From the team who brought you northside favourites Wide Open Road and Heartattack and Vine comes Bedford St, an all-day eatery and the newest addition to your Merciful Gods, We MUST Eat Here list. And, to the delight of the Carlton cafe and wine bar's avid fan base, there isn't even a wait time — Bedford St is already open. Sitting in the old Heart of Europe space on Johnston Street, the bar will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week. It's a joint venture between Wide Open Road and Heartattack and Vine proprietors Hootan Heydari and Jono Hill, their long-time employee Mark Jacobson and chef Daniel Dobra, who's magicked up a menu described as contemporary Australian with a twist. But don't think this means sub-par pub grub covered in pork floss. Dobra's (ex-Brutale, The Beaufort) menu is very twisty indeed, with dishes like a gourmet peameal bacon sandie with house-made sauce on white bread, a taco salad, and mac and cheese pancakes (with a side of maple syrup and bacon, of course). They'll also offer the standards of any good 2016 establishment: fried chicken (for which Dobra is famous) and burgers. Thanks to the full kitchen, the team have been able to expand on the all-day Heartattack and Vine concept in an ambitious way at Bedford Street, says Heydari. "You can come in for breakfast, for a snack or come back at nighttime and have a full meal," he says. "They're very simple dishes, but with the amount of detail that goes into it, you get a very simple dish that's out of this world." Speaking of out of this world, dessert includes indulgent options like a salted caramel lamington, toasted Wagon Wheel pie (!!) and toffee apple fritters served with crème fraîche. These guys aren't messing around — they're serving grown up versions of your childhood faves and it sounds goddamn delightful. The space looks pretty delightful too. Heydari says that, when it came to dressing up the interior with architect and collaborator Nicky Adams, they let the space inform the design. Their inspiration? The '90s neo-noir classic Blade Runner. "It's a step away from what Heartattack is," says Heydari. "We don't want to rehash the same thing — we want to be a bit more ambitious with this one. It's a beautiful space." Yep, you really have to pay the venue a visit now. So while you shouldn't expect a carbon copy of Heartattack and Vine, you can expect Bedford St to be equally as considered, elegant and off-centre. They've opened this week — just in time for the weekend. Bedford St is located at 11-13 Johnston Street, Collingwood. It's open Monday to Friday from 7am till 11pm and Saturday to Sunday 8am till midnight. For more information, visit their Instagram.
Have you spent the last 15 years popping your colleagues' staplers in jelly, or covering their desks in gift wrap? When someone makes a comment — any comment — do you answer "that's what she said"? Do you have a soft spot for paper company employees, or for anyone who gets married at Niagara Falls? As soon as you meet people who work in HR, do you expect them to be called Toby? If so, then The Office — the US version — has changed your life, and now it's time to put your secret skills to the test. Michael Scott won't call a virtual conference on Thursday, April 16; however Isolation Trivia will dedicate its next online trivia night to the beloved sitcom, so it's almost the same thing. Because Australia loves trivia evenings based on sitcoms that Mike Schur had a hand in (think Parks and Recreation and Brooklyn Nine-Nine) more than it loves pulling pranks, it's certain to be a popular evening — even when you're just taking part from your couch. The quiz session will run from 6.30pm, and you'd better be ready to break out Jim and Pam's wedding dance — and eat something beetroot-flavoured, ideally from Schrute Farms. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryxUeWEcUqE Playing is free, and there's no need to register. Just head to the event Facebook page on the night. And if ever you needed an excuse to hit up Stan and binge your way through the whole series again, this is it.
Bottomless cocktails, brunch and beats... it's hard to think of a better way to banish a hangover on an autumn afternoon. Yes, Melbourne's hip hop brunch is back, and this time it's serving up R 'n' B tunes as well. Oh, and did we mention that it includes karaoke too? On April 15, doors will open at 11am, which is when brunch will be served. This'll give you a chance to get yourself fed before hitting the booze at midday — bottomless Champagne will last an hour and help everyone warm up for an afternoon of hip hop and R 'n' B karaoke. If the concept sounds familiar, it's because it comes by way of London; this is the first Australian offshoot. The whole thing will go down at Two Wrongs. Even though it's called a brunch, it'll inevitably carry onto into the late, late afternoon.
Update 4/10/16: After a few delays, the downstairs of The Rose Hotel is set to reopen on Thursday April 14, followed by the upstairs wine bar the following week. Original story below. Fans of Fitzroy's venerable old pub The Rose may want to get their fill of the place before December 21, when it will shut for a few months to undergo extension renovations. The Rose — famous for their bangin' street parties and being a top-notch place to watch the footy — has been bought by Tim Hogan and John Tennent, who also own Port Melbourne's greatest wine bar, Harry and Frankie. The pair have big plans for The Rose, but Fitzroy locals need not fear the destruction of their natural watering hole as the reno will stay mostly true to the essence of the original pub. Speaking to Good Food, they reassured locals that they intend to give the venue a facelift "without turning it into a yuppie bar or gastropub". Finally, someone's addressing what we're all thinking: let's keep Fitzroy un-fancy. They'll close 'er down on Monday, December 21 and plan to have her back up and running sometime in February. The front bar will retain the classic TV setup for watching a game and enjoying that classic Aussie pastime: a pot and a parma. The back room will be transformed into a family-friendly dining space. However, upstairs will see the most change. It's slated to become a Fitzroy version of the popular wine bar, complete with a separate entrance. The focus will be on wine with a light charcuterie and tapas menu to accompany the drops, and a walk-in wine cellar for diners to pluck their wine of choice fresh from the shelves. The upper renovations are expected to take a little longer and will hopefully be operational by Easter. In the meantime, get down to The Rose to give the old girl a proper bon voyage. We sure will miss her over the summer — but no doubt she's gonna come back, better (and more boozy) than ever. Via Good Food.
It might be just under two weeks until the Melbourne International Film Festival unveils its full 2018 program, but the fest has been giving cinephiles a sneak peek of its lineup for a while now. In the already announced pile sits the event's first 32 films, a Nicholas Cage movie marathon, a screening of Drive with a new live score, Alia Shawkat coming to town as a festival guest, a selection of new Australian titles and an eye-popping retrospective — and, in its latest revelation, a huge 43 movies headed to Melbourne straight from Cannes. If you're already feeling like you're going to be busy between August 2 and 19, that's completely understandable. In fact, the latest batch of flicks isn't going to change that. It's MIFF's biggest haul to date from the most famous film festival in the world, and includes award-winners, star-studded picks, the latest work from famous directors and more. Leading the charge is Hirokazu Kore-eda's Palme d'Or winner Shoplifters, which just charmed audiences at the Sydney Film Festival. It's joined by nearly every other major Cannes award recipient this year, including best director winner Cold War, Queer Palm and Camera d'Or winner Girl, best screenplay winner Happy as Lazzaro, Directors' Fortnight prize recipient Climax, Critics Week Grand Prize winner Diamantino and main competition Jury Prize winner Capharnaüm. Story-wise, that means the lineup spans thieving families, a couple torn apart by war and a transgender ballerina, as well as an out-of-control dance party, a disgraced soccer star and a 12-year-old child attempting to divorce his parents. Other Cannes titles on MIFF's bill include the French fest's opening night pick Everybody Knows, from Iranian director Asghar Farhadi and starring Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem; Terry Gilliam's long-awaited The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, aka the flick it has literally taken decades to make; documentary The Eyes of Orson Welles, a love letter to the famous filmmaker; and the Nicolas Cage's suitably unhinged newest effort, Mandy, which'll kick off the aforementioned all-night Cage-a-thon. Three of the biggest Asian films of the moment — Lee Chang-dong's Burning, Jia Zhang-ke's Ash is the Purest White and Mamoru Hosado's animated delight Mirai — are also among a lineup that features everything from a documentary about the Pope to a thriller featuring Mads Mikkelsen stuck in the arctic. And, for fans of short filmmaking — and Aussie filmmaking too — this year's other Palme d'Or winner will also screen at MIFF. A 13-minute drama shot on 16mm film in the Melbourne suburb of Dandenong, All These Creatures nabbed Australian director Charles Williams Cannes' other top prize, and comes to the fest in its Australian premiere. The Melbourne International Film Festival runs from August 2 to 19. For more information, visit the MIFF website — and check back on July 10, when the full program is announced.
Any plans for Bali escapes, treks across Mexico or food-filled Japanese getaways have been put on ice for 2020, but that doesn't mean you can't indulge in a bit of escapism. And, no, we're not just talking about daydreaming and spending hours scrolling through Pinterest. Australian Venue Co is helping to ease the wanderlust a touch by transforming more than 20 of its pubs and restaurants into some of the world's most popular holiday destinations for summer. So, you'll be able to sip frozen margaritas surrounded by cacti, eat dumplings under cherry blossom trees and wear flower crowns (if that's your thing) on Coachella-inspired rooftops. Called Summer Staycations, the transformations will be taking place from November to February at the likes of the The Provincial Hotel and The Smith in Melbourne, Manly Wine and Bungalow 8 in Sydney, and Kingsleys and Riverland in Brisbane. Of course, the visual makeovers — which will include giant teepees, citrus trees and flowers aplenty — will be paired with appropriate food and drink menus. On the Amalfi Coast, you'll find bottomless pizza and sorbet spritzes; in Mexico, there are unlimited tacos and many margaritas; and in Bali, you'll find brunch and many frozen cocktails. For a taster of what to expect, look to The Rook. The Sydney rooftop has been filled with cherry blossoms and bottomless dumplings since March — but, come November, it'll become an Italian summer haven. More information about the staycations is set to drop on Monday, October 19, with pop-ups set to go live on Friday, November 2 in all states but Victoria. Melbourne's will kick off — restrictions allowing — in December. [caption id="attachment_785121" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jasper Avenue[/caption] SUMMER STAYCATION LINEUP Amalfi Coast Prince Alfred, Vic Provincial, Vic The Rook, NSW Kingsleys, Qld Payneham Tavern, SA Spring in Tokyo The Smith, Vic The Duke, Vic Manly Wine, NSW Fridays, Qld Sweetwater Rooftop, WA Mexico Fiesta College Lawn, Vic Perseverance, Vic Riverland, Qld Cleveland Sands, Qld Waterloo Station, SA Coachella, Palm Springs Fargo and Co, Vic Cargo Bar, NSW The Aviary, WA Hope Inn, SA Beach Club, Bali Bungalow 8, NSW The Globe, WA For more information about Australian Venue Co Summer Staycations, head to the website. Top image: The Rook by Jasper Avenue
Three Day Clay is back with its sixth pop-up shop, just in time to snag a gift for mum this Mother's Day. You'll be able to browse through a curated range of striking ceramic works by local artisans at Pauli Concept Space along Brunswick's Sydney Road from Friday, May 10–Sunday, May 12. Founded by Kate Brouwer from Asobimasu Clay and Kelly Murphy from Benna, Three Day Clay will showcase thirteen different artists and their creations, from tableware and vases to sculptures and wall decor. Artists include Arcadia Scott, Eun Ceramics, Yen Qin, Juyeon Ceramics, Kayleigh Heydon, Oh Hey Grace and Stof Ceramic. On top of that, you can enjoy a free glass of sparkling wine on Friday night while you shop, or make use of Sunday morning's early hours to find a last-minute gift while your mum enjoys breakfast in bed. As its name suggests, Three Day Clay will take over Pauli Concept Space for just three days, from 10am–7pm on Friday, May 10; 10am–4pm on Saturday, May 11; and 9am–3pm on Sunday, May 12. Images: Ben Glezer
Fast food doesn't seem all that speedy when you're sat in your car, queued nine vehicles deep and trying to get through a drive-through that's at a standstill. For folks who want their finger lickin' good fried chicken as soon as possible, with minimal waiting and hassle, KFC is set to trial a new solution — its first drive-through-only store. Moving away from the usual one-lane drive-through model — that is, a drive-through that's attached to a restaurant where you can also dine inside — the chain is launching a five-lane drive-through-only concept in Newcastle. The first spot of its kind in the world, it'll feature separate areas for online and app purchases, as well as regular drive-through transactions. Customers will be able to order in advance, then whiz through and pick up their food, or choose on the spot and and then collect their chicken. If it's successful, expect more drive-through-only sites to pop up. As reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, the pilot store is currently under construction on Lambton Road in Broadmeadow, with a November opening slated. The idea reflects the growth on online ordering, and endeavours to respond to the rise of home delivery services such as Deliveroo and UberEats. It also admits to a blatant fact — that, for many folks, eating in at a suburban KFC doesn't often cross their minds. For Broadmeadow customers who choose to order by app, they'll receive a code with their transaction, which they'll then enter on a touchscreen when they drive up. Whichever way Newcastle residents decide to ask for their fried chook, they'll still need to wait for it to be cooked — but the whole concept is designed to speed up the time between asking for a two-piece feed and snatching those drumsticks through the drive-through window. Of course, if you need something to listen to in your car while you wait, KFC has that covered as well. Last year, it launched KFChill, a wellness website that lets you unwind to the sound of chicken frying, gravy simmering or bacon sizzling away in a pan. Yes, it'll make you hungry. Via The Sydney Morning Herald / news.com.au
No longer just the realms of year three excursions where your mum came as chaperone, Melbourne Zoo Twilights — the after-hours live music series that boasts perhaps one of the best summer nights out, as well as lots of adorable animals — has proven it's got some real cred when it comes to hosting outdoor gigs in the past few years. After all, the event has hosted headliners such as Kurt Vile, José González and Warpaint over the last few years. And this summer the event will return with a series of live sets every weekend from Friday, January 26 through Saturday, March 10. After announcing headliner Ben Folds for Friday, February 16 earlier this month, Melbourne Zoo has now dropped the entire Twilights program for 2018. Melbourne's Teskey Brothers will open the series with a set of Motown-inspired songs and a supporting set by Saskwatch. Twilights regulars Kate Miller-Heidke and The Cat Empire slot into the program, along with much loved local acts Hiatus Kaiyote, The Preatures, Cut Copy and Liam and Neil Finn. Brooklyn four-piece Grizzly Bear will be the only other international act to grace the zoo's stage. Picnic-bringing is encouraged, but there'll also be handy gourmet hampers available on-site, as well as a slew of food trucks to choose nosh from. Either way, it's one of the best dates in Melbourne. Plus, all proceeds from Zoo Twilights go back into Zoo Victoria's ongoing conservation work to help fight the extinction of the Eastern Barred Bandicoot. MELBOURNE ZOO TWILIGHTS 2018 PROGRAM Friday, January 26 – The Teskey Brothers, supported by Saskwatch Saturday, January 27 – Cut Copy, with special guests Friday, February 2 – Sunnyboys, supported by Painters and Dockers Saturday, February 3 – The Cat Empire, supported by Allysha Joy Friday, February 9 – The Preatures, supported by Ali Barter Saturday, February 10 – RocKwiz LIVE! Friday, February 16 – Ben Folds, supported by Lucy Rose Saturday, February 24 – Neil & Liam Finn, with special guests Friday, March 2 – Hiatus Kaiyote and Harvey Sutherland Saturday, March 3 – Jet, supported by Spazzys Friday, March 9 – Grizzly Bear, with special guests Saturday, March 10 – Kate Miller-Heidke with String Quartet, supported by Odette Melbourne Zoo Twilights will return to Melbourne Zoo from January 26 until March 10, 2018. Tickets go on sale at 8am on Tuesday, October 24 at zootwilights.org.au. Image: Ian Laidlaw.
