Being spoilt for choice can be overrated. Sometimes, like when deciding which wine varieties you feel like at any given moment, it's easier to have someone else do the picking for you. Enter Pinot Palooza, which celebrates exactly the type of vino that's in its name, and has also locked in when you'll be able to spend a day sipping pinot noir in 2024. Here, the sound of a light- to medium-bodied red wine sloshing around a glass is the standard soundtrack. And you'll hear that noise a whole heap — before the pandemic, the Melbourne-born wine-tasting festival had notched up an estimated 65,000 tickets sold globally. In 2024, Pinot Palooza has spring dates locked in for Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, all for a two-day stint. So far, venues are yet to be announced. Also, tickets will go on sale in early July. The vino-sipping fun will play out similarly to before, although exactly who'll be doing the pouring is also yet to be revealed. Whoever it is, Pinot Palooza's lineup always spans drops from Australia, New Zealand and further afield. Last year, more than 50 winemakers came to the party. As always, attendees will spend their session swirling and sampling that huge array of pinot noir, and hitting up pop-up bars and food stalls between drinks. And, while Pinot Palooza as a standalone fest only has east coast dates for 2024, in Perth and Adelaide it's part of an already-announced collaboration with cheese festival Mould. Pinot Palooza 2024 Dates: Friday, October 4–Saturday, October 5: Sydney, venue TBC Friday, October 18–Saturday, October 19: Brisbane, venue TBC Friday, November 22–Saturday, November 23: Melbourne, venue TBC Pinot Palooza will tour Australia's east coast in October–November 2024. For more information, and for tickets from early July, head to the event's website.
If you're in southeast Queensland and you're a fan of Lin-Manuel Miranda, rejoice: your next chance to enjoy the musical talent's work is on its way in 2025. Hamilton has already done the rounds, including a season in Brisbane. Next, it's time for another of Miranda's big Tony Award-winning shows to take to the stage locally — and his debut smash, too. HOTA, Home of the Arts is set to turn into New York City's Washington Heights for a run of In the Heights. Initially staged in 2005, then leaping to off-Broadway in 2007, then playing Broadway from 2008–11 (which is where it nabbed those 13 Tony nominations and four wins), Miranda's first stage sensation spends its time with Usnavi, a bodega owner from the Dominican Republic who dreams of going back — and who also sports a crush on Vanessa, who aspires to move out of the neighbourhood. Miranda himself originated the role of Usnavi, scoring a Tony nomination for his efforts. In Australia for this run, which began in Sydney in 2024, Ryan Gonzalez (Moulin Rouge! The Musical) has stepped into the part. When the show heads to the Gold Coast from Friday, September 12, fellow Moulin Rouge! The Musical alum Olivia Vásquez is playing Vanessa. Alongside Gonzalez, she's joined by Richard Valdez (All Together Now — The 100) as the Piragua Guy — another character that Miranda has brought to life personally, this time in the 2021 film version of In the Heights. On the stage and on-screen, the production not only follows Usnavi and Vanessa's connection, and their respective hopes for the future, but also the residents of Washington Heights, their family ties across multiple generations and their friendships. The soundtrack — which helped In the Heights win Best Musical and Best Original Score Tonys — as well as the vibe and mood bring together salsa, soul, rap, hip hip, merengue and street dance. Images: Daniel Boud.
With Australia's international borders unlikely to reopen until mid-2022 at the earliest, that next big overseas vacation you've been dreaming about is currently on hold. But that doesn't mean you need to spend all your time until then just looking at your own four walls. That's Airbnb's new idea, at least — and the house-share platform isn't merely talking about getting you out of the house for a weekend here and there. Fancy spending a year hopping between different places — and whichever places you like, too? Do three of your mates feel the same way? If so, you'll want to check out the just-launched Live Anywhere on Airbnb program, which is funding 12 people and their pals to hop between Airbnb properties for 12 months. Basically, at a time when holiday bookings are down for obvious reasons, Airbnb is endeavouring to change the way people use the platform — by encouraging everyone to use its rentals as places to live for longer-term stays, rather than just for vacations. So, the 12 selected folks will get to do just that, and on Airbnb's dime. In a number of countries — including Australia and New Zealand — Airbnb is looking for people who work remotely, creatives, staycationers and digital nomads, as well as people with young families and empty nesters. If that's you, and you can do your job from wherever you like, you can apply to spend the period between July 2021–June 2022 living in different Airbnb listings. As well as scoring enough credits to cover all of your rental fees (between US$24,000–48,000 for the year), you'll also get a one-time payment (between US$5–12,000) to cover transport and travel expenses. This does mean that you will still need to earn an income or have enough savings to get by — but you'll still be living in Airbnb properties without spending a cent. And, although border rules might be tricky to navigate, travelling internationally during the program is an option. The caveat: Airbnb will ask you to share your experiences with the company, including about the platform's features and services, and about living the nomad life. So, you'll essentially be product-testing its longer-term stays, then providing your feedback. "This program aims to give 12 lucky people (and their companions) ultimate flexibility when it comes to blurring the lines between living, working and travelling," says Airbnb's Country Manager for Australia and New Zealand Susan Wheeldon. If you're wondering where you could go — and what you could do while you're there — some of the suggestions include farmstays in rural Australia to living the beach life for a year. To apply, you'll need to head to the Live Anywhere on Airbnb website before Wednesday, June 30, 2021. Twenty finalists will then be selected and asked to submit a two-minute video about the program. After that, there'll be finalist interviews before the 12 winners are told to start packing their suitcases. For more information about the Live Anywhere on Airbnb program — and to apply — head to the Airbnb website. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
Any venue can serve up a brunch that goes on for hours, or so it seems given the sheer number of such mid-morning sessions across Brisbane. Cloudland's Brunch with Bite fits that mould, offering plenty of food as well as bottomless booze — but it also adds something a little different to the menu. Fancy getting a bit of camp drag comedy with your meal? Watching an uproarious game show? Belting out a tune while brunch rolls on? They're all on the bill at this banquet, with the lineup changing weekly. Food-wise, you'll tuck into an Italian-inspired spread and nab a drink on arrival, all as part of your $88.80 ticket. The event kicks off at 11am, with two hours of bottomless mimosas, bloody marys, Canadian Clubs, select beers and sangria on offer between 11.15am–1.15pm. And, if you're going booze-free, you can opt for mocktails instead.
Pixar certainly has a formula, but much like Coca-Cola, they won't share what it is. Nevertheless, whatever creative ingredients they are putting into their delicious movie soda is working — with their 13 major features to date averaging 89 percent approval on Rotten Tomatoes. The company continues to make creative, moving and visually stunning family-friendly films that allow us to unashamedly enjoy a children's movie. The animation entrepreneurs have recently come under scrutiny, though, from critics who argue that the tried and tested formula is beginning to tire. They point to Pixar's production of sequels such as the Toy Story franchise, Cars 2 and the announcement of Finding Dory to contend that the company is no longer reaching for infinity and beyond. What they are neglecting, though, is that the magic of Pixar derives from their great storytelling that children and adults across the globe can relate to. And the newest addition to this Pixarpedia is Monsters University, the company's first foray into the prequel world, and this brilliant film will silence whoever wants to argue that this is an example of filmmaking fatigue. It tells the tale of how Monsters Inc. stars Mike (Billy Crystal) and Sully (John Goodman) became friends and went on to be employed together at Monsters Incorporated. Whilst audiences who saw the original may know the final outcome, the getting there certainly serves up some unexpected and enjoyable twists right up until film's end. The focus is on some typically university-centred life lessons, such as defining oneself and sustaining friendships in the face of unforeseen roadblocks. They've sidestepped the other, more adult content of college life; this is a clever, G-rated version. Then again, who needs alcohol when you have friendship, right? Of course, being a Pixar movie, it is largely about the aesthetics and Monsters University expertly showcases the company's stellar attention to detail. From the monstrous architecture of the campus buildings to the fang zips on students' backpacks, no stone is left unturned. There is also an incredible variety of monsters — with the visual standout being Art — and this vast populous ensures that the film never stagnates as new monsters appear throughout as well as some excellent cameos from the original. As the old saying goes, if it ain't broke don't fix it, and there is certainly nothing broken at Pixar. If they continue making visually beautiful, surprising and compelling stories like Monsters University then I will happily see robot Billy Crystal voicing Monsters Retirement Home in 100 years time. Also, stick around until the cinema lights come on for the most entertaining post-credits scene in Pixar history.
While going outdoors at the moment is mostly restricted to exercise, work and grabbing essentials, you'll need to throw on an extra jumper and bring an umbrella to do just that for the rest of this week, with the Bureau of Meteorology predicting rain, wind, snow and thunderstorms across Australia for the last week of April. And some places are even expected to see their coldest April day in 50 or 60 years. BOM Meteorologist Dr Adam Morgan said that a strong and widespread cold outbreak is bringing wet and wild weather to Victoria, NSW, Tasmania, South Australia and some parts of Queensland from Wednesday, April 29. Temperatures are expected to dip to 8–14 degrees below average for this time of year in some places, with the cold weather set to stick around until at least mid-next week. The average maximum temperature for April is 22.5 in Sydney, 20.3 in Melbourne and 26.1 in Brisbane. But, Melbourne is meant to hit a high of just 13 on Thursday, which would be its coldest April day since 1996. Sydney will be the coldest on Saturday with a high of 16 expected, while, after a warm 29 on Thursday, Brisbane is expected to drop back down to the low 20s for the rest of the week. https://twitter.com/BOM_au/status/1255015809149100032 Elsewhere in the country, some parts of northern South Australia, northwest NSW and southwest Queensland are expected to experience their coldest April day since the 1960s and 1970s on Thursday, and Canberra is meant to hit a hit of just 7 on Friday, which will be its earliest sub-10 degree day this side of winter since 1952. With rain, winds and thunderstorms expected to hit Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane on Wednesday and Thursday, the BOM is recommending you keep an eye out for flood watches and severe weather warnings. For latest weather predictions and warnings, head to the Bureau of Meteorology website.
What do The Simpsons, Star Wars and Shrek have in common? They've all graced the big screen, they clearly share a love for the letter S and they're each huge hits. Oh, and they've all inspired their own firmly adults-only stage parodies, as pop-culture favourites starting with the 19th letter of the alphabet happen to do in Australia, it seems. Somebody once told us that Swamplesque is the burlesque and drag satire of pop culture's favourite green ogre that you didn't know you needed — and we're telling you that now. (And no, nobody informed you two decades ago that the animated hit would turn out like this, because no one could've predicted it.) On the bill at the aptly named show: a irreverent and raunchy take on all things Shrek, which might share a general storyline and a fondness for the colour green with the much less satirical — and actually family-friendly — Broadway hit Shrek the Musical that came our way a few years back, but couldn't be more different in a heap of ways. Swamplesque returns to Brisbane as part of Wynnum Fringe 2023, playing George Clayton Park from Friday, November 17–Sunday, November 19. Wearing green is obviously recommended — although you'll be seeing plenty of it on-stage anyway. And if this is exactly your sense of humour when it comes to beloved pop-culture commodities, all that glitters is gold, naturally. Images: SomeFX.
