Every month, Sydneysiders chuck out more than 500,000 disposable coffee cups. Given how much cheering’s been going on in reaction to the COP21 climate change agreement to transform the planet’s fossil fuel-driven economy, it feels like it’s about time we killed our trash habit, too. The good news is that a visionary company by the name of Frank Green wants to help us along. Founded in Melbourne, they’ve just expanded to Sydney and their business is the design creation and sale of SmartCups, which are quite possibly the most beautiful, well-conceived, reusable coffee cups you’ve ever seen. It’s not just us who are impressed, either – the SmartCup won the 2015 Good Design Award. The vessel is 100 percent Australian-made – every step of the way, from design to engineering to manufacturing – and an array of features puts it a cut above its competitors. It's made of premium, BPA-free, non-toxic materials, which are resistant to stain and odours, so you won’t get any weird tastes mixing with your Single Origin or Toby’s Estate. You only need one hand to open and close it, allowing for endless multitasking. And the lid is completely spill-proof. Add to that a double-walled, thermo layer to keep your brew hot; a non-slip grip; a flow-optimised drinking hole; the capacity to take regular and large coffee sizes; and loads of choices in terms of colours. Last but not least, you can actually pay for your coffee with your SmartCup. Frank Green and CafePay have got together to make this little slice of magic happen – the cup itself can facilitate secure cashless payments; keep track of your progress in loyalty programmes; help you find your favourite beans, café or barista; allow you to pre-order; and get you access to special discounts. Check out Frank Green's website for more info.
Tiny city living spaces can be frustrating at times, making entertaining or merely dining at home a challenge for urban dwellers. But Orla Reynolds' design, As If From Nowhere, may solve this problem. Reynolds has created a bookcase that stores tables and chairs. The bookcases are adjustable to fit in any area, and house four chairs and two tables (which can be placed together to make one larger table) that slide into them. This means that nothing has to be moved from the shelves when you want to use them. With a multi-functional approach to her product design, which delivers a sense of quirky playfulness, As If From Nowhere gives you both storage space and a dining set that can be easily assembled for unexpected guests.
Mill Place Merchants wants to help you travel back in time this April. Every Thursday, you can pop down to the speakeasy for Peaches and Prints: a celebration of bellinis, polaroids and vintage glamour. From 6–9pm, the bar will be serving up classic bellinis for $15 a pop. Each is a perfect blend of prosecco, white peach puree and your choice of raspberry or cherry juice — made according to the recipe that made Harry's Bar in Venice famous. For a posher tipple, add champagne for an extra $17, or go non-alcoholic. With a bellini in hand, you'll be ready to don one of the venue's vintage hats and pose for a polaroid. Tag yourself and @milllacemerchants, and you'll go into a weekly draw to win an exclusive experience. Adding to the old-timey vibes will be a pianist, playing classic songs between 7–9:30pm. And, should you work up an appetite, the bar's charcuterie, cheese and snack menu will have you covered.
Keen to deliver on the promise that "good things take time", is new Little Collins Street restaurant Aru. The latest, long-planned venture from the minds behind Sunda — including celebrated chef Khanh Nguyen — opened its doors in June, the best part of 18 months after the concept was originally announced. The 120-seat restaurant will be sticking to its original script, drawing culinary inspiration from those early days of trade between Indonesian seafarers and northern Australia. Aru is named after the cluster of islands on the pre-colonial maritime route that connected this corner of the world, and the restaurant will champion flavours of Southeast Asia, Japan, China and native Australia. Led by Nguyen, the kitchen's been digging back through the history books to inform the techniques that'll guide the menu — from curing and fermentation; to smoking and cooking over flames. There's a wood-fired hearth, and even an onsite dry-aging room, set to turn out the likes of cured pork and Viet-style duck sausage. [caption id="attachment_815926" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Aru's house-cured duck ham, by Kristoffer-Paulsen.[/caption] A creatively-charged menu pushes familiar flavours into innovative new directions, backed by those ancient techniques. The traditional beef jerky is reworked using kangaroo, classic banh mi ingredients become the filling of a house-made pate en croute, and a riff on Peking duck sees house-cured duck ham teamed with hoisin, cucumber and spring onion. Snacks and small plates are in strong supply, running to bites like spiced wagyu tongue, mussels with turmeric mayo, and a duck snag sanga finished with leatherwood honey and peanuts. Deeper in, you'll find plates like a whole John Dory paired with desert lime and seaweed butter, lamb rump done with cashews and river mint, and a clay pot broken rice starring duck fat, sausage and egg yolk. Clever desserts might include kaya and koji waffles, and even a roast potato creme caramel. Sunda's one-time star dish of babi guling (Balinese-style roast pork) is also making a cameo, elevated with fresh herbs and native Australian sambals. You'll want to be quick for this one, though — there are only ten serves available each day. Find Aru at 268 Little Collins Street, Melbourne. It's open 12pm–late, Tuesday to Saturday. Images: Kristoffer Paulsen
If you've ever dreamed of packing in the nine-to-five life, moving to the beach and running your own eatery with a view, here's your chance — Island Wholefoods Cafe, situated on Victoria's Phillip Island, is being raffled off. It's the kind of shortcut to completely changing your life, owning your own business and living by the seaside that everyone dreams about, and it's on offer for just $15. To enter, you need to buy a 'golden ticket' chocolate bar before midnight on Tuesday, October 16, with all entries going into the draw to become the new proprietor of the plant-based and plastic-free cafe. The winner will also receive $10,000 in cash and $4000 in stock, all fixtures and business assets, and rent, body corporate fees and council rates paid up until March 4, 2019. Valued at $187,439 in total, the prize includes all of the relevant taxes, duties and costs involved with transferring the business and lease as well. Current owners Laura and Matt McNamara opened the site back in 2015, but now they're keen to move onto the next chapter of their lives — which involves travelling around Australia in a caravan with their young family, still living a plant-based lifestyle and focusing on zero waste, all as part of a project they're calling The Avocado Tribe. And if they're off on a new adventure, they're keen to give someone else one too. Plus, as well as gifting the lucky winner a debt-free, profitable and already established business, the McNamaras are donating $2 from every chocolate bar to charities Take3 for the Sea, Plastic Free Phillip Island and Boomerang Bags Phillip Island. As for the $15 caramel chocolate bars themselves, they're made from mylk chocolate, including fair-trade and organic ingredients such as virgin cacao butter, coconut nectar, raw cashews, coconut, raw cacao beans, buckwheat and pink lake salt — and they're also dusted with 24-carat gold. Of course, if you'd be willing to buy absolutely any old chocolate bar for the chance to win your own cafe, that's understandable. Image: Island Whole Foods.
Where do artists find inspiration? The answer to that question is virtually endless, as perusing the Archibald Prize finalists every year illustrates. For the acclaimed Australian portraiture award, sometimes actors, musicians, comedians and filmmakers provide a spark. Authors, footballers, the folks doing the painting themselves: they all fit, too. Frequently, though, fellow artists inspire others to get the creative juices flowing. Among recent Archie winners, that was true for Tony Costa with Lindy Lee, Blak Douglas with Karla Dickens and Peter Wegner with Guy Warren, for instance — and, in 2025, it's also the case for Julie Fragar with her likeness of Justene Williams. This year's pick for the prestigious prize, Flagship Mother Multiverse (Justene), is also an instance of one Brisbane artist painting another to claim the $100,000 award. Fragar's win makes it three in a row for women at the Archies since 2023, following Laura Jones in 2024 with her portrait of author Tim Winton and Julia Gutman the year prior for a depiction of Montaigne. That said, Fragar is still just the 13th woman to win the 104-year-old art accolade. Even with recipients who've emerged victorious more than once — Judy Cassab in 1960 and 1967, and Del Kathryn Barton in2008 and 2013 — this is still only the 15th time that the prize has gone to a female talent. [caption id="attachment_1003358" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Winner Archibald Prize 2025, Julie Fragar 'Flagship Mother Multiverse (Justene)', oil on canvas, 240 x 180.4 cm © the artist, image © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter.[/caption] "You work your whole career imagining this might happen one day. Thinking back to myself as a 17-year-old showing up at the Sydney College of the Arts — a kid from country New South Wales — it's incredible to think I have won the Archibald Prize," said Fragar about her win. "Portrait painting wasn't taken as seriously in the 1990s as it is today. I have always regarded the Archibald Prize as a place that understood the value of portraiture. To be the winner of the Archibald Prize is a point of validation. It means so much to have the respect of my colleagues at the Art Gallery. It doesn't get better than that." Fragar is the Head of Painting at the Queensland College of Art and Design, where Williams is the Head of Sculpture. "Justene is incredible. I feel very fortunate that she allowed me to do this portrait. There is nobody like her. The work is a reflection on the experience of making art to deadlines, and the labour and love of being a mother," said Fragar of her now-Archibald Prize-winning subject. "Here are two of Australia's great artists in conversation about what matters most to them. Julie Fragar has a sumptuous ability to transcend reality and depict her subjects technically but also psychologically. Justene Williams is a larger-than-life character, a performer — cacophonous and joyous," noted Art Gallery of New South Wales Director Maud Page about 2025's pick. "In this work, she is surrounded by her own artworks and, most important of all, her daughter Honore as a tiny figure atop a sculpture. It speaks to me as a powerful rendition of the juggle some of us perform as mothers and professionals." Flagship Mother Multiverse (Justene) was selected from a pool of 57 finalists, including another awarded two-artist combination in Abdul Abdullah's portrait of fellow creative Jason Phu, aka 2025's Packing Room Prize recipient. Other contenders included likenesses of Nicole Kidman, Hugo Weaving, Boy Swallows Universe star Felix Cameron, Miranda Otto, Grace Tame, Vincent Namatjira, filmmaker Warwick Thornton and comedian Aaron Chen, as whittled down from a total pool of 904 Archibald Prize entries for 2025. AGNSW also awards the Wynne and Sulman prizes at the same time as the Archibald — and across all three, from 2394 submissions, 2025 marks the first year that there were more finalist works by women artists in the accolades' history. [caption id="attachment_1003359" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Winner Wynne Prize 2025, Jude Rae 'Pre-dawn sky over Port Botany container terminal', oil on linen, 200 x 150.4 cm © the artist, image © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Diana Panuccio.[/caption] For $50,000 Wynne Prize, which is all about landscape painting — and is Australia's oldest art award — Sydney artist Jude Rae's Pre-dawn sky over Port Botany container terminal was picked from 52 finalists and 758 entries. This is the third time that Rae has made the top batch of Wynne contenders. She's also been an Archie finalist four times (in 2014, 2019, 2021 and 2022) and was a Sulman finalist in 2021. "There is something compelling about the constantly flashing gantry lights and the floodlights blasting away in those hours just before dawn. I am up at various times and love to watch the pre-dawn light, when the sky is just starting to change colour. From my bathroom window on the fifth floor of my building, I have a clear view of that scene. There is no way to photograph it — it's too subtle and too fleeting. It's a big sky and we're all really little," Rae said about her piece. [caption id="attachment_1003361" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Winner Sulman Prize 2025, Gene A'Hern 'Sky painting', oil and oil stick on board, 240 x 240 cm © the artist, image © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Diana Panuccio.[/caption] The Sulman rewards genre painting, subject painting and mural projects, with Gene A'Hern 2025's pick for the Blue Mountains-inspired Sky painting, getting the top nod for the $40,000 gong from this year's 30 finalists and 732 entries. "Painted with expansive movements to capture a sense of scale and colour, this painting unfolded as I immersed myself in skywatching, while reflecting on the ceremonial choreography of the surrounding environment. It conveys a sensation of nature's gestures, composed to resonate from within, translating an omnipresence that comes from dust and returns to dust," said A'Hern. "The work draws on charged memories — birds singing in harmony, branches sighing in the wind, the closing curtain of the setting sun, all forming a living landscape that I breathe with and through. For me, the sky and the Blue Mountains intertwine and reveal themselves as a place of origin, deep memory and belonging." 2025's winners and finalists across all three prizes are on display at AGNSW from Saturday, May 10–Sunday, August 17, 2025, before touring to Geelong Gallery, Gosford Regional Gallery, Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre, Mudgee Arts Precinct and Shoalhaven Regional Gallery over the 11 months afterwards. Archibald Prize 2025 Exhibition Dates Saturday, May 10–Sunday, August 17, 2025 — Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney, NSW Saturday, August 30–Sunday, November 9, 2025 — Geelong Gallery, Victoria Saturday, November 22, 2025–Sunday, January 11, 2026 — Gosford Regional Gallery, NSW Saturday, January 23–Saturday, March 7, 2026 — Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre, NSW Friday, March 20–Saturday, May 3, 2026 — Mudgee Arts Precinct, NSW Saturday, May 16–Sunday, July 19, 2026 — Shoalhaven Regional Gallery, NSW 2025's Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prize-winners will display at various locations around the country from Saturday, May 10, 2025. If you can't make it to any of the above exhibition dates, you can check out the winners and finalists of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes on the Art Gallery of NSW website. Top image: Excerpt of winner Archibald Prize 2025, Julie Fragar 'Flagship Mother Multiverse (Justene)', oil on canvas, 240 x 180.4 cm © the artist, image © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter. Sitter: Justene Williams. Excerpt of winner Wynne Prize 2025, Jude Rae 'Pre-dawn sky over Port Botany container terminal', oil on linen, 200 x 150.4 cm © the artist, image © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Diana Panuccio. Excerpt of winner Sulman Prize 2025, Gene A'Hern 'Sky painting', oil and oil stick on board, 240 x 240 cm © the artist, image © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Diana Panuccio. Installation images: Installation view, 'Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes 2025', Art Gallery of New South Wales, photo © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Diana Panuccio.
