When Dolly Parton sang about pouring herself a cup of ambition in the giddily catchy 80s hit '9 to 5' — the song that accompanied a film of the same name four decades back, now echoes in a stage musical as well and will never, ever get old — she wasn't talking about wine. But Zimbabwean quartet Joseph Dhafana, Tinashe Nyamudoka, Marlvin Gwese and Pardon Taguzu have lived up to those lyrics one glass of top-notch vino at a time, despite not drinking alcohol as Pentecostal Christians. Clearly, these men have quite the story to tell. It starts with fleeing their homeland under Robert Mugabe's rule, and then sees them each make new homes at considerable risk in South Africa, where they all also eventually found themselves working with the grape. In the process, they discovered a knack for an industry they mightn't have ever even dreamed of contemplating entering otherwise — and, in 2017, they took Zimbabwe's first-ever team to the World Wine Blind Tasting Championships in Burgundy, France. In the words of the always-great and ever-quotable Parton again, Joseph, Tinashe, Marlvin and Pardon waited for their ship to come in, and for the tide to turn and all roll their way. '9 to 5' doesn't actually have a single thing to do with Blind Ambition, the film that splashes through the Zimbabwean sommeliers' story, but their against-the-odds journey is equally infectious and uplifting. The Australian-made documentary about the foursome has also been likened to another on-screen underdog tale, this time about Black men seeking glory in a field that isn't typically associated with their country of birth. Blind Ambition isn't the wine version of Cool Runnings for numerous reasons — it hasn't been fictionalised (although it likely will be at some point) and it isn't a comedy, for starters — but the comparison still pithily sums up just how rousing this true story proves. The reality is far more profound than a Disney flick, of course. Making their second wine-focused doco of the past decade, Warwick Ross and Rob Coe — the former the co-director of 2013's Red Obsession, the latter its executive producer, and both sharing helming credits here — decant emotion aplenty from the moving and inspiring Blind Ambition. It flows freely from Joseph, Tinashe, Marlvin and Pardon's plights, which the film begins to drip out individually, harking back to before the quartet had even met, then blends together. Getting across the border was especially harrowing for Joseph, for instance, while ensuring that his new life honours his parents back home is particularly important for Pardon. Overcoming poverty and adversity echoes through their stories, as does the hope that their newfound affinity for wine brings — including via Tinashe's desire to plant vines on his grandfather's land one day. From those histories grows a keen eagerness to turn vino into their futures, and amid those dreams sits the World Wine Blind Tasting Championships. The activity that gives the competition its name is serious business; the first word isn't slang for getting black-out drunk or even just knocking back drinks to the thoroughly sozzled stage of inebriation, but describes how teams sample an array of wines without knowing what's rolling over their palates. Every national squad, all with four people apiece, is given 12 drops. From the six red and six white varieties, they must pick everything they can just by sipping — the grape, country, name, producer and vintage — to earn points. And, they also need to spit out the answers quickly, within two minutes of taking a taste. Yes, it's an event that you need to train for. No, it doesn't involve getting sloshed. As stressed verbally and visually throughout the doco, there's a specific — and very white — crowd for blind wine-tasting. It's also a pursuit marked by wealth and privilege, and by the access to a vast selection of different wines that springs far more easily when you come from or have access to both. Accordingly, Team Zimbabwe instantly stands out, not that its members ever let that stand between them and their next tasting glass. While Blind Ambition could've just stuck to the feel-good angle that gushes from Joseph, Tinashe, Marlvin and Pardon's efforts as outsiders within this insular realm, it smartly dives further, knowing that anything else would be too superficial and tokenistic. Accordingly, while the film celebrates their achievements, it also ensures that the racial and class divides that are as inherent to this part of the wine world — and to the wine world in general — as grapes fermented into alcohol remain as prominent as a red wine stain on a white tablecloth. That makes Blind Ambition a multi-layered movie with something to say as well as a heartwarming true tale to share, aka the kind of real-life situation that documentarians fantasise about. Heralding diversity and exposing its historical absence rank high among Team Zimbabwe's feats, and the footage that follows them training in South Africa and navigating the competition in Burgundy speaks volumes about the Eurocentric and money-driven industry they've plunged into. Competitive blind wine-tasting is a sport that requires coaches, too, and developments arise when both South African coach Jean Vincent Ridon and French wine expert Denis Garret become involved. All the way through, however, Joseph, Tinashe, Marlvin and Pardon's contagious joy, pride and enthusiasm for the field, for competing at the Olympics of the wine world, for the fact that their journey has taken them from refugees to finding a new calling, and for opening up the world to African vino, is never anything less than resonant. Like any standout plonk, wine or otherwise, Blind Ambition leaves viewers wanting more, though. Ross and Coe cover plenty in the film's 96 minutes, including postscript glimpses into the team's lives following their World Wine Blind Tasting Championships debut, but wishing for deeper notes at several stages along the way — the tension of the contest and its ins and outs, noticeably — is the prevailing aftertaste. While moderation is a wise approach to imbibing, parts of the film feel like just a sample themselves. It's still a delightful doco drop that lingers long on the cinematic palate, but another pour wouldn't go astray.
The next time that you tuck into a pie, you could be doing a local business a solid. That's always the case if you're picking up your pastries from a neighbourhood bakery, of course — but head to King Street Bakery on Tuesday, March 1 and Tuesday, March 2 and you'll be helping out the Bowen Hills favourite at a tough time for the city. After a weekend of torrential rain that's led to widespread flooding, nothing is normal in Brisbane at the moment — as everyone in the city well and truly knows. For the King Street Bakery team, it's been a couple of days without access or power to their central kitchen, so they're now hosting a bake sale. Expect pies and sausage rolls galore, plus make-at-home meals, coffee and juice as well. You'll need to swing by King Street by 5pm, so that's either lunch, a snack or something for dinner later all sorted. Updated March 2.
Tibet is the type of place that everyone wants to visit at least once — and the kind of destination few of us will actually make it to. Don't worry, the Festival of Tibet offers up the next best thing. It'll either help ease the pain of not jumping on a plane, or make you book a ticket overseas as soon as you can. 2022's festival lineup is a little different from normal, however, adapting to the world we now find ourselves in. So, you can head to Brisbane Powerhouse on Friday, April 1 and Saturday, April 2 for two different concerts — one from Tibetan Grammy-nominated artist Tenzin Choegyal alongside Matt Hsu's Obscure Orchestra, the other pairing Choegyal with Camerata – Queensland's Chamber Orchestra — and then enjoy the rest of the event online. The virtual program is still being finalised, but the Festival of Tibet usually hosts sessions on how to practice meditation and do yoga, all Tibetan-style; celebrates Tibetan songs; and finds other ways to showcase of the country's way of life. This year's fest will run from that first gig on Friday, April 1 through to Sunday, April 10. [caption id="attachment_761351" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Brisbane Powerhouse[/caption] Top image: Festival of Tibet.
You can never have too much greenery in your life, both inside and outside your house. And, whether you're decking out your interiors or setting up a luxe outdoor hangout zone, you can never have too many homewares either. At least that's what you'll keep telling yourself while you're browsing around The Home Collective's wares. At its next event, the northside market will be offering up an array of plants, pots, furniture, cushions, art, ceramics, candles and other items that belong in your house or garden. If you're keen for a sneak peek, or some design inspiration, check out the event's Instagram page. That'll motivate you to head along, we're certain. Taking place at the Wavell Heights Community Hall from 7–11am on Sunday, February 27, the market will kit out your abode with plenty of choices — usually, there's more than 55 stalls ready for you to peruse. Sure, there's an excuse to boost your garden and homewares cred every weekend in Brissie, or so it seems, but you just can't have to much of a good thing. Entry is via gold coin donation, which'll go to the folks at Animal Welfare Queensland. And there'll also be caffeinated beverages on offer to help perk up your Sunday morning — plus bites to eat from a range of food trucks.
They're just humble cucumbers left to ferment in vinegar, but pickles certainly get plenty of attention. We love them on sandwiches, and to munch on individually. We love drinking whisky, then chasing it down with a shot of pickle brine. Sometimes, folks even make beer that showcases the zesty pickle flavour. If you're fond of all of the above, then get your pickle-loving self to Pickle Fest. Hosted by The Woods Bar, the event celebrates its eponymous ingredient in a whole range of guises. In other words, it's an excuse to eat pickles, drink pickle brine and sip pickle-flavoured brews. And, to eat reuben sandwiches, aka the go-to food when anyone thinks of pickles (and a great way to line your stomach, too). Also on the menu: deep-fried pickled jalapeños galore, as well as loaded bloody marys. Obviously, if you don't like that sour, tart, put-a-spring-in-your-step pickle taste, this fest isn't for you — but if you can't get enough of it, head to Mitchelton from 12pm on Sunday, February 20. The one-day festival takes place on Sunday, December 1, with the Mitchelton watering hole getting into the pickled spirit from from 11am. Image: The Woods Bar.
