We love it when art takes over the city, and the Biennale of Sydney does it better than anyone else. Perhaps Australia's best-known contemporary art event, the Sydney Biennale will take place for the 21st time in 2018 with 70 leading local and international artists presenting work across seven of Sydney's top-notch galleries, museums and unconventional spaces. A free exhibition, the Biennale of Sydney is held from Friday, March 16 until Monday, June 11. As per the first announcement, provocative Chinese artist Ai Weiwei is the headline act, which comes off the back of his 2016 double-bill exhibition alongside the works of Andy Warhol at the National Gallery of Victoria — the highest selling event in the gallery's history. At the Sydney Opera House, Weiwei will screen his new feature-length cinematic documentary Human Flow, which explores the global refugee crisis across 23 countries in a single year. He'll also install a 60-metre-long inflatable boat on Cockatoo Island, which will be made from the same materials as the boats used by asylum seekers crossing the Aegean Sea. Meanwhile, there's French multimedia artist Laurent Grasso, whose art considers science and the supernatural; the sculptural works of South Korean artist Haegue Yang who transforms space with found and forged objects; British artist Oliver Beer uses the human voice to take over the Opera House for his acclaimed Resonance Project; and Sydney's own Yasmin Smith takes to Cockatoo Island to create a ceramics studio, an open-air kiln and a new installation that's finished in a hand-made wood ash glaze. The first biennale under the leadership of recently appointed artistic director Mami Kataoka, 2018's event is based around the idea of 'superposition', a quantum mechanics term that refers to often-paradoxical and overlapping events. While it's a tad hard to explain, Kataoka says the 2018 biennale's artists have been chosen for their work's power to "offer a panoramic view of how opposing interpretations can come together in a state of equilibrium". With three months to check out the work of so many great artists, there's no reason why you can't spend autumn cramming in as much art as you can handle. It's all free to attend. Image: Letícia Almeida.
The woodfired breads at Cherry Moon are so good, the bakery regularly sells out. But inner west locals don't just flock to the venue for its doughy goods, the cafe and general store also has impressive house-made ferments, pickles and tasty brunch fare. The 20-seat venue is run by long-time hospitality vet and pastry chef Kimmy Gastmeier (Rockpool, Tetsuya's and The Porteño Group) and her friend Aimee Graham, with a little help from Aimee's husband Kenny Graham (Mary's Underground, The Lansdowne and The Unicorn) and the rest of the Mary's Group. Fed up with the Sydney hospo scene, Gastmeier left for the Blue Mountains some years ago, where she started the Cherry Moon brand by baking her goods out of hired kitchens. But now, Cherry Moon finally has a permanent home — and Gastmeier and Graham are doing things the old-school way. "I'm interested in artisanal food, woodfiring and staying true to the traditions of whole foods," says Gastmeier, who purchased a traditional scotch oven from an old Ballarat bakery (made way back in 1869) for the shop and rebuilt it with a master oven builder. "A lot of people were coming in and thinking we're a regular cafe," says Gastmeier. "But we're more of a bakery and the menu really showcases the oven." All of the bread is made using ancient grains like emmer and spelt, along with stone-ground flour from Gunnedah's Wholegrain Milling Company. The team also roasts whole pumpkins in the fire embers and smokes potatoes in whey, which is leftover from the house-made ricotta (served wrapped in fig leaf) and cultured butter. Apart from all the bread, Cherry Moon is also baking pastries, galettes, fruit tarts and seasonal tarte tatin, along with Italian-style cream puffs. Portuguese custard tarts are cooked in the woodfired oven, too, as are sourdough pizzas. A small cafe menu is also up for grabs and includes the likes of sourdough topped with avocado, tomato, basil and finger lime; and plates of woodfired cauliflower served with burrata, harissa, fermented zucchini and cashew and chickpea cream. Charcuterie and ploughman's lunches are also on the docket for the near future. On the general store shelves, you'll find Aimee Graham's fermented goods, such as sauerkraut, kimchi, keffir and tonics. Other drinks include coffee by Newtown's 212 Blu, a house chai blend and cold-pressed orange and green juices. And, to round out this already impressive offering, Cherry Moon is also scooping ice cream made in-house using all native and foraged ingredients — at the moment, there are fig leaf and saffron, wattle seed, plum and fennel pollen, and peach melba varieties. "I want it to feel like you're stepping back in time to grandma's kitchen," says Gastmeier. "So everything is served on beautiful old crockery, plates and silverware, and there's a lot of 1960s bric-a-brac." Speaking of grandmothers, it was Gastmeier's grandma who put her through chef's school at the age of 16, and the Cherry Moon logo is in her handwriting. Images: Kitti Gould Appears in: The Best Bakeries in Sydney for 2023
Film buffs of Sydney, prepare to spend a whole lot of time in Double Bay. In the near future, heading to the eastern harbourside suburb to catch a movie or ten will become a reality thanks to Palace Cinemas' brand new location. Don't go jumping on a bus or train just yet, though — the just-announced site is still a couple of years away. In fact, an exact timeline for the Cross Street development hasn't been revealed, however, the new movie house will take over a space that's currently a carpark, and form part of a broader retail and residential precinct. Expect Palace to continue to showcase a lineup of arthouse and international fare, and add a new stopover to the itinerary of their many film fests (including Italian, British, Spanish, Latin American, American indie and Scandinavian-focused events), too. The state-of-the-art Double Bay venue isn't the only change that the cinema chain is making in New South Wales, with Palace Verona replacing its seating by the end of this year and upping their screens to eight by December 2017. Plus, up in Byron Bay, Palace is the middle of a revamp that will bring a nine-screen complex to the beachside town by 2018. The news of another cinema joining Sydney's array of film-going hotspots — and more screens being added to existing locations — is a far cry from the days when everyone one was worried about picture palaces dying out, and predicting that we'd all be spending our time streaming flicks on our phones. Okay, so the second part has actually come true, but the joy that comes from sitting in a darkened theatre, watching a film projected onto a giant screen and sharing the experience with a room full of strangers really isn't going anywhere. Instead, it's coming to even more places. If that's not cause for a celebratory trip to the movies, we don't know what is. Palace Cinemas opens in Double Bay soon, opening date TBC.
Kween Yonce is about to tower over Melbourne. A skyscraper inspired by Beyonce’s fierce aesthetics in the 'Ghost' video clip is set to be built near Melbourne’s Southern Cross Station. Although 'Beyonce' is not yet a recognised religion (give it time), the 76-storey tower will pay homage to the mother of us all by mimicking her monochromatic twists and turns in 'Ghost'. The 13012 Premier Tower will house retail space and hotel rooms as well as apartments and creates those curves with an innovative vertical cantilever system designed to make Beyonce fans weep (and effectively redistribute mass and stabilise the building but whatever). The tower has been designed by the architectural firm Elenberg Fraser, who have a monopoly on the chic apartment market; they're responsible for 42 percent of the apartments under construction in Melbourne right now and we're stoked they're Beyonce fans too (can we please have a 'Crazy In Love' apartment block next?). It may just be a marketing strategy but if so, boy do they have our number. We would love to live inside Beyonce. And we can even discern some graceful and svelte curves in the initial renderings of the 13012 Premier Tower. It’s a case of art mimicking life and who better to mimic than the Kween herself. Bow down bitches. Via The Guardian. Images: Elenberg Fraser.
The 20th annual Sydney Writers' Festival will return from May 22 through May 28, with a bold 2017 lineup. This year's theme, 'refuge', is particularly timely and we're intrigued to see what new artistic director Michaela McGuire has in store. This year's festival will offer up 400 events with over 450 writers across greater Sydney, as well as 27 writing workshops. On the docket this year are Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Susan Faludi and Thomas Friedman, 2016 Booker Prize winner Pail Beatty and The New York Times Book Review's Pamela Paul. Australian writer Saroo Brierley, the subject of recent Oscar-nominated film Lion will also be in attendance, alongside feminist writer Roxane Gay, crime writer Ian Rankin, debut novelist Brit Bennett, Slate's Culture Gabfest team Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens and Julia Turner, My Dad Wrote a Porno's Jamie Morton, novelist Ha Jin, prize-winning author Anne Enright, memoirist Hisham Mitar. Also on the bill, Clementine Ford, Candice Fox, Nikki Gemmell, Stan Grant, Andy Griffiths, Melina Marchetta and more. This year, a day of the festival will also be dedicated to young adult fiction at Parramatta's Riverside Theatres on Saturday, May 27. If you don't live in Sydney, you can still participate through the Live and Local streaming program, which will bring the festival into an additional 30 community venues across each of Australia's states and territories. Tickets are now on sale, with nearly half of the the program free to enter.
While Reykjavik is praised for its "ability to make the most of an inhospitable climate", Auckland for its "unbelievably friendly folk", Budapest for "music... not just concerts, but in the streets, on the radio, and in cafés," and "wonderful pubs filled with laughter", Sydney has taken out the top spot as the friendliest city in the world. Run as a Reader’s Choice award by Condé Nast Traveler and focused on how a visitor feels in each city, the Friendliest and Unfriendliest City in the World poll asks readers to submit reviews of each city with a focus on the overall warm fuzzies generated by their experience. “Everything from location (no one likes an airport city) and political perception (everyone watches the news) to size and basic language barriers can make a destination unattractive to tourists and be a factor in their evaluation of a place’s ‘friendliness’," according to CN. Sydney's been praised for its people skills, regardless of what you might see on George Street any day of the week. "Such friendly people," enthused one voting reader. "So much so that after we met an Australian woman on our flight there, she offered to pick us up at our hotel and spent a whole day showing us her favourite parts of the city." Sydney earned snaps for the Bridgeclimb, the Cruise Like a Local Sydney Harbour boat tour, and Bonza Bike Tours got a big ol' high five as "a great way to see some of the lesser-known sights." Overall, readers found simply "nothing to not like" in Sydney, although importantly, all mentioned experiences are tourist-focused. Last year's friendliest winners were tied: Melbourne and Auckland. Sydney came in at number five; tied with Dublin, who just narrowly missed out on the top spot this year. Of course, Sydney was supremely modest about it. Ha! IN YOUR FACE @dubcitycouncil!! We're the friendliest city in the world! http://t.co/T1WgOPUVu7 via @CNTraveler pic.twitter.com/9rIafVZ59o — City of Sydney (@cityofsydney) August 18, 2015 Australia and New Zealand have done pretty nicely on worldwide city rankings of late — the Great Barrier Reef nabbed #2 on Lonely Planet's Ultimate Travelist and Melbourne ranked #1 Most Liveable City on the Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) liveability survey. So Sydney's apparently the friendliest, Melbourne's the most liveable, what do you reckon? CONDE NAST'S 2015 FRIENDLIEST CITIES IN THE WORLD: 10. Reykjavik, Iceland 9. Auckland, New Zealand 8. Budapest, Hungary 7. Kyoto, Japan 6. Edinburgh, Scotland 5. Bruges, Belgium 4. Kraków, Poland 3. Queenstown, New Zealand 2. Dublin, Ireland 1. Sydney, Australia But what of the jerks? The Unfriendliest Cities in the World side of things is a little hairier, with no Australian or New Zealand cities making the cut for another year. Up high. Cannes was dissed for being expensive and "bloated simply by the prestige of its famed film festival," while Jakarta was called "dirty and congested," despite gaining praise for its food.” Moscow got a bad wrap for "dour, unfriendly people" and "deplorable traffic", while Nairobi was flagged as "dangerous and volatile". But Caracas, Venezuela took out the top unfriendly spot as a place of "rampant crime, a scarcity of basic necessities, and a poor quality of life." CONDE NAST'S 2015 UNFRIENDLIEST CITIES IN THE WORLD: 10. Cannes, France 9. Jakarta, Indonesia 8. Moscow, Russia 7. Cairo, Egypt 6. New Delhi, India 5. Nairobi, Kenya 4. Guatemala City, Guatemala 3. Guangzhou, China 2. Casablanca, Morocco 1. Caracas, Venezuela Via Condé Nast Traveler. Image: Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel.
