What will open with the Australian premiere of one of this year's Sundance hits — an Aussie movie that won one of the prestigious fest's audience awards, no less — and also feature a huge music celebration right at its centre? The 2023 Melbourne International Film Festival. Just under three months out from the Victorian capital's annual cinema showcase, MIFF has revealed its first two titles for this year, both with strong local connections. Launching the festival for 2023 is Noora Niasari's Shayda, which is set and shot in Melbourne, marks the Tehran-born, Australian-raised writer/director's feature debut and tells an autobiographical tale. Seeing Niasari leap from participating in the MIFF Accelerator Lab for short film helmers to opening the fest, the movie follows an Iranian woman and her daughter who seek refuge at a suburban Melbourne women's shelter. Cate Blanchett's Dirty Films executive produces, while 2022 Cannes Best Actress-winner Zar Amir-Ebrahimi (Holy Spider) and Australian great Leah Purcell (The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson) star. Since returning to in-person fests after two pandemic-affected virtual-only years in 2020 and 2021, this is MIFF's second homegrown opener in succession. In 2022, Goran Stolevski's coming-of-age feature Of an Age did the honours. Of course, Shayda will have ample company when it comes to local titles in 2023, including the also just-announced Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story. The documentary will enjoy its world premiere at MIFF, as the festival's first-ever gala screening from its regular Music on Film program. Celebrating the late Australian record executive and promoter, who passed away in 2021, Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story steps through its namesake's life and career. Unsurprisingly, it has plenty of well-known names joining in to pay tribute, with featured interviewees spanning Kylie Minogue, Dave Grohl, Sting, Ed Sheeran, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel and Jimmy Barnes. And, when the Paul Goldman (Suburban Mayhem)-directed doco plays MIFF mid-fest, it will score red-carpet events across multiple Melbourne venues. As for what else will screen in the festival's 71st year, the rest of the program will start being revealed in early June, ahead of the full 2023 MIFF lineup drop in July. Whatever ends up on the bill after Shayda and Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story, they'll join a fest that'll continue its 2022 format of playing in cinemas in Melbourne (from Thursday, August 3–Sunday, August 20) and at regional Victorian locations (from Friday, August 11–Sunday, August 13 and Friday, August 18–Sunday, August 20), and also once again expand its audience by bringing back online platform MIFF Play (from Friday, August 18–Sunday, August 27). Shayda's opening-night session will screen on Thursday, August 3, with tickets for MIFF members available from 8am on Tuesday, May 23 and general public sales from 10am on Thursday, May 25. If you're keen to see Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story, it'll premiere on Thursday, August 10, with tickets available at the same times as Shayda. The 2023 Melbourne International Film Festival runs from Thursday, August 3–Sunday, August 20 at a variety of venues around Melbourne; from Friday, August 11–Sunday, August 13 and Friday, August 18–Sunday, August 20 in regional Victoria; and online nationwide with MIFF Play from Friday, August 18–Sunday, August 27. For further details, including the full program from Tuesday, July 11, visit the MIFF website.
Melbourne artist Sayraphim Lothian doesn't make art that hangs on walls in galleries. You're more likely to find her work hiding in a tree, resting on a bench or nestled under a bush. She likes to leave people little gifts, just to make their day that little bit more special and fun. This March Sayraphim's mission is to bring guerrilla kindness to Christchurch, which is still rebuilding following the horrific 2011 earthquake. Journey - The Kakapo of Christchurch is a two-week public art project that uses the Kakapo's journey to recovery as a metaphor for Christchurch's journey to regeneration. A native of New Zealand, the Kakapo is the world's heaviest flightless parrot. It's population dwindled to a mere 18 in the 1970s, and since then, the Kakapo has been on its own journey of healing thanks to conservation group Kakapo Recovery. Even though the Kakapo is still endangered, there are now 124 birds alive and well in the wild. "I want to do this project to celebrate the resilience and unity of the people of Christchurch after the earthquakes and the recovery of the Kakapo from near extinction," Sayraphim says. "Neither of these things could have happened without the resourcefulness and kindness of the people involved." From March 13-23, 2014, the artist will travel to Christchurch to install 124 soft sculpture Kakapos around the city. These birds will be left for people to find and move, hide, remove, adopt or throw away. Part participatory art project, part game, part scavenger hunt and part social media check in, Journey invites people to get involved with an art project on a personal level. Each soft sculpture bird will have a tag attached, introducing it to the finder as well as having Journey's website address to provide more information about the project. There will also be a hashtag for social media so people can follow the Kakapos' journey around the city. You can help make this project happen by contributing your own act of guerrilla kindness. In exchange for your pledge you will receive a reward, which could include your very own handmade Christchurch Kakapo.
Anything humans can eat, dogs think that they can munch on as well. But as every responsible pet parent knows, that isn't actually the case. So, we've all weathered those adorable, yearning, pleading looks from our beloved pooches as we've tucked into something that they'd like to taste as well. And, we've all felt the heartbreak at letting our cute critters down — even though it's for their health. Does your doggo get a twinkle in their eye whenever there's a doughnut around? It wouldn't be the first — and, until Monday, September 18, it's in luck. For International Dog Day on Saturday, August 26, Krispy Kreme has announced the return of its limited-edition range of "doggie doughnuts". They're doughnut-inspired dog biscuits, actually, but they sure do look like the real thing. First introduced in 2021, the eye-catching bikkies are a collaboration with Sunshine Coast-based pet treats business Huds and Toke, and they come in six different varieties. If you love Krispy Kreme's original glazed doughnuts, perhaps your pupper will adore the dog biscuit version as well. Or, you could let then go barking mad over choc iced, choc cookie, choc cheesecake, choc sprinkles and strawberry sprinkles varieties. The biscuits aren't made from doughnuts or from chocolate, of course; instead, they use a hard-baked cookie base, as well as frosting made from ingredients like carob that's been designed specifically for dog jaws. The bikkies are also meant to be good for chewing and for dental cleaning — and they're designed to last longer than your usual dog treat. If these round delights will get your four-legged friend's tail wagging, you can buy them in six-packs (for $14.90) while stocks last at Krispy Kreme stores — including via drive-thru. And, they are just for pets. So, just like how Fido or Rover can't have your doughnut, you can't have their version either. Grab some on the weekend of Saturday, August 26–Sunday, August 27 and you'll also score a complimentary pup cup. Krispy Kreme's doggie doughnuts are now available from the chain's stores in Australia and New Zealand until Monday, September 18. Images: Michael Leckie / PinPep.
If you've seen and loved the show Girls, then you know what a character Lena Dunham is. Her work on the big screen is equally amusing. The one-woman-wonder wrote, directed and starred in Tiny Furniture, a clever and amusing coming-of-age dramedy about a bright but lost young woman coming to terms with her stagnant life. In Tiny Furniture, 22-year-old Aura (Dunham) moves back into her artist mother's Tribeca loft after graduating from university. With a useless film degree, a boyfriend who's left her for Burning Man, a dying hamster and no job, Aura is a desperate for someone to tell her what to do. Luckily, her imprudent childhood friend (Jemima Kirke from Girls) and some feckless love interests (including Alex Karpovsky, also from Girls) are thrown in the mix for plenty of roguish escapades. Through gritted teeth and a forced smile, Aura puts her self out there, lands a job at a crummy restaurant and tries to make something of her life like any other twenty-something in New York City. With a witty cast of characters — including her real-life mother, sister and best friend — Dunham's story hits close to home (and was actually filmed in her parents'). Winning Best Narrative Feature at South by Southwest and Best Screenplay at the 2012 Independent Spirit Awards, this indie darling has all the salty, satirical and sardonic humour that captivated us even before Girls. Tiny Furniture is available on DVD and digital download on October 23. Thanks to Transmission Home Entertainment, we've got five DVD copies to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=GuD6wF_GPOY
The night owls of the northside have scored an eclectic new drinking den, hidden upstairs behind an unassuming facade on Northcote's Arthurton Road. The newly opened Kepler's Yard is both a cosy cocktail bar and an escapist's delight, taking both its name and inspiration from legendary astronomer and mathematician Johannes Kepler. Venture on up and you'll find an intimate space featuring cheerfully mismatched thrifted furniture, themed trinkets and walls decorated with an array of astronomy-related paraphernalia. Heavy red drapes and gilded mirrors lend an old-world vibe, while squashy vintage lounges encourage lengthy late-night visits. As a neighbour and sibling to music venue 24 Moons, it's little surprise Kepler's Yard will be championing creativity across a regular program of DJ nights, musical offerings, comedy performances and even live drawing sessions. And, from 5pm every Sunday, local crew Pelican Villa delivers a chilled-out curation of weekend-wrapping sounds for Spin City Sundays. Stay tuned for some regular trivia, too. Otherwise, it's a comfy haunt where you can tuck into vinyl tunes and crafty cocktails well into the wee hours — the bar's open until 3am Tuesday to Thursday, with a 5am close on Fridays and Saturdays. The lineup of planet-themed libations might include the whisky- and ginger-infused Mars Attacks, as well as the Neptune Nip — a rich blend of bourbon, chocolate bitters and vanilla. Alongside those sits an all-Aussie offering of wine, beer and cider. And, while there's no kitchen as such, you can order in a bite from various local eateries to be dropped off straight to your table or couch. Find Kepler's Yard at 2 Arthurton Road, Northcote — open from 6pm–3am Tuesday–Thursday, 6pm–5am Friday–Saturday and 6pm–1am Sunday.
It's been a while since the pop world has heard from controversial pop queen Lily Allen, but her new video proves that she's been listening in. Her newest song, 'Hard Out Here', is one that goes to town on quite a few facets of the pop world, including misogyny in music and fashion, unrealistic ideas of feminine beauty and, unsurprisingly, twerking. The accompanying music video pushes the envelope even further, tearing into the idea of 'thinness' as well as making a few sarcastic jibes at product placement and over-the-top sexualisation on our screens. As per the majority of Allen's music and videos, there is a strong flavour of humour about her latest offering, and it's not too hard to figure out what the megastar and mum of two is trying to say. In fact, she says it quite blatantly and repeatedly, especially in the throwaway line describing "a glass ceiling that needs breaking". With her slew of swears, constant crotch-grabbing and obvious confusion at the style of dancing favoured by some pop stars (Miley Cyrus will remain nameless), Allen's first musical offering in nearly four years has garnered over half a million hits in the last day. Which is quite a lot for what is essentially a great, big middle finger to the ego of the music industry. Good to have you back, Lily. https://youtube.com/watch?v=E0CazRHB0so
With international borders reopening, it's time to start dreaming of your next overseas getaway. If you're looking for some next-level inspiration for a place to stay, Airbnb's Instagram has it in spades. Showcasing some of the most picturesque stays you can book through the platform, Airbnb's Instagram feed is full of awe-inspiring accommodation that'll see you checking out flights to the other side of the globe. If you don't have time to scroll through the account's thousands of posts, Airbnb has put together a list of the most liked images from its Instagram from 2021. Coming in at number one is a blissful wooden A-frame cabin smack-bang in the middle of the Zion National Park in Utah. The US accommodation boasts stunning views of the Zion Mountains, however it seems to be booked out for the foreseeable future. Plenty of other homes on the list have dates open if you're looking to head overseas for a trip that'll make all your friends envious. Coming in as the second most-liked post of last year, the Raven Rock Treehouse is perched high up on a 40-acre wilderness preserve in Fletcher, North Carolina. The idyllic treehouse stay is also reasonably priced, with one night setting you back $179. Further south in Mexico you'll find the Villa Amalfi. This five-bedroom spot can house up to ten people for a luxurious trip to Tulum. For $986 a night, you can enjoy this villa's unique outdoor pool, solar-powered in-room jacuzzi, garden swing and gourmet kitchen. And, over in Serbia you'll find the Mariner Boathouse, a floating home docked at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers in the country's capital Belgrade. You can check out the full list over at Airbnb's website, and if you're not ready to book a trip out of Australia just yet, Airbnb has plenty of places to stay in Australia's backyard. If you're looking for the most beautiful and interesting homes you can rent in Australia, browse through our bucket list of hundreds of lush getaways, from secluded cabins oozing with romance to enchanting stays scattered around Tasmania. [caption id="attachment_840722" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mariner Boathouse[/caption] All images courtesy of Airbnb. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
There's no shortage of sandwich shops making waves these days. But a new limited-time special at Tombo Den has just hit the scene, ready to grab your attention with Japanese-inspired sandos. Served from midday Friday–Sunday, there are two loaded options bound to satisfy your cravings: prawn menchi-katsu with wasabi tartare and lettuce, and pork katsu with truffle mayo and barbecue sauce. With both served on fluffy white bread à la shokupan, these hearty creations are also presented with a handful of crisps to give you a little more crunch. Priced at $18.50 each, this lunchtime sando will leave you feeling stuffed until dinner comes around. There's also the option to level things up. For $7.50, add a side of ramen fries, or get the weekend started with a yuzu spritz priced at $13.50. If you want the entire trio, the so-called Tombo Combo is the ultimate lunch fix. Situated at the Windsor end of Chapel Street, Tombo Den is Chris Lucas' take on a throwback Japanese eatery, inspired by his time living and working in Tokyo in the 90s. Paying respect to the nation's street food and izakaya culture, expect casual fare and boozy nights. There's an expert team in the back-of-house, with Head Chef Dan Chan (Supernormal and Michelin-starred Yardbird in Hong Kong) spearheading the culinary offering. Meanwhile, Tokyo-born master sommelier Yuki Hirose has curated Tombo Den's tight but expressive drinks lineup. [caption id="attachment_971728" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Credit: Michael Pham[/caption] [caption id="attachment_971729" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Credit: Michael Pham[/caption] Tombo Den's weekend sando special is available for a limited time from 12pm Friday–Sunday at 100a Chapel Street, Windsor. Head to the website for more information.