Culinary hub, after-work drinks spot and retail precinct, all within one convenient CBD stretch, Collins Square truly has something for all. And, with an ever-changing, jam-packed events calendar, the latest slew of openings and array of promotions currently on offer, there's never been a better time to get acquainted. Here's a snapshot of all the happenings from your morning smoothie down to after-work drinks. Breakfast on-the-go needn't be the naughty option when you've got Crisp on your side. With a focus on balanced eating, this little spot's got easy, healthy and cheap solutions for any rushed mornings, offering its breakfast menu items for $4 and smoothies for $5 if you mention the not-so-secret password — 'Crisp winter promotion' — at the till before 10am. For a lunchtime feed that's downright delicious, yet won't keep you out of the office for too long, you'll find it hard to beat contemporary Italian haunt, Chiara. On weekdays, you can conquer two generous courses with a glass of wine for $30 or bump it up to three courses for $40. Other lunch options come straight to you via a colourful parade of nigari, sushi and sashimi at Sushi & Nori, or in the flaky, golden, hearty form of beef, chicken and vegetarian pies made from locally sourced ingredients at Pure Pie. And once it's time to knock off from work, the new food precinct has you covered with a few post-work specials to help you through the week. Enjoy a top-notch weekday happy hour situation at Bar Nacional, serving up $6 drinks from 4-9pm, and kick off Friday with a happy hour from 4–8pm including complimentary snacks at the Italian-inspired Mr Collins. Also, from the team behind hospitality favourites Welcome to Thornbury, Belles Hot Chicken and Mr Burger, Hightail is definitely one to add to the list. With room for 950, the impressive food court-like bar slings a diverse drinks menu, along with eats from Belles Hot Chicken, Mr Burger and Super Taco — all of which are ordered to your table via an app. The future is now people. Images: Grace Petrou
UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 24, 2019 — Taco Bell promised us one Melbourne store, but, instead, it's bringing us two. By the time the end of 2019 rolls round, you'll be able to get your taco fix in both South Yarra and Hawthorn. No exact dates or locations have been announced just yet, but we'll let you know when they are. After opening five Queensland locations in the past two years and announcing plans to launch 50 more Australian stores over the next three years, Taco Bell's first interstate store is set to swing into operation this summer — in Melbourne. While details are scarce for now, the Tex-Mex giant has revealed it's opening a store in the city's inner east sometime this summer. The US chain teased the interstate opening on its Facebook page on Monday, with lots of locals hoping for a Melbourne opening. Their prayers have been answered. https://www.facebook.com/tacobellaus/photos/a.1461510760603853/2406824289405824/?type=3&theater Menu-wise, the usual Taco Bell range will be on offer, complete with burritos, quesadillas, nachos and, of course, tacos. For those dining in, frozen margaritas and a range of craft beers will also be available. Taco Bell's Australian arm currently includes stores in Annerley, Cleveland, North Lakes, Robina and Southport, but with promises of more than 50 across the country, we can expect a few more to open in Melbourne in the upcoming months and years. Taco Bell is slated to open in South Yarra and Hawthorn this summer. We'll let you know when more info drops. Images: Hugo Nobay.
Earlier this year, we introduced you to Grant Street. A new bar, performance space and bandroom on Southbank, this VCA-affiliated venue has been trucking along through winter playing you with cheap drinks and hosting a bunch of quality local tunes. Now they're back for another season. Grant Street has just announced its second musical program for the year and not only is it great, it's nearly all free of charge. Staying true to its loyal contingent of VCA students, Grant Street is all about being easy on the pocket. Most acts on stage are local, once a week they hold a dedicated night of student-only work, and after 4.30pm on Thursdays they offer $3 beers and BBQ. It's the dream. But don't be fooled by the price, everything they offer is quality. Kicking off this new program on Friday, September 19, composer David Shea takes the stage. Specialising in dense experimental soundscapes, Shea puts on a real show by combining his layered electronic soundscapes with visual projection. A NY expat, Shea is now unleashing his sounds on Australia. At this Grant Street debut he'll be releasing his new album Rituals — a work five years in the making. The next couple of weeks bring performances from local trio Windari and Evelyn Morris (Pikelet). Their first time at Grant Street, Windari will bringing the perfect sounds for Spring with their Brazilian-inspired compositions on September 26. And, in her second performance at the new venue, Morris will be sure to captivate on October 3. A Melbourne local, Morris has played with indie royalty such as Beirut, Dirty Projectors and Ariel Pink in the last few years. Her brand of psychedelic pop is the perfect flavour for the fledgling venue, and you really can't argue with the appealing price tag of free. The last two acts to round out the program are Footy and IO. Both experimental in nature, these duos of local lads put on quite the show. Bouncing between pop, classical and jazz, Footy will be making use of Grant Street's grand piano on stage. And, delving into the full power of the synth, IO will drag you into the euphoric sounds of the future. Either way, Fridays at Grant Street are definitely the place to be. Grant Street is open from 8am - 4pm Mondays and Tuesdays, then 8am - 11pm from Wednesday - Friday. For more information, see their website.
Film fans — pack your picnics, pillows and insect repellent, and prepare to spend your summer evenings watching the big screen under the stars. From December 1, Moonlight Cinema returns to Melbourne for another season of great viewing, great weather (hopefully) and great food. Yep — here, all three go hand-in-hand. The first part of this year's program — covering December and January — features advanced screenings of movies yet to hit cinemas, new releases and a heap of old favourites. The February and March lineup will be revealed early next year, but rest assured, there's something for all tastes on the current bill. If you're after an early glimpse at an exciting upcoming flick, then Guillermo del Toro's gorgeous monster romance The Shape of Water, the Greta Gerwig-directed Lady Bird and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, the latest movie by In Bruges filmmaker Martin McDonagh, should all do nicely. Those who'd like to catch an openair session of efforts already screening in cinemas can pick from the likes of Justice League, Murder on the Orient Express, Detroit, Thor: Ragnarok, The Mountain Between Us and Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi (once it's released on December 14). And, if you've got the urge for something retro, make a date with Love Actually, Dirty Dancing, The Breakfast Club or Back to the Future. Also featured are sneak peeks of everything from Pitch Perfect 3, to new Pixar animation Coco, to Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks in Steven Spielberg's The Post. Or, if you're a fan of Australian cinema, check out Kylie Minogue and Guy Pearce reuniting post-Neighbours for Swinging Safari; the absolutely stunning new outback western Sweet Country; and what sounds like an Aussie-as comedy, The BBQ. Pairing your movie choice with something to eat and drink is all part of the fun, so BYO supplies or grab something tasty on-site.
If you can remember a time before Jetstar took to Australia's skies, you clearly have a long memory, with the discount airline marking its 17th year in 2021. Today, Tuesday, May 25, actually marks the carrier's birthday, so it's celebrating in a way that could boost your next holiday. You'll just need to head to either Flinders Street station in Melbourne or Central station in Sydney before 9pm. At both sites, Jetstar has taken over the digital screens, so you'll spot images of blue skies and a plane everywhere you look. While you're peering at the promotional setup, you're asked to try to 'catch the plane'. That just means scanning a QR code on the screen with your phone, then hopefully winning a flight voucher for your efforts. The airline is giving out $10,000 worth of vouchers across the two sites, with values ranging from $50 to $500. Up to 70 are up for grabs — and, given how busy both stations usually are, there'll be plenty of fellow wannabe travellers trying to nab them. If you're not quite sure how you'd use said vouchers, Jetstar currently flies 57 routes between 20 destinations within Australia — which should give you plenty of local holiday options while overseas travel, other than to New Zealand, is still off the cards for the foreseeable future. Jetstar's birthday giveaway is taking place today, Tuesday, May 25, until 9pm at Flinders Street station in Melbourne — or Central station in Sydney.