Art buffs and those who enjoy being in the buff will love Nude Live, an orgy of art and dance put on by Sydney's peak cultural bodies, Sydney Dance Company and the Art Gallery of NSW. A ticket to Nude Live buys you entry into the gallery's current exhibition, Nude: Art from the Tate Collection, where you'll be confronted with fleshy masterworks by renowned artists such as Picasso, Matisse, Bacon and Rodin. As part of the experience, you'll also be confronted by some real-life dangly bits too, as a troupe of naked dancers pose, parade and perform, responding to the themes explored in the exhibition. (It's all strictly artistic mind you, so leave the dolla bills at home yeah?) If you're already starting to feel a little constrained by your clothes, there's also a nudist session on Jan 23, which gives you plenty of time to book in that spray tan. Head along to the gallery after-hours for Nude at Night to complete your de-robed experience. This is a world premiere show at Sydney Festival 2017. Check out more world firsts coming to the festival over here. Images: Pedro Greig.
Semi Permanent, Australia's three-day touring seminar that covers big ideas around design, tech, digital landscapes and the future of the internet, has announced a straight-up cray-cray 2016 lineup featuring speakers from Google, Uber, Netflix and Facebook. If you're in the market for some solid advice from the new generation of entrepreneurs, this is the event for you (you know you're growing up when the idea of a three-day seminar is more exciting than the idea of a three-day music festival, hey). Carriageworks is hosting the epic annual event in May and while tickets are a little pricey ($340 for a general admission single day ticket), but they always roll out mind-boggling content and installations — plus, the networking opportunities are worth their weight in gold. The theme of 2016 is the future of the internet/technology and the future of travel with two panels dedicated to the exploration of both themes. Speakers will include Hector Ouilhet (head of design research at Google), Dantley Davis (design director at Netflix), Jurgen Spangl (head of design at Atlassian), Ethan Eismann (director of product design at Uber), Jon Lax (director of product design at Facebook) alongside a whole slew of tech wizards an industry bigwigs. They'll be ready and waiting to answer your important questions, like is Steven Avery innocent, is uber legal and does Facebook read my messages. Or, you know, better questions. You'll hear from people who turned their ideas into thriving businesses that challenge the status quo and may just inspire you to pursue that tight app idea you have. The National Institute of Dramatic Art will be there too, hosting workshops on building confidence and engagement when in front of an audience (this will definitely come in handy if you ever have to do a TED talk, which we all will at some point because you're awesome). This massive lineup is only the first wave, so keep your ear to the ground for more. Semi Permanent is happening May 26-28 at Carriageworks. Grab a ticket here.
Portraits aren’t all regal furs and awkward “Oh, didn’t see you there,” poses. They can be weird, abstract, figurative, unrecognisable, or downright adorable. That last one sums up French-born Sydney artist Bruno Jean Grasswill's portrait of Australian actor and The Castle legend Michael Caton, winner of the 2015 Packing Room Prize and one of the finalists for the Archibald Prize, announced today. One of 47 artworks picked as Archie finalists in the Art Gallery of New South Wales' annual Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes, Grasswill's portrait of Caton took home a Packing Room cash prize of $1500, judged by the gallery staff who receive, unpack and hang the entries. There's no jousting sticks in sight, but we're pretty sure this one's going to go straight to a lucky gallery's pool room. Caton apparently congratulated the AGNSW packing room staff “on their excellent taste in art.” What a boss. After 832 Archibald, 653 Wynne and 518 Sulman entries, this year, these 47 Archibald finalists are the top tier of artists trying to make us wake up and pay attention (whether for great or WTF reasons) to Australia’s big ol’ faces. It's not an easy task; capturing a realistic, unrelentingly vulnerable likeness of your own reflection, someone you’ve just met or one of your oldest buds takes a fair few stories, maybe a few beers and a willingness to tackle the intimidating notion of thinking up something new after decades of Archie winners. There's a few standouts for us this year, which you can see when the exhibition opens to the public on July 18. There's this striking portrait of Australian fashion designer Jenny Kee by Carla Fletcher: This pretty damn impressive self portrait of Australian artist and political activist Richard Bell: Adam Alcorn's sharply figurative portrait of Sydney award-winning writer, comedian, podcaster and radio host Alice Fraser: Julian Meagher's candy-coloured portrait of Daniel Johns: And Stewart MacFarlane's got Corey Bernadi holding some kind of whip? The Archibald Prize exhibition opens to the public at the AGNSW on Saturday, July 18. To view all the Archibald, Sulman and Wynne finalists, head over here. Images: Archibald Prize, AGNSW.
If you’re one of those picky coffee connoisseurs whose beverage requires roasting by a particular machine, milk from a certain cow, frothing at the hands of a special barista and ritualistic dances by the full moon, there’s now a place for you. It’s called Haven Café and you’ll find it at 30-34 Chalmers Street, Surry Hills, right near Central Station. Regardless of how fussy you are, your specifications will be embraced with open arms — because Haven’s bringing tailored coffee to Sydney. Its chief mission is to provide every single customer with a drink designed around their set of taste buds. Not only are milk type and brewing styles taken into consideration, you’re also asked to outline what you like in terms of acidity, sweetness, aroma, body, even aftertaste. Yep, for not one microsecond are you to experience a lack of personalised satisfaction. The coffee heavy behind this operation is one Mr Bruno Koo, ex-judge of the sensory section at the Hong Kong station of the World Barista Championship. He wants Sydneysiders to think of our coffee as more than just a desperate morning hit. "Through our coffee tailoring, we are redefining how [they] treat their coffee, from a routine drink to something with higher expectations," he said in a media statement. "We dare to remind coffee lovers that they deserve a better cup of craftsmanship, prompting them not to limit their coffee experience." To match the experience, Haven has an all-day menu on offer, inspired by "rustic elegance". Expect healthy ingredients, big flavours and influences from both East and West. Head chef Thomas Taylor said, "We can’t wait to see the surprised faces from our customers who try our food. The Drunken Chicken Kale Caesar, Pork Belly Kimcheese Burger and Masfogato (an upgraded affogato) are the must-try dishes — along with my baked sweets." Haven Café is open at 30-34 Chalmers Street, Surry Hills with a full menu Monday to Friday between 7am and 4pm, and on weekends for pastries and drinks only between 8am and 4pm.
Those final-round, half-popped remnants of the once-brimming popcorn bag have a solid fan base it seems, with two companies (two!) now selling bags of almost-there popcorn. Washington-based company HalfPops and Minnesota-based company Pop'd Kerns have decided that fully-popped kernels are wildly overrated, now selling half-popped corn as an actual snack. Their premature little bag buddies make for quite the potentially teeth-breaking snack, selling 170-gram bags at over 2000 locations America-wide and online (not for international delivery yet, so we'll have to live with the few skerricks in our popcorn bags for now). How the companies purposely half-pop the corn isn't made entirely clear on either of their websites, so we're willing to conjure up an image of the team hiding behind unsuspecting popcorn eaters and stealing their bags when they're almost done. Hiiiiiissssss, the sweet, sweet half-popped gold! The partially-popped friends made a strong appearance at New York City's Summer Fancy Food Show, the city's first ever specialty food week. Taking over NYC's Javits Centre from June 28 to 30, the inaugural SFFS15 nabbed the title of largest specialty food trade event in North America; a leading showcase of food industry innovation. For three days, American foodies found themselves surrounded by the newest and weirdest edible developments in the game. Half-popped corn wasn't the only thing turning heads at SFFS15. Probably the most grown-up type of ice cream in the freezer, wine ice cream is the work of an upstate New York dairy called Mercer's. Don't think this is simply wine-flavoured, these creamy, creamy confections have up to five percent alcohol. Other 'fancy foods' making waves at the specialty food week included the controversial maple water, tomato butter and the retch-inducing camel milk. Like, milked from a camel. Yeesh. Via The Kitchn.
The man who conquered Melbourne’s laneways has set his eyes on the sky. Co-creator of Laneway Festival and the man behind Thousand Pound Bend, Ponyfish Island and Sister Bella, Jerome Borazio will stake his claim to a prime piece of high-altitude Melbourne real estate, with an upscale camping ground on the Melbourne Central roof set to open on May 20. "I was literally just looking at the building, and I had this idea," Borazio tells us. "I’ve worked with Melbourne Central on and off on projects for five or six years now, and I know they’ve been trying to activate it, so I knew the space was available. But I wasn’t just going to put another pop-up restaurant or pop-up bar up there." Christening the project St. Jerome’s – The Hotel, Borazio promises "five-star intelligent design" and "high level personalised service" to go along with panoramic views of the Melbourne skyline. The accommodation consists of 30 canvas bell tents, with a combination of standard 'rooms' and suites. There's the 'Luxe' (a four-metre Homecamp bell tent) and 'Luxe Plus' (five-metre Homecamp bell tent, with mini-bar, electric blankets and heating) option to pick from, both fitted out with pretty stunning bed linen from Linen House's latest collection — and they'll provide you with one of their fluffy white robes too. Guests will have access to a range of amenities including 24-hour concierge service, free wi-fi, a guest-only communal lawn area, complimentary breakfast hampers, morning coffee by Plantation, goodies from the Swisse Body Care range and free Tai Chi and meditation sessions every morning. The St. Jerome’s – The Hotel General Store will be stocked up with everything from postcards to bed socks, amenities to Laurent Perrier Champagne, Victorian wines from Treasury Estate to Melbourne-based Fire Drum Vodka (yeah, not your average camping ground kiosk). The five-star trappings also mean a five-star bill, and Borazio says prices would start from around $330. That puts it about in line with other high-end CBD accommodation, but a tad more expensive than just pitching a tent in your own backyard. But this is a pretty unique stay in a significantly epic setting. The Melbourne Central rooftop has seen sporadic use over the years, and was recently home to a pop-up tennis court during last year’s Australian Open. The space is expected to open for business on May 20, and Borazio remains undeterred by Melbourne’s notorious winter weather. "We actually think it’s quite romantic," he says. "You’ll be in the tent, hearing the rain on the canvas. It's a pretty unique experience." St Jerome’s – The Hotel currently intends to occupy the space for a limited time only. St. Jerome's — The Hotel opens on May 20. Stay glued to their Facebook page for more updates.