If you've ever needed a positive example of how one night can change everything, just chat to Nema Adel. He had no intention of becoming an artist. In fact, he had just completed a university degree in a completely unrelated field when he went to a Flying Lotus performance at the Sydney Opera House that sparked a new passion for real-time digital art. Four and a half years on, Adel is now a sought-after digital artist who has created activations for festivals such as Liveworks and Vivid. He is also one of the visionary artists to team up with Miller Design Lab in 2020 to celebrate our nightlife and its impact on culture to deliver exceptional moments to you and your home. Deciding to forge a career in a relatively new — and quite niche — artistic field has meant Adel's path has been anything but traditional, so Concrete Playground sat down with the artist to discuss his creative process. Read on to discover how he seeks inspiration and the importance of nightlife to his art, then check out the video above to see him in action. In addition to the Flying Lotus gig, Adel pinpoints one other serendipitous moment that propelled his career. At his first ever event in 2016, which involved digital projections on a bank of trees over a river, Adel met an artist from Germany who liked his work. What followed was a six-month stint touring Germany and Austria doing shows. "And that was my education," he says. Adel explains that because digital art is such a new and ever-evolving art form he is mostly self-taught. "If I go on Google, I won't get any answers to the things I want to know, because nobody has really done it before," he says. Instead, Adel relies on connecting with others around the world who work in similar artistic spaces, particularly through Instagram, to share ideas, new techniques and advice. In particular, he notes San Francisco-based company All Of It Now and its Creative Director Kev Zhu, who shares tutorials online and has worked with Drake on custom projections for arena tours, as a key source of inspiration and knowledge sharing. But mostly, "it's just loads of experimentation. Unlike fine arts and classical arts, where [there is a] technique that we've perfected over hundreds of years." Customisation is present throughout Adel's entire process. "The design mainly happens on the computer, but I don't know how that actually looks unless I set up the projection and understand it in reality. Then, I'll take it back to the computer, then back to reality, and keep ping-ponging back and forth." For that reason, Adel doesn't really have a traditional workspace. He has a studio at Marrickville's Create Or Die, a creative hub filled with artists that he loves to bounce ideas off or collaborate with, including graffiti artist Iro Kitamura. "He might be painting murals and I'll be projecting onto the mural painting. I really enjoy it as I don't have those fine art skills," he says. Adel also likes that his work takes him out and about. "I love my style of work so much because the space changes — different venues and different galleries — and that'll always inform how you're going to work." And he mostly works at night. "On the most basic level, I cannot do my craft in the middle of the day… the natural light will wash out my projection light. Without the nighttime, I don't have a craft." Beyond that, he acknowledges the symbiotic relationship art and nightlife have: "I work in a lot of events and I was able to keep practising through the nightlife that we have — whether it's working with musical artists or exhibitions. If you have an extensive nightlife, [artists] can keep rolling and keep becoming better". Of course, much of that has changed in the past few months due to restrictions on public gatherings. Adel has had many jobs cancelled and has made the decision to temporarily move out of his Marrickville studio for safety reasons. Though he knows many other creatives are trying to keep up the collaboration and creativity in this time, he isn't. For someone who believes that "creativity is a mirror" and will reflect the artist's mood or current situation, it makes sense that he'd prefer to pause on creating for now. "I've consciously decided to use this as a bit more of a rest period, and that's partly due to the fact that there is a lot less inspiration in my life at the moment," he explains. Instead, he is viewing this time as a "study period" by doing some online tutorials, perfecting techniques and keeping up to date on the software tools he relies on. But when normal life resumes and he is ready to boost what he calls his creativity "metre" again, Adel has a few tried and tested techniques for seeking inspiration. "Travelling or seeing a new place and taking photos — that'll always bring new ideas to me," he says. He also mentions going out to see live music as a huge influence, naming Freda's in Chippendale and Camelot Lounge in Marrickville as his go-tos. "When there are events on with artists from other countries, I love it. I have no idea what to expect… but their art has been formed in a different way. You want to get as many perspectives as you possibly can under your belt. "I'm also very inspired by the Studio Ghibli films…. They've managed to create rich stories from imagery, and I think for me that is the ultimate goal: not just creating things that look nice, but things which convey meaning. That's hopefully what I aim for in the next ten years." For more, check out Nema's collaboration with Miller Genuine Draft here. For more ways to celebrate your city's nightlife and recreate its energy in your own space, head this way. Images: Reuben Gibbes
So the saying goes, life imitates art. But in times of political and economic upheaval, perhaps the art we turn to isn't a mirror — it's a doorway. In 2025, Australians aren't just listening to music that reflects the world around them, but the worlds they'd rather escape to. Dance floors have become places of release, bass drops a kind of collective exhale, and the 2025 ARIA Award nominations tell the story: we're craving movement, connection and joy. According to Spotify editor Marty Doyle, this year's ARIA nominees capture that cultural shift — one that's driven not just by hooks and beat drops, but by a distinctly Australian sense of optimism. Dance and electronic music now dominate both the charts and the cultural conversation, with acts like Dom Dolla, RÜFÜS DU SOL and record-breaking nominee Ninajirachi leading the charge. Together, they represent a generation of artists who have turned isolation into innovation, transforming post-pandemic energy into something deeply communal — and distinctly global. [caption id="attachment_1005091" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dom Dolla performing on his recent tour.[/caption] "The dominance of Australian dance music is undeniable and a true testament to the amazing work our artists are doing," Doyle says. "There were one billion export streams of Australian dance music in March 2025 alone, which is an amazing result." Those billion streams aren't just happening at home. Australian artists are setting the global tempo, taking sweaty club tracks and festival anthems far beyond local shores. "Artists like Fisher, RÜFÜS DU SOL and Dom Dolla are some of our biggest exports," Doyle says, "and they're helping pave new roads for more Australian artists to come behind them." That international reach now extends to Ninajirachi, whose eight nominations — the most ever for a female electronic artist — mark a new benchmark for women in dance music. "It's incredibly exciting to see Ninajirachi lead the charge," Doyle adds. "It's an achievement that should be celebrated." [caption id="attachment_1035191" align="alignnone" width="1920"] DJ Nina Wilson performs as Ninajirachi during Lollapalooza 2023.[/caption] The Sound of Escapism If dance and electronic music are thriving, it's not just about BPMs — it's about emotion. In uncertain times, Australians are finding joy, connection and escape on the dance floor. "It's impossible to pinpoint one reason," Doyle says of the genre's surge. "But COVID definitely accelerated our appetite for dance music." When lockdowns shut clubs, cancelled festivals and erased social connection, music filled the gap. "The idea of dancing in a sweaty club together or even being outside at a festival became one of our biggest aspirations," Doyle says. "When we were finally able to get outside again, there was an explosion of enthusiasm. People were partying like it was their last night on earth." That post-pandemic energy, Doyle argues, hasn't faded — it's evolved. "Amidst an unsettling and shifting geopolitical world, Aussie artists have managed to not only address complex issues within their music, but they've also found solace in making it fun," he says. "It's a testament to our resilience, optimism, sense of humour and shared values as Australians." In other words: when the world feels heavy, Australians dance. [caption id="attachment_913128" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Home-grown EDM favourites RÜFÜS DU SOL performing live.[/caption] From Lockdown Loops to Global Stages The pandemic didn't just reignite audiences' desire to dance — it reshaped how artists created. "COVID provided a chance for artists to retreat into their home studios and create some of their most profound work," Doyle says. Fred again.. is perhaps the most famous example, but the ripple effect was global — and local. Aussie duo Shouse turned their track 'Love Tonight' into an international anthem of resistance during lockdowns, soundtracking balcony singalongs across Europe. "There are so many stories like this that have contributed to the acceleration of dance music over the last few years," Doyle says. That creative spark continues. Spotify's data shows that dance and electronic streaming in Australia now spans every part of the day — from morning workouts to study playlists and nights out. "Electronic music is made up of various sub-genres, and new ones are constantly being invented and mashed together," Doyle explains. "It's fertile ground for innovation and discovery." And increasingly, that experimentation is paying off on the charts. "We're seeing electronic music cross over into mainstream and end up on the ARIA Charts," Doyle adds. "That curiosity among Australian listeners is helping drive the rise of the genre." [caption id="attachment_1035190" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Marty Doyle— Editorial Lead, Spotify AU/NZ[/caption] Beyond the Beat While electronic and dance dominate the conversation, other genres are thriving too. "Indie and guitar-based music is also booming," Doyle says. "Australia has always punched above its weight in this space." Spotify data backs it up: Australian indie exports have surged 94 percent since 2021, while indie pop isn't far behind, up 86 percent in the same period. It's evidence that our music scene isn't defined by one sound — it's an ecosystem of artists pushing boundaries across styles. Looking ahead, Spotify's editors don't expect the momentum to slow. "There's no evidence to suggest this growth will drastically change," Doyle says. "But we're also seeing exciting early signs in local country and post-punk." [caption id="attachment_1014087" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Melbourne's Electronic and EDM A3 Festival, returning later this year.[/caption] A New Era of Australian Sound If there's one takeaway from the 2025 ARIA nominations, it's that Australian music is entering a new era — one powered by diversity, innovation and fearless experimentation. "While you'll see some familiar names among the nominees," Doyle says, "it's amazing to see a record-breaking number of first-time and independent artists in the mix too. It proves there's a never-ending pipeline of incredible new talent that Australian audiences are embracing." From massive export numbers to global festival stages, Australian artists and producers aren't just making people move — they're exporting a feeling. And right now, that feeling sounds a lot like hope. Find out more about 2025's Aria Award nominees and cast your votes now. Images: Supplied | Getty Images
The erstwhile Power Station B in North Geelong sat vacant for nearly 50 years. Then, in 2015, it became Australia's largest street art gallery. The 3000-square-metre structure, set on a six-acre plot facing Corio Bay, features nearly 20-metre walls, staircases, windows, long-disused rooms and even old cars that have become a canvas for legal street art. There are well over 300 artworks in the space, so be sure to take your time here. Images: Julia Sansone
The Coachella lineup has landed. Over the course of two autumnal weekends — April 11-13 and 18-20 — California's music-loving valley will welcome some of the world's most original, inventive and popular acts into the fold. There's a major headliner scheduled for each day — the long-rumoured and at last reunited Outkast on Friday; England's rebellious, alt-rockers Muse on Saturday; and Canada's indie favourites Arcade Fire on Sunday. While Muse just finished up an Aussie tour, Arcade Fire will soon be packing their suncream and surfboards —l they’ll be headlining Big Day Out on January 19. We Antipodeans are getting quite a look-in at Coachella, too. As you might've guessed, New Zealand teenager and singing, songwriting phenomenon Lorde is on the program. She'll be joined by fellow Kiwis The Naked and Famous. Australia has abundant representation in the form of electro duo Empire of the Sun; Sydney rockers The Preatures; multi-instrumentalist, producer and DJ Flume; psychedelic specialists Jagwar Ma; dance music trailblazer Anna Lunoe; and indie DJs Flight Facilities. As for the rest of the planet, the list includes The Replacements, Broken Bells, Queens of the Stone Age, The Knife, Pharrell Williams, Beck, Lana del Rey, Motorhead, Skrillex and Sleigh Bells. Tix go on sale this Friday at 10am (California time) at www.coachella.com/festival-passes
Need a creative way to celebrate NAIDOC Week? Haus of Dizzy and Haus of Ziggy Lee are hosting a fashion-meets-art workshop, where guests are invited to customise their own deadly hoodie in a fun and inclusive setting. Guided by self-proclaimed Queen of Bling and Wiradjuri designer Kristy Dickinson, this two-hour session is the ideal hands-on activity for engaging with First Nations peoples, culture and community at its most joyful. So, step into her store, bring your NAIDOC spirit and test your eye for design. Held from 11am–1pm on Saturday, July 5, tickets include the cost of the hoodie, which you'll soon give a one-of-a-kind makeover using a variety of techniques guided by Dickinson. From direct-to-film transfers to iron-on patches and heat-pressed decals, expect the final result to resonate with big colours and powerful messages. Open to kids aged six and up, this high-energy lesson is perfect for newcomers exploring Indigenous culture and their creative side. Plus, you'll head home with an expressive hoodie that you can wear day in and day out this winter and beyond.
This summer, you'll have another excuse to enjoy a G&T as a heap of gin and tonic gardens pop up across the country. Taking over outdoor spaces, they'll be setting up shop not only in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, but in Canberra, on the Gold and Sunshine Coasts, and in Cairns too — so whether you're eager for a drink close to home or you'll be holidaying in a sunny spot, cocktails laden with juniper spirits await. Settling into the outside areas at pubs and bars in each locale, the gardens will feature plenty of gin and tonic (obviously), as well as DIY garnish stations. The idea is that you can learn more about different botanicals, then mix, match and experiment to find your ideal G&T combination. That sounds like a task that we'd all gladly accept; however there'll be tonic pairing menus on hand should you need some pointers. At the time of writing, Sydneysiders can scratch their G&T itch at the Woolhara Hotel and the Shelbourne Hotel in the CBD, plus Newtown's Union Hotel — while Melburnians can make a date with Ciao Cucina in Port Melbourne, as well as Richmond Social, the Notting Hill Hotel and the Lower Plenty Hotel in their respective suburbs. Brisbanites can head to Covent Garden in West End, Blind Tiger in The Gap and Sandstone Point Hotel on Bribie Island; mosey down to the Goldie to the Surfers Paradise Beer Garden, the Burleigh Heads Hotel, Baskk in Coolangatta; or venture north to Circa Rooftop Bar in Maroochydore. More locations will pop up across the country over the summer, with a handy interactive map tracking new venues. The gardens are the work of Fever-Tree, so the company's tonics will be splashing in your glass. It's the outfit's latest G&T-focused venture after putting on a gin and tonic festival in Sydney back in September. Fever-Tree's Gin and Tonic Gardens are popping up around the country between now and March. To find your closest spot, visit the brand's website.
Tucked away inside the Royal Arcade, which is widely recognised as Australia's oldest arcade, Ziggurat's eccentric range of handbags, wallets, pouches and so-called 'lovely things' don't look out of place next to the wonderful light-filled corridor outside. The store's huge range of products are perfect for adding an accessory to any outfit, while still maintaining a functional design. Whether you prefer a minimalist aesthetic or a pattern that pops, Ziggurat will surely have the bag for you. Inside, you will also find host of luminous umbrellas and comfortable pillowcases so you can surround yourself with wonderfully crafted products all the time. Images: Tracey Ahkee.
First, Reservation Dogs came to an end after three exceptional seasons. Then the TV spinoff of What We Do in the Shadows announced that it will be wrapping up after its upcoming sixth season. Now, Our Flag Means Death is joining them in saying farewell. In fact, it has already walked the plank, with the series cancelled after two seasons. That makes it three for three in television comedies that Taika Waititi had a hand in. All three were excellent. All three are now finishing. David Jenkins (People of Earth), who created Our Flag Means Death, advised on social media that the show "won't be returning for a third season". "We've sailed at the pleasure of the fine people at Max, and it brought them no joy to see this journey come to a premature end," he continued. "They allowed us to make something authentically weird and heartfelt, cheering us on the entire way." "I'm very sad I won't set foot on the Revenge again with my friends, some of whom have become close to family. But I couldn't be more grateful for being allowed to captain the damn thing in the first place." When Our Flag Means Death arrived in 2022, earned itself a spot among the best new TV arrivals of the year and charmed everyone who watched it, it left viewers thinking the same thing: all television comedies should be pirate romances starring Waititi (Next Goal Wins) and Rhys Darby (Uproar). Only this show earned that feat, however, and it turned out wonderfully — for audiences, that is, with chaos surrounding the seafaring characters played by two of New Zealand's best-known comic names. Darby stepped into Stede Bonnet's shoes, while Waititi was Edward Teach aka Blackbeard. In just one of their many collaborations — see also: Flight of the Conchords, What We Do in the Shadows, Wellington Paranormal, Hunt for the Wilderpeople and Next Goal Wins — the show satirised the buccaneering times of the 18th century. As its first season unfurled and second season embraced even more heartily, Our Flag Means Death also proved to be a sweet and warmhearted love story. Stede is a self-styled 'gentleman pirate', a great approximation of Flight of the Conchords' Murray if he'd existed centuries earlier, and a man determined to bring a bit of kindness and elegancy to the whole swashbuckling game. He's based on an IRL figure, who abandoned his cosy life for a seafaring existence. The show is a loose adaptation of Bonnet's tale, though. As for Waititi, he dons leather, dark hues aplenty, an air of bloodthirsty melancholy and a head of greying hair as Blackbeard. While the famed pirate seems like Stede's exact opposite, disproving that is a big part of the show's narrative. Also featured among Our Flag Means Death's cast: Samson Kayo (Bloods), Vico Ortiz (The Sex Lives of College Girls), Ewen Bremner (Creation Stories), Joel Fry (Bank of Dave), Matthew Maher (Hello Tomorrow!), Kristian Nairn (Game of Thrones), Con O'Neill (The Batman), David Fane (The Messenger), Samba Schutte (Forspoken), Nat Faxon (Loot) and Leslie Jones (BMF). In season two, they were joined by a heap of new recurring guest stars in Ruibo Qian (Servant), Madeleine Sami (Deadloch), Anapela Polataivao (The Justice of Bunny King) and Erroll Shand (The Clearing), plus Minnie Driver (Chevalier) and Bronson Pinchot (The Mysterious Benedict Society) as guest stars. Check out the trailer for Our Flag Means Death season two below: Our Flag Means Death's first and second seasons stream in Australia via Binge and New Zealand via Neon. Read our reviews of season one and season two. Images: Nicola Dove/ HBO Max.
After unveiling first-look images for Fallout season two, Prime Video hasn't left fans of the game-to-streaming series waiting long for a deeper dive into what's on the way in the post-apocalyptic hit. A day later, the platform has revealed the show's first trailer for its second season. Also included: an exact release date, after previously advising that Fallout will return in December 2025. You'll start watching the eight-episode sophomore run on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, with instalments dropping weekly. "I'm looking for someone," Lucy MacLean (Ella Purnell, Yellowjackets) notes to kick off the season two teaser. The reply: "common story around here". The Ghoul (Walton Goggins, The White Lotus) pipes in when she's also asked if she's seeking "someone you care about ... or someone you hate?". "Oooh, what a great question" is his observation — and everyone who has watched season one will surely agree. When it dropped its initial eight episodes in 2024, Fallout took its cues from the games that debuted on computers back in 1997, with three released sequels, a fourth on the way and seven spinoffs all following. The live-action television iteration follows Lucy, a lifelong vault-dweller, who leaves her cosy underground digs to navigate the irradiated wasteland that earth has remained for two centuries after the nuclear apocalypse. Crossing her path: bounty hunter The Ghoul, who has ties to life before the devastation; and Maximus (Aaron Moten (Emancipation), an aspiring soldier with the Brotherhood of Steel, who don giant robotic suits. In this nightmarish future, a hellscape filled with mutants, wild west vibes and plenty of violence lingers beyond the bunker that the optimistic Lucy, daughter of Hank (Kyle MacLachlan, Overcompensating), who oversees Vault 33, has always called home. New Vegas is now her destination with The Ghoul — because if "you wanna know why the world ended," he advises, that's where this story will take you. The first season two trailer also features a glimpse at Justin Theroux (Poker Face) at Robert House in the show's jumps backwards, as well as a peek at a Deathclaw, one of the franchise's post-apocalyptic predators. Bringing the chaos to life is a behind-the-scenes team featuring Westworld creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, plus Geneva Robertson-Dworet (Captain Marvel) and Graham Wagner (Silicon Valley) as writers and co-showrunners. And yes, Bethesda Game Studios has a hand in it as well. After premiering in 2024 and becoming one of the platform's top-three most-watched shows ever, notching up more than 100-million viewers globally, this game adaptation isn't just making a comeback for its second season — earlier in 2025, Prime Video advised that Fallout has already been renewed for a third season, too. Check out the teaser trailer for Fallout season two below: Fallout streams via Prime Video, with season two premiering on Wednesday, December 17, 2025. Read our review of season one, and our interview with Walton Goggins, Ella Purnell and Aaron Moten. Images: courtesy of Prime Video.
A recent episode of This American Life told the story of Ralph, an earnest Texan with a pet Brahman bull. When the bull (named Chance) died, he had him 'brought back from the dead' with the help of science — they cloned him. Ralph goes on for years believing that the clone is his bull reincarnated, but it becomes clear that the new one (named Second Chance) is not the same as the other when it attacks him quite violently. It's surprisingly touching stuff. The episode was initially aired in 2007, but the sentiment remains the same: although they might have some of the same DNA, clones are not one and the same. They're totally different. And that's what should be kept in mind when visiting Code Black Howard Street, the new North Melbourne sister cafe to Brunswick favourite, Code Black Coffee. It's a smaller space (no attached coffee roastery here), and it's light, airy — less Sydney Road, more Copenhagen — and immaculately designed. There's an explosion of blonde wood in the tables, the front door and up above, detailing the small mezzanine dining level; the whitewashed walls are a nice change to the black of Brunswick, as is the sunny disposition of it all. The appearance of the new outpost — which appears to be the yin to Brunswick's yang — is not the only thing that's different here. The menu doesn't seem to borrow much from the existing kitchen, with breakfast dishes like the acai bowl ($14.50) and salted apple caramel hotcakes being thrown into the mix. The apple wood hot-smoked salmon on a citrus and herb potato cake ($18) seemed to be getting quite a fanfare on our visit, but we'd suggest the black beans with jalapeno cornbread ($12). The beans make an extra comforting bed for the fried egg and lime, and the cornbread is a nice alternative to regular sourdough. It's a relatively small dish, so add the pork belly — you won't regret it. And while it's good to see Code Black departing from a menu they already know works, it didn't seem to match the offering in Brunswick. There just seemed to be less choice in comparison to the great menu a few suburbs north. There are less gluten free options, too. Their signature coffee is a constant, with the same smooth Code Black beans making an excellent cup. And in its own right, Code Black Howard Street is a great cafe serving good coffee and a solid all-day breakfast and lunch menu. It isn't just Code Black #2, this is a whole new cafe.
D.O.C has played a significant role in developing Melbourne's contemporary Italian dining scene ever since it opened its first Carlton site in 1997. It blends warm and friendly old-school Italian hospitality with modern interiors and less-than-traditional cooking techniques and flavours — creating a roadmap for other Melbourne Italian restaurants to follow. D.O.C. has since spread across Melbourne with sites in Southbank and Mornington Peninsula, as well as a location in Sydney's Surry Hills. Most recently, the crew opened its doors at their newest restaurant on The Esplanade in St Kilda. D.O.C St Kilda has set up shop across from Alfred Square and looks out over St Kilda Beach, making it a mighty fine spot for spritz sipping and sunset viewings. The 100-seat restaurant has a heap of outdoor seating, plus a few covetable seats by the open kitchen. Guests can catch some D.O.C favourites found across all the group's sites, including classic pizzas, veal and pork lasagna, and boozy tiramisu (one of the best in town). And as this is a seaside venture, Head Chef Luca Quadri and Group Executive Chef Tom Jones-Davies have added a stack of St Kilda-exclusive seafood dishes to the offerings. Expect to find a grilled fish of the day, a platter of lightly fried fish and seafood fritti, a vongole bucatini, and a regular rotation of seasonal pizzas — with seafood currently gracing one. The campanelle pasta served with duck and Montenegro ragu is another exclusive dish for those wanting to pass on the pesce. D.O.C Director Michael Costanzo says that "the menu represents a glimpse into dining in Italy's present day. I hope guests are ready to enjoy a modern take on classic Italian hospitality." Beachgoers can also easily pop in to nab some of the daily house-made gelatos that include flavours like balsamic and grilled peach, and Frangelico and hazelnut. D.O.C St Kilda is the seventh notch in the group's restaurant belt and the very first with seaside views. You can find D.O.C St Kilda at 14–16 The Esplanade, St Kilda, open 5pm–late from Monday to Thursday and 12pm–late from Friday to Sunday. For more information, head to the restaurant's website. Images: Pete Dillon
They've taken us through the streets of Japan with Tokyo Tina, sent our tastebuds tripping across Vietnam with their Hanoi Hannah stable and, most recently, immersed us in modern Chinese flavours at their Balaclava diner Moonhouse. Now, the Commune Group has hit its next global food tour stop with its latest project, Studio Amaro — an Italian bar and eatery based in Windsor. The team has dived into unchartered territory in more ways than one, with this Chapel Street venue being its largest yet. It boasts a 100-seat dining room at ground level, leading down to a DJ-fuelled, subterranean drinking den with space for an extra 60. Open from lunch through dinner and on into late-night revelry, this big corner site celebrates the classic flavours of Italy, with an offering that's bright and lively, yet steeped in simplicity. "Studio Amaro is our interpretation of Italian dining done in a very Melbourne way: communal, casual dining," explains the group's Creative Director Simon Blacher. Along with the eats, the venue's music offering features a diverse lineup of artist residencies who grace the downstairs DJ decks, and plenty of focus is given to the overall sonic experience. Meanwhile, Bergman & Co (La Fantaisie, Poodle, Chancery Lane) have looked after the interiors, delivering a warm, nostalgic setting complete with yellow corduroy banquettes. Find Studio Amaro at 168 Chapel Street, Windsor. It's open daily from 12pm–late. Images: Julia Sansone
Opening in a 2000-square-metre Preston warehouse back in 2021, The Keys was an instant hit. The 'all-in-one leisure centre' complete with a reimagined vintage bowling alley, arcade, bar, bistro and beer garden is the brainchild of school friends Tom Peasnell and Jon Rowatt (part of the crew behind venues including Dexter, Takeaway Pizza, Kenny Lover and Dom's Social Club). The Keys' main persona is a retro bowling alley reimagined for the modern-day bowler, boasting 12 maple timber bowling lanes that have been tricked out with upcycled parts from former bowling alleys, along with the latest tech and machinery. Meanwhile, a collection of retro arcade games, pool tables and a state-of-the-art sound system will keep you more than entertained between games. The space is also home to a fireside lounge area, dance floor, dining zone, bar and a roomy beer garden with capacity for 450 punters. [caption id="attachment_903499" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jack Lovel[/caption] Across three separate bars, a hefty 48 taps are largely championing local brewing mates, including fellow northsiders Moon Dog Brewing, Tallboy & Moose, La Sirene and Hawkers. In a fitting nod to one of history's most iconic bowling flicks, there'll also be Big Lebowski-style White Russians on the tap list. Head Chef Peasnell is fuelling nostalgia even further with a menu of revamped classics, starring bar snacks, pub favourites and New York-style pizzas. [caption id="attachment_903494" align="alignnone" width="1920"] CHawks[/caption] Appears in: The Best Bars in Melbourne for 2023
Space travel made headlines in 2021 when several billionaires battled to be the first to exit the Earth's atmosphere. But thankfully, you don't have to be mega-rich to get your intergalactic fix this year. From Friday, June 17–Sunday, August 28, you and your crew can immerse yourselves in the Melbourne premiere of Neighbourhood Earth — an award-winning exhibition taking place at Emporium. The family-friendly event will bring together science and cutting-edge technology to create an unforgettable outer space experience presented by entertainment platform Fever. Inside the exhibition, expect illuminated screens, spectacular surround sound and a giant projection-mapped dome combining to deliver a multi-sensory cinematic adventure. There'll also be museum-quality models, spacecrafts, tools and astronaut suits, showcasing facts and stories about space exploration. Plus, the touch-respondent projections and holographics are bound to leave you mesmerised. There's some big brains behind the project — it was dreamed up by the teams at the US Space & Rocket Centre and NASA's George C. Marshall Space Flight Centre in conjunction with integrated production company Toto Creative — so be ready to have your own mind expanded.
