When each year comes to an end, celebrating ace movies and TV shows from the past 12 months has become a tradition, especially if you worship screens big and small. Another ritual: looking forward to a new calendar filled with standout things to watch. Based on Disney+'s just dropped trailer for the year ahead, for example, Mouse House fans have plenty to get excited about. Chief among them is the second season of Loki, following on from its first back in 2021.When that initial run of episodes came to an end, the credits for its final instalment included a stamp that said "Loki will return in season two" — and that follow-up will hit sometime in 2023. The God of Mischief — well, Tom Hiddleston (The Essex Serpent) — narrates the brief Disney+ 2023 trailer, which includes multiple glimpses at his Marvel Cinematic Universe alter-ego. Viewers not only looking forward to Loki's return, but also eager to see Owen Wilson (Marry Me) back as Mobius M Mobius, can catch a look at both. Banter results, naturally, and clone trickery. Loki's second season will hit in another busy year for the MCU, which is also set to include the Nick Fury-focused Secret Invasion; Hawkeye spinoff Echo; Ironheart, which Black Panther: Wakanda Forever helped set up; and maybe even WandaVision spinoff Agatha: Coven of Chaos — all on streaming. In cinemas, the sprawling comic book-inspired realm will also welcome Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and The Marvels. Exactly what Loki's season two plot will follow is yet to be revealed, just like when it'll arrive; however, it isn't the only Disney+ series highlighted in the 2023 glimpse. Also included: that aforementioned Secret Invasion, the third season of The Mandalorian, fellow Star Wars series Ahsoka, Pixar's Win or Lose and Up-related Dug Days: Carl's Date, and the live-action Peter Pan & Wendy. If you're a fan of all, some or any of the Mouse House's big brands, prepare to spend plenty of time on your couch in 2023. Check out Disney+'s 2023 trailer below: The first season of Loki is available to stream via Disney+ now. Exactly when in 2023 the second season will arrive is yet to be announced — we'll update you with more details when they come to hand. To keep an eye on Disney+ catalogue, head to the streaming service's website. Top image: ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.
Do you like Italian food? Then let us introduce you to the happiest place on earth. Your stomach has probably been craving pasta, pizza and gelato since news of Eataly World first started circulating — and those rumbles are only going to get louder now that the world's first Italian food theme park has opened. Located in Bologna, Italy, and calling itself an agro-food park, the site takse patrons on a trip from the field to the fork. That involves six interactive experiences, more than 40 places to eat, over 100 stalls and shops, and a dedicated parmesan cheese bar. In fact, over nearly 20 acres, Eataly World features restaurants, kitchens, grocery stores, classrooms, farms, laboratories and more, showcasing everything from livestock, dairy products and the cereals that become pasta, to preserves, Italian desserts and the best in both boozy and non-alcoholic beverages. As well as boasting free entry — aka making a good thing even better — Eataly World offers ticketed daily classes on pizza, pasta, gelato sorbet, truffles, wine, olive oil and more as part of its schedule, ensuring visitors don't just wander through this Italian food-focused realm, but can pick up a few new skills as well. To get around the massive area, bikes are also available. Eating, drinking and cycling in Italy: it sounds like a culinary holiday dream. The park is the latest venture from Oscar Farinetti, the founder of Italian food and grocery chain Eataly, which has locations in New York, Boston and Dubai. And while it has taken some time to come to fruition — it was first announced a few years back, and then set for a 2015 opening that didn't happen — it looks like it has been worth the wait. Speaking to Eater last year, Eataly vice-president and Eataly World CEO Tiziana Primori said the park would mix entertainment with education. "We call it from the farm to the fork because you can see all the steps of the chain, from the animals to the raw materials and workshops and restaurants." The hope is that the park will attract as many as 10 million visitors each year, providing a boost to Bologna tourism in the process. The city already boasts a number of gastronomic attractions, including a medieval marketplace and the world's only gelato university. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou5uPuVBub4 Via Eater. Images: Eataly World By Tom Clift and Sarah Ward.
Thanks to the Biennale, Sydney is about to get a brand new public art work. It's Agatha Gothe-Snape's Here, an Echo — aka the latest piece from the newly minted Archibald Prize-winning subject — and the Biennale has commissioned it for the City Art Collection. If you made it to the 20th Biennale, which explored the theme "The future is already here – it's just not evenly distributed", you might have encountered the piece before. Gothe-Snape worked on it with choreographer Brooke Stamp, with the two walking through the city — along a specific route from Speaker's Corner in The Domain to Wemyss Lane, Surry Hills — 60 times. Along the way, they looked for stories and engaged in conversations. Their ideas and research were then transformed into a series of performances and artworks. For its permanent incarnation from August 10, Here, an Echo will be concentrated in one area, manifesting as a series of 14 phrases sprawled across Wemyss Lane. All can be linked to specific origins, yet remain open to interpretation. "Here, an Echo will cast a new light on this inner-city location, using language to question our relationships to one another, to art, and to the contexts and histories in which all these are situated," Stephanie Rosenthal, the Biennale's artistic director, told The Sydney Morning Herald.
The Rusty Datsuns are ready to party. Fresh out of the recording studio with a swag full of new songs, the trio are playing Black Bear Lodge for what is sure to be a great mid-week hoedown. Be especially prepared to dance, the weather is getting cooler and this might be just the thing to keep you warm for a while. The Rusty Datsuns formed in 2011, during the Brisbane floods. Brought together over ‘kitchen sink harmonics’ and taking solace in the power of song, the trio formed and have gone from strength to strength ever since. Each member of the band comes from different musical backgrounds – vaudeville roots, punk/folk and dancehall reggae. It is a testament to their ability that The Rusty Datsuns can operate with all of those influences vying for supremacy. Breaking Heart Benton and Turkey and Goose will be opening on the night, make sure you get in early to get yourself amped for some great music. Tickets are $10 at the door.
Put down your So Fresh CD. Crack open your teenage piggy bank. Keep practicing your Usher slide glide. It's time to bust out your R&B love — not only at mammoth shows around the country, but at jam-packed after party. A full-blown R&B frenzy is set to sweep the nation this November thanks to RnB Fridays, which will descend on stadiums in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide between November 9 and 17 (not all on Fridays, mind you). The event has managed to pull a pretty serious lineup of international music legends straight from the 90s and early 2000s. And, because you can't get too much of a good thing, plenty of them will be keeping the fun going after the main show. The official RnB Fridays after parties won't boast tour headliner Usher; however it's not short on names otherwise. Lil Jon, Estelle, Fatman Scoop and Ginuwine will all do double duty, as will DJ Spinderella and Pepa from Salt-N-Pepa, plus DJ Kay Gee and Vin Rock from Naughty By Nature. Joining them in Sydney and Melbourne is singer and rapper Trey Songz, while YO! MAFIA and Aussie R&B DJ Horizon will also be hitting the decks. You'll need a separate ticket for the after parties, which are held in separate venues — with tickets costing $49.90 for Melbourne's shindig on Level 3 of the Crown Casino on Saturday, November 10, the same amount at The Tivoli in Brisbane on Friday, November 16 and $96.30 to hit up The Marquee at The Star Sydney on Saturday, November 17. RnB Fridays Live at will hit Melbourne's Marvel Stadium on November 10, Brisbane Showgrounds on November 16 and Spotless Stadium in Sydney on November 17 — with the after parties taking place on the same dates at Level 3 of the Crown Casino, The Tivoli and The Marquee at The Star Sydney. Tickets for the after parties are now on sale. Image: Mushroom Creative House.
