Between 9am–2pm, the Herston spot will become a canine wonderland, complete with food trucks, live music and market stalls. Some spots will be selling food for humans only. Others will be going all in on doggo treats. Yes, it's a best-of-both-worlds situation. Plus, two stages will boast everything from dog competitions (including categories for best dressed and best trained) to masterclasses about pupper obedience behaviour. Promoting the latter is a big focus of the whole day, should you literally be looking to teach your four-legged best friend some new tricks. Entry is free, but you can reserve tickets in advance online.
Fish Lane's Town Square is putting its patch of pavement to good use, with markets now popping up in the South Brisbane spot. While bars and eateries line the laneway, and festivals have taken it over as well, Fish Lane only started hosting its own stalls back in 2021 — and in 2023, it's again giving you a chance to browse and buy locally made art, ceramics and other goods. Kicking off for the year on Sunday, April 16, the markets close down the road between Hope and Grey streets, and go big on showcasing local independent makers and designers. On offer: wares spanning everything from fashion, plants and jewellery to natural skincare and accessories for your dog as well. Obviously, you can also bring your four-legged friend with you as you browse the stalls. Food-wise, Fish Lane's existing cafes and eateries will keep you feed and caffeinated, so you can add a visit to Cups on Melbourne or Lune Croissanterie to your itinerary. For lunch, the likes of Julius, Southside, La Lune Wine Co, Chu The Phat, Big Roddy's and Grassfed will all be tempting your tastebuds The Fish Lane Markets run from 9am–1pm. If you haven't been to the precinct's Town Square yet, head for the rail bridge — you'll find it underneath.
Being an adult means celebrating Easter however you damn well want to. Fancy setting up an Easter egg hunt around your house? Go for it. Keen on drinking cocktails out of chocolate? No one will stop you. Want to ditch the usual festivities and dance away the afternoon and evening at a disco party on the river? Hop to it for the second year running. Indeed, if that last option particularly takes your fancy, you'll want to make a date with 2023's Mr Percival's Easter Sunday River Disco. Kicking off at 1pm on Sunday, April 9, it's exactly what it sounds like — all at Howard Smith Wharves' resident overwater bar. MC Double D, who you might know from Sneaky Sound System, will be spinning tunes alongside Dan Mumbles, Chilliana, Aunty Stan, Ethan Graves and LXXX — and they'll be on the decks right through until late. As for drinks, there'll be bubbles aplenty at Mr Percival's outdoor spritz bar, as well as Italian cocktails. And, the usual food menu will be on offer if you need a prawn cocktail, Moreton bay bug roll, bug-topped pizza or vanilla gelato sundae for sustenance.
Brisbane Powerhouse's new Night Feast, which enjoys its first-ever run throughout March, isn't just about having something to eat when the sun goes down. Yes, that's what the name says; however, the night market has some leeway around that. Given the place hosting it, of course a hefty serving of arts was also going to be part of the program. So, from running 4.30–9.30pm Wednesday–Sunday between Wednesday, March 1–Sunday, March 26 — for its first two weeks, then starting at 2pm on Saturdays and Sundays from Saturday, March 18 — Night Feast is filled with stunning installations, too. One such piece hails from Maschi Fontana and gives the New Farm venue something different, even just for a month: towering pyramids. [caption id="attachment_893482" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Markus Ravik[/caption] This feast sure is going big — with Amanda Parer's gargantuans thanks to Fantastic Planet, and also with Rising Lotus. The latter features large triangle sculptures, which look retro-futuristic with their shape, glow and haze. As for Maschi Fontana, it's a collaboration between artists Tom Mùller and Jean-Thomas Vannotti, and focuses on combining spiritual and cult practices from years gone by with technological and environmental notions to come. Harking back to ancient Egypt but looking like it could've stepped straight out of a futuristic movie, Rising Lotus nails the brief. [caption id="attachment_893480" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Coogee[/caption] Top image: Lachlan Douglas.
Easter in Sydney doesn't just mean chocolate, hot cross buns and whatever other sweet treats the city's eateries happen to come up with at this time of year — it also means the Sydney Royal Easter Show. And, while you won't find the latter at El Camino Cantina's Tex-Mex joints in Brisbane, of course, the chain is getting into the spirit of the event nationwide with its returning limited-edition margarita menu, which it has dubbed 'the Royal Rita Show'. For its latest batch of creative flavours, El Camino Cantina is serving up Jelly Belly, Warhead, Chupa Chup and Rainbow Nerd margs. There are Trolli Lolli and fairy floss versions, too. Basically, it's the candy and booze combination you obviously didn't know you'd someday want when you were a kid. These lolly-flavoured ritas are on offer from Monday, April 3–Sunday, April 30, in both 15-oz and 24-oz glasses. And if you'd like to pair them with tacos, you'll find a Royal Rita Show food menu on offer as well; think tacos with popcorn chicken, chorizo and potato hash, slow-cooked barbecue brisket, and prawns with bacon. In southeast Queensland, you'll find both the margs and tacos tempting your tastebuds at El Camino in Bowen Hills, South Bank and Chermside in Brisbane; Robina and Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast; and Sunshine Plaza on the Sunshine Coast.
It was in the early 2000s that Melbourne-born jazz/funk band The Cat Empire exploded onto the world stage with its international sound layered with Australian charm. They wasted no time shooting to the tops of the charts with tracks like 'Hello', 'Days Like These' and 'How to Explain'. In 2024, they're still going strong on a global tour. Swap your headphones for the real thing when The Cat Empire hits the stage as a part of Brisbane Festival, backed by the wind, string and brass excellence of Queensland Symphony Orchestra. Time is short to catch it since the show runs for one night and one night only at Fortitude Music Hall on Thursday, September 19. The Cat Empire have spent the better part of two decades combining Afro-Cuban, Brazilian and Flamenco genres with an infectious enthusiasm that is sure to get you out of your seat and dancing. Don't say we didn't warn you. The Cat Empire and Queensland Symphony Orchestra take to the stage on Thursday, September 19 at 7.30pm. For more information or to book tickets, visit the website.
Add another date into your doggo's diary — the NewBARKet Festival is upon us for another year. On Sunday, July 14, Newmarket Village is going to the dogs again, but in a good way, with the adorable event taking over the inner-north shopping centre. First, take your pupper along at 10.30am for a morning at the movies. Reading Newmarket will let your pooch catch a flick — the apt animated film 200% Wolf — as long as your good boy or girl sits on the floor on a pillow or a blanket. Then, from 12–4pm, the festival gets into full swing across the rest of the centre with plenty of treats and pats on offer, and also a dog playground. The bone bar will be back, as will the main attraction: stalls selling all kinds of goodies for your four-legged friend. Expect dog food, accessories, threads and grooming, and usually dog desserts as well (dog ice cream and pupcakes have also been on offer in past years). For attendees of the two-legged variety (no, your clever canine standing on their two back legs doesn't count), there'll also be food for humans, plus live tunes. And if you're sadly lacking in the pooch department, don't worry — everyone else will have you covered, so you'll be in for a top day of dog-watching.
Break out the waffles: Amy Poehler is coming to Australia. If you're a Parks and Recreation fan, nothing less than eating breakfast foods non-stop between now and the end of May will do to celebrate. The actor behind Leslie Knope — and Saturday Night Live legend, and voice of Joy in both Inside Out and Inside Out 2 — has a date with Vivid Sydney, heading to the Harbour City for an in-conversation event that'll see her chat through her career. Inside Out 2 releases in cinemas in mid-June, so it'll receive plenty of focus when Poehler gets talking — so much so that the Sydney Opera House evening that'll be moderated by Zan Rowe will include a 30-minute first-look at the film. But her work spans far and wide beyond the animated Pixar franchise, including to films such as Baby Mama and Sisters, writing the hilarious Yes Please and unforgettable Golden Globe hosting gigs with Tina Fey. [caption id="attachment_793108" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo by: Chris Haston/NBC[/caption] Poehler's session will take place on Monday, May 27, making it one of the early highlights of the festival. It comes after 2023's Vivid Sydney also featured a massive screen-focused in-conversation session, welcoming The White Lotus' Jennifer Coolidge and Mike White.
There's more than one countdown that's worth paying attention to at the end of January in Australia. Music lovers have triple j's version, which ranks the 100 best songs of the past year — and fans of a brew have the GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beer poll. Run by the folks at the Great Australasian Beer Spectapular, the huge beer fests that tour the country each year, this list rounds up the top homegrown craft brews as voted by you. And the best way to celebrate, of course, is sipping along. For the latest countdown, which is held in 2024 but focuses on 2023's beers, Revel Brewing Co's Rivermakers' venue in Morningside is getting in on the action by hosting a party from 11am on Saturday, January 27. There'll be drinks, the poll's results, prizes and more, all at a riverside brewery. Fancy a parmigiana with your brews? Tuck into a $25 parma and drink special. If you have little ones in tow, kids get a free meal as long as an adult is buying something to eat that costs over $15. Entry is free, you'll pay for what you eat and drink, and you'll be hanging out in a brewpub that was once the Commonwealth Acetate of Lime Factory, which dates back to the 1920s.
