Melbourne four-piece The Harpoons have just released their debut album Falling For You, which features singles such as the utterly gorgeous 'Unforgettable' and slightly more chilled gem 'Can We Work This Out'. To celebrate this long-awaited LP, they’ll be playing shows in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney. The Harpoons consist of brothers Jack and Henry Madin, stunning vocals from Bec Rigby and man about town Martin King (you might remember him from the likes of Oscar and Martin) Sweet one moment, breathtakingly soulful the next, get ready to go through a kaleidoscope of emotions and feel all the feels. The Harpoons pair flawless vocals with hypnotic beats and Aunty aptly described them as the R'n'B of both today and yesteryear. Their album launch at The Brightside will include other favourites like The Jensens and The Delicates.
If you're a Harry Potter fan keen to relive the wonder of your favourite book-to-film series, you don't need to cast a spell or wind your time turner to get some wizarding fun. Pottermore, Fantastic Beasts spinoffs and The Cursed Child might've followed the original franchise, but JK Rowling's boy-who-lived and his pals are never far away from a big screen — or a concert hall. After doing the honours with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, it's hardly surprising that this piece of prime movie and music magic for muggles has now turned its wand to the third flick in the series. From April 2018, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban will be heading to the Sydney Opera House, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, and Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre to screen the film while the score is played live by each city's symphony orchestras. Prepare for John Williams' Oscar-nominated music to echo through your ears as you watch Harry, Hermione, Ron and company meet Sirius Black, realise that they shouldn't believe every dark tale they hear, learn something new about their new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher and tussle with Peter Pettigrew. That means dogs, wolves, rats and Dementor's Kisses are all part of the action, plus Buckbeak the hippogriff, and trips to The Leaky Cauldron and the Shrieking Shack. It's arguably the best movie in the series, as directed by a pre-Gravity Alfonso Cuarón, and it's certain to prove even more enchanting with live music. We've said it before and we'll say it again — will sell like pumpkin pasties, so get in quick or spend eternity griping about it like some Moaning Myrtle-type character. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in Concert teams up with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House from 18 - 20 April 2018, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre for two shows on 19 May 2018, and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 8 - 9 November 2018. For more information, head to the SSO, QSO and MSO websites.
It just got real dark in Brisbane. And in Brisbane during the warmer months, that only means one thing: a storm is coming. So if you're currently reading this from somewhere dry, warm and cosy, we suggest that you keep it that way for the rest of your Thursday night. And not just any old wet weather, either. The Bureau of Meteorology has reported that damaging winds and large hail is on its way — and it's looking like it'll affect a big chunk of Queensland, too, with Brisbane City, Ipswich, Logan, Gold Coast, Redland City and parts of Somerset, Scenic Rim and Moreton Bay Council Areas all set to be hit. Three serious thunderstorms are currently in the region and, taking a peek at the BOM's nifty colour-coded map, below, it looks like Brisbane's CBD is going to be hit head-on. https://twitter.com/BOM_Qld/status/1184712712644898817 Winds of over 80 kilometres per hour have already been recorded at Gatton and Warwick, too — and with winds that strong come falling trees (and sometimes falling powerlines), so Queensland Fire and Emergency Services has advised Brisbanites to secure loose outdoor items and stay inside. Their number is 132 500 if you need SES assistance. https://twitter.com/QldFES/status/1184691032975261696 The wild weather looks like it will continue into the evening, but tomorrow is set to be a sunny, rain-free 28. Stay dry out there. And remember to check Live Traffic, Translink and BOM for warnings and updates.
After a start to the year we'd all rather forget, southeast Queensland could use a good giggle right about now. Happy to oblige is the GC Laughs Festival, aka the Gold Coast's annual comedy fest. On its 2022 bill: more than 30 comedy shows over six nights, all filled with funny folks. Taking place at HOTA, Home of the Arts, the festival kicks off on Saturday, March 12 with a big guffaw-inducing gala hosted by Celia Pacquola, but that's just the beginning of the lineup. Until Sunday, March 20, you'll also get chuckling at Melanie Bracewell, Aaron Chen, Peter Helliar, Dave Hughes, Mel Buttle, Kat and Stav Davidson, Becky Lucas and Rhys Nicholson — plus Michelle Brasier, Cameron James, Nikki Britton, Ivan Aristeguieta, Nick Cody and more, While that's a wealth of comedy worth hitting the coast for, GC Laughs is also popping up again on Wednesday, May 11 for a one-night-only show. The reason? Playing host to the one and only Aunty Donna. Get your cuppas of morning brown ready, obviously. Images: Anneliese Nappa.
Don't dig pickles on your burger? Well, that's one thing you've got in common with rap sensation The Kid LAROI. How do we know? Because the award-winning artist has just revealed to the world his go-to Macca's meal, teaming up with the fast-food giant on the first-ever Aussie edition of its Famous Orders collaboration series. It means that for a limited time, you can rock up to any McDonald's in the country, make like a celeb and order The Kid LAROI special — a cheeseburger without pickles, plus medium fries, a medium frozen Coke and a six-piece McNuggets with barbecue sauce. Hitting the menu from Thursday, May 26, the Famous Orders meal will also be available via the MyMacca's app and McDelivery. The launch of the pickle-free feed comes as The Kid LAROI returns Down Under for his sold-out Aussie tour. The Sydney-born artist and proud Kamilaroi man has made huge waves overseas in the past couple of years, thanks to a slew of chart-topping songs, including collaborations with Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus. While this marks the first local Famous Orders release, Macca's already has a swag of international versions under its belt. This time last year, the series saw famed K-pop group BTS touting their signature order — fries, a large soft drink and a 10-piece chicken McNuggets with sweet chilli and Cajun dipping sauces. The Kid LAROI Famous Order will be available at McDonald's stores nationwide, from May 26, for a limited time.
Prepare to spend more time scrolling through streaming queues from this November onwards — that's when Apple's new film and television platform will arrive. Called Apple TV+, announced earlier this year and just revealing that it'll launch on November 1, the new subscription service will feature a heap of new original television shows, movies and documentaries. They'll all be available ad-free and on demand, with access via the company's existing Apple TV app and the Apple TV+ website. The platform will debut just a few weeks before Disney's new streaming service, Disney+. And, like the Mouse House's foray into the world of online viewing, Apple TV+ will come relatively cheap. Australian viewers will be able to subscribe for $7.99 per month, while New Zealanders can sign up for $8.99 per month. While Apple doesn't have its own decades-old library of content to draw upon, like its sizeable competitor, it is investing a heap of cash into new shows. The company has revealed a sizeable lineup of new original series it hopes will attract your TV-loving eyeballs — and plenty of stars to go with them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVsM4gvkQXo Fancy watching Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston and Steve Carell navigate the world of morning television in the appropriately titled drama series Morning Wars? Jason Momoa in a new sci-fi show called See, which is set in a world where humans are born blind? A reboot of 90s kids favourite Ghostwriter? A new docu-series from Oprah — and the return of her book club? They're all on the way, and will be available from the outset. Most series will premiere with three episodes, then roll out one new instalment per week afterwards — although some will drop full seasons at once. At launch, the above shows will also be joined by Dickinson, with Hailee Steinfeld playing poet Emily Dickinson, plus Snoopy in Space, a new Peanuts production about the beagle's desire to become an astronaut. Or, you can look forward to documentary The Elephant Queen, exploring the animal species and their proximity to extinction, and For All Mankind, which'll ponder what could've happened if America was still literally reaching for the stars. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Rg0y7NT1gU Down the line, Apple TV+ will also be home to Servant, a new psychological thriller from M. Night Shyamalan; Truth Be Told, which is based on a novel about true crime podcasts and features Octavia Spencer and Aaron Paul; and Samuel L. Jackson and Anthony Mackie-starring flick The Banker, about two African American entrepreneurs trying to make it in the 50s. The list goes on, spanning a revival of Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories anthology series; crime thriller Defending Jacob, starring Chris Evans; and a TV remake of Terry Gilliam's film Time Bandits, with a pilot directed by Taika Waititi. There's also a comedy set in a video game development studio from the folks behind It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, a yet-to-be-named CIA undercover agent series starring Brie Larson, and new series from La La Land director Damien Chazelle. As well as being available on iPhones, iPads, Apple TV and the iPod touch, the Apple TV app is accessible via select Samsung smart TVs, and will hit Amazon Fire TV, LG, Roku, Sony and VIZIO platforms sometime in the future, too. Apple TV+ is set to launch on November 1. For more details, or to sign up for future updates, visit the streaming platform's website.
Eiffel 65's 1998 hit 'Blue (Da Ba Dee)' doesn't play over the first trailer for Avatar: The Way of Water, but you're forgiven if you get it stuck in your head anyway. The 97-second clip comes with a sweeping score by composer Simon Franglen (a veteran of the first film) that's designed to set an ethereal and epic mood — but blue really is the colour of all that it wears. If you saw James Cameron's initial entry in this sci-fi franchise back in 2009 — and given that the original Avatar quickly became the highest-grossing film of all time, it's highly likely that you did, because seemingly everyone did — then all those shades of blue won't come as a surprise. They're splashed across the movie's CGI-filled waters, skies and Na'vi people, and across the first look at its long-awaited sequel as well. Yes, 13 years after the first flick became such an enormous hit, there really is evidence that the long-floated follow-up will reach cinemas this year. Avatar: The Way of Water is one of those movies that you might only truly believe exists once you're sat in a theatre watching it, though, because it has been in the works for that long. It's currently set to reach the silver screen Down Under this December, stepping back into the story of the Sully family, aka Jake (Sam Worthington, Fires), Neytiri (Zoe Saldana, The Adam Project) and their children, on the habitable moon Pandora. This time around, staying safe and alive remains a focus — and, from the just-dropped trailer, it looks like more battles are a-coming. The initial clip, which started screening in cinemas with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness but has only just made its way online, doesn't spell out much in the way of plot, however. Given that Avatar wowed viewers mainly due to its imagery and special effects (and definitely not its "Dances with Wolves but in space"-style narrative), that too is hardly astonishing. Also set to feature amid all those pixels: Sigourney Weaver (Ghostbusters: Afterlife), Stephen Lang (Don't Breathe 2), Cliff Curtis (Reminiscence), Joel David Moore (Bones), CCH Pounder (Godzilla: King of the Monsters), Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie), Kate Winslet (Mare of Easttown) and Flight of the Conchords' Jemaine Clement. And, obviously, James Cameron is back in the director's chair. If the sneak peek has you excited about re-entering Avatar's blue-heavy world, get ready for more where that came from. A third movie is due in 2024, a fourth in 2026 and a fifth in 2028. Also, the original Avatar will return to cinemas in September, in the lead-up to Avatar: The Way of Water. (And no, there's no word yet whether a team-up with The Smurfs, Sonic the Hedgehog and the Blue Man Group might ever be in the works.) Check out the trailer below: Avatar: The Way of Water releases in cinemas Down Under on December 15. Images: Photos courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Last year the State Government announced some ambitious (and unprecedented) plans to expand Melbourne's rail network — ones that we were, admittedly, unsure whether to get too excited about. But it's happening. The long-debated $11 billion Metro Tunnel project has been funded and the Andrews Government has just revealed who will design and build the project, along with a first look at what it will all look like. Just to catch you up, the Metro Tunnel will see two new nine-kilometre twin tunnels and five underground train stations added to Melbourne's inner city. These new stations will be located in Parkville, North Melbourne, CBD North, CBD South and the Domain, and create a new path into the city that doesn't rely on (but connects to) the City Loop. The idea is that it will ease congestion in the City Loop and allow more trains to be getting in and out of the city. In a media release published yesterday, the Andrews Government announced that, after an extensive tender process, they've created the Cross Yarra Partnership to build and design the tunnel and stations. This partnership will involve a number of companies, led by Lendlease Engineering, John Holland, Bouygues Construction and Capella Capital. Along with the announcement, the first station designs have been been revealed too. They look a hell of a lot different to the inside of Melbourne Central, with first renders showing a preference for arches and what most underground stations lack: natural light. At street level, some of the new stations will also add public space. Here's a quick look at the five stations. ARDEN If you're travelling via Footscray, you'll bypass North Melbourne to get onto the Metro Tunnel, and this will be your first stop. This new station will be located in the largely industrial area of North Melbourne on Laurens Street and will service the growing residential population there. Plans for Arden show lots of natural light and bike parking at street level. PARKVILLE This station will provide an easy connection to the Royal Melbourne, Children's and Women's Hospitals, as well the University of Melbourne — at present, people looking to get here either have to get a bus from North Melbourne Station or a tram from the CBD. Parkville Station will sit on Grattan Street. CBD NORTH Located at the north-end of Latrobe Street, this new station will provide an alternative for Melbourne Central, but will still be linked via underground walkways if you do need to change lines. The new entrance at Franklin Street will also include this new green space. CBD SOUTH CBD South Station will be located just near Flinders Street Station, and you'll be able to access it from City Square, Federation Square, Swanston Street and the Degraves Street underpass. If you need to access Flinders Street Station, you'll apparently be able to do so through an underground connection. Lots of white arches planned for this one DOMAIN This station will be a gamechanger for anyone who currently has to deal with the mayhem that is changing trams at Domain Interchange. And all with a floating timber canopy on top of it. Trains from here will continue to Pakenham and Cranbourne. Construction on all this is expected to begin next year and the target completion date is 2026. We'll keep you updated on any new plans for the Metro Tunnel. Images: Metro Tunnel.
