When a Brisbane icon gets a revamp, it's always worth stopping by to see the results. Since late 2021, that's been the case with Woolloongabba's now 134-year-old Princess Theatre. And if you haven't yet found the right reason to make a visit, here's an ace one: the new Hot Dreams Festival. Taking over the venue from 2pm on Saturday, June 11, this music fest hails from the crew behind Nine Lives, including West End record store faves Jet Black Cat Music. But, it's hitting up The Princess rather than The Tivoli. And, it's also doing so in winter — because 2022's inaugural event wants you to ditch your coats, shimmy on over to the dance floor and heat things up by enjoying live tunes. On the bill: Lucy Dacus, Cate Le Bon and Andy Shauf, all heading to Brisbane from the US and Canada, plus Aussies Glass Beams, Pinch Points, Girl And Girl and Scraps. And, out in the courtyard, Moktar, Andras, Shandy and Scalymoth will be doing their thing on the decks, and taking the party into the evening.
Maybe you'll see a glowing giraffe. Perhaps you'll spy a dazzling koala. Or, you might find yourself peering at the sun — but much closer than usual. They're just some of the lanterns that could be brightening up the inky night sky at the 2022 Luminous Lantern Parade, with the event making its return to South Bank Parklands from 5pm on Friday, June 10. The parade doesn't just give the riverside spot a new glow for the fun of it. It celebrates multiculturalism, and has for 15 years now. Over that time, it has grown to become quite the hefty event. This year's crowd might be a little more spread out than usual, but the parade will still champion diversity — and also welcome new Queenslanders, including migrants, refugees, international students and people seeking asylum. As well as the main event — which is free to attend — there'll also be live music and performances in the South Bank Piazza afterwards.
If you're a fan of musical theatre, then you know the name Jonathan Larson, the creator and composer behind smash-hit production Rent. And, you likely know his story, too, with the playwright and lyricist passing away at the age of 35 on the day that that now-huge show premiered its first off-Broadway preview performance, and never seeing the Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning phenomenon that it would become. Before that, Larson also created another musical called tick, tick…BOOM!; however, it didn't chart the same path. Instead, the semi-autobiographical piece was performed as a solo work before his death, following a character called Jon who worried that he'd made the wrong decision by chasing his dream of becoming a composer. After Larson died, tick, tick…BOOM! was reimagined as a three-actor show, then made its way from off-Broadway to off-West End, as well as West End itself. And, in 2021, it took the leap to the screen, too, courtesy of Netflix — in a film directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda and starring Andrew Garfield, the latter turning in an Oscar-nominated performance as Larson. That's a whole lot of history behind the latest big musical announcement Down Under: that tick, tick…BOOM! will make its Australian mainstage debut in 2023. That run will kick off in Melbourne, then head to Brisbane's QPAC Playhouse on Wednesday, March 1–Sunday, March 5. If you're wondering about tick, tick…BOOM!'s narrative, the rock musical is set in 1990, with promising young composer Jon as its focus. He's almost 30, living in New York City, and life as an artist isn't turning out as he planned — so he has to decide what to do next. The production is an ode to theatre and a tribute to New York, too, and has kept proving popular since it premiered in its current format off-Broadway in 2001. Playing Larson in Australia: multiple Logie-winner Hugh Sheridan (Packed to the Rafters, House Husbands, Five Bedrooms), with Elenoa Rokobaro (Rent) as Susan, Finn Alexander (Urinetown) as Michael, and Sheridan Adams (Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical) and Andrew Coshan (A View From a Bridge) also among the cast. Also, tick, tick…BOOM!'s upcoming Aussie seasons will be produced by Adrian Storey from StoreyBoard Entertainment (Chess the Musical, Barnum, Follies, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) and directed by Tyran Parke (Chess the Musical, Barnum, Follies, Sunday in the Park with George). Check out the trailer for the Netflix film below: Updated October 31, 2022. Images: Jeff Busby.
Putting a spring in your step on an average Tuesday isn't the easiest thing to achieve. The last weekend is well and truly over, the next one seems forever away and you haven't even hit hump day yet. Putting some spice in your life is simple from 5pm on Tuesday, August 23, though. Your zesty escape: Salt Meats Cheese's Spice Meats Cheese dinner, a one-night-only affair that's all about drinks and dishes that pack a punch. On the menu: four courses of chilli-, 'nduja- and Sriracha-filled Italian dishes, starting with a spicy antipasto platter featuring chilli-marinated olives, spicy pecorino, sopressata, hot tromba and a homemade spicy capsicum dip. You'll also tuck into spicy beef polpette topped with Sriracha, spicy nduja and hot sopressa pizza, and a spicy rigatoni alla vodka made with Archie Rose's native botanical vodka. To wash it all down with, there are four cocktails to choose from — with your pick included in the $55 price. Sip a chilli-topped spritz, opt for a Tabasco margarita, or see what a cosmopolitan tastes like with a bit of that same hot sauce, too. Some are made with Archie Rose's native botanical vodka as well, including the Rhuby Tuesday, which includes fig and rhubarb syrup. Fancy more drinks? They'll cost you $18 a pop after your first one. Bookings for the Spice Meats Cheese dinner are essential — and Brisbanites can hit up Salt Meats Cheese at Newstead, or head down the coast to Surfers Paradise.
One of the first lessons that we all learn about romance, usually when studying Romeo and Juliet at school, is also the saddest: they can't all have happy endings. Affairs of the heart can be glorious, magnificent, sweeping and life-changing, but they can also weather pain and end in sorrow. The entire romantic-tragedy genre is about just that, in fact. So, saying that Kenneth MacMillan's Manon fits the bill means preparing for a moving tale about love's highs and lows. Based on the 1731 novel Manon Lescaut by Abbé Prévost, the MacMillan-choreographed version was first performed by The Royal Ballet in London in 1974 — and Queensland Ballet is now doing the honours at QPAC's Lyric Theatre from Tuesday, September 27–Saturday, October 8. Hopping from 18th-century Paris to New Orleans, the story follows the eponymous Manon, who is about to enter a convent when two developments alter her path. Firstly, the rich and old Monsieur GM asks her brother Lescaut for her hand. Secondly, while that arrangement is being made, Manon meets and falls for Des Grieux instead — and off they flee. In Brisbane, there's an added bonus: for select performances, Queensland Ballet's Artistic Director Li Cunxin AO and his wife and former ballerina Mary Li are taking to the stage. Acclaimed Romanian dance Alina Cojocaru will perform, too, in two shows. Whoever's playing the iconic production's parts at any given time, expect a story about seduction and the lingering power of love. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Queensland Ballet (@qldballet)
Brisbane has long been partial to a party boat. The Island did the honours from the 80s through until early this decade, and Seadeck has cruised the river over the last couple of years. Now Yot Club has started sailing into the city's waters, and it's making quite a big splash — as you'd expect from a huge yacht with two bars, a stage, a dance floor and a 400-person capacity. Throwing its next series of shindigs throughout November and December, the glamorous, custom-built vessel is calling itself "the world's first super yacht entertainment venue". It's certainly something that southeast Queensland hasn't seen before, at the very least. Sprawling over two levels, it measures nearly 40-metres long and over 22-metres wide, and blends a licensed floating club and a luxe function space, including room for 200 people to enjoy a sit-down meal. With lounges across an open deck and undercover, a VIP room in the hull, both general and ticketed events set to welcome guests, and the promise of bands and DJs on its lineup, Yot Club wants to be the region's one-stop watery hangout. It serves up more than water, of course, thanks to a menu of classic and creative cocktails, plus brews chilled in the 45-keg-capacity cool room. Yot Club sets off from South Bank's Ferry Terminal One, with tickets starting from $49. Dates vary, but you can head along for a cruisy Friday or Saturday night, or enjoy a watery Saturday or Sunday afternoon session. Images: Yot Club.
