The tequila is always flowing at El Camino Cantina, with the King Street Mexican joint well-known for its margaritas. But, as anyone who loves the agave spirit knows, there's never a bad reason to keep pouring more — and International Tequila Day couldn't be a more perfect excuse. Happening on Wednesday, July 24, the commemorative date will see everyone's favourite tequila cocktail flying off the bar. When $7.50 margaritas are on the menu, that's bound to happen. Choose from the slushie or liquid form depending on your preference, and from four flavours: mango, strawberry, tropical and spicy (with Red Bull) and the regular ol' variety. Because the occasion falls on a Wednesday, you'll also be able to tuck into $2 tacos. Even better — this is an all-day affair, so if you have time for a few drinks over lunch, or can get away from work for a chilled afternoon, then you won't go thirsty.
What do John Williams' Star Wars theme, his music from the Harry Potter franchise, Howard Shore's Lord of the Rings score and Hans Zimmer's droning Inception tunes have in common? When you hear each and every one, they instantly transport you into the world of their respective films. That's what a good piece of movie music does — whether or not the accompanying images are playing in front of you. On Saturday, November 30, all of the above pieces will also echo through QPAC's Concert Hall, with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra putting on a Blockbuster Movie Music show. You won't be watching the relevant flicks, but rather soaking in their sounds as they're all played live. Other highlights include Danny Elfman's Batman theme, the work of Howard and Zimmer across Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, Alan Silvestri's ditties for The Avengers and even a bit of John Powell's finest from How To Train Your Dragon. QSO will be performing two concerts, at 2pm and 7.30pm.
First performed back in 1945, Benjamin Britten's Peter Grimes tells a tale of a fisherman, an English coastal village and a missing appearance. That storyline mightn't sound like something to sing about; however the acclaimed opera has been proving that notion wrong for more than 70 years. Considered one of the defining British operas of the 20th century, it's coming to Brisbane Festival on September 20 and 22, with Grammy-nominated Australian heldentenor Stuart Skelton making the trip back for what's shaping as a rousing, resounding staging. Coming to QPAC's Concert Hall, the production will also 18 soloists, the Opera Queensland Chorus and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra.
Every year, when Brisbane Festival rolls around, two things happen. Firstly, the city explodes with an array of arts, culture and music performances. Secondly, it explodes with colour and light thanks to a big riverside light show. In 2018, the latter is called #CelebrateBrisbane River of Light — and while hashtags in event names deserve the cringes that they instantly inspire, the actual combination of water fountains, lights and lasers will inspire awe. A free 10-minute show taking place at 6.30pm, 8pm and 9.30pm each night between September 8–29, it's designed to spin the traditional story of the dreaming serpent that created Brisbane's brown snake of a waterway. Catch it from the Arcadia precinct, on the South Bank Cultural Forecourt, over a few beverages.
Taking over the city during September, Brisbane Festival does many things. It gives everyone an excuse to devour entertaining cultural delights — and it serves up a new hangout. Actually, make that hangouts. Yes, Brisbane Festival's central hub offers multiple spaces in one. Revamping South Bank's Cultural Forecourt, Treasury Brisbane Arcadia boasts everything from pop-up food stalls to the spiegeltent to everything in between. Indeed, as well as offering a place to go when you need a wine, craft beer or food between shows, there's two places you'll want to check out. Stop by Divine for a dose of drag entertainment over a frosé, plus late-night DJs — or head to The Box for outdoor dancing and pop-up parties. Other events in Arcadia's vicinity include the House of Mirrors, Seance and a nightly light show, plus the feast of performances at The Courier-Mail Spiegeltent. That's where you'll catch many of the fest's headliners, including LIFE - THE SHOW, Tkay Maidza, Jen Cloher and the California Crooners Club.
The weather might be heating up in sunny Queensland, but that doesn't mean you can't all spend a day pretending you're somewhere much, much cooler. How does an imaginary visit to Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Estonia and Iceland sound? All you need to do is head along to the Scandinavian Festival Brisbane. Now in its seventh year, the annual showcase of countries with colder climates offers a smorgasbord of authentic food, entertainment and shopping that'll make you think you're on the other side of the world. Yes, the festival does include two of the things Scandinavian nations are best known for: Ikea and Lego. Taking place at Bowen Hills' Perry Park from 10am on Sunday, September 9, it also includes stalls serving up Swedish pastries, Finnish recycled products, Nordic homewares and other goodies, plus traditional folk dancing and music. 15,000 people attend each year, so arriving early is recommended — more Norwegian waffles, Swedish meatballs and Finnish beer for you.
If the words 'sharing feast' usually send you running, we bet we know why: you don't eat meat, animal products, nuts or something else, and trying to make sure you can actually enjoy the food is frequently harder than it should be. Once a month, vegans can put those fears aside at Covent Garden, with the West End gin joint serving up a vegan feasting evening. Spread over two sessions — 6–8pm and 8.15–10pm — the plant and floral wallpaper-filled hangout's Garden of Vegan will dish up four courses of vegetable-heavy dishes. It all starts with tapas of celeriac and artichoke cannelloni, plus chilled tomato consommé, before moving on to stacked mezze platters. Next, mains include king brown mushroom with garlic flowers and mushroom dust, and baked potatoes with spring onion, olive oil and herbs. As for dessert, expect banana bread, mango and coconut. That's just a sample of the food on offer on Thursday, October 11, with bookings taken for tables of two at $74 per couple — and last time, the event sold out, so reserving early is recommended. There'll also be Garden of Vegan cocktails available, though they'll cost you extra. Updated October 7.
If you're a fan of Nutella, then you likely live by one rule: when it comes to the chocolate-hazelnut spread, you can never have enough. Of course, just how you interpret that idea is up to you. Maybe you slather your bread with it every morning for breakfast. Perhaps you always opt for whichever Nutella dessert is on any given menu. Or, you could head down the highway for a dedicated Nutella Festival. Helensvale's NightQuarter is throwing the latter from 2–8pm on Saturday, September 15. We recommend arriving hungry. Entry costs $3 and you'll need to pay for whatever Nutella creations you'd like to eat or drink, but this fest is rather devoted to combining its favourite ingredient with, well, everything. On the sweet side, there's Nutella doughnuts, gelato, ice cream cookie sandwiches, churros, mousse and fudge. From the usually savoury camp, there's Nutella pizza, toasties, calzone and sliders, too. Drinks-wise, there'll be Nutella milkshakes, shots and cocktails. There's more to eat and drink — but if you're wondering what else there could possibly be, just think of a dish and imagine adding Nutella to it.
We're all sculptors. Don't believe us? If you've ever taken a bucket, filled it with sand, plonked it onto the shore and shaped it with your bare hands, then you've sculpted something. With that it mind, it makes sense that part of the Gold Coast would celebrate the art form on its beach — but there's more than just sandcastles on offer. Returning for its 16th outing from September 14 to 23, SWELL Sculpture Festival features everything from salvaged items to installations to small-scale sculptures, plus projection art, live music, guided twilight walks and artist talks as well. In total, the ten-day festival brings over 45 works to Currumbin Beach for an event that attracts more than 275,000 visitors each year. While most of the program is free and simply involves walking along the sand, if you'd like to spend some cash, you can also learn a few new skills. The ticketed lineup includes classes on life drawing, sculpting from reality and painting the landscape while you're out amongst it. Image: Rowly Emmett Photography.
You don't have to go to Tokyo to enjoy an immersive Japanese experience. You can, of course. You should — at some point. There's really nowhere else in the world quite like it. But if you're eager to eat like you're already there, watch performances and take part in cultural activities, you can save yourself the airfare at the Matsuri Japanese Festival. Your bank account will thank you, and you'll take care of that travel nagging envy for an afternoon. A one-day celebration coming to Mount Gravatt Showgrounds from 12–5pm on Saturday, September 8, it's Brisbane's own ode to the country that brought us sushi, katsu, yakitori, sake, matcha lattes and more. Expect to find more than a few things from that list on offer, and plenty of things to see and do as well. Admission is free and, like every great cultural festival, you can expect a little bit of everything that makes Japan so ace.