When International Women's Day rolls around, the Regatta's underground speakeasy The Walrus Club celebrates the occasion in the best way it can: with an all-female bar takeover. But in 2022, the weather has other plans. So, the Toowong spot is throwing in a second takeover and shifting its Women in Walrus event to Friday's Riverside. Head by the other waterside spot from 5pm on Sunday, March 6 to find a talented crew of ladies mixing up the best beverages they can — featuring gin heavily. If you need something else to say cheers to, there'll also be a Four Pillars-sponsored cocktail showdown (hence the big gin focus), plus live music. Entry is free, you'll pay for whatever you drink and eat as the afternoon and evening roll by, and Friday's usual food menu will be on offer. While women will be in the spotlight, anyone can attend and mark the occasion. And, reservations aren't necessary.
We hope you're hungry for more kitchen chaos: after dishing up stellar viewing in its first, second, third and fourth seasons, The Bear is returning for a fifth serving. What does this mean for the restaurant that shares the show's name? For Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White, The Iron Claw)? And for fellow chef Sydney Adamu (Ayo Edebiri, Inside Out 2), too? You should hopefully find out in 2026. The news of The Bear's renewal for season five comes just days after season four dropped its full ten-episode run, ready for prime winter viewing. So, if you've binge-watched your way through it and were left with questions about what happens after its season finale, answers are indeed on the way. "The Bear continues to be a fan favourite worldwide, and their response to this season — as seen through incredibly high viewership ‚ has been as spectacular as any of its previous seasons," advised John Landgraf, Chairman of FX, the US network behind the series. "Year in and year out, Chris Storer, the producers, cast and crew make The Bear one of the best shows on television, and we are excited that they will continue to tell this magnificent story." There's no word yet on any specifics beyond The Bear's locked-in fifth season, including timing, storyline, and returning and guest cast members. But expecting to get watching mid-2026 is completely reasonable, given that each of the Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning show's four seasons so far have all arrived in winter Down Under. In season four, Carmy's days running his dream restaurant were potentially numbered. In fact, a literal clock put on the business by The Bear's key investor Cicero (Oliver Platt, Chicago Med). As time ticked down, pondering the future became a theme not just for Carmy and Syd, but among the rest of the crew — including Carmy's sister Natalie (Abby Elliott, Cheaper by the Dozen), the Berzatto family's lifelong pal Richie Jerimovich Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Hold Your Breath), and the eatery's staff Marcus (Lionel Boyce, Shell), Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas, Cat Person), Ebraheim (Edwin Lee Gibson, Unprisoned) and Neil (IRL chef Matty Matheson). Check out the trailer for The Bear season four below: The Bear streams via Disney+ Down Under — and we'll update you with more details on season five when they're announced. Read our reviews of seasons one, two and three. Images: courtesy of FX Networks and Hulu.
Thanks to Victoria Park's upcoming makeover, plus Northshore Hamilton's and also South Bank's as well, Brisbane's green spaces are expanding. Many of these are long-term projects, and based around the 2032 Olympics. But in the Archerfield area, the River City will score a new wetlands park from in early 2024. When the $22-million Archerfield Wetlands District Park starts welcoming in Brisbanites next year, it'll do so with a big focus on nature just 12 kilometres outside of the CBD. And, it's taking over what might seem to be an unlikely location. The spot that the park will sprawl across used to be a sewage treatment plant. Located off Bowhill Road in Durack, Archerfield Wetlands District Park itself will take up four hectares. That said, it forms part of an overall transformation of the site called Archerfield Wetlands that spans over 150 hectares. The entire space also includes the Archerfield Wetlands Discovery Trail, a walking and cycling path that stretches over three kilometres. Across the whole setup, there'll be also be eucalypt forests, open grassland, freshwater wetlands and creeks. The Archerfield Wetlands project isn't new — it was first announced in 2019 — but Brisbane City Council has revealed that Archerfield Wetlands District Park is now officially underway. "The transformation of Archerfield Wetlands District Park is particularly special because it will see a beautiful nature-based park created at the site of an ugly former sewage plant," said Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner. "It will include a large adventure play space and water play area, a youth hub with basketball court, a bush foods garden and a catchment centre, with a native plant nursery to support the environmental rehabilitation of the Oxley Creek catchment," the Lord Mayor continued. "The establishment of the park at this location is restoring and transforming the site as an environmental and recreational destination where people can slow down and connect with nature." Thanks to the Discovery Trail, Archerfield Wetlands will also be home to more than 150 different bird species. So, expect birdwatching to be a feature. The full makeover sits between the Ipswich Motorway, Archerfield Airport and Bowhill Road, and falls under $100 million, 20-year Oxley Creek Transformation initiative — which is set to give Brisbane's southwest a 20-kilometre-long corridor of green space stretching from Tennyson to Larapinta. Archerfield Wetlands District Park is set to open in early 2024. Head to the Brisbane City Council website for further details about the overall project.
When Inside popped up on Australia's film festival circuit in 2024, including at the Melbourne International Film Festival, SXSW Sydney Screen Fest and Brisbane International Film Festival, it was instantly one of the must-see homegrown titles doing the rounds. If you didn't catch it then, the Guy Pearce (The Clearing)-, Cosmo Jarvis (Shōgun)- and Toby Wallace (The Bikeriders)-starring thriller should be at the top of your to-watch list in 2025 when it hits local cinemas in February — and it has just dropped its trailer to demonstrate why. Fresh from earning a well-deserved Golden Globe nomination for The Brutalist — and likely on track for an Oscar nomination for the same role, too — Guy Pearce (The Clearing) leads the prison-set film as Warren Murfett, an inmate on the cusp of parole. As he's preparing for potentially earning his freedom, he's asked to take Mel Blight (Vincent Miller, Plum) under his wing after the latter is transferred from juvenile detention to adult prison. Also giving the newcomer a guiding hand is the infamous and widely despised Mark Shepard (Cosmo Jarvis, Shōgun). Inside doesn't just bring the three men together in a powderkeg of a location; it immerses them in a violent plot that could change each of their lives forever, all while thoughtfully and empathetically pondering choices, repercussions, and the impact of inherited damage and trauma. Also among the cast: Toby Wallace (The Bikeriders), Chloé Hayden (Heartbreak High) and Michael Logo (Colin From Accounts), with the film boasting impressive names on- and off-screen. Inside marks the feature debut of writer/director Charles Williams, who won the 2018 short film Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival for the also-excellent All These Creatures. The Stranger and Acute Misfortune filmmaker Thomas M Wright is onboard, too, as an executive producer. "Inside is a movie that's been with me in some form or another for the better part of a decade. I wanted to make the kind of film that resonated with me growing up. Movies that you could get lost in, often uncovering very specific worlds and complicated characters," explains Williams. "They felt very real but also oddly transporting and almost spiritual — while still being visceral, cinematic experiences for the big screen. It's been such an honour to collaborate with this incredible cast and crew to bring Inside to life." Check out the trailer for Inside below: Inside releases in Australian cinemas on Thursday, February 27, 2025. Images: Mathew Lynn.
It's now been 23 years since a certain modern-day retelling of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew had us all swooning over Heath Ledger and wishing we were Julia Stiles. Yes, that'll make you feel old. And if you're one of the scores of Aussie teens who devoured smash-hit flick 10 Things I Hate About You when it first came out — and then about a million times on VHS since — you've probably taken up every occasion there is to celebrate the 1999 movie. Your next chance: Yatala Drive-In's Valentine's weekend screening — aka an excuse to hop in the car, head down the highway and revisit the timeless high school-set tale. Yatala's movies-on-wheels site is hosting a special throwback showing on Saturday, February 12 from 7pm, which is perfect for you and your 90s-worshipping significant other — or a car full of pals (because you'll pay $40 for a carload of up to six people anyway). Prepare to revisit all those late-90s feels as you catch those classic movie moments — from the cheer-worthy smashing of Joey Donner's car to that pre-formal pregnancy suit. You can pack your own food for the session (Ms Perky would definitely recommend bratwurst), but BYO booze obviously isn't allowed. Otherwise, you can make the most of Yatala's 50s-style diner. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVHxKeFZU1s
Fresh from being named the Festival of the Year for the fourth time at the 2025 Queensland Music Awards, The Big Pineapple Festival has announced the news that every fan of dancing in the shadow of a giant piece of tropical fruit wants to hear. Come spring, the beloved event will return. Not only has the fest locked in its date, but organisers have also revealed that this'll be a big tenth-anniversary celebration. Diaries out: Saturday, November 1, 2025 is when you'll be hitting Pineapple Fields in Woombye. There's no lineup details as yet, or an exact timeline outlining when the fest's acts will be announced, but The Big Pineapple Festival crew is promising a "blockbuster event" — and its usual Aussie focus. "When we started this festival years ago, our goal was to put Australian artists front and centre, and create an unforgettable experience for fans," said Mark Pico, The Big Pineapple Festival's Founder and Festival Director. "To be here over a decade later with the festival stronger than ever and even earning industry awards again ... is incredibly humbling. It's a testament to the amazing community of artists, attendees and partners who have believed in The Big Pineapple Festival from the start." On Australia's list of big things, the Big Pineapple is among the most famous. It's big. It's a pineapple. It's heritage-listed Queensland icon. It's surrounded by pineapple fields. Basically, what's not to love? It's not merely a reason to head to Nambour to gawk at over-sized fruit, though. Back in 2013, it also became home to a music festival, which ran annually until taking a break in the early years of the pandemic — as every similar fest did. The Big Pineapple Festival's COVID-19 hiatus came to an end in 2024, with help from The Amity Affliction, Tones And I, Bliss n Eso and Peking Duk. In years prior, everyone from Violent Soho, The Veronicas, Rufus Du Sol, Hayden James, Example, Alison Wonderland, Birds of Tokyo and Grinspoon have taken to the event's stage, as have Vera Blue, Ball Park Music, Illy, Dune Rats, John Butler Trio and Ocean Alley. While waiting for this year's lineup, fans can start getting excited now about one new part of the fest in 2025: a performance by whoever wins the Rising Star award at this year's debut Sunshine Coast Music Awards. The Big Pineapple Festival will return on Saturday, November 1, 2025. We'll update you with more details when they're revealed — keep an eye on the fest's website, Facebook and Instagram in the interim. Select images: Claudia Ciapocha / Charlie Hardy.