If you and your partner have a little (or a lot) of pent-up energy, and you're looking for a different outlet to help ease it, here's an option: Brisbane's axe-throwing joint Maniax is hosting Valentine's date-night sessions from Friday, February 11–Friday, February 18. The Newstead joint is doing two-hour public sessions that'll cost you and your other half $100 in total to hurl hatchets — and will let you do something different to mark the occasion. Also, that price also includes a beer, wine or canned spirit each afterwards to celebrate. For the uninitiated, Maniax gives you the chance to very safely throw a hunk of sharpened steel attached to a flimsy handle, and compete with your partner and/or friends to see who has the most Viking blood coursing through them. Chuck those axes, sink a bullseye, and then calm down after all the hatchet-lobbing excitement with a drink with your significant other.
UPDATE, MARCH 3, 2022: Due to weather conditions, the Scenic Rim Farm Gate Trail has been postponed from Sunday, March 6 to Sunday, March 13. This article has been updated to reflect that change. When the Ekka was cancelled for the second year in a row in 2021, no one got to throw a ball in a clown's mouth. Hopping on rides, seeing fireworks and browsing for showbags were all scrapped, too. That's obviously no fun at all; however, for the farmers who were due to exhibit at Brisbane's annual show, the impact cut far deeper. So, in response, an idea was born: the Scenic Rim Farm Gate Trail. It first appeared twice in 2021, encouraging Brisbanites to head south, hop between properties and enjoy local wares — and it's back again in 2022. Fancy throwing a little love towards the Scenic Rim's primary producers? Keen on a day out of town? Farmers in the region will be rolling out the welcome mat from 9am–3pm on Sunday, March 13. Follow the itinerary, and you'll be hitting up the likes of Scenic Rim Mushrooms, Scenic Rim Brewery, Tommerup's Dairy Farm, Bee All Natural Honey, Witches Falls Winery, The Overflow Estate 1895 and Tamborine Mountain Distillery. That's just a taste of the list of producers involved — and if you'd like to get up close to some camels and alpacas while you're in that part of southeast Queensland, that's on the cards, too. The full a trail route covers 22 stops, firmly taking care of ideas on where to start, where to venture next and what to see. [caption id="attachment_823620" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] Top image: Sabine Bannard.
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 boutique selling designer threads, you know that they know how to put on a sartorial celebration. That's what 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 2022, it's marking ten years of doing just that, in fact, so expect it to be on helluva shindig. From 5–8pm on Thursday, March 31, the after-hours event will feature all of the roadway's boutiques getting in on the action — Gail Sorronda is even hosting a shop-in-shop with labels Romance was Born and Gary Bigeni — plus all of the local bars and restaurants, too. 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 from James Street's Silk Laundry, Jardan, St. Agni, Camilla, Lee Mathews, Gelato Messina, The Green, FINEPRINTCO and Priceline, as well as bits and pieces by pals like Assembly by Aiko, Collective Hub, Clif Bar, Yes You Can, Eye of Horus, Proper Crisps, Mirror Merch, Pinot and Picasso, Seed & Sprout and The Daily Edited. And, to help raise funds for flood relief, there'll also be a Fashion Flood charity pop-up thanks to fashion re-seller Label Pig. Images: Andrew Cois.
It has been six years since Ballistic Beer Co started serving up its yeasty goodness to Brisbanite's brew-loving masses, and that means two things. Yes, time really does fly when you're sinking — and making — cold ones. Also, the brewery is celebrating the occasion in style and throwing a huge shindig. While the beer company has three locations across the city, this one is happening at its home base in Salisbury. Anyone hankering for a beverage will find the brewery's usual tasty tipples and a heap of special-edition beers on offer across the weekend of Saturday, March 19–Sunday, March 20, so prepare to settle in for a celebratory two days. In between sips, there'll be cake, plus activities to keep all attendees occupied (even those too young for a brew). Think: cake, live tunes, giveaways and a petting zoo. And, because a hard-earned thirst needs a chilled drink and a hungry stomach needs something to line it with — other than dessert — expect a heap of food trucks and a barbecue as well.
UPDATE, May 16, 20222: Due to Brisbane's wet weather, Paniyiri 2022 has been postponed from Saturday, May 21–Sunday, May 22 to Saturday, October 15–Sunday, October 16. This article has been updated to reflect that change. For two days each year, most of Brisbane heads to Musgrave Park to pretend that they're in the Mediterranean. Well, before the pandemic hit and upended our regular routines, that's what usually occurred — and in 2022, it'll finally be happening again. After two pandemic-interrupted years — with the 2020 event cancelled and the 2021 fest opting for a scaled-down and largely online format, plus a delay due to wet weather — Paniyiri is returning to its usual full range of celebrations in October 2022. Once again, the city's massive Greek festival will take over West End with quite the array of food, drink, partying and more. Yes, there's a reason that more than two million people have gone along over the years. In 2022, more than four decades since the fest first began back in 1976, the fun will take place across Saturday, October 15–Sunday, October 16. Brisbanites can expect the usual array of Greek revelry — aka grapes to stomp, coffee to sip, olives to consume and plates to smash, plus TV stars to rub shoulders with and cooking demonstrations to watch. Food-wise, more than 20 stalls will serve up bites from 11 Greek regions, including an abundance of loukoumades, souvlaki, haloumi and barbecued calamari. If devouring as much as you can is your idea of fun, the festival's regular food contests usually keep stomachs satisfied. Then, to wash all of that down, there'll be Greek wine, Greek beer and Greek-inspired cocktails as well. Of course, it wouldn't be Paniyiri without entertainment. While the full event program hasn't yet been revealed, dancing is always a big feature thanks to Greek Dancing with the Stars and the Hellenic dancers — so fingers crossed they return this year. In addition to celebrating all things Greek in Musgrave Park, Paniyiri also takes over The Greek Club — and given that it's marking its first regular fest in more than two years, expect both venues to host one massive shindig.
One huge day, 18 designers, 180-plus outfits, oh-so-much fantastic fashion. That's what's on the agenda at the first-ever BrisAsia Festival Fashion Program, which was originally slated to take place in February during Brisbane's annual BrisAsia fest, but is now happening on Friday, March 25 — after an Omicron wave-inspired delay. This extremely well-dressed event has one big focus: showcasing local design labels with Asian, Indigenous and international heritages. Whether you're the most stylish person you know (and the most modest, too) or you're keen to get some tips, heading along means supporting a heap of homegrown talent and celebrating culture through fashion. Labels in the spotlight include Akira, Native Swimwear Australia, Joteo, Moreno Marcos, Anannasa and Murrii Quu Couture, as well as Pagoni, M7 by Miu Tsujikawa, Hestia by Yip Wing Chi, Liz Clift and Mode Voyage. Also popping up: DAN STUDIO, SAJO, MYKA Studio, Nevidebla, Luna + Sun, Fancynators and Hopevale Arts & Cultural Centre. And, there are multiple ways to slide into the couture-focused fun. Hit up either or both of the group shows (one at 6pm, the other at 7.30pm), stay for the afterparty (at 8.30pm) or, beforehand, hear some insights at the daytime fashion forum (from 2–4pm). At the latter, designers Akira Isogawa, Sher Lo from Anannasa and Natalie Cunningham from Native Swimwear will chat about their work, and about how their heritage has shaped their vision. [caption id="attachment_847527" align="alignnone" width="1920"] @thebrisbanegirl[/caption]
Summer might be over, but the sun still shines and the weather is still toasty for most of the year in Brisbane. So, if you're keen on finishing up your weekend with a few drinks outdoors — and by the water, because that's one of the great things about living in a river city — that's still well and truly on the agenda. At Byblos at Portside, throwing in a few cocktails over Mediterranean bites is also on offer, with the bar hosting weekly Sunday Sessions. Stop by from 3pm, pull up a seat with a riverside view and get sipping — and listening to either live R&B tunes from Vibe Creators or the vocals of Lady Red. Entry is free, but bookings are essential. And, given the location and the timing, sticking around while the sun sets is heartily recommended. Also, when there's a cocktail called Hugo Weaving on the drinks list (a mix of Hennessy VS, elderflower, sparkling rosé cordial, mint and soda), that's worth a visit alone.