If sparkling wine puts some extra fizz into your life, then you'll want to drink your way through this Brisbane event. Across Friday, May 10–Saturday, May 11, 2024, the Bubbles Festival is coming to town to celebrate the most effervescent boozy beverages there are. You'll sip, you'll chat, and you'll meet the folks who make and distribute the tipples in question as well. You'll also eat canapes — no one wants to down champagne, prosecco and other sparkling drinks on an empty stomach — while you're sampling and tasting across two hours. At least ten different wines will be on offer, and your $109 ticket also includes a champagne tasting glass to take home with you. The venue: the Port Office Hotel in the CBD. You can take your pick of three sessions: from 6–8pm on Friday, and at either 12–2pm or 3–5pm on Saturday. If you're feeling like really treating your sparkling-loving self, you can pay an extra $75 for a VIP ticket, which gets you access to a special cuvée tasting before the regular doors open — and two tasting glasses, rather than one.
As well as being one of Newstead's best places for a bite, Allonda boasts a laneway where sipping drinks and whiling away the afternoon is always on the menu. But $15 cocktails, $4 beef croquettes and $8 fried chicken sandwiches from 3–6pm Tuesday–Saturday weekly might just be your best reason yet to head by. Called Spritz Sessions, this new regular special is on offer beneath yellow-hued umbrellas, surrounded by leafy plants and in a dog-friendly space — because why should your four-legged friend stay home when you're heading out for a beverage? For sips, you can choose between four kinds of spritzes (Aperol, lychee refresher, tropical punch and Solbevi limoncello), plus margaritas, negronis and old fashioneds. The food range also includes charred bread with olive oil and caramelised balsamic, oysters, tempura zucchini flowers and mini potato rostis. Allonda isn't taking reservations for its Spritz Sessions, so arriving early to score a table is recommended.
Next time that you slurp down some oysters, you needn't solely opt for natural molluscs served with lemon and Tabasco. There's nothing wrong with that old favourite; however, it has company among the oyster dishes at One Fish Two Fish's returning Oyster Frenzy. Between Friday, January 26–Sunday, January 28, the Kangaroo Point eatery is serving up 2024's six-course oyster feast, taking seafood lovers through six different flavours. Start with the tried, tested and aforementioned combination, then move onto oysters with creamed spinach and breadcrumbs, served with baked artichokes, and paired with native pepper berry and oak-aged chardonnay mignonette You'll also be snacking on a cheesy barbecue mornay variety, plus oysters with lychee popping pearls. A sitting will cost you $95 per person. Because oysters are always popular, bookings are essential — with Oyster Frenzy running at 6.30pm Friday–Saturday for dinner, plus 1.30pm for lunch on all three days. You can also add some booze via oyster shooters for $10 a pop, choosing from bloody mary, gin and tonic, and dirty martini options.
If you like piña coladas, then sipping your favourite drink doesn't usually involve drinking margaritas as well. The key word: usually. From Monday, January 8–Sunday, February 11 at El Camino Cantina, the two cocktails are joining forces in a range of margarita-piña colada hybrids. Meet the Tex-Mex chain's ritacoladas, which are exactly what they sound like — and keep levelling up the brand's approach to margs. As Gelato Messina does with frozen desserts, El Camino Cantina takes inspiration far and wide from other beloved foodstuffs. In the past, candy-flavoured 'ritas, Long Island iced tea-flavoured margs, soft drink-influenced tipples and Vodka Cruiser versions have all been on the menu. Curious? On offer at the chain's Queensland venues at South Bank, Bowen Hills, Chermside, Robina, Surfers Paradise and Sunshine Plaza: nine flavours of ritacoladas in 15-ounce ($24) and 24-ounce ($28) servings. Because pairing two cocktails in one beverage isn't enough, each drink also combines two flavours, keeping coconut a staple in every option. So, you can go for blueberry and coconut, peach and coconut, watermelon and coconut, and grape and coconut — or green apple, lychee, passionfruit, mango and strawberry with coconut as well. The different varieties will be on rotation, but you'll always have at least six to choose from across the five weeks.
Edgar Wright's Don't and Rob Zombie's Werewolf Women of the SS must be on their way to the big screen soon. With Thanksgiving's arrival, three of the five films teased as trailers in 2007's Grindhouse — and at the time only conceived to exist as those faux trailers — have come to full-length feature fruition. So, the double of Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror and Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof didn't just give the world biochemical zombies and a murdering stuntman, but Machete, Hobo with a Shotgun and now Eli Roth's turkey-holiday slasher horror. In this first stint behind the lens since 2021 documentary Fin, plus 2018's vastly dissimilar Death Wish and The House with a Clock in Its Walls before that, the Cabin Fever and Hostel filmmaker knows the right mood: when you're plating up a film that began as a gag ad, leaning into both tropes and a knowing vibe is the best choice for carving a path forward. There's a downside to the joke beginning and happy winking now, though: Thanksgiving sure does love sticking to a tried-and-tested recipe. Roth and screenwriter Jeff Rendell, both returning from 16 years back and sharing a story credit, have taken to the whole "Halloween but Thanksgiving" approach with the utmost dedication — because it's as plain as a roasted bird centrepiece that that's what they've purposely cooked up. The mood, the nods, the derivation: they don't add up to a new masterpiece, however, genre-defining, cult or otherwise. But there's something to be said for a film that commits to its bit with this much relish, so bluntly and openly, and with the tongue-in-cheek attitude that was baked into the Grindhouse package slathered on thick. And yes, the image that no one has forgotten for almost two decades returns, alongside other signature shots from Thanksgiving's proof-of-concept sneak peek. As they splatter around gore, not gravy, plus guts that don't belong to poultry, Roth and Rendell have given themselves a task: reverse-engineering an entire feature from a spoof trailer that made fun not just of holiday horror flicks, but of Roth's part in torture porn's boom. They're also eager to ensure that their picture locks in its place on the occasion-centric viewing calendar. The raucous Thanksgiving slides in before Black Christmas and New Years' Evil, dates-wise, and joins a roster that also spans My Bloody Valentine and April Fools' Day. This slice of the scary-movie spectrum isn't small, both in general and with past Thanksgiving-themed fare — for the latter, see also: Blood Rage, Black Friday, Blood Freak, ThanksKilling and Boogeyman, and more — but, blatantly angling for sequels as well, Roth and Rendell don't just want to dish up one serving. Thanksgiving could go by Black Thursday, the shopping opportunity that's also been dubbed Grey Thursday and Brown Thursday, because that's when and why its carnage commences. The place is still Plymouth, Massachusetts, and the slasher who'll start offing teens still nabs disguise cues from pilgrims — wearing a John Carver mask specifically, which noticeably resembles not just Plymouth Colony's first governor but V for Vendetta's Guy Fawkes mask — but the 2022-set opening is all about a crushing trip to score bargains. At RightMart, the masses gather when it's traditionally dinnertime, demanding with increasing ferocity to be let inside. The shoving and shouting becomes a stampede after the crowd sees Jessica Wright (Nell Verlaque, Big Shot) and her friends enter early because it's her dad Thomas' (Rick Hoffman, Billions) store. For some, the results are fatal, whether via being caught underfoot, copping shards of glass or getting scalped by trolleys. In adding to the bowl while spooning in pieces from horror classics, Roth and Rendell take inspiration not just Halloween but from Dawn of the Dead — aka that shopping spree gone savage — as well as A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. If Thanksgiving was a feast itself, it'd be everything from dark and light meat with cranberry sauce to sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie smashed together in a blender. Here's another mission on Roth's list: crafting killer setpieces and slayings, with the Black Thursday onslaught at the top of the heap. Not every death is inventive, but this movie and its director are all about the audience impact, with endeavouring to incite cheers, screams and laughs their stuffing and seasoning. That said, Thanksgiving is strongest when it's fresh out of the oven, then dutifully works through its recreated offings from the Grindhouse trailer and soon proves content with a stock-standard cat-and-mouse game. The bulk of the flick occurs a year following the RightMart riot, when Jessica and her fellow survivor pals Gabby (Addison Rae, He's All That), Evan (Tomaso Sanelli, Holly Hobbie), Scuba (Gabriel Davenport, Mistletoe Time Machine) and Yulia (Jenna Warren, The Young Arsonists) get tagged in a creepy social-media post. Then a diner employee turns up dead not long after waiting on them, a spree begins, and Sheriff Newlon (Patrick Dempsey, Disenchanted) and his colleagues aren't much help. Although biting into consumerism's worst impulses is on the menu, as is satirising the chase for viral fame in these always-posting times, the themes and plot aren't the main course. That status goes to upping the body count with bloodthirsty and grisly enthusiasm. The key thing to be thankful for here is that Thanksgiving's creative forces are patently having schlocky fun, including with their McDreamy casting, practical effects and some visual moments — and they don't ever stomach being subtle about it. Ditching the throwback look hasn't meant scrapping the 70s-esque tone or toning down the revelling in getting gruesome. There's a difference between appreciating how much enjoyment went into whipping up the movie and consistently having more than a by-the-numbers time with it, though. Excited chefs can still cook average meals with sprinklings of flavour, as Roth does. There's also one goal that Thanksgiving threw out with the bones: creating a picture that doesn't make viewers certain that they saw most of the best bits in that years-ago trailer.