Another race week in Melbourne has zoomed past like a McLaren. The highly-anticipated race week always carries a certain buzz: packed trams, streets humming with excitement and pubs around the city overflowing with devoted fans. To celebrate, Jack Daniel's brought the hype (and noise) off-track with a bunch of racing experiences across the city. Here's what went down. The Hub of Middle Park With the race track situated in Albert Park, the next-door suburb of Middle Park became a hub of fan activity. Local pub, Middle Park Hotel, was the destination for catching all of the race week action. There was a festival-like energy all weekend, with fans spilling out of the circuit and into the surrounding events. Jack Daniel's took over the entire venue, with replica McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team uniforms and helmets on display throughout the hotel, along with games, competitions, and prizes. Outside, the Jack Daniel's Marquee became a natural meeting point for racegoers, offering a place to regroup after the track action while staying immersed in the buzzing atmosphere. With screens broadcasting the action live, fans never missed a moment, and the mix of music, conversation and post-race excitement kept the crowd's energy high and rolling well into the evening. On Thursday, there was a race warm-up party inside the marquee with a surprise appearance from Melbourne's own racing star, Oscar Piastri. It gave fans a memorable race week moment to talk about long after the weekend wrapped. Jack's Bus Goes VIP Also in Middle Park was Jack's Bus. Parked out the front of Middle Park Hotel, Jack's Bus was decked out in race paraphernalia and offered punters a more elevated experience within the chaos of race weekend. Guests could learn about Jack Daniel's, try whiskey tastings and enjoy the cool, air-conditioned bus. Watching the festival-like atmosphere unfold from the bus gave it a VIP feel (without the price tag). Live Music at Jack's Garage The live music highlight of the weekend came via Jack's Garage, the four-night gig series that took over the Gershwin Room at St Kilda institution, The Espy. Fans got to see four legendary Australian acts across the weekend: The Presets, Slowly Slowly, Anna Lunoe and Keli Holiday. The combination of racing fans and music lovers created an exciting crossover crowd and heightened the race week hype felt across the city. Even after a full day spent at the track, the audience clearly had plenty left in the tank for each act. Conversations about lap times and overtakes easily gave way to sing-alongs and packed dance floors, with the live sets becoming a natural continuation of the race-week energy. Karaoke Time Also held in St Kilda was Jack Daniel's karaoke competition. In The Espy's Engine Room, participants were encouraged to step up and grab the mic in a high-stakes competition, with $5K in cash on the line. The audience got behind their favourite performers with the crowd reactions and sing-alongs turning into one of the most unexpectedly entertaining parts of the race weekend. Across the weekend, Jack Daniel's blended racing culture with Melbourne's exciting city buzz. From live music and watch parties to karaoke and surprise driver appearances, the whole weekend was a nonstop celebration that kept fans immersed in the energy of race week. Let's do it all again next year. Image Credit: Laura Du Vue
One of Brisbane's best Cantonese restaurants is about to become one of the River City's go-to lounge bars as well, with Stanley at Howard Smith Wharves announcing a new addition. From early October 2024, when you're not tucking into a feast of dishes downstairs — including yum cha daily for lunch — you'll soon be able to enjoy drinks upstairs over snacks, with the eatery's second level getting a revamp. Newly transformed space, new name: while the restaurant keeps its moniker, the bar will be known as Stan's. The vibe and the decor will take inspiration from Hong Kong, cocktails will feature heavily on the beverage list and Stanley Executive Chef Louis Tikaram has a new range of Cantonese bites on offer just for the upper floor. [caption id="attachment_944177" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sun Box Studios[/caption] Details from there are still scarce, including exactly what'll be on the drinks and food menu — but although Hong Kong is a huge influence over Stan's, as it is over Stanley, the bar will be pouring rare spirits from around the world. This'll also be a place to make shapes, thanks to a vintage JBL sound system. The promise for the music choices: extensive and eclectic. Stanley opened at Howard Smith Wharves in 2019, with the Cantonese venue one of the four initial tenants first revealed for the precinct back in 2017, alongside Greek restaurant Greca, octagonal overwater bar Mr Percival's and Japanese joint Yoko Dining. At the eatery, Tikaram's authentic, often seafood-heavy dishes are served up in the two-storey, heritage-listed, 1930s-era former water police building in the riverside spot, which can cater for 220 guests and includes seating on a deck by the river. Decor-wise across the ground floor, Stanley pays tribute to traditional Chinese design with a handcrafted rattan ceiling and bamboo fretwork lining its walls. It also features antique pieces sourced from Europe and Hong Kong, parquetry inlay floors and a centrepiece circular bar on the upper level. Find Stan's on level two at Stanley, Howard Smith Wharves, 5 Boundary Street, Brisbane, from early October 2024. Keep an eye on the restaurant's website for more details. Top image: Markus Ravik.
Drinks. Food. Music. It's the recipe for a good time — and, if it's a Sunday afternoon, you're sipping on natural wines, feasting on share plates and listening to cruisy jazz, for a relaxing one too. That's King Arthur's serving of end-of-weekend fun, kicking off at 2.30pm every week. If you've only dropped by for a daytime meal or a Friday night dinner in the past, then this is your chance to do something different in the Fortitude Valley favourite. The kitchen will be cooking up a storm until 6.30pm, while the tunes will liven things up until 4.30pm, with Dan Hirsch and Friends on music duties. As always, King Arthur Cafe's farm-to-table ethos remains, as does the all-Australian beer and wine menu to go with it.
It was back in 2021 that Australian fashion house and boutique store Aje officially jumped into the world of activewear, launching a sub-brand called Aje Athletica. You might've slipped into its high-performance sportswear since, whether you were after sports bras, shoes, leggings, tees, tanks or anything in-between — and also enjoyed its focus on sustainability in the process. Fancy stocking your wardrobe with the label's threads without busting your budget? Meet the Aje Athletica Warehouse Sale, which is hitting Brisbane for the first time ever. It's running from Thursday, April 20–Sunday, April 23, taking over the John Reid Pavilion at Brisbane Showgrounds with four days of bargains. On the racks, you'll find the brand's past-seasons collections going for a hefty discount, with prices up to 70-percent off. And, new pieces will be put out daily, if you're looking for an excuse to head by more than once. The sale runs from 8am–8pm on Thursday, 9am–6pm on Friday, 9am–5pm on Saturday and 9am–2pm on Sunday. It's walk-in only, and there are capacity caps. Also, you'll need to bring your own shopping bag, plus cards — it's a cashless affair, too.
I remember back when I was a young’un and City Beach was the coolest thing like, ever, Mambo was always the first thing I looked at (not that I could afford it). My love only grew once the Sydney Olympics happened and Australia’s uniforms were pretty much amazing and leagues ahead of the rest. Years may have passed since then, but the guys behind the genius are still kicking around spreading their unique style everywhere they go. If there are any local fans from Brisbane they are especially lucky and in for a treat as Nine Lives has secured the MERZ collection, which presents the work of four ex Mambo artists. Jeff Raglus, Ben Waters, Gerry Wedd and Chris De Rosa are all extremely talented yet their interests are backgrounds are super diverse. The one thing they do have in common though is a shared passion for the beach and art. This show is practically four for the price of one, as each artist brings a completely different style to the table. From a lino print expert through to a renowned ceramicist, there will certainly be variety. Whether you’re new or old to the world of Mambo, you don’t want to miss this. Image credit: “Head in the clouds” by Jeff Raglus
It's a problem that everyone can relate to: your stomach is grumbling, but your tastebuds are craving two completely different types of food. You could make the hard choice and pick between them — or, if you happen to be hankering for mac 'n' cheese, pepperoni pizza and dumplings, you could make a beeline to Harajuku Gyoza. From Thursday, March 5, the Australian gyoza chain is serving up a new menu that turns the aforementioned dishes into gyoza. Come for the mac 'n' cheese variety, which stuffs deep-fried dumplings full of cheesy macaroni, then drizzles them with mayo — and stay for the pepperoni pizza version, which is "filled with all the flavours of a pepperoni pizza", and features pepperoni chips and oregano sprinkled on top. You can also tuck into a plate of buffalo chicken wing gyoza — another type that's "filled with all the flavours" of the relevant dish, and served with with blue cheese sauce and celery sticks. Harajuku Gyoza is also serving up two old favourites: cheeseburger gyoza, which is stuffed with burger pieces, aged cheddar, onion, pickles, mustard and tomato sauce; and mozzarella gyoza, which is filled with the obvious, then deep-fried and sprinkled with Twisties salt. Available for a limited time, the whole range has the cringe-worthy name of 'sumo dude food'. Of course, if you've always wondered what a dumpling-mac 'n' cheese combo would taste like — or if you're suddenly desperate to know now you've heard of this Frankenstein's monster-like food mashup — you won't care what it's called. Harajuku Gyoza's 'sumo dude food' range is currently available at all Australian stores — at Darling Harbour in Sydney; at South Bank, the CBD and Indooroopilly in Brisbane; and in Broadbeach on the Gold Coast — for a limited time.
It's Brisbane's original CBD spot for drinks right by the river, pre-dating South Bank, Portside and Howard Smith Wharves. After cementing its spot as an inner-city mainstay since back in 1989, it's also saying farewell. That'd be Eagle Street Pier, which is being torn down and replaced by a sprawling new waterside precinct — and also setting up a pop-up bar to go out with a few drinks. On Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays between Thursday, June 9–Saturday, June 25, waterside sips of champagne, wine and beer now await — all with that killer view. Providing the drinks: Mumm champagne and City Winery's Gerler wines, as well as a range of local brews. Coppa will be on snack duties, helping line your stomach during this last chance to soak in a piece of Brissie history. The pop-up will be up and running from 4–8pm on Thursdays and Fridays, and from midday–8pm on Saturdays. Head by on Friday nights and you'll also be able to check out roving entertainment, and see fireworks light up the sky.