Salt House is a popular waterfront watering hole for locals seeking delicious cocktails by the sea. Marrying inspiration from a custom-built Argentinian wood-fired grill with fresh seafood and local fare, Salt House's menu aims to champion local produce and the exciting flavours of Tropical North Queensland. Sip on a refreshing rainforest sour packed with davidson plum jam before ordering the daily ceviche with pico de gallo and lime dressing, followed by mains like an aubergine coconut curry with malai kofta, dates and spiced yoghurt. If a seaside seafood feast is what you're craving, try the generous seafood sharing platter or the yellow curry loaded with mussels, local tiger prawns and wild barramundi.
Sushi is a great all-occasion meal — it suits for a quick lunch on the go, a last-minute takeaway dinner or casual catchup with a mate. And this Redcliffe joint will work for any of the above. When it comes to feasting, Sushi Nikko's fresh sushi will have you and your friends flipping a coin over the last piece. There's something on the menu for everyone from miso soup to rice bowls and everything in between. The sashimi and sushi bento box is deservedly popular and the spicy karaage chicken is a winner for those who like things a little fiery.
The age-old saying 'do one thing and do it well' was the thinking behind late-night haunt 5 Dogs. Hot dogs are its weapon of choice, and let's just say it has definitely perfected them. With six hot dogs on the menu — including smoked bratwurst and traditional kransky — 5 Dogs caters to every type of hot dog fiend. Yep, even the vegan kind. Enjoy all the good things about German sausages but make it meat-free with the vegan beer brat and vegan kielbasa (Polish sausage), both coming in at under $9 each. Served with sauerkraut, fried onions and your choice of sauces, these dogs pack an authentic punch. Be sure to get a side of chilli cheese fries or good ol' fries and gravy. Not keen on hot dogs? Opt for a chicken gravy roll instead. First image: Hennessy Trill
It's slime time on the big screen in Brisbane this spring. Expect toxic ooze, plenty of goo and even ectoplasm to feature at New Farm Cinemas, too. Continuing to prove that there's a film festival dedicated to everything, the River City's own BORLFF is back, but with a difference for its second year. In 2022, that acronym referred to the Brisbane Only Rotoscoped Lightning Film Festival. In 2023, it means the Brisbane Only Repulsive Liquids Film Festival. So, movie lovers hitting Brunswick Street from Friday, September 22–Sunday, October 1 won't be seeing flicks with hand-drawn lightning effects this time around. Instead, sludge and its fellow liquids are in the spotlight, as is viscera as well. And yes, there are enough features to flesh out a film fest that solely focuses on repulsive liquids — starting with not only an ooze-filled classic, but a film that comes with its own smells. BORLFF is opening its 2023 season with the world's most fearsome fighting team — or so the catchy theme tune goes — and their live-action 1990 film. At this session of the OG Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, the audience will catch Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael (and Sam Rockwell in a blink-or-you'll-miss-it part) in stink-o-vision. Everyone will receive scratch 'n' sniff cards, which they'll then use to emit appropriate scents as they watch. From there, the 11-film lineup is presenting themed double features on five nights. Most evenings will let you come along to just one session, other than the Troma lineup of The Toxic Avenger and Class of Nuke 'Em High — or you can get comfortable for the full oozy 80s, green gunk, sickly science and putrid pink experience. On the lineup: David Cronenberg's The Fly paired with John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness, complete with a Q&A with veteran special effects artist Chad Atkinson (The X-Files, Alien Resurrection, Starship Troopers) — and also experiments gone awry in Australia's own Body Melt (with director Philip Brophy in attendance) and the Frankenstein spin that is Re-Animator. Or, see plenty Kermit's hue in a new light in Japanese American co-production The Green Slime and fantasy-horror effort Troll 2, then go pink with 1988's The Blob remake and Ghostbusters II. BORLFF stems from Netherworld, Two Bit Movie Club — aka the regular cult and classic movie event that often screens at the arcade bar — and will also feature an art show via Feature Presentation that showcases new interpretations of movie posters for the fest's films. They're on display at the bar throughout September, and you can buy prints of them, too.
No one should spend their lunch break eating at their desk, but breaking that habit isn't always easy. From Monday, May 29–Friday, September 1, the Howard Smith Wharves precinct is giving you plenty of motivation to step away from the computer. Head to the riverside spot from Monday–Friday for a middle-of-the-day meal all winter and your lunch will cost $25. Five HSW venues are getting in on the deal, each serving up three options — so you can pick between multiple dishes at Felons Brewing Co, Felons Barrel Hall, Felons Fish 'n' Chipper (doing walk-ins only), Mr Percival's and Ciao Papi. Or, you can work your way through them all (and stare at their slightly different views of the water) across the frosty season. You'll just need to keep an eye on each eatery's opening hours — and, while you can just rock up, bookings are recommended. As for what you'll be eating during the returning — and now three-month-long — Let's Lunch festivities, the specials are varied. Fish pie, short ribs and truffle pizza are on offer at Felons, while mud crab tom yum, suckling pig and crispy fish salad, and a bean curd herb curry are on the menu at the brewery's Barrel Hall. Over at the Fish 'n' Chipper, there's seafood chowder, half a rock lobster and a vegetable-packed buddha bowl. For dining over the water, Mr Percival's is doing sautéed mussels, slow-braised lamb shoulder with polenta and baked eggplant parmigiana. And if you're keen on Ciao Papi, you'll be eating tortellini di carne with truffles, caviar and spanner crab linguini, and artichoke and pecorino gnocchi. Unlike in previous years, you will need to buy any drinks on top this time around, however.
As well as giving popular culture some of its most beloved characters of the past few decades, the Harry Potter franchise has also conjured up a whole heap of astonishing critters. The Boy Who Lived himself studied them at Hogwarts, all thanks to textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Then, to the joy of Potter-loving muggles everywhere, that tome became an actual IRL text in 2001. Every Wizarding World fan knows that that book followed the original Harry Potter novels in making the leap from the page to the screen, resulting in a first film in 2016, then 2018 sequel Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald and also 2022's Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. But if you're more interested in the actual fantastic beasts than a movie plot spun around them — and in natural history in general — exhibition Fantastic Beasts: The Wonder of Nature has you covered. First announced in 2020, then premiering at London's Natural History Museum, this is all about critters that fly, scamper and scurry through the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts realm on the page and screen; however, it's also about real-life creatures, specimens and artefacts, too. The exhibition combines beasts from the natural world, the mythical world and the Wizarding World, and was always slated for an international tour. Now, it's Australia's turn to see it, with the showcase displaying at Melbourne Museum from Friday, May 19–Sunday, October 8. Visitors to Fantastic Beasts: The Wonder of Nature will see legendary beasts placed alongside specimens and historic objects, while also venturing through elements from cinema's last two decades. Unsurprisingly, there'll also be a hefty focus on Newt Scamander, the Wizarding World's famed magizoologist as played Eddie Redmayne (The Good Nurse). You'll see items from the Natural History Museum's scientific collections, custom-made Wizarding World models, props from the flicks and original artworks from Bloomsbury Publishing. And, you'll also also wander through a celebration of real-life scientists trying to understand the planet's animal inhabitants. In London, the exhibits included a tiger, a Galápagos marine iguana and a giant oarfish (the planet's longest bony fish) alongside an Erumpent horn and the dragon skull from Professor Lupin's classroom. Patrons were also able to compare the camouflage tactics of a jaguar to those of the Demiguise. Images: Trustees of the Natural History Museum London.