It's easy to understand why Bart Freundlich, filmmaker and husband of Julianne Moore, decided to remake After the Wedding. A best foreign-language Oscar nominee in 2006, the original Danish feature is a thorny melodrama that's big on moral dilemmas, but even bigger on revelatory moments and performances — and gender-swapping the main characters, shifting the action to America and giving Moore a lead role was clearly too juicy an opportunity to pass up. So was casting his wife opposite Michelle Williams, another actor who can play steely and fragile in the same breath, excels at portraying complex, realistic women, and manages all of the above with the utmost subtlety. Indeed, if any uncertainty hovers over Freundlich's movie, it isn't "why?", but "why didn't it happen sooner?". Perhaps the answer to the second query resides in After the Wedding's narrative, which acts like a Rorschach test for audiences. Some will see splotches of #firstworldproblems connected through convenient, even implausible twists. Others will notice how the film stresses the enormous chasm between the needy and the rich, refuses to trade in simplicity, and has meticulously calculated each and every plot development. Of course, both perspectives can prove accurate at once. A movie can seem neat, chaotic, overly structured and random in tandem, because life almost always does the same thing. Leaning into these contradictions actually deepens After the Wedding — as its conflicted characters are forced to navigate testing circumstances, Freundlich's film never even thinks of settling into a safe, cosy niche. Location-wise, though, the opposite is true. After the Wedding is largely set in a privileged world, spending the bulk of its time in New York penthouses, offices and country estates. The film introduces Isobel (Williams) while she's meditating at the Kolkata orphanage she helps run, then whisks her across the globe to secure funding from business high-flyer Theresa (Moore) — and makes a point of stressing how uncomfortable Isobel is with the change of environment. That's the first major upheaval that pushes Williams' calm yet flinty character out of her comfort zone. When Moore's brittle hotshot demands that Isobel extends her trip and, even though they've just met, also insists that she attends her daughter's upcoming wedding, additional surprises follow. It's impossible to delve further into the plot without giving too much away; however Isobel is hardly thrilled when she meets Theresa's sculptor husband Oscar (Billy Crudup), or takes a proper look at Grace (Abby Quinn), the blushing bride. The best moral dilemmas double as mysteries, inspiring a series of questions. How will the intricate plot pieces fit together? How will the various players respond? How will tussling with a life-altering scenario change everyone involved? After dropping the first big revelation early — his film is called After the Wedding, after all — Freundlich keeps the complications coming thick and fast, but takes time to revel in Isobel, Theresa, Oscar and Grace's reactions. That's the nuts and bolts of the movie, as relayed in heated altercations, awkward exchanges, pensive moments, and big breakthrough scenes that push Isabel and Theresa to their limits. Naturally, Williams and Moore couldn't be better; fresh from stellar work in Fosse/Verdon and Gloria Bell, respectively, that's why the reliably excellent duo was cast. Without them, After the Wedding might've felt soapy, especially after discarding its predecessor's jittery camerawork for conspicuously smooth and gleaming visuals, but that's never the outcome. When a story loves thrashing in as many different directions as this one, it takes particularly textured and nuanced performances to hammer home its tender core, which is what Williams and Moore continually bring to the table. Elsewhere, Crudup is understated but underused in support, while Quinn holds her own with the film's high-profile leading ladies — and that's no mean feat. The elephant in the room? It's the place where elephants are far more common, with Isabel's life in India — and her bond to eight-year-old Jai (Vir Pachisia), the abandoned boy she's become a replacement mother to — never fading from view. Still, while she's desperate to return and keep making a difference, hers is never a clumsy white saviour tale. This part of the story is noticeably blunt, as are the film's other attempts to address class differences (as Isabel rattles off stats about child prostitution to Theresa, they're interrupted by a catering snafu over a lack of lobster, for example), yet the instinct to grapple with one's issues by helping others rings true. Perhaps surprisingly given how many twists it strings together, After the Wedding proves affecting and engrossing in general for the same reason: no matter what the film throws at the screen, its heaving emotional landscape always feels devastatingly real.
When it rolls around each October and November, Palace Cinemas' British Film Festival, presented by MINI, serves up Australia's starriest cinema showcase. Take 2019's program, for example, which includes Keira Knightley playing a real-life whistleblower in Official Secrets, Helen Mirren facing off against Ian McKellen in The Good Liar, The Theory of Everything's Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones re-teaming for The Aeronauts, and Liam Gallagher getting the documentary treatment in Liam Gallagher: As It Was. Coming to our shores fresh from opening the London Film Festival, The Personal History of David Copperfield also ranks among BFF's highlights, too — as you'd expect from a witty flick based on Charles Dickens' novel, directed by Veep, The Thick of It, In the Loop and The Death of Stalin's Armando Iannucci, and starring Dev Patel, Tilda Swinton, Hugh Laurie and Ben Whishaw. Elsewhere, British movie buffs can catch moving social-realist drama Sorry We Missed You, with I, Daniel Blake's Ken Loach directing his take on the gig economy; Happy New Year, Colin Burstead, the latest darkly comic film from High-Rise's Ben Wheatley; and Hope Gap, starring Annette Bening, Bill Nighy and God's Own Country's Josh O'Connor. Running in Brisbane from Wednesday, October 30 to Sunday, November 24 at Palace Barracks and Palace James Street, BFF's 2019 program also features a six-film retrospective paying tribute to Helen Mirren's stellar career, plus a 4K restoration of horror classic Don't Look Now. The list goes on, including the latest unsettling documentary from acclaimed documentarian Alex Gibney (Going Clear: Scientology & the Prison of Belief) — with Citizen K focusing on Russian oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky and his exile in London.
Feeling spooky and hungry? When October comes around, that's a winning combination. That's when Brisbane embraces all things frightening and scary — and all the theming that goes with it, including bats, ghosts, witches and oh-so-many pumpkins. Understandably, Eat Street Northshore is getting in on the terrifying action, all thanks to a three-day Halloween party across the weekend of Friday, October 25 to Sunday, October 27. The site's vendors will be embracing the theme, magicians will be doing tricks and there'll even be special Halloween-centric entertainment. Plus, the Hamilton space will be decked out with all the appropriate decorations. Donning a costume and exploring all of Eat Street's culinary wonders is also on the menu, naturally. As a result, so are plenty of treats — whether you like doughnuts, chocolate, ice cream, gelato, churros, fairy floss or just dessert in general. Halloween Party Weekend will be open from 4pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and 12pm on Sundays — with entry to Eat Street costing $3 per adult. Image: Eat Street Northshore.