For decades, Brisbane's 4064 postcode has been synonymous with alcohol for one big reason: the XXXX brewery that no one can miss thanks to the sign and the yeasty smell. But it isn't the only place in the area that's making its own tipples, with everywhere from Newstead Brewing Co and Common Ground Brewing to Milton Rum and Warehouse 25 also getting in on the action. And, to celebrate, those four boozy outfits are hosting their own festival. The 4064 Festival is all about two things: drinks and the postcode responsible for plenty of them, obviously. Running from 3–8.30pm on Saturday, September 10, it'll span beverages, food, tunes, games and prizes. While four different boozemakers are behind the event, it's only happening in one spot: Newstead Brewing Co's Milton home on Castlemaine Street, in its beer garden to be exact. That's where Aunty Stan, Waiting Room DJ's and Paolo Ji will hit the decks; attendees can try their luck in a ping pong contest; and free tastings and food specials will also be on offer. This is 4064 Festival's first outing, with entry free — and you'll pay for what you eat and drink, tastings aside, from there. That said, if you live or work in the postcode, and you bring your ID or business card, you can nab one free beverage token.
"Your nose like a delicious slope of cream / And your ears like cream flaps / And your teeth like hard shiny pegs of cream." Le Diner en Blanc — like Howard Moon's poem — will have you in all white. But sorry, Booshers: this Brisbane event is just for the sophisticated. Now popping up all around the world, the Diner en Blanc began in Paris more than three decades ago thanks to François Pasquier and friends. In 2022, Brisbane's creme de la creme will once again dress in all-white on Saturday, October 22 and flock along, with the event held at a predictably stunning location that remains secret until the very last moment. Following an evening of elegance, fine dining and live music, the 2000-plus foodies then pack up their crystal, dinnerware, tables, chairs and litter. Like ghosts (white 'n' all), they leave behind no sign of their rendezvous. That said, don't get any ideas — a white sheet thrown over your figure will not do for an outfit. Le Diner en Blanc guests must either be invited by a member from the previous event, or get on the waiting list for a ticket — with the latter open for registrations now. And, if you're wondering what the event entails — other than eating, drinking and wearing white and white only — you'll need to bring a table and two white chairs with you, as well as your own picnic basket, glassware, white tablecloth and white dinnerware. You can order a catered picnic, though, if you don't want to bring your own. Booze-wise, you'll either need to opt for wine or champagne via the event's e-store, or be happy bringing your own non-alcoholic beverages. Wondering where Le Diner en Blanc might pop up this time? In past Brissie outings, it has brought its all-white setup to Eagle Farm Racecourse, New Far Park, Roma Street Parklands and the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens. Images: Balvin Productions.
Vinyl fiends, rejoice: your annual excuse to boost your collection is here once again. No one ever needs a specific reason to stock up on records, but Record Store Day gives you just that anyway. It's a celebration of the medium, the stores that sell it and everyone who visits the latter to pick up the former. In Fortitude Valley on Saturday, April 23, Record Store Day is also a daytime party — and a shopping session, of course. Head into the Brunswick Street Mall from 10am–3pm for markets, record store pop-ups and live tunes, plus DJs spinning the obvious. Thanks to Suitcase Rummage, you'll be browsing for records — naturally — as well as vintage threads, books, jewellery, shoes, badges and more. On the decks will be DJs from the Valley's Catalog Music, QUIVR and 4ZZZ, and radio folks will be on MC duties, too. Spreading the vinyl love far and wide, there'll also DJ sets in Bakery Lane and a label showcase in Winn Lane as well.
It doesn't snow in Brisbane. Sometimes, if it gets cold enough, the skies can whiten around the Granite Belt; however, that isn't Brissie. For six days in Fortitude Valley, however, you will be able to surround yourself with the best thing that winter has to offer without leaving the city — and there'll be 50 tonnes of the stuff, in fact. Yes, all that snow will be real. You'll find it at The Prince Consort as part of the venue's Snow Week, and it'll be falling from the sky from Tuesday, June 28–Sunday, July 3. The Wickham Street spot is turning into a winter wonderland, because it's that time of year. And, it's hosting a heap of snow-themed festivities to help you make the most of the event. Fancy a round of Snow (Drag) Queen Bingo? Have an ugly sweater you'd like to bust out at a party dedicated to terrible woollen wares? Fancy pretending you're at a ski resort? They're all options throughout the week. So is attending a shindig dedicated to Canada, to celebrate Canada Day — poutine included. Also on offer: nooks to get cosy in, art installations, live performers and DJs, and special food menus to suit the occasion. Rugging up is recommended, obviously.
There's no bad place to slurp oysters, no matter which bar or restaurant around Brisbane you pick — but there's just something extra enticing about tucking into the seafood favourite when the actual sea is in sight. Fancy getting your fix on a boat, while cruising over to Moreton Island touring an oyster farm? Yes, of course you do. Tour outfit River to Bay is doing champagne and oyster trips — so you won't just be slurping, but also sipping. These voyages are setting sail on Thursday, June 23 and Friday, June 24, and include a three-hour tour, half a dozen oysters, three glasses of French sparkling, and plenty of dolphin, turtle, stingray and dugong spotting. Did we mention that those oysters will be coming straight from the ocean? And, you can pre-purchase more if you think six won't be enough, or you'd like to take some home with you. You can also buy extra champers, too. The cruises set off from Northshore Harbour Cafe at 2pm on the Thursday and 3pm on the Friday, and prices start at $149 per adult — with $289 discounts for couples also available.
When a Brisbane icon gets a revamp, it's always worth stopping by to see the results. Since late 2021, that's been the case with Woolloongabba's now 134-year-old Princess Theatre. And if you haven't yet found the right reason to make a visit, here's an ace one: the new Hot Dreams Festival. Taking over the venue from 2pm on Saturday, June 11, this music fest hails from the crew behind Nine Lives, including West End record store faves Jet Black Cat Music. But, it's hitting up The Princess rather than The Tivoli. And, it's also doing so in winter — because 2022's inaugural event wants you to ditch your coats, shimmy on over to the dance floor and heat things up by enjoying live tunes. On the bill: Lucy Dacus, Cate Le Bon and Andy Shauf, all heading to Brisbane from the US and Canada, plus Aussies Glass Beams, Pinch Points, Girl And Girl and Scraps. And, out in the courtyard, Moktar, Andras, Shandy and Scalymoth will be doing their thing on the decks, and taking the party into the evening.
Sometimes, it's good to know when an event just isn't for you. With that in mind, if you think that Jaws is the scariest movie ever made — and you weren't too fond of The Meg, Deep Blue Sea, The Shallows or Sharknado, either — then consider yourself warned. But if sharks don't phase you (or they even fascinate you), here's a night-at-the-museum-style experience that you don't get to enjoy every day. Make that a night at the aquarium, because that's where you'll be slumbering at Sleep Under the Sharks at Sea Life Sunshine Coast. Yes, you'll need to make a trip to Mooloolaba, but that drive will be worth it if you're keen to spend a night sleeping in the venue's 80-metre-long ocean tunnel as sharks swim above your head. Nightmare fuel? A rare thrill? You decide, with the next session taking place on Saturday, June 18. Before you bunker down beneath ocean predators for the night — 11 species of them live at Sea Life Sunshine Coast — you'll also get a tour of the place, including behind-the-scenes access that you wouldn't nab if you just went along during a normal session during the day. A pizza and ice cream dinner is included, too, plus breakfast the next morning — followed by a seal stadium show and some time with the penguins. Unsurprisingly, places are limited, so nabbing a $99 ticket quickly is recommended. Also, you'll need to bring your own pillow, sleeping bag and sleeping mat. And, this is a firmly family-friendly affair, so prepare to have kids for company.
Alright party people, ready yourselves for a night of heart-racingly risqué cabaret, because Blanc de Blanc Encore is back. The extravagance experts over at Strut & Fret have done it again, setting up the Spiegeltent — with all the glitz and glamour of 1920s Paris — once more. This time round, it's in residence at the new Northshore Hamilton pop-up, Twilight Electric. Considering the show's record-breaking box office sales across the country, some of you may already know what frivolous fun you're in for. And if not, you'd best get a ticket. The opulent immersive experience is on show till Sunday, September 18. Expect toe-tapping jazz, beguiling burlesque, circus tricks, side-splitting comedy and amazing music — plus, a new cast and fresh acts that Brisbane audiences haven't seen before. Whether you want to take date night to cheeky new heights and treat your partner to a night of edge-of-your-seat theatre, or you and your ride-or-dies don your best flapper dresses, feather boas and strings of pearls, this party has the makings of an affair to make Jay Gatsby jealous. So, consider this your invite — tickets will sell fast. Blanc de Blanc will take over the Spiegeltent from Wednesday, July 27 till Sunday, September 18. Head to the website for more information and to grab your tickets. Top images: Jacinta Oaten (first two), Jacquie Manning (last)
It's that time again, seafood-loving Brisbanites, with the Sandstone Point Hotel bringing back its annual Oyster and Seafood Festival in 2022. If you're a fan of slurping down molluscs or munching on other morsels from the ocean, prepare to be in your element. Taking over the venue on Saturday, October 15, the day-long celebration of salty, slimy deliciousness will treat your tastebuds to oysters from all around the country, asking whether you can discern the difference. Get them freshly shucked at the fest's bars — and if you need something to snack on otherwise, you can feast on the rest of the ocean's finest bounty at an array of seafood market stalls. Mussels, calamari, prawns, bugs, fish: they're all usually on offer. Anyone who really, truly loves their oysters can plan to make a date with competitive portion of the day, too, because it wouldn't be a food festival without a contest. Here, that typically means downing a heap oysters, and also peeling prawns. Chef demonstrations and live music are a regular part of the bill as well, all as part of a cruisy day hanging out by the water. And, you'll find plenty of drinks at the bar to help wash down all that seafood. Image: Sandstone Point Hotel.