It has finally happened, Melburnians. After two prolonged periods spent empty this year, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Melbourne picture palaces are back in business. 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 over the past three months, 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 from this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ekw85OqJck THE WITCHES What's the one thing that every movie remake has in common? No matter how it turns out, the original film still exists. So, if the latest version doesn't cast a spell, you can return to the old one — revisiting it, appreciating it anew and steeping yourself in nostalgia in the process. That's worth remembering regarding the latest screen adaptation of Roald Dahl's The Witches, even with writer/director Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Polar Express) and co-writers Kenya Barris (Black-ish, Girls Trip) and Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth and The Shape of Water's) involved. Its main achievement: reminding everyone just how great the previous screen adaptation of Roald Dahl's book from back in 1990 still is. It might be unfair to think that some remakes only eventuate because a studio executive thought it was time to wring some more cash out of a beloved story, but that's how this movie feels. It's simultaneously broader and tamer — including Anne Hathaway's (Dark Waters) over-the-top performance as the Grand High Witch, although she does appear to be enjoying herself immensely — and it radiates big pantomime energy. Indeed, there's a lack of overall magic in The Witches, either of the twisted or charming type (unless sending viewers clamouring to find wherever the original is currently streaming counts). A few things have changed in this fresh iteration. It's 1968, and the the film's unnamed young protagonist (Jahzir Bruno, The Christmas Chronicles 2) moves to Alabama to live with his grandmother (Octavia Spencer, Onward) after his parents are killed in a car accident. He's grief-stricken, but they bond over her shocking revelation: that witches exist, they're everywhere, they despise children and she has experience with them. Also, once a witch sets their sights on a kid, it never lets up. That's why, after one crosses the boy's path, grandma whisks him off to "the swankiest resort in Alabama", where she's certain they'll be safe among rich white folks. Of course, she couldn't have predicted that the group of women that have taken over the Grand Orleans Imperial Island Hotel's ballroom — the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, apparently — are all witches. Or, that the Grand High Witch is in attendance, unveiling a plan to turn every kid in the world into a rodent via a potion called 'Formula 86 Delayed Action Mouse-Maker'. Much that has endeared The Witches to readers and viewers over the years remains in the latest film, but tinkering with the details and tone makes an unfortunate impact. Brimming as it is with bright colours and overdone CGI, the new version of The Witches favours gloss and shine over chills and potential nightmares. Everything here is overt to an in-your-face extreme, and also far less intricate and much more bland. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8DT_zVzxhk THE FURNACE At this point in Australia's cinema history, audiences can be forgiven for wondering if homegrown movies have unearthed and told every tale there is to be found among the vast outback. The answer: an overwhelming no, especially when Aussie filmmakers traverse the country's sunburnt and sprawling expanse to explore stories steeped in our problematic past. The Furnace is one such movie that proves the point. The first feature from writer/director Roderick MacKay, the gold rush-era western serves up a powerful interrogation of Australia as a multicultural nation — harking back to 1897, to Western Australia, and to a time when transporting freight around the country relied upon a network of cameleers trekking across the desert. The men covering great distances to move goods from one place to another hailed from India, Afghanistan and Persia, were largely of Muslim and Sikh faith, and were badged together under the label 'Ghan' by white Aussies. They were treated poorly, except by Indigenous Australians. And, they're a real but oft-forgotten part of the nation's story, so much so that The Furnace will introduce their existence to many viewers for the first time. That's just one of this vividly shot, exceptionally acted film's achievements, though. Another: posing the kinds of questions about our national identity that we should always be asking. Afghan cameleer Hanif (Ahmed Malek, Clash) didn't choose to come to Australia, or to take up this line of work. So, when he witnesses the death of his mentor at the hands of a white man, he's eager to find a way to get the cash he needs to return home. The Indigenous Yamatji Badimia people he often spends time with on his travels, including leader Coobering (Trevor Jamieson, Storm Boy) and Hanif's friend Woorak (Baykali Ganambarr, The Nightingale), suggest that he stays and joins them instead. But, after stumbling across injured thief Mal (David Wenham, Dirt Music), he's determined to use half of his new acquaintance's stolen Crown-marked gold bars to finance his escape and leave the life he hates behind. Troopers led by the fervent Sergeant Shaw (Jay Ryan, IT: Chapter Two) are swiftly on the unlikely pair's trail; however, Hanif and Mal keep traipsing towards the eponymous smelter, where Mal promises they'll be able to melt down the precious metal and remove any trace of the government's ownership. Following Hanif's journey — physically, and emotionally and spiritually as well — The Furnace is a patient film. It's a meat pie western through and through, applying the western genre's trademarks to an Australian context, and it joins The Proposition, Sweet Country and the aforementioned The Nightingale as one of the best 21st-century examples. MacKay spies the beauty and the imperfections in Australia's arid, dusty landscape, as many filmmakers have before, but he also never lets the flaws in our national character that are made plain by this chapter of history ever fall out of view. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb8ZbP6qAzE&feature=youtu.be THE MIDNIGHT SKY The Midnight Sky is George Clooney's first film role in four years (since 2016's Hail, Caesar! and Money Monster), so it's fitting that he's at his most bearded and reclusive within its frames. This sci-fi drama also joins the small but significant list of features that combine the star and space, following Solaris and Gravity — and there's something particularly alluring and absorbing about seeing Clooney get existential, as all movies that reach beyond earth's surface tend to. He clearly agrees, because he not only leads The Midnight Sky but also directs it as well. This is a big-thinking and big-feeling film, with its characters grappling with life, love and loss. It boasts aptly pensive and probing cinematography, too; however, both on-and off-screen, Clooney is the key. When the movie spends time with astronauts onboard the spaceship Aether, including the pregnant Sully (Felicity Jones, On the Basis of Sex), ship commander Adewole (David Oyelowo, Gringo), veteran pilot Mitchell (Kyle Chandler, Godzilla: King of the Monsters), and other crew members Sanchez (Demián Bichir, The Grudge) and Maya (Tiffany Boone, Hunters), it's at its most generic. Indeed, when it ventures to space, The Midnight Sky almost screams for either Clooney to head there as well, or for the feature to plummet back down to earth to join him once more. The actor/filmmaker plays workaholic research scientist Dr Augustine Lofthouse and, although The Midnight Sky rockets beyond the earth, it doesn't send its protagonist there. Instead, in 2049, after an environmental disaster has made the planet uninhabitable, he chooses to remain in the Arctic as his colleagues evacuate. He's dying anyway, and frequently hooks himself up to machines for treatment — in between downing whiskey, watching old movies, eating cereal and talking to himself. Then, interrupting his lonely decline, two things change his status quo. Firstly, a young girl (debutant Caoilinn Springall) mysteriously pops up out of nowhere, refusing to speak but obviously needing an adult's care. Secondly, Augustine realises that he'll have to trek across the oppressively icy terrain outside to connect via radio to Aether's crew, who've been on a two-year mission to ascertain whether newly discovered Jupiter moon K-23 can support life, and are now making their return unaware of what's been happening at home. The space movie genre is as busy as the sky above is vast, and The Midnight Sky proves familiar as a result, delivering plenty of elements that viewers have seen before — but this isn't merely an exercise in flinging together derivative parts. While this isn't Clooney's greatest achievement as a director in general or as an actor in a space flick, it's still an involving, engaging and poignant addition to his resume on both counts. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij8m_XQ_J2E WORDS ON BATHROOM WALLS When it comes to portraying illness of either the physical or mental kind, Hollywood doesn't have the greatest track record. Case in point: this year's awful All My Life, a cancer-fuelled weepie that decided it'd rather focus on the girlfriend of its sickness-stricken character — who is based on a real-life person — than on the man fighting to survive. Accordingly, by actually directing its attention towards Adam (Charlie Plummer, Lean on Pete), a high schooler who is diagnosed with schizophrenia in his senior year, Words on Bathroom Walls immediately demonstrates a willingness to actually engage with its protagonist's predicament. The film is based on a YA novel by Julia Walton, rather than on reality, but it sees Adam as a person rather than a reason that someone else's existence increases in drama. That's a pivotal move by filmmaker Thor Freudenthal (Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters) and first-time screenwriter Nick Naveda, and one that improves their movie immensely. But Words on Bathroom Walls doesn't completely avoid cliches and tropes. Instead, it saves them for the usual teenage experiences, serving up everything from bullying classmates to first kisses, prom night antics and graduation chaos as Adam doesn't just try to cope with his condition, but with testing every treatment option there is, and also navigating the disappointments and the side effects. Adam's struggles begin in science class, where he has traumatic hallucinations, injures a friend and gets expelled. Seeing people who aren't there isn't new to him but, with the incident badged a psychotic break, his mother Beth (Molly Parker, Deadwood) devotes every waking hour to finding him the best care — when she isn't spending time with the new boyfriend, Paul (Walton Goggins, Fatman), that Adam doesn't like. For the teen himself, he's most concerned about chasing his dreams. He wants to be a chef, but he needs to get his diploma to get into his chosen culinary course. The local private school agrees to let him attend, as long as he undertakes a specific treatment plan and doesn't trouble his peers with his illness. Consequently, when he meets the studious and resourceful Maya (Taylor Russell, Waves), he keeps his condition to himself, even as a friendship and something more springs. At its core, Words on Bathroom Walls endeavours to address and break down the stigma that surrounds schizophrenia and mental illness, a feat that it perkily but thoughtfully achieves. Still, there's no missing the fact that it squeezes its empathetic intentions — and its narrative in general, and Adam's plight within it — into a well-worn teen formula. While Words on Bathroom Walls still succeeds where many other movies about health struggles fail, thanks in no small part to excellent performances all-round from Plummer, Russell, Parker and Goggins, its need to fit a template threatens to undercut its sensitive approach to its subject. If you're wondering what else is currently screening around Melbourne, we've also picked the 12 best flicks that started gracing the city's silver screens when indoor cinemas were given the green light to reopen. When outdoor cinemas relaunched before that, we outlined the films showing under the stars, too. And, we've run through all the pictures that opened in the city on November 12, November 19 and November 26; and December 3, as well. You can also read our full reviews of The Personal History of David Copperfield, Waves, The King of Staten Island, Babyteeth, Deerskin, Peninsula, Les Misérables, Bill & Ted Face the Music, An American Pickle, On the Rocks, Antebellum, Kajillionaire, The Craft: Legacy, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Radioactive, Brazen Hussies, Freaky, Mank, Monsoon and Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt), American Utopia, Possessor, Misbehaviour, Happiest Season, The Prom and Sound of Metal all of which have been showing in Melbourne since cinemas reopened. And, you can check out our rundowns of the new films that released in other cities over the past few months — on July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23 and July 30; August 6, August 13, August 20 and August 27; September 3, September 10, September 17 and September 24; October 1, October 8, October 15, October 22 and October 29; and November 5 — as a number of those movies are now showing in Melbourne as well. Images: The Midnight Sky, Philippe Antonello/Netflix.
Whether you're keen to have a small crack at playing winemaker, or simply want to sip some top-notch local vino while listening to live tunes, Noisy Ritual is the place to be this weekend. On Sunday, November 20, Brunswick East's community-powered urban winery is wrapping up a big year with a bottling party — and everyone's invited. From 3–4pm, you'll have the chance to help out on the hand-bottling line, packaging up some of the 20-plus new wines Noisy Ritual crafted throughout the year. Meanwhile, the bar will be pouring some of the winery's latest spring drops, alongside a few guest beers and booze-free options. Time your visit to coincide with happy hour (3–5pm) if you like the sound of $10 glasses of pet-nat, $12 spritz and $8 Stingrays Draught by Bodriggy. Rounding out the fun, the kitchen will be whipping up a special menu of snacks and shares — think, creamy burrata with olive XO sauce and sourdough, and croquettes paired with fermented chilli mayo — while local acts the Collingwood Cassanovas and Partner Look take care of the entertainment side of things.