One afternoon. Plenty of brews. All of the pizza. Because three hours sipping beer and cider and eating slices is three hours well spent, that's what's on the agenda at Superfly Pizza's Cold Beers, Fresh Cuts, Hot Pizzas event. Taking place from 2–5pm on Saturday, November 2, this pizza party won't just serve up a few slices. When it comes to the good stuff, the Woolloongabba spot is letting attendees feast on all they can eat. The reason? Well, there's simply no such thing as too much pizza, as your brain, tastebuds and stomach all know. With Young Henry's joining the fun, you'll start off the party with a tinnie, too, then sip your way through tipples matched to your slices — including mids, lagers, pale ales, porters, an IPA and an apple cider. Because this is a shindig, expect to tap your toes to DJ-spun tunes as well — with tickets on sale now for $40. Image: Superfly Pizza.
Run out of things to read? Eager to keep building that pile next to your bed? Fancy trawling through piles of books, even though Brisbane's beloved Bookfest is still months away? If you're especially fond of vintage tomes, then head over to QUT Gardens Theatre on Thursday, October 10. From 12–3pm, the CBD spot on Queensland University of Technology's Gardens Point campus will be selling old books on a variety of topics, spanning everything from art history, fashion, and photography to film, design and politics. It's the type of sale you'll want to bring a tote bag to, or several — leaving with just one piece of reading material will likely prove impossible. Now in its second year, the QUT Vintage Book Sale raises funds for the The Indigenous Literacy Foundation, so your purchases will be helping a good cause. Arriving early is recommended, although the doors won't spring open until noon.
Trivia nights mean gathering your mates around, enjoying a few beverages and trying to convert your respective stores of knowledge into glory. At this particular trivia night, you'll do all that, but there'll be a particular emphasis on your pals. Given that the topic of the evening is a certain sitcom about a band of best buddies, celebrating your chums is the thing to do. Yes, Friends is in the spotlight at The Elephant's battle of pop culture tidbits, all to commemorate the show's 25th anniversary. If you think you know everything there is to know about the series that caused viewers to agonise over whether Ross and Rachel would get together, wish that Joey and Chandler lived next door and get their hair cut like Jennifer Aniston, here's your chance to prove it. Given that it has been a quarter-century since Friends first started on TV, this contest isn't just a test of trivia, but a workout for everyone's memories — although we're betting you've binged the show more than once thanks to the wonders of streaming. Friends 25th Anniversary Trivia takes place from 6pm for a 7pm start on Thursday, October 24. Tickets are free, but registering in advance is required. And no, no one told you that watching endless television reruns could turn out this way.
In every sip of whiskey sits an inescapable clash. The bite, the flavour, the way it makes the back of your throat feel like you really have had a stiff drink: they all make you want to savour each mouthful. The warm feeling in your stomach, the intoxicating aroma: well, they make you want to sample as many varieties as possible. Head along to an event that offers both on Thursday, October 24, when A World of Whiskey takes over the Regatta's Walrus Club. Relishing the unique tastes of quite the number of amber spirits is on the agenda here, all to the strains of a live jazz soundtrack. In fact, $65 gets you a taste of 50 top tipples, plus canapes to line your stomach, and your own Glencairn glass to take home. What makes a classy drinking session even better? A classy drinking session that comes with its own souvenir.
UPDATE, August 19, 2020: Birds of Passage is available to stream via Stan, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Thanks to Narcos, Blow and plenty of similar films and television shows, the term 'Colombian drug drama' conjures up a particular image. But that's not what viewers will find in Birds of Passage, a movie that falls into the same broad category while carving its own niche. Forget Pablo Escobar, piles of cocaine and cartels fighting against the US. Forget the genre's usual slick and shiny sheen, too. Instead, Ciro Guerra and Cristina Gallego (Embrace of the Serpent) immerse their feature within a highly insular indigenous tribe, watching as its way of life is forever changed after getting into the marijuana business. The result: a multigenerational crime saga that's as much a portrait of Colombia's Wayúu community as it is about dealing in illicit substances. If the above description didn't already distinguish Birds of Passage from other drug-fuelled gangland affairs, then its visuals achieve that feat. As they did with their last picture (which Guerra directed and Gallego produced and helped edit), the filmmaking duo take an ethnographic approach, as seen in each of the movie's vibrant images and scenes. Showcasing traditional locations, clothing and ceremonies, the pair don't just present these details — in every shot and sequence, they revel in them. With ample assistance from returning cinematographer David Gallego, Birds of Passage is filled with dusty plains far removed from the Colombian drug trade's stereotypical jungles, intensive rituals used to initiate courtships and striking jewellery that has more than a decorative impact. Indeed, to see the absorbing and engrossing film's frames flicker by is to walk through the Guajira region of in the country's north, bear witness to its first peoples and explore their intricacies. While it should go without saying, other dramas that do this aren't just rare — they're non-existent. It's this specificity that both marks and shapes Birds of Passage, especially as its story purposefully winds down a recognisable path. Guerra and Gallego want their audience to take in everything that makes the Wayúu who they are, but they also want to highlight that devastation can and will plight any culture, even this one, once it's steeped in a destructive cycle of power, wealth, death and bloodshed. When the feature opens in a desert village, such matters appear far from everyone's minds. Emblazoned in red from head to toe, local beauty Zaida (Natalia Reyes) is the centre of attention, with young men lined up to win her heart — and willing to dance until they drop to do so. Rapayet (José Acosta) doesn't falter; however, although Zaida is instantly smitten, her mother Ursula (Carmiña Martínez) is hardly convinced. The formidable matriarch sets a high dowry of 30 goats, 20 cows, five necklaces and two decorative mules, expecting that the determined suitor won't be able to pay. But after a chance meeting with weed-seeking American Peace Corps volunteers, Rapayet and his pal Moisés (Jhon Narváez) discover a way to make all the money they need (and all the goats, cows, necklaces and decorative mules as well). Set across a two-decade span from the late 1960s to the early 1980s, Birds of Passage charts the ups and downs that ripple throughout the entire Wayúu enclave, as seemingly simple choices have far-reaching consequences. It's not difficult to guess where Zaida and Rapayet's tale is headed across its five chapters, or that of their entire tribe — or to foresee that Ursula's fears about her possible future son-in-law will prove well-founded. That said, it's worth noting that she's also obsessed with dreams and omens, interpreting everything around her for signs about her family's future, a technique that Guerra and Gallego also deploy with their narrative. It isn't difficult to discern what'll happen at each turn, but that's the basis of this epic film's sweeping tragedy: audiences can glean what happens next, just as Ursula tries to, and yet everyone remains thoroughly powerless to stop it. The same idea bubbled through Gabriel García Márquez's landmark novel One Hundred Years of Solitude, and the same haunting feeling of inevitability, too. Tint the Colombian author's awarded and applauded 1967 tome with an extra layer of shattering bleakness, bring it to the screen with breathtakingly vivid images and set it in a unique gangster world, and that's Birds of Passage — almost. One of the wonders of this stunningly shot and performed movie is how it nods to literary greats, to on-screen crime sagas like The Godfather and The Sopranos, and even to Shakespeare's darkest accounts of misfortune, and yet remains a wholly distinctive work. In plunging viewers into a specific way of life, beholding its beauty and watching how something so fragile can crumble when plagued by corruption, Guerra and Gallego peer closely and systematically, while also seeing the bigger picture. That's what great ethnographers do — and great filmmakers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhQsCz0X4Vw
It's vegan Christmas time, with, Brisbane Vegan Markets getting festive from 12pm on Sunday, December 2. Prepare to celebrate in healthy, sustainable, cruelty-free, meat-free and vegetarian style. On the second Sunday of each month, BVM celebrates ethical eating choices in the best way that anyone can: bringing together all of the stalls selling all of the vegan products. Given the season, this 2019 outing will feature multiple food stalls and vendors for all of your Chrissie culinary needs, plus plenty of gifts to put under the tree. The extra present, of course, is your own peace of mind. [caption id="attachment_755499" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Brisbane Vegan Markets[/caption] Stallholders always changes each and every month, but there'll be plenty this time around. Based on past markets, expect guilt-free grab bites and wares from a rotating range that has previously included I Should Coco, Grassfed, Tibetan Momo, Kings Indian Fusion, Fire & Dough, Tapioca Traders, Organic Frog Doughnuts, Chai Cart, Vegan Van, Vurger, Green Street Foods, Flour of Life and Popcorn Downunder — and they're just some of the Brissy traders known to sell their animal-free goods.