If you've ventured down Collingwood's Wellington Street lately, you probably would have been intrigued by a certain eye-catching corner building, decked out with a bold black and white façade, and 'coming soon' signs in the windows. Well now, Chotto Motto is up, running and ready to play. The lively Japanese haunt is a joint effort from Dylan Jones and Tomoya Kawasaki, the latter who is behind fellow mod-Japanese hits Wabi Sabi Salon and Neko Neko. Kawasaki is also the voice behind Jones' affirmation-slinging Instagram pooch, Tofu Pupper. At Chotto Motto, it's the humble gyoza that reigns supreme, specifically crisp-based Hamamatsu-style dumplings that are served as a group, flipped upside down. Grab a 10 or 20-piece feed, in flavours like spicy kimchi miso pork, free-range chicken and coriander, or the vegan-friendly nasu dengaku eggplant. Small plates might include the likes of furikake-seasoned fries, taco-style wagyu teriyaki roll-ups, or crisp cauliflower karaage matched to a Thai basil mayo. A tidy range of katsu sandwiches is also on the cards — get excited for these classic combinations of white bread, cabbage slaw and tonkatsu sauce, sandwiched with panko fried prawn croquettes, or maybe some crunchy katsu chicken. A Japanese vending machine comes stocked with a hefty range of imported craft beers, and the cocktail lineup rocks a distinct Japanese twist — and features an interesting matcha sour. There's soft serve to finish, too, with a new flavour rotating each month. The space itself is equally upbeat, between the Japanese slot machine, the neon glow and an assortment of knick knacks scattered throughout. You'll catch a vibrant mural by Mitch Walder gracing one interior wall, while outside's head-turning paint job is the work of Melbourne street artist Chehehe. Find Chotto Motto at 287 Wellington Street, Collingwood. It's open from 5–10.30pm Monday–Saturday.
There are all sorts of bad movies. Some, like Palo Alto, smack of pretention and self-indulgence. Others, like Grace of Monaco, are poorly written and incompetently made. Yet others, like The Rover, fail on a level that is more difficult to quantify, unable to deliver a satisfying experience in spite the qualities they possess. Then there are movies like Yves Saint Laurent. For them, the word 'bad' seems inappropriate, because it suggests that they are in any way noteworthy. A French-language biopic on the eponymous fashion icon — a man whose name and designs altered the world of luxury clothing forever — Yves Saint Laurent is so bland, conventional and boring that it barely registers as a movie at all. Actor-turned-director Jalil Lespert follows the biopic playbook to the inoffensive letter. Guillaume Gallienne plays Laurent's long-time lover and business partner, whose wistful voiceover gives a rose-coloured tint to the already obsequious treatment. YSL himself is played by the gangly Pierre Niney; the competent enough actor saddled with a totally uninteresting role. And therein lies the film's biggest problem: Laurent's arc — from youthful prodigy to cocksure rebel to lonely, introverted genius — is one that we've seen played out literally hundreds of times before. So we watch, with utter indifference, as he alienates his friends and turns an industry on its head. Or so we're told, anyway. Thinly drawn side characters flit in and out as the years go by, each there to remind us that Laurent is changing the game. At a certain point, you just have to take their word for it. To be fair, even a layman can recognise the beauty of his designs, which Lespert trots out in montage after golden-hued montage. For fashionistas, at least, the film gives you plenty nice to look at. But clothes, despite what the old adage says, do not make the man. Laurent's work was remarkable, but his life, unfortunately, was not. So we're left with a film that is purely surface level, and that fades from your memory the second the end credits role. In some ways, you actually wish it were worse, because at least then there'd be something more to say about it. If nothing else, Grace of Monaco was fun to make fun of. Yves Saint Laurent doesn't even give you that. https://youtube.com/watch?v=-ec-DQ_7EUM
Everyone's 2022 streaming obsession is mere months away from making our comeback, bringing all those beef sandwich cravings along with it. After proving one of the best new shows of 2022, and also increasing the amount of times that "yes chef!" is yelled by approximately 75,000 percent, The Bear will return this winter. To whet appetites, it has just served up its first teaser trailer for its second season, too. When season two arrives, don't expect to slide back into The Bear's kitchen chaos like no time has passed, though. As this debut sneak peek shows, things have changed at the show's central sandwich shop. That won't come as a surprise if you've watched season one, of course — and where the Golden Globe-winning series is going from here hasn't yet been revealed. The Bear was renewed for season two before the show even made its way Down Under, after debuting in the US last June, then reaching Australia and New Zealand via Disney+ at the end of August. Given that it's now a huge hit, here's hoping that audiences here won't experience a delay again this time around when it hits the US in June again. This go-around will span ten episodes, giving viewers two extra servings of chaos surrounding Carmen 'Carmy' Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White, Shameless) and his culinary endeavours. While season one already saddled him more than his fair share of troubles and struggles, there's no way that season two is going to a cruisy dream for the kitchen ace. If you missed the first season, it jumped into the mayhem after Carmy took over The Original Beef of Chicagoland, his family's business, after his brother Mikey's (Jon Bernthal, We Own This City) suicide. Before returning home, the chef's resume spanned Noma and The French Laundry, as well as awards and acclaim. Accordingly, trying to bring that fine-dining level of meticulous to a neighbourhood sandwich shop didn't go smoothly. That's just the beginning of the story, in a series that truly conveyed what it's like to work in the hospitality industry — including navigating a restaurant kitchen's non-stop intensity. Yes, the mood is anxious from the outset, with The Bear's creator Christopher Storer (who also has Ramy, Dickinson and Bo Burnham: Make Happy on his resume) starting the series as he definitely meant to go on, but still expertly managing to balance drama and comedy. Also a crucial part of the show: the rest of the impressive cast, such as Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Dropout) as Richie, aka Cousin, aka Carmy's brother's best friend; Ayo Edebiri (Dickinson) as new sous chef Sydney; Abby Elliott (Indebted) as Carmy's sister Natalie, aka Sugar; and Lionel Boyce (Hap and Leonard), Liza Colón-Zayas (In Treatment) and Edwin Lee Gibson (Fargo) among the other Original Beef staff. Check out the first teaser trailer for The Bear season two below: The Bear streams via Disney+, with season two set to return in June — we'll update you with an exact season two release date when one is announced. Read our full review of season one. Top image: Matt Dinerstein/FX.
A couple of streets back from Hampton beach is where you'll find Frankie + Coco Lifestyle — a boutique committed to making life more beautiful. Frankie + Coco stocks a range of homewares including furniture, decor, kitchenware, wall prints, body products and fragrances. Inspired by its near-seaside location, the store is best described as coastal and eclectic; you'll find Australian-themed planters shaped as dingos, kangaroos with joeys and wombats, Frida Kahlo-inspired art and tableware, brass hooks, bottle openers and candle holders featuring flamingos, alligators, pineapples and crabs, and bright prints of beaches from around the world. If you're overwhelmed by the sheer number of options, Frankie + Coco offers a styling service to help you bring your home to life. After browsing, pop across the road to Frankie + Coco Fashion, which stocks a variety of clothing, accessories and swimwear for men, women and children. Frankie + Coco Fashion is located at 287 Hampton Street, Hampton.
Victorians are preparing to say goodbye to plastic bags as the State Government today confirmed it will impose a statewide ban from late 2019. The Department of Land, Water and Planning has announced that all bags less than 35 microns thick will be banned — that includes degradable, biodegradable and compostable options. Regular black bin bags, animal waste bags and those little bags you put your fruit and veggies in at the supermarket won't fall under the ban. After conducting a public consultation late last year, the Victorian Government received an "enormous amount of feedback" in favour of delivering the ban. "The Government will continue to work closely with Victorian communities and businesses to design the ban — to ensure it works for all Victorians and our environment," said Environment Minister Lily D'Ambrosio. Premier Daniel Andrews announced the ban on The Project back in October last year in response to a #BanTheBag Change.org petition run by the nightly Ten current affairs program. The move brings the state into line with South Australia, the ACT, the Northern Territory, Tasmania and Queensland, who announced it will next year ditch lightweight single-use plastic bags in September 2017. NSW is now the only state that hasn't committed to banning single-use bags. Woolworths has stopped stocking plastic bags at the checkout, and Coles will do the same from this weekend. Instead, the supermarkets will provide thicker, more durable options that won't be included in this ban — but, even though they're meant to be more reusable, it's hard to say if people will use them any differently to the way they use single-use bags now.
