Sydney is no stranger to a bottomless brunch, but often they're filled with the same-old finger food and mimosas. Surry Hills Indian restaurant Foreign Return is mixing things up with its weekly feasts, offering a massive six-course set menu filled with Indian flavours and free-flowing drinks every Saturday and Sunday. Available midday–2pm each weekend, there are two ways you can attack this menu. If you're just here for the eats, the $79 package will have you snacking your way through pomelo salad, crispy fried prawns, goat mince sliders, zaatar chicken tikka, bruschetta topped with Parsi-style scrambled eggs and Madras lamb with salad and rice. Included in this menu is also a cocktail on arrival, with guests choosing between a Kaapi espresso martini, a bloody mary or a Bombay spritz. Those that want to add bottomless drinks to the experience can do so for an extra $20, bringing the total cost up to $99. The added drinks package is centred around a selection of Grey Goose spiked tea spritzes. Take your pick from the white tea and jasmine, strawberry and ginger, or watermelon and earl grey spritzes — or mix and match throughout your brunch. There's also a vegetarian version of the set menu that swaps out the prawns and chicken for the likes of Malai broccoli, potato with paneer burgers and seasonal vegetable ragout for the bruschetta. Head to Foreign Return's website to make a booking for the one-of-a-kind bottomless brunch. [caption id="attachment_892303" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Leigh Griffiths[/caption] Top image: Leigh Griffiths
How do you take something great and make it even better? Add goats. That probably doesn't apply in every situation, but it certainly seems to with HBO comedy Barry and its long-awaited third season — at least if the just-dropped new trailer is anything to go by. All killer, no filler: when it comes to this Bill Hader-starring gem, that notion firmly applies. The premise is pure TV gold, following an assassin who'd rather be an actor, but finds it hard to cut ties with his murderous gig. Making it even better is the pitch-perfect casting of former Saturday Night Live great Hader, of course, who has never been better than he is playing the eponymous hitman here. The setup: when Hader's Barry Berkman heads from Cleveland to Los Angeles for his job, he discovers a previously unknown passion for acting after he stumbles into a class held by veteran thespian Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler, The French Dispatch). The catch? Barry kills people for money, and that isn't a line of work that you can leave easily, especially when you become caught in the Chechen mafia's violent and deadly dramas. As SNL fans will already know, Hader is an on-screen treasure. He's truly something else in this part-comedy, part-tragedy series. Barry's struggle mightn't seem that relatable on paper, but it proves exactly that with Hader in the role. Also excellent is Winkler, expectedly. And, similarly great is Bill & Ted Face the Music's Anthony Carrigan as Chechen gangster Noho Hank — who befriends Barry, isn't that skilled at the whole crime business and quickly becomes one of the most memorable characters to ever grace a TV series. It's no wonder that fans have been hanging out for the third season of this Emmy-winner, which finally arrives in April — on Monday, April 25 in Australia via Binge, in fact — after a three-year gap since season two. Based on both the initial teaser trailer and this new sneak peek, Barry's quest to go on the straight and narrow — and pursue acting — is still as chaotic as ever. In fact, this season will focus on the other factors, including his own psyche, that saw Barry become a killer to begin with. Another big part of the new episodes, according to HBO: fellow characters trying to make the right choices. Also returning are Stephen Root (The Tragedy of Macbeth) as Barry's former handler Monroe, who is in hiding; Sarah Goldberg (The Night House) as Barry's girlfriend Sarah, who is also an actor; D'Arcy Carden (The Good Place) as a fellow acting student; and Sarah Burns (Werewolves Within) as Detective Mae Dunn. And Hader isn't just phenomenally excellent on-screen in Barry — he also co-created it, has directed a heap of episodes, and also co-wrote others. Check out the full trailer for Barry season three below: Barry's third season will start streaming via Binge in Australia and Neon in New Zealand from Monday, April 25. Images: Peter Iovino and Merrick Morton/HBO.
The inevitable robot uprising is one step closer to becoming a reality, with Domino's completing what they claim to be the world's first ever pizza delivery by drone. The store-to-door aerial pizza man was unveiled in New Zealand back in August, but this week successfully completed its first pie in the sky mission in Whangaparaoa, just north of Auckland. The order — a questionable combo of peri-peri chicken and chicken and cranberry pizzas, FYI — was delivered to two happy customers around lunchtime on Wednesday, and of course the Domino's team who were there to capture the whole glorious thing. The delivery was made by unmanned aerial vehicle DRU Drone by (U.S. drone developers) Flirtey, which was autonomously controlled by a team of drone experts and a drone pilot. Domino's is calling it the world's first commercial delivery of food by drone to a customer (although 7-Eleven did deliver their first Slurpee by drone back in July). "We invested in this partnership, and technology, because we believe drone delivery will be an essential component of our pizza deliveries, so even more customers can receive the freshest, hottest pizza we can offer," Domino's Group CEO and Managing Director, Don Meij said in a statement. "DRU Drone by Flirtey offers the promise of safer, faster deliveries to an expanded delivery area, meaning more customers can expect to receive a freshly-made order within our ultimate target of ten minutes. They can avoid traffic congestion and traffic lights, and safely reduce the delivery time and distance by travelling directly to customers' homes. This is the future." According to Domino's, the drones will be used as a delivery method alongside the existing fleet of human couriers (well, until they outlive their usefulness) and will eventually be "fully integrated into online ordering and GPS systems". Expect the drones to make short distance deliveries in fine weather, because the last thing we need is pizza falling from the sky. …actually, scratch that. That sounds excellent. The successful pizza run looks set to see drone delivery integrated into the delivery repertoire of more New Zealand stores, and Domino's is looking at starting drone delivery trials in Australia, Belgium, France, The Netherlands, Japan and Germany. By Tom Clift and Lauren Vadnjal.
Not everyone is a sports fan, but if you like live tunes, the Australian Open should still be on your radar even if you care little about on-the-court action. Only one music event in the world takes place as part of a Grand Slam, and that's AO Live. On the lineup for 2025's iteration: none other than Kesha, Armand Van Helden, Kaytranada and Benson Boone. Game, set, match, music: that's what's on offer when the Australian Open returns in January 2025 with two jam-packed weeks of tennis, plus a few aces for music lovers in the form of its three-day festival. It was back in 2023 that the annual Melbourne sports event launched the AO Finals Festival, getting a heap of talents taking to the stage. Unsurprisingly proving a hit, the fest returned in 2024, and will now be back again in 2025 under a new name. [caption id="attachment_975223" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brendan Walter[/caption] The venue: John Cain Arena, where AO Live will run from Thursday, January 23–Saturday, January 25. 2025's version features the event's biggest lineup so far — and while only the headliners have been announced at the moment, there's special guests to come. The fest kicks off with Boone on the Thursday, followed by Kaytranada on the Friday. Both days will span 5–9pm. Come Saturday, coinciding with the women's finals, Kesha will make her first visit to Australia in seven years, joined by Van Helden. Wrapping up AO Live, the day will kick off at 2pm and finish at 7pm. Expect plenty of company, with the 2023 fest selling out, then 2024's moving venues to John Cain Arena to take advantage of its 10,000-person capacity. AO Live ticketholders will also get a ground pass to the Australian Open, so you can watch the tennis as well as catching live tunes. As always, there'll be scores of food and drink pop-ups scattered throughout Melbourne Park, as well as big screens showing all the on-court action. AO Live 2024 Lineup Thursday, January 23: Benson Boone + special guests Friday, January 24: Kaytranada + special guests Saturday, January 25: Kesha Armand Van Helden + special guests AO Live hits John Cain Arena, Olympic Boulevard, Melbourne, from Thursday, January 23–Saturday, January 25, 2025. For tickets from Thursday, October 10, 2024 and more information, head to the festival website. AO Finals Festival images: Ashlea Caygill.
Dystopian life isn't something that's easily or quickly shaken. Exploring what it means to survive and endure in the aftermath of global devastation isn't a fast process, either. Due to that fact, as well as the huge success of HBO's big game-to-TV hit show about that topic, it should come as no surprise that The Last of Us will be officially returning for season three. There might only be two The Last of Us video games so far (plus expansion packs and remasters), but there'll be at least a trio of seasons of the Pedro Pascal (The Wild Robot)- and Bella Ramsey (Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget)-starring hit television series. The news comes before season two even arrives, and means that viewers can watch the new seven-episode run safe in the knowledge that the story isn't ending there. "We approached season two with the goal of creating something we could be proud of. The end results have exceeded even our most-ambitious goals, thanks to our continued collaboration with HBO and the impeccable work of our unparalleled cast and crew. We look forward to continuing the story of The Last of Us with season three," said Craig Mazin (Chernobyl), creator, executive producer, writer and director of the TV adaptation. "To see The Last of Us brought to life so beautifully and faithfully has been a career highlight for me, and I am grateful for the fans' enthusiastic and overwhelming support. Much of that success is thanks to my partner in crime Craig Mazin, our partnership with HBO and our team at PlayStation Productions. On behalf of everyone at Naughty Dog, our cast and crew, thank you so much for allowing us this opportunity. We're thrilled to bring you more of The Last of Us," added Neil Druckmann from Naughty Dog, who also penned and directed The Last of Us games. There's no details yet regarding when the third season of The Last of Us will drop, how many episodes will be in it or the cast, but season two's arrival from Monday, April 14, 2025 Down Under will help distract you from those questions for now. Streaming via HBO's own platform Max in Australia — fresh from its late-March launch — and Neon in New Zealand, the second season takes place five years after the events of season one. As well as a time jump, audiences should prepare for a guitar, hordes of infected, flames, sirens and flares, plus a stern warning. "There are just some things everyone agrees are just wrong," one of the season's teasers advises. In the first season, set 20 years after modern civilisation as we know it has been toppled by a parasitic fungal infection that turns the afflicted into shuffling hordes, Joel (Pascal) and Ellie (Ramsey) didn't always get along; however, their best chance for survival was together. In season two, as the full trailer for the HBO hit's long-awaited return shows, that may no longer be the case. Amid warnings about monsters — and scenes showing why those cautions are so important — the most-haunting moment of the sneak peek arrives with two words: "you swore". When The Last of Us initially made the leap from video games to TV in 2023, it was swiftly renewed after proving a massive smash instantly. The series gave HBO its most-watched debut season of a show ever — and its first episode was also the network's second-largest debut of all time. Back then, locking in a second season was also hardly unexpected because the 2013 game inspired a 2014 expansion pack and 2020 sequel. There's obviously no trailer for The Last of Us season three yet, but check out the full trailer for season two below: The Last of Us season three doesn't yet have a release date — we'll update you when one is announced. The Last of Us season two streams from Monday, April 14, 2025 Down Under, via Max in Australia and Neon in New Zealand. Read our review of the first season. Images: Liane Hentscher/HBO.
Sometimes the only way to break the chaotic cycle of inner city living is to ditch it all for a weekend away in nature. Whether you're after a coastal getaway or a hinterland escape, camping is your answer to a rejuvenating, back-to-basics holiday. Though you'll be swapping solid bed for solid ground, camping doesn't mean you have to rough it. In fact, you can take a little bit of home comfort with you without disturbing the wildlife or ruining the fun. To help inspire you, we've partnered with Jim Beam to bring you three camping must-haves to make your nights under the stars all the more special. UPGRADE YOUR BREKKIE WITH A WAFFLE MAKER Gone are the days of charring a piece of bread on a stick and calling it breakfast. When you're next setting off on a canvas adventure, pack a Davis & Waddell Square Waffle Maker (available from Bunnings for $29.95) and you'll really impress your camping buddies come sunrise. The waffle maker is best used on gas or electric cooking tops, and you don't have to stick to the recipes included in the pack. If waffles aren't your thing, use it to heat up banana bread or get creative come dinner time with this recipe for pizza. The waffle maker's compact size makes it a handy cooking device without taking up too much space in your snack compartment. BRING THE TUNES, WITHOUT BRINGING DOWN THE VIBE Yes, looking out over serene landscapes and settling into a good book by a campfire are all part of the appeal of camping. But sometimes you want to soundtrack that natural setting with a few sweet tunes of your own. No camping trip would be complete without a bluetooth speaker and a banging summer camp playlist. We think this mini bluetooth speaker by Lexon ($59.94 from Top3 by Design) is just the right size to fit into your tent for listening to spooky mystery podcasts or placed on a small camping table for when you're cooking over flames. It's rechargeable with a USB and you can control it via bluetooth up to ten metres away. Pro tip: download your playlists and podcasts before heading to your campsite, in case you're caught with patchy wifi reception. [caption id="attachment_796860" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Andrea Piacquadio; Pexels[/caption] PACK A QUICK AND EASY DRINK FOR SUNSET SESSIONS Refreshments are essential to a good camping trip, and after drinking agua all day you'll want to enjoy something a little stronger come sundown. Bring a bottle of Bickford's Peach Iced Tea cordial, a bottle of Jim Beam and soda water and you'll have the necessary ingredients to whip up a quick beverage for the whole crew when you're relaxing by the campfire. It's super simple, perfectly balances the flavours of the bourbon and you don't need to haul any fancy equipment with you. Each Jim Beam and Peach Iced Tea is made with 15ml of cordial, 30ml of bourbon and topped up with soda. If you're fancy enough to be camping with a bag of ice, add it to your cup before topping up with soda and give it a quick swirl. Otherwise, it's ready to enjoy, fireside. Top image: Unsplash
After throwing open the doors to its new development in Brisbane in 2018 and announcing it'll be laying foundations in Sydney as well, the next destination on the horizon for luxe hotel chain W Hotel will be Melbourne. W Melbourne is slated to open in December 2020 on Collins Street in the middle of Melbourne's shopping heartland. Following Brisbane's ten-gallon baths and Sydney's flashy pool deck overlooking the harbour, the Melbourne digs look to be no less indulgent. W Melbourne will encompass 294 rooms and 29 suites, including an 'Extreme Wow Suite', which has its own 40-square-metre balcony with views of the Yarra, a jukebox and cocktail bar. Designed by New York-based Shop Architects, global design firm Woods Bagot and interior designers Hachem, W Melbourne will also house a 14th-floor spa, gym and a heated indoor pool with a gold-adorned roof, as well as a poolside bar and DJ decks. And, for those needing function space, W will have more of it than you can physically fill (under current COVID-19 restrictions, at least) — a 830-square metre space for conferences, meetings or holding lush balls. [caption id="attachment_673553" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Collins Arch[/caption] On the food and drinks front, you'll have four in-house venues to choose from. The 30-seat Warabi will be your go-to for Japanese fine dining, while Lollo will be run by a "renowned local chef" — we'll let you know exactly who that is when it's announced. Curious bar promises an "all-night experience" like "falling down a rabbit hole" and Culprit will flip from a cafe during the day to a wine bar at night. Functioning, too, as the bottom 20-storeys of a towering new precinct called Collins Arch, W Melbourne will sit on Flinders Lane. The $1.3 billion new precinct will be comprised of two towers of commercial, residential and retail spaces, joined at the top by a dramatic sky bridge. With international travel looking like it'll be off the cards for Australians for a little while longer, the opening of the dramatic W Hotel may be a good excuse to plan a trip to Melbourne or staycation when the hotel opens. W Melbourne is slated to open on Flinders Lane in December 2020.