More than a quarter-century ago, a TV sitcom about six New Yorkers made audiences a promise: that it'd be there for us. And, as well as making stars out of Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer, the hit series has done just that. Sure, Friends wrapped up its ten-season run in 2004, but the show has lived on — on streaming platforms, by sending an orange couch around Australia, by screening anniversary marathons in cinemas and in upcoming boozy brunch parties. In news that was bound to happen someday — no pop culture entity truly comes to an end in these reboot, remake, revival and spinoff-heavy times — Friends is going to live on in a much more literal sense, too. First hinted at last year, and now officially confirmed, the show is coming back for a reunion special on HBO's new streaming platform HBO Max. Naturally, all of the gang will be involved. Yep, it's 'The One Where They Got Back Together', although it doesn't actually have a title as yet. And it's worth noting that the special will be unscripted, which does mean that Aniston and company aren't literally stepping back into Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Joey, Phoebe and Ross's shoes. Instead, the actors behind the characters will chat about their experiences on the show — all on the same soundstage where Friends was originally shot. And, let's face it, the fact that they'll all be on-screen at the same time in the same place celebrating the series that so many folks love is probably enough for fans. Friends creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman are also slated to join the reunion special. And if you're wondering when it's happening, the special is due to arrive in May. That's when HBO Max launches in the US — and it's clearly aiming to kick things off in a big way. For folks Down Under, there doesn't seem to be a current plan to bring the streaming platform to our shores. Instead, the company appears to be continuing to focus on its existing arrangements with local channels and streamers for the time being. HBO Max's Friends reunion special will be available to stream in the US at a yet-to-be-revealed date in May. It doesn't currently have an air date or streaming date Down Under — we'll update you if and when one is announced.
Ah, the humble pie. It's the quintessential Aussie dish that's stuck by you through footy games, birthday parties and family dinners. And now, it's got top billing at a brand new CBD venture by a top chef. Located in Collins Place, The Pie Shop is the brainchild of chef Matt Wilkinson (Pope Joan) and the second outpost of the store, which first launched in Brunswick East back in 2017. A veritable pastry wonderland, the store is open from 8am Monday to Friday — for hungry city works looking to up their lunch game — and from 10am on Saturdays. The offering covers the sweet, the savoury, the wonderful and the (slightly) weird. The six-pie lineup sounds almost as Aussie as The Castle's cast list, featuring creations like The Shazza, with its filling of cauliflower cheese and potato; a chunky beef and veg number named The Allen; The Bruce, which encases spag bol in pastry; and a breakfast number called The Uncle Pete filled with jalapeño baked beans, cheese and egg. You can even grab a family-sized version of The Shazza or The Allen to take home for later. [caption id="attachment_746486" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Uncle Pete. Photo by Annika Kafcaloudis.[/caption] There's a free-range pork sausage roll, too, which you can grab as part of a bangin' deal with a pie and a drink for 15 big ones, and two sweet pies, both available by the slice: the apple and salted caramel Rita and The Edith, which is a gooey combo of honey and buttermilk. And if just the sound of all that pastry is making you a little thirsty, you'll be happy to know that you can also pick up tea, Kirks soft drinks and 36th Parallel Coffee at the shop. Find The Pie Shop at Collins Place, 45 Collins Street. It's open from Monday–Friday 8am–6pm and Saturday 10am–3pm. Images: Annika Kafcaloudis Updated October 23, 2019.
Styling itself as a south side alternative to the longstanding Asian restaurant mecca of Richmond's Victoria Street district, Hanoi Hannah promises classic Vietnamese hawker-style dishes such as rice paper rolls ($7), vermicelli noodle salads ($10) and the classic bowl of pho ($9). But whilst comparisons can be made from a menu standpoint, the similarity between Hanoi Hannah and its long-standing predecessors end right there, and you'll be wasting your time if you're expecting a brightly-lit, tiled dive where you can get your cheap pho fix and skull cheap BYO wine. Hanoi Hannah places a lot of emphasis on style, and its trendy appearance and cheap menu attracts suitably intense crowds to the modestly-sized outpost near the corner of Chapel and High Streets. Eating at Hanoi Hannah is certainly a process – be prepared to wait between 30-50 minutes for a table on any night of the week, due to the now-popular (and sometimes frustrating) Melbourne restaurant inclination to avoid taking reservations. There's no room to have a drink while you wait at the bar as every nook is filled with keen diners, but with its great location, at least there's plenty of bars to relocate to around the corner whilst you wait. Once you've secured your table, the service and food are quick in succession, and whilst the staff are pleasant you do get the feeling that after attending to table after table in such quick turnover, there isn't the time for them to take the time to concentrate on recommending the more interesting offerings on the menu, which is a shame due to a fantastic array of tapas style offerings from the rice paper rolls ($7 for two) to excellent sliders in both pork belly or tofu form ($8 for two). The rushed attitude of the place is only a slight criticism, as it detracts little from the wonderful food and excellent atmosphere of the tiny restaurant. Low lit and with a distinct Vietnamese vibe (but without the tacky themed restaurant appearance), it's perfect for a light dinner and drinks with friends or a bowl of pho that won't break the bank. Whilst it claims to be the Asian-dining salvation for the Prahran and Windsor area, it's less Victoria Street authenticity and more like the stylized offerings of Colonel Tan's nearby: great food, great atmosphere, and very hip. Like Mamasita is to Mexican, Hanoi Hannah is to Vietnamese; its settings and popular cuisine choice have made it a dining stalwart in a mere 6 months since opening. And you only need to look at that daily line to see the proof.
Peninsula Hot Springs has officially won the title of Best Luxury Hot Springs at the 2025 World Luxury Spa Awards, solidifying its status as one of the world's leading wellness destinations. The Mornington Peninsula spa beat out contenders from across the globe, earning the honour through more than 250,000 votes cast by spa guests, travellers and wellness industry experts. The award recognises destinations that consistently deliver standout service, innovation and truly transformative guest experiences, and according to the international scoreboard, Peninsula Hot Springs is now the very best of them. In a widely competitive field, the Victorian hot springs stood out for its forward-thinking approach to geothermal bathing, its long-term sustainability work and its dedication to creating experiences that nurture both people and the environment. "For twenty years, our vision has been to create a space where people can reconnect with nature, with each other, and with themselves," said Peninsula Hot Springs Co-Founder and Chair Charles Davidson. "To be recognised as the world's best is a profound honour, not only for our team but for the entire Australian wellness community." The award comes as Peninsula Hot Springs celebrates 20 years of immersing its guests in its brand of wellness and nature, having welcomed more than eight million visitors since opening in 2005. Its natural geothermal waters draw from 637 metres below the surface, feeding a network of pools and experiences across 42 acres of coastal bushland. The site's offering has steadily grown to more than 70 globally inspired bathing and wellness experiences, from hot and cold therapy and immersive saunas to spa treatments, glamping accommodation and eco-lodges. Each element designed to deepen connection to the natural landscape and encourage a slower, more intentional rhythm for guests. Peninsula Hot Springs is located at 140 Springs Lane, Fingal, Victoria. For more information about the site or to make a booking, visit the website.
If you have a case of herpetophobia, this mightn't be for you. If you're fascinated by crocodiles, however, an array of Australian museums have snapped up a showcase that'll pique your interest. Making its world premiere in Brisbane, Croc! Lost Giants to Living Legends is the next exhibition that's headed to Queensland Museum Kurilpa, celebrating one toothy creature. It also has three other stops around the country locked in. Exact dates for Croc! Lost Giants to Living Legends' debut run in the Queensland capital haven't yet been announced, but it will pop up before 2025 is out. After that, with timing also still to come, the exhibition will chomp its way into the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney, plus the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory in Darwin. Townsville will also welcome the showcase in the future, too. And if you're wondering why news of Croc! Lost Giants to Living Legends has arrived right now without dates to go with it, the announcement has dropped to mark World Croc Day on Tuesday, June 17. Queensland Museum Kurilpa, Australian National Maritime Museum, and Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory are behind this ode to a critter that some famously love and many deeply fear — and an apex predator that Queensland Museum CEO Dr Jim Thompson dubs "the ultimate survivors". They're "older than the dinosaurs, feared across cultures and still inspiring awe today," Thompson continues, also describing Croc! Lost Giants to Living Legends as a "tale of evolution, culture, conservation and curiosity." "This groundbreaking exhibition showcases the incredible story of crocodiles — from prehistoric superpredators to cultural icons — through cutting-edge science, rich cultural knowledge and captivating interactive experiences. Crocodiles have long fascinated and challenged us, and this exhibition offers visitors of all ages the chance to see these remarkable creatures in a whole new light." The history of crocodiles, how they've outlived dinosaurs and survived mass extinctions, their evolution, the critters today, Egyptian god Sobek, their standing in First Nations knowledge, conservation efforts: expect this all to be covered. How crocodiles have sunk their teeth into pop culture, including movies and music, will also be in focus — if you don't already Elton John's 'Crocodile Rock' stuck in your head. Visitors will peer at specimens and life-sized models, as well as immersive visuals — and getting hands-on is also part of the family-friendly exhibition. "Croc! Lost Giants to Living Legends plunges visitors into the astonishing world of crocodiles — ancient survivors, apex predators and masters of adaptation," adds Australian National Maritime Museum Director and CEO Daryl Karp. "This exhibition not only celebrates the science and natural history of crocodiles but also shines a light on the deep and enduring connections First Nations communities have with these animals. Prepare to meet the crocodile as you've never seen it — powerful, mysterious and more relevant to our world than ever." 'Croc! Lost Giants to Living Legends' is set to premiere at Queensland Museum Kurilpa, South Brisbane, before 2025 is out — and also has dates with Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory in Darwin, plus Townsville in its future. We'll update you when more details are announced. Keep an eye on the Queensland Museum website for more details in the interim. Images: Gary Cranitch / Queensland Museum.
Jed Kurzel boasts one of the most-enviable recent resumes in Australia's film industry. It was back in 2011 that the founding member of The Mess Hall added a haunting layer to Snowtown, the first feature directed by his elder brother Justin, via its score. The pair have worked together on every one of Justin's films since. But Jed doesn't just have the sounds of stunning Shakespeare adaptation Macbeth, game-to-screen flick Assassin's Creed, the dark-but-playful True History of the Kelly Gang, the complicated Nitram and the upcoming The Order to his name. Jennifer Kent's The Babadook and The Nightingale, Ridley Scott's Alien: Covenant, Dev Patel's feature directorial debut Monkey Man: he has scored them all as well. With a filmography that also hops from The Turning, All This Mayhem and Slow West to Overlord, Seberg and Encounter — plus Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities on the small screen — it might seem an impossible task to pick favourites. Even whittling down what to talk about at Kurzel's Screen Commentary session at SXSW Sydney 2024, where he's chatting through his work, might sound difficult. But ask him which of his projects stand out, as Concrete Playground did, and he has answers, even if he notes that his responses differ over time. "There's a few. But then they start to change as I go on, because I guess you learn more things, and some films follow a particular style that you might have gotten onto, or a particular thing that I've discovered and I will push that through a few films," he explains. "Snowtown for me is the one that that really stands out, I think because it's the first one and I still get offered films today that have put Snowtown in their temp music, which is the music they put in while they're editing — it's kind of crazy that's it's still being used. So that one particularly, it still pops up. Macbeth as well, I think just because it was the first real string score I've done, orchestral score, and I did it all over in the UK, so I met a lot of people that I'm still collaborating with then and I felt like we were all jumping into this thing together," Kurzel advises. "I think those two stand out for me, and The Babadook." His fruitful career composing for the screen might've come about as one could expect when your brother is a filmmaker — Justin asked him to have a go at scoring Snowtown — but working together and taking this path wasn't a long-held childhood plan. "Never. No, I don't think that we have ever spoken about it. It was just how it worked out," Kurzel notes. "We'd been working together before that, in that he'd been doing the video clips for us and all that kind of stuff. We were always doing things together. So it wasn't like it felt like an 'oh, here we go' kind of thing. It was really just one of those things where we're always a part of what the other was doing." Viewers can be thankful for sibling bonds and the route it has taken Jed down. As brilliant as everything they each splash across the screen is, Snowtown, Macbeth, Nitram, The Babadook, The Nightingale and more wouldn't be the films they are without Kurzel's scores. Ahead of his session at SXSW Sydney, we also chatted to the composer about what sparked his contributions to some of the above films, how collaborating with Justin is different to working with other filmmakers, ensuring that his music isn't commenting on the content of the movies, the influence of genre, challenges he'd like to take on and plenty more. On How Kurzel Began Composing for the Screen "I was touring around with The Mess Hall and I had some time at home. Then Justin, my brother, was doing his first film Snowtown, and he asked me if I'd like to have a go at scoring it because, outside of the things I was doing with the band, I was always messing around with stuff at home. I guess it was more in the film soundtrack kind of land, but I was just doing it for my own enjoyment. And he said 'oh, you know, some of that stuff could work well, all that kind of thing could work well'. And I said 'I've never done that before, so'. And he said 'look, it's fine if it doesn't work, I'll get someone else. But you have a go with it'. So I did and then that was kind of it, it just it snowballed from there. It wasn't something that I had set out to do really. At that point, I was really happy playing music — and playing, actually. But I was missing just being in the room and making music. We were out playing a lot, and it's very hard to make music when you're doing that. So I was missing that at that time — so it came at a perfect time, I think." On Collaborating with Justin on All of His Features So Far — and How It's Different to Working with Other Filmmakers "It is different now, because I think we've developed — I mean, we always had a shorthand, but it feels like it's become even shorter now. We almost hardly ever discuss it while we're doing it. It just happens, in a way, now. We used to take a long time. I'd start really early on his films and it would be this drawn-out process, and sometimes the process could get quite difficult as the edit changed and things like that. I think just through experience, we've started to work out an efficient way to work that is still as creatively rewarding. And the last couple of things I've done with him, like The Order, it was all very free-flowing and it came quite quickly, and it wasn't something that we laboured over. I think we've discovered that the more we labour over things, it doesn't help anything." On What Sparked the Score for a Film as Complicated as Snowtown "With that one, we always talked about that hitting the bullseye was a very slim chance in some ways, because we found that with most music that we put on it, it felt like it was commenting on it. So immediately it was like 'well, we don't want to do that' because that just wasn't what the film was doing — and it didn't want it anyway. So it became a really instinctive thing about what it wanted, and there was a lot of to-ing and fro-ing of changing the edits to suit where we were taking it. So a lot of back and forth between us. And then, I always feel like if you just listen to the film, it'll eventually tell you what it wants. You throw things on it and just sort of shrug it off, and then there'll be something that starts to stick. And as soon as it starts sticking, you're on your way." On Whether Working on Films Like Snowtown, Nitram and The Nightingale Brings a Sense of Responsibility Given the Historical Details They're Diving Into — and How to Avoid a Score That Comments "I think so. But, I mean, I think with those projects, you're well-aware of that before you've even started them. There is a certain responsibility, I think, not to — I guess what it is musically, I'm always aware of not commenting, and that you're adding. I feel like you're just adding another layer and energy to the film, rather than going 'this character comes on and they've got a theme' or anything like that. It's just different, it's adding a feeling. It's what the film wants — and if you start commenting with some of these films, it just doesn't work. It just feels wrong. But on other films, you can go into those areas and the film absolutely wants to have that. I think it just depends on what you're working on. I always love to look at the film itself, and how it feels and what it looks like, and where it's set and those kind of things, because I think with music, you can actually add to that even more so. Even cinematography, I think, is really a big one for music, too, that maybe gets overlooked a little bit, because we are responding to images, so that's the first thing you're looking at." On Adding Playfulness to a Score That's Also Quite Dark, Such as True History of the Kelly Gang "That one, I'm glad you said that, because actually that's what I wanted to achieve with that score — that there was a playful quality to it. I always really loved the Sidney Nolan paintings, and I was sort of taking a cue from that. And also I love the old Hanna-Barbera cartoons and things like that. So for me, they were the influences that I was grabbing. I guess if you've got a concept or an idea that you want to launch things off of, that's always helpful." On How to Find the Score for a Shakespearean Adaptation Like Macbeth When There's So Many Past Big-Screen Versions —Including Initially Skewing Electronic "I remember doing that and both of us [Jed and Justin] feeling a lot of pressure because it's been done. There's not many times when you do a film that's like 'well, this has been actually been done before word for word'. When films are made, I think there's some directors who've got it all in their head and then they go out and make it, and what happens in the edit is the film just wants to be something else — and if you fight against that, usually you'll end up with something that's probably nowhere near your vision, and that frustrates you. Whereas if you follow what the film wants and then listen to it, and just go with where it wants rather than trying to hold onto your initial idea, then I think you can end up in really interesting places. In that case, yeah, it started out as an electronic score, that's what we wanted to do, but the film just, again, didn't want it. So we had to change tact a little bit, and we got something completely different, but I think it's the same sort of idea that we started out with. We had an initial idea, and then we just followed our gut while we were doing the edit." On How Working on Something Smaller, or More Character- or Mood-Driven, Differs From a Big-Budget Sci-Fi Sequel Like Alien: Covenant "I think there's similar pressures with both. On a smaller film, even though it's a smaller budget, there's almost more at stake because a lot of the times that might be someone's first film that they've directed. So they're kind of like someone's baby. Whereas the big-budget films, there's so many people involved, and they keep changing and they tend to have a lot more time to sit with things. The smaller budgets, the smaller films, they don't, they have to finish by a particular time because they don't have the money to keep editing or keep doing things. So I think there's different pressures with both. But in terms of scoring them, I just I think they just different hills to climb." On the Way That Genre Has an Impact on How Kurzel Approaches Scoring a Movie "We all grow up watching films, so we've all got that language. So whether you like it or not, you're aware of genres, and what those genres are and what's come before you, which I think is great because it can set benchmarks for you. If you're looking at something and going 'I want to do a horror film' and 'what are the films that I really like in this sort of genre?', you can go back and have a look, and just see the way they've been approached — which may make you go 'well, I don't want to approach it like that, I want to approach it like this'." On What Drives an Unnerving Score Such as The Babadook "That's a good question because that score, the inspiration for that — I think I wrote this in the sleeve of the vinyl — when I was scoring that, I was living in Erskineville and there was a possum on my roof or in the tree above me. And it was knocking things down through the night, and it would jump off the tree onto the roof. So I was always listening to what sounded like people throwing bodies on my roof. On top of that, it would make these strange noises, or there'd be strange noises outside. So a lot of the time, I was keeping the door open and making music, and just letting those sounds come in as well — and going 'okay, that's interesting. I could kind of do something'. So I think what I'm listening for is what's unnerving me — and particularly late at night, if I'm doing something, you can hear things. The world really is making music all the time. So the environment's always really great, if you've got your ear out, you can always hear really interesting stuff. But in terms of horror, I like to be unnerved. I'm not that much into the jump scares and things like that. I like an eerie, unnerving kind of feeling." On the Response to The Babadook — Then and Now "Even internationally, you mention it and everyone knows it, and the characters. It's pretty amazing. I'm really proud of the work we all did on that and how much Jen stuck to her guns with the film. I think it's just been re-released on screens in the US, it's doing a tour of America at the moment, which is amazing. And that was a film that if you told us that's what was happening, and most of the things that happened with that film, we would have laughed at the time because it just was not on anyone's radar. Even when it was released here, it had such a tiny release, I don't think anyone even knew it'd come out." On Being in Action Mode with Monkey Man, But Using the Score to Build an Emotional World "That was really different, because Dev already had, for a lot of the action scenes, there was already a lot of source music placed in there as music that already existed. And he had a definite thing for me, which was 'I want the film to be the emotional underground of the character'. So a lot of it, we talked a lot about memory, and the music was representing his memory of his mother. And so it was really strange, I was doing an action film but I wasn't really doing the action side. There's a few chase scenes and things like that. But in terms of that being the focus, it really wasn't, it was this whole other world that Dev was after which I found really appealing and exciting when we first spoke about the film." On the Most-Important Task for a Film Score to Achieve "I always feel like I'm there to add a layer that's almost not even music — it's another layer to the film that wasn't previously there, that if you took out, you would really notice it. A lot of people talk about watching films and not noticing the music. But I feel the other way. I want to notice it. And I want it to give me another layer on there that I know wouldn't exist otherwise — the performances wouldn't get it, the editing, it's adding something that's unique and almost impossible to describe, which is what to me that music is. It feels like some sort of magical language." On the Ultimate Challenge in Composing for the Screen That Kurzel Hasn't Taken on Yet — But Would Like To "I really don't know, because I find everything that I do, there's a new challenge and it usually rears its head pretty quickly. You get into something and you think 'oh yeah, I know how to do this' — and suddenly the film, like I said, the film starts to move into a direction and that tilts everything. Being aware of those things, I think that's the exciting part about it. If you're living in the moment and scoring things for the moment, listening out for really happy mistakes — which I call those things that you kind of go 'ohh, I'm going to try this' but something else happens that was a mistake, and you think 'that's actually better than what I was going to do. I'm going to go down that path for a while'. They're the things that I love about composing. In terms of feeling like there's something I haven't done yet, I haven't really done any romantic comedies. But I just, for some reason, I don't think I'm the go-to guy for those." [caption id="attachment_875685" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Courtesy of Netflix © 2022[/caption] Concrete Playground: "I chatted with Justin about Snowtown and he told me at the time that the next film he had in mind was a tennis rom-com." Jed: "Yeah, yeah, yeah." Concrete Playground: "So maybe if he does end up doing one, you'll get one." Jed: "I keep saying to him, because he's very funny, so I keep saying 'you need to do a comedy. That has to be your next one'." Screen Commentary: Jed Kurzel takes place at SXSW Sydney from 11am–12pm AEDT on Friday, October 18, 2024 at Fortress Sydney. Head to the SXSW Sydney website for more details.