Tibet is the type of place everyone wants to visit — and the kind of destination few of us will actually make it to. Don't worry, the Festival of Tibet offers up the next best thing. It'll either help ease the pain of not jumping on a plane, or make you book a ticket overseas as soon as you can. Learning how to practice meditation and do yoga, all Tibetan-style, will do that of course. So will Tibetan songs, as well as a talk about the the Buddhist approach to living and dying. And there's more where that came from, with the event celebrating the resilience and optimism of a people and culture under threat, all through a showcase of the country's way of life — and for the 12th year running. [caption id="attachment_761351" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Brisbane Powerhouse[/caption] Hitting up Brisbane Powerhouse from Friday, April 17–Saturday, April 18, the 2020 festival lineup includes both ticketed and free sessions. Top image: Festival of Tibet.
Feel like you've experienced every date option that Brisbane has to offer? If glitz, glamour, drinks, dinner and feeling like you're in a speakeasy several decades ago amount to your idea of a good — and novel — time, then make a beeline to Cloudland's Big Band Cabaret. It's a regular event, but in honour of February 14, the next one is Valentine's-themed. Taking place in the Valley venue's Rainbow Room, the decadent shindig will have you and your loved one dancing to the Franky Smart Big Band and lapping up performances by Jacqueline Furey's Burlesque Ensemble, all while eating your way through a three-course meal and enjoying a three-hour package of beer, wine and sparkling. [caption id="attachment_757163" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Cloudland[/caption] The event has been such a hit over the last couple of years, it's no wonder that Cloudland keeps bringing it back. Head along on Friday, February 14 from 6.30pm. Tickets aren't cheap at $110 per person, but it's certain to liven up your Valentine's Day with something more than a little different.
Last year, VEND Marketplace added a new space dedicated to plants. Its mission: to help you fill your home with all types of greenery. And to help you do just that, it's hosting a huge sale. Welcome to the Greenhouse, as the area is aptly known. The place where gardeners' dreams come true, it's upping the ante from 8am on Saturday, January 25. That's when the 250-square-metre indoor garden will be slinging its green babies at a special one-day event — and yes, there'll be succulents, cacti, indoor plants, hanging plants, outdoor plants, pots and more. Plenty of plants will be on sale for less than $12, and there'll also be juice, smoothies, tea, coffee, beer and wine to drink. Plus, if you can find a hidden jungle animal, you'll nab yourself a free piece of greenery. VEND is also doggo-friendly, should you want to bring your four-legged pal with you. Image: VEND Marketplace.
Every week over at its Gasworks store, Salt Meats Cheese serves up all-you-can-eat pizza. Yes, it's as delicious as it sounds. If you're a vegan and you've been holding back, the eatery has you covered too. SMC mightn't ditch animal products as often, but when it does, it's something special. Next occurring on Tuesday, February 11, SMC's bottomless vegan pizza feast is in full swing again in 2020 — and again, it includes unlimited vegan pasta as well. All you need to do is book a table in advance, with sittings available from 5pm. The pizza and pasta free-for-all will set you back a highly affordable $25, and while you'll also have to buy a drink, you can choose from both boozy and non-alcoholic options. For an extra $5, you can also opt for all-you-can-eat gluten-free vegan pizza too. Finding decent slices that cater to dietary requirements is hard enough, let alone devouring as many as you feel like in one sitting, so expect this to be popular. Updated February 7.
Move over, craft beer — it's craft spirits' time to shine. Everyone's been to a day dedicated to the former, but from 1–4pm on Sunday, May 31 you can spend an afternoon with all the whisky, gin and vodka you could ever want with more than 30 exhibitors and master distillers showcasing over 100 craft spirits at 2019's Indie Spirits Tasting. For the fifth time, the Indie Tasting folks are bringing their spirit celebration to Brisbane for the type of event that whiskey, gin, rum, vodka and tequila-lover's dreams are made of. We'd keep listing different kinds of spirits, but we're getting thirsty. Taking place at The Triffid, tickets are $65 — and not only include samples of the best Aussie and international indie brands on offer, but free bar snacks and access to seminars across the afternoon too. And for those particularly eager, early bird tickets are available until May 15 for the discounted price of $45.
Whoever first thought to pair bacon and eggs was a smart person indeed. It's an all-time classic food combination, whether just served by themselves, accompanied by mushrooms and tomatoes for breakfast, plonked on a stacked burger or dished up atop a juicy steak. But will the duo work in dessert form? La Macelleria wants you to find out, with the Brisbane gelato joint serving up bacon and egg gelato for one day only. It's made from smoked bacon-infused, egg-based gelato, then filled with maple syrup candied bacon pieces. Whether you're salivating or horrified, you're intrigued by the savoury-sweet blend — admit it. Grab your scoop, or several, on Sunday, January 26. It'll be available at the chain's Teneriffe, West End and Coorparoo stores all day. (King Street won't be open on the day.)
After initially launching in early March, then shutting down due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Alliance Francaise French Film Festival is making a comeback — in line with cinemas reopening in Brisbane. Returning to finish its 2020 event, it's heading back to Palace James Street and Palace Barracks from July 14–August 4. And, when it restarts on Bastille Day, it's bringing most of its originally announced program with it. In one of the films on the 2020 bill, Eva Green (Penny Dreadful) rockets into space, playing a single mother who's also the only woman in the European Space Agency's astronaut training program. In another flick showing at the fest, voodoo, a secret literary society and a Haitian teen all combine. In other words: no matter what kind of French film you're looking for, you'll likely find it on the event's 31st lineup. If you're eager to catch the two aforementioned movies, then put Proxima and Zombi Child on your must-see list — but there's more where they came from, of course. Also on offer is Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano's The Extraordinary, which dramatises the real-life efforts of Frenchman Stéphane Benhamou — who runs his own Parisian shelter for autistic youth who aren't cared for by the system otherwise. And, there's also comedy The Bare Necessity. In the Cannes-premiering title, a radio show agony aunt in a small village is completely unaware that her adult sons have been calling in with their own problems. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIsEZ2tTavU Other highlights include Oscar-nominee Les Misérables, about clashes between cops, teens and gangs in Montfermeil; as well as the 1968-set How to Be a Good Wife, which sees Juliette Binoche run a housekeeping school that prepares teenagers to become housewives. Or, French film lovers can catch Farewell to the Night, where The Truth's Catherine Deneuve is forced to deal with her grandson's radicalisation; plus rom-com Room 212, the latest movie by Sorry Angel's Christophe Honoré. Elsewhere a secret manuscript sparks a twisty whodunnit in The Translators, and life in 90s Afghanistan gets animated in book-to-screen adaptation The Swallows of Kabul. The Alliance Française French Film Festival screens at Brisbane's Palace James Street and Palace Barracks from July 14–August 4. Session times are yet to be announced — keep an eye on the festival website for further details.
