If you're a Melbourne Airport regular, you'll know that it's one place where you can never be too spoilt for choice in the food and drinks department. And you'll probably be stoked to learn that ever-popular Collingwood brewery Stomping Ground will soon be among those choices. Having hosted a pop-up beer garden at the airport for the past two summers, the independent beer label is now set to become a permanent fixture, with plans to open a new brew bar inside Terminal 3 (a domestic terminal). Slated to be up and running by summer, the new venue will feature its own onsite six-hectolitre brewery system, alongside a modern beer hall designed by Studio Y – the same team that scooped a swag of awards for its work on Stomping Ground's original Gipps Street space. It'll also mark the first-ever independent on-site brewery to call an Australian airport home. Here, you'll be able to settle in pre-flight with a hearty snack, a range of Stomping Ground's core brews and even a few special-edition treats brewed on-site. There'll also be a fridge full of tinnies for take away. The brewpub's imminent arrival is just one part of a major hospitality refresh planned for Melbourne Airport's Terminals 2 and 3 in the coming months. Acclaimed chef Shane Delia will open his new concept Moors by Shane Delia here, Scott Pickett will unveil a new outpost of his produce-driven Pickett's Deli & Rotisserie, and coffee favourites Cobb Lane, Axil Coffee Roasters and Proud Mary are all set to call the airport home. Over in the international terminal, you'll find a new outpost of St Ali, too. News of this latest Stomping Ground project comes just one month after the brewery announced plans to open another brewpub as part of Moorabbin's historic Morris Moor development. Stomping Ground will open within Melbourne Airport's Terminal 3 this summer.
Summer in Melbourne pretty much screams for a crisp, gin-infused tipple, enjoyed in the sunshine, overlooking some water. And once again, local gin festival Juniperlooza is setting you up for success. This time, for its 2021 edition, the festival is running for the entire sunny season — and taking over Pilgrim Bar on the Yarra River in the process. The gin-soaked revelry will see a variety of boutique producers from both overseas and Australia showing off their wares. Keen? Currently thinking about all those G&Ts? It's a simple case of making a booking whenever suits you, heading by and getting stuck into your favourite gin drinks — with the change of format reflecting how different this year is. And, if you can't get enough of the botanical stuff, you can opt for Pilgrim's bottomless Gin & Tapas offer, which will cost you $59 per person for two hours of food and booze. The deal is available Available between 4–7pm on Thursdays and 12–6pm Friday through Sunday. The Juniperlooza Gin Bar is also hosting interactive Talk & Taste sessions every Saturday from February 6 till March 27. The sessions are hosted by a raft of local and interstate producers, who will set up pop-up bars to showcase their range, as well as and whip up tasty cocktails. To book your spot, head to Pilgrim Bar's website.
Cooking kick-ass vegan food with Smith & Daughters' Shannon Martinez, a behind-the-scenes tour of Lune Croissanterie and verbally deconstructing lasagne with Massimo Bottura. It sounds like regular programming for Melbourne's annual celebration of food — but it's not quite. Forced to postpone its physical March festival because of COVID-19, Melbourne Food and Wine Festival has just launched The Online Edition, allowing avid home bakers and food fanatics around the country to dial into chats, masterclasses and trivia sessions with some of the world's best chefs from the comfort of their kitchens. And for lucky Melburnians, there are some IRL food specials available to order every day, too. Running from Monday, May 25–Saturday, May 30, MFWF: The Online Edition is taking place entirely on Zoom and Instagram Live. Those who've spent lockdown with a Sméagol-like obsession for sourdough can get their fix with Baker Bleu's Mike Russell, while those who prefer their carbs flaky and filled with butter will want to log on for chats with Helen Goh — who's worked alongside Yotam Ottolenghi for over a decade and co-authored Sweet — and Australia's Queen of Tarts Philippa Sibley, as well as the aforementioned tour of Lune with the inimitable Kate Reid. On the topic of Lune — look away now, if you're not in Melbourne — the croissanterie is recreating some of its biggest hits for the festival, including the Lune Reuben croissant, which you can pre-order for pick-up or delivery via the Lune website. Elsewhere on the IRL menu: foie gras ice cream from Leonardo's Pizza Palace and Black Axe Mangal's Lee Tiernan, a one-off six-dish menu from Bar Saracen, an oyster and champagne pairing, and a menu of Torino-style dishes from Mister Bianco designed to eat while watching the classic 60s flick The Italian Job. [caption id="attachment_697090" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lune by Marcie Raw[/caption] Back on the virtual program, expect a lineup of talks with international talent, including René Redzepi — who's just (temporarily) transformed his world-renowned Copenhagen fine-diner into a burger and wine bar — former co-editor of famed food magazine Lucky Peach Chris Ying and Lee Tiernan of London's Black Axe Mangal. More locally, The Everleigh's Michael Madrusan will teach us how to drink better, culinary idol Tony Tan will take us on a tour of his new cooking school and author Julia Busuttil Nishimura will show us the art of the one-pan dish. While The Online Edition has less hot chip parties and Queen Victoria Market takeovers than its scheduled predecessor, it's certainly not short on talent. The program has been pulled together by MFWF CEO Anthea Loucas Bosha and Creative Director Pat Nourse, who both have decades of experience in the food industry and will be hosting many of the virtual talks.
Twelve months ago, if you uttered the words 'doughnut day', you were probably using them in the literal sense between mouthfuls. Thanks to the chaos of 2020, however, the term now refers to a day without any new COVID-19 cases — and, when it comes to locally acquired cases, both New South Wales and Victoria have just notched up that milestone. Both states have been dealing with a rise of coronavirus numbers since before Christmas, starting in Sydney's northern beaches suburbs, and including cases in Melbourne as well. As a result, festive plans were thrown into disarray around not only both states but the entire country, as new restrictions on borders, gatherings and mask usage came into effect. So, zero new locally acquired cases in NSW and Victoria is the good news that everyone needs in 2021. Today, Thursday, January 7, NSW Health sent out its daily Tweet with yesterday's numbers and it's what we all want to see: a big fat zero. It spans the period up until 8pm on Wednesday, January 6; however, there were six new cases acquired from overseas, in hotel quarantine, during the same timeframe. In today's press conference, NSW Acting Premier John Barilaro did note that one local case has been identified today, in the northern beaches, but that'll feature in tomorrow's numbers. In total, NSW currently has 114 active cases. https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1346970806476161025 The Victorian Government Department of Health and Human Services also sent out its own daily Tweet, and also served up a nice round numeral. In the southern state, in the period until midnight last night, there were also zero new cases acquired from interstate or from overseas, too. That gives Victoria 38 active cases at present, with 32,767 tests conducted in the past 24 hours. https://twitter.com/VicGovDHHS/status/1346929086896238594 Of course, this doesn't mean the war is over in either state, or around Australia — but it is some very welcome news after a few weeks with rising numbers. To keep an eye on the situation in Sydney, you can check out an interactive map that plots places that positive COVID-19 cases have visited, which takes data from the state's venue alerts. There's also a map that shows cases by postcode. If you're in Victoria, you can head to the state's own interactive map, which displays cases by postcode or local government area. For more information about COVID-19 in NSW and current restrictions, head to NSW Health. For more information about COVID-19 in Victoria, head over to the Department of Health and Human Services website.
Eager to devour some of the best food the world has to offer, but can't afford a trip to one of the usual culinary hotspots? Stop feeling envious and start eating in your own backyard. No, not literally — but TripAdvisor has just released a rundown of the world's ten best emerging foodie destinations, with Australia claiming three places on the list. While Quebec City in Canada took out top spot and Savannah in the US came in second, Sydney ranked third, Queenstown in Tasmania came fourth and Brisbane ninth. The selection is based on tour bookings via the site, and highlights cities where reservations are on the rise. The list also reveals the most-booked experiences in each location — although, unsurprisingly, the top picks are all tourist favourites rather than local go-tos. A trip to Sydney Tower's 360 Bar and Dining unsurprisingly proves the most popular in New South Wales, while a lunchtime cruise along the Brisbane River on the Kookaburra Queen emerged victorious in Queensland. Other cities named 'foodie destinations to watch' include San Juan in Puerto Rico, Miami and Charleston in the US, Cabo San Lucas in Mexico and Vienna in Austria. For travellers looking for an overseas jaunt to an existing culinary mecca, the site also named the best overall food cities in the world, running through the thoroughly usual suspects from Rome, Florence and Paris to Madrid, Tokyo and Bangkok.
It's a little ironic that one of the ballsiest productions in recent history is named after female genitalia. Originally written and performed by American playwright Eve Ensler, The Vagina Monologues is something of a modern classic. Known for its uninhibited confessional stories and graphic sexual content, it has become a much debated work for both feminists and conservatives alike. Because of this, its latest showing at the Malthouse Theatre is pretty fitting. This one-off performance on Wednesday, April 16 will be a fundraising effort on behalf of V-Day Australia — a global movement seeking to end violence against women and girls. Proceeds from the show will go towards McAuley Community Services for Women and The Nappy Collective. If you're going to see a show about female empowerment, you may as well support the cause too. And, in case you were wondering, the V in V-Day stands for victory, valentine and vagina. There will be two performances of the show on April 16 — a preview at 3pm and the main events at 8pm. You can book tickets and learn more about V-Day here.