Every year since 2013, QPAC has thrown open its doors to an annual celebration of First Nations culture. Via a lineup of performances, workshops and conversations, Clancestry delves into traditional and contemporary creative endeavours, showcasing the works of Indigenous Australians. Whether you're keen to see a stellar theatre production or listen to tunes, the 2023 festival features another diverse lineup of events from Wednesday, November 8–Sunday, November 12 — and with a hefty lineup of contributors. More than 100 First Nations artists are supported by the fest, which proves the case each year, including with Clancestry reaching its tenth anniversary in 2023. Highlights include opening ceremony First Gathering, plus performances William Barton: Sky Songs and Song Circle, with the latter featuring Shane Howard, Troy Cassar-Daley, Dan Sultan, Neil Murray and Sara Storer — and with stories a focus as much of songs. Or, via Emily Wells' Face to Face, attendees can catch a drama about two women disconnected from Country, in a new season of the production that first premiered at Metro Arts in 2022. At the South Bank Cultural Forecourt outside QPAC, a Festival Ground site is popping up to host First Nations music by sunset on the Mob Music Stage. On the lineup: The Andrew Gurruwiwi Band, J-MILLA, Cloe Tarere, Tjaka, BIRDZ, Fred Leone and more. If you fancy learning a new skill, weaving workshops that'll get you using recycled materials are on the agenda on Saturday, November 11–Sunday, November 12. And for families, theatre show Bubs and Cuzzies promises an all-ages delight.
What do slicing-and-dicing villains in horror movies and Monster Fest's annual weekend-long mini film festival have in common? Both can strike at any time. Each year, usually at the end of the year, the broader fest showcases genre and cult movies — but it also pops up before then to host Monster Fest Weekender. In 2023, the latter took place in winter. In 2024, it's bringing the scares, plus a focus on slasher films, in autumn. If you like frightening flicks, then you'll want to make a date with Event Cinemas Brisbane City from Friday, May 3–Sunday, May 5. Across three days, just one type of horror film will be on offer — and yes, of course the lineup includes Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th titles, as well as a Sleepaway Camp marathon. Wes Craven's Freddy Krueger franchise is represented with both the OG A Nightmare on Elm Street and also 1994's New Nightmare, each of which are marking anniversaries — 40 and 30 years, respectively. Prefer movies about Jason Voorhees instead? Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter is also on the bill, and also celebrating its 40th anniversary. Other pictures that'll get the projectors whirring at Monster Fest Weekender: Slasher Edition span Deranged, which commemorates its 50th anniversary with the first-ever showing of its complete and uncut version in Australian cinemas — and I, Madman, which has also never been seen in Aussie picture palaces. And if you can handle the Sleepaway Camp Slash-athon, it features the first, second and third films.
On Saturday, October 25, 2003, Brisbane scored a new place to see art, items and exhibitions that highlight this town of ours. That's when Museum of Brisbane opened its doors, with the City Hall gallery spending two decades since celebrating all things Brissie — including showcases dedicated to music, fashion, jewellery, getting playful, how Brisbane has been immortalised on canvas, storytelling and more. Over that time, the space has hosted more than 170 exhibitions, in fact. And, over 5,199,797 folks have wandered around inside. On Saturday, October 21, 2023, the venue wants to up that number — so it's throwing a big (and free) 20th birthday celebration. [caption id="attachment_848139" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Making Place, Josh Woning[/caption] From 10am–5pm, hitting up MoB involves free cupcakes, Indigenous cultural performances, getting weaving, and hearing from MoB's CEO and Director Zoe Graham — plus other staff working in curatorial and collections roles. There's also three tours on offer: MoB highlights, exploring City Hall and going up to the Clock Tower. The shindig also coincides with the Clay: Collected Ceramics exhibition's final hurrah, so you can check out its wares and take part in an Impossible Pots workshop as well.
It's times like these that you can add a big summer gig to your diary, with Foo Fighters coming to Brisbane in December. The Dave Grohl-fronted rockers will embark on their first headline tour of Australia since 2018. It's also their first visit Down Under since drummer Taylor Hawkins passed away in March 2022. Foo Fighters were last in Australia that same month and year, playing a huge Geelong show to help launch Victoria's post-COVID-19 lockdowns live music program. The band unsurprisingly took a break from touring after Hawkins' death, only returning to live gigs in 2023. In Brisbane, they're headed to Suncorp Stadium on Tuesday, December 12 with The Chats and Hot Milk in support — and more tickets are going on sale at 3pm AEDT on Friday, October 13. [caption id="attachment_903613" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Scarlet Page[/caption] Picking up the sticks: ex-The Vandals, Devo, Guns N' Roses and A Perfect Circle drummer Josh Freese, taking on the likely-daunting task of being the touring drummer in a band led by Nirvana drummer Grohl. Freese's stint with the band was announced in May, ahead of their first tour dates. When they hit our shores, the new-look Foo Fighters will weave in tunes from their new record But Here We Are, which released in June. Of course, all the hits from across their career will get a whirl, with their current setlist including everything from 'This Is a Call', 'Big Me' and 'Monkey Wrench' through to 'Learn to Fly', 'The Pretender' and 'Best of You'. And, yes, 'Everlong', because it wouldn't be a Foo Fighters show without it. 'I'll Stick Around', which is also on the list, isn't just a song title from the group's first album. Given that their new tour comes 28 years after that debut release in 1995, it perfectly sums up Foo Fighters' longevity. Over the years, they've made it Down Under a heap of times, released 11 studio albums including the just-dropped But Here We Are, and made 2022 horror movie Studio 666. [caption id="attachment_903619" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mr Rossi vi Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Top image: Jo via Wikimedia Commons.
In the past few years, Pinocchio has rarely been far from screens. Disney added the tale to its live-action remakes, a fantastical Italian movie also stuck with actors and, in animation, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio won an Oscar. Next, the classic story is hitting the Brisbane stage; however, The Making of Pinocchio isn't just a simple adaptation of Carlo Collodi 1883 novel The Adventures of Pinocchio. Making its Australian premiere at Brisbane Festival 2023 — in an Australian exclusive, too — this theatre production comes with international acclaim and a personal account of gender transition. Hailing from artists Rosana Cade and Ivor MacAskill, who are also partners, the show sees the pair explore their relationship, plus truth and creativity, through Pinocchio. [caption id="attachment_918156" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yousef Iskandar[/caption] Again, when it comes to the famous wooden puppet with dreams of becoming a real boy, this isn't the kind of riff that you see every day. The imaginative queer piece takes to Brisbane Powerhouse's stage across Wednesday, September 13–Saturday, September 16. First debuting at the London International Festival of Theatre, The Making of Pinocchio takes place in a fictional film studio, in a production that its guiding hands have been working on since 2018. [caption id="attachment_918157" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yousef Iskandar[/caption]
If playing a musical instrument in public is on your bucket list, and breaking a world record as well, then Brisbane Festival 2023's closing event has you covered. 10,000 Kazoos is exactly what it sounds like, amassing 10,000 Brisbanites to get humming and hopefully go down in history. Never played a kazoo before? That doesn't matter. This kazoo orchestra will unleash its tunes from 3.30pm on Saturday, September 23, on the last day of this year's Bris Fest, taking over Victoria Park / Barrambin. The greenery will indeed be alive with the sound of music, in a huge mass-participation that just might make the record books. [caption id="attachment_902496" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Michael Pham[/caption] If you're keen to help, registrations to take part are now open. And no, you don't even need your own kazoo. Biodegradable versions of the buzzing musical instrument will be provided to everyone on the day. Once you have one, you'll just pop it in your mouth and start humming, which is what makes the membrane of the kazoo vibrate.
Do you usually leave your gift purchasing until the last minute? Have you vowed to finally do better this year? Would you like to buy Christmas presents for all of your friends and family members all at once, and in the one spot — even if you currently have zero idea of what you'll get them? Enter The Made Local Market, which is like Etsy IRL — and is hitting Brisbane this spring to lend a hand with your festive shopping. Get a jump on Christmas more than a month early or treat yo'self; whichever fits, you'll have plenty to browse and buy. In the spotlight here: artisans, makers, artists and designers in local communities, with The Made Local Market giving them the opportunity to sell their creations in a physical space. So, whether you're on the hunt for handmade wares or vintage goods, these guys have got you covered. The market will take place in the Exhibition Building at the Brisbane Showgrounds from 9am–4pm on Saturday, November 4 and 9am–3pm on Sunday, November 5 — so spreading across two days. Because it focuses on the best local talent, every market is filled with different stallholders and unique creations, but there'll be more than 140 stalls at this one. Supporting creative small businesses and scoring a killer gift for your loved ones is a win for everyone involved, so head along and get your shopping sorted. Entry costs $2 — and, the whole thing will be cashless, so don't forget your cards. There'll also be craft workshops, maker demonstrations, food trucks slinging bites to eat, and plenty of places to get caffeinated.