To support flood-affected communities in regional Victoria, Music Victoria is launching a massive live music program this spring. That's 30 individual events running all over the state from Tallarook and Pyramid Hill to Newbridge and Baringhup. It's all part of Music Victoria's Live Music for Flood Recovery program – a chance for communities, travellers and music-lovers to gather and show their support for towns affected by the devastating October 2022 floods. This program began last December in Shepperton, but it was such a hit that Music Victoria put the call out to live music venues, artists, presenters and community groups to get involved and the response has been huge. The idea now is to expand the program and keep it running, reigniting tourism in the regions and raising money for flood-affected communities. From July to the end of October, live events will be popping up across Victoria in Tallarook (Taungurung Country), Pyramid Hill (Dja Dja Wurrung and Barapa Barapa Country), Boort (Dja Dja Wurrung and Barapa Barapa Country), Newbridge (Dja Dja Warrung Country), Rochester (Yorta Yorta Country), Bridgewater (Dja Dja Wurrung Country), Mooroopna (Yorta Yorta Country), Baringhup (Dja Dja Wurrung Country), Horsham (Wotjobaluk, Wergaia (Were-guy-ya), Jupagalk, Jaadwa and Jadawadjali Country), Euroa (Taungurung Country), and the Pyrenees (Dja Dja Wurrung Country). It all kicks off on Sunday, July 30 at Blue Tongue Berries in Seymour with Sundanese icon, Ajak Kwai. You can check out the full schedule here. Highlights include Rochella (October 14) and FLOW presented by Euroa Music Festival (October 21). "We're so excited to see an incredible array of community led events taking place all over the state," Music Victoria CEO Simone Schinkel says. "These events will provide a place for people to gather, reconnect and enjoy live music, which is such an important part of the recovery process for these communities." Tickets for most of the events are already on sale. Check out Music Victoria's website for all the details. Images: Supplied
Melbourne's edition of nocturnal arts celebration White Night might have switched off its last light projection back in 2019, but we haven't quite seen the back of it just yet. The fun is set to continue in regional Victoria, with organisers revealing two hefty programs to mark White Night's return to Bendigo and Geelong this spring. Last gracing the two regional centres in 2018, the festival's 2022 instalment will descend on Bendigo on Saturday, September 3, before heading to Geelong on Saturday, October 8. And it's set to be bigger than ever before, playing to each city's unique persona with a grand lineup of installations, projections, music and food. [caption id="attachment_865360" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Electric Canvas[/caption] So just what's in store for White Night-ers as this year's festival responds to the theme 'Everything on the Land Is Reflected in the Sky'? Well, both fests are set to kick off with a Welcome to Country ceremony led by traditional owners, before a giant celebration of the arts parties through the night until 1am. Bendigo's Gold Rush-era buildings will be decked out with vibrant projections courtesy of The Electric Canvas, featuring artwork by First Nations artists Troy Firebrace and Natasha Carter; while a shimmering, 10-metre-long lion-like puppet wanders the streets, paying homage to the city's Chinese legacy. Leading drag performers will be strutting their stuff aboard The Cabaret Tram, a nine-metre-high unicorn head is set to flash in solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community and a plethora of neon works will include a group of luminous dogs playing fetch in Rosalind Park. [caption id="attachment_865356" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Cabaret Tram[/caption] The evening's soundtrack is set to serve something for every palate, too; from DJ sets by Andy Trieu, to a lineup of local acts playing on the back of a vintage Dodge for the Homegrown Stage. Geelong's White Night offering is no less bold, as you'll agree once you see JOFMAKESART's striking performance work, which sees a car slowly crushed to oblivion, its demise soundtracked by two guitar-thrashing rock musicians. First Nations artists including Kait James, Billy-Jay O'Toole and Jenna Oldaker will illuminate Johnstone Park with their projection art, while a school of neon sea creatures are set to descend on the Geelong foreshore. [caption id="attachment_865357" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Homegrown Stage[/caption] A sea of handcrafted flowers will take over Steampacket Gardens with a cacophony of sighs and yawns; First People's connection to the land and night sky is being captured in a City Hall projection by Matt Bonner; and a swag of performers will be popping up along Western Beach Road throughout the night. As in Bendigo, the tunes will be flowing, ranging from local talent playing beneath the stars, to top Aussie drag acts taking the stage for Drag City. Catch White Night Bendigo from 7pm–1am on September 3, and White Night Geelong from 7pm–1am on October 8. For full programs, see the website.
Everyone could use a dose of big-screen escapism every now and then, whether you're an avid movie buff all-year-round, a casual cinemagoer or can't remember the last time you caught a flick at the pictures. That's on offer every day of the week at the Classic, Lido and Cameo cinemas, of course, but between Thursday, September 8–Wednesday, September 14 it'll only cost you $5. Yes, that's a mighty cheap price for a trip to the movies, and it means that you can even treat your bestie, date or mum to a flick and pay just ten dollars for both of you. Some of the films you'll be able to catch during the week include a few of the biggest titles around at the moment — such as Jordan Peele's creepy and clever Nope, Brad Pitt-starring action onslaught Bullet Train and the breathtaking Top Gun: Maverick (in case you haven't seen them yet). Also showing: Baz Lurhmann's stunning Elvis; Emma Thompson-starring sex comedy Good Luck To You, Leo Grande; big-screen must-see documentary Fire of Love, about a couple of volcanologists; and George Miller's Three Thousand Years of Longing. Yes, the list goes on. The $5 tickets are available at all regular sessions across the seven days — other than sneak previews, advance screenings, special events and retro films — and bookings open from Monday, September 5. To book your $5 tickets, just head to the Classic, Lido and Cameo cinema websites. And if you fancy becoming a member at the cinemas, that'll only cost you $1 across the seven days as well.
UPDATE: September 23 2020: A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. Fred Rogers never made a splash in Australia. But watching A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood, it's easy to see why the ordained Presbyterian minister turned children's television host is so beloved in the US, even 17 years after his death — and why adults who grew up watching Mister Rogers' Neighbourhood still hold him in such high regard. This thoughtful, full-hearted film doesn't merely tell viewers that Rogers was universally adored, or show the widespread devotion among his fans. As she proved in both The Diary of a Teenage Girl and Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Marielle Heller is far too soulful and observant a filmmaker for such a blunt approach. Rather, in a sensitive and astute manner reminiscent of Rogers himself, this delightful movie explores his appeal by examining his impact on one reluctant and cynical man. If you're a newcomer to Rogers, or you're jaded or skeptical by nature, consider Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys) your on-screen surrogate. A writer for Esquire in 1998, he's the fictional stand-in for journalist Tom Junod, whose article 'Can You Say ... Hero?' inspired the film. Known for hard-hitting reporting, Vogel is taken aback when he's assigned to profile Rogers. He's also nowhere near as enamoured with his subject as everyone else, including his starstruck wife Andrea (Susan Kelechi Watson). Indeed, he's still hesitant when Rogers (Tom Hanks) engages in a generous chat on the phone and appears genuinely interested in getting to know him. Taking its cues from Rogers' puppet-filled TV show in inventive ways, A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood begins by recreating Mister Rogers' Neighbourhood's opening. To the sounds of a gentle theme sung by Rogers, a model town fills the screen, before cutting to the show's star arriving home, popping on his famous red cardigan, swapping his dress shoes for sneakers and addressing the camera. Purposefully affable and inviting when watched by kids on weekdays for 33 years, it remains just as cosy here. To segue into the bulk of the film, Hanks' pitch-perfect version of Rogers says that he's going to tell a story about his hurt friend Lloyd — and while that might seem like cutesy gimmickry, it works perfectly in Heller's hands. With screenwriters Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster (Maleficent: Mistress of Evil), she understands that Rogers left such a lasting imprint on so many people because he made kids feel like he really saw them. Accordingly, treating Vogel in the same way isn't just a creative flourish — it's essential. The same idea applies to A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood's audience, who the film never forgets. This movie is well aware that viewers are experiencing the famed figure through Vogel's eyes — and it wants you to feel like you're in his shoes, being seen, welcomed and accepted by the kindly host as well. A new father struggling with issues with his own long-absent dad (Chris Cooper) that stem back to childhood, Vogel's backstory assists. While somewhat generic, it's also immensely relatable. Everyone has pain from the past they haven't fully processed, which was Rogers' whole remit. His show helped kids express their emotions and personalities in healthy ways, and tackle topics as dark as death, divorce and war. Even though Vogel is much, much older, it's a role Rogers is still eager to play for his new friend. Conveying that compassion, grace and sincerity is a task only Hanks could've mastered. It's a case of getting a beloved, benevolent icon to play just that — although Hanks ensures that Rogers is a person rather than a shining picture of perfection. This isn't a warts-and-all tell-all and, as 2018 documentary Won't You Be My Neighbour? demonstrated, that film will never exist. Instead, A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood remembers a man who considered himself ordinary while having an extraordinary effect on others. You could say the same about Hanks, which is what makes his casting so sublime. His is a superb, deservedly Oscar-nominated performance that's never an act of simple mimicry, but that he's as revered — and has been a reliable screen presence for decades, too — is never forgotten. Amidst cardboard backdrops recreating Mister Rogers' Neighbourhood, talking puppets and scenes of Rogers making adults wait so he can spend more time with his child fans, A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood doesn't completely or even primarily belong to Rogers. His influence looms large, but this is really Vogel's story — and that makes the film all the better. Rhys finds his character's world-weary centre, then allows it to slowly crumble as his bond with Rogers grows. In the process, the movie mirrors the way the TV host found a place in millions of children's hearts, and cracks the cloak of cynicism hanging over some of its own viewers, too. It's easy to think that a feature like this will be too sappy, kitschy or hokey, just as Vogel thought about Rogers — but a man brimming with empathy and this charmingly made movie about his impact are both the perfect antidotes to distrust and disillusionment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CELbK9q_ZeA
This month is set to deliver the ultimate treasure hunt for local whisky fiends, as Japanese distillery Nikka teams up with some of the city's top watering holes for two weeks of exclusive tipples. Running from Friday, February 3–Sunday, February 19, Nikka's Discover the Hidden sees nine Melbourne venues each whipping up an exclusive sip crafted on one of the label's renowned products. And you're going to want to scout out every last one of them. There's a whisky-based drink in this lineup for every kind of palate — whether you like the sound of Bouvardia's Australia-meets-Japan concoction blending the Nikka Coffee Malt Whisky with wattleseed shoyu and fresh wasabi, or you're tempted by Eau de Vie's fusion of sherry, maraschino and absinthe. Whisky & Alement has created a cocktail made on Nikka's Yoichi Single Malt Whisky, coffee-infused muscat, whey and caramelised orange, while Lily Blacks' drink teams Nikka Whisky from the Barrel with strawberry shortcake, a strawberry and stout reduction, and strawberry and rhubarb bitters. Bar Margaux, Hats & Tatts, Madame Brussels, Whisky Den and Double Happiness are also joining in the fun. Best of all? The venues are located within walking distance of each other if you find yourself in the mood for a whisky-fuelled bar crawl. [caption id="attachment_511791" align="alignnone" width="2560"] Whisky & Alement[/caption]
Big names from Australia and overseas. A new stage dedicated to dance music. A health and wellness zone with guided meditation and ice baths. With the returning lantern parade, too, as well as Steven Bradbury hosting the Great Australian Pineapple Toss and the onsite ferris wheel offering a helluva view, that's how The Big Pineapple Festival is making the most of its 2025 event. Taking place on Saturday, November 1, the Sunshine Coast is marking its ten-year anniversary with Hilltop Hoods, The Cat Empire, The Jungle Giants and PNAU leading the bill, as well as Polaris, SIX60, Hands Like Houses, MKTO, Rum Jungle and Thelma Plum. Superlove Arena, that purpose-built haven for electronic tunes, will feature Baauer, Bushbaby, Anna Lunoe B2B Nina Las Vegas, KLP B2B Mell Hall, Little Fritter B2B Wongo, Paluma B2B Kessin, Shimmy and Raw Ordio. And Betty Taylor, Beckah Amani, HEADSEND and IVANA are also on the fest's lineup as well, all helping the event back up being named the Festival of the Year for the fourth time at the 2025 Queensland Music Awards. For those keen to dance in the shadow of a giant piece of tropical fruit — and one of Australia's most-famous big things — hitting Pineapple Fields in Woombye also comes with the option of camping, whether you'll be bringing your own tent, hiring one onsite or glamping. The Big Pineapple Festival 2025 Lineup Hilltop Hoods The Cat Empire The Jungle Giants PNAU Polaris SIX60 Hands Like Houses MKTO Rum Jungle Thelma Plum Baauer Bushbaby Anna Lunoe B2B Nina Las Vegas KLP B2B Mell Hall Little Fritter B2B Wongo Paluma B2B Kessin Shimmy Raw Ordi Betty Taylor Beckah Amani HEADSEND IVANA Select images: Claudia Ciapocha / Charlie Hardy.