Like a diamond in the rough, Waterloo stalwart Wild Cockatoo is set in the most unassuming of spots on Botany Road — and it's turning out some of the best sourdough in the city. The bakery's organic bread is lovingly displayed in baskets set atop a massive, wrap-around display case. The sourdough is available in heaps of flavours that change daily, including daily specials such as saltbush, nigella seed, rosemary and potato, raisin and wholemeal. The bakery also bakes baguettes, rolls, flatbreads, flaky meat pies and decadently buttery croissants. Wild Cockatoo is open six days per week until sold out — you can bet it'll sell out. While you wait, be sure to check out the many colourful cockatoos that adorn the walls and have a perfect cup of coffee. Images: Cassandra Hannagan
Sydney's sunsets are about to get a whole lot more dramatic, with the Sydney Opera House this morning announcing that they will light up the sails of the landmark nightly. Tonight it will launch Badu Gili, a new sound and light set in celebration of Australia's First Nations culture. Basically, it's like what the Opera House does for Vivid, but very single night. As the sun goes down each day — and then again at 7pm — the House's iconic sails will be illuminated with a projection of a vibrant seven-minute animation. The animation will explore ancient Indigenous stories, First Nations artworks and stunning soundscapes from Damian Robinson of Wicked Beat Sound System. This new work will build upon Songlines, the visual story projection that curator (and Head of First Nations Programming at the Opera House) Rhonda Roberts launched at Vivid Sydney last year. Badu Gili — which translates to 'water light' in the language of the site's traditional owners, the Gadigal people — launches tonight, Wednesday, June 28. It comes on the eve of NAIDOC Week, and coincides with the world premiere of Bangarra Dance Theatre's new production, Bennelong. Heading up the launch will be a traditional welcome and smoking ceremony from 5.30pm, followed by a performance by the Jannawi Dance Clan. If you can't pop by after work to see Badu Gili tonight, the Opera House will be streaming it on their Facebook page from 5.45pm. Of course, it will be on every night, so you'll have plenty of opportunities to catch it — nightly showing times will be listed here. Images: Daniel Boud.
Sydney's Royal Botanic Garden turns 200 in June — and it's landed itself one humdinger of a birthday present. Meet The Calyx, the Garden's new world-class horticultural experience. Opened to coincide with the official opening date of the Botanic Gardens on June 13, 1816, 200 years ago, this dazzling new UFO-shaped public space not only houses thousands and thousands of plants, but gives Sydneysiders an escape from the city's busy streets and relentless traffic. It also provides a new outdoor home for fun, innovative exhibitions. The first, now open, is Sweet Addiction, an interactive adventure through the botanic story of chocolate, from bean to bar. Starting your journey deep in a tropical rainforest, you'll see, touch and smell your way through ancient lands and chocolate plantations, before reaching a tasty pop-up shop — the site for many future chocolate activities and tastings. Also part of the show is a collection of 18,000 plants, which are arranged as living artworks. Together, they form the biggest green wall in the Southern Hemisphere, measuring six metres in height and 285 square metres in area. Move over, Patrick Blanc. (Mind you, we can't deny that One Central Park's wall is looking prettier with every passing day.) Of course, the coming of The Calyx hasn't been good for the Pyramid Glasshouse, which, as you might've noticed, has disappeared into the night. That said, things are looking up for The Arc. Designed by Ken Woolley, the impressive piece of architecture is staying put and has scored a mega revamp. In fact, it's set to become part of the new building, which will be made up of a blend of indoor and outdoor spaces. Their north facing position will let in oodles of light, maximising environmental performance and providing plenty of sun-drenched spots for you to kick back in. "The Calyx is a fusion of art, theatre and flora, with themed exhibitions that address conservation and environmental issues in an imaginative, accessible way yet to be seen in Australia," said Jimmy Turner, Director of Horticulture Management at the Royal Botanic Garden. "It's Broadway for plants."
The queen returns. Legendary fashion icon, unforgettable Bond villain and music superstar Grace Jones is returning to Australia, headlining Vivid Sydney's Modulations mini-festival at Carriageworks. Locked in for three performances on May 31, June 1 and 2, Jones marks her first Sydney appearance since her jaw-dropper of a show at the Enmore in 2011 (there were costume changes every two or three songs, we swear) and is set to be one dramatic, high fashion affair. This will be Jones' only Australian appearance this tour, not unlike last year's Modulations headliners, the Pet Shop Boys. Jones marks the top of the bill for Vivid's six-day Modulations festival-within-a-festival. After a hugely successful weekend pairing music, food and ideas at Carriageworks last year, Modulations returns with an expanded program set across two weekends. Sitting at the top of our Modulations priorities, a brand new pop-up called Italo Dining and Disco Club. Sydney restaurants Da Orazio Pizza + Porchetta, 10williamst, Icebergs Dining Room & Bar and Fratelli Paradiso will come together to present a weekend of Italian specialities, natural wines and itallo disco legends on the decks. Italo will be held May 31, June 1, June 2, June 5, June 6 and June 7 from 5pm til late at Carriageworks. But the music doesn't stop there. Alongside living jazz legend saxophonist Pharoah Sanders (who was just in Sydney performing at Atomic Bomb! for Sydney Festival), and the Pelvis/Motorik/Kooky dance club team-up party on June 7, another iconic musician joins the Modulations party. One half of KLF — one of the UK’s biggest successes of the early 1990s — and one of music and art's most provocative personalities Bill Drummond will deliver a keynote address and unveil a new artwork on June 6. Drummond famously burned one million pounds sterling (the KLF's earnings) for a work called Watch the K Foundation Burn a Million Quid at a boathouse on the Scottish island of Jura, so expect the unexpected. Modulations runs over two weekends starting Sunday, May 31 during Vivid Sydney (22 May to 8 June). For more information and tickets, head to Carriageworks' website. Image: Andrea Klarin.
Following the well-trodden footsteps of the legendary Beer Baron, the still-madly-delivering Jimmy Brings, CBD-based LiquorDrop, Manly's Dial-A-Drink and Leichhardt-founded QuickBottle, there's a new on-demand alcohol delivery service in town: WineRun. Launching this Thursday, July 9 and delivering seven nights a week, WineRun offers a limited range of wine, beer, spirits and snacks which they deliver via scooter in 30 minutes. Yep, 30 minutes. But hold your horses, there's a location limit, of course. WineRun will start off delivering to Sydney's lower north shore, with plans to perfect the delivery service before expanding. Contrary to our initial assumptions, WineRun isn't the half-baked idea of frustrated college kids dealing with Sydney's 10pm bottle shop curfew. Founded by Daniel Sofo, who operates Neutral Bay's Firefly and The Italian in Willoughby, WineRun comes from the brain of a hardworking Sydney bar owner seeing a niche in the market (delivery is the future of food and bev, people). "Being a bar owner means I know a thing or two about good drinks," says Sofo. "I've done the hard yards sifting the tasty from the ordinary and the good value from the overpriced. The result is the seventy wines, craft beers and spirits I've featured at WineRun. It isn't a huge collection, but i'm confident you'll love what's there, especially since we'll deliver it when you need it." So how can you get WineRun to scoot over to your house? All orders are placed online, through crew's website. WineRun operates between 5.30 and 10pm daily, delivering to Sydney's lower north shore only. WineRun launches on Thursday, July 9. Head to the website to place your order.
If you didn't make it to Sculpture by the Sea last year, you not only missed out on some killer sculpture, but slurpees served from a treehouse and a grass-covered Hobbit-like structure. But don't curse yourself. It's a new year, and The Grounds of Alexandria are resurrecting their fantastical pop-up cafe for the summer — this time in the Showring at the Entertainment Quarter. Taking inspiration from the literary endeavours of English authors J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, the Grounds House has been designed to blend in with its natural surroundings. It's made from 100% recycled timber and the roof is covered with grass grown specifically for the purpose. “Blending into its natural surroundings, The Grounds House has transformed from its beachside setting and nestled itself beautifully into the open space of greenery on the Showring," says Ramzey Choker, co-director and creative head of The Grounds. There will be all your Grounds favourites, like their all-day breaky burger, smashed avo on toast and fresh fish of the day. So you can enjoy a little outdoor eating time before you catch a movie, head to Circus Oz or, say, take your "nephew" to Water World Central. The Grounds of Alexandria pop-up will run until Sunday, January 24 at the Entertainment Quarter in Moore Park. It's open 11am - 11pm Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, and 11am - 8pm Thursday and Sunday. Find out more here.