Touring to Australia for the first time in more than five years for your first Aussie festival headlining slot since 2011 is one way to celebrate 35 years as a band. The group: Tool. The fest: Good Things. First, Good Things confirmed that it would be back in 2025, and also announced its dates. Then came the next key detail: where the festival is heading this year. Finally, it's now lineup time, starting with Maynard James Keenan and company, and also including Weezer and Garbage among the event's big names. [caption id="attachment_1016515" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Scott Moran[/caption] Get ready to hear 'Sober', 'Forty Six & 2', 'Buddy Holly', 'Island in the Sun', 'Vow' and 'Only Happy When It Rains' like it's the 90s and early-00s again — all on the festival's three annual stops in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. The rest of the bill includes All Time Low, Machine Head and The All-American Rejects, as well as Knocked Loose, Lorna Shore, Refused, New Found Glory and Make Them Suffer. And, you can catch Dayseeker, James Reyne, Kublai Khan TX, Cobra Starship, Goldfinger, Tonight Alive and more. In the Victorian capital, Flemington Racecourse is again playing host to Good Things. In the Sunshine State, Brisbane Showgrounds is doing the honours again, too. Sydneysiders are hitting up Sydney Showground in 2025 instead of Centennial Park, in a move made to increase capacity, shelter, transport options and accessibility. As it has in past years, the fest is playing all three cities across one huge weekend. So, mark Friday, December 5 in your diaries for Melbourne, then Saturday, December 6 in the Harbour City and Sunday, December 7 in Brisbane. Good Things 2025 Dates and Venues Friday, December 5 — Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne Saturday, December 6 — Sydney Showground, Sydney Sunday, December 7 — Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane Good Things 2025 Lineup Tool Weezer Garbage All Time Low Machine Head The All-American Rejects Knocked Loose Lorna Shore Refused New Found Glory Make Them Suffer Dayseeker James Reyne Kublai Khan TX Cobra Starship Goldfinger Tonight Alive Bad Nerves Civic Dead Poet Society Fever 333 Gwar High Vis Inertia Palaye Royale Scene Queen South Arcade Wargasm Windwaker Yours Truly Good Things plays Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane in December 2025, with pre-sale tickets from 10am AEST on Tuesday, August 19 and general sales from 10am AEST on Thursday, August 21 — head to the festival website for more information. Good Things images: Kane Hibberd.
Whether you're after world-renowned cocktails, bevs with panoramic views or elegant twists on classic tipples, there's a bar in Singapore that caters to every whim and mood. The city's multitude of bars shine at crafting inventive drinks that highlight local flavours and showcase the creativity and diversity of its multicultural population. A night out in the city doesn't have to burn a hole in your pocket — with the help of Singapore Tourism, we've rounded up some top-notch happy hour deals at popular bars around Singapore, so you can sip and sit back without worrying about your wallet. At the time of publishing, 1 SGD is equal to about 1.14 AUD. [caption id="attachment_981032" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Elephant Room[/caption] The Elephant Room Step into the vibrant world of Little India at The Elephant Room. Ranked as one of Asia's 100 Best Bars, the cocktail bar in Chinatown showcases the flavours, aromas and culture of Singapore's Little India district. The drinks menu includes bold, spice-forward cocktails inspired by the area, as well as Indian twists on classic drinks and a selection of spirits from India. Jothi's Flower Shop is named after the iconic store that has served the community for over 50 years, while Buffalo Road recreates the gin and tonic using native ingredients flown in from India. There are even cocktails derived from Indian cuisine, like the Briyani, Chicken Curry and Spiced Crab Rasam. If you prefer your food in more solid form, pair your drink with one of the naan pizzas or small share plates. Between 5–7pm every day, you can sample any of the signature concoctions for only 20 SGD. Jigger & Pony If you're visiting Singapore, you can't leave without having a drink at Jigger & Pony. The esteemed bar has been featured in the top ten of Asia's 50 Best Bars and listed as one of The World's 50 Best Bars for the past six years. A themed cocktail list is released each year, presented in a 70-page menu-magazine (or "menuzine"). Some of the drinks for this year are the Smashing Sundae with gin, vodka, fernet, melon, green tea, shiso and vanilla ice cream; Ugly Tomatoes with gin, tomatoes, kummel and elderflower; Strawberry Fields with tequila and cold-extracted strawberry; and Champagne Ramos Fizz with gin, cream, lemon, vanilla, bread, port and champagne. Happy hour is available daily from 6–7.30pm and includes a cocktail of the month or one of three signatures for 19 SGD, wine for 14 SGD and beer for 12 SGD. Morton's The Steakhouse Next up on the cocktail tour, we're travelling stateside. Morton's The Steakhouse is a popular American chain with over 55 locations in the US and eight locations internationally. The Singapore outpost is situated at the Mandarin Oriental hotel, right by Marina Bay. Stop in for Power Hour between 5–7pm during the week for 12 SGD beers, 20 SGD wines and 19 SGD cocktails. If you order the signature MORtini, you'll also get to munch on a complimentary filet mignon sandwich before you head out for the night. [caption id="attachment_981855" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Store[/caption] The Store Now that you've had a touch of glitz and glam, it's time to go hip and homey at The Store. Hidden behind an unassuming teal door, the laidback bar feels like you're sipping in the elegant living room of your coolest friend. Drinks include accessible and elevated cocktails such as the Clamatoberry with tequila, clarified clamato, sherry, strawberry and umami bitters; Shibuya Sour with whisky, sake, elderflower, yuzu and wasabi; and Prickly Pearloma with mezcal, Ancho Reyes Verde, pear puree and grapefruit soda. Drop in between 4–6pm on Tuesday–Saturday for 11 SGD cocktails and appetisers. Southbridge For panoramic vistas across Singapore, head on up to Southbridge. The rooftop bar is perched next to the Singapore River, with views from Parliament House to Marina Bay Sands and Raffles Place. Southbridge's happy hour is perfectly timed between 5–8pm on Monday–Thursday, so you can enjoy the sunset as you sample oysters with a range of toppings for 23 SGD and sip on glasses of sparkling for 16 SGD, spirits from 12 SGD and buckets of Singapore Lager for 78 SGD. You're in for a treat if you visit on a Sunday, as the happy hour deals run all day. Hopscotch With three central locations across Singapore (Gardens by the Bay, Gillman Barracks and Capitol Arcade) Hopscotch is a convenient option for a refreshing drink after a long day of exploring. The casual venue pours inventive cocktails and shooters inspired by the city, incorporating local flavours such as pandan, kaffir lime, calamansi, mangosteen, gula melaka, milo and even savoury bak kut teh (pork and herb broth). The happy hour runs from 5–8pm every day, with wine, beer and house spirits starting at under 10 SGD, and all cocktails priced at 18 SGD. Book your Singapore holiday now with Flight Centre. Images courtesy of Singapore Tourism Board, The Store and The Elephant Room.
Originally built in 1889, the historic significance of the Middle Park Hotel does not go unnoticed. Polished brass bar fittings coupled with moody wood-panelling interiors pay homage to such history, complemented by the gastropubs new Korean-inspired menu. Ultra-fresh seafood is king on the new menu. For a bona fide Korean experience, go for the platter loaded with slow-cooked pork shoulder, oysters, jalapeño pickle, ssamjanj (a spicy paste) and cos ($69). From this, you can build your own ssam, which involves wrapping up the ingredients in a lettuce leaf. If you're a Middle Park steak groupie, fear not. The pub is far from abandoning its meaty side. The revamped menu features five cuts, a 1.5-kilogram dry-aged ribeye platter ($135) and a revamped burger crowded with a house-made wagyu pattie, beetroot, egg, tomato, gruyere and caramelised onion jus ($24). The same goes for the classics, which have been reimagined under Ha's tenure. If you're keen on bangers and mash, give the pork and fennel sausage with plum-infused semi-dried tomatoes, leek and white pepper mash and duck fat gravy ($23) a try. Enjoy such dishes with a beer from one of the Middle Park Hotel's 45 taps.
Australia's got plenty of top-notch bubble tea spots. Now your home is about to be one of them. Boba Barista's new DIY boba kits let you get the authentic bubble tea experience at your place and the only parts you need to supply are hot water, ice and a large boba-worthy drinking vessel. Boba Barista's kits come with milk or fruit tea depending on what kind of boba enthusiast you are. Each kit includes teabags of your choice, flavoured syrup and fructose. Add some toppings to your cart and you're ready to go. All of Boba Barista's bubble tea ingredients are sourced from Taiwan and provide your pick of 15 flavours including brown sugar, matcha, taro and jasmine milk teas, or mango, peach, passionfruit and grape fruit teas. When it comes to toppings, you can pick from all your usual in-store favourites like tapioca, lychee and mango pearls, or coconut, mango or grape jelly. If you're after a true bubble tea experience, you can also buy tea cups, tea shaker sets and bamboo straws so it feels like you've just picked up your drink from your local Gong Cha. The need-to-know details: Boba Barista offers free shipping across Australia on all orders over $69 and free shipping to New Zealand for orders over $149. Bubble tea kits start at just $19.95 per kit and can cost as little as $1.60 per drink. Boba Barista is offering a special discount right now, with $10 off your first offer if you use the code LOCKDOWN10. You can browse its full range at the website. 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.
Visited Japan in recent times? You probably heard more than a few Aussie accents. From the snowy slopes of Hakuba to the crowded backstreets of Tokyo, the relatively cheap and somewhat short flights mean it'd be more surprising if you didn't come across someone from our part of the world. Yet it's always good to have the numbers to back up your impression. According to new data collected by travel booking platform Klook, Australians are visiting Japan more than ever. So far in 2025, the Japan National Tourism Organisation reports an 18% increase in visits. That means we can expect a significant jump from 2024 figures, which saw a record 920,196 Australians touch down in Japan. But perhaps more interesting is that where we go and what we do is changing for Australian travellers. With many tourists returning for the second, third or fourth time, lots are looking beyond the well-worn 'Golden Route' of Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. Instead, regional cities and nature-based activities are experiencing a popularity boom. Klook reports that lesser-known cities like Nagoya, the gateway to the Japanese Alps, have seen interest in overnight stays increase by 166%. At the same time, the northern capital of Sapporo has seen demand increase by 173%. Meanwhile, a host of destinations within touching distance of the main tourist hotspots are capturing more attention. In Kyoto Prefecture, the city of Miyazu and its enchanting coastal town, Amanohashidate, have received a 50-fold increase in searches. Likewise, Yokohama — a short shinkansen ride from Tokyo — has seen a 10-fold increase in tour demand. While you could spend weeks exploring the sprawling megalopolis, travellers are looking to explore Japan's abundant nature, with appetite for outdoor and wellness activities up 41%. "We know that Japan is a favourite for Australian travellers, and what's exciting is that many are choosing to go beyond the usual tourist routes," says a Klook spokesperson. "Our data shows a clear rise in bookings to lesser-known destinations and cultural and nature experiences, being driven by travellers looking for more immersive, authentic experiences and a slower, more meaningful way to explore Japan." Klook's top searches reflect this inclination, with travellers eager to explore the Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Route or tour the Nachi Falls, the tallest single-tier waterfall in Japan at a staggering 133 metres. Although you wouldn't be blamed for loving a beer and ramen session as much as the most raucous salaryman, we're also gravitating towards cultural experiences, with a 72% increase in bookings for museums and art galleries. Supported by the stats, convincing your pals to explore further afield on your next Japan trip might not be so difficult. Heading to Japan soon? Check out this guide to its natural wonders or dive deeper into the best of Tokyo food and culture.
When it comes to LGBTQIA+ history, San Francisco has a lot of firsts to its name — from California's first openly gay mayor Harvey Milk, to America's first gay bar to have clear windows at the Twin Peaks Tavern in the iconic Castro District. So it was no surprise that San Francisco celebrated another history-making first with United Airlines' first ever Pride Flight from San Francisco to Sydney in partnership with Virgin Australia. I was lucky enough to experience this journey flight travelling on United's Polaris Business Class service right in time for the official launch of Sydney WorldPride. Here's how the 14-hour journey went (up and) down... Beginning with some R&R in the Polaris lounge, I experienced the holy grail of business class travel: a luxurious shower ahead of the 15-hour Pride flight thanks to United's no expense spared partnership with Saks Fifth Avenue and Sunday Riley skincare. With skin glowing, I sauntered past the stacked buffet to try the complimentary al a carte restaurant where I chowed down on miso soup, prawn spring rolls, green tea crumble ice cream and washed it down with French champagne. And based on my direct neighbour's reaction, the cheeseburger was a must try too. Full of food and feeling my best, I headed to the airport gate to the Pride flight party. Before I even had a chance to spot the DJ or the catering by San Francisco's Hot Cookie (with flavours like 'Harvey Milk Toffee'), I spotted a majestic golden retriever decked out in a glitter boa, rainbow sunglasses and biker hat giving everyone some fluffy self care. Then, came a jaw-dropping drag performance by United's crew, a glitter confetti cannon and a message from Lori Augustine, United's Vice President of Operations. In the spirit of firsts, Lori shared that United was the first US airline to recognise domestic partnerships and the first to let customers select non-binary gender options. They also spoke about their 4,500 member LGBTQIA+ support group EQUAL, and their new guidelines which allow crew to express themselves authentically on board. If that's not putting your money where your mouth is then I don't know what is. [caption id="attachment_892768" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pride pooch[/caption] Boarding the flight was a magical experience in itself. The plane's exterior was adorned with towering koalas holding pride flags. The flight was entirely staffed by crew, pilots and flight attendants that were all part of, or allies of, the LGBTQIA+ community, and the excitement was palpable. I was ushered in by a crew member with a fabulous ruffled gown and thigh high boots, and from the crew to the customers everyone felt genuinely thrilled to be there. When I arrived at my seat I was greeted with a koala plushie with a rainbow flag, Quay heart-shaped sunglasses, commemorative Pride pyjamas and Saks Fifth Avenue bedding on the fully reclinable Polaris chairs. Throughout the flight we were served sparkling rosé from rainbow-coloured cans, an array of dining options and the famous Polaris ice cream sundae cart (though admittedly I'd had my fair share of dessert in the lounge already). [caption id="attachment_892797" align="alignnone" width="1920"] A handful of welcoming queens including Samantha Jayde.[/caption] Landing in Australia was on a whole other level. We were met with a live performance by former ARIA winner Samantha Jade who belted out bangers in a hot pink suit. Passengers were also given an acclimatisation to Australia by drag icons Etcetera Etcetera, Danni Issues and Minnie Cooper, while dancing Aussie surf lifesavers gave it their all in Aussiebum budgie smugglers. All extremely WorldPride appropriate and a quintessential introduction to Australian culture for the queer international visitors touching down for the first time. [caption id="attachment_892800" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pride flight travellers touch down for the first time in Sydney[/caption] Overall, the trip was one for the personal history books. The feeling of ease of customers and crew on the plane, and the camaraderie and joy was something to behold. And who wouldn't want to travel with a company who walks the walk, not just talks the talk when it comes to championing diversity and representation? And after the travel experience on United's Polaris service, I agreed with my colleagues who warned me: once you go business, you'll never want to go back. Concrete Playground traveled from San Francisco to Sydney on the inaugural Pride Flight as a guest of United Airlines.