Located at the top end of Melbourne's CBD, the Imperial Hotel offers some of the best city views from its lofty rooftop. And while summer is long gone, the pub is keeping things cosy with its boozy winter rooftop garden. Inspired by the rolling highlands, with comfy blankets, wooden furniture and back country greenery, the massive transparent rooftop marquee — equipped with a dozen new heaters — will keep the great city views without the winter chill. Keeping things toasty is a boozy cocktail selection offering an assortment of delicious winter-themed drinks and a special build-your-own hot chocolate menu. Create your own concoction, starting with a base of either Kahlúa, Baileys, red wine or choc-mint mezcal. Then, top it off with your choice of marshmallows, crushed nuts, choc mint, grated chocolate or chocolate syrup. Once you've got drinks sorted, dive into the winter food menu which includes a warm antipasto platter, loaded fries and a range of cob loaf dibs — think gooey camembert and mixed herb, lamb and rosemary or chilli pulled pork. Gazing out over Treasury Gardens, Parliament House and the city skyline, with a boozy hot chocolate in hand seems like the perfect winter choice. Imperial Hotel's winter rooftop will be open daily throughout winter, from 11am till late.
What's better than lamingtons? Free lamingtons, of course. And Tokyo Lamington, everyone's favourite purveyor of these delightful nostalgic treats, is giving away a heap of freebies for two days. If you head to Tokyo Lamington's Melbourne store between Friday, July 21–Saturday, July 22, you'll have the chance to try a new flavour of lamington for free. All you have to do is purchase an item from the store and you'll be given one of 1000 free chocolate lamingtons — a simple new addition to the chain's offerings as part of its nostalgic Lamington Originals range. You can also score a free Firecracker Oatly and Single O latte or batch-brew coffee as part of the promotion. If you're wondering what you can purchase at Tokyo Lamington in order to qualify for your free cake and/or coffee, well, you could get another lamington, of course. But there are also plenty of other delectable items available, including onigiri and mushroom kombu quiches. [caption id="attachment_873758" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tokyo Lamington Melbourne[/caption]
UPDATE, July 10, 2023: On Monday, July 10, KFC is serving up $1 Zinger crunch twisters — and original crunch twisters. And on Tuesday, July 11, the $1 Zinger burger special is back for one day only. Who doesn't love to gift themselves a little treat meal on the weekend? Think: a pizza, a couple of scoops of gelato or a fried chicken burger. Well, KFC is here to facilitate just that last one with its ever-popular Zinger burgers available for just $1 for two hours on Saturday, July 1. The promotion is part of the chicken chain's 11 Days of Christmas, which will see it serve up a different finger-licking deal for the first week and a half of July. Kicking things off is the Colonel's classic burger for just a buck. If you want to claim your dollar Zinger Burger, just head to the KFC app and place your order between 3–5pm on July 1. So, what's in store for the rest of the month? $1 Twisters, 30 nuggets for $10 and a Double Zinger Feast featuring two burgers, ten nuggets and sauce for just $12. To check out each day's deal, just hit up the KFC app. Plus, the fast food chain's Christmas in July merch is also making a comeback. The viral ugly Christmas sweater, a KFC Christmas t-shirt, a corduroy bucket hat, socks, fingerless gloves and the line of matching pet sweaters — they're all available to purchase. Head to the KFC website to place an order.
This time last year, Sampa the Great was the first artist named on the Vivid 2021 lineup; however, due to the pandemic, the Sydney festival didn't go ahead. Now, the Zambian-born musician is giving her new stage show An Afro Future another run, including setting up a new Vivid stint — and hitting up Melbourne and Brisbane as well. Sampa will tour the east coast capitals this May and June, starting at The Tivoli in Brisbane. From there, she's headed to Sydney for two Vivid gigs in the Joan Sutherland Theatre at the Sydney Opera House, and then to Melbourne for two concerts at its own citywide arts festival, Rising. Joining her across all five shows will be Zimbabwe-born, London-raised, Australian-based singer KYE and Sampa's younger sister Mwanjé, plus sounds by C.Frim. And, while that's all mightily impressive, the tour will also mark the first time that audiences can see Sampa live with her full band from Zambia. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sampa The Great (@sampa_the_great) Sampa's 2022's tour marks her return to Vivid after supporting Hiatus Kaiyote in 2016 and performing as part of The Avalanches' Since I Left You Block Party back in 2017. It'll also finally let her show An Afro Future to fans, after it was originally set to premiere over the summer of 2020–21 as part of Live at the Bowl in Melbourne, Summer in the Domain in Sydney and Womadelaide, but was forced to cancel due to border restrictions. As for what's in store now that An Afro Future is hitting Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, attendees can expect to be treated to songs from Sampa's critically-acclaimed debut album The Return. Released in 2019, the album received universal praise at the time, winning Best Hip Hop Release and Best Independent Release at the 2020 ARIA Awards, and being named the eighth best Australian debut album of all time by Double J. And, Sampa will be playing new tunes, too — because a lot's been going on over the past few years. SAMPA THE GREAT 'AN AFRO FUTURE' TOUR 2022: Wednesday, May 25 — The Tivoli, Brisbane Friday, May 27–Saturday, May 28 — Vivid, Sydney Opera House, Sydney Wednesday, June 1–Thursday, June 2 — Rising, The Forum, Melbourne Sampa the Great's An Afro Future tour will head to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne in May and June. For more information or to buy tickets, visit Sampa's website. Top image: Sampa the Great, Lucian Coman.
After emerging from yet another lockdown, even the basic act of dining out at a restaurant feels like a wild time. But if you're game and ready, Melbourne is set to play host to a legitimately impressive food experience to top all the other feeds you've had this year. Introducing, Higher Order: an experiential event that seeks to shake up the way you think about the future of food, technology, art and more. The latest in a series of happenings from Beta By STH BNK, it'll feature the culinary stylings of celebrated chef Scott Pickett (Estelle, Matilda). Taking over Southbank's multi-storey Hanover House precinct from Wednesday, November 10–Sunday, December 5, the pop-up invites punters on a 90-minute journey of discovery. As a guest, you'll ascend to Level Five space The Attic and into a whole new realm, as you experience innovative fare alongside a host of other captivating, sensorial delights. [caption id="attachment_830701" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hanover House, by Beulah[/caption] Across multiple themed zones, Cineart Studios will showcase a series of evocative, immersive installations. One will house a larger-than-life bamboo steamer that you can walk inside, while another features a reimagined vending machine built on the idea of eliminating single-use plastics. You'll also encounter a dynamic riff on the concept of communal dining, catch a mesmerising performance of water and light unfold within a mirrored room, and sip vodka concoctions in a bar made of hydroponic greenery and edible foliage. Plus, Loose Collective and Studio John Fish (Pitch Music & Arts, Beyond the Valley) will unveil a mysterious, perception-warping film and performance piece that's inspired by Japanese culture. And a specially curated soundtrack fuses ambient tones, hip hop and house music in a nod to the story behind the night's ingredients. [caption id="attachment_831514" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jake Roden[/caption] Each menu element is designed to match a different Higher Order space — whether that's scallop sashimi paired with ginger, soy and caviar while you ponder the future of art, or puffed mushroom crackers with avocado and green ants enjoyed in a room that explores the idea of future food security. Two Higher Order sessions will unfold each evening (at 6pm and 8.30pm) from Wednesday to Sunday throughout the pop-up's duration. And you can look forward to plenty of other experiential happenings hosted by Hanover House in months to come, including the Future From Waste Lab fashion hub launching there early next year. Higher Order will run from Wednesday, November 10–Sunday, December 5, at The Attic (Level 5), Hanover House, 158 City Road, Southbank. Two 90-minute sessions will take place each evening (6pm and 8.30pm) from Wednesday–Sunday. Tickets start from $148 per person — to find out more and book, see the website. Images: Jake Roden
Don't dig pickles on your burger? Well, that's one thing you've got in common with rap sensation The Kid LAROI. How do we know? Because the award-winning artist has just revealed to the world his go-to Macca's meal, teaming up with the fast-food giant on the first-ever Aussie edition of its Famous Orders collaboration series. It means that for a limited time, you can rock up to any McDonald's in the country, make like a celeb and order The Kid LAROI special — a cheeseburger without pickles, plus medium fries, a medium frozen Coke and a six-piece McNuggets with barbecue sauce. Hitting the menu from Thursday, May 26, the Famous Orders meal will also be available via the MyMacca's app and McDelivery. The launch of the pickle-free feed comes as The Kid LAROI returns Down Under for his sold-out Aussie tour. The Sydney-born artist and proud Kamilaroi man has made huge waves overseas in the past couple of years, thanks to a slew of chart-topping songs, including collaborations with Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus. While this marks the first local Famous Orders release, Macca's already has a swag of international versions under its belt. This time last year, the series saw famed K-pop group BTS touting their signature order — fries, a large soft drink and a 10-piece chicken McNuggets with sweet chilli and Cajun dipping sauces. The Kid LAROI Famous Order will be available at McDonald's stores nationwide, from May 26, for a limited time.
Thanks to its time as the home of Franco Cozzo's eponymous homewares store, the site at 54–58 Hopkins Street in Footscray already oozes history, with both man and building being absolute icons of 90s-era TV ads. And now it looks set to put another major chapter in the books, with the news that Melbourne-born brewery Moon Dog has submitted a planning application to open its next venue at the famed address. With Franco Cozzo now set to wrap up his lease on the site, after selling it in 2018, the brewery's founders have found the perfect opportunity to bring to life some long-held dreams of launching a bar in Melbourne's beer-loving west. If the approval is given the green light, we can expect a sprawling three-level beer bar complete with rooftop garden and space for a huge 900 punters — around 150 more than currently fit inside the team's giant Preston venue Moon Dog World. [caption id="attachment_744575" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kate Shanasy[/caption] Unlike that sibling, however, Moon Dog's proposed Footscray digs don't include any onsite brewing operations, though there will be tanks behind the bar pouring beers about as fresh as they come. Currently up for public viewing, the venue plans also look to include a central fountain, a separate bar for each of the three levels, a hefty kitchen and a massive ground-floor kids play area. "As a Melbourne brewery, with a team that has grown up with Franco Cozzo on the TV, this site and the opportunity to honour his legacy was too good to be true," the Moon Dog crew said in a statement. "We have every goal of keeping the heritage and history of the building alive," it continued, promising that the site's famed signage and mural would be sticking around. If the plans are approved, Moon Dog will work towards opening the doors to their new venue by late 2023. Can't wait that long? In the meantime, you can check out the brewery's new al fresco pop-up bar Summer Paradiso, located in the Arts Centre Melbourne forecourt. [caption id="attachment_744580" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Moon Dog World, Kate Shanasy[/caption] Moon Dog has submitted a planning application for 54–58 Hopkins Street, Footscray. You can check it out in detail online. Top Image: Gavin Anderson via Flickr
Frozen has done it. Beauty and the Beast and Shrek, too. The Lion King is set to again in 2026. We're talking about animated movies making the leap from the screen to the stage Down Under, as another childhood favourite is before 2025 is out. With Anastasia, Russian history first inspired a 90s hit, which then became a Broadway stage production since 2017. The musical is treading the boards in Melbourne from Saturday, December 20, marking the show's Australian debut. The Victorian capital's Regent Theatre is hosting Anastasia's Aussie premiere, with the Tony-nominated musical unveiling an all-ages-friendly tale inspired by Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov during the Russian Revolution, as the 1997 movie also charted. Accordingly, accompanied by songs such as 'Journey to the Past' and 'Once Upon a December' — both from the big-screen release — theatregoers can get ready to spend time with a young woman named Anya on her journey to discover her past, and to unearth a story that some in the narrative don't want revealed. Audiences have writer Terrence McNally and songwriting team Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens to thank for Anastasia's existence as a stage musical — and between its Broadway run and its Aussie stint, Anastasia has also toured North America, and hit the stage in Germany, Spain, The Netherlands, Brazil, Mexico and Japan. Images: Roy Beusker.