October is made for weird, wild and wonderful movies filled with shocks and scares. 'Tis Halloween season, after all. So, the world obliges, including on screens big and small — and, in 2023, via the return of Australia's genre film festival Monster Fest, which is dedicated to flicks of the spooky, dark, twisted, offbeat and out-there variety. Monster Fest doesn't always pop up in the month when everyone is worshipping pumpkins and thinking about costumes; however, the timing obviously couldn't be more perfect. In Brisbane, it's heading to Event Cinemas Uptown between Friday, October 27–Sunday, October 29. On the lineup: the latest and greatest in genre filmmaking, spanning horror, sci-fi, comedies with elements of either and all-round unnerving movies. Standouts titles on the 2023 program include Suitable Flesh, which stars Heather Graham (Extrapolations) as a doctor going mad, takes its inspiration from HP Lovecraft and boasts Joe Lynch (Creepshow) behind the lens; The Last Video Store, a horror-comedy set, yes, in one of the last video stores; and Norwegian flick There's Something in the Barn, about a gnome uprising that plagues an American family (including Party Down's Martin Starr) who've relocated to Scandinavia. Or, there's also sci-fi comedy Time Addicts, Australian slasher Bloodmoon getting a 4K restoration 33 years after its OG release and Trim Season's nightmarish trip to a weed farm.
A trip to HOTA, Home of the Arts' Wonder arts festival is one of the best ways to spend a spring day on the Gold Coast, especially if you like being surrounded by glowing art. From Friday, October 6–Sunday, October 15, the precinct's returning fest is filling nights with light and colour — and sound. The big highlight: Dan Acher's stunning outdoor artwork Borealis, which will make you feel like you're wandering around beneath either the southern or northern lights from 6–9pm. His take is gleaming in the night sky above HOTA's outdoor stage, in a big return after the artwork first featured back in 2019. And on soundtrack duties: Guillaume Desbois. Also on the Wonder lineup: music by the MZAZA ensemble during Fridays on the Lawn, and Sunny Coast Rude Boys as well; activities for kids; and bites to eat at Night Bites Under Lights on Saturday, October 14. The event runs daily except for Saturday, October 7 and Friday, October 13, when other ticketed events are happening at HOTA.
The Gold Coast might be known for its sandy beaches, sizeable array of shopping strips and more than a couple of theme parks, but beyond all that lurks plenty of interesting and architecturally significant buildings. Luxe houses, sky-high residential buildings, cute seaside chapels, a towering art gallery — the list goes on. It's a side of the Goldie that many never ponder, and it's on display for two days across Saturday, October 7–Sunday, October 9. That's when Open House hits the sunny tourist spot for 2023, and welcomes in anyone who'd like to take a sticky beak. Public buildings, sites and structures opening their doors include HOTA, Home of the Arts, plus the Broadbeach Cultural Precinct, Gold Coast Airport Southern Terminal expansion, Southport Town Hall and Gold Coast Hinterland Heritage Museum. Fancy peering inside homes and apartments? That's where Kingfisher House, the canal-front PALA and Cypreś all come in. Remember your childhood dreams of getting to run rampant in a department store after hours? Or your grown-up version, involving IKEA? Think of this as a more realistic version. And, it's also a way to satisfy your architectural and design curiosity. The 2023 lineup also includes talks on Surfers Paradise's 60s and 70s apartment towers, small living and housing affordability, and a Varsity Lakes walking tour.
This Christmas, all you need is love — plus a festive little cabaret that showcases all of the hit tunes from Love Actually. It's the way to celebrate the season when you're not just leaving the seasonal favourite flick on repeat at home. Yep, that's Christmas Actually. Created by the folks behind Rumour Has It and Lady Beatle, and starring Naomi Price (Ladies in Black, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), Christmas Actually features all of the tracks that've become synonymous with this merry time of year — including Mariah Carey's 'All I Want for Christmas Is You', naturally. Songs by Joni Mitchell, Norah Jones, Eva Cassidy, The Beach Boys and The Beatles are all on the bill as well — and, to help belt them out, Price will be joined by Luke Kennedy, Irena Lysiuk, Doron Chester, Scott French, Mik Easterman, OJ Newcomb and Luke Volker. There'll even be more than one nativity lobster, plus a jolly mood and a whole room full of festive cheer. That room is Brisbane Powerhouse, where Christmas Actually plays its 2023 season from Wednesday, December 13–Sunday, December 17. Get excited by revisiting Love Actually's trailer below. 'Tis the season, after all. Top image: Katy Bedford.
Yeerongpilly's Plant Empire sells greenery every day of the week, helping folks with green thumbs — and those who wish they had them, too — fill their homes with leafy babies. But on Sunday, December 3, just before the merriest day of the year, it's doing something more than that. You can still peruse the store's shelves for plants, of course; however you can also head round back to check out the pop-up Christmas market. As well as plants, you'll be able to scope out a range of pots. If you're going to buy one of your loved ones some greenery, you'll want something to put it in, obviously. Also on offer: ceramics, jewellery and other handmade crafts. And if you happen to arrive hungry — Sunday mornings can do that to even the most satisfied stomach — there'll be food and coffee available as well. Folk 'n' Broken Hearted will be providing a soundtrack, too, adding some tunes to your browsing and buying. Just drop by the Station Road spot between 9am–1pm, when the morning-long market and its 60-plus stalls will be in full swing. The usual advice applies here, as it does to all plant markets: yes, more greenery is always a good thing. Images: Plant Empire.
Festival FOMO is real, and festival sideshows are one solution: the gigs you go to when you're not going to the main gig. Can't make it to Adelaide for two music-filled October days at Harvest Rock II? Loving the South Australia-only fest's lineup? Some of the event's highlights have announced dates along Australia's east coast — and one of them is Sparks. The iconic duo, aka brothers Ron and Russell Mael, will draw upon a whopping 57 years of making ridiculously catchy and smartly funny tunes on their first tour of Australia since 2001. In Brisbane, they'll be unleashing highlights from their enormous back catalogue at the Fortitude Music Hall. Thanks to 2021's double of Edgar Wright-directed documentary The Sparks Brothers and Cannes Film Festival opener Annette, the Maels have been everywhere of late — and, when that includes the Sunshine State on Thursday, November, they'll be busting out tracks like 'The Number One Song in Heaven', 'This Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us' and latest single 'The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte'. In a glorious move, Sparks have been beginning their recent sets with 'So May We Start' from Annette, too, which won them the Best Composer award at Cannes.
When in West End, you really don't need an excuse to have a bit of a boogie, but it sure doesn't hurt to have one. The Bearded Lady has been making waves on Brisbane's south side since they opened 12 months ago, and now they're putting together a bit of a shindig to celebrate their first birthday. Like all good parties, you can expect the music to be off the hook. Brisbane locals Some Jerks, Moonshine and DJ Black Amex will keep the beats flowing, while the guys behind the bar will be doing the same with drinks. Expect wild cocktails, drink specials and some tasty surprises from 666 Vodka and Angostura. There might even be a birthday cake — we have no evidence to support this, but wishful thinking never hurts.
What's a conference without some late night hijinks? Boring, that's what — so thank goodness for Brisbane based independent record label Dew Process and their annual BIGSOUND party. After the first day of proceedings, stay up until just before midnight rolls around for a few live sets by Eves The Behavior and LK McKay, plus a bar tab and snacks. It's the only place to be, other than perhaps getting some sleep for the next few days of activities — but who'd want to do something sensible like that? This event is one of our top five picks of BIGSOUND. Check out the other four here.