When writer Diablo Cody, filmmaker Jason Reitman and actor Charlize Theron first teamed up for 2011's Young Adult, it really couldn't have worked out better. Charting the exploits of a thirty-something ex-prom queen returning to her home town, their acerbic and amusing movie served up a perceptive portrait of arrested development. Joining forces again for Tully, the trio have another aspect of adulthood in their sights, this time exploring the ups and downs of motherhood. It's not Cody and Reitman's first stab at the subject, given that the pair initially worked together on teen pregnancy comedy Juno. But if they'd like to keep pumping out films about different life stages every couple of years, please, no one stop them. In Tully, Marlo (Theron) is a mum of two who's days away from giving birth to her third child. Unsurprisingly, she's already utterly exhausted. When her new bundle of joy arrives, she's even more stressed and tired, with her husband (Ron Livingston) hardly a hands-on dad. Enter a gift from her well-off brother (Mark Duplass), albeit one she's reluctant to accept at first. He's adamant that a night nanny will change her life, and when serene and soothing twenty-something Tully (Mackenzie Davis) arrives on her doorstep, Marlo soon discovers that he's right. Tully doesn't just take care of the baby each evening so that Marlo can sleep. From cleaning the house and cooking cupcakes for the kids to providing much-needed pep talks and sharing sangrias, Tully takes care of Marlo too. The scenario inspires rich performances from a particularly raw Theron and a suitably sparkling Davis — the former committed to conveying the hardships of maternity in all of its unglamorous glory, the latter calm and kind as Tully brings Marlo back from the brink of desperation. The pair complement each other perfectly, while fleshing out their characters with the type of detail that can only be drawn from reality. As Theron switches from weary to anxious to utterly fed up, the star couldn't offer up a more relatable picture of parenthood. As Davis embodies the caring yet carefree figure every woman has wished she could be, she helps show why such fantasies are ultimately just that. Indeed, while the film couldn't feel more authentic than when Theron is in unhappy wife and mum mode, it kicks into another gear when its two leads share the screen. Cody's script segues from relaying honest truths about being a mother to exploring the importance of female connections, and neither element should be underestimated. Few flicks lay bare the struggles of postnatal depression in such frank but funny terms, and even fewer present complicated, unconventional but unconditionally supportive bonds between women. The writer's usual cynicism is ever-present, recognisable to anyone who's seen the screenwriter's previous films; however if she actively set out to refute every mainstream depiction of idealised mums and stock-standard gal pals, she's nailed it. That said, Tully is likely to divide audiences, all thanks to one decision that this review won't spoil. A bold choice that initially seems like Cody and Reitman might be taking the easy way out, it's actually one of the movie's most astute moves, as well as a development that the director's naturalistic, roaming visual approach subtly builds up to. Tully shows that mums don't stop being people when they usher new life into the world. It firmly demonstrates that everyone needs support. It warmly depicts women looking after each other. More than all of that — and most importantly — the film probes society's willingness to believe that mothers can do it all, often single-handedly. Admitting how ridiculous that expectation is would upset the long-held status quo, but this movie happily takes aim at the idea in a smart, savage and still empathetic fashion. It shouldn't come as a surprise that Cody wrote the script after having her own third child, or that this excellent ode to self-care ranks among her finest, most mature pieces of work. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9iVra2kdD4
Some of the biggest and most imaginative names in Australian animation will explore the ins and outs of their craft, in an exclusive ACMI panel discussion on Monday, September 15. Hosted in conjunction with the final months of the DreamWorks Animation Exhibition, Legends of Australian Animation will bring together award-winning local filmmakers in order to examine the boundaries of the animated medium. The five-strong panel represents a diverse cross-section of visual styles. Adam Elliot's morbid claymation Harvie Krumpet won the 2004 Oscar for Best Animated Short, as did Shaun Tan's computer-animated fable The Lost Thing seven years later. The pair are in good company with Bruce Petty, whose hand-drawn satire Leisure became the first Australian cartoon to win Academy gold back in 1977. Rounding out the lineup are Sejong Park and Anthony Lucas, best known for their shorts Birthday Boy and The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello, respectively.
Whether you're into the whole loved-up Valentine's Day stuff or not, chocolate is always a good idea. And a creamy chocolate gelato cake that pays homage to a classic Italian dessert? Well, that's even better. So, Piccolina Gelateria is sure to win hearts with its latest limited-edition creation: a giant frozen 'baci'. The Bacio di Piccolina is a nod to the original Baci, featuring a ball of lush handmade hazelnut and chocolate gelato crowned with hazelnut praline and toasted hazelnuts. The whole thing has a base of rich chocolate fudge and comes covered completely in smooth dark chocolate. And the silver foil wrapping even hides a cute love note, in case you're gifting the dessert to a (sweet-toothed) someone special. Or, for a little self-love infusion while you're scoffing the V-Day present you bought yourself, of course. Clocking in at $20 each, the Bacio di Piccolina's designed to serve two — though we're sure that's just a rough guideline. The Bacio di Piccolina is available at to order online and at Piccolina's Collingwood, Hawthorn and St Kilda stores until sold out.
The Animals Dancing collective are responsible for some of Melbourne’s best club nights out, so it makes total sense they'd be throwing an excellent day rave for New Year's Day. This is their fourth NYD party, so rest assured you're in safe hands when it comes to all-day partying. The lineup includes the hugely influential DJ Alfredo, Maxmillian Dunbar (one half of Beautiful Swimmers), the Australian debut for Pender Street Steppers, and Glaswegian Scott Fraser Tornado Wallace, Otologic and Andee Frost will be supporting, so get down to Mycelium Studios and get your dance on.
For more than three decades, Hayao Miyzakai has been hailed as the shining star of Japanese animation house Studio Ghibli, spinning gorgeous on-screen stories about magical worlds, buses shaped like cats, moving houses, friendly fish and more. No one can tell an enchanting tale like the masterful filmmaker — but, no one can make melodic music to match like Joe Hisaishi. First collaborating with Miyzakai on 1984's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, the composer has provided the score to every one of the director's features since then, spanning everything from My Neighbour Totoro and Spirited Away to Ponyo and The Wind Rises. That's quite the collection of moving movie music, and it's coming to Melbourne for two nights only with Hisaishi himself at the podium. It's the latest event in the ever-growing — and awesome — trend that pairs film screenings or compilations of footage with a live orchestra accompaniment, as Star Wars and Harry Potter fans will be well aware. On April 27 and 28, Music from the Studio Ghibli Films of Hayao Miyazaki will let the sounds of Ghibli echo through Hamer Hall, with Hisaishi conducting the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. As they play, the concert will match the music to a montage of clips from the likes of Howl's Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke, and the rest of Miyzakai and Hisaishi's shared filmography. If you went along to the similar Pixar event last year, then you'll know what you're in for: an ace conductor, ace musicians and ace segments from ace films. The concert is an Australian exclusive and an Australian premiere — not to mention a completely new and immersive way to revisit the flicks you've seen and loved countless times. Music from the Studio Ghibli Films of Hayao Miyazaki takes place on April 27 and 28 at Hamer Hall, Melbourne. For more information, and to buy tickets from 10am on February 12, visit the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra website.
For the past couple of months, Jerry Mai — the acclaimed chef behind Bia Hoi and Annam — has been giving the Mornington Peninsula a taste of her culinary prowess, firing up the grill for a barbecue-focused residency at Ocean Eight Winery. But if you've missed out thus far, fear not, because the upcoming weekend finale is set to be the biggest yet. On January Friday, 22 and Saturday, January 23, Mai will be whipping up her usual storm of Viet flavours; think, fried chicken with fish sauce caramel, and coconut-braised beef rib bao. Then, from Sunday, January 24 to Tuesday, January 26, she's invited some legendary food friends to join her on the charcoal grills, slinging punchy eats best enjoyed on a picnic rug with a bright local wine in hand. Sunday sees Mai and George Calombaris duel it out in a Greece vs Vietnam culinary battle, with Alice Zaslavsky as MC and the winning chef voted by diners themselves. Then, on Monday, Masterchef alum Sarah Tiong challenges Mai to a Southeast Asian cook-off, while TV chef favourites Diana Chan and Khanh Ong go head to head whipping up a final feast on January 26. There are no bookings, so you just need to rock up on the day. The Epic Summer Barbecue runs from 11am–3pm each day. Images: Michelle Jarni and Made With Moxie
The minds behind Barossa Grape & Wine Association and vinous event organisers Revel have another specialised wine exploration to add to your calendar, this time devoted to the famed South Australian wine region of The Barossa Valley. On Saturday, July 21, Barossa. Be Consumed returns to North Melbourne's Meat Market for its year, and follows the event's Sydney debut on July 14. Expect a one-day celebration of the Barossa's finest, showcasing a huge 44 of the region's wineries, including Yelland and Papps, home to 2018 Young Gun of Wine finalist Michael Papps, and Turkey Flat Vineyards, winner of the 2017 Jimmy Watson Trophy. You'll have the chance to meet producers while you sample their best creations, and then have bottles of your favourite wines shipped straight to your door. Drops from the likes of Seppeltsfield Road Distillers, Barossa Distilling Company and Barossa Valley Cider Co. round out the liquid offerings, while the region's top food producers will be showcased at the Barossa Maker's Table, including plenty of primo local cheese. Meanwhile, SA acts like Sam Brittain will deliver the soundtrack to your wine appreciation, and you'll even have the chance to try your hand at that beloved Barossa pastime, Kegel — a traditional German bowling game.
Love art, or just need a hefty tome to decorate your coffee table? Either way, the Melbourne Art Book Fair has you covered. The long-running annual literary lūʻau will this year see more than 90 publishers take over the Great Hall at NGV International, showcasing art books, independent zines, limited edition prints, magazines and more. The fair is held across a handful of free-entry sessions, starting on Friday, March 18, when you can head in to browse goodies from a huge array of stallholders. There'll also be collaborative pop-ups, and installations like The Annotated Reader — a world-famous exhibition by Ryan Gander and Jonathan P Watts showcasing 281 personal responses to a chosen piece of writing. Similar marketplace sessions are running on Saturday and Sunday (10am–5pm), while the Friday evening session (6–10pm) is being held as a special addition to the regular NGV Friday Nights program, complemented by pop-up bars, DJ tunes and late-night gallery access. A relaxed morning session (8.30–10am Sunday) is set to feature lighter crowds and reduced sensory stimuli — you can register for this one online. Running alongside the IRL event, a Melbourne Art Book Fair online edition will pull together a hefty lineup of over 100 local and international publishers. And you can catch a statewide program of satellite events running through until Sunday, March 27, featuring poetry readings, book launches and more. Top image: Wayne Taylor.