Haven't seen The Last Jedi yet? Been waiting until the Boxing Day rush dies down to see the last batch of 2017 flicks? If so, and you're a Melburnian headed to a Village Cinema, you might want to keep an eye on ticket prices. During the summer holidays, the cinema chain is trialling dynamic pricing at selected sites. In other words: if you go during peak times, you'll pay more for the privilege. As first reported on Reddit, after 5pm on Fridays and Saturdays, customers can expect to spend between 50 cents and $1 more to watch whichever feature takes their fancy, and to see candy bar costs rise by between 30 cents and $1 per item. Yes, it's the same concept that Uber users hate during busy periods, now showing at multiplexes including Crown, Fountain Gate, Doncaster, Jam Factory, Southland and Werribee. The idea of variable movie ticket prices isn't new — student discounts, cheap Tuesdays and the like — but charging more during peak cinema-going slots isn't going to be well-received given that Aussie ticket costs rose 31 percent in the decade to 2016. Interestingly enough, while Village Cinemas is ramping things up in popular periods, it's not decreasing them for slow sessions and times. It might be school holidays, but we're guessing that some titles on their schedule aren't selling out to weekday morning crowds, particularly if they're not aimed at kids. In 2017, an app called Choovie proposed the same concept, calling themselves "Uber for movies" and offering up bargains in quiet spots. It currently features deals at selected times in selected locations, all for less than the regular multiplex ticket prices. Going to the cinema hasn't died out as many have predicted over the years, and isn't likely to. The thrill of seeing a new film on a big screen in a darkened room with (hopefully) no distractions is something that your huge TV and Netflix just can't beat, and nor can piracy. Still, with Aussie attendance in decline, charging viewers more for seeing a flick at times when most people like to go to the movies is up there with the rumour that Apple would introduce a 'theatre mode' option for mid-movie texting — that is, it's a downright terrible idea. Via news.com.au
Melbourne's icy temperatures have set in for the long haul and every day it's just that little bit harder to drag yourself out of the house. Luckily, one riverside bar is now whipping up the ultimate nostalgic treat, to warm your hands, satisfy your sweet tooth and cure any of those lingering winter blues. Perched just below Federation Square, Riverland has launched a toasty new concoction, which is a grown-up take on the classic hot Milo of your childhood. The newly hatched Boozy Milo ($15) boasts a belly-warming blend of Havana Club rum, Milo and maple syrup, which is then topped with whipped cream, marshmallows and a sprinkling of chocolate. It's an indulgent, adults-only sip, primed for cosy nights by the Yarra. And it's not the only winter treat starring on Riverland's drinks list right now. You can also get your mitts on a Hot Apple Pie — teaming Jack Daniels Tennessee Fire with apple, vanilla and cinnamon — and a mulled wine, with the option of adding a slug of brandy, Havana Especial or Tennessee Fire. You can now find the Boozy Milo at Riverland, 1–9 Federation Wharf, Melbourne. It's open from 11am Monday–Sunday.
There'll be bottles poppin' and bubbles flowing at The Emerson Rooftop Bar and Club come Sunday, March 28, when The Prosecco Festival pops up at the venue. It isn't hosting a full fest, but will be turning the place into an effervescent oasis from 12–4pm. If you fancy whiling away an afternoon with a glass in your hand, this celebration should entice hardcore fans and novices alike, with more than 20 exhibitors on the lineup. Your $40 ticket will score you a a real crystal Plumm wine glass, a full glass of Dal Zotto to sip upon arrival and four solid hours of prosecco heaven. Sample some of the world's best-loved bubbles — or enjoy heftier servings by buying $10 tokens for glasses of wine in advance. A DJ will be spinning tunes as well, and you can nibble your way through a menu matched to the tipples. While you're nabbing your ticket, you can preorder your food, too, if you're keen on oysters or lobster rolls.
The minds behind the multi-layered delight that is the legendary Strawberry Watermelon Cake — which has lit up Instagram feeds across the world since its inception in Sydney over a decade ago — are heading south. Sydney's Black Star Pastry is whipping up something just for us Melburnians, opening the doors to a summer-long pop-up in St Kilda. Making its home beneath Acland Street's Jackalope Pavilion — where you'll find blockbuster installation Rain Room — the temporary bakery follows a successful 2017 pop-up in Carlton, as well as plenty of outings at Melbourne's Night Noodle Markets over the years. The new pop-up store is serving up a selection of Black Star smash hits, the bill headlined, of course, by that Strawberry Watermelon Cake. Sporting layers of almond dacquoise, rose-scented cream and watermelon, this little beauty sells around one million slices annually across the brand's four Sydney stores and was even dubbed the "world's most Instagrammed cake" by The New York Times. Other favourites making the journey south include the Pistachio Lemon Zen Cake — another layered sensation featuring pistachio ganache, white chocolate mousse, lemon curd and crunchy pistachio dacquoise — and the Raspberry Lychee Cake, which fuses chocolate biscuit, raspberry marshmallow and vanilla cream. When Easter rolls around, Melburnians will also get to try the brand's famed hot cross buns. The sweet stuff is complemented by St Ali coffee and a contemporary, minimalist store space, featuring neon signage by UK artist Tracey Emin proclaiming "you loved me like a distant star". And, in a win for those who don't like waiting, customers can also pre-order a range of cakes online and skip the queues with express pick-up. While this Melbourne store is only a pop-up, Black Star Pastry has plans to open stores across Australia (and overseas) in 2020 — fingers crossed one of those lands in Melbourne. The pop-up will be open from open 8am–4pm Monday to Friday and 8am–5pm Saturday and Sunday until Easter 2020.
This series of takeovers is entirely for the carnivores. Each month from July until November, a different Melbourne venue will create two meat-centred eats for both BEAST Brunswick and BEAST City. This will include one signature meat burger or sandwich, as well as a speciality meat dish sold per piece or by weight. The Meat Masters series kicks off in July, as the team from Third Wave Cafe brings its signature slow-cooked US-style barbecue flavours to both BEAST venues. Get around slow-smoked American barbecue short ribs with chips and the Ribsy burger, which sees a brioche bun stuffed with deboned slow-smoked American barbecue short ribs, tomato relish, swiss cheese, streaky bacon, apple bourbon barbecue sauce and tomato. There's a lot going on in that beast. In August, taco masters CDMX touch down in the BEAST kitchens. The chefs here have rejigged their famed birria tacos, reimagining them in sandwich form. The birria-braised beef short rib sandwich is filled with cheese, grilled onions, pickles and salsa. That same beef and filling combo is also served straight up without the bread for those who want to make a mess with their hands. Next up is Bad Shepherd in September, with its Montréal Smoked Meat Sandwich. This comes loaded with cured, smoked and steamed beef brisket, Alabama white sauce, jack cheese and pickles. The thrice-treated brisket is also served separately but with a side of pickled vegetables. Throughout October, Bluestone American BBQ is in charge of BEAST's Meat Master specials, serving a smoked Cuban-style pork burger with barbecued ham, Swiss cheese, cucumber pickles, mayo and sweet mustard. The same smoked Cuban-style pork is also being served out of the bun, with lime and crema mojo, creole slaw and cucumber pickles. Last on the docket of Meat Master takeovers is Sonido Berbeos Bros. In November, the Colombian street food legends are slinging longaniza rolls, which consist of Colombian sausages stuffed into a bread roll with pickled red onions, citric acid, mayo, and perajo sauce. The longaniza sausages will also be sold sans bread roll, with Colombian plantain fritters and sauce. Make no mistake – this is heavy, meaty and heartburn-inducing stuff. We can't wait for the food comas each takeover creates.
UPDATE, May 29, 2021: Baby Done is available to stream via Stan, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. A relic of a time when women were considered wives, mothers and little else, the public need to comment on whether someone has a baby or is planning to have a baby is flat-out garbage behaviour. In your twenties or thirties, and in a couple? Yet to procreate? If so, the world at large apparently thinks that it's completely acceptable to ask questions, make its judgement known and demand answers. Baby Done offers a great take on this kind of situation. Surrounded by proud new parents and parents-to-be at a baby shower, Zoe (Rose Matafeo) refuses to smile and nod along with all the polite cooing over infants — existing and yet to make their way into the world — and smug discussions about the joys of creating life. An arborist more interested in scaling trees at both the national and world championships than starting a family, she simply refuses to temper who she is to fit society's cookie-cutter expectations. Her partner Tim (Matthew Lewis) is on the same wavelength, and they visibly have more fun than everyone else at the party. With a title such as Baby Done, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise when this New Zealand comedy soon upsets Zoe and Tim's status quo. She discovers that she's expecting and, while he starts dutifully preparing to an almost unnervingly sensible extent, she also struggles to face the change that's coming their way. At the forefront of Zoe's mind is a phenomenon she has noticed with most of her friends, other than the still single and child-free Molly (Emily Barclay) — who just might be more pregnancy-phobic than she is. When women become mothers, that's often the only way they're seen by the world and themselves. Zoe is also concerned about being forced to put her own dreams on hold. In fact, even as her bump expands and everyone from her doctor to her parents tells her otherwise, she's adamant that she's still heading overseas to climb as many branches in the pursuit of arboriculture glory as she can. Comedies about the trials and tribulations of parenthood, and of the journey to become parents, are almost as common as people asking "when are you two having kids?" without prompting at parties. But this addition to the genre from director Curtis Vowell and screenwriter Sophie Henderson (both veterans of 2013 film Fantail) approaches a well-worn topic from a savvy angle. Zoe clearly isn't a stereotypical mother-to-be, and doesn't experience the stereotypical feelings women have been told they're supposed to feel about having children — and Baby Done leans into that fact. The role-reversal at the movie's centre really shouldn't feel so refreshing. Neither should depicting a women daring to think that, even though she wants to have a baby, she doesn't want her entire life as she currently knows it to disappear. It also shouldn't stand out that, instead of depicting an impending father who's less than fussed about taking on that responsibility as plenty of previous flicks have, Baby Done focuses on an expectant mother who'd rather carry on as if nothing big is happening — but it does. In her first lead big-screen role, comedian Matafeo stands out, too. Indeed, it's easy to wonder whether Baby Done would've worked so engagingly and thoughtfully with someone else as its star. In her hands, Zoe instantly feels like a fully realised character that has walked off the street and into the camera's sights — because, even in an obvious comedy that's constantly trying to evoke laughs, its protagonist is always relatable, fleshed out, and the sum of both her clear strengths and overt struggles. That's the kind of balance that the leads in the last female-led, Taika Waititi-produced New Zealand comedy that touched on motherhood, The Breaker Upperers, also perfected. Matafeo has her own presence, however; playing plucky, outgoing and friendly, but also stubborn and wilfully in denial about what she's going through, she could easily (and will hopefully) step out of Baby Done and into a host of other affable and amusing movies. Understanding that motherhood means different things to different women and subverting the usual gender roles in the process doesn't stop the brightly shot, breezily toned Baby Done from sticking to a largely, sweetly predictable narrative, though. Or, from serving up just as easy-to-anticipate jokes amongst a particularly awkward threesome and a series of encounters with a pregnophile. Neither does Matafeo's excellent efforts, or her also likeable co-stars Lewis and Browning — with the former worlds away from his time as the Harry Potter franchise's Neville Longbottom, and the latter in her second offbeat supporting part this year after Babyteeth. And yet, as the likes of Knocked Up and Juno have shown entertainingly (especially in comparison to tripe like What to Expect When You're Expecting), finding an astute way to tackle a familiar topic really can't be underestimated. Again, Baby Done shouldn't feel like an outlier in its genre. In many ways, it really isn't, in fact. But charting one woman's pregnancy experience, and her backlash to the widely accepted notion that motherhood is the pinnacle of a woman's life, proves poignant and charming more often than not here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbIxi2VHTTk
The city is buzzing back to life with a bang as Melbourne's events calendar fills up. And if you're out and about taking advantage of the action, you've now got a hot new underground bar to add to your itinerary. But you'll want to be quick — Bar Paradox has made its home beneath Supernormal for just two weeks, from Monday, April 11–Sunday, April 24. Taking walk-ins only, the pop-up drinking destination is showcasing next-level sips by former World Class Bartender of the Year, Orlando Marzo. A five-strong cocktail list is built around the mixologist's signature bottled range, Loro, featuring the likes of a bergamot negroni, a reworked manhattan with cherry and cacao, and the Paradox Bramble — a liquid nod to Supernormal, blending Tanqueray Royale blackcurrant gin with native strawberry gum. As always, there'll be some solid snacks flying from the kitchen, with bites like the prawn roll finished with bonito mayonnaise and Tasmanian wasabi; silken tofu and sesame crackers; and raw fish sourced from the Sapphire Coast. Soundtracking each night's antics will be Efficient Space label head, DJ and radio host Michael Kucyk, while the bar's forward-thinking design comes courtesy of creative agency Space Between. Bar Paradox will open nightly from 5pm until late, except for Easter Monday (April 18). [caption id="attachment_849941" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jo McGann[/caption] Top Images: Parker Blain.