A magical-realist coming-of-age tale, a clear-eyed family drama, a twisty crime and detective thriller, a time capsule of Brisbane in the 80s: since first hitting the page in 2018, Trent Dalton's Boy Swallows Universe has worn its happy flitting between different genres and tones, and constant seesawing from hope to heartbreak and back again, as confidently as readers have long envisaged Eli Bell's wide grin. That hopping and jumping, that refusal to be just one type of story and stick to a single mood, has always made sense on the page — and in the excellent seven-part Netflix adaptation that now brings Australia's fastest-selling debut novel ever to the screen from Thursday, January 11, it also couldn't feel more perfect. As played by the charmingly talented Felix Cameron (Penguin Bloom), Eli's smile is indeed big. As scripted by screenwriter John Collee (Hotel Mumbai), directed by Bharat Nalluri (The Man Who Invented Christmas) with Jocelyn Moorhouse (The Dressmaker) and Kim Mordaunt (The Rocket), and with Dalton and Joel Edgerton (The Stranger) among the executive producers, the miniseries version of Boy Swallows Universe embraces its multitudes wholeheartedly. Like style, like substance: a semi-autobiographical novel penned by a writer and journalist who lived variations of plenty that he depicts, learned and accepted early that everyone has flaws, and patently has the imagination of someone who coped with life's hardships as a child by escaping into dreams of an existence more fanciful, Dalton's tome and every iteration that it inspires has to be many things in one bustling package. Its characters are, after all. Seeing people in general, parts of a city usually overlooked, and folks with complicated histories or who've made questionable choices — those forced in particular directions out of financial necessity, too — in more than just one fashion flutters at the centre of Boy Swallows Universe. In the Australian Book Industry Awards' 2019 Book of the Year, Literary Book of the Year and Audio Book of the Year, and now on streaming, Eli's nearest and dearest demand it. So does the enterprising Darra-dwelling 12-year-old boy who knows how to spy the best in those he loves, but remains well-aware of their struggles. His older brother Gus (Lee Tiger Halley, The Heights) hasn't spoken since they were younger, instead drawing messages in the sky with his finger, but is as fiercely protective as elder siblings get. Doting and dedicated mum Frankie (Phoebe Tonkin, Babylon) is a recovering heroin addict with a drug dealer for a partner. And Lyle Orlik (Travis Fimmel, Black Snow), that mullet-wearing stepfather, cares deeply about Eli and Gus — including when Eli convinces him to let him join his deliveries. Slim Halliday (Bryan Brown, Anyone But You), the boys' sometimes babysitter and frequent source of wisdom, endured a lengthy stretch in the infamous Boggo Road Gaol for a murder that he's adamant he didn't commit. He's at peace with doing that time, but he also broke out (and he's based on an IRL person, name and all). Eli and Gus' biological father Robert (Simon Baker, Limbo) is an alcoholic and agoraphobic bookworm more comfortable with novels than people, initially estranged from his sons when Boy Swallows Universe begins, yet devoted to them in his affections. And Eli himself is all precocious charisma and keen curiosity mixed with unflinching nerve, whether being picked on at school, standing up to criminal thugs, breaking into a prison or talking his way into a job. Unsurprisingly, that's a combination that lands him in as many jams as it gets him out of. In all takes so far (the stage in 2021 among them), Boy Swallows Universe follows Eli as Lyle's illicit profession has consequences, Frankie is incarcerated and Robert re-enters his sons' lives. There's a bouncy air to the TV series as it works through its plot, with Eli doing everything that he can to make sure his mum is okay and get to the bottom of a disappearance, as continues when the show jumps forward to find him as a 17-year-old (then played by Totally Completely Fine's Zac Burgess). Again, the approach and atmosphere apes Boy Swallows Universe's protagonist, who can rarely be anywhere fast enough. This is a tale of darkness and violence — of addiction, murder, bullies, trauma, drugs, lopped-off limbs, loss, domestic assault, gang wars, jail, PTSD and fiendish plans — while also a story about working towards the best even in what seems to be the most dire of circumstances. Of course Eli keeps leaping towards brighter possibilities, then being pulled back into the shit (sometimes literally). A simple journey towards better days, this isn't, however. As its irrepressible central figure kicks around his neighbourhood, tags along with Lyle, writes letters to his prison penpal (Briggs, Get Krack!n), goes to school with a wannabe drug lord (Zachary Wan, Never Too Late) and endeavours to befriend The Courier-Mail's young star crime reporter (Sophie Wilde, Talk to Me), there's no shying away from the harsh realities surrounding Eli and almost everyone that he knows. Boy Swallows Universe doesn't revel in despair, though, but commits to seeing things as they are with no judgement — and zero traces of fatalistic certainty that nothing more will ever spring. That type of candour is as rare as spotting the areas of Brisbane that the narrative is set in on-screen. For locals, there's no mistaking that this is the River City, especially when there's no trace of Boggo Road, the Story Bridge or Brisbane City Hall in sight. Even as flying cars, red phones with mysterious voices on the line, eerie predictions and secret lairs factor into the plot, every second looks and feels lived in, turning an ace Brisbane book into an ace Brisbane-shot series. Tenderness and diligence linger in Collee's handling of Dalton's tale, and in Nalluri, Moorhouse and Mordaunt's attentiveness as directors. That said, if their efforts weren't matched by stellar casting, Boy Swallows Universe could've started to unravel the moment that it kicks off with Lyle being dragged away by nefarious heavies. The main adult cast members are superb, specifically in delivering unvarnished explorations of complex characters with a plethora of clashing — and realistic, and relatable — traits. Fimmel conveys Lyle's relentless attempts to take care of his family with both love and wildness in his every move. Tonkin is as resolute as she is adoring, while never sanding away the knocks she keeps taking. Baker turns in his second exceptional performance in the space of the year, and Brown perfects the role of a no-nonsense yet supportive mentor that it instantly seems he was born to play. Boy Swallows Universe's younger stars are equally as impressive. Expressive in their own ways — one in energy and movement, the other via quiet glances — Cameron and Halley know that they're the heart and soul of the show, and more than live up to the task. The former is missed when Eli ages up, but Burgess brings a deep-seated yearning to the part as someone who has spent his years approaching adulthood striving for so much that's constantly out of his grasp, despite still appreciating what he has. As with almost every detail seen and heard, that sense of absence when Eli gets older couldn't be more apt. This account of coping with day-to-day life at its most brutal and most fantastical doesn't only refuse to be just one thing, or stay with just one version of Eli, but wouldn't contemplate giving its audience anything other than the full emotional universe. Check out the full trailer for Boy Swallows Universe below: Boy Swallows Universe streams via Netflix from Thursday, January 11, 2024. Images: courtesy of Netflix © 2023.
Forget about staycations; it's all about playcations now that the team at Funlab is ready to bring its popular Hijinx Hotel to Melbourne CBD for the first time. Launching at QV Melbourne on Friday, August 1, this kaleidoscopic entertainment destination combines with a brand-new Archie Brothers location, meaning hypnotising challenge rooms, nostalgic arcade games and OTT cocktails await under one roof. For those yet to visit Hijinx Hotel's Chadstone location, it's best if you forget what you think you know about hotels. You're invited to leave the suitcase at home, as this play, not stay, adventure sees guests swipe their keycard on a series of challenge rooms disguised as hotel suites. Inside, your usual guestroom furniture is replaced with everything from ball pits and basketball hoops to giant puzzles, with each completed challenge earning your team a point. [caption id="attachment_1010836" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Credit: Zennieshia Butts[/caption] During your play, teams of two to six players complete a course of five challenges from ten in total, with guests given just four minutes to crack each room's task. QV Melbourne's Hijinx Hotel will have brand-new challenge rooms to tackle, with precision, teamwork and quick thinking key to reaching the top of the leaderboard. Embrace your inner thief for a fast-paced operation, then dodge your way across a mega light-up floor grid. "We're on a mission to unleash serious fun into Melbourne's social scene," says Funlab CEO, Michael Schreiber. "This venue is about escaping the ordinary. Whether it's a date night, a team outing, a birthday celebration or a spontaneous hang with friends, we've created a space where play comes first, energy is high, and everyone leaves with a smile." [caption id="attachment_1010827" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Credit: Zennieshia Butts[/caption] Yet the Hijinx Hotel is just half of the equation. Under the same roof is a new Archie Brothers location, ripe for circus-themed arcade fun. Spanning an impressive 1600 square metres, this sprawling space is made for competitive socialising, with claw machines, arcade games and engrossing VR experiences offering nostalgic and future-forward gaming in the same spot. Plus, karaoke rooms and function spaces cater to crowds big and small. The theatre continues into the cocktail bar, where expert bartenders serve a myriad of attention-grabbing concoctions. The Bubble and Pop is just one example, featuring tropical rum-drenched flavours and topped with a scented bubble that bursts into a suspended vapour. The food menu is also a hit, stacked with classic options like pizza, tacos, chicken bites and more, elevating this soon-to-open entertainment hub even further. [caption id="attachment_1010825" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Credit: Zennieshia Butts[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1010829" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Credit: Zennieshia Butts[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1010828" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Credit: Zennieshia Butts[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1010830" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Credit: Zennieshia Butts[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1010824" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Credit: Morgan Roberts[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1010831" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Credit: Zennieshia Butts[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1010832" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Credit: Elise Healy[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1010834" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Credit: Kristoffer Paulsen[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1010835" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Credit: Kristoffer Paulsen[/caption] Hijinx Hotel and Archie Brothers will open on Friday, August 1, at QV Melbourne, Level 3, 222 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. Head to the website for more information.
You won't have to hack together IKEA's latest collection, as the iconic furnisher of homes everywhere has just released its collaboration with Stockholm-based architect-turned-designer Gustaf Westman. Renowned for his bubbly, curvaceous pieces, it's Westman's first-ever product design collaboration, though he's far from an unknown quantity. He counts design-conscious celebs like Tyler, the Creator and Olivia Rodrigo among his fans. While we usually associate the Swedish giant with ready-to-assemble furniture made for functionality, this collaboration brings a little more personality to the fore. Created with joyful informality, Westman's 12-piece collection is inspired by seasonal celebrations, challenging tradition through his trademark sculptural shapes and bold colour combinations. "For me, this was an opportunity to take traditional holiday decor aesthetics and turn it on its head, instead, introducing a sense of playfulness and boldness," says Westman. "This is my interpretation of the holidays; it's a new design for a new generation." So, what's in store for IKEA and Westman fans? As you might expect, there's no shortage of pieces celebrating food and togetherness. The most attention-grabbing is a dedicated meatball plate — especially appropriate considering IKEA's iconic dish turns 40 this year. Meanwhile, Westman has designed an offbeat porcelain cup and saucer set for glögg, aka mulled wine, shaped by memories of his grandma's holiday baking. Westman's collection is also here to level up your lighting. There are matching candlesticks and holders in two candied colours — red and blue — and a portable, rechargeable lantern that twists from a round shape into an orbital one. Those familiar with Swedish Christmas traditions will also recognise a reimagined candelabra-style lamp, traditionally placed in windows during the holiday season. "Celebration often comes with established traditions, and we were curious to explore a more fun and inclusive take," says Maria O'Brian, IKEA Range Identity Leader. "Teaming up with Gustaf Westman felt like a natural match to help us reimagine the holidays with a twist." The limited-edition IKEA x Gustaf Westman collection will be available for purchase from Monday, September 29. Head to the website for more information.
Ever since 2025's Sydney Film Festival first started revealing its program back in March, the event was on track for a huge year. How big? By the numbers, the fest screened 242 films, and put on 448 screenings and events. Among that massive lineup of sessions, more than 150 sold out. So, it should come as no surprise that this year's SFF also made history thanks to its 150,000-plus attendees. That hefty number of folks who spent some or all of the festival's 12-day run from Wednesday, June 4–Sunday, June 15 in a Sydney cinema is an 11-percent increase on 2024's attendance figure. It also makes SFF 2205 the highest-selling festival in its history. As Sydney Film Festival CEO Frances Wallace described it, "this year has been extraordinary". "It's amazing that after 72 years, the Sydney Film Festival is stronger than ever. It's a tribute to the organisers and the tens of thousands of film fans who've turned out. This festival, its fans and its filmmakers have once again created an absolute highlight in Sydney's events calendar," said New South Wales Minister for the Arts John Graham about the fest's 2025 achievement. "As the curtain falls on another unforgettable Sydney Film Festival, we look back on and celebrate the bold storytelling, diverse voices and shared cinematic journeys that lit up our screens and sparked our imaginations," added Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore. "I look forward to our continued partnership with the Sydney Film Festival and all that it brings to our fine city." The fest came to an end for 2025 with a closing-night gala that gave relationship comedy Splitsville its Australian premiere — and first screening anywhere beyond its Cannes debut — and announced this year's prizewinners. Receiving the $60,000 Sydney Film Prize for the most "audacious, cutting edge and courageous" movie in the fest's Official Competition: Jafar Panahi's It Was Just an Accident, fresh from taking home the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival, too, and with the iconic Iranian filmmaker himself in attendance in the Harbour City. That said, the event that opened with body-horror Together, gave Ari Aster's Eddington its Aussie premiere and boasted DEATH STRANDING's Hideo Kojima among its guests isn't actually quite done for 2025 so far. The official festival itself has said goodbye until 2026, but it's also screening Back By Popular Demand encore sessions between Tuesday, June 17–Friday, June 20 at Dendy Newtown, Palace Cinemas Norton Street and Ritz Cinemas. Sydney Film Festival 2025 ran from Wednesday, June 4–Sunday, June 15 at various cinemas and venues around Sydney. The fest is screening four days of encores via Sydney Film Festival's 2025 Back By Popular Demand bonus screenings at Dendy Newtown, Palace Cinemas Norton Street and Ritz Cinemas Randwick between Tuesday, June 17–Friday, June 20. For more information and tickets, head to the festival's website. Jafar Panahi images: Tim Levy.
For the "it's better down where it's wetter" crowd, Disney Cruise Line takes that The Little Mermaid sentiment to heart, albeit while remaining on top of the water. Mouse House darlings, if you like Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars-themed stints sailing the ocean, then you'll love holidaying on the huge entertainment company's ships. As announced in 2022, its 'Magic at Sea' cruises will initially launch Down Under this October — and, because Disney loves sequels, the cruises have already locked in their return visit. Not only will sailing with the Mouse House from Australia and Aotearoa become a possibility for the first time between October 2023–February 2024, but it'll also be on the cards for getaways between October 2024–February 2025 as well. And, once again departing from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Auckland, Disney Cruise Lines's second Down Under season will feature new itineraries, taking passengers to Eden in New South Wales, Hobart in Tasmania and Noumea in New Caledonia. [caption id="attachment_868737" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Todd Anderson[/caption] On offer for round two of this whole new cruising world (for Australians and New Zealanders wanting to depart close to home, that is) on the Disney Wonder: sailings for between two and seven nights — your pick — where you'll watch live musical shows, see Disney characters everywhere you look and eat in spaces decked out like Disney movies. Those musicals include a Frozen show; another production dedicated to the company's old-school favourites like Peter Pan, Pinocchio, Cinderella and Aladdin; and a Golden Mickeys performance, which is obviously all about Mickey Mouse. Or, there's a Mickey party set to DJ beats and a pirate shindig on the vessel's deck. While not every show and party is available on all cruises — especially the two-night option — the entertainment also includes Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Moana, Tiana, Cinderella, Woody, Jessie and more wandering around the ship. And, Chewbacca, Rey, Spider-Man, Captain Marvel and Thor as well, if you like hanging out around folks in costumes. Also on the list of things to do and see onboard as you explore the Disney Wonder's 11 decks: fireworks, plus movies — Disney flicks, naturally — in the ship's own cinema. The dining setup rotates, so each day of the cruise takes you to a different location with a different theme. One day, you'll hit up the Animator's Palate, which focuses on bringing Disney characters to life — including getting patrons to draw their own characters — and on the next, you'll get munching in a restaurant inspired by The Princess and the Frog, and serving up New Orleans-inspired dishes. Or, there's also Triton's, which offers an under the sea theme given it's named after Ariel's father, and does four-course French and American suppers. For folks travelling with young Disney devotees, there's also a whole range of activities just for kids — but adults without littlies in tow are definitely catered for, complete with a dedicated pool for travellers aged 18 and over, an adults-only cafe, the Crown & Fin pub, cocktail bar Signals, Italian eatery Palo, and a day spa and salon. Dates for Disney Cruise Line's second round of trips from Australia and New Zealand vary per city of departure, as do prices, but you can expect to enter this whole new ocean-faring world from $1214 per person for two nights in a double-occupancy room from Brisbane, $1413 out of Auckland, $1477 from Melbourne and $1889 departing from Sydney. And, room-wise, there's ten different types to choose from — some with private verandahs, and some with ocean views through portholes. [caption id="attachment_868736" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matt Stroshane[/caption] [caption id="attachment_904977" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matt Stroshane[/caption] Disney Cruise Line's 'Magic at Sea' cruises will sail from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Auckland for their first season between October 2023–February 2024, and for their just-announced second season between October 2024–February 2025. Bookings for season two open at 10pm AEST on Monday, June 26. For more information, head to the cruise line's website. Images: Disney.