In a wonderful flashback for stoners and film fanatics, Matthew McConaughey has reclaimed his trademark role as Wooderson from the cult film Dazed and Confused. In the music video for Butch Walker and the Black Widows' Synthesizers, McConaughey returns to the trademark Bob Marley shirt and pink pants that kickstarted his career and made the film one of the all-time greats. Walker is a huge fan of the film and summarised McConaughey's role beautifully when he stated that "when it comes to classic characters, Matthew McConaughey's Wooderson took the cake… and the high school girls with him." In the film clip, McConaughey's slow-motion strut and deep gaze are further evidence that he will forever be a definitive, if infinitely cheesy, ladies man. https://youtube.com/watch?v=94b3gMZGorc
What a difference two years can make. For all the reasons we all know and have lived through, that's been the theme during since March 2020. Jump back to January that year and no one would've even dreamed that Australia's international borders would close for almost two years, for instance — or that getting swabbed for a respiratory virus would become a requirement for entering the country. The nation reopened its international borders to double-vaccinated travellers back in February 2022, so that's one step back to normality. Come Sunday, April 17, the COVID-19 testing requirement will be scrapped, too. At a press conference today, Friday, March 25, Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt announced that the Commonwealth Government would no longer be renewing its biosecurity emergency determination — aka the legal implement that allows a number of our recent pandemic rules and restrictions to be put in place — which means that pre-departure testing for international travellers will cease. "The country is ready to move on from the emergency declaration made two years and one month ago. I will not be renewing the biosecurity emergency determination," said Hunt. "That's on strong advice from Professor Kelly [Professor Paul Kelly, Australia's Chief Medical Officer] and our other medical advisers; the unanimous advice that was given to me and discussed with the national security committee of cabinet," he advised. So, whether you're jetting off on an overseas getaway — perhaps to a spot like Bali that no longer has quarantine requirements for holidaying Aussies — or you've got friends and family who've been putting off visiting, it's all about to get easier. At the very least, it won't involved getting swabbed before you hop on a flight Down Under. Also, the prohibition on cruise lines operating out of Australia will lift as well — if that's the kind of trip you've been dreaming of. That said, testing requirements for other countries are obviously still up to them. As a result, wherever you're heading to — if international vacations now look much more enticing — may still have its own testing requirements. Proof of double-vaccination will still be required to enter Australia, and masks will remain mandatory on domestic and international flights. Australia will drop its pre-departure testing requirement for entering the country from overseas on Sunday, April 17. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
A play called Moth sounds like a scientific study in entomology rather than a psychological study of the human mind. Moth tells the stories of Sebastian and Claryssa, two teenage outsiders, each the other’s only friend. That is, until they spend a normal Saturday night at the local park drinking together and wake up altered. Claryssa is missing, Sebastian is changed, and their friendship in ruins. Sebastian finds himself struck with the feeling of agape love, a desire to save and help all of humankind, and a burning desire to find Claryssa. This passion is all consuming, and his fervour can only lead to pain. Moth was written by Melbourne playwright Declan Greene, who was commissioned to write the piece by Arena Theatre Company, and The Malthouse. Greene is an emerging playwright who has won a plethora of prizes and is building a reputation for his cutting-edge confronting works. Moth is presented by Melbourne’s Arena Theatre Company, one of Australia’s longest running producers of theatre for young people, focusing on issues relevant to their lives. Image credit: Jeff Busby
When Disney isn't turning its beloved movie franchises into new theme park zones, as it's currently doing with both Star Wars and Marvel, the enormous entertainment company has been known to take the opposite approach. Plenty of its rides and attractions have inspired films, such as the entire Pirates of the Caribbean series, as well as Tomorrowland, The Haunted Mansion, The Country Bears and Mission to Mars. Now — and after a pandemic-inspired year-long delay — Jungle Cruise is the latest to join the fold. As the Mouse House did with Pirates, it has enlisted some serious star power, with Emily Blunt (A Quiet Place Part II) and Dwayne Johnson (Jumanji: The Next Level) taking the watery journey in the first movie based on Disney's popular river boat ride. She plays an explorer and scientist on a mission, while he captains the vessel she hires to transport her along the Amazon River. From there, as seen in both the original trailer back in 2019 — yes, that long ago — and the just-dropped new trailer, it seems that typical action-adventure hijinks ensue. The film's two sneak peeks so far set up a vibe that's part The Mummy, part Indiana Jones, part every other flick about someone scrambling through vast landscapes searching for something precious — in this case, a tree in the Amazon that possesses unparalleled healing powers. And that's not the only way that the flick will be following in other footsteps. Adjusting to the times, Disney has started releasing its big titles in cinemas and on its Disney+ streaming platform simultaneously, with Jungle Cruise set to follow Raya and the Last Dragon, Cruella and the upcoming Black Widow in giving viewers the option of either hitting up the silver screen or settling in to watch it at home. When Jungle Cruise both floats into cinemas and heads online this July — the latter via Disney+'s Premier Access, which involves an extra pay-per-view fee — it'll also feature Edgar Ramirez (The Undoing), Jack Whitehall (Good Omens), Jesse Plemons (Judas and the Black Messiah) and Paul Giamatti (Billions). Behind the camera, Jaume Collet-Serra is in the director's chair, marking a change of pace after the Liam Neeson-starring Unknown, Non-Stop, Run All Night and The Commuter (and Blake Lively shark flick The Shallows, too). Script-wise, the film is penned by Bad Santa writers (and Crazy, Stupid, Love filmmakers) Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, as well as Logan, Alien: Covenant, Blade Runner 2049 and Murder on the Orient Express' Michael Green. Check out the trailer latest below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SphvQORjXjQ After being delayed from its original release date of July 23, 2020, Jungle Cruise will now open in Australian cinemas on July 29, 2021 — and be available to stream via Disney+ with Premier Access from Friday, July 30. Top image: © 2020 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
In the grand tradition of doing whimsical things to raise awareness about conservation and sustainability, New York City is set to be transformed next year as a part of The Water Tank Project. Carefully selected rooftop water tanks across New York will be wrapped in temporary artworks which all address the subject of water, as part of a public awareness campaign being organised by Word Above The Street. Working under the assumption that there's no art quite so powerful and affecting as public art, The Water Tank Project aims to raise awareness about the importance of water conservation. You may recall before the country started flooding that most of Australia was in drought for some time, remembered by most city folk for the dreary water restrictions put in place. And we had to do that because water, one of the things people take most for granted, can so easily and disastrously run out. The issue of simply finding water safe enough to drink is a global problem, with just 1% of the world's fresh water adequate for human consumption. Those who can't witness in person the changing New York city skyline will be able to keep tabs on the project through apps and web-based media. However, after the project's stint in New York, Word Above The Street plans to move the project to cities like Mumbai, Rio de Janeiro, Mexico City...and Sydney. In the meantime, supporters can donate to the project online. [Via Cool Hunting]
Continuing their love affair with all things German, Adidas' latest limited-edition sneaker pays tribute to a part of Berlin life every local and tourist is familiar with. After making beer-proof shoes for Oktoberfest, the next cab off the rank is a pair of trainers inspired by the city's subway system — or next train out of the station, if you prefer. The newest release in the brand's Originals series, the BVG x adidas EQT Support 93 / Berlin footwear have been created in conjunction with Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG), Berlin's public transport network. Available until sold out from January 16 from the Adidas flagship store and retailer Overkill, the shoes take their fabric from the subway's seat pattern, while also styling their shoelaces after its bright yellow external appearance. It's all in celebration of the BVG's 90th birthday. Donning kicks that match one of Berlin's iconic features is one thing. Walking around in shoes that also double as your train fare for a year — now that's even better. All 500 pairs include a season ticket made of fabric and attached to the tongue. And yes, you really can use it to hop onboard, with anyone wearing the sneakers entitled to free BVG use until December 31, 2018. Sure, anyone lucky enough to nab themselves a pair will pay €180 (approximately AU$280), but that's not bad for new shoes and a year's worth of travel. Via i-D. Image: Overkill.
Heads up Australia, Aldous Harding is one of those Kiwi musical talents we'll casually be calling our own in a few years. You may not have heard much from her yet, but this Christchurch folk queen is just about to drop her debut album and head out on her first tour of Australia. Be sure to check her out — by all accounts, she's killin' it across the Tasman. Starting her career from the ground up, Harding has dominated the pub scene of Lyttelton — a port town just south of the Christchurch CBD. Full of rural charm and enchanting melodies, her acoustic folk is definitely telling of her roots. Like New Zealand's answer to Julia Stone, her music is rich in character and story. Her self-titled debut so far has just the one single, 'Hunter', with the rest to be released on July 25. And she's making her way to our shores just one week later, so you better get acquainted with it quickly. Touring Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne alongside fellow Kiwis Tiny Ruins the shows are sure to be a very chilled affair — perfect for red wine, big jumpers and melodious swaying. Better yet, she's throwing in a couple of free gigs for punters in Sydney and Melbourne. Staying true to her pub roots, Harding will be hitting up Midnight Special and Public Bar on her lonesome. Cruise by, pick up a pint and take a chance on the new girl. It'll pay off in a few months when she's the next Lorde. Tour dates: Tuesday, July 1 – Black Bear, Brisbane Wednesday, July 2 – Newtown Social Club, Sydney Thursday, July 3 – Midnight Special, Sydney Sunday, July 6 – Public Bar, Melbourne Tuesday, July 8 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
Walking and Facebooking saves you time but severely angers fellow strutters you've meandered into with your nose in your status update. In a bold attempt to make the city's infrastructure suit the times (and save some pedestrian lives), the Chinese city of Chongqing has opened a dedicated lane for smartphone walkers, separate from their regular walking path. Inspired by Washington D.C. — the smartphone-heavy capital worked with National Geographic's Mind Over Masses show to open the first version of the footpath in July — the design sees with one lane for smartphone using pedestrians (or 'phubbers', the technical term made for 'phone snubbers') and the other for people actually paying attention on their walk. Installed as another safety experiment for NatGeo, the 'Foreigner Street' lane is drawing attention to the high risk texting pedestrians pose to themselves and their fellow commuters. Australian cities could benefit from this not-so-ridiculous-sounding idea, with smartphones and tablets increasingly discovered as causing a significant number of pedestrian injuries and deaths around the country. After the Pedestrian Council of Australia conducted spot tests in specific Sydney areas, they found one in ten pedestrians were using their mobile while wandering — sometimes not even looking up. You've done it. We've done it. This woman did it. Via Gizmodo and Tencent. Images: Tencent.
There’s nothing quite like an old-fashioned panto (pantomime). They seem to have faded out of favour in the last ten to twenty years, goodness knows why - pantos have something to suit the full gamut of theatre tastes: dress ups, melodrama, audience participation, music and more. Two classic Australian stars of the stage, Reg Livermore and Nancy Hayes, are bringing back the traditional panto to Brisbane, combined with twists of cabaret, film noir, vaudeville and slapstick comedy. Turns explores the lives of Marjory Joy and her son, Alistair, as they come to terms with their lives; their emotions attempting to understand who they are. Sounds intense, but their highs and lows are shared with the audience in a variety of ways, taking the audience on a journey of laughter and tears with the characters. Reg Livermore created Turns specifically with the intention for Nancy to appear in it. Together they bring almost a century of skills, experience and talent to the stage, both having performed in literally hundreds of productions from musicals, to plays, and television series, they are grand stars of the Australian theatre scene.
To quote David Suzuki, "Some of the ingredients in beauty products ain't that pretty". In fact, of the 82,000 or so ingredients commonly used, about one in eight is nasty. As in, a proven pesticide, carcinogen, reproductive toxin or hormone disruptor — or a combo of the above. It's not uncommon to toss a surfactant, degreaser or plasticiser into the mix. Consequently, more and more consumers are opting for organic and chemical-free products. DIY's on the rise, too, but doing anything more complex than sticking cucumber slices over your eyes and kicking back can get pretty messy pretty quickly. The good news is, a Milan-based company has come up with a system to make the process much smoother — more like the science lesson you wish you'd had at school than a cooking class gone horribly wrong. The Teardrop DIY kit is a "phytocosmetic lab" made up of beakers, burners, measurers and jars. Fundamentally, it's a distillation system via which you can extract the beneficial qualities of plants and create a 100 percent natural herbal water, which can be transformed into safe cosmetics. The kit comes with a bunch of recipes and info regarding the properties of various herbs and flowers. So you can work it successfully without a PhD in chemistry. Via PSFK.