Do you usually leave your gift purchasing until the last minute? Have you vowed to finally do better this year? Do you have a heap of friends and family members celebrating birthdays in the second half of 2022 — and zero idea of what you'll get them? Enter Etsy, which is hitting Brisbane IRL this winter to lend a hand with your shopping — and give you an excuse to treat yo'self. Whichever fits, including if you're keen to get a jump on Christmas, you'll have plenty to browse and buy. Etsy Made Local is a grassroots initiative that celebrates crafters, collectors and artisans in local communities, and provides them with the opportunity to sell their creations both online and in a physical space. So, whether you're on the hunt for handmade wares or vintage goods, these guys have got you covered. The market will take place in the Exhibition Building at the Brisbane Showgrounds from 4.30–9pm on Friday, July 22 and 9am–4pm on Saturday, July 23, spreading across two days. Because it focuses on the best local talent, every market is filled with different stallholders and unique creations, but there'll be more than 100 makers, designers, artists and creators at this one. Supporting creative small businesses and scoring a killer gift for your loved ones is a win for everyone involved, so head along and get your shopping sorted. Entry costs $2 — and, the whole thing will be cashless, so don't forget your cards. There'll also be food trucks slinging bites to eat, and plenty of places to get caffeinated.
If you had only ever watched five horror movies in your life, odds are that one would've covered being careful what you wish for, and another would've focused on not messing with nature. It's equally likely that growing up being hell, motherhood being even more nightmarish and grappling with the terrors of the human body would've popped up as well. These all rank among the genre's favourite concepts, alongside haunted houses, murderous forces, demonic influences and the undead — and, making her feature filmmaking debut with the savvily sinister-meets-satirical blend that is Hatching, Finnish writer/director Hanna Bergholm knows this. She's also innately aware that something unique, distinctive and unnerving can still spring from stitching together well-used notions and now-familiar parts, which, on- and off-screen, is her bold and memorable body-horror, twisted fairy tale and dark coming-of-age thriller in an eggshell. Hatching begins by unpacking a fallacy as fractured as Humpty Dumpty after the nursery-rhyme character's fall — and that still keeps being lapped up anyway. In suburban Finland, among homes so identical that the song 'Little Boxes' instantly pops into your head, 12-year-old gymnast Tinja (debutant Siiri Solalinna), her younger brother Matias (fellow first-timer Oiva Ollila), and their mother (Sophia Heikkilä, Dual) and father Jani Volanen, Dogs Don't Wear Pants) are living their best lives. More than that, as the soft lensing and music that helps open the movie establishes, they're also beaming that picture of pink, white and pastel-hued domestic perfection to the world. Tinja's unnamed mum is a vlogger, and these scenes are being captured for her cloyingly named blog Lovely Everyday Life. Naturally, showing that this family of four's daily existence is anything but enchanting is one of Bergholm's first aims. The initial crack comes from outside, crashing through the window to ruin a posed shot alight with fake smiles and, of course, being filmed with a selfie stick. Soon, broken glass, vases and lamps are strewn throughout a lounge room so immaculately arranged that it looks straight out of a supermarket-shelf home-and-garden magazine — and the crowning glory, the chandelier, has descended from a luminous pièce de résistance to a shattered mess. A garden-variety crow is the culprit, which Tinja carefully captures. She hands it to her mother, thinking that they'll then release it outside. But her mum, placid but seething that anything could disrupt her manufactured picture of bliss, ignores that idea with a cruel snap and instructions to dispose of the animal in the organic waste. Watching the source of her own life snuff out a bird's because it temporarily disturbed the faux, performative idyll is understandably a formative moment for Tinja, and one of several early splinters. The girl is clearly nowhere near as enthused about gymnastics as her mum is about having a star gymnast for a daughter, even before Tinja is forced to train until her palms are torn and bloody. She's also unsettled when she sees her mother kissing handyman Tero (Reino Nordin, Deadwind), then justifies having a "special friend" because he satisfies her in ways Tinja's dutiful dad doesn't. So when Tinja finds the crow's egg in a nest outside, she's quick to take it into her care — both because of and despite her mum. She nurtures it tenderly, placing it inside a teddy bear for safe keeping. She gains her own little universe to dote over. Then the egg keeps growing, and a human-sized chick emerges. Hatching is economical, running for a mere 86 minutes. It also unfurls that above setup in its first third. From there, screenwriter Ilja Rautsi (Spandex Sapiens) — working with a story co-credited to Bergholm — spins a narrative that's part creature feature, too, but wholly steeped in Tinja's experiences encroaching womanhood and tackling her own form of motherhood under the wing of someone who always puts appearances first. The grin-and-bear-it attitude that's imparted to adolescent girls to deal with bullying; the pressure to be perfect physically, emotionally and mentally, no matter the cost; the stigma around body image; the force exerted by caregivers and society alike around bodily agency; the urges and desires that comes with bubbling hormones: they're all weaved into Hatching's smart script. So too is the reality that, for girls, farewelling childhood doesn't just mean menstruation and other physical changes, but the potential to get pregnant, become a mother and have your existence forever tied to your offspring. If Rosemary's Baby springs to mind in Hatching's repeated lullaby-like refrain, plus the Alien franchise in its visceral depiction of twisted maternity, that's understandable. If there's a touch of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial to the relationship between Tinja and the creature, but filtered through Black Swan and Us, that is as well. 2021's similar blend of folklore and parenthood, Lamb, also flaps gently — and the mother of all tales about sparking life, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, too. One visual touch nods so overtly to David Lynch's Twin Peaks that you expect someone to mention damn fine coffee, while Blue Velvet's peeling back of suburban facades weighs heavily. The body-horror work of that other iconic filmmaking David, The Brood, Scanners and The Fly's Cronenberg, also flutters underneath as a clear influence. But Bergholm has incubated a rare movie that both makes its sources of inspiration blatant and feels like its own beast sprung from their combined DNA. One of the film's most striking moves hails from its twinning not just of Tinja and her surrogate offspring (via a supremely disturbing animatronic puppet to begin with, and evolving from there), but of two ways of soaring through the world. When cinematographer Jarkko T Laine (Finnish TV's Cargo) isn't lensing Päivi Kettunen's (Hotel Swan Helsinki) exacting production design, which weaponises floral wallpaper to a chilling degree, like an influencer's Instagram story — or peering into shadowy wardrobes and under beds — he's connecting the visual dots between flying birds and gymnastic acrobatics. For Tinja, though, the latter hasn't ever meant freedom. As so astonishing portrayed by Solalinna in a complicated part, and against such an entertainingly monstrous turn by Heikkilä, she's always felt trapped and henpecked in the nest. Hatching splits open that coop, its artifice and all the lies that reside within it — and, while happily obvious at times, makes for a crackingly clever, grotesque and canny watch.