Earlier this year, we wrote about how Elon Musk's high-speed vacuum tube transport system could be a reality by 2018. Well, because it's Elon Musk, the whole thing looks like it's actually running on schedule — and potentially coming to Australia. What, here? Where everything comes last? Yep. According to The Australian, Los Angeles-based firm Hyperloop One — who Musk has given the task of bringing this thing to life — are looking for a place to test the technology, and they have the Sydney to Melbourne corridor firmly on their radar. "We're very keen to explore the potential for doing proof of operations in Australia and the reason for that is there's a clear long-term need for ultra-fast transport on the Australian east coast," Hyperloop One's vice president of global business development Alan James told The Australian. "So we would be looking, either in NSW or Victoria, or possibly in ACT, to develop the first section of that route, to prove the operation of Hyperloop, to get regulatory approval." Described by Musk as a "cross between a Concorde and a railgun and an air hockey table" the proposed Hyperloop system — which is almost cartoonish in design — would consist of a long route of elevated vacuum-sealed steel tubes, through which pressurised capsules ride cushions of air at speeds of up to 1220 kilometres per hour. Hyperloop One claims it can have you travelling from inner-city Melbourne to inner-city Sydney in only 55 minutes. 55 minutes. (Do you hear that? It's the sound of Tiger and Jetstar quaking in their boots.) To drive between Melbourne and Sydney would set you back about nine hours; currently, to get the train, it takes 11.5 hours. Australia — and particularly the Sydney-Melbourne corridor — is the perfect candidate for high speed rail transport because the track could slip nicely along the Hume Highway. There has, of course, been much talk and debate over a high-speed rail system connecting the two cities, but so far no government has been willing to commit to the project. The Hyperloop One team seem to have made rapid progress since they started testing in LA last year. They recently revealed the first prototype will be up and running in the Nevada desert early in 2017 before (potentially, hopefully) kicking off the large scale trial in Australia in 2018. Can it be the future already? For too long we've been at the mercy of Tiger's delays, expensive terrible airport coffee and the drive down the Hume with only Maccas to break up the monotony. We, for one, welcome Musk and his terrifying pneumatic tubes. Via The Australian.
What better way to embrace a balanced lifestyle than practicing your yoga skills with a side of vino and cheese? Yoga in the Vines is all about encouraging an inclusive and attainable approach to wellness. The stretch and sip experience begins with a 60-minute yoga and meditation class set within a stunning vineyard in the Hunter Valley. Once you've downward dogged, sun saluted and reverse warriored your way to pure relaxation, you'll have an hour to indulge in wine, cheese and fruit, all sourced from local producers.
South Eveleigh continues its transformation from industrial kinda-suburb to legitimate food and culture precinct with the latest addition to its burgeoning culinary lineup: The Grounds South Eveleigh. The Grounds is set to expand its Instagram-friendly brunching empire of OG site The Grounds of Alexandria and its CBD sibling with a cavernous Old Hollywood-style events space and coffee roastery bound for the former Australian Technology Park site in 2022. The events space will likely be catnip for inner-city wedding planners with high ceilings and industrial chandeliers, catering for parties between 180 and 350 guests. The Grounds' South Eveleigh outpost will also include a haven for the coffee-curious with a major new roastery where behind-the-scenes tours and workshops will be on the cards, along with all your bean needs. No word yet on whether The Grounds' celebrity pig, Kevin Bacon, will be trotting out of retirement for the official ribbon cutting. To be continued... The venue won't open until 2022 but you can already make booking enquiries at The Grounds website. All images are renders only.
Black Bottle is doing things differently. Look out for the neon-lit jellyfish on Darlinghurst Road, and enter the compact wine bar with bare brick walls, a pink ceiling, low lighting and high tables to find out why. It's not immediately apparent what's going on. By the window facing the street, there are two short blackboard drink menus on display and a small dispense bar, but if you miss the 'order food here' sign, it's unclear if this is table or counter service. We wait to be served for a while before realising we need to head up to the bar, which sits next to a glass display cabinet full of food and a couple of chefs working in a tiny open kitchen. Nonetheless, the wine list is tight: five whites, five reds, one sparkling and two rosès, all available by the glass, bottle and carafe. It's been put together by Nomad sommelier and wine writer Samantha Payne, and showcases some great producers at some really reasonable prices — a bottle of perfectly dry Les Charmes dry Provence rosé is an even $50. The food cabinet is not a novel idea in hospitality but it's what differentiates Black Bottle from other bars in Sydney. Head on up and choose from raw scallops sitting in their shell with a herb butter (not quite so cheap at $6.50 each), marinated octopus that will be heated and served with chorizo, or a pork chop that's then sent to the kitchen to be chargrilled with a chunky green olive salsa and some watercress. Oysters are just $1.50 every day from 5–7pm.. The cooking is good and the way they're presenting the food on display is key to making this whole thing work. Jars of sardines, tins of mussels, chilli and garlic-marinated white anchovies are all up for quick snacks, as are arancini and marinated banana chillies. Everything comes out quick, either handed over the counter or fried or grilled and brought out. The three house cocktails are all a bit sweet for our taste, so our pick is the Huntsman ($25), featuring a lomo-washed Hudson Manhattan Rye with bitters. While the house cocktails are all above the $20 mark, we'll be back for the $12 Aperol spritz. The team are young, enthusiastic and, although very much influenced by Europe, the concept feels authentic and very DIY. Which we think has a place in the Sydney food scene. A more relaxed, self-determining experience might not be for everyone — but those who are happy to get their own knife and fork should head to Black Bottle pronto. Images: Nikki To.
Stuck indoors and feeling blue? We don't blame you. So let us remind you of one of the best shortcuts to lifting your mood: music. Sure, it's not a particularly groundbreaking cure, but in these strange times, we've gotta grasp onto whatever small things will bring us joy (if only temporarily). We could launch into a lofty explanation as to why music is so important to us, relationships and culture, but that's probably not what you're here for. You're here because you're stuck at home and missing live music — the excitement when you find out a new artist you just discovered is playing at a local bar or the giddy anticipation as you walk into a huge concert arena or festival. Those times will come again. In the meantime, we're making do with gigs that are a bit more casual — so low-key in fact that you don't even need to wear shoes. Or even pants (just remember to shut the blinds). This year, we've teamed up with Miller Design Lab to showcase visionary musicians, designers and artists and celebrate our nightlife and its impact on culture to provide a safe space for creativity and self-expression. Grab a beer or make yourself a quarantini and get ready to boogie to some quarantunes (sorry). ARTISTS SUPPORTING ARTISTS Musician Milan Ring is one of the innovative artists to collaborate with Miller Design Lab this year. She's been making waves in the Aussie music industry for some time, having performed alongside names like Sampa the Great, Hermitude and The Rubens, and is currently working on her debut album. As a rapper, lyricist, guitarist and mastering engineer, her dynamic sound is best described as multifaceted — think elements of R&B, soul, electro and even reggae. So, it's safe to say that Milan's influences are pretty varied — and she certainly has her finger on the pulse when it comes to fresh sounds. Giving us a taste of what she's into right now, Milan recently created an extensive playlist that is jam-packed with the musical talent you should be listening to (if you don't already). Simply titled Friends, the playlist swings from the soulful sounds of Ngaiire and Silentjay to Arnhem Land rapper (and former Young Australian of the Year) Baker Boy, and is ideal for one of those lazy afternoons that ramp up to full-blown house party mode. CHALLENGE YOUR MATES TO A DANCE-OFF ON HOUSEPARTY Just because nights out are off the cards for a while doesn't mean your social life needs to go on hold, too. Hopefully, by now, you and your mates have video conference hangouts down pat and you've probably had some surprisingly fun nights indoors shooting the breeze and playing trivia. Next time, kick that competitive spirit up a notch with a good ol' fashioned dance-off. Turn your respective living rooms into your very own dance floors, stream the same playlist and show off your best moves — you'll think you're all at your favourite inner city bar together in no time. When it comes to picking the beats, everyone knows the best dance battle beats are those from your youth. This playlist, curated by British author, journalist and co-host of the pop culture podcast The High Low Dolly Alderton, delivers the goods. Aptly dubbed Pandemic at the Disco, it features a bunch of mostly 90s and 00s bangers, including 'Jump Around', 'No Diggity' and 'Work It'. Alternatively, check out Miller Genuine Draft's playlist, It's Miller Time, which features tunes from Mark Ronson, Lizzo and Bastille. LISTEN TO WHAT WE'RE LOVING Our mission at Concrete Playground is to guide you through the best cultural happenings across Australia. Usually, that includes outdoor adventures, electrifying gigs, epic art exhibitions and the latest restaurant and bar openings. Right now, we're focused on finding ways to bring those experiences to you, so your nights (and days) spent at home are anything but dull. And that includes new music. We can't point you in the direction of a local gig to check out, so we've created a playlist of what we're listening to during lockdown instead. This carefully curated list features some of our favourite Aussie musicians and it includes plenty of up-and-coming artists to fall in lyrical love with. Support them now by giving them a listen and perhaps donating to Spotify's COVID-19 Music Relief Project. Then, when lockdown's over you can get out and support them in person. PRETEND YOU'RE IN A EUROPEAN NIGHTCLUB Whether you've had to cancel a big trip to Europe this year or you're reminiscing a past vacation, a night spent imagining that you're tearing up a dance floor in a dark and sweaty European club will help you momentarily forget that it may be a while till you're actually able to travel again. To help create the vibes, crack out your disco ball or strobe machine, pop on the boating hat from that time you sailed around Croatia and head over to Boiler Room's Youtube channel. The platform has launched the Streaming From Isolation series, featuring sets from the likes of Berlin-based house and techno DJ Dixon and English electronic duo Disclosure. Most of the sets go for around an hour, but if you're in it for the long haul, check out DJ EZ's epic set that went for a whopping 24 hours. This is the second time the UK garage legend has done a marathon set (the first was back in 2016 for Cancer Research UK). He also recently pledged his fees for the festival gigs he did in Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland earlier this year to bushfire relief — what a guy. IMAGINE YOU'RE AT A REAL-LIFE GIG We get it. Going to a gig is about much more than just the very good music. The lights, the graphics, the on-stage dancers and the crowds of people singing and dancing alongside you are all part of what makes a concert such an amazing (and addictive) experience. And, by the sounds of things, large-scale concerts are likely to be one of the last things to return as we transition out of lockdown life. While you wait, you can stream some epic productions online — and they don't get much more epic than the shows at the Sydney Opera House. While the institution is closed to the public, it's continuing to deliver its stable of quality cultural content via a free digital program, which includes full-length performances, talks, podcasts and behind-the-scenes content. You can witness (or relive) the magic of The Flaming Lips' technicolour Concert Hall performance for the 20th anniversary of The Soft Bulletin, Solange's 2018 Vivid Live gig, Bon Iver's 2016 Vivid Live gig or Missy Higgin's full 2019 Live from the Forecourt concert. For something a little different, there is also Sydney Symphony Orchestra's performance of Mahler's Das klagende Lied and the Sydney International Orchestra's stellar collaboration concert with singer Sarah Blasko. For more ways to celebrate your city's nightlife and recreate its energy in your own space, head this way.
Two of Sydney's favourite activities have come together at a new winter pop-up — glamping and boozy feasting. Surry Hills' The Winery has introduced a limited-time winter glamping area to its idyllic al fresco dining space, and while you won't be staying the night, you will get to indulge in a private getaway for a couple of hours. Visitors to the venue can hire out their own private glamping tent fitted out with tables, rugs, blankets and cushions for an intimate dining experience for them and their friends. Available for groups of up to eight, the tents are available for $55pp which includes a three-course tasting menu for the group. The degustation starts with a platter of cheese and charcuterie. From there, you'll be treated to wagyu beef sliders, smoked Andouille sausages and flash-fried chat potatoes with chimichurri, before the feast is finished off with s'mores. You can then add seasonal drinks to the menu for an additional $29 a head. Take your pick from the winter cocktails including mulled wine, mulled cider, a hot toddy and a spiked hot chocolate to begin. From there you'll be cheers-ing with a choice of beer and wine before rounding things out with an espresso martini to pair with your s'more. Bookings are available from midday each day. If you want to bring your four-legged companions, the tents are dog-friendly and you can add catering for your pup in the form of a bark-uterie board for $12. Plus, there are options for families with kids packages available for an additional $15 — and date nights that couples can book for $240. If you want to escape the world for a few hours, head to The Winery's website to book your spot.
Spring is only one month in, but we already know where and when St Jerome's Laneway Festival will help wrap up summer come February 2025. If you like ending the warmest part of the year with a day of tunes at one of the most-beloved music fests in Australia and New Zealand, grab your diary now: the event started by Danny Rogers and Jerome Borazio in the mid-00s has announced its dates and venues. Laneway has also revealed another pivotal detail — no, not the lineup yet, but when its roster of talent will drop. If you're all about who'll be playing, you'll find out on Wednesday, October 9, 2024. For now, just know that Laneway has locked in returns in Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth and Auckland, all at familiar venues. Western Springs in Auckland is the first stop on Thursday, February 6, before the Australian dates kick off on Saturday, February 8 at Brisbane Showgrounds. Next comes stints at Sydney Showground on Sunday, February 9, then Melbourne's Flemington Park on Friday, February 14 — which is one way to spend Valentine's Day. After that, the festival hits up Bonython Park in Adelaide on Saturday, February 15, before finishing its 2025 leg on Sunday, February 16 at Wellington Square in Perth. Stormzy, Steve Lacy, Dominic Fike and Raye were among this year's Laneway headliners, while HAIM, Joji and Phoebe Bridgers did the honours in 2023 — if that helps you start speculating who might follow in their footsteps in 2025. Laneway joins the list of events locking in their comebacks after a tough year of cancellations across the music festival scene. Also returning: Golden Plains, Bluesfest (for the last time), Wildlands, Good Things, Lost Paradise, Beyond The Valley and Meredith. Laneway Festival 2025 Dates and Venues Thursday, February 6 – Western Springs, Auckland / Tāmaki Makaurau Saturday, February 8 — Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane / Turrbal Targun Sunday, February 9 — Sydney Showground, Sydney / Burramattagal Land & Wangal Land Friday, February 14 — Flemington Park, Melbourne / Wurundjeri Biik Saturday, February 15 — Bonython Park, Adelaide / Kaurna Yerta Sunday, February 16 — Wellington Square, Perth / Whadjuk Boodjar St Jerome's Laneway Festival is touring Australia and New Zealand in February 2025. Head to the festival's website for further details, and to register for ticket pre sales (which kick off at 10am local time on Tuesday, October 15, 2024) — and check back here for next year's lineup when it drops on Wednesday, October 9, 2024 Images: Charlie Hardy / Daniel Boud / Maclay Heriot / Cedric Tang.
About 40 minutes into the train ride from the city to Hornsby is the sleepy suburb of Turramurra, and across the platform, you'll spy the bright lights (and just as bright crowds) of Kipling's Garage Bar. If this isn't your stop, think again, you're looking at one of the best bars on the North Shore and the busiest spot between Gordon and Hornsby. The name speaks to the vision of the owners (who are locals of 20 years) but also the history of the site. The 'Kipling' is a tribute to well-known author Rudyard Kipling, who once said, "A man can never have too much red wine or too many books". The 'garage' refers to the fact that the site was once a mechanic garage, which also inspired the industrial-chic aesthetic of the interior. Now it's a classy wine and tapas bar, servicing stomachs instead of engines. There is no one theme to the menu, with interchanging lunch and dinner menus to suit all tastes and portion preferences. Lunch goers can enjoy hearty meals like classic fish and chips ($30) or a decadent mushroom spaghettini ($30). In contrast, dinner guests can enjoy a tapas-style menu of share plates featuring baked gnocchi ($15), salt-and-pepper calamari ($15) and three-cheese zucchini flowers ($16). The wine list is a local legend, but there are also plenty of beer choices, cocktails, mocktails and non-alcoholic picks to suit the dish in front of you. You'll find Kipling's Garage Bar at 2 Eastern Road, Turramurra, about a 60-second walk from the train station. It's open seven days a week, and walk-ins are available, but reservations are recommended – though unavailable for dinner on Fridays and Saturdays.