This summer, when we tell you to get your skates on at HOTA, Home of the Arts, we aren't just recommending that you check out the venue's towering new art gallery as soon as you can. We actually mean literally lacing up your boots on wheels, because the Gold Coast spot is turning its concert lawn into a roller rink. The pop-up is open to skaters of all ages — Xanadu fans and Whip It devotees included. Here, you'll also be rolling around with Surfers Paradise as your scenic backdrop (because there's far more things to do on the Goldie than just hit the beach). Launching on Friday, December 10, the roller rink is doing $10 passes from 4–9pm its opening night. After that, opening times change daily until it finishes up on Sunday, January 23, and adult entry will set back $18. Head by on Thursday, January 13 and Thursday, January 20 for Roller Nights, which'll get you skating to DJ-spun beats — and hitting up pop-up bars — from 4.30pm. [caption id="attachment_804622" align="alignnone" width="1920"] default[/caption]
A couple embraces. A man thrusts. The next shot shows, from above, a car driving directly up a straight road. Viewers everywhere can put two and two together. The cut from one to the other is actually meant to be subtle, segueing from an adulterous duo to the man they've cuckolded — but it's also meant to complete a tastefully sensual picture. That's The Aftermath in a nutshell: prim, proper and discreet; brandishing plenty of emotions underneath; and obvious even though it's trying desperately to remain restrained. You could say the same about many period dramas starring Keira Knightley, and you'd be right, however this one particularly sticks to the familiar template. Dressing up in her 20th-century finest as she did in Atonement, A Dangerous Method and The Imitation Game, Knightley plays British military wife Rachael Morgan. After spending most of the Second World War alone, even when bombs were dropping on London, she now joins her colonel husband Lewis (Jason Clarke) in Hamburg. He's been tasked with overseeing the city's enormous rebuilding project, and she's once again left in their acquired home while he works. This time, she has the grand building's original owner, brooding German widower Stefan Lubert (Alexander Skarsgård), for company. Whether you've read Rhidian Brook's 2013 novel of the same name or you're coming to The Aftermath with fresh eyes, guessing what comes next couldn't be easier. No film is going to let Knightley and Skarsgård roam around a sprawling, stately mansion without taking the blatant next step, not even when the story is set immediately after such widespread devastation. Accordingly, while Knightley starts out staring daggers and Skarsgård smoulders sorrowfully in knitted jumpers, it doesn't take long for director James Kent to connect the dots. But in making its post-war romance so straightforward, the movie lacks the one thing every torrid affair thrives on: passion. An absence of passion isn't the same as an absence of emotion, and lacking one particular quality isn't the same as purposefully holding back in general. The Aftermath doesn't skimp on histrionics, or on creating an elegant mood, but the end result is just so dutiful and formulaic. Indeed, it's hard to feel for characters caught in a love triangle, let alone get swept away by their amorous entanglements, when every plot development is as glaring and forceful as the many bombed-out buildings lining Hamburg's streets. And the less said about the movie's unconvincing attempts to dig into deeper territory — courtesy of Stefan's Nazi-sympathising teenage daughter (Flora Thiemann), as well as his own thorny past — the better. Kent previously combined matters of the heart with the horrors of combat in 2014's First World War romance Testament of War, which proved both handsome and heartfelt. While The Aftermath isn't helped by its script, the filmmaker has only managed to tick one of those boxes here. There's no denying the film's rich imagery, which recreates the time with stellar detail. That said, there's also no denying that cinematography, costuming and production design rank among the movie's best traits. Pretty pictures are part and parcel of any period drama, but when they steal the show above all else, it's never a good sign. They mightn't always succeed, however Knightley and Skarsgård endeavour to stand out — against the eye-catching scenery and routine narrative, and despite their star-crossed lovers barely being given any depth. Although neither actor is asked to rise to any challenges, when sparks fly between them, it's easy to wish they were carrying a better film. In a way, that's The Aftermath's big problem. So certain of its stars' power, it thinks that the two can simply carry the entire movie. In fact, it largely squanders Clarke in the process. But, even with gorgeous visuals and a striving cast, the heart still wants what the heart wants: in this case, a story that doesn't feel finished before it starts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPv3e2FZOgo
Mānuka Phuel SYNTHONY Festival, one of Australasia's largest one-day dance music festivals, is returning on Saturday, March 21, 2026. The grass parklands of the Pukekawa Auckland Domain will transform into a high-energy open-air dance floor, backed by the power of a full and live orchestra. Known for pushing the boundaries of live performance, SYNTHONY blends global dance anthems and New Zealand's rich culture with the power of a live orchestra, DJs, vocalists, and immersive visuals. As the sun sets over the Pukekawa Auckland Domain, the energy builds into a night designed for music lovers seeking something bigger and bolder than a standard concert, and it serves as the perfect catalyst for a New Zealand holiday. This year's lineup brings serious weight. SYNTHONY No.7 returns with a brand new set list while UK electronic music act, Faithless, is headlining the night. Other DJs and musicians on the lineup include Peking Duk, Shapeshifter, Hot Dub Time Machine, Kaylee Bell, Made You Look, The Black Seeds, and The Exponents. Taking place across two stages, the festival also features food and beverage villages, entertainment activations, and rides. The festival kicks off from 3.00pm NZDT for a celebration of live music, New Zealand culture, dancing and festivities. What to do in Auckland The Pukekawa Auckland Domain is located just minutes from the CBD, making SYNTHONY the perfect reason to book a weekend escape in the New Zealand city. Nearby accommodation options include Cordis Hotel, Auckland, a comfortable city base with an easy run to and from the Pukekawa Auckland Domain. If you're looking for a group accommodation option, Pullman Auckland Hotel & Apartments is a luxury 5-star hotel located close to Albert Park and the city centre, helping you to see the most of Auckland. Beyond the festival, Pukekawa Auckland Domain's central location gives you plenty of daytime options to explore the city. Auckland War Memorial Museum sits within the same parkland, making it an easy post-festival activity. The nearby Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki also offers a creative, city-centre cultural stop that balances the high-energy night with something distinctly Auckland before you head home. Use the Mānuka Phuel SYNTHONY Festival as your excuse to head to New Zealand and explore all that Auckland has to offer. Buy SYNTHONY tickets here. Discover Auckland Image credit: Supplied
Maybe you first saw Mad Max: Fury Road in a cinema, with engine roars echoing through the theatre, and cars racing and crashing across the big screen. Perhaps you initially watched the exceptional Aussie flick — the best action movie of this century, and the best Australian film of the same period as well — at home. So, you felt all that revving reverberating through your lounge room. Whichever fits, there's no way that you can ever forget the experience. Fury Road arrived after three decades of anticipation, and it well and truly delivered beyond everyone's wildest dreams. There's zero chance that you've forgotten its many vehicles, either, because this is a film that knows how to get fast and furious (yes, even more so than that other franchise). Can't get those cars out of your head? Love movie history, and keen to own a piece of it? Lloyds Auctioneers and Valuers have just the thing for you, then, with 13 vehicles from Fury Road going under the hammer. Yes, if you need new ride that's all shiny and chrome, you can get your hands on the Nux car, the Doof Wagon, the War Rig, the Pole Car, the Fire Car and more. Read those names, and you already know which vehicles we're talking about. When the great George Miller, Fury Road's director — and the filmmaker behind the entire Mad Max franchise — dreamed up these sets of wheels, he truly came up with movie cars for the ages. Obviously, the Fury Road vehicles aren't going to come cheap. But if you somehow have the necessary cash, they'll be up for auction across the weekend of Saturday, September 25–Sunday, September 26 — and, as they're part of a tender, you'll need to submit an expression of interest first. Clearly, they're the best things to drive if you find yourself in a desertscape that's part of a post-apocalyptic wasteland — or if you want to pretend that's the case. And, they're something Mad Max-related to get pumped about until the next movie in the franchise, Furiosa, hits cinemas. Need a reminder of just how all the vehicles look in the film? Check out the Fury Road trailer below: Thirteen cars from Mad Max: Fury Road will be up for auction across the weekend of Saturday, September 25–Sunday, September 26. For further information, head to the Lloyds Auctioneers and Valuers website.
Brisbane’s own Powerhouse Theatre is playing host to the Australian premier of A Doll House, the reimagination of Ibsen’s classic by Ireland’s Pan Pan Theatre. In a brightly creative spin on the old tale, Pan Pan’s adaptation brings the play to modern day, where we find ourselves in the middle of Christmas with Nora Helmer, who is busying herself with presents and decorations and spending the money her husband hasn’t yet earned as the new bank manager. The symbolic and simple set brings forward the true tales this story can tell – examining relationships, social conventions, what it means to be human and the changes we make to discover who we are. This poignant story is only on for a short time, and is recommended for those over 15 years of age. There will also be a free Q & A session following the Saturday and Sunday performances, which should prove worthwhile bring hosted by the folks of one of Ireland’s premier theatre companies.
Few venues in Brisbane can hold a candle to the 140-year-old institution that is the Regatta. Known fondly as 'The Regretta' by anyone who's come out feeling worse for wear following a Sunday session at the 'Gats, this sprawling, iconic venue is not just a great watering hole, it's also home to a pretty magnificent steakhouse. The Boatshed Restaurant is nestled alongside Coronation Drive and in addition to river views they offer a range of dry and wet aged steaks — from 70-day grain fed rib fillet to a 400 gram Thousand Guineas Australian Shorthorn steak — it's the oldest breed in Australia, dating back to 1825. Why not skip the cooking tonight and head down for a steak at the Regatta, and then pop into the main bar for a nightcap?
For a few winter weeks in 2025, Middle-earth is coming to the Gold Coast, but not exactly as everyone knows it. What happens when one of the most-beloved fantasy tales adds singing and dancing? Prepare to find out at The Lord of the Rings — A Musical Tale. The stage production layers tunes into JRR Tolkien's iconic story, including as its hobbits go on perilous adventures, and it has just locked in the only Queensland stop on its upcoming Australian tour. A Sydney season was announced back in August, with news arriving in October that Melbourne and Perth will also be enjoying a musical LoTR journey. Now comes confirmation of southeast Queensland's turn — only at HOTA, Home of the Arts from Friday, July 4–Sunday, July 20. On screens big and small for decades so far (and into the future, with more TV episodes and movies on the way), hobbits have trekked, ate second breakfasts and attempted to project precious jewellery. Onstage Down Under in 2025, they'll also be marking an eleventy-first birthday, receiving a gold ring, taking a quest to Mordor and attempting to fight evil in The Lord of the Rings — A Musical Tale. The Harbour City season at the State Theatre comes first, followed by a stop at Crown Theatre in Western Australia from March, then a Victorian stint at Comedy Theatre that starts in April — before the Sunshine State joins in. Dating back to 2006, just after the original live-action movie trilogy, this stage musical was revived in the UK in 2023, opened in the US in July 2024 and will hit New Zealand this November before crossing the ditch. Your guides for the show are the hobbits, of course, as Frodo and company celebrate Bilbo Baggins, then depart The Shire upon a life-changing journey. Thanks to Tolkien, what occurs from there has enthralled audiences for 70 years now, with The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers initially hitting bookshelves in 1954. There's been no shortage of ways to indulge your Lord of the Rings love since Peter Jackson's features — including his Hobbit trilogy — helped fan the flames of pop culture's affection for Frodo, Samwise, Pippin, Merry and the franchise's many non-underground-dwelling characters. Cinema marathons, visiting the Hobbiton movie set, staying there overnight, hitting up pop-up hobbit houses, sipping hobbit-themed beer: they've all been on the agenda. Only The Lord of the Rings — A Musical Tale is combining all things LoTR with tunes and dancing, however, in a show that sports a book and lyrics by from Shaun McKenna (Maddie, La Cava) and Matthew Warchus (Matilda the Musical, Groundhog Day the Musical), plus original music by Slumdog Millionaire Oscar-winner AR Rahman, folk band Värttinä from Finland and Matilda the Musical alum Christopher Nightingale. The Australian cast has also been announced, including Rarmian Newton as Frodo Baggins, Wern Mak as Samwise Gamgee, Jeremi Campese as Merry and Hannah Buckley as Pippin. Laurence Boxhall is playing Gollum, Andrew Broadbent steps into Elrond's shoes and Terence Crawford is Gandalf — with Rohan Campbell as Boromir, Stefanie Caccamo as Arwen, Rob Mallett as Strider, Connor Morel as Gimli, Conor Neylon as Legolas, Jemma Rix as Galadriel, Ian Stenlake as Saruman and Ruby Clark as Rosie, too. The Lord of the Rings — A Musical Tale Australian Dates 2025 From Tuesday, January 7 — State Theatre, Sydney From Wednesday, March 19 — Crown Theatre, Perth From Monday, April 21 — Comedy Theatre, Melbourne From Friday, July 4–Sunday, July 20 — HOTA, Home of the Arts, Gold Coast The Lord of the Rings — A Musical Tale is touring Australia from January 2025. Head to the production's website for further details and to sign up for the ticket waitlist. Images: Liz Lauren.
If seeing a movie is part of your Boxing Day plans — or heading to a show — you'll now need to pop on a mask while you watch. Donning face coverings has just become mandatory again in Queensland cinemas and theatres, covering both patrons and staff. Effective since 5am today, Thursday, December 23, masks are now compulsory for hospitality workers, too, although not for patrons. Under rules that kicked in last week, on Friday, December 17, pubs, clubs, bars, and other hospitality and entertainment venues are only allowed to welcome in double-vaxxed customers. BREAKING: Masks will be made mandatory in cinemas and theatres as well as for hospitality workers from 5am tomorrow (23 December). Queensland has made masks mandatory in retail centres, hospitals, aged care, airports, ridesharing vehicles and on public transport.#covid19 pic.twitter.com/dqI0QLCMnA — Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) December 22, 2021 The new mask mandates follow the reintroduction of masks in all shopping centres and retail stores, on public transport and while using ride shares, which came into effect last week as well — along with the requirement to wear masks at airports and on planes, and in hospitals and aged care settings. When last week's change kicked in, the Premier also strongly recommended masking up if you're indoors and can't social distance. "If you are outdoors in the fresh air, of course you don't need to wear a mask — and if you are going to the beach. But if you are going into indoor settings where you can't socially distance, it is going to be strongly advised to wear a mask." Queensland reported 369 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, December 23, with numbers ramping up quickly — after 186 were reported the day prior, and 79 the day before that. As always, the usual requests regarding social distancing, hygiene and getting tested if you're feeling even the slightest possible COVID-19 symptoms also still apply — as they have since March last year. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Queensland, head to the QLD COVID-19 hub and the Queensland Health website.