Australia has a penchant for good food, an adventurous spirit and a willingness to try the new and exciting. It's a combination that makes for a pretty stand-out culinary scene, as local chefs continue to push boundaries, flex creative muscle and hit reset on the latest and greatest food finds. Shifting philosophies and changing attitudes have spawned a whole wealth of food trends across the past decade, from the fun, to the health-focused, to the wildly inventive. Some of them were even started by TV shows — specifically MasterChef Australia, which is celebrating ten successful, and influential, years on the screen. Together, we've pulled together a list of the top ten trends that have shaped Australia's dining scene in the past decade, covering everything from diet trends and insects to one very special (Snow Egg-shaped) dessert. [caption id="attachment_658869" align="alignnone" width="1930"] Pezzo, Giulia Morlando[/caption] RIFFS ON OLD-SCHOOL FAVOURITES A healthy dose of nostalgia, mixed with a splash of creativity and a dash of daring attitude. It became the recipe for success as chefs began to revamp the classics and rejig those childhood favourites into modern masterpieces. Sydney cafe Dutch Smuggler had people scrambling for its new-school jaffle creations, rocking an unlikely, but addictive filling of Mi Goreng noodles. Bad Frankie led Melbourne's jaffle renaissance with its now iconic lamington version. Guy Grossi's Pezzo brought the pizza pocket back into our lives, and Matt Wilkinson took on an Aussie staple with his Brunswick East spot, The Pie Shop. And no one could forget Bar Liberty's opening attraction — a white bread, chicken-skin crackling, tomato and lettuce homage to the classic BLT. [caption id="attachment_598217" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Jethro Canteen, Jo Rittey[/caption] INSECTS In the name of sustainability, insects, bugs and creepy crawlies have marched their way into the culinary world, appearing on menus and embraced by top chefs the country over. Kylie Kwong showed her love for insect dining back in 2013, adding creations like cricket and prawn wontons, and stir-fried crickets to the lineup at her acclaimed Sydney restaurant Billy Kwong. Melbourne's now closed zero-waste cafe Silo also flew the flag for edible crickets, with chef Matt Stone enlisting the help of a horticulturist to grow and harvest the venue's own supply. And the trend's stuck around — famed Melbourne restaurant Attica turned heads with a black ant lamington, and today, you'll even spy roast crickets sprinkled onto a noodle salad at Richmond's Jethro Canteen. [caption id="attachment_601490" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Saint Peter, Nikki To[/caption] SEA URCHIN It might be considered a pest of the ocean, but the humble sea urchin has become a hero of the fine dining scene, dressed to impress, in elegant dishes at some of the country's hottest restaurants. The sea urchin's (this little creature) popularity in Japanese cooking lent plenty of influence here on Aussie shores — we saw it teamed with wasabi and caviar, atop rice crackers at Chris Lucas's Kisumé, and regularly crafted into stunning creations by acclaimed sushi master Koichi Minamishima at his namesake Richmond restaurant. But leave it to our own seafood king Josh Niland to plate up urchin with an Aussie twist — the chef's beloved Saint Peter serves the delicacy cradled in its spine, teamed with a warm, house-made crumpet. [caption id="attachment_662760" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mjolner, Kate Shanasy[/caption] DIET TRENDS As diners embraced a whole plethora of modern-day diets, the wellness craze trickled beyond gyms and home kitchens, onto menus, and even spawning a new breed of healthed-up, diet-centric eateries. One second veggies were king, and the next the paleo movement had us all getting back in touch with our prehistoric selves, heroing meat and celebrating fats. Mjølner — in both Melbourne and Sydney — puts meat front and centre. Patch Cafe landed in Melbourne's Richmond with an entire offering dedicated to the primal-style diet, from 'bulletproof' coffee jazzed up with coconut oil and butter, to pasta crafted from zucchini. And Sydney haunts like Proteini also painted healthy eating fun, with colourful, flavour-packed dishes centred around nature's best. Cornersmith, Steve Woodburn FERMENTS As pickles, cultures and funky ferments made their way into the collective consciousness, they inspired chefs across the country to have a crack themselves, incorporating those gut-healing powers and that microbial magic into all kinds of dishes. Fine dining degustations and cafe menus alike began to incorporate house-fermented goodies, from sourdoughs and sauerkraut, to Korean-style kimchi. As with lots of other foodie trends, this craze also sparked plenty of DIY action, as everyday home cooks clambered aboard the fermentation train. Experts have been more than happy to share their secrets, with a host of classes offered by the likes of Marrickville's Cornersmith, The Craft & Co in Collingwood, and the Melbourne-based Wild Ferments. [caption id="attachment_671361" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Double Good[/caption] CHARCOAL Black became the new black as the culinary world embraced all things charcoal, as much for the purported health benefits as for that dramatic, head-turning colour. Kitchens everywhere got creative with the chemical-absorbing ingredient. Port Melbourne cafe Long Story Short made waves when it added activated charcoal fish and chips to the menu, though the presentation of black logs on a plate raised its fair share of eyebrows. Ink-coloured charcoal tarts starred in the adventurous lineup at Carlton cafe's now-closed Nora, and Brisbane punters went nuts for the Black Elvis charcoal soft serve at Eat Street's Double Good. [caption id="attachment_549358" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Snow Egg, Quay[/caption] STAND-OUT DESSERTS These days, the dessert game is all about leaving a lasting impression — not just on the person holding the spoon, but on our whole food-obsessed country. Wow factor became the go-to ingredient in this battle of the sweets, with each new creation vying to become the stuff of legend. Simplicity got the boot in favour of memorable extravagance. Peter Gilmore's famed Snow Egg stole the show in the Season Two finale of MasterChef Australia, and at Gilmore's restaurant Quay. Punters were happy to queue for an age to get their hands on one of Rustica Sourdough's famed cronuts, and Dan Hunter created an unlikely smash-hit with his oyster ice cream at Brae. [caption id="attachment_647927" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hawker Chan[/caption] STREET FOOD Tucking into street food overseas can be a gamble, so we'll be forever grateful for Australia's multiculturalism and the young gun chefs bringing incredible street eats from all corners of the globe, to our own backyard. Fast, fun, and creative, street food has become a staple of our casual dining scene, even inspiring home-grown versions of international casual dining experiences. In Melbourne, the neon-drenched HWKR is delivering a modernised riff on the hawker centres of Southeast Asia, its four kitchens playing host to a globe-trotting rotation of buzz-worthy eateries, including Chanteen by Diana Chan. Chan is the winner of MasterChef Australia Season 9 and her pop-up eatery is currently serving up a slew of Singaporean and Malaysian street foods such as char kuey teow and soft shell crab sliders. You'll also find Michelin-starred Singaporean street food at Hawker Chan. Meanwhile, Sydneysiders have scored a swag of cuisine-specific street food restaurants, offering authentic flavours straight from the likes of Bangladesh (Bang) and India (Delhi Streets). [caption id="attachment_670959" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Fred's[/caption] SMOKE & FIRE Another hot foodie trend saw a barrage of chefs getting back to basics, turning to fire and smoke to bring their dishes to life. The wood-fire grill became star of many a high-end kitchen. Geelong fine diner Igni, fittingly named for the Latin word for 'fire', has quickly built a shining reputation on its devotion to the humble flame, as chef Aaron Turner's sharp technique and beloved wood grill put the tiny regional restaurant on the map. Fire's also been the force behind Adelaide's famed Africola, where Duncan Welgemoed is grilling and smoking in homage to the flavours of his homeland, South Africa, and at Sydney's Fred's where Chez Panisse alumnus Danielle Alvarez cooks most ingredients on an open hearth. [caption id="attachment_660428" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mark + Vinny's[/caption] VEGETARIANISM Slowly but surely, vegetarianism has shed its dowdy, ugly duckling image and became one of the cool kids, as folks everywhere started to pay a little more attention to the planet. Menus across the globe came to the party and it opened up the door to some seriously creative plant-based dining offerings, the international charge led by the likes of Israeli-British chef Yotam Ottolenghi and his stunning cookbooks. Closer to home, Melbourne's Transformer matches a vegetarian menu to fine dining sensibilities, and vegan-friendly pasta bar Mark + Vinny's became Sydney's new millennial hotspot. Catch the latest season of MasterChef Australia from Sunday to Thursday at 7.30pm on Channel Ten.
With over 7000 stores to its name worldwide, Wendy's is one of the world's biggest and most recognisable burger chains. While a majority of its outposts are scattered across the United States, the chain also has over 1000 international locations in countries like New Zealand, Canada and the UK. Now, the American burger chain may be landing down under in the near future. Australian franchise consulting firm DC Strategy announced that it is working with the burger brand to help develop a strategy to bring its famous square hamburgers to Australia and open franchises throughout the country. "The Wendy's Company is looking for world-class, experienced franchise partners with strong operations experience and a proven track record for growing brands in Australia," a statement on DC Strategy's website says. [caption id="attachment_811853" align="alignnone" width="1920"] PRNewsfoto/The Wendy's Company[/caption] The consulting firm is now taking applications for individuals interested in becoming an Australian Wendy's franchisee. The first Wendy's was opened by Dave Thomas in Columbus, Ohio in 1969. It quickly grew due to the popularity of its burgers and iconic Frostys, growing to over 1000 restaurants in its first nine years of operations. Wendy's would join a new wave of American franchises that have recently arrived in Australia, including Taco Bell, Mark Wahlberg's Wahlburgers and Five Guys. [caption id="attachment_869874" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sharon Hahn Darlin[/caption] DC Strategy is now taking applications for Wendy's franchisees in Australia. More to come.
Slip into a colourful world with the help of artists Elizabeth Beppie and Michael McDermaid. In their first exhibition together, this mother and son duo will share their unique artistic styles. Their wide range of skills span the genres of surrealism, abstract, naïve, expressionism and photography. The pair share a love for vibrant colours and intricate detail. Michael's portion of the exhibition will include his photography which captures nature, portraits and stills of the world around him. Being a multi-talented artist, Michael's paintings which express surreal scenes will also be featured. His mother, Beppie, will be showing her highly stylised and naïve paintings. They drip with colour and playfully capture the viewer's imagination. The Essence of Presence's opening night will be held on Friday 13 December 6pm. Where else are you going to find vibrant artwork, bands and a drumming circle, what's more, all of the proceeds go towards Mens Line Australia.
Simple yet sophisticated, the negroni has been a staple of bar menus for over a century. Since its inception in Florence, Italy, in 1919, the cocktail of gin, Campari (because there's no negroni without Campari), and sweet vermouth has captivated drinkers. I mean, there's even a whole week dedicated to the apéritif. This September, Negroni Week is being upgraded to Negroni Month. That means four whole weeks of national celebrations, rooftop parties, bar takeovers, and negroni-obsessed menus across the country. Want to get in on the action, Brisbane? To celebrate Negroni Month, here are our picks for Brisbane's best negronis. [caption id="attachment_795639" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Millie Tang[/caption] The Gresham Located in the heritage-listed National Australia Bank building, visiting The Gresham is like taking a step back in time. With its charming decor and famous whiskey back bar, The Gresham serves a negroni that'll have you remembering why it's a beloved classic. Plus, the purveyor of fine liquor's numerous Bar of the Year awards doesn't hurt its negroni ranking either. Dr Gimlette Taking inspiration from the world's top bars such as The Savoy in London, The Dead Rabbit in New York and Black Pearl in Melbourne, Dr Gimlette is a Brisbane CBD staple. The 30-beverage cocktail menu covers all the classics, including the negroni, of course. Sip the Italian apéritif on Dr Gimlette's leather stools, surrounded by the 19th century building's charm and heritage. Bar Rosa Situated in the cultural hub of Brisbane's Fish Lane Arts Precinct, Bar Rosa leans heavily into the European aperitivo lifestyle. Bar Rosa's negroni strikes a balance between bright and bitter. It's like a Brisbane spring afternoon in cocktail form, basically. With a food menu consisting of freshly-made pasta, octopus and meatballs, add Bar Rosa to your date night spot list. Head there during September and you'll be able to try a twist on the Italian drink with a specially curated Negroni Month menu. Next Episode Inspired by New York City, Next Episode is a post-work spot with personality. Ring the phone (there's a new entry code each week) to be let in and enjoy the hip hop haven that's hidden behind a barbershop. During Negroni Week, which runs from September 22 to Sunday, September 28, Next Episode is adding its unique twist to the Italian cocktail. Select from the Salted Chocolate Negroni, the Cucumber and Yuzu Negroni, or the Classic Negroni to help celebrate the apéritif. Maeve Wine Bar While you might not pick a wine bar for the ultimate negroni, Maeve certainly does the cocktail justice. The South Brisbane bar features an effortlessly chic atmosphere and a menu that'll have you believing you're in Europe, not Queensland. Enjoy an afternoon apéritif as you people-watch by the window, or celebrate the Italian classic over a long, lazy lunch. During Negroni Month, Maeve Wine Bar will have its own curated menu, so you can enjoy the Campari-centred cocktail in a new light. La Lune Wine Co La Lune Wine Co is a Fish Lane Arts Precinct venue dedicated to Parisian luxury and dining. The French bistro utilises seasonal produce and can change its menu monthly, making no two visits the same. Its negroni, however, is a staple and offers a fresh and bright version of the bitter tipple. Head to La Lune Wine Co during Negroni Month to peruse the specially curated menu. Savile Row Hidden behind a bright orange door, Savile Row in Fortitude Valley offers an extensive whisky and cocktail list. Don't be fooled by the encyclopaedic back bar, though. While there may be over 1000 bottles to choose from, the talented bartenders at this Valley staple can make your negroni any which way with precision and craft. Enjoy the cocktail under Savile Row's glistening chandelier this Negroni Month before heading out into Fortitude Valley's party atmosphere. Whether you're an after-work cocktail-lover or fancy celebrating the Italian apéritif as the weather warms up, Negroni Month is your excuse to round up the crew and cheers to the classic cocktail. See which Brisbane venues are serving curated negroni menus this September here. Please remember to Drinkwise.
In sore need of some sand and sun? Make tracks to Fraser Island in Queensland, to visit Lake McKenzie. This natural phenomenon is a perched lake — that is, a special kind of lake that contains rainwater. And rainwater only. Unlike most other lakes, it's sealed off from groundwater and isn't connected with any streams or rivers. On top of that, the sand in and around Lake Mckenzie is made entirely of silica. All this means it's unbelievably clear, whether you're taking a dip or enjoying the views from the shore. [caption id="attachment_754820" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ashley Dobson[/caption] Top image: Tourism and Events Queensland
Welcome to... Brisbane's annual celebration of all things science for another year, and a returning festival with prehistoric creatures firmly on its mind in 2023. From Wednesday, March 22–Sunday, March 26, the Australian offshoot of New York's World Science Festival will return to the River City, unleashing everything from talks, panels and workshops through to films, parties, and both science and art installations. A hefty highlight from a program with a whopping 130-plus events: dinosaurs, and plenty of them. This year's World Science Festival Brisbane arrives shortly after Queensland Museum's massive Dinosaurs of Patagonia exhibition kicks off, which is bringing the largest-known land mammal ever to the city. So, given that QM is behind WSF's Brissie offshoot as well, of course it's throwing a heap of dinosaur-themed conversations and activities into its just-announced lineup, including two chats featuring Argentinian palaeontologist Ignacio Escapa — plus Erth's family-friendly Prehistoric Picnic, which'll let life-sized (and lifelike) puppet versions loose in the South Bank Piazza. Of course, World Science Festival's 2023 highlights don't just involve looking to the past. Get ready to look up, too, with astronomy and space travel always a feature of this five-day event. That includes guests from NASA, the European Space Agency and the Australian Space Agency, some appearing in-person and others virtually, to chat about soaring away from this blue rock and also the cosmos in general. And, with a program that was announced back in late 2022, regular WSF feature Curiocity is back for 2023 as well. The free interactive festival within the broader festival is all about installations that merge art and science; think: livestreamed cats, semi-autonomous robots living their mechanical lives, and "semi-intelligent seesaws" that talk, sing and create conversations. It'll span 14 works from artists around the globe, kicking off with World Science Festival on Wednesday, March 22 but running for 12 days through to Sunday, April 2. Other standouts from the overall WSF bill for 2023 include physicist Professor Brian Greene heading to Australia for the first time since 2019, headlining conversations about space exploration, memory, humankind's origins and the James Webb Space Telescope; The Hatchery's annual turtle hatching session (yes, with real, tiny turtles); 2022 hit Night of the Nerds making a comeback with Mark Humphries asking the questions, and comedian Dan Ilic and science communicator Angharad Yeo answering them; and A Rational Fear! podcasting live. Also, make a date with the planetarium, because it'll be showing the stunning CORAL: Rekindling Venus by award-winning Australian filmmaker Lynette Wallworth. If you haven't seen the immersive 2012 film before, or any movie made to play on a fulldome screen, you're in for quite the treat. Plus, Lunchtime Labs will take over the Queen Street Mall again, while Queensland Museum will make itself the WSF base for live tunes, performances, comedy and science — complete with a brand-new adults-only nighttime event with a pop-up bar. And, Queerstories will make its World Science Festival premiere, heroing LGBTQIA+ scientists and storytellers — and fungi will earn an in-conversation session, which is timely if you've been watching The Last of Us. Over at the Gallery of Modern Art, a film lineup will ponder humanity's intersection with nature, too. Part of Brisbane's cultural calendar since 2016 — making the city the centre of the science and technology universe for a few days each year — World Science Festival returns to venues around town, clustered around Queensland Museum and South Bank, after a disrupted few years. As well as navigating the pandemic since 2020, in 2022 the event was waylaid by the weather. Due to flooding, it moved online instead, and unleashed Curiocity in winter instead of autumn. World Science Festival Brisbane 2023 runs from Wednesday, March 22–Sunday, March 26, with Curiocity Brisbane taking place from Wednesday, March 22–Sunday, April 2. For more information and to buy tickets, head to the World Science Festival Brisbane website. Top image: Yaya Stempler.