There's the naturalism you know, and then there's the immersive, mythic, sensorial and heady naturalism of Abdellatif Kechiche's Blue Is the Warmest Colour (known in its native France as Adele: Chapters 1 & 2). The director boldly sticks his camera in the face of actor Adele Exarchopoulos and lets it linger there for three hours, watching intensely as the ingenue lives and loses her first love, while several years roll by. It's an extreme viewing experience that garnered high praise in Europe and won the most prestigious independent film award on the planet, the Palme d'Or. Since winning, the film has encountered controversy, but nothing can dampen the phenomenal performances of leads Exarchopoulos as Adele and Lea Seydoux as her worldlier girlfriend, Emma. Adele is from a plain, working-class household, and her world opens up when she meets art student Emma, who floors her from across the street with her blue-streaked hair and white-hot insouciance. Their love is explosive, total and immensely physical. But first loves don't often last, and that's probably a good thing. Captured in extreme close-up, Blue Is the Warmest Colour lets you feel the beauty and the pain of it, really feel it, for a few blessed minutes. Blue Is the Warmest Colour is in cinemas on February 13, and thanks to Transmission Films, we have five double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au. Read our full review of Blue Is the Warmest Colour here. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Y2OLRrocn3s
Brisbane's skyline might boast a Skyneedle from Expo '88, a building that looks like it belongs in Gotham City, and a few rooftop doughnuts around the place (thanks, Doughnut Time), however, the city doesn't have a leaning tower... yet. Forget Pisa — slightly askew structures can pop up in Kangaroo Point, too. Well, they can if a new residential block with a striking design gets the go ahead. If approved, The Jardino would take over the space at 12 Hamilton Street, bringing 19 storeys of not-quite-straight apartments to the riverside patch of land. Of course, unlike the tourist attraction that people flock to Italy to see — and take mindblowing, perspective-bending, incredibly original faux hold-up photos — that tilt will be by design. And, while the multi-layered monolith will feature a distinctive curve, that's not the only striking feature. Given that its name means garden in French, it's hardly surprising that external greenery will play a large part in The Jardino. The tiered construction will facilitate a vertical garden that'll change with the seasons, and brighten up the sky with LED lighting at night. Plus, The Jardino won't just be nice to gaze at — it'll also give folks with fat stacks of spare cash a fancy new place to live. On the 17 floors that will be dedicated to living space, each one will only house one apartment. We're not quite sure why it needs to lean, but we're not ones to quash ambitious, blue-sky design ideas. Lean on. Via Domain. Images: Supplied.
Not that you need any extra incentive to do your bit for the environment, but here's a fun one anyway: your mates at Victoria Bitter have just started a new program that lets Aussies swap their excess solar energy for beer. Under the VB Solar Exchange initiative, locals can turn the power bill credit earned by their home's solar panels into a few icy cold brews, rather than simply selling it back to the grid. Specifically, VB is offering participants in its program a slab of beer for every $30 worth of energy credits they rack up. And, those brews will be delivered straight to your door, too. Of course, not just any old beer lover can get involved — and there are a few tight eligibility requirements to meet. First, you'll need to already have solar panels and be connected to the grid as a residential customer in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria or South Australia. You'll also have to switch over to VB's chosen energy retailer, Diamond Energy. And you'll obviously need to be over the age of 18, so you can properly enjoy the spoils of your solar swapping. If you do tick all the boxes, you can register your interest over at the website and then sit back and wait to hear if you've been accepted into the program. Once in, you'll earn yourself a VB for every $1.25 of credit generated — and a slab once you've clocked up enough for 24 beers. Participants can track their progress as they go, with beers delivered to your door quarterly. That said, VB's producer CUB is only accepting 500 people into the program. It's also only handing out a maximum of 30 slabs per person each year, with debit cards sent out to cover the remaining credits. So if you're keen, don't wait too long to sign up. CUB is set to reinvest the solar credits back into the Solar Exchange program, as well as using a portion to hit the company's broader sustainability targets. The program is the latest in a suite of initiatives by CUB's parent company Asahi Beverages, as part of an ambitious sustainability program. It's committed to being powered by 100 percent renewable electricity by 2025. Registrations for the VB Solar Exchange are open now. Head to the website to check if you're eligible and to sign up.
Melbourne's avocado aficionados are either in for a serious treat, or are the butt of an elaborate breakfast joke (or both), with this week's revelation that a smashed avo and music 'festival' is coming to town. The event, announced via Facebook, looks set to take over a secret location in Docklands on Saturday, May 19. Apparently, festival-goers will get to revel in a bunch of 'amazing avocado-based activities' — like avocado and spoon races, and smashed avo masterclasses — while enjoying 'avocado and activated almond cocktails', and the unique works of some 'brunch-based' performance artists. Those last two points had us thinking this was an elaborate brunch-based hoax, but organisers have confirmed the legitimacy of the event and tickets are very much on sale. If you fancy heading along to indulge your smooshy green desires, the first round of tickets can be bought for for $20. Sales for 'ripe' tickets begin on April 23. And it's not just about the green stuff, either. To help you dance it all off, there'll be a locally focused music program headed up by Melbourne DJ legend Spacey Space — a diehard avo fan himself, they say. Smashed Avo will take place at a yet-to-be-disclosed location in Docklands from 2pm on Saturday, May 19. You can buy tickets here.
It's the kind of coastal getaway everyone dreams of: ocean views as far as the eye can see, decadent suites climbing 48 storeys into the sky, and five on-site restaurants manned by world-class chefs. Throw in an Asian street-style food market, a rooftop open-air cinema, more than a couple of bars and even karaoke, and it's shaping up to become Australia's new must-visit place to stay. Meet the Gold Coast's next drawcard, and Australia's first six-star beachfront hotel. The as-yet-unnamed site is slated to join the Queensland tourist spot's abundance of accommodation options, with Aquis Australia lodging a development application with the local council for the $440 million project. If approved, construction is slated to start in 2018. Taking over the space at 3464 to 3466 Main Beach Parade, Surfers Paradise, and designed by architects Woods Bagot, the new hotel will also include 580 rooms, an atrium lobby spread over three levels, and a $2.5 million custom art installation. And, if swimming somewhere other than the adjacent seaside takes your fancy, it'll boast a glass bottom pool that can be viewed from within the hotel. Plus, it's the only new, large-scale south-east Queensland hotel that isn't linked to an integrated resort or casino. And yes, we know what you're wondering — just what makes a six-star hotel so special? It's a fair question, particularly given that anything above five isn't officially recognised; however the key is the level of indulgence on offer. "Our goal was to create a hotel that would become a destination in itself, something that is instantly recognisable and synonymous with luxury," says Aquis Australia chairman Tony Fung. "We will be targeting travellers that want to experience the best restaurants, the best beaches, the best accommodation away from the hustle and bustle".
One of the most strenuous undertakings of summer is deciding how best to allocate your funds to Sydney's music festival calendar. This year doing so has proved especially draining to both brain and bank balance what with all the excellent new boutique festivals cropping up alongside the mainstays, but hopefully you've remembered that the best lineup is often painstakingly kept on the d-low until well into spring. After weeks of teasing Twitter followers with inscrutable clues St Jerome's Laneway Festival has finally released its lineup and, duh, it's an indie-dense doozy. Headliners Bat for Lashes, Yeasayer and Nicolas Jaar help comprise the exciting international contingent, alongside plenty of budding artists you'll be hearing a lot more of before 2013. In alphabetical order, the St Jerome's Laneway Festival 2013 Lineup: ALPINE ALT-J# BAT FOR LASHES CHET FAKER CLOUD NOTHINGS DIVINE FITS EL-P FLUME HENRY WAGONS & THE UNWELCOME COMPANY HIGH HIGHS* HOLY OTHER JAPANDROIDS# JESSIE WARE JULIA HOLTER KINGS OF CONVENIENCE THE MEN MS MR THE NEIGHBOURHOOD NICOLAS JAAR## NITE JEWEL* OF MONSTERS AND MEN* PERFUME GENIUS POLICA POND REAL ESTATE# THE RUBENS SHLOHMO SNAKADAKTAL TWERPS YEASAYER St Jerome's Laneway Festival 2013 dates: Brisbane RNA Showgrounds Friday 1st February Sydney Sydney College of the Arts (Subject to Council approval) Saturday 2nd February Melbourne Footscray Community Arts Centre (Subject to Council approval) Sunday 3rd February Adelaide Fowler's Live and UniSA West Courtyards Friday 8th February Perth Perth Cultural Centre Saturday 9th February 2013 Presale tickets start 9AM, Wednesday 3 October. See full details on the Laneway website. https://youtube.com/watch?v=iqkLWlZx7A4
Think that Uber has completely transformed the idea of getting a ride from A to B? Actually, that's just the beginning. Airbus has just announced plans to start building a new kind of short-distance transportation that'll really make catching a cab completely different. Given that the company specialises in building aircraft, the fact that they're taking taxis into the sky shouldn't be that surprising. Yep, where their proposed helicopter-like vehicles are going they don't need roads — or, in a turn of events that might thrill or frighten you depending on how adventurous you are, they don't need drivers either. Their battery-powered CityAirbus will be designed to ferry about both passengers and small parcels without anyone at the helm, and will be booked and ordered via smartphone apps. The project is aimed towards easing urban congestion, particularly in some of the world's largest, most crowded cities. Of course, given that everyone is just getting used to concepts such as driverless cabs on the ground and slurpees delivered by drone, Airbus will have plenty of hurdles to scale before their futuristic technology becomes available to the masses, legal issues included. That hasn't deterred the industrious company, however, who continue to look onwards and upwards. Work started in February this year, test flights of the first protoype are slated to take place in 2017, and Airbus has stated the end product might be zooming about in as little as ten years, so watch this space — or the skies, more accurately. It seems that the world of flying cars that science fiction efforts like Back to the Future, The Fifth Element and even The Jetsons have been promising us for years might soon be a reality. Image: via Airbus.
Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby was, as we all knew it would be, better as a trailer than a movie. It's hard to forget the first time I saw that beautifully designed gold art deco logo in the first ad, the dark beat of Jay-Z and Kanye's 'No Church in the Wild' and the shimmying of African-American flappers drinking champagne in a convertible. Gatsby's mansion looks every bit like the epic party hub described in the book, and though the film fails on the level of emotional depth and pace, visually it's spectacular. As becomes clear in this before-and-after video, by Gatsby's VFX supervisor Chris Godfrey, that mansion, in fact, never existed: green screen computer-generated effects make up even more of the set than you might expect. Let Lana Del Rey's irresistibly transfixing 'Young and Beautiful' take you through the digital construction of Gatsby's opulent world.