If we had a dollar for every time we heard someone say "it's the humidity that gets you," we'd probably have quite a nice bit of pocket money. Summer in Brisbane is no doubt a doozy but we are also lucky enough to be prepared for it here with plenty of cool, outdoor spots that are ideal for the steamy weather. We've teamed up with White Claw Hard Seltzer to help you stay refreshed and show you just how many ways you can take full advantage of those outdoor spaces all summer long with riverside dining, park hangs and even a few festivals to bring on the party. All venue trading hours and events are subject to change based on COVID-19 developments. Check with the venue for the latest details, and stay up to date with current COVID-19 restrictions by visiting Queensland Health. TAKE YOUR MEAL AL FRESCO There's nothing like stuffing yourself silly while simultaneously getting your required dose of vitamin D. Brisbane has many, many great outdoor dining options — here are just a handful of the best. Popolo, South Bank If it's an Italian summer vibe you're craving, look no further than Popolo. Dine in on pasta, pizzas and piatti piccoli (small plates) with spritzes, beer and local and Italian wine on offer. Or, order a picnic basket to takeaway to River Quay park on the restaurant's front doorstep. The picnic feeds two and includes antipasto, arancini, fries and a pizza to share. Will & Flow, Brisbane City In late 2020, the brown snake finally received the overwater hangout it deserves. Will & Flow is a cafe, restaurant and bar dishing up seafood, woodfired pizzas and bar snacks to hungry city-dwellers. If you're thirsty, there's wine, beer, cocktails and four different flavours of spritzes to choose from. Sip and snack your way through the menu during a breezy afternoon in the city. Yoko, Brisbane City Wine and dine riverside to keep cool this summer with cocktails and izakaya-style eats at Yoko Dining. Owned by Jonathan Barthelmess, the easy-going but well-executed service and food of this restaurant — along with its killer location in the middle of the action — makes it one of the best options at Howard Smith Wharves. Stop in for edamame, miso-glazed eggplant and a yuzu slushie or stay a while for an all-out Japanese-inspired feast by the water. The Gardens Club, Brisbane City It may come as no surprise to you the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens is home to a cute, leafy cafe. Explore the gardens on a sunny day — or if La Niña gets in the way, a wet one for rainforest vibes — and pop in to The Gardens Club for coffee, brekkie or lunch on the terrace. The heritage-listed cottage looks out onto the gardens with a shaded patio out front, and is an excellent choice for a chilled morning among the trees. SIP SELTZERS IN A BUZZING BEER GARDEN Getting cosy in a dimly lit bar is for the cooler months. Right now, you need to take advantage of the sunshine and long afternoons that stretch into stellar sunsets. If you're finding a beer or wine too heavy-going, then you'll be pleased to know the spots listed below stock White Claw in all manner of tasty flavours. X Cargo, Fortitude Valley As far as day venues in the Valley go, X Cargo is up there with the best. This openair bar and pub is a multi-level party hub that boasts live DJs, food — like duck spring rolls, chicken karaage toasties and tempura prawn buns — and cocktails aplenty. Sundays are ideal for swinging by to sip White Claws in the beer garden with mates. Riverland, Brisbane City Take in amazing Story Bridge views, without having to worry about any summer storms rolling in, while undercover at Riverland. Here, you'll find a rotating selection of street food vendors that have set up shop inside the venue serving everything from smoked barbecue meats to Himalayan-style dumplings. The drinks list is a bit more consistent and always fun, with cocktails, 16 tap beers and ciders, and a large range of bottled and canned bevs, including White Claw. To pair with those top-notch eats and drinks, expect live tunes from 6pm on Thursdays and retro beats every Friday night. Osbourne Hotel, Fortitude Valley If the thought of an ice-cold White Claw and a pizza in a light- and plant-filled pub makes you weak at the knees, The Osbourne might be just the place for you. But sunlight and plants don't automatically mean al fresco — this place has all the charm of an outdoor space with the comfort of being indoors. The Ann Street watering hole is a haven for office lunch-goers, sports fans and big groups alike. Head there on Sunday arvos for live acoustic tunes from local musos. The Prince Consort, Fortitude Valley Leafy green hanging plants, colourful pastels and crisp white picnic tables — The Prince Consort's garden bar is made for summer sessions. Grab a few mates to while away the steamy nights with trivia on Tuesdays, drag bingo, big sports games on the big screen and house music every Sunday till 3am. If you're feeling peckish, enjoy classic pub grub, like fries, woodfired pizza and inventive burgers and wash it down with a White Claw. HAVE A BOOGIE AT AN OUTDOOR GIG It almost seems too good to be true, but yes, they're back. After a pretty grim past two years, festival season upon us again, and it's time to make up for all those lost moments. Check out our recommendations for where to head for the outdoor party season. The Long Sunset As festivals finally come roaring back into summer, new events are popping up everywhere, too. The Long Sunset is one of the most recent to be announced. With the backdrop of Canungra at which to marvel, the festival is set to showcase the Scenic Rim in all its glory and some knockout local acts to boot. Catch Angus and Julia Stone, Ball Park Music, Babe Rainbow and Hatchie on February 12, 2022. For the Love Music and lifestyle festival For the Love is heading back to the Gold Coast on February 26 to bring the likes of Crooked Colours, Dom Dolla, Mallrat and Running Touch to the stage. The one-day event is being held at the breezy seaside location of Doug Jennings Park in Southport and will see beats pumping, drinks flowing and, no doubt, a lot of dancing. This That It's hard to believe they'll be able to fit all of the acts playing at This That Festival into one day. The lineup is stacked, to say the least: Client Liaison, Hayden James, Polish Club, San Cisco, Spacey Jane and The Presets (to name a few) are all on the bill. Taking place at Sandstone Point Hotel on March 5, it's the perfect way to extend summer in Brissie. Sunday Social on the Green This free South Bank ritual makes for a chilled afternoon with friends, family or a date. Pack a picnic of food and your drink of choice (BYO seltzers) and nab a spot in the shade or the sunshine as local musicians serenade you at River Quay Green. The lineup for January is looking pretty top-notch, with the likes of The New Black and Birdman Randy set to perform. [caption id="attachment_793757" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brisbane City Flickr[/caption] ROLL OUT YOUR PICNIC BLANKET There are few things better than a summer park sesh, whether you're taking the dog for a walk, flying your drone or catching up with mates after a hard day's work. There's something so laconically inviting about a cheeky bev in the neighbourhood park, and Brisbane has some cracking spots where you can make that happen. Grab a few White Claws and enjoy the sunshine in our faves. New Farm Park Heaps of different spaces to choose from, gorgeous scenery and good airflow from the neighbouring river — New Farm Park is a classic for a reason. The inner-city institution is a go-to for locals and visitors alike for celebrations, catch-ups and long afternoons lounging on a picnic blanket. BYO booze, cheese, dogs and a frisbee for a day which can be as laidback or as lavish as you want it to be. Roma Street Parkland Roma Street Parkland takes up 16 hectares of prime city land, so you're bound to find a quiet spot among the greenery without having to wander too far in the summer heat. All you need to make the most of your time here is good friends, good food and good drinks to match. Pro tip: a fresh cheese like burrata or feta with a splash of vinegar and tomatoes will go swimmingly with a natural lime- or watermelon-flavoured White Claw. For more information on White Claw, head to the website. Top image: This That, Jordan Munns
Slowly, Australia is starting to emerge from COVID-19 lockdown, which includes bars, pubs and venues — but life isn't back to normal just yet. That means that Isolation Trivia is still going strong and, on Saturday, June 13, going green as well. Yep, it's hosting a session dedicated to animated favourite Shrek. If you know why it really isn't easy being an ogre, you've watched the vibrant CGI animation more times than you can remember, and you've memorised the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz, well, this is for you. And, as no one who has ever seen Shrek before can manage to forget, a whole lot of Smashmouth — aka 'All Star' and their version of 'I'm a Believer' — will also likely feature prominently. No bookings or registrations are required — all you need to do it hit up the event Facebook page at 6.25pm. And if you're wondering exactly which parts of the Shrek franchise you'll be quizzed on, this trivia night will focus on the 2001 movie that started it all, plus 2004's Shrek 2. So, no need to worry about Shrek the Third, Shrek Forever After, Puss in Boots, or all the Shrek short films, TV shows and TV specials. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwXOrWvPBPk
Think music festivals are dying out? Think again. Sure, plenty of bigger events have called it a day — but as the old guard finish up, they're giving a swathe of smaller, more specialised, boutique, curated fests the chance to carve out their own niche. Since 2014, the two-day Jungle Love Music & Arts Festival has been one such smorgasbord of creative activities. Instead of ridiculous queues and heaving crowds clamouring for space in an ordinary city showground, you'll find a laidback vibe, a campground surrounded by luscious greenery, and the chance to go for a swim in the creek while you watch a gig. Oh, and did we mention that it's a BYO festival as well (though no glass is allowed)? The 2018 event will take place between Friday, November 29 and Sunday, August 1, at a yet-to-be-revealed secret Sunshine Coast location. If you've been in previous years, the fest is heading to a new site in 2018, so get excited. And, it has revealed its first acts, with more than half of the program featuring Queenslanders. Remember that visual arts displays are also part of the Jungle Love experience, as well as panels, workshops, laughing yoga, water aerobics and floating down a waterway while knocking back beverages. First-release tickets have already been snapped up, with the second batch on sale from Thursday, August 9. In the interim, here's what you're here for — the initial lineup: POND OPIUO Approachable Members of Your Local Community The Brains Trust Baskervillain China Bowls CHURCH Demon Days Department of Music FeelsClub FELIVAND First Beige Full Flower Moon Band Gabriella Cohen Golden Sound HRBRT Jungle Love Allstars: Live Tribute to Justice Kenta Hayashi L. Flora Mad Professor Mildlife Mufaro & the Barehouse Nonsemble Omegachild Oolluu Polygon Woods RACKETT Simi Lacroix Thando Image: Aimee Catt.