You can never have too many occasions to eat cheese, but this returning Australian cheese festival isn't just keen to shower cheese fiends with creamy goodness. A collaboration between Bruny Island Cheese Co cheesemaker Nick Haddow and the organisers of Pinot Palooza, Mould wants dairy lovers to explore and devour the mild, hard and soft bites that Australia's best cheese wizards have to offer. Returning for a fourth time in 2022 — after a chaotic couple of years, as all fests have endured — the cheesy event will paint Brisbane Showgrounds yellow from Friday, July 1–Sunday, July 3. And there won't just be a few cheeses on the menu. More than 75 artisan cheeses from around the country will be ready and waiting for you to devour, spanning dairy from 27-plus producers. That lineup includes Bruny Island Cheese Co, naturally, plus Grandvewe, Milawa Cheese, Yarra Valley Dairy and Stone & Crow. There'll also be wares from Section 28, Red Cow Organics, Nimbin Valley Cheese, and newcomers such as Dreaming Goat, Long Paddock Cheese and Second Mouse Cheese. Alongside unlimited tastings of Australia's best cheeses, Mould will also feature flavoursome fare from cheese specialists that've been created just for the fest, too. Think of it as a cheese tasting trip around Australia without leaving the city. Of course, snacking on samples and purchasing slices and slabs to take home with you are just two ways to enjoy cheese. The fest will have cooking demonstrations, masterclasses and talks so you can stretch your cheese knowledge as well as your cheese stomach. And it wouldn't be a cheese festival without beverages to wash it all down with, so expect a bar serving Aussie wines, whisky, vodka, gin, beer, cider, cocktails and sake — all of which match nicely to a bit of cheese. Unsurprisingly, Mould is rather popular. Last year, attendees tucked into a one million samples across the fest's three cities, and also took home over 3.5 tonnes of Aussie dairy products. So, if this the kind of event that your cheese dreams are made of, you'll want to nab a $45 ticket ASAP. Sessions run from 4.30pm–8.30pm on the Friday, 11am–3pm and 4–8pm on the Saturday, and 11am–3pm on the Sunday.
Maybe you'll see a glowing giraffe. Perhaps you'll spy a dazzling koala. Or, you might find yourself peering at the sun — but much closer than usual. They're just some of the lanterns that could be brightening up the inky night sky at the 2022 Luminous Lantern Parade, with the event making its return to South Bank Parklands from 5pm on Friday, June 10. The parade doesn't just give the riverside spot a new glow for the fun of it. It celebrates multiculturalism, and has for 15 years now. Over that time, it has grown to become quite the hefty event. This year's crowd might be a little more spread out than usual, but the parade will still champion diversity — and also welcome new Queenslanders, including migrants, refugees, international students and people seeking asylum. As well as the main event — which is free to attend — there'll also be live music and performances in the South Bank Piazza afterwards.
When Beyoncé drops a new music video, it isn't just a chance to see whichever visuals she's pairing with her latest track. As each clip keeps demonstrating, it's a cultural moment in its own right. One such instance: the video for 2019's 'Brown Skin Girl', which doesn't only feature the singer, but also sees Lupita Nyong'o, Naomi Campbell, Kelly Rowland, Adut Akech, Aweng Ade-Chuol, Tina Knowles-Lawson, Blue Ivy Carter and Rumi Carter grace its frames. The clip won a Grammy for Best Music Video, which means that the director behind it is now a Grammy-winner. That British Nigerian artist and filmmaker: Jenn Nkiru, who now has her first-ever solo Australian exhibition on display at Brisbane's Institute of Modern Art. Running from Saturday, May 14–Saturday, July 9, and free to see, Rebirth Is Necessary focuses on the magic and dynamism of Blackness — and takes that idea into the past, present and future via a surreal archive of audio-visual material. Like the rest of Nkiru's work, it ties into the history of Black music, the Black arts movement, experimental film and international art cinema. The artist has likened it to her bibliography, in fact, with samples from Sun Ra, James Baldwin, Fred Moten, Steve Reich, Kathleen Cleaver and Alice Coltrane among the snippets weaved in. Rebirth Is Necessary also features original footage shot in South Africa and in South London — and sees IMA showcase Nkiru after the artist's latest piece was presented at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. The exhibition is open during IMA's usual operating hours, between 10am–5pm Tuesday–Saturday. Images: Jenn Nkiru, REBIRTH IS NECESSARY (video still), 2017, single-channel video, 00:10:31. Courtesy of the artist and Mothership.
If you're a fan of musical theatre, then you know the name Jonathan Larson, the creator and composer behind smash-hit production Rent. And, you likely know his story, too, with the playwright and lyricist passing away at the age of 35 on the day that that now-huge show premiered its first off-Broadway preview performance, and never seeing the Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning phenomenon that it would become. Before that, Larson also created another musical called tick, tick…BOOM!; however, it didn't chart the same path. Instead, the semi-autobiographical piece was performed as a solo work before his death, following a character called Jon who worried that he'd made the wrong decision by chasing his dream of becoming a composer. After Larson died, tick, tick…BOOM! was reimagined as a three-actor show, then made its way from off-Broadway to off-West End, as well as West End itself. And, in 2021, it took the leap to the screen, too, courtesy of Netflix — in a film directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda and starring Andrew Garfield, the latter turning in an Oscar-nominated performance as Larson. That's a whole lot of history behind the latest big musical announcement Down Under: that tick, tick…BOOM! will make its Australian mainstage debut in 2023. That run will kick off in Melbourne, then head to Brisbane's QPAC Playhouse on Wednesday, March 1–Sunday, March 5. If you're wondering about tick, tick…BOOM!'s narrative, the rock musical is set in 1990, with promising young composer Jon as its focus. He's almost 30, living in New York City, and life as an artist isn't turning out as he planned — so he has to decide what to do next. The production is an ode to theatre and a tribute to New York, too, and has kept proving popular since it premiered in its current format off-Broadway in 2001. Playing Larson in Australia: multiple Logie-winner Hugh Sheridan (Packed to the Rafters, House Husbands, Five Bedrooms), with Elenoa Rokobaro (Rent) as Susan, Finn Alexander (Urinetown) as Michael, and Sheridan Adams (Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical) and Andrew Coshan (A View From a Bridge) also among the cast. Also, tick, tick…BOOM!'s upcoming Aussie seasons will be produced by Adrian Storey from StoreyBoard Entertainment (Chess the Musical, Barnum, Follies, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) and directed by Tyran Parke (Chess the Musical, Barnum, Follies, Sunday in the Park with George). Check out the trailer for the Netflix film below: Updated October 31, 2022. Images: Jeff Busby.
It's that time again: to wish that you're in Germany for the next month, or to do your best to pretend you are even while you're right here at home. That's the kind of response that Oktoberfest inspires, because we can't all always head over to Europe just for the annual brew-fuelled celebration. Brisbanites can hit up The Bavarian's various locations around town between Friday, September 16–Sunday, October 9 instead, though. On the menu: parties, German-style beers, schnapps, giant pretzels, pork-heavy menus, Sunday sausage sizzles and, at Barracks, Oompah bands providing a soundtrack. So, everything you could want and need to mark the occasion. The venues will sport all the Oktoberfest trimmings — greenery, ribbons and bright tables cloths included — and staff will be decked out in dirndls and lederhosen. Yes, you're encouraged to dress up as well. If you're most excited about the drinks, there'll be eight types of beers, plus tasting paddles to sample them all. Also, the final week of the fun — so, from Monday, October 3 onwards — has been dubbed Big Beer Week to ramp up the brews. Fancy living your best Oktoberfest life all year round afterwards? You can purchase one of The Bavarian's one-litre steins to take home with you and— for $40, which includes a beer that you'll drink onsite first. Food-wise, options start with the OktoberBoss set menu, which serves up a feast of pork knuckle, pork belly, sausages, schnitzels and sides (plus a schnapps on arrival) for groups of four-plus for $49 per person. If it's just you and one mate / your date, there's the Oktoberfest Mate set menu is for two-plus diners for the same price, spanning pretzels, pork belly, sausages, schnitzels and sides. Brews can be added to each menu for an extra $45 per person — and you can cap things off with an apple strudel for $7 a pop. Love pretzels? A special lineup of giant versions is on offer for the first few days of The Bavarian's Oktoberfest shenanigans, from Saturday, September 17–Friday, September 23 — including ones topped with bacon, filled with cheese and covered in sprinkles (no, not all at once). Or, there's a black forest doughnut pretzel. The word for that is yum. Snag fans can make a date with those sausage sizzles, which are available at Chermside on Sundays in October. There'll be six types of traditional bangers, served solo in a roll (from $10) or via a sausage wheel on a stick.
Putting a spring in your step on an average Tuesday isn't the easiest thing to achieve. The last weekend is well and truly over, the next one seems forever away and you haven't even hit hump day yet. Putting some spice in your life is simple from 5pm on Tuesday, August 23, though. Your zesty escape: Salt Meats Cheese's Spice Meats Cheese dinner, a one-night-only affair that's all about drinks and dishes that pack a punch. On the menu: four courses of chilli-, 'nduja- and Sriracha-filled Italian dishes, starting with a spicy antipasto platter featuring chilli-marinated olives, spicy pecorino, sopressata, hot tromba and a homemade spicy capsicum dip. You'll also tuck into spicy beef polpette topped with Sriracha, spicy nduja and hot sopressa pizza, and a spicy rigatoni alla vodka made with Archie Rose's native botanical vodka. To wash it all down with, there are four cocktails to choose from — with your pick included in the $55 price. Sip a chilli-topped spritz, opt for a Tabasco margarita, or see what a cosmopolitan tastes like with a bit of that same hot sauce, too. Some are made with Archie Rose's native botanical vodka as well, including the Rhuby Tuesday, which includes fig and rhubarb syrup. Fancy more drinks? They'll cost you $18 a pop after your first one. Bookings for the Spice Meats Cheese dinner are essential — and Brisbanites can hit up Salt Meats Cheese at Newstead, or head down the coast to Surfers Paradise.