This year has taught us many things, but one of the best lessons has been how to find joy in the little things. With big moments that normally punctuate our lives — like overseas holidays, massive parties and gigs — stripped away, we've had to look elsewhere for those dopamine kicks that improve our day-to-day. But it wasn't as hard as we thought. Even in this altered state of 'normal', our city is brimming with quick pick-me-ups — if you know where to look. To give you some inspiration, we've teamed up with Oporto to bring you a 'small win' for each day of the working week. Give these a go and the weekend will be here before you know it. MONDAY: CATCH THE LATEST BLOCKBUSTER (FOR LESS) Thanks to streaming services, going to the cinema has increasingly felt like a novelty over the last few years, but never more so than now. Rather than turning straight to your Netflix queue after work, take advantage of Palace Cinemas' Cheap Monday deal and see the latest blockbuster for less. Not that keen on any of the big-name new releases? That's okay. The cinema also screens more obscure titles, film festival favourites — the Italian Film Festival is coming up — and screenings of classics flicks, so you're sure to find something that piques your interest. [caption id="attachment_780751" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gerwyn Davies[/caption] TUESDAY: EXPLORE AN OUTDOOR ART EXHIBITION If last night's film didn't quite fill your cultural quota for the week, we suggest spending your lunch break immersed in art. First up, check out Japanese-Australian artist Hiromi Tango's new kaleidoscopic light installation, Brainbow Magic, in West End. It's part of Brisbane Festival, and will be there until September 27. If you'd like to combine your art hunting with some outdoor time, track down some (or all) of the artworks that have been dispersed across the city as part of the three-month outdoor exhibition Razzle Dazzle. Curated by Amy-Clare McCarthy and Kieran Swann, the project features pieces by 11 artists affixed to or projected onto the walls of laneways, buildings and car parks from Fish Lane to Howard Smith Wharves. [caption id="attachment_666219" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brisbane City Botanic Garden, Flickr[/caption] WEDNESDAY: EAT LUNCH IN A PARK When the endless emails, looming deadlines or impolite customer interactions have you feeling a little jaded, take a proper midday break. Remind yourself that there's beauty in the world by having an impromptu picnic in the park. When you want to combine your al fresco dining with some stellar water views, the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens is the obvious choice, and Roma Street Parkland is another worthy central spot. A bit further out of the city, we recommend Newstead Park or Rocks Riverside Park, both also based right on the river, or Meadowlands Picnic Ground, which has a bunch of picnic tables available if you don't want to totally rough it. All of these spots are close to an Oporto, so make your to-go lunch the new Halloumi and Chicken Rappa, packed with fresh, flavourful ingredients including grilled halloumi and chicken, creamy mayo, mixed lettuce, avocado and tomato capsicum relish. [caption id="attachment_711839" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland, Paul Giggle[/caption] THURSDAY: TAKE A CYCLING TOUR When life gets in the way, you can forget how brilliant a city Brisbane actually is. Today, track down the city's top sights and fall in love with them again through tourist's eyes — it's not like you can do that in many other places right now anyway (sob). If you don't own a bike, jump on one of the CityCycle hires for just two bucks for the first 60 minutes. Start by pedalling along South Bank, then cross over Goodwill Bridge and explore Brisbane City Botanic Garden. Then, make your through the city to King George Square. Park your bike here and, if you have time to spare, venture into the Museum of Brisbane to check out the free exhibition, The Storytellers. It features stories about Brisbane's history told by the likes of Benjamin Law, Trent Dalton and Victoria Carless. You'll remember why you've chosen to call this beautiful place home in no time. FRIDAY: SHOUT YOUR COLLEAGUES AN AFTERNOON SWEET TREAT It's safe to say that it's been a rough few months on the job front for everyone, whether you've lost work or you're working harder than ever. Either way, getting to the end of the traditional workweek feels like a bigger feat than ever at the moment. And what better way to acknowledge that than Friday arvo gelato? Take some time with your colleagues to enjoy an icy treat in the glorious Brissie sun from Happy Pops in South Brisbane or Goodtimes Gelateria in the Howard Smith Wharves precinct. Still working from home? Check out our list of Brisbane's best gelato joints to find the one closest to you — a few also have delivery available, too. Check out Oporto's full Rappa Range here, then make tracks to your closest store — or order online. Top image: Goodtimes Gelateria
When autumn arrives, it doesn't just bring a reprieve from summer's sweltering weather. The change of season also kicks a new round of holiday pangs into gear. Been craving a cosy getaway, a break from the nine-to-five grind or just a chance to relax? Feel like your Christmas break was ages ago? We hear you — and, if you're eager to make a trip to South Australia before winter hits, the SA Government hears you as well. As it's done a few times already, the South Australian Government is giving away travel vouchers to make your next trip to SA even more enticing — and cheaper. Up for grabs are 60,000 $100 and $200 vouchers that can be used on experiences and tours. So, you'll still need to pay for travel and accommodation (or get comfy in a friend or family member's spare room), but you'll get something fun to do while you're there. As part of SA's Great State Vouchers scheme, the vouchers are available to Aussies nationwide, but they're only on offer until 5pm ACDT — so 5.30pm AEDT and 4.30pm AEST — on Wednesday, March 9. You'll need to enter a ballot to win one, and you can only apply for either a $100 or $200 voucher, not both, but that's still some free travel money coming your way if you're successful. Wondering about the different values? The 57,500 $100 vouchers are for half-day and one-day activities, while the 2500 $200 vouchers are for multi-day tours and experiences that also include at least a one-night stay. And if you're curious about what you can use them for, options include yoga and wine retreats, a session at gin school in the Barossa, kayaking and meditation classes, wine-tasting, a trip to an oyster farm, and a brewery tour and lunch. There's also a Handorf walking tour, heli-camping, farm stays, outback tours and an e-cycling wine safari. If you get lucky in the ballot, you'll be allocated your preferred voucher at random, and informed via text message and email on Thursday, March 10. After that, you can then use them book between Thursday, March 10–Thursday, March 31 for visits between Friday, March 11–Sunday, May 31. There are a few caveats, unsurprisingly. As well as only being able to enter the ballot for one voucher, you might have to also spend some of your own money to use it — to make up the shortfall in price for your chosen tour or experience, if there is one — as well. But, if you received a voucher in prior rounds, you can definitely still enter. And, again, accommodation isn't covered, either. The idea is that folks heading to SA from interstate will then pump some cash into the economy by paying for hotels — and flights, food and drinks — while they're there. For further details about South Australia's Great State Vouchers scheme — or to enter the ballot for one before 5pm ACDT / 5.30pm AEDT / 4.30pm AEST on Wednesday, March 9 — head to the voucher scheme website.
It was true when Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope hit cinema screens more than four decades ago, and it's still true now. If there's one thing everyone knows about the sci-fi world created by George Lucas, it's that it doesn't reveal its secrets quickly. All these years later, viewers are still watching the space opera saga's twists and turns in episodic big-screen instalments (and will soon be doing so on the small screen, too). If you've been keeping an eye out for news about Disney's new dedicated Star Wars theme park zones, it's been a somewhat similar process. Of course, the force is strong with this overall idea. Yes, we've definitely got a good feeling about it as well. From 2019, Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World in Florida will both boast dedicated Star Wars-themed zones, called Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. With the two set to open between the middle and the end of 2019, Disney has started sharing a few details about what fans can expect — including what its main attractions will be. Earlier this year, Oga's Cantina was announced. It's a boozy watering hole that'll be part of both spaces, bringing alcohol to the California park for the first time. Now, Star Wars aficionados can also look forward to Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. The former will put you in the driver's seat of Han Solo's beloved ship, while the latter will see you caught in the middle of a battle between the Resistance and the First Order. Disney has also unveiled a sneak peek of both, with the video for Rise of the Resistance shot in the attraction itself according to the Disney Theme Parks Blog. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssgGCjpFP4Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSxE-b2YDAQ Yep, prepare to say "punch it" a whole heap — and hopefully become best buddies with a loveable wookiee. You'll also be able wander around the outpost of Batuu, which is a hive for smugglers and rogues (naturally); drink blue milk at the cantina; and hop onto a star destroyer. And, while you're enjoying your time in this galaxy far, far away, you'll be listening to new Star Wars music by the man behind its iconic tracks, aka Oscar-winning composer John Williams. Galaxy's Edge was first made public back in 2015, will span 14 acres at each site and will prove the biggest single-themed expansion the respective parks have ever seen. The guiding concept behind both spots is to "transport guests to a never-before-seen planet, a remote trading port and one of the last stops before wild space where Star Wars characters and their stories come to life." More details are certain to come to light before Galaxy's Edge opens, but expect both zones to tie into all ten Star Wars movies to date and to feature an array of beloved characters roaming around. Expect to be able to buy plenty of merchandise at the gift shop as well. Eventually, visitors to Disney World will also be able to spend a night or several in an immersive Star Wars-themed hotel too, although construction hasn't started yet and an opening date hasn't been announced either. That said, Disney has just revealed that a visit to the hotel will involve boarding a launch pod and taking part in "a fully-immersive, multi-day Star Wars adventure aboard a luxury starship", with high-end dining and cabins that apparently have a space view all part of your stay. Via Disney Theme Parks Blog.
Does Bradley Cooper wish he worked in music, rather than cinema? If the Nightmare Alley and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 star's work as a director is any guide, perhaps. When he first jumped behind the camera just a few years back, it was for the latest take on A Star Is Born, in which he also cast himself as a rocker and sang with Lady Gaga. Now, he's following that up with Maestro, a biopic about famed American composer Leonard Bernstein. Yes, Cooper also plays the conductor, as well as helming — and co-writing the screenplay with Spotlight, The Post and First Man's Josh Singer. The focus isn't just on Bernstein's immense career, but also on his relationship with his Costa Rica-born actor wife Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein. Slipping into the latter's shoes: Carey Mulligan (She Said). As the just-dropped first trailer for Maestro shows, audiences can look forward to Cooper picking up the baton, as well as a snapshot of all the acclaim that came Bernstein's way. There's certainly plenty to cover — seven Emmys, two Tonys, 16 Grammys, the music for West Side Story, and being considered one of the greatest conductors of all time all included. But scenes of the Bernstein making music magic aren't the main part of this first sneak peek. Instead, moments that navigate Leonard and Felicia's romance dance prominently through the teaser. Maestro hails from Netflix, with the film hitting the streaming service on December 20. Given that it's being poised as a prime awards contender for the 2024 Oscars, it'll also get a run in select cinemas from November 22, as the streaming platform tends to do with its starry end-of-year flicks. Before all of that, it'll premiere at the Venice International Film Festival in September. As well as Cooper and Mulligan, Maestro's cast includes Maya Hawke (Asteroid City), Matt Bomer (Magic Mike's Last Dance), Sarah Silverman (The Bob's Burgers Movie) and Michael Urie (Shrinking). And among the producers? Just a couple of folks who know a thing or two about grand, lavish filmmaking: Martin Scorsese (The Irishman) and Steven Spielberg (The Fabelmans). Check out the trailer for Maestro below: Maestro will release in select cinemas on November 22, and hit Netflix on December 20. Images: Jason McDonald/Netflix.