Got a thing for gorgeous gardens? If so, you'll find yourself in horticultural heaven this month as Open Gardens Victoria unveils a fresh series of lush outdoor spaces for you to explore and swoon over. The non-profit organisation is back with the next instalments of its signature events, which see some of Melbourne's most beautiful private gardens temporarily opened to the public. It's your chance to admire some stunning botanical sites and landscaping works, while loading up on inspiration for your own patch of turf. February 19 and 20 is when you can wander the grounds of Cecilia's Garden in Brighton — a tranquil artist-designed space guided by Feng Shui principles — as well as Hampton's aptly titled Sanctuary, which incorporates Indigenous and drought resistant plants to create a sustainable yet sophisticated oasis. On February 25 and 26, Portsea's historic property Delgany opens its gates for you to browse its manicured gardens, limestone castle and sweeping views. And on March 5 and 6, you can pop out to Emerald for a visit to Brookdale Farm, which sports an expansive veggie garden, loads of colourful blooms, and a clever use of recycled and repurposed materials throughout. [caption id="attachment_842230" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'Sanctuary'[/caption] Top Image: Cecilia's Garden
No longer confined to children's birthday parties, bouncy castles, inflatable obstacle sources and blow-up labyrinths are currently hot property for adults (and their inner kids, of course). And the next blow-up event to hit Australia is big. Really big. Dubbed 'The Big Bounce Australia', it's an inflatable theme park made up of Guinness World Records-certified world's biggest bouncy castle, a 300-metre long obstacle course and a three-part space-themed wonderland. You're going to need a lot of red cordial to bounce your way through all of this. Set to hit Melbourne between January 3 and 19, The Big Bounce is open to both littl'uns and big'uns — but there are a heap of adults-only sessions, so you don't have to worry about dodging toddlers on your way through. Tickets for adults will set you back $55, which gives you a whole three hours in the park. You'll need it. Inside, you'll encounter the aforementioned bouncy castle — aptly named The World's Biggest Bounce House — covering a whopping 1500 square metres and, in some spots, reaching ten metres off the ground. In this house, you'll encounter a heap of slides, ball pits, climbing towers, basketball hoops and (if you can believe it) a stage with DJs, confetti cannons and beach balls. Then, there's The Giant, with 50 inflatable obstacles, including giant red balls and a monster slide. [caption id="attachment_749668" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Big Bounce AirSpace[/caption] Before you hit the final, three-part section of the park, you may need to pause, down some red frogs and maybe even have a nap. Or not, you do only have three hours to explore it all. Next up, is AirSpace, where aliens, spaceships and moon craters collide with a five-lane slide, some more ball pits and an 18-metre-tall maze. Now, you'll certainly need a nap. This extremely OTT theme park is hitting Melbourne's Flemington Racecourse first before heading to Sydney's St Ives Showground (January 24–February 9). After that, it'll head to Adelaide (February 14–March 1), Brisbane (March 6–22) and Perth (April 3–19).
The sudden onset of December may have you questioning where the year has gone, but you still have time to close out 2024 with a bang. The Pass is hosting a range of exciting New Year's Eve celebrations around Melbourne's CBD, whether you're looking to meet someone special, enjoy bottomless bevs with your loved ones, rave on a rooftop or dance the year away. Garden State Hotel Don't be fooled by the Garden State Hotel's heritage facade. Inside the Flinders Lane digs, you'll find a multi-storey watering hole with a verdant beer garden, public bar, subterranean cocktail bar and colourful Mediterranean restaurant Tippy-Tay. So what better setting to ring in some romance for the new year? If you're single and looking, head to the Garden State for flowing drinks, canapés and DJs as you meet and mingle with fellow singletons at the NYE Singles Party. Tickets are $50–60 and include a free drink on entry — a small price to pay to potentially meet the love of your life. Purchase tickets now at the Garden State Hotel's website. Trinket If you'd prefer some old-school glitz and glam, opulent cocktail lounge Trinket will be pouring tasteful tipples past midnight on Tuesday, December 31. Stop in at the two-storey art-deco venue for cocktails, bites and DJs from 9pm–2am. It's quite literally first in, best dressed, with no tickets and a bottle of champagne up for grabs for the most glamorous get-up. You can book a table at the Trinket website or just try your luck walking in on the night. State of Grace Add a spark of magic to your New Year's celebration at eclectic drinking den State of Grace. Not only will you get a four-hour drinks package, roaming spritzes and canapés, but you'll also be treated to an array of DJs and an actual magician. Close out the night with spectacular views of the fireworks from the rooftop bar. Tickets are $180–210 and can be purchased at the State of Grace website. The Duke of Wellington It may be Melbourne's oldest licensed pub, but The Duke still knows how to throw a good party. The two-storey pub is offering four hours of drinks, small bites and pumping beats this New Year's Eve. First release tickets are $149, so get in before they sell out. Purchase your tickets at The Duke's website. Imperial Hotel, Bourke Street Dance away the regrets and stresses from the year that was with live music and DJs on the Imperial Hotel's rooftop bar. The Bourke Street pub boasts panoramic views across the city and will have a lively lineup of tunes throughout the night. Tickets start from $150, which include a four-hour drinks package with your pick of beer, wines and spirits, with a live band from 7–10pm and DJs from 10pm–1am. Purchase your tickets now at the Imperial Hotel's website. Morris House Get free-flowing drinks and canapés with views out onto the heart of Melbourne's CBD at Morris House this New Year's Eve. For $120–140, guests will enjoy four hours of bottomless drinks and nibbles from 8pm, which include wine, beer and spirits, against a backdrop of pumping DJ tunes as the sun sets on this year. Book in at the Morris House website now before tickets sell out. The Terminus Hotel, Abbotsford Don't know if you want to commit to a full night of drinking? The Terminus Hotel has your back with the option of normal table bookings this NYE, with the option to level up wth a three-hour beverage package. Though casual and easygoing, the Abbotsford pub is still bringing the excitement with live music from 7pm, followed by DJs from 10pm. If you do opt to get the package, which also includes canapés, tickets are $89 and are available to book at the Terminus website. The Provincial Hotel Bask in the good vibes at the Provincial Hotel. Whether you choose to keep it casual at the downstairs pub or party al fresco on the rooftop, you'll be sure to have a cracking start to 2025. The beloved Fitzroy local is offering two packages of unlimited drinks, small bites and DJ-spun tunes. Tickets are $179 for the four-hour package on the rooftop, or $55 for the two-hour package on the ground floor. Book your spot now at the Provincial Hotel's website. Yarra Botanica Float your way into the new year at the Yarra Botanica at Southbank. The two-storey floating bar is offering two New Year's Eve packages with snacks, unlimited drinks and entertainment, alongside spectacular views of the fireworks. General admission is $99 for a two-hour beverage package, or you can opt to upgrade to the VIP deal for $250, which will get you four hours of spritzes, house spirits, wines and tap beers, along with exclusive access to the upper deck for sweeping views over the Yarra. Buy your tickets now at the Yarra Botanica's website. Hopscotch Celebrate the end of 2024 in a leafy beer garden with river views at Hopscotch. Situated on the Southbank promenade, the airy bar has your NYE covered with DJs and other entertainment, as well as a pre-party option to get you prepped for the night's festivities. General admission is only $20 for entry from 10pm, but you can get a head start on the partying with the $99 pre-session package, which includes two hours of beers, wines and sprits, along with a self-serve grazing station. Buy your tickets at the Hopscotch website. The Wharf Hotel For more riverside revelry, head to The Wharf Hotel for Aperol spritzes galore. $55.60 will get you a welcome drink and two drink tickets, roaming nibbles, live music from 6–9pm and DJs until late. You'll also be granted access to the Wharf's Aperol Garden Party, which boasts an interactive games and an Aperol fountain. Book your tickets at The Wharf Hotel's website. For more information on The Pass and other venues, head to the website.
The most bittersweet show on this year's Melbourne Festival program, David Bowie: Nothing Has Changed shapes up as the ultimate tribute to the man known as Ziggy Stardust. Acclaimed musicians including iOTA, Deborah Conway, Tim Rogers, Steve Kilbey and Adalita will join the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra on stage at Hamer Hall to perform a set list of Bowie's all-time greatest hits, from 'Space Oddity' to his swansong, 'Lazarus'. A must for Bowie fans, or music lovers in general — as if you can be one without the other. Image: Robert Catto.
The shock of unkempt hair, the Irish brogue, the misanthropic attitude: there's no mistaking Dylan Moran for anyone else. It was true in beloved British sitcom Black Books, when his on-screen alter ego abhorred mornings, ate coasters and claimed that his oven could cook anything (even belts). And it's definitely true of the comedian's acerbically hilarious live shows. Moran is no stranger to Australia, but if you haven't guffawed at his bleak wit live, he's coming back to Melbourne — to Arts Centre Melbourne, in fact — in 2023 to give you another chance. As always, expect the kind of deadpan gags, wine-soaked insights and blisteringly sharp one-liners that've kept him in the spotlight since 1996, when he became the youngest-ever winner of the Edinburgh Fringe's Perrier Award. On Friday, April 21, Moran will roll out his latest show We Got This, bringing his grumpily lyrical musings on love, politics, misery and the everyday absurdities of life to the Victorian capital. Further dates are happening on Saturday, April 22, Sunday, April 23, and Monday, May 1. This marks his first full standup show since 2019's Dr Cosmos, which also came our way — and was available to stream earlier in the pandemic, too. Given this tour's title, it's hardly surprising that Moran will be reflecting upon these chaotic times. That might sound like a standard comedy gig these days, but nothing about Moran's comedy is ever standard.
UPDATE Monday, November 1: Immigration Museum has reopened following the latest lockdown, with tickets available now. For more details on Victoria's current restrictions, see the Department of Health and Human Services website. It's something of a universal truth: growing up can (and probably will) be awkward as hell. But even if those days are far behind you, a big dose of comfort comes from the fact that everyone else has been through it, too. You can dive into a whole bunch of these real-life coming-of-age tales at the Immigration Museum's new Becoming You: An Incomplete Guide exhibition. You'll laugh, you'll cry and you'll probably experience plenty of vicarious mortification, as a diverse group of 72 Aussies share their own stories of growing up and making the leap into adulthood. It's a nostalgic trip back in time, as well as a moving celebration of shared humanity. Discover compelling tales and angsty memories from everyday folk, and also from a cast of well-known identities — including AFL footballer Jason Johannisen, writer Alice Pung, comedian Osamah Sami, drag queen Karen from Finance, fashion designer Jenny Bannister, model Andreja Pejic and more.