This winter, Tim Burton's cult classic film Beetlejuice is coming to life on stage at Melbourne's Regent Theatre for Beetlejuice The Musical. Starring Australia's own Eddie Perfect in both the lead role and composer of the original score, the show is as bold, fun and camp as you'd expect. Playing at the Regent Theatre, within the city's unofficial 'East End Theatre District', you'll be at the grand entry point to Melbourne itself with laneways, late-night bars and must-try dining experiences just steps away from the show. Whether you're heading in early for a pre-show drink or looking for some late night flavour and fun, you'll find it all within walking distance. All you have to say is Melbourne, Melbourne, Melbourne. Pellegrini's Espresso Bar If you want to start your evening with a little old-school charm, step into Pellegrini's. This Melbourne institution has been slinging short blacks and lasagne since the '50s, and walking through its doors feels like entering a time warp (in the best way). Just a few minutes' walk from the Regent, it's perfect for a quick espresso or a pre-show bowl of gnocchi. Arlechin Hidden down a laneway just a couple of blocks from the Regent Theatre, Arlechin feels like the kind of bar Beetlejuice himself might have slipped into for a negroni. Open until 1am, at the helm of Melbourne restaurateur and chef, Guy Grossi, this moody late-night Italian bar has a low cork ceiling, dim lighting and impressive wine list. Self-identifying as the meeting place of food, drink and mischief, Arlechin is where you'll want to settle in and debrief the chaos you just witnessed on stage. Kafeneion Over on Spring Street, inside the Melbourne Supper Club building, Kafeneion is a hearty restaurant that oozes character. With its vintage fit-out, simple white table clothes and homemade-style Greek menu, it's the kind of cosy, warm place that wants you to settle in for late night hangouts. Perfect for a long lunch before a matinee or a feast after an evening show. Flinders Lane If you'd rather play things by ear, wander down Flinders Lane (aka Melbourne's unofficial eat street) and you'll quickly see why it's a pre and post-show favourite. From cult fine diners like Cumulus Inc. and Supernormal to classic Melbourne-style cocktail bars in laneway basements, this entire street is packed with options. It's the kind of place where one drink turns into dinner, then dessert, then a nightcap. Curious If you're craving something theatrical on the other side of town, Curious at W Melbourne is your next stop. Located inside an architectural wooden tunnel, the bar itself is a work of art, but it's the drinks that really get you excited. Order something from their 'Elemental Playground' cocktail menu like the 'Honey, I Burnt the Beets' or the 'Checkerboard', each inspired by the elements of earth, water, air, and fire. Experimental, bold and very photo-worthy, it matches Beetlejuice's vibe perfectly. Yaowarat Open until midnight every night with nothing over $16, Yaowarat brings the flavours and energy of Thailand and China to Melbourne's CBD. This spot is great for a no-fuss, high-flavour meal after seeing Beetlejuice The Musical, especially if you're hungry for something spicy and shareable. Order your favourite noodles, grab a cold beer, and soak up the buzzing, neon-lit atmosphere. Siglo Want to get some late-night fresh air? Head to Siglo, the rooftop bar perched above Spring Street. Classic white tablecloths are paired with skyline view and a solid drinks list, making this a great wind-down spot once you've had your fill of the city's non-stop energy. Order a dirty martini and look out over Parliament House as the streets buzz below. Melbourne was made for unforgettable nights. If you're heading to Beetlejuice The Musical, continue the fun beyond the theatre doors. There's no better place to go out and get a little spooky in. Head to visitmelbourne.com.au to discover more of what makes Melbourne. Every bit different. By Jacque Kennedy.
Back in 2018, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that it was adding a new award to the Oscars for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Film. If you can't remember which flicks have won it, there's a reason for that: the gong was scrapped quickly thanks to a heap of backlash. Across plenty of years since, the reason that that accolade wasn't needed has been proven. Black Panther, Joker, Everything Everywhere All At Once, Oppenheimer and Barbie have all featured heavily among the nominations, for instance — and everything except Barbenheimer so far has notched up wins. Both Christopher Nolan and Greta Gerwig's latest films are among the flicks with the most nominations in 2024, with 13 and eight apiece. They're also massive global box-office hits. So, going into this year's ceremony, you've likely seen at least those two contenders — but if you're wondering where to catch everything else, we've got the rundown. We've predicted who we think will emerge victorious, but the winners will be anointed on Monday, March 11, Down Under time. Right now in Australia, you can catch up with 31 movies that are hoping to score trophies. Some you need to hit the cinema to see. Others you can catch on the couch. With a few, you have the choice of heading out or staying home. From Barbenheimer (of course) and twists on Frankenstein to animated Spider-Man antics and devastating documentaries, here's where to direct your eyeballs. On the Big Screen: Anatomy of a Fall Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Justine Triet), Best Actress (Sandra Hüller), Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing Our thoughts: A calypso instrumental cover of 50 Cent's 'P.I.M.P.' isn't the only thing that Anatomy of a Fall's audience won't be able to dislodge from their heads after watching 2023's deserving Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or-winner. A film from writer/director Justine Triet (Sibyl) that's thorny, knotty and defiantly unwilling to give any easy answers, this legal, psychological and emotional thriller about a woman (Sandra Hüller, The Zone of Interest) on trial for her husband's death is unshakeable in as many ways as someone can have doubts about another person: so, a myriad. Where to watch: In Australian cinemas. Read our full review. Four Daughters Nominations: Best Documentary Feature Our thoughts: There's a reason that Four Daughters can't include its entire namesake quartet, with just two appearing on-screen themselves and the other two played by actors. Unlike the younger Eya and Tayssir, the older Rahma and Ghofrane are no longer at home with their mother Olfa; instead, they left their family after becoming radicalised, with Islamic State in Libya their destination. So explores Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania (The Man Who Sold His Skin), in a documentary that's as gripping as it is heartbreaking — and uses recreations with a purpose unlike almost any other movie. Where to watch: In Australian cinemas. May December Nominations: Best Original Screenplay Our thoughts: May December takes inspiration from Mary Kay Letourneau, the teacher who had a sexual relationship with her sixth-grade student in the 90s. A simple recreation was never going to be Todd Haynes' (Dark Waters) approach, however. Starring Julianne Moore (Sharper) and Charles Melton (Riverdale) as its central couple decades after the scandal, plus Natalie Portman (Thor: Love and Thunder) as an actor about to feature in a movie about them, this a savvily piercing film that sees the impact on the situation's victim, the story its perpetrator has spun, and the ravenous way that people's lives are consumed by the media and public. Where to watch: In Australian cinemas. Read our full review. The Zone of Interest Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Jonathan Glazer), Best International Feature, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Sound Our thoughts: Quotes and observations about evil being mundane, as well as the result when people look the other way, will never stop being relevant. A gripping, unsettling masterpiece, The Zone of Interest is a window into why. The first film by Sexy Beast, Birth and Under the Skin director Jonathan Glazer in more than a decade, the Holocaust-set and BAFTA-winning feature peers on as the unthinkable happens literally just over the fence, but a family goes about its ordinary life. If it seems abhorrent that anything can occur in the shadow of any concentration camp or site of World War II atrocities, that's part of the movie's point. Where to watch: In Australian cinemas. Read our full review. In Cinemas or at Home: The Holdovers Nominations: Best Picture, Best Actor (Paul Giamatti), Best Supporting Actress (Da'Vine Joy Randolph), Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing Our thoughts: Melancholy, cantankerousness, angst, hurt and snow all blanket Barton Academy in Alexander Payne's (Nebraska) The Holdovers. It's Christmas 1970 in New England in this thoughtful story that's given room to breathe and build, but festive cheer is in short supply among the students and staff that give the movie its moniker. Soon, there's just three folks left behind: Angus Tully (debutant Dominic Sessa), whose mother wants more time alone with his new stepdad; curmudgeonly professor Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti, Billions); and grieving cook Mary Lamb (Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Only Murders in the Building). Where to watch: In Australian cinemas, and streaming via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Killers of the Flower Moon Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Martin Scorsese), Best Actress (Lily Gladstone), Best Supporting Actor (Robert De Niro), Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, Best Original Song ('Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)', Scott George), Best Production Design Our thoughts: Death comes to Killers of the Flower Moon quickly. Death comes often, too. While Martin Scorsese will later briefly fill the film's frames with a fiery orange vision, death blazes through his 26th feature from the moment that the picture starts rolling. Adapted from journalist David Grann's 2017 non-fiction novel Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, this is a masterpiece of a Lily Gladstone (Reservation Dogs)-, Leonardo DiCaprio (Don't Look Up)- and Robert De Niro (Amsterdam)-starring movie about a heartbreakingly horrible spate of deaths sparked by pure and unapologetic greed and persecution a century back. Where to watch: In Australian cinemas, and streaming via Apple TV+, YouTube Movies and Prime Video. Read our full review, and our interview with Martin Scorsese. Poor Things Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Yorgos Lanthimos), Best Actress (Emma Stone), Best Supporting Actor (Mark Ruffalo), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Original Score, Best Production Design Our thoughts: Richly striking feats of cinema by Yorgos Lanthimos aren't scarce, and sublime performances by Emma Stone are hardly infrequent. The Favourite, their first collaboration, ticked both boxes. Screen takes on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein also couldn't be more constant. Combining the three in Poor Things results in a rarity, however: a jewel of a pastel-, jewel- and bodily fluid-toned feminist Frankenstein-esque fairy tale that's a stunning creation, as zapped to life with Lanthimos' inimitable flair, a mischievous air, Stone at her most extraordinary and empowerment blazing like a lightning bolt. Where to watch: In Australian cinemas, and streaming via Disney+, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Via Streaming: American Fiction Nominations: Best Picture, Best Actor (Jeffrey Wright), Best Supporting Actor (Sterling K Brown), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score Our thoughts: Here's Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison's (Jeffrey Wright, Rustin) predicament when American Fiction begins: on the page, his talents aren't selling books. So, sick of hearing that his work isn't "Black enough", he gets a-typing, pumping out the kind of text that he vehemently hates — but 100-percent fits the stereotype of what the world keeps telling him that Black literature should be. It attracts interest, even more so when Monk adopts a cliched new persona to go with it. Wright is indeed exceptional in this savvy satire of authenticity, US race relations and class chasms, and earns his awards contention for his reactions alone. Where to watch: Streaming via Prime Video. Read our full review. American Symphony Nominations: Best Original Song ('It Never Went Away', Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson) Our thoughts: Jon Batiste has enjoyed a dream career so far, with the musician packing more into his 37 years than most people do in a lifetime. Matthew Heineman's (Retrograde) American Symphony isn't that tale, though. Instead, it spends a year with The Late Show with Stephen Colbert's former bandleader and Soul Oscar-winner — a year where he's nominated for 11 Grammys, and endeavours to compose the symphony that gives this intimate and touching documentary its name. Also shaping the 12 months: in his personal life, grappling with the return of his wife and bestselling author Suleika Jaouad's leukaemia. Where to watch: Streaming via Netflix. Barbie Nominations: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Ryan Gosling), Best Supporting Actress (America Ferrera), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Song ('I'm Just Ken', Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt; 'What Was I Made For?', Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell), Best Costume Design, Best Production Design Our thoughts: No one plays with a Barbie too hard when the Mattel product is fresh out of the box. The more that the toy is trotted through DreamHouses, though, the more that playing with the plastic fashion model becomes fantastical. Like globally beloved item, like live-action movie bearing its name. Barbie, the film, starts with glowing aesthetic perfection. It's almost instantly a pink-hued paradise for the eyes, and it's also cleverly funny. The longer that it continues, however, the harder and wilder that director Greta Gerwig (Little Women) goes, as does her lead-slash-producer Margot Robbie (Babylon) as Barbie and Ryan Gosling (The Gray Man) as Ken. Where to watch: Streaming