When a hole-in-the-wall eatery expands to bigger and better digs, you know they're doing something right. Of course, Rogue Spice Canteen does plenty of things right — just ask anyone who has ever tasted their street food menu. After all, there's a reason that Fortitude Valley residents have been flocking to their tiny Brunswick Street store in droves since late 2014, as anyone who's had to choose between their 12-hour pork belly and their signature char-grilled Angus coconut beef ribs surely knows. When the rest of the city discovered Rogue's mouthwatering cuisine at last year's Night Noodle Markets, owner-chef Shannon Oey's 20-seater space couldn't handle the demand — so he set about opening a second store across the road. Taking over the area in the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts formerly occupied by Glass Bar, the new restaurant is the original location's more sophisticated sibling. The décor is a bit shinier, complete with a roomy dining area that can cater for 70 patrons; however, the same great dishes remain the main point of focus. And whether you're after a solo meal or one to share — like the twice-cooked red duck curry and lemongrass-poached chicken salad — Rogue is committed to remaining affordable. Once their liquor license comes through, Asian-inspired cocktails will also be on offer, though that's about as far as any changes extend. And don't go removing their previous address from your Google Maps favourites just yet, because the initial shop is still up and running for takeaway orders and deliveries. Find Rogue Spice Canteen and Bar at the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts, 420 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley. The original Rogue Spice Canteen still operates across the road as a takeaway and delivery-only location. For more information, check out their Facebook page.
Music lovers all over the country have been holding their breaths for the much-awaited Parklife lineup announcement. And yesterday they were able to exhale with utter excitement at the acts that are set to hit the stages around Australia in late September and early October. We have a double VIP pass to giveaway in each city that Parklife will be making an appearance. Lucky winners of the VIP tickets will not only gain access to the exclusive Garden Bar, which offers such treasures as toilets, phone chargers, massages and the chance to catch up with Parklife artists, but they'll also get free drinks and a Parklife Mixtape, and be able to skip the ever-dreaded queues. To go in the running, just head to the Concrete Playground Facebook page and leave a comment under this story telling us which artist you want to see most, and which city you want tickets for. Entries will close at noon on June 21. Parklife dates and venues:Parklife Brisbane - Saturday, September 29 at Botanic GardensParklife Sydney - Sunday, September 30 at Centennial ParkParklife Perth - Monday, October 1 at Wellington SquareParklife Melbourne - Saturday, October 6 at Sidney Myer Music Bowl and Kings DomainParklife Adelaide - Sunday, October 7 at Botanic Gardens Discounted presale tickets ($25 off in all cities except Adelaide, which is $17 off) are available from 12pm on June 21 until midnight on June 25. Head to parklife.com.au for more info.
Now that each and every university kid is back studying for semester two, their priorities clearly lie with excess alcohol, dancing and canoodling others. Considering that this breed of people are also notorious for being lazy, it’s both convenient and lucky that the people behind Happy Endings, Bats, and Woodland have done some brainstorming. Starting August 13, once a month there will be a party of epic proportions held at Woodland that encourages casual relationships, liver problems and awesome Australian bands. Playing the inaugural event will be Love Connection, Tiger Beams and the Tiny Migrants, so it's obvious that the event is off to a great start. Oh yeah, it’s also a Jungle-themed party, so act/dress accordingly and don’t miss out.
We all have at least one mate whose avocado obsession is off the charts. After all, we've collectively chosen the tasty green fruit over the joys of home ownership, right? Well ironically, the two things have now – sort of – become one, as the world's first Avo-Condo lands at Sydney's Circular Quay. The latest edition of Things You Never Knew You Needed, this avocado-shaped tiny home has popped up in celebration of 'National Avocado Day' on July 31. The quirky, custom-built accommodation will set up shop at Campbell's Cove Lookout for just two nights, offering avo-crazed punters the chance to book a once-in-a-lifetime sleepover on Wednesday, July 31, and Thursday, August 1. Perched right on the footpath within its own white picket fence, the Avo-Condo boasts some primo real estate and top-notch views. Though the realistic avocado-styled exterior and avo-themed furnishings inside might be a little harder to ignore. Avo-Condo will be available to book exclusively through Booking.com, from 9am on Monday, July 29. Surprisingly, it's only a little more expensive than an actual serve of smashed avo, clocking in at $100 per night. Avo-Condo will reside at Campbell's Cove Lookout, 4 Circular Quay Way, The Rocks, on July 31 and August 1. Bookings will open at 9am on Monday, July 29 at booking.com.
A Night by the Fire returns this April to raise awareness of the national Recognise campaign and the fight for recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Australian Constitution. Set in the State Libary's Kuril Dhagun, the Indigenous Knowledge Centre tucked around the back near the elephant statue, this series of talks will take place over four evenings (7, 21 April and 5, 19 May). At each fortnightly event, the speaker will voice what they consider to be key issues surrounding the 1967 referendum and the Recognise campaign. What benefits will come from change to the Constitution? Will constitutional recognition negate a treaty or Indigenous sovereignty? Who is championing the cause, for or against? You don't have to be entirely 'in the loop' about what the Recognise campaign entails, but for some background reading, the campaign website provides a pretty good overview. These talks are educational ones, with the sole objective of bringing together unique voices at this critical time for the movement. The first three sessions are free, with the final forum on May 19 priced at $10. Each will kick of at 6.30pm, finishing up around 7.30pm. The schedule: Tue 7 Apr – Anti-recognise with Bogaine 'Boe' Spearim Tue 21 Apr – Supporter of all with Alethea Beetson Tue 5 May – Pro-recognition with Mark Yettica-Paulson Tue 19 May – Forum
For a short time only, the internationally acclaimed Bangarra Dance Theatre are putting on a display of timeless and vibrant dance, inspired by and emulating the beauty of the Australian landscape. Their new show, TERRAIN, transports audiences to Lake Eyre; one of the most beautiful, natural waterways in the world and explores its connection with Australia’s Indigenous people. Choreographed, composed and designed by several award winning Aboriginal artists, Bangarra’s TERRAIN reveals the true beauty of nature and the power it holds for a culture, visually and spiritually.
If you're a fan of basketball, talented Aussies shooting hoops and one of the biggest local names in the game in the 21st century, then this one's a slam dunk: Patty Mills is coming home to chat about his career. The Brooklyn Nets point guard returns to Australia for the first time since helping score the Boomers their first-ever Olympic medal — and shooting 42 points himself in the crucial bronze-winning match — to tour the nation throughout September. Keen to hear the man himself discuss his success, life, learnings and everything in-between in the flesh? The four-time Olympian will be taking to the stage in Brisbane, at The Fortitude Music Hall on Monday, September 5, for an in-conversation session. If you know some budding basketballers who are eager to follow in the Indigenous Aussie's footsteps, he's also hosting basketball camps while he's back Down Under — but for players aged between 12–17. At the onstage component of Mills' tour, the star player will speak from the heart about his journey — which has taken the Kokatha, Naghiralgal, Duaureb-Meriam man from growing up in Canberra to rising through the basketball ranks, and also becoming Australia's first Indigenous Olympics flag bearer. "It's been a huge couple of years and I feel privileged to have the opportunity to go back to my roots to deliver an immersive experience to be felt and enjoyed both on and off the court," said Mills. "It was also important that this tour allowed me to share parts of me that I've never been able to share before. Getting up close and personal with my own hopes, challenges and achievements has allowed me to embrace opportunity to the fullest and by sharing my own journey, I hope to inspire others out there, especially our youth, who are on their own path of self-discovery." Top image: Erik Drost via Flickr.
As fans across the globe gear up for the Arctic Monkeys' sixth album to drop later this week, the acclaimed English rockers have pushed the excitement levels even further, announcing a series of international pop-ups and film screenings to coincide with the launch. And even Australia's getting a look-in, with the local edition of the store — named after the forthcoming album Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino — is popping up at Sydney's Golden Age Cinema and Bar, this Friday, May 11, and Saturday, May 12. According to the Arctic Monkeys' website, the TBHC pop-ups will offer a range of "unique and limited album and merchandise items", alongside screenings of the band's favourite 70s flicks. Titles include Le Cercle Rouge, Inherent Vice, The Last Waltz and Michelangelo Antonioni's L'Eclisse. The event's running at the Surry Hills theatre from 11am until 8.30pm each day, though as you can imagine, tickets to the screenings are already selling fast. Only a handful of other lucky cities will also host these Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino pop-ups: Berlin, Tokyo, Paris, New York and the band's own hometown of Sheffield. The Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino will pop up at Sydney's Golden Age Cinema and Bar, 80 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills. Tickets to the Sydney screenings are on sale here.