There's always some sort of party going at Welcome to Bowen Hills, and while doggos are always welcome, the venue's Tiny Dog Festival will see the space swarmed by pups of the super small variety. If it's an adorable little barking creature, it'll be in the spotlight on Saturday, March 14 — so bring your own or prepare to pat plenty of others. The site's food trucks and bars won't just be catering to humans, either. Expect puppacinos and other doggie treats, plus there'll be beer (for you) and bone (for your four-legged friend) deals on offer. As part of the all-round celebration of pint-sized pooches over a few pints, the fest will also feature a best dressed tiny dog competition. If your pupper great style, then you'll want to take part. Plus, Welcome to Bowen Hills also wants to find Brissy's tiniest adult dog, so prepare to spend a date staring at cute pooches that could fit in your pocket and saying "awwwwwww".
All dogs go to heaven, or so 80s animated movies have taught us. All Brisbane dogs and their pooch-loving owners can also go to the city's one-day canine-centric market, aka Paws-Fest — aka pupper heaven on earth. A non-profit affair raising funds for RSPCA Queensland, this market will be filled with more pet fare than a furry woofer can shake its tail at. There'll be more than 50 stallholders slinging their wares, so your cute pooch won't go home with empty paws. Expect everything from treats to toys, plus food trucks serving snacks for humans, when the event takes over Eagle Farm's Paws & Relax from 9am–3pm on Sunday, June 7. [caption id="attachment_762797" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Paws-Fest[/caption] All two-legged attendees are invited to pay a gold coin on entry, and to bring their four-legged besties on leashes, too; however if you're a person in need of a pooch, the RSPCA will be on hand. We're not saying that this is the excuse you need to adopt a pupper, stock up on everything it needs, contribute to a very worthy cause and then start living your best dog-filled life – but we're not not saying that either.
Cheese and pasta go together like few food combinations. As great as they both are individually, a particularly enticing alchemy of flavours occurs when they join forces. But simply sprinkling grated mozzarella or ground parmesan over your spaghetti is yesterday's news. Eating pasta served out of a cheese wheel is what it's all about now. Salt Meats Cheese is hopping on everyone's current favourite Italian culinary bandwagon with its weekly night dedicated to the dish. Drop into the chain's Gasworks eatery on Wednesdays from 5pm, and you'll tuck into the cheesiest bowl of pasta you're ever likely to taste — for $25, plus $5 for toppings. Flavour-wise, there's a few available, because even a meal like cheese wheel pasta can use a few additions. Just classic cheese is still on the menu, as are two other varieties each week. In the past, everything from truffle and carbonara to pesto genovese, gorgonzola and smoked mozzarella have been dished up, so arrive hungry. Bookings are essential and can be made here.
Keen to make your next night in a big one? Now that you can invite five mates round (with sensible social distancing in place, of course), you can make it a real party. So, if you're keen to cut some serious shapes this weekend, ring up five of your nearest and dearest and dust off that disco ball because a new one-off party with pumping tunes and bad fashion is taking over your living room on Saturday, May 23. Yep, Canadian Club's annual Bad Sweater Party is going virtual. Hang on, a Bad Sweater Party? The major point of difference for this party is that you've got a dress code. Don an ugly jumper — it's OK, you're partying at home. And, yes, you'll get pretty sweaty with all those killer moves you'll be busting. Hot Dub Time Machine will be bringing the dance-worthy tunes, which will have you pushing your furniture aside and starting a makeshift dance floor in no time. Expect everything from 50s rock 'n' roll tunes to disco hits like ABBA's 'Gimme Gimme Gimme' and Earth, Wind & Fire's 'September'. Once you hit the more recent decades, there's often glam rock, a bit of 90s grunge, Darude's epic 'Sandstorm' and 'Toxic' by Britney. As you dance your way through the decades, you'll be working up quite the sweat (you'll be in a sweater, remember), so you'll also want some cold ones nearby. Get into the spirit of things by mixing up some CC 'n' drys. Or save yourself the trouble and grab a case of the stuff. It'll all kick off at 7pm and you can tune in to the live set via Hot Dub's Twitch account.
Feel like scoring a dose of da funk on a Friday night, losing yourself to dance and getting lucky? Of course you do. You'll be burnin' up the floor, getting derezzed and giving life back to music in no time at The Brightside from 8pm on Friday, March 12 — and if you do so harder, better, faster and stronger, you'll be doin' it right indeed. If you haven't guessed just who is in the spotlight at One More Time: A Daft Punk Appreciation Party, then you probably need to take your helmet off and prepare to give some of the best albums of the past two decades a spin one more time. There'll be robot rock, plenty of digital love and you might even think you've been around the world while you're throwing shapes. Yep, indulging your instant crush on the electronic duo best known as Daft Punk is easy as the Fortitude Valley venue works its way through the French headpiece fans' discography. The dance music-fuelled party will help you work through your feelings about the duo recently calling it quits, too. Entry starts at $11.65, and a selection of other electro artists will pump through the speakers between Daft Punk tracks, including Fat Boy Slim, MGMT and more. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmi60Bd4jSs
If your working week runs from Monday–Friday, then we know exactly what you look forward to while the 9–5 grind ticks by. Everyone loves Friday afternoons — that glorious time when you can stroll out of the office, stop thinking about everything that's filled up your brain for the week, and kick back and relax. Two days off awaits, after all. For many, even now that 2021 is well and truly underway, adjusting to life back in the office is still an ongoing process. So if that's left you extra eager to celebrate the weekend, that's understandable. Thankfully, Cloudland will help you do just that at its Bubbles and Oyster Pop-Up, which runs from 5–7pm on, April 30, May 28 and June 25. Your $30 ticket gets you a flight of four splashes of sparkling (in 60-millilitre servings). You'll also be able to slurp up four oysters — two served natural, and two with Italian vinaigrette. While you're enjoying both the sparkling and the seafood, all you need to do is sit down with your mates and celebrate the weekend. Yes, that's something worth saying cheers to.