Doughnut fiends, drop everything and run — don't walk — to Windsor. For one week only between September 18 and 25, 190 High Street is playing host to the first-ever Bistro Morgan doughnut pop-up. If you've tried their delectable orbs of pastry, you'll know why we're encouraging you to rush there as quickly as possible. Did we mention that chef Morgan Hipworth makes a Golden Gaytime doughnut? We can hear your stomach grumbling from here. You'll also find Ferrero Rocher, Fairy Floss, Fruit Loops, peanut butter and jelly, and Bounty bar concoctions among his ever-growing range of handmade deliciousness, with each stacked with toppings, brandishing a sauce-filled syringe or both. Of course, it's not just Hipworth's mouth-watering creations that have caused a buzz over the last 18 months, and caused eager doughnut lovers to flock to the cafes that stock them each and every weekend — it's also the chef himself. He's been called Melbourne's doughnut prince, and it's a label that fits. The 15-year-old whips up his tasty treats when he's not at high school, after all. Yes, really. Hipworth taught himself to cook when he was seven, after being inspired by Masterchef (and provided perhaps the best endorsement of reality television he ever could in the process). Cooking up three-course dinners for his parents and grandparents then turned into Bistro Morgan. He still runs things from home around his classes, but he eventually wants to open his own cafes and restaurants. For now, we'll all be more than happy with a week-long pop-up serving his damn fine doughnuts. Find Bistro Morgan's pop-up store at 190 High Street, Windsor from September 18 to 25. Check out their website and Facebook page for more information.
UPDATE Thursday, July 28: Darkfield's Melbourne run has been extended until August 31 — you can nab tickets here. The following has been updated to reflect the change. Not content with terrifying Melburnians with just one unsettling shipping container installation at a time, the folks at Realscape Productions have just brought all four of their disquieting Darkfield experiences to the city. The four immersive shows have taken over a Chinatown lot, serving eerie thrills from Thursday, May 26–Wednesday, August 31. Included in the lineup is return favourite Flight, which, like its siblings, involves stepping inside a 40-foot steel box, sitting in pitch darkness and listening to a particularly immersive soundscape while the production plays with your sense of reality. If you're not fond of flying or don't cope well with the possibility of things going awry in the air, you might want to stay away. If your nerves and stomach can handle all of the above, step onboard. You won't actually be jetting anywhere, of course; however you will be strapping yourself into a section of a real commercial airliner, then pondering the many possible outcomes if the cabin suddenly happened to lose pressure. Created by Glen Neath and David Rosenberg, Flight draws upon the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics while taking attendees on a multi-sensory journey. Flight sessions are running daily Tuesday to Sunday, with departure times at half-hour intervals. Buckle up, and prepare to have your head completely messed with — unless you're claustrophobic, pregnant, or suffer heart or back conditions, in which case you'll have to firmly stay on the ground. [caption id="attachment_852676" align="alignnone" width="1920"] by Alex Purcell[/caption] Image: Mihaela Bodlovic.
When children from Panem's first 12 districts are chosen to fight to the death, each year's unlucky kids conscripted into the bloodthirsty fray that gives The Hunger Games franchise its title, they aren't simply battling for survival. In this dystopian saga stemming from Suzanne Collins' novels, they're brawling to entertain the wealthy residents of the ruling Capitol — they're forced to submit to a display of power and control, too, and to demonstrate humanity's innate cruelty — all while waging war against perishing into nothingness. Arriving eight years after the series' last page-to-screen adaptation, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is a swung sword, flung spear, hurled hatchet and jabbed knife in the same type of skirmish. This is a blockbuster franchise, but 2012's The Hunger Games, 2013's The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, 2014's The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1 and 2015's The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2 have long faded from the big screen, which virtually means no longer existing to Tinseltown, other than as fuel to relight the flame. So kicks in the "sequels, prequels, spinoffs, continuations, TV shows, remakes, reboots, reimaginings or perish" motto that may as well be etched onto the Hollywood sign. Why The Hunger Games' battle royales exist, and what their purpose and substance are, prove topics of conversation more than once in The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. A tale that features the person who created the games and the mind overseeing them — that'd be Dean Casca Highbottom (Peter Dinklage, Cyrano) and Dr Volumnia Gaul (Viola Davis, Air) — ought to ponder such notions. A jump back in time in a now five-entry franchise, and a chapter that runs for 157 minutes at that, couldn't leave it out. But a sense of nothingness still swirls around this picture, even if Collins did actually write a novel with a plot that justifies the movie's existence (unlike comparable shenanigans over in the Wizarding World, aka the Fantastic Beasts films). There's an insignificant air to this return trip to YA bleakness, as smacking of chasing cash and keeping IP bubbling in the popular consciousness was bound to inspire; this doesn't feel like a return or a bonus, but an optional extra. The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is largely engaging as it's flickering. To spin its origin story for President Coriolanus Snow, who Donald Sutherland (Lawman: Bass Reeves) portrayed with such gleeful menace in the initial movies and Tom Blyth (Billy the Kid) plays now as a young man 64 years earlier, it enlists a compelling cast. And, although nowhere near as meticulously, smartly and affectingly, it convincingly enough attempts the Better Call Saul feat of getting its audience hoping for a different path for someone with a murky future already inescapably established thanks to its lead performance. In the dialogue, riffs on Corio's surname spark retorts like "snow lands on top" — bad puns and heavy-handed nudges towards past films don't serve The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes well — yet "snow dissolves" is the prevailing vibe. Coriolanus himself doesn't here and there's four past pictures to prove it, but for all his longevity and this feature's length, the picture dedicated to him isn't the lingering kind. There's a prologue to this prequel, where a pint-sized Corio (Dexter Sol Ansell, Emmerdale Farm) and his cousin Tigris (debutant Rosa Gotzler) experience the horrors of Panem's nation-changing conflict firsthand, leaving only their grandma'am (Fionnula Flanagan, Smother) to be their guardian. When he's 18 and attending the Capitol's prestigious Academy, times are still tough for the remaining Snows, including the still-doting Tigris (Hunter Schafer, Euphoria); however, Coriolanus is a clever, savvy and determined fake-it-till-you-make-it type. As he dresses the part around his mostly snobby classmates, his hopes for college and security are all pinned on the scholarship-style Plinth Prize, which is usually awarded for academic excellence. But Highbottom and Gaul come bearing unforeseen news: in the tenth year of the country's kill-or-be-killed fights, with interest from the viewing masses lagging, the top students will be tasked with mentoring the games' tributes. Their assigned competitor winning won't guarantee them the prize, either; boosting the contest's status is just as important. Having seen other Hunger Games entries, or read them, isn't a prerequisite for following The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. Those who have will know the setup for the movie's first two thirds. Folks in that category will also spot the over-emphasised nods throughout the entire film to its Jennifer Lawrence (No Hard Feelings)-starring predecessors, to the point of wishing that you didn't. So, the reaping singles out the year's batch of doomed contenders, Corio is allocated District 12's Appalachian-accented underdog female recruit Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler, Shazam! Fury of the Gods) and, of course, she proves more than the Capitol bargained for. The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes makes good on its title by giving Lucy Gray a voice that can and frequently does carry a tune, which enamours her to everyone watching on. Her fellow gladiatorial competitors aren't impressed, especially with her public popularity. Also in the been-there-done-that category: romantic sparks flying amid the life-or-death games, with The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes happy to enter Romeo and Juliet's arena. Betrayal, duplicity, political scheming, autocratic barbarism, an indictment of entertainment at its most sensational and a savaging of the constant push to attract eyeballs pop up expectedly, too, the latter with zero self-awareness about how The Hunger Games movies are now in that domain. Returning director Francis Lawrence, who helmed Catching Fire and both Mockingjay instalments, is workmanlike. Screenwriters Michael Lesslie (The Little Drummer Girl) and Michael Arndt (also returning from Catching Fire) draw upon Collins' source material in the same way. Accordingly, along with production design that looks the part, it's Blyth and company that make the most of the film. As it tells its tale in three sections entitled 'The Mentor', 'The Prize' and 'The Peacekeeper' The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is never big on surprises, even when it heads to District 12 in its last chapter — but its stars are all in. If Blyth couldn't make Corio's vulnerability and kindness so resonant before it gives way to steeliness and ruthlessness, the film would suffer a fatal blow. If Zegler didn't shimmer with verve regardless of whether she's singing (chops already established in West Side Story), this Hunger Games entry's Hunger Games wouldn't muster up a second of tension. Tyrion Lannister might cast a shadow over Dinklage's Highbottom, but the Game of Thrones star has already demonstrated why that's a can't-look-away prospect. Davis is having a ball as the villainous head gamemaker, relish that's matched by Jason Schwartzman (Asteroid City) as always-on TV host Lucky Flickerman. Although the same can't always be said for the film around them — and definitely doesn't apply to bringing back the saga from nothingness — the odds are at least in this excellent cast's favour.
Believe it or not, it won't be long until Christmas spirit reaches fever pitch. And to build anticipation before the big day, Brunetti Classico is bringing back its Build & Sip gingerbread event — a sold-out success in 2024. Running from Monday, November 24–Sunday, December 21, at the Carlton pasticceria, Brunetti Classico has doubled the number of sessions for this year's event, catering to massive demand and ensuring everyone looking to create their own Christmas magic can get involved. Designed as an indulgent evening, these 1.5-hour sessions see guests arrive to aperitivo-style drinks and snacks. Then, Brunetti Classico's esteemed pastry team is on hand to guide visitors on constructing and decorating their own unique gingerbread house to take home, making for a fun-loving encounter overflowing with Christmas cheer. "It's a unique way to celebrate with family, friends, or colleagues — something festive, creative, and totally different," says Fabio Angele, owner of Brunetti Classico. "You don't need to be a pastry chef to join in. Our team will be there to guide the night — you bring the style."
There are no maybes about the Melbourne International Film Festival's major high-profile guest for 2018 — but, as fans of the Bluth and Fünke families will know, there is one Maeby. Best known for playing Arrested Development's resident teenage film industry executive, ignored daughter, slacker banana stand employee and alluring cousin, Alia Shawkat is headed to Australia as part of this year's fest, where she'll chat about her career and her life in general. Taking place on Saturday, August 18 as part of the 18-day film event, MIFF Talks: Alia Shawkat in Conversation will see the actor talk for an hour with writer and presenter Lorin Clarke — it will be her only Australian appearance. Considering she's officially attending the fest in support of her new film Blaze, a biopic about country and western songwriter Blaze Foley which Ethan Hawke directed, we're guessing there won't be any dancing like a chicken. Thanks to TV series Search Party and Transparent — plus movies such as Green Room, 20th Century Women, Nasty Baby, Night Moves and Whip It — Shawkat's resume spans much, much further than television's worst real estate family, and that's just on the screen. She's also a jazz singer, pianist, painter and illustrator, and recently starred in, co-wrote and executive produced the film Duck Butter. Plus, if Broad City has you wondering about Shawkat's doppelganger-like connection with Ilana Glazer, we have to point out that the latter was just in Melbourne this month too. MIFF Talks: Alia Shawkat in Conversation joins MIFF's growing 2018 program, which also includes an all-night Nicolas Cage marathon and a screening of Drive with an all-new live score. The fest has also announced its first 32 titles for this year, including Blaze, with the full program set to be revealed on July 10. MIFF Talks: Alia Shawkat in Conversation will take place at the Comedy Theatre, 240 Exhibition Street, Melbourne at 1.30pm on Saturday, August 18. Tickets cost $25, and are available online now.
Summer in Australia must've treated Kesha well at the beginning of 2025, because she's repeating the trip in 2026. Last January, the pop star ventured Down Under for two gigs, playing a House of Kesha show in Sydney and also the Australian Open's music lineup. In February 2026, she's taking to the stage at a series of headline concerts around the country, including in Melbourne. The two-time Grammy-nominee is bringing The Tits Out tour this way, with her Australian gigs part of the biggest headline run of Kesha's career so far — which kicked off in July 2025 in the US and also has European shows locked in for March 2026. [caption id="attachment_1015395" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ryan Bakerink/FilmMagic[/caption] With ten top-ten singles across her career so far, plus six albums under her belt — 2023's Gag Order and 2025's Period among them — Kesha has no shortage of tunes to draw upon live. 'JOYRIDE', 'TiK ToK', 'Only Love Can Save Us Now', 'Your Love Is My Drug', 'Take It Off' and 'We R Who We R' are among the tracks on her current setlist. In the Victorian capital, she's playing Margaret Court Arena on Sunday, February 22. [caption id="attachment_975223" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brendan Walter[/caption]