via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Bobi Wine: The People's President Nominations: Best Documentary Feature Our thoughts: In western countries where democracy is entrenched, the system of government is too easily taken for granted. Bobi Wine: The People's President shows what the fight for a nation that's free, fair and gives its people a voice looks like, chronicling the plight of its titular figure. Bobi Wine was an Ugandan pop star, and a popular one. Then, in response to the autocratic rule of Yoweri Museveni since 1986, he turned to political activism. Filmmakers Moses Bwayo and Christopher Sharp, both first-time directors, also show how important and difficult his quest is — and there isn't a second of this documentary that isn't riveting. Where to watch: Streaming via Disney+. The Color Purple Nominations: Best Supporting Actress (Danielle Brooks) Our thoughts: On the page, stage and screen, The Color Purple's narrative has mostly remained the same, crushing woe, infuriating prejudice and rampant inequity included. Musicals don't have to be cheery, but how does so much brutality give rise to anything but mournful songs? The answer here: by leaning into the rural Georgia-set tale's embrace of hope, resilience and self-discovery. Ghanaian director Blitz Bazawule follows up co-helming Beyoncé's Black Is King by heroing empowerment and emancipation in his iteration of The Color Purple — and while it's easy to see the meaning behind its striving for a brighter outlook. Where to watch: Streaming via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. The Creator Nominations: Best Sound, Best Visual Effects Our thoughts: Science fiction has never been afraid of unfurling its futuristic visions on the third rock from the sun, but the resulting films have rarely been as earthy as The Creator. Set from 2065 onwards after the fiery destruction of Los Angeles, this tale of humanity clashing with artificial intelligence is visibly awash with technology that doesn't currently exist — and yet the latest movie from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story director Gareth Edwards, which focuses on an undercover military operative Joshua (John David Washington, Amsterdam) tasked with saving the world, couldn't look or feel more authentic and grounded. Where to watch: Streaming via Disney+, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. El Conde Nominations: Best Cinematography Our thoughts: What if Augusto Pinochet didn't die in 2006? What if the Chilean general and dictator wasn't aged 91 at the time, either? What if his story started long before his official 1915 birthdate, in France prior to the French Revolution? What if he's been living for 250 years because he's a literal monster of the undead, draining and terrifying kind? Trust Chilean filmmaking great Pablo Larraín (Ema, Neruda, The Club, No, Post Mortem and Tony Manero) to ask these questions in El Conde, which translates as The Count and marks the latest exceptional effort in a career that just keeps serving up excellent movies. Where to watch: Streaming via Netflix. Read our full review. Elemental Nominations: Best Animated Feature Our thoughts: With Elemental, Pixar is in familiar territory — so much so that this film feels like something that was always destined to happen. Embracing the the studio's now-standard "what if robots, playthings, rats and the like had feelings?, it anthropomorphises fire, water, air and earth, and ponders these aspects of nature having emotions. The result from filmmaker Pete Sohn (The Good Dinosaur) is just-likeable and sweet-enough, despite vivid animation, plus the noblest of aims to survey the immigrant experience, opposites attracting, breaking down cultural stereotypes and borders, and complicated parent-child relationships. Where to watch: Streaming via Disney+, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. The Eternal Memory Nominations: Best Documentary Feature Our thoughts: After The Mole Agent, writer/director Maite Alberdi earns her second Oscar nomination in two successive films for a documentary that's just as layered — but she's no longer telling a caper-esque tale. This time, Augusto Góngora and Paulina Urrutia receive her attention. The former is an ex-former journalist and broadcaster. The latter is an actor and politician. Góngora's diagnosis with Alzheimer's disease sits at the centre of this haunting effort, which focuses on how its central couple endeavour to cope with his memory loss, the role that reflecting on the past has on our present and future, and how love endures. Where to watch: Streaming via DocPlay. Flamin' Hot Nominations: Best Original Song ('The Fire Inside', Diane Warren) Our thoughts: The feature directorial debut of Desperate Housewives actor Eva Longoria, Flamin' Hot is a product film, as Cheetos fans will instantly know. If you've ever wondered how the Frito-Lay-owned brand's spiciest variety came about in the 90s, this energetically made movie provides the answer while itself rolling out a crowd-pleasing formula. Eating the titular snack while you watch is optional, but expect the hankering to arise either way. This story belongs to Richard Montañez (Jesse Garcia, Ambulance) — and it's also an underdog tale, and an account of chasing the American dream, especially when it seems out of reach. Where to watch: Streaming via Disney+. Read our full review. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Nominations: Best Visual Effects Our thoughts: Arriving to close out a standalone trilogy within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 zooms into the saga's fifth phase with a difference: it's still a quippy comedy, but it's as much a drama and a tragedy as well. Like most on-screen GotG storylines, it's also heist caper — and as plenty of caped-crusader flicks are, within the MCU or not, it's an origin story. The more that a James Gunn-written and -directed Guardians film gets cosy within the usual Marvel template, however, the more that his branch of Marvel's pop-culture behemoth embraces its own personality. Where to watch: Streaming via Disney+, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Nominations: Best Original Score Our thoughts: Old hat, new whip. No, that isn't Dr Henry Walton 'Indiana' Jones' shopping list, but a description of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. While the fifth film about the eponymous archaeologist is as familiar as Indy films come, it's kept somewhat snapping by the returning Harrison Ford's (Shrinking) on-screen partnership with Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag). If you've seen one Indy outing in the past 42 years, you've seen the underlying mechanics of every other Indy outing. And yet, watching Ford flashing his crooked smile again, plus his bantering with Waller-Bridge, is almost enough to keep this new instalment from Ford v Ferrari filmmaker James Mangold whirring. Where to watch: Streaming via Disney+, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Maestro Nominations: Best Picture, Best Actor (Bradley Cooper), Best Actress (Carey Mulligan), Best Cinematography, Best Original Screenplay, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Sound Our thoughts: When a composer pens music, it's the tune that they want the world to enjoy, not the marks on a page scribbling it into existence. When a conductor oversees an orchestra, the performance echoing rather than their own with baton in hand and arms waving is their gift. In Maestro, Bradley Cooper (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3) is seen as Leonard Bernstein in both modes. His portrayal is so richly textured that it's a career-best turn. But Cooper as this movie's helmer and co-writer wants Maestro's audience to revel in the end result — and if he wants love showered anyone's way first, it's towards Carey Mulligan (Saltburn) as Felicia Montealegre Bernstein. Where to watch: Netflix. Read our full review. Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One Nominations: Best Sound, Best Visual Effects Our thoughts: Just as its lead actor's gleaming teeth do, Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One, the seventh instalment in the TV-to-film spy series, thoroughly shines. Like Tom Cruise (Top Gun: Maverick) himself, it's committed to giving audiences what they want to see, but never merely exactly what they've already seen. This saga hasn't always chosen to accept that mission, but it's been having a better time of it since 2011's Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, including since writer/director Christopher McQuarrie jumped behind the lens with 2015's Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. Where to watch: Streaming via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Napoleon Nominations: Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, Best Visual Effects Our thoughts: When is a Ridley Scott (House of Gucci)-directed, Joaquin Phoenix (Beau Is Afraid)-starring trip to the past more than just a historical drama? Twice now, so whenever the filmmaker and actor team up to explore Europe centuries ago. Gladiator was the first; Napoleon follows — and where the Rome-set first was an action film as well, the second leans into comedy. This biopic of the eponymous French military star-turned-emperor can be funny. In the lead, Phoenix repeatedly boasts the line delivery, facial expressions and physical presence of someone actively courting laughs. When he declares "destiny has brought me this lamb chop!", all three coalesce. Where to watch: Streaming via Apple TV+, YouTube Movies and Prime Video. Read our full review. Nimona Nominations: Best Animated Feature Our thoughts: Bounding thoughtfully from the page to the screen — well, from pixels first, initially leaping from the web to print — Nimona goes all in on belonging. Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal) wants to fit in desperately, and is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve it in this animated movie's medieval-yet-futuristic world, where there's nothing more important and acclaimed than being part of the Institute for Elite Knights. But when tragedy strikes, then prejudice sets in, he only has one ally. Nimona's namesake (Chloë Grace Moretz, The Peripheral) is a shapeshifter who offers to be his sidekick regardless of his innocence or guilt. Where to watch: Streaming via Netflix. Read our full review. Nyad Nominations: Best Actress (Annette Bening), Best Supporting Actress (Jodie Foster) Our thoughts: Most sports films about real-life exploits piece together the steps it took for a person or a team to achieve the ultimate in their field, or come as close as possible while trying their hardest. Nyad is no different, but it's also a deeply absorbing character study of two people: its namesake Diana Nyad (Annette Bening, Death on the Nile) and her best friend Bonnie Stoll (Jodie Foster, True Detective). The first is the long-distance swimmer whose feats the movie tracks, especially her quest to swim from Cuba to Florida in the 2010s. The second is the former professional racquetball player who became Nyad's coach when she set her sights on making history as a sexagenarian. Where to watch: Netflix. Read our full review. Oppenheimer Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Christopher Nolan), Best Actor (Cillian Murphy), Best Supporting Actor (Robert Downey Jr), Best Supporting Actress (Emily Blunt), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Original Score, Best Production Design, Best Sound Our thoughts: Cast Cillian Murphy and a filmmaker falls in love. There's an arresting, haunting, seeps-under-your-skin soulfulness about the Irish actor, including when playing "the father of atomic bomb" in Christopher Nolan's (Tenet) epic biopic Oppenheimer. Flirting with the end of the world, or just one person's end, clearly suits Murphy. Here he is in a mind-blower as the destroyer of worlds — almost, perhaps actually — and so much of this can't-look-away three-hour stunner dwells in his expressive eyes, which see purpose, possibility, quantum mechanics' promise and, ultimately, the Manhattan Project's consequences. Where to watch: Streaming via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Past Lives Nominations: Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay Our thoughts: Call it fate, call it destiny, call it feeling like you were always meant to cross paths with someone: in Korean, that sensation is in-yeon. Partway through Past Lives, Nora (Greta Lee, Russian Doll) explains the concept to Arthur (John Magaro, The Many Saints of Newark) like she knows it deep in her bones, because both she and the audience are well-aware that she does. That's what writer/director Celine Song's sublime feature debut is about, in fact. The term also applies to her connection to childhood crush Hae Sung (Teo Yoo, Decision to Leave) in this sensitive, blisteringly honest and intimately complex masterpiece. Where to watch: Streaming via Prime Video. Read our full review, and our interview with Celine Song. Rustin Nominations: Best Actor (Colman Domingo) Our thoughts: After Selma, One Night in Miami and Judas and the Black Messiah arrives Rustin, the latest must-see movie about the minutiae of America's 60s-era civil rights movement. All four hail from Black filmmakers. All four tell vital stories. They each boast phenomenal performances, too, including from Colman Domingo (The Color Purple) as Rustin's eponymous figure. His turn as Bayard Rustin, who conceived and organised the event where Martin Luther King Jr gave his "I Have a Dream" speech, isn't merely powerful; it's a go-for-broke portrayal from a versatile talent at the top of his game while digging into the every inch of his part. Where to watch: Streaming via Netflix. Read our full review. Society of the Snow Nominations: Best International Feature, Best Makeup and Hairstyling Our thoughts: Society of the Snow isn't merely a disaster film detailing the specifics of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571's failed journey, the immediate deaths and those that came afterwards, the lengthy wait to be found — including after authorities called the search off — and the crushing decisions made to get through. JA Bayona (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom), who also helmed the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami-focused The Impossible, has made a weighty feature that reckons with the emotional, psychological and spiritual toll, and doesn't think of shying away from the most difficult aspects of this real-life situation, including cannibalism. Where to watch: Streaming via Netflix. Read our full review. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Nominations: Best Animated Feature Our thoughts: When 2018's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse took pop culture's favourite web-slinger back to its animated roots, it made flesh-and-blood superhero flicks and shows, as well as the expensive special effects behind them, look positively trivial and cartoonish. The end result was a deservedly Academy Award-winning masterpiece — and its first sequel Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, which hails from directors Joaquim Dos Santos (The Legend of Korra), Kemp Powers (Soul) and Justin K Thompson (Into the Spider-Verse's production designer), plasters around the same sensation like a Spidey shooting its silk. Where to watch: Streaming via Binge, Prime Video, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Read our full review. To Kill a Tiger Nominations: Best Documentary Feature Our thoughts: A battle for justice sits at the heart of To Kill a Tiger, a documentary that is as powerful as it is heavy, and is also an essential piece of filmmaking. When his 13-year-old daughter becomes the victim of sexual assault, Ranjit is determined to bring the perpetrators to justice. Not that that's a straightforward feat anywhere, but it isn't the same quest in India as it is in western countries, as writer/director Nisha Pahuja (The World Before Her) examines. Ranjit is dedicated to the fight, even knowing how difficult it is — from the backlash that he receives across his village to the horrifying statistics regarding the frequency of rape in the country and the paltry conviction rate. Where to watch: Streaming via Netflix from Friday, March 8. 20 Days in Mariupol Nominations: Best Documentary Feature Our thoughts: Incompatible with life. No one ever hears those three devastating words — one of the most distressing phrases there is — in positive circumstances. Accordingly, when they're uttered by a doctor in 20 Days in Mariupol, they're deeply shattering. So is everything in this on-the-ground portrait of the first 20 days in the Ukrainian city as Russia began its invasion, as the bleak reality of living in a war zone is documented. Directed by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Mstyslav Chernov, that this film even exists is an achievement. What it shows — what it immerses viewers in, from shelled hospitals and basements-turned-bomb shelters to families torn apart and mass graves — can never be forgotten. Where to watch: Streaming via DocPlay. The 2024 Oscars will be announced on Monday, March 11, Australian time. For further details, head to the awards' website. Wondering who'll win? Check out our predictions.
There's never a bad day of the week to see a movie in a cinema. But if you like staring at the big screen and sticking to a budget, Tuesdays are particularly great. Discounted tickets on the second day of the working week is a long-running tradition, and one that probably helped get you through your uni days — and, at Event Cinemas, it's back after a pandemic-fuelled pause. The theatre chain is cutting the price of all adult tickets on Tuesdays by 50 percent, and across all of the different types it has on offer. So, if you prefer Vmax's seating, Gold Class' recliners, to kick back in a daybed or to head to the company's boutique screens, you can do all of the above for half the price. The deal starts again on Tuesday, March 16 — but you do need to be a member of Event's free-to-join Cinebuzz club to get the discount. As for what you can watch, Judas and the Black Messiah, Raya and the Last Dragon, Girls Can't Surf, The Dry, Nomadland and Minari are currently in cinemas — and you can look forward to Godzilla vs Kong, Nobody, Tom and Jerry: The Movie and Trainspotting 25th anniversary screenings, too. Half-Price Tuesdays is available at all Event locations in New South Wales, except Glendale, Skyline Blacktown and Moonlight Cinema.
Where bigger festivals rely mostly on a precise combo of big name international acts plus Pitchfork-approved indies, the Secret Garden sells out each year before its line-up is even announced. How you do that in today's musical climate is pretty astounding, until you look at what else the Secret Garden has to offer, at which point it becomes astoundingly obvious. Free booze, a magical farmland location revealed only to ticket-holders, and bands so close you can smell them all provide good reasons to get your unicorn onesie covered in glittery mud. And the food doesn't suck. "We are pretty different to what's out there," says festival director Clare Downes. "We are completely focussed, almost anal, about putting on a brilliant event. This includes lots of small creative areas, luxury camping facilities, great bars, brilliant music, award-winning food, interactive stuff and surprises. Gardeners love our surprises!" But that's not to say the music isn't a big draw card. This year the organisers have pulled together another excellent slew of bands and DJs that read like a cross-section of rising and risen local talent. PVT-approved Sydney duo Collarbones will make an appearance alongside Cub Scouts and The Griswolds, with The Preatures adding some artful gloom to the glitter. Rounding out the first line-up announcement are Alison Wonderland, DCUP, the Delta Riggs, Frames, Lancelot, Rufus, Spit Syndicate, Vance Joy, and Softwar and Slowball presenting Secret Garden After Hours. Secret Garden is also not a bratwurst in a bun sort of occasion. This year the festival is embracing Sydney's fleet of food trucks, with Eat Art Truck (headed by Stuart Magill of Tetsuya's and Brenton Balicki of Quay), Mexican masters Al Carbon, Tsuru's pan-Asian street food, and Jafe Jaffles confirmed to be in attendance, while Porch & Parlour takes care of breakfast. Knowing that the dinner table is the heart of the family and new dining experiences the soul of Sydney, organisers have also lined up a Secret Garden Banquet. Limited tickets are available for the feast, which will be held in heritage-listed stables in a secret area of the already secret location, and hosted, of course, by a secret group of foodies. The final component of today's announcement is no minor detail; it's the Friday theme, a greatly cherished part of the festivities. In 2013 Secret Garden is extending the hand of friendship to the scene perhaps best known for cosplay, the sci-fi convention, with Secret Garcon. For all those festivalgoers who'd feel outgeeked at Comic Con but have always wanted to dress up as their favourite Star Wars/Mass Effect/Ghostbusters character, this is for you. As Downes says, "Secret Garden is the kind of festival where you can dress as a pineapple, talk to the guy standing next to you, dabble in some karaoke, send a postcard to your mum and listen to some great bands. There are so many elements to it, beyond what happens on the stage and what we serve at the bars." It all comes together to create an immaculately tailored weekend away that you don't have to plan a thing for. Tickets for Secret Garden 2013 have sold out, but the festival is run entirely by volunteers, and it's not too late to become one of those. In exchange for four hours of work on the day, you can then run free at the venue. Secret Garden is run as a not-for-profit, with all proceeds going to the Sarah Hilt Foundation, which helps sufferers of meningococcal disease. Just another thing that separates this festival from the rest. By Hannah Ongley and Rima Sabina Aouf.
One of the best performances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe comes from the man who was first charged with getting villainous, but now leads his own spinoff series as a complex and playful hero. While Tom Hiddleston's acting talents are well-established far beyond playing the God of Mischief — see: The Deep Blue Sea, The Hollow Crown, Only Lovers Left Alive, High-Rise, Crimson Peak and The Night Manager, for instance — the MCU has been all the better for his involvement for more than a decade. A scene-stealer in 2011's Thor, his parts in film after film kept getting bigger until streaming series Loki arrived. Amid Disney's rush of greenlighting shows for Disney+, starting this one couldn't have been easier; as Thor: Ragnarok in particular demonstrated, adding more Hiddleston has always been a winning move. When it slid into queues in 2021 as just the third series in the MCU's small-screen realm, following WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki proved that more Hiddleston in a six-part TV show was also a delight. Immediately one of Marvel's standout shows, it came as no surprise when this stint of time-hopping trickery confirmed that it was returning for a second season in that run's final episode. Now back for another half-dozen instalments from Friday, October 6, Loki becomes the first of Marvel's television entries to earn a second go-around. That isn't an achievement that it takes for granted. Picking up exactly where season one left off, Loki season two sticks to some familiar beats but also makes its own leaps, and remains fun, funny, lively and smart in the process. It feels more lived in, too, a description that rarely applies to any franchise about caped crusaders and their nemeses, gods, multiverses and temporal chaos, this one among them. Audiences may know and love Loki, including in his small-screen guise as an alternate version of the movies' scamp who turns time cop to save the world, but the figure himself isn't as swiftly recognised when Loki's second season kicks off. Although nothing has changed about him visually, the first season's climactic showdown with Time Variance Authority creator He Who Remains (Jonathon Majors, Creed III) has had repercussions. Now, the Norse rogue is glitching. With multiple timelines in play thanks to fellow Loki variant Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain), the series' eponymous character is being pulled between different worlds. "It looks like you're being born, or dying, or both at the same time," observes Agent Mobius M Mobius (Owen Wilson, Haunted Mansion). He isn't wrong. Time is an inescapable concept in the MCU, especially as it keeps expanding and sprawling. 2023 marks 15 years since Iron Man started the franchise, with The Marvels set to notch up its 33rd film when it reaches cinemas in November. On streaming, five other Marvel shows have joined the fold since Loki's debut season, beginning with 2021's Hawkeye; then spanning 2022's Moon Knight, Ms Marvel and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law; and seeing Secret Invasion already drop in 2023. In the mechanics of the superhero saga, the MCU stresses the same message that Loki now is: as time keeps elongating, jumping here, there and everywhere is inevitable. Once Loki and Mobius are back in their entertaining old rhythm, they need help getting time under control. Hunter B-15 (Wunmi Mosaku, Black Mirror) takes up the battle to save timelines beyond the sacred timeline, plus the people living their lives within them, while Loki and Mobius seek help from TVA tech go-to Ouroboros aka OB (Ke Huy Quan, American Born Chinese). Bringing Everything Everywhere All At Once Oscar-winner Quan into another temporal jumble is as great on-screen as it sounds on paper, even as he's saddled with mentioning time, manuals, looms and pruning repeatedly. There's a weightier air to Loki season two as Loki, Mobius and Hunter B-15's arcs deepen, plus more meaningful emotional paths, but the boilersuit-clad OB is a gloriously energetic addition. Also fun: when Loki flits around, inserting its main duo into different places and times on various legs of their mission. The MCU's penchant for cycling through genres instalment by instalment pops up here in miniature; where the broader saga can be a thriller in one flick (Black Widow, for example), a comedy in others (the Thor, Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man vibes), dive into horror elsewhere (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) and spin coming-of-age stories as well (the Spider-Man movies), this series goes from 70s-set London spy antics to a 19th-century Chicago caper and an existential stop at McDonalds in the 80s. The bouncing around doesn't just serve the narrative or suit the tone, but also fits Hiddleston and Wilson's central pairing. Loki does the odd-couple buddy dynamic swimmingly no matter where Loki and Mobius are, and gains another of Marvel's most engaging performances from Wilson as a result. Getting Loki falling in love with himself, aka Sylvie, was as Loki a move as there ever was in season one. In the show's return, their relationship is still complicated. Also, Sylvie remains on a quest to vanquish the man who sparked the TVA, this time via his variant Victor Timely (also Majors). The season has everyone looking for Judge Renslayer (Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Summerland) and Miss Minutes (Tara Strong, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), too. And, it has a He Who Remains/Timely/Kang the Conqueror problem. As the big bad for the MCU's phase five and beyond — the next Avengers movie due in 2026 is called Avengers: The Kang Dynasty — the latter as pivotal in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The domestic violence allegations against Majors since that film now cast a shadow, unsurprisingly, as does knowing that recasting could happen. There's no doubting Loki's look, though; it's up there with the Hiddleston-and-Wilson banter and Quan's verve as one of the season's highlights. The colour palette, the technology, the outfits, the retro sheen: it all works a charm. Marvel is obsessed with linking its array of on-screen chapters as it constantly grows and stretches its cinematic universe, which isn't about to change from here. With its aesthetics, plus Hiddleston and Wilson's excellent work — and Quan's, Martino and Mosaku's as well — Loki keeps making the opposite argument, however. If ever there's a segment of the MCU that could happily stand alone and thrive, it's this one. Of course, that isn't the show's route, but leaving viewers wanting more isn't the given that it once was for this franchise as time has passed. Check out the trailer for Loki season two below: Loki season two streams via Disney+ from Friday, October 6. Images: © Marvel Studios 2023. All Rights Reserved.