If spending your summer holiday lazing opposite a palm tree-lined beach sounds like something you have to go overseas to do, guess again. The Reef House Boutique Hotel and Spa is an award-winning luxury beachfront stay in Palm Cove where you can experience that balmy (and palmy) escape without needing to dig out your now dusty passport. Your stay here includes a drink on arrival, complimentary twilight refreshments, poolside cocktail service and access to the fully stocked Honesty Bar where you can help yourself to your favourite drinks. There are also cocktail classes, wine tasting, beachfront yoga, an adults-only tranquility pool, jacuzzi, day spa, unlimited bicycle use and a library to keep you occupied in case you get tired of oscillating between relaxing by the pool and dining at the impressive Reef House Restaurant.
When Wednesday, November 1, 2023 rolls around, it will have been five years since Queensland's Containers for Change refund scheme launched, doing the planet a solid by encouraging folks to recycle their drink containers — and also giving everyone who participates some cash back for their efforts. How is the Sunshine State marking that milestone? By expanding the scheme to say cheers to glass wine and spirits bottles (after you say cheers to them yourself by sipping their contents, that is). The refund system has proven popular over its run so far, receiving more than 102-million empty drink containers in its first two months, rocketing up to over 400-million containers in its first five months and currently sitting at more than 6.4-billion recycled containers. Expect those numbers to grow with its big upcoming change, which was first floated back in November 2022, and is now confirmed to kick in this year. Accordingly, your gin shrine will be able to help the planet, with each bottle between 150 millilitres and three litres scoring you a ten-cent refund. You'll just need to take the glass remnants of your dinner party or at-home cocktails to one of the scheme's 360 collection points, as is currently the case with other containers at the moment. The CRS, as the program is also known, currently accepts water bottles, beer cans, juice containers and more — saving a hefty amount of aluminium, glass, plastic, steel and liquid paperboard items from landfill and our waterways, with a focus on beverage containers between 150 millilitres and three litres in volume — but glass vino and spirits bottles aren't covered. To decide whether to change that state of affairs, the Queensland Government ran a consultation period, with 6600-plus folks providing their thoughts, 98.1 percent of which were in favour of adding more containers to the refund program. "Plastic bottles, cans, poppers and very soon glass wine and spirit bottles will all give you a ten-cent refund, just in time for the festive season," said Queensland Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon, announcing the news. "When we launched Containers for Change five years ago, only 18 per cent of beverage containers were being recovered and recycled in Queensland. "Since then that number has grown threefold, with Queenslanders having returned more than six billion containers and receiving $630 million in return. Stacked end to end, the recovered containers would run the length of Queensland about 300 times." Until the change kicks in, Queenslanders will need to keep popping their glass wine and spirits bottles in their yellow bins at home — and not getting any money in return — as CRS collection points won't accept them until November hits. Glass wine and spirits bottles will be added to the Containers for Change program from Wednesday, November 1, 2023. For more information about Containers for Change, visit the scheme's website — or check out our how-to guide to the scheme as it currently exists.
When you eat the ocean's finest, you really do want to look at the ocean. As great as your local fish 'n' chippery no doubt is, suburban greasy spoons can't offer that. Morgan's Seafood can, and has for 31 years. While you're eating fish, prawns, oysters and more fresh from the trawler, expect views of Moreton Bay — and the Glasshouse Mountains if one scenic sight isn't enough. While grabbing takeaway is an option every night of the week if you're a Scarborough local or find yourself in the area often, between 1pm and 5pm on Sunday afternoon is the best time to plan a long stay. That's when this northside favourite serves up platters of hot and cold food made for two, and cranks up the live music. Once you're done, stop by the on-site seafood market, pick from 180 products and go home with dinner for another day.
If you're seeking somewhere romantic for your summer holiday, check out the couples-only luxury accommodation on offer at Mt Quincan Crater Retreat. Elevated 25oo feet above sea level on the edge of an extinct volcano in the Atherton Tablelands, this award-winning escape boasts breathtaking views that look over the volcanic crater and beyond. Each treehouse has its own private spa that captures these vistas and some even have an al fresco shower for you to enjoy under the stars. Plus, there are in-room dining options available for fuss-free cook ups and tailored packages to help you celebrate special occasions.
Giving a bunch of flowers is such a simple act, but it's a small gesture that can make someone's day. Gift whoever you like a native bouquet until the end of September and you can also brighten a stranger's life, too. How? It's all thanks to a new initiative called Empower with Flowers that's taking its cues from Prime Video series The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart. In the page-to-screen Australian drama, every piece of Aussie flora means something. Each different type has its own significance, makes a statement and is part of a conversation, in fact. The show's characters use wattle, Sturt's desert pea and other local blooms to communicate, with their stems and petals saying what they can't or won't voice aloud. The series is also largely set at a farm that's a refuge for women escaping violent domestic situations — and they're dubbed flowers as well. All of the above feeds into Empower with Flowers, a collaboration between Australian plant delivery service Floraly — which delivers those adorable tiny living Christmas trees each festive season — and both Prime Video and Barnardos Australia. For every bouquet of native blooms purchased during the initiative, the latter receives $40 in donations to assist women escaping domestic and family violence. That cash comes from two sources, with Floraly donating $20 from every purchase and Prime Video matching every dollar. With the funds, Barnardos Australia will put it towards legal aid, counselling, safe houses and its other efforts to provide women in need. You've got the entire first month of spring, until Saturday, September 30, to make a purchase as part of Empower with Flowers. As well as the bouquet, whoever receives the blooms will also get an illustrated card that tells them all about the initiative. Depending on the size of the bunch that you order, free cookies and a copy of Holly Ringland's The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart book are also on offer — while stocks last, with some freebies already sold out in some states. Prices start at $65 for a posy — or you can pay $84 for a bouquet or $109 for a grand bouquet. "Powerful storytelling has the ability to bring to life the extraordinary impact that domestic and family violence has on childhoods. Barnardos are thrilled to be partnering with Prime Video and Floraly to honour Australian series The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart by supporting families to be safe and free of violence. A gift of Floraly natives can help us tell a new story about families that can recover and thrive," said Barnardos CEO Deirdre Cheers. Check out the trailer for The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart below: The Empower with Flowers initiative runs until Sunday, September 30. For more information or to buy a bouquet, head to the Floraly website. Read our review of The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart.
Cairns Art Gallery is a charming creative space housed in a repurposed heritage building dating back to 1936. This three-storey public gallery is home to both traditional First Nations artworks and contemporary works, allowing visitors to sample the best of the region at the CBD venue. The legacy of famed First Nations artist Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori was recently honoured by her daughters, who created a piece called 'Our Mother's Country' for the FNQ Contemporaries exhibition held throughout summer. Previous exhibitions have included impressive works by Patricia Piccinini and Sir Sidney Nolan. And from Saturday, March 19, you can catch Archie 100: A Century of The Archibald Prize which will feature artworks from every decade of the prestigious Archibald Prize. The gallery also connects to the newly refurbished historic Court House Gallery next door. The best bit? Both galleries have free entry.
Cairns has two incredible venues located in the CBD where you can catch a local production — JUTE Theatre Company and the state-of-the-art Cairns Performing Arts Centre (CPAC). JUTE's upcoming production of Queenslander — a darkly funny political drama – will run from Friday, March 11 till Saturday, March 19 at Bulmba-ja Arts Centre. Nearby, CPAC will showcase a mix of local and international entertainment including the mesmerising production of The Wider Earth by Brisbane theatre company Dead Puppet Society.
It came, it celebrated, and it filled Melbourne with art, music and performances. Across its official 12-day run from Wednesday, June 4–Sunday, June 15 for 2025, RISING proved another hit. Not ready to say goodbye to the winter festival's huge lineup — which featured 100-plus events from 610 participating artists, including 16 brand-new commissions — just yet? Didn't make it down from interstate to the Victorian capital? A few of its highlights are sticking around, so you can still enjoy a RISING experience in the coming days, weeks and even months. Swingers — The Art of Mini Golf was the first event announced for RISING 2025 — and the art exhibition that's also a putt-putt course will be the last to finish, too. Until Sunday, August 31, it's welcoming in audiences at Flinders Street Station to get tap, tap, tapping around greens designed by female-identifying and gender-diverse artists. Kajillionaire filmmaker and All Fours writer Miranda July is behind one of the surreal and mindbending creations, riffing on her latest book's name with an 'all fores' setup. [caption id="attachment_994702" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Eugene Hyland[/caption] Also helping to shape Swingers — The Art of Mini Golf: Soda Jerk switching from bringing TERROR NULLIUS and Hello Dankness to the big screen, plus Australian artists Kaylene Whiskey and Nabilah Nordin, Japan's Saeborg, the United Kingdom's Delaine Le Bas, Indonesia's Natasha Tontey, Atlanta rapper BKTHERULA and Hobart-based photographer Pat Brassington. If you haven't seen Hedwig and the Angry Inch before, this is your chance to redress that gap in your theatregoing, with this new Australian production of the rock musical starring Filipino Australian singer Seann Miley Moore. It's running at Athenaeum Theatre until Sunday, June 29. You've got even longer, until Saturday, July 12, to grab a seat at Fairfax Studio for The Wrong Gods — the new piece by S Shakthidharan, the playwright behind RISING 2024's Counting and Cracking. Embracing a playful stage musing on romantic woes with the appropriate soundtrack remains on the agenda at Heartbreak Hotel at Arts Centre Melbourne until Sunday, June 22, too, while Melbourne Theatre Company's Legends (of the Golden Arches) is at Southbank Theatre until Saturday, June 28. "We're thrilled and grateful that audiences have once again embraced RISING in 2025. It's a testament to Melbourne's appetite and reputation for culture that over 12 massive days and nights, people turned out in huge numbers making the city feel alive with creativity," said RISING co-Artistic Directors and co-CEOs Hannah Fox and Gideon Obarzanek. "It's exciting to see that momentum continue, with several works extending beyond the festival dates by popular demand. There's still so much to discover, whether it's artfully absurd mini golf at Flinders Street Station, or powerful new theatre and performance across Melbourne." [caption id="attachment_1009673" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brett Boardman[/caption] RISING 2025 Extended Seasons Until Sunday, June 22 — Heartbreak Hotel at Arts Centre Melbourne Until Saturday, June 28 — Legends (of the Golden Arches), Southbank Theatre Until Sunday, June 29 — Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Athenaeum Theatre Until Saturday, July 12 — The Wrong Gods, Fairfax Studio Until Sunday, August 31 — Swingers — The Art of Mini Golf, Flinders Street Station [caption id="attachment_994694" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Andi Crown Photography[/caption] RISING 2025 ran from Wednesday, June 4–Sunday, June 15 across Melbourne, but several events and shows are still enjoying their seasons over the next days, weeks and months — head to the event's website for further information.
Summer is still two months away, but it seems that the sizzling weather has hit Brisbane early in 2021. Yes, Brissie doesn't ever get particularly cold. Yes, it starts warming up here again after winter rather quickly once spring arrives. But a 36.6-degree day in early October is still unusual. That's where the mercury climbed to on Monday, October 4, as the city took a day off for the Labour Day public holiday. So yes, if you were feeling particularly toasty yesterday, there's a reason for that. The Bureau of Meteorology has advised that Monday's maximum temperature was actually Brisbane's highest in October for almost two decades — since 2004 in fact. Back then, the mercury got up to 38.7 degrees. If you're wondering how high the mercury has gone in October as far back as records have been collected, it hit 40.7 degrees back in 1958. Yep - it's warm 🌡️out there today! Noted in #SEQ that the sea breeze didn't beat the westerly and the temperature in Brisbane was 36.6°C at 2pm. That's the warmest Oct day since 2004 (38.7°C). Cooler temperatures in the south tomorrow, warm in the north. https://t.co/wb7o8hSbC5 pic.twitter.com/Qfagkh2WW1 — Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) October 4, 2021 If you're still feeling a little warm while you're reading this, that's because the weather is set to hover around the 30-degree mark all week. It'll reach a maximum of 30 degrees today, Tuesday, October 5, then sit at around 27–28 degrees until Sunday, October 10, which is when it'll hit 32 degrees again. Brisbane's average temperature in October is 26.1 degrees. So while it's currently a bit toastier than that, the week won't exceed the norm too much. For more information about Brisbane's weather, head to the Bureau of Meteorology website.
