Getting married just after meeting, grappling for power, bloody coups, assassination plots: welcome to supposed wedded bliss The Great-style. For two seasons now, the nuptials between Catherine the Great (Elle Fanning, The Girl From Plainville) as Catherine and Peter III (Nicholas Hoult, The Menu) have been anything but ordinary in this historical satire, and rarely worth exclaiming "huzzah!" about (although viewers know how much the series loves saying that very word). So, it should come as no surprise that the royal couple have enlisted professional help in the just-dropped trailer for the show's upcoming third season. The Great was renewed for season three after its second batch of episodes streamed late in 2021, and will arrive Down Under on Saturday, May 13. This time around, after season two threw everything from attempted murders to mass imprisonments at the pair — and kept disrupting their dynamic as Catherine continued to work towards the name that's a part of history, and also inspires the show's title — its main duo is trying to make things work. Hence the couples therapy, but obviously resolving all of their issues won't be quite that simple. So, expect more of Peter figuring out what it means to play First Husband, and Catherine expanding her influence and reputation beyond just Russia. That, and visions of Peter's late father (Jason Isaacs, Mrs Harris Goes to Paris), life lessons, attempts to build a new country and the usual scheming. The show's all killer, no filler concept since season one: following Catherine's rise and reign, with a heavy focus on what that means for her marriage to Peter. It does so with only the slightest regard for the actual facts and with a big reliance upon hilarious wit, which is one of the reasons that it's such a delicious watch. While The Great has always been supremely confident in its blend of handsome period staging, the loosest of historical realities and that savage sense of humour (it does spring from Oscar-nominated The Favourite screenwriter Tony McNamara, after all), it felt even more comfortable in its skin during its second season. And smoother, too, yet just as biting. So, hopefully that will remain the case in season three as well, all while it keeps seesawing tonally and proving as sharp as a shot of vodka — or several. Fanning and Hoult will be joined by returning co-stars Phoebe Fox (The Aeronauts), Adam Godley (Lodge 49), Gwilym Lee (Top End Wedding), Charity Wakefield (Bounty Hunters), Douglas Hodge (I Hate Suzie Too), Sacha Dhawan (The Prince), Bayo Gbadamosi (War of the Worlds) and Belinda Bromilow (Doctor Doctor), too, because this is a show with a phenomenally great cast. Check out the trailer for The Great season three below: The Great season three will be available to stream in Australia via Stan and in New Zealand via Neon from Saturday, May 13.
Everyone needs a holiday to look forward to. With 2025 now officially into its second month, and everyone's Christmas breaks feeling like a lifetime ago, planning your next getaway is a self-care essential. Fancy heading overseas, but not too far, to either laze around on a beach or see some mountainous sights? Enter Virgin's latest sale, which focuses on short-haul international flights. Trips to Bali, Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu and New Zealand this year just got cheaper — and you've got five days to grab a bargain. So, get your suitcases ready and book that annual leave. Fares start at $439 return, and are available until midnight AEST on Friday, February 7, 2025, unless sold out earlier. The cheapest option is Melbourne–Queenstown return, but you can also head there and back from Sydney for $469. Next comes Brisbane to Port Vila in Vanuatu from $479, while trips to Bali from Melbourne start at $499 and kick off at $509 from the Gold Coast. Or, get to Queenstown and back from Brisbane from $549 — or to Fiji from Sydney for $569, from Brisbane for $589 and from Melbourne for $599. Other deals include Sydney–Bali from $619, Brisbane–Bali from $659 and Brisbane–Samoa from $689. This sale began at 12.01am AEST on Monday, February 3, 2025, with prices covering Virgin's Economy Lite option. If you're wondering when you'll need to travel, these deals are for periods between Monday, February 17, 2025–Friday, December 12, 2025, with all dates varying per route. As always, inclusions also differ depending on your ticket — and, as usual when it comes to flight sales, you'll need to get in quick. Virgin's February 2025 international flight sale runs until midnight AEST on Friday, February 7, 2025 — unless sold out earlier. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
First, there was the Weekend of Darkness. Then came the Weekend of Tartness — aka the sister festival The Scratch just had to have. Where the former has celebrated ales, porters, stouts and other tipples at the dark end of the spectrum since 2013, the latter cartwheels to the opposite end of the extreme spectrum of beer styles. If it is tart and tangy, it is likely to be on the menu. Between Friday, February 21–Sunday, February 23 in 2025, beers from more than two dozen breweries will take over the taps of the Milton hangout — tipples of the funkiest, sourest, most refreshing beers being produced in Australia and around the world. It might sound like a gimmick, but these biting brews have been around longer than you might think. In fact, historically, all beers used to be sour. Drinking is only part of the fun, whenever the need for a sour brew hits over the five unique sessions across the three days. As for what you'll be knocking back, breweries that usually take part include Queensland's own Black Hops, Felons, Newstead, Range and Sea Legs, plus Garage Project, Puhaste, Tiny Rebel, Wildflower, Fairweather, Cascade, Batch and Blood Brothers from elsewhere.
Getting from Kangaroo Point to the Brisbane CBD and back by foot or by bicycle just got easier, with the $288-million Kangaroo Point Bridge opening for pedestrians and cyclists. Welcoming its first Brisbanites on Sunday, December 15, 2024, the new 460-metre bridge connects Alice and Edward streets in the inner city to Scott Street across the river. Moseying over the River City's latest river crossing means making your way over a piece of infrastructure that has instantly made history: this is now Queensland's tallest bridge. To lift its 95-metre mast in place, it also required the use of the world's strongest crane. Still on numbers, the single-mast cable stay structure features eight spans, including one that's 182.7-metres long, and deploys 32 tensioned cables. For those walking across, the bridge boasts five pause points to peer out over the city skyline and the Brisbane River, breaking up the journey along the 6.8-metre-minimum cycle and pedestrian paths. It was back in 2021 that construction started on this River City river crossing, which also sports seating and lighting across its expanse, plus a cover over its pedestrian walkway that helps power the bridge via solar panels. The Kangaroo Point Bridge is Brisbane's third new green bridge to open in 2024, maintaining the city's love for ways to get across the Old Brown Snake. Breakfast Creek's Yowoggera Green Bridge and Queen's Wharf's Neville Bonner Bridge have also been unveiled in the past 12 months. Also in 2021, news arrived of the Kangaroo Point Bridge's plan to become a destination for eating and drinking, too, thanks to an overwater venue and a cafe in its plaza area. In 2023, Brisbane City Council revealed a heap more details, such as that two dining spots will open — and that Tassis Group, the hospitality crew with Fatcow on James St, Longwang, Fosh Restaurant & Bar, Opa Bar + Mezze, Yamas Greek + Drink, Rich & Rare, and Massimo Restaurant and Bar to its name, is behind them. Originally due to launch in 2024 but now opening sometime early in 2025, restaurant and bar Stilts Dining — which was formerly going to be called Bombora — will be the bridge's go-to for bites and drinks ten metres above the Brisbane River, while Mulga Bill's cafe will take care of bridge visitors' caffeine fix. Neither have exact launch dates at present. Views are clearly a big highlight at Stilts, which will boast vistas spanning over the Brisbane River, CBD, Story Bridge and Kangaroo Point cliffs. Nothing has been unveiled about the menu yet, but the venue's design will take its perch to heart, evoking moving water in a homage to its above-the-river spot. As for Mulga Bill's, it'll sit by the river in the new urban plaza that's being created on the corner of Edward and Alice streets. The cafe is pitched as a stopover spot for frequent bridge users, which it'll reflect in its bicycle-themed decor. And, food-wise, it'll serve up wood-fired pizzas, steak and seafood to eat in, plus pastries and picnic boxes to grab and go. Both venues are expected to score ample foot traffic. Indeed, more than 6000 pedestrians, cyclists and e-mobility riders are forecast to be using the bridge every day by 2036. "The Kangaroo Point Bridge is fast becoming a new Brisbane icon and provides the opportunity for more people to get into the city without the need to drive," said Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner, launching the structure. "For the first time in Brisbane's history, there is now a direct connection between Kangaroo Point and the CBD, which is great for residents and visitors as well as businesses on both sides of the river." "The incredible design means this bridge won't just help ease congestion on our roads, it will be a must-do destination." The Kangaroo Point Bridge is now open stretching from Alice Street and Edward streets in the CBD to Scott Street in Kangaroo Point. Head to the Brisbane City Council website for more details. Stilts Dining and Mulga Bill's are set to open sometime in early 2025 — we'll update you with an exact opening date when it's announced. Images: Brisbane City Council.
We're here today to conduct an experiment: To see if it's possible for me, as a man of 22 years of age and of sound mind and body, to spend a week ordering food from a convenience store without even leaving my home 7-Eleven presented me with this challenge, and who would I be to refuse? Now that the road trip-snack-central convenience store chain has brought its catalogue of food, essentials and treats to Menulog, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to nobly abandon all kitchen duties for a week and instead attempt to exist by only eating meals ordered from my local 7-Eleven through Menulog. I would spend the hours from Monday morning to Friday night eating food exclusively bought from 7-Eleven, with only emergency exceptions permitted. Sunday: Stocking up on Essentials For the Week My week began with planning and preparation, particularly for the most important meal of the day. Breakfast. I take breakfast very seriously, and I like it balanced. For the week ahead, I was going to need the following: Zymil Lactose-Free Milk 1L Carman's Muesli Classic 500g 7-Eleven Maxi Wholemeal Bread 850g Chobani strawberry Greek yoghurt pouches x5 Pace Farm Free Range Eggs 12pk Ben and Jerry's Choc Chip Cookie Dough 450g 7-Eleven Protein Bar Salted Caramel Bread, milk, eggs — the bare essentials. Muesli and yogurt are great for weekday breakfasts since they're quick, easy, and delicious. Eggs are also good if I need something substantial, especially if I want to make my favourite easy but big breakfast: scrambled eggs on toast. I know what you're thinking, but I can explain. Protein bars are for emergency snacking. And the ice cream? Come on, let's stop pretending ice cream isn't an essential. It was ordered and delivered in the one bundle and delivered pretty quickly too, the ice cream probably helped to keep everything else cold. Monday: Starting Simple Day one started with a lovely bowl of muesli and a yoghurt pouch, enough to fuel through the start of the day. I was feeling confident on the way to work and the plan for the day was to keep it simple. Lunch: 7-Eleven Ham, Cheese and Tomato Sandwich, Bundaberg Ginger Beer When lunch rolled around, I wasn't feeling particularly hungry, so I picked the classic convenience store menu item: the sandwich. And what sandwich is more beloved than ham and cheese? Ordering just a sandwich felt like criminal behaviour though, so I added a drink, too. Dinner: 7-Eleven 100% Aussie Beef Pie Speaking of classics, what's more classic than a beef pie? As an Aussie, I love a good pie but my hopes weren't high for the convenience store version. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the flavour, the substantial filling and the flaky crust. A moreish delight that was as easy as it was delicious. Tuesday: Feeling Indulgent Monday was a success. I was feeling good. But, if I wanted to subsist on sandwiches and pies, I'd go back to uni. It's time to level up this challenge. After the same breakfast as the day before (I do love routine), I decided to dive deeper into 7-Eleven's menu. Lunch: 7-Eleven Hot Bites Mac & Cheese, Nobby's Porky Bits When I think of the word 'indulgent', one of the first things that comes to mind is mac and cheese. It's a simple yet beloved dish that never fails to delight, and this is no exception. However, on reflection, I can see that my palate is still tuned to the uni diet, especially since I added the pub snack classic Nobby's Porky Bits as an extra crunch to accompany the bites. Dinner: 7-Eleven Southern Fried Chicken Wrap Emboldened by my urge to enjoy the menu's full extent, I chose to get something with more depth. I chose the southern fried chicken wrap, which, with its combo of chicken, veggies and smokey mayo, proved to be a complete experience of crunch and indulgence that had some of the depth my lunch lacked. At the recommendation of our 7-Eleven contact, I customised it slightly with a spin in the sandwich press, which took it from great to elite. Wednesday: Balance Is Key That was fun (and tasty), but I was starting to feel the effects of the lack of balance in the diet. Just because I'm limited to the meals ordered from 7-Eleven on Menulog doesn't mean I have to limit myself to simple (but delicious) carb-heavy eats. To shake up the muesli monotony for breakfast, I instead went with fried eggs on toast for breakfast, which never disappoints. Lunch: 7-Eleven Chicken Schnitzel Sandwich, Liquid Death Sparkling Water That's why I chose to return to the most sacred of all food forms: the sandwich. This time, a stacked chicken schnitzel sandwich (toasted by my own grand design). It had a lot going for it, with enough veggies to keep my conscience quiet alongside lovely schnitzel. And to feel fancy, a can of Liquid Death that caught my eye by the branding alone and turned out to be the most refreshing and interesting sparkling water I've ever drunk, tasting more like water than the usual mineral flavour. Dinner: My Muscle Chef Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl Remember what I said about balance? By dinnertime, I was hungry for something that put protein first. I'm a carnivore, after all. I opted instead for the always delightful My Muscle Chef Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl, perfect for cosying up on the couch and watching Shōgun, come at me, gym bros. After an episode or two I had room for more, so I enjoyed a date with that tub of Ben and Jerry's before bed. Thursday: The New Normal The home stretch had begun. I was starting to lose interest in the routine elements of my menu, which was making me come to terms with the habits I supposedly loved. So, on Thursday morning, I treated myself to a little treat in the form of a latte and an Original Glazed® Krispy Kreme. Lunch: 7-Eleven Spinach & Ricotta Roll It made sense to return to another Aussie classic today. I started this journey with a beef pie, so why not throw a sausage roll in the mix? One problem. I don't really like sausage rolls, un-Australian, I know. The next best thing for me is a spinach and ricotta roll, which helps eliminate the recurring meat out of the diet, too. It was as hearty as I needed, with a lovely cheesy flavour and a warmth that survived the delivery. Dinner: 7-Eleven Asian Style Chicken Noodle Salad In keeping with my (slightly) healthier choices in these final 48 hours, I decided to come as close as I could to a full-blown salad and opt for the Asian-Style Chicken Noodle Salad. This was the right call. Its zesty hit of sesame chicken goodness carried me through the evening. Friday: A Grand Finale At last, my week of scientific study on the modern convenience diet was coming to an end. I was pleasantly surprised with the week, but soon, I'd return to the joys of preparing my own food rather than waiting for it to arrive with a knock at my door. But I had one day left, so I was going to make the most of it. Starting with, at long last, my specialty (but basic, I'm no gourmet chef) scrambled eggs. Lunch: 7-Eleven Spicy BBQ Beef Brisket Wrap It was a brave swing here, I know, but the idea of anything with beef brisket always catches my attention. My fatal mistake was missing the keyword 'spicy' as I do not handle spice well. Thankfully, it was not immediately as hot as I was worried about, being more of that smokey barbecue spice than actual chilli. Dinner: DIY Charcuterie Board — Nobby's Original Beef Jerky, 7-Eleven Vintage Cheese and Pretzels, 7-Eleven Savoury Snack Mix To me, nothing says 'celebration' quite like a good charcuterie board. So, to celebrate the end of my experiment, I created a board using only the ingredients 7-Eleven could provide me: jerky, vintage cheese pretzels and a savoury snack mix. My presentation didn't look the best, but it tasted good, and it went down well. The saltiness of the pretzels, matched with the creamy vintage cheddar, was pleasantly complemented by every carnivore's favourite trail snack, beef jerky. And like that, it was over. I never expected to take part in an experiment like this, but I genuinely was impressed by the range of options available and the quality of what I found on offer. 7-Eleven is available for delivery through Menulog now. Delivery not available in all areas and product availability may vary per store.