Spy movies and intrigue go hand in hand. Matthew Vaughn should know. With Kingsman: The Secret Service, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, The King's Man and now Argylle, the British filmmaker has spent a decade bringing the espionage world to the big screen with splashy flair. His latest secret-agent caper isn't just filled with twists in its plot, however. The story around it has been earning its own interest and speculation, including the possibility that Taylor Swift penned the book that it's based on. There's no truth to that rumour, however, but it was a helluva way to get everyone talking about Argylle before it even hit cinemas. The fact that there's many tales about Argylle's genesis IRL befits the twisty spy caper, which stacks narratives within narratives gleefully. Chatting with Concrete Playground, Vaughn describes the film by referring to the Harry Potter franchise. If you imagine that its author "met a wizard for real and the wizard went 'you got a lot of it right, you get a lot of it wrong, and I'm going to take you on adventure," the Layer Cake, Stardust, Kick-Ass and X-Men: First Class director explains, then that's Argylle. "And by the way, Voldemort wants to kill you — let's go." Within the movie, writer Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard, Jurassic World Dominion) has done the penning. Her bestselling saga is also called Argylle, about a suave operative of the same name. The fourth book has freshly hit shelves and she's putting the finishing touches on the fifth novel, but real-life agents are now after her because she knows her stuff a little too well. Elly Conway is also the name adorning the Argylle text that's in bookstores everywhere off-screen, with little other information about the scribe initially given. Hence the Swift conjecture, although the reality is that novelists Terry Hayes (I Am Pilgrim) and Tammy Cohen (They All Fall Down) are behind it, as revealed shortly after the feature started playing to audiences. So, Argylle sparks another spy saga for Vaughn, who isn't one to back away from something he loves. See also: his role as the producer on Guy Ritchie's early pictures, not only including Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, but also Swept Away; bringing not just one but two Mark Millar comics to the screen in Kick-Ass and Kingsman; and his Taron Egerton ties, producing Eddie the Eagle, Rocketman and Tetris starring his Kingsman lead. And, Argylle spun a gambit around its own existence. It's also home to an impressive cast, and links in with the glorious Sam Rockwell dancing meme. [caption id="attachment_940444" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kate Green/Getty Images for Universal Pictures[/caption] Henry Cavill (The Witcher), Dua Lipa (Barbie), John Cena (Freelance), Ariana DeBose (Wish), Sofia Boutella (Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire), Samuel L Jackson (The Marvels), Catherine O'Hara (Pain Hustlers), Bryan Cranston (Asteroid City), Richard E Grant (Saltburn), Rob Delaney (Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One), Vaughn and his wife Claudia Schiffer's own cat: they're all featured. As for Rockwell (See How They Run), he plays Aidan Wilde, the agent trying to keep the film's Elly alive after nefarious forces put a target on her back. If you rightly believe that all Sam Rockwell-starring flicks should require him to bust out his fondness for fancy footwork, as the actor himself clearly does, Vaughn obliges in Argylle. We chatted to the director about the tale behind the film's source material, that cast and Rockwell's smooth moves — so, from taking inspiration from pandemic viewings of 80s action-adventure comedies to imagining Sean Connery and Roger Moore in the movie, and also making a female-led action flick that didn't feel like the character had just been gender-swapped from a male protagonist. On Argylle's Secretive Source Material — Which Isn't Written by Taylor Swift — and Vaughn's Broader Inspiration The truth behind the IRL Elly Conway mystery has now been unveiled, with Hayes and Cohen's names made public, and no mention of Swift to be heard. But Vaughn's story about the film's origins involves throwing it back several decades — and, doing what we were all doing at the beginning of the pandemic, aka viewing old movies at home. "I watched Romancing the Stone with my kids during lockdown and they were like 'why can't you make a movie that's a really good feel-good action-adventure film?'. And I said 'well, I guess I could'," he notes. "And then the manuscript came of the book, and then the script arrived as well, which is similar in the idea — and it was about a book and an author, and there was another book. And I thought 'god, I'm gonna create the meta universe of all universes here. I'm going to do it in the spy world." Cue the aforementioned wizard analogy "but translating that into a spy world — and off we went to the races," Vaughn advises. "The book has just come out, and the book's great. The movie is about book four and book five, and book one has just been published." "It was just me wanting to push the boundaries and try and do an original spy movie — or, should we say, a novel spy film." On How Vaughn Imagines His Characters Before He Starts Casting Given the hefty list of well-known names that've starred in Vaughn's work — a pre-Bond Daniel Craig (Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery) in Layer Cake among them — audiences might expect that the filmmaker has his cast in mind early. But he actually approaches his features by picturing icons in the parts first, then matching today's talents accordingly. "I always imagine movie legends, because it's easier that way — and then I haven't got the baggage of real actors of my generation. So for example, Henry Cavill, when we were writing Argylle, I was imagining he was a mixture of Sean Connery and Roger Moore. Those two Bonds could be cut in half and spliced together. You have the humour, but the toughness together. So Henry Cavill, I knew he could do that," Vaughn explains. "Sam Rockwell as Aidan Wilde, I was really imagining primarily Gene Wilder but with a bit of Bill Murray and Jack Nicholson. So that became Aidan Wilde. And so on and so on." This isn't a new approach for Argylle. "Even in Kingsman, I did it. David Niven was the inspiration for Kingsman," says Vaughn. On Bringing Together Argylle's Star-Studded On-Screen Talent Once the director has done his spot of fantasy casting with film legends, how does he pick their counterparts? That's where his connections do come in handy. "What happens with actors, I knew Henry Cavill and I knew Sam Jackson, so that means I could call them up, pick up the phone and call them, and they said yes. And Bryce — I've done two movies with Bryce as well. So those were just phone calls," informs Vaughn. "And then Cranston. I think when I got Cranston, it was amazing. He's like an actor's actor — and Rockwell," he continues, noting that getting the Breaking Bad star and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Best Supporting Actor Oscar-winner onboard was like catnip for other cast members, "It was interesting watching — you can hear other actors going 'Rockwell and Cranston, I want to be in that film'. So it was just great." On Getting Sam Rockwell Not Just Playing a Spy, But Playing a Dancing Spy It's been true for decades, and gloriously: to watch Rockwell on-screen is to watch him dance. The music video for Flight Facilities' 'Down to Earth' deployed his skills, but the 2015 clip for the Australian duo's song capitalised upon a reputation built in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Moon, Charlie's Angels, Matchstick Men, Iron Man 2, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and more. Indeed, Rockwell rarely makes a movie that doesn't involve him dancing. Argylle busting out bops pre-dated Rockwell's casting, however. "It was definitely in the script. But Rockwell is like a dog with a bone when it comes to dancing — just give him an inch and he's taking a mile, and he will dance all day long," Vaughn observes. "But in this one, I wanted to do some action sequences that celebrated beauty and feminism — something where it's action sequences that a woman would be playing." "What's happened in Hollywood and in a lot of the movies, the female characters, all they did was change the name. The idea is that Philip becomes Philippa, or James becomes Jane, and that's it." "And I'm like 'well, I want to be more than that'. And I thought again, instead of John Wick-style action, let's do something where some people will think it's cringey and weird, but I think it's fun and beautiful." Argylle opened in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, February 1. Read our review.