When we take that first sip of our barista-brewed coffee on a workday morning, a lot of us can't actually imagine living without coffee. But what about living without a roof over your head or a guaranteed meal? Unfortunately, this is what many homeless people around Australia face each day, but on Friday, August 3, you can help your fellow Aussies out simply by buying a coffee as part of CafeSmart. CafeSmart is an annual event from StreetSmart that raises money and awareness for the homeless and is back for its seventh year running. This year over 700 cafes will aim to raise as much as they can, with totals reaching more than of $160,000 in previous years. So how does it work? From every coffee purchased on August 3 at a participating cafe around Australia, $1 will be donated towards local projects. So if your go-to local isn't participating, shake things up for a day and head to one that is. Prefer a hot chocolate? You can also donate at the counter. Simply by aiming for a bighearted cafe, you'll be helping some of our country's most in-need humans, so treat yourself to a third or fourth coffee guilt-free. There are a heap of cafes participating across the city, but some include: Seven Seeds Assembly Proud Mary Top Paddock Tivoli Road Bakery Axil Earl Sensory Lab Northcote Bakeshop Candied Bakery
Two of Melbourne's dessert maestros have teamed up to give your sweet tooth a very merry Christmas, unveiling a new line of festive gelato cakes that'll put the standard plum pudding to shame. Piccolina Gelateria and patisserie LuxBite have joined forces for another of their Yuletide cake collaborations, this time inspired by a wintery,white European Christmas. Crafted on Piccolina's famed all-natural gelato, and showing off some next-level pastry skills from LuxBite Head Chef Bernard Chu, the two indulgent new creations are sure to pack a punch at any festive celebration. The Snowball boasts a layered core of coconut semifreddo, roasted almonds and condensed milk, covered in a caramelised almond praline, with coconut gelato and a salted puffed rice crunch. This one's finished with a generous dusting of coconut snow and an exploding chocolate Christmas party popper, decorated with silver leaf. And in excellent news for many, it's even gluten free. Meanwhile, the Tira-Miss-You takes a classic Italian dessert to a whole new level, teaming coffee and chocolate chip gelato, Italian mascarpone, Kahlua-soaked savoiardi sponge and zabaglione gelato, with a covering of milk chocolate and dusting of cocoa to finish. Cakes are designed to serve 16 people, clock in at $85 and available to purchase at all Piccolina stores: Collingwood, Hawthorn and St Kilda.
For tequila fans, February 22 is extra cause to raise a glass of something salt-rimmed and zesty — and that's because it's International Margarita Day. But if you really want to lean into the agave-based festivities, venture on up to Eureka 89 to join Herradura's Linus Schaxmann and Andrew Cripps for a sky-high tequila dinner on Tuesday, February 21. The duo is dropping by the 89th-floor restaurant to show off their spirit's complexity and versatility, alongside a carefully matched four-course feast by Head Chef Renee Martillano. Complementing the different notes of Herradura's range, you'll find plates like a kingfish ceviche paired with caviar that's marinated in tequila, and smoked beef short rib elevated with a gutsy jalapeno salsa verde. Meanwhile, the evening's drinks list will showcase numerous pours from the tequila brand's stable, some served straight and others featured in signature cocktails. We're sure that includes a margarita or two somewhere along the way. A spot at the dinner comes in at $195, which includes your four courses and all paired drinks. [caption id="attachment_888961" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Linus Schaxmann and Andrew Cripps[/caption] Images: Eugene Hyland.
Tired of stale old superhero stories with their predictable Hollywood plotlines? Wouldn't you rather watch a movie about a half-man, half-fish instead? If your answer to either one of those questions is yes, then it's time to dive into the program at KOFFIA, aka the Korean Film Festival in Australia. Merman comedies aside, the lineup at this year's festival is packed full of highlights. Held at ACMI, genre fans can scream through exorcism flick The Priests, and be pushed to the edge of their seats by supernatural thriller The Wailing. Viewers after something a little less on the gruesome side won't be disappointed either. This year's program boasts a number of Korean rom-coms, headlined by Cho Sung-kyu's disarming relationship farce Two Rooms, Two Nights. For the full KOFFIA program, go here.
Jesus Christ Superstar is coming to Australia. The record-breaking Andrew Lloyd Webber rock opera tour de force has been travelling around the globe for more than 40 years and is landing Down Under this June. It is not arriving as fans of the musical would expect, either, with the production reimagined for post-millennial society, with Twitter, Occupy protests and bankers all making an appearance. Whilst it may be slightly modernised, it has lost none of its charm, receiving rave reviews throughout its recent UK run. Resurrecting John Farnham's 1992 Jesus on stage will be Ben Forster, a role he won after performing on Andrew Lloyd Webber's reality TV show Superstar. Also starring and adding some Australian flavour are Tim Minchin as Judas Iscariot and Deal or No Deal's Andrew O'Keefe as King Herod, and the cast also features a Spice Girl. That's right, 'Sporty Spice' Melanie C will be portraying Mary Magdalene. If you still need convincing, the Pope himself approved the musical. So if you want to see a musical with a papal seal of approval it will be in Melbourne from June 14 until June 16 and tickets are selling fast.
Whether you think you can dance or know for a fact that you can't, we have got a hell of an at-home activity for you. Groove Therapy has brought its judgement-free classes online and is charging just $8 a pop. The relaxed, 35-minute live streamed classes for the aspiring street dancer in all of us run most nights at 6 or 6.30pm AEST via Zoom. From Sunday–Thursday, you can partake in a Sweats in Sweats class — where you'll stretch it out and learn a mini-choreography — then on Friday the founder of Mission Stiletto Cassandra Merwood will run you through a playful class in stilettos (if you want, otherwise barefoot is just fine). Indeed, the classes are designed for beginner students who might feel intimidated by a more professional environment. Don't let that fool you though, because the instructors are legit, and will have you popping and locking in no time. It's perfect for those of us who dream of burning up the dance floor, but have never had the moves to back it up. If you'd like to sink your teeth into a longer dance program, Groove Therapy also offers four online dance courses, which you can progress through at your own rate. Kick things off with the 16-class Beginner 1: Grooves (for $69); level up with Party Dances ($89), which'll teach you everything from the moonwalk to the running man, then complete your education with House 1 ($89) and 11 ($69). You'll be ready to rip up the disco dance floor in no time. Images: Gracie Steindl
Get a taste of Tokyo in the Melbourne CBD, when the Japanese Summer Festival hits Federation Square this Saturday. Now in its sixth year, this annual event showcases the best of traditional and contemporary Japanese culture, with food stalls, activities and a host of live entertainment. The event is a celebration of Japan’s annual Bon festival, a summer tradition of honouring one's ancestors. Visitors can learn the art of origami, paper fan making and calligraphy, while being entertained by dancers and musicians on the main stage. If you find yourself getting hungry, you can head down to the River Terrace, where food stalls operated by some of Melbourne’s most popular Japanese restaurants will be serving everything from soft shell crab salad to barbecue teriyaki. Of course, no festival experience could compare to actually visiting Japan yourself. Luckily, organisers have got you covered there as well, with the grand prize in this year's festival raffle including two business class plane tickets straight to Tokyo.
After heading our way for Laneway Festival earlier in 2023, Japanese Australian singer-songwriter Joji is finally giving his Aussie fans the chance to catch a glimpse of him at his own headline gigs when he returns for a run of arena shows. The viral hitmaker is making his way Down Under fresh from a US run of gigs, including bringing the Pandemonium tour to Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne on Monday, November 2o. Joji's debut headline Australian shows have been a long time coming. After fostering a cult following on YouTube, he pivoted his talents to music in 2017, releasing three studio albums across the following six years. The entire trio of albums has spawned Top 40 hits in Australia, New Zealand and the US, and Joji is one of only a handful of artists that can claim to have multiple songs with over a billion streams on Spotify — with 'Glimpse of Us' and 'Slow Dancing in the Dark' both passing this impressive milestone. Concertgoers can expect the heartfelt emotions of Joji's ballads alongside a sprinkling of humour, with his live shows receiving online notoriety for the performer's onstage hijinx between and during songs. Scottish dance producer and singer Sam Gellaitry is on supporting duties alongside rapper SavageRealm, who also opened for Joji on his North American tour.
Back in March, Victoria implemented a State of Emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a move it has extended monthly since. So, while originally due to expire at midnight on Monday, April 13, the State of Emergency has been prolonged until May 11, June 20, July 19 and August 16 — and, now, until September 13. With the state currently subject to stay-at-home requirements — including stage-four lockdowns in the metropolitan Melbourne area, which are also slated to run until September 13 — this is hardly surprising news. Victoria is in a declared State of Disaster as well, which gives police additional powers to ensure Victorians are complying with public health directions. Announcing the extended State of Emergency on Sunday, August 16, Premier Daniel Andrews noted that the State of Emergency is separate to the State of Disaster. "The State of Disaster also works over the top of that, so between both of those frameworks, that means there is no doubt as to the authority and effectiveness of all of the different measures we have put in place, none of which we take any enjoyment from having to impose," he explained. The State of Emergency declaration allows the state's authorised officers to "act to eliminate or reduce a serious risk to public health" as directed by Victoria's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton. That means restricting movement, preventing entry to premises and venues, and detaining people — measures that have been in place over the past five months as the state responds to the coronavirus. Fines continue to be handed out to folks who breach the restrictions — with the state's on-the-spot financial penalties spanning up to $4659 for individuals if you test positive for COVID-19 or have symptoms and are awaiting test results, but fail to isolate at home. these isolation orders. People who repeatedly break the rules can also be sent to the Magistrates Court and fined up to $20,000. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Victoria and how to protect yourself, head to the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services website.