If there's an occasion worth celebrating, including Christmas, spring and winter, Woolloongabba's South City Square sure does like marking it with markets. The inner-east precinct can still roll out the stalls just because, however — such as on Friday, April 14 at its Market Stall Carnival. Running from 5–8pm, this after-work pop-up features all the staples, food trucks and cocktails included. One will help line your stomach, the other will be served from a drink cart that's only for big kids — aka adults — at this family-friendly affair. Also on the agenda: live tunes and, of course, market stalls aplenty. Back to the food, in keeping with the theme there'll be popcorn, fairy floss and snow cone stands. Attendees can also check out dance performances, while kids can hit the jumping castle, get their faces painted and nab a twisted balloon. Plus, it all tales place in and around a brick-lined, industrial-style space, which tends to make you feel like you're wandering around a European-style market. Top image: Markus Ravik.
David Attenborough's nature documentaries are acclaimed and beloved viewing, including when they're recreating dinosaurs. Family-friendly fare adores cute critters, especially if they're talking as in The Lion King and Paddington movies. The horror genre also loves pushing animals to the front, with The Birds and Jaws among its unsettling masterpieces. Earth's creatures great and small are all around us on-screen, and also off — but in EO, a donkey drama by Polish filmmaker Jerzy Skolimowski (11 Minutes), humanity barely cares. The people in this Oscar-nominated mule musing might watch movies about pets and beasts. They may have actively shared parts of their own lives existence the animal kingdom; some, albeit only a rare few, do attempt exactly that with this flick's grey-haired, white-spotted, wide-eyed namesake. But one of the tragedies at the heart of this astonishing adventure is also just a plain fact of life on this pale blue dot while homo sapiens reign supreme: that animals are everywhere all the time but hardly anyone notices. EO notices. Making his first film in seven years, and co-writing with his wife and producer Ewa Piaskowska (Essential Killing), Skolimowski demands that his audience pays attention. This is both an episodic slice-of-life portrait of EO the donkey's days and a glimpse of the world from his perspective — sometimes, the glowing and gorgeous cinematography by Michal Dymek (Wolf) takes in the Sardinian creature in all his braying, trotting, carrot-eating glory; sometimes, it takes on 'donkey vision', which is just as mesmerising to look at. Skolimowski gets inspiration from Robert Bresson's 1966 feature Au Hasard Balthazar, too, a movie that also follows the life of a hoofed, long-eared mammal. Like that French great, EO sees hardship much too often for its titular creature; however, even at its most heartbreaking, it also spies an innate, immutable circle of life. It's amid strobing red lights that EO makes his debut, and in the embrace and safekeeping of the doting Kasandra (Sandra Drzymalska, Mental) at a travelling Polish circus. They perform, but they're also the best of friends beyond the big top, a bond that she doesn't ever want to end. Alas, swiftly after EO starts, protests engulf the donkey's home, with animal-rights campaigners striking and the troupe's management going bankrupt. Sold off with the other critters, the mule will meet his gentle and kind human pal again, but the movie's tale from here has almost as many strands as EO's own tail — including as he traverses the Polish and Italian countryside, complete with stints at a horse stable, a farm, wandering free, avoiding hunters, maybe bringing good luck to a local football team, definitely enraging their opposition, being accompanied by a young priest and more. After EO's liberation, the change of scenery doesn't initially seem too troubling or taxing. His next abode gets a fancy opening ceremony with dignitaries cutting ribbons, and gifts him a bountiful carrot necklace — the literal kind. But when he's startled by horses and knocks over a display stacked with trophies, he's moved on. There, he's offered just one chunky vegetable and appears despondent. Next comes a reunion, an opportune escape, the forest by night, feuding soccer clubs and awful violence, plus an animal hospital, a fur factory, the meat trade, a lonely truck driver (Mateusz Kosciukiewicz, Magnesium), that man of the cloth (Lorenzo Zurzolo, Under the Amalfi Sun) and a countess (Isabelle Huppert, Mrs Harris Goes to Paris) in a red dress in an Italian mansion. EO is also seen by spiders, frogs, owls, foxes and a Black Mirror-style robot dog. He canters across landscape sometimes left in its natural state, and sometimes blighted by humanity's footprint. And, while moseying through a town, he stops to neigh at fish in an aquarium. As with everything in EO's frames, that moment of communion between mule and goldfish is visually and emotionally striking. It also says oh-so much about Skolimowski's determination to let his eponymous critter just be an animal — more than that, about his success at achieving that feat, and also why. Viewers can read into EO's staring towards the glassed-in fish, and his braying, as an exchange between different types of creatures controlled by humans. The audience can also take it as a comment on the cages that people place around the animal kingdom, and how rare it is for them to be free of such influence. Or, it can be observed as simply a donkey reacting randomly because that's what a donkey, and all life, often does. The broader movie itself operates in the same fashion. It serves up ebbs and flows where one thing happens, then another, then more still, while so clearly and movingly knowing that that's just how being alive goes, and also always witnessing how EO's story takes the path it does because of humanity's dominance over the natural world. EO might boast the incomparable Huppert among its cast, but its stars to whinny about are Tako, Hola, Marietta, Ettore, Rocco and Mela. Skolimowski thanked them each by name when the movie shared the 2022 Cannes Film Festival's Jury Prize — coming in only behind Palme d'Or-winner Triangle of Sadness, then Grand Prix-recipients Close and Stars at Noon — and the care and notice that the veteran Le Départ, Deep End and The Shout filmmaker gave on the Croisette to the six donkeys who play EO is mirrored on-screen. This wouldn't and couldn't be so emotive, immersive and absorbing a film as it is if it didn't truly bask in its mules' presence with pure affection. For the feature's 87 minutes, this is their world, and EO's. For that running time, viewers see EO's donkey protagonist as animals are so scarcely seen: as everything, no matter the good and bad turns that come their way, and the life-and-death course they chart as we all do; as heroes in their own story, too. As a piece of contemplation about the relationship between humans and life around us, EO also brings documentary Gunda to mind. It's just as revelatory and wrenching as that dialogue-free, black-and-white farmyard doco — but, as set to an ever-changing, sometimes-pulsating score by Paweł Mykietyn (a veteran of Skolimowski's 11 Minutes and Essential Killing), it firmly makes the most of its sounds and colours. Everything clashes and crashes around EO, hues, textures, noises, tunes, camera angles and vantage points among them. In one especially stunning scene with an entrancing beat, the donkey scampers through and observes the woodland, green lasers from gunsights beaming bright in the dark of night against the leafiness and its inhabitants. The effect is otherworldly, as is the entirety of this haunting and touching film as it peers at life so often ignored, undervalued and exploited on this very earth.
It's happening again. Another one of those dates dedicated to a specific dish is upon us, this time National Carbonara Day on Thursday, April 6. As usual, no one needs an excuse to enjoy this pasta option. If you prefer your spaghetti or fettuccine with eggs, hard cheese, cured pork and black pepper, go forth and devour whenever you like. Still, when there's a whole Carbonara Festival on offer, that's worth marking the occasion. Fortitude Valley's La Costa is your new home for all things carbonara from Tuesday, April 4–Sunday, April 9. And it isn't just sticking with the classic spaghetti carbonara option, although that's definitely on the menu — including as a set dish with a carbonara entree and a glass of wine for $29. Fancy trying carbonara arancini, bruschetta and loaded fries? That's what a carbonara fest is all about. Pick one to go with your spaghetti and you'll be in carbonara heaven. You'll also say the word "carbonara" so much that it'll begin to mean either everything or nothing. The set menu can also get paired with bottomless wine or beer for an extra $20, and you'll have 90 minutes to get sipping. Prefer to at your way through a one-kilogram pan of spaghetti carbonara for $35? That's also on the cards.