It isn't every day that you can peer up at the Gold Coast sky and spot a family of giant hot-air balloon sculptures soaring above the city — but on Thursday, July 31, 2025, you'll be able to do just that. That's when Patricia Piccinini's Skywhalepapa will float through the air alongside the artist's equally otherworldly Skywhale. Our advice: if you'll be around that part of southeast Queensland, then you'll want to look up. The distinctive works will take to the air at sunrise, and get hovering. Wake up early to see them launch or find a great vantage point to stare into the sky once they're up there: the choice is yours. Either way, the eye-catching event is taking place as part of this year's Bleach*, aka the Gold Coast's annual winter arts festival, which runs from Thursday, July 31–Sunday, August 10. [caption id="attachment_799292" align="alignnone" width="1920"] National Gallery of Australia[/caption] New to all things Skywhale and Skywhalepapa? Thirty-four-metres long, more than twice as big as a regular hot air balloon and ripped straight from Piccinini's inimitable mind, Skywhale might just be one of Australia's most-recognisable recent pieces of art. It's a sight to see, and also the largest-scale example of the artist's ongoing fascination with the thin line that separates nature and technology — and in Skywhalepapa, it has finally met its match. The latter made its debut in 2021 thanks to the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra, but taking both billowing hot air balloons around the country was always the plan. Of course, the pandemic had something to say about that — Skywhalepapa was originally scheduled to premiere in 2020, in fact. [caption id="attachment_799293" align="alignnone" width="1920"] National Gallery of Australia[/caption] Skywhalepapa is designed to form a family with Skywhale, and was originally commissioned as part of the NGA's Balnaves Contemporary Series. It took 3.6 kilometres of fabric to create the second bulbous sculpture, which also features nine baby Skywhales, safely tucked beneath their father's fins. Obviously, this isn't the kind of thing you see in the sky every day. 2025's Bleach* is set to be an art lover's heaven, thanks also to Mona's Ladies Lounge leaving Tasmania for the first time and Michael Zavros' Drowned Mercedes featuring as well. Zavros is the festival's guest Artistic Director for this year. [caption id="attachment_799294" align="alignnone" width="1920"] National Gallery of Australia[/caption] [caption id="attachment_844503" align="alignnone" width="1920"] MPavilion[/caption] Skywhale and Skywhalepapa will take to the air over the Gold Coast for Bleach* 2025 on the morning of Thursday, July 31, 2025. Bleach* runs from Thursday, July 31–Sunday, August 10 at various locations around the Gold Coast. For more information, head to the festival's website.
Set out on a catamaran from Cairns with the award-winning Passions of Paradise and take a tour with a team that is dedicated to eco-friendly explorations. The snorkelling gear is included, so you can get up close to turtles, fish and all the coral-dwelling creatures of the reef with ease before relaxing on board with a buffet lunch. The best bit? Passions of Paradise work with researchers to help grow coral through the Coral Nurturing Program and offset carbon emissions by planting trees in the Daintree. If you're visiting the reef from Port Douglas, consider a trip with Sailaway. The full-day tour with a qualified marine biologist is a top-tier way to appreciate the wonders beneath the shimmering blue waves. The company donates $20 from every passenger's ticket to its reforestation and carbon offsetting project, too.
Our pick of Sunshine Coast Hinterland accommodation is Bird Song Valley, one kilometre from Montville. The 1920s Queenslander offers a large space for you and five of your best mates to settle in for a long weekend. Here you'll find several free-standing baths, a fireplace and views over the surrounding hinterland, plus each guest gets their own robe and slippers. Plus, the Sunshine Coast Hinterland is rich with culinary experiences and beautiful sights in equal measure. You can go for rainforest walks, chase waterfalls and catch views of the coastline, all while hunting down excellent local pubs and cafes. Order beers for delivery from Brouhaha Brewery in Maleny for sampling quality craft brews (like the strawberry rhubarb sour) and pop over to Kenilworth Country Bakery to sip your coffee from a doughnut or, better yet, have its one-kilogram doughnut delivered to your accommodation.
Fifty years, oh-so-many epic campaigns, and everything from movies to video games, too: that's the Dungeons & Dragons story. 2024 marks half a century since the tabletop roleplaying game first had its players rolling the dice and spinning fantasy tales, a milestone that's being celebrated Down Under with the Australasian premiere of Dungeons & Dragons' leap to the stage. Get ready for DUNGEONS & DRAGONS The Twenty-Sided Tavern. Normally a trip to the theatre means engaging via watching, not by playing a part; however, that fittingly isn't the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS The Twenty-Sided Tavern experience. Audience members don't simply view this version of the game, which is also currently running off-Broadway — they also play along, choosing the characters and helping shape the story. Here's how it works, as Australians will discover when DUNGEONS & DRAGONS The Twenty-Sided Tavern hits the Sydney Opera House Studio from Sunday, December 15, 2024: when you take your seat, you're a key aspect of the show. Entering the Forgotten Realms, you also pick the experiences and other elements of the performance using Gamiotics software, with more than 30 playable characters, 34 backgrounds and 28 combat effects involved. Still on numbers, the production also features 40-plus custom character illustrations, 40 item cards and over 300 individual pieces of content. Five actors take to the stage to bring all of the above to life, including via games, combat, puzzles and riddles — and, because of DUNGEONS & DRAGONS The Twenty-Sided Tavern's interactive nature, they're not just performing the same roles each time. Shaking things up for the audience and the cast alike, this experience is never the same twice. "As passionate gamers and D&D players, the creators of DUNGEONS & DRAGONS The Twenty-Sided Tavern set off on a quest to explore what a live interactive experience of DUNGEONS & DRAGONS could look like. What started as a D&D-style RPG onstage with folding tables and a box of props has grown beyond our wildest imagination — it's now an experience that has allowed us to forge a deep connection with gamers and non-gamers alike, with each night seeing the story play out in a way unique to that audience," explains co-creator and producer David Carpenter. "Dungeons & Dragons has an enduring and near-mythic appeal across generations, with so many adaptations and features in pop-culture moments over the past 50 years. But it's safe to say, no one has done anything like DUNGEONS & DRAGONS The Twenty-Sided Tavern before – and we're thrilled to be giving audiences the first chance to see it outside the US," adds Sydney Opera House Head of Contemporary Performance Ebony Bott. "This theatrical production captures the imagination, inviting everyone to join the adventure and interact with a new world from the moment they walk in the door." DUNGEONS & DRAGONS The Twenty-Sided Tavern will play the Sydney Opera House Studio from Sunday, December 15, 2024. Head to the venue's website for more details — and for pre-sale tickets from 9am on Tuesday, September 10 and general sales from 9am on Thursday, September 12. Images: Bronwen Sharp.
Maybe you're a Goop devotee. Perhaps you're fond of Gwyneth Paltrow as an Oscar-winning actor. Or, you could just be interested in stepping inside a star's guesthouse. Whether you're a wellness diehard, a movie fan or have always wanted to spend a night in the kind of place that only famous faces usually inhabit, Airbnb has a stay for you: Paltrow's Montecito guesthouse. The accommodation-sharing platform loves drumming up attention by offering unique places to slumber. Will this one come with a candle that smells like Paltrow's vagina or orgasm? Given that they're very real products that Goop sells, perhaps. Whatever scent wafts through the air at this Californian property, whoever scores the one-night-only booking will indeed be bunking down in the Seven, Shakespeare in Love and Iron Man star's home. And, she'll even be there to greet you. Airbnb adds this extremely short-term listing to its roster after also offering up Barbie's Malibu DreamHouse, the Ted Lasso pub and Japan's World Heritage-listed Suganuma Village this year. Before that, the service has featured Hobbiton, the Paris theatre that inspired The Phantom of the Opera, the Bluey house, the Moulin Rouge! windmill, the Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine, The Godfather mansion, the South Korean estate where BTS filmed In the Soop and the Sanderson sisters' Hocus Pocus cottage. For its full Goop-style getaway, Airbnb has tasked Paltrow with curating the experience, which is open to up to two guests on Saturday, September 9— and also costs $0 (so, yes, it's free). The booking includes staying in the guesthouse, which comes with a kitchen and living room as well as a bedroom; a spa day using Paltrow-picked Goop beauty products; Goop-inspired meals and snacks; and a guided transcendental meditation session. Reservations open at 3am AEST / 5am NZST on Wednesday, August 16. If you nab the place and you'd like to take the Goop-iness home with you afterwards, you'll also be given Goop products "to continue your journey towards emotional health long after your stay". Those are Paltrow's own words. "My Montecito home is my sanctuary for respite and mental clarity. I go there to recharge, to daydream about what we're building at goop and to reconnect with my family and treasured friends," the surprise Airbnb host also noted. "Whether you're seeking a place for unexpected connection or for well-deserved solitude and reflection, when you come to stay, I hope you'll get as much joy out of the home as I do. Plus, I've loaded up your stay with some of my favourite Goop essentials to nourish your body, mind and soul." The usual caveat applies, of course: if you do get the reservation, the cost of getting to Montecito and back again is all on you. For more information about Airbnb's Goop-Inspired Stay with Gwyneth Paltrow on Saturday, September 9, or to apply to book at 3am AEST / 5am NZST on Wednesday, August 16, head to the Airbnb website. Images: Stephen Paul. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
The corner of Swanston and Lonsdale Street seems to have been a permanent construction zone for the past few years. Any attempt to shortcut through the cosmetics section of Myer or run to catch a train from Melbourne Central was always met with a hoard of men in high-vis vests yelling at us; directing us through makeshift walkways like some kind of metropolitan cattle. Now we know why. Emporium Melbourne is the CBD's newest shopping destination. With 225 stores (175 of which are currently open) spread over seven levels, this mall is a goliath. Though open less than a week, it's already making a name for itself in the realms of architecture and design, high fashion, and gourmet food courts. And, while other retailers shut up shop for a lazy Easter weekend, this dark horse utilised the break as its opening weekend. For those that wisely chose not to brave the crowds, here's the lowdown on the mysterious giant: eight things we now know about Emporium Melbourne. It's come from outer space to enslave us all The future is usually a thing that creeps up on you. For instance, no one remembers the exact moment Sony Walkmans became obsolete. One day it just became normal to own a tiny futuristic magic pod, wear fedoras, and pull stupid poses. Upon stepping inside the holy archways of Emporium Melbourne there will be no mistake you have just been transported to the future. In fact, with its clean minimalist sheen and intricate near op-art fittings, we're inclined to go one step further. This super mall of tomorrow has been sent down from the cosmic ether by retail-loving extraterrestrials to hold us all hostage. Within its confines you will feel inexplicably compelled to throw your money at Australian designers and serenely glide towards the sky on a blissful wave of metal (what you Earthlings once called escalators). It's the anti-Chadstone With no K-Mart, McDonalds or KFC, Emporium Melbourne is a mall that even anti-mall people can get behind. Centre manager Steve Edgerton told Broadsheet the retail space was developed as something uniquely "Melbourne", and on that they do not disappoint. With raw timber complementing a clear and sparse aesthetic, the space has been expertly designed by renowned architects The Buchan Group. The stores, which have a large focus on quality independent designers, ensure there is no Supre or Big W in sight. And the food court is a carefully curated selection of local favourites including I Love Pho and South Melbourne Market Dim Sims. If Chadstone is for the embarrassing bogans of the outer suburbs, Emporium Melbourne is Fitzroy latte sippers HQ. There are clothing stores with baristas frothing Bonsoy next to terrariums, for God's sake. There's no way out and no one can hear you scream However, there is one very crucial way in which it is similar to Chadstone — there is basically no way out. By entering its doors you unconsciously surrender to its whims and, if you ever want to get out, it's best to commit an hour or two to your escape. Of course this is somewhat due to the sheer size of this beast. Not only does Emporium Melbourne cover seven levels, it spans the length of six football fields and travels all the way from Bourke Street to LaTrobe. But it also corners you in with pedestrian footbridges seamlessly connecting you to both Myer and David Jones. During my visit on opening weekend, I gave up on conventional means, joined the queue to enter Uniqlo (yep, there was a queue) went up a level in store, then made good my escape via a manned fire exit. Good luck. You can't fault the fashion The recent opening of Swedish retailer H&M at the GPO has kicked the Melbourne fashion stakes into hyperdrive, but Emporium Melbourne has hit back hard. Most notable of their many fashionable findings is the Japanese clothing giant Uniqlo. Over two packed levels, this neatly ordered world of quality budget pieces (think decent wool knits for $29) will no doubt change the way many of us shop this season. Other stores open ahead of the full launch in August include Gorman, Zimmerman, Manning Cartell, Karen Millen, Calvin Klein and Sass & Bide. You can't go wrong with any of the offerings, but we recommend you listen to this while strutting around the endless shopfronts. It's really really really ridiculously good looking With its constantly reiterated branding, 'Emporium Melbourne: Reimagined' it's clear to see this retail giant is trying to reignite the often tired space of the mall. This is done not only by the futuristic and well-executed architectural design, but also the shops themselves. There will be no heaps of discount clothing or messy, unattended counters in these stores — everything is so tightly curated it feels like a pop-up. In what must be a painstaking process for shop attendants, there are two of each magazine on display in MagNation; each separated by perfectly even spaces on the timber shelves. The new Aesop store, though always beautiful in both its Fitzroy and CBD locations, offers free samples of its luxurious body balm to Emporium shoppers walking by. Your trip to the mall will quickly turn into a mission to become as beautiful as your surroundings. Even the food court is pretty Food courts are usually a terrible insight into humanity. Sweating middle-aged men are hunched over super-sized meals in neon packaging. There's usually an exhausted single mother screaming at her caffeinated child to calm down. You watch all of this while shamefully demolishing some oil-drenched faux-Asian cuisine or ironically named Happy Meal while trying to avoid eye contact from your fellow man. Emporium Melbourne is different. In what they're trying to coin a 'cafe court', the top floor of the structure houses the likes of Pho Nom, EARL, Ramen Ya and The Tea Salon. Asian street food plays a big role in the re-imagined food court, and its moves towards health and quality have been praised by none other than Masterchef's own George Colombaris. It's a little cocky Of course, this all comes with a certain amount of ego. It takes a lot of gusto to open a super mall in an economy where consumers are turning more and more towards online shopping. And its takes even more gall to announce yourself 'A Melbourne Icon' after being open only a matter of days. It's like when someone tries to give themselves a nickname — just let it happen naturally, bro. Confidence, of course, isn't a bad thing and we give credit where credit's due. But if it truly wants to be a 'Melbourne' destination, it could at least muster a humblebrag. We're going to give it all our money anyway It's just that winter's coming, you know? It's hard to say no to beautiful retail shrines that are willing to give us quality Japanese jumpers, locally designed leather boots and South Melbourne Market dim sims for $2 a pop. You know it's true. Emporium Melbourne is located at 286 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. It is open 10am-9pm on Thursday and Friday, and 10am-7pm all other days. Images: Meg Watson
Move over dive bars and gastropubs — there's a new kind of watering hole in town. That'd be the alehouse, home to foamy alcoholic liquids aplenty, plus all the delicious bites to eat that help the craft brews go down. Indeed, Mr Edward's Alehouse & Kitchen champions its food as much as its drinks, as the venue's early morning opening hours and Euro-centric, share plate focused and slow-cooked-heavy menu makes plain. The charcuterie board of artisan cured meats and cheeses is the cream of the crop, and the perfect partner for the biggest selection of Coopers beer in Queensland, a special selection of Bacchus Brewing Co's dessert concoctions, or their signature sour pale ale cocktail (made with pale ale, of course). The new addition to Edward Street — where else? — is also fond of creating a relaxed, rustic atmosphere in its little corner of the Botanic Gardens end of the CBD. Witness their tables made from wood recycled from old Queenslanders and wall covered in photos of its location more than a century ago for further laidback evidence as you're enjoying an ale or several. Find Mr Edward's Alehouse & Kitchen at 46 Edward Street, Brisbane. For more information, visit their website and Facebook page.