Grub Food Van is teaming up with some of the sweetest folks in town for a series of extravagant high teas, curated by the legends behind Flour Market. Sweet Set will see punters treated to an eight course tasting menu in the Grub greenhouse throughout August and September, with weekly Sunday sittings from 2pm. Each week will include four savoury creations and four sweet, plus a cocktail and your choice of tea or coffee. Tickets start at $65, or $85 if you'd also like a prosecco spritz, which obviously you would. Among the dessert masters on the roster are Citizen Cacao's Georgie Castle, All Are Welcome's Boris Portnoy and Cobb Lane's Matt Forbes, along with the teams from Bibelot and LuxBite. The first Sunday session on August 6 will see the pastry royalty duo that is Pierre Roelofs and Philippa Sibley team up for the first time in an exploration of 'light and dark' — with contrasting flavours like rose, geranium and mandarin paired with chocolate, caramel and nuts. We promise not to tell your dentist if you promise not to tell ours.
Music venues across Melbourne and regional Victoria are set to take part in a pilot anti-sexual harassment and assault program, launched by the State Government this week. To begin, staff members in nine venues will receive training in identifying and responding to incidents. This will be followed in late April with the distribution of posters and related materials. Officially titled the Sexual Harassment and Assault in Licensed Live Music Venues Pilot Program, the initiative was created by a taskforce and working group convened in mid-2015. Members include representatives of LISTEN, SLAM (Save Live Australian Music), Music Victoria, Live Music Office and Victorian Police. The Victorian Government, under Labor Premier Daniel Andrews, provided funding. Venues taking part in the pilot, which will run for twelve weeks, are Corner Hotel, Richmond; Howler, Brunswick; Revolver Upstairs, Prahran; The Toff in Town, Melbourne CBD; The Gasometer, Collingwood; The Croxton Bandroom, Thornbury; The Chelsea Heights Hotel, Chelsea Heights; The Workers Club, Geelong and Karova Lounge, Ballarat. "This ground-breaking program will enable staff and patrons to step in and better respond to sexual harassment when it happens, and to prevent it from happening in the first place," said Minister for Gaming and Liquor Regulation Marlene Kairouz. In 2012, UNSW researcher Dr Bianca Fileborn surveyed 230 women and found that 96 percent "thought harassment happened in bars and clubs", with 80 percent describing it as common.
As part of developer Lorenzo Grollo's promise to revitalise that notoriously sketchy stretch of King Street, a former strip club has been reincarnated as a sprawling live music venue, now dubbed Geddes Lane Ballroom. First announced back in September and opening properly to the public this week, the revamped 170-year-old bluestone building makes just enough reference to its past. Downstairs, it's all heavy timber, chandeliers and red carpet, with a couple of the building's old stripper poles still intact in front of the public bar. The lofty space above has been transformed into a 400-capacity band room, complete with its own bar, rows of booths and a stage that hasn't changed too much since its past life. The music lineup is in excellent hands, helmed by Ben Thompson and Ashlea O'Loughlin — the duo behind such hit live music venues as 170 Russell, the Corner Hotel and the East Brunswick Club. A swag of shows are already in the diary and selling fast, including two performances by indie pop rockers Augie March in late November, and a Melbourne Music Week Live Music Safari featuring Krakatau and Fabulous Diamonds. Back downstairs, renowned Vue De Monde chef-owner Shannon Bennett is heading up the food side of things, which includes classic Vue snacks like hot pretzels, Asian fried peanuts and BBQ spiced popcorn, and his own Benny Burger food truck slinging buns in the front entrance laneway. Stay tuned also for special custom vending machines imported from Japan — as a quirky touch, they'll be serving made-to-order 'fast food' options. To match, there's a hefty lineup of beers, both on tap and in the fridge, a tight, largely Aussie wine selection, and bottled cocktails by Vue's Lui Bar. Find Geddes Lane Ballroom at 46 King Street, Melbourne.
In 2011, in this very country and galaxy, a pop culture favourite gained a singing, stripping burlesque parody. It's the mash-up that was bound to happen. Who hasn't looked at George Lucas' space opera, its sprawling drama and ample spectacle, and wondered what a steamier, funnier version with more visible butt cheeks would look like? Russall S. Beattie clearly did, and had a good feeling that other people would give it a shot. The Empire Strips Back was the end result. It became a hit around Australia, then took itself overseas to much acclaim. Now it's returning home for a 2019 tour — once again showing local audiences that lightsabers aren't the hottest thing in the Star Wars galaxy. The saucy show promises "seriously sexy stormtroopers, a dangerously seductive Boba Fett, some tantalising Twi'leks, a delightfully lukewarm Taun Taun, a lady-like Skywalker [and] the droids you are looking for", according to its website. Apparently Yoda doesn't get the sexed-up treatment, but there is plenty of song, dance, acrobatics and — because it's burlesque — the removal of clothing. A dancing Chewie and Han is just the beginning of this cheeky take on Star Wars cosplay. Given that it's got an upbeat soundtrack, the costumes are extremely detailed and the show throws out lots of references to George Lucas' original plot, it's not surprising that local audiences — presumably the same ones that pack out Star Wars parties and large-scale screenings with a live orchestra — have latched onto the production. Heading to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, The Empire Strips Back sits alongside Dame of Thrones in Beattie's pop culture parody stable — so if you've already seen one of your fantastical screen obsessions get the burlesque treatment, then you know what you're in for. If you're super keen, you can also nab a Wookieerotica magazine online: a 116-page, 70s-style men's mag, just casually featuring all of your favourite jedis, siths, ewoks and other Star Wars characters. Either way, it could be a great introduction to burlesque or Star Wars, depending on which way you're coming at it. The Empire Strips Back tours Australia early 2019. It will be at Perth's Regal Theatre on January 11–12, Melbourne's Palais Theatre on January 18, Brisbane's The Tivoli from January 31 to February 2 and Sydney's Enmore Theatre on February 15–16. Ticket pre-sales commence at 9am on Thursday, September 13 — visit the show's website for further details. Images: Jon Bauer, Leslie Liu and Josh Groom.
Bayside burger-lovers, we've got some good news. Royal Stacks is heading to Brighton for a two-day pop-up, and its bringing its cheesy french fries, burger specials and Double Stacks with it. Taking over Church Street's Allegro on Friday, October 9 and Saturday, October 10, the Stacks menu will be available in-store and via Deliveroo for Melburnians within five kilometres. You can check if you make the cut right here. On the menu: fried chicken sandwiches, The King (which has a mac 'n' cheese croquette inside it), the cheesy chicken Kavorka, shakes and these fries topped with molten cheese. Ooft. Just look at this: You can pre-order your burgs and fries via Hungry Hungry for pick-up or head on over to Deliveroo if you want it to come to you.
Rising sea levels, floods, fires, droughts, deforestation, wars, persecution — there are many, many reasons why hundreds of millions of people around the world have been forced to flee their homes during the past 15 years. And EXIT, a digital installation commissioned by the Foundation Cartier in Paris and set to show as part of the ART+CLIMATE=CHANGE festival, makes sure you can't ignore them. For 45 minutes, this immersive work surrounds you with 360 degrees of frankly terrifying statistics, presented as mesmerising images, text and sound. Prepare to leave wondering how on earth the Earth will possibly cope, yet compelled to do something — anything — about it. That said, the work is in no way didactic. Rather than telling what to think or laying any blame, it simply provides hard, cold facts. Since 2008, natural disasters have displaced one person every second — an average of 26 million per year. Of the 6700 languages spoken today, 50 percent are in danger of extinction by 2100 — one of EXIT's most moving moments is the playing of recordings of 16 endangered languages. For the first time in history, there are as many people living in cities as there are in rural areas, and cities create about 70 percent of the planet's greenhouse gasses. EXIT was a group effort. Based on an idea of French philosopher Paul Virilio, the work was created by NYC-based designers Diller Scofidio + Renfro with Laura Kurgan, Mark Hansen and Ben Rubin, in collaboration with Robert Gerard Pietrusko and Stewart Smith.
Now that December is here, it's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas — and, between Sunday, December 8–Tuesday, December 10, that includes down by the Yarra. In the Docklands spot that'll soon be known as the Seafarers waterfront precinct (aka opposite Seafarers Bridge), a supremely festive event will line the river bank with real miniature Christmas trees. 'Tis the season, after all. 'Tis the place that was recently filled with tulips by Joost Bakker, too. The potted eco-friendly Xmas trees are part of the three-day Seafarers Christmas Pop-Up, and they'll be available for sale for between $40–75 — with the cost depending on just how tiny a tree you pick. The Plant Society will also be onsite, selling a variety of other plants and pots for that green thumb in your life (or, if you're treating yo'self, as a pressie for yourself). While the pop-up runs from 10am–4pm on Sunday, and then again from 11am–4pm on Monday and Tuesday, heading by on opening day is recommended. That's when St Ali Coffee will be in the vicinity to add some caffeine to your morning and, from 10am–12pm, The Plant Society will also be hosting a ticketed (for $45) wreath-making class.