Hospitality group Solotel is part of the stacked partner list for Sydney WorldPride, bringing a heroic program of entertainment and Pride edition menus to 11 venues throughout the festival. There's way too much to talk about in one sitting but we'll do our best (and if you doubt our exhaustiveness visit the Solotel website for all the details). Let's start with a recently reborn favourite of the inner city. The Abercrombie is hosting an epic two-week extravaganza of parties and events curated by DJ Kate Monroe and House of Silky co-founder Xander Khoury. The lineup includes Pride, Play & Party on Friday, February 17 (for which entry is free), the House Techno & Queer Collective parties on Saturday, February 18 and Friday, February 24, and the all-hours Community Parade Afterparty on Saturday, February 25. A few train stops east is the Kings Cross Hotel, which is hosting a stacked roster of 33 events throughout WorldPride. If the dance floor beckons, we recommend the weekly Club LOVE every Friday throughout the festival from 9pm until late. These celebratory all-inclusive parties will takeover across every floor of the hotel with DJs playing a mix of house, disco, pop and tech bangers throughout the night. If you're Pride celebrations take you to Newtown, The Bank is hosting a mix of one-off and weekly events throughout the festival. Every Thursday from 8pm will be the free-entry Woodys, where those who have a flair for hair (or are just looking for a good time surrounded by hirsute gents) are encouraged to come and get their boogie on to a new DJ every week. There's also DJs & Drag on Saturday, February 17, Ru Paul trivia on Monday, February 20, and the GiRLTHiNG, BOYTHiNG, OURTHiNG party on Saturday, March 4. In the unlikely event that none of those banger events are to your fancy, over 100 other events are happening in venues all over town. That includes The Malborough Hotel and The Courty in Newtown; The Clock and Goros in Surry Hills; Darlo Bar, Darlinghurst; Paddo Inn, Paddington; Barangaroo House; and Opera Bar. We hope you've had your vitamins because this is going to call for serious stamina. For more information on Solotel x Sydney WorldPride and their participating venues, or to grab your tickets, head to the website.
More things in life should remind the world about Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, 2021's wonderfully goofy (and just wonderful) Florida-set comedy starring Kristen Wiig (MacGruber) and Annie Mumolo (Barbie), plus Jamie Dornan (The Tourist) singing to seagulls. The also Wiig-led Palm Royale is one such prompt. Thankfully, watching Apple TV+'s new page-to-screen dramedy doesn't cause audiences to wish that they were just viewing Barb and Star, though. The two share the same US state as a locale, too, alongside bright colour schemes, a bouncy pace and a willingness to get silly, especially with sea life, but Palm Royale — which streams its first season from Wednesday, March 20 — engages all on its own. Adapting Juliet McDaniel's Mr & Mrs American Pie for the small screen, this 60s-set effort also knows how to make gleaming use of its best asset: Saturday Night Live, Bridesmaids and Ghostbusters alum Wiig. In its ten-episode first season, the show's storyline centres on Maxine Simmons. A former beauty-pageant queen out of Chattanooga, Tennessee, she thinks nothing of scaling the wall to the titular country club, then breezing about like she's meant to be there — sipping grasshoppers and endeavouring to eavesdrop her way into a social-climbing friendship with Palm Beach's high-society set — and Wiig sells every second of the character's twist-filled journey. Even better: she heartily and entertainingly conveys the everywoman aspects of someone who has yearning for a better life as her main motivation, and isn't willing to settle for anything less than she thinks that she deserves, even in hardly relatable circumstances. There's no doubting that Maxine is both an underdog and an outsider in the milieu that she so frenziedly covets. When she's not swanning around poolside, idolising self-appointed bigwig Evelyn Rollins (Allison Janney, The Creator) and ambassador's wife Dinah Donahue (Leslie Bibb, About My Father) among the regulars — their clique spans widow Mary Jones Davidsoul (Julia Duffy, Christmas with the Campbells) and mobster spouse Raquel Kimberly-Maco (Claudia Ferri, Arlette) — and ordering her cocktail of choice from bartender Robert (Ricky Martin, American Crime Story), she's staying in a far-from-glamorous motel. Funding for her quest to fit in with the rich and gossip-column famous comes via pawning jewellery owned by her pilot husband Douglas'(Josh Lucas, Yellowstone) comatose aunt Norma Dellacorte (Carol Burnett, Better Call Saul), the plastics and mouthwash heiress who ruled the scene until suffering an embolism. To say that Maxine has pluck is an understatement. To say that Palm Royale takes her lead is as well. Glossily made, and also supremely stylish in its gem- and pastel-hued costuming and production design — Maxine borrows from Norma's wardrobe, too; caftans, not culottes, are a favourite among the crowd she's clamouring to join — the series bounds along with wit, verve, humour and an eagerness to unpack as much as satirise. Creator Abe Sylvia (George & Tammy, Dead to Me, Filthy Rich), who also co-directs and co-writes, knows how ridiculous that lives revolving around superficial popularity, lavishness and being seen to host the best galas can seem — and how divorced from almost everyone's reality, whether or not you consider Evelyn and Dinah's existence aspirational as Maxine does — while devotedly ensuring that none of Palm Royale's key characters are as flimsy as their materialism-driven concept of happiness. Wiig sings Peggy Lee's 'Is That All There Is?' in her leading part — it released in 1969, the specific year when Palm Royale takes place — but the show itself doesn't inspire the same question. There's always more bubbling up in the series, which also finds a sweet spot in both Desperate Housewives and The Stepford Wives territory. Affairs, betrayal, secrets, blackmail, criminal antics and fraud flow as frequently as martinis and quaaludes, as do subterfuge, ulterior motives, big reveals and attempted murders. Patently, all that glitters for its characters doesn't equate to the gold that is blissful and carefree days. Palm Royale's aesthetics shimmer and shine, but the vision of the American dream that Maxine, Evelyn, Dinah and company are chasing is anything but flawless. A comedy, a skewering, a drama, a soap: this self-aware series isn't ever content saying "that's all there is" to any of them. Simply shaking together all of the above into a fun and chic blend doesn't satisfy Sylvia, either. Diving Mad Men-level deep may not be Palm Royale's aim, but there's weight to its time beyond the well-to-do in Nixon's America. The inclusion of Linda Shaw (Laura Dern, The Son), who runs a feminist bookstore in West Palm Beach with her friend Virginia (Amber Chardae Robinson, Loot) — and a collective that's actively protesting the Vietnam War — makes certain that the politics of the time are never ignored, for instance, nor the fact that doggedly pursuing the cashed-up fantasy life is not everyone's wish. Ambition isn't lacking for Maxine or for the show, then — or when it comes to making the most of such a starry cast. Surrounding Wiig, Janney and Bibb are each a treasure as frenemies with equally delicious lines, and as women who appear to uphold the rich idyll yet typify how money can't buy everything. Dern, who also executive produces as Wiig does, invests sincerity and earthiness; her moments with her IRL father Bruce Dern (Old Dads), playing dad and daughter, are a particular highlight. While being bedridden is her lot to begin with, no one casts comedy legend Burnett just to keep her character unconscious. And if there's a breakout surprise among the performances, it's from Martin, who inhabits Robert, a fellow interloper alongside Maxine, with soul and thoughtfulness as he weathers Palm Beach's la vida loca. It might seem erratic, seesawing between Big Little Lies-esque intrigue and dramas among the affluent, or pretending to be, and letting Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar-style absurdity kick in — and also bringing the far darker Ingrid Goes West, aka Maxine's plight if it was the 2010s instead, to mind. Indeed, it's no minor feat that Palm Royale's mix hit the mark. That said, the precarious feeling that tints Maxine's life and dreams is shared by the series, because there's no shortage of ways that this could've crumpled. Going all in while striving for glory may prove chaotic for its protagonist, but it works a treat for the show that she's in. Check out the trailer for Palm Royale below: Palm Royale streams via Apple TV+ from Wednesday, March 20.
The Sydney Dance Company has announced they'll be kicking off their 2013 season with a killer show, De Novo, which features costumes by Dion Lee and the music of Sarah Blasko and Nick Wales. The artists are collaborating on artistic director Rafael Bonachela's Emergence, one part of a trio of dance works that make up De Novo. It will be a testament to Bonachela's belief in the value of pop culture and other artistic practices to contribute to contemporary dance, with Blasko's vocals and Wales's soundscape providing the inspirational fuel for the piece. It's certainly piqued our interest, even more so because Lee's and Blasko's aesthetics don't suggest an immediate match. Will it be severely tailored, or adorably vintage? Adorably tailored? The start of a new cultural epoch? The only thing we know for certain is that it will be memorable. The other two works in De Novo have their own lure. Cacti is the product of renowned Swedish choreographer Alexander Ekman, currently working with the Netherlands Dance Theatre, and features 16 dancers, a string quarter, and a dynamic set with the titular cacti. Meanwhile, the third dance, Fanatic, is about a fan outraged over the Alien vs Predator franchise — a choreographic theme as old as star-cross'd romance. De Novo opens in Sydney on March 1. Tickets are available from the SDC website.
Eating out is one of Sydney's great joys, but having someone else cook for you can be expensive — unless you know where to go. Well, never fear as Concrete Playground is here. We believe that enjoying a meal with your mates, family or significant other shouldn't leave you stressing over your savings, so we have hunted down the best culinary bargains for every day of the week. MONDAY $4 MINI BURGERS - THE NORFOLK, SURRY HILLS The Norfolk will give you a burger and some change from your $5 note. Even if one of their mini burgers doesn't fill you up you, can buy another and still have spent less than $10. Then you can pop some coins in the piggy bank for next Monday. $5 STEAK - THE FORRESTERS, SURRY HILLS What better way to start your week than by handing over the smallest of all the monetary notes and receiving a delicious chunk of red meat? Well the friendly folk at Forresters will let you do exactly that and will even throw in some sides just to sweeten the bargain. $10 DINNER - THE TOXTETH HOTEL, GLEBE The Toxteth understands that you might not be able to decide exactly what you want to eat with your $10, so they are offering four separate meals on their $10 Monday menu. Take your pick from the rump steak, chicken schnitzel, fish and chips and penne puttanesca. $10 MEATBALLS - THE CARRINGTON, SURRY HILLS Head to the Carrington for the meatballiest pasta a Monday can serve up. Just like Momma used to make, if your Momma used to make meatballs. $15 RACK OF RIBS - SWEETHEARTS ROOFTOP BARBEQUE, POTTS POINT A delicious full rack of ribs is tough to come by. A cheap and delicious full rack of ribs? Well that is a rarity. Thankfully, Sweethearts Rooftop Barbeque is offering that excellent package deal, so tuck in, and wear those loose pants. TUESDAY DOLLAR DOGS - THE SODA FACTORY, SURRY HILLS The new darling of the Sydney bar scene offers Tuesday revellers gourmet hot dogs for just a single dollar, completely defying business logic. Use those dollars you saved from Monday's meal and grab yourself the cheapest hot dog in town. $3 TACOS AND TEQUILAS - FLYING FAJITA SISTAS, GLEBE Yes, you read correctly, every taco on a Tuesday at Flying Fajita Sistas is only $3. You can even wash it down with a shot of tequila that also sells at just $3. The brilliance of this bargain speaks for itself. $6 FRIED CHICKEN - MS. G'S, POTTS POINT If you have a hankering for fried chicken, then the Merivale-owned Ms. G's is the place to be on a Tuesday evening. With four pieces only setting you back $6, and with five flavours to choose from, this is the cheapest chicken on offer. 2 FOR 1 MEALS - CLOCK HOTEL, SURRY HILLS Most people like to eat with someone, and thanks to the Clock Hotel you can do it for cheap. They are offering two meals for the price of one, so take a friend, or meet one there, and bond over a belly full of delicious. $14 LASAGNE – VASCO In my opinion, lasagna is the greatest culinary creation of all time. You may disagree, but you can’t disagree with the price Vasco are offering for their delectable dish. Who knows, by the end of it you may think just as fondly of lasagna as I do. WEDNESDAY $3 TACOS - THE WORKERS, BALMAIN If you chose to go somewhere other than Flying Fajita Sistas on Tuesday, or went and want some more Mexican in your mouth, then the Workers is the spot to be. Hand over a few gold coins and they'll hand you a meat-filled tortilla. I'd say you definitely win that trade. $4 SLIDERS - THE PASSAGE, DARLINGHURST The Passage is serving up some sliders you can salivate over whilst saving. Mix it with a cider and you have a rhyming feast that won't break the bank. $10 SHARED MENU - THE LONDON HOTEL, PADDINGTON Wednesday sees the London slash their shared menu prices to an even $10 for everything. Now you grab those wings, onion rings or even calamari and share them with that person at the bar. 1 KILOGRAM OF MUSSELS FOR $13 - EAST VILLAGE HOTEL, BALMAIN Remember that time you said "I really want to try eating a kilogram of mussels"? Well luckily for you, East Village Hotel in Balmain is giving you a bucket of mussels for half price. Cost of one kilogram of mussels: $13. Living your dream: priceless. THURSDAY ROTI - MAMAK, HAYMARKET Mamak is that restaurant in Haymarket that has queues around the corner until the early hours of the morning. The reason? They have delectable roti starting at only $6.50. So line up early and order yourself the roti bawang. $5 LOBSTER ROLLS - THE PASSAGE, DARLINGHURST Feel rich eating Lobster for just $5. No your eyes aren't deceiving you, this is real and is all part of The Passage's Gin Club Thursday evenings. Advantage should be taken of this excellent offer. $10 SCHNITZEL – CHAMBERLAIN HOTEL, CITY Walk in, order and hand over your $10. When it arrives you can feel free to gleefully yell out 'schnitty!' as loud as possible before tucking in. $10 STEAK - THE ROXBURY HOTEL, GLEBE If Thursday night is steak night in your life, then look no further than the Roxbury Hotel. A healthy-sized steak with your choice of sides is worth the $10 you will pay, and you can watch a show or listen to some live music whilst eating. $12 PIZZA - THE LIGHT BRIGADE, PADDINGTON Ten inches of some of the best pizza in Paddington for only $12. Sold. FRIDAY 1 KILOGRAM OF CHICKEN WINGS FOR $10 - THE ABERCROMBIE HOTEL, CHIPPENDALE Fuel your body for the Friday evening ahead and grab a bucket of chicken wings. For $10 and you will get an entire kilogram of them. We suggest bringing some friends to help out. 50 CENT CHICKEN WINGS - THE TOXTETH HOTEL, GLEBE If $10 proves to be too expensive for you, the Toxteth offers wings for only 50 cents. Either way, it seems that chicken wings are the way to go on a Friday evening. $10 PIZZA - BAR100, THE ROCKS If chicken wings aren't for you, though, do not fret, there are plenty of alternatives. One of those is being served up at Bar100, with all pizzas being sold for just $10. RAMEN - RYO'S, NORTH SYDNEY Ryo's is one of the best ramen restaurants in Sydney. The North Sydney cookery serves up an enormous bowl of the Japanese favourite for around $12. If you have somehow missed Ryo's so far, then head there this Friday for an end-of-the-working-week ramen reward. $12 SCHNITZEL - SACKVILLE HOTEL, BALMAIN Balmain is always bubbling on a Friday night and the Sackville is one of the most popular pubs in the area. Their schnitzel is well sized, especially for only $12, so tuck in. SATURDAY PIE - PIE TIN, NEWTOWN Pie Tin serves the best pie in Newtown. With a wide selection of savoury and sweet pies you wouldn't find in most pie shops, you will find the pie that suits you. Each gourmet pie is cheap as chips and can be combined with sides. If you can fit it in, give "the pie that ate Newtown" a go. $5 FOR 5 DUMPLINGS - THE ROXBURY HOTEL, GLEBE Five dumplings for $5 is an excellent deal so take a few friends, spend a few fivers and get a feast of delicious dumplings to devour over a few well-earned weekend drinks. $6 TACOS - SLIP INN, CITY Slip into Slip Inn and slip out with stomach full of Mexican. Their $6 tacos are served up by El Loco and are well worth a taste, especially at this price. $9.90 MEALS - PONTOON BAR, DARLING HARBOUR Pontoon Bar are offering beef burgers, steak sandwiches, salads and much more for less than $10. So sit down, have a feed and enjoy the sights of Darling Harbour. $12.50 MEALS - SHAKESPEARE HOTEL, SURRY HILLS Every meal at the Shakespeare Hotel is $12.50. So grab whatever you want, smile over how little you had to pay for it and enjoy a delicious dinner. SUNDAY $30 SUNDAY BARBECOA - THE NORFOLK, SURRY HILLS The Norfolk serves up the perfect Spanish-themed Sunday barbeque. Meat straight from the coals, salsa, sauces, tacos are available all day long and $30 will serve two or three people, so it works out to be only $10 or $15 for a whole barbeque. Split the bill and everyone is happy, especially your bank balance. $4 SLIDER AND CIDER - THE WORKERS, BALMAIN Round out the week atop the Workers with a slider in one hand and a cider in the other. Thanks to how cost effective this plan is, your hands can stay full all day. $10 SUNDAY ROAST - P. J. O'BRIENS, CITY The traditional Sunday roast has slowly disappeared from many households. Thankfully P. J. O'Briens are still offering the family feast, and for only $10, consider Sunday dinner organised. $10 BURGER - BAR100, THE ROCKS After a long week, why should anyone have to use a fork and knife? Grab a burger from Bar 100 and tuck in. Forks and knives may be used, but isn't a burger just that much better when it's making a mess? HAVELI THALI - LITTLE HAVELI, GLEBE The haveli thali that Little Haveli serve up is how Indian food should be enjoyed. Hand over $12.90 and receive three curries, rice, salad and so much more. WINdian.