Summer is officially over. We know that not just because it's March, but because, as has become custom at this time of year, Vivid Sydney has this morning announced its program for 2019. Get ready to be ensconced in projections once again — the festival of light, music and ideas is returning for 23 days and nights from May 24 to June 15. The first couple of tidbits from this year's program were handed to us a few weeks ago, with the announcement that The Cure will do four shows at the Sydney Opera House from May 24–28 — their only Australian shows this time round. Tickets have already been allocated via ballot, so we hope you jumped on that already. Carriageworks announced its first headline music act, too, with Rüfüs Du Soul taking over the arts precinct for three nights of electro bangers on June 13, 14 and 15. The most overt (and unavoidable) aspect of the program is the lights, and for the second year running their glow will head across the bridge to light up Luna Park. It will extend the reach of the CBD's Light Walk from Circular Quay, Darling Harbour and Barangaroo with a collection of 50 large-scale projections stretching along the walk's three kilometres. Should make good viewing from the ferry. Some of the immersive light installations you'll encounter throughout the precincts include a pop-up 'winter camp' in Barangaroo, a 'robot spaceland' in Darling Harbour, 300 large-scale animal sculptures in Taronga Zoo, a playable cascading harp in Chatswood and an immersive field of 500 fireflies in the Royal Botanic Garden. Pixar is also jumping on board this year, and will be projecting characters from its classic animated flicks onto the façade of the Argyle Cut in the Rocks. The Sydney Opera House's sails will this year be lit up with hypnotic images of Australian flora from LA artist and video maker Andrew Thomas Huang (who has previously created music videos for Björk), and Customs House will be transformed into an underwater wonderland — covered in neon projections of creatures found under the Harbour it overlooks. Vivid Music is once again in fine form. Joining The Cure for the Vivid Live component of the program at the Opera House will be folk rock singer Sharon Van Etten, performing hits of her poignant new album Remind Me Tomorrow, American singer Maggie Rogers and Perth up-and-comer Stella Donnelly, who's heading to the harbour city fresh off the back of the release of her new album Beware of the Dogs. Jónsi, from Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós, and Alex Summers (known as Jónsi & Alex) will be performing an ethereal show complete with a 21-piece orchestra and 12-member choir in the Concert Hall. The Opera House's super popular Studio Parties will also make their return. Last year's music lineup throwback came in the form of 90s hits Ice Cube and Cat Power. This year, British electronic group Underworld, best known for the house and techno hits they released in the 90s, will be flying the nostalgia flag. If the name is a little unfamiliar to you, you'll definitely recognise their single 'Born Slippy (Nuxx)'. Famed jazz musician Herbie Hancock, who started his career in the Miles Davis Quintet back in the 60s, will also be taking to the stage, performing hits from across his five-decade career. Another big one is a performance from FKA Twigs who's bringing her experimental dream pop to Carriageworks, and the City Recital Hall has a solid program this year, including a performance by Paul Kelly and James Ledger. Live music gigs will also be held across the city as part of the program, including at the Lansdowne, Ziggy's hairdresser and 107 Redfern. Vivid Ideas is, of course, back for those keen to delve into creativity, science and technology — and this year it's scored Spike Lee as its big-ticket speaker. Lee will be in town to chat about his personal political views as well as his award-winning 2018 flick BlackKklansman. There's plenty more where that came from, check the Vivid Sydney website for more details. Vivid Sydney returns from May 24–June 15, 2019. Images: DNSW and Hamilton Lund.
If you're the kind of restaurant-goer who picks their places to eat based on accolades, acclaim and applause, then you'll be familiar with France's Mirazur. The three Michelin-starred eatery sits in the French Riviera near the Italian border, calls an old 1930s villa home, and is the work of Argentinian-born chef and owner Mauro Colagreco, who takes culinary inspiration from his Italian grandparents. It's also a former winner of the World's Best 50 Restaurants' top spot, and it should be high on everyone's food bucket list. For three weeks in autumn, from Friday, March 10–Friday, March 31, Mirazur is also visiting Australia. Its destination: the hatted The Gantry at Pier One Sydney Harbour, where the coveted restaurant will put on its first-ever Harbour City residency. That'll make ticking off a visit a whole lot easier — no overseas plane ticket required. [caption id="attachment_728308" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mirazur, Nicolas Lobbestael[/caption] Swapping one waterfront locale for another, Colagreco is making the trip Down Under from Menton near Nice on the Cote D'Azur, accompanied by a sizeable portion of his team. That includes Mirazur's Chief Operating Officer Maria Tancredi and Executive Chef Luca Mattioli, as well as front-of-house and kitchen staff, plus sommeliers. Silvina Dayer, its agronome — aka garden scientist — will also head our way with the crew. Heroing Australian ingredients, the Mirazur cohort will serve up a multi-course tasting menu, plus snacks, which won't come cheap — $685 per person, in fact, with wine pairings starting from an extra $210. [caption id="attachment_888022" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matteo Carassale[/caption] The specific focus: using the best Aussie wares they can source, working with producers who are respectful and passionate about the land and sea, to whip up an original menu that showcases the restaurant's commitment to sustainability, nature and biodiversity. Taking inspiration from different cultures and cooking environments, and highlighting their ingredients and suppliers, is what the Mirazur Beyond Borders project is all about — which this residency slots into. "Mirazur Beyond Borders is the opportunity for us to enrich our knowledge, philosophy and commitment. I have visited Australia a few times and what excites me is that it is a country where there is a huge diversity of nature, landscapes, and species," said Colagreco, announcing the Sydney jaunt. "It's very important for me and my team to learn from and experiment with the ingredients we find in the country we visit, and to learn from all the people and products we encounter on the way. Although we are coming to Australia for a few weeks, I already know we will leave with something that lasts forever," he continued. "I am thrilled to cook in Sydney, as it's such a diverse Australian city, where many cultures and foods coexist. What I love about Australian gastronomy, and particularly Sydney's, is that it has been influenced by many different cultures, from Asian to European, and a large range of produce to create its own gastronomy, and reinvents itself constantly." [caption id="attachment_650654" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Gantry, Alana Dimou[/caption] Mirazur will temporarily take up residence in Sydney just a few months before three Michelin-starred English restaurant L'Enclume, from British chef Simon Rogan, does the same in July and August. Mirazur Beyond Borders at The Gantry, Pier One Sydney Harbour, will run from Friday, March 10–Friday, March 31 — operating for lunch and dinner Wednesday–Sunday. Head to the residency's website for bookings from 12pm AEST on Tuesday, February 13, and to register for the priority list in advance.
TamJai Mixian is huge in Hong Kong, with the city home to over 50 stores serving big bowls of cheap and totally customisable noodles. And now, it's finally coming to Australia. But instead of opening just one store and seeing how it goes, the team already has four planned to open within the next few months. The first Melbourne TamJai is slated to open on Swanston Street on Thursday, November 28, followed by a Melbourne Central location in December. Come 2025, there will also be TamJai noodle shops in Box Hill and Glen Waverley. For those not in the know, what is TamJai Mixian all about? Simply put, it's a fast-food noodle shop that pairs rice noodles (cooked al dente) with a myriad of spicy soup bases and toppings. It's garnered huge popularity in Hong Kong thanks to its generous portions of cheap and boldly flavoured eats. The team boasts that over 10,000 units of its TamJai Supreme Mixian dish are sold every day in Hong Kong alone, with even more sold at stores in China, Singapore and Japan. But the Australian TamJais will be a little different to its Asian counterparts. The brand is using these sites to demo a new visual identity for the brand with bold graphics, a new logo and a colourful, modern restaurant fitout designed to appeal to an Aussie audience. Each store will even have a soup-tasting counter so that new customers can get acquainted with the spice levels of Tam Jai's signature soup bases, which range from 'non-spicy' to 'hell fire'. Punters can also choose from six different kinds of soup bases, into which they can add a large selection of fresh meat, fish and vegetables — plus, a few Hong Kong local specialties for the more adventurous noodle lovers. These will start at $17.90 and go up depending on how many toppings you add. Beyond noodles, you can also find the team's TuFei chicken wings (coated in a secret seasoning), sliced pork belly with mashed garlic and chilli oil, and drinks like Hong Kong-style lemon tea — similar to its soups, you can customise this with your desired level of sweetness. Daren Lau, Chairman and CEO TamJai International Company Limited shared, "Bringing TamJai Mixian to Australia has been our most eagerly anticipated overseas expansion to date, and we're excited to introduce Aussies to the Mixian food category. "We also know that there is a large population of Hong Kongers both visiting and living in Melbourne who will welcome the arrival of one of their favourite comfort foods from back home." TamJai Mixian's first Melbourne Location will open on Thursday, November 28 at 231 Swanston Street, Melbourne. Shops at Melbourne Central, Glen Waverley and Box Hill will open in the months following. For more information, check out the group's website.
After almost two years of waiting, there's less than two weeks left until Stranger Things returns to your Netflix queue to unravel more of the Upside Down's mysteries. Come July, the beloved series will finally unveil its latest 80s-set supernatural chapter, much to the delight of fans everywhere. And if you've been counting down the days for far too long, the streaming platform has gifted fans with another look at the series' new eight episodes. As we saw in the show's first full season three trailer three months ago, everyone is back — although the main crew is a little older, so expect teenage versions of Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Eleven (Millie Bobbie Brown), Will (Noah Schnapp), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) and Max (Sadie Sink) this time around. Elsewhere, Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) still looks shaken, Hawkins police chief Jim Hopper (David Harbour) is still a man on a mission, and everyone's favourite walking hairstyle — aka Steve Harrington (Joe Keery) — is now working in an ice cream parlour. Of course he is. Steve's place of work isn't a minor detail. As the marketing campaign has made plain and this new trailer expands upon, the brand new Hawkins mall plays a major part in the new batch of episodes. It's the sunny summer of 1985 in the small town, and its inhabitants are making the most of the warm weather, lack of school and abundance of free time that comes with it by hanging out at the shops. And dallying with more monsters, naturally. Said critter don't appear to be just regular ol' Demogorgons, either. This time, the creatures have a voice, too, advising Eleven and the gang that "we're going to end you, we're going to end your friends, and we're going to end everyone." While she thought she had banished them from our world at the end of the last season, it seems that's not how things have turned out. Adding to a list of trailers, alongside the season's initial cryptic teaser, this new footage also serves up plenty of other bits and pieces, but we'll let you discover the rest by watching. Check out the full trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcnHOQ-cHa0 Stranger Things season three arrives on Netflix on Thursday, July 4. Images: Netflix.
Once an alleyway where literal beans were sold, the Queen Victoria Market's String Bean Alley has today reopened as a bustling shopping hub home to 26 stalls. Making their homes in quirky and colourful shipping containers, the stalls are a combination of new and old, with 14 existing and 12 sparkly new shops. Wander through the fairy light-lit laneway on Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Wednesday nights (during the Night Market) and you'll find novels at Mary Martin (a 75-year-old bookshop), vintage cameras at the just-opened Retro Mamma, 90s fashion at Miss Brown Vintage and hemp skincare at The Hemp Superstore, as well as everything form Japanese homewares to Akubras, fresh flowers and vegan and organic skincare. [caption id="attachment_732059" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Market City[/caption] The little laneway isn't short on food and drink options either, with Melbourne Cocoa's truffles and hot chocolates, Market Espresso's cheesy toasties and buttery pastries, Little League's coffee and Ronnie Z's juices, acai bowls and soups. And, if you can't find something that'll quite hit the spot, you have the rest of the market's 600 retailers just next door to explore. The relaunch of the alley is part of the $250 million revitalisation of the newly heritage-listed market, which also includes a new $70 million community hub, replacing the current car park with a 1.5-hectare public open space and the restoration of existing structures, such as the food hall facade and sheds. You can read more about the QVM's makeover here. String Bean Alley is now at the Queen Vic Market on Friday–Saturday 8am–3pm, Sunday 9am–4pm and Wednesday 5–10pm during Night Market events.
Can't stop losing your drink bottle? Frank Green's brand-new Glow in the Dark collection can help you keep track of it, day and night. Available for a limited time in three neon pastel colours, this illuminating drop is more than bright enough to see during the day, and transforms with a gentle glow in the dark. Playing on a trio of nostalgic colours that wouldn't look out of place in a 80s workout video, these design-led bottles are available in yellow, green and orange, aka Star Glow, Aurora Glow and Solar Glow. Soaking up daylight to radiate at night in ever-changing patterns, no two bottles glow the same. Made with Frank Green's premium ceramic reusable bottle design, crafted from at least 90% recycled stainless steel, there's two sizes to consider — 595ml and 1 litre. For those keen to treat their glowing bottle right, you can also purchase Frank Green Bottle Bumper Guards in the same colours, helping to protect it from dings and scratches. You'll also be happy to know these bottles are triple-wall vacuum-insulated to keep your beverage icy cold or steaming hot. Meanwhile, they feature a ceramic lining that doesn't impact taste, while the spill-proof lid makes it easy to sip on the move without having to stress about leaks soaking your bag. If you're keen to stock up on the new range, you'll get the brightest, most luminous results by placing your bottle in direct sunlight for at least 30 minutes to help it charge. While indoor light also works, sunlight is the way to go, if possible. In return, your bottle will glow vividly for about 30 minutes before gradually softening over the next few hours. Ready to sip and glow? Visit the official website to browse the new collection. Melbourne-based fans can head to Frank Green's Chadstone flagship to get an in-person glimpse. You'll also discover adorable glow-in-the-dark sticker sheets to customise your bottle, alongside reusable party cups, perfect for cocktails with a difference at your next late-night event. Frank Green's Glow in the Dark collection is available now online and in-store at Chadstone. Head to the website for more information.