Ever seen a movie so amazing you just had to share? The people behind Cult Movie Night at Room 60 have heaps to share. They have some of the greatest gems from the early (and not so early) days of film. Action packed flicks, Sci-Fi thrillers, buddy-cop movies; there are plenty of amazing, relatively unknown movies to be seen at this monthly night of entertainment. This month, Room 60 are screening Malibu Express, “a cheesy 80s action comedy where beautiful women are the tough guys and sexuality their strongest weapon”. Malibu Express is, assuredly, a thrilling and raunchy watch, something that could be a topic of conversation among friends for the rest of the month. Doesn’t take your fancy? Don’t worry; each month sees a new cult favourite hitting the Room 60 screen, so check out the Facebook page for more details!
For a country that's girt by sea, as our national anthem reminds us, Australia has become rather obsessed with waves of the artificial kind in the past few years. Melbourne has its own Urbnsurf surf park, Sydney is set to score one this year, and the brand is looking to set up shop in Brisbane and Perth as well — while Melbourne also boasts a theme park with a wave pool, and other different man-made spots have also been earmarked for Sydney's north and the Gold Coast. Oh, and Kelly Slater is meant to be opening a surf ranch on the Sunshine Coast, too. Indeed, "who needs real beaches?" seems to be the current line of thinking — and it's also behind Surf Lakes, a regional Queensland surf park that's been up and running for a few years, but only for testing. Now the operation has been given the go-ahead to develop its Yeppoon site by both the Queensland Government and the Livingston Shire Council, which puts it on-track to add facilities for the public. Yes, that means that within 12–18 months, it'll ideally be welcoming in anyone and everyone to live out their Point Break dreams beyond the ocean. The Capricorn Coast venue was built as a prototype facility designed to give a new kind of technology a whirl, and uses a central mechanism that sends waves from the middle of its 200-metre by 150-metre lake towards the edge. With the water lapping over eight distinctive breaks, it produces more than 2000 surfable waves per hour, including some measuring more than two metres in height. When it launched in Yeppoon, Surf Lakes also had some high-profile support, with Aussie surfers Mark Occhilupo and Barton Lynch the park's two ambassadors. But opening to the public was always floated as part of the venue's overall mission — and, depending on timing when it does open its doors to everyone, it might make it the first operational surf lake in the world. Wannabe Johnny Utahs (because we all want to be Keanu, admit it) can expect a spot that'll cater for beginners and pros alike, covering folks who've never hopped on a board before — including via learn-to-surf lessons — plus those well-experienced at hanging ten. The site is also set to include shops, places to nab food and drinks, and other outdoor and fitness activities around the lake. And, for those making the trip north for a holiday, there'll be glamping-style accommodation as well. Announcing the news, Surf Lakes International Chief Executive Officer Aaron Trevis said "our long-term aim has always been to take our wave-making technology to the world, allowing people from all walks of life to be able to experience the joys of a surfing life in a safe environment. We hope the Yeppoon site can be one of, if not the first Surf Lake open to the public." Surf Lakes is aiming to open its Yeppoon site at 662 Yeppoon Road, Mulara to the public within 12–18 months — we'll update you with further details when they're announced, and you can head to the company's website for more information in the interim.
Four months. Four Friday nights. Four ace animated flicks. That's what Outta the Box Anime Classics is all about — and, if you feel like a visit to Neo-Tokyo, a trip back in time, watching mercenary swordsmen or seeing a thief trying to free a princess, it's all about a great night out at the cinema as well. Starting on August 4, and screening on September 15, October 6 and November 3 as well, the mini-festival is bringing out the big guns when it comes to films. It all kicks off with Akira, with The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Ninja Scroll and The Castle of Cagliostro on the bill. Sure, you might've seen some or all of these before; however there's nothing like watching a classic on the big screen. And if nothing else, getting in a cinema viewing of Akira before the long-mooted live-action remake finally materialises might be a wise move, depending on your thoughts on this year's Ghost in the Shell adaptation.
Ricardo Cortés, who illustrated the hugely popular adult bedtime reader, Go The F*ck to Sleep, has released a third edition of his previously sold-out book, It's Just a Plant. This book is for the kids this time, but it's just as controversial, telling the story of a young girl's educational journey as she comes to understand cannabis, explained to her by her parents, a doctor and a kind gang of Rastafarians. The book covers difficult concepts like crime and the medical use of drugs in a thoughtful, non-propagandist manner, with beautiful illustrations to accompany. It's also an excellent way to guide your way through the awkward conversation you'll have to have if your kid catches you enjoying a sneaky joint.
As Sydney-based hip hop artist, DJ and singer-songwriter Joyride will tell you, creativity isn't always something you can switch on and off. "For me, there's no set routine to get my head into a certain space, but I think that's just because I'm always kind of there," he muses. "It's not like you make a decision and go, 'okay, I will now create'." "But that's not to say it's easy. It's still quite difficult, all the time," Joyride's quick to concede."You're always thinking about it, always thinking about ways to present things to other people to make it palatable and to get an idea across. You don't just stop doing that. You don't stop seeing inspiration in things." We sit down with the artist to talk creating for the opinions you respect, 'f---ing' with people's perceptions and wearing trusted clothing. On paper, this artist's own creative space sounds pretty near perfect — a comfy studio in Sydney's colourful, creatively charged inner west, sitting above a mate's pub. But for Joyride, the best creative stuff is less a product of time and physical space, than of the people in his life — both familiar friends and those imagined audiences. "A big part of my inspiration comes from who I intend the thing I'm making to be for," he explains. "I've found recently that if I tailor what I'm making to people whose opinions I respect, people that are close to me, people that I work with, then everything else kind of falls into place. It's kind of reverse engineering inspiration. And it has made making shit a lot easier." "People have different ideas about why we create, but at the end of the day it's a realistic look at having this as a profession, and your number one goal has to be to stir something in enough other people," he says. "I love entertaining, I love making things so that other people get something from it, you know?" It's a similar end-focused attitude that informs Joyride's sense of style and influences his wardrobe picks on the daily. "I consider fashion as a fun and interesting way to say who you are without saying a word," he says. "That's the purpose, right?" "If we're going to cover ourselves with something, why not do it with something that says who we are?" Joyride asks. "And why can't we then subvert that and play with it, so that we can f--- with people's perceptions of who we are? Have fun with it and control that a little bit." For this artist, denim's a wardrobe staple for its staying power. "I've got a few pairs of knock-about jeans and one pair goes back to 2011 — I've still got them and I still wear them," he admits. "I feel like jeans are the kind of garment that just sticks with you. In a world of planned obsolescence, denim is a stayer." "Those old mateys are my favourites," confesses Joyride. "You probably clean out your closets maybe once, twice a year, and these have made it through. They're for, like, when I'm spending time with trusted friends. I want to wear trusted clothing." Check out Joyride's work here, and find the denim that brings out the creative, innovator and gamechanger in you at The Iconic. Images: Letícia Almeida.
In 2026, Flickerfest Short Film Festival will celebrate its 35th year as a highlight in the cultural calendar. The curated programme, which takes place from Friday, January 23 until Sunday, February 1, showcases around 200 short films, including 42 world premieres and 41 Australian premieres, giving Sydney audiences a first look at the industry's creative talents. Alongside Flickerfest's outstanding lineup, the festival has also partnered with Specsavers for the third year running to support emerging filmmakers. The competition invites filmmakers to create a 30-second short film in the spirit of the brand's recognisable "Should've Gone To Specsavers" ad, which has been gracing Australian screens for over 15 years. "The partnership is about getting people to think creatively and giving opportunities for emerging filmmakers," says Flickerfest director, Bronwyn Kidd. "It has evolved from a script competition to people producing their own 30-second ideas. It encourages people to get a team together and make something." From all of the entries, five finalists have now been selected, with each short film set to be showcased at Flickerfest and awarded $20k in prize money. One entrant, however, will win a major prize — $50k cash to help launch and support their creative career. While the finalists have been handpicked by a judging panel, the winner will be chosen by the general public. Voters are also in with a chance at some prize money. Voters are also in with a chance at some prize money. Tell us, in 25 words or less, why your favourite 30-second short film deserves to win. You'll then go in the draw to score a $1000 Digital Visa Gift Card. Perhaps the winner will be Edvard Christie's wine blunder with The Expert? Hannah Dougherty's hilarious crime mystery, Sketch Artist? Or the unique animated short, Garbologist? Justin Villar's The Chase makes for a thrilling TVC, while Muraya Moore's Fishtank nails the creative brief. Watch and vote for the five Flickerfest finalists at the Specsavers hub and go into the running to win $1000 — all while supporting the Australian film industry. See the full Flickerfest programme and find more information here. Lead image credit: Flickerfest
If you were planning to start your hot girl summer by catching Megan Thee Stallion's first-ever live shows in Australia, Festival X comes bearing bad news: the American rapper is no longer heading Down Under. Mere days out from the event's first 2022 stop, organisers have announced that the performer is no longer on the bill, and that she won't be replaced. "Due to unforeseen circumstances, Megan Thee Stallion will not be able to travel to Australia to perform at Festival X," the Festival X team advised in a statement. "Whilst our goal is to present the best experience for fans, despite our best efforts, it will not be possible to find a replacement at such short notice. However, with over 30 artists making up this year's line-up — including Calvin Harris, Don Toliver, Boys Noize, Green Velvet, Nina Kraviz and so many more — we are looking forward to catching you on the dancefloor for Festival X and officially kicking off summer 2022!" View this post on Instagram A post shared by Festival X (@festivalxworld) The lineup change comes after a chaotic few years for Festival X, which debuted back in 2019 with Calvin Harris leading the bill, but hasn't been able to return since until now due to the pandemic. The Scottish DJ headlines the 2022 fest again, joined by Don Toliver. Festival X has five stops in its sights between Saturday, November 26–Sunday, December 4, all huge outdoor gigs — playing Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast, Bonython Park in Adelaide, Sydney Showground and Perth's Claremont Showground. Anyone with ticketing concerns due to Megan Thee Stallion's cancellation is advised to submit a request to Moshtix customer service before 5pm on Friday, November 25. Tickets are still available for all five Festival X dates around the country — and you can check out the current lineup below: FESTIVAL X 2022 LINEUP: Calvin Harris Don Toliver Boys Noize Green Velvet John Summit Luude MaRLo Nina Kraviz Sub Focus (DJ set and ID) Tchami Wilkinson (DJ set) Anna Lunoe Babyface Mal Badrapper Blastoyz Choomba Cosmic Gate Franky Rizardo Haliene Key4050 featuring John O'Callaghan and Bryan Kearney Laura King Len Faki Nifra Nora En Pure Prospa Sunset Bros Taglo Tyson O'Brien FESTIVAL X 2022 DATES: Saturday, November 26 — Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne Sunday, November 27 — Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast Friday, December 2 — Bonython Park, Adelaide Saturday, December 3 — Sydney Showground, Sydney Sunday, December 4 — Claremont Showground, Perth Festival X 2022 tours the country from Saturday, November 26–Sunday, December 4. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the festival website.