What happens when a sandwich diner levels up in a big way, becoming a fine-diner that's angling for a spot among Chicago's very best restaurants? Fans of The Bear will soon find out. The show's third season is about to be served, arriving at the end of June — and in the latest trailer, culinary chaos remains on the menu. "This is a dysfunctional kitchen," says Sydney (Ayo Edebiri, Bottoms) in the new sneak peek. "Show me a functional one," pipes back Carmy (Jeremy Allen White, The Iron Claw) and Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach, No Hard Feelings) in unison. The rest of the trailer is teeming with the hustle and bustle of the trio, and their colleagues, friends and family, working through the reality of having made their hospitality dreams come true. [caption id="attachment_954671" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chuck Hodes/FX[/caption] As the first glimpse at season three also showed, The Bear's namesake restaurant is now open, after Carmy, Sydney, Richie and the team transformed their beef-slinging eatery (where season one's action took place) into an upscale restaurant (with that process fuelling season two). But staying operational is still a struggle, with the new batch of episodes set to chart Carmy's quest for culinary perfection, plus the stresses that both it and being in the restaurant trade in general bring. How that pans out will be revealed on Thursday, June 27 both in the US and Down Under. In the past, there's always been a wait for Aussie and NZ viewers — season one hit in June in America, then in August in Australia; with season two, US viewers still had a June date, while Aussies and New Zealanders had to wait till July — but thankfully that isn't the case this time. Comfort food and winter do go hand in hand, after all — and since 2022, so have chaotic culinary dramedies and the frostiest time of the year Down Under. It was two years back that The Bear debuted to become one of the best new shows on television. In 2023, it then became one of the best returning shows on TV that year. The Bear was renewed for season three in November 2023 to the surprise of no one, but to the joyous shouts of "yes chef!" from everyone. Also, even though that third season hasn't yet dropped, it looks as if the show has been renewed for its fourth season already as well. If you've missed The Bear so far, its first season jumped into the mayhem when Carmy took over the diner after his brother's (Jon Bernthal, Origin) death. Before returning home, the chef's resume featured Noma and The French Laundry, as well as awards and acclaim. Then, in season two, Carmy worked towards turning the space into an upscale addition to his hometown's dining scene, with help from the restaurant's trusty team — including a roster of talent also spans Abby Elliott (Indebted) as Carmy's sister Natalie, aka Sugar, plus Lionel Boyce (Hap and Leonard), Liza Colón-Zayas (In Treatment), Edwin Lee Gibson (Fargo) and IRL chef Matty Matheson among the other staff. Check out the latest trailer for The Bear season three below: The Bear streams via Disney+ in Australia and New Zealand, with season three arriving on Thursday, June 27. Read our review of season one and review of season two.
Food is usually the gift you give when you can't think of anything else. Come on, it's true. However, anyone getting their dad Gelato Messina's latest special Father's Day creation can't be accused of that. Given that the gelato wizards are pumping out VHS tape-shaped, Negroni-flavoured gelato cakes, wanting to eat it before Dad can is understandable. Their limited-edition offering, which is completely made out of gelato and chocolate, and is entirely edible. Well, the choc-orange flavoured cake layered with vermouth gelato (!), almond crunch, more choc-orange cake and Negroni gel (made with Archie Rose gin and blood orange mousse) is — and the edible VHS chocolate top layer as well. Best not to take a bite out of the box it comes in, though. Kids of the '80s and '90s, if you're having flashbacks about accidentally sticking food into your parents' video player when you were too young to know better, you're not alone (you're not alone). And yes, that's a good enough reason to get a cake. These memory-jogging sweet treats serve six to eight people, and will be available from Messina's Bondi, Darlinghurst, Miranda, Parramatta, Rosebery and Penrith stores in Sydney, Fitzroy and Windsor digs in Melbourne, and South Brisbane. As is always the case with their creative concoctions, they're certain to get snapped up fast, so ordering one asap is recommended. You'll have to wait until September 3 to eat it, so enjoy this GIF of the cake:
Sky-watchers across Australia are in for a bright few months, with the first of this year's three supermoons — the October "harvest moon" — rising tonight. The moon will appear at its fullest on Tuesday, October 7, though it will remain spectacular on Wednesday when it reaches its closest point to Earth. Unlike most celestial events, there's no special equipment needed — as long as the skies are clear, it'll be visible rising in the east at sunset and setting in the west at sunrise. [caption id="attachment_1031874" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 2016's supermoon over the Sydney Opera House[/caption] A supermoon occurs when a full moon coincides with the point in its orbit where it's closest to Earth, known as its perigee. Because the Moon's orbit is slightly oval-shaped, its distance from Earth changes each month — and sometimes several full moons in a row fall near that closest point. "When the full moon is closest to the Earth, the full moon before and the full moon after are still a fair bit closer to the Earth than average," University of Southern Queensland astronomer Jonti Horner told the ABC. Horner explained that while the size and brightness differences are measurable — supermoons can appear up to 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter — they're often subtle to the naked eye. "It would be obvious if you put the two next to each other," he said, "but it's not a wow, leap-out-of-your-seats type thing." Australia will see follow-up supermoons on November 5 and December 4, with some astronomers also including the January 3 full moon in the series. The biggest and brightest of the lot is expected in November. [caption id="attachment_1031875" align="alignnone" width="1920"] May 2021's supermoon[/caption] And if the view alone isn't enough, the Moon's close approach will also slightly intensify tides — known as "perigean spring tides" or king tides — as its stronger gravitational pull interacts with Earth's oceans. This trio of supermoons marks the start of a lively period for stargazers. Beyond the lunar events, the Orionids meteor shower will peak later in October, and in March 2026, Australians will be treated to a total lunar eclipse — a blood-red moon lighting up the night sky. Want to get a good look? Here are our favourite places to stargaze around Australia. Images: Getty Images
If you thought Africa's first underwater hotel room was impressive, how about an upgrade? For an additional US$283,500, you can stay in your very own submarine hotel. Titled 'Lovers Deep', it's the latest offering from luxury travel company Oliver's Travels, whose motto is 'Why Do Ordinary?' Indeed. Why put up with terrestrial limitations, when you could be floating 650 feet deep off a Caribbean island of your choice? Making demands on a dedicated butler? Performing ablutions in company in a dual shower? Watching schools of fish swim by while eating their aphrodisiac friends? You can ask Oliver’s to customise an overnight package according to your desires. Options include sunset beach walks, a petal-scattering service, champagne breakfasts-in-bed and fine dining feasts involving caviar, oysters and chocolate fondant. "All of our hand-picked, luxury properties have something unique and quirky about them," says Oliver Bell, the company's co-founder. "But Lovers Deep really stands out as one of our quirkiest yet." Oliver’s, a UK-based company, specialises in highly unusual, once-in-a-lifetime travel experiences. Their stable includes remote, romantic lighthouses, abandoned windmills-turned-hotels, French chateaus and British country mansions surrounded by rolling hills. Via PSFK.
Camping is an excellent way to get away from the buzz of city living, to slow things down and reconnect with nature. While you may be stripping back to the very basics, that doesn't mean your menu has to be — even if options can feel limited when figuring out what to eat around the campfire. To help you out, we've whipped up a full menu of tasty camp cooking hacks and tips to make your next outdoor trip a culinary delight. With a little bit of prep and a few handy tools, these meal ideas won't make you feel limited by your outdoor camping kitchen. Treat yourself to these easy, delicious dishes no matter where you are. BREAKFAST Paper Bag Bacon and Eggs Love camping, but hate washing up? This is the perfect no-fuss breakfast for your next rendezvous with the great outdoors. All you need to do is rub the inside of a paper bag with bacon to grease it, then line the bottom with a few strips of bacon, creating a nest for your eggs. Crack one or two eggs into the bag, fold the top down a few times, then poke a hole through the fold and put a stick through to hold the bag over the fire — though not so close that your breakfast bursts into flames (which can happen, so take care). Your bacon and eggs should take around five to seven minutes to cook, depending on how crispy you like your bacon and how soft your eggs. Make sure you have a bit of paper towel underneath the bag as you eat, otherwise you may end up with a nice greasy patch on your pants. Hot tip: Take your eggs and bacon to the next level by adding add some mushrooms or spinach. Campfire Blueberry-Orange Muffins For something pretty special for your next camping breakfast, we recommend breaking out these special muffins. All you'll need is twelve oranges and some blueberry muffin pre-mix from the supermarket. Make up your muffin mix in a jug so it's easy to handle, slice the oranges in half and scoop out the flesh (which you can save for your camping sangria — more on that below). Pour the muffin mix into one orange cup, then top with the other emptied half. Wrap each orange in a layer or two of al foil, and rest them on some hot coals just next to the flames. Turn each wrapped orange over every minute or so for about ten minutes until they're cooked through. Unwrap and enjoy. [caption id="attachment_630716" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Flickr/brenneman.[/caption] LUNCH Campfire Nachos The secret to making exceptional nachos is all in the layers. Making these nachos is super easy with a good camp oven and your preferred ingredients: tortilla chips, cheese, tinned black beans, tinned tomato, avocado, coriander, shallots, lime, salsa and more cheese. Start with a hefty layer of chips, followed by black beans, salsa, shallots, tomatoes and cheese, then repeat. Cook over the fire, so the cheese melts and the ingredients are warmed through. If you have an esky, bring some sour cream to add on top post-cooking, and unless you're a fan of warm avocado, top with avo and coriander as well. Finish off with fresh lime. Camping Toasted Sandwiches Few things hit the spot better than a gooey, melty toasted sandwich — especially when it's infused with some campfire smokiness. Bring a great jaffle iron, some bread and the fillings of your choice, and you're in business. If you don't have a jaffle iron, you can achieve similar results with foil and a skillet, or by cooking straight on the pan with some oil to stop your sandwiches from sticking. Filling options can range from roast chicken, swiss cheese and avocado to gruyere and blue cheese with fig jam. DINNER Campfire Potatoes Cold nights call for toasty warm, wintry food, and you can't go past campfire-cooked potatoes. As you fry up the spuds, the campfire will add a highly delicious smokey flavour. Warm up your camp oven by resting it over the fire on a tripod or straight on some hot coals. Slice brown onion into rings, and add them to your pan or camp oven with some minced garlic. Get those bits sizzling, as you cut your spuds into slices about half a centimetre thick. Toss the potatoes and a handful of diced bacon in with the onion and garlic, then pop on the lid, stirring every five minutes to make sure nothing sticks. Once everything's cooked, top your smokey, meaty, potatoes with that sour cream you brought for the nachos. Camp Oven Pizza Make sure you have plenty of hot coals for this one; it takes around 20 minutes to bake through. For ease's sake, grab some pre-made pizza dough — or prep some dough beforehand if you have a good recipe. Line the bottom of the camp oven with baking paper so that some paper sticks up on the sides, and press your dough in. Top with sauce, cheese and whatever toppings you fancy, put the lid on, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the cheese is golden and dough is cooked through. Using the extra baking paper on the sides, lift your pizza out, slice and dig in. [caption id="attachment_630717" align="alignnone" width="1920"] @racheena.[/caption] DESSERT Campfire S'more Cones Bring along some some waffle cones for an easier-to-eat, more decadent take on the s'more. Fill the cones with marshmallows, chocolate chips, chopped nuts, almond slices, coconut, peanut butter and anything else you can think of, and wrap each cone tightly in foil. Roasting them in the fire takes a bit of balancing skill, as you'll want to roast them upright if possible. Leave them near the fire for about five minutes. The al foil shouldn't get hot, but if the cones are too hot to hold, use tongs to hold them, or MacGyver some kind of cone holder. Ten points of the latter. Baileys Marshmallows This is straightforward excellence. Toast your marshmallows as usual, and once they're golden and gooey, dip them in Baileys. That's all there is to it — be warned though, things can get a bit messy. Best for each person to have their own little mug of Baileys for sipping and dipping. DRINKS Campsite Sangria Be the hero of the campsite with this boozy, fruity sangria. The night before you head off camping, add fruits like the orange flesh from the muffins, apples, peaches, strawberries and blueberries, plus a quarter cup of vodka to a large mason jar. Fill the rest of the jar with white wine, and leave to sit overnight. Once you arrive at the campsite, you'll have the perfect mix to combine with ginger ale and lemonade. Speedy Mulled Wine Mulled wine at a campfire is mighty fine, but there's a lot of fussing around with sugar, cinnamon and spices, plus the mulling time. Keep things simple with two easy ingredients: cinnamon tea and port. Use a billy can to brew up some of the spicy tea, which is as simple as steeping cinnamon quills in water. Once the tea is sufficiently brewed and hot, fill mugs halfway and top off with port. The sweetness of the port balances out the cinnamon tea to add some extra warmth at night.