It's a familiar setup: a remote house, a family haunted by decades-old troubles, a murky history that's still leaving an imprint and tension levels rising when, naturally, strange things start to happen. As it has been for countless scary flicks before it, that's the broad overall premise of new Australian horror movie Relic; however this Sundance-premiering film has more than a few tricks up its sleeves. Emily Mortimer (Mary Poppins Returns), Robyn Nevin (Top of the Lake), and Bella Heathcote (Bloom) star as three generations of a Victorian-based family — with Mortimer's Kay called back to her family home when her widowed elderly mother Edna (Nevin) disappears. With her own daughter Sam (Heathcote) in tow, Kay first endeavours to find her missing mum. Then, when Edna reappears suddenly without any explanation for her absence, Kay and Sam try to ascertain just why Edna's house — and, increasingly, Edna too — seems so sinister. The feature directorial debut of Japanese-Australian filmmaker Natalie Erika James — who cowrote the script with fellow first-time Christian White — the instantly disturbing but still slow-burning Relic takes its creepy, eerie look and feel seriously, as the film's trailer shows. As it trifles with the supernatural and provides many a well-executed jump, bump and unnerving sensation, the smart and thoughtful movie also uses its concept and plot to ponder the physical and emotional impact of ageing, including dementia. Aussie audiences can get unsettled — including by the film's labyrinthine main setting and its nerve-rattling soundscape — when Relic hits Stan on Friday, July 10. Across the ditch, it arrives courtesy of the NZ International Film Festival. It follows this year's also excellent Aussie-made release The True History of the Kelly Gang in making the leap from international festivals to local streaming. Check out the Relic below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Atqf47wM5Gg Relic starts streaming via Stan from Friday, July 10. You can also watch it as part of the NZ International Film Festival from 25 July.
Not every ballet features dancers forming constellations, gramophone-shaped mirrors creating kaleidoscopic visuals, refractive and reflective surfaces making it appear as though performers are overlapping, and choreography created for every leaf in a 134-page text — but, not every ballet is Tree of Codes. Stemming from a dream team of creative forces, the production is currently wowing crowds in London, and for good reason. Music, dance, art and literature fans, hold on to your hats: Tree of Codes is a collaboration between Jamie xx, Royal Ballet choreographer Wayne McGregor, Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson and novelist Jonathan Safran Foer. First previewing in Manchester in 2016, it's named after and based on the latter's book-based artwork of the same name. Also described as a "sculptural object", the printed work took Bruno Schulz's Street of Crocodiles, cut out the majority of words and fashioned what remained into a new post-apocalyptic story. So, how do you turn that into a ballet? Foer's "blurred and disorientating worlds provide a powerful point of departure for our collaboration on stage — where constellations of light, shadows, bodies, objects and sound dance at the edges of darkness," says McGregor. "Lights panning over the audience cause its spectral image to appear on the stage's reflective, coloured scrims, integrating the viewers with the activity on the stage," states Eliasson's website, while Jamie xx created an algorithm to vocalise words from the book, transforming them into melodies. Tree of Codes' season at London's Sadler's Wells ended on March 11, and we'll keep our fingers and toes crossed that it turns up on our shores. Via Dezeen.
UPDATE, Friday, March 15, 2024: The Aqua with Special Guests tour has changed venues, dates and lineup. 2 Unlimited are now the only support act. The new dates and venues are: Thursday, March 21 — Metro City, Perth Saturday, March 23 — Hindley Street Theatre, Adelaide Sunday, March 24 — Eatons Hill Hotel, Brisbane Tuesday, March 26 — Enmore Theatre, Sydney Wednesday, March 27 — Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne For the past year, we've all been living in a Barbie world, with Greta Gerwig's Margot Robbie-starring Barbie film the biggest thing in pop culture over the past 12 months. What happens when you combine the planet's love for the pink-hued hit with the never-ending trend that is 90s nostalgia? Aqua touring Australia to bust out 'Barbie Girl' at a big throwback party, that's what. Life in plastic will be fantastic when the Danish-Norwegian band make their first trip Down Under since 2019. Back then, the group responsible for still having their best-known single stuck in your head, plus 'Doctor Jones' and 'Turn Back Time' as well, toured on a bill filled with other acts from the era. This time, they're doing the same thing. Joining Aqua in March 2024 in Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth: Belgian-Dutch dance duo 2 Unlimited, British boy band East 17, R&B group Big Brovaz, and English dance acts Phats & Small, Booty Luv and Urban Cookie Collective. Hitting up stadiums, these gigs will be a house of love with no limits. Expect everything from Get Ready', 'Twilight Zone' and 'Alright' to 'Stay Another Day', 'Turn Around' and 'The Key the Secret' to get a whirl. Your latest excuse to keep celebrating all things Barbie-related — and to get a big blast from the past — comes after Aqua popped up on the movie's soundtrack with rapper Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice on the tune 'Barbie World'. Also heading to Australia in the first few months of 2024 to party like it's the 90s on separate tours, because nostalgia will never die: TLC and Blink-182. AQUA 2024 TOUR WITH SPECIAL GUESTS LINEUP: Aqua 2 Unlimited East 17 Phats & Small Big Brovaz Booty Luv Urban Cookie Collective AQUA 2024 TOUR WITH SPECIAL GUESTS DATES: Thursday, March 21 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane Friday, March 22 — John Cain Arena, Melbourne Sunday, March 24 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Tuesday, March 26 — Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide Thursday, March 28 — RAC Arena, Perth Aqua is touring Australia in March 2024 with special guests 2 Unlimited, East 17, Phats & Small, Big Brovaz, Booty Luv, and Urban Cookie Collective — with ticket pre sales from 10am local time on Tuesday, January 23 and general sales from 10am local time on Thursday, January 25. Head to the tour website for more information
Songs, tears, Travis Barker on the drums playing 'In the Air Tonight', host Anthony Anderson advising that his mother would be on "playoff mama" duties to keep the acceptance speeches for the 20-plus awards on time, first presenter Christina Applegate (Dead to Me) getting a standing ovation, a tribute to The Sopranos with an ode to James Gandolfini, Jennifer Coolidge winning another award for The White Lotus: now that's how you start an awards ceremony. The accolades: the 2023 Emmy Awards, being held on Tuesday, January 16, 2024 Australian and New Zealand time after they were postponed during Hollywood's writers' and actors' strikes. And before half an hour had even ticked over, Anderson had advised that "Miami Vice taught me that all I needed was a tanned white friend and a cool white jacket"; Coolidge had announced that Mike White "definitely dead so I'm going along with it", then thanked all the evil gays; The Last of Us ' Pedro Pascal claimed that his arm was in a sling because Succession's "Kieran Culkin beat the shit out of me"; and the latter's co-star Matthew Macfadyen thanked his two on-screen wives, aka Sarah Snook and Nicholas Braun. So, in the second huge Hollywood night of nights in as many weeks, the Emmys started better than the Golden Globes. In fact, that's an understatement. And that's even before Tina Fey (Mean Girls) and Amy Poehler (Moxie) took to the Weekend Update desk, the Cheers and Ally McBeal casts reunited, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's stars pondered why they don't have Emmys, Ru Paul spoke out against hate, DAHMER — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story's Niecy Nash-Betts thanked herself and Matty Matheson couldn't be more passionate about hospitality with a "restaurants forever!" shout. All of the throwbacks and nostalgia, and spreading the love far beyond what was nominated, was in honour of a big milestone: the Emmys reaching 75 years. These awards should always feel like a celebration of the entire medium; however, that can be easier said than done — but it's a task that the delayed 2023 ceremony perfected. The big winners mirrored the Golden Globes, aka Succession among the dramas, The Bear in the comedy field and Beef in the limited series field. So, while there was no been-there-done-that feel to the presentation between the two awards, that came through in the recipients — supremely worthy as they all are. The main trio weren't the only shows to score prizes, but plenty of deserving series went home empty-handed — see: Better Call Saul, Yellowjackets, Barry and Only Murders in the Building, to name a few — even amid the warm hug-style vibes. What else nabbed a trophy? Who else was in contention? We've got that covered. Here's a rundown of the awards handed out at the main ceremony, plus the nominees competing for them — and you can check out the seven winning shows you should watch ASAP, too. EMMY NOMINEES AND WINNERS 2023 OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES Andor Better Call Saul The Crown House of the Dragon The Last of Us Succession — WINNER The White Lotus Yellowjackets OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES Abbott Elementary Barry The Bear — WINNER Jury Duty The Marvelous Mrs Maisel Only Murders in the Building Ted Lasso Wednesday OUTSTANDING LIMITED SERIES Beef — WINNER DAHMER — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story Daisy Jones & the Six Fleishman Is in Trouble Obi-Wan Kenobi OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES Jeff Bridges, The Old Man Brian Cox, Succession Kieran Culkin, Succession — WINNER Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us Jeremy Strong, Succession OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES Sharon Horgan, Bad Sisters Melanie Lynskey, Yellowjackets Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid's Tale Bella Ramsey, The Last of Us Keri Russell, The Diplomat Sarah Snook, Succession — WINNER OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES Bill Hader, Barry Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building Jason Segel, Shrinking Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso Jeremy Allen White, The Bear — WINNER OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES Christina Applegate, Dead to Me Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary — WINNER Natasha Lyonne, Poker Face Jenna Ortega, Wednesday OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TELEVISION MOVIE Taron Egerton, Black Bird Kumail Nanjiani, Welcome to Chippendales Evan Peters, DAHMER — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story Daniel Radcliffe, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story Michael Shannon, George & Tammy Steven Yeun, Beef — WINNER OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TELEVISION MOVIE Lizzy Caplan, Fleishman Is in Trouble Jessica Chastain, George & Tammy Dominique Fishback, Swarm Kathryn Hahn, Tiny Beautiful Things Riley Keough, Daisy Jones & the Six Ali Wong, Beef — WINNER OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES F. Murray Abraham, The White Lotus Nicholas Braun, Succession Michael Imperioli, The White Lotus Theo James, The White Lotus Matthew Macfadyen, Succession — WINNER Alan Ruck, Succession Will Sharpe, The White Lotus Alexander Skarsgård, Succession OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES Jennifer Coolidge, The White Lotus — WINNER Elizabeth Debicki, The Crown Meghann Fahy, The White Lotus Sabrina Impacciatore, The White Lotus Aubrey Plaza, The White Lotus Rhea Seehorn, Better Call Saul J. Smith-Cameron, Succession Simona Tabasco, The White Lotus OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES Anthony Carrigan, Barry Phil Dunster, Ted Lasso Brett Goldstein, Ted Lasso James Marsden, Jury Duty Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear — WINNER Tyler James Williams, Abbott Elementary Henry Winkler, Barry OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES Alex Borstein, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel Ayo Edebiri, The Bear — WINNER Janelle James, Abbott Elementary Sheryl Lee Ralph, Abbott Elementary Juno Temple, Ted Lasso Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso Jessica Williams, Shrinking OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TELEVISION MOVIE Murray Bartlett, Welcome to Chippendales Paul Walter Hauser, Black Bird — WINNER Richard Jenkins, DAHMER – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story Joseph Lee, Beef Ray Liotta, Black Bird Young Mazino, Beef Jesse Plemons, Love & Death OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TELEVISION MOVIE Annaleigh Ashford, Welcome to Chippendales Maria Bello, Beef Claire Danes, Fleishman Is in Trouble Juliette Lewis, Welcome to Chippendales Camila Morrone, Daisy Jones & The Six Niecy Nash-Betts, DAHMER – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story — WINNER Merritt Wever, Tiny Beautiful Things OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES Andor, Benjamin Caron, Bad Sisters, Dearbhla Walsh The Last of Us, Peter Hoar Succession, Andrij Parekh Succession, Mark Mylod — WINNER Succession, Lorene Scafaria The White Lotus, Mike White OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES Barry, Bill Hader The Bear, Christopher Storer — WINNER The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, Amy Sherman-Palladino The Ms. Pat Show, Mary Lou Belli Ted Lasso, Declan Lowney Wednesday, Tim Burton OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE Beef, Lee Sung Jin — WINNER Beef, Jake Schreier DAHMER — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, Carl Franklin DAHMER — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,Paris Barclay Fleishman Is in Trouble, Valerie Faris, Jonathan Dayton Prey, Dan Trachtenberg OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES Andor, Beau Willimon Bad Sisters, Sharon Horgan, Dave Finkel, Brett Baer Better Call Saul, Gordon Smith Better Call Saul, Peter Gould The Last of Us, Craig Mazin Succession, Jesse Armstrong — WINNER The White Lotus, Mike White OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES Barry, Bill Hader The Bear, Christopher Storer — WINNER Jury Duty, Mekki Leeper Only Murders in the Building, John Hoffman, Matteo Borghese, Rob Turbovsky The Other Two, Chris Kelly, Sarah Schneider Ted Lasso, Brendan Hunt, Joe Kelly, Jason Sudeikis OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE Beef, Lee Sung Jin — WINNER Fire Island, Joel Kim Booster Fleishman Is in Trouble, Taffy Brodesser-Akner Prey, Patrick Aison, Dan Trachtenberg Swarm, Janine Nabers, Donald Glover Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, Al Yankovic, Eric Appel OUTSTANDING SCRIPTED VARIETY SERIES A Black Lady Sketch Show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver — WINNER Saturday Night Live OUTSTANDING REALITY COMPETITION SHOW The Amazing Race RuPaul's Drag Race — WINNER Survivor Top Chef The Voice OUTSTANDING TALK SERIES The Daily Show with Trevor Noah — WINNER Jimmy Kimmel Live! Late Night with Seth Meyers The Late Show with Stephen Colbert The Problem with Jon Stewart OUTSTANDING LIVE VARIETY SPECIAL The Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show Starring Rihanna Chris Rock: Selective Outrage Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium — WINNER The Oscars 75th Annual Tony Awards OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A VARIETY SERIES The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Last Week Tonight with John Oliver — WINNER Late Night with Seth Meyers The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Saturday Night Live The 2023 Emmys were announced on Tuesday, January 16, Australian and New Zealand time. For further details, head to the awards' website. Top image: Chuck Hodes/FX.