In 2011's Le Havre, Aki Kaurismäki explored Europe's refugee crisis in his trademark way: with empathy, a droll sense of humour and a bittersweet outlook. He tackles the same subject with the same approach in The Other Side of Hope, although you could never accuse the Finnish filmmaker of simply retracing his own footsteps. Rather, the writer-director steps from a tale of transition to one of acceptance. It's a shift that not only reflects global events over the past seven years, but also comes with a much-needed message. What the world needs now is compassion, Kaurismäki posits — an idea that applies when asylum seekers arrive in prosperous nations searching for better lives. The Other Side of Hope begins when Syrian refugee Khaled (Sherwan Haji) hops off a boat in Helsinki. Looking for a new home far from Aleppo, he just wants the chance to start afresh, however Finland proves far from welcoming. Meanwhile, leaving his wife and his old salesman life behind to enter the restaurant trade, Waldemar Wikström (Sakari Kuosmanen) requires help getting his new business going. Both men are fleeing their respective pasts, but Wikström's plight can't compare to Khaled's, and the film doesn't claim otherwise. Instead, after Wikström spies Khaled hiding behind his eatery, the movie shows how an act of kindness shapes their intertwined fortunes. In other hands, a parade of cheesy cliches would ensue, but Kaurismäki isn't any other filmmaker. There's a reason that he's considered Finland's best living auteur, and why his movies receive widespread international attention. While they're the kind of plaudits that every director dreams of, no one views the world quite like Kaurismäki. He fills his frames with characters that wear their eccentricities on their sleeves, yet couldn't be more relatable. He shows people struggling with all types of problems, both commonplace and more extreme, while still banding together because it's the right thing to do. Further, he charts life's ups and downs without avoiding its sorrows, but never removing optimism from the equation either. Indeed, there's a word that sums up his work perfectly: humane. Another word springs to mind: absurd. It's evident when a fight quickly turns into a job offer and when salted herring is served up as sushi, two of the movie's wry, hilarious developments. From its deadpan humour to its rockabilly soundtrack, The Other Side of Hope is often offbeat, albeit in a very specific way. Kaurismäki isn't trying to make an over-the-top comedy — instead, his film recognises how odd everyday existence really can be. It's why his cast turn in portrayals that seem naturalistic as well as a little detached, whether the world-weary Kuosmanen is grimacing through a poker game or the scene-stealing Haji is relaying Khaled's background with a calm demeanour. Lensed by Kaurismäki's regular cinematographer Timo Salminenn, the movie's visuals operate in the same manner as the performances. Every shot overflows with lifelike detail, with smoke hanging in the air and pain oozing from a stranger's glare, yet every image feels like it has been meticulously arranged. It's the same sensation that great still-life paintings evoke: of not only capturing reality, but capturing the artist's unique perspective along with it. Of course, The Other Side of Hope isn't a static image frozen in time. Observed with the same compassion it champions, and proving as earnest as it is amusing, the film is an intricately composed portrait brimming with melancholy, sincerity and worldwide relevance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asR1B7NrhQQ
Not quite certain what to get your loved ones for Christmas this year? Then you clearly haven't spent enough time at a festive market. It's virtually impossible to browse your way through hundreds of stalls and come up empty-handed — in fact, that'd take more effort than picking gifts for your nearest and dearest. Your next place to put the above theory to the test: the Nundah Christmas Twilight Markets, which take place from 4–10pm on Saturday, December 3. Yes, there really will be quite the lineup of places to grab handmade presents, including clothes, jewellery, art, homewares, soap, candles and all things edible. You'll find both gourmet foods and festive treats on offer as well (including bites to eat while you're there). For your $2 entry fee, you can enjoy a stint of shopping under the site's fairy lights at Nundah Markets' usual spot on Station Street. And, you can stop in at the North Pole-themed bar, too. Decorations will be decking the walls with more than boughs of holly, and live music is also on the agenda.
In an idyllic celebration of the revered art, the Queensland Ballet will piece together a night of performances with excerpts from some of the most loved and prestigious works in the classical and romantic repertoire. To showcase the ethereal beauty, rich tradition, disciplined technique and heartfelt emotion, A Classical Celebration will showcase pieces from The Nutcracker, Swan Lake and La Sylphide, among others. Immediately following the performance will be a celebration in honour of Artistic Director François Klaus, also presented by Queensland Ballet. Accompanied by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, the famous and familiar music will be a treat for the ears and the Queensland Ballet will dazzle the eyes, coming together for what is sure to be an unforgettable experience.
Internationally acclaimed circus ensemble Company 2 return to the Judith Wright Centre this season for the premiere of Sediment. Inspired by Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Notes From the Underground, Sediment is a comic and dreamlike production that pushes the most talented of performers to their very limits. In a blend of circus, dance and live music, daring feats of physical incredibility merge with a frightening soundscape to produce a scene that’s as dark and confronting as Dostoevsky’s underground man. Company 2 are the people behind incredibly successful productions such as Scotch and Soda, She Would Walk the Sky and Cantina. They have a reputation for their bold approach to performance art and securing some of the best theatre talent in this country. In this work, they team up with theatre hot shots David Carberry, Chelsea McGuffin (Cantina) and renowned percussionist and composer Ben Walsh (Scotch and Soda).
Another Silo Arts event? Already? Seems like you were just enjoying one the other evening, hey? Don’t worry you haven’t lost the plot. As they say, time flies and there’s no rest for the wicked... so on to the next! Those musical gods behind Silo are at it again bringing performers of an amazing calibre to our town. Lapalux and oOoOO are both producers who have been given the responsibility of bringing Barsoma to life on Friday. And given their combined capabilities, mixes, and reviews, you can be sure their version of life will be otherworldly and intense. The UK’s Lapalux is hard to put in one little box. It’s much easier to define his sets emotively through the hazy, happy and sonic highs they are said to result in. Similarly, oOoOO’s type of music can vaguely be described as a love child between pop and indie culture. However defining it too carefully would be a disservice, you’re much better off seeing him mix Southern hip-hop and witch house live and deciding yourself. Supporting them on the night will be Brisbane’s own Motion Picture Actress and Elroy 4.0, plus a whole host of supreme musicians. So don’t even think about skipping this event due to Silo Arts fatigue, now is not the time or place to come down with it – then again, I doubt any time will be.
If spending all this time at home has made you realise you're a pretty poor bartender, don't despair. Just turn to the big wide web and you'll be shaking and stirring some tasty tipples in no time. Want a martini, negroni or a giant cosmopolitan? Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci and Ina Garten have you covered. But what about a real party starter, like the espresso martini? Well, now top-quality spirit labels Mr Black (coffee liqueur) and Belvedere (vodka) are bringing you an online class, so you can shake up an espresso martini good enough for a caffeine-craving James Bond. Kicking off at 7pm on Thursday, June 11, the Espresso Martini Masterclass will be led by some of the best in the biz. Belvedere's Australian brand ambassador, Garth Foster, and Mr Black's Martin Hudak will be teaching you how to make a mean coffee-fuelled martini in just one hour. The live-stream class will be available via Facebook or Zoom (link provided closer to the event). Don't have any Belvedere or Mr Black in your liquor cabinet? Both Shorty's Liquor and Wine.com are delivering pre-bundled kits so you don't have to subject yourself to subpar booze. Belvedere's x Mr Black's Espresso Martini Masterclass is taking place from 7–8pm on Thursday, June 11. To order the necessary booze, head to Shorty's Liquor or Wine.com.
Getting engaged isn't meant to be bloody, but that's how Fair Play starts: with joy, love, passion and bodily fluids. What is and isn't supposed to happen is a frequent theme in writer/director Chloe Domont's feature debut, an erotic thriller set both within the heady relationship between Emily (Phoebe Dynevor, Bridgerton) and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich, Oppenheimer), and also in the slick, fast-paced, high-stakes world of New York finance — familiar territory for its Billions alum filmmaker, who also has Suits and Ballers on her resume. The blood arrives via a bathroom tryst at Luke's brother's (Buck Braithwaite, Flowers in the Attic: The Origin) wedding. He pops under her dress, she has her period, he drops the ring that he was going to propose with, she says yes, and next they're betrothed and fleeing out the window to go home. Staged to feel woozily, authentically romantic, the occasion seems perfect to this head-over-heels pair anyway, even if it leaves their clothes stained. Yes, Domont is playing with symbolism from the outset. Lust isn't a problem for Emily and Luke, clearly, but they've become experts at keeping everything about being together away from work out of necessity. The duo each chases big dreams at the same hedge fund, which has a firm no-dating policy for its employees. So, when they wake up, dress and step out the door the next day, they go their separate ways to end up at the one place — and Emily's finger is glaringly bare. Then something that they've both been hoping would happen does: a portfolio manager sitting above their analyst positions is fired. Next comes a development that they've each felt was meant to occur, too, with the word spreading around the office that's led by the icy Campbell (Eddie Marsan, Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre) and his yes-man flunkey Paul (Rich Sommer, Minx) that Luke is in line for a promotion to fill the new vacancy. Domont and cinematographer Menno Mans (Forever Rich) want viewers to watch Dynevor and Ehrenreich closely within Fair Play's glossy, steely frames, with the film taking on the cold and corporate hues of its main office setting, and also peering at its leads slowly and carefully. This isn't a strict two-hander, but frequently plays that way — and observing Emily and Luke's every reaction is crucial. One case in point: when Emily receives a 2am phone call from her higher-up Rory (Sebastian De Souza, Pixie), has no choice but to agree to his command that she meet him at a bar, but finds a life-changing conversation with Campbell over a whisky awaiting instead. Here's another: Luke's reaction when she returns home with stunning news for her, but a revelation that he visibly thinks wasn't meant to happen. That climb up that ladder is hers, not his, and he'll be working beneath her. Dynevor and Ehrenreich each possess a savvy talent for cycling through a storm of clashing emotions in mere seconds — and making the swift change feel not just understandable but believable — as Fair Play captures unblinkingly in its pivotal moments. She can go from dutiful to determined, caring to calculating, and cautious to confident; him from loving to withdrawn, supportive to passive-aggressive, and charming to menacing. Emily and Luke's relationship changes just as swiftly, its steamy days fading into sexless territory all thanks to that coveted job. Resentment seeps from Ehrenreich's pores, and exasperation from Dynevor's. Fair Play doesn't neatly box either Emily or Luke into easy categories, however. When everything shifts in an instant, the film's excellently cast stars ensure that viewers see every iota of complexity. At each point from popping the question onwards, the same proves true, and not just frame to frame and scene to scene. Domont's Sundance-premiering feature — Sundance bidding war-sparking picture, too, selling to Netflix for $20 million after getting the film festival buzzing — soon becomes an erotic thriller without that much physical slipping between the sheets. While the look is pure now and Donna Summer's 70s classic 'Love to Love You Baby' gets the soundtrack started, there's an 80s and 90s air to the movie, recalling the genre's heyday. That said, this isn't Fatal Attraction (which was just remade as a TV series, and reframed) or Disclosure meets Wall Street. Rather, the entire flick thrums with the heat and charge between its two protagonists, knowing that its psychological duel is all the more knotty because sex, intimacy and love are involved, while also pulsating with the pressure and stress of its high-rolling realm. The tension is palpable and unrelenting, as aided by Brian McOmber's (Hail Satan?) nervy score. Fair Play doesn't pretend that gender power imbalances don't exist in workplaces otherwise, beyond couples mixing the professional and personal in a cut-throat world and keeping it clandestine. Indeed, it shows that fact, too, and in grim detail. It's there in the salacious whispering by the other male analysts about how Emily got the job from, the strip club drinks and flat-out calling her a "dumb fucking bitch". This isn't a film that's afraid of getting uncomfortable. Fair Play also effortlessly carves into this wealth-chasing field's general soullessness, including with golf clubs being swung around in anger, public dressing-downs and humiliating begging. Still, it never escapes notice that square at the picture's centre sits the type of guy that's doting, encouraging and a dream until he doesn't think that he's on top. There's no one that's perfect in Fair Play's gaze, as its main performances superbly portray — the ever-reliable Marsan is also chillingly effective — but how men react to women doing well earns extra attention. Seeking power, losing it, trying to retain or reclaim it, forcing it back in the absolute worst way possible: this all bubbles up as well, and viciously. As the gripping film unpacks sexual politics in the workplace, it lays bare insecurities, jealousies and infuriatingly age-old rumours. Domont's movie is sharp, even when it's obvious. It's assured from its libidinous start to its increasingly lurid end, and riveting — even if it's never as gleefully OTT as its genre was famously known for back when Michael Douglas (and only Michael Douglas) would've been playing Ehrenreich's part. Fair Play screens in select cinemas from Thursday, September 28, and streams via Netflix from Friday, October 6.