It's that time of year, Brisbanites — time to say goodbye to winter, cold weather and gloomy moods, and to offer up a big hello spring, sunshine and blossoming flowers. If the change of season has you feeling not only extra chipper, but also eager to get outside and make the most of it, Roma Street Parklands has just the event for you, too: its returning Blooms and Tunes event. For 2022, Blooms and Tunes is taking place from 11.30am–5pm on Saturday, September 10 and Sunday, September 11 — and combining live music, an immensely picnic-worthy spot and the Parklands' already impressive greenery. You'll sit, listen to music and have a bite to eat, and you'll also be able to check out the flowers blooming around the site's Celebration Lawn. [caption id="attachment_784308" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Brisbane Marketing[/caption] Tunes-wise, the lineup includes THUMP, The Dillion James Band and King River Rising on Saturday, with Bullhorn, Jason Daniels Band, The Lyrical and HEAVY WAX doing the honours on Sunday. You can bring your own snacks along, or order a hamper from The Garden Room Cafe. Also, the Celebration Lawn is licensed from 10am–8pm as long as you're having a substantial meal.
Plenty about the past couple of years has felt dystopian, but that isn't stopping one West End spot from indulging in an annual tradition. That'd be Archive Beer Boutique's signature event, its craft beer fest Armakeggon, which returns on Saturday, September 10. Obviously, the bar will still be around long after the shindig is over. It isn't the end times on Boundary Street. Head along, though, and you'll find a lineup extra-special beverages being poured through the establishment's taps until your beer-loving heart is content. Expect both new and rare brews, plus old favourites, too. For those after more than an out-of-the-ordinary drop of the yeasty good stuff, there'll also be games throughout the day, as well as live music providing a soundtrack. Entry is free from 11.30am, or you can nab a $25 VIP ticket to head in early at 10am and get sipping before the event opens to the general public. The paid option also includes a tasting paddle with four brews, plus a bacon and egg roll to line your stomach. Images: Archive Beer Boutique.
The term 'best of both worlds' certainly applies to beer yoga. Exercise, alcohol — what's not to love? And we'll all just happily overlook the fact that one counteracts the other because simultaneously sipping and stretching is just so much fun. This batch of brew-fuelled active sessions boasts a little something extra, however. When you're doing your best downward-facing dog and then pausing to take a drink, you'll be doing all of the above in a brewery. Just join the folks at Ballistic Beer Co fortnightly on Thursdays, with the remaining sessions for 2022 spanning from August 18–December 8. That means that you can head by on August 18; September 1, 15 and 29; October 13 and 27; November 10 and 24; and December 8. You'll want to head to Ballistic's Salisbury digs, and arrive at 5.45pm for a 6pm start. The session will only set you back $15, which includes the class and a Ballistic beer — and it's a BYO yoga mat situation.
No one ever needs an excuse to escape their daily routines with a stint of mini golf, ten-pin bowling, laser tag or karaoke, but on Tuesday, September 6, Funlab's venues are giving you a mighty great reason to anyway. That's when the company's Day of Fun rolls around for 2022, and lets you get putting, rolling, shooting, singing and puzzle-solving for $5 a pop — all to help Headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation. All day at its nine locations across Brisbane (and 54 Australia-wide), Funlab will donate all of its proceeds to the charity, which provides early-intervention mental health services to 12–25 year olds across Australia. So, you'll be aiding your own headspace — tap, tap, tapping your way around an indoor mini golf course will do that, for instance — and also showing some love to a great cause. Funlab's Brisbane's sites include multiple Holey Moley and Strike Bowling joints, plus B.Lucky and Sons — and the $5 deal covers bowling, darts, laser tag, escape rooms, karaoke, an hour of games and nine holes of golf (all at $5 per activity). Booking in advance is recommended. Obviously, if you'd like to add a few drinks — these venues serve plenty — that'll cost you extra. [caption id="attachment_681171" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Trent van der Jagt[/caption]
Most years, the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre becomes a culinary, boozy wonderland for three jam-packed days. An alley dedicated to cheese, wine almost as far as the eye can see, an array of food and beverage stalls serving up samples — yep, it's a reality. That's the Good Food and Wine Show in a nutshell, with the next event hitting the city from Friday, October 21–Sunday, October 23. If you've been before, you'll be eager to head along again. Basically, it's the Ekka of food and wine, just without the rides, dodgems and goldfish . Each year's show notches up big numbers; think: 250 producers, 600-plus wines to taste and more than 60 types of cheese this year. It also dedicates a whole section to a section dedicated to small Australia producers, too, so you can share some love with homegrown outfits. Among the culinary stars making appearances: Miguel Maestre, Matt Moran, Justine Schofield, Silvia Colloca, Brendan Pang and Sammy Jakubia. Some of the workshops and masterclasses cost extra; however if you're just keen to wander and enjoy samples, don't worry — that's all included in the regular admission. A word from the wise: you'll be eating and drinking all day, but do make sure you have a light breakfast beforehand. Lining the stomach is always a good idea, and you'll thank us later. Images: Joseph Byford / J Wyld / L Riley.
One of the first lessons that we all learn about romance, usually when studying Romeo and Juliet at school, is also the saddest: they can't all have happy endings. Affairs of the heart can be glorious, magnificent, sweeping and life-changing, but they can also weather pain and end in sorrow. The entire romantic-tragedy genre is about just that, in fact. So, saying that Kenneth MacMillan's Manon fits the bill means preparing for a moving tale about love's highs and lows. Based on the 1731 novel Manon Lescaut by Abbé Prévost, the MacMillan-choreographed version was first performed by The Royal Ballet in London in 1974 — and Queensland Ballet is now doing the honours at QPAC's Lyric Theatre from Tuesday, September 27–Saturday, October 8. Hopping from 18th-century Paris to New Orleans, the story follows the eponymous Manon, who is about to enter a convent when two developments alter her path. Firstly, the rich and old Monsieur GM asks her brother Lescaut for her hand. Secondly, while that arrangement is being made, Manon meets and falls for Des Grieux instead — and off they flee. In Brisbane, there's an added bonus: for select performances, Queensland Ballet's Artistic Director Li Cunxin AO and his wife and former ballerina Mary Li are taking to the stage. Acclaimed Romanian dance Alina Cojocaru will perform, too, in two shows. Whoever's playing the iconic production's parts at any given time, expect a story about seduction and the lingering power of love. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Queensland Ballet (@qldballet)
Whichever food or drink happens to be in the spotlight, festivals dedicated to bites and sips always give two gifts. Firstly, they showcase folks and companies making top-notch products. Secondly, for attendees, they serve up plenty of reasons to celebrate — and sample. The Good Spirits Festival is the latest such event, and it has those two aims in mind — all across one afternoon and evening at Nightquarter on the Sunshine Coast. From 4pm on Saturday, September 10, a curated selection of local craft distilleries is in the spotlight. Your job: to throw them some love by drinking their wares. Hosting pop-ups: Sunshine & Sons, Milton Rum, Lula Rum and Beachtree Distilling Co, as well as Paradise Rum, Spirits Platform and more. There'll also be drinks from Your Mates, Lyre's and So Soda, to mix things up with brews and non-alcoholic options. Entry costs $3, you'll pay for what you drink, and both Sunshine & Sons and Nil Desperandum Rum are doing masterclasses for $19.38 each as well.
Once a year, the Caxton Hotel welcomes in seafood lovers, throwing a huge annual festival that pairs plenty of the ocean's finest with a huge Paddington street party. On Saturday, November 12, it's adding another big shindig to its agenda — without the fish, but will plenty of craft brews instead. Running from 12–8pm, the second Caxton Craft Park Party is all about beers from Aussie craft breweries, including regular favourites and up-and-comers. So, you'll spend your Saturday sipping tipples from Stone and Wood, Balter, Green Beacon, Brouhaha and Ballistic, as well as from Slipstream, Your Mates, Heads of Noosa, Young Henry's and more. Also on offer: live music, food stalls and just generally taking over The Caxton Hotel's car park and beer garden. Entry is free, but you'll obviously need your wallet for all those brews — whether you're keen to stick with the tried-and-tested or expand your beer repertoire.