Calling all cocktail lovers — especially anyone that's been dreaming of knocking back beverages in Singapore, but can't turn their fantasies into a reality. For two nights only, the world-famous Tippling Club is heading to Brisbane to take over Gerard's Bar with the delicious boozy concoctions. To be specific, Tippling's acclaimed bartender Jonathan Lee will be spending a couple of evenings in Fortitude Valley, whipping up a storm of drinks for eager Brisbanites to devour. It's all in celebration of their new 'Dreams & Desires' menu — and if their last lineup is anything to go by, it promises to be something special. 2017's tipples were called 'Sensorium', and all featured their own scents as well. To find out just what their 2018 selection will involve, you'll have to go along from 5pm on December 1 and 2. It's the next best thing to jumping on a plane and experiencing the real bar, and it's easy as wandering down to James Street.
The weekend is so close we can taste it. But nothing puts a dampener on a camping getaway quite like forgetting the airbed pump. So, whether you're a seasoned pro or you're a total newbie to the outdoors, spend less time planning and more time making memories this weekend with our guide on what to pack for a nature-soaked trip with your friends. With no shortage of incredible Aussie destinations at your fingertips, all you need are the essentials: some sustenance, the location of your closest The Bottle-O store, and a few comforts of home. We've got you covered for all of the above. [caption id="attachment_892912" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Tsvibrav via iStock[/caption] THE ESSENTIALS It goes without saying that you're going to require a tent, an air mattress, a sleeping bag, an esky, a picnic rug, a good-quality torch with spare batteries, a portable stove, some warm clothes and your fully stocked first aid kit. We know you know all this but we've listed them anyway because it helps to be reminded, just in case. In the camp kitchen department, stay organised by including one of each of the following items per person: a plate, a bowl, cutlery, a thermal mug, a plastic tumbler for their beverage of choice, and an insulated water bottle. Most utensils can be bought in handy plastic sets that fit together in a bag. If you're partial to tinnies, you'll thank yourself (and us) for remembering to pack stubby coolers but if you're a bottled brew kind of person, taking a Swiss Army knife (or any portable bottle opener) is crucial if they aren't twist-tops. Having a can opener, utensils for cooking, a sharp knife, a chopping board, bin bags, tea towels, and a saucepan will also come in handy. Depending on where you're staying, amenities for personal hygiene can vary; if you're at a campground with public showers then lucky for you. Even better if they're heated. Otherwise, for an easy rinse-off at the end of the day, you could utilise a portable solar shower bag to keep yourself clean. Just remember to put the bag out early enough in the day to have the sun heat the water or else it might be a quicker (and cooler) refresh than you'd hoped for. As far as other wash commodities go, pack a laundry bag, towels, and any personal items you might need. This is one weekend where you'd be advised to cull the ten-step skincare routine down to just three products. Don't worry, it's only for a few days. And if you don't fancy getting bitten or burnt, be sure to pack your hat, reef-friendly sunscreen, mosquito net, and odourless bug spray, because 'Straya! [caption id="attachment_892909" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Daria Nipot via iStock[/caption] THE SUSTENANCE They say it's not the destination that matters but the journey, so it's imperative to find your nearest The Bottle-O store en route. Stop in to stock up on the good value booze and the bags of ice every camping trip wouldn't be complete without. Before you set off on the final leg of your roadie, crank up the aircon to keep that booze chilled. Chances are you're going to deserve a cold one after the arduous task of pitching the tent with your mate who swore they'd camped before but evidently hasn't. Trust us. Now camp-friendly food is where many tend to get stuck. Most foods you know and love exist in camping-compatible forms. If you can't go without a bowl of cereal, stock up on variety packets of your favourites with milk poppers to pair. For the rest of the day, we have some suggestions that will last you even a long weekend. Get a hearty breakfast or lunch in with bacon or sausages (campfire-cooked or with campsite grills) but use them early — esky ice won't last forever. If there's no ice in sight, dehydrated meal packets are actually quite tasty, don't need to be kept cold and only need boiling water to cook. If you'd rather keep it DIY, don't sleep on tinned or non-perishable food to construct a meal worthy of any campsite king or queen. And since the weekend calls for sweets, self-saucing puddings with a serving of custard make for a banging camp dessert after being immersed in a boiling pot of water. [caption id="attachment_892910" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Disobeyart via iStock[/caption] THE EXTRAS Ask any camping fanatic what their must-haves are and they're guaranteed to list at least one thing that's more of an extra than an essential but as long as you don't pack the car right to the brim, you'll be right. For the active relaxers, a frisbee and a ball are always winners and Finska is a great game for the whole group to partake in. For the passive relaxers, you can't go past a good book. If you're wondering: yes, beach reads are the perfect literary genre for camping holidays, too. Taylor Jenkins Reid, eat your heart out. It's also worth bringing a portable speaker to keep the vibes high (without disturbing your campground neighbours, of course) a packet of marshmallows to roast on the fire (provided fires are allowed), and a deck of cards to play a respectable game or two of rummy. For good value booze for the weekend head to your local The Bottle-O store by using the store finder on the website. Header image: Disobey Art.
For years, Strut & Fret has turned Brisbane's performance venues into its playground, with shows such as Blanc de Blanc, FUN HOUSE, THE PARTY, LIFE — The Show, Fear & Delight and more popping up around town. The events and production company next has a date with the River City at 2024's Brisbane Festival, a trip to the Sunshine State that's almost as reliable as clockwork; however, when it unveils LIMBO — THE RETURN, it'll unleash the circus-cabaret show in Strut & Fret's very own site. From late August, The West End Electric will become Brisbane's new 400-plus-seat theatre and entertainment space, making 125 Boundary Street its home. The venue is launching with LIMBO — THE RETURN's opening, then sticking around. That'll make two Strut & Fret locations around the country, adding a sibling to The Grand Electric in Sydney. "We have been blown away by The Grand Electric's success since it opened in Sydney last year. It's quickly established itself as both a smashing venue for our own shows, and a venue for other players like Michael Cassel (Titanique) and Sydney Comedy Festival," said Scott Maidment, who is both Strut & Fret's Creative Director and the director of LIMBO — THE RETURN. "We staged our first Brisbane Festival production over 25 years ago in 1998, so it feels very fitting to launch The West End Electric with this year's festival." Both Maidment and Sarah Stewart, who co-founded Strut & Fret together, are from Brisbane — and it was in the Queensland capital in 1997 that they gave rise to the company. Accordingly, The West End Electric is a homecoming in a way, not that the outfit's productions are ever absent from Brissie for long. LIMBO — THE RETURN revamps a show that's been touring the world for over a decade, taking audiences to a netherworld scored by live tunes composed by Sxip Shirey, and filled with cabaret and circus alongside eye-popping acrobatic feats. Both it and The West End Electric will kick off in Brisbane on Thursday, August 29, in a space that designer James Browne is decking out with a nod to West End's London counterpart. "It will be chic and luxurious but with the essence of historical vaudeville, bohemian hedonism and abandonment. The space itself will be immersive, full of surprising elements that are unforgettable," said Browne. [caption id="attachment_960920" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Grand Electric, Nick Jones[/caption] [caption id="attachment_960921" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Grand Electric, Lexy Potts[/caption] [caption id="attachment_960922" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Grand Electric, Lexy Potts[/caption] [caption id="attachment_960923" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Grand Electric, Lexy Potts[/caption] [caption id="attachment_960924" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Grand Electric, Lexy Potts[/caption] Find The West End Electric at 125 Boundary Street, West End, from Thursday, August 29, 2024, opening with LIMBO — THE RETURN at Brisbane Festival — head to the venue's website for further details. LIMBO — THE RETURN images: Damien Bredburg.
Imagine a world in which, instead of slogging away for an unappreciative boss, you've set your own path and turned your passion into a mighty big paycheck. Jessica Wilson, co-founder and CEO of shopping app STASHD, has done just this. Launching her own business at just 22, Wilson's was nominated for Forbes' 30 Under 30 in 2015 and her million-dollar company has broken into the emerging Chinese market . Our friends at Christie Spaces, a group of dynamic co-working spaces located across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, put us in touch — so we could ask Wilson exactly how to take our side hustles to the big time. If you want to hear more from Wilson, she'll also be holding a series of mini-talks at Christie Spaces, North Sydney about women in the tech space — keep an eye on the website for more info on dates and times. But first up, let's find out how we turn that aforementioned dream world into a reality. [caption id="attachment_678820" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Christie Spaces by Katje Ford[/caption] THE LIGHTBULB MOMENT Any great business venture starts with an idea. Whether it be making Justin Bieber voodoo dolls or launching the next Snapchat, you need a solid foundation to launch from. Wilson says she noticed an opportunity for her startup while working in the fashion industry. 'Before STASHD, I was working throughout Australia, New York and Paris fashion weeks with brands on everything from model castings, model fittings and strategy," says Wilson. "And working so closely with brands gave me an insight into their pain points.' "The idea for the app came from working on seating plans and noticing that digital was largely outgrowing bricks-and-mortar shops, and the knowledge that retailers needed more data from their customers in relation to their products.' From there, the STASHD app was born. Using a Tinder-like swipe mechanism, shoppers are able to connect with brands and items, then save them to a digital wardrobe. TAKE A LEAP OF FAITH To make stacks of pineapples from your side hustle, you have to back yourself from the start. Even if others may not yet see the brilliance in your plan, it's your job to sell the idea — it's no time to be a wallflower. Wilson remembers the early days of getting her business up and running — it was all about the push. "I was blissfully naive when I started STASHD at 22, I had zero tech experience but would simply not take no for an answer. I wouldn't let the feelings of doubt or being hesitant enter my mind, I was on a mission — and I knocked on every door I could and met with everyone who would give me 15 minutes of their time to get the app off the ground," Wilson says. [caption id="attachment_678828" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jessica Wilson by Katje Ford[/caption] PERSISTENCE IS KEY It takes a lot of legwork and even more grit to get a new idea from infancy to reality. Wilson says it's important to throw yourself into the experience and keep persisting. "Don't be afraid to ask stupid questions, everyone starts somewhere and you need to check your ego at the door," Wilson says. After you've done that, the next step is to identify leaders or experts in your field and reach out to them. Wilson says there is a right way and wrong way to go about making the connections you need. "Don't do this via email and LinkedIn, people are busy and unless you impress them from the get-go your email will likely slip down their priority list." Wilson suggests sending "helium balloons tied to a bottle of champagne requesting a 15-minute chat or coffee". Let's face it: everybody loves bubbles and balloons. Once you have an in, demonstrate that you have done your research and come prepared. Then, Wilson says, it's time to "learn and implement". CO-WORKING CONNECTIONS When starting out on the side-hustle-to-main-hustle journey, it's important to have a network of like-minded people around. This is where co-working spaces come in. "The networking with and knowledge of people around you, you cannot buy. Especially when you're just starting and you need to learn, learn, learn," says Wilson. "The community aspect is a positive through every stage of a business. Growing a business is hard, so it's important to have people around you who are also on the entrepreneur path." And, you never know who you might meet at a co-working space. Wilson joined forces with her original business partner after they sat opposite each other. He had the tech smarts to complement her fashion knowledge. Wilson explains that it was a matter of "being in the right place at the right time and taking hold of that opportunity". [caption id="attachment_678811" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Katje Ford[/caption] WOMEN ON TOP Since coming up with the original idea for STASHD, Wilson's company has gone from strength to strength. After pitching her startup on the Chinese equivalent of Shark Tank, The Next Unicorn, she turned her focus to the lucrative and growing millennial market there. As a testament to her achievements, Wilson has garnered many accolades and her success echoes the rise of women in the previously male-dominated tech-startup world. "When I started it was very black and white. People either would mistake me for an intern or think my idea was 'cute'," Wilson says. Over time, this perception has changed and Wilson hopes to help the next generation of female founders to rise to the top. "It's an exciting time for women in tech, there is an incredibly supportive community of us and these women are absolutely incredible." Christie Spaces is located in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. To find your office space and start hustlin' head to christiespaces.com.au.