When Maggie May opened its doors in Newstead back in 2022, it gave the riverside suburb a 70s-inspired supper club that isn't just about evening meals and cocktails. Every day of the week, the Longland Street spot serves up lunch as well as dinner and drinks — and on weekends it does breakfast, too. We hope you like boozy brunch, as everyone does, because that's now on the menu as well. Each Saturday and Sunday, with the venue opening at 7am, Maggie's is going bottomless with its booze over food. On the menu: wild mushrooms on toast with creamed leeks and gruyere, gin-cured salmon with a poached egg and hollandaise, crispy pork belly, and charred asparagus on green olive and semi-dried tomato tapenade toast. That's the food selection, which spans two courses each. Then comes all those beverages, with diners enjoying two options. For $69 per person, you'll sip non-stop bubbles and select tap beers — or, for $99, the brew range widens and there's also cocktails to sip. Whether you're gathering the gang or making a date with your other half, bookings for Maggie's Bottomless Brunch are recommended.
The middle of the year means shorter days and longer nights — and, rather than yearning for Brisbane's summer sun, you might as well embrace the two. Here's one way: Milton by Moonlight, Milton Markets' returning midyear shindig. On the agenda: everything that makes this inner-west market a firm favourite, but during an early winter evening. Taking place from 4–10pm on Saturday, June 3, the event will start serving up bites to eat — and setting up 140-plus stalls to shop — in the late late afternoon, so you can jump into the fun as twilight approaches. Then, when the moon comes out, you can browse, buy, sip, munch and dance the night away. With gourmet street food, artisanal wares and live entertainment on offer — the former including dumplings, tacos, noodles and wings; the latter across two stages — you'll have plenty to see, taste, purchase and listen to. And to drink as well, all thanks to the pop-up Milton Rum Distillery and Stone & Wood bars. They'll be pouring beers and spirits, obviously, as well as seltzers, ciders and wines. Entry costs $3 at the gate — and if you're driving there, parking costs $2 as well.
Late in 2018, Felons Brewing Co gave Brisbane a gift we didn't know we needed: the city's first CBD riverside brewery. Since then, there's never been a bad time to stop by the boozy Howard Smith Wharves spot, especially if you like brews and waterside views — but on Tuesday, April 25, it'll be throwing two-up into the mix as well. Running from 11am, Felons' ANZAC Day event will let beer-loving patrons mark the day with games and beers. Attendees can also expect to see historical cars on display throughout the precinct, especially if you spend the day hanging out on the brewery lawn. The usual menu will keep your stomach satisfied, which means tucking into pizzas, burgers, steaks, meatballs, wings and prawn cocktails. And, you can also do more than raise a glass to Australia's servicemen and servicewomen by donating to the folks from the New Farm RSL, who'll be on hand all day.
As part of the flurry of streaming services always competing for our eyeballs, FanForce TV joined the online viewing fold during the COVID-19 pandemic as a pay-per-view platform. The service runs all year round, of course, but it goes the extra mile for National Reconciliation Week, which is when it hosts the First Nations Film Festival (previously known as the Virtual Indigenous Film Festival). In 2023, that event will take place between Tuesday, May 30–Saturday, June 3, all solely online. The returning fest will focus on something different on each of the five days, starting with the Richard Bell-focused documentary You Can Go Now, then moving onto documentaries Alick and Albert and The Lake of Scars. There's also shorts by up-and-coming First Nations talent, plus anthology feature We Are Still Here as the fest's big finale. At this at-home screen celebration, you'll enjoy watching your way through an array of Aussie content focused on Indigenous stories, spanning both dramas and documentaries — and exploring race relations in the process. Viewers can tune in on a film-by-film basis, or buy an all-access pass to tune into everything. Movies screen at set times, running twice each day: at 1pm and 7pm AEST.
Once a year, for one night only, a New Farm street transforms into a fashion party. That'd be James Street — and, given that the stretch of road boasts plenty of boutiques selling designer threads, you know that it knows how to put on a sartorial celebration. James St Up Late is all about exploring the precinct's many outlets, stocking up your wardrobe, getting tempted by specials and browsing the latest collections. In 2025, it's marking 13 years of doing just that, in fact, so expect it to be on helluva shindig — more than 90 businesses are getting involved. From 5–8pm on Thursday, March 27, the after-hours event will feature more than 28 of the roadway's boutiques getting in on the action, plus the full slate of local bars and restaurants. As soundtracked to DJs, there'll be bargains to buy, one-off menus to eat your way through and cocktails to sip. Also a part of the fun: party bags, with 1000 up for grabs featuring goodies galore from the precinct, all for the first customers to make purchases at participating retailers. Here, you can eat, drink, shop, try your luck at the James St Up Late Vending Machine, grab a Messina ice cream, head to Gerard's for dinner and an in-conversation event, sip cocktails and mocktails, see The Calile Hotel literally lit up, take a snap at the event's photobooth and more. Images: Andrew Cois.
No matter what's displaying on their walls at any given time, no trip to either the Queensland Art Gallery or the Gallery of Modern Art is complete without a visit to one of the three QAGOMA Stores across the South Brisbane precinct. Upon their shelves, everything from exhibition catalogues and merchandise to creative trinkets, jewellery and even boardgames await — and they're a haven for gift shopping, whether you're buying for someone else or treating yourself. On Saturday, June 22, QAGOMA Store is taking the browsing outside from 9am–4pm for a special occasion: the first-ever QAGOMA Store Warehouse Sale. You'll be headed to the GOMA forecourt and bodhi tree terrace, where you'll find discounted wares aplenty (and yes, if you want to make Christmas in June shopping a thing, you can). [caption id="attachment_962809" align="alignnone" width="1920"] B Wagner[/caption] Prices start at just $2, with the range of items including books, prints, merch, homewares, accessories and more. And if you're keen to combine your trip to the sale with an exhibition or a movie, Seeds and Sovereignty is showcasing pieces from QAGOMA's Indigenous Australian Art Collection and the Mad Science film program is on for its final weekend. For a bite to eat and a coffee, the GOMA Bistro will also be open from 9am–4pm. [caption id="attachment_962808" align="alignnone" width="1920"] B Wagner[/caption] Top images: K Bennett, M Sherwood and J Ruckli.
Treating yo'self to tastebud-tempting dishes is what winter is all about — and for one entire month, Salt Meats Cheese is serving up a rather appetising menu that'll do the trick. That'd be its Every Day We're Truffling — Truffle Month lineup, with truffles popping up in all kinds of dishes. Yes, that includes truffle cocktails. Before 2022, SMC only celebrated truffles for a week of the year. But, to the delight of your stomach, it has since expanded the deliciousness across all of July, which remains the case in 2024. From Monday, July 1–Wednesday, July 31, the Italian chain will be adding truffles to crostini, arancini, lasagne, raviolone and pizza — so that's five Italian staples covered. And, you can add shaved truffles to any a la carte menu item for $12 as well. You'll need something to wash all of the above down with, so truffle negronis and truffle sours are also on offer. Every Day We're Truffling is taking place at all SMC venues during its month-long period, which spans Surfers Paradise in Queensland, although the menu varies per venue. And if you're wondering why the Italian chain has suddenly gone truffle crazy, it's to celebrate the Australian truffle season — which is as good a reason as any.
It's a day-trip getaway, a waterside pub, a sun-soaked beer garden, and now it's a four-hole putt-putt course. This is indeed the Bribie Island Hotel — a venue that holds itself in the childhood memories of many Brisbanites and is looking to keep making new memories with this latest addition. This is, however, a limited-time offering; the free putt-putt course is only open from now until September. You can book a putt-putt party package with your table if you fancy offloading the little ones, or you can give the course a go while you're waiting on your mains (we won't tell). Either way, be sure to grab a plate of loaded fries to share, a wood-fired pizza or any number of pub classics off the menu to enjoy before (or after) your game. Putt Putt in Paradise is available at the Bribie Island Hotel until September. For more information or to book your spot, visit the Bribie Island Hotel website.