For the second time in 2024, Hollywood's TV talents have spent a night celebrating the best and brightest shows to hit the small screen, plus the folks that make our television and streaming favourites happen. If you love awards ceremonies, or just the reminder about what to watch that they always offer, this is a busier year than usual — because there's been not just one round of Emmys, but two. Back in January, the Emmys first took place for 2024 after the 2023 event was postponed from its usual September timing during Hollywood's writers' and actors' strikes. So, now that September is here for 2024, there's another Emmys — the ones that were always due to happen at this part of the calendar. Already worked your way through the winning shows from earlier in the year? Get ready for your next batch. Here's nine shows that've just received shiny trophies that you should watch, be it for the first or the fifth time. (We've also run through the full list of nominees and winners, too.) The Bear The more time that anyone spends in the kitchen, the easier that whipping up their chosen dish gets. The Bear season two is that concept in TV form, even if the team at The Original Beef of Chicagoland don't always live it as they leap from running a beloved neighbourhood sandwich joint to opening a fine-diner, and fast. The hospitality crew that was first introduced in the best new show of 2022 isn't lacking in culinary skills or passion. But when bedlam surrounds you constantly, as bubbled and boiled through The Bear's Golden Globe-winning, Emmy-nominated season-one frames, not everything always goes to plan. That was only accurate on-screen for Carmen 'Carmy' Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White, Fingernails) and his colleagues — aka sous chef Sydney (Ayo Edebiri, Bottoms), baker-turned-pastry chef Marcus (Lionel Boyce, Hap and Leonard), veteran line cooks Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas, In Treatment) and Ebraheim (Edwin Lee Gibson, Fargo), resident Mr Fixit Neil Fak (IRL chef Matty Matheson), and family pal Richie aka Cousin (Ebon Moss-Bachrach, No Hard Feelings). For viewers, the series' debut run was as perfect a piece of television as anyone can hope for. Excellent news: season two is better. The Bear serves up another sublime course of comedy, drama and "yes chef!"-exclaiming antics across its sizzling second season. Actually make that ten more courses, one per episode, with each new instalment its own more-ish meal. A menu, a loan, desperately needed additional help, oh-so-much restaurant mayhem: that's how this second visit begins, as Carmy and Sydney endeavour to make their dreams for their own patch of Chicago's food scene come true. So far, so familiar, but The Bear isn't just plating up the same dishes this time around. At every moment, this new feast feels richer, deeper and more seasoned, including when it's as intense as ever, when it's filling the screen with tastebud-tempting food shots that relish culinary artistry, and also when it gets meditative. Episodes that send Marcus to a Noma-esque venue in Copenhagen under the tutelage of Luca (Will Poulter, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), get Richie spending a week learning the upscale ropes at one of Chicago's best restaurants and jump back to the past, demonstrating how chaos would've been in Carmy's blood regardless of if he became a chef, are particularly stunning. Emmys Won: Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (Jeremy Allen White), Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), Supporting Actress in a Actor in a Comedy Series (Liza Colón-Zayas) and Directing for a Comedy Series (Christopher Storer, The Bear). Where to watch it: The Bear streams via Disney+. Read our full review of The Bear season two. Hacks Sometimes you need to wait for the things you love. In Hacks, that's true off- and on-screen. It's been two years since the HBO comedy last dropped new episodes, after its first season was one of the best new shows of 2021 and its second one of the best returning series of 2022 — a delay first sparked by star Jean Smart (Babylon) requiring heart surgery, and then by 2023's Hollywood strikes. But this Emmy- and Golden Globe-winner returns better than ever in season three as it charts Smart's Deborah Vance finally getting a shot at a job that she's been waiting her entire career for. After scoring a huge hit with her recent comedy special, which was a product of hiring twentysomething writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder, Julia), the Las Vegas mainstay has a new chance at nabbing a late-night hosting gig. (Yes, fictional takes on after-dark talk shows are having a moment, thanks to Late Night with the Devil and now this.) At times, some in Deborah's orbit might be tempted to borrow the Australian horror movie's title to describe to assisting her pitch for a post-primetime chair. That'd be a harsh comment, but savage humour has always been part of this showbiz comedy about people who tell jokes for a living. While Deborah gets roasted in this season, spikiness is Hacks' long-established baseline — and also the armour with which its behind-the-mic lead protects herself from life's and the industry's pain, disappointments and unfairness. Barbs can also be Deborah's love language, as seen in her banter with Ava. When season two ended, their tumultuous professional relationship had come to an end again via Deborah, who let her writer go to find bigger opportunities. A year has now passed when season three kicks off. Ava is a staff writer on a Last Week Tonight with John Oliver-type series in Los Angeles and thriving, but she's also not over being fired. Back in Vanceland , everything is gleaming — but Deborah isn't prepared for being a phenomenon. She wants it. She's worked for years for it. It's taken until her 70s to get it. But her presence alone being cause for frenzy, rather than the scrapping she's done to stay in the spotlight, isn't an easy adjustment. Emmys Won: Outstanding Comedy Series, Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Jean Smart) and Writing for a Comedy Series (Lucia Aniello, Paul W Downs and Jen Statsky). Where to watch it: Hacks streams via Stan. Read our full review of Hacks season three. Baby Reindeer A person walking into a bar. The words "sent from my iPhone". A comedian pouring their experiences into a one-performer play. A twisty true-crime tale making the leap to the screen. All four either feature in, inspired or describe Baby Reindeer. All four are inescapably familiar, too, but the same can't be said about this seven-part Netflix series. Written by and starring Scottish comedian Richard Gadd, and also based on his real-life experiences, this is a bleak, brave, revelatory, devastating and unforgettable psychological thriller. It does indeed begin with someone stepping inside a pub — and while Gadd plays a comedian on-screen as well, don't go waiting for a punchline. When Martha (Jessica Gunning, The Outlaws) enters The Heart in Camden, London in 2015, Donny Dunn (Gadd, Wedding Season) is behind the counter. "I felt sorry for her. That's the first feeling I felt," the latter explains via voiceover. Perched awkwardly on a stool at the bar, Martha is whimpering to herself. She says that she can't afford to buy a drink, even a cup of tea. Donny takes pity, offering her one for free — and her face instantly lights up. That's the fateful moment, one of sorrow met with kindness, that ignites Baby Reindeer's narrative and changes Donny's life. After that warm beverage, The Heart instantly has a new regular. Sipping Diet Cokes from then on (still on the house), Martha is full of stories about all of the high-profile people that she knows and her high-flying lawyer job. But despite insisting that she's constantly busy, she's also always at the bar when Donny is at work, sticking around for his whole shifts. She chats incessantly about herself, folks that he doesn't know and while directing compliments Donny's way. He's in his twenties, she's in her early forties — and he can see that she's smitten, letting her flirt. He notices her laugh. He likes the attention, not to mention getting his ego stroked. While he doesn't reciprocate her feelings, he's friendly. She isn't just an infatuated fantasist, however; she's chillingly obsessed to an unstable degree. She finds his email address, then starts messaging him non-stop when she's not nattering at his workplace. (IRL, Gadd received more than 40,000 emails.) Emmys Won: Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series, Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie (Richard Gadd), Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie (Jessica Gunning) and Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie (Richard Gadd). Where to watch it: Baby Reindeer streams via Netflix. Read our full review. Ripley Boasting The Night Of's Steven Zaillian as its sole writer and director — joining a list of credits that includes penning Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York and The Irishman, and also winning an Oscar for Schindler's List — the latest exquisite jump into the Ripley realm doesn't splash around black-and-white hues as a mere stylistic preference. In this new adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's 1955 book, the setting is still coastal Italy at its most picturesque, and therefore a place that most would want to revel in visually; Anthony Minghella, The Talented Mr Ripley's director a quarter-century back, did so with an intoxicating glow. For Zaillian, however, stripping away the warm rays and beaches and hair, blue seas and skies, and tanned skin as well, ensures that all that glitters is never gold or even just golden in tone as he spends time with Tom Ripley (Andrew Scott, All of Us Strangers). There's never even a glint of a hint of a travelogue aesthetic, with viewers confronted with the starkness of Tom's choices and actions — he is a conman and worse, after all — plus the shadows that he persists in lurking in and the impossibility of ever grasping everything that he desires in full colour. On the page and on the screen both before and now, the overarching story remains the same, though, in this new definitive take on the character. It's the early 60s rather than the late 50s in Ripley, but Tom is in New York, running fake debt-collection schemes and clinging to the edges of high-society circles, when he's made a proposal that he was never going to refuse. Herbert Greenleaf (filmmaker Kenneth Lonergan, who has also acted in his own three features You Can Count on Me, Margaret and Manchester by the Sea) enlists him to sail to Europe to reunite with a friend, the shipping magnate's son Dickie (Johnny Flynn, One Life). As a paid gig, Tom is to convince the business heir to finally return home. But Dickie has no intention of giving up his Mediterranean leisure as he lackadaisically pursues painting — and more passionately spends his time with girlfriend Marge Sherwood (Dakota Fanning, The Perfect Couple) — to join the family business. Emmys Won: Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie (Steven Zaillian). Where to watch it: Ripley streams via Netflix. Read our full review. Fargo This is a true story: in 2014, Hollywood decided to take on a task that was destined to either go as smoothly as sliding on ice or prove as misguided as having a woodchipper sitting around. Revisiting Fargo was a bold move even in pop culture's remake-, reboot- and reimagining-worshipping times, because why say "you betcha" to trying to make crime-comedy perfection twice? The Coen brothers' 1996 film isn't just any movie. It's a two-time Oscar-winner, BAFTA and Cannes' Best Director pick of its year, and one of the most beloved and original examples of its genre in the last three decades. But in-between credits on Bones, The Unusuals and My Generation, then creating the comic book-inspired Legion, writer, director and producer Noah Hawley started a project he's now synonymous with, and that's still going strong five seasons in. What keeps springing is always a twisty tale set in America's midwest, as filled with everyday folks in knotty binds, complicated family ties, crooks both bumbling and determined trying to cash in, and intrepid cops investigating leads that others wouldn't. Hawley's stroke of genius: driving back into Fargo terrain by making an anthology series built upon similar pieces, but always finding new tales about greed, power, murder and snowy landscapes to tell. Hawley's Fargo adores the Coenverse overall, enthusiastically scouring it for riches like it's the TV-making embodiment of Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter's namesake. That film hailed from Damsel's David Zellner instead, and took cues from the urban legend surrounding the purported Fargo ties to the IRL death of Japanese office worker Takako Konishi; however, wanting the contents of the Coen brothers' brains to become your reality is clearly a common thread. Of course, for most of the fictional figures who've walked through the small-screen Fargo's frames, they'd like anything but caper chaos. Scandia, Minnesota housewife Dot Lyon (Juno Temple, Ted Lasso) is one of them in season five. North Dakota sheriff, preacher and rancher Roy Tillman (Jon Hamm, Good Omens) isn't as averse to a commotion if he's the one causing it. Minnesota deputy Indira Olmstead (Richa Moorjani, Never Have I Ever) and North Dakota state trooper Witt Farr (Lamorne Morris, Woke) just want to get to the bottom of the series' new stint of sometimes-madcap and sometimes-violent mayhem. Emmys Won: Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie (Lamorne Morris). Where to watch it: Fargo streams via SBS On Demand. Read our full review of Fargo season five. Shōgun Casting Hiroyuki Sanada (John Wick: Chapter 4), Cosmo Jarvis (Persuasion) and Anna Sawai (Monarch: Legacy of Monsters) as its three leads is one of Shōgun's masterstrokes. The new ten-part adaptation of James Clavell's 1975 novel — following a first version in 1980 that featured Japanese icon and frequent Akira Kurosawa collaborator Toshiro Mifune — makes plenty of other excellent moves, but this is still pivotal. Disney+'s richly detailed samurai series knows how to thrust its viewers into a deeply textured world from the outset, making having three complex performances at its centre an essential anchoring tactic. Sanada plays Lord Yoshii Toranaga, who is among the political candidates vying to take control of the country. Jarvis is John Blackthorne, a British sailor on a Dutch ship that has run aground in a place that its crew isn't sure is real until they get there. And Sawai is Toda Mariko, a Japanese noblewoman who is also tasked with translating. Each character's tale encompasses much more than those descriptions, of course, and the portrayals that bring them to the screen make that plain from the moment they're each first seen. As Game of Thrones and Succession both were, famously so, Shōgun is another drama that's all about fighting for supremacy. Like just the former, too, it's another sweeping epic series as well. Although it's impossible not to see those links, knowing that both battling over who'll seize power and stepping into sprawling worlds are among pop culture's favourite things right now (and for some time) doesn't make Shōgun any less impressive. The scale is grand, and yet it doesn't skimp on intimacy, either. The minutiae is meticulous, demanding that attention is paid to everything at all times. Gore is no stranger from the get-go. Opening in the 17th century, the series finds Japan in crisis mode, Toranaga facing enemies and Blackthorne among the first Englishmen that've made it to the nation — much to the alarm of Japan's sole European inhabitants from Portugal. Getting drawn in, including by the performances, is instantaneous. Shōgun proves powerful and engrossing immediately, and lavish and precisely made as well, with creators Justin Marks (Top Gun: Maverick) and Rachel Kondo (on her first TV credit) doing a spectacular job of bringing it to streaming queues. Emmys Won: Outstanding Drama Series, Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Hiroyuki Sanada), Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Anna Sawai) and Directing for a Drama Series (Frederick EO Toye). Where to watch it: Shōgun streams via Disney+. Read our full review. True Detective: Night Country Even when True Detective had only reached its second season, the HBO series had chiselled its template into stone: obsessive chalk-and-cheese cops with messy personal lives investigating horrifying killings, on cases with ties to power's corruption, in places where location mattered and with the otherworldly drifting in. A decade after the anthology mystery show's debut in 2014, True Detective has returned as Night Country, a six-part miniseries that builds its own snowman out of all of the franchise's familiar parts. The main similarity from there: like the Matthew McConaughey (The Gentlemen)- and Woody Harrelson (White House Plumbers)-led initial season, True Detective: Night Country is phenomenal. This is a return to form and a revitalisation. Making it happen after two passable intervening cases is a new guiding hand off-screen. Tigers Are Not Afraid filmmaker Issa López directs and writes or co-writes every episode, boasting Moonlight's Barry Jenkins as an executive producer. True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto remains in the latter role, too, as do McConaughey, Harrelson and season-one director Cary Joji Fukunaga (No Time to Die); however, from its female focus and weighty tussling with the dead to its switch to a cool, blue colour scheme befitting its Alaskan setting, there's no doubting that López is reinventing her season rather than ticking boxes. In handing over the reins, Pizzolatto's police procedural never-standard police procedural is a powerhouse again, and lives up to the potential of its concept. The commitment and cost of delving into humanity's depths and advocating for those lost in its abyss has swapped key cops, victims and locations with each spin, including enlisting the masterful double act of Jodie Foster (Nyad) and boxer-turned-actor Kali Reis (Catch the Fair One) to do the sleuthing, but seeing each go-around with fresh eyes feels like the missing puzzle piece. López spies the toll on the show's first women duo, as well as the splinters in a remote community when its fragile sense of certainty is forever shattered. She spots the fractures that pre-date the investigation in the new season, a cold case tied to it, plus the gashes that've carved hurt and pain into the earth ever since people stepped foot on it. She observes the pursuit of profit above all else, and the lack of concern for whatever — whoever, the region's Indigenous inhabitants included — get in the way. She sees that the eternal winter night of 150 miles north of the Arctic Circle come mid-December isn't the only thing impairing everyone's sight. And, she knows that not everything has answers, with life sometimes plunging into heartbreak, or inhospitable climes, or one's own private hell, without rhyme or reason. Emmys Won: Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie (Jodie Foster). Where to watch it: True Detective: Night Country streams via Binge. Read our full review. Slow Horses In gleaming news for streaming viewers, Mick Herron's Slough House novel series boasts 12 entries so far. In an also ace development, several more of the British author's books have links to the world of veteran espionage agent Jackson Lamb. That thankfully means that Slow Horses, the small-screen spy thriller based on Herron's work, has plenty more stories to draw upon in its future. It's now up to its third season as a TV series, and long may its forward path continue. Apple TV+ has clearly felt the same way since the program debuted in April 2022. In June the same year, the platform renewed Slow Horses for a third and fourth season before its second had even aired. That next chapter arrived that December and didn't disappoint. Neither does the latest batch of six episodes, this time taking its cues from Herron's Real Tigers — after season one used the novel Slow Horses as its basis, and season two did the same with Dead Lions — in charting the ins and outs of MI5's least-favourite department. Slough House is where the service rejects who can't be fired but aren't trusted to be proper operatives are sent, with Lamb (Gary Oldman, Oppenheimer) its happily cantankerous, slovenly, seedy and shambolic head honcho. Each season, Lamb and his team of losers, misfits and boozers — Mick Jagger's slinky ear worm of a theme tune's words — find themselves immersed in another messy case that everyone above them wishes they weren't. That said, Slow Horses isn't a formulaic procedural. Sharply written, directed and acted, and also immensely wryly funny, it's instead one of the best spy series to grace television, including in a new go-around that starts with two intelligence officers (Babylon's Katherine Waterston and Gangs of London's Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù) in Istanbul. When the fallout from this season's opening events touches Lamb and his spooks, they're soon thrust into a game of cat-and-mouse that revolves around secret documents and sees one of their own, the forever-loyal Catherine Standish (Saskia Reeves, Creation Stories), get abducted. The talented River Cartwright (Jack Lowden, The Gold) again endeavours to show why being banished to Slough House for a training mistake was MI5's error, while his boss' boss Diana Taverner (Kristin Scott Thomas, Rebecca) reliably has her own agenda. Emmys Won: Writing for a Drama Series (Will Smith, Slow Horses). Where to watch it: Slow Horses streams via Apple TV+. Read our full review. The Crown It's the season that originally wasn't going to happen, telling the story that's still ongoing IRL, and wrapping up a seven-year run for a star-studded regal drama that's proven a royal hit. But, thankfully, it did — with The Crown coming to an end with a sixth go-around split into two parts. The focus for the Peter Morgan (The Queen)-created show's final episodes: the relationship between Princess Diana (Elizabeth Debicki, MaXXXine) and Dodi Fayed (Khalid Abdalla, Moon Knight), including the tragic events of their trip to Paris; the changing attitudes towards the British monarchy, and Queen Elizabeth II (Imelda Staunton, Downton Abbey: A New Era) entering her ninth decade; what his mother's advancing years meant for Prince Charles (Dominic West, The Pursuit of Love); Princess Margaret's (Lesley Manville, Mrs Harris Goes to Paris) stroke and lifestyle changes; and Prince William (Ed McVey) going back to Eton, then attending St Andrew's University and forming a crush on Kate Middleton (Meg Bellamy). When The Crown began, it kicked off with Queen Elizabeth II's life from her marriage to Prince Philip back in 1947. The first season made its way to the mid-50s, the second season leapt into the 60s, and season three spanned all the way up to the late 70s. In season four, the royal family hit the 80s, while season five hopped to the 90s. News around the show's fifth and sixth seasons changed a few times, including Netflix announcing that it would end the royal drama after its fifth season, only to have a change of heart and proceed for a sixth season after all. While there was always going to come a time to say goodbye, especially given that this is a IRL tale without an end, it's hard to see how the show would've fit in everything it needed if it hadn't delivered its sixth batch of episodes — and, among everything else viewers can be glad for Debicki's excellent performance. Emmys Won: Supporting Actress in a Actor in a Drama Series (Elizabeth Debicki). Where to watch it: The Crown streams via Netflix.
UPDATE: AUGUST 19, 2020 — If you're looking for a midweek fried chook feed during lockdown, look no further than Fried and Tasty. The Brunswick East joint is delivering its finger-licken-good feeds via Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Doordash. Walking into Fried and Tasty (F.A.T), you know you're in for something delectable. The relaxed restaurant is made up of walls plastered with old advertising, well-known quotes from movies like Shrek, and orange booths that complement the crispy coating of its already renowned fried chicken. Speaking of, there are multiple ways you can devour yours. Get it in a burger, on waffles or on its own — perhaps with a side of chips, poutine, coleslaw or potato salad. The Original burger keeps it simple with fried chicken, coleslaw and mayo ($9.90), while The Brunswick honours the restaurant's location with chicken, bacon, beetroot, cheese, barbecue sauce and mayo ($11.90). All burgers can also be made in wrap form. The food at F.A.T clearly speaks to the favourites of American cuisine, serving up the classic dish of chicken and waffles — the perfect fusion for those who wish to simultaneously eat mains and dessert. The eatery pairs buttermilk waffles with crispy chicken, vanilla ice cream and Canadian maple ($17). For straight-up chicken with no disturbances, share the bucket o' chicken for $25. It's truly no frills here; everything is served in red diner baskets and the milkshakes — which come in flavours Milo, vanilla malt, salted caramel and apple crumble (all $7) — are served straight out of the stainless steel cups they were created in. If you're looking to class it up a bit, F.A.T surprisingly serves wine as well. You'll find drops from both Australia and Europe. To dine at F.A.T is to spoil the soul. For non-violent prices and some damn tasty chicken, make your way to the deep fryers at this Lygon Street joint.