Umbrellas at the ready, Sydneysiders. Spoons full of sugar, too. In the most supercalifragilisticexpialidocious news you'll hear all day — and all year as well — the Mary Poppins musical is making its way Down Under. Between May–October 2022, you'll be able to revisit the tale of the singing nanny onstage at the Lyric Theatre Sydney. Disney and theatre producer Cameron Mackintosh's current version of the show tells the same tale that everyone knows from the 1964 film — which, as well as inspiring this stage adaptation, also gave rise to big-screen sequel Mary Poppins Returns in 2018. Everything to do with the English governess harks back to PL Travers' books about the character, of course, and pop culture has been thankful for and downright delighted with her stories for almost six decades now. Exact dates for the musical's Sydney season haven't yet been revealed, but theatre fans can look forward to a new version of the show that last graced the city's stages — and won eight Helpmann Awards — back in 2011. Since Mackintosh first teamed up with writer Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey) to bring Mary Poppins to the theatre in 2004, the production has won four Olivier Awards and a Tony as well. Mackintosh is bringing The Phantom of the Opera to Sydney this year, too, and a Cinderella musical is also headed the city's way — so it's a great time to love stage musicals based on classic tales, clearly. Whether Mary Poppins will float on elsewhere in Australia hasn't yet been announced; however, Sydney's season has been marked as the Australian premiere. So, residents of Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide – and everywhere else in the country — you can start crossing your fingers that Poppins, the Banks family and their Cherry Tree Lane abode might also come your way in the future. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiT6Og3lDbw Mary Poppins will play the Lyric Theatre Sydney from May–October 2022, with exact dates yet to be revealed. To sign up for the ticket waitlist, head to the musical's website — with tickets due to go on sale in August 2021. Top image: Johan Persson.
When people think of experimental music, they often imagine Bjork wailing through electronic beeps while peering over an Icelandic cliffside. But somehow, The Instrument Builders Project takes this genre to a new extreme. For the past couple of years a group of Australian and Indonesian musicians and artists have been devising creative new ways to make and experience sound. Now they're inviting you to see what they've come up with. From November 1-23, these artists will be holed up in the NGV hosting concerts, exhibitions, workshops and talks about their work. This includes the strange and fantastical instruments they make — like this multi-coloured Wonka-esque walking music factory — and this live art project that sees participants blindfolded and guided through city streets with what looks like megaphones strapped to their ears. Never a dull moment. Though these works have been developed and exhibited in Indonesia, this will be the first time they've touched down on Australian soil. Be the first to delve into the strangeness.
Teacher-turned-indie goddess Alexis Krauss and waiter-turned-beats master Derek Miller will return to Australia next month. The duo's stentorian synthesis of driving riffs, shredding guitar and rhapsodic melodic hooks has been on high rotation for many a punk rock devotee since M.I.A. signed them to N.E.E.T. Recordings in October 2009. February 2012 brought the release of Reign of Terror, the follow-up to 2010 debut Treats. The sophomore album sees Sleigh Bells ascend to louder, heavier musical heights, but also carries them through deeper lyrical explorations. Krauss, a curious combination of Joan Jett street tough and Cindy Lauper airiness, croons, moans and belts her way through stories of suicide, brutality and loss. Krauss has described Reign of Terror as "innately much more melodic and guitar-oriented" and "more intimate" than their debut. As deducible from Reign's live opening track, 'True Shred Guitar', Sleigh Bells' shows are raw, feverish, dynamic affairs, powered by Krauss's relentless energy and Miller's rock-fuelled sound explosions. https://youtube.com/watch?v=YiwcUdX7XMw
The Icelandic Government ushered in the new year with a legal first when, on January 1, it became the first nation in the world to outlaw unequal pay for women. Any company or government agency that employs 25 people or more must prove their equal pay policies through government certification or face hefty fines. "[They] evaluate every job that's being done, and then they get a certification after they confirm the process if they are paying men and women equally," Dagny Osk Aradottir Pind, a board member of the Icelandic Women's Rights Association, told Aljazeera. Even before the passing of the law, which was announced on International Women's Day 2017, Iceland was ranked number one in the world for gender equality according to the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2017. (In case you're wondering, Australia came in at 35, while New Zealand took out 9th spot). Iceland's current leader, Katrin Jakobsdóttir, who was elected in November 2017, is the nation's second female Prime Minister — and since 2016, women have held 48% of parliamentary positions. "I think that now people are starting to realise that this is a systematic problem that we have to tackle with new methods," said Aradottir Pind. "Women have been talking about this for decades and I really feel that we have managed to raise awareness, and we have managed to get to the point that people realise that the legislation we have had in place is not working, and we need to do something more." The Icelandic Government is hopeful that the gender pay gap won't exist beyond 2020. Here's hoping other countries around the world start to follow their lead.
The NGV is about to open its most ambitious collection to date, featuring 300 artists, architects, designers and creative practitioners. Melbourne Now celebrates what makes Melbourne the buzzing, cultural and creative hub we know and love. The architecture and design element of the collection will feature a large Community Hall designed by McBride Charles Ryan to be set up in the foyer of the NGV International. There are over 600 events programmed at for the venue during the four months of Melbourne Now. Ewan McEoin's work also looks to be an intriguing feature, as his immersive light installation will explore the city and how we navigate our way through it. The fashion, textiles and jewellery section will include the likes of the wonderful Toni Maticevski, cult brand Perks and Mini and the endless talent found at the Designer Thinking group exhibition. Shoe lovers will be drawn towards Preston Zly Design, where famous shoes from children's classics (think Dorothy's ruby shoes and Cinderella's glass slipper) have been recreated, and there is also the Shoemakers exhibition for more fancy footwear fun. This is just a small sample of the immense creative talent this exhibition will have to offer. The Community Hall also encourages participation — check out the NGV blog to see how you could get involved. If you are passionate about Melbourne and its dynamic, creative identity, this comprehensive collection of exceptional work is not to be missed.
With Premier Daniel Andrews' announcement that restaurants, cafes and pubs will be able to reopen to dine-in customers from June 1, CBD taqueria Bodega Underground has decided to bring back its Mexican bottomless brunch. From Friday, June 5 to Sunday, June 7 (and every Friday, Saturday and Sunday thereafter), you'll be able to dig into its five-course spread of tacos, chilaquiles and ceviche once again. If you're GF or vegan, the team can accommodate — as usual. It's all going down at its cosy Little Bourke Street den, where you can pretend you're day-drinking somewhere between Cabo and Cancun. Alongside the feast, you'll score 90 minutes of unlimited beer, wine and cocktails, with each of the drinks on offer rocking their own Mexican twist. We're talking spicy, beer-infused micheladas, tequila-based palomas and even something called a Mexi-Mimosa. All of this — the food and booze — will set you back just $65. Bookings are available at 12pm, 1.45pm and 3.30pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. If you want to reserve you're spot, you'll need to get in quick — with only 20 people allowed inside the restaurant at a time we're sure spaces are going to fill up fast. Images: Jean-Louis Carvalho
Daniel's Donuts, a 24-hour doughnut store on Princes Highway in Springvale, has inspired queues, sell-outs, and (probably) tears over its sweet, doughy goods. It's the second venue for the family-run business, after its bakery in Melbourne's west became well-known for churning out thousands of Nutella donuts. The bakery gained media attention in 2015 for the sheer amount it was producing, using around 2400 kilograms of the sweet hazelnut spread each week. The treats are no less sweet and a little more expanded in variety at the Springvale outpost, and they're now heading northside — the bakery will pop up in Brunswick's Barkly Square for the month of July. Situated next to Kmart, the pop-up doesn't quite match the Springvale mammoth effort of being open all day, every day — but it comes damn close. It's open from 6am–10pm (or until sold out), so you've got generous time either side of your work day to get there. But we recommend being the early bird, if past reports and reviews of its Springvale store are anything to go by. Flavour-wise, you can expect Ferrero, raspberry white chocolate, lemon meringue and — of course — the requisite Nutella filled situation. No word yet on whether the infamous durian doughnut will be available to purchase but fingers crossed, we guess.
Ask pretty much any of your friends what their idea of an out-of-town jaunt involves and we bet you'll hear some of these words in response: food, wine, art and road trip. Well, lucky for you, we've found a tour that ticks all the boxes — and has the added bonus of celebrating some pretty rad female producers, too. Leaving a Legacy is a luxury two-day tour around Bendigo. Designed by the owner of restaurant Masons of Bendigo, Sonia Anthony, this interactive experience will introduce you to the stories of a bunch of women who've done a lot of good for the local community. You'll start with lunch at Oak Forest in Harcourt prepared by Jane Grylls, a food stylist who also runs a kitchen garden program at a nearby primary school. Over the next few hours, you'll take part in a workshop on indigenous plants run by elder Aunty Julie; sample bready treats by baker Jodie Pillinger; attend a wine tasting at Sutton Grange Winery with Melanie Chester; and finally, enjoy a Slovenian dinner prepared by Sonia herself. After spending the night in The Residence of MacKenzie Quarters, a gothic revival-style family estate run by Rhianwen Seiter, you'll nab an exclusive tour of the Bendigo Art Gallery the next morning, hosted by curatorial manager Tansy Curtin. It's a two-day affair with a good measure of girl power. Leaving a Legacy tours will run on Thursday, March 21, Thursday, May 16, Thursday, September 19 and Thursday, October 24. Tickets cost $425 per person and include all food, wine tastings, tour costs and accommodation. To make a booking, visit the Bendigo Tourism website.