Ever wanted to see your favourite bands kick a few goals, and help support a good cause at the same time? For more than three decades, the Reclink Community Cup has been turning musos into footy players for an annual charity Aussie rules match. Before the pandemic, the Melbourne game would draw more than 10,000 people and raise over $100,000 each year. Sydney's match had been going strong for years too — and the cup finally came to Brisbane in 2016 (if you're wondering, the musos took it out). Now, for Brisbanites, the Reclink Community Cup is back again for another round. Come Sunday, July 28, 2024, the city's music community will descend upon Enoggera Memorial Park to put their sporting prowess to the test. Two teams will take to the field: The Rocking Horses, featuring players from an array of Brissie acts; and the Brisbane Lines, filled with a crew of journos, industry staff general music-related folks. Playing for the musos: members of Powderfinger, The Church, Birds of Tokyo, Tape/Off, Nice Biscuit, First Beige, Whalehouse, Flamingo Blonde, Shag Rock, Mitch, Please and more. Staff from 4ZZZ, ABC Sport, Rebel FM, Dew Process, Gyrostream, QMusic, The Princess Theatre and Incremental Records — among others — make up the opposition team. The Community Cup isn't just about getting another dose of the live AFL action, though (as ace as the prospect of more footy always is). Given that rock stars are involved, live music is part of the proceedings as well, with Full Flower Moon Band, Betty Taylor and S.A.B on the bill. And, food-wise, expect food trucks ready to fill your ravenous stomachs, plus bars to quench your thirst. Watching bands play both music and footy is hungry work, after all — and goes down well with a cold one. Every dollar raised from ticketing goes towards Reclink's efforts to improve the lives of Queenslanders suffering from disability, homelessness, substance abuse and economic hardship through participation in sport and the arts. Yep, whoever emerges victorious from the game, a heap of deserving folks will be the real winners. Images: NJA Photography, Allan Allport and Firemark Media. Updated Monday, July 22, 2024.
Watching Poor Things and not thinking about the mother of all tales about reviving the dead, aka Frankenstein, was impossible. At GOMA's latest film program, embracing their thematic similarities — and the entire genre about madcap creators experimenting that came alive when Mary Shelley's tale made it to celluloid in 1931 — is the entire point. Screening from Friday, May 3–Sunday, June 23, the Mad Science lineup doesn't just boast movies that owe one of the greatest sci-fi novels ever a massive debt, but it throws plenty of love that way. Think: the above duo, including together on the retrospective season's opening night, plus The Bride of Frankenstein, Young Frankenstein, The Curse of Frankenstein, Re-Animator, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Andy Warhol's Flesh for Frankenstein and M3GAN. This new excuse to spend Wednesday and Friday evenings at the Australian Cinematheque — and also Saturday and Sunday during the day — has been programmed with a jolt of inspiration. Covering over a century of horror and thriller flicks, it's filled with films that ponder scientific investigation, where humanity is willing to push it, and the ethics and consequences of playing god. Other highlights span 1920's Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, both 1933's and 2020's The Invisible Man, Bond entry Moonraker and Stanley Kubrick's Dr Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Or, plug in for the OG Ghost in the Shell, get immersed in French great The City of Lost Children and see one of Antonio Banderas' (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) stunning performances for Pedro Almodóvar (Parallel Mothers) in The Skin I Live In. And yes, life has found a way to get Jurassic Park onto the bill, too. Whatever you catch, this is a ticketed lineup, starting at $10 for adults.
If you're fond of vino and you were to plan your perfect winter activity, we're guessing that it'd involve mulled wine. Would sipping warmed-up tipples under the stars also be on your list? And by the fire, too? How about doing all of the above at a scenic winery, and snacking on meats, cheeses and crackers — and managing to tick through the whole list right here in southeast Queensland as well? Congrats, this is a stunning way to spend the frosty weather. It's also exactly what Sirromet's Fiery Winter Warmers offers. On Saturdays and Sundays from 4.30pm throughout winter, running until the end September, the Mount Cotton spot wants you and your date/mate to get cosy while enjoying the dreamy experience outlined above. You'll get your own private firepit, a blanket to sit on (and take home) and a barrel table to pop your hamper on. You'll also score bites, including sweets — and Sirromet's mulled wine. Two insulated cups will be thrown in as well, which you can also keep. This deal costs $189 per couple, with the food and booze designed to suit two. All that's left is to pick your favourite person, then snuggle up.
Three decades ago, slipping into a habit and singing turned out mighty well for Sister Act. The music-filled comedy became the sixth biggest box-office hit of 1992, slipping in behind Aladdin, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Batman Returns, Lethal Weapon 3 and A Few Good Men. It also spawned a sequel and a musical, while word of a third movie has been floating around for years. Filled with songs like 'Rescue Me', 'My Guy' and 'I Will Follow Him', the soundtrack was also a smash — and that's what Naomi Price and Adam Brunes' theatre outfit The Little Red Company is paying tribute to with Sisters Are Doing It for Themselves. The show busts out the tunes, including 'Oh Happy Day' and 'Joyful, Joyful' from Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, in an energetic and affectionate stage celebration. This is The Little Red Company's familiar remit; see also: Christmas Actually and Skyfall: The Music of James Bond. Here, Prinnie Stevens, Angela Fabian, Irena Lysiuk and Alisha Todd are doing the singing, backed by a live band. Sisters Are Doing It for Themselves' 2023 season at Brisbane Powerhouse runs from Wednesday, July 26–Saturday, July 29. Images: Steph Do Rozario.
Sinking beers, mashing buttons: now that's a winning combo. It's the whole reason that pubs have long had pinball machines and arcade games. It's why bars wholly dedicated to boozy pinball and arcade gaming exist, and seem to keep popping up. And it's why BrewDog's riverside Brisbane brewery will play host to more than 70 pinball machines and 40 classic arcade games — and Nintendo 64 competitions as well — for the third year running this July. The occasion: the Brisbane Pinball & Arcade Collective Showcase: Australian Kong Off VI and Brisbane Pinball Masters. That's what on at BrewDog DogTap at Murarrie from Friday, July 14–Sunday, July 23. There are multiple parts to it, but whether you're keen to play or to watch others attempt impressive feats — or you're just a fan of the documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters — you'll want to head on down. Watching is an option every day — and so is entering the competitions, as long as there are tickets available. Across Saturday, July 15–Sunday, July 16, the Australian Kong Off VI will take place. No, there's no prizes for guessing which game is being played. Keen to press buttons yourself, but just casually? From Monday, July 17–Wednesday, July 19, you can score unlimited gaming at over 100 machines for $10. Then, on Friday, July 21, the Australian Women's Pinball Championship will be held — followed by the Australian Arcade Champs IV from Friday, July 21–Sunday, July 23, as well as the Brisbane Pinball Masters from Saturday, July 22–Sunday, July 23. The Brisbane Pinball and Arcade Collective is running the fun, Netherworld and 1UP Arcade are also behind the action, and BrewDog is doing a special beer for the event, naturally: an Italian-style pilsner.
If you're a devourer of books and words, you can look forward to feasting on a hefty lineup of talks, workshops, panels and other literature-loving events when the Emerging Writers' Festival returns for 2023. While the days of all-digital instalments are behind us, the fest won't just be hosting a jam-packed program of IRL sessions — handily, especially for folks outside of Melbourne, a stack of them will also be accessible online. Running from Wednesday, June 14–Saturday, June 24, this year's edition has events for all varieties of lit-lover and writing enthusiast. Opening night features a session on truth telling by Naarm's Sofii Belling-Harding, Yaraan Bundle, Lay Maloney, Patrick Mercer and Elijah Money; the return of the National Writers' Conference will deliver a day of panels, workshops and pitching sessions; Voiceworks will celebrate its latest issue; and a dinner at Willows and Wine will get you sharing erotica prose and poetry. For fans of all things spooky, Scream Scenes will tell eerie tales with matching cinema projections at Thornbury Picture House. Sports writing, spoken word, writing TV, intergenerational stories, radical memoirs, the intersection of hip hop and literature: they all get their time to shine, too. You can also up your own writing skills with an array of masterclasses and workshops — and, for the online crowd, learn about digital ecologies, the ethics of drawing from real life, pitching, researching fiction, genre fiction and more.