Since cinemas reopened in Brisbane, Dendy has been celebrating by hosting a number of themed film festivals. So far, it has focused on excellent anime, top-notch queer cinema and big-screen musicals — and now, for its last movie showcase of 2020, it's heading into the obvious festive territory at both Coorparoo and Portside. Don't go thinking that the Naughty & Nice Christmas Film Festival is only playing jolly and merry movies, though. If you like your seasonal cinema shenanigans with a tad more darkness than Home Alone's hijinks, your tastes are catered for, too. Yes, Home Alone is on the bill. Of course it is. But so is Finland's out-there Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale, a Die Hard and Die Hard 2 double feature, the Mel Gibson-starring Fatman and musical zombie flick Anna and the Apocalypse. In the more jovial camp, you can also watch The Nightmare Before Christmas, It's a Wonderful Life, Love Actually, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and Miracle on 34th Street — plus The Muppet Christmas Carol, The Santa Clause, Elf and The Man Who Invented Christmas. Each title plays at different times on different days during the fest — and some only at Coorparoo — so make sure to check the session schedule before hopping in your sleigh and heading along. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZ9DDU4R5QI
Southeast Queensland does pretty well in the craft brew stakes and, in 2019, it officially (and finally) welcomed GABS to the area. For those who haven't heard of the boozy annual celebration — which made its presence known in Melbourne and Sydney first — we're talking about the Great Australian Beer SpecTAPular. And while its 2020 Brisbane event has been postponed until April 2021, it's giving brew-lovers something to celebrate when January rolls around if you're keen to head up or down the coast. Consider the GABS Summer Craft Beer Festival a highlights package, taking place on the Sunshine Coast Stadium Foreshore precinct on Saturday, January 2 and the Great Lawn at Broadwater Parklands on the Gold Coast on Saturday, January 9. A huge selection of beverages will be on offer, and they're really not the kind of brews you'll get to sip every day. In fact, there'll be two GABS Invitational Bars, each taking over a 40-foot container and pouring from 120 taps apiece, as well as a dedicated New Zealand Festival Bar focusing on 10 breweries from across the ditch and unique beers they've brewed specifically for the fest. Split across two sessions on each day — 11.30am–4pm and 5.0–10pm — the GABS Summer Craft Beer Festival isn't just about brews. It's mainly about them, but you'll be able to hop on a giant ferris wheel, listen to jazz and soul performers, and sip vino at a champagne and wine bar on the lawn as well. Also on the agenda: tucking into bites to eat from local food businesses and listening to panel discussions with industry folks.
It's vegan Christmas time, with Brisbane Vegan Markets getting festive from 9am on Sunday, December 13 — as it does every year. Prepare to celebrate the season in healthy, sustainable, cruelty-free, meat-free and vegetarian style. On the second Sunday of each month, BVM puts the focus on ethical eating and buying choices in the best way that anyone can: bringing together all of the stalls selling all of the vegan products. Given the season, this 2020 outing will feature multiple food stalls and vendors for all of your Chrissie culinary needs, plus plenty of gifts to put under the tree. The extra present, of course, is your own peace of mind. Stallholders always changes each and every month (and, when it comes to the Christmas market, each year), but there'll be plenty this time around — as there always is. And, they'll all filled to the brim with animal-free goods. Also, if you'd like to bring your pooch along for a spot of festive shopping, you can. [caption id="attachment_755499" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Brisbane Vegan Markets[/caption]
Already known for its bottomless vegan pizza and pasta feasts, Italian restaurant chain Salt Meats Cheese has been upping its cruelty-free food game at a series of monthly special events this year. Called Soul Meets Cheers, it serves up an entirely plant-based menu, featuring vegan versions of Italian classics — and it's doing just that for its Christmas edition. For the feast's December outing — taking place at all Brisbane venues from 5pm on Tuesday, December 22 — it'll be focusing on festive dishes. Think roast pumpkin stuffed with lentils and cranberry, a star-shaped pizza topped with porcini and semi-dried tomatoes, and panforte with fruit and nuts for dessert. And yes, that just a few of the dishes on offer. Your $49 ticket also includes a glass of vegan wine or beer upon arrival. Or, you can pay an extra $15 and go bottomless with your vegan booze.
Last-minute shopping, over-indulging at celebratory shindigs, and pretending not to be annoyed about receiving another pair of socks: they're all a part of every Christmas. For kids and adults alike, so is many a seasonal-themed movie. If it has Santa or Christmas in the title, it's optimal viewing at this time of year. The folks at South Bank certainly think so, and have thrown together their yearly Christmas Cinema Series brimming with merriment. But these free films aren't just for families. Any Yuletide movie held under Brisbane's starry skies and by the water at River Quay Green at this summery time of the season is perfect for, well, everyone. Pack a picnic and enjoy double features every night from Friday, December 18–Wednesday, December 23. The familiar but still festive and fun lineup includes Arthur Christmas, The Polar Express, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation — and, in case you're already feeling positively jovial and jolly enough, some non-Christmas fare as well. So, you can also watch everything from Happy Feet, The Castle and Paddington to Hunt for the Wilderpeople, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Little Women. Attending is free, but you'll need to register first in line with the event's COVID-19-safe practices. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTk3DpccpUY
When it comes to watching some of the most entertaining movies ever committed to celluloid, Dendy Coorparoo is taking Grease's advice — by giving viewers more. From Thursday, October 29–Wednesday, December 2, the venue is dedicating a heap of sessions to big-screen musicals. Yes, we expect that you'll hear some singing from the audience while you're watching. Called The Show Must Go On, this retrospective season will work its way through a huge 23 films, all screening multiple times on different dates. Basically, it's serving up a mini-history of the genre — including classics such as Singin' in the Rain and The Sound of Music, cult favourites like The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and more recent fare such as Mamma Mia! and Rocketman. While the Moulin Rouge! stage show is hopefully still coming to Australia in the near future, if COVID-19 doesn't get in the way of its plans, you can catch the Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman-starring movie on the big screen first. Also on the lineup: Grease (obviously), Little Shop of Horrors, My Fair Lady, Annie, New York, New York, Fiddler on the Roof, Hello, Dolly!, Calamity Jane, Meet Me in St Louis and Oliver! (if you haven't noticed, musicals like exclamation marks), plus 42nd Street, West Side Story, All That Jazz, A Chorus Line, Chicago, La Vie En Rose and Once). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTm5DWgL-MU
For the past year, BrewDog has been serving Brisbanites plenty of cold ones, with the Scottish beer behemoth making this sunny city of ours its Australian home. Over that time, you've probably sat by the river and knocked back the company's brews — but at its new festival, you'll be encouraged to try yeasty bevvies from other breweries. Called Collabfest, the weekend-long event will celebrate brews from four other beer-making outfits from across southeast Queensland: Currumbin Valley Brewing, Black Hops, Brouhaha and FICK. They'll be brewing brand new (and unique) beers for the occasion, too, so expect to taste something that you haven't sipped before. There are two parts to the shindig. First, it all kicks off with a Thursday night launch, where you'll be able to chat to the brewers. Then, until Sunday, you'll be able to drop by and drink their wares whenever you like. The whole event runs across Thursday, November 19–Sunday, November 22 — and, although BrewDog is making a big deal of it, it's simply an expansion of its current approach. Already, its DogTap taproom serves up other tipples from the Sunshine State including Range Brewing, Black Hops, Brouhaha, Aether and Sea Legs. But when it comes to beer, any excuse for a party will do. Images: Pandora Photography
Already known for its bottomless vegan pizza and pasta feasts, Italian restaurant chain Salt Meats Cheese is upping its cruelty-free food game at a monthly special event. Called Soul Meets Cheers, it serves up an entirely plant-based menu, featuring vegan versions of Italian classics. For the feast's November outing — taking place at all Brisbane venues from 5pm on Tuesday, November 10 — it'll be focusing on bites to eat inspired the coastal region of Liguria in Italy. Think cauliflower steak with salsa verde, celeriac puree and burnt lemon; kale pesto with sun-dried tomato chips and pine nuts; and a tiramisu made from drunken cherry compote and toasted coconut. And yes, that just a few of the dishes on offer. Your $49 ticket also includes a glass of vegan wine or or Young Henrys beer or cider upon arrival. Or, you can pay an extra $15 and get bottomless vegan wine and beer.