For serious vintage lovers, Brisbane op-shops can leave a lot to be desired. Once fashion scouts take their picks often all that’s left are ugly puffy wedding dresses, jumpers with appliquéd Australian animals or ‘retro’ bardot. But fear not, there is a way to find genuine vintage goods - The Way We Wear Vintage Fashion Fair! Featuring stalls from dealers all over Australia, this travelling fair will pale every other vintage market place in comparison with its fashion filled racks spanning over two hundred years. That’s right, none of that “oh it’s five years old so it’s vintage” crap, this is the real deal people. In addition to the amazing clothing collections there are cabinets filled with glittering jewels, boxes full of photographs of sartorial men and women, shelves bursting with crisp French linens and all manner of exotic lace, buttons, hats and textiles from far away lands. There is so much to feast your eyes on that the event spans over three consecutive days. If you are a vintage connoisseur or just a lover of the finer things in life we’ve lost, then this is the event for you. Who knows what you might find tucked away in the masses of gorgeous vintage finds and trinkets. Image Credit: Brisbane Daily Photo
Home baking might be among 2020's biggest trends — and its most unexpected — but tucking into bakery-level bread and pastries remains one of life's simple pleasures. And, that's exactly what's on the menu at West End newcomer Superthing. That, and an eye-catching pastel pink colour scheme. Now open on Montague Road, the croissanterie, bakery and cafe serves up a creative range of baked goods in a visibly striking space, so you can give both your stomach and your eyes a feast. It's a case of coming for the croissants, danishes, bagels and cruffins, then staying to feel like you've walked into a cloud of pink — while standing beneath globe lighting and, once dine-in customers are allowed in, sitting on bench seats as well. Croissants are, unsurprisingly, one of the main attractions. Tuck into a plain variety on its own, stuffed with ham, cheese and bechamel, or filled with your choice of cream cheese, Nutella or avocado. Or, you can treat your tastebuds to tiramisu, almond, or chocolate and hazelnut versions. If you prefer your flaky pastries mixed with a muffin, the cruffin lineup includes zesty bitter orange and burnt basque cheesecake. Fruit danishes, vanilla custard buns and choc-chip cookies are also on the menu, alongside special daily flavours and a range of organic sourdough. Superthing also serves up breakfast, brunch and lunch-style meals, such as overnight oats, bacon and egg-filled breakfast buns, and poke toast — as well as reuben sandwiches, bagels stuffed with either salmon or haloumi, pasta and cheeseburgers. Drinks-wise, expect Padre coffee to put a spring in your step, with a selection of packaged cold beverages available, too. Find Superthing at 215 Montague Road, West End — open from 7am–2pm daily.
The Wire isn't an anthology series in the traditional sense. It focuses on the same Baltimore police detectives each season — as led by Dominic West and Wendell Pierce — but sees their investigations overlap with a different element of the city's daily life. In the first season, it peers into illegal drugs. In the second, sea freight and the ports are in the spotlight. Across subsequent seasons, the focus falls on city government, the education system and newspapers. Dense, intricate, devastatingly smart and oh-so-involving, the result is one of the best shows that HBO has ever made — and a series on par with The Sopranos in terms of its influence. It was created and primarily written by former Baltimore police reporter David Simon, so it knows its stuff. Also, among its A+ cast, keep an eye out for particularly exceptional work by Idris Elba and a very young Michael B Jordan (and for Isiah Whitlock Jr's over-extended pronunciation of "sheeeeeeeee-it".
When Sex and the City scored a sequel series back in 2021, it let fans of the HBO hit reunite with its beloved New York-based characters; however, not everyone was present and accounted for. Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon all returned, as did many of the men in their lives. But Kim Cattrall has been sitting out And Just Like That... — until season two arrives this winter. Variety reports that Samantha Jones is a part of the show's new batch of episodes, albeit just in a cameo. Cattrall (How I Met Your Father) will only be in one scene, chatting with Carrie (Parker, Hocus Pocus 2). And, it's believed that she shot her contribution solo, without interacting with her longterm co-stars. [caption id="attachment_791681" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sex and the City[/caption] As well as dropping that news, And Just Like That... has just released its full trailer for season two. Unsurprisingly, there's no sign of Cattrall. But the sneak peek does explain why John Corbett (To All the Boys: Always and Forever) is reprising his role as Aidan Shaw, adding to the series' parade of Sex and the City faces. Cosmos at the ready, obviously. Your next excuse to sip vodka, Cointreau, cranberry juice and lime juice will arrive from Thursday, June 22 on Binge in Australia and Friday, June 23 on Neon in New Zealand. If you've spent any part of the past two-and-a-half decades dreaming about being a fabulously dressed Big Apple writer who seems to do very little work but can still afford a fantasy wardrobe — or if you've just filled it drinking a lot of pink-coloured cocktails — then you'll already be excited. And, you'll know that when the first season of And Just Like That... arrived, it did so 17 years after Sex and the City wrapped up its HBO run. Two years later, the show will explore more of Carrie, Miranda (Nixon, The Gilded Age) and Charlotte's (Davis, Deadly Illusions) lives and friendships in their 50s, when things are even more complicated than they were two decades ago. Season two will also feature Sara Ramírez (Madam Secretary), Sarita Choudhury (Ramy), Nicole Ari Parker (Chicago PD), Karen Pittman (The Morning Show), Mario Cantone (Better Things), David Eigenberg (Chicago Fire), Evan Handler (Power), Christopher Jackson (Space Oddity), Niall Cunningham (Poker Face), Cathy Ang (My Best Friend's Exorcism) and Alexa Swinton (Old), all similarly returning from season one. A reminder: due to Kim Cattrall's absence so far, And Just Like That... has been badged as a "new chapter' in the Sex and the City story, rather than an additional season of the existing 1998–2004 program. Parker, Davis and Nixon are also executive producers on And Just Like That..., alongside Michael Patrick King, who worked as a writer, director and executive producer on the original (and on the two terrible 2008 and 2010 Sex and the City movies). Check out the full trailer for And Just Like That..., season two below: And Just Like That... season two will start streaming via Binge in Australia from Thursday, June 22 — and from Friday, June 23 on Neon in New Zealand. Images: HBO.
Maybe you remember the news reports back in 2009. Maybe you've just heard the stories since. Either way, the story of St Mary's in South Brisbane has become part of Brisbane history. That's what happens when a beloved priest is ousted by the Catholic Church for placing a statue of Buddha in the foyer, blessing same-sex couples and welcoming women into the pulpit — and when he takes his flock of more than 700 devoted followers to a new building in the aftermath. St Mary's In Exile tells that tale, which focuses on Father Peter Kennedy, a tight-knit community and the real meaning of organised religion. As the excommunicated minister prepares to leave the building he calls his spiritual home, he crosses paths with a homeless visitor who asks about his situation. Written by Brisbane playwright David Burton of April's Fool and The Voice in the Walls acclaim, the Queensland Theatre Company production that results is both rousing and compelling, as any version of this battle between a progressive priest and a rigid institution would have to be.
Pastels and poop. Step inside Unko Museum: The Kawaii Poop Experience and that's what awaits. The colour scheme is soft and soothing, but the point of focus is literal crap (well, fake versions). If you've ever called something "cute shit" before, those words have never applied quite as they will here. This Japanese-style installation takes its cues from not only Japan's kawaii poop trend, but from the Unko Museum's sites across the nation, including in Tokyo, Hiroshima and Shizuoka. Now, Unko Museum is making its Australian debut in Melbourne — originally slated to open in December 2023, but now adding some adorable crap to summer from Wednesday, January 17, 2024. The focus: "max unko kawaii", aka "the maximum cuteness of poop". Also one of the mains attractions: getting everyone taking snaps and filling their social-media feeds, so expect a heap of pastel emoji-esque shit to fill Instagram. Unko Museum: The Kawaii Poop Experience is split into zones and areas, spanning displays to take pictures of and other inclusions that are more immersive. Think: images of poop projected around the place, snapping selfies with poop props and flying poop, and retro-style games with a poop theme in a space called the Crappy Game Corner. Pastel-hued toilets are also a feature, lined up along a wall under a sign calling them "my unko maker". So are neon poop signs, giant poops, a ball pit where the balls are shaped like poops, poop hats, walls filled with toilet seats, glowing poop lights and a towering toilet-shaped doorway. Plus, exiting through the gift shop here means picking up kawaii poop merchandise and souvenirs. In Japan, as at October 2023, 1.4-million people had flushed the interactive experience into their itineraries. In Australia, Melburnians and tourists who now want to add some poo to their next Victorian visit can expect to spend 30–60 minutes revelling in endearing crap, in a family-friendly experience — because poop is for everyone.
As the name may suggest, this place is absolute carnivore heaven. The Twelve Boar menu is stuffed with barbecue showstoppers such as slow-cooked brisket, smoked pork ribs and spiced chicken wings, alongside classic American sides such as curly fries, jalapeño poppers, mac 'n' cheese bites and mozzarella sticks. If this isn't enough to make you squeal with excitement, then get ready for the burger menu. The Cheese and Bacon Brisket Burger comes with double servings of the aforementioned cheese, bacon and brisket (duh), all lashed with barbecue sauce, and wedged between a toasted potato bun. The slightly sweeter flavour of the potato bun, rather than your run-of-the-mill white flour roll, is the perfect finishing touch to a truly sublime burger.
Brisbane is a river city, and there are plenty of things that you can do while you're on, near or around the Brown Snake that winds through the centre of town. But The Art Boat, which returns as part of Brisbane Festival again in 2024, just might be the most-creative option — because it'll have you floating along the waterway while immersed in a cruising art party. Unsurprisingly, this event has proven a hit in the past, which is why it is back again this year. This time, it's setting sail from Pontoon B on the Clem Jones Promenade at South Bank, taking a 75-minute voyage between Thursday–Sunday from Friday, August 30–Saturday, September 21. Whichever day and time you hop onboard — at 5pm and 7pm on Thursdays; the same slots plus 9pm on Fridays; all three and also 2pm on Saturdays; and 2pm, 5pm and 7pm on Sundays — you're in for the BRIEFS FACTORY experience. The crew is doing the curating, while Fez Faanana, Mark Winmill and Brett Rosengreen will be your guides alongside special guests. Josh McIntosh has designed patterned tentacles to deck out the vessel, and DJs will be spinning music to suit the mix of burlesque, drag and circus, too — plus more awaits depending on which sail you take. The 2pm slots are designed for all ages, Thursday evenings are about date nights and Fridays will mark starting the weekend. On Saturdays, celebrating pride and glamour will shape the fun, and there's bingo and unplugged tunes on Sundays.