When The Afterparty arrived on Apple TV+ in 2022, riding a wave of revived murder-mystery comedy love that Knives Out and Only Murders in the Building had helped wash over screens big and small, it made one big risky move. Throwing a motley crew of characters together, then offing one? Tried, tested and a favourite for a reason. The ensemble cast attempting to sleuth its way through a shock death? Flawless. The genre-bending setup that saw each episode in the season parody a different style of filmmaking? Perfectly executed. Having the words "how great is this party?" uttered over and over again? That's what could've proven dicey if The Afterparty wasn't in fact great; thankfully, it very much was. There's a reason that phrase kept being uttered, because superfluous detail isn't this show's style: as in all great whodunnits, everything happens, is mentioned or can be spotted with cause. Creator Christopher Miller and his fellow executive producer Phil Lord, a duo with Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, 21 Jump Street and 22 Jump Street, and The Lego Movie on their resumes as co-directors, know the format they're working with. Crucially, they know how carefully their audience will scrutinise every clue and element. And, in the show's first season and now the just-arrived second season — which streams from Wednesday, July 12 — they also know how to equally honour and spoof. Fittingly, The Afterparty feels like a murder-mystery comedy party as a result. Affectionate, adoring, irreverent, willing to get loose and shake things up: that's the vibe and approach. In season one, the series' title was literal thanks to a high-school reunion with fateful post-soiree hijinks. In season two, a wedding brings a disparate group together — and, following the nuptials and reception, The Afterparty's moniker comes into play again. To the horror of the returning Aniq Adjaye (Sam Richardson, I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson) and his ex-classmate, now-girlfriend Zoe Zhu (Zoe Chao, Party Down), another body then puts a dampener on the festivities; however, this second go-around doesn't get a-solving just in one night. Aniq and Zoe have recovered from their last confrontation with a killing at a celebration by diving into their romance, but it's the latter's younger sister Grace (Poppy Liu, Dead Ringers) who's getting hitched. Her groom Edgar (Zach Woods, Avenue 5) sports both family money and a cryptocurrency-aided bank-balance boost, he's an all-work-no-play socially awkward type as a result and, when he's alive, he's more fond of his pet lizard than most humans. Then he's found face down after the afterparty, plus his reptilian friend as well. Experiencing a hefty case of déjà vu — season two's episode, which focuses on him, is even called 'Aniq 2: The Sequel' — Aniq calls in the also-returning Danner (Tiffany Haddish, The Card Counter). His plan: to get his now former-cop pal to help him find the culprit before the real police arrive. This season's suspect pool spans another murderers' row of talent. Liu is distraught as Grace, but perhaps not as upset as one might expect in the circumstances. Elizabeth Perkins' (Barry) Isabel is standoffish and snobbish before her son is dead, and doesn't improve amid her gin-sipping afterwards. As Edgar's adopted sister Hannah, Anna Konkle (PEN15) plays the family eccentric — and as his business partner Sebastian, Jack Whitehall (Jungle Cruise) trots out a charm offensive. On Grace's side, Vivian Wu (Irma Vep) and Ken Jeong (Community) dote as the elder Zhus, and also worry about their baobing business. John Cho (Cowboy Bebop) plays absentee uncle Ulysses, and Paul Walter Hauser (Bupkis) a pining ex. All could have motivation to help shuffle Edgar off this mortal coil. As is The Afterparty's template, all have different perspectives on his demise, as well as the events leading up to it and then following his next-morning discovery. Miller has set himself a trickier task with season two, since The Afterparty's debut run took most of the obvious genres, worked in a murder-mystery and got lampooning. Aniq's new dedicated chapter is a rom-com follow-up, which the cast and writers alike have a ball playing with. From there, everything from Wes Anderson flicks, period romances and black-and-white gumshoe noirs to Hitchcockian suspense, Jane Austen romances and melodrama get a spin. The perceptive thinking behind the show's gimmick remains astute, demonstrating how differently each and every one of us sees not just shared events, but our overall lives. The Rashomon effect, cycling through varying takes on the same incident, also muses cleverly on cause and effect. And the execution largely remains smart and savvy; having to dive deeper with its genre homages only sometimes dulls the series' usually sharp writing. Swapping and hopping between stylistic filters has helped The Afterparty counteract the threat of formula and familiarity, too. Each batch of episodes takes place in one setting, after all, and retraces the same death again and again. Even if flitting between erotic thrillers and heists (and more) wasn't on the agenda, season two's main players would be a treat together — and most make the utmost of their stint in the spotlight. Cho scores a glorious 'Careless Whisper' dance, Hauser is a comic delight in his hard-boiled spoof, and Konkle makes certain that following in The Royal Tenenbaums' footsteps doesn't feel like a social-media meme or AI copy. Still, as the mismatched duo going all Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings, Richardson and Haddish are the show's MVPs — and hilarious. Odd-couple detectives are a sleuthing staple, but when they're done this well and with such fine-tuned performances, including in a caper comedy with Miller and Lord's penchant for mile-a-minute gags, they're the scaffolding that everything else hangs off. Richardson plays Aniq as sincere yet shrewd, fretting over impressing the potential future in-laws and doing everything he can to get in their good graces — and the Detroiters, Veep, Ted Lasso and I Think You Should Leave star is indeed the life of this party. Haddish's timing never falters, nor her pace and energy, nor her ability to ensure that Danner is never a stock-standard inspector in any way. Death at a Funeral has already been done, and twice, but a must-attend bash awaits however and wherever Miller reteams his two leads for a hopefully soon-to-be-greenlit third season. Check out the trailer for season two of The Afterparty below: Season two of The Afterparty streams via Apple TV+ from Wednesday, July 12. Read our full review of season one.
Gracing pages for almost a century — plus screens big and small for decades — Winnie-the-Pooh has done many things in his time. Ever since AA Milne first conjured up the honey-loving, walking-and-talking teddy bear back in the 1920s, Pooh has enjoyed plenty of adventures, usually involving Christopher Robin and his Hundred Acre Wood pals Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger, Kanga and Roo. And, of course, the cuddly critter's efforts to eat as much of his favourite foodstuff as possible have also earned more than a little attention. We've all seen the cartoons — and the toys — and watched films such Goodbye Christopher Robin and Christopher Robin in recent years, too. So far, so adorable. That said, Winnie-the-Pooh's next outing is set to prove anything but. Called Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, it's a slasher film. Yes, really. And, it'll turn Pooh and Piglet into serial killers — and carve into everyone's childhoods in the process. No, the idea that Pooh might turn murderous hasn't ever crossed anyone's minds before — he's a honey-fiending teddy bear who doesn't wear pants, after all — but that's changing thanks to director Rhys Waterfield. And if you're wondering about the tone of the film, other than horror, the filmmaker's other upcoming titles include Firenado, Sky Monster and Rise of the Loch Ness. Yes, viewers will clearly be in B-movie territory here — as the premise makes plain as well. The setup: after seeing their food supplies dwindle as Christopher grew up, Pooh and Piglet have spent years feeling hungry. They've turned feral, in fact, even eating Eeyore to survive. So when Christopher returns, it sets the pair on a rampage, which leads to them a rural cabin where a group of university students are holidaying. We've all seen what usually happens from there, even if this is the first time that it'll involve an iconic kids character. The phrase you're looking for: "oh bother". Whether Winnie-the-Pooh exclaims those two words is yet to be revealed, but you could probably put money on them getting uttered at some point. Exactly when Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey will reach screens Down Under, and where, also hasn't yet been announced — and the film's release date in the US and UK is also yet to be set at this point. Wondering why something that's usually so sweet and innocent is being given the creepy, bloody, eerie horror treatment — turning Winnie-the-Pooh into a killer, no less? It's because the character has just entered the public domain in America. Disney no longer holds the copyright, and no one can now hold the exclusive intellectual property rights over the character, opening the door for wild interpretations like this slasher flick. Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey doesn't yet have a release date Down Under — we'll update you when further details are released. Images: Jagged Edge Productions.
Firework envy? Australia? Never! Not until now, that is. For the first time ever, the Brits have something we don't for New Year's Eve — the world's first smellable, taste-able firework display. When Big Ben hits midnight on December 31, the sky over South Bank on the River Thames will explode with not only the usual sounds and colours but a cascading fruit salad made up of strawberry flavours, banana confetti, peach snow and enormous 'zesty Spanish orange' bubbles. The brains behind the operation are culinary spectacular experts Bompas & Parr. This month, their epic gingerbread reconstruction of London's "lost and unbuilt architecture" has had crowds dropping jaws around Selfridges’ Oxford Street windows. Bompas & Parr have described their NYE plans as a “massive responsibility”. “The closer we get to it, the more we realise the scale of what we’re doing,” they said. “Hopefully, what we’ll be doing, is giving people the best night of their life.” Given that revellers are bound to be fighting for a spot at South Bank, event partner Vodafone has organised a synchronised augmented reality experience that will be streamed internationally. Plus, in another first, London’s original New Year’s Eve fireworks app will go live at midnight, with the download available 24 hours before. Via PSFK
If you've ever whiled away your evening hours watching MasterChef while enviously eating a two-ingredient pesto pasta for dinner, we have some good news for you: Jacob's Creek is setting up a pop-up kitchen in Sydney, and it's aimed precisely at those who want to refine their chef skills a little — i.e., you. Rather than defaulting to one of the well-worn tourist trap restaurants on your Sydney trip, head to Kitchen Collective for a more memorable experience. In this Surry Hills pop-up restaurant, Huxtaburger chef (and past guest judge on MasterChef) Daniel Wilson will guide attendees through a two-course cooking demonstration of one entree and one dessert. Diners will learn from Wilson and then take part in a little friendly competition as they recreate the two courses. While there will be prizes up for grabs, there won't be any eliminations (and hopefully no tears, either). To take a little of the pressure away, caterers Studio Neon will take care of your main course and Jacob's Creek Barossa Signature wines will be matched to each course. Wine expert Ambar Maddox will be present to chat through each free-flowing drop and share the secret to food and wine pairing. As well as helping you hone your top chef skills, the pop-up will also contribute to an even greater good: 100 percent of profits are being donated to SecondBite, a charity that provides food and support for the needy. It's the perfect excuse to book an interstate jaunt. Jacob's Creek Kitchen Collective will take place between Friday, July 27 and Sunday, August 12 in Surry Hills, Sydney. Daytime sessions will run from 12pm–4pm on Saturdays and Sundays, and the nighttime experience will run from 6pm–10pm every Friday to Sunday. Only 16 seats are available for each session, so move quickly and nab your spot here.