It's time to put your skates on, Brisbanites — and use them to roll around Milton. As part of this year's Brisbane Festival, a huge skating party is taking over Milton Park, turning the inner-city spot into an outdoor roller rink complete with skate sessions, live tunes and a silent disco. Dressing in lycra is up to you, though. Free to attend, Roller Daze runs from 1–5pm on Saturday, September 10 — and all rollerskaters of all abilities are welcome. Always coasting around with wheels strapped to your feet? Haven't strapped on a pair of skates in years? Fall somewhere in-between? Here, it doesn't matter. Selve, Little Quirks and Bullhorn will be taking care of the music, and a silent disco is also on the agenda — so you'll hear the tracks, but anyone walking past won't. There's workshops and demos, too, so you can learn from the experts and see how it's done. And if you don't have your own skates, you can hire them for $10 on the day.
This Christmas, it's time to deck your halls with boughs of whichever greenery you'd like — and to give plenty of plants as gifts, too. That's on the agenda at VEND Marketplace, which is hosting not one but two huge Christmas Twilight Markets across the festive season. There'll be more than just succulents, cacti and indoor-friendly plants on offer; however, given that the northside spot is home to its own indoor greenhouse — aptly called the Greenhouse, naturally — that's definitely a big drawcard. Between 4–9pm on Saturday, November 26 and again at the same time on Saturday, December 10, you'll also be able to get festive at VEND's 130-plus shops, and at the array of pop-up stalls that it's setting up outside. Food trucks will keep your stomach satisfied while you're picking gifts — including for yourself — and the VEND cafe will also be serving boozy beverages and Christmas dinner specials. Also, there'll be a cocktail bar. Plus, VEND is doggo-friendly — should you want to bring your four-legged pal with you for a stint of Christmas fun. (No good boy or girl wants to stay home while you're out during the merriest time of year.) And, there'll be live tunes helping set the mood, as well as a photo booth for seasonal snaps. Images: VEND Marketplace.
Whenever its doors are open — whenever patrons are walking through its halls, too — QUT Art Museum's walls are filled creative pieces. That remains the case during Thinking Into Being, the Gardens Point venue's summer-long exhibition; however, pondering not just the final product but the method behind it is a pivotal part of this art and design showcase. Highlighting the exceptional work created by former QUT students who've gone on to do huge things in creative fields — 3D artist and set designer Benjamin Donnelly has been working on upcoming Marvel sequel Thor: Love and Thunder, for instance — this exhibition is all about the thought process that brings objects, products and experiences to fruition. Each piece on display is designed to make you contemplate its design, and how design in general can bring about change. Standout works include a seven-metre site-specific wall sculpture by design practitioner Jennifer Marchant — and a printed wall map by Kyle Bush, who studied landscape architecture and now operates in the field of social and environmental activism. Visitors will also explore sound waves, mind maps and astrophotography, and see a game of hopscotch used to explain design processes — all until Sunday, February 27, with free entry. Images: Installation view of Thinking into Being: QUT Alumni Triennial, QUT Art Museum, Brisbane, 9 October 2021 to 27 February 2022. Photos by Louis Lim.
UPDATE, March 14, 2022: After a three-week closure due to Brisbane's floods, the Gallery of Modern Art will reopen — and APT10 Cinema as well — on Friday, March 18. Whenever the Gallery of Modern Art welcomes in a new exhibition, there's always two things to get excited about. The first is all that art gracing the South Bank venue's cavernous halls, obviously. The second: whatever film program GOMA's Australian Cinematheque team has whipped up to go along with it. With both the Queensland Art Gallery and GOMA currently playing host to the 10th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, both galleries are overflowing with pieces to see — and the Australian Cinematheque has not one, not two, but three movie lineups to match. They're each free, too, so this trip into a darkened theatre is mighty nice on the wallet. All running from Friday, December 4–Monday, April 25, but screening on various times and dates (usually Friday–Sunday each week), the program includes The Magic Arts, a showcase of Australian animation from the 70s till now; Under the Radar, which is all about the best and brightest new flicks from around the Asia-Pacific; and Australian Next Wave, a lineup of Aussie up-and-comers. Animation highlights include Dot and the Kangaroo, which everyone has seen at least once at primary school; the delightful award-winning Mary and Max; and Babe: Pig in the City, because it's a stone-cold Aussie classic. From the Asia-Pacific haul, standouts span revisionist western My Sweet Pepperland, festival favourite Wolf and Sheep and anthology film Vai, which hails from nine female Pacific filmmakers. Or, among the locals making new waves, there's horror anthology Dark Place, exceptional Adam Cullen-focused drama Acute Misfortune, the Ukraine-set A Family and moving doco-drama hybrid Island of the Hungry Ghosts.
Brisbane has long been partial to a party boat. The Island did the honours from the 80s through until early this decade, and Seadeck has cruised the river over the last couple of years. Now Yot Club has started sailing into the city's waters, and it's making quite a big splash — as you'd expect from a huge yacht with two bars, a stage, a dance floor and a 400-person capacity. Throwing its next series of shindigs throughout November and December, the glamorous, custom-built vessel is calling itself "the world's first super yacht entertainment venue". It's certainly something that southeast Queensland hasn't seen before, at the very least. Sprawling over two levels, it measures nearly 40-metres long and over 22-metres wide, and blends a licensed floating club and a luxe function space, including room for 200 people to enjoy a sit-down meal. With lounges across an open deck and undercover, a VIP room in the hull, both general and ticketed events set to welcome guests, and the promise of bands and DJs on its lineup, Yot Club wants to be the region's one-stop watery hangout. It serves up more than water, of course, thanks to a menu of classic and creative cocktails, plus brews chilled in the 45-keg-capacity cool room. Yot Club sets off from South Bank's Ferry Terminal One, with tickets starting from $49. Dates vary, but you can head along for a cruisy Friday or Saturday night, or enjoy a watery Saturday or Sunday afternoon session. Images: Yot Club.
It's easy to understand why Bart Freundlich, filmmaker and husband of Julianne Moore, decided to remake After the Wedding. A best foreign-language Oscar nominee in 2006, the original Danish feature is a thorny melodrama that's big on moral dilemmas, but even bigger on revelatory moments and performances — and gender-swapping the main characters, shifting the action to America and giving Moore a lead role was clearly too juicy an opportunity to pass up. So was casting his wife opposite Michelle Williams, another actor who can play steely and fragile in the same breath, excels at portraying complex, realistic women, and manages all of the above with the utmost subtlety. Indeed, if any uncertainty hovers over Freundlich's movie, it isn't "why?", but "why didn't it happen sooner?". Perhaps the answer to the second query resides in After the Wedding's narrative, which acts like a Rorschach test for audiences. Some will see splotches of #firstworldproblems connected through convenient, even implausible twists. Others will notice how the film stresses the enormous chasm between the needy and the rich, refuses to trade in simplicity, and has meticulously calculated each and every plot development. Of course, both perspectives can prove accurate at once. A movie can seem neat, chaotic, overly structured and random in tandem, because life almost always does the same thing. Leaning into these contradictions actually deepens After the Wedding — as its conflicted characters are forced to navigate testing circumstances, Freundlich's film never even thinks of settling into a safe, cosy niche. Location-wise, though, the opposite is true. After the Wedding is largely set in a privileged world, spending the bulk of its time in New York penthouses, offices and country estates. The film introduces Isobel (Williams) while she's meditating at the Kolkata orphanage she helps run, then whisks her across the globe to secure funding from business high-flyer Theresa (Moore) — and makes a point of stressing how uncomfortable Isobel is with the change of environment. That's the first major upheaval that pushes Williams' calm yet flinty character out of her comfort zone. When Moore's brittle hotshot demands that Isobel extends her trip and, even though they've just met, also insists that she attends her daughter's upcoming wedding, additional surprises follow. It's impossible to delve further into the plot without giving too much away; however Isobel is hardly thrilled when she meets Theresa's sculptor husband Oscar (Billy Crudup), or takes a proper look at Grace (Abby Quinn), the blushing bride. The best moral dilemmas double as mysteries, inspiring a series of questions. How will the intricate plot pieces fit together? How will the various players respond? How will tussling with a life-altering scenario change everyone involved? After dropping the first big revelation early — his film is called After the Wedding, after all — Freundlich keeps the complications coming thick and fast, but takes time to revel in Isobel, Theresa, Oscar and Grace's reactions. That's the nuts and bolts of the movie, as relayed in heated altercations, awkward exchanges, pensive moments, and big breakthrough scenes that push Isabel and Theresa to their limits. Naturally, Williams and Moore couldn't be better; fresh from stellar work in Fosse/Verdon and Gloria Bell, respectively, that's why the reliably excellent duo was cast. Without them, After the Wedding might've felt soapy, especially after discarding its predecessor's jittery camerawork for conspicuously smooth and gleaming visuals, but that's never the outcome. When a story loves thrashing in as many different directions as this one, it takes particularly textured and nuanced performances to hammer home its tender core, which is what Williams and Moore continually bring to the table. Elsewhere, Crudup is understated but underused in support, while Quinn holds her own with the film's high-profile leading ladies — and that's no mean feat. The elephant in the room? It's the place where elephants are far more common, with Isabel's life in India — and her bond to eight-year-old Jai (Vir Pachisia), the abandoned boy she's become a replacement mother to — never fading from view. Still, while she's desperate to return and keep making a difference, hers is never a clumsy white saviour tale. This part of the story is noticeably blunt, as are the film's other attempts to address class differences (as Isabel rattles off stats about child prostitution to Theresa, they're interrupted by a catering snafu over a lack of lobster, for example), yet the instinct to grapple with one's issues by helping others rings true. Perhaps surprisingly given how many twists it strings together, After the Wedding proves affecting and engrossing in general for the same reason: no matter what the film throws at the screen, its heaving emotional landscape always feels devastatingly real.