For one night this month, a master of Vietnamese fare and a hero of plant-based cuisine are joining forces, to host one flavour-packed food party on Tuesday, August 27. Smith & Daughters chef-owner Shannon Martinez will be heading to the kitchen at chef Jerry Mai's acclaimed Vietnamese restaurant Annam, as the pair fuse their talents to deliver an all-vegan Vietnamese hot pot experience. With sittings from 5–9.30pm, this one's a feast for groups and dates alike, as the chef duo serves up hefty hot pots designed to feed two to four people each. Imagine a big bowl of broth bubbling away at your table, with your choice of vegetables, noodles, plant-based proteins and extras to pimp it out. Meanwhile, there'll be k-pop tunes bouncing from the speakers and a lineup of local craft brews to round out your feast. Each hot pot, with a choice of noodles, veg and proteins, clocks in at $40. Extras are available at an additional cost, as are drinks. Head to the website to make your booking before it sells out.
For plenty of Australians, a piece of toast isn't complete unless it's slathered with Vegemite. For others, musk sticks are a go-to sweet treat and always have been. Of course, what one person eats for breakfast or dessert, another considers gross, with both Aussie favourites earning a place in Sweden's new Disgusting Food Museum. Now open in Malmö, the museum does indeed feature Vegemite and musk sticks, as well as a third Australian item: witchetty grubs. Beyond much-loved but highly polarising Australian spreads and sweets, everything within the site's walls is considered food somewhere. Think Sweden's own surstömming, aka fermented herring; cuy, the Peruvian roasted guinea pigs; casu marzu, a maggot-infested cheese from Sardinia; hákarl, the Icelandic dish comprised of well-aged shark; and Thailand's notoriously pungent durian. In total, 80 foods from around the world are on display until January 27, with liquorice, jell-o salad, fruit bat and bull's penis among the other exhibits. For an entry fee of 185 Swedish krona (approximately AU$29), visitors can also smell and taste selected items. Plus, the museum holds 'taste one for the team' sessions for groups of six or more, where you can challenge your friends to the kinds of tastings that you don't get every day. If you're currently asking yourself the obvious question — not 'what's wrong with Vegemite?', but rather 'what would inspire someone to open this kind of place?' — the Disgusting Food Museum is all about challenging accepted ideas of what's edible and tasty. It recognises that what one person finds delicious, another might find revolting and vice-versa. Speaking to Vox, curator and 'chief disgustologist' Samuel West specifically uses Vegemite as an example, explaining that it initially tastes awful, but you can learn to like it. Find the Disgusting Food Museum in Malmö, Sweden from October 29. For more information or to buy tickets, visit the museum's website or Facebook page. Via ABC.
Flavours of Echuca Moama incorporates the best of the Murray region: local wine and produce, lush vineyards, rolling hills, live music and rides on a paddle steamer. This unique festival will take over Morrisons, an idyllic winery set on 15 acres of greenery on the banks of the Murray River, for one glorious autumn day on Sunday, May 20. Begin your adventure in Echuca, where the Pride of the Murray will be departing at 10am and 11am (your festival ticket covers the trip). This ultra-cute paddle steamer has never left home. She was built in Echuca in 1924 and started out as a barge before being transformed into a passenger vessel. On landing at Morrisons, prepare to spend your day immersed in a cornucopia of white wine, red wine, cheese, olive oil, yabbies, mushrooms — if you can grow it, catch it, make it or bake it within cooee of Morrisons, chances are, you'll find it at the Flavours Festival. Live music and cooking demos will keep you entertained while you're sipping and sampling. If you're keen to delve deeper, book a ticket to the Meet the Makers VIP Experience. You'll be swept off to an exclusive location within the winery and treated to a long, sit-down lunch, showcasing the region's best chefs, producers and wine makers. In between courses, you'll hear straight from the source as key winemakers and producers share their secrets. General admission tickets ($35) and Meet the Makers VIP tickets ($70) are available online. To prep for your visit and discover more autumnal adventures in the Murray region, check out the Wander Victoria website.
Sex, money and an endangered marsupial form the spine of a new stage play from acclaimed writer Hannie Rayson (Hotel Sorrento). On stage at the Melbourne Arts Centre from August 9 to 13, Extinction takes place on a stormy night in the Victorian Otways, and follows an unlikely group of characters brought together in an effort to save the life of an injured tiger quoll. But high tensions and hidden agendas soon cloud any clear path, as those on stage — and those in the audience — are confronted with a situation in which nothing is black and white. Co-presented by Red Stitch Actors Theatre and the Geelong Performing Arts Centre, this limited season stars Colin Lane (of Lano and Woodley fame), alongside veteran performer Natasha Herbert and Red Stitch regulars Brett Cousins and Ngaire Dawn Fair.
No drink gets the party started quite like an espresso martini. So, next time you want to kick on past 10pm, put that vodka Red Bull down and get yourself this cocktail stat. Not many know a lot about this boozy beverage — even those who love it. That's why we've partnered with super-popular coffee liqueur label Kahlúa, founded in Mexico back in the mid-30s, to dive into the history of the dance-inducing drink, to bring you fun facts to impress your mates with, and to give you an easy recipe for the classic cocktail to make at home. Because, like any good cocktail, the key to a moreish espresso 'tini is using top-quality ingredients. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ESPRESSO MARTINI While some drinks have been around for centuries, the fun-lovin' espresso martini is fairly new to the bar scene. First created by revolutionary London bartender Dick Bradsell back in the early 80s, the cocktail's birth is attributed to a soon-to-be supermodel asking for a booze-fuelled drink that would simultaneously wake them up. As vodka back then was the spirit a la mode, Bradsell threw a generous shot of it in with a shot of coffee pulled from the barside espresso machine, plus some coffee liqueur (our money's on Kahlúa) and sugar syrup, then shook away before pouring it into a martini glass. That day, Bradsell made history. Now, the espresso martini is one of the best-known contemporary cocktails. Walk into any bar and chances are you'll see someone sipping one or a bartender furtively shaking one up. While the drink features on cocktail lists the world over, Aussies can't get enough of them. Why? Perhaps it's due to our obsession for good coffee — or because we want to relive the good ol' dancing days of the 80s. Either way, you can get it at pretty much any bar, with some even having the super-popular drop on tap these days. FUN FACTS It's rumoured that Kate Moss or Naomi Campbell could be the model behind the birth of the espresso martini. Initially, the drink was simply called a vodka espresso, before coming the Pharmaceutical Stimulant in the late 90s. Now, it's widely known as the espresso martini. While the proper spelling — and pronunciation — is espresso, many dictionaries now cite expresso as a variant. So, if you're guilty of ordering the latter, you're technically off the hook. It's not actually a martini, which consists of gin and vermouth, but rather got its name from being served in a martini glass. Now, the drink is often served in coups and even tumblers. HOW TO SHAKE UP THE PERFECT ESPRESSO MARTINI AT HOME The Classic Espresso Martini serves one This easy, three-ingredient cocktail is one you can master without needing to be a whiz behind the bar. Plus, it's bound to get any at-home party started — even if it's just you. Ingredients 1 shot Kahlúa coffee liqueur 1 shot vodka 1 shot coffee espresso 3 whole coffee beans Ice Method Pour Kahlúa, vodka and espresso into shaker. Add lots of ice. Shake it (like a polaroid picture) for about 30 seconds. With a strainer, pour concoction into a martini glass, coup or whatever vessel pleases you. Garnish with three coffee beans. If you're whipping up drinks for your housemates, you can shake up to three at a time, depending on the size of the cocktail shaker. Just be sure to stick to the ratios. Or, you can save yourself the hassle and get your hands on Kahlúa's Espresso Style Martini ready-to-drink cans. For more Kahlúa cocktail recipes to try shaking up at home, head here. Images: Kitti Gould
Melbourne Music Week's 2017 edition made quite the sonic splash when it saw St. Paul's Cathedral reimagined as a grand gig space, heroing that T.C Lewis pipe organ. This year, Melbourne music lovers are in for a similar treat when the building again plays host to a groundbreaking night of performance, this time starring the sounds of renowned local artist Sarah Mary Chadwick. On Tuesday, November 19, Chadwick will take to the cathedral's famed 147-year-old instrument to play tunes from her acclaimed work The Queen Who Stole the Sky. The album was commissioned by the City of Melbourne and recorded live on the grand organ at Melbourne Town Hall. Prepare to be swept away by the booming tones and emotionally charged soundtrack, soaring through the church's lofty interiors and giving you all the feels.
They're the two long-running legends of Melbourne's budget-friendly pizza game — Bimbo on the northside and its southern counterpart Lucky Coq. And this Friday, the two are helping locals wrap up the work week in hot, cheesy style, joining forces for a multi-venue pizza party packed full of freebies. Each famed for its $4 pies, the two much-loved haunts are embracing the party vibes on Friday, November 15, offering one free pizza to every punter who swings by between 5 and 6pm. You'll have your choice of any pizza off the regular menu, too — think, a classic margherita; the bacon, egg and anchovy-topped Caesar; or the Cheesy Steak's combination of beef, barbecue mayo and caramelised onion. Those famed OTT dessert pizzas are also up for grabs, including one that's loaded with turkish delight and fairy floss. The free pizza is to help celebrate, and kick off, the two venues' new pizza deal: $5 pizza, all day, every day. So, you have to cough up an extra dollar, but you get cheap pies all the time — we're happy with that tradeoff. In a double win for your wallet, the two free pizza parties also coincide with Lucky Coq and Bimbo's 4–7pm happy hour deals. You can pair those free slices with $6 wines, schooners and house spirits. You can score free pizza from Bimbo (corner Rose and Brunswick streets, Fitzroy) and Lucky Coq (179 Chapel Street Windsor) from 5–6pm. Images: Bimbo by Kate Shanasy
Having announced it'll transform the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) into its official hub for this year's nine-day outing, Melbourne Music Week (MMW) has just dropped the rest of its boundary-blurring program — and it's jam-packed full of surprises. Out to turn traditional live music formats on their heads, MMW is bringing gigs to even more unexpected places, including a revolving musical celebration up on the Melbourne Star Observation Wheel. Here, punters and artists will take to the skies together, and be treated to a MzRizk-curated program featuring shows by DRMNGNOW, Soli, Kalala and more. As the city's longstanding temple to rock 'n' roll, Cherry Bar will play host to all-day laneway shindig Civic Sounds, dishing up live tunes from rock royalty Regurgitator and R&B singer Nai Palm (lead vocalist from Hiatus Kaiyote). BATZ, All The Colours and the Girls Rock! crew are also set to make an appearance. Meanwhile, psychedelic experience The Dark Space Project will see The Toff enveloped in darkness, inviting guests to immerse themselves in a soundscape without visual distraction. In keeping with the immersive theme, you can also join your bestie for the two-person, multi-sensory VR experience Want It To End, enhanced by live tunes from progressive rockers Fierce Mild. The nine-day lineup also features MMW: Talks — with chats on everything from Melbourne's late-night economy, to sound healing and music therapy — a huge show by You Am I in the Town Hall (using the historic Grand Organ) and performances at Flemington Bowls Clubs and the State Library of Victoria. Ever-popular all-ages event Push Over will then help wrap things up on November 24, pulling together acts like Ali Barter, Ruby Fields, and legends from Jebediah and Spiderbait for a free, music-filled party in Federation Square. Melbourne Music Week 2018 will run from November 16 to 24, at various venues across the city. Tickets are on sale now, with the full program at the MMW website.