When life gives you an Italian husband, an intriguing tale about more than meeting-cute, and a scenic backdrop, what do you do? If you're first-time Australian filmmaker Ruth Borgobello, you don't just enjoy your good fortune — you make a movie out of it. The first ever Italian-Australian co-production, The Space Between proves every bit as personal and picturesque as turning your overseas love story into a motion picture should. And while the premise might seem tried and tested, don't discount the way that sincere emotions ripped from reality can cast fresh light on even the most familiar-sounding story. Indeed, if there's one thing that Borgobello understands in drawing upon her own experiences, it's that similar events can and do happen to plenty of people. It's not the boy-meets-girl narrative that stands out here, or the globe-trotting soul searching, or the idea of two lost folks finding something they're missing. Instead, it's the honesty that The Space Between thrusts to the fore — including about the fact that life isn't always clear-cut. Avoiding the urge to sugar-coat or throw in a Hollywood ending, Borgobello embraces the messiness of heading abroad and connecting with someone new. When Italian chef Marco (Flavio Parenti) and wannabe Australian designer Olivia (Maeve Dermody) first cross paths in Udine in Northern Italy, he's working in a factory and overseeing a bookstore, and she's searching for her Italian heritage as well as her true sense of self. Sparks fly, though theirs is more a gentle journey than a whirlwind romance. He has an ailing father to worry about, as well as his own squandered culinary career. She has taken a break from her routine existence back home, but doesn't know if she has the courage to follow her heart. Thanks to first-rate casting, as well as astute writing by Borgobello and co-scribe Mario Mucciarelli, The Space Between paints Marco and Olivia as the uncertain figures they should be — and what a difference authentic characters can make. Clunky dialogue can't dampen Parenti and Dermody's ability to convey the lived-in woes and worries felt by their protagonists. Nor can a few obvious plot developments erase the central duo's chemistry. If Parenti and Dermody help ensure that The Space Between doesn't simply feel like another lovey-dovey finding-yourself travelogue, then Aussie cinematographer Katie Milwright guarantees that it doesn't look like one either. Whether it's strolling down tree-lined paths or spying gorgeous vistas, this is an eye-catching film to be sure, although there's a certain moodiness to its visuals that you wouldn't find on a postcard. Clear yet soft, the movie seems as if it is caught between a memory and real life. In fact, that's probably an appropriate description of just what Borgobello is bringing to the screen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sYLibWZrRs
Running between South Brisbane's Grey and Manning streets, Fish Lane is the city's little roadway with a big impact. Everything from wine bars, beer cafes and rib shacks to hawker-style Asian restaurants, retro fish 'n' chipperies and famous gelato joints can be found along its expanse — and they've just scored four new neighbours. Already welcoming customers is Fish Lane's Next Episode, which combines getting a haircut with having a few beverages. The hip hop-themed spot is both a barbershop and a speakeasy — and to find the latter, you'll need to enter the main area, pick up the red phone on the wall and ask to be let in. Once inside, cocktails await, all with names to suit the venue's soundtrack and graffiti-style artwork. Gin and juice is one of them, and so is the vodka-fuelled 'I Got 99 Problems But a Drink Ain't One', the juniper tipple that is 'Hendrick's Lamar', and a bourbon and pear liqueur blend called 'Purple Drank'. Additional locations for both Kiss the Berry and DA'Burger round out Fish Lane's fresh class of newcomers, one slinging acai bowl and smoothies, and the other combining meaty burgs with 12 beers on tap. DA'Burger has expanded its range for its new store, too, adding vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. While the doors won't swing open until later this month, Grassfed ranks among the street's most exciting new inclusions. A collaboration between ex-Urbane chef Alejandro Cancino and Brisbane Vegan Markets' Jonny Garrison, it's a vegan burger bar that takes the meat out of everyone's favourite bread-based meal, but keeps plenty of flavour. Think mock pork, chicken and beef, as well as stacked veggie burgs, plant-based sides, cold beers and vegan ice cream. Find Next Episode, Kiss the Berry and DA'Burger on Fish Lane, South Brisbane. Grassfed will open from a yet-to-be-revealed date in December — we'll update you as soon as we know more.
If all you want in 2025 is to see The Offspring and Simple Plan, and in you're in Brisbane or Melbourne, you now have an extra chance to make that wish come true. To help wrap up 2024, the two bands announced a combined Australian arena tour for this year, fresh from The Offspring playing an Aussie gig in November last year as part of Victoria's Always Live music season, which was their only stop Down Under. Due to demand, the upcoming visit has now added a couple more shows. Yes, this is your latest excuse to pretend it's the late 90s and 00s, in a year that's also bringing Green Day this way on their own tour. In May, The Offspring and Simple Plan will play single shows at AEC Arena in Adelaide and Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, as well as two nights each at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne and Brisbane Entertainment Centre. The keen response shouldn't come as surprise. That Always Live gig sold out in 30 seconds, after all. The new dates: in Melbourne, Thursday, May 8 has been added to the roster, while Brisbanites can now head along on Thursday, May 15. It's been more than a quarter of a century since The Offspring earned a claim to fame that every music fan Down Under should know: topping Triple J's Hottest 100 with 'Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)', a win that still ranks as the annual countdown's most-controversial result to date. 2024 also marked four decades since the band first formed in the early 80s, and more than 30 years since it came to mainstream attention with hits like 'Come Out and Play' and 'Self Esteem' — and the Californian outfit isn't done belting out its catchy brand of punk just yet. While the band released albums Let the Bad Times Roll and Supercharged in 2021 and 2024, respectively, you can still expect to hear their famous tracks — including 'Gotta Get Away', 'Why Don't You Get a Job?', 'The Kids Aren't Alright' and the song that's forever cemented in Australian radio history, obviously. Still led by frontman and guitarist Bryan "Dexter" Holland — the group's only remaining member from its initial 1984 lineup, so you can definitely call him the original prankster — The Offspring will have company in the form of Canada's Simple Plan. From The Offspring alone, you'll get the words "gunter glieben glauchen globen" stuck in your head for another couple of decades. The Offspring Supercharged Worldwide in '25 Australian Tour Sunday, May 4 — AEC Arena, Adelaide Wednesday, May 7–Thursday, May 8 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Sunday, May 11 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Wednesday, May 14–Thursday, May 15 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane The Offspring are touring Australia in May 2025. Pre-sale tickets for the new Brisbane and Melbourne show go on sale at 9am local time on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, with general tickets from the same time on Friday, January 17, 2025. Head to the tour website for further details. The Offspring images: Daveed Benito.
Let's call it the "Nicolas Cage plays" effect: when those three words combine, almost anything can follow and viewers will be obsessed. Dracula, himself, an expat Aussie surfer, a man that no one can stop dreaming about, Superman, a truffle hunter and a dad milking an alpaca are just some of the recent ways to end that sentence. In Longlegs, the pivotal phrase wraps up with the movie's title. It's the key name in the case that a just-out-of-the-academy FBI agent has been assigned. Nothing can prepare audiences for Cage's performance, however, even if you've seen him in everything from Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Vampire's Kiss to Wild at Heart and Face/Off, and then Mandy and Willy's Wonderland. Little can prepare you for this instant-classic and supremely unnerving addition to the horror canon, either. In making Longlegs, Maika Monroe and Osgood Perkins were well-equipped, though, thanks to a decade separately linked to the genre as an actor and a filmmaker, respectively. The former came to prominence with 2014's It Follows, a follow-up to which is on the way. The latter made his directorial debut with 2015's The Blackcoat's Daughter, then added 2016's I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House and 2020's Gretel & Hansel to his resume. Perkins is tied to horror by blood, too, as well as from his work on-screen, where he was stepping into a young Norman Bates' shoes at the age of nine. His father is Anthony Perkins, aka the elder Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, plus three sequels — one of which he helmed himself — in the 80s and 90s. Cage, Monroe, Perkins: that's a helluva pedigree for any movie. Longlegs doesn't squander it. Whether it's opening in 70s or unfurling its bulk with pitch-perfect 90s details, Perkins has whisked up a can't-look-away cinematic nightmare — one with a namesake that takes some thematic cues from Darth Vader in a way, he tells Concrete Playground. That's a connection that likely no one would make if he didn't join those dots himself. That said, it also speaks to the impact of a figure that lingers over an entire feature while deployed judiciously. The trailers for Longlegs are just as careful with their teasing, and Perkins was with Monroe as well: on-set, she saw Cage as Longlegs properly the first time that Agent Lee Harker, her character, does. Mentioning the best-known villainous force in a galaxy far, far away is also an aptly leftfield clue for a movie that does indeed play out like a puzzle, not just for Monroe's Harker and her boss Carter (Blair Underwood, Origin), but for everyone — and a feature that can never be accused of making obvious choices. Perkins has also described Longlegs as a "horror movie mixtape", and it fits a flick that's about unsolved murders, detectives chasing the culprit, the occult and Satanism, mysterious codes, unsettling dolls and creepy barns, each adding to the components waiting for audiences to piece together. The response so far in the US alone hasn't just been warm, but hypnotised and huge. Neon, the US distributor that's also brought Parasite, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Possessor, Titane, Spencer, Moonage Daydream, Triangle of Sadness, Infinity Pool, Anatomy of a Fall, Ferrari and Perfect Days to screens in America, broke its box-office record for a debut weekend when the movie opened there a week before Down Under. The only film that beat it in takings: the all-ages-friendly minion power of Despicable Me 4, so the exact opposite of this haunting thriller. Now it's Australia and New Zealand's turn to meet Longlegs — and we chatted with both Perkins and Monroe about it, including about where inspiration came from for Perkins for a character as immediately unforgettable as Longlegs, plus Monroe's career path to the movie. Also covered in our round-table discussion with the duo: the genesis of the film's story, Monroe's reaction when it initially came her way, building a presence like Longlegs with Cage and Perkins' route to the genre. On What Inspired the Character of Longlegs Osgood: "For me, it starts with Darth Vader, and everything goes forward from there. And when I say it starts with Darth Vader, it starts with the quality of 'ohh, the villain is really the star of their own story, the star of their own situation. They're doing the best that they can with what they've been dealt'. And so with someone like Cobble, with Longlegs, the idea is not how do you make him sinister, but what about him isn't sinister? The sinister parts and the sort of evil parts and the kind of villainous parts is de rigueur. That's got to just be part of it. That's mandatory. Where you pull and stretch the rubber band is like, well, where is he pathetic? Obviously he's powerful, but where is he weak? Obviously he's invested — well, where is he unsure? So when you start to create these binary positions, much more can exist between those poles. If you have a villain who's like this all the time, and that's not — you don't see a lot of that anymore, but everybody has their pluses and their minuses. And I guess even a serial killer is ultimately still a person who shit's happened to, not good. And when you pluck them out of their habitat, they're probably pretty pathetic." On What Came to Mind First When Perkins Was Conjuring Up the Film's Story Osgood: "It's what I think would be fun about something like this. And usually that comes in through music, and imagery evolves as you work with other people. The first thing that happens is the dialogue and the way the movie sounds and what people are talking about, and what words they're choosing to use. I'm a big words guy. I don't believe in thinking about writing. I only believe in actually writing. Those are very different entities for me. So it starts with the words, and it starts with words that I like, and it starts with the title like Longlegs that I like. And then it starts with the way that he talks and the things he chooses to say, and it grows out of that." On Monroe's Initial Reaction to the Movie When the Script Came Her Way Maika: "I read a whole lot of scripts, and it is few and far between that you read something that just grabs you immediately. The writing was so good. It was so vivid. And, probably similar to audience members watching the movie for the first time, I really thought that I had a grip on where it was going and understanding, and I was like 'okay, awesome, a nostalgic crime-thriller'. And then a little past halfway through, all of a sudden it turned into a whole other beast, and it just felt so unique and fresh." On How Much of Longlegs, the Figure, Was on the Page — and How Much Came Together During the Shoot Osgood: "We worked together on it, and of course there's the contribution of hair, makeup, special effects makeup, wardrobe, production design. Everybody's gratifyingly pulling towards the same goal, which is to make something cool, something that has a music to it, something that has a pulse or that vibes stronger than anything else around it. That's the whole trip that we're on. And with Nic, with the character of Longlegs, most of it is on the page when he gets it. The way he looks is written. And then we've got to figure out a way to make that look right. So it becomes about literally taking one piece at a time. Like the chin, it's too much, it looks like Dick Tracy, so take it down by half. I don't need these scary things around the eyes because that makes it look a little too like Halloween costumes, so let's take that down. Let's look at this — the hair should be poufy. We're talking about glam rock, so let's exaggerate that a little bit. It just becomes about taking all the little pieces and sewing them together. And luckily for me, I have a collaborator in one of the great all-time movie presences who's really as focused and deliberate and deep as you want them to be." On Monroe's First Proper Meeting with Longlegs Maika: "It definitely felt intense, and pretty much we would do a take and I would just step out of the room — and I would go in if there were notes or something, but I just think it was nice for us to keep our space. Then after we finished filming that day, it was actually his [Cage's] last day. We were sitting across from each other and they were taking some still photos, and we just started chatting. It was the first time I heard his actual voice, and he was just saying to me 'I'm just such a fan. I love all your movies'. And I was just like sitting there like 'is this really happening?'. It was crazy. It was very surreal." [caption id="attachment_924171" align="alignnone" width="1920"] It Follows[/caption] On What Monroe Makes of Her Career So Far After 15 Years On-Screen and a Decade on From It Follows Maika: "There's just so many ups and downs, and there's no rhyme or reason to this industry. You book this big movie and you're like 'this is it. This is going to be it'. And it isn't. And then you do this tiny film, and all of a sudden it turns into to something that was never expected. I think at the end of the day, I am just so insanely grateful. I have to step outside and sort of look at where I'm at. And if I were to talk to my 13-year-old self, I would have never believed this, that I'd be sitting here right now and just the people I've been able to work with — it's just surreal and just very lucky. On Perkins' Path to Directing Horror Movies Osgood: "I think like any kid who grows up and sees their dad doing the thing, there's either the raging impulse to do the same thing and to try to find out, do a little bit of a detective search on your dad by trying to go in their footsteps of — and I think for me, it was certainly part of that. The horror genre to me is just the most delightful. It's the most delicious. It's the most profane and absurd, romantic, poetic, endless, concealed genre of all of them. It really contains everything. It contains love. It contains comedy. It contains adventure and science fiction, and it's all sort of embedded in there. So I don't necessarily think of myself as a horror director, because I don't know that I think of myself as a horror fan. I can't remember the last horror movie I paid for to see in the theatre. I don't really care about it, it's not really interesting to me. To me, I'm more looking to do something expansive, and the horror genre allows for all realms of thought and expression. And there's so many little signifiers that you can connect to, like serial killer or procedural crime, or it's an axe murderer or whatever it is — you can go in and people have an idea about it, and an emotion attached to it. And then you can create your own thing based on the model." Longlegs opened in Australian and New Zealand cinemas on Thursday, July 18, 2024. Read our review.