When the pandemic first hit, binge-watching movies about contagions, outbreaks and infections became everyone's go-to pastime. Some were eerily prophetic (yes, we're talking about Contagion, obviously); however, even when flicks in the genre didn't resemble our reality, they still lured us in. There's a sense of comfort in watching these worst-case scenarios. We watch for the same reason that we watch horror movies, because seeing these things play out on-screen helps us confront our fears in a safe space. The dystopian genre looks a little different through our weary eyes now, of course, but we're still viewing away. The next thing to add to your streaming queue: Y: The Last Man, the long-awaited TV adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name. On the page between 2002–8, the comic book series stepped into a post-apocalyptic world where an eerie illness wipes out everyone with a Y chromosome, humans and other mammals alike. And yes, it does all sound a little like a reverse version of The Handmaid's Tale and Children of Men — with a few twists, clearly. In this fictional scenario, only Yorick Brown and his Capuchin monkey Ampersand manage to survive — alongside the planet's women, all of whom are now endeavouring to find a new status quo. So, that's what the Y: The Last Man TV series will chart, as teased in its trailer. Brian K Vaughan and Pia Guerra's graphic novel has actually been slated for the TV treatment for more than a decade — and before that, a film version was even floated but it didn't eventuate — and now the television series will start hitting Australian streaming service Binge from Tuesday, September 14. Ben Schnetzer (Pride, Warcraft, The Grizzlies) plays Yorick, and he's joined on-screen by Diane Lane (Let Him Go) as his mother — and the new US President — plus Olivia Thirlby (Goliath) as his sister. The cast also includes Amber Tamblyn (The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret), Ashley Romans (NOS4A2) and Elliot Fletcher (The Fosters), while The Killing and Animal Kingdom's Eliza Clark is on writing and showrunning duties. Check out the trailer below: Y: The Last Man starts streaming in Australia via Binge from Tuesday, September 14.
Often, when actors start expanding their wardrobe to include a musician hat, the world heaves a sigh. But Hugh Laurie is one of those annoying people who can do just about anything he turns his hand to. And do it so well that, having just watched an episode of House, we find ourselves jumping online, scouring YouTube for clips of him playing the blues. Or tango. Or several other forms of American music. The excellent news is that Laurie, his many talents and the Copper Bottom Band are soon to pack their respective bags and wing themselves our way. Between April 19 and May 5, they'll be singing, playing and joking their way around Australia, making appearances at seven major cities. Laurie was last here in 1981, but that was for a comedy show tour. "We're really excited to be coming to Australia to perform," he says. "The last time I was there was 1981, in a comedy show, and the world has changed a lot since then. I haven't though. I'm exactly the same. It's uncanny. Obviously, I'll be hoping to restore some national pride after the Ashes. If anyone throws anything at me, I'll lob up an easy catch to the balcony." If you're a Laurie fan, you might already know that his role as Dr Gregory House has won him two Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards, as well as six Emmy nominations. He's also gained cult status for his roles in Jeeves and Wooster, A Bit of Fry and Laurie (he and Fry are old buddies from Cambridge Uni) and Blackadder. All the while, he's been playing the blues behind the scenes. In fact, he started on the piano at the age of six. But it wasn't till 2011 that he teamed up with the Copper Bottom Band to release debut album Let Them Talk. Last year saw the launch of sophomore Didn't It Rain, which is a kind of history of the blues from New Orleans to the American heartland. Guests include soul vocalist Jean McClain and Guatemalan Gaby Moreno. Full tour dates below. Melbourne: Sat 19 April, Palais Theatre (Tickets through Ticketmaster) Canberra: Tue 22 April, Royal Theatre (Tickets through Ticketek) Adelaide: Thu 24 Apr, Thebarton Theatre (Tickets through Venuetix) Perth: Sat 26 Apr, Concert Hall (Tickets through Ticketek) Brisbane: Fri 2 May, Brisbane Concert Hall (Tickets through QTix) Newcastle: Sat 3 May, Civic Theatre (Tickets through Ticketek) Sydney: Mon 5 May, State Theatre (Tickets through Ticketmaster) https://youtube.com/watch?v=yYnJrluzbQY
If you're a Brisbanite with a fondness for trivia — and a head full of otherwise pointless tidbits just waiting to be scribbled down quickly — then you've likely been to one of Man vs Bear's events. Usually, its slate is filled with both general and themed trivia evenings at plenty of pubs and bars around town; however, when COVID-19 restrictions hit, it took its questions online for everyone everywhere to enjoy. Meet Isolation Trivia. No, all the questions won't just be about staying indoors — but because that's what we're all now doing, these trivia nights will be live-streamed. Man vs Bear and Not On Your Rider's Aimon Clark will play quizmaster, you'll jot down your answers at home and everyone can compare scores virtually — and battle for trivia supremacy. Isolation Trivia will be popping up regularly, with the next trivia nights live-streaming on Tuesday, September 22 and Friday, September 25 — at 6.30pm AEST. To play along, head to the event's Facebook page. Top image: Not On Your Rider
In news that's an actual Thing, everyone's favourite half-giant of few words is coming to Australia to host a series of Game of Thrones-themed rave parties later this year. Kristian Nairn, who plays the simple and loveable Hodor, is a legit house DJ — minds are boggled as to why this sort of party hasn't been thrown sooner. Thankfully touring company Falcona have jumped on the house-loving GoT favourite and we can party like we've finally found the three-eyed raven. As the name suggests, Rave of Thrones will be a series of GoT-themed parties in large-scale Australian venues — and dress ups are mandatory. Break out the faux fur, your finest armour or dye your hair silver-white; just leave your Valerian steel at the door. We're expecting to see Starks dancing with Lannisters, Tyrells and Tullys sharing mead, while Wildlings and White Walkers unite forces in the name of rave. These parties are likely to attract a larger crowd then the Red and the Purple wedding combined (and will presumably be way less murdery), so make sure you snap up some tickets faster than one of Ygritte's arrows heading for Jon Snow's heart. Nairn has recently been in Melbourne for Oz Comic-Con with Daniel Portman (aka Podrick Payne), so we're thanking the Old Gods and the New that he'll be returning to us shortly. Nairn will be joined by audio visual artist Ego who will be cranking out GoT-themed projections, and the night will include "surprise guests and garnishings" — we're not sure exactly what that entails just yet. HODOR! Rave Of Thrones dates (tickets on sale now): Thursday, 28 August The Hi-Fi, Sydney Tickets via The Hi-Fi Friday, 29 August Secret Warehouse, Brisbane Tickets via Moshtix Saturday, 30 August Villa, Perth Tickets via Villa Thursday, 4 September Prince Bandroom, Melbourne Tickets via Prince Bandroom Friday, 5 September Discovery, Darwin Tickets via Discovery Sunday, 7 September Zhivago, Adelaide Tickets via Zhivago https://youtube.com/watch?v=cxjw-w-V5k4 Via In The Mix.
After heading Down Under for Laneway Festival earlier in 2023, Japanese Australian singer-songwriter Joji will finally give his Aussie and Kiwi fans the chance to catch a glimpse of him at his own headline gigs when he returns for a run of arena shows. The viral hitmaker will make his way Down Under following his current US run of gigs, starting by bringing the Pandemonium tour to Australia's east coast across three dates in November. The tour will kick off in Sydney at Qudos Bank Arena on Thursday, November 16, before moving to the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Saturday, November 18 and Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne on Monday, November 2o. From there, Joji will cross the ditch and arrive in Auckland for a one-off New Zealand show at Spark Arena on Wednesday, November 22. Joji's debut headline Australian and New Zealand shows have been a long time coming. After fostering a cult following on YouTube, he pivoted his talents to music in 2017, releasing three studio albums across the following six years. The entire trio of albums has spawned Top 40 hits in Australia, New Zealand and the US, and Joji is one of only a handful of artists that can claim to have multiple songs with over a billion streams on Spotify — with 'Glimpse of Us' and 'Slow Dancing in the Dark' both passing this impressive milestone. Concertgoers can expect the heartfelt emotions of Joji's ballads alongside a sprinkling of humour, with his live shows receiving online notoriety for the performer's onstage hijinx between and during songs. Scottish dance producer and singer Sam Gellaitry will be supporting all four dates, alongside rapper SavageRealm, who is currently opening for Joji on his North American tour. JOJI'S PANDEMONIUM TOUR: Thursday, November 16 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Saturday, November 18 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane Monday, November 20 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Wednesday, November 22 — Spark Arena, Auckland Joji will play four shows in Australia and New Zealand in November 2023. Ticket pre-sales start at 12pm on Thursday, August 24 via Frontier Touring, followed by the general sale at 2pm on Friday, August 25. Head to the tour website for further details.
The perks of living in a metropolitan city are many. There's a selection of Thai restaurants on a single block, coffees that are genuinely good, and mouthwatering desserts available until midnight, if you know where to look. Newstead's Chester Street — artisan bakery with woodfired pizzas, fresh coffees, beer, wine and hand-crafted cocktails by day — is now adding late-night desserts to their menu. Nutella pizza with caramelised banana and toasted marshmallow, waffles with candied bacon and maple syrup ice cream, and 'peanut butter and jelly' (a peanut butter Blondie with jelly ice cream and hot chocolate sauce) and many more will be on offer — and probably swallowed whole by the first patron in sight. They're available till midnight every night of the week. “We make everything on site including all the cakes, fillings sauces and garnishes from scratch from quality ingredients, all made by skilled and devoted pastry and cake lovers here at Chester Street,” patron chef Jocelyn Hancock said of the recently launched dessert menu. Hancock worked with owner Damian Griffiths on the menu on designing the menu. “We’ve focused on the fun aspect of modern day sweets. There’s something for everyone on the menu, which means there’s plenty of options for our regular dessert devotees.” All we know is, a Nutella pizza at midnight sounds like a treat.