When Léo (debutant Eden Dambrine) and Rémi (fellow first-timer Gustav De Waele) dash the carefree dash of youth in Close's early moments, rushing from a dark bunker out into the sunshine — from rocks and forest to a bloom-filled field ablaze with colour, too — this immediately evocative Belgian drama runs joyously with them. Girl writer/director Lukas Dhont starts his sophomore feature with a tremendous moment, one that's arresting to look at and to experience. The petals pop; the camera tracks, rushes and flies; the two 13-year-olds are as exuberant and at ease as they're ever likely to be in their lives. They're sprinting because they're happy and playing, and because summer in their village — and on Léo's parents' flower farm — is theirs for the revelling in. They don't and can't realise it because no kid does, but they're also bolting from the bliss that is their visibly contented childhood to the tussles and emotions of being a teenager. Close's title does indeed apply to its two main figures; when it comes to adolescent friendships, they couldn't be tighter. As expressed in revelatory performances by Dambrine and De Waele, each of whom are genuine acting discoveries — Dhont spotted the former on a train from Antwerp to Ghent — these boys have an innocent intimate affinity closer than blood. They're euphoric with and in each other's company, and the feature plays like that's how it has always been between the two. They've also never queried or overthought what their connection means. Before high school commences, Close shows the slumber parties, and the shared hopes and dreams. It sits in on family dinners, demonstrating the ease with which each is a part of the other's broader lives amid both sets of mums and dads; Léo's are Nathalie (Léa Drucker, Custody) and Yves (Marc Weiss, Esprits de famille), Rémi's are Sophie (Émilie Dequenne, An Ordinary Man) and Peter (Kevin Janssens, Two Summers). The film adores their rapport like a summer day adores the breeze, and conveys it meticulously and movingly. To watch this 2023 Best International Feature Film Oscar-nominee, 2022 Cannes Film Festival Grand Jury Prize-winner and recipient of Sydney Film Festival's top 2022 gong is to feel, to an extent that cinema only rarely manages. In fact, Léo and Rémi's camaraderie is that vibrantly depicted, and performed with portrayals that naturalistic and unaffected, that it's three things simultaneously here: a once-in-a-lifetime marvel, as innate as the act of growing up, and instantly relatable and recognisable to anyone who has ever had their own inseparable BFF as a child. That bond is such a given for the pair themselves, and that status quo is so entrancingly communicated by the movie, that questioning it is a shock for everyone. These friends have forged their identities as a duo, but they're also at that awkward coming-of-age stage where the wider world starts intruding upon their wants, likes and senses of self, and enforcing its traditional ideas of masculinity. Bluntly, the girls in Léo and Rémi's grade ask if the two are a couple. More than that, they contend that the boys are one without even realising it. Enter the overwhelming weight of the society's norms, as Léo struggles with the schoolyard query and slowly pulls away. Words have consequences in Close. Actions do along with them. What kicks off as a portrait of a perfect friendship then segues into the agony of an idyll bursting. As homophobic jeers echo, Léo withdraws, boisterously palling around with other classmates instead and opting to take up ice hockey. Rémi keeps trying to reach out, and keeps showing his pain and confusion as Léo ditches him at breaks, after lessons, and on their usual rides to and from class. In a sensitive script penned with his Girl co-scribe Angelo Tijssens, Dhont understands the heartache and heartbreak of a boyhood bond dissolving. His feature ripples with grief on a variety of levels. But the filmmaker and the film alike also deeply appreciate the heady jubilation of its opening third. They relish it. Close's second half is shattering; however, this is a movie that knows that to have forged such a connection is a thing to treasure even when it's lost. Close's second half wouldn't devastate as it does if its first wasn't so keenly felt. This isn't an overplayed picture — understatement is one of its key and crucial elements — but it's expertly attuned to what it's like to have a kindred spirit in your youth, and to the immense void left when that's gone. Perhaps the best way to describe Close is with its homonym's antonym: open. Even when Léo begins closing himself off to Rémi, the film he's in remains unguarded in its gaze and emotions — and Dambrine and De Waele's performances retain the same trait as well. To watch Close is also to peer into the faces that fill its frames, as lensed vividly in claustrophobic closeups and telling wide shots by cinematographer Frank van den Eeden (Nobody Has to Know, and also Dhont's Girl), and to embrace the swirl of sentiments lingering inside. Looking at the movie's two young stars never simply involves seeing them overtly shift in tone. Spending more time with Dambrine isn't just a case of watching conflict, sorrow, realisation and guilt flicker in his eyes, either. Similarly, when Close intently observes the always-excellent Drucker in a pivotal mid-movie moment, then gives Dequenne more attention in its later scenes, it's open to — and tender about — how complicated its scenario and feelings have become. The details in Close are everything, as they are in all relationships. Here's a mere four examples: the alternating closeness and space that van den Eeden spies when Léo and Rémi share a mattress, as kids at sleepovers do; the pride that wells in Léo's eyes as he watches skilled musician Rémi play the oboe; the seconds that stretch like lifetimes as Léo, Drucker and Dequenne process trauma right in front of the audience; and the seasons passing, as marked by the flower farm's rainbow of colours revolving through its annual cycle. As set to a subtly rousing string-and-oboe score by Valentin Hadjadj (another Girl returnee), every aspect of this delicately crafted gem is personal yet universal, as it should be considering its origins. Dhont harked back to his own close friendships as a teen, while also taking inspiration from psychologist Niobe Way's Deep Secrets: Boys' Friendships and the Crisis of Connection, a study of 100 boys aged 13–18. It's no wonder, then, that Close couldn't feel more raw, rich and authentic.
Underground, garage-rock royalty don't come much royaler than King Tuff. With a CV that includes psych-folk pioneers Feathers, Sub Pop's Happy Birthday and the melodic metal of Witch, the man born Kyle Thomas has made a career out of crafting awesomely dirty and scuzzy guitar licks. Having decided to go it alone, King Tuff's debut solo album Was Dead showcases a performer who knows a thing or two about the blues. Sitting somewhere between a lo-fi version of The Black Keys and Wolfmother on an acid trip, the album is a filthy cocktail of straight-up guitar rock, stoner vocals and shout-along choruses. And then there's the man himself. With his matt of unkept hair and his fuck-the-system attitude, King Tuff is a beguiling and charismatic stage presence, with the ability to rouse a crowd into rabble and mayhem with little more than one of his Zeppelin-esque solos. Check him out when he plays at the Primitive Room alongside local acts, Cannon, Thigh Master and Screaming Match.