Black Springs Cabin is one of four beguiling stays on Budgee Budgee Farm, a beautifully secluded, gum-lined 33-acre property just outside of Mudgee. From the outside, the lodging transports you back in time and gives big frontiersman energy thanks to a rustic facade of raw timber, brick and corrugated iron. Step inside, however, and thoughtful contemporary creature comforts like quality linen, attractive lighting, a Nespresso machine and walls adorned with artwork make the space feel anything but dated. While the term 'cabin' might imply limited space, once inside you'll immediately appreciate the generous size of the main living area which features a luxurious king bed positioned fireside for those cold country evenings that make Mudgee such an appealing destination for winter weekenders. [caption id="attachment_904521" align="alignnone" width="1920"] A spacious bedroom-living area with wood fireplace[/caption] For the uninitiated, Mudgee is a three-and-a-half hour drive from Sydney and has earned its now-stellar reputation as a destination for lovers of great produce and wine. Sheltered in the Cudgegong River Valley and surrounded by fertile farm land, the region is the third largest grape-producing area in the state, primarily for red varieties like shiraz and cabernet sauvignon. If you do book a stay during cooler months, you'll be kept warm by the indoor wood-burning fireplace that's fuelled by a pile of pre-chopped wood. For the marshmallow-inclined, there's an outdoor fire pit (an ideal spot to partake in the spoils of the region's rich winemaking history), and there's also a freestanding claw foot bath which, if you time it properly, provides an incredible vantage point from which to watch the sunset. As the essential amenities go, the kitchen includes an electric stovetop, fridge, microwave, toaster and kettle, and there's a BBQ out back if you want to keep things completely self-contained for your stay. Alternatively, Black Springs is an easy 15-minute drive to the cafes, restaurants and wine bars of charming Mudgee village that are well worth seeking out, as are the nearby vineyards and producers like Pipeclay Pumphouse, Small Batch Brewery and Robert Stein Winery. Black Springs Cabin is recommended for a couple's weekend away when your main criteria includes being surrounded by nature, unwinding in stylish comfort and peaceful seclusion. You can book now through Airbnb. Image credit: Amber Creative Now you can book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations everywhere.
No one simply likes Caramilk. Cadbury's caramelised white chocolate is adored, obsessed over and flat-out loved with undying passion, whether it's being served in standard block form or being worked into cocktails. We could keep listing more words of utter and complete devotion — and keep outlining other different ways to eat the cult-favourite dessert, too — but you get the picture. When it comes to this specific type of choccie, there's no such thing as too much. Love Caramilk? Like ice cream as well? Then you'll want to sink your teeth into Cadbury's new collaboration with Peters Ice Cream. The resulting dessert is as straightforward as it sounds, but hey, when it comes to making Caramilk ice creams on sticks, there's really no need to overcomplicate matters. Available in Australian supermarkets from today, Monday, July 26, the new Caramilk desserts coast Peters' ice cream with the beloved chocolate. So, no more needing to choose between a few squares of the smooth and creamy chocolate and something frosty. The look a little like Magnums, but in that golden Caramilk hue — and, if you're already a fan of the chocolate, they're certain to tempt your tastebuds. They come in individual servings and in boxes of four, so you can either pick up some to share or stock up on dessert for the next few days. Getting in quickly is recommended, though, given how popular all things Caramilk typically prove. Cadbury's Caramilk ice creams are now available in supermarkets — and will set you back $4 each, or $8.50 for a four-pack.
Step inside the heritage-listed Rothwell's building on Edward Street and, thanks to the bar and grill that now shares its name, you can be forgiven for feeling like you're on the other side of the world. There's a firmly classic look and vibe to the space that previously housed Jamie's Italian — think: gleaming chandeliers that'd make Sia sing, white marble aplenty, leather booths decked out with vintage table lamps, and silver trays and carafes. The latest venue from 1889 Enoteca's Dan Clark, Rothwell's Bar and Grill might call a 136-year-old Brisbane building home, but it takes its cues from hospitality institutions much further afield. London's The Savoy Grill and The Wolseley are two of them. Musso & Frank Grill in Los Angeles is another — as well as New York's entire dining scene. For Brisbanites, the result is the kind of venue that aims to make you forget you're in the busiest part of the city — even if you've just made the dash from the Queen Street Mall or Central Station. Joining Clark is chef Ben Russell (ex-Aria, Est Est Est) and, together, they've shaped the newcomer after their favourite eateries from around the globe, following a quarter-century of scoping out the best dining rooms and bars the international scene has to offer. The Rothwell's sit-down experience takes patrons to the 90-seat Marble Bar area, where all that Italian marble — and those aforementioned leather banquettes — provide a light yet intimate atmosphere. If you're just stopping by for a drink, however, the 40-seater Foyer Bar will be your destination. And, for bigger dinners and events, the private dinning room caters to 50 seated guests, or 100 folks standing. It's found in the building's cellar, so you'll be surrounded by 2000-plus bottles of wine, plus eye-catching sandstone walls. Standout dishes at Rothwell's include prawn cocktails and steak tartare among the starters; reef fish with roast fennel, tomato, and basil vinaigrette, and beef wellington from the mains; and chocolate trifle, and pistachio brûlée with chocolate gelato from the dessert offerings. Drinks options span martinis, old fashioned, negronis and Hemingway daquiri — again, the feel here is classic — which, at the bar, are paired with food choices such as oysters, niçoise salad and a club sandwich. Wine lovers can also take advantage of that stacked cellar — which you can visit, and which also houses and sells wines bought from all around the world from Clark's own collection. If your bank balance doesn't quite let you afford a cognac from the 1890s (understandably so), you'll find tipples from all the usual producers, as well as from smaller names from regions such as Burgundy, Chablis, Bordeaux, Champagne and Barolo. And, for digestifs, there's a dedicated armagnac cart, complete with bottles collected from Europe and dating back to the 1920s. Images: Dean Swindell.
Sometimes, you can read a book and imagine exactly what a TV adaptation would look like. Anyone who thumbed their way through The Southern Vampire Mysteries before it was turned into HBO's True Blood can't make that claim, however. Created by Six Feet Under's Alan Ball, this undead-focused horror series drips with mystery, lust and gothic excess. And blood, obviously. It's a show set in a world where vampires aren't just a fantasy — and at a time when a synthetic product that shares the show's name has allowed them to live side-by-side with humans, in theory. At the centre of this vamp-fuelled intrigue sits small-town Louisiana waitress Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), who happens to be telepathic. She also happens to fall in love with 173-year-old vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer). When their romance attracts the attention of the area's vampire sheriff (Alexander Skarsgård), that's when the drama begins.
Some holidaymakers are avid planners, scheduling every inch of their getaways. Others like to see where the moment takes them once they've organised the basics. Australia's motels can serve both — but there's nothing like hitting the road, driving as far as you feel like on any given day, then checking into the local roadside place to stay. Indeed, that very experience is the subject of exhibition Reception This Way. Displaying at The Workshops Rail Museum until Tuesday, December 12, 2023, this celebration of Aussie motels makes its southeast Queensland stop after arising from a partnership between the National Archives of Australia and comedian Tim Ross. On offer: pieces, including photos and footage promoting motels, from the national archival collection. And the mood: pure nostalgia all the way. Whether you have fond memories of motel stays on family holidays when you were a kid or you've just heard stories from your parents, Reception This Way surveys Australia's embrace of the accommodation spots from the 50s onwards. Access to the exhibition is free with your general-admission entry to the The Workshops Rail Museum in North Street in North Ipswich. So, you'll pay $14.50 for adults to head along — and Brisbanites will take a road trip themselves, albeit a small one that won't require a motel for the evening.
"Are people born wicked? Or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?" They're the questions that the full trailer for Wicked poses in its first moments. The rest of the sneak peek, the film it's for, and both the musical and the book that it's based on all explore those queries through the tale of Glinda (Ariana Grande, Don't Look Up) and Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo, Pinocchio). Film lovers, you're going off to see the witches, the powerful witches of Oz, when Wicked soars from the page and the stage to the screen in 2024. The famous and beloved theatre musical adapts a book that takes inspiration from The Wizard of Oz, and has been a show-going favourite for more than two decades thanks to composer Stephen Schwartz and playwright Winnie Holzman. Now, it's heading to cinemas as a two-part movie. The first instalment, now just called Wicked rather than Wicked: Part One, arrives in November with director Jon M Chu (In the Heights, Crazy Rich Asians) behind the lens. Grande dons pink and Erivo sports the requisite green in both the first teaser trailer for the movie — which arrived amid the annual Super Bowl sneak-peek frenzy (see also: Deadpool & Wolverine) — and also for the just-dropped complete sneak peek. Haven't caught the stage show on its current Australian run, including in Sydney since 2023 and in Melbourne from March 2024 , with Brisbane to come? Defy gravity in your local picture palace before the year is out instead. In the two trailers for the film, Glinda tells Elphaba "don't be afraid". "I'm not afraid," is the fellow witch's response. "It's the Wizard who should be afraid of me." As for why, the second trailer steps through more of the plot — complete with renditions of 'Popular' and, yes, 'Defying Gravity'; Elphaba getting her black witch hat; flying monkeys; hues of pink and green aplenty; and meeting the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum, Asteroid City) in Emerald City. Wicked follows the Land of Oz's witches, with telling their untold tale the musical's whole angle. On the stage, the show has notched up more awards than you can fit in a hefty cauldron over the years. That includes three Tonys from ten nominations, a Grammy, an Olivier Award and six Drama Desk Awards. Joining Grande and Erivo in bringing Wicked to the cinemas is quite the who's who-style cast. Alongside Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh (A Haunting in Venice), Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton), Ethan Slater (The Marvellous Mrs Maisel) and Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live) also feature. As for when the second Wicked movie will also get flickering, it's due in November 2025. Check out the full trailer for Wicked below: Wicked releases in cinemas Down Under on November 28, 2024.
Once, dance and classical weren't music genres that you'd usually find swirling around in the same basket, unless you have a particular bent for the orchestral 'Sandstorm' covers found in the depths of YouTube. Since 2019 in Australia, however, Synthony has been here to prove that the disciplines go hand in hand — and it's returning for another tour in 2024. Initially founded in New Zealand, and now an annual highlight on Australia's gig calendar, the event gets a live orchestra joining forces with a selection of DJs and onstage performers to play the biggest dance tracks of the last 30 years. Think: tunes by Swedish House Mafia, Basement Jaxx, Fatboy Slim, Avicii, Fisher, Faithless, Disclosure, Eric Prydz, Flume, Calvin Harris, Wilkinson and the like, and as you've never heard them before. Wherever Synthony pops up, the venues that it temporarily call home take a few cues from the nightclub scene, with lights, lasers and mapped video all featured in the experience. And, as the orchestra busts out a selection of dance floor bangers note for note, vocalists also do their part — because this isn't just about instrumental versions of your favourite club tunes. The 2024 run first has a date with Brisbane on Friday, September 6, playing Fortitude Music Hall. On the lineup: the Australian Pops Orchestra conducted by Sarah-Grace Williams, as joined by Ilan Kidron from The Potbelleez, Masha Mnjoyan, Emily Williams, Greg Gould, Matty O, Nate Dousand and Mobin Master — plus Example.
It's the Tassie bakery known for its inventive pie flavours — chicken parmigiana, double cheeseburger and Tasmanian scallop, for example — and it's spreading its baked goods empire across Queensland. So, to celebrate, Banjo's Bakery Cafe is inviting Brisbanites to stop by its new Darra digs for a free feed. On the menu: sausage rolls. A thousand of them, to be exact. Whether you haven't had one since your school tuckshop days or you're still partial to these tasty savoury pastries whenever they cross your path, you can get one in your hot little hands on Wednesday, March 25 between 4–8am. Yes, the early bird catches these sausage rolls. As well as needing to be one of the first 1000 customers through the door, you'll also need to make a purchase to grab a freebie. [caption id="attachment_764252" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Banjo's Bakery Cafe[/caption] A Tassie mainstay for more than 35 years, Banjo's new Darra shop on the corner of Ipswich Road and Acanthus Street will also boast a drive-through — so you won't even have to get out of your car to get your pastry fix. Banjo's Bakery Cafe's sausage roll giveaway runs from 4–8am on Wednesday, March 25.