A hefty dose of escapism now awaits beneath Melbourne CBD's Olderfleet building on Collins Street, with underground cocktail haunt Valhalla Bar opening its doors. Boasting a sleek, moody, Nordic-inspired space and a standout beverage offering, the striking basement bar is the brainchild of Work Club, an international coworking space company that's just launched its newest outpost within the same building. Here, the organisation has created a very spiffy spot for after-work hangs and late-night adventures, paired with some truly memorable libations. The two-room space is a study in contemporary Scandi cool, with dramatic dark tones played against sleek statement light fixtures, metallic accents and leather booth seating. Brick flooring nods to the site's history, and you'll spy bespoke features like the grazing table made of azobé timber sourced from old Danish ferry wharves, handcrafted by Denmark's Thors Design. The headline act here is the inventive cocktail list, which is infused with a Nordic sensibility, packed with Aussie spirits and heroes lots of native, locally foraged ingredients. Steered by award-winning bartender Tony Huang (Lui Bar, Cloakroom Bar), it'll see you sipping creations like the Old Guard's brandy-infused take on an old fashioned, a peach and sparkling wine concoction they've called the Loki, and the Bestla — a nuanced fusion of acidified honey, honey liqueur, cumquat gin and mint. The physical drinks list even features profiles on some of Valhalla's favourite local spirits and liqueurs, sharing some extra insight into what's in your glass. There's also a tidy, Aussie-led wine selection, as well as a handful of beers that extends from Melbourne-made drops to imported brews including Mikkeller's Baghaven Violet. Meanwhile, the food offering features a menu of snacks and small bites primed for those knock-off sessions. Think: roasted chickpeas, malted caramel tarts finished with wattleseed cacao crumbs, and customisable cheese and charcuterie platters showcasing top Aussie produce. Find Valhalla in the basement of 477 Collins Street, Melbourne. It's open from 5pm till late from Tuesday to Friday.
After another year chock full of closures and lockdowns, Melbourne's summer gig calendar is filling up joyfully fast. And here's another beauty to add to your hit-list: the return of Arts Centre Melbourne's concert series Live at the Bowl. Back for its second edition from Wednesday, January 5–Monday, April 25 after debuting in 2021, the event will see a diverse lineup of local and international artists descend upon the Sidney Myer Music Bowl for a jam-packed program of performances. It's set to deliver good stuff for punters of all ages, covering everything from live music and dance, to circus and comedy. Firing up the iconic openair stage with a solid dose of live sounds will be big-name international acts including London Grammar, Peggy Gou, Kings of Leon and Thomas Schumacher, along with local stars like Flight Facilities, Lime Cordiale and The Jungle Giants. Electronic fans can get their fix with concerts such as Piknic Électronik and Synthony, and the MSO's famed free gigs will also be making their return. Elsewhere in the program, Soju Gang and Footscray Community Arts will team up to present a showcase of exciting talent in SorBaes: Double Dip, Songlines hosts its annual celebration of the survival of First Nations people for Share the Spirit and a special all-ages booze-free gig will serve up sounds from the next generation of local artists. Freestyle dance battles and the family-friendly Shaun the Sheep circus show are also in the mix, with more to be announced soon. [caption id="attachment_835006" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Indigenous grazing box by Jason Lau[/caption] Most of the events will be operating at the full capacity of 12,000 guests, with punters invited to pack a picnic rug to lounge on the rolling lawn or venture down in front of the stage for a boogie. Yep — dancing is allowed once again, folks. That said, in keeping with government requirements, you'll need to show proof of vaccination or a medical exemption to head along to any of the events. Meanwhile, the bar will be slinging a menu of wine, beer, spirits, seltzers and cocktails, alongside alcohol-free options from the likes of Lyres and Sobah. A rotation of food trucks will be on hand for when you've worked up an appetite dancing, plus select shows will also offer a couple of curated hampers — a cured meat selection from Andrews Choice and an Indigenous grazing box courtesy of Pawa Catering. Live at the Bowl returns to the Sidney Myer Music Bowl from Wednesday, January 5–Monday, April 25. To check out the full program of events and nab tickets, head to the Arts Centre Melbourne website. Top image: Ian Laidlaw.
We all love a good hunk of cheese. Hard, soft, sharp, gooey — you really can't go wrong with the stuff. Now it's time to deepen your love for our often stinky friend, and learn how to make your own fromage. Multipurpose warehouse The Craft & Co. — which houses a cafe, bar, distillery, brewery, bottle shop, bakery, coffee roaster and cured meats rooms (phew) — obviously didn't already have enough in the ol' repertoire, so the team also run cheese making classes to compensate. Learn how to make Romano and ricotta from expert cheesemakers, as they give you a detailed rundown of the entire process. You'll finish your Thursday in a hearty cheese coma, drowsy and content with the new cultured knowledge you've gained.
2022 isn't over yet, but it has been filled with a huge array of stellar television and streaming shows so far, including both new and returning series. If you're looking ahead to the new year already, though, HBO has just confirmed your first big small-screen obsession of 2023: the game-to-TV adaptation of The Last of Us. Right now, we all fall into two categories. Firstly, there's the hefty group of people who are already devoted to The Last of Us, the hit video game that's been a button-mashing favourite since 2013 and spawned a sequel in 2020. Then, there's the folks that are about to start obsessing over its new HBO adaptation when it arrives on January 16. Whichever camp you fall into, this is bound to be 2023's first big show — and if you're wondering what you're in for, the initial teaser trailer from September sets a moody, creepy, action-packed scene, as expected of a story that dives into a tense and fraught post-apocalyptic version of the US. For The Last of Us newcomers, here's the premise: 20 years after modern civilisation has been destroyed, survivor Joel is hired to smuggle 14-year-old Ellie out of a tough and oppressive quarantine zone. There wouldn't be a game, let alone a television version, if that was an easy task, of course — and if the pair didn't need to weather quite the brutal journey, as well as a nightmarish quest for survival. So far, so intriguing — and while the debut sneak peek does indeed conjure up memories of The Walking Dead, that just comes with the basic concept. The Naughty Dog-created PlayStation game wouldn't be the huge hit it's proven for almost a decade now if it simply cribbed from that TV show, obviously. As a series, The Last of Us also boasts a heap of impressive names — starting with star Pedro Pascal (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent) as Joel, plus Game of Thrones' alum and recent Catherine Called Birdy standout Bella Ramsey as Ellie. Fans of the game will note that Ashley Johnson (Blindspot) and Troy Baker (Young Justice), who voiced the two characters in the source material, will indeed pop up in the HBO show. They'll clearly be playing different characters, however. Also pivotal to HBO's adaptation: co-creator, executive producer, writer and director Craig Mazin, who already brought a dystopian hellscape to the US network (and to everyone's must-watch list) thanks to the haunting and horrifying Chernobyl. He teams up here with Neil Druckmann from Naughty Dog, who also penned and directed The Last of Us games. Alongside Pascal and Ramsey — and Johnson and Baker — the series also boasts Gabriel Luna (Terminator: Dark Fate) as Joel's younger brother and former soldier Tommy, Merle Dandridge (The Flight Attendant) as resistance leader Marlene and Aussie actor Anna Torv (Mindhunter) as smuggler Tess. And, Nico Parker (The Third Day) plays Joel's 14-year old daughter Sarah, Murray Bartlett (The White Lotus) and Nick Offerman (The Resort) feature as isolated survivalists Frank and Bill, Storm Reid (Euphoria) pops up as Boston orphan Riley, and Jeffrey Pierce (Castle Rock) plays quarantine-zone rebel Perry. As seen in the trailer, Yellowjackets' Melanie Lynskey also guest stars. Check out the teaser trailer for The Last of Us below: The Last of Us will start streaming Down Under from Monday, January 16, 2023 — in Australia via Binge and New Zealand via Neon.
We can't think of a much better way to shed spring and slip happily into summer, than a laid-back weekend of live tunes and camping by the Great Ocean Road. Which, incidentally, is exactly what's on offer at the second edition of Loch Hart Music Festival. Returning to its lush farmland home, set amongst the coastal surrounds of Princetown, the boutique BYO festival runs from Friday, November 15, to Sunday, November 17, promising a weekend of good vibes and great sounds. A very happy lineup will be lead by indie-pop darlings Alpine, joined on the bill by Surf Coast natives Didirri and artist-producer Alice Ivy. Moaning Lisa, Cousin Tony's Brand New Firebird, hip hop star Genesis Owusu and Ruby Gill are just some of the other names set to grace the Loch Hart stage. As well as all those tunes, Saturday's comedy hour will dish up laughs from some top emerging comics, morning yoga sessions will help soothe those muscles, and you'll find top-notch eats including Fugazi's woodfired pizza. Bring in your own booze, or stop by the pop-up James Bully Forbes Bar for a couple of local drops from Forrest Brewery. You can even add a bit of luxury to your festival experience, with one of the Loch Hart glamping options.
These days, we're all on the hunt for cheap eats in Melbourne. And Brunswick East is already home to plenty of good spots — CDMX, Wild Life Bakery, Mankoushe, Nico's Sandwich Deli and Thaila Thai are all affordable faves. But there's always room for more. Enter Tawooq, the casual Lebanese spot on the buzzy Brunswick East end of Lygon Street. The tight menu consists of just nine items — spanning wraps, baguettes and burgers — and the most you'll pay for one is $14. The wraps come stuffed with either falafel, beef shawarma, fries or the signature chicken tawooq (grilled chicken covered in a creamy yogurt-based marinade), while baguettes are loaded with either spicy sausage (makanek or sujuk), tomatoes, pickles and sauces, or succulent asbe (grilled chicken liver). Pair your lunch or late-night meal (Tawooq is open till 2am on Friday and Saturday nights) with a soft drink or something a little more substantial from Tawooq's sister brand Laiimoon, located within the same space. Try a traditional Lebanese sahlab (milk pudding) or a smoothie packed with fresh fruit. It's a small selection of food and drink, but you've only got to master a few to become a true food destination in Melbourne.
A contemporary cafe with an on-site cooking school, Georgie Bass is ideal for a weekend road trip down the Peninsula. Sibling and neighbour to The Flinders Hotel, it's an inviting indoor-outdoor space, complete with dog-friendly seating and even a bike repair station. Alongside locally brewed coffee from Commonfolk, the kitchen's plating up a modern Australian offering centred around local produce and seasonal ingredients from Georgie Bass' own farm, Mornington Park. Tuck into the likes of a mushroom medley spiked with goat's cheese and chilli, or the slow-cooked duck leg ragout served on soft cheesy polenta with walnuts, grapes and sherry vinegar. There's a line of fruity smoothies to match, as well as a tidy range of local booze that'll see you through the afternoon. If you like what you taste and fancy recreating some of the culinary magic yourself, check out the hefty program of cooking classes led by award-winning chef Michael Cole. The upcoming lineup features a pasta workshop, a guide to winter entertaining and a class on vegan and gluten-free cooking, to name a few.