The artists you'll find at TW Fine Art take a contemporary approach to their work. The roster here boasts prominent international artists and it's no wonder why. The white brick, light-filled space makes the often colourful and progressive pieces pop, making for a fine morning browse with a coffee in hand. If you're looking to buy, you could go with your gut and get your hands on the first limited-edition print you see. Or, you could ask for some in-house expert advice on what will look best in your chosen space.
Queenslanders, get ready to flash your dazzling smiles in more places — including indoors. When the state hits the 80-percent single-vaccinated mark among eligible residents, mask rules will change, with covering your face no longer required inside in public spaces. Even better: that single-jab threshold is set to be hit either today, Tuesday, November 9, or tomorrow, Wednesday, November 10. A statement from Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announcing the news noted that Queensland was at 79.6 percent late yesterday, Monday, November 8 — so yes, we really are that close. Wearing masks has been a regular part of life in Queensland throughout the pandemic, with the requirements changing with frequency in the state's southeast — since the end of June in particular, thanks to multiple brief lockdowns and several stages of restrictions. Then, in mid-October, the Premier revealed Queensland's roadmap towards reopening its borders, with various travel rules set to ease at the 70-percent and 80-percent double-vaccinated thresholds. Now, ditching masks indoors at the 80-percent single-vaxxed mark is kicking in first. As a result, in the coming days, masks will no longer be required inside at cafes, pubs, clubs, hairdressers, workplaces and schools, in a change from the current requirement to keep covering up indoors in public unless you're sitting down, entering or exiting hospitality venues, or eating or drinking. BREAKING: Masks will no longer be required when 80% of eligible Queenslanders have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine 😷😁 That means no masks indoors including schools, cafés, pubs, clubs, hairdressers and workplaces. pic.twitter.com/NM1MHQMn2g — Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) November 8, 2021 That said, Australia still has a standing mask mandate for flights and airports, so you'll need to keep masking up there. Also, masks will remain strongly recommended if you're on public transport, and also if you can't socially distance — either indoors or outside. "This is another small step back towards life as normal," said the Premier. "The more of us who are vaccinated, the faster we return to life the way it used to be. That means life without the need to wear masks except at airports and on planes." For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Queensland, head to the QLD COVID-19 hub and the Queensland Health website.
New cases, new exposure sites, new restrictions: that's the familiar formula, and it's exactly the process that's underway in Brisbane right now. So, following the reporting of 13 new local COVID-19 cases since Tuesday, September 28 — including six in the past 24 hours — Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has just announced that a heap of rules will be tightened effective 4pm today, Thursday, September 30. The new restrictions will inspire a feeling of deja vu, as they were previously in effect in mid-August. For two weeks, Brisbane is bringing back the rules that fall under Queensland's stage 2 in its COVID-19 roadmap. The same restrictions will apply not only in the Brisbane Local Government Area, but also in the Gold Coast, Moreton Bay, Logan, Townsville and Palm Island LGAs. Wondering what's changing? Firstly, there'll be a 30-person limit on gatherings in homes and outdoors in public spaces. Also, density caps in hospitality and venues will return to one person per four-square-metres inside and one person per two-square-metres outside. And, you'll also need to sit down to eat and drink — and dancing is banned again, so it's Footloose time once more. BREAKING: From 4pm today, restrictions will be tightened in the Local Government Areas of Brisbane, Gold Coast, Moreton Bay, Logan, Townsville and Palm Island. #covid19 pic.twitter.com/CiXEr0wsNQ — Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) September 30, 2021 Also, there's a 100-person cap on weddings and funerals. At weddings, only 20 people will be able to hit the dance floor — which, in light of the dancing ban elsewhere, is the only place that making shapes will be allowed. Plus, the new rules will amend the capacity at both indoor and outdoor stadiums and events. If they're ticketed and have allocated seating, they can fill to 75-percent capacity. Yes, that'll affect this weekend's NRL Grand Final. Mask rules only tightened back on Tuesday, September 28, and those requirements for covering your face remain in effect. So, you still need to don a mask indoors at all times unless you're eating or drinking, or you're in your own home. You also need to mask up on public transport, in ride shares and while waiting for both — and outdoors if you can't remain 1.5 metres away from people who aren't part of your household. Queensland's standing mask mandate for flights, airports and stadiums remains, and you will also need to still always carry a mask with you no matter where you are. IMPORTANT: Restrictions tighten in parts of Queensland from 4pm today. Here's the latest roadmap 👇 pic.twitter.com/YBv6VeX4KA — Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) September 30, 2021 Announcing the changes, the Premier said that "everyone realises that we've got to put these restrictions in place if we are to avoid a lockdown at this stage. So I want everyone to please take this very seriously and please do the right thing. I'm quite sure that we will be able to get through this like we have deviously if we all do the right thing." That said, locking down if further cases pop up in the community obviously hasn't been ruled out. "It will depend each day how things progress in the state, whether Queenslanders wear their masks, whether they go and get tested... It will be very critical, the next 24–48 hours. about whether or not we see any seeding into the community," said the Premier. "As soon as Dr Young says we need to move into a lockdown, we will," Palaszczuk continued. Queenslanders are asked to keep social distancing, maintaining the hygiene practices that have been in place since March 2020, and checking the state's list of exposure sites — and to get tested if you're feeling even the slightest possible COVID-19 symptoms. Southeast Queensland's COVID-19 restrictions will tighten again from 4pm on Thursday, September 30. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Queensland, head to the QLD COVID-19 hub and the Queensland Health website.
When it comes to watching films in the open air when the weather is warm, Brisbane's trusty go-to is Moonlight Cinema, which screens from November through to February each year. Looking for somewhere to catch a flick under the stars this autumn instead? From Thursday, March 23–Thursday, April 27, Sunset Cinema returns to the River City as part of its national tour, making Northshore Hamilton's Maritime Green its new home. Maybe it's the twilight glow. Perhaps it's the stars twinkling above. Or, it could be the cooling breeze, the picnic blankets and beanbags as far as the eye can see, and just seeing a movie grace a giant screen with a scenic backdrop. When the weather is warm enough, as it is for much of the year in Brisbane, a trip to the cinema just seems to shine brighter when it's outdoors for all of these reasons and more — and that's what's on offer in Hamilton for just over a month. Kicking off the Northshore run is Magic Mike's Last Dance and its lusty thrills — and it pops up on the program again later in the season, too. Or, viewers can enjoy the John Wick franchise's latest outing, The Menu's savage take on the restaurant trade, 2022 blockbusters Top Gun: Maverick and Avatar: The Way of Water, and a retro double feature of Clueless and Mean Girls. It's an eclectic array of flicks, clearly. Other titles include the Tom Hanks-starring A Man Called Otto, Marvel's new Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Adam Driver fighting dinosaurs in 65 and the old Hollywood excess of Babylon. Or, get blast from the pasts with 10 Things I Hate About You and a sing-along session of the animated The Lion King. No matter where it heads — with its full 2022–23 itinerary covering one stop in Canberra, three in New South Wales, two in Victoria and one in Queensland — this excuse to see a movie under the stars pairs new and classic titles with a setup perfect for cosy date nights or an easy group hangs outdoors. Sunset Cinema's Brisbane stop takes movies back to a place that's hosted them before, dating back as far as a pop-up Brisbane International Film Festival drive-in over a decade ago. BYO picnics are encouraged here, but the event is fully licensed, so alcohol can only be purchased onsite. Didn't pack enough snacks? There'll be hot food options, plus plenty of the requisite movie treats like chips, chocolates, lollies and popcorn. And, on Fridays and Saturdays, Eat Street Northshore is right next door. Sunset Cinema screens at Northshore Hamilton's Maritime Green from Thursday, March 23–Thursday, April 27. Head to the Sunset Cinema website for further details. Top image: Northshore Hamilton, Brisbane Festival.
Early in We Live in Time — early in the film's running time for watching audiences, but not early in its central romance thanks to the movie's non-linear storytelling — Florence Pugh's Almut reacts to significant news about her health by delivering her own to Andrew Garfield's Tobias. Years after a meet-cute involving a hospital (and also a car accident, with her behind the wheel and him lightly struck by the car), they're again at one. Their relationship has never been much of a stranger to them, in fact. This time, however, as the chef and the Weetbix employee stand in the carpark after an appointment, they ponder a question that lingers over everyone but never as much as those forced to reckon with the knowledge that their future might not be guaranteed: is life best lived for quantity or quality? Charting a decade in its characters' existence, from a surprise encounter to falling in love, weathering heartbreak, starting a family, pursuing professional dreams, navigating challenges and facing mortality, We Live in Time isn't a strict two-hander in terms of casting. Still, it's so intimately a double act between Pugh (Dune: Part Two) and Garfield (Under the Banner of Heaven) that it feels like one. See: this crucial moment, which conveys everything about Almut and Tobias' dynamic. She speaks carefully but passionately. He listens devotedly. Nothing else could be more important to either of them. Pugh's performance simmers with raw emotion. This interaction isn't about him, but Garfield turns in some of cinema's most-moving reaction work as Tobias takes in what he's being told. Asked how important that scene is for him, Garfield is quick and decisive: "very pivotal," he tells Concrete Playground. It also cuts to the core of exactly what helps make We Live in Time so affecting. This is a heartfelt romance dealing with the fleeting nature of life — and in other hands than Garfield and Pugh's, and director John Crowley (Brooklyn) and screenwriter Nick Payne's (The Last Letter From Your Lover), it'd risk being dismissed as a weepie — but it's always about who Almut is regardless of anything that she can't control. It's about how people endure, create a life together and cherish their time together, while the hourglass empties, too. The impact that a person has beyond just being someone's parent, someone's partner or someone's child also sits at the centre of the film as much as Almut and Tobias' relationship. And, as it delves into weighty topics for its genre while stepping through Almut and Tobias' tale, We Live in Time firmly never falls into the common trap of heroing what Tobias is going through over Almut's experience — as a person, not just as someone with an unwanted diagnosis. It doesn't dream of defining her or them through the worst thing that they'll ever confront, either. In some features, letting time jump around can be a gimmick, but here it is done with touching purpose. As the movie flits between the duo's first weeks and months together, one specific day spent in the bathroom of a service station and also their well-established romance, the non-linear structure ensures that the full wave of life and love — not specific pieces of news, or coping with their aftermath — are always pushed to the fore in an immensely well-rounded narrative. For Garfield, Tobias is the role that brings him back to the screen. 