Step inside a great hotel and the staff will make you feel welcome. Check in for a stay at QT Melbourne and you'll now be greeted by a very special (and adorable) employee: Russell the wellness dog-cierge. The accommodation chain's Victorian site has announced a partnership with Guide Dogs Victoria to enlist the help of a four-legged friend at the hotel — bringing cuteness, joy and companionship to patrons. If you know where QT Melbourne is located, then you'll know where this cute pooch gets his name. Russell Street's newest resident trained as a guide dog, but it was decided that he's better suited to aid with wellbeing due to his affectionate and friendly nature. While his job at the hotel from Thursday, February 27, 2025 involves being charming, greeting guests and leading walks, he also gives the venue a walking, tail-wagging tribute to the work done by Guide Dogs Victoria, even if he hasn't been dispatched to assist people with blindness or low vision. Consider this your latest reason to book in a staycation if you're a Melburnian — and great motivation to pick where to slumber on your next trip to the Victorian capital if you're located elsewhere. "We're incredibly proud to welcome Russell to QT Melbourne," said the hotel's General Manager Kristen Foat. "His presence represents not just a commitment to our guests' wellbeing, but also a deep appreciation for the important work Guide Dogs Victoria does in the community. Through this partnership, we're able to give back in a meaningful way while creating an environment of joy, connection and compassion." For more pup-centric fun, QT Melbourne is also launching a trio of experiences for or involving pooches, all of which will donate their proceeds Guide Dogs Victoria. Fancy bending and stretching on a rooftop with puppies in training to be guide dogs? Monthly Pups & Poses sessions have you covered. Keen to drop by with your own barking bestie instead? Puppacinos are on offer, as are pup staycations. You'll be heading to Deli QT, the hotel's sandwich bar, for a pup-friendly sip from 8am–3pm Monday–Saturday. And during pet-friendly sleepovers, your pooch will be able to get snacking thanks to the in-room menu for dogs. Russell joins QT Melbourne, 133 Russell Street, Melbourne from Thursday, February 27, 2025 — head to the hotel's website for bookings and more details.
Every year, on the last Saturday in March, Earth Hour focuses the world's attention on the planet via a vitally important symbolic gesture. Although carbon is saved by turning things off, the point is the unmissable demonstration — with a huge chunk of the world's population caring about the same thing at the same time. If we can manage this for Earth Hour, why not for grander environmental things? It all started in Sydney in 2007, and has become an international event in the years since, with hundreds of millions of people taking part in more than 7000 cities across over 180 countries. Of course, in 2020, things will be a bit different, with no out-of-home activities taking place — but Earth Hour is still asking everyone to join in by staying in the house and turning off the lights at 8.30pm AEDT on Saturday, March 28 (7.30pm AEST). While you're sitting in the dark, you can also live-stream a heap of performers thanks to Earth Hour Live, with Montaigne, Cody Simpson, Jack River, Polish Club, Bobby Alu, Ella Haber, Dulcie and Alice Skye all on the bill — and journalist Patrick Abboud on hosting duties. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89ZegTD4buQ&feature=emb_logo And, although you won't be able to see them yourself, local and global landmarks and tourist spots such as the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Luna Park, the Wheel of Brisbane, Melbourne Star Observation Wheel, the Eiffel Tower, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Tokyo Skytree, Brandenburg Gate, the Colosseum in Rome, Taipei 101, the Petronas Twin Towers, the Ali Qapu Palace, the Akropolis and Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong are all getting into the Earth Hour spirit by switching their lights off for an hour, too. Images: Earth Hour 2019. Sydney. Luna Park, The Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House, photographed from Lavender Street, Lavender Bay. Photography by Quentin Jones. 30 March 2019. © Quentin Jones / WWF-Aus The Melbourne Star turns out its lights for Earth Hour 2018. © Alain Nguyen / WWF-Aus Story Bridge, Brisbane with lights switched off to celebrate 10 years of Earth Hour, Brisbane, 25 March 2017. © Anastasia Woolmington / WWF-Aus.
"Everything they told you about severance is a lie." Those words might ring true in the world of Severance, the Apple TV+ sci-fi thriller that debuted in 2022 and proved one of that year's best new shows, but it isn't accurate about the series itself. Based on its first season, this mindbender deserves all the praise that it gets and more, and it's all 100-percent correct. If the teaser trailer for the upcoming second season is anything to go by, it'll be serving up more work-life nightmares — and twists, tension and must-see viewing — from January. Thinking about how to best balance your professional and personal spheres, and the time you dedicate to them, is an annual tradition when each new year starts. The Christmas break has been and gone, everyone is making resolutions for the 12 months ahead, and better dividing your time between work and everything else becomes a goal for most. Come Friday, January 17, 2025, however, the subject will get a bigger push via this hugely anticipated TV return — and so will how work-life balance can weigh on your mind, or not. Capitalising on perfect timing, Apple TV+ is finally ending the wait for more Severance, the series where disconnecting from your job come quittin' time — and giving your gig every ounce of your focus during your daily grind — has become literal in a hellish way. At Lumon Industries, employees agree to undertake the titular procedure, which splits their memories between work and home. But as Macrodata Refinement division employee Mark S (Adam Scott, Loot) start to discover, nothing about the situation is what it seems. Severance's comeback calls for a waffle party, an egg bar or a melon bar — or at least a big bunch of blue balloons with the face of Mark S on them. The latter have popped up in sneak peeks at the new season so far, including the date announcement clip and the just-released teaser trailer. If you missed season one, its dive into the kind of scenario that Black Mirror might've dreamed up, and technology that could've been used if Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was about punching the clock instead of romance, saw Mark S willingly sign up for severance, all to help process his grief over the death of his wife. And he's happy with the situation until his work BFF Petey (Yul Vazquez, The Outsider) leaves suddenly without saying goodbye, then new staff member Helly (Britt Lower, American Horror Stories) comes in to replace him — and instantly starts questioning the insidious setup, the rules and restrictions needed to keep it in place, and why on earth her "outie" (as the outside versions of Lumon employees are known) agreed to this in the first place. In season two, Mark and his work pals will attempt to dig deeper into the consequences of the severance procedure, and trying to escape it. They'll also learn the ramifications of messing with the system — and Lumon isn't just filled with the same familiar faces. Tramell Tillman (Hunters), Zach Cherry (Fallout), Jen Tullock (Perry Mason), Michael Chernus (Carol & the End of the World), Dichen Lachman (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes), John Turturro (Mr & Mrs Smith), Christopher Walken (Dune: Part Two) and Patricia Arquette (High Desert) all return — with new cast members including Gwendoline Christie (Wednesday), Bob Balaban (Asteroid City), Merritt Wever (Memory), Alia Shawkat (The Old Man) and John Noble (Twilight of the Gods). Ben Stiller (Escape at Dannemora) is back as a director on five episodes, and executive producer across the whole season, with ten episodes on the way. Apple TV+ will drop instalments through until Friday, March 21, 2025. Check out the teaser trailer for Severance season two below: Severance returns for season two on Friday, January 17, 2025 via Apple TV+.
Melburnian and Sydneysiding bartenders take their craft truly seriously. Twisting limes, straining shakers and floating on spoons in their sleep, these lovers of a good muddle are a proud, dedicated hoard. But which city owns the mad skills: the salty sea dogs of Sydney or the metropolitan marauders from Melbourne? The convolutedly titled but cleverly programmed World Class World Cocktail Week has had enough of shouting over the fence. In a momentous stately exchange, Sydney and Melbourne will front up their finest three bartenders from two celebrated cocktail bars and swap venues for two evenings of pure exhibitionist swagger. Melbourne’s Black Pearl will take over Sydney bar The Rook on Tuesday, May 13, to sprinkle a little Victorian savvy on the lobster-loving CBD bar. On Saturday, June 17, The Rook will return the visit, with bartenders Cristiano Beretta, Jason Williams and Rollo Anderson venturing south to claim the Black Pearl as their own. Both carefully crafted teams will be whipping up their own concoctions from the stores of each venue, undoubtedly provoking some smuggery at where certain bits and pieces are kept behind the bar. Throwing down every last twist and roll, the grudge match forms part of the neat libation-loving event program of WCWCW. Carnivores will be able to pair their love of meat and liquor at the Newtown Hotel for ‘Meat Meets Whiskey’ (May 6 – May 13), where you can consume Bulleit Bourbon via bone luge, as well as many other meat-inflected concoctions. Vegetarians should probably avoid like the plague. Sydney's Hinky Dinks and Melbourne's Belle's Diner will both be tempting their fair share of nostalgics with 'Pimp Your Shake'. That entails Zacapa rum-spiked milkshakes paired with heady American desserts — the Plenty a Platano is served with warm banana doughnuts and the Peanut Buttered Rum Shake with a slice of pecan pie ($22 each). There's also a nationwide #garnishoff happening on Instagram, and your dinky orange slice ain't going to cut it. To brush up on your cocktail terminology and know what you’re looking for in an Old Fashioned, have a tipple with the bartenders in your city here and here. The end of Prohibition has never tasted so good. World Class World Cocktail Week runs a series of Australia-wide events from May 6-13, curated by celebrated Sydney foodie Ms Darlinghurst. Check out the website for more information.
There's a real change in social codes when you go out for a fancy meal. You have to dress appropriately, your table talk gets kicked up a notch, and above all, you're expected to be respectful and open to new experiences. But this doesn't come naturally to all of us; least of all to children. To celebrate the launch of their latest food issue, The New York Times invited six primary schoolers to one of New York's best restaurants. The resulting video is intended as a playful little piece of comedy — and it really is cute — but boy, we definitely relate to what these kids are feeling. Embarking on a seven-course tasting menu from critically-acclaimed French restaurant Daniel, the six vest-clad, headband-wearing children were treated to US$225 worth of Smoked Paprika Cured Hamachi, Crispy Japanese Snapper, Wagyu Beef Rib-Eye and more. Straight from the kitchen of respected chef Daniel Boulud, this food is seriously fancy. But that didn't stop these kids from speaking their mind. "I didn't like any of that stuff," said one child while digesting approximately $150 of Michelin-starred cuisine. "I can't wait 'til we have dessert," said another. Another ornately plated course is placed in front of them and one boy declares, "It looks like a little forest". For the record, it totally does. Though they might outwardly seem crass or impolite, each of their statements is remarkably similar to thoughts we've also had while at fancy restaurants. While most people would just accept convention and shut their mouths, our favourite mini-critic dressed in hot pink lets all it all out. "Why do I have two knives?" she asks. "This looks like soap. It tastes like soap. Why am I eating soap right now?" Maybe this is what fine dining needs; a little honesty now and then could really deflate some of that trademark foodie pretension. Either that or we should just not bother giving kids nice things at all. I guarantee they'd be just as excited about a Happy Meal. Via The New York Times.
Big relaunches. Amusing takes on huge pop-culture hits. An interactive — and cocktail-fuelled — theatre experience that spreads across multiple rooms. A nod to Kate Bush, too, because it wouldn't be a fringe festival without it. In Sydney throughout September 2025, all of the above are on the agenda. So is a free street party to get things started, and more than 460 events filling spaces around the Harbour City. The fest: Sydney Fringe, which is unveiling its first lineup under new CEO Patrick Kennedy across Monday, September 1–Tuesday, September 30. Given his theatre background — including his own Patrick Kennedy Theatre Machine, and working on marketing and publicity for the likes of Mary Poppins, & Juliet and The Phantom of the Opera — it should come as no surprise that reopening a venue is on his inaugural program. Indeed, when Darlinghurst's Eternity Playhouse hosts shows again for the first time in more than a year, it'll do so as part of Sydney Fringe Festival's 2025 Off Broadway Hub. [caption id="attachment_856144" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bruce Glikas 2021[/caption] That's where you'll find the well-timed Stranger Sings! The Musical Parody spoofing the Netflix hit through song, and getting Sydney laughing along with its 80s nods just a few months before the series starts unveiling its final season. Fittingly, Eternity Playhouse will also welcome Kate Bush Unmoored, which hails from the folks behind Radiohead Uncovered. In total, 2900 artists are involved in the 2025 lineup, which is taking over four precincts and ten festival hubs — the return of the Yagali First Nations Hub at the PACT Centre for Emerging Artists and the Queer Hub at Qtopia Sydney among them, plus the Dance Hub settling into Sydney Dance Company's Neilson Studio again and the Cabaret Hub moving to Marrickville Town Hall. Expect everything from Adam Nobilia reading from Australia's Least Wanted, his memoir about spending ten years working as a Special Education Teacher at Long Bay Jail, then, through to LA-based drag queens Lorelei and Annie Biotixx with their variety show Queen Out (Verb), a mix of drinks and live performance with Dorothy in Oz, and local and international talents unleashing new dance pieces. If you've been to a multisensory Broad Encounters experience before — so A Midnight Visit, Love Lust Lost or Maho Magic Bar, for example — you'll be excited about When Night Comes. This time, the Union Bond Store at 6–8 Atherden Street is your destination, and you'll be sipping tipples and watching theatre all at once. That aforementioned free shindig in the streets has a date with The Rocks at the beginning of the fest, complete with live tunes, while Bondi Pavilion is the place to champion contributions from artists living with disability, neurodivergent talents and creatives who are deaf. Wright & Grainger's Orpheus and Helios, circus at The Entertainment Quarter, open access literature festival Parramatta's Lit!, gothic revenge drama Way Back When: they're on the program, too. [caption id="attachment_1012584" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jeff Busby[/caption] "I'm thrilled to be stepping into the role of Sydney Fringe's next CEO, and I am dedicated to advancing the festival's vision to be celebrated as one of the world's leading fringe festivals, placing independent artists and cultural creators at the heart of Sydney. I look forward to driving organisational sustainability, fostering a values-driven team culture, and delivering transformative experiences for audiences and artists alike," said Kennedy, announcing the lineup. "The 2025 program is our most expansive yet and we're thrilled to be bringing artists and audiences together across more venues and precincts than ever before. From the return of major hubs to the highly anticipated reopening of the Eternity Playhouse, this year's program pushes boundaries and spotlights new voices, inviting Sydneysiders to rediscover their city through unforgettable experiences in every corner." [caption id="attachment_1012583" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dream Syndicate[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1012582" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jason Matz[/caption] Sydney Fringe Festival 2025 runs from Monday, September 1–Tuesday, September 30. For further information and tickets, head to the fest's website. Top image: Daniel Boud.