Brisbane likes to laugh. In 2024, when Brisbane Comedy Festival hosted 400 shows, more than 82,000 tickets were sold. The annual chucklefest broke records as a result, a feat that it'll be hoping to repeat when 2025's event gets the city giggling. Set to be on hand to help: Rhys Darby, Ross Noble, Nazeem Hussain, Melanie Bracewell, Jimeoin, Ray O'Leary, Luke Heggie, Becky Lucas, Bron Lewis and Sh!t-faced Shakespeare doing A Midsummer Night's Dream. 2025's BCF will mark the festival's 16th edition, taking place across Wednesday, April 23–Sunday, May 25 at Brisbane Powerhouse, The Tivoli, Fortitude Music Hall and The Princess Theatre. The event drops its lineup in stages, so the just-announced names will have plenty of company — but the program is already off to a cracking start. Chris Parker, Guy Montgomery, Guy Williams, Laurence Mooney and Schalk Bezuidenhout are also on the bill so far, as is the annual Brisbane Comedy Festival Opening Gala. The latter will head to Fortitude Music Hall to kick off the fest will a bunch of comedians, featuring both Australian and international talents — with who'll be taking to the stage yet to be revealed. If you're new to Sh!t-faced Shakespeare, its name is as descriptive as it sounds, with one member of the troupe completely sloshed at each performance. "Our 2025 Festival is set to delight Brisbane comedy fans; this first announcement is just a taste of what's to come. Following 2024 being so well-attended, we've got a long list of amazing international, Australian and local artists and shows on the cards," said Brisbane Comedy Festival Director Phoebe Meredith, unveiling the initial lineup details. In past years, BCF has added more acts around a month after its first announcement, so watch this space to find out who else will be tickling your funny bone in 2025. The 2025 Brisbane Comedy Festival will take place across Wednesday, April 23–Sunday, May 25. For further details and tickets — with the first shows on sale from 10am AEST on Thursday, November 14 — head to the festival's website.
It appeared true when The French Dispatch dropped its first trailer, and it definitely is true now that the film is out in the world: with his tenth release, Wes Anderson has made his most Wes Anderson movie ever. And yes, while editors fictional and real may disagree — The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun's Arthur Howitzer Jr (Bill Murray, On the Rocks) among them — it's incredibly easy to use Wes Anderson's name as both an adjective and a verb. In a sentence that'd never get printed in his latest feature's titular tome (and mightn't in The New Yorker, its inspiration, either), The French Dispatch is firmly the most Wes Anderson movie Wes Anderson has ever Wes Andersoned. It's also now available to stream at home, even though it's still currently screening in cinemas Down Under. The star-studded affair is the latest big-name flick to get fast-tracked from the silver screen to whatever-sized device you watch along with at home, alongside everything from Dune to The Matrix Resurrections in Australia — and has just landed on Disney+. All of the usual Anderson touches are all covered in The French Dispatch: the immaculate symmetry that makes each frame a piece of art is present, naturally, as are gloriously offbeat performances from an all-star cast that also spans Tilda Swinton (Memoria), Owen Wilson (Loki), Timothée Chalamet (Dune), Adrien Brody (Succession), Frances McDormand (Nomadland), Léa Seydoux (No Time to Die), Jeffrey Wright (also No Time to Die), Elisabeth Moss (The Invisible Man), Saoirse Ronan (Ammonite), Edward Norton (Motherless Brooklyn), Willem Dafoe (Nightmare Alley) and Jason Schwartzman (Fargo). And yes, as it spins stories set in the fictional French town of Ennui-sur-Blasé in the mid-20th century, where Arthur Howitzer Jr. (Murray) has turned a series of travelogue columns into a weekly American magazine — as a supplement to the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun, The French Dispatch, staffed by top expatriate journalists, and covering everything from life in France, world politics, high and low art, and diverse stories of human interest — the film proves equally dreamy and precise with its pastel- and jewel-hued colour palette. Also covered: the miniatures and animated interludes and split screens, the knack for physical comedy, and the mix of high artifice, heartfelt nostalgia and dripping whimsy, too. Anderson knows what he loves, and also what he loves to splash across his films — and it's all here. With The French Dispatch, he also adores stories that say as much about their authors as the world, the places that gift them to the masses, and the space needed to let creativity and insight breathe. He likes pictures that look as if someone has doted on them and fashioned them with their hands, too, and is just as infatuated with the emotional possibilities that spring from such loving and meticulous work. Indeed, each of his films expresses that pivotal personality detail so clearly that it may as well be cross-stitched into the centre of the frame using Anderson's hair, this one included. Obviously, as has been the case in every Anderson film from Bottle Rocket and Rushmore to Isle of Dogs and now this, every frame in The French Dispatch looks like it belongs on a wall — or in Anderson's own recent museum exhibition. Now, it can screen on yours, all as part of a regular Disney+ subscription. Check out the trailer for The French Dispatch below: The French Dispatch is now available to stream via Disney+. Read our full review.
Right now you're probably thinking about your next meal (we know we are). Will it be another Bon Appétit-inspired cook-up to impress everyone you're cooped up with in isolation, or have you earned yourself a night off from all that upskilling in the kitchen? If your enthusiasm for cooking has begun to wane, you may be reaching for your favourite takeaway app to start browsing the options for a quick fix. Before you do, check your booze stash. Trust us, there is a connection. At the moment, if you spend $50 or more on any Pernod Ricard products — such as vodka or gin for your quarantinis — you'll receive a $10 voucher to use on Deliveroo. [caption id="attachment_745926" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mary's Burgers by Nikki To[/caption] While we don't want to encourage excessive drinking during the COVID-19 lockdown, it's possible that you've already emptied your last bottle of wine and those cocktails you were shaking in week one have made your liquor cabinet look a tad dry. Pernod Ricard's range includes champagnes, cognac, gin, tequila, rum, whiskies and wines from brands like Absolut, Glenlivet, Jameson, Kahlua and Monkey 47, as well as Australian whites and reds from Jacob's Creek and St Hugo Wines. And the best part is that you can make your purchase from any online or bricks-and-mortar store, including BWS, Dan Murphy's, Liquorland, Porters Liquor, and a number of other participating stores. Just make sure you keep your receipt. Once you've made your purchase, it's easy to claim your Deliveroo voucher. Simply upload an image of your receipt to Pernod Ricard's website and, once validated, you'll be sent a discount code to your email address. You can then use the Deliveroo code for any food order — whether you're craving a hangover-busting burger, an icy Gelato Messina, or a comforting curry. Find out more about the Pernod Ricard offer here. The offer runs until the end of July, or until stocks last, and once you have your Deliveroo voucher you can use it immediately or until April 8, 2021. Find all the FAQs here.
In the year 2024, some of the most fun to be had with your fellow humans is via the medium of video games, where just about any experience can be found and shared with friends in worlds well beyond our imagination. With the current generation of gaming consoles, we've also got access to technical and creative wonders, many of which offer some truly memorable gameplay experiences to be found alone or with others. We're here to discuss the latter today, so let's talk about six of the most entertaining multiplayer games on the market today. Deep Rock Galactic What do you get when you combine Dwarves, a deep space mining company with heavy quotas, thousands of angry alien bugs and robots, and a deep lack of respect for workplace safety standards? You get Deep Rock Galactic. Created by Danish studio Ghost Ship Games, this first-person cooperative shooter puts you and up to three of your friends in the boots of Dwarven miners, fired deep into the caves of Hoxxes IV — the most valuable (and dangerous) planet in the galaxy. DRG follows an extremely replayable format: pick one of the four playable classes, pick a contract in one of the planet's seven procedurally-generated biomes and do your best to survive. The objectives range from simple ore mining to cleaning up plague-infested meteors and advanced industrial sabotage. The rewards? Money, gear upgrades, stylish clothing for your dwarves and most importantly, beer. Available on PC, Xbox One/Series S/X, PlayStation 4/5 Party Animals Sometimes in games we just really want something silly. That is exactly what Party Animals is: a silly game to be played with silly people. Released in 2023 by Chinese studio Recreate Games, Party Animals echoes the couch-coop beat-'em-up games of old but with a next-gen flair and fresh takes on the genre. In Party Animals, you and up to seven friends step into the shoes of adorable cartoon animals and play games in one of three modes: in Last Stand teams of two punch, kick and fight to be the last team standing; in Team Score two teams compete to achieve the highest score on the same challenge; finally Arcade combines a variety of unique maps and challenges to make things messy for everyone. Every map drops in weapons to help you disarm and knock out enemies. Once dead, you can fight on by periodically throwing in small objects that distract and knock out anyone they hit, friend or foe. Play online against other players or create a private lobby (online or local) for just your friends. The choices are endlessly silly and all yours. Available on PC, Xbox One/Series X/S Helldivers 2 If you've been paying attention to video games in 2024 in any way at all, there's a good chance you've heard of Helldivers 2. A sequel to the 2015 top-down shooter Helldivers, this third-person shooter comes from Arrowhead Game Studios and Sony Interactive Entertainment. You and up to three friends are Helldivers, elite soldiers of Super Earth who are tasked with spreading democracy to the planets of the insectoid Terminids and Terminator-esque Automatons. You'll do so via orbital insertion, heavy firepower and a whole lot of panicked screaming. Mission objectives range from destroying Terminid eggs to rescuing scientists and detonating nuclear weapons, all in the name of freedom. Every mission contributes to a shared community goal. Players work together to liberate planets — and enemies work to prevent them. Once you or your enemies win enough battles, the fight moves to a new planet for every single player. At the time of writing, the developers are working to increase server capacities. Be warned: you may encounter issues. Available on PC, PlayStation 5 Sea of Thieves Your first thought may be, hold on, Sea of Thieves... that came out a while ago, didn't it? It's true, Sea of Thieves was originally released in March 2018 by UK studio Rare, but it's been receiving a steady stream of updates ever since, and this writer, who's played since its release, can personally confirm the game has never been in a better state. Sea of Thieves is an online first-person adventure game, where you and up to three of your friends can crew a pirate ship in a vast playground of ocean dotted by over 70 handcrafted islands. You can sail one of three ships (built for crews of two, three and four) exploring the seas and completing voyages for several trading companies. Each offers different objectives (find buried treasure, track a missing merchant shipment, hunt a crew of undead pirates) and different cosmetic rewards. Since launch, the developers have added new islands, boss fights, voyage types, ship customisation options, weapons, enemies, narrative voyages (some original, some tying in with properties like Pirates of the Caribbean) and much more. Available on PC, Xbox One/Series X/S, releasing on PlayStation 5 on April 30. Moving Out 2 If only moving home was as entertaining as this 2023 game from Sydney developers SMG Studios and Swedish developers DevM Games. Moving Out 2 is the sequel to 2020's Moving Out, a hit coop game that puts players in the shoes of a moving business, entrusting you to carry, drag, pivot, throw and otherwise shift the furniture and belongings of its customers. In each level, you must move a certain number of objects from the home into the van under a time limit while being sure not to break too many things. Some objects, like a picture frame or cardboard box, can be carried alone, but larger items require two or more players to be successfully moved. Moving Out 2 improves on the original title in a few ways, adding singleplayer gameplay and online coop of up to four players (the first only supported local coop), and extra complexities to levels like one-way doors, teleporters and time-limited passages to hinder your efforts. Available on PC, Xbox One/Series X/S, PlayStation 4/5, Nintendo Switch Dying Light 2: Stay Human Originally released in 2022 by Polish developer Techland, Dying Light 2: Stay Human is a sequel to 2014's Dying Light and picks up over 20 years after the events of the first game, with a deadly zombie virus having wiped out civilisation as we know it. The game can be played start to finish in singleplayer or online with up to three other players and is built around two core systems. Firstly, parkour. Dying Light 2: Stay Human is set in a city overrun by zombies and dangerous humans, and you'll need to use every surface and structure to your advantage as you run, jump, dive, roll under, flip over, swing, glide and stunt your way all over town. Secondly, a day-night cycle. The danger exists 24/7, but night sees deadly nocturnal zombie variants take to the streets, making some areas deadlier and others safer than they are during the day. The campaign is layered with choices that literally shape the world, so the city in your friends' games may look very different to your own. Dying Light 2: Stay Human has seen many updates since launch, with various technical improvements made alongside new systems and playable content added. Grab your three bravest friends for this one. Good night and good luck. Available on PC, Xbox One/Series X/S, PlayStation 4/5 If you're after more gaming recommendations, check out our most anticipated indie games due for release this year.