Anyone can drink a lager, pilsner or pale ale. Not everyone can knock back a stout or porter. And while the former are available everywhere, you won't find a celebration of the latter just anywhere. That's why Milton's favourite dive bar started the Weekend of Darkness. Since 2013, the Scratch has dedicated a couple of days year to showing their love for brews on the blacker end of the beer spectrum — and offering a home for those who feel the same way, of course. If it's yeasty, liquid and overflowing with smoky, coffee, chocolate, spiced and even bourbon flavours, you'll find it here. You'll also find snacks, offbeat vibes and strange happenings galore. This year's dalliance with the dark side runs from Friday, July 14–Sunday, July 16, because of course this is a midyear festival. Once again, there'll be five sessions of dark-coloured drinks on offer for another round. Expect a hefty beer lineup — and there's usually some hearty grub to go with it. Expect everything, be it food, booze or atmosphere, to warm up your insides too. There's a reason this takes place in winter, after all.
Vacation envy is real, and it's in full swing right now across Australia's winter. So, you're still Down Under. You haven't left the Sunshine State. And you're obviously definitely not in Europe at this moment. Fancy tricking your tastebuds into thinking otherwise? From Friday, June 23–Sunday, July 30, Woolloongabba's One Fish Two Fish is serving up the European seafood feast that you can enjoy when you're not heading to that part of the world. Non Voyage is a four-course winter spread with summer on its mind, heroing crustaceans, carbs and citrus for $79 per person. Running for lunch from Friday–Sunday and dinner across Wednesday–Thursday, this meal includes your pick of either Fraser Isle spanner crab tortellini or black salt-and-pepper fast-fried calamari to start, then a refreshing blood orange granita before your main. There, you'll have a choice again, this time between a risotto made with Northern Rivers Bay lobster or grilled goldband snapper with citrus, both with polenta chips to share. For dessert, select between two types of sorbet — and, if you gather the gang, heading along in a group of six or more, you'll also get a complimentary Aperol Spritz on arrival. All other drinks are a pay-as-you-go affair, and also cheaper than a Euro airfare.
Following a big night out, scrolling through your snaps may be part of your morning-after routine, letting you bask in the glory of all those photos immortalising all that fun. Or, hitting up a gig, bar or party just mightn't be complete unless you're filling your socials while you're there. Whether one or both of the above apply to you, neither is out of the ordinary — so much so that heading to a shindig without being able to access your phone is now a novelty. That's exactly the kind of situation that Lane 8's record label This Never Happened is embracing, however, when it tours Australia's east coast with for a series of gatherings. At This Never Happened Presents, you won't have a screen in your hand — or face. You won't be swiping, texting or doing anything else with the gadget we're all addicted to, either. Attendees will have their phones taped upon arrival, because these dance music get-togethers are all about connecting IRL and in the moment. The tour has three Australian stops over one July weekend, including Brisbane's Brightside Outdoors in Brisbane on Sunday, July 16. Attendees enjoy tunes from Le Youth, Sultan & Shepard and PARIS on the dance floor — and you'll just have to rely upon your noggin to remember all the highlights afterwards. These will be This Never Happened's first shows in this part of the world, after launching in 2016, signing artists who've toured with producer and DJ Lane 8, and first hosting parties in 2017 and 2019 elsewhere around the globe.
All the world's a stage, or so William Shakespeare told us. For Queensland Music Trails, all of the Sunshine State is an excuse to celebrate live tunes. Debuting with a trial run in 2021, then returning in 2023, this event goes big on hitting up music festivals and gigs while also exploring. So far, the outback, Scenic Rim and southern Queensland have scored some love, and next it's finally Brisbane's turn. Meet the Brisbane Music Trail, which was always promised, but hadn't yet become a reality. Also in the event's original plans, as led by QMF (Queensland Music Festival) and receiving a $20-million investment by the Queensland Government over its first three years: trails in the far north, along the reef, and through both the Gold and Sunshine Coasts. Brisbane's first-ever trail is a case of capitalising upon timing, because everyone knows that the River City is a hub for music in September anyway. Brisbane Festival takes over the city for three weeks, and BIGSOUND makes the Queensland capital the centre of the music world for four days. Unsurprisingly, they're both a part of this debut Brisbane Music Trail. [caption id="attachment_909279" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mitch Lowe[/caption] Accordingly, Brisbane Festival's jam-packed music lineup earns a place on the trail, spanning everyone from Paul Kelly to Gretta Ray, and also Groove Terminator with the Soweto Gospel Choir and a tribute to rock's Laurel Canyon era, from Friday, September 1–Saturday, September 23. And when BIGSOUND returns from Tuesday, September 5–Friday, September 8 with 141 acts on the bill, that's a Brisbane Music Trail event as well. So is brand-new fest Sweet Relief!, which will be headlined by Groove Armada, The Avalanches and Ladyhawke — complete with Australian-exclusive sets by the 'I See You Baby' and 'Frontier Psychiatrist' talents — at Northshore Brisbane on Saturday, September 16. Top image: Mitch Lowe.
Crispy, sweet, stuffed with a creamy filling and made in a variety of flavours, there's only one thing wrong with cannoli. No matter how many that you happen to devour in a single sitting (admit it — no one just eats one), it never feels like you've ever had enough. If you know that sensation all too well, then you might want to tempt your tastebuds down to Locale on Saturday, July 15. For just one day, the Newstead cafe is bringing back its cannoli pop-up. Even better — there'll be seven kinds of the Sicilian pastries on the menu. Vanilla creme, traditional chocolate, Biscoff and apple crumble favours will all be waiting, plus Sicilian ricotta, sweet truffle, and pistachio and chocolate chip as well. They're only available to pre-order, with prices starting at $5. And this only happens once a year, with different flavours every year, so it's your annual excuse to eat all the cannoli you can. Top image: Locale.
The car park at one of Brisbane's venues is going green this green, celebrating a big pop-culture phenomenon that's still getting plenty of affection two decades after it first hit. Yes, after all this time, everyone still loves animated favourite Shrek. So, The Brightside is hosting the ultimate Shrek party for adults: a Shrek Rave. Missed out on past versions? Here's your third chance to rediscover why it really isn't easy being an ogre — all while listening to a Shrek DJ set, and joining in on a Smash Mouth sing-along. Still remember the words to the band's version of 'I'm a Believer'? Of course you do, and you have the song stuck in your head right now. Also part of the fun: Shrek-themed drink specials including Shrek Juice, Donkey Drank and Farquaad Fizz; free green glow sticks; an all-green dress code (obviously); a free green glitter bar; and a prize for best Shrek-inspired outfit. Here, all that glitters is indeed gold — and green — with the party happening from 7pm on Saturday, July 1.
Roll up, roll up, it's show time — and not just in the obvious spot. The Ekka is back for 2023, but it isn't the only place for games and fun in August. Indeed, it's not even the only place in and around Fortitude Valley, with Netherworld arcade game bar upping the ante for nearly two weeks of the month. From Saturday, August 12–Sunday, August 20, the St Paul's Terrace hangout is hosting its very own Netherworld Sideshow as it does every year, combining the usual offerings with a few extra special inclusions. Expect their existing array of tables, machines and consoles, plus added carnival games, guest machines, fairy floss — and even creepy clowns. We'll let you decide if that last one is a good or a bad thing. [caption id="attachment_605033" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Sarah Ward[/caption] The onsite cafe, aka the Hellmouth Diner, will also be cranking out carnival-style fare, so your stomach can get in on the action as well. In collaboration with Little Bang Brewing Co, there'll also be a strawberries and cream beer. And, you'll be able to buy Netherworld showbags filled with merchandise and goodies. Entry is free, but you'll need your wallet to eat, sip and play. [caption id="attachment_622335" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sarah Ward[/caption] Top image: Cole Bennetts.