Although headlines spout statistics and assumptions about refugees, it's rare that we get insight into an individual's experience. But Melbourne-born doco maker David Fedele is changing that. His 2014 film The Land Between took audiences into the world of asylum seekers living in the mountains of northern Morocco and risking death to enter the Spanish enclave of Melilla. Now, he's collaborating with refugee Adama Konate to bring us a unique film, Clandestine Crossing. Konate, who lives in France, will be returning alone to his home country, the Ivory Coast, where he'll re-trace the journey he risked eleven years ago as an asylum seeker. This time, though, he'll be armed with a camera. So, through his eyes, we'll experience his dangerous flight across the Sahara Desert to Morocco, through seven countries and often in the hands of people smugglers. It's a path taken by thousands of asylum seekers every year. "As far as I know, it's never been done before," Fedele said. "When most people leave their country, the last thing they're doing is thinking of making a film… Yet, here is a refugee prepare to take a risk. Why? Why is this so strong for him? He obviously feels strongly about the issues. It's also really interesting, because he wants to tell his own stories. "Adama came up with this idea three years ago and hasn't been able to get it out of his head… Our intention is to start from a place of understanding and empathy. We want to film openly, to understand the reality of why people leave and the reality of the challenges the face." To make Clandestine Crossing happen, Fedele and Konate are running a crowdfunding campaign via Indiegogo. Throw a few bucks their way to score a reward — from a digital download to a Skype chat with the directors.
Barbecuing in Australia no longer dabbles in the carefree realms of cheap snags and piddly steaks. It's 2015 and American-style barbecue reigns in this tender, tender age of pulled pork, slow-cooked brisket and ribs, ribs, ribs. Barbecuing is now serious business, so serious that entire dedicated festivals are popping up, like the wonderfully-named Meatstock. But there is one that comes approved from the folks of Kansas, given the tick of approval by the beating heart of American barbecue itself: The Yaks is coming. Following the success of the debut of The Yaks Melbourne Barbecue Festival at the Queen Victoria Market last year, the crew are bringing the festival back for another round — and this time they'll be setting up shop at Flemington Racecourse on February 6. Barbecue lovers will find themselves panicked for choice at this juicy festival, with food stalls from some of Australia’s finest pitmasters, barbecue cooking demonstrations by local and international barbecue experts, equipment exhibitors, live entertainment and DJs. Plus, venues around Sydney and Melbourne will host barbecue dinners and classes. But while you're ploughing into a pork rib, there's serious competition afoot. Competitive barbecuing isn't for rookies, this is serious shit. Watch amateur barbecue teams from around Australia battle it out in in the Southern Hemisphere’s first American-style cook-off sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society — the real deal. The best performing Australian team at each of The Yaks Barbecue Festival cook-offs will be invited to represent Australia at internationally renowned barbecue contests in the United States. We're talking the American Royal World Series of Barbecue Invitational. Plus, they'll be in the draw for the prestigious KCBS-run Jack Daniels World Championship Invitational Barbecue. That's no average lamb chop. If you reckon you're a pretty damn good barbecuer, check out the website and think about entering a team. Otherwise, bib up and get your tickets here.
Vegans of Melbourne, clear your calendars — you have plans on the first Saturday of every month. Since last September, Vegan Mini Market has been the city's new regular go-to for animal-free items. And, they're back for another year at Abbotsford Convent. Returning from 9am on February 3, it'll be the same vegan-friendly array of food, drinks and other cruelty-free products — aka everything you need to start each month in the best possible way. Previous stallholders have included plant-based Asian street food from Woking Amazing, comfort nibbles from Yay! Food and jam-packed lunchboxes from Good Freaking Food. In an added bonus, the first 50 folks through the door will receive a free plant, meaning that your garden as well as your stomach will thank you. And if you're taking any little ones with you, they'll receive free fruit. Entry is free, too.
There's never been a better reason to drink. Order a Negroni from participating bars during Negroni Week, coming up June 1–7, and you’ll earn $1 for charity. Yep, it’s as simple as that. Negroni Week, an international event, was initiated by Imbibe magazine two years ago. In 2013, 300 bars participated, but by 2014, that number had more than quadrupled, to 1,300. And this year, Imbibe has teamed up with Campari to take Negroni Week global. Consequently, it’s arriving in Australia for the first time. The Negroni was invented in 1919 in Florence, Italy. It came about when a Count named Camillo Negroni ordered an Americano (Campari, sweet vermouth and soda) in a local bar, but decided to add an extra kick. He asked the bar tender to replace the soda with gin, and lo, the Negroni was born. While other cocktails have gone in and out of fashion, the world has been sipping this delicately balanced and beautifully bitter concoction ever since. To find your nearest participating venue, visit the Negroni Week website, or if you just want to see the shortlist, check out our picks of the top five Negroni bars in Melbourne.
At this point in Australia's cinema history, audiences can be forgiven for wondering if homegrown movies have unearthed and told every outback tale there is. Filmmakers have surveyed the nation's ochre-hued terrain as a source of beauty, wonder, comfort, isolation, terror and horror many times over — and used it as a vast and striking backdrop, too — for decades via a multitude of genres. Splash almost any orange-tinted patch of the Aussie landscape across the big screen, and it instantly feels recognisable to even the most ardent of city dwellers, in fact. But the answer to the aforementioned query is an overwhelming no, as The Furnace shows. When the country's cinematic talent traverses this sunburnt and sprawling expanse we call home to explore stories steeped in our problematic past, it's impossible to run out of tales to unfurl. First-time feature writer/director Roderick MacKay sets his meat pie western — the term applied to Australia's spin on the genre, riffing on Italy's spaghetti westerns — in gold-rush era Western Australia. The year is 1897, and transporting freight requires a network of cameleers who trek across the desert. The men hail from India, Afghanistan and Persia, and are largely of Muslim and Sikh faith. They're also badged together under the label 'Ghan' by white Aussies, who treat them poorly and cruelly. As they trudge and toil, Indigenous Australians are far more welcoming. Of course, in stressing this fact, The Furnace isn't making a minor point. MacKay delivers a powerful interrogation of Australia as a multicultural nation, and as a country controlled by those who've done much over the past two centuries to ignore and erase that truth. Indeed, it shouldn't be lost on anyone that the film draws from a real chapter of the nation's story, and also a largely forgotten one — so much so that it's likely to introduce the cameleers' existence to many viewers for the first time. Hanif (Ahmed Malek, Clash), The Furnace's main point of focus, didn't choose to come to Australia or take up this line of work. So, when the young Afghan witnesses the death of his mentor at the hands of a white man, he's eager to earn the cash he needs to return home and leave his stint in the Aussie desert far behind. The Yamatji Badimia people he often spends time with on his travels, including leader Coobering (Trevor Jamieson, Storm Boy) and Hanif's friend Woorak (Baykali Ganambarr, The Nightingale), suggest that he stays and joins them instead — but, after stumbling across injured thief Mal (David Wenham, Dirt Music), he's determined to use half of his new acquaintance's stolen Crown-marked gold bars to finance his escape. Troopers led by the fervent Sergeant Shaw (Jay Ryan, IT: Chapter Two) are swiftly on the unlikely pair's trail; however, Hanif and Mal keep traipsing towards the eponymous smelter, where Mal promises they can melt down the precious metal to remove all traces of the government's ownership. Charting Hanif's journey — physically, and emotionally and spiritually as well — The Furnace is a patient film. It follows characters making a considerable trek, and it lets that sense of time infect the audience. Viewers feel Hanif's exasperation as parts of his life slip by in the sun-dappled dirt and dust. The movie forces those watching to fall into a rhythm, where there's no shortage of new developments complicating Hanif and Mal's quest, but there's no urgency either. That's a difficult feat, especially in a film that sees its central duo pursued by the law with increasing vehemence. The audience knows that Hanif and Mal's predicament is precarious and pressing, because it's apparent in every second after they first cross paths. But MacKay doesn't rush a moment, scene or vivid yet composed image, ensuring viewers also know that being in a hurry means something completely different when nothing but hellishness stretches out as far as the eye can see. It takes an immense amount of skill to realise exactly how long a story needs — not just to relay its plot, but to steep audiences in its characters' experience. If a movie feels too short or lengthy, it's usually because it has failed at this task. The Furnace perfects it and, in deploying the western genre's trademarks in an Australian colonial context, it serves up a stellar meat pie western in the process. The Proposition, Sweet Country, The Nightingale and the forthcoming High Ground have all done so since the turn of the century, and now have more company among the 21st-century's best examples. Perhaps less expected is the way that The Furnace also recalls the greatest addition to the western genre from anywhere over the past two decades: TV series Deadwood. While MacKay crafts an inherently and visibly Aussie story, he also taps into the acclaimed HBO show's canny understanding that trying to make something of oneself when a country is also in its fledgling phase of doing the same is not only complex, but brutal. In a movie that's unflinching in posing the kinds of questions about our national identity that we should always be asking, that above observation applies across the board. It's given flesh via Malek and Wenham's performances, but it's the former that's the star here — alongside Ganambarr, who is now two for two film-wise. Both Malek and Ganambarr are expressive actors who can convey as much through their gaze and presence as through words, which MacKay capitalises upon via prolonged, unedited shots. Actually, they're the reason that The Furnace's biggest struggle stands out, too. So much is subtle and lingering about this film, so it's immediately noticeable when some peripheral characters prove one-note and cartoonish. Such blunt instruments clash with a movie that's otherwise poured as carefully onto the screen as molten gold from its titular stove. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8DT_zVzxhk
Famed restaurateur Chris Lucas (of Chin Chin, Baby Pizza, Hawker Hall) already has two new Melbourne projects in the works — with the hotly-anticipated Society slated to open by the end of July and Japanese diner Yakimono arriving by late 2021. But everyone knows that three's a party, none more so than Lucas, who has revealed plans for a third Melbourne venture that will launch this spring. Grill Americano will open in the landmark 101 Collins tower in October, with the 145-seat bar and restaurant set to open daily to serve breakfast through to after-dinner drinks. At this stage, all that's been shared about the menu is that it'll be full of Italian classics — think, handmade pasta and Tuscan-style Florentine steak. The kitchen will boast a wood grill and bespoke wood oven imported from Naples. "It is more important now [more] than ever before to keep Melbourne in its rightful place as one of the world's greatest food destinations," he said in a press release. "I am looking forward to adding to Melbourne's exciting culinary reputation." [caption id="attachment_817492" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chris Lucas[/caption] Little has been revealed about Grill Americano's fit out and design, except that it'll feature a Flinders Lane entrance and has pulled inspiration from Venetian architecture. The venue's space is being brought to life by celebrated local design firm Denton Corker Marshall, which boasts the Melbourne Museum, the Webb Bridge and Shepparton Art Museum on its resume of high-profile design projects. Between Society, Yakimono and Grill Americano, the Lucas Group's latest round of projects is expected to create more than 550 new hospitality jobs. Find Grill Americano at 101 Collins Street (entrance via Flinders Lane), Melbourne, from October, 2021. Stay tuned and we'll share more information as it's released.