Since 2015, winter Down Under has brought bloody excellent news. That's when Four Pillars introduced the world to its now cult-favourite Bloody Shiraz Gin, which is made by steeping shiraz grapes in its OG Rare Dry Gin for eight weeks, then pressing the fruit and blending it with the gin. When the tipple returns for 2024, you'll be able to add the Healesville-based distillery's ninth bloody vintage to your gin shrine. While 2023 gave the world a Bloody Pinot Noir Gin, too, Four Pillars is sticking with shiraz in 2024. There's a reason that this is one of the most coveted tipples of the year, however: this limited-edition wine-infused concoction is bloody tasty. Spirits fiends familiar with past vintages will already know that this is a delicious drop — and that the infusion of shiraz grapes gives it its cerise hue. The grapes also provide sweet undertones, but mean that the gin avoids a higher sugar content. It is boozier, though, with an alcoholic content of 37.8 percent (compared to an average 25 percent in regular sloe gin). Initially it came about when Four Pillars came into possession of 250 kilograms of Yarra Valley shiraz grapes, then did some experimenting. 2024's Bloody Shiraz Gin uses fruit from both the Yarra Valley and Faraday, which is near Bendigo. The end result features notes of citrus and raspberry — and expect to taste spice as well. Whether you're keen for a single bottle or several, the 2024 gin goes on sale on Saturday, June 8 for $84 at the brand's website, and from Wednesday, May 29 if you're a Four Pillars subscriber. If you have a date with the Four Pillars Healesville Distillery and Four Pillars Sydney Lab in your future, you'll find it there as well. Bloody Shiraz Gin fans over the years will also be aware that it always comes in a limited-edition bottle, with year's featuring a tablescape artwork by Kris Leombruni. And the best way to drink it? Four Pillars recommends using it in G&Ts, with just tonic, a squeeze of lemon and a lemon slice as a garnish. The 2024 Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin will go on sale around the country on Saturday, June 8, or on Wednesday, May 29 if you're a Four Pillars subscriber. Head to the Four Pillars website to make a purchase — or hit up the Four Pillars Distillery at Healesville, Victoria and the Four Pillars Lab in Surry Hills, Sydney. Four Pillars bloody range images: Benito Martin.
Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn does not court consensus. His highly violent, highly stylised, almost stream-of-consciousness films can be read many different ways. But more than that, they seem to prompt responses from the gut — be they captivation or revulsion. His latest film, Only God Forgives, was last month awarded the Sydney Film Festival prize but also famously drew boos at Cannes (and from the SFF audience I was in, a lot of nervous laughter). Only God Forgives bears the hallmarks of Refn's 2011 hit Drive — uber violence, musical motifs (synth, where possible), Ryan Gosling, neo-Noir, bright lights, big cities — though it's a more abstract picture. It begins when an American called Billy (Tom Burke) rapes and murders an underage prostitute in Bangkok. He is then murdered himself, at the hands of the girl's father, who is encouraged by the rogue police officer and 'Angel of Vengeance' Chang (Vithaya Pansringarm). The hero of the story, however, is a man weaker by most measures, Julian (Gosling), low-life brother of Billy. By classic eye-for-an-eye decree — and that of his frightening mother, Crystal (Kristen Scott Thomas), a Cruela de Vil type in velour — he should kill those responsible for his brother's death. But he can't, and he doesn't really want to. Instead, he and Chang circle each other, enacting lateral acts of violence. Refn has described Only God Forgives, like Drive, as being "based on real emotions, but set in a heightened reality. It's a fairytale." And that might be part of why these films 'work' on some but not on others. You have to recognise the emotions and get swept up in the fantasia. More than most, the films work a spell. If you're caught in the spell, everything holds together. But if it glances off you, it's hard to walk away with anything from watching the film. I really want the view from the former camp, but so far I haven't been able to gain admittance. So what I saw was Refn create some tartly beautiful images (one that stands out is a torture sequence in a nightclub full of motionless doll-women) that are balanced out by others more forced, silly and self-parodying. With Only God Forgives' ambitious aesthetic goals only semi-realised, it begs the question, what did we sit through all that sadism for? You can see why it's set so many critics off on their own moral crusade, with Refn as the target. https://youtube.com/watch?v=FP_zO9jQjVc
Queen's Wharf, the $3.6-billion addition to the Brisbane CBD's north bank, has Cantonese on the menu thanks to HUĀ. Patrons can enjoy a lineup of dishes crafted in collaboration with culinary veteran Ling Lee. The 77-year-old chef — and alum of Melbourne's Flower Drum, Silk Crown and Sun Kitchen — has helped oversee the menu, with Head Chef Danny Lui (Mei Wei Dumplings) leading the kitchen. Expect modern takes on Cantonese cuisine, plus a focus on sustainability, on a menu that'll change seasonally. Wild-caught seafood, free-range meats and locally sourced organic vegetables feature across bites that include prawn-and-chive dumplings, seafood san choi bow, stir-fried scallops, deep-fried black truffle duck rolls and pan-fried kimchi lamb dumplings, to name just a few dishes — all pairing traditional Cantonese cooking techniques with fresh flavours. In addition to its main dining area, plus private rooms for gatherings, HUĀ features an al fresco terrace and a cocktail bar. From the latter, standout sips include a signature boozy iced tea, a lavender-heavy drink made with vodka, and a fruit tea-based concoction. Classic cocktails are also available, as is a selection of beer and wine by the glass. Food-wise, two signature banquets will help make the decisions for you if you're having trouble choosing — one for $88 per head and the other for $128. Or, for weekday lunch diners, an express banquet is available as well, spanning three courses and a drink for $55.80 per person Monday–Friday from 1130am–3pm.
When November hits, Brisbane starts celebrating one of everyone's favourite 'ch' words, with festive cheer filling the city seemingly everywhere it can. Craft'd Grounds has a different idea, however. The Albion precinct is swapping seasonal merriment for that other adored term that starts with the same two letters: chocolate. From Friday, November 25–Sunday, November 27, if there's a way to work chocolate into something, this Chocolate Fiesta will manage it — which, if you're a chocoholic, makes for a supremely appetising prospect. Chocolate pastries, chocolate rum tastings, food trucks slinging chocolate treats, a screening of Chocolat: they're all on the menu at this first-ever choc fest at the venue. Arrive hungry from 5pm on the Friday, with everything on offer via a heap of meals-on-wheels purveyors all sporting a chocolate twist. Milton Rum Distillery will also be pouring tastings of its limited-edition chocolate tipple, which'll give your after-work drinks a decadent spin. On Saturday, the focus is on family-friendly dishes; think: chocolate milkshakes and chocolate croissants, plus a treasure hunt for kids. But Doughcraft is doing two chocolate specials from 7am daily all weekend: a choc honeycomb shoux filled with honeycomb ganache and topped with dark chocolate crémeux, plus a brownie tart made with with toasted hazelnuts, fresh raspberries and vanilla diplomat crème. And, on Sunday, as well as the aforementioned French film screening, there's a five-course festive lunch at French restaurant Herve's. Or, from 1pm, hit up The Black for live tunes and chocolate cocktails.
Like Christmas, Easter brings a wealth of family film fare to cinemas — but not all flicks seemingly targeted at kids are created equal. Not all movies find their story in Mexican and Latin American culture in general, and in Día de los Muertos (or the Day of the Dead) specifically, for example. And not all all-ages efforts are produced by Pan's Labyrinth and Pacific Rim's Guillermo del Toro. If you haven't already guessed, The Book of Life isn't much like other offerings aimed at viewers young and old, and the reasons keep on coming. Though it tells a tale of adventure and romance, it also plunges into worlds laced with death and filled with souls lurking beyond the grave. It may stick with the usual trick of using celebrity voices, but they're not your standard selections, nor do their vocals overwhelm the visuals. And it certainly doesn't look like anything else you've seen before, with its distinctively animated frames depicting the bulk of the characters as intricately crafted marionettes. Instead, The Book of Life is an entertaining feast for the eyes and for the heart, both beautiful to watch and to become immersed in. It starts with school students bored with a museum tour, then sparked into intrigue by a savvy guide (Christina Applegate). The story she shares centres on two warring spirits — La Muerte (Kate del Castillo), ruler of the Land of the Remembered, and Xibalba (Ron Perlman), ruler of the Land of the Forgotten — who make a bet over the control of their realms. Three friends draw their attention: the feisty Maria (Zoe Saldana), who refuses to conform to customary female roles just because it is the done thing; the guitar-playing Manolo (Diego Luna), who is expected to follow in his father's bullfighting footsteps; and the headstrong Joaquin (Channing Tatum), the son of their town's famed but fallen protector. La Muerte wagers that the sensitive Manolo will win Maria's love, while Xibalba backs the bandit-fighting Joaquin. Now, don't go dismissing the film for its formulaic focus on men tussling over a woman, because that's only the broad outline of the narrative. No one in the feature adheres to type, just like the movie itself. Everyone has to open their minds to finding their right path. Everyone has stereotypes to overcome. Indeed, experienced animator turned first-time feature writer and director Jorge R. Gutiérrez oozes affection for departing from the tradition of family fare everywhere he can, including ramping up the gothic, del Toro-esque touches, playfully bathing dark material in an abundance of colour, rendering villains in metal in contrast to the wooden heroes, and using Ice Cube as a hip hop overseer of all life. It's the little things like this that make The Book of Life as fun as it sounds — and it already sounds incredibly fun. Far removed from the usual movies of the season, this is one magically macabre cinema outing.
It's extraordinary that with only one film to his name, Zach Braff's directorial style became instantly recognisable. Perhaps because it was so influential, his popular 2004 film Garden State quickly became the shorthand for a certain type of independent film with a checklist of insta-clichés: a manic pixie dreamgirl who rouses a sullen lead out of his ennui; droll metaphorical imagery (a shirt that looks just like the wallpaper!); profundity in the mundane (a big hole in the ground that represents in the infinite abyss!); a carefully considered collection of melodic indie songs on the soundtrack (The Shins! Coldplay! The Shins!). It's odd that with such a big success under his belt, Braff took ten years to make his follow-up. Difficult second album syndrome? Perhaps. But in doing so, Garden State has calcified in our shared cinematic memory as a sub-genre unto itself; for Braff's second film to have any chance at all, it would have to shake off all the tropes that are now synonymous with his name and do something drastically different. It does not. In fact, aside from the fact that Braff is now looking at the problems faced by rich white actors in their 30s (as opposed to rich white actors in their 20s), his new film Wish I Was Here plays like a biting parody of Zach Braff. All the hallmarks of Garden State are present, and what should, in a more just world, be considered an authorial style, now feels like a failed attempt to recapture a movement and a mood that expired years ago. Much has been made of the fact that Braff turned to crowdfunding to raise the budget that he could have so easily raised with a studio; famously, he feared interference from the suits and wanted to make his own vision. Perhaps some interference might have been a good thing. But this path is only galling in light of the journey of Wish I Was Here's characters: wealthy people who need slightly more money asking for charity. This is hardly an exaggeration. The film's story — which I'm now only getting to at the tail end of the review — follows a failed actor who is still trying to follow his dreams despite the fact that he has responsibilities to his family. His father, stricken with cancer, needs to pay for his own treatment, and so can no longer pay for his grandchildren's expensive religious education. This is the inciting incident that's meant to inspire sympathy, but the stakes are so low and so unrelatable to the average moviegoer, that the film is crippled from the outset. It's so poorly judged, few changes would be needed to turn it into an all-out pastiche; Not Another Zach Braff Movie, if you will. Both Braff's character and his on-screen brother (Josh Gad) are manchildren who essentially learn that the women in their lives will continue to support them so long as they persist in their manchildish ways. The "lessons" learned at the end feel superfluous and unaffecting, despite what the last shot tries to tell us. The brother's storyline is the most baffling, and possibly the worst idea in a film full of poor choices. I wanted to like this film. I really did. For all that it now represents, I still hold a soft spot for Garden State, and I like Braff as both an on-screen performer and a filmmaker. As a director, he has a keen eye; it just failed him horribly here. https://youtube.com/watch?v=XWZWJtHrG4U
For most of the year, European cinema doesn't get much representation in Australia. That is, until Europa! Europa rolls around. Returning for its fifth edition, the festival draws on the rich cinematic talent of continental Europe to create a lineup of 43 of the latest and greatest pictures from 22 countries. Importing them to screens across Australia and New Zealand, you're invited to watch from Thursday, February 19—Thursday, March 19. Leading this year's program is the opening night ANZ premiere of Norwegian director Mona Fastvold's The Testament of Ann Lee, starring Amanda Seyfried in a Golden Globe-nominated performance as the founder of the devotional Christian sect known as the Shakers in the mid-18th century. Other highlights include Willem Dafoe starring in Miguel Angel Jiménez's The Birthday Party, and the Australian premiere of Wunderschöner, the sequel to the 2022 German box-office hit Wunderschön. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT25stsAtqg "I am excited for audiences to encounter the full breadth of this year's program," Europa! Europa Artistic Director Spiro Economopoulos told Concrete Playground. "Beyond The Testament of Ann Lee, there are bold debut features and new work from established directors, films shaped by moral tension and political pressure without easy answers. That conversation sits at the heart of Europa." Beyond the headline-grabbing films, there are literary adaptations, stories about European musicians, European-made animated films, LGBTQIA+ films, historical stories, documentaries, and a pair of striking retrospectives delving into the work of directors Michelangelo Antonioni and Éric Rohmer. Marking the festival's first Australia- and New Zealand-wide program, film-lovers can catch Europa's incredible flicks at cinemas in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Hobart, plus Auckland if you live across the ditch. Europa! Europa is happening at Melbourne's Classic Cinemas and Lido Cinemas until Thursday, March 19, and Cameo Cinemas until Monday, March 2; Ritz Cinemas in Sydney until Thursday, March 19, Brisbane's Angelika Cinemas and Hobart's State Cinema until Sunday, March 1, and Bridgeway Cinema in Auckland until Wednesday, March 4. Head to the website for more information.