If you've only ever spotted one thing about former wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne Johnson, we're betting you've noticed that he already looks like he has superpowers. And if you've been watching The Rock's on-screen career as he's amassed a hefty movie resume over the past couple of decades, you've probably also observed a second key point: he overwhelmingly loves joining franchises. Cases in point: The Mummy Returns and The Scorpion King, his multiple Fast and Furious flicks (and spinoff Hobbs & Shaw), Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, GI Joe: Retaliation, and both Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Jumanji: The Next Level. New to that list is Black Adam — and, fittingly, here he plays someone with superpowers. The latest entry in the DC Extended Universe — aka the movies that revolve around Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and the whole Justice League gang, because Marvel isn't the only comic book company with a film and TV universe — Black Adam is also a spinoff from past DCEU flick Shazam!. Johnson plays an ancient prisoner turned god who was given powers almost 5000 years back, then captured in a tomb. Now, he's free and on the loose in the modern world. Is Black Adam a hero or villain? On the page, he's one of Shazam's archenemies — but as the just-dropped trailer for Black Adam shows, grappling with that question is a big part of this new movie. Given that he's played by the always-likeable Johnson, you can probably expect him to fall further on the side of good than evil. Black Adam hits cinemas Down Under on October 20, with Johnson's Jungle Cruise director Jaume Collet-Serra helming. Also featuring on-screen: Aldis Hodge (One Night in Miami) as Hawkman, Noah Centineo (the To All the Boys I've Loved Before franchise ) as Atom Smasher and ex-Bond star Pierce Brosnan as Dr Fate, plus Sarah Shahi (Sex/Life), Marwan Kenzari (Aladdin), Quintessa Swindell (Voyagers) and Bodhi Sabongui (A Million Little Things). And if Black Adam has you thinking about Shazam!, it is getting a sequel this year, too, with Shazam! Fury of the Gods due in cinemas in December. Check out the trailer for Black Adam below: Black Adam opens in cinemas Down Under on October 20.
You could say that every evening at Tippy-Tay, the Garden State Hotel's hidden trattoria, is a trip to the sweet life. But, however sweet it might be now, it'll be a whole lot sweeter on Thursday, May 8, when La Dolce Vita arrives. Happening for one evening only, this special event will begin with aperitivo hour, bringing you the chance to try three Aperol cocktails. With them on board, you'll be ready to start your first of four courses: a series of share plates bearing oysters with Aperol mignonette and lemon, burrata with artichoke agridolce, and other delights. Up next will be two pastas: a cheese wheel with pecorino romano and black pepper, and tortellini brodo. Don't fill up too much, though — you'll want to leave room for the chargrilled butterfly gurnard with green goddess dressing and salad. Come dessert, you'll be sitting down to a pistachio and raspberry tiramisu. All this – along with a roaming accordion player – will set you back $145. For an extra $45, add matching wines, or for $80, an Aperol fountain. Images: @zennieshia. For more information on The Pass and perks you can unlock, visit the website. For more bars and restaurants around Melbourne, explore more on Concrete Playground.
Ah, the humble loo — a place of peace and sometimes panic when you realise the roll is empty (or was simply never there to begin with). Here in Straya, not only do we have stunning landscapes, amazing surf and adorable native critters, but there are loos with views so sensational that they'll make you forget about the TP entirely. We decided to make a list of a few of the best, and in order to cover as much ground as possible, we asked our readers and social followers to chip in with your reccos. The following list is made up of our favourite submissions. So if you've decided to head off on an adventure this long weekend, here's where you should head when nature calls — plus some nice spots to chill over the weekend with a bev from our mates at The Bottle-O. [caption id="attachment_942303" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mount Wellington, Darren Tierney[/caption] Kunanyi (Mount Wellington), TAS If you fancy a Tassie road trip, head up to Kunanyi (Mount Wellington) for the best bathroom views, according to reader Alan: "There's a public toilet at the top with the best views even on a cloudy day. The window is literally above the sink, so you can look out while washing your hands." Once peak dunny has been achieved, continue on the adventure to Huon Valley or down to Bruny Island, stopping in at local The Bottle-O to grab a haul of evening beers to crack with your road trip buds — ideally over a roaring fireplace. Closest The Bottle-O: Grove [caption id="attachment_942299" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kalbarri Skywalk, Gagliardi Photography[/caption] Kalbarri National Park, WA Are you keen on an outback adventure in WA this long weekend? Explore the dramatic coastline and striking red sandstone gorges of Kalbarri National Park. Take it all in at the Kalbarri Skywalk – and make sure you pay your respects at the toilets next door. Our IG follower Tanya paints a glorious picture: "You step out of the bathroom, and there are just uninterrupted views of the landscape. Just breathtaking." Then, make your way to Dongara's The Bottle-O for a well-deserved beverage to enjoy with your mates at the local campground. Closest The Bottle-O: Dongara [caption id="attachment_942305" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sunset Beach, Penny Britt[/caption] Sunrise Beach and Sunset Beach, Onslow, WA Concrete Playground commenter Laura recommends this spot: "There are bathrooms with showers, so whether you're arriving first thing for a dip at sunrise or chilling in the evening, there's everything you need to get sorted and perfect sunrises and sunsets over the ocean with a bev." If you're WA-bound and the beach is calling you this long weekend, enjoy epic sunrise and sunset views at Sunrise Beach (or front beach, ideal for swimming and chilling) and Sunset Beach (or back beach, perfect for fishing and picnicking) after picking up your drinks at The Bottle-O and snacks at the local grocers at Onslow. Closest The Bottle-O: Onslow [caption id="attachment_942304" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mount Wellington, Nick Clark[/caption] Mount Solitary, Blue Mountains National Park NSW Every Sydneysider has gone to the Blue Mountains at least once. But have you made it over to Mount Solitary? Reader Michael recommends the Mount Solitary walking track for the views and the drop toilets: "There are two toilets and a water tank near Ruined Castle if you need to take care of business. There's never too many people about, and the views are unreal." Keep in mind this walk is for experienced bushwalkers, but once you've successfully completed the journey, nothing will taste better than that first drink back at the campsite once you've kicked off your walking boots. Stock up your dinner supplies at Hazelbrook and drinks at the local The Bottle-O on the way to the track's starting point. Closest The Bottle-O: Hazelbrook [caption id="attachment_942302" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lord Howe Island, A Goyen[/caption] Lord Howe Island, NSW If you're looking for a long weekend adventure with a whole lotta luxury, Lord Howe Island, with its pristine beaches and lush rainforests, make it a straight-up paradise. And apparently, the public toilets stick to the same high standards. Concrete Playground follower Pat confirms: "Everything is lush on this island. There's a stunning view from every window, especially the public toilets at Ned's Beach." There are a few ways onto the island, but unless you and your mates have access to a boat, you'll have to fly over. Regional flights head from Port Macquarie, head there to stock up on supplies and bevs from The Bottle-O toast to island life for the long weekend. Closest The Bottle-O: Flynn's Beach, Port Macquarie [caption id="attachment_942300" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lake Bellfield Toilets, Tracie Louise[/caption] Gariwerd (Grampians) National Park VIC Melbourne-based readers: are the mountains calling you for a long weekend getaway? Trek along the ridges and clicks of the epic mountain range before chasing emus off your campsite at Smith's Mill Campground. Once you've arrived in the Grampians, you're not going to have the opportunity to head down to the local shop for snacks, so get sorted at Sebastopol and head to The Bottle-O there for any campsite brews to enjoy with your mates. David recommends Lake Bellfield for a loo with a view, and sounds like prime real estate: "Just off the main road from Halls Gap, in this large two-storey wooden shelter, you'll find the toilets with views out over the lake, perfect for stretching your legs." Closest The Bottle-O: Sebastopol [caption id="attachment_942306" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, Wirestock[/caption] Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, TAS Want to get a little wild for the long weekend? Head into the wild west of Tassie to the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park. According to reader Natalie, the dunnies located near Nelson Falls are among Australia's most scenic: "A perfect sidetrack if you're road-tripping from Cradle Mountain to Queenstown or vice versa. Toilets themselves are nothing special, but the waterfalls are gorge". Once you've finished admiring the scenery, head over to Queenstown to pick up a drink at The Bottle-O and toast to the wonders of the Tasmanian wilderness at the free campsite at Lake Burbury. Closest The Bottle-O: Queenstown Wherever the road leads you on your weekend adventuring, find your nearest The Bottle-O and stock up on some standout bevs. Ready to start planning? Head to the website. Top image: Canva Stock
Game, set, match, music: when the Australian Open returns in January 2024 with two jam-packed weeks of Grand Slam tennis action, it'll also be serving up a few aces for fans of live tunes. In 2023, the annual Melbourne sports event launched the AO Finals Festival, which gets a heap of talents taking to the stage. Unsurprisingly proving a hit, the fest is returning next year. Attendees will be treated to a program of live acts on three of the event's final four days, all in John Cain Arena. 2024's AO Finals Fest will start on Thursday, January 25, on AO Pride Day. Then, it's back for both the women's final on Saturday, January 27 and the men's equivalent on Sunday, January 28. A stellar lineup awaits, including Tash Sultana, Peach PRC and Yaeji on the Thursday; DMA's, Ruel and The Jungle Giants on the Saturday; and Groove Armada, Rudimental and Sunshine & Disco Faith Choir on the Sunday. Just like in 2023, the stacked bill doesn't come as too much of a surprise, given that it has again been curated with help from the respected music heads at Untitled Group — the brains behind Pitch Music & Arts, For The Love, Grapevine Gathering and more. "The Australian Open is one of the most loved events on Melbourne's calendar, so there is no better time to bring together tennis and some of the best global music to the stage, right in the heart of summer's favourite tennis tournament. Untitled Group are proud to return to the Australian Open in 2024, giving tennis and music fans alike an amazing day out, full of forefront artists across three jam-packed days of music festival entertainment," said Pia Del Mastro, Untitled Group's music programmer. "Can't wait to return to the iconic Australia Open. See you on the court!" added DMA's. Expect plenty of company, with the 2023 event selling out. Accordingly, 2024's AO Finals Festival has moved venues, shifting to John Cain Arena to take advantage of its 10,000-person capacity. Tickets can be bought individually per day, or matchgoers can upgrade their tennis tickets to head to the festival. As always, there'll be scores of food and drink pop-ups scattered throughout Melbourne Park, as well as big screens showing all the on-court action. AO FINALS FESTIVAL 2024 LINEUP: Thursday, January 25: AO Pride Day Tash Sultana Peach PRC Yaeji Anesu Djanaba DJ Luv You Saturday, January 27: Women's final DMA's Ruel The Jungle Giants Tia Gostelow Mell Hall Sunday, January 28: Men's final Groove Armada Rudimental Sunshine & Disco Faith Choir Latifa Tee Cooper Smith The 2024 AO Finals Festival hits John Cain Arena, Olympic Boulevard, Melbourne, from Thursday, January 25–Sunday, January 28. For tickets from Wednesday, December 13 and more information, head to the festival website. Images: Ash Caygill.
Zulya Kamalova’s contemporary Russian folk music has earned her both an ARIA in Australia and the title of Honoured Artist of the Republic in her birth country, Tatarstan. Evolution, Revolution and the Mail Order Bride is her first foray into theatre, and the show, featuring Kamalova with support from a four-piece band, is a song of praise to the toil of Russian women, past and present. During the show, Kamalova hops back and forth between two chief characters: Eva, the titular mail order bride who lives an affluent but dissatisfied life in modern day Toorak, and Inessa, an activist campaigning for the Bolshevik revolution in the early 1900s. The latter is based on real life revolutionary Inessa Armand, a close friend and purported lover of Lenin. This is not really a historical drama though. The characters’ lives are revealed only in snippets — mere brief vignettes between songs. The piece as a whole is largely atmospheric, eschewing detail on the characters in favour of generating broad emotional ambiences. Much of the show is genuinely stunning. Kamalova is a performer of undeniable force and charisma, with a voice that can change moods like Melbourne weather. There are times when she sounds almost unearthly. The music has a charming gypsy swagger to it and the set is remarkable, a fantastical junkyard of artefacts, both modern and antique. There are times though when I wonder if Kamalova could have done with some more support onstage. While she has no trouble commanding the audience’s attention with her singing voice, she seems less at ease acting, especially when managing transitions between scenes and characters. She also seem sometimes overshadowed by the ornate set which doesn’t always offer the best eye lines to its audience. As a result, there is a whole third character, a crone, who I almost never see because her scenes happen in a blocked part of the stage. There are also a number of gimmicks which don’t really add anything, like some sideline business with the band members or a sequence where Kamalova plays out the Adam and Eve story with dolls. While the intent of the piece has clearly been to give Kamalova’s music the theatrical treatment, it’s maybe gone a little overboard about being theatrical. Given that the show’s main drawcard is the singing, I wonder if it would have worked better as a more stripped back production. There’s no denying the heart of the piece though, which is an impassioned statement on the broken dreams and thwarted aspirations of Russian women. There is a palpable sense of struggle, fatigue and frustration at the false promises of social change, and the stirring songs and passionate Slavic soul music only work to enhance this.