First it was The Guardian. Then came The Huffington Post. And now it looks like The New York Times will be the next international publication to launch in Australia. Overnight Joe Pompeo of the U.S. edition of Politico reported that the Times plans to expand to two new markets: Canada and Australia. The @nytimes' next two global expansion targets: Canada and Australia. They're working on setting up ops in both https://t.co/GfUX5LqZFJ — Joe Pompeo (@joepompeo) August 23, 2016 The expansion to the two new markets will be a an attempt to increase their paid digital audience, and will be similar to the Mexico City-based newsroom they set up earlier this year. Politico also reports that they're in the early stages of hiring reporters. Reps have been tight-lipped so far, but The New York Times' head of communications Eileen Murphy told Crikey that the publication is "focused on Australia" as part of their global expansion. We'd be stoked to see some locally-focused (and locally-produced) stories from the Times — but we'll await official confirmation. Stay tuned. Via Politico and Crikey.
You've watched every episode of Tidying Up with Marie Kondo back to back, applied the 'spark joy' test to all of your worldly possessions and still your home is in desperate need of an organisational bootcamp. Sounds like it might be time to call in the experts. Luckily for any disorderly folk out there, IKEA is here to lend a helping hand. The Swedish furniture and homewares giant has assembled a team of tidying wizards to help whip 100 lucky Aussie homes into shape. It's currently taking submissions from locals desperate for a spruce-up and will choose 100 of them to each win a two-hour home organisation session. Winners will be guided through an organisational masterclass by one of Ikea's experts and even score themselves a $300 swag of new Ikea smart storage products to help keep everything in tip-top shape. We're expecting you'll pick up some ninja-level tidying skills to make even Marie Kondo proud. To enter this comp, you need to live within 20 kilometres of an IKEA store and to submit a photo of your messy pantry, bathroom or bedroom (and some words about why it frustrates you) over here. In another nod to Japan's organising queen, IKEA is holding a separate competition open to anyone named Mary who lives in a condo (or apartment). One of the lucky applicants will win a year's worth of tidying services, which involves a three-hour monthly home visit from an Ikea 'tidy professional'. Just imagine all the extra joy you'll spark by handing over decluttering duties to someone else. Jump over here to submit your plea for a home tidying session before midnight on Wednesday, February 12. Enter IKEA's Mary search here before midnight on Tuesday, February 18.
Summer has arrived early in Australia. We've already got more sunshine and heat than we know what to do with, and you might feel a need to get out and enjoy it. Dodge the heat and hit up Gin Tins & Tunes, a nationwide series of events from Four Pillars Gin that combine drinks, vivid beats and beloved venues, including a one-night-only launch party at Bondi's Beach Road Hotel, but more on that shortly. But why? Well, Four Pillars Gin has launched its latest ready-to-drink gin drink, Navy Strength Gin & Ginger, and they want to celebrate with you. From Sunday, October 1, you'll be able to sip on the new can made with Navy Strength Gin and a bespoke ginger beer, alongside the rest of the Four Pillars Gin tin family – Fresh Yuzu Gin & Soda, Rare Dry Gin & Tonic and Bloody Shiraz Gin & Tonic – at Sunday sessions in beloved venues across the country, from Ponyfish Island in Melbourne to The Federal Hotel in Perth. Local musical talents will provide soundtracks, and every event will offer unique ways for you to grab a Four Pillars bucket hat. The series highlight is the official launch party at Sydney's Beach Road Hotel on Sunday, October 15. It's quite the step up from your at-home gin o'clock session, and this particular event has more than just local musician talent on the lineup. Leading Aussie DJs like Late Nite Tuff Guy, Yolanda Be Cool, and Mell Hall will be performing throughout the evening to soundtrack your sips. Tickets start at $15 and include a Navy Strength Gin & Ginger and Four Pillars bucket hat, check the math, that's pretty good value if you ask us. As mentioned, the main Gin Tins & Tunes series begins before the launch party, starting at Beach Road Hotel and The Federal Hotel in Fremantle, WA on Sunday, October 1. The following weekend will see the events expand to three more venues nationwide on Sunday, October 8: Newcastle's Merewether Surfhouse, Byblós in Brisbane and Ponyfish Island in Melbourne's Southbank. Then, the final addition, The Royal Hotel in Mornington, joins the fun on Sunday, November 26. From the opening Sundays, the respective venues will host sessions for another three weekends. For more information on Gin Tins & Tunes or to book at any venue, visit the website.
Usually, you don't go to someone's house to see a live theatre show. You don't normally go to an underground reservoir, sit on a tram or head to a plant nursery, either. But, as its name suggests, performances can happen in plenty of places at the Anywhere Festival. Indeed, churches, universities, gyms and golf courses are some of the more ordinary locations. From Thursday, May 6–Sunday, May 23, this huge fest takes over Brisbane — and Ipswich, Moreton Bay, Noosa and the Sunshine Coast, too, should you find yourself venturing out of town. On the bill is everything from theatre, comedy, dance and cabaret to music, circus, spoken word and poetry. You'll play a real-life version of Cluedo in a bar, revisit the Arthurian legend by a lake, pay tribute to Stephen King in a library, watch dancers on a jetty, laugh in the dark in a subterranean space and watch a circus show in a gym. And, of course, the list goes on. Rooftop concerts, a comedy show in a dog park, karaoke in a winery and a neon sign bus tour are all on the program as well. And, there's also an online component, should you want to check out some of the fest's 800-plus shows in your own home. Images: Stuart Hirth.
When it comes to wandering your way through Australia's vast expanses of forest, sometimes a well-worn phrase applies. If you can't see the forest for the trees when you're trying to find the absolute perfect place to stroll or camp from the wealth of choices, that's perfectly understandable. After all, the country has 125 million hectares of forest — which equates to 16 percent of Australia's land area — according to the Forests Australia website. For those doing their exploring in Victoria, the government has released a new app that should assist immensely. Called More to Explore, it offers an interactive map of the state's forests, including activities such as camping, picnicking, walking and fishing, plus four-wheel driving, mountain biking and trail bike riding. Almost 400 camping and picnic sites are featured, plus more than 240 recreational trails. Real-time information, as maintained by Forest Fire Management Victoria field staff, will help you both plan your trip according to the current conditions, and keep up-to-date while you're roaming. You can also use the app to download maps to your phone before you go, ensuring that you won't get lost if your phone loses reception. Which, obviously, is something that can happen when you're moseying through a leafy thicket of trees. "With more than three million hectares of State Forest to explore in Victoria, this app will make it quicker and easier for everyone to discover our state's breathtaking natural beauty," said Victorian Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D'Ambrosio. At present,More to Explore is available for free via iTunes, with an Android also version expected mid this year. For those stepping into New South Wales' state forests, My Visit is the NSW equivalent.
This is one of those moments where you think "how did I not think of that?". With the infiltration of advertising on, uhh, everything, it's with little surprise that some clever cookie in Dubai clicked that drinking coffee and reading the newspaper often go hand in hand (literally), and so why not combine the two? Genius. With the brief prescribed by Gulf News to gain subscribers and increase web traffic, Y&R had the innovative thought to to turn a coffee cup sleeve into a social media opportunity. The resulting 'Headline News Cup Sleeve' is now printed using a special printer at the point of sale. It pulls tweets from the Gulf News Twitter account and so not only are you reading the news with your coffee, it's fresh and individualised content. With the general/cynic's consensus being that printed news is jumping the shark a bit, this definitely stands out as a novel way to keep the printed word fresh. And while normally we are against being bombarded with advertising and mass media, there's something in the personalisation of this that is fun and novel.
Clear, starry skies, legal, open fires, cosy, feather-stuffed sleeping bags and an excuse to cuddle up to your dog all night long — winter camping definitely has its advantages. Beyond the magical, glittering nights, there are also lovely, crisp days for adventuring without fear of raging bushfires, nasty sunburn and mad summer crowds. From Brisbane down to Sydney and continuing on to Melbourne, a surprising number of spots cater to winter campers with all kinds of warming activities, from free, hot showers to wine tasting tours. We've scouted out the best ones to suit your needs. So, it's time to finally accept summer is over, and head out of the city to try one of these beauties. BEST FOR FIRES: TAMBORINE MOUNTAIN CAMPING PARK, QLD This idyllic spot lies an hour's drive south of Brisbane, nestled in Tamborine Mountain's northern valley, in the Gold Coast hinterland. Every site has its own fire pit, where you're legally permitted to create a roaring blaze. Plus, there are free hot showers. In between toasting marshmallows and telling ghost stories, explore the local area. Just next door is Thunderbird Park, where you can go horseback riding and conquer Tree Top, a high ropes course with more than 100 challenges. Further afield, you'll find art galleries, cafes and glow worm caves. [caption id="attachment_624402" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Flickr/Kevin Rheese.[/caption] BEST FOR WINE TASTING: WINE COUNTRY TOURIST PARK, HUNTER VALLEY, NSW One surefire way to get warm on a frosty evening is with a bottle of fine wine or two. Go camping in the Hunter Valley's Wine Country Tourist Park, and you'll have ample drops at your doorstep. In fact, there's no caravan park closer to the region's vineyards and cellar doors, plus Potters Brewery is just a stumble away. Plus, facilities are pretty schmick: you get barbecues, a camp kitchen, a laundry, plenty of power and your pets are welcomed with open arms — there's even a run dedicated to doggos. Should you chicken out and yearn for four solid walls, you can even upgrade to a caravan or cabin. BEST FOR DOGS: WARBURTON HOLIDAY PARK, YARRA VALLEY, VIC Gather all your dogs and all your mates, because there are acres and acres of dreamy grounds to explore at Warburton Holiday Park, just a 90 minutes' drive east of Melbourne. One and a half kilometres from Warburton, the park sits on the banks of the Yarra River, where you can fish for trout and go platypus spotting. What's more, the Yarra Valley's wineries are just a hop, skip and a jump away, as are loads of trails for biking and walking, including the Ada Rainforest Walk, which visits one of Victoria's oldest trees. The park's facilities include legal fireplaces, power, barbecues, a laundry and picnic tables. BEST FOR HIKING: MOUNT SAMARIA, VIC Generate some heat by hiking around Mount Samaria State Park. Found 130 kilometres northeast of Melbourne, this beautiful area gives you an extraordinary range of scenery, from tranquil eucalypt forests and granite boulders to stunning views of the Victorian Alps and tumbling waterfalls. There's a bunch of campsites and fires are permitted. So pick a spot to pitch, and make sure to take on the Mount Samaria Summit Walk, which carries you to a height of 953 metres. The hike can be done as a 4.8-kilometre trek from Spring Creek Sawmill campsite or as a steep, 2.5-kilometre circuit from Mount Samaria Road. Take note: although fires are allowed, facilities are unpowered, rustic and mostly beyond mobile reception, so be a good scout and turn up prepared. [caption id="attachment_630526" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Wee Jasper Reserves.[/caption] BEST FOR FISHING: WEE JASPER RESERVES, NSW If your idea of a perfect winter's day involves hanging out by a rushing creek, waiting for a bite, then popping your fresh catch on a crackling fire and cooking up a feast, take your tent to Reflections Wee Jasper – Campground, between Canberra and Gundagai, about four hours' drive southwest of Sydney. Here, you'll find several camping areas with the best fishing around at Billy Grace and Swinging Bridge, plus the prettiest picnicking at Micalong Reserve. Similarly to Mount Samaria, facilities are minimal and there's no power.