Summer might be over for another year, but chasing endless sunny days, sandy spots and crashing waves is a rather easy pastime in Australia. The country is girt by sea, after all, and boasts thousands of beaches — including Western Australia's Cable Beach, which has just been named one of the best coastal spots in the world for 2023, plus the absolute top beach in the South Pacific for this year as well. The scenic Broome locale nabbed those honours thanks to Tripadvisor, which unveils a lineup of top beaches each year. Among the international plaudits, Cable Beach came in third behind Baia do Sancho in Fernando de Noronha in Brazil and Eagle Beach in Aruba in The Caribbean. It also ranked higher than spots in Iceland, Turks and Caicos, Portugal, India, Sicily, Cuba and Hawaii. Yes, that's mighty fine company to keep. [caption id="attachment_891596" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cable Beach[/caption] In the South Pacific rundown, Cable Beach beat six other Aussie locations and one from New Zealand. Also getting some love locally: Sydney's Manly Beach in second place, Emily Bay on Norfolk Island in third and Mooloolaba Beach in fourth spot. Four Mile Beach in Port Douglas and Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island adding two more Queensland locations to the list at sixth and seventh place, while Turquoise Bay in Exmouth in WA came in ninth after topping the South Pacific spots in 2022. Across the ditch, Tahunanui Beach in Nelson sits at eighth place, too. The two beaches deemed the best in the South Pacific that aren't from Down Under? Matira Beach on Society Island in Bora Bora, French Polynesia, which sits fifth and Natadola Beach in Sigatoka, Fiji, at tenth. If it's an overseas beach holiday you're after this year, you now know where to head. [caption id="attachment_891589" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Manly Beach[/caption] Back to the worldwide list, it spans 25 places, with Manly coming in 13th there ahead of locations in Grand Cayman, San Sebastian, Bali, Costa Rica, Rio de Janeiro and more. Across both the worldwide and South Pacific rankings, winners were chosen as part of Tripadvisor's Traveller's Choice awards, which is based on millions of reviews and ratings left on the online platform across 2022. [caption id="attachment_891592" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Whitehaven Beach[/caption] TOP TEN BEACHES IN THE WORLD FOR 2023: Baia do Sancho, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil Eagle Beach, Aruba, The Caribbean Cable Beach, Broome, Australia Reynisfjara Beach, Vik, Iceland Grace Bay Beach, Turks and Caicos, The Caribbean Praia da Falésia, Algarve, Portugal Radhanagar Beach, Havelock Island, India Spiaggia dei Conigli, Sicily, Italy Varadero Beach, Cuba, The Caribbean Ka'anapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii TOP TEN BEACHES IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC FOR 2023: Cable Beach, Broome, Western Australia, Australia Manly Beach, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Emily Bay, Norfolk Island, Australia Mooloolaba Beach, Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia Matira Beach, Society Island, Bora Bora, French Polynesia Four Mile Beach, Port Douglas, Queensland, Australia Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Island, Queensland, Australia Tahunanui Beach, Nelson, New Zealand Turquoise Bay, Exmouth, Western Australia, Australia Natadola Beach, Sigatoka, Fiji [caption id="attachment_891590" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matira Beach[/caption] To check out the full list of top beaches for 2023, head to Tripadvisor. Images: Getty Images / Tripadvisor. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Those currently working from home have probably seen two major changes to their routine: less shoes and more snacks. To help with the latter, Australia's much-loved biscuit maker Arnott's is opening its vault and releasing some of its coveted recipes — for the first time in history. For weeks one and two of the snack expert's Big Recipe Release it unveiled its Monte Carlo and four-ingredient Scotch Finger recipes. Next up is a much-loved childhood-favourite: the Iced VoVo. Topped with pink fondant, raspberry jam and coconut, it's a little like Arnott's answer to the lamington. This recipe has been adapted for home bakers by Arnott's Master Baker Vanessa Horton, who suggests creating love heart shaped bikkies for mum — but, honestly, you can create whatever shape you like. Have a dinosaur shaped cookie cutter? Go wild. None at all? You can just cut them into squares. As you'd expect, you do, in fact, need flour to make Iced VoVos, but we've rounded up some of the spots selling the essential ingredient across the country, which aren't supermarkets. Australia's oldest baker will continue to release a new recipe for one of its famous biscuits every week until social distancing regulations are lifted. Next up, will it be the Tim Tam? Mint Slice? Pizza Shapes? We'll have to wait and see. In the meantime, though, here's the Iced VoVo recipe: ARNOTT'S ICED VOVO 180 grams unsalted butter, softened 1/2 cup (75 grams) soft icing sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups (300 grams) plain flour Royal Icing 1 large egg white 1 1/2 cups (200 grams) icing sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon glucose syrup 1-2 drops pillar box red colouring 1/2 cup raspberry jam 1/2 cup desiccated coconut Heart-shaped cutter (optional) Piping bag and nozzle (optional) Method Pre-heat fan-forced oven to 160°C. Line two baking trays with baking paper. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, icing sugar, and salt for two minutes or until pale and creamy. Sift the flour into the butter mixture and mix on low speed until combined. Place half the mixture between baking paper and roll out to approximately five millimetre thickness. Using a six centimetre heart shaped cutter, cut out biscuits, transfer to baking sheets. Repeat rolling and cutting heart shapes with remaining mixture, rerolling scrap dough to make more hearts. Bake for 16–18 minutes or when biscuits start to turn golden. Leave on the tray to cool. Royal icing Place egg white in a clean mixing bowl and mix on low speed with the whisk attachment until the whites begin to break up. Gradually add the icing sugar, vanilla and glucose, whisking until combined and glossy. If the mixture is too stiff add a teaspoon of water to loosen it up but ensure it isn't too runny as it will slide off the biscuit. It should form a smooth surface. Add your colour and stir until combined. Cover surface of icing with cling wrap until ready to use to prevent the icing going hard. Place a small round tip (we used a no. 2 nozzle) and fill your piping bag 1/3 full of icing. Don't overfill your bag. Fill another piping bag with raspberry jam. Pipe a jam strip down the centre of the heart biscuit and pipe pink icing around the edges before filling in the remainder of the heart with icing. Sprinkle with coconut. Place iced biscuits in a single layer of an airtight container to set overnight. Tips Be very light handed when adding your colour to ensure a soft pink colour. If you don't have a piping bag, you can use a snap lock bag and snip the corner off. Biscuits can be made into any shape, including the traditional rectangle.
When Hercule Poirot returned to cinema screens in 2017's Murder on the Orient Express, the infamous Agatha Christie-penned sleuth was always going to hang around. Hollywood loves a franchise and, on the page, the fictional Belgian detective has featured in more than 80 tales. Accordingly, a sequel to the Kenneth Branagh-starring and directed movie was always inevitable. Death on the Nile is that follow-up, as once again based on the book of the same name. It's due to hit cinemas sometime in the future — in this COVID-19 world, movie release dates aren't really set in stone anymore, as anyone who has been hanging out for months to see Tenet or Mulan knows — and, as the just-dropped first trailer shows, it trots out the familiar Poirot formula. In the current film series, that means bringing a whole heap of famous faces together in a confined location, dressing them up in luxe threads, interrupting their trip with a murder, then watching the moustachioed detective put his skills to the test. Obviously, here, everyone is on a boat in Egypt. In fact, Poirot is on vacation on a glamorous river steamer when duty calls — in the form of a couple's idyllic honeymoon that's been cut short by tragedy. Branagh is back both on-screen and behind the lens, while this time around he's joined by Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Annette Bening, Russell Brand, and even comedy legends Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. Also popping up: Murder on the Orient Express' Tom Bateman, Game of Thrones' Rose Leslie, Black Panther's Letitia Wright, Wild Rose's Sophie Okonedo, Sex Education's Emma Mackey and Victoria and Abdul's Ali Fazal. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRP57Bz842A&feature=youtu.be Death on the Nile is slated to release in Australian cinemas at a yet-to-be-revealed date — we'll provide exact details when they come to hand. Top images: © 2020 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
The man behind two of the smartest, sweariest shows on television will open this year's Sydney Writers' Festival with a talk about spin and satire in the world of modern day politics. Armando Iannucci is best known as the creator of two of the funniest political comedies in living memory: the BBC's The Thick of It and HBO's Veep. Both shows have been lauded for their uncomfortably accurate portrayal of contemporary politics. In fact, they're so accurate that Malcolm Turnbull even accidentally adopted one of Selina Myer's slogans during last year's federal election campaign. Whoops! Both shows also beloved among fans for having some of the most entertaining profanity ever uttered on television… and for very good reason. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUky4_A7Zw4 Iannucci will be at the Sydney Town Hall on the evening of Tuesday, May 2 with local journalist and screenwriter Benjamin Law, for a conversation that has been appropriately titled 'Swearing In'. Tickets are available now, and are $30 for students and pensioners, and $45 for adults. The full Sydney Writers' Festival program will be announced on April 6. The festival runs from May 22-28.
Here's news that no Usher fan will be saying "yeah!" to: the R&B singer is no longer touring Australia in 2025. After announcing his first solo headlining gigs in the country since 2011 back in May, then swiftly adding more gigs before general tickets had even gone on sale, the 2024 Super Bowl headliner has cancelled his entire trip Down Under. Usher was slated to play six concerts each in Melbourne in November and in Sydney in December. All 12 shows have been scrapped. A statement on the Ticketek website notes that the eight-time Grammy-winner's tour is cancelled, and that "the promoter of Usher's Australian tour regrets to advise that the scheduled shows to take place in November–December will no longer be proceeding". The Past Present Future tour's Aussie leg was set to hit Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday, November 19–Thursday, November 20, then again on Saturday, November 22–Sunday, November 23 and then across Tuesday, November 25–Wednesday, November 26. At Qudos Bank Arena, it was slated for Monday, December 1–Tuesday, December 2, then on Thursday, December 4–Friday, December 5 and finally on Wednesday, December 10–Thursday, December 11. Ticketholders will receive automatic refunds via the payment method they used to make their purchase within approximately 30 business days, the Ticketek website advises. Usher was due to celebrate his three-decade career at his Australian shows — going all the way back to his first single 'Call Me a Mack' from 1993, also playing tracks off of his latest 2024 album Coming Home, plus working his way through plenty in-between. The initial US concerts on the Past Present Future tour were announced just days before Usher's Super Bowl set, which worked through hits from across his lengthy career itself. From August–December 2024, the Texas-born singer made his way across North American stages, before heading to Europe (including England, France, the Netherlands and Germany) from March 2025. Also popping up on his setlist across the tour: 'Yeah!', of course, plus everything from 'Can U Get Wit It', 'Nice & Slow', 'U Remind Me' and 'U Got It Bad' to 'Burn', 'OMG', 'Euphoria' and more. Usher's Past Present Future World Tour Australia 2025 Dates Wednesday, November 19–Thursday, November 20, Saturday, November 22–Sunday, November 23 + Tuesday, November 25–Wednesday, November 26 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne — CANCELLED Monday, December 1–Tuesday, December 2, Thursday, December 4–Friday, December 5 + Wednesday, December 10–Thursday, December 11 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney — CANCELLED Usher is no longer touring Australia in November and December 2025. Tickets will be automatically refunded via the payment method used for purchase— head to the tour website for more details. Images: Bellamy Brewster / Marcus Macdonald.
Wearable technology has been around for a few years now, but hasn't really taken off. Google Glass tried to get everyone to stick a computer on their face, while the Apple Watch attempted to move smartphones onto everyone's wrists; however, as cool and suitably futuristic as both are, they're hardly must-have gadgets. Enter Snapchat, their first foray into the hardware realm, and the pair of sunnies everyone's going to want. We'll let you ponder that concept for a few moments, because sunglasses that record 10-second bursts of video sound both amazing and familiar, and not just because there's been a rumour that Snapchat has been working on something like this floating around for a while now. Called Spectacles and revealed by The Wall Street Journal in an interview with Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel, they're basically a cheaper version of Google's eyewear with one specific function; but hey, letting everyone do something they already could in a slightly different way has worked out pretty well for them so far, hasn't it? As well as turning the act of taking photos into a mostly hands-free task (unless you can press buttons with your mind, you're still going to have to lift a finger to the frames to start each clip, sadly), Spectacles boast two major drawcards. Firstly, they look like regular glasses, rather than Robocop-like attire, complete with black, teal and coral styles. And even better, they're going to be affordable, at US$130 a pair. Other features include a 115-degree lens designed to mimic the human field of vision, as well as the ability to capture circular images to approximate our natural perspective. And yes, everything you record with your new toy will then upload to your Snapchat account, after connecting to your phone via wifi. No word as yet regarding an Aussie release date, but a limited number are due out in the US sometime over the next couple of months. Via The Wall Street Journal. Image: Business Insider.
When Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi invited the world to experience the vampire sharehouse mockumentary genre, one of the best comedies of the decade wasn't the only result. Every film seems to spawn sequels, remakes, spinoffs and the like these days, but no one's complaining about spending more time in the What We Do in the Shadows universe. A follow-up, We're Wolves, is in the works, focusing on the undead bloodsuckers' Rhys Darby-led lycanthrope enemies. So is six-episode television spinoff Wellington Paranormal, following the movie's cops (Mike Minogue and Karen O'Leary) as they keep investigating the supernatural, and expected to air in New Zealand mid this year. Add a US TV remake of the original flick to the pile as well, but withhold any "do we really need a remake?" judgement. First revealed by Waititi last year, given a pilot order earlier in 2018 and now officially moving ahead with a 10-episode first season, the American version will be written by Clement and directed by Waititi, The Hollywood Reporter notes — and will see a documentary crew follow three vampire flatmates living in New York City, according to Variety. The series will star Toast of London's Matt Berry, Four Lions' Kayvan Novak, British stand-up comedian Natasia Demetriou and The Magicians' Harvey Guillen. It's unknown whether Clement and Waititi will reprise their on-screen roles in a guest capacity. With What We Do in the Shadows actually starting its life as a short back in 2005, the concept of flatting members of the undead arguing about bloody dishes has taken quite the journey since those early beginnings. If any idea was going to come back in multiple guises, it's this one. Of course, so have Clement and Waititi. Clement has a new Flight of the Conchords TV special airing on HBO this month, while Waititi two post-Thor: Ragnarok flicks in the works — a stop-motion animated effort called Bubbles, about Michael Jackson's chimp, and another by the name of Jojo Rabbit, set during World War II and starring Scarlett Johansson and Sam Rockwell. As for feasting your eyes into What We Do in the Shadows' new TV version, fans will have to wait until next year. The US remake isn't set to air in America until early-to-mid 2019. Via The Hollywood Reporter / Variety. Image: Kane Skennar.