2025 marks 18 years since his film debut in Boy A, another empathetic and sensitive film directed by Crowley — as well as a feature that earned its star a BAFTA TV award — and he's rarely been far away the viewers' gaze since, until 2022. Before half a decade had passed from his first movie, he'd made an imprint in three-time Oscar-winner The Social Network opposite Jesse Eisenberg (A Real Pain) and slung webs in a comic-book blockbuster in The Amazing Spider-Man. Another five years later, he had his first Best Actor Oscar nomination for Hacksaw Ridge. Before, in-between and afterwards, Garfield kept adding interesting projects to his resume, the page-to-screen Red Riding crime saga, dystopian romance Never Let Me Go, housing-crisis drama 99 Homes, the Martin Scorsese (Killers of the Flower Moon)-helmed Silence, LA-set neo-noir Under the Silver Lake and Lin-Manuel Miranda's (Hamilton) Jonathan Larson biographical musical Tick, Tick... Boom! — the source of his second round of Best Actor love from the Academy Awards — among them. Two more stints as Peter Parker also eventuated, including in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Then, after television's Under the Banner of Heaven, he took some time off. One of the things that made We Live in Time a must-star for him: a memorable birth scene that Garfield likens to an action sequence. What did it mean to join forces with Crowley again after the filmmaker gave him his initial movie role? And to dive into the meaning of life and what truly matters in We Live in Time — and to create such a deep sense of intimacy with Pugh, too? Over a cup of tea, we chatted with Garfield about all of the above, the film's efforts to avoid the tearjerker label and two key instances, one off- and the other on-screen: the "this is it!" moment that made him know he wanted to make this movie, and that carpark scene. On Reteaming with John Crowley on We Live in Time After Boy A — and Collaborating with the Director on Empathetic and Sensitive Films "It's quite natural because John is naturally that, and I think I'm quite naturally that, and I think it just works. There's nothing better than on a film set feeling like you have room to take ownership over a moment, to breathe as the character, to not feel like you have to get it right — and it's an important thing for me to feel when I'm on a set. John is one of those filmmakers that provides that for his actors. He creates a lot of space for breath. He creates a lot of space for exploration and nuance, and interior life and subtlety, and for life to unfold. I felt that when I was first working with him and then it's remained now." On Diving Into Weighty Notions Such as How People Create a Life, Cherish Their Time Together and Have an Impact in a Romantic Drama "I love these ideas and I think that you said it perfectly — they are weighty and they are about the meaning of life, and they are about what matters and what doesn't, and how we keep our attention and our hearts trained on that which is nourishing and that which is mysterious and meaningful. So I love these ideas, and I love being able to hang out in them and to ask questions within them, within the question. And to explore these themes with great artists and collaborators is a dream, and with such great writing. I think that these are the questions that I ask myself on a daily basis anyway. So it felt very natural to slide into this character's skin, and all of the difficulty and beauty of the experience he was having." On What Excited Garfield About Starring in We Live in Time as His First On-Screen Project Since 2022's Under the Banner of Heaven "I think while I was reading the script, and I was reading how this dynamic was unfolding and how it built particularly to the birth scene, I thought 'my gosh, this is such an epic action sequence in domesticity'. I thought: 'oh, man, I want to see this, and how this plays out'. And there were a few scenes of just deep beauty and tenderness, and funny — they were just so sweetly funny within such pain. And I thought 'that just feels like a balm'. It feels like a balm for me, as a person that's been through his own grief. But also it will feel like a balm for other people in the audience who are going through their own version of what these people are going through in this film. So it felt like an act of service. It felt like a real act of service to make this film for myself, but also for an audience, hopefully." On Building Deep Intimacy with Florence Pugh as Tobias and Almut "So the writing is very good. The writing was the jumping-off point and thank god it was a great script, otherwise I don't think we'd be talking — I don't think the film would have been made. So that was the beginning. And then it was me and Florence just finding this natural trust and depth of intimacy and nakedness and vulnerability together. And joy and play together. We can go from being feeling like two childhood friends to feeling like parents. That's a really important thing, I think, for this film. That was rather easy for us to find together. I think we're both just up for it. We're both just two actors and two people who are just like 'what are we doing today, and how do we make it as fun and as silly and as real and as deep as possible?'. That's what we came into every day looking for — and not just for ourselves, but for the other, too. We were two actors who really, really loved being a part of the other person flying. And that's a really special thing." On Ensuring That The Film Tells a Well-Rounded Story That Reflects Life and Is Never a Weepie, Even as It Deals with Love and Mortality "We didn't want it to feel sentimental or saccharine. We didn't want it to feel imbalanced. We didn't want it to feel manipulative. We wanted it to feel, as you say, like life. We wanted it to be very, very rich, diverse experience that felt like watching life unfold for these two people — in all of the agony and all of the ecstasy and all of the complication. What's amazing about Florence's character is she's not this lionised, idealised survivor/victim. And I think the same thing with Tobias, he's not some overly soppy, wet, sympathetic, sentimental character. They both have flaws. They both have fallibility. And they're both deeply human. So that was very, very important for us to keep our eye on." On What Garfield Was Hoping to Express in the Movie's Pivotal Carpark Scene "I was hoping to convey just an impossible contradiction in impulses. I think there's no easy path in that moment for these two characters. And for Tobias, I wanted to convey a thousand things at once. I wanted to convey overwhelm. I wanted to convey being unable to offer anything concise or rational or useful. I wanted to convey deep understanding of where she was while also wanting to kick and scream — and I wanted to convey, on top of that, 'all I've got to do right now is not make this about me. I've just got to listen and I've just got to support and let this moment be this moment, not have an answer'. Just the humility of 'I don't have anything to say here and I'm not going to force it' — like I think most of us want to do in those situations, we want to have a fix-it answer. We want to have some kind final solution. But I think Tobias, in that moment, is humble enough or overwhelmed enough to be able just to stand there, not having anything to offer apart from comfort." We Live in Time opens in Australian cinemas on Thursday, January 16, 2025 and in New Zealand cinemas on Thursday, January 23, 2025.
Sipping beers, standing under giant chandeliers: at the first-ever brew festival set to be held at Fortitude Music Hall, that's firmly on the agenda. The brainchild of the Range Brewing crew, this one-day event will fill the eye-catching Valley Mall venue with independent brewers for an ale of a great and boozy time — and yes, given the location, you'll be knocking back your yeasty beverages to a soundtrack. Creating the new event — which has been dubbed Juicy — Range duo Gerard Martin and Matt McIver have taken inspiration from all-inclusive brew fests overseas. So, you'll buy your ticket, get your glass and start sipping your way through all the brews on offer — without needing to worry about paying for drinks as you go. Served up in 100-millilitre tasters, there'll be more 40 specialty beers poured by 20 independent brewers. Doing the honours: Range, naturally, as well as everyone from Banks, Garage Project and Sea Legs to Wildflower, Hop Nation and Mountain Culture, with Juicy spanning not only tipples from Brisbane breweries, but also from the rest of Australia and New Zealand as well. Hitting the decks to soundtrack all that drinking are Sampology and Winston Surfshirt, as well Quivr DJs. Again, it's all happening in the exact right place for it. And to line your stomach between brews, there'll be an oyster and stout bar at The Outpost upstairs, pop-up stalls from Brissie restaurants such as Kid Curry, and also the winning combination that is steak and frites. Joining Brisbane's fast-growing lineup of food and booze festivals popping up this autumn and winter — alongside Pinot Palooza, Regional Flavours, Paniyiri and Indie Spirits Tasting, just to name a few — Juicy will run two sessions: an afternoon slot from 12–4pm and an evening one from 6–10pm. [caption id="attachment_734388" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sam Charlton[/caption]
World-class sports and international teams returning to Australia? It's a post-pandemic dream come true for rugby union fans. For the first time since 2016, the England rugby union team will be back on Australian soil to face off with the Wallabies in a three-test series. And, the second test in the series will be battled out at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium this July. At 7:55pm on Saturday, July 9, the old rivals will go head-to-head for a moment in sporting history that rugby union fans won't want to miss. The Wallabies have been waiting for this moment for half a decade, and are set to give their rival a test series they won't forget. Want to see the whole series? You can catch game one at Optus Stadium in Perth on Saturday, July 2 and the third and final game at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday, July 16. For more information and to book tickets, visit the website.
That soothing feeling that sweeps over you when you spy a cute canine, spend too much time watching internet cat videos or even just spot a picture of a newborn animal — that's the feeling at the heart of these out-of-the-ordinary wellness sessions. Sure, you've been to kitten yoga and puppy pilates, and they're both great. But we're guessing that you mightn't have tried meditating with baby goats or getting mindful with soft, cuddly lambs. After launching in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast a few years back, Karmably's cuddly classes are now a regular fixture. During them, you'll attempt to find inner bliss while surrounded by rescued baby farm animals. In short, it's the best way to de-stress when life's got your goat. After all, who can remain overwhelmed, exhausted or annoyed when they're sharing their chill-out session with actual goats? The classes focus on relaxation techniques; the session's name, Breathe In & Bleat Out, gives you an idea of just what's in store. Those heading along can expect three parts to the session: mindful stretching, meditation and snuggling the four-legged participants. If you're wondering where the concept came from, it was inspired by organiser Berenice Tan's own experiences trying to find something other than the usual mindfulness classes within Australia. Tan began to research animal therapy and, after learning of the benefits (and realising that everyone loves cute critters), her sessions with goats, lambs and even piglets were born. The bliss goes both ways, too — with Karmably not only helping humans to relax in a fun manner, but also assisting animals in need. Tan works with sanctuaries, rescue centres, and organisations such as Harmony Hooves Healing Hearts and ABC Animal Farm. They both raise baby creatures who have either been rejected by their mothers or lost their mums in other ways, and hand-rear them until they can be adopted out as pets to families who live on suitable properties. The next Brisbane sessions take place on Saturdays — on February 19, April 16 and June 18 at Elements Collective in Fortitude Valley, with session times at 8.30am, 10am and 11.30am. Tickets usually get snapped up fast, so you'll want to book yours ASAP. Updated March 4.
Sydney fine-dining institution Nel is known for its next-level set menus, with its always-popular Disney degustations taking beloved animated films and turning them into mind-blowing dishes, and its Christmas banquet bringing the ultimate festive cheer with inventive takes on seasonal classics. Now, the CBD venue is going rogue with a 11-course set menu based on everyone's favourite fried chicken fast food chain — the home of 11 secret herbs and spices, KFC. Available for $75 per person across just three days on the weekend of Friday, April 1–Sunday, April 3, the dinner will take iconic menu items from the Colonel and transform them into luxurious, unrecognisable culinary creations. The experience has been created by Nel's owner Nelly Robinson, with each course designed to combine the extravagance of Nel with the fun and playfulness associated with fast food. Highlights from the menu are too abundant to list out, but some exciting concepts you'll be presented with include supercharged wings charred and served on a bed of charcoal, a candle made of gravy that will drip onto a potato bun, and the portrait of Colonel Sanders that's used as the KFC logo recreated on a plate with flavours of fried chicken, tomato, lettuce and pepper mayo. Elsewhere on the menu, you'll find takes on popcorn chicken, Original Recipe drumsticks and the twister — all manipulated and elevated by the chefs at Nel — as well as some yet-to-be-revealed surprises. Wines will be served to compliment the dishes, and finishing off the whole affair will be a nitrogen-dipped chocolate mousse that promises to melt in your mouth. "As a lifelong fan of KFC, creating an 11-course degustation with their most-loved menu items and elevating them to new heights has been a dream come true," Robinson said. The profits are also going to a good cause, with 100-percent of the proceeds from the three nights being donated to KFC's charity partners The Black Dog Institute, ReachOut Australia and Whitelion. With both Nel and KFC expecting this limited-time banquet to be in high demand, you'll have to sign up to a waitlist at KFC's website in order to be in the running to nab tickets to the event. [caption id="attachment_846235" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nelly Robinson[/caption] KFC and Nel's degustation will be happening at a secret location in Sydney between Friday, April 1–Sunday, April 3. You can join the waitlist at KFC's website.
They don't call Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull one of the best plays of the modern era without good reason. The Russian dramatist's work, the first of his four major offerings, tells of love, art and the conflicts of both through the interplay of a quartet of interconnected characters. So we have writer Boris Trigorin, ingénue Nina, fading theatrical diva Irina Arkadina and her son and playwright Konstantin, all circling around each other. And, in the hands of director Dan Evans, we also have a new take on the quintessential dramedy — indeed, he thinks Chekhov's effort was instrumental in shaping recent television shows such as Six Feet Under, Orange Is The New Black and Transparent. Accordingly, a classic work about family, power, sex, fame and passion gets a fresh interpretation — and Brisbane audiences receive a stripped-back, raw theatre experience. At the end, hopefully you won't just think that The Seagull is one of the greatest-ever works, but that this version is as well.