What's better than grabbing a meal from a food truck? Trying to choose from a lineup of meals-on-wheels vendors at a food truck pop-up, of course. That's what's on offer at Bulimba Riverside Park on Saturday, February 20, with the event rounding up some of Brisbane's standout mobile eateries for a tasty afternoon. Yes, given the location, this inner east get-together is pairing a few bites with a waterside view, too. Micasa Burger Truck, Rolls Pho Mi and Bubbo Dessert will all be in attendance, so you can pick different types of cuisine for your dinner — or indulge in a bit of mixing and matching by grabbing something from all three. Fittingly, this get-together is called the Bulimba Food Truck Pop-Up, and it takes place from 5–7.30pm. Bring your wallet and your appetite, obviously.
Time flies when you're flipping silver balls around a pinball table, pumping tokens into Pac Man and mashing buttons on retro consoles — and enjoying a board game over a brew as well. And so it has been four whole years since Netherworld first opened its doors. Yes, it's celebrating. Of course it is. Expect all the good stuff that the Fortitude Valley venue has been serving up for the past 48 months, plus some extra fun to mark the occasion. On the agenda at the Netherworld Turns Four shenanigans: drinks, games, tunes and free limited-edition pins for everyone who rocks up (although they're only available until they run out). Just by attending this birthday shindig, you'll also score the chance to win a custom-built arcade cab filled with games of your very own. And, if you'd like to buy more tickets for he raffle, the proceeds will go to Happy Tails Animal Rescue Inc — who'll be the recipients of the karma keg tapped on the day, too. The revelry kicks off at noon, running through until 5pm. [caption id="attachment_622335" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Sarah Ward[/caption] Top image: Cole Bennetts.
Day in, day out, Pig 'N' Whistle Riverside serves up beer. Every day of the week until at least 10pm, in fact. But only Saturday, February 13 will see the long-standing Eagle Street venue turn its love of yeasty, hoppy beverages into a day-long beer festival. Always fond of a good pun, the bar has dubbed this shindig the Pig Day Out Beer Festival. If it sounds familiar, that's because it also happened back in 2019. Once again, beer lovers should prepare to take a few cues from the event's title — and to fill your stomach with plenty of brews, obviously. While the full beer lineup is being revealed gradually, you can start looking forward to tipples from Balter, Young Henrys, Stone and Wood and Eumundi Brewing. It all kicks off at 3pm, with live music on the bill as well — because what's a festival without a soundtrack? Entry is free, although you'll need your wallet to buy more than a few drinks, which are available via tokens. Buy five in advance for $30, pair them with a share plate for $60, or pick them up on the day for $7 each.
Heading to a major shopping centre and only buying vegan goods mightn't always go hand in hand, but they will at Toombul's latest big event. Starting in October, the northside venue is hosting the North Brisbane Vegan Markets once a month, with the regular Brisbane Vegan Markets now spreading its footprint across town. Mosey along from 9am–4pm on Sunday, October 17, Sunday, November 21 and Sunday, December 19 to browse more than 30 stalls selling cruelty-free wares, all at Toombul's Upstairs precinct. The plant-based spread will include everything from burgers, nachos, pizza and pasta to coconut ice cream sundaes, doughnuts, cupcakes, fudge, brownies and almond croissants. You know the motto here: all of the taste, none of the animal products. The site's regular eateries will all be getting in on the action as well, so you'll have plenty of options, food-wise. Entry is free, and so is the live music that'll soundtrack your vegan shopping.
If you're partial to roast pork topped with plenty of crackling, then you're probably a fan of the Brisbane German Club's pork knuckles. If you're fond sipping German brews in giant steins — after you've managed to pick one (or several) from a very hefty menu, that is — then you're likely a fan of the Woolloongabba venue in general. There's never a bad time to stop by, whether you're heading to or from the Gabba, you're just in the neighbourhood or any other reason you can think of. But heading along between Friday, October 1–Sunday, October 3 means celebrating Oktoberfest for 2021. For three days, the beloved spot is doing everything it can to mark the occasion — with means German food, German music, German brews and more. How's that different to a usual stop a the Brisbane German Club? This time it's officially calling it a party. When it comes to that aforementioned pork, it's a cult-favourite dish — and it comes slow -cooked, weighing in at one kilogram, and served with fried potatoes, sauerkraut and smoked beer gravy. No matter when you make a visit, it's always popular. And, as well as drinking your way through the bar's enormous range of German beers, you can opt for schnapps as well. One-day tickets cost $5 for members and $10 otherwise. Top image: Anwyn Howarth.
Where would we be without movies over the past 18 months? Even when cinemas have been closed for hefty portions of 2020 and 2021 in different parts of the country, we've all still sought out the joy and escapism of watching a flick — because when you're in lockdown, quarantining or isolating at home, or just spending more time indoors in general, it's particularly cathartic. Still keen to queue up a big heap of movies, and a hefty dose of couch time? Enter Movie Frenzy, the returning week-long online film rental sale. From Friday, October 1–Thursday, October 7, it's serving up a sizeable lineup of popular flicks from the past year, all for under $3 per movie. On the lineup: page-to-screen Aussie drama The Dry, long-awaited horror sequel A Quiet Place Part II, Bob Odenkirk aping John Wick in Nobody, and Jason Statham and Guy Ritchie teaming up again with Wrath of Man. The monster melee that is Godzilla vs Kong, the Chris Rock-starring Spiral: From the Book of Saw and Denzel Washington-led thriller The Little Things are also on the list, as is everything from Monster Hunter, Penguin Bloom, June Again and War with Grandpa to Tom and Jerry, The Croods: A New Age and Peter Rabbit 2. And while some are more worth your attention than others, we'll let you do the choosing. You can nab the cheap flicks via your digital rental platform of choice, including Apple TV, Fetch, Google Play, the Microsoft Store, Amazon Prime Video, Telstra TV Box Office and YouTube Movies — although just what's available, and the price, will vary depending on the service. Also, you won't need a subscription, unless you decide to join in the fun via the Foxtel Store.
Combining tequila, orange liqueur and lime juice, a classic margarita isn't all that complicated. But, this beloved cocktail can also be rather versatile. If you've grabbed a meal and a drink at El Camino Cantina, you've probably tasted one or several non-traditional varieties. And if you head by the lively Tex-Mex chain's South Bank, Bowen Hills, Chermside, Robina or Sunshine Plaza venues between Tuesday, March 2–Sunday, May 30, you'll be able to sip a few beloved types. After running a Hottest 100 Rita poll — and receiving more than 3000 votes — El Camino has announced exactly which varieties Aussies love. Prepare to drink your way through mango, watermelon, passionfruit and grape Nerds flavours over the next three months. All four are available cadillac-style, which means they come with a float of Grand Marnier. You'll pay $20 for a 15-ounce drink and $24. Prefer El Camino's signature strawberry margarita? It also remains on the menu. At South Bank only, an extra four flavours are on offer as well. So, we hope you like lychee and fruit tingle ritas, and sour apple and calypso crush versions, too. Images: Michael Gribbin.