Stare at The False Mirror at Magritte, one of the Art Gallery of New South Wales' big summer exhibitions for 2024–25, and the masterpiece of a painting from 1929 will peer right back. Among the Belgian surrealist René Magritte's most-famous creations, the piece features a giant eye looking at the viewer, while also filled with a cloudy blue sky. It's an unforgettable work, and it's one of the stars of the latest showcase as part of Sydney International Art Series. Another striking painting that's on display in the Harbour City from Saturday, October 26, 2024–Sunday, February 9, 2025: Golconda, Magritte's 1953 work that brings two other pieces of popular culture to mind. Just try not to think about Mary Poppins and The Weather Girls' song 'It's Raining Men' while you feast your eyes on the sight of bowler hat-wearing men streaming down from the heavens. At Magritte, which is exclusive to Sydney, The False Mirror, Golconda and 1952's The Listening Room (La Chambre d'Écoute) — which shows an oversized apple — have ample company at AGNSW's south building Naala Nura. In total, 100-plus works are on display. This is not only a huge retrospective dedicated to the artist, but also Australia's first retrospective dedicated to Magritte. More than 80 of the pieces are paintings, demonstrating why Magritte is considered one of the most-influential figures in 20th-century surrealism; however, archival materials, photographs and films also feature. Sydney International Art Series isn't just about one major exclusive showcase, of course. From Saturday, November 30, 2024–Sunday, April 13, 2025, AGNSW is also hosting Cao Fei: My City. Over at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia from Friday, November 29, 2024–Sunday, April 27, 2025, Julie Mehretu is on display as well. Images: installation view of the 'Magritte' exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, 26 October 2024 – 9 February 2025, artworks © Copyright Agency, Sydney 2024, photo © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Mim Stirling.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are back in business — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COrqRKMZ2KM&feature=emb_logo EMA Before 2021 comes to an end, Pablo Larraín will have given the world Spencer, a new biopic about Princess Diana featuring Kristen Stewart as the royal figure. Also on his hit list this year: Lisey's Story, a Julianne Moore-starring TV adaptation of a Stephen King book that has been scripted for the screen by the author himself. But with the release of Ema in Australian cinemas, he's already gifting viewers something exceptional. A new project by Larraín is always cause for excitement, and this drama about a reggaeton dancer's crumbling marriage, personal and professional curiosities, and determined quest to become a mother rewards that enthusiasm spectacularly. In fact, it's a stunning piece of cinema, and one that stands out even among the Chilean director's already impressive resume. He's the filmmaker behind stirring political drama No, exacting religious interrogation The Club, poetic biopic Neruda and the astonishing, Natalie Portman-starring Jackie — to name just a few of his movies — so that's no minor feat. For the first time in his career, Larraín peers at life in his homeland today, rather than in the past. And, with his now six-time cinematographer Sergio Armstrong (Tony Manero, Post Mortem), he gazes as intently as he can. Faces and bodies fill Ema's frames, a comment that's true of most movies; however, in both the probing patience it directs its protagonist's way and the kinetic fluidity of its dance sequences, this feature equally stares and surveys. Here, Larraín hones in on the dancer (Mariana Di Girólamo, Much Ado About Nothing) who gives the feature its name. After adopting a child with her choreographer partner Gastón (Gael García Bernal, Mozart in the Jungle), something other than domestic bliss has followed. Following a traumatic incident, and the just as stressful decision to relinquish their boy back to the state's custody, Ema is not only trying but struggling to cope in the aftermath. This isn't a situation she's simply willing to accept, though. Ema, the movie, is many things — and, most potently, it's a portrait of a woman who is willing to make whatever move she needs to, both on the dance floor and in life, to rally against an unforgiving world, grasp her idea of freedom and seize exactly what she wants. Di Girólamo is magnetic, whether she's dancing against a vivid backdrop, staring pensively at the camera or being soaked in neon light. Bernal, one of the director's regulars, perfects a thorny role that ties into the film's interrogation of Chile's class and cultural divides. And Larraín's skill as both a visual- and emotion-driven filmmaker is never in doubt. Indeed, this film's imagery isn't easily forgotten, and neither is its mood, ideas, inimitable protagonist, or stirring exploration of trauma, shock and their impact. Ema opens in Sydney and Melbourne cinemas on May 13, and in Brisbane on May 20. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sV6VNNjBkcE THOSE WHO WISH ME DEAD A smokejumper stationed to a Montana watchtower, plagued by past traumas and forced to help a teenage boy evade hired killers, Those Who Wish Me Dead's Hannah Faber actually first debuted on the page. Watching Angelina Jolie bring the whisky-swilling, no-nonsense, one of the boys-type figure to the screen, it's easy to assume otherwise. The part doesn't quite feel as if it was written specifically for the smouldering movie star, though. Rather, it seems like the kind of role that might've been penned with Liam Neeson or Denzel Washington in mind — see: this year's The Marksman for the former, and 2004's Man on Fire for the latter — then flipped, gender-wise, to gift Jolie a new star vehicle. On the one hand, let's be thankful that that's not how this character came about. Kudos to author Michael Koryta, who also co-writes the screenplay here based on his 2016 novel, for conjuring up Hannah to begin with. But on the other hand, it's never a great sign when a female protagonist plays like a grab bag of stock-standard macho hero traits, just dressed up in a shapelier guise. It has been six years since Jolie has stepped into a mere mortal's shoes — since 2015's By the Sea, which she wrote and directed — and she leaves no doubt that Hannah is flesh and blood. There's still an iciness to the firefighter, and she still has the actor's cheekbones and pout, but Maleficent, she isn't. She's bruised, internally, by a fire that got away and left a body count. After hanging out with her colleagues, parachuting out of cars and brooding in her tower, she's soon physically in harm's way as well. As Those Who Wish Me Dead's plot gets her to this juncture, it also cuts back and forth between forensic accountant Owen Casserly (Jake Weber, Midway) and his son Connor (Finn Little, Angel of Mine), plus assassins Patrick and Jack (The Great's Nicholas Hoult and Game of Thrones' Aiden Gillen). Thanks to a treasure trove of incriminating evidence against important people that no one was ever supposed to find, these two duos are on a collision course. When they do cross paths — while Owen is trying to take Connor to stay with Ethan (Jon Bernthal, The Peanut Butter Falcon), his brother-in-law, a sheriff's deputy and one of Hannah's colleagues — it also nudges the boy into the smokejumper's orbit. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuINvoFAnng&t=3s SPIRAL: FROM THE BOOK OF SAW With Spiral: From the Book of Saw, what came first: the decision to call its protagonist Ezekiel, or the casting of Samuel L Jackson as said character's father? Either way, the film's creative team must've felt mighty pleased with themselves; getting the Pulp Fiction actor to utter the name that's been synonymous with his bible-quoting, Quentin Tarantino-penned monologue for more than a quarter-century doesn't happen by accident. What now four-time franchise director Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw II, Saw III and Saw IV) and Jigsaw screenwriters Josh Stolberg and Pete Goldfinger mightn't have realised, though, is just how clumsily this choice comes across. The Saw series has made almost a billion dollars at the worldwide box office, but now it's resorting to winking and nodding to one of its latest stars' past movies. Perhaps Bousman and company didn't notice because almost everything about Spiral feels that forced, awkward, clunky and badly thought-out. Jackson and Chris Rock might gift the long-running franchise a couple of high-profile new faces; however, this ostensible reboot is exactly as derivative as you'd expect of the ninth instalment in a 17-year-old shock- and gore-driven saga. Focusing on a wisecracking, gung-ho, about-to-be-divorced police detective known for exposing his dirty colleagues, Spiral tries to coil the series in a different direction, at least superficially — and pretends to have meaty matters on its mind. Ezekiel 'Zeke' Banks (Rock, The Witches) has been crusading for honesty, integrity, fairness and honour in law enforcement for years. Starting back when his now-retired dad Marcus (Jackson, Death to 2020) was the precinct's chief, he's been vilified by his peers for his efforts. When a killer appears to be targeting rotten cops, too, Zeke is desperate to lead the case. Initially, he just wants to avenge the death of the first victim, one of the only co-workers he called a friend, but he's soon trying to track down a murderer that seems to be following in franchise villain Jigsaw's footsteps. A lone wolf-type not by choice but necessity, Banks also happens to be saddled with a rookie partner (Max Minghella, The Handmaid's Tale) as he attempts to stop the bodies from piling up. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBFvpz_Tlrs&feature=youtu.be THE MAN IN THE HAT Throughout his four-decade-plus career, Ciarán Hinds has appeared in everything from Excalibur and The Phantom of the Opera to There Will Be Blood and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 — and in Game of Thrones and First Man as well. But his expressive face never been put to as a great use as it is in The Man in the Hat, which tasks the Irish actor with staying silent for its duration, save for a rare word here and there. As the titular figure, he potters around France in a small Fiat 500. What might've been a leisurely journey just because (its purpose is never explained) becomes somewhat frantic when a car filled with five bald men starts following his every move. The headwear-donning protagonist witnesses them up to no good, drives off quickly and attempts to take the scenic route, but wherever he goes, his pursuers cross his path eventually. That doesn't stop either the eponymous man from whiling away the time on his travels, whether dropping into cafes, helping the people he meets along the way, seeing the sights, having a swim or flirting with a red dress-wearing, bike-riding woman (Sasha Hails, Quiz). Often, the man in the hat simply listens to his short-term companions, including a fellow lonely soul (Stephen Dillane, Mary Shelley) initially spending his time under a bridge and a biker (Maïwenn, DNA) at a makeshift campsite. Written and directed by Oscar-winning Shakespeare in Love composer Stephen Warbeck with TV travelogue veteran John-Paul Davidson (Stephen Fry in America, Brazil with Michael Palin), The Man in the Hat is undeniably slight. It's also doused in the same type of Gallic whimsy that made Amelie a delight to some and an utter chore for others. And, with its jaunty score, episodic antics, smatterings of slapstick, and gorgeous small-town and countryside backdrop, it can play like a fever dream you might have after eating too much cheese, pairing it with a few healthy glasses of wine, making European holiday plans and falling asleep watching great silent comedians from decades ago. None of the above is a bad thing, however, if you're on the film's wavelength. Indeed, surrendering to The Man in the Hat's charms — and appreciating its exacting staging and choreography — happens both quickly and easily. It wouldn't be the same feature without Hinds, though, who adds an enchanting wordless performance that owes a clear debt to Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Marcel Marceau and Jacques Tati, but is never an act of miming mimicry. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-d92kJUisU CARMILLA Premiering at the Edinburgh International Film Festival back in 2019, Carmilla first reached the screen shortly after Portrait of a Lady on Fire made its maiden appearance at Cannes. It debuted more than 14 months before Ammonite, the other big lesbian period romance of the past two years. But this gothic novella adaptation will always be seen as the lesser of the three recent films. Inspired by Sheridan Le Fanu's 1872 text, Carmilla is indeed another tale of love, lust, repression and the roles that have been enforced upon women for far too long. It takes the restraint that its characters are tasked with displaying a little too firmly to heart, though. While handsomely shot with a keen eye for vivid detail, moody in tone from start to finish, and eagerly savaging society's judgement of female sexual awakening and of sapphic desire, its often feels stilted rather than filled with yearning — and frequently seems as if it's holding a little too much back. Also, although its source material is one of the first works of vampire fiction, hitting the page nearly three decades before Bram Stoker's Dracula, first-time solo writer/director Emily Harris doesn't heartily sink its teeth into that genre, either. There's absolutely nothing wrong with eschewing the supernatural, of course, but a few especially striking images aside, Carmilla's pulse rarely quickens. What this story of passion, seduction, persecution and flouting strict norms does unshakeably possess, however, is memorable and committed performances by its key female cast members — all of whom do their utmost at every turn. Hannah Rae (Fighting with My Family) plays Lara, the cooped-up, constantly lonely daughter of the distant Mr Bauer (Greg Wise, The Crown). When the film commences, she's giddy with excitement about the impending arrival of a fellow teen from a neighbouring town, who's set to join their household for a prolonged sojourn. It'll give her a much-needed reprieve from her stern governess, Miss Fontaine (Jessica Raine, Patrick Melrose), who usually dictates every aspect of her daily routine. The tutor is even determined to train her left-handed pupil to favour her other appendage, all in the name of curing her of her sins. But, when their planned visitor doesn't make the trip, mysterious newcomer Carmilla (Devrim Lingnau, Immortality) earns everyone's attention instead. A victim of a carriage accident with no memory of who she is or why she's in the area, she's like a beacon in the night to the curious and isolated Lara, even as Miss Fontaine endeavours to maintain a close watch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uiCkL26zfQ FINDING YOU When aspiring violinist Finley Sinclair (Rose Reid, The World We Make) meets acting superstar Beckett Rush (Jedidiah Goodacre, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) by falling asleep on his shoulder during a flight from New York to Ireland, she definitely isn't just a girl standing in front of a boy asking him to love her. The college exchange student thinks the cinema world's biggest current heartthrob is arrogant, in fact, and likely wouldn't have given him another thought if they didn't end up staying at the same small-town bed and breakfast thanks to pure rom-com logic. No, Finding You doesn't try to hide its Notting Hill-esque concept. Based on the young adult novel There You'll Find Me, it's quite eager to nod in its fellow romantic comedy's direction — and towards as many of the genre's other cliches and tropes as it can find. Even its setting sticks to recent convention; however, it's never as grating and inane as the Scotland-set Then Came You, and doesn't feature a twist as ridiculous as Wild Mountain Thyme. Everything about Finley and Beckett's will-they, won't-they romance plays out as expected, though, other than one key factor. Writer/director Brian Baugh (I'm Not Ashamed) hasn't met a pointless plot development he doesn't need to work into his movie, it seems, so the path to true love here definitely doesn't run smooth. Finley heads to Ireland seeking a change of scenery and a new source of inspiration after failing a big audition, while Beckett makes the trip to shoot the latest instalment of a big blockbuster franchise he's no longer that interested in being in. As they work out their individual issues and inch closer together, the script also tasks her with becoming his acting coach, and sightseeing with him in an attempt to track down a cross sketched by her brother. She also learns a few musical tricks from the boozy town expert (Patrick Bergin, The South Westerlies), and gets caught up in a decades-long scandal surrounding an elderly and cantankerous woman (Vanessa Redgrave, Mrs Lowry and Son) she's assigned to visit for class — while Beckett battles with his manager dad (Tom Everett Scott, 13 Reasons Why) about his future, the tabloid attention and the fake love affair he's supposed to be in with his co-star (Katherine McNamara, The Stand). When Finding You lets its two leads simply spend time together, it benefits from their warm rapport. When it bundles in every complication it can think of, it veers from being blandly predictable to needlessly contrived and convoluted. For whatever misguided reason, Baugh favours the latter over the former, all served up with a soundtrack that couldn't be more stereotypical if it just repeated the word "Ireland" over and over again. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on January 1, January 7, January 14, January 21 and January 28; February 4, February 11, February 18 and February 25; March 4, March 11, March 18 and March 25; and April 1, April 8, April 15, April 22 and April 29; and May 6. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Nomadland, Pieces of a Woman, The Dry, Promising Young Woman, Summerland, Ammonite, The Dig, The White Tiger, Only the Animals, Malcolm & Marie, News of the World, High Ground, Earwig and the Witch, The Nest, Assassins, Synchronic, Another Round, Minari, Firestarter — The Story of Bangarra, The Truffle Hunters, The Little Things, Chaos Walking, Raya and the Last Dragon, Max Richter's Sleep, Judas and the Black Messiah, Girls Can't Surf, French Exit, Saint Maud, Godzilla vs Kong, The Painter and the Thief, Nobody, The Father, Willy's Wonderland, Collective, Voyagers, Gunda, Supernova, The Dissident, The United States vs Billie Holiday, First Cow, Wrath of Man, Locked Down and The Perfect Candidate.
Few of us have been to Venice. But now Hawthorn has its own Venetian bar and eatery, Vaporetto. And it's basically the same thing. Chef Greg Feck and his business partners Kim Coronica, Stephanie Edgerton and David Wickwar love Venice and they've done an excellent job in recreating its vibrant and enchanting atmosphere on Glenferrie Road. Leave Melbourne behind as you step through an old tobacco store shopfront from Venice, and take in the dark timber, marble, aged brass and hand-blown Murano chandeliers. It's $10 spritz o'clock every day from 5-6pm, but, regardless of the time of day, you might be tempted by David's cocktail creations that pay homage to the Venice and its history. When in Rome — or, at least, when in Venice. Greg has tried to count how many times he has been to the city of bridges and he says it could easily be up to 12, 14 or 15 times. He particularly loves the simplicity of Venetian cooking. It tends to be a fairly light cuisine because they use a lot of seafood from the lagoon and, true to form, Vaporetto's menu is predominantly seafood-focused with a couple of cuts of meat. Greg, like the Venetian chefs he is inspired by, also uses a lot of polenta and radicchio, as well as quite traditional pasta shapes. For example, he's a big fan of the bigoli: extruded long, tube-like pieces of pasta. There is much that appeals from the 'little something to start' entree section, but the special swordfish crudo is a standout. Ceviches can often be dominated by citrus, but here the delicate flavour of the swordfish shines and is complemented by the other ingredients: a veritable garden rainbow of aniseed spiced avocado cream with mandarin and grapefruit segments, fresh baby radish, native blood finger lime pearls, elk leaves and fresh dill. A beautiful way to start the meal and pique the taste buds. The next section of the menu is labeled, 'something comforting'. Never a truer word has been uttered. The ravioli of pumpkin, nutmeg and Montasio cheese, browned butter, pepitas and crispy sage ($25) is like coming home to a cosy room warmed by a log burner, candlelight and an enveloping hug. I can't even begin to describe how good this dish is; every mouthful is so incredibly creamy, savoury and rich that you won't believe you've spent your whole life without this flavour. Pair it with the insalata di treviso — its bitter leaves and chamomile raspberry vinegar cut through the richness of the ravioli perfectly. Dessert continues with the mouthfuls of wow factor. A nice take on a traditional dessert, Vaporetto's tiramisu has espresso, mascarpone, honeycomb, mulberries, cocoa, bee pollen and malted milk crumble ($14). Sounds like a lot of elements (and it is), but it works. If you're looking for a glass of vino, the wine list features a good variety of local and Italian wines and the waitstaff are quick to recommend good pairings. It's an open kitchen so there's no hiding. At peak times there are five chefs all performing a beautifully choreographed dance around the kitchen. There's intensity and a lot of hard work going on — but there's also laughter and appreciation for one another's efforts. This is a team who has worked together for a long time. They know exactly what's going on in each section and it all comes together with ease. Mary Shelley is said to have remarked that "there is something so different in Venice from any other place in the world that you leave at once all accustomed habits and everyday sights to enter an enchanted garden". The same can be said of Vaporetto. They've nailed it. Images: Jo Rittey and Michael Gazzola.