"He is the most accomplished man in Europe in riding, running, shooting, fencing, dancing, music." Writing in his diary in 1779 about Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, American Founding Father and future second US President John Adams didn't hold back with his praise. But the world has barely taken his cue in the nearly two-and-a-half centuries since, letting the tale of this gifted French Creole violinist, conductor and composer slip from wider attention. Within a sumptuous period drama that's charmingly, confidently and commandingly led by Kelvin Harrison Jr — with the Waves, The High Note, The Trial of the Chicago 7 and Cyrano star full of mesmerising swagger, and also endlessly compelling as a talent forced to struggle as a person of colour in a white aristocratic world — Chevalier endeavours to redress this failing of history. Veteran television director Stephen Williams (Watchmen, Westworld, Lost) and screenwriter Stefani Robinson (Atlanta, What We Do in the Shadows) begin their Bologne biopic boldly, playfully and with a front-on confrontation of the "Black Mozart" label that's surrounded their subject when he has been remembered — even if they also commence Chevalier with likely fiction. In pre-revolution Paris in the late 18th century, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Joseph Prowen, Father Brown) has an enraptured crowd in his thrall as he both plays and conducts. He pauses, then prompts his audience for requests. The response comes as a surprise: Bologne striding down the aisle, asking if he too can pick up a violin, then getting duelling with the musical instrument against the acclaimed maestro. Williams and Robinson start their film with a statement, announcing that they're celebrating a life that's been left not only ignored and erased — especially in a realm that's so often considered old, stuffy and definitely not culturally diverse — but also been stuck lingering in someone else's shadow. Chevalier's opening scene is well-staged, instantly rousing and a clever kickoff that speaks volumes — also cheer-worthy, as its on-screen viewers heartily deem it — and, most crucially, it sets the tone for Bologne's continual battle. He won't go mano a mano with Mozart again, but he'll never stop fighting in various fashions. Being underestimated, undervalued and worse due to his race is sadly his life story, which Chevalier places front and centre. As 2013's Belle did in focusing on Dido Elizabeth Belle, the film makes plain the prejudices and politics of the era in a genre that too rarely genuinely interrogates either. The world of Bridgerton may now peer backwards with romantic fantasy and colourblind casting, but that isn't the same as stepping through the experiences of someone who should be far better known, and undoubtedly would be if not for the reaction to their heritage. When he's still a boy (debutant Reuben Anderson) being installed in the only boarding school that will take him, far away from the French colony of Guadeloupe that has always been his home, Joseph is told by his father (Jim High, Foundation) that he must always be excellent in order to be accepted. From that exchange onwards, Bologne chases greatness in all matters — with a foil in his hand, and both performing and writing music, most notably. But even as he impresses Marie Antoinette (Lucy Boynton, Barbie) as an adult, is bestowed the knightly chevalier title and gets a chance to compete to lead the Paris Opera, French society remains quick to drip scorn whenever he exceeds the parts that they'll let him play. Whatever heights he's allowed to reach, he's still viewed as the illegitimate son of white plantation owner and an enslaved Senegalese teen. Williams and Robinson unpack the complexities of Bologne's friendship with the queen, whose progressive ideals are pushed to the fore purely when she's confident in her popularity, and his, among the court. Over both of their futures, the French Revolution looms inescapably — although Chevalier stops before depicting Bologne's time leading an all-Black regiment. Instead, it hones in on two interconnected plot points: that attempt to obtain France's top music post and a romance. For the coveted job, he vies for glory against the snooty and dismissive Christoph Gluck (Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Marriage). In affairs of the heart, he falls for Marie-Joséphine de Comarieu (Samara Weaving, Scream VI), wife of the stern military figure Marquise de Montalembert (Marton Csokas, The Last Duel), after convincing her to sing in the opera that's meant to secure his dream gig. Chevalier repeatedly anchors Bologne's journey in a blatant truth, albeit one that he doesn't see: that the more entrenched he thinks he is within France's upper echelons, the more he's immersed in a discriminatory system that'll never truly welcome him. When his mother Nanon (Ronke Adékoluẹjo, Rain Dogs) re-enters his life, finally free after his father's death, she instantly spots what her son can't — "you are a tourist in their world," she advises — and he isn't thrilled. Whether Joseph is contentedly believing that he's close to carving out his niche or eventually angry at the grim reality, he's feverishly working or dashingly courting, or he's demonstrating his prowess with a rapier or a bow, Harrison Jr is consistently exceptional. He's excellent at conveying Bologne's certainty in his skills and worth, too, including when diva Marie-Madeleine Guimard (Minnie Driver, Starstruck) thinks that he'll bed her because she demands it, and at working through the fiery heartbreak when his society dream is broken. This biopic is an act of rectification. It's a dive into the forgotten past, sometimes taking liberties as it depicts its subject's pursuit of liberté, égalité, fraternité, with a clear purpose and point. The film benefits immensely from enlisting Harrison Jr as its lead. It also boasts fine performances by Adékoluẹjo, Boynton and Weaving, with the former playing plucky and proud, and the latter two each exploring the difficulties of your heart and mind being at odds with the role that you inhabit. Chevalier is gleefully happy to relish its genre's aesthetic and conventions as well, be it at lavish champagne-filled parties or behind opera's scenes, complete with sniping among the well-to-do. While it's the tale, reclamation and portrayals that shine brightest — even if detailing significant parts of Bologne's later story in the text-on-screen post-script is a curious move — reaching ample high notes comes easily.
Seafood by the sea? Brews next to the beach? There's nothing stopping you from enjoying both at this year's Moreton Bay Food and Wine Festival. Coming to Apex Park in Woody Point between Friday, August 4–Sunday, August 6, this returning food fest is serving up plenty to tempt your tastebuds, from oysters and prawns to farm-fresh fare — and beers and cocktails, too. Indeed, if you like the indulgent things in life, you'll find more than a few things that'll suit your cravings on the menu. Running from 10am–8pm on the Friday and Saturday, plus 10am–6pm on the Sunday, the event will also feature a focus on local produce, the Moreton Bay BrewsFest (complete with beer pong and giant Jenga), a cocktail haven with a particular interest in gin distilleries, and a vino-serving cellar door — plus a stage dedicated to health, wellness, and things for your house and garden. Live tunes and DJ-spun tracks are also on the agenda, and so are cooking demonstrations by chefs such as Miguel Maestre, Poh Ling Yeow and Alastair McLeod. And, if you want to counteract all of the eating and drinking, you'll be in the right place for it — just go for a walk along the shoreline. Top image: Tourism and Events Queensland.
Brisbane's midweek public holiday is upon us. You'd prefer sitting in a cinema to walking around the Ekka. But, your wallet doesn't want to play ball. Call Dendy Cinemas' latest special a case of great timing, then, with the chain offering up discount tickets that'll solve your problem. All day on Wednesday, August 16, regardless of whether you purchase online or in person, you'll only pay $8 for your movie of choice at Portside and Coorparoo. Or movies. With everything from Asteroid City and Talk to Me to Barbie and Oppenheimer currently screening — plus Sisu, Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One, Chevalier and Meg 2: The Trench, too — there's plenty to watch if you're keen to spend as much time in a darkened room as possible. The special isn't available for special events, Dendy Arts sessions or premium sessions, but you're certain to find something to watch regardless. Also included: sing-along sessions of Disney favourites Moana, Encanto and Frozen, if you'd prefer some Mouse House sweetness on your day off. A PSA: book online and there will be a fee; however, your basic ticket will still just be $8.