If there was ever a year to see if you could stream every film and television show ever, it's the one that we've just lived through. We've all heard the jokes about 'finishing Netflix', which have felt particularly accurate in 2020. But, en masse, Australians have been gravitating to the same movies and TV programs over the past 12 months — and Netflix has just revealed the 17 most popular titles. The streaming platform hasn't detailed them in order, so no one flick or series tops the list. But it has broken down 2020's huge hits by genre, naming a film and show in each — except in the reality TV field, for self-explanatory reasons. The big trends: stars and twists. Famous faces and thorny stories feature prominently, as you probably noticed all year based on Netflix's in-platform top ten feature. So, what were we all watching? In the action genre, Aussies feasted their eyeballs on Chris Hemsworth vehicle Extraction and Karate Kid spinoff Cobra Kai. We went light and fluffy in the comedy category, thanks to Holidate and Emily in Paris. In the horror realm, IT: Chapter Two and The Haunting of Bly Manor emerged victorious — and if you're wondering about the former, which first hit cinemas in 2019, Netflix counts anything that debuted on the platform across 2020. When it came to drama, Aussies couldn't get enough of Enola Holmes and The Queen's Gambit (if you've been scoping out chess sets for Christmas, you know that's true). Spenser Confidential and The Sinner: Jamie were the top thrillers, The Kissing Booth 2 and Dash & Lily the most popular romances, and Pokémon: Detective Pikachu and Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous the kid-friendly hits. Too Hot to Handle took the reality TV crown, while, doco-wise, everyone watched American Murder: The Family Next Door. And Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness, of course, because no one can now remember a time when we didn't know who Joe Exotic was. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acTdxsoa428 Netflix didn't announce any figures to go with this list, so we don't know just how many people watched any of the above. And, obviously, popularity isn't the same as quality. Some of the above hits are great, and some are downright terrible. If Extraction and the Mark Wahlberg-starring Spenser Confidential didn't release in March and April, when the world was going into lockdown, maybe they wouldn't have attracted so many eyeballs, for instance. Australian-made shows and movies didn't score their own category, but the streaming platform did note that Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House of Fun spent almost two weeks in the local top ten. In other trends, Aussies watched 60 percent more flicks and series in languages other than English compared to 2019, doubled our viewing of Korean dramas and checked out more than twice as much anime as well. For more information about Netflix, or to stream any of the above shows and films, head to the streaming platform's website. Top image: Phil Bray/Netflix.
The restaurant bar is a curious beast. In recent times, it's gone from being something of an afterthought — at best, a prelude to the main event — to a considered part of the experience in many a restaurant. At its best, a restaurant bar is a destination in its own right. To shine the light on these spots, we've lined up some of the best restaurant bars in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane for when you want to elevate your next night on the town. Round up your crew, get the booze flowing and your night is set.
When Disney announced that it was jumping on the streaming bandwagon via its very own platform, it unsurprisingly announced a number of new Marvel series specifically made for the small screen. None are yet to arrive on Disney+ so far, following the service's launch late in 2019 — but that hasn't stopped the Mouse House adding another high-profile show to its upcoming roster. Later this year, WandaVision — focusing on Avengers Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) — will drop. At some point in the future, viewers will also be able to watch The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, about Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) and Sam Wilson/Falcon (Anthony Mackie), while Loki, starring Tom Hiddleston, was always slated for 2021. Also in the works are Hawkeye, Ms Marvel, Moon Knight and She-Hulk. And, as Variety reports, now joining them at a yet-to-be-revealed date is a show about Nick Fury. Yes, that means that Samuel L Jackson looks set to score his own Marvel series. At this stage, details are scarce — other than the fact that Jackson will star, and Kyle Bradstreet (Mr Robot) will write and executive produce. But if you've been craving more time with Fury, who usually only pops up as a supporting player, this'll be the news you've been waiting for. Fury, and therefore Jackson, did appear in two episodes of the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV show in 2013 and 2014, so this won't be the character's first small-screen outing. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Fury has popped up in 11 of its 23 films to-date, after first showing up in 2008's Iron Man. He has since featured in everything from Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger to multiple Avengers films, as well as 2019's Captain Marvel and Spider-Man: Far From Home. If you need a refresher about one of the character's recent big-screen appearances, check out the Captain Marvel trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1BCujX3pw8 Via Variety. Top image: Marvel's The Avengers. Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). Photo: Zade Rosenthal. © 2011 MVLFFLLC. TM & © 2011 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.
When Winnie-the-Pooh moseyed into a slasher movie in Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, the film endeavoured to prove that there's room in the pop-culture honeypot for multiple takes on AA Milne's beloved bear. More horror flicks are coming, because of course they are. But, embracing the usually cuddly figure's sweet and innocent side, so is a supremely nostalgic, family-friendly stage musical from Disney. Winnie the Pooh: The New Stage Adaptation debuted back in 2021 Off-Broadway, then took the Hundred Acre Wood and its famous felt residents to Chicago, back to New York, on a tour of the US and to London. The next stop on the Mouse House-created show's itinerary: Australia, starting this winter, and playing capital cities and regional towns alike. Hailing from American Australian producer, writer and director Jonathan Rockefeller, Winnie the Pooh: The New Stage Adaptation brings Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, Rabbit, Owl and Tigger to life with puppets — life-sized versions, which look as cuddly and fuzzy as anthropomorphic stuffed toys should. Also joining them is Christopher Robin, in a production that brings together a heap of songs from past Winnie-the-Pooh movies. "The music, the spectacular life-size puppets and the charming performances are the perfect way to introduce (or re-introduce) audiences to live theatre, and this is a must-see show for Winnie-the-Pooh fans," said Rockefeller, announcing the show's Australian run. "We are excited to bring the Hundred Acre Wood to Australia so that audiences of all ages can join us for this heartwarming production." Winnie the Pooh: The New Stage Adaptation will play Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra and Hobart, and also has dates booked in everywhere from Dandenong and Bunbury to Launceston and Geelong. Again, this is a firmly all-ages affair, so expect plenty of young Winnie-the-Pooh devotees in attendance. For those keen to see a childhood favourite in a new format, Australia's stages have been delivering blasts from the pasts with frequency over the past few years, spanning Frozen the Musical, Shrek the Musical, Cinderella, Mary Poppins and the upcoming Beauty and the Beast musical in Sydney, just to name a few. WINNIE THE POOH: THE NEW STAGE ADAPTATION AUSTRALIAN TOUR 2023 DATES: July 7 — Drum Theatre, Dandenong July 12–16 — Brisbane Powerhouse, Brisbane July 20-23 — Sydney Opera House, Sydney July 26–27 — Princess Theatre, Launceston August 3–6 — Theatre Royal, Hobart August 9–10 — Hopgood Theatre, Noarlunga August 16–20 — Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide Festival Centre, Adelaide August 23–24 — Mandurah Performing Arts Centre, Mandurah August 25–26 — Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre, Bunbury August 29–September 3 — Regal Theatre, Perth September 7–9 — Canberra Theatre, Canberra September 14–17 — Riverside Theatre Parramatta, Parramatta September 21–25 — Comedy Theatre, Melbourne September 27–28 — Geelong Arts Centre, Geelong September 30–October 1 — Albury Entertainment Centre, Albury Winnie the Pooh: The New Stage Adaptation tours Australia from July — for more information, and for tickets from Thursday, June 15, head to the production's website.
The Sydney Film Festival wrapped up on Sunday, June 15, after a perfectly eye-opening 12-day movie marathon. Here's what our critics loved, loathed, admired and squirmed over. The Best Films https://youtube.com/watch?v=baJK7EhCTEI BLACK COAL, THIN ICE Black Coal, Thin Ice is an exceptionally rare film in which not a single frame feels wasted. A run-down industrial city in China's frozen north provides a perfect backdrop for writer-director Diao Yinan's archetypal film noir, about an alcoholic former cop obsessed by a dead-end case. Slow pacing and minimal narrative exposition rewards an attentive viewer, but the true appeal of this ice-cold thriller is Jinsong Dong's immaculate cinematography. Although rarely flashy, every shot is invested with both an eerie beauty and a fascinating purpose, while simple images often take on new meaning as the camera patiently lingers. You'll be lucky to find a better made film this year. https://youtube.com/watch?v=06BNjqSsGqo TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT Riveting dissections of realistic situations: that's where siblings Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne have made their careers. Continuing in the same finessed vein, Two Days, One Night compels by rendering relatable, repetitive circumstances without sentiment but with surprises, following Sandra's (Marion Cotillard) attempts to convince her co-workers to forgo a cash bonus to save her job. The precision with which the filmmakers present a feature almost solely comprised of conversations cannot be underestimated, nor can Cotillard's expert efforts in illustrating the fragility of her striving but uncertain protagonist. Small in stature yet striking in its statement, this is a rare and rewarding example of the best film of the festival emerging victorious as the competition winner. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ISaSHUSrEUw BOYHOOD We usually give a film props for being either wildly experimental or successful in what it does. So to watch Boyhood, a film that's both of those things (as well as hugely entertaining), is almost overwhelming. The applause once the credits started to roll was instant and resounding, and it's surely poised to take out the Audience Award. The film's point of difference is that it was filmed over 12 years, using the same cast of actors, including Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette. Its focus is Mason (Ellar Coltrane) as he grows from 5 to 18, capturing his coming of age in a way that's ultra authentic and driven by the cast and creatives' real experience of the world. The effect is to transport you back to childhood and adolescence without your attendant judgement or cynicism, and it's a wonderful little gift. If you thought director Richard Linklater had already made his biggest impact on the film world through Before Sunrise or rotoscoping, think again. https://youtube.com/watch?v=rIEf5T3U2YA YOU'RE SLEEPING NICOLE Many films spring to mind during French Canadian comedy You're Sleeping Nicole, including Frances Ha's quirky quarter-life crisis, Ghost World's vagaries of female friendship, and After Hours' freewheeling overnight anarchy; however, Stéphane Lafleur's direct-from-Cannes offering never suffers for the comparisons. Charting its 22-year-old titular character (Julianne Côté) as she navigates the summer sans parents and struggling to sleep, it crafts a love letter to its influences and an endearing effort in its own right. There's slightness in its concept and skit-like construction, but also a sweet mood and amusing tone in its vignettes of mostly ordinary, sometimes eccentric escapades. The exquisite black-and-white cinematography draws the eye just as the eclectic gags charm the soul, in the epitome of an offbeat delight. https://youtube.com/watch?v=KinAEqb3Kts TOM AT THE FARM Xavier Dolan's Cannes Jury Prize-winning Mommy rightly overwhelmed audiences with its onslaught of aesthetics and emotions; however, it is Tom at the Farm, his previous feature, which stuns with its several layers of sheer audacity. Ostensibly the odd film out in the wunderkind writer/director's oeuvre, his fourth effort in as many years is a tense and twisty thriller of grief, desire, acceptance and identity. Playing Tom, Dolan nourishes on screen (as with off), conveying the claustrophobia and complexity of the character's rural trip to pay respects to the family of his deceased boyfriend. When awkwardness begets a strange accord within visually and thematically constrained confines, so blossoms an elegantly disarming offering that earns its Hitchcockian parallels. https://youtube.com/watch?v=TyvfQIdx_Ao WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS The perfect antidote to a program full of worthy social dramas and three-hour-long Palme d'Or winners, Sydney's closing night film was an unmistakable highlight. Flight of the Conchords star Jemaine Clement and Eagle vs Shark director Taika Waititi write, direct and star in what's billed as the latest project from the New Zealand Documentary Board: an in-depth look at the lives of four vampires who share a run-down apartment in Wellington. Think This Is Spinal Tap but with more severed arteries. Clement and Waititi have enormous fun playing with undead mythology (for example, their characters can't get into clubs unless they're specifically invited in.) Keep your eyes peeled for a release before the year is out. https://youtube.com/watch?v=K1nEmIZtrFU PARTICLE FEVER This is the film that makes physics funny and personable. Particle Fever went behind the biggest, most expensive and most controversial scientific experiment ever conducted — the Large Hadron Collider, which recreates the conditions of the 'big bang' in an effort to view the basic particles needed for a stable universe and create a blueprint for modern physics. But what it really showed us was the Mensa-style odd-bods working on the LHC — funny, yearning, obsessive individuals who make coffee, play ping-pong, decipher unintelligible contemporary art and carry regrets just like all of us. Particle Fever meets the universe's biggest questions with simple, elegant, beautiful answers, or the prospect of total, inexplicable chaos. Who would've known that documentaries can provide such childlike escapism. Miracles and wonder. The Boldest Experiments https://youtube.com/watch?v=gZscgKNT2MI FISH AND CAT A two-hour film, made in one take? A film with no editing? Once again, Iranian cinema showed us that it's at the forefront of global filmmaking. Fish and Cat went beyond what could be a gimmick to deliver one of the most compelling experiences of the festival and divide audiences (including our little reviewing team). The film portrayed a collection of professional kite-flyers embarking on a camping trip by a wintery lake and spindly forest, a series of ghostly presences, and a cyclical narrative that plays with time by showing us the same moments from different characters' perspectives. Often high concept films elevate tricky narrative ploys, but Fish and Cat went beyond cleverness to show us something honest and true. Rehearsed for two months and shot in only one take — and inspired as much by mathematics, MC Escher and physics than by cinema — Fish and Cat suggests more films need less editing and more spirit and intelligence. https://youtube.com/watch?v=TgsfyMMYAZI MANAKAMANA A cable car traverses the lush greenery of the Nepalese mountains, ferrying its contents to and from the Manakamana Temple. Each load of passengers contains pilgrims seeking the wish-fulfilling gifts of the temple's Hindu goddess — and while diverse in their constitution, they remain united in their journey. Filmed in 16mm and comprised of 11 rides towards and away from the famous destination, the documentary that shares its name continues the immersive observational ambit of Harvard University's Sensory Ethnography Lab, as previously evidenced in 2009's Sweetgrass and 2012's Leviathan. Each segment, shown uncut and spanning approximately ten minutes in duration, stands alone as couples sit in silence, friends chatter about music and play with a kitten, and even goats enjoy the aerial view, yet together they make a hypnotic and rhythmic whole. MOMMY The latest film from 25-year-old enfant terrible Xavier Dolan pours unconstrained emotion into a claustrophobic space. Shot in boxy 1:1 aspect ratio, the film tells the story of fiery widow Dianne and her troubled teenager Simon, a pair of bombastic outsiders in a white-bread, buttoned-down world. Anne Dorval and Antoine Olivier Pilon are both stunningly good, their performances positively glowing with uninhibited feeling. The tightness of the frame, meanwhile, reflects Di and Simon's limited options, even as their energy threatens to force the edges apart. This is a funny, earnest, devastating film, one that's vitalised, rather than limited, by its intriguing technical conceit. https://youtube.com/watch?v=a8vy-DO-I5E 20,000 DAYS ON EARTH 20,000 Days on Earth is a documentary that's fiction. So, there's that. It imagines the 20,000th day on earth of singer and raconteur Nick Cave, and it's a day that includes him talking to his shrink, recording an album, helping archivists make sense of his historical record, lunching with his pals, driving Kylie Minogue around Brighton, and playing at the Sydney Opera House. A pretty great day, by any standards. Instead of clarity and chronology, what you get is a fragmented sense of biography that is sometimes deeply insightful, sometimes electrifying and sometimes frustrating. Artists-turned-directors Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard have basically conjured a new format here, and there's a sense that it could be applied to tell nearly anybody's personal tale (though having the flair and flamboyance of Cave certainly helps). It's not like anyone would want every documentary to be made this way, but it sure is an interesting divergence. Most WTF Moments https://youtube.com/watch?v=9gahZEIg73I Miss Violence Greek cinema has been pretty weird lately, but no one in the cinema for Alexandros Avranas Miss Violence was quite expecting it to take the turn it did. And that's even after it started with an 11-year-old girl committing suicide at her birthday party to the soundtrack of Leonard Cohen's 'Dance Me to the End of Love'. Things got repulsive around the time of the graphic, several-minute-long teen rape scene, and they did not improve. No matter your stance on the use of trigger warnings, you'd probably feel this could have been signposted a little better in the synopsis. On Tuesday this played directly after Ruin, so the truly unlucky copped a double feature of confronting sexual violence akin to watching Irreversible twice. https://youtube.com/watch?v=lHLLMaJ27SQ LAKE AUGUST We were hoping Lake August would provide us with the kind of telescopic view of China that Westerners rarely glean. It didn't. A series of extremely long takes of characters whose names and backgrounds, desires and regrets were never revealed, left us cold and, well, a little bored. Fans of slow-burn, long-unrolling cinema will go for this, and festival curators will love the offbeat perspective this offers us — there are so many kaleidoscopic ways to understand and access the non-monolith that is China. We appreciate a tiny chip in the blockbuster schedule of sequels and comic-book franchises, but Lake August was too oblique, too distant and like China, too inexplicable. Most disappointing films https://youtube.com/watch?v=vFnmRNMBL4I COLD IN JULY Although it certainly has its defenders, few films on the festival program were as cringingly uneven as Jim Mickle's Cold in July. Set in Texas in the late 1980s, the film stars Dexter himself, Michael C. Hall, as a mild-mannered family man who shoots a home intruder. But what starts as an exploration of guilt soon takes a bizarre-left turn into John Carpenter-style slasher territory, before shifting again into pulpy film noir and then again into vengeful vigilante thriller. Good on Mickle for attempt to skew genres, but the tone is all over the map. Moreover, the character dynamics are flimsy, while certain dramatic scenes are pitched to such histrionic heights that they end up being unintentionally entertaining. https://youtube.com/watch?v=t3ofy3B90gI RUIN Amiel Courtin-Wilson's previous film Hail was an unforgettable story of down-and-out Australians whose voices are rarely heard in cinema. So Ruin, co-directed with Michael Cody, arrived with more than a little cinephile hype. It was an interesting film. But was it a successful one? Not so much. Set in Cambodia, and portraying a romance of two abused and terrified runaways, Ruin did a beautiful job of mixing a sense of observational documentary with lovely abstract, textural sequences, and it pivoted on two extraordinary, hyper-naturalistic performances.The dream fantasies were beautiful, emotionally complex and visually stunning. But it was right on the line between an open-ended film and an underbaked one. It's good to see challenging cinema that doesn't spoon-feed audiences exposition. But more answers and more context to match the gorgeous cinematography and dreaminess would have gone a long way. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ChM2icbWo9w The Rover A dark Shakespearean crime drama, 2010's Animal Kingdom was one of the most resounding Australian films in years. Not only did it launch the international careers of Ben Mendelsohn and Jacki Weaver, it also heralded the arrival of writer-director David Michôd, a filmmaker whose tightly controlled aesthetic suggested even greater things to come. His sophomore effort is The Rover, a barebones narrative that mirrors his debut in both its technical precision and its nihilistic tone. What's missing, however, is a similarly compelling set of characters. Without them, a pervasive sense of bleakness soon swallows the movie whole. Full review here. https://youtube.com/watch?v=4_8nOSuRFE4 Palo Alto Um, yuck. It may have sold out three screenings over, but Palo Alto was one long, empty cliche about coming of age. It goes to show we can't assume James Franco can write with depth just because he can act, and we can't assume that Gia Coppola can direct with expertise just because her family can. It makes an ass of u and me. By Rima Sabina Aouf, Lauren Carroll Harris, Sarah Ward and Tom Clift.
Blooming gardens, citrus fruits and delicious local food and wine are on the lineup of the annual Griffith Spring Fest. Headlining the event — which will run between Sunday, 8 October and Sunday, 22 October — is the Garden Festival where green thumbs can wander through six delightful landscaped sites, created and nurtured by local gardeners. If you can make it to the official launch party on Friday 13 October, we highly recommend you do. If for no reason other than to tuck into the super-sized communal paella that will be whipped up on the day (it's served in a very covid-safe and hygienic way, just in case you had concerns). Other standout activations include over 50 unique citrus sculptures which will line Banna Avenue for two weeks. Made from more than 100,000 locally grown oranges and grapefruit, these displays are proof that when life gives you lemons in Griffith, you transform them into robots, reclining chooks or a giant giraffe. Go old-school and join a guided bus tour, or DIY and discover the best that Griffith has to offer all by yourself. The only non-negotiable is that you squeeze the day. (Sorry). Griffith Spring Fest will run from Sunday, 8 October till Sunday, 22 October 2023. For the full event program visit their website.
Let's face it: plastic is a major problem. A petroleum-based, entirely man-made substance, plastic is the super-villain extraordinaire in the fight against pollution. Despite our recycling efforts, a lot of plastic tends to end up in the ocean, causing enormous wastelands such as the Great Garbage Patch in the Pacific where plastic to marine life ratios have reached 6:1. You'd think by now we'd have come up with an alternative. In 2009, Coca Cola released a sustainable plastic bottle of which a ground-breaking 30% was made with raw bio materials. Not good enough for PepsiCo, who announced yesterday the successful development of a 100% plant-based bottle. The prototype is made of switch grass, pine bark and corn husks, and the company plans to use orange peel, oat hulls and potato in future versions. The bottle retains a similar molecular structure to plastic, meaning it looks and feels the same – minus the environmental impact. It's a major step forward in the future of sustainable packaging. Pepsi plans to test the logistics of mass-producing the bottle in 2012, and if all goes well they'll make the switch. Let's hope they share the idea so the phase-out of plastic production can begin. [Via Fast Company]
Every December, fans of sparkling sights are gifted a luminous feast for their eyes. No, we're not talking about Christmas lights. Regardless of whether you're bathing in a festive glow or hardly fond of all the merriment, 'tis the season for the Geminids meteor shower to soar through the sky. It began on Wednesday, December 4 and finishes for 2024 on Friday, December 20. Even better: Down Under, it's at its peak on the evening of Friday, December 13 and the morning of Saturday, December 14. If you have a telescope at hand, it's clearly a great time to put it to use. Eager to catch a glimpse, even from just your backyard or balcony? Here's everything you need to know. [caption id="attachment_927790" align="alignnone" width="1920"] A composite of 88 photos taken over 60 minutes during the Geminids by Paul Balfe via Flickr.[/caption] What Is It? Lighting up the end-of-year skies, the Geminids meteor shower is considered the most spectacular meteor shower of the year. Again, Christmas lights aren't the only spectacle worth peering at this month. The Geminids is caused by a stream of debris, left by an asteroid dubbed the 3200 Phaethon, burning up in Earth's atmosphere — and it was first observed in 1862. Some years, you can catch as many as 150 meteors every 60 minutes, so this definitely isn't just any old meteor shower. [caption id="attachment_882304" align="alignnone" width="1920"] ESO/G. Lombardi via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] When to See It The 2024 shower kicked off on Wednesday, December 4, and runs through till Friday, December 20. As with every year, it's at its peak in Australia overnight mid-month — between Friday, December 13–Saturday, December 14, specifically. If you fancy a stint of stargazing, the best time to look up is on Saturday, December 14 from around 3.08am in Brisbane, 3.30am in Perth, 4.01am in Sydney, 4.13am in Melbourne and 4.18am in Adelaide — all local time. [caption id="attachment_699423" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NASA, Marshall Space Flight Center, Jeff Dai.[/caption] How to See It For your best chances, it's worth getting as far away from bright lights as possible. This could be a good excuse to head out of the city to a clear-skied camping spot — and pray for no clouds. To see the meteors, you'll need to give your eyes around 15–30 minutes to adapt to the dark (so try to avoid checking your phone) and look to the northeast. The shower's name comes from the constellation from which they appear to come, Gemini. So that's what you'll be looking for in the sky. To locate Gemini, we recommend downloading the Sky Map app — it's the easiest way to navigate the night sky (and is a lot of fun to use even on a non-meteor shower night). If you're more into specifics, Time and Date also has a table that shows the direction and altitude of the Geminids. The Geminids meteor shower runs until Friday, December 20, 2024 and will be at its peak during the night on Friday, December 13–Saturday, December 14. For further details, head to Time and Date. Top image: Asim Patel via Wikimedia Commons.
They're the chefs of tomorrow — and you can eat their meals today. Everyone loves jumping on a good thing before it blows up to epic proportions, and that's what Good Food Month's annual Young Chefs Lunch at ARIA is all about. The July 23 luncheon will showcase the culinary talent of the future and be a much finer midday meal than your average weekday grab-and-go. It's an oldie but a goodie, as far as GFM's regular events are concerned, but is 100 percent focused on young kitchen geniuses. The Urban Group's Josh Raine, Esquire's Callum Decosta, Gerard's Bistro's Alex Gregg and ARIA's own Jeong Insik will whip up a four-course meal for you to enjoy. On the menu, you can expect fried prawn heads, wagyu short rib and hibiscus cured cobia, along with a lemon myrtle, pineapple and macadamia curry combo that sounds strange yet particularly appetising. The lunch will cost you a pretty penny, but it is one of those dining experiences that will be oh so worth it.