As a kid, your checklist for treehouse essentials would have likely included a tin can telephone and a retractable ladder to keep out those awful adults. And while you may have thought that as you matured your treehouse ambitions would diminish, the opposite is true. While once you would have been content with a setup that rivalled that of Bart Simpson or the Stand by Me crew, as an adult you expect to be perched among the treetops with all the creature comforts of a high-end hotel. Lucky for us, there are adults in Australia who have let their imaginations run wild, and they've put their own dream treehouses up for rent. SECRET TREEHOUSE When your treehouse rivals that dreamt up by Walt Disney, arguably the forefather of imagination, you know you've got a winner. More specifically, winner of Airbnb's best place to stay on the planet in 2016. Perched above the treetops overlooking 600 acres of world heritage Blue Mountains bushland, Love Cabins' Secret Treehouse is one of the only places where nature is better enjoyed from indoors. Floor to ceiling windows allow for uninterrupted views of the rainforest from the comfort of your bed, when curled up in front of the fire or while enjoying a wine on the balcony. Not just there for show, the branches intersecting the room have a real structural role to play, making this the truest incarnation of a treehouse since the handy work of the Swiss Family Robinson themselves. It's seasonally sound too, as one of our go-to cabins for winter. SILKY OAKS LODGE Giving the actual rainforest a run for its money, Silky Oaks Lodge is about as lush as it gets — with a price tag to match. Built on the banks of the Mossman River in the Daintree National Park, the rooms at Silky Oaks are the epitome of jungle luxury. All rooms are surrounded by rainforest, but the cream of the crop are the Billabong Suites which look out across the river. Spoilt for choice, if you stay in the Billabong Suite you can enjoy river views from either a hammock or a day bed. And if peace and tranquility does grow tiresome, you can always move to the marble ensuite to soak in a spa bath or rinse off in the rain shower. With rosewood and silky oak timber featuring predominantly throughout the rooms, the beauty of the Daintree extends from the outside in. CANOPY TREEHOUSES On the banks of the Ithaca River in tropical North Queensland you'll find five treehouses that come close to blending into the rainforest canopy. Surrounded by lush rainforest you'll feel completely secluded. That is, until the therapist arrives to give you a private in-house bamboo massage, foot therapy or facial. And if there's such a thing as your average treehouse, this is larger than most, boasting two bedrooms, a full kitchen, spa bath, balcony, barbecue and hammock. This is the kind of place you would visit with friends only to sit in silence staring out over the treetops. GIRAFFE TREEHOUSES While not the true definition of a treehouse, the fact that you're high up enough for a giraffe to tuck their head over your balcony for a feed makes this worthy of a mention. And when Humbekhali, the resident giraffe at Jamala Wildlife Lodge has had his fill, you can kick back on the balcony and watch him galavant around his enclosure, wine in hand. If hand-feeding a giraffe wasn't special enough, the generally African-inspired accommodation will have you feeling like you're on a high-end safari. The kind where you have a bathtub, TV and a king-size four-poster bed. And here's a sentence you've likely never heard before, "Please join us in the cave for some pre-dinner drinks with our exotic residents". DAINTREE JUNGLE HOUSE Deep inside the world's oldest rainforest you'll find the Daintree Jungle House. Built three metres up in the rainforest canopy, you stay here because you have a sense of adventure and want to feel like you're cut off from the rest of the world — even though in reality there's a boat that leaves twice daily for a snorkel tour of the Great Barrier Reef at the end of the street. Facilities are basic so you'll be using a compost toilet and a hot outdoor shower, but it's not the creature comforts you came for. The two-storey open design houses a bed, hammocks, a breakfast bar and basic kitchen facilities, but on the other side of those walls is an acre of rainforest to explore. There's a freshwater creek right next to the Jungle House that you can swim in and an abundance of wildlife to keep you company. This is a taste of true(ish) jungle life. NOTABLE AIRBNB OPTIONS This one in Main Arm, NSW. This one in Musk, Victoria.
The Village Belle is winning over locals with a whole swag of great weekly specials, though come Sunday lunch, it's all about that traditional, Mum-style roast. It'll set you back a mere $29, for the likes of Flinders Island salt grass lamb, or roasted Hazeldene free-range chicken, with an assortment of matched sides crafted on produce sourced from the St Kilda Community Garden. It's all best enjoyed against the cosy backdrop of the old-meets-new public bar, where there's footy on the big screens and live tunes to round out the weekend.
Wadjda (Waad Mohammed) resides within a system of oppression, yet refuses to accept her restrictions. On the cusp of adolescence, the ten-year-old rallies against her surroundings in Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh, be it the strictness of her schooling or the expectations of her gender — appropriate interests, friends and public behaviour included. She desires a green bicycle, but is told no. She wants to cycle in the street, but is strongly discouraged. She yearns to enjoy the same freedoms as her male counterparts, such as her neighbour, Abdullah (Abdullrahman Al Gohani). The feature's missive of female empowerment is evident in its protagonist, though its message is never bluntly handled. Of course, Wadjda's on-screen statement and subversion bears the weight of its revolutionary off-screen status, as the first feature shot entirely in Saudi Arabia, and the first full-length film made by a female Saudi director. Writer/director Haifaa Al-Mansour (who studied at the University of Sydney) remains subtle in her debut fictional effort. Lightness, rather than solemnity, is her pervasive tone. Read our full review of Wadjda here. Wadjda is in cinemas on Thursday, March 20, and thanks to eOne Films, we have ten double in-season passes 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=v-4kosdSXR8
Sprawling over volcanic hills and boasting not one, but two harbours, Auckland may be New Zealand's largest city, but it still offers hidden corners to get away, without having to hit the highway. With lush native rainforests and black sand beaches in the west, sheltered golden sand beaches in the east, and a cultural hub of a CBD packed with eclectic eateries, it's hard to find a dull moment Tāmaki Makaurau. Visiting is truly a rare experience — one moment, you're hiking through rugged bush, staring across stunning sea-views, and an hour later, you can be strolling through Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki or having a cocktail at a lively inner-city bar. There really is something for everyone in this picturesque and culturally diverse city. So, whether you're travelling from across the pond in Australia, or you're a Kiwi yearning for a staycation, we've pulled together ten of the most unique stays for your next break. Recommended reads: The Best Places to Go Glamping in New Zealand The Best Places to Go Glamping in Australia The Most Unique Stays You Can Book Around New Zealand The Most Unique Stays with Breathtaking Views of New Zealand's South Island NZ Summer House, Riverhead This one bedroom pool house is situated on a equestrian lifestyle property 30 minutes from Auckland's CBD. Close to vineyards, award-winning restaurants, West Coast beaches and popular bush-walking spot Riverhead Forest, it's the perfect place to park up for a mix of adventure and relaxation. From $271 a night, sleeps two. Piha Hut, Piha This newly built one bedroom house is nestled amongst Nīkau palms in Piha, a seaside spot known for great surf, rugged scenery and nearby waterfalls. The sheltered deck looks onto Lion Rock, a volcanic monolith with Māori carvings and war memorials. From $118 a night, sleeps two. Piha Retreat, Auckland Designed by internationally acclaimed architect Chris Tate, this retreat house is perched amongst native rainforest and boasts some of the area's most epic views of Lion Rock. Watch the sun go down from the outdoor bath, while your companion cooks up dinner on the deck's barbecue. From $248 a night, sleeps four. NYC Style Loft, Auckland If you're after a chic urban stay a stone's throw to restaurants and bars abounds, this industrial warehouse style apartment may be your next city getaway spot. From $135 a night, sleeps four. Luxury Piha Escape, Piha This architecturally designed abode with sweeping sea views is perfectly positioned on Piha, Auckland's world famous surf beach. With two bedrooms, an open plan living room and a massive timber deck, it's a perfect oasis for a beach getaway with friends. From $769 a night, sleeps eight. Relaxing Coastal Retreat, Manukau Heads Live out your castaway dreams at this coastal cabin positioned on a small farm. If the driftwood fence isn't enough to get you excited, the outdoor bathtub, sea-views and close proximity to a winery and golf club just might. From $190 a night, sleeps two. Alfriston Stables, Alfriston Transformed from unused stables to a jaw-dropping industrial-style loft, this country escape has everything you need for rural R&R. Perched at the end of a tree-lined lane, with moody renovated interiors, a large swimming pool and a desk for your leisure. From $124 a night, sleeps two. Blackpool House, Waiheke Island This secluded home set amongst the magnificent Taraire trees is an architectural wonder. The spacious structure melds a contemporary sensibility with a retro interior that makes for a warm and inviting stay. Be sure to take full advantage of the naturally lit mezzanine library that looks out on Te Huruhi Bay. From $390 a night, sleeps two. Te Kouma Heights Glamping, Manaia Find luxury off the grid in this tent for two with endless ocean and farmland views. Enjoy fully equipped solar power, a king bed and two claw-foot outdoor tubs facing the glittering Coromandel Harbour. From $330 a night, sleeps two. Coastal Acres Escape, Āwhitu Journey through rolling green pastures and whites sans at this home on the Tasman sea. Just an hour and a half outside the Auckland CBD and tucked between towering dunes, your worries will was away in these double claw foot baths with perfect views for a sunset soak. From $207 a night, sleeps six. 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.
Australia's global cultural clout is about to receive a huge boost, with the Art Gallery of NSW's new Sydney Modern Project finally throwing open its doors on Saturday, December 3. Perched upon a hill next to the original AGNSW, looking down on Woolloomooloo's Finger Wharf, the world-class museum boasts a series of stunning and immersive exhibition spaces housed within an expansive open-plan glass building. On Tuesday, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet called the Sydney Modern Project New South Wales' "most significant cultural build since the Opera House". [caption id="attachment_880682" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Aerial view of the Art Gallery of New South Wales' new SANAA - designed building, 2022, photo © Iwan Baan[/caption] The ambitious four-level, $344-million project is filled with breathtaking works of art. Wonder through the gallery and you'll discover fully immersive exhibition spaces, vibrant works from world-renowned artists, and huge sculptures welcoming you into the building or looking out onto the harbour. The first piece of art that's sure to catch your eye is the pair of massive, larger-than-life bronze statues that stand at the front of the museum. Created by artist Francis Upritchard, these tree-like figures are playfully incorporated into the outdoor foyer of the building. [caption id="attachment_880677" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Installation view of the Dreamhome: Stories of Art and Shelter exhibition in the new building at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, featuring Samara Golden Guts 2022 © Samara Golden, photo © Iwan Baan[/caption] Once inside, there's plenty to discover. As you enter, head into the Yiribana Gallery that's been relocated from the lowest level of the original AGNSW building to the entrance of Sydney Modern. Here you'll find a showcase of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artworks spanning across mediums and messages. One of the nicest touches of this new Yiribana Gallery is its floor-to-ceiling glass windows that offer views of the surrounding ocean and trees, connecting the space with its natural surroundings. Continue around the gallery and you'll find works from two of Japan's most renowned artists. Yayoi Kusama has created a set of massive spotted flowers that can be observed from a large outdoor space overlooking Woolloomooloo. One level below these multi-coloured structures, you'll find Japan Supernatural: Vertiginous After Staring at the Empty World Too Intensely, I Found Myself Trapped in the Realm of Lurking Ghosts and Monsters, a chaotic 2019 artwork from Takashi Murakami. [caption id="attachment_880681" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Tank space in the Art Gallery of New South Wales' new SANAA - designed building, 2022, photo © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter[/caption] Some of the opening exhibitions include Dreamhome: Stories of Art and Shelter, a multi-media exhibition ruminating on the concept of home and shelter; Outlaw, a series of works from rule-breaking artists inside a space purpose-built for evolving time-based art; and Adrián Villar Rojas: The End of Imagination, a fully immersive work that places visitors in the gallery's underground exhibition space called The Tank, shrouded in darkness with each piece of art slowly being revealed by a set of spotlights. For five years now, the Sydney Modern Project has been on its way — originally announced in 2017, officially given a green light in 2018 and revealing its first commissioned artworks in March 2022. [caption id="attachment_880685" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Exterior view of the Welcome Plaza of the Art Gallery of New South Wales ' new building , featuring Yayoi Kusama Flowers that Bloom in the Cosmos 2022 , photo © Iwan Baan[/caption] The Sydney Modern Project is located next to the Art Gallery of NSW. It will open on Saturday, December 3 with extended opening hours of 10am–10pm until Sunday, December 11.
Like everything creative, the pottery scene in Melbourne is huge, and Bisque Studios is right there at the forefront of it. It's all about creativity, exploration and growth here, and considering pottery is one of the oldest human art forms, the potential is limitless. Bisque Studios offers a range of courses that take place in its beautiful, light-filled studio. It offers beginner classes on the wheel where a complete novice can learn the technique of throwing, as well as trimming and glazing. At the end of each term, students will be able to take home some of their pieces after they've been fired in the kiln. There are intermediate classes for the wheel, too, as well as hand-building lessons for those who want to get more creative. [caption id="attachment_920507" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Phoebe Powell[/caption] If you're not quite ready to commit to a term, there are drop-in workshops, too. There's stacks on offer here, from bisque and nerokimi layering to marbling and kid's holiday workshops. For those with a foundational knowledge of all things clay, Bisque Studios is available for private use. For a three-month subscription, you'll have full access to its facilities, including the in-house firing service. And if you're more of a homebody, Bisque sells custom-made do-it-at-home kits so you can turn that unused space into a studio all its own. [caption id="attachment_920513" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Melissa Cowan[/caption] Top image: Melissa Cowan
Cher. Madonna. Prince. Björk. Rihanna. Some names are so iconic that they don't need a surname. These music legends — and many more – have released era-defining music, delivered performances that go down in history, and now, they're taking over the new Australian Museum of Performing Arts in the Southbank Arts Precinct. From couture gowns and glittering costumes to sets dominated by pyrotechnics and hologram visuals, divadom doesn't come easy. The just-opened performing arts museum's debut DIVA exhibition will unravel what it takes to be a diva, tracing the lives of a star-studded cast of international musicians alongside homegrown stars including Kylie Minogue, Olivia Newton-John, Marcia Hines, and Dame Joan Sutherland. [caption id="attachment_1057920" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image supplied[/caption] Operatic powerhouses Maria Callas and Dame Nellie Melba deliver technical and emotionally-charged arias without microphones. Pop provocateurs of all eras like Cher, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, and Billie Eilish pair their music with high-energy dances and theatrics. Elton John and Prince played multiple instruments, while Cher's and Grace John's stages often doubled up as fashion runways. All these performers are a part of DIVA, and rising icons get their share of the spotlight too — Amy Taylor of Melbourne-based punk band Amyl and the Sniffers and flamboyant cabaret artists Reuben Kaye and Meow Meow offer a glimpse into the next generation of divadom. [caption id="attachment_1057922" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image supplied[/caption] Find over 250 objects — including 60 spectacular costumes — from London's Victoria and Albert Museum, the Art Centre Melbourne's Australian Performing Arts Collection, and rounded off with loaned items from all over the world. DIVA also takes visitors backstage, with handwritten lyrics, scores, posters and personal paraphernelia. Walk through it all accompanied by an immersive soundscape designed by world-leading sound designer Gareth Fry, featuring an emotional soundtrack that brings together tunes by Aretha Franklin, Josephine Baker, Dolly Parton, Ella Fitzgerald, Sade, Adele and more. [caption id="attachment_1057925" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cabernet artist Reuben Kaye. Image supplied[/caption] Visit the Australian Museum of Performing Arts website for more information.
Enter one of Yayoi Kusama's infinity rooms, including the Japanese icon's brand-new Infinity Mirrored Room–My Heart is Filled to the Brim with Sparkling Light at the National Gallery of Victoria, and it appears as if the artist's work goes on forever. A great exhibition dedicated to Kusama evokes the same sensation. Accordingly, when you're not staring at a seemingly endless celestial universe while enjoying a world-premiere piece from the talent that's been unveiled for the first time ever in Melbourne, you'll still feel as if Kusama's touches are everywhere around you. Simply titled Yayoi Kusama, NGV International's big summer 2024–25 showcase features 200 works, so there really is enough Kusama art to envelop attendees in dots, mirrors, balls, tentacles, pumpkins, flowers, rainbow hues and her other beloved flourishes. With ten immersive installations, the exhibition breaks the world record for the number of such pieces by the artist assembled in one spot. The showcase is also the largest-ever Kusama retrospective that Australia has ever seen. Open since Sunday, December 15, 2024 and running until Monday, April 21, 2025, Yayoi Kusama has taken over the St Kilda Road gallery's entire ground floor with a childhood-to-now survey of its subject's creative output. With the artist reaching 95 years of age in March 2024, there's eight decades of art on display. Some pieces have never been seen Down Under until now. Some are sourced from private collections, and others from Kusama's own personal stash. In advance of the exhibition's launch, Melbourne welcomed Kusama's five-metre-tall dot-covered Dancing Pumpkin sculpture in NGV International's Federation Court. Outside the gallery, Kusama's Ascension of Polka Dots on the Trees wrapped the trunks of more than 60 trees in pink-and-white polka-dotted material before Yayoi Kusama opened its doors, too. Now comes the chance to explore the complete showcase, which is also one of the most-comprehensive retrospectives devoted to the artist to be staged globally. Forget booking in a trip to Kusama's Tokyo museum for the next few months, then — all that Melburnians need to do is stay local, and Australians elsewhere just need to head to the Victorian capital. Other highlights include NGV International's glass waterwall going pink, but with black rather than white dots; Kusama's new version of Narcissus Garden, which dates back to 1966 and features 1400 30-centimetre-diameter silver balls this time around, sitting in front of the waterwall and in parts of Federation Court; and the yellow-and-black spheres of Dots Obsession hanging over the Great Hall. Then there's the artist's sticker-fuelled, all-ages-friendly The Obliteration Room, where audiences young and old pop coloured dots everywhere — 'obliterating', as Kusama calls it — to cover an apartment interior that's completely white otherwise. Flower Obsession is another participatory piece, returning from the 2017 NGV Triennial. Again, you're asked to add to the work. Here, red flowers are applied to a domestic space — and again, obliterating it is the mission. If you adore the artist's way with mirrors, you'll want to see 2016's Chandelier of Grief, which features baroque-style chandelier spinning within a hexagon of mirrors; 2013's Love Is Calling, where tentacles in different colours spring from both the floor and the ceiling; and 2017's The Spirits of the Pumpkins Descended into the Heavens, which gets viewers peering at glowing pumpkins as far as the eye can see through a small peephole. In Invisible Life, convex mirrors line a twisting and multi-hued corridor. With its six-metre-tall tendrils — which are covered in polka dots, naturally — the yellow-and-black The Hope of the Polka Dots Buried in Infinity Will Eternally Cover the Universe from 2019 is striking without using a looking glass (or several), and makes its Australian premiere. Prefer flowers instead? Set within a dotted space, All My Love for the Tulips, I Pray Forever from 2013 sees a trio of giant tulips loom over audiences. Overall, Yayoi Kusama steps through the artist's 80-plus years of making art via a thematic chronology. While a number of pieces hail from her childhood, others are far more recent. Her output in her hometown of Matsumoto from the late 30s–50s; the results of relocating to America in 1957; archival materials covering her performances and activities in her studios, especially with a political charge, in the 60s and 70s; plenty from the past four decades: they all appear. Any chance to see Yayoi Kusama's work in Australia is huge news, and reason to make a date — including travel plans, if needed. Here's another drawcard: the NGV has also added Friday-night parties to the mix, kicking off on Friday, December 20, 2024 for some pre-Christmas fun, then running for 18 weeks until Friday, April 18, 2025. Images: Visitors and artworks in the Yayoi Kusama exhibition at NGV International, Melbourne until 21 April 2025. © YAYOI KUSAMA. Photos: Danielle Castano, Sean Fennessy, Tobias Titz and Kate Shannassy. Updated: December 16, 2024.