Yatala's latest retro movie night poses a dilemma. Will you show your 90s love, chat about Bettys and Baldwins, exclaim "as if?" and remember that Paul Rudd doesn't age? Or, will you wish 00s-era Lindsay Lohan was your best friend, wear pink even though it's not a Wednesday and write in a burn book? Of course, if there's a way to show your affection for both Clueless and Mean Girls, then that's an option — both films are on the bill, after all. One borrows from Jane Austen and made a star out of Alicia Silverstone, the other is based on a self-help book and boasts Tina Fey as a screenwriter, and they're each considered high-school movie classics for a reason. They'll also be playing from 7pm on Saturday, October 7 — the same week as Mean Girls day, as fans will know — which sounds like a fetch way to spend your Saturday night. Tickets cost $50 for a carload of six, so gather the gang, jump in the car and motor down the highway.
March isn't the only time to celebrate Ireland in Australia. If you're a movie lover who adores the country's talents, landscapes and cinema output, the Irish Film Festival is just as exciting. In 2023 in Brisbane, the fest returns for three days across Friday, October 13–Sunday, October 15 with its reliably impressive program — this time taking over Dendy Coorparoo. Every film festival is made better when Olivia Colman is involved — and at IFF, the Empire of Light and Heartstopper star is popping up in Joyride, which is penned by Bad Sisters' scribe Ailbhe Keogan. The movie tells of a 12-year-old who flees a difficult home situation in a stolen taxi, only to find a woman passed out in the backseat with a baby. Another massive highlight from the 16-title national program: the Oscar- and BAFTA-winning short An Irish Goodbye, which follows a a young man with Down's Syndrome and his brother when they discover their recently deceased mother's bucket list. Also among the fest's must-sees is opening film Lakelands, which dives into rural sport, masculinity and isolation. Or, there's It Is in Us All, which earned Special Jury Recognition for Extraordinary Cinematic Vision at SXSW; Róise & Frank, about a widow who believes that her late husband's spirit has returned via a stray dog; and North Circular, a music documentary that celebrates Dublin's North Circular Road. Documentary Lyra pays tribute journalist Lyra McKee, who was shot during rioting in Derry, with the film arriving four years since her death and 25 years since of Northern Ireland's Good Friday peace agreement. IFF will also include an online component to this year's fest, as it has been doing since the pandemic hit. If you're keen to watch Lakelands, It Is in Us All and Róise & Frank from home — and more — get streaming from Thursday, October 5–Sunday, November 5.
Minimalist Australian clothing designer Assembly Label loves a warehouse sale, hosting them in Sydney and Melbourne, also online, and on the Gold Coast, too. Next stop: Brisbane, for a three-day spring stint that'll be particularly nice to your wallet. From Friday, November 3–Sunday, November 5, you can nab discounted threads, with the brand heading to the John Reid Pavilion at Brisbane Showgrounds. Stop by on the Friday from 8am–7pm, Saturday 8am–6pm and Sunday 8am–4pm. Expect to browse and buy samples and pieces from past seasons, with nothing costing more than $100. The label is known for its linen basics and relaxed coastal vibes, and this Brisbane warehouse sale will span threads, accessories, footwear and homewares. Options include tees and togs from $20, dresses and jeans from $40, leather sandals for $40 as well, and linens from $10. As well as Assembly Label's wares, you'll also be able to grab items from fellow fashion outfit Spell.
In 2022, West End became home to a new Friday night market, spanning all the food, drinks and stalls you'd expect, plus live music as well, and also fire twirlers, stilt walkers and fortune tellers — and a neon forest. The destination for all of the above: Westoria, which takes place weekly from 4–10pm on Jane Street next to the regular West End Markets site. Getting weird, wild and wonderful is the vibe here every time that it's on; however, with Halloween upon us for 2023, the Westoria crew is ramping things up a few notches. So on Friday, October 27, it's hosting The Wicked Witches of Westoria, complete with spooky stalls, street food and sips. Also on offer: a dance class to teach you 'Thriller' moves, roving entertainers getting into the theme, bites to match the occasion and cocktails. Entry is free — and if you embrace the time of year and get witchy, you might be treated to the best-dressed witch title.
Get your shopping done under twinkling lights while surrounded by real (not plastic) Christmas trees. No, this isn't a festive dream — it's the reality of South Bank's annual Christmas markets. Whether you've been every year since you can remember, or you've never gone a-browsing at the inner-city spot, visiting The Collective Markets Christmas Edition is worth the trip. While the entirety of South Bank always gets into a merry mood, nothing will steal the show from the most important part of the proceedings: the wares on offer at the rows of stalls. Kicking off from 5–9pm on Friday, December 15, then running from 10am–9pm between Saturday, December 16–Saturday, December 23, you'll find handmade toys, jewellery and other trinkets just begging to be given as gifts, as well as tasty treats to add to your Christmas feast. Yep, everyone's a winner here.
It's time to get festive beneath one of Newstead's most striking features: the Gasometer. For one night in December, The Market Folk is taking over the eye-catching Gasworks space, bring a heap of stalls with it and helping you finish your Christmas shopping — because, let's face it, no one ever gets 100-percent of their gift buying done too far in advance. From 5–9pm on Saturday, December 9, the Gasworks Plaza precinct will be home to plenty of market stalls as the sun goes down, all brimming with items that'd make perfect presents (for your loved ones, and for yourself). [caption id="attachment_758933" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] The Market Folk[/caption] If you're wondering just what kinds of things you can expect to pick up, think fashion, art, homewares, ceramics and vintage goods — and plants as well — from 40-plus businesses. There'll be a particular focus on Brisbane creatives, too. So, you'll also be gifting them some Christmas cheer by supporting their hard work. These markets include live music on the lawn, plus bites and drinks from surrounding eateries and bars. And, they're also doggo-friendly. [caption id="attachment_814294" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kgbo via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Top image: Andrew S via Flickr.
Halloween is here for 2023 — and if you'd like to celebrate with music trivia, Not On Your Rider has the night for you. The event runs most months of the year, but it themes up its October session. The date: Thursday, October 26 from 6.30pm at The Triffid. If you like music and you like trivia, then TV shows such as Spicks and Specks and Never Mind the Buzzcocks likely sit high on your favourites list, with both combining tunes, musicians and questions about them. But in Brisbane, you don't have to confine your music trivia fix to staring at a screen. One of the city's most reliably entertaining evenings out comes in the form of this IRL quiz show that's also filled with well-known faces — but staged live in the River City, with Brisbanites invited not only to watch but to also play along. This pop-culture delight has been doing the rounds for a few years now, and testing its contestants via rounds of questions. If you're not already acquainted with Not On Your Rider, it takes something that everyone loves — showing off their music trivia knowledge — and dials it up a few notches. Here's how it works: the event is hosted by The Creases' Aimon Clark, and features Velociraptor's Jeremy Neale and The Grates' Patience Hodgson as team captains. Also, while the two on-stage teams are always filled with musos, comedians, drag queens and other guests, anyone can buy a ticket, sit at a table and answer questions along with them. Previous events have boasted folks from Powderfinger, Ball Park Music, The Jungle Giants, The GoBetweens, Dune Rats, DZ Deathrays, The Kite String Tangle, Butterfingers, Last Dinosaurs, The Chats and more, because you never know which music figures might be involved on the night. Guests change each show, but the past lineup has also spanned Robert Irwin, Kate Miller-Heidke, Ben Lee and Steven Bradbury, as well as Trent Dalton, Ranger Stacey, Mel Buttle and Ian 'Dicko' Dickson. And as for the quiz itself, it's accompanied by chats about the music industry, plus other mini games involving attendees — and, at the October event, Halloween touches, of course.