Imagine if you could see a full lifetime's ageing process happen before your very eyes, sped up just enough that its imperceptible changes became perceptible. But not in an Indiana Jones Nazi uber ageing kind of way; rather, in a tasteful, filmmaker Anthony Cerniello kind of way. In the video below, Danielle, a tiny girl looks at us with a bored-yet-slightly-curious gaze, blinking occasionally. A few seconds later she's changed, only we can't quite tell how — a little broader in the forehead, a little more space between her eyes and eyebrows, maybe? You'll find yourself looking for those minute changes throughout the video. Don't skip through, though — the illusion will be totally ruined. This is because what looks like a lifelong timelapse of one woman's face is actually a very clever and meticulous blending of a whole collection of different portraits, all taken from a single family. Cerniello used faces from the family of his friend Danielle and employed high-tech methods throughout the process: after having photographer Keith Sirchio take shots of all the young cousins and relatives of different generations who looked alike, Cerniello scanned them using a drum scanner and selected those whose bone structure was most similar. Next he enlisted the talents of animators Nathan Meier, Edmund Earle and George Cuddy to meld the shots together, complete with realistic blinking and a convincing suggestion of breathing. Mark Reveley created the musical score, which adds a feeling of depth to the visuals; what we're witnessing, after all, is a whole life passing by. As the signs of ageing appear in faint traces of strain and wrinkles, we can't help but imagine the ups and downs of this virtual person's existence, and sympathise. It's a beautiful short film and a very cool use of technology to assist in making art. Via Colossal
Ever woken up from a deep sleep, only to forget what you were dreaming about? Well the problem may be that your dreams just aren't memorable enough. A new iPhone app can solve this problem, as it apparently allows sleepers to control their own dreams. The app, named Yumemiru (translates to "see the dream" in English), uses a microphone to somehow detect when you are in your deepest sleep and most prone to mental influence. It then plays a soundtrack according to which dream scenario you have selected. Yumemiru currently offers eight different scenarios for users to choose from. These include a walk through the forest, a lazy day at the beach, getting rich, flying, and falling in love. Importantly, the romantic scenario has options for both men and women. Although this is a fascinating concept, I think that some of these scenarios are pretty pedestrian. If I'm going to stimulate my own dreams, I want my subconscious to come out with both guns blazing. There should be an option that allows you to become Godzilla or rob a bank. Regardless, give this app a try and see if your sleeps become any more exciting. After all, they may be so enjoyable that you'll never want to wake up. [via PSFK]
Equal parts Campari, gin and vermouth, the simple-yet-outstanding tipple is the reigning champ of cocktails. And that's not hyperbole — it currently holding the title of the best-selling cocktail worldwide. In 2022, Negroni Week — the seven days of festivities in honour of the delicious red sip presented by Campari and Imbibe — is holding up a glass to ten big, aperitivo-loving years. Over the past decade, some of the best bars and restaurants across the planet have put negronis front and centre for one week and given back to charity at the same time. And from Monday, September 12 till Sunday, September 18, a swishy roll call of Sydney venues will be doing just that. (Plus, as a celebratory bonus, Campari is giving you the chance to sip your way to Italy.) Concrete Playground is home to more than a few negroni lovers, meaning the only difficult part of this where-to-go list was deciding on a top spot. But before we share our picks, a few notable mentions. If you head to Aalia, the 25 Martin Place fine diner, don't go past the Ancient Negroni. It adds arak and bitter cacao to a classic negroni, then levels it up further with a run through a cold-drip coffee filter. In Double Bay, Matteo is serving an Arancia Negroni with notes of smoky citrus, while CBD spot Door Knock has added rhubarb to the mix with its Rhude Boi, which delivers a tart edge to the sweet 'n' slick classic. Now, without further ado, here are the spots CP's editors are heading to get their fix this Negroni Week. [caption id="attachment_787138" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nikki To[/caption] LILYMU: STRAWBERRY AND YUZU NEGRONI I really like negronis. So, Negroni Week is basically Christmas for me. This year, I'll be gathering my nearest and dearest and heading to Lilymu in Parramatta to sample its celebratory version of the beautifully bitter and citrusy bev. Combining Campari (of course) and strawberry-infused yuzu gin with yuzu sake and americano vermouth, this cocktail has everything I look for in a twisted classic — a bold step away from the original (via the strawberry and yuzu flavours) while maintaining the structural integrity of the drink's origins. Plus, with spring on the horizon, this drink is giving the flirty tits-out-at-the-beach energy that I am longing for after a cold, wet winter in Sydney. Perfect. Courtney Ammenhauser, Branded Content Manager IN SITU: NEGRONI SOUR There are few options that pair as harmoniously as a big bowl of cheesy pasta and a well-balanced negroni. Negroni Week is the perfect opportunity to take advantage of all the creative riffs on the classic all around Sydney, like In Situ's tart and refreshing Negroni Sour. A cross between a whisky sour and the week's namesake cocktail, the classic negroni is given a slick, modern makeover with blood orange and a tall glass. Ellen Seah, National News and Features Editor TITUS JONES: LOVE NOTE TO MANDY One of life's true delights is finding a nook in a bustling cocktail bar and catching up with friends over a negroni. This Negroni Week, cocktail connoisseurs of the Inner West should head to Marrickville favourite Titus Jones, where they can nab a table and pair their cocktail of choice with Titus's beloved tacos. The friendly neighbourhood cocktail bar has whipped up two bitter red creations to celebrate. The first, Love Note to Mandy, plays it elegantly safe, adding the citrus notes of a mandarin-infused gin to Campari and Cinzano Rosso. Meanwhile the more extravagant Nero Negroni mixes things up with dashes of Lillet Blanc, Quiquiriqui Mezcal and blackened sesame oil. Ben Hansen, Junior Editor HICKSON HOUSE DISTILLERY: CONQUISTADOR I don't care what anyone says, a negroni isn't just a perfect drink to have before dinner — it's a damn fine way to end an evening, too. That's why I'll be heading to Hickson House Distillery for this year's edition of Negroni Week. The premium venue — under the shade of the Harbour Bridge — is offering three varieties of the classic cocktail, including one that sounds like a dreamy liquid dessert. The Conquistador combines equal parts Campari and the excellent Hickson Rd. Australian Dry Gin — which is made onsite — with a nip of Mr Black coffee liqueur and two dashes of chocolate bitters. This tipple, which is served in a Nick & Nora glass with a cheek of fresh orange, also features Pedro Ximenez for a sweet, slightly umami kick, making for a perfect nightcap. Nik Addams, Branded Content Manager DONNY'S BAR: WHITE RHUBARB NEGRONI Just a short stroll from the glistening waters of Manly Beach sits Donny's Bar, a dark and moody escape from the tropical-holiday vibe of the rest of the Northern Beaches 'burb. This Negroni Week, you'd be well placed to pick a seat — in the loft is my rec — and ask for a White Rhubarb Negroni. Acidic notes of the berry-hued fruity vegetable are delivered in the shot of gin and sealed off with Suze, Lillet and a spritz of orange bitters. The creative cocktail isn't as bitter as the original, but you're still in for a strong kick. Catch the ferry in and really make the most of the oceanic surrounds. Grace MacKenzie, Branded Content Producer Campari's Negroni Week takes over Sydney from Monday, September 12 till Sunday, September 18. Head to the website to find the full list of participating venues. Top image: Tim Levy
When Robert De Niro asked his reflection who it was talking to, Joe Pesci questioned whether he was funny, and Leonardo DiCaprio crawled along the ground under the influence of Quaaludes, one man was responsible. Over a career spanning almost six decades, Martin Scorsese has brought tales of taxi drivers, goodfellas and wolf-like stockbrokers to the screen — and now an exhibition dedicated to his work is coming to Australia. From May 26 to September 18, the Melbourne's Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) will pay tribute to one of America's most iconic directors, exploring everything from his early experimental beginnings to the award-winning films that have shaped many a movie buff. If you're already a fan, you'll be in Scorsese heaven. If you've somehow resisted the charms of (or completely missed) the likes of Raging Bull, The Departed and Hugo — or his concert flicks such as The Last Waltz and Shine a Light, or even Boardwalk Empire and Vinyl on TV — then prepare to have your eyes opened. [caption id="attachment_561113" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Exhibition section "New York". Photo: Deutsche Kinemathek / M. Stefanowski, 2013.[/caption] In its only Australian stop after wowing Berlin, Ghent, Turin and Paris, SCORSESE will present a collection of more than 600 objects spanning the filmmaker's entire cinema resume, as curated by the Deutsche Kinemathek, Berlin's Museum of Film and Television. Expect storyboards, hand-annotated film scripts, unpublished production stills, costumes, film clips and more, all drawn from the private collections of De Niro, Taxi Driver writer Paul Schrader, and Scorsese himself. No ACMI exhibition would be complete without a bustling lineup of screenings, talks and other events, so expect plenty of those as well. The complete program is yet to be announced, but we'd advise blocking out a few days to delve into the influence and impact of the guy who hasn't only mastered movies, but directed the music video for Michael Jackson's 'Bad' too. SCORSESE will run from May 26 to September 18 at ACMI in Melbourne. For more information, visit the ACMI website. Top image: Ray Liotta, Robert DeNiro, Paul Sorvino, Martin Scorsese, Joe Pesci in GOODFELLAS, USA (1990). Source: Sikelia Productions, New York.
Not content with doing big business in cinemas over the past decade, Marvel is bringing its superhero tales to the small screen, as part of Disney's already-announced plans to broaden out the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That was always going to be the case once the Mouse House moved into the streaming realm. In fact, producing a slew of high-profile titles for Disney+ was on its agenda right from the beginning. But, while Star Wars fans have already been able to enjoy The Mandalorian — which aired one season in 2019, and launched its second season this year — Marvel aficionados have had to hold out a little longer to get their episodic caped crusader fix. With 2021 almost upon us, that wait is almost over. Come Friday, January 15, the six-episode series WandaVision will become Disney+'s first MCU show — focusing on Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany), as the title suggests. But it'll have company within months, with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier due to hit on Friday, March 19 and Loki dropping sometime in May. And, if you've been feeling the lack of Marvel action this year due to worldwide cinema shutdowns, the latter two shows now have their first trailers. Clearly, no one at Marvel and Disney+ has been taxing themselves while naming these series. So, you instantly know who they're about. In The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan reprise the eponymous characters and head off on a global adventure. Their exploits will span six episodes, too, and will co-star Daniel Brühl as Baron Zemo, Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter,and Wyatt Russell as John Walker. In Loki, Tom Hiddleston is obviously back as the God of Mischief — and enjoying stepping into the trickster's shoes again, if the trailer is anything to go by. Viewers will watch his antics post-Avengers: Endgame, with Owen Wilson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Sophia Di Martino, Wunmi Mosaku and Richard E. Grant rounding out the cast. Yes, there are more shows in the works, too, with Ms. Marvel and Hawkeye due to hit sometime later in 2021, and She-Hulk, Moon Knight, Secret Invasion (about Samuel L Jackson's Nick Fury), Iron Heart, Armour Wars, I Am Groot and a Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special all slated as well. But, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Loki are the only ones to drop their first sneak peek as part of Disney's big 2020 Investor Day on Friday, December 11 Australian/New Zealand time — while a new trailer for WandaVision also hit. Check out the first trailers for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Loki, and the new WandaVision trailer, all below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkBfGvb7NzM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4JuopziR3Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBhlqe2OTt4 WandaVision will hit Disney+ on Friday, January 15, 2021. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will hit the service on Friday, March 19, while Loki is due on a yet-to-be-announced date in May.
If you eagerly drink your way through the taps at most craft beer bars, then a host of tell-tale signs await the next day: headaches, cold sweats, dehydration, a queasy stomach and a strong craving for greasy food, usually. That won't be the case at BrewDog's latest venture, however, with the Scottish brewery opening up the world's first alcohol-free craft beer joint. Called BrewDog AF — with the final two letters standing for "alcohol-free", rather than the other term that instantly popped into your head — the bar launches in London on Monday, January 6. Every one of its 15 taps will pour booze-free brews, focusing on draught craft beer sans alcohol. That includes both zero-percent and 0.5-percent tipples, with the latter also officially classed as alcohol-free. On the menu: BrewDog's 0.5-percent pale ale Nanny State, as well as the alcohol-free version of their flagship Punk IPA, Punk AF. It's also creating two new booze-free brews: a coffee stout called Wake Up Call, and Hazy AF, an alcohol-free version of its New England IPA, Hazy Jane. Alcohol-free spirits and cider will be available too, as will burgers, salads and buffalo wings — and if you're looking for something to do over your booze-free pint, get ready for karaoke and bingo, among other activities. While BrewDog has been busy opening bars and breweries around the globe over the past decade — launching its first Australian site in Brisbane late in 2019, in fact — BrewDog AF marks its first fully alcohol-free venue. It's not London's first booze-free bar, or the world's, but it is the first to focus on alcohol-free (and hangover-free) craft brews. To celebrate that fact, as well as the new range of booze-free beers, the brewery has also dubbed the entire month 'drink all you can Jan' — when it comes to alcohol-free beers, that is. Not only at BrewDog AF, but at all of BrewDog's bars and breweries worldwide, drinkers can score free refills of all alcohol-free beers throughout January. BrewDog AF and its increased non-alcoholic craft brew range forms part of the company's mission to whip up a craft beer for everyone, including folks who like their brews sans booze. As brewery founder James Watt explains, "drinkers opting for low or no alcohol are in danger of compromising on quality, taste and experience. And that's just the beer – forget about places in which to enjoy it. We are going to change that. We exist to be a point of difference, and our first BrewDog AF Bar is just that." Even if a trip to London isn't in your future, BrewDog's new venture is a welcome development for anyone who has tried to forgo alcohol during Dry July, doesn't drink booze but would still like to sink a few cold ones with their mates, or can't imbibe for a number of reasons — medication interactions, other health reasons or just by choice. With non-alcoholic spirits like Seedlip and Brunswick Aces gaining more attention, bars such BrewDog AF are the natural next step. Yes, you can get non-boozy beverages like juice and soft drinks anywhere, but it's not the same as knocking back booze-free beers in a spot that celebrates the drink but not the alcohol. Find the BrewDog AF Bar at the Mews Unit of the Bower Development at 211 Old Street, London, from Monday, January 6 — open 12pm–11pm Sunday–Thursday and 12pm–11.30pm Friday–Saturday. For booze-free beer lovers in Brisbane, BrewDog's first Aussie brewery — DogTap at Murarrie — is serving up unlimited refills of BrewDog alcohol-free beers until January 31.
Have you ever seen Nick Cave smile before? It's a shocking thing. For the generations of Australians — and there are many of them — who have grown up with Nick Cave and his Bad Seeds at the centre of musical life, it is startling to realise that amongst the darkness and the tales of addiction, Cave's face can crease itself not into a grimace or a tormented frown but an expression of unguarded joy. Cave's sudden smile is not the only first for the quasi-documentary 20,000 Days on Earth. Filmmakers Jane Pollard and Iain Forsyth have made a documentary that plays like a narrative but feels like a video clip. Unlike its obvious fictional music-doco predecessor This Is Spinal Tap, the duo's film is not a stealthy takedown: they're playing for real. Partly this is because the filmmaking team are artists with a 20-year partnership of making work together. Without any of the film world's preconceived ideas of what constitutes a documentary, their artistic training has allowed them to craft something out of elements that others would see as disparate and incompatible. And partly it's because Nick Cave's life and music necessitates a different approach to making documentaries. An artist as unconventional as Cave requires the defiance of filmmaking conventions. After opening Sydney Film Festival in June, 20,000 Days is now in art-house cinemas for everyone — including two very special sessions at Melbourne's Astor where Cave will be appearing in person for a Q&A. We spoke to Pollard and Forsyth about what it means to make a hybrid music documentary, the process behind the beauty and what Nick Cave is really all about. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ap0_y5EGttk This is a documentary that blurs some serious lines between genres and fiction and what we think we know as documentary. What exactly was scripted and what flowed organically? Cave himself is credited as a writer. Pollard: No dialogue was scripted at all. Apart from one line [preceding Cave's meeting with a therapist, Darian Leader], the psychoanalyst's assistant says, "Darian will see you now." The things that Nick wrote were all the voiceovers, with that particular tone. Some of those things came pre-written, we found them in his notebooks, like the first quote we used: "At the end of the twentieth century, I work, I write, I eat…" — that was a lyric from his notebooks. Then we we asked him to expand on those notes. We sent him about twenty, thirty topics for the voiceovers, and when he was on tour he'd write a paragraph and send it back. And if we thought it was worth recording, we'd get him to record it on his iPhone and just try it in different places in the film. I understand you didn't actually set out to make a doco about Nick Cave. How did this project start and evolve? Pollard: We'd filmed the scenes of Nick and Warren [Ellis] writing and demoing the album, and then the band in the studios. And we'd filmed all of that before we knew what it was we were going to make this into. The big scene in the film is them playing live from the album 'Push Back the Sky'. At that point we knew we had something that deserved to be carried in something much bigger than the scope of a contemporary music film or a promo that would end up on YouTube and sync very quickly. We wanted to make something bigger that would be more meaningful and stand the test of time, and that's when Iain and I wrote an action script. We knew we had two things we wanted to do, we had the cycle of the album, and then more specifically the individual song — that's the first thing you hear, the song 'Jubilee Street', and then the performance on the Sydney Opera House stage. So we had that cycle as one parallel for the storyline. The other cycle came from finding the film's title in Nick's notebook - it was a discarded song, and he'd done this calculation of how long he'd been on earth. We loved the phrase 'twenty thousand days on earth' and it gave us a very simple conceit to strap the rest of the film onto. So we thought, okay, let's make the film one day on earth. And then we can make whatever we want happen on that day. Everything that happened in that day was something we decided. We wrote the parameters of it, and Nick worked with us. He'd say, 'I'm not so sure about waking up in bed with my wife; I'll give it a go, but I might not be happy with that.' He kinda just cast his eye over what we wrote and said 'I'll give it a shot'. For us, that's where we decided to start. Cave talks a lot about the intersection of living in a story and telling a story. I really can't tell where the boundaries are with your film. Where did you guys draw these boundaries? Pollard: We set ourselves certain parameters. One rule was, we'd never ask Nick to do something twice. Even if he said something and it was great, but we didn't catch it or the camera wasn't on, we wouldn't ask him to do it again. He never had to flip from that headspace of being in the moment, to suddenly remembering the act of what we were doing which was making a film. And with Darian, we met him a few times, we gave him a set of topics, he read books and novels, and we gave him some structure. He had an idea of the sorts of things we were looking for. And then it became an endurance thing that we filmed for ten hours. There's a disorientating thing for both Darian and Nick, talking and not knowing what we would use. Forsyth: With Darian, the psychoanalyst, it was a totally artificial location. Darian is a professional psychoanalyst, that's what he does. Our cameras were out of Nick's sightline, all the technical side of filmmaking was hidden, so as much as possible, it would feel like a genuinely intimate conversation. They met for the first time on set. How do you negotiate these funny blurred lines in hybrid documentaries like this? How do you ensure you create something that's real and true and still semi-scripted? Pollard: It's a very simple thing: if we can physiologically feel an emotional truth in a scene, then that's the truth we're interested in. Whether it's factual or autobiographical, you still need to feel an emotional truth. [Had we only taken a strictly observational approach], it's a narrow road to take your story down, because suddenly it becomes tied and tent-pegged by things that are outside of it, outside its control and parameters and you'll inevitably have to break those parameters, as every reality program does. Everything we see that presents itself as factual or observational is flawed in the truth that it's telling, the actual truth that it's telling. I think the audience is sophisticated enough to get it. I just never doubt that an audience is going to stay with us. In your film, Cave talks a lot about his fear of being forgotten. As someone who's gone to art school and knows a lot of people who also have this fear, I'm not sure how I feel about it. Do you think it's intrinsically egotistical to want artistic immortality? Or is it a natural inclination for an artist? Pollard: I think anybody who has, as their job, put themselves into performing and creating something bigger than themselves, something that is about being remarkable and being on show and being a spectacle … to be a spectacle but not to be remembered? That's a tough dichotomy. His reason for existence is to be remarkable, to be the centre of something, to be spectacular and to entertain. Forsyth: If the question was, 'are you concerned about not making a difference?', that would be completely agreeable. As an artist, as a filmmaker, you want to be impactful. 20,000 Days on Earth is in select cinemas nationally, and also showing at some special screenings. The most special of these is probably Friday, December 19, at Melbourne's Astor Theatre, when Nick Cave will appear in person for a Q&A. More info and tickets on the Astor website.