Directly underneath the ABC and near the giant Wheel of Brisbane, Champ Kitchen + Bar is a hideaway from the hustle and bustle of South Bank. In the background are the busy ABC journalists rushing in and out all day and in the foreground are tourists and Brisbanites standing under the Wheel of Brisbane, some waiting to climb on board and the others contemplating on whether its worth the $15. Then there is Champ Kitchen + Bar where you can escape for breakfast and lunch every day. For breakfast we suggest the crab omelette. It comes with Chinese sausage with red pepper, onion and Asian herb salad and a warm soy mirin drizzle ($17.50 each). Enjoy this with some Irish breakfast tea ($3.60 each). For lunch the smoked cured salmon with avocado, sea grapes with radish salad ($16 each) paired up with chocolate fondant, rhubarb and crème fraiche icecream ($15 each) is a strange but delicious combo. From Thursday - Saturday Champ also turns into the perfect evening bar.
One tells of a woman seeking passion instead of a loveless marriage. The other follows star-crossed lovers held back by their respective families' long-simmering feud. Beloved on the page, and rarely far away from a screen or stage, they're two of the most famous stories of the past few centuries. And, both Anna Karenina and Romeo and Juliet are among the big highlights of the Australian Ballet's just-announced 2022 season. Anna Karenina will kick off the Australian Ballet's year with stints in Melbourne (from February 25–March 9) and Sydney (April 5–23). Here, in a co-production with the Joffrey Ballet that had its world premiere in Chicago in 2019 and then debuted locally in Adelaide this year, Leo Tolstoy's masterpiece comes alive with ex-Bolshoi Ballet dancer Yuri Possokhov's choreography. The story remains the same, with its eponymous figure seeking happiness but finding ruin — but you can expect quite the sweeping and sensuous production. Dancing with the Bard, the Australian Ballet's version of Romeo and Juliet will then close out its 2022, with Shakespeare's most famous duo also taking to the stage in Melbourne (October 7–18) and Sydney (December 1–21). Clearly, there's nothing like bookending a year with two stone-cold classics. John Cranko's production has been regular in the company's repertoire ever since it premiered back in 1974, in fact, and will again turn medieval Verona into a sumptuous onstage realm — all set to a score by Sergei Prokofiev that dates back to 1935. [caption id="attachment_830095" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pierre Toussaint[/caption] Both Anna Karenina and Romeo and Juliet were originally meant to be highlights of the Australian Ballet's 2021 season, but we all know how this year has turned out. Also in the same camp: Harlequinade, a comedy by Marius Petipa, who choreographed Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty. It'll bring its story of young lovers Harlequin and Columbine to Melbourne only (from June 17–25). As well as this rescheduled trio, plenty of other highlights will pirouettes across the stage, including Kunstkamer, which was created at Nederlands Dans Theater and has never before been performed by another company; and triple bill Instruments of Dance, which includes a nine-part ballet designed for 25 dancers and set to a score by Sufjan Stevens. And, there's also Counterpointe, which'll take its focus on ballet's extremes to Adelaide only — plus a regional program that'll tour Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales and the Northern Territory. [caption id="attachment_830092" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pierre Toussaint[/caption] THE AUSTRALIAN BALLET 2022 SEASON: Anna Karenina: February 25–March 29 at Arts Centre Melbourne; April 5–23 at the Sydney Opera House. Kunstkamer: April 29–May 15 at the Sydney Opera House; June 3–11 at Arts Centre Melbourne. Harlequinade: June 17–25 at Arts Centre Melbourne. Counterpointe: July 7–13 at Adelaide Festival Centre. Instruments of Dance: September 23–October 1 at Arts Centre Melbourne; November 10–26 at the Sydney Opera House. Romeo and Juliet: October 7–18 at Arts Centre Melbourne; December 1–21 at the Sydney Opera House. Season packages for the Australian Ballet's 2022 Sydney and Melbourne performances go on sale from 12.01am on Wednesday, October 27. For further details, head to the Australian Ballet website. Top image: Simon Eeles.
Are you the kind of person who looks for hot cross buns on your local supermarket shelves the moment that December 26 hits each year? If so, congrats — you know that these seasonal treats really should be available all year round, as everyone should. And, you're likely also aware that not all hot cross buns are created equal. Lune Croissanterie's hot cross cruffins are in a league of their own, for instance. The highly coveted Easter bites are back for 2024, too, to the delight of pastry lovers across Melbourne and Brisbane. Whether you've had plenty of Lune Easters or just a few — Lune only opened its first interstate store in Brissie in 2021, after all — these baked goods are a must-try. Also, they're available all month in March this year. Yes, they're exactly what they sound like. Forget plain old croissant-muffin hybrids — Lune's Easter version throws hot cross buns into the mix as well. The croissant-muffin-hot cross bun mashups come filled with a spiced custard and traditional hot cross bun fruit blend, which includes sultanas and candied citrus peel. They're then topped with a cross (obviously) and brushed in a sweet glaze. And, they're both vegetarian- and Halal-friendly. Similarly Easter-friendly and returning for March: Lune's twice-baked pain au chocolat, which features a Mork chocolate frangipane, guanaja molleux, melted chocolate, mascarpone chantilly and cocoa nibs. Last but not least, there's also a lamington-croissant hybrid that's been created to celebrate the Australian Grand Prix, because Lune founder Kate Reid is an ex-Formula 1 aerodynamicist. The F1 takes a twice-baked traditional croissant, then packs it with coconut frangipane, dark chocolate ganache, vanilla sponge and raspberry gel. On top: a tempered chocolate chequered flag. If you're keen, you'll find all of the above in-store until Sunday, March 31 at almost all Lune sites. The chain is serving up hot cross cruffins and triple-choc pains au chocolate at its Melbourne CBD, Fitzroy, Armadale, South Brisbane and Brisbane CBD venues. For The F1, you can pick it up everywhere except the Melbourne CBD across the month — and at that venue from Thursday, March 21–Sunday, March 24 only. Lune's March specials are available until Sunday, March 31, with details and dates varying per store. Head to Lune's website or to the bakery's Melbourne CBD, Fitzroy, Armadale, South Brisbane and Brisbane CBD venues for more details. Images: Peter Dillon.
With almost every new Kristen Stewart-starring movie that has reached screens since her Twilight days, a distinctive feeling radiates. It was true with Clouds of Sils Maria, Certain Women and Personal Shopper, and then with Happiest Season, her Oscar-nominated role in Spencer and also Crimes of the Future as well: each of these films are exactly the types of flicks that one of the most-fascinating actors working today should be making. Then arrived Love Lies Bleeding, which partly sprang from that very idea and couldn't perfect it better. This revenge-driven, blood-splattered, 80s-set romantic thriller about a gym manager and a bodybuilder who fall in love, then into a whirlwind of sex, vengeance and violence, was written with Stewart in mind. As Saint Maud writer/director Rose Glass must've imagined while putting pen to paper, she's stunning in it. Love Lies Bleeding casts KStew as Lou, whose days overseeing the local iron-pumping haven — well, unclogging its toilets and scowling at meathead customers from beneath her shaggy mullet — are shaken up when female bodybuilder Jackie (Katy O'Brian, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania) enters her remote New Mexico hometown. This is a girl-meets-girl tale, but it's also about the chaos of finding the person who best understands you, dealing with a lifetime's worth of baggage and trying to start anew. Here, amid neon hues and synth tunes, that means navigating Lou's gun-running dad (Ed Harris, Top Gun: Maverick) and abusive brother-in-law (Dave Franco, Day Shift), trying to protect her sister Beth (Jena Malone, Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire), chasing Jackie's competitive dreams and attempting to leave complicated pasts in the rearview mirror. Co-writing with Weronika Tofilska (a director on His Dark Materials and Hanna), Glass didn't just conjure up Lou with Stewart as her ideal lead; she also leapt into a helluva sophomore project that follows quite the experience with Saint Maud. The 2019 movie, Glass' feature directorial debut, marked her as one of the next exciting filmmakers out of Britain. But little about getting the psychological thriller to audiences, and to adoring acclaim, was straightforward. Premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival as all very well and good. So was A24 coming onboard afterwards. The timing of Saint Maud's original April 2020 US release date says everything, though. The early days of the pandemic might've derailed getting the picture to viewers, but it didn't stop it becoming one of the standouts of the past five years. "The release was very odd, because we went down well at festivals, and then 24 picked us up," Glass tells Concrete Playground. "And they'd been planning on doing this whole wide cinematic release in America, and everyone kept saying to me 'oh my god, this never happens with a debut, this is incredible'. And I said, 'oh wow, okay, amazing'. It didn't quite feel real anyway, and then we're literally days away from getting on a plane to come out to America to do a whole fancy press tour, which felt so surreal in and of itself, and then lockdown. Obviously, we all know what happened next." "I'd been nervous about bringing the film out into the world, and people's reactions, but I think a global pandemic certainly helps put things in perspective. It certainly helped to not take it too seriously, I think," Glass continues. Before that, writing Saint Maud was "very stressful and got very unpleasant, because you're plagued by so much uncertainty about whether it's actually going to happen," she shares. Then, "making it was wonderful and just very collaborative — it was just a massive relief that it was actually happening". Consider Glass' Saint Maud journey fuel for Love Lies Bleeding; the filmmaker herself does. The latter veers in an array of vastly different directions from its predecessor; compare Saint Maud's claustrophobic focus on a highly religious carer who becomes obsessed with saving her latest patient's soul versus Love Lies Bleeding's frantic lovers-on-the-run antics. And yet, as much as Love Lies Bleeding can play like a heel-turn response to Saint Maud, they also boast more than a few things in common, such as a fascination with transformation, a deep willingness to push boundaries and, of course, an uncompromising vision. We chatted with Glass about being motivated to make Love Lies Bleeding after her Saint Maud experience, how the idea for her second feature came about, the difference between writing a part for KStew and getting her to actually play it, finding IRL bodybuilder and former cop-turned- The Mandalorian and Westworld actor O'Brian as Jackie, the film's wild ride and more. [caption id="attachment_804112" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Saint Maud[/caption] On Glass' Approach to Love Lies Bleeding After the Response to (and Chaotic Release for) Saint Maud "I'm sure it lights a fire under the arse, or whatever the expression is. I mean, it's wonderful. It definitely exceeded anything any of us were expecting or hoping to happen on the film, so that was very cool. And I think maybe because also it happened during lockdown, so I was getting a sense that people were responding to it well, and it was going down well, but because it was all basically just through [online] — I wasn't used to doing everything over Zoom at that point — it all felt very removed. I was just in my house with my flatmates in lockdown like everyone else, so it sort of felt like it wasn't happening. [caption id="attachment_804111" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Saint Maud[/caption] But, in a way, because we didn't get to do the proper release then with the film, it did mean there was a pent-up frustration, which probably spilled over into making this next one, I think. It definitely gives you a confidence and a fearlessness, which I hadn't really felt before. And definitely there's this feeling of 'oh, wow, I get to make another one — I don't know if I'll get to do another one again after that', so you treat it as if it's the last one. I think maybe also Saint Maud's kind of uptight, obviously, and quite insular and claustrophobic — so I think maybe that combined with lockdown, probably this when I was like 'let's do something bombastic and a bit more extroverted, and try something risky and irresponsible and see what we can get away with'." On Coming Up with the Idea and Story for Love Lies Bleeding "Initially, it was just wanting to do something about a a female bodybuilder. That seemed psychologically and visually exciting territory. And I guess I feel like I'm probably the polar opposite of a bodybuilder — and the obsessive level of discipline is something I can only be fascinated by and aspire to myself, but never quite achieve. So maybe, maybe that's how it became a two-hander between a bodybuilder and a woman who's basically just 'oh, my god, you're amazing'. But I decided that I wanted to try co-writing. I had this initial germ of an idea about a bodybuilder who kind of loses her mind while she's training for a competition. And then I teamed up with my co-writer Weronika Tofilska, who I've been friends with for years. Then, so the rest of the story, all the twisty-turny rest of it, we basically came up with together just bouncing back and forth." On Having Kristen Stewart in Mind While Writing "She's just, I think, a very natural fit for the character. I guess it was just a quite instinctual thing. I like the idea of her playing a moody heartthrob in loose, boyish way — like she's playing someone who's kind of an asshole but you kind of really like her as well. Kristen, she's actually, in person, she's very twinkly and energetic and stuff, but there's I think a more famous version of her which is much more held back and a bit aloof, all this kind of thing, which I think is really what the character needs. She's kind of an enigma, like a mystery — she keeps a lot held back, and then hopefully throughout the film you pick her apart a bit. I just thought she'd be a really hot, moody heartthrob." On Getting Kristen Stewart Onboard as Lou "I couldn't believe it. I met her for the first time — we had an awkward blind date kind of thing, and it was the morning after they'd released Spencer in the UK, I think, so she'd had a late night. I was basically suddenly very starstruck and quite nervous, and just as far as I saw it, I just waffled at her incoherently for an hour, and she went 'mmmm'. But then, luckily, afterwards she sent me a really lovely message, and then I sent her the script. It's weird and awkward having a meeting where you don't actually have something specific — because I hadn't shared the script with her then, it was this awkward thing where I was told that I wasn't actually allowed to, even though I wanted to offer the her the role outright. It was more of like a temperature check. So it's much nicer to have a conversation when you're actually talking about a specific script, and she's agreed, and there's none of this weird awkwardness. Anyways, she basically said she really likes Saint Maud. She's said in interviews since then that she was up for doing whatever I wanted to do next — which is very obviously a very lovely feeling and takes the pressure off a little bit, because I thought I did a really bad job of pitching it to her. But anyway, she was all in." On Finding Katy O'Brian to Play Love Lies Bleeding's Pivotal Female Bodybuilder "Katy's just — I think both her and Kristen, just on a basic level, they're just incredibly charismatic and incredible to look at. They're two people that I'm like 'I would love to watch these two people falling in love with each other'. A lot of the film just has to play on you being like 'oh, these people are amazing'. But with Katy specifically, it's the duality. On the surface, she's obviously got this incredible physicality and a very imposing physical presence, or can be. And so this more steely action-hero stuff comes very easily to her. But actually naturally, in terms of how she is and as a person, you scratch just underneath that and she's incredibly warm and soft. She's described herself as like a snuggle bear. And also, her character goes on a pretty tumultuous up and down, and does some pretty terrible things, but ultimately is still the innocent of the film. There's a naivety to her. Katy is just so incredibly empathetic, I think, which the character needs — because otherwise she'd just lose her and it'd just be 'oh, it's just this crazy woman doing crazy things'. But Katy just makes you so care for her so much. Given it was her first big lead dramatic performance — she's acted before, but more as supporting roles, normally previously in roles which have mostly been requiring her just to do the physical kind of stuff — she jumped into this. We cast like two weeks before we started shooting, and then a few weeks later she's doing all these quite tricky scenes with Kristen. I immediately would just completely forget that it's the first time she's doing a role like this." On Making a Film That Feels Like It Can Go Anywhere and Everywhere, Even While Building in Familiar Elements "In terms of the surrealism, and some of the weird combinations of things, I think it's what comes naturally. Me and Weronika, when we were writing it, we were playing with a lot narrative and character tropes. There's quite a few formulaic elements in the story, which probably are quite familiar to people, which hopefully we then take off course into somewhere a bit more surprising. There's definitely a framework in this. I think there's a lot of elements in the film which are very recognisable and which will probably feel familiar in some way. So hopefully it's setting up an expectation of something to happen — and then, because you know what the expectation is, it's easy to go 'let's go the other way'." On Taking Love Lies Bleeding in the Opposite Direction to Saint Maud in So Many Ways, But Still Finding Connections Between Them "It's kind of intentional. I mean, I think there are quite a lot of things which do connect the films. But each film, you spend a few years of your life just obsessively thinking about that — so I think after several years of just thinking about one particular tone and style of story, it's definitely, I think, a natural instinct to want to mix things up a bit. So yeah, the idea of wanting to do something which was more extroverted and bombastic than Saint Maud was definitely a deliberate, instinctual kind of thing. And I guess also Saint Maud was kind of about loneliness, so in a way this one was like 'oh, if you think being lonely is hard, try being in a relationship'." Love Lies Bleeding released in Australian cinemas on Thursday, March 14, 2024, and opens in New Zealand cinemas on Thursday, April 4, 2024. Read our review. Images: Anna Kooris.