There's something rather cool about being ahead of the curve when it comes to cinema, watching the latest and greatest flicks unfold on the silver screen well before anyone else. And at Australia's biggest short film festival, you can do just that. The internationally acclaimed Flickerfest is celebrating its 30th year, so you can expect an A-class lineup of cinematic delights when it comes to Palace James Street Cinema on Thursday, March 4. The annual short film festival is Australia's leading Academy Award-qualifying short film fest, backed with BAFTA recognition, too. Highlights include include Flickerfest's Best Australian Animation Roborovski, directed by actors Tilda Cobham-Hervey and Dev Patel and delightful Brisbane comedy Smashed by Kristie and Tyson Yates. Plus, a screening of the stunning Bala — the first short film by Bangarra Dance Theatre's former senior choreographer Deborah Brown. For $25 a ticket, you'll get to watch the hand-picked shorts and festival award-winners in one evening. Plus, as part of your ticket, you'll get either a Gage Roads beer, Rosnay organic wine or Parkers organic drink, plus popcorn on arrival. Not to mention the chance to hear from the filmmakers before the screening. [caption id="attachment_801207" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'A Man and a Cat'[/caption] Flickerfest tours nationally from February–October 2021. Top image: 'Smashed'
Since 2014, King of the Wings has operated under one clear principle: you can never have too many chicken wings. This Valentine's Day, it's hoping that Brisbanites strongly agree with that idea — enough to spend the occasion feasting through six courses of their tasty morsels, actually. Book in a dinner at King of the Wings' Stafford site with your chicken-loving date, and you'll be clucking over five new flavours of wings, with the sixth course covering a presumably chicken-free dessert. You won't find out what types of chook pieces you'll be tucking into until you get there, because that's all part of the meal — or wingustation, which is what King of the Wings is calling it. Sessions take place from 4–5.30pm and 8–9.30pm, and you'll need to call in advance to book. And, you have two other options: pair each course with something boozy for $75, or opt for non-alcoholic beverages for $45.
Next time you slurp down some oysters, you needn't just opt for natural molluscs served with lemon and Tabasco. There's nothing wrong with that old favourite; however you can get a bit more adventurous with your oyster dishes at One Fish Two Fish's Oyster Frenzy. Between Friday, January 22–Sunday, January 24, the Kangaroo Point eatery is serving up a six-course oyster feast, taking seafood lovers through six different flavours. Start with the tried, tested and aforementioned combination, then move onto oysters battered in squid ink tempura and served with Asian salad and sriracha aioli, three-cheese baked oysters, and oysters with limoncello and finger lime caviar. You'll also be snacking on oysters with tarragon and garlic butter pangrattato, plus oysters paired with an oak-aged chardonnay mignonette granita. In total, you'll eat your way through 18 oysters all up — three per dish — for $59 per person. That price includes a glass of prosecco or a Stone & Wood Pacific Ale upon arrival, too. Because oysters are always popular, bookings are essential — with Oyster Frenzy running sittings at 12pm, 2.15pm, 5pm and 7.15pm on all three days.
Art galleries are places of creativity and tranquility. Each month at the Queensland Art Gallery and the Gallery of Modern Art, they're places for yoga and meditation too. It makes sense — you're in a space known for its peace and quiet, and for contemplation and serenity. Breaking out your best downward dog pose or sitting in mindful silence just seems like a natural thing to do, really. We don't recommend showing off your flexibility just anywhere, of course. Instead, make a date with QAG and GOMA's Mindfulness Yoga sessions. If you'd prefer chasing zen another way, you will find a chilled atmosphere across both sites in general; however, there are specific Calm Living Meditation classes as well. The dates change each month, but there's always one yoga session from 8.45–9.45am on a Sunday, another from 6–7pm on a Wednesday, and a meditation class from 7.45–8.45am on a Thursday — giving you the option of starting your day or winding down after work at the galleries. Taught by Miriam Van Doorn, the classes are open to all skill levels. Sometimes they're held at QAG, sometimes they're at GOMA — so you won't get tired of the scenery. Bookings are essential. Yoga costs $12 for gallery members and $16 otherwise, while meditation will set you pack either $5 or $11, based on the same category. And classes are socially distanced, obviously. [caption id="attachment_677207" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Gallery of Modern Art. Exterior. South & East face. James Turrell artwork.[/caption]
No one likes Mondays; however, everyone loves a bargain. Combine the two — and throw in vegan and vegetarian eats as well — and you have BrewDog's regular special. On Vegan Mondays, anyone who's keen to tuck into the riverside brewery's meat-free menu will score two dishes for the price of one. Yes, that's just the kind of news both your stomach and your wallet need to start off the week — and it happens all day every single Monday. Four types of burgers are on offer, so you can pick between two made with chicken-style patties ($22.95) — including a vegan parmigiana option — plus a Korean fried cauliflower burger ($22.95) and a beef variety ($22.95). They all come served on a beetroot brioche bun, and you can opt for sweet potato fries and a range of vegan sauces. Other choices include three types of pizza ($21.95–24.95), cauliflower wings ($10.95–32.95), black bean tacos ($21.95), a Thai noodle salad ($21.95) and a veggie sharing stack ($31.95). You'll pay extra for your brews, of course — but the waterside view that comes with them won't cost a thing. Images: Pandora Photography. Updated November 15.
Laughs have been in short supply over the past year. Entertaining surprises have fallen into that category, too. But from Thursday, February 18–Sunday, February 21, giggles, guffaws and unexpected developments of the hilarious kind are all on the menu at the Brisbane Improv Festival. For four days, you can tickle your funny bone while watching a heap of amusing folks — and, as you're chuckling along, you'll never know what'll happen next. That's one of the joys of improv, after all. A show can start out one way, veer off in a completely different direction, then end up with gags you've never even dreamed of. It's a mix-and-match kind of lineup, so you can pick whatever suits your mood from the 20-show program. Doctor Who fans can check out an improvised version of the cult TV series, for instance, while storytelling, travelling bands, queer relationships and disagreements between friends all get a look in. The whole festival takes place in Seven Hills, at the Ron Hurley Theatre and Seven Hills Hub, with the event run by Big Fork Theatre. Fancy learning improv yourself? You can also book into a workshop on the topic.
This planet we all call home is constantly in flux. After the year everyone has just been through, that shouldn't be news. And, it isn't a new topic to Australia's annual Transitions Film Festival either. Based in Melbourne — and touring its program around the country on occasion over the past decade — it routinely programs films on the topic. In 2021, it's continuing that mission, too. There is something different about this year's Transitions Film Festival lineup, however. For the first time, the festival is jumping online. In collaboration with MPavilion, it is still hosting a physical screening of documentary Beyond the Burning in Melbourne on February 23 — but from February 26–March 15, it's streaming its selection of films digitally. Available on an on-demand basis (so you can view whatever you like whenever you like), the program includes plenty of factual flicks on topics as broad as walking barefoot across America (as seen in Barefoot), youth activism (the subject of NOW), a lawsuit against an animal rights advocate (The Walrus and The Whistleblower) and the benefits of adopting a universal basic income (Inherent Good). Or, you can dive into the sea with An Ocean Story, watch the fight against plastic pollution via Microplastic Madness, see the threats to Canada's Boreal forests in Borealis and tackle blazes in Megafires. Elsewhere, The Hidden Life of Trees takes its name from Peter Wohlleben's best-selling book, and continues its focus on forest. And, Invisible Hand dives into the battle between capitalism and nature — and it's produced by Mark Ruffalo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzDFF0y-O9w Top image: The Hidden Life of Trees, 2019, Constantin Film Verleih GmbH, nautilusfilm.