Byron Bay's annual Bluesfest is an absolute monster of a festival, spanning all five days of the Easter weekend, and with a supersized lineup to match. But if you can't make it up north for the festival itself (though you really, really should try) at least there are some scintillating sideshows to ensure you don't miss out on the incredible roster of artists who will be in the country in March and April next year. To help you with your planning (and to stop the FOMO from totally taking over), we've picked eight of the best sideshows taking over Melbourne next Easter. ROBERT PLANT & THE SENSATIONAL SPACE SHIFTERS One of the greatest frontmen in music history returns to our shores with his band, The Sensational Space Shifters. Celebrating 50 years since the release of Led Zeppelin's debut album plus their own 2017 release, Carry Fire, these shows will celebrate a whole lotta music drawn from Robert Plant's peerless back-catalogue. The Sensational Space Shifters formed in 2002, a loose collective of brilliant musicians that take their inspiration from "the roots music of Mississippi, Appalachia, Gambia, Bristol and the foothills of Wolverhampton and drawing on influences collected in a lifetime of meandering and journeying." These shows are truly not to be missed. April 1 and 2 at the Palais Theatre. THE NEW POWER GENERATION The extraordinary legacy of Prince lives on in The New Power Generation, a band of friends and collaborators that were the driving force behind some of the Purple One's greatest latter-era hits. Led by Morris Hayes, Prince's long-time musical director, The NPG aim to honour the life and artistry of their friend and make sure everyone in the audience parties like it's 1999 — just like he would have wanted. Says Hayes, "This band has a huge repertoire, we have got a lot of music that we've learnt over the years and we're prepared to play whatever. We just want to make sure we touch on things that the crowd connects with and make them go 'oh that's my song! That's my jam'." March 26 and 27 at 170 Russell. YOUSSOU NDOUR After a 14-year wait, the king of African music brings his world music block party to Hamer Hall complete with his 12-piece band Le Super Étoile de Dakar and a troupe of acrobatic dancers. Fusing ferocious political commentary and joyous celebrations of his Senegalese heritage with high-tempo, irresistible rhythms and energy, Youssou Ndour is one of the most engaging and captivating performers in any genre. Do not miss this once-in-a-generation performer in this once-in-a-blue-moon Australian tour. Saturday, March 31 at Hamer Hall. GOMEZ — CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF BRING IT ON When Gomez released their brilliant Mercury Music Prize-winning debut album Bring It On in 1997, Britpop was dominating the charts and Tony Blair became prime minister, signalling a new era for the UK. But Gomez never quite fits alongside Jarvis Cocker, Damon Albarn and the Gallagher brothers, writing songs that were far more bar-room blues than witty, knowing 'cool Britannia'. 20 years later, Gomez is still growling and drawling their way into our hearts, never changing their sound to suit the zeitgeist but instead doggedly persevering, steadfast in the knowledge that great songwriting and rock-solid riffs never go out of style. Sunday, April 1 at 170 Russell. HURRAY FOR THE RIFF RAFF At first listen, Hurray for the Riff Raff has all the trappings of so much 21st-century folk music à la Gillian Welch or Laura Marling: intricate guitar playing, lush hushed vocals, songs about introspection. But when you dig a bit deeper you start to hear sounds from New Orleans, from Puerto Rico, from the Bronx — everything that singer and songwriter Alynda Segarra absorbed after she ran away from home at the age of 17 with dreams of becoming the next great blues singer. 2017's The Navigator, their fourth album, sees Segarra becoming more and more confident in the stories she tells and in how she tells them, her life and influences intertwining like two vines growing alongside each other. It's an album about growing up, finding yourself and realising that you are a part of all that has come before you. Saturday, March 24 at The Corner Hotel. MORCHEEBA Morcheeba — the legends of lounge, the champions of chill-out — return to our shores after four years away. In a career spanning 22 years, they have been responsible for soulful sounds like 'The Sea', 'Even Though', 'Otherwise' and 'Rome Wasn't Built in a Day' (you're humming it already, aren't you?), and did as much as any act to popularise and make ubiquitous their style of electronic, chilled vibes. Back with a new album and a new lease on their musical life after a few tumultuous years, singer Skye Edwards and producer Ross Godfrey are going to get you grooving. Friday, March 30 at 170 Russell. GOV'T MULE WITH LUKAS NELSON & PROMISE OF THE REAL Gov't Mule is one of the world's great jam bands, carrying the torch of The Allman Brothers Band and The Grateful Dead one spectacular guitar solo after another. Initially formed as a side project by then Allman Brothers Band members Warren Haynes and Allen Woody, Gov't Mule quickly became the main game after audiences fell in love with their big, bluesy sound. Like Gov't Mule, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real boast unimpeachable music pedigree — Lukas' father, Willie, is a singer/songwriter you may have heard of. Making music with dad was one thing, but when Neil Young picked Promise of the Real to be his touring and studio band a further crash course in all things rock and roll followed. Fans will be in for an absolute treat with these two tremendous bands on the same bill. Tuesday, March 27 at The Corner Hotel. WALTER TROUT In a career spanning six decades, Walter Trout has learned a thing or two about playing guitar — from John Lee Hooker, from John Mayall, and from Canned Heat — all of whom he has played with for significant stretches. Trout is a bluesman through and through, a guitarist and bandleader with rhythm in his bones. Following a near-fatal brush with liver disease in 2014, Trout is playing and writing music with the zeal of a man who knows he dodged a bullet. His return to health and his long-awaited return to Australia are cause for celebration for anyone whose gospels are drums, bass guitar, a Hammond organ and an electric guitar. Thursday, March 29 at The Corner Hotel. Bluesfest 2017 will run March 29 to April 2 at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm in Byron Bay. More details and ticket info here. Top image: Bec Taylor.