Sometimes, when a TV show is a hit, giant dolls pop up by Sydney harbour. At other times, when a movie is a must-see, one of its key locations makes its home on Little Bourke Street in Melbourne. Right now is one of the latter occasions, all to celebrate Everything Everywhere All At Once — aka the multiverse-hopping, mind-bending delight starring the one and only Michelle Yeoh that everyone is rightly talking about at the moment. In the flick, the Crazy Rich Asians, Last Christmas, Boss Level, Gunpowder Milkshake and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings actor plays middle-aged Chinese American woman Evelyn Wang, who runs a laundromat with her husband Waymond (Ke Huy Quan, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom's Short Round and The Goonies' Data). That might sound straightforward, but the feature was written and directed by the Daniels, aka Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. If you saw Swiss Army Man, which cast Daniel Radcliffe as a farting corpse who doubled as a jetski, you should have some idea of the kind of wild and wacky on-screen chaos the filmmaking duo is capable of conjuring up. For Evelyn in Everything Everywhere All At Once, she takes a trip to her local tax office — and her tale soon goes hurtling through other dimensions from there. The full details are best discovered by watching; however, the end result is exactly what big-screen multiverse-focused fare should look like. While following in Evelyn's footsteps isn't something that anyone can truly do, Roadshow Films has set up a pop-up that'll let you pretend — only if you're in the Melbourne CBD from 1–8pm daily between Friday, April 22–Sunday, April 24. At Corrs Corner at 132–138 Little Bourke Street, you'll find the Everything Everywhere All At Once multiversal laundromat. Step inside, see crucial spots from movie right there before your eyes and feel like you've leapt into the film. While you'll enter a space that, yes, resembles a laundromat, that's just the beginning. From there, you'll find a spliced and angled mirror room as well, and different nods to places and moments in the movie. Having your senses overwhelmed comes with the territory — as it does, at least with your eyes and ears, while watching Everything Everywhere All At Once. Make sure that you peer inside the washing machines onsite, too, as they're designed to spin with a kaleidoscopic array of moving imagery — and make you feel like you're time-travelling between different dimensions. Obviously, taking snaps is a big part of the fun, so that's what you'll be seeing on Instagram all weekend. Find the Everything Everywhere All At Once laundromat at Corrs Corner, 132–138 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne from 1–8pm daily between Friday, April 22–Sunday, April 24. Everything Everywhere All At Once is currently playing in Australian cinemas — read our full review.
Sports have been bringing people together for hundreds of thousands of years now, and for a new country, Australia does its best to catch up — and pretty damn well at that. We've got our fingers in numerous pies like AFL, NRL, the cricket and soccer, plus we have women's leagues across the country in most of these (about time, right?) If you're a diehard Collingwood supporter, live and breathe Brisbane Roar or want to see some serious boss lady power on the field, chances are you'll want a little pre-game session to get you pumped before the match. We've got you. In partnership with Hahn, we've cross-checked top pre-drink venues with some of the biggest sporting venues to bring you our list of convenient pre-game watering holes. There's also nothing wrong with visiting these spots for a cheeky post-game drink, either. SYDNEY: THE LIGHT BRIGADE HOTEL FOR THE SYDNEY CRICKET GROUND Pre-game into your best self before a thumper of a match at Sydney Cricket Ground. The Light Brigade in Paddington is a pub drenched in history, full of art deco charm and it's only about a kilometre away from the SCG. There's a bunch of levels to accommodate your pre-drinks vibe with a restaurant on level one, cocktail bar on level two and a rooftop terrace bonanza up the top. By the time you've hit all three, it'll be time to move on to the game — though we'd suggest just grabbing a beer and heading straight to the rooftop for that view. MELBOURNE: THE CORNER HOTEL FOR THE MELBOURNE CRICKET GROUND Tried and true, there'll be something at The Corner Hotel in Richmond for everyone. If it isn't a crowded gig on a Thursday night, perhaps it's trivia on Wednesdays, lunch in the rooftop beer garden or you've missed the last train and you just want to have a drown-your-sorrows pint. During the AFL season, The Corner is on to a very good, meaty thing, bringing fans of every team together with $10 barbecue hotdogs before every game. Have a couple of bevs, smash down a dog then cruise along with the rest of the crowd to the MCG to catch a solid showdown. [caption id="attachment_636204" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Facebook / The Paddo.[/caption] BRISBANE: THE PADDINGTON TAVERN FOR SUNCORP STADIUM Brisbane Roar is Brissie's offering to A-League soccer, so when Roar fans ready themselves for a big season, it's also a big season of pre-drinking. The Paddington Tavern (aka The Paddo) is your go-to for a big plate of pub grub that'll keep you going through both halves of the game. It also does late night dining for a post-match feed, and — most importantly for your pre-drinking needs — the pub holds three different bars to get your round of drinks sorted. SYDNEY: THE GREENS FOR NORTH SYDNEY OVAL The Greens in North Sydney is full of bowls club charm, with live music and a pretty outlook. There are also quirky weekend additions like a petting zoo on Sundays, and it expands its sporting pedigree with yoga classes on Monday mornings. Consider hitting up The Greens before you run off to catch a match at the neighbouring North Sydney Oval. Play a game of bowls if you need to get yourself in the bowling mood pre-game, or just enjoy some drinks in the sun in their vast beer garden. BRISBANE: THE PINEAPPLE HOTEL FOR THE GABBA For your pre-match drinks within a few blocks from the Gabba, The Pineapple Hotel is your go-to. They're known for their steaks — tuck into an eye fillet, a wagyu rump or a T-bone with some ace sides for a good dose of protein — the pub features an extensive, ever-changing beer list, and its aptly named Park Bar offers up outdoor seating with views overlooking the neighbouring Raymond Park. Before the game, give yourself some time to work your way down the steak menu and sideways along the fifteen beer taps. [caption id="attachment_636203" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Instagram / Royal Saxon.[/caption] MELBOURNE: ROYAL SAXON FOR AAMI PARK For any big game at AAMI Park, we'd suggest kicking back in preparation for the match. If you start things off in Richmond, it'll just be a short stroll down to the big game (or a $5 Uber). The Royal Saxon on Church Street does hearty Italian grub to line your tums and give you enough energy to yell about onside and offside all day. They also have a comprehensive wine list, a whole slew of bottled and draught beers and their negroni is pretty great, too. Mark your calendars for when your team is playing, and plan to head out for a pre-game Hahn or two.
Gelato Messina first introduced its cookie pies to the world in 2020, and tastebuds across Australia thanked them. Then, it kept bringing the OTT dessert back when we all needed an extra dose of sweetness across the year. In fact, the dessert fiends have been serving them up for more than 12 months now. Messina celebrated that one-year milestone back in April, of course — but it isn't done with cookie pies yet. Here's hoping that it never will be, because its latest version is certain to tempt plenty of tastebuds. Chocolate is involved, as it usually is, but Messina's new choc malt cheesecake cookie pie fills its choc malt cookie with vanilla malt cheesecake, then tops it with a choc malt crumble. With all that talk of chocolate and malt, it sounds a bit like it's taking a few cues from Milo. No, we're not complaining. Hang on, a cookie pie? If you're not familiar with the concept yet, it's a pie — obviously — but it's made of cookie dough. And it serves two–six people — or just you. You bake it yourself, too, so you get to enjoy that oh-so-amazing smell of freshly baked cookies wafting through your kitchen. This time, you'll enjoy the scent of vanilla and malt as well. The new pies will be available for preorder from 9am on Monday, June 7 — which is your chance to get yourself a piece of the pie. On its own, the indulgent birthday cake cookie pie will cost $25. But to sweeten the deal, the cult ice creamery has created a few bundle options, should you want some of its famed gelato atop it. For $35, you'll get the pie and a 500-millilitre tub, while with a one-litre tub or a 1.5-litre tub, it'll cost $41 and $45 respectively. The catch? You'll have to peel yourself off the couch and head to your local Messina store to pick up your order. They'll be available for collection between Friday, June 11–Sunday, June 13. Melburnians, ideally you'll be out of lockdown by then — but it's probably best to take note of your ten-kilometre bubble when ordering, just in case. You can preorder a Messina choc malt cheesecake cookie pie from Monday, June 7, to pick up from Friday, June 11–Sunday, June 13.
Thursdays are a curious day. The bulk of the week is behind you, but the weekend isn't here just yet. So, while you probably want to say cheers to being oh-so-close to having a few days off, you also likely want to keep your celebrations on the leash. That makes oysters and drinks the ideal Thursday arvo combo. And, that's what's on the menu at new Fortitude Valley bar The Parlour every Thursday in June and July. You'll need to stop by between 5–7pm, but that's when you'll be able to slurp down $1 oysters, sip $5 house beers and wines, and knock back $12 cocktails. The oysters come dressed in your choice of raspberry gimlet mignonette or fizz vinaigrette — or natural, if that's what you'd prefer. And if you're keen on a cocktail while you're scoping out the Valley's latest haunt, there are four to choose from, including a lemon-heavy twist on the martini and a spritz made with Martini Bianco, St Germain, lemonade and mint leaves.
To some people, Doctor Who is just a television show and a character that likes telephone booths. To others, the time lord and his TV program are the inspiration for an all-consuming obsession. Rob Lloyd falls into the latter camp, and has dedicated himself to amassing as much Doctor Who knowledge and paraphernalia as he can afford since 1996. In his honest and hopefully hysterical one-man show, he details his fascination and its consequences. He also dares to ponder and answer the questions every pop culture fan contemplates: how did he get here? Why is he so fixated? Is his passion healthy?
Fans of Green Beacon Brewing Co are used to hanging out in their Teneriffe digs, but that's not the only venue these beer merchants have. A second Geebung facility joining the fold earlier this year; however it's usually all about making brews rather than letting the public in to drink them. Usually. From midday on August 26, Green Beacon will be throwing open their northside doors for a pop-up day of beverages and fun. Whether you live on that side of town and can't be bothered heading into the city, or you want to check out their other site, you'll find all plenty of beer-filled goodness, plus a few extra inclusions. That'd be tasty bites to eat from Mr Burger, GB's own The Whaler spring seasonal release to wet your whistle, and local wines if that's your preferred tipple. Arrive early for a tour of the production site, which will set you back $35. Entry to the rest of the shenanigans is free.
When SXSW Sydney first started revealing details of its 2025 lineup, it promised more free programming on this year's bill. If you're keen to head along to the event's third year — after making its Harbour City debut in 2023, then returning in 2024 — without spending a cent, you'll want to make a date with Tumbalong Park, then. Again, the spot is playing host to the fest's budget-friendly activities, including everything from live music to movies, as well as DJ sets, talks, fashion showcases, pop-ups and more. Free sessions have always been a component of SXSW Sydney, but adding more was never not going to be a welcome move. Accordingly, after outlining that there'd be a significant expansion of its free programming, the festival has upped its Tumbalong Park lineup to 85-plus hours of events. At SXSW Sydney Unlocked, as the hub has been dubbed, there'll be more than 200 options to engage in the fest between Monday, October 13–Sunday, October 19. This part of the lineup runs every day, but will feature extended hours from Thursday–Sunday. Weekday lunch breaks are a particular focus, spanning programming from 12–1.30pm Monday–Friday, as are happy-hour sessions from 4.30pm Tuesday–Friday. So, SXSW Sydney clearly wants the city to join in whenever suits everyone's daily schedules — and via everything from guest appearances to surprise hosts, too. Highlights include the return of FOMA: Fabrics of Modern Australia on the runway; gigs by Indonesian hip hop stars Tenxi, Filipino folk-pop singer Angela Ken, J-Pop boy band Psychic Fever and Chinese Tencent singer Tia Ray; and Blak to the Future: A Celebration of First Nations Creatives' celebration of Indigenous filmmaking. Or, hit up twilight gigs in the Seymour Centre courtyard, get line-dancing lessons and see a range of country talent — Max Jackson, The Washboard Union, Lewis Love and Big Wheels — at Tumbalong Honky Tonk, and explore the Australian Space Agency's space-themed hub. There's also Small Fry Rock for families, with Grinspoon's Phil Jamieson and Little Birdy's Katy Steele taking to the stage. The Rubens are set to celebrate ten years of 'Hoops', while K-pop is also getting a moment. On the Saturday, if you fancy attending the Games Showcase and Innovation Expo without bothering your wallet, that's also on the agenda. "SXSW Sydney Unlocked represents the very heart of what SXSW Sydney is all about: access, discovery and connection. We're incredibly proud to offer a dynamic, free program that invites everyone, from families and students to workers on their lunch break, to experience the energy and ideas that define this global event," said SXSW Sydney Co-Managing Director Simon Cahill. "Whether you're watching a runway show, getting hands-on with future tech at our expo, or dancing with your kids in the park, this is a celebration of ideas and imagination, and everyone's invited." SXSW Sydney 2025 will run from Monday, October 13–Sunday, October 19 at various Sydney venues, including Tumbalong Park. Head to the SXSW Sydney website for further details. Images: Jess Gleeson, Paul McMillan and Ben Gibson.