There aren't many events where the first female Australian astronaut, TikTok's marketing head, Australian screen personalities, a singer and actor who stars on Heartbreak High, a human rights lawyer and barrister, a cricketer, an Olympian, the director of Mortal Kombat, the first Australian artist to sign with Def Jam, a game about turning fruit into your own menu and a short film about a housewife trying to get a free pizza are on the same lineup. Actually, there's only one: SXSW Sydney 2024. After announcing in late 2023 that the event would return for a second year — because the inaugural SXSW Sydney was such a hit — and then getting everyone voting for its Session Selects conference events earlier in 2024, the only version of the tech, innovation, screen, music, games and culture festival outside of Austin, Texas has started unveiling its program for the year. Get ready for a busy seven days between Monday, October 14–Sunday, October 20. SXSW announces its bill in multiple drops, so this really is just the beginning for 2024. Each of the conference, music fest, screen fest and games fest have revealed details — kicking off with a heap of featured speakers. Astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg, TikTok executive Sofia Hernandez, Courtney Act, Nakkiah Lui, filmmaker Simon McQuoid, legal figure Jennifer Robinson, futurist Ryan Patel and the return of Non-Obvious trend curator Rohit Bhargava all grace the lineup so far. They're joined by Australia's eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, IBM's AI Platform Vice President of Product Armand Ruiz, Psychology of Your 20s host Jemma Sbeg and Esther Nguyen of POPS Worldwide, to name just a few more standouts. Plus, among the Session Selects panels, Hamish Blake will get chatting about social-media citizenship, David Warner and Tillie Kearns will talk athlete IP, and Australian Fashion Council CEO Jaana Quaintance-James and The Iconic CEO Jere Calmes will cover digital fashion. Other discussions will dig into designing with Country, taking film technology beyond the screen, the digital news transformation and the importance of nature. Stepping from Hartley High to SXSW Sydney Music Festival, Ayesha Madon is one of that strand's highlights. SAHXL, Nick Ward, BALTHVS, Total Tommy, brothers J-MILLA & Yung Milla, Joel Sunny, Ena Mori, Smol fish, HighSchool, Maina Doe, 404: you'll be able to see them as well. Film fans can look forward to short flicks such as the aforementioned Make Me a Pizza, plus Fish Tank, Meat Puppet and Vivie. And gamers can expect FRUITBUS, Blood Reaver, Curiosmos, Demon Spore, DICEOMANCER and Hyper Light Breaker, as well as Mystiques, No Case Should Remain Unsolved, Rose and Locket and Window Garden — some local; others from the UK, US, Belgium, China, Norway, South Korea and the Philippines; many with glorious names — at the Games Festival Showcase. "After the success of the inaugural SXSW Sydney in 2023, we are once again inspired by the overwhelming response from the creator communities to participate in the 2024 program. This is the first of many announcements as we roll out the extensive and diverse range of visionaries & creative thinkers from around the globe that make up the SXSW Sydney 2024 conference lineup," said SXSW Sydney Chair and TEG Group CEO Geoff Jones, announcing the initial 2024 program details. "SXSW Sydney is about discovery and an opportunity to be surrounded by the best and brightest minds from tech and innovation, games, music, screen and culture. This year's SXSW promises to be as inspiring as ever." 2023's inaugural SXSW Sydney welcomed everyone from Black Mirror's Charlie Brooker and Chance The Rapper to Future Today Institute founder and CEO Amy Webb and Nicole Kidman to its stages. In the process, it notched up 287,014 attendances from 97,462 unique attendees. Those figures came from 34,975 total tickets, with folks from 41 countries heading along to 1178 sessions. The full lineup spanned a 700-plus strong bill of talent, covering over 300 sessions, and featuring more than 300 gigs across 25 venues. From talks and concerts to films, TV shows and games, there was no shortage of things to see. Get ready for another round this October. SXSW Sydney 2024 will run from Monday, October 14–Sunday, October 20 at various Sydney venues. Head to the SXSW Sydney website for further details. Images: Jami Joy, Ian Laidlaw, Jess Gleeson, Katje Ford and Paul McMillan.
Known for its minimalist design, Japanese home goods giant MUJI made a sizeable leap back in 2015, adding houses to its range. As well as selling items to fill your home with, it started selling prefabricated homes as well. Compact but functional — and, perhaps most importantly, affordable — the new additions understandably garnered plenty of attention. But, while the company also released a tiny hut in 2017, it hasn't expanded its house lineup since. Until now, that is. And while MUJI's first three flat-pack houses were all multi-storey abodes made for city living, it has just designed its first one-storey version. Called Yano-no-ie, it's a response to customer demand — and its designed to adapt to different living requirements. Thanks to sliding doors that open out onto a deck, it's also the result of a concerted effort to combine indoor and outdoor living. https://www.instagram.com/p/B2atw0eHEUu/ Taking over 73 square metres of floor space, with a total construction area of 91.50 square metres, Yano-no-ie's standard configuration features a bedroom, living area, combined kitchen and dining room, bathroom and outdoor area — so, as you'd expect, it keeps things simple. That said, its spaces are meant to be multifunctional. The bedroom features furniture that can be used throughout the day as well, for example, with the company suggesting that you can deploy it as a place for reading or using a computer throughout the day, and to have a drink in of an evening. Designed in a box shape, Yano-no-ie is fashioned out of wooden siding made from Japanese cedar. Linking in with MUJI's existing products, it's made to accommodate the brand's storage range in its kitchen — and, in the bathroom, it features the same type of wash basin used in MUJI's hotels. https://www.instagram.com/p/B3wNEt9HMkc/ Like MUJI's existing prefab homes, it's also far more economical than your average house, starting at 15.98 million yen or around AU$211,000. Alas, although the company has stores in Sydney and Melbourne — including its first Australian MUJI concept store — the houses aren't available to buy outside of Japan as yet. Via: MUJI.
Unless you have the greenest of thumbs, it's not always easy knowing what to do to keep your plant babies from going to plant heaven. But if you figure out how to do it well, you'll reap the benefits of living in an environment that's good for your health and highly attractive, for that matter. Founder and editor of The Planthunter, Georgina Reid, spoke to us about the important things to keep in mind when growing plants at home, while Dr Dominque Hes, director of Melbourne's Thrive Research Hub, provided us with her own research on how plants improve our wellbeing. It's easy to hoard plants, particularly if you're drawn to their natural aesthetic. And according to Hes, science has proven it's beneficial for your health to have heaps, too. "What's important is having a variety of plants of all shapes and sizes, colours and textures. The variety is what gives us the greatest benefits as it most reminds us of nature," says Hes. [caption id="attachment_647290" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Georgina Reid of The Planthunter.[/caption] "It's part of a biophilic response left over from a time when humans spent more time outdoors than indoors, surviving based on a relationship with nature. Our brain is more relaxed and able to better deal with day-to-day activities if it feels in control," she says. "Parts of the brain still need to be connected to nature to feel that control. When this bit of the brain is relaxed, research shows that it allows improved concentration, communication, intuition, recollection, learning and creativity," she says. So, really, stocking up on your favourite plants is a win/win. Your place will look lush and your wellbeing will skyrocket thanks to plants' ability to take up fine dust particles, CO2 and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can come from new furniture, paints, carpets and clothes. Which plants are good for your space? We've taken you through choosing the best plants for your home, now here's how to make sure they (and, in turn, you) stay healthy and happy. Read on to learn how to take care of your favourite plants — and reap the benefits of having these green guys as housemates. SUCCULENTS We'll start with the easiest plant type to grow at home: succulents. They often have thick, fleshy leaves for storing water (so they also look kinda quirky) and generally aren't that needy. Because of their ability to store water, succulents aren't the thirstiest of plants. One watering each week is enough — but if the soil or potting mix around the plant is already moist, it won't need any. You can check how damp the soil is by putting your finger a couple of centimetres into the soil (this measurement can be used to test soil or potting mix moisture for other plants, too). Reid suggests putting them in full light as most succulents prefer outside life. However, if keeping plants outdoors isn't an option at your place, Reid says some succulents like jade plant (crassula spp.) and haworthia (haworthia spp.) will do just fine indoors. Plus, jade plant is a power plant. Hes explains that plants like jade plant with more stomata (like plant pores) are considered 'high removalists' because they're able to remove those fine dust particles, CO2 and VOCs at a much higher rate than other plants, meaning they are good for producing oxygen. FERNS Having spent millions of years evolving to survive in perpetually wet, humid environments, ferns are not exactly going to appreciate the drier climates of your house. If you give them a rainforest-like space to grow in they'll absolutely thank you for it. This could look like your bathroom or a shadowy part of the garden. Most ferns will require more watering than other plant types. And some ferns will need more drenching than others. But they all love nutrient-rich soil and organic liquid fertilizer is recommended for that extra nourishment. Ferns can be tricky to figure out and can differ a lot from one another, so it's not wise to put down any blanket rules. Reid confesses to having killed a fern or two. "Do your research and talk to specialist fern growers about providing the best situation for your ferny friend," she says. One fern to look for is the hare's foot fern. Also a high removalist like jade plant, hare's foot grows well in sunny environs, all while helping filter the air in your home. HERBS These guys love the sun so consider keeping them outside wherever possible. Annual herbs such as parsley, basil and mint can survive with a bit of shade (and plenty of water) but perennials such as rosemary, oregano and thyme come from the Mediterranean and want to soak up the rays — they need direct sunlight to grow. Perennials are more tolerant of drier conditions than their annual cousins. They thrive in the summer months and will need more watering then. "Water weekly in the warmer months, as this is generally their growing period," says Reid. "And water less so over winter." In order to keep them alive for as long as possible, pinch the flowers off parsley, basil and coriander. Similarly, try pruning herbs (cutting their tips off) for denser growth — it'll give them a bit more life. VEGGIES You don't need a background in agriculture and miles of fertile land to grow beautiful vegetables. All that's required is a planter box and a lot of sun (you'll need to give them at least six hours of sunlight each day). Most vegetables are annuals and will set seed after a year, meaning that they won't be able to produce anything good after this. The key to mouth-watering produce is rich, moist soil. "You want your soil to be as rich and nutritious as possible, to ensure your crops are juicy and delicious," says Reid. She suggests looking into compost and 'worm wee', both wonderful forms of nutrition. And, make sure that your veggie plants don't stay in soil that's too saturated or has been dried out for too long. Oh, and it's not just you that likes tasty produce. "Depending on where you live you may need to protect your veggie garden from hungry critters like possums and birds," she says. CACTI They're virtually the opposite of a fern and far better at soaking up sun rays than anything else you'll ever grow. If you can help it, avoid keeping them inside. In fact, if you're good at neglecting things, the cactus might be your match. It's imperative not to water a cactus more than necessary — if in doubt, it's better to hold back. "If they're not undercover, don't be fussed about watering them. Just rely on the rain," says Reid. "Otherwise, water your cactus when you remember — but make sure you don't remember too often." Now that you can go forth confidently knowing how to take care of your favourite plants, check out our guide to choosing the best plants for your home. And don't forget to add some of those home-enhancing high removalists like jade plant and hare's foot fern, as well as silver queen, pot mum, dragon tree and devil's ivy. Plant Life Balance is a new initiative designed to get Australians excited and confident about styling their homes with plants while promoting the healthy benefits plants bring. The initiative also delivers an Australian-first, virtual greening app. The Plant Life Balance app, asks Aussies to rate their space, then improve their health score by choosing a look for their room or outdoor area, grabbing a plant list and hitting the nursery. Download the app here.
Maybe you first saw Britain's Penguin chocolate biscuits in the supermarket during a UK holiday. Perhaps you have a British partner or pal who raves about how delicious they are. Or, like almost all Australians, you could just really love Tim Tams — and, as a result, you're eager to give any biscuit that even remotely resembles them a try. Whichever category you fall into, you can now get your hands on Penguins in all their famed glory, as they've just landed on Aussie shelves for the first time. You'll need to head to Coles to pick up a six-pack, which'll set you back $2.80. If you're currently thinking "hmmmm, but we already have Tim Tams", these chocolate-covered, chocolate cream-filled bikkies actually pre-date them. Penguins have even been dubbed "the original Tim Tam", which might sound almost sacrilegious Down Under — but, although they're longer and crunchier than the Aussie biscuit we all know and love, they first debuted in Britain in 1932, more than three decades before Australians started munching on Tim Tams in 1964. Discovering whether another bikkie really is as great as a Tim Tam is probably all the motivation you need to "p-p-pick up a Penguin!", as its slogan encourages, and give them a try. If you need more, though, Penguins also come with penguin-themed jokes printed on the wrapper (maybe keep them away from your dad). And, back in the 70s, the British treats inspired quite the advertisement — which you can watch here. Six-packs of Penguin biscuits are now available at Coles for $2.80.
There's no denying it — sour beers have won plenty of fans over the past few years. And with summer in full swing, there are few things more refreshing than a crisp, tart sour or wild ale. So hop on the bandwagon and get wild with Batch Brewing Company for its annual Sourfest. With the beer fiends opening up a second outpost last year, that's where 2020's celebration of sour sips will take place. Head along to its small batch brewery and tasting room inside Public House Petersham, as well as to the pub's car park, from midday on Saturday, February 22 — and arrive thirsty. Joining the folks from Batch are breweries such as Hop Nation, Sailors Grave, Nomad, Bridge Road, Wayward and Garage Project, with more to be announced. As well as tasting delicious brews, expect to be entertained — with games such as corn hole, a frisbee golf hole in one challenge, shuffleboard and other activities at the bar.