When you have so many huge musicals to your name, as Andrew Lloyd Webber does, one is always likely to be playing a stage somewhere. That includes in Australia, where the acclaimed composer's The Phantom of the Opera will start its latest stint Down Under in August — to be swiftly followed by Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. While the latest version of Phantom heads our way fresh from proving a huge hit in both the United Kingdom and the United States, this iteration Joseph makes the leap straight from London's West End. It also marks the first time that it's being staged outside of the UK, with seasons in Melbourne and Sydney locked in. Hailing from not only Lloyd Webber, but from lyricist Tim Rice as well, Joseph will enjoy its Australian premiere run at Melbourne's Regent Theatre from Friday, November 11, 2022, before heading to Sydney's Capitol Theatre from Saturday, February 11, 2023. If you live elsewhere in the country, cross your fingers that it adds shows in other capitals to its Aussie run. (No matter where you reside, perhaps cross your fingers that Cats isn't the next big Lloyd Webber musical to prowl across local stages.) Joseph's Aussie seasons will feature all the expected songs, of course — so 'Any Dream Will Do', 'Close Every Door To Me', 'Jacob and Sons', 'There's One More Angel in Heaven' and 'Go Go Go Joseph' will all get a whirl. Leading the cast: Euan Fistrovic Doidge (Saturday Night Fever, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Les Misérables and Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical) as Joseph, plus Australian Idol contestant and singer Paulini as the Narrator. And if you're new to this particular sing-through show — and didn't catch the streamed 2000 adaptation back at the beginning of the pandemic, when Lloyd Webber was screening his hits via YouTube — it does indeed focus on the biblical figure, and was actually the first of Lloyd Webber and Rice's musicals to be performed publicly. That happened back in 1968 at a school concert, of all places, before it started getting more attention after Jesus Chris Superstar became such a success. JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT 2022–23 AUSTRALIAN TOUR: From Friday, November 11, 2022 — Melbourne's Regent Theatre From Saturday, February 11, 2023 — Sydney's Capitol Theatre Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat will hit Melbourne's Regent Theatre from Friday, November 11, 2022, before playing Sydney's Capitol Theatre from Saturday, February 11, 2023. For more information or to buy tickets — with the Sydney season on-sale from Friday, July 15 — head to the musical's website.
Brisbanites, if you're ready to laugh this autumn, the River City has just the festival for it. Now taking place in late April and all throughout May each year, Brisbane Comedy Festival is the Sunshine State capital's excuse to get giggling. On the 2023 lineup: 350-plus gigs by more than 110 comedians across five weeks. BCF revealed a heap of its bill for this year late in 2022, but that was just the beginning of its roster of chuckle-inducing talent. Now, the full program is here, complete with over 70 more comedians joining the fun from Friday, April 28 till Sunday, May 29, 2023. Across both announcements, the Brisbane Powerhouse-hosted event isn't short on big names, including returning favourites and first-timers alike. David O'Doherty, Danny Bhoy, Micky Bartlett, Ed Byrne, Ed Gamble, Sara Pascoe, Chris Parker and Ivan Aristeguieta sit on the bill alongside Ross Noble, Jason Manford, Jason Leong, Daniel Kitson and Alfie Brown. Fans of homegrown comedy talent can also look forward to Tripod, Nat's What I Reckon, Rhys Nicholson, Akmal, Mel Buttle, The Umbilical Brothers, Wil Anderson, Dave Hughes, Peter Helliar, Rove McManus, Anne Edmonds and Lloyd Langford, as well as Tom Ballard, Tommy Little, Michael Hing, Andrew Hansen, Dilruk Jayasinha, Claire Hooper and Geraldine Hickey. And these days, we basically count Irish comedian Jimeoin as a local, don't we? Other highlights include Karen From Finance, Reuben Kaye, Lizzy Hoo, the cabaret-style Dirty Fame Flash Candles Club, the Aboriginal Comedy Allstars, the Multicultural Comedy Gala and Queerstories. Or, there's the return of Two-Man Tarantino, the Sunday Roast and Sh!t-Faced Shakespeare — the latter doing Romeo and Juliet. BCF attendees can check out comedy cabaret Brisbaret, magic circus stunt show Flabbergasters!, free after-work Friday knockoff sessions and Agatha Christie-inspired improvised whodunnit Murder Village as well, plus James Schloeffel from The Shovel and Charles Firth from The Chaser teaming up for Wankernomics. [caption id="attachment_850754" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Atmosphere Photography[/caption] Updated February 16, 2023.
Brisbane, you thought you were done with burgers. You thought the city couldn't get any more burger obsessed. No way. We're not done here — we're importing burgs from interstate. Melbourne's favourite burger chain Mr Burger is finally, finally coming to town. The crew have announced that one of their famous mobile burg dispensing units (or 'truck') will be hitting out streets this week and flooding the market with their famous burgers and trucker chips. Mr Burger started their tenure in Melbourne as a no-frills truck that served up killer burgers. Now their vehicles dot the city, they work with university students to deliver burgers by drone and they've launched a food truck revolution in the form of the Welcome to Thornbury community hub. Their trucker chips (famously slathered in three kinds of cheese, secret sauce and crispy bacon) and the pizza variant (think of a pizza and swap out the base for a load of French fries) are notorious for being gloriously and deliciously OTT. Mr Burger owner Daragh Kan says the full menu will be available in Brisbane and they're hoping to stick around for a while. "We'd love to be up in Brisbane permanently," he says. "At this stage we've just got the truck but if we find the right site we'll definitely consider a store as well. When we opened in Tasmania, we were originally just looking at a truck but we're currently in the process of opening a store, so there's definitely precedent." Hallelujah! In the meantime, they're rocking a six-month permit so don't be afraid to get on board with Mr Burger — he's not going away anytime soon. Best break out your finest elasticated pants and prepare for a quite an experience. Mr Burger will be hitting Brisbane over the weekend, starting with a session at Green Beacon Brewing Co. on Friday, August 26. Keep an eye on their Twitter for more information about where to catch the orange truck (and free celebratory burgs!).
When you spend your childhood working in the family seafood eatery, growing up to become a restaurateur yourself is hardly surprising. Neither is running your own joints that sling the ocean's finest. That's Michael Tassis' story, starting at his dad's George's Paragon Seafood Restaurant in Sanctuary Cove, also including Eagle Street's now-closed Fatcow Steak & Lobster, and now continuing over to Fosh at Portside. First announced in 2022, locked in for a winter opening back in July and officially open since Thursday, August 17, Fosh doesn't just sling fish, prawns, scallops, bugs, oysters and the like — it does so by the river, and with impressive views. Here, peering at the water while enjoying fresh lobster and doing caviar bumps is firmly on the menu. So is hitting up the island bar and enjoying the fireplace's warmth (when the weather calls for it) at this 700-square-metre spot. Tassis is also behind Opa Bar + Mezze, Massimo Restaurant and Yamas Greek + Drink, and has overwater restaurant and bar Bombora and landing cafe Mulga Bill's on the way 2024 in Kangaroo Point's new green bridge, plus steak venue Rich & Rare in West End's West Village this September. So, variety is in his wheelhouse along with seafood. As a result, it also shouldn't come as shock that Fosh is two venues in one. Fancy a more casual experience? Fosh Tails does fish and chips in a more relaxed setting, complete with picnic tables. Fosh's menu starts with whipped taramasalata and fish finger sandwiches among the snacks, those caviar bumps with optional vodka and champagne, and a raw seafood lineup heroing oysters. From there, it moves onto prawn cocktails, barbecue squid and Hokkaido scallops as starters, then mains such as dry-aged fish, Moreton Bay bugs with spaghetti, pan-seared snapper and one-kilogram servings of black mussels. The live seafood range features rock lobster and mud crabs. Or, pick from both cold and hot platters keep serving up catches from the sea. If you're after a different source of protein, spiced lamb ribs sit among the small plates, and twice-cooked chicken, a couple of steaks and smoked eggplants are among the larger options. From a kitchen team that includes Head Chef Vikash Gurung (Greca, Fatcow Steak & Lobster, Rico Bar and Dining, and Jellyfish) and sous chef Daniel Hernandez (Agnes, Restaurant Dan Arnold and La Cache à Vin), dessert picks span a cheese selection and chocolate cake with raspberry gel, plus lemon tart and creme caramel with orange segments. At Fosh Tails, patrons can choose from grilled, beer-battered, crumbed or coconut fish of the day, cod, snapper, barramundi, ocean trout or coral trout. The chips come with kombu salt and mayonnaise, and the potato scallops with curry mayo and curry leaves. There are also fish sandwiches, fish bowls, both fish and wagyu burgers, buckets of fresh prawns, beer-battered prawns and chips, oysters and calamari — so, levelled-up takeaway fish-shop fare. Images: Blank Studios / Markus Ravik.
Drinkify makes sure you'll never drink alone again. Created in 24 presumably booze-soaked hours, the website matches whatever music you're listening to with the perfect drink. Combining information about genres and audio summaries of tracks from The Echo Nest with the treasure trove that is Last.fm, along with a truly astonishing appreciation for alcohol, Drinkify is weirdly and delightfully accurate. For example, if you're spending a lonesome night indoors being serenaded by Johnny Cash and your vanilla Coke seems oddly inappropriate, you'll want to combine yourself 4 oz. of Jack Daniels and 4 oz. of honey in a highball glass and sit back and just see if you don't feel the world become a better place. To fully enjoy listening to M83, for example, you'd be advised to combine 8 oz. of water and 8 oz. of iced tea in a highball glass, whereas if you're hanging out to OFWGKTA things get a little more complex, and you'll need to get yourself one bottle of 'rum, fucking rum', one bottle of honey and 4 oz. of Worcestershire sauce, combined in a highball glass, and garnish with a twist of grapefruit. Chilling to Sleigh Bells is simplest of all: 10 oz. of whiskey, neat. And to demonstrate just how accurate Drinkify appears to be, they recommend listening to Gotye with 8oz of vodka, served neat, stirred quickly and garnished with a glow stick, and believe a quiet evening with SBTRKT requires 1 oz. cocaine, on the rocks, garnished with sparklers.