When Indigenous Australian artist Archie Moore made history at the 2024 La Biennale de Venezia, aka the Venice Biennale, in April by winning the event's coveted Golden Lion for Best National Participation, he also did Brisbane's major art galleries proud. When the First Nations talent earned Australia the top gong at the Olympics of the art world for the first time ever, he did so with an exhibition curated by Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art's Ellie Buttrose, and with a date with the Brisbane sites as part of their 2025–26 program. kith and kin will open in South Brisbane in August 2025 — and it's also being gifted to QAGOMA permanently. The Australian Government has just announced that it has acquired the work to give it to the Brisbane art institution, as well as the UK's Tate, its acquisition partner. Accordingly, gallery visitors both in Australian and the United Kingdom will be able to explore kith and kin after its current Venice run. In Italy, the work is on display until Sunday, November 24, 2024. "I am so grateful for this generous donation that enables kith and kin to be seen both here in Australia and overseas, in the near and distant future," said Moore of the news. "Encountering Archie Moore's kith and kin at the Venice Biennale was a spectacular and moving experience that resonated with the weight of history and ancestry. In its unimaginable endeavour to map a personal genealogy through more than 2000 generations, Moore has summoned up an extraordinary image of human connection through deep time," added Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art Director Chris Saines. "kith and kin has that rare power to still you into silence and reflection. We are profoundly grateful to be the joint custodians of this historic work and we look forward to showing the project, curated by QAGOMA's Curator of Contemporary Australian Art Ellie Buttrose, in Brisbane from August 2025." kith and kin didn't just make history with its Venice Biennale accolade. A hand-drawn genealogical chart that spans back 65,000 years, the piece also chronicles it. Both a personal and a political work, kith and kin steps through Moore's Kamilaroi, Bigambul, British and Scottish heritage across the installation's five-metre-high, 60-metre-long black walls. More than 2400 generations are covered. The exhibition uses chalk on blackboard, with a reflective pool sitting in the middle of the room and 500-plus document stacks suspended above it. Every aspect of kith and kin makes a statement. With its size and scale, it speaks to Australia's Indigenous peoples being among the world's longest-continuous living cultures. The use of black is also designed to look like a celestial map, and therefore nod to the resting place of First Nations ancestors. Highlighting the decrease in Indigenous Australian languages and dialects since colonisation, the fragility that stems from not being able to pass down knowledge and injustices such as deaths in custody are all also part of the work — with the aforementioned piles of paper primarily from coronial inquests. "The phrase 'kith and kin' now simply means 'friends and family'. However, an earlier Old English definition that dates from the 1300s shows kith originally had the added meanings of 'countrymen' and also 'one's native land', with kin meaning 'family members'," notes Moore's explanation of the work. "Many Indigenous Australians, especially those who grew up on Country, know the land and other living things as part of their kinship systems — the land itself can be a mentor, teacher, parent to a child. The sense of belonging involves everyone and everything, and for First Nations peoples of Australia, like most Indigenous cultures, is deeply rooted in our sacred landscapes from birth until death." "I was interested in the phrase as it aptly describes the artwork in the pavilion, but I was also interested in the Old English meaning of the words, as it feels more like a First Nations understanding of attachment to place, people and time." kith and kin will display at Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art, Stanley Place, South Brisbane, from August 2025. We'll update you with more details when they're announced. kith and kin is on display at the Australia Pavilion, Giardini di Castello, 60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, until Sunday, November 24, 2024 — head to the exhibition website for further details. Images: Archie Moore / kith and kin 2024 / Australia Pavilion at Venice Biennale 2024 / Photographer Andrea Rossetti / © the artist / Images courtesy of the artist and The Commercial.
Brisbane cat lovers, our neighbours Sydney and Melbourne have had enough kitty cuddle time. They've been basking in the smuggery of Australia's first cat cafe, Sydney's first pop-up kitten cafe, a space-themed cat cafe; all the kitty time. But the global trend is finally moving north. Yes, Brisbane finally has its own cat cafe. If you're in desperate need of some kitten hugs, this new Red Hill establishment has you covered. Aptly called the Cat Cuddle Cafe — what else? — everyone's new favourite place is taking up residence on Musgrave Road having met its funding goal. Making a haven for mousers and their fans doesn't come cheap, you know. Those who've pledged their hard earned cash for cats have helped create a space that humans and kittens alike will never want to leave, with donations going towards crucial stuff like leases, insurance and permits. And catnip, scratching posts, fake mice and all the treats felines can eat. Of course, as well as indoor and outdoor play areas, there's a menu with food (we hear cupcakes), coffee and the like — but, admit it, that's not what anyone will really be going there for. You'll also be assisting critters in need of affection and shelter, with the kitty hangout opening its doors to rescued tabbies and toms. Brisbane cat rescue Pussies Galore will be running the cafe in conjunction with the Animal Rescue Support Network, so you'll be snuggling with rescue cats from PG and other Brisbane rescue shelters. Yes, this is a cat cafe that not only showers patrons with feline fun, but makes a real difference to the animals it adores. Find the Cat Cuddle Cafe at 160 Musgrave Rd, Red Hill, open Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 4pm. Head their website to help out or book a snuggle. Images: Cat Cuddle Cafe. View all Brisbane cafes.
There's something about theatre that is decadent and refined. It's more adventurous than the tellie, more emotional than the cinema and a hell of a lot more entertaining than a torrent download. It's energetic, exciting and often expensive -but the assurance with theatre is that you get what you paid for. You can trust you're getting your money's worth with Summer of the Seventeenth Doll. Considered by scholars to be the most historically significant play in Australian theatre history, it's a play not to be missed, especially if you're all for Australian history. With character names such as Barney, Nancy, Olive and Pearl it's sure it be a 50s culture cutie. Set in Carlton, Melbourne in the summer of 1953, the play follows the characters changing lives in love and life whilst struggling with tension and strain. Don't get me wrong, it's no Romeo and Juliet but it's probably a whole lot more realistic. And though it may not be Shakespeare we must embrace what little recognition our country has in the upper class arts. C'mon mate, it's authentic Aussie theater! QPAC may even serve you a VB if you're lucky. Note - no shrimps nor barbies available on premises.
Situated on the corner of Alfred and Constance streets in Fortitude Valley sit two vintage Queenslanders which have now been transformed into the home of Alfred and Constance - Brisbane's newest restaurant/dessert spot/tiki bar/awesome hangout. The two houses come together out the back forming a large deck for diners to observe the chefs as they prepare meals through the kitchen window. The focus of the kitchen is the wood-fired oven and on the menu diners are influenced to choose a couple of small sides (pork crackling/devils on horsebacks) accompanied by a shared serving of wood-fired oven roasted chicken, pork or beef. The cosy Alfred street verandah is for those wanting to treat their sweet tooth by picking from the large display cabinet of decadence in the dessert bar. Inside is a lounge room for those wanting to settle in for some casual drinks; but upstairs is where the real action is bound to happen at the White Lightning Tiki Bar. When we popped in it was Sunday lunch time but by the looks of the cocktail menu plus a space that is conducive to good times, this place is going to be pumping throughout summer and beyond. Smokers (not that we condone smoking) will also be pleased to note that they have one of the best seats in the house. Roof top with a view towards Fortitude Valley with pirate flag flying high. Alfred and Constance is charming, versatile and laid back with options to suit everybody. They also play really great tunes courtesy of Fleetwood Mac.
Less than two weeks after their animated tribute to The Simpsons went viral on YouTube, a pair of Melbourne animators have confirmed their video will be featured on the show. Creator Al Jean even high-fived the pair on Twitter. Created by roommates Ivan Dixon and Paul Robertson, the two minute pixel art animation (below) recreates the program's iconic opening sequence in the style of classic video and arcade games. Full of clever references to both old games and classic Simpsons moments (Mr. Sparkle makes a late appearance), the video has amassed more than two million views since it hit the internet on February 1. After catching wind of the video, The Simpsons team emailed Dixon and Robertson, asking them to call as soon as they could. While the pair initially assumed the message was a hoax, they got in contact. Now the video is set to open the show's next episode, which airs in the United States this Sunday at 8pm. Both Dixon and Robertson work in animation. Dixon is one half of independent animation studio Rubberhouse, while Robertson has worked on episodes of Disney's Gravity Falls. The announcement sees the pair join an exclusive group of people who have been invited to retool the show's famous titles. Cult animator Bill Plympton had Homer fall in love with the couch... ... while Pan's Labyrinth director Guillermo del Toro provided this creepy take for Halloween. British graffiti artist Banksy raised the eyebrows of Fox executives with his scathing take-down in 2010... while last year's effort by Oscar nominee Don Hertzfeldt is amongst the weirdest things the show has ever put to air. Via The Age.
Seriously, our hearts are pounding from the adrenaline released by watching this ad for the Guardian and Observer Weekend, which is nothing more than the weekend edition of the highly respected daily newspaper. The ad makes fun of blockbuster action movie trailers with its booming voiceover for weekend mundanities, but it also features a PSA by Hugh Grant, self-parody of their marketing tagline, and a surreal elevator exchange. Created by London-based agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty, the three-minute ad follows on from their Cannes-winning 'The Whole Picture' campaign last year, which encapsulated their Open Journalism project through the story of the Three Little Pigs'. We hope if rumours of an imminent Australian edition of the Guardian turn out to be true, they launch it in a fashion equally overblown.