Kangaroo Point's One Fish Two Fish is lapping up the warmer weather with a month-long seafood and spritz feast. Eat your way through six tasting courses of the ocean's finest while sipping on bottomless tipples — yep, there's your next leisurely lunch sorted. Running every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in November, Fish & Spritz starts as all great seafood meals do: with oysters. From there, you'll tuck into whole cooked Mooloolaba prawns paired with sriracha and lime aioli, bite into Tasmanian salmon sashimi with soy, ginger and garlic, and enjoy crumbed flounder charcoal bao with pickled vegetables, chilli and coriander. Prawn dumplings, which come with steamed rice, green curry and herbs, help round out the menu, alongside black salt and pepper calamari with fried garlic and squid ink aioli. Drinks-wise, sip all the spritzes you can across a two-hour period — including Aperol, limoncello, pink peach, cucumber and mint, and Campari spritzes. Fish & Spritz runs from 12–4pm, with bottomless spritzes on offer from 12.30–2.30pm. Settle in for the whole thing for $79, or stick with the food only for $55.
When it rolls around each October and November, Palace Cinemas' British Film Festival, presented by MINI, serves up Australia's starriest cinema showcase. Take 2019's program, for example, which includes Keira Knightley playing a real-life whistleblower in Official Secrets, Helen Mirren facing off against Ian McKellen in The Good Liar, The Theory of Everything's Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones re-teaming for The Aeronauts, and Liam Gallagher getting the documentary treatment in Liam Gallagher: As It Was. Coming to our shores fresh from opening the London Film Festival, The Personal History of David Copperfield also ranks among BFF's highlights, too — as you'd expect from a witty flick based on Charles Dickens' novel, directed by Veep, The Thick of It, In the Loop and The Death of Stalin's Armando Iannucci, and starring Dev Patel, Tilda Swinton, Hugh Laurie and Ben Whishaw. Elsewhere, British movie buffs can catch moving social-realist drama Sorry We Missed You, with I, Daniel Blake's Ken Loach directing his take on the gig economy; Happy New Year, Colin Burstead, the latest darkly comic film from High-Rise's Ben Wheatley; and Hope Gap, starring Annette Bening, Bill Nighy and God's Own Country's Josh O'Connor. Running in Brisbane from Wednesday, October 30 to Sunday, November 24 at Palace Barracks and Palace James Street, BFF's 2019 program also features a six-film retrospective paying tribute to Helen Mirren's stellar career, plus a 4K restoration of horror classic Don't Look Now. The list goes on, including the latest unsettling documentary from acclaimed documentarian Alex Gibney (Going Clear: Scientology & the Prison of Belief) — with Citizen K focusing on Russian oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky and his exile in London.
Feeling spooky and hungry? When October comes around, that's a winning combination. That's when Brisbane embraces all things frightening and scary — and all the theming that goes with it, including bats, ghosts, witches and oh-so-many pumpkins. Understandably, Eat Street Northshore is getting in on the terrifying action, all thanks to a three-day Halloween party across the weekend of Friday, October 25 to Sunday, October 27. The site's vendors will be embracing the theme, magicians will be doing tricks and there'll even be special Halloween-centric entertainment. Plus, the Hamilton space will be decked out with all the appropriate decorations. Donning a costume and exploring all of Eat Street's culinary wonders is also on the menu, naturally. As a result, so are plenty of treats — whether you like doughnuts, chocolate, ice cream, gelato, churros, fairy floss or just dessert in general. Halloween Party Weekend will be open from 4pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and 12pm on Sundays — with entry to Eat Street costing $3 per adult. Image: Eat Street Northshore.
If you're a lover of a good, crisp cold one and spend your weekends rolling from one of Brisbane's best breweries to another, then do we have news for you. BWS has jumped on board the craft beer boat. Well, actually, plane, train and every other mode of transport you can think of (including donkey) to grab six of the world's rarest drops. Not only has it brought these tasty tipples back to Aussie shores, but also because beers are better when shared, BWS is giving them away for free. Yep, you can soon get your hands on a six-pack of world-class brews for less than your usual schooey at the arie during happy hour. Soon you'll be sinking a sour IPA from Poland, a German-style 'weizen' from Japan and a smoky Schlenkerla beer that tastes like liquid bacon from Bamberg, Germany. If you're into your lighter styles, then the Belgian blonde ale from Mexico's 100 percent Yucatan-owned Patito brewery may be more your speed. Like barrel-aged brews? The saison from Italy's CR/AK craft brewery has been aged for seven months in a combination of 60 percent scotch whisky barrels and 40 percent rum barrels. But, perhaps the rarest of all, is a beer from Bhutan: a country that only sees a small number of tourists every year. Namgay's red rice lager is made in the Himalayas at a casual 2195 metres above sea level. BWS did all the hard work. All you have to do to get yourself a six-pack of the world's rarest (and arguably greatest) beers is head down to BWS's Ashgrove store anytime after 10am this Friday, October 18. We recommend you get there quickly, too, as stocks are limited. To check out all of BWS's travel adventures along the way, head here.
One afternoon. Plenty of brews. All of the pizza. Because three hours sipping beer and cider and eating slices is three hours well spent, that's what's on the agenda at Superfly Pizza's Cold Beers, Fresh Cuts, Hot Pizzas event. Taking place from 2–5pm on Saturday, November 2, this pizza party won't just serve up a few slices. When it comes to the good stuff, the Woolloongabba spot is letting attendees feast on all they can eat. The reason? Well, there's simply no such thing as too much pizza, as your brain, tastebuds and stomach all know. With Young Henry's joining the fun, you'll start off the party with a tinnie, too, then sip your way through tipples matched to your slices — including mids, lagers, pale ales, porters, an IPA and an apple cider. Because this is a shindig, expect to tap your toes to DJ-spun tunes as well — with tickets on sale now for $40. Image: Superfly Pizza.
What's more spectacular than spending time in Brisbane's great outdoors? Heading outside for an event dedicated to the city's multicultural community, that's what. Taking place at Roma Street Parklands from 10am on Sunday, October 13, that's MOSAIC through and through. The returning festival will unleash a storm of world music, dance and food — aka the type of storm that brightens things up, rather than darkens clouds. Three stages will showcase performances, acoustic songs and cultural storytelling, while an exhibition featuring photography, visual art and spoken word will also celebrate Brisbane talent. Plus, if you're keen to do more than watch, you can also make your way over to the MOSAIC mandala and make your own contribution. Markets will be selling handmade wares, and an array of international cuisine will also be on offer. Eat your way through a range of food stalls, grab a coffee from local up-and-coming baristas and watch a few global cooking demos.
Run out of things to read? Eager to keep building that pile next to your bed? Fancy trawling through piles of books, even though Brisbane's beloved Bookfest is still months away? If you're especially fond of vintage tomes, then head over to QUT Gardens Theatre on Thursday, October 10. From 12–3pm, the CBD spot on Queensland University of Technology's Gardens Point campus will be selling old books on a variety of topics, spanning everything from art history, fashion, and photography to film, design and politics. It's the type of sale you'll want to bring a tote bag to, or several — leaving with just one piece of reading material will likely prove impossible. Now in its second year, the QUT Vintage Book Sale raises funds for the The Indigenous Literacy Foundation, so your purchases will be helping a good cause. Arriving early is recommended, although the doors won't spring open until noon.