How do you make one of New Farm's favourite watering holes even better? Spending $5 million on a massive refurbishment, expanding to include a new bistro, restaurant and conference centre, and adding a 40-square-metre green wall will do the trick. That's what you'll find at the Queens Arms Hotel, which has reopened for trading after a huge revamp. Welcoming thirsty patrons back through the doors since March 17, the QA boasts plenty of fresh additions. Gone is the drive-through bottle shop, with the laneway bistro taking over the space. Expect popcorn prawns with sriracha mayo, chicken schnitzel burgers, slow-roasted lamb, onion and rosemary pie and five types of pizzas on the menu. Plus, Botanical Bar and Kitchen ranks among the joint's different eating spaces, offering full table service, while the James St Conference and Function Centre provides plenty of room for exactly what it sounds like. When you're giving a 130-year-old pub a facelift, however, balancing the old with the new is paramount. That doesn't just mean keeping underground bar and late-night supper club Farrier trading, but showing the heritage love in the decor. As QA owner Chris Condon puts it, the renovations "celebrate our long-standing history and exciting new aesthetic." The makeover keeps one eye on the past and one on the present by maintaining original materials such as flooring, brickwork and timber, then pairing them with glass and greenery. Taking nine months to come to fruition, the Apollo Property Group-designed and built revamp also features a new a state-of-the-art kitchen that not only cooks up meals for QA patrons 20 hours a day, but services the new adjoining Sage Hotel as well. Find the Queens Arms Hotel at 64 James Street, New Farm. Check out their website and Facebook page for more details.
Whisky lovers, rejoice — we've just found your next 80 drops and perhaps even more. The Queensland Whisky Expo doesn't just serve up a few drams or ten or several dozen, after all. It reaches for the 150 mark, actually, and comes mighty close. Returning for 2022, the two-day event is split into two sessions, although both offer attendees the same thing. You'll taste as many whiskies as you can, and you'll nab your own whisky glass just for that purpose. On the menu: newcomers, old favourites and everything whisky-wise in-between. You'll even get a free pen so that you can take notes about all of your favourites. We know, we know, free pens aren't exciting at all — but there is more than whisky on the menu, including a meal to line your stomach and chats with informative whisky experts. It all takes place from 6–9pm on Friday, July 15 and 1–4pm on Saturday, July 16, with the expo taking over Rydges South Brisbane. Tickets cost $125, and prepare to leave with plenty of new varieties on your must-drink list. And the event is hosted by the Queensland Malt Whisky Society — so you know they know their stuff. It's also the first expo after a two-year gap, due to the pandemic, so expect everyone to be mighty pleased to be there.
Unlike many other music festivals gearing up to make their first appearance since before the pandemic, much-loved camping fest Pitch Music & Arts is preparing to host its second post-COVID instalment. But if last year's well-timed (and sold-out) return was anything to go by, it's set to go off with just as big of a bang as any other comeback on your calendar. The long-running celebration is headed back to Moyston, in the foothills of Victoria's Grampians, from Friday, March 10–Tuesday, March 14 2023. Not only will its three stages play host to a sparkling lineup of local and international musical talent, but the tunes will be backed by a hefty program of interactive art and installations. Basically, you're in for a very big, very busy four days. [caption id="attachment_875292" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Duncographic[/caption] Guiding your sonic journey will be legends like Germany's Helena Hauff, UK electro act Four Tet (who's also hitting Golden Plains the same weekend), DJ and producer Nightmares on Wax, Berlin-born supergroup Moderat and a live set from UK-based duo OVERMONO. You'll also catch the likes of Leon Vynehall, Ben UFO, Fatima Yamaha and Âme flying the flag for the international dance scene, joined by a juicy lineup of homegrown heroes — Mildlife, Ayebatonye, C.Frim, Yarra, IN2STELLAR and Soju Gang, included. While the supporting program of artistic delights is yet to drop, last year's offering — including works by street artist Adnate and installation king Clayton Blake (Winner of Best Art at Burning Man 2018) — should leave you pretty excited for what's in store. [caption id="attachment_875293" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Duncographic[/caption] In between all the dance-floor sessions and arty things, festival-goers can make themselves at home in the Pitch Pavilion, unwinding with a yoga class, meditation or sound bath. There'll also be an ethical design market to shop, a range of food stalls to fuel your weekend and a Pride Patrol doing live drag performances. If that all sounds like your true calling, you'll have to enter the Pitch Music & Arts 2023 ballot where, for the first time, entrants will be required to make a 'Pitch Pledge' — a written commitment to positively contributing to the Pitch community, leaving no trace and behaving respectfully while onsite. [caption id="attachment_875295" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ash Caygill[/caption] PITCH MUSIC & ARTS 2023 LINEUP: ABSOLUTE. AK Sports Âme Anetha Ayebatonye Ben UFO Bertie BIG WETT Bradley Zero C.Frim X Mirasia Call Super Cassie Raptor Club Angel Daria Kolosova DAWS Dax J DJ EZ DJ Heartstring DJ Stingray 313 DJ Tennis Effy Ewan McVicar Fatima Yamaha (Live) FJAAK DJ Four Tet François X HALFQUEEN Héctor Oaks Helena Hauff I.JORDAN IN2STELLAR Interplanetary Criminal Jaguar Jennifer Cardini Juicy Romance Jyoty Kalyani KAS:ST Kelly Lee Owens (DJ Set) KETTAMA Ki/Ki Kim Ann Foxman Leon Vynehall (Live) LSDXOXO m8riarchy Major League Djz Mano Le Tough Marie Montexier Mildlife Miley Serious Moderat (Live) Nightmares On Wax NLV OVERMONO (Live) Parfait Paula Tape Peach Pretty Girl (Live) Roi Perez RONA Ryan Elliott Sam Alfred x STÜM Soju Gang Sophie McAlister SWIM Tama Sumo x Lakuti Tinlicker (Live) u.r.trax Yarra Yikes Young Marco Pitch Music & Arts will return to Moyston from March 10–March 14, 2023. Head to the festival's website for further details, or to enter the ballot before 3pm AEDT on Wednesday, November 2. General tickets will go on sale from 12pm on Thursday, November 10. Top Images: Alex Drewniak and William Hamilton Coates.
The festive season is upon us, again, which means that Christmas shopping is about to become everyone's favourite pastime. Thankfully, trawling the mall isn't your only option when it comes to finding a gift, either for your loved ones or yourself — or grabbing ingredients for a delicious meal. Returning for another year from 4–9pm on Saturday, November 19, the Carseldine Markets is hosting a twilight event brimming with the spirit of the season. Get your list ready, because all the art, craft and fresh produce stalls you know and love will be on site, just waiting to help you out of a festive fix — there'll be more than 200 of them, in fact. Prepare to tuck into festive treats, too (because you'll need to eat while you browse), as well as ample entertainment. Yes, it's a Christmas wonderland, with the decorations and carols to prove it. Warning: if you're more of a Grinch than one of Santa's elves, you'd best prepare yourself for an overdose of holiday cheer. Entry costs $2, and there's free parking onsite.
Move over Sunshine Castle, aka Bli Bli Castle: while the family-favourite tourist spot was likely your number-one place to visit in the Sunshine Coast town when you were a kid, the new Bli Bli Hotel is here to take that mantle among adults. Only opening its doors in late October, the three-level pub has arrived just in time for southeast Queensland's sunniest stretch with a fresh venue to sip drinks, including on the rooftop terrace with a retractable ceiling. Patrons can get both an indoor and outdoor experience on Bli Bli Hotel's highest level, then, given that the roof can be open or closed. The terrace takes its cues from the Mediterranean, as does the bistro it's attached to. The two spaces also feature decor that gleans inspiration from the Australian bush and North America's Sonoran Desert — so, thanks to designer Diana Challinor, think: an utter lack of stainless steel and chrome, with natural textures, terracotta and sage blue hues, hand-blown glass chandeliers and Aussie bush wallpaper instead — plus a central pink blossom tree that reaches four metres in height. The overall look screams cruisy, relaxed Sunshine Coast vibes, which is Maeva Hospitality's aim. "This venue is a testament to the collective support of the Sunshine Coast community and we are thrilled it's finally arrived," said company director Scott Armstrong. Previously known as Sunshine Coast Hotels, Maeva Hospitality is launching its new name with Bli Bli Hotel, while adding the venue to a slate that covers Parklands Tavern, Brightwater Hotel, Baringa Tavern and The Lakehouse Sunshine Coast. Also behind the spot: the Deery family, which owns both the Story Bridge Hotel and the Woodford Hotel. While the terrace is a clear drawcard, the hotel also features a sports bar, plus a gaming lounge and bar downstairs. The sports bar has its own food menu filled with pub grub-style options, including double beef burgers, 12-hour slow-roasted rib-eye on a toastie, chilli beef nachos, chicken schnitzels and parmigianas, and sweet potato fries — for starters. Highlighting Australian flavours and local ingredients, and cooking up dishes on a live-fire grill, the bistro and terrace boasts picks such as wood-roasted prawns, smoked ricotta, four kinds of steak, pizzas, smoked lamb shoulder and wok-fried chow fun egg noodles, plus wood-grilled stone fruit for dessert. And for drinks, take a pick from a wine selection that spans ten-plus varieties, many with multiple tipples, as well as a cocktail list with espresso martinis, old fashioneds, margaritas, mojitos and non-boozy sips. Find the Bli Bli Hotel at 310 David Low Way, Bli Bli — open 10am–2am Monday–Sunday, with bistro hours from 11.30am–2pm and 5.30pm–8.30pm Monday–Tuesday and 11.30am–8.30pm Wednesday-Sunday. Images: Lumea.
When Hollywood isn't bringing back beloved television shows such as Daria and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or spinning off huge hits like Game of Thrones, it's taking successful films to the small screen. The Lord of the Rings is the next beloved property in the spotlight, making the leap from the page to the cinema to your TV, with a five-season series first announced in 2017, then receiving the official go-ahead in mid-2018. Amazon Studios is the driving force behind his return to Middle-earth, adapting a television version of J.R.R. Tolkien's novels with the Tolkien Estate and Trust, publisher HarperCollins and Warner Bros. Entertainment's New Line Cinema. And before you go thinking that this'll be a simple rehash, the show's twitter account has started unveiling details about your next favourite TV program. The big news: it doesn't look like it'll be remaking events already covered by the movies. For a few weeks, the social media account has been posting maps accompanied by Lord of the Rings quotes, such as "Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky" and "One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne. In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie". This week, it welcomed fans to the Second Age — as accompanied, once again, by a Middle-earth map. While that mightn't seem like the most significant piece of information, it's worth noting. With Tolkien's best-sellers and Peter Jackson's films taking place in Third Age, it reveals that the show will be focusing on stories set before both The Fellowship of the Ring and The Hobbit. https://twitter.com/LOTRonPrime/status/1103656946509344768 Since the series was first announced, it has been widely expected that it would chart new ground rather than serve up the same details on a smaller screen. If you're a little rusty on your Lord of the Rings lore, the Second Age lasted for 3441 years, and saw the initial rise and fall of Sauron, as well as a spate of wars over the coveted rings. Elves feature prominently, and there's plenty to cover, even if Tolkien's works didn't spend that much time on the period — largely outlining the main events in an appendix to the popular trilogy. Exactly which tale Amazon's series will tell hasn't yet been revealed, and it's still way too early for even rumours about who'll be eating second breakfasts. But the show is moving ahead with JD Payne and Patrick McKay (writers with credits on the upcoming Star Trek 4 and Jungle Cruise) developing the series. "We feel like Frodo, setting out from the Shire, with a great responsibility in our care — it is the beginning of the adventure of a lifetime," said the lifelong friends when their involvement was announced. According to The Hollywood Reporter last year, Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke revealed that the series will be in production by 2020 — so expect to make a date with the first season in 2021. If you're so excited about the show that you'll settle for pouring over maps in the interim, you can do just that at Amazon's website for the series.
At a time when Australia's craft spirits scene was yet to kick into gear, Griffin Blumer and Jesse Kennedy pulled their inspiration from overseas, spurred on by a desire to give locals a taste of something fresh and exciting. And that something was their debut creation, Poor Toms Sydney Dry Gin. It was back in their Enmore share house that the two mates — already keen gin-thusiasts — started exploring a whole new world of international gins. We talk to the gin duo about finding a core audience and ultimately staying true to yourself. "We discovered all these different gins from around the world that were doing new things, and I guess a light bulb went off," Blumer explains. "Each gin was bringing something new to the table based on its geography and the mentality of these small producers, and we were like, 'why isn't anyone doing that here?'" he says. "There are all these unique ingredients here. Australians have a good attitude towards experimenting with new products and flavours, and it just made sense that someone would be doing this in Sydney. That's when it all kind of clicked." A little dose of inspiration from sources closer to home helped to seal the deal. "Our house was really close to a couple of new breweries, and seeing how they were experimenting with new styles did inspire us somewhat — that there probably was a market for a smaller, more expressive style of gin that speaks to this city the way these beers were," reveals Kennedy. Now, with their distillery having cemented its status as one of Sydney's best-loved, the duo's creative process is driven by that same desire to give local gin lovers something great. They've always been big on feedback, their creative direction steered by the people enjoying their gin. It's why Poor Toms' strawberry gin went from an exclusive onsite pour to an upcoming major release. "We saw how much it's enjoyed at the tasting bar and how well it's sold there," says Kennedy. "That's all the feedback we needed to realise it was something worth making available to everyone. That's pretty much what inspires us anyway as a brand, just making enjoyable spirits." The boys are quick to tell you they're not out to please everyone, however. "If you're a tiny producer, you can make the product you want to make," explains Blumer. "You can cater to people in a unique way and find your hardcore audience, rather than being mildly pleasing to everybody. Being small is good for that." You could say it's an attitude that extends to the duo's style, staying true to their own relaxed selves, rather than worrying about what everyone else thinks. "I pretty much wear the same clothes every day," says Blumer. "Whether I'm doing something sweaty at the distillery, going to a tasting at a bar or even to a corporate event, I'll just wear my jeans. Jeans are a staple." For him, it's part and parcel of creating something decent. "People take you as you are, if you project that. Being relaxed and not up yourself is an important part of the process — and making good stuff," he muses. "If your job is to give people enjoyment, then you have to enjoy yourself. You're not enjoying yourself if you're always worrying about what other people think of you." Check out Poor Toms' distillery and bar, and find the denim that brings out the creative, innovator and gamechanger in you at The Iconic. Images: Trent van der Jagt.