Melbourne has fallen a little in love with omakase, a Japanese philosophy derived from the phrase 'leave it to the chef'. From omakase served in sumptuous subterranean spaces to untraditional, flame-filled menus — omakase is certainly having a moment in Melbourne. The latest pint-sized restaurant to join the party is Aoi Tsuki, a 12-seat omakase bar nestled on a busy section of Punt Road. Tucked around the corner from South Yarra favourites including France Soir, Bar Carolina and Bistro Gitan, Aoi Tsuki's 20-course menu rotates regularly, underpinned by a deep respect for seasonality. It's a place that's been in the making for head chefs Tei Gim and Jun Pak for years, following a few years of running a popular, lockdown-induced sushi box business. Their combined resume spans stints at Japanese institutions Kisumé and Nobu. While the seasonal menu rotates daily, it may run to the likes of steamed abalone, tempura-fried eel and chawanmushi, a traditional steamed Japanese egg, that's refreshed here with black caviar and blue cheese. But the real highlight of this sharp, smart exploration of excellent produce comes in the form of a nigiri series: soft squid, gleaming salmon, sea urchin, King George whiting and several cuts of tuna laid upon expertly-crafted sushi rice. The experiential dining adventure clocks in at $235 per person, with a paired sake flight or a tidy drinks menu available to add on. Aoi Tsuki is open at 384 Punt Road, South Yarra. It's open from 6pm–late Wednesday through to Sunday. The two hour omakase session starts at 6pm on Wednesday and Thursday, while on Friday, Saturday and Sunday diners can choose between a 6pm or 830pm seating. Images: Griffin Simm, supplied.
Independent bottle shops are the heart and soul of fine liquor, as you'll often come across small-run wine and craft beer that you'll be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. For the last 40 years, Camberwell South Cellars has played an important role in showcasing the best beverages from around Victoria and Australia, as the store has become renowned for championing lesser-known wine estates and regions that produce some spectacular vino. Head inside and you'll be presented with a huge collection of wines from the Yarra Valley, the Barossa and beyond. There are also some unconventional spirits such as Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin and Japanese Roku Gin. Visit one of its regular free tasting sessions and stock up on a few local bottles of red. Images: Tracey Ahkee.
With intrastate travel now allowed in NSW, Victoria and Queensland, many of us are already planning (a long list of) road trips. Those without a car have probably also been comparing car rental companies — and, now, there's a new player in the game: Uber. The global ride-sharing company is branching out and trialling car rental in Australia as a world first. Rolling out in Brisbane today, then in the Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide next week, Uber Rent will only be available to 50 percent of app users in its initial phase. So, you'll need to cross your fingers you get it. If you do land in the lucky half of users, this is how it'll work: update your app to the latest version, select the 'Rentals' option and you'll be able to choose from a selection of cars from Cartrawler and punch in your pick up date and location. Cartrawler is a global company that's connected to a heap car rental suppliers, as well airline companies and online travel retailers, that does just what it says on the packet: trawls through the existing sites to bring you what's available at the times and locations you want it — so you don't have to spend too long doing your own comparisons. The connection to Uber helps make it a little more convenient, with the ability to book through the one app — and score Uber Rewards, if that's something you do. [caption id="attachment_583987" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Great Ocean Road[/caption] Cars start from around $40 a day (for a small car) and $76 for an SUV, with prices getting a little cheaper the longer you book. A Hyundai Accent, for example, will cost around $150 for seven days, with pick up and drop off at Melbourne Airport. If the trial is a success, it'll be rolled out nationally as a permanent option on the app. So, you can plan more trips to dog-friendly pubs, beaches and parks. And get to the vet a little easier (don't tell your cat). Need some inspo when planning your first (second or third) road trip? Have a look at these ten country towns near Brissie worthy of a day trip, these towns outside of Sydney or these wintry Victorian day trips. To find out more about Uber Rent, head to the Uber website.
You can expect a musical celebration for all the senses, when the annual Darebin Music Feast kicks off its 2019 season on Sunday, October 20. The festival's ringing in its 23rd edition with a whopping 85 parties, gigs and industry events, showcasing 20 different venues all across this vibrant pocket of Melbourne's north. Unfolding across eight jam-packed days, the program launches with a free three-stage opening party brimming with girl power. Running across Bar 303, Little Eastment Street car park and Northcote Social Club, the party will feature 15 acts including Alice Skye, Emma Donovan and the Putbacks, Jess Riberio and Kee'ahn. Elsewhere on the program, live music and environmental activism event Green Noise will take over The Thornbury Theatre on Sunday, October 27; celtic tunes and whiskey tasting flights will combine at Buck Mulligan's Wednesday night jam session; and you can join in a holy celebration on Monday with Northcote Social Club's Monday Night Mass. You can also head along to one of two film festivals — one is a brand new festival of music videos at Thornbury Picture House, the other features music-themed films created by La Trobe University students — a musical poetry slam evening and a theatrical masquerade ball. We've only just scratched the surface of what's going on during the jam-packed week, so if you'd like to check out the full program, head to the Darebin Music Feast website. Images: Thornbury Picture House, Nicole Cleary.
Flight sales have been a big part of 2020, ever since domestic travel started opening back up in Australia (and even with borders closing and opening with frequency). Indeed, when Jetstar offered up a heap of discounted tickets in mid-June, it sold 70,000 seats in just five hours, with Aussies keen to travel when and where they can in this pandemic-afflicted year. The airline has launched several other sales since and, until Saturday, December 19, it's hosting its big Christmas affair. So, get your clickers ready. The Jetstar Christmas sale is already running, with discounted flights on offer until 11.59pm AEDT on Saturday — if it doesn't sell out prior. In the sale, you'll find cheap flights all around the country, starting at $29. That'll get you from Adelaide to the Avalon airport in Melbourne. For $59, a Brisbanite can get to Sydney and for $99, a Sydneysider can get to Cairns, too. Other deals include Brisbane to The Whitsundays for $55, and to Darwin or Uluru for $89; Sydney to the Sunshine Coast for $59, to Hamilton Island for $99 and to Launceston for $49; and Melbourne to the Gold Coast for $69, to Ballina for $97 and to Margaret River for $99. Yes, the list goes on. Tickets are for one-way fares, for trips between January–June 2021, with exact dates varying in each region. So, if you're keen to get away, book some now and start planning. This time, before you get booking, you don't need to do as much work researching the status of interstate borders — because most of the country is now open. At present, only Western Australia has any restrictions in place, with folks from South Australia needing to quarantine for 14 days. Of course, this can change quickly depending on any new COVID-19 cases and clusters, as we've all become accustomed to seeing this year. Jetstar's Christmas sale runs until 11.59pm AEDT on Saturday, December 19, or until sold out.
When it comes to televised singing battles, there's only one that matters. No matter what reality television keeps throwing our way, that's Eurovision. Back in 2015, Australia became the first country from Oceania to join the clearly Europe-centric competition, in what was supposed to be a one-off move — and to celebrate five years of belting out pop tunes on the world stage, we're getting our very own pre-Eurovision event to pick the 2019 Aussie entrant. Yes, SBS Australia is hosting a national song contest to decide who'll represent the country in the international song contest. After beaming Eurovision onto our screens for 35 years and spearheading our involvement in recent years, Eurovision - Australia Decides is the next step for the Aussie broadcaster. With the nation's participation in the 2019 Tel Aviv event confirmed, SBS will put together a series of live performance shows to highlight potential entrants, with the general public able to vote for the song and singer that'll follow in Guy Sebastian, Dani Im, Isaiah Firebrace and Jessica Mauboy's footsteps. Even better — if you've always thought that you could whip up a great pop track, this is your chance to shine, as SBS is calling on Aussie songwriters to submit their original songs. Entries are now open until November 4, all tracks mustn't have been previously made publicly available, and they need to range between two and three minutes. You won't be able to actually croon it in Israel, however, but tunes will be shortlisted later this year, paired with some of Australia's most recognised artists, and then performed live for a public vote on Friday, February 8 and Saturday, February 9, 2019. Produced in collaboration with SBS's production partner Blink TV, Eurovision - Australia Decides will be hosted by Myf Warhurst and Joel Creasey, who've hosted Australia's Eurovision coverage since 2017. A yet-to-be-named jury will also be involved in the decision-making process. And if you'd like to not only help pick the Aussie contender, but head along to Eurovision - Australia Decides to watch live in person, it'll be held on the Gold Coast in conjunction with Tourism and Events Queensland. A trip to the Goldie is cheaper than a trip to Europe, obviously. For more information about Eurovision - Australia Decides or to enter your original song, visit sbs.com.au/eurovision.
The idea that arts and sports don't mix was never going to hold up in Melbourne, a place where standing in line at the city's annual film festival often means hearing a chat about AFL scores filtering down the queue. Eclipse Cinema is another case in point. When it opens in August 2025, it will launch the Victorian capital's newest boutique and independent movie theatre at an address that was previously home to the Sherrin factory. Aussie rules footballs are no longer manufactured at 32 Wellington Street in Collingwood. Soon, big-screen delights via digital projection and high-definition sound will be the site's main creation. Set to start welcoming in film lovers by the time that winter is out, Eclipse nods to cinema history, too, by taking the name of a picture palace that once stood on the suburb's Smith Street from 1913 to around 1917. Expect a blast from the past among the 64-seater spot's movie range as well, balancing new releases with retrospective flicks, with a particular focus on indie, queer, First Nations and gender-diverse filmmaking. Melbourne-made fare will also be in the spotlight, and so will titles that you mightn't have caught on their limited general-release runs. This is the type of venue where a Pedro Almódovar (The Room Next Door) picture will grace the screen each Wednesday, for instance, and where the likes of 2024 Melbourne International Film Festival Bright Horizons Award-winner Universal Language will also get a spin. Eclipse Cinema hails from owner/operator Mark Walker, who boasts 15-plus years working at MIFF, was a projectionist at both Yarraville's Sun Theatre and Carlton's Cinema Nova, and also co-founded Pivotonian Cinema in Geelong, running it for nearly ten years. "It is so exciting to be launching a new boutique cinema in this culturally rich neighbourhood, and I'm truly confident locals will embrace the independent and cutting-edge cinema that the Eclipse will offer," says Walker For snacks and sips during the silver-screen show, Eclipse Cinema will dish up popcorn and homemade choc tops, as well as wine. Before the theatre opens its doors — in fact, to help it finish its build and do just that — you can also show your support via its Pozible crowdfunding campaign. Until the end of July, Walker is aiming to raise $25,000. Rewards include a three-year founding membership, which will see your name featured on-screen at every session and score you discounted tickets; private-screening packages; and big-screen advertising options. And no, Melbourne can never have too many cinemas — with FoMo in East Brunswick and Palace Penny Lane in Moonee Ponds among the city's other openings in the past few years. A new IMAX at Village Cinemas Fountain Gate is also on the way before the end of 2025. Find Eclipse Cinema at 32 Wellington Street, Collingwood sometime in August — keep an eye on the venue's Instagram and Facebook pages in the interim, and head to its Pozible campaign before Thursday, July 31, 2025 to lend your support.