To make earth's natural world look beautiful takes no effort at all, but doing the same with Pandora requires immense computing power. Given the latter is an imagined realm in James Cameron's Avatar movies, it can only exist via those ones and zeroes, and the imagery they generate — and yet in 13-years-later sequel Avatar: The Way of Water, the extrasolar moon can be as breathtakingly immersive as anything IRL. Indeed, when this second dip in what's now officially a franchise is at its best, and has audiences eagerly awaiting its third, fourth and fifth instalments in 2024, 2026 and 2028, it's an absolute visual marvel. When that's the case, it's also underwater, or in it. Yes, The Way of Water takes its subtitle seriously, splashing that part of its name about heartily in as much magnificently detailed 3D-shot and -projected glory as its director, cinematographer Russell Carpenter (a True Lies and Titanic alum) and hard-working special-effects team can excitedly muster. For Cameron, darling it really is better down where it's wetter. It's also surprising that he hasn't made a version of The Little Mermaid, a Free Willy entry or a SpongeBob SquarePants movie, such is his flowing love for H20. Plenty on his resume makes this fondness plain, including 2014 documentary Deepsea Challenge that he didn't helm, but chronicles his own journey to the deepest part of the Mariana Trench — aka the deepest part of earth's seabed. To the detriment of The Way of Water, however, there's more to Cameron's latest than soaking in underwater joys. When this flick gets wet, it's a wonder to peer at. It stresses the franchise's love of nature implicitly, and its eco-friendly message about valuing and not exploiting it. It makes viewers wish that what they're seeing truly was genuine. When it surfaces to spin its by-the-numbers story, though, it's often lucky to be an average paddle. A movie that cost US$350 million-plus can't just swim and stare beneath the stunning CGI sea, sadly, as much treading water as The Way of Water does. This long-in-the-works followup to the highest-grossing film ever doesn't tell enough of a tale, certainly isn't concerned with sailing through new narrative oceans, and stretches out its slight plot to a lengthy-and-feeling-it 192 minutes. Over a decade has passed on Pandora, too, since Avatar's protagonist Jake Sully (Sam Worthington, Under the Banner of Heaven) made it his home as new member of the Na'vi, its inhabitants. In The Way of Water, the ex-solider, his Indigenous warrior wife Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña, Amsterdam) and their family are forced to swap their lush, leafy backdrop for the waves, turning Jake from a Marine into a marine-dweller. Why? Earth's armed forces are back, vengeful and still keen to colonise after ruining their own planet. Avatar viewers, so everyone given its box-office tally, will recall that Jake was originally human; "the sky people", the Na'vi call them. Audiences should also remember that he navigated Pandora plugged into a body resembling his blue-skinned, three-metre-tall hosts, which is why Avatar is called Avatar to begin with. That concept largely sinks away this time around, after Jake permanently embraced his adopted guise at the end of the last film — other than to bring back Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang, Don't Breathe 2) and his crew. With his memories paired with Na'vi anatomy, the saga's chief antagonist is now cerulean as well, and hellbent on tracking down Jake, Neytiri, their teenage sons Neteyam (Jamie Flatters, The School for Good and Evil) and Lo'ak (Britain Dalton, Ready Player One), younger daughter Tuk (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Best Food Forward) and the adopted Kiri (Sigourney Weaver, Call Jane). Swiftly, seeking refuge with turquoise-hued water clans is the Sullys' only hope for survival. If anyone had forgotten that Cameron directed Aliens, The Abyss, The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Titanic — or Ghosts of the Abyss and Aliens of the Deep, docos about deep-sea exploration — The Way of Water provides a hefty reminder. The filmmaker cribs liberally from his past work, as seen in all of the military might and technology. He does so to such an extent that a sinking ship plays a massive part, all in a movie that co-stars Kate Winslet (Mare of Easttown) as the queen of the aquamarine-coloured Metkayina reef people. No one hogs floating debris, but making Cameron's script with Mulan's Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver a Cameron greatest-hits package is comical. That said, that approach speaks to what's important to the director, and where he'd rather spend his time and energy. It was true of the initial film as well, with its FernGully: The Last Rainforest, Pocahontas and Dune nods. The Avatar flicks would prefer to be experiences than stories, plunging spectators in instead of doling out plot points. One day, Pandora will undoubtedly stun as a virtual-reality space. One day, the world that Cameron has created will welcome headset-wearing devotees slipping into their own avatars and roving around. With its use of 3D and a higher frame rate, The Way of Water snorkels as far in that direction as it can while tied to cinemas — and that hyper-clear submersion is what it leaves audiences wanting oh-so-much more of. Kudos to the director for going against the tide in a world saturated by 'content' (complete with that bland label lumping everything on-screen together), of course. More kudos to him for valuing cinema as an audiovisual form above all else. Still, that passion, focus and aim can't lift The Way of Water's soggy narrative or deepen its shallow dialogue. And, away from the sea, the feature's doubling of images per second can't overcome the same struggles The Hobbit movies and Gemini Man had. Sans water, that annoying motion-smoothing soap-opera look bubbles up, gimmickry sets in, and Pandora and the Na'vi appear far, far less visually spectacular. Conveying emotion isn't The Way of Water's struggle, however, with assistance from its state-of-the-art performance-capture technology. Gleeful earnestness and idealism is as ever-present as azure and ultramarine tones, especially in the movie's ocean-adoring middle third. That's when this sequel is a family drama above all else, as well as a coming-of-age drama. Forget Quaritch's revenge, even if that's what kicks the flick into its action-packed — and overlong — finale; when The Way of Water charts Lo'ak's journey as the Sullys' black sheep, particularly after he bonds with an also-outcast whale-like sea creature known as a tulkun, or when it hones on in Kiri's spiritual connection with underwater plant life, it's tender, heartfelt and personal. That's when the Titanic riffs, Weaver playing a teen and Quaritch's Na'vi form cheesily crushing his old human skull all get swept away, and when this uneven film floats.
Looking for new threads? Sure, you can head to plenty of markets around town, and trawl through food, homeware and other objects — or you can mosey along to Melbourne's dedicated sustainable ladies fashion get-together. Round She Goes does one thing, and it does it well. If it's clothing, accessories and jewellery you're after, you'll find it here. Filled with preloved designer and vintage wares, the one-day fashion market is back for 2022, taking over Coburg Town Hall from 10am–3pm on Sunday, April 10. Expect a heap of stalls, specially curated by organisers to deliver a hefty selection of reasonably priced, high-quality pieces from the 40s through to today. The lineup ranges from beloved brands to handmade items to wardrobe clear-outs by some of Melbourne's most fashionable women, with 50 stallholders set to make an appearance. Entry costs $4, plus there'll be specialty coffee to keep you fuelled and tasty eats from the Kimu Korean Japanese food truck.
If anyone knows a thing or two about hosting events, it's the good folk of Melbourne — a city where not a week goes by without some sort of festival, street party, or public celebration. Just this week, we're gearing up for a glorious all-nighter, as White Night Melbourne returns. And it looks like that events calendar is about to get even more chockers, with the City of Melbourne announcing it'll be throwing $2.6 million in funding behind three events sponsorship programs this year. The programs have been running for a few years now, with the Business Events Sponsorship Program covering business events and conferences, an Event Partnership Program focusing on boosting local free events, and the Triennial Sponsorship Program going towards delivering those major, hot-ticket events and festivals. Aimed at beefing up the diversity and accessibility of Melbourne's various events, this support ensures there remains free and budget-friendly ways to get involved in all the major happenings — including events like the Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival and the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. "The number of events and festivals in our city is constantly growing and we are always open to new suggestions and ideas," Acting Lord Mayor Arron Wood explained. "We encourage applications for funding of events that reflect creativity, inclusion, sustainability, knowledge and economic prosperity." If you've got a ripper idea for an event and fancy applying for the Event Partnership Program or Business Events Sponsorship Program, the submission deadline is Tuesday, March 14. Applications for the Triennial Sponsorship Program close on Tuesday, March 20. Image: White Night.
Summer might be over, but there's another bright spark of sunshine waiting just over the horizon. Namely, the grand and glorious 2021 edition of Midsumma Festival, which takes over venues, spaces and screens across Melbourne from Monday, April 19–Wednesday, May 5. The long-running annual LGBTQIA+ celebration is gearing up for its biggest and boldest run yet, thanks to a program chock full of art, music, performance, conversation and parties promising to help reignite the city's soul. Featuring over 145 events — and 100-plus open-access events made for and by queer communities — it's set to serve up a little something for everyone. The theme: the art of the possible. Highlights include the sold-out Midsumma Live At The Bowl, a free, huge two-night concert series at Sidney Myer Music Bowl, featuring a roll call of Aussie queer icons — plus A Strange Space, an openair exhibition embracing the idea of resilience over at the newly revamped Collingwood Yards. In Williamstown, The Pier Festival serves up a diverse celebration for queer women and their allies, featuring a program of food trucks, market stalls and live entertainment. And, multifaceted show After Dark will see a lineup of leading drag performers take audiences on a lively trip back through the ages of cabaret. A stack of events will be firing up nightly at the many festival hubs, too, including Arts Centre Melbourne, Theatre Works, Gasworks Arts Park and Chapel Off Chapel. Loads of return favourites are also on the event bill, such as the unique variety show that is Dolly Diamond's Star for a Night, long-running female-led music showcase Goddess Grooves, and the Midsumma and Australia Post Art Award exhibition. Those playing along at home will find a whole crop of virtual events and live-streamed goodness as well. Check out screenings of Maxie Dara's award-winning digital short play Alone Together from your couch — or opt for a hilarious online storytelling series dubbed Drag Storytime. The fun continues post-festival on Sunday, May 23, as the Midsumma Pride March hosts its supercharged 26th anniversary edition, transforming St Kilda's Fitzroy Street into a rolling parade and party. COVID-19 has ensured a few changes to this year's run, but no one need miss out — audiences can live-stream the entire thing at home, or book a spot at one of the street's venues to catch the parade up close.
If you fancy channeling a blissed-out European summer, without spending a cent on airfares, you're in luck. From its primo spot overlooking the Yarra, mod-Italian haunt Fatto Bar and Cantina is embracing those sunny season feels with a series of bottomless rosé lunches, happening every Sunday throughout October. Fatto's riverside terrace will play host to these chic Italian feasts, running across two sessions each week (12–2pm and 2.30–4.30pm) for groups of four or more, and starring a three-course sharing menu by Head Chef James Kummrow. You'll get your Sunday kicks enjoying DJ tunes along with a parade of spring-appropriate dishes, including a luxe antipasti platter — with prosciutto, zucchini flowers and caviar tartlets — Italian baked fish, a citrus salad and shoestring fries. The meal will be rounded out with an appropriately pink strawberry sorbet, too. Clocking in at $75 per person, each Sunday lunch also features two hours of unlimited rosé. Choose from the Arfion made in the Yarra Valley or opt for an overseas jaunt, with the Les Gres rosé from Provence, France. Bottomless rosé lunches run from 12–2pm or 2.30–4.30pm. Images: Simon Shiff