Byron Bay's Bluesfest has lost another name from its 2023 lineup, with acclaimed rapper Sampa the Great pulling out of this year's festival. Just over six weeks out from the Easter long-weekend fest, Bluesfest today announced its playing times for the five-day music program and a revised lineup, both of which were missing Sampa. A member from Sampa's team confirmed to Concrete Playground that Zambian hip hop trailblazer will not be performing at the festival. US supergroup The Soul Rebels & Friends with special guests Talib Kweli, GZA and Big Freedia also appears missing from the set times and revised lineup, however, there's been no confirmation of the group's removal from the lineup. Bluesfest was reached out to for comment on both Sampa and The Soul Rebels, but did not respond before publication. [caption id="attachment_811633" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sampa the Great, Lucian Coman[/caption] The lineup change follows Monday's announcement that King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard had also removed themselves from the program. The band's decision to withdraw from the festival was kept reasonably vague but, in a statement, the Melbourne psych-rock group cited the festival's decision to book content that conflicts with their values as the reason they won't be appearing. "As a band and as human beings, we stand against misogyny, racism, transphobia and violence," King Giz's statement reads. "Surprised and saddened to see Bluesfest commit to presenting content that is in complete opposition to these values." "Given this decision by the festival, we have decided to cancel our appearance at Bluesfest," continues the statement. "We are deeply disappointed to be in this position but sometimes you need to be willing to make sacrifices to stand up for your values. This is, unfortunately, one of those moments." Controversy began brewing around this year's Bluesfest after the unveiling of its sixth artist announcement which featured the band Sticky Fingers. The booking of Sticky Fingers received online backlash from others in the music industry including Jaguar Jonze and Camp Cope's Sarah Thompson. Dylan Frost, Sticky Fingers' frontman, has been the subject of serious allegations which include physically threatening First Nations singer Thelma Plum and harassing a transgender woman at a Sydney pub. Frost and bassist Paddy Cornwall were also caught in an alleged brawl with each other in 2019 which saw Cornwall charged with affray. Bluesfest previously faced controversy after festival director Peter Noble compared a Jewish woman to a Nazi for commenting on the gender imbalance present on the first announcement of the festival's 2018 lineup. The festival will continue without King Giz and Sampa the Great from Thursday, April 6 until Monday, April 10 with headliners including Gang of Youths, Paolo Nutini, Tash Sultana, Bonnie Raitt, The Doobie Brothers and Beck. [caption id="attachment_876098" align="alignnone" width="1920"] King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Jason Galea[/caption] Bluesfest 2023 will run from Thursday, April 6–Monday, April 10 at Byron Events Farm, Tyagarah. For the most up-to-date lineup, head to the Bluesfest website. Top image: Jordan Munns.
If you're a fan of musical theatre, then you know the name Jonathan Larson, the creator and composer behind smash-hit production Rent. And, you likely know his story, too, with the playwright and lyricist passing away at the age of 35 on the day that that now-huge show premiered its first off-Broadway preview performance, and never seeing the Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning phenomenon that it would become. Before that, Larson also created another musical called tick, tick…BOOM!; however, it didn't chart the same path. Instead, the semi-autobiographical piece was performed as a solo work before his death, following a character called Jon who worried that he'd made the wrong decision by chasing his dream of becoming a composer. After Larson died, tick, tick…BOOM! was reimagined as a three-actor show, then made its way from off-Broadway to off-West End, as well as West End itself. And, in 2021, it took the leap to the screen, too, courtesy of Netflix — in a film directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda and starring Andrew Garfield, the latter turning in an Oscar-nominated performance as Larson. That's a whole lot of history behind Sydney's latest big musical announcement: that tick, tick…BOOM! will bring its Australian mainstage debut tour to the Harbour City in 2023. First, it'll run seasons at Melbourne's Comedy Theatre and Brisbane's QPAC Playhouse, before arriving at Sydney's Lyric Theatre from Thursday, April 20–Sunday, April 23. If you're wondering about tick, tick…BOOM!'s narrative, the rock musical is set in 1990, with promising young composer Jon as its focus. He's almost 30, living in New York City, and life as an artist isn't turning out as he planned — so he has to decide what to do next. The production is an ode to theatre and a tribute to New York, too, and has kept proving popular since it premiered in its current format off-Broadway in 2001. Playing Larson in Australia: multiple Logie-winner Hugh Sheridan (Packed to the Rafters, House Husbands, Five Bedrooms), with Elenoa Rokobaro (Rent) as Susan, Finn Alexander (Urinetown) as Michael, and Sheridan Adams (Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical) and Andrew Coshan (A View From a Bridge) also among the cast. Also, tick, tick…BOOM!'s upcoming Aussie seasons will be produced by Adrian Storey from StoreyBoard Entertainment (Chess the Musical, Barnum, Follies, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) and directed by Tyran Parke (Chess the Musical, Barnum, Follies, Sunday in the Park with George). The Australian production doesn't yet have any footage, either, but you can check out the trailer for the Netflix film below: tick, tick…BOOM! will play Sydney's Lyric Theatre from Thursday, April 20–Sunday, April 23, 2023. For further details and tickets, head to the musical's Australian website.
After selling out of their homemade marshmallows at markets across NSW, Breah Mayer and Joel Twyman decided their sweet and squishy desserts needed a permanent home. So, they opened a bricks and mortar dessert bar in Wyong's historic Chapman Building on the Central Coast. As well as serving up more than 25 different flavours of their famed marshmallows, The Marshmallow Co, as the local couple's dessert bar has been named, also has OTT milkshakes, s'mores, sundaes, ice cream sandwiches made with churro buns, and skillets filled with the likes of cookie and ice cream. Almost all desserts come topped with a marshmallow or marshmallow fluff, too. On the marshmallow lineup, you'll find flavours such as lime and coconut, strawberry and cream, caramel swirl, lemon meringue, Nutella, Oreo, lamington and piña colada. You'll find limited-edition flavours for seasonal events, too, including hot cross bun and candy cane marshmallows. If you can't make it up to the Central Coast store, you can purchase some of the duo's funky flavours online. If you can make it up, you'll also be able to visit some of The Marshmallow Co's Chapman Building neighbours, such as Glee Coffee Roasters, gift shop Scout and Trader and House of Ellery, which sells art supplies and hosts macrame workshops. During the summer months, The Marshmallow Co stays open later and live music nights on Fridays from 5pm, so plan an after-work road trip to eat desserts and listen to tunes on the grass.
A new dining experience at harbourfront restaurant Luna Lu's promises to be a feast for all the senses, complete with one of the most iconic views on the planet. Using dynamic digital design and projection technology, the first-floor bar of this Asian-fusion fine diner — set within a historic 180-year-old heritage dockland building overlooking the Campbells Cove promenade, with uninterrupted views of the Sydney Opera House — is transformed into an underwater wonderland, a tranquil Chinese garden and a cosmic star scape as diners enjoy their meal. Every Thursday and Sunday evening, this immersive dining adventure melds gourmet cuisine with a sense of wonder. While a la carte dining is available with a $40 entry fee per diner, there is also a three-course set menu available for $120 per head, featuring Luna Lu's most popular signature dishes, including its indulgent honey yuzu crispy fried chicken and the restaurant's unique take on Peking duck, infused with rose wine and served with a 24-hour tamarind jus alongside the usual trimmings. The meal concludes with an elevated riff on the famous street treat, deep-fried ice cream, flavoured with pandan. Bookings require a two-person minimum, but the entire dining space can be reserved for larger parties. The digital displays can be tailored to any event's needs, whether celebrating a birthday, an anniversary or even a wedding. While the projections will certainly wow guests, the biggest gasps will inevitably be reserved for the spectacular attraction across the water — few restaurants in Sydney can boast a better vantage point on the architectural masterpiece of the Sydney Opera House than Bar Lulu.
Rather than spending another evening killing brain cells with booze, put your noggin to good use in an escape room. The Cipher Room is run by self-confessed puzzle fanatics and Newtown local couple David Vella and Marise Watson. They are responsible for every element of the games from concepting to props, utilising recycled material and local vintage shops where possible. There are three scenarios to choose from, all suitable for groups between two to eight people. The first, Espionage, is a 1940s spy thriller, asks you to trace fellow spy Agent M's steps and complete her mission. The Cabin puts you in the shoes of a detective hunting a serial killer. The newest puzzle, The Marlowe, has you living out your film noir PI fantasy, tracking a gangster in 1950s New York. The more you immerse yourself into the game, the more fun you'll have, so don the dark clothes and detective hat and get thinking.
Sydney’s food and drink scene isn’t slowing down any time soon. We’re spoilt for choice at every turn, with new top-notch eateries cropping up faster than ever before. If you’re struggling to keep up — and who isn't? — never fear Taste of Sydney 2016 is the four-day foodie festival to get to up to speed on the cream of the culinary crop. Setting up residence in Centennial Park from March 10 to 13, Taste of Sydney in partnership with Electrolux is all about bringing diners and chefs together. Ticketholders will be treated with nosh from some of Sydney’s top restaurants, including Biota Dining’s sustainable modern Australian dishes, fire-cooked noms from Firedoor, nel.'s fine dining dishes, plus Middle Eastern street food from the crew at Glebe’s Thievery. Also joining the deliciousness will be Porteño, Kitchen by Mike, MoVida, Sake, and the newly opened Kensington Street Social, among others. Sounds like a lot to stomach in one sitting? Thanks to the festival’s bite-size portions, you’ll be able to try a sampling from all on show — and maybe go back for seconds too. There'll be six sessions over the four-day program, so all you have to do is choose one and you’ll have four hours to experience Sydney's best selection of signature dishes. Aside from stuffing your face, there are also plenty of masterclasses and demonstrations from Australia’s leading chefs, and even the Taste of Sydney Artisan Market, jam-packed with over 60 food and drink exhibitors. For the first time, guests will have the opportunity to cook like a professional chef at Electrolux Chefs’ Secrets. This intimate masterclass experience will allow visitors to cook alongside renowned chefs including Peter Gilmore (Quay) and Colin Fassnidge (4Fourteen), before sitting down at a communal table together to enjoy the meal with matched wines. You can also see your favourite chefs in the Electrolux Taste Theatre hosted by food writer Kate Gibbs, experience world class food and wine at the South African Garden with MasterChef South Africa judge Benny Masekwameng, get creative with Lurpak, plus many more. Let the food comas commence.
Since launching late last month, Sydney's billion-dollar Metro North West railway has already seen over one million passengers pass through its train station doors. To help even more commuters travel the 36-kilometre journey, linking Rouse Hill and Chatswood, Transport for NSW has launched a new on-demand bus that'll pick you up and drop you right by a new railway station. Cooee Busways works a little bit like UberPool, combining both fixed route and on-demand transit. To book a trip, jump on the smartphone app — which you can download for free for IOS and Android — input your pick-up location and your destination station, and a booking confirmation will be sent through with a nearby pick-up spot and estimated drop-off time. You'll also be sent a SMS notification two minutes before the bus is due to arrive, with its corresponding bus number. It'll then drop you at the station, possibly picking up a few other passengers along the way. The on-demand buses operate between 5am and 9pm on weekdays (including public holidays) and run to the Tallawong and Rouse Hill Metro stations, as well as to the Schofields Train Station. The area they service, at the moment, includes Schofields, The Ponds and Kellyville Ridge, and is outlined in the map below. As the on-demand bus service is currently only serving a fraction of the Metro's surrounding suburbs, we're hoping there are plans to expand it in the near future. Fares cost between $2.20 and $3.66 (depending on how far you're travelling), and concession card holders pay between $1.10 and $1.83. You can pay either through the app or by tapping your credit or debit card on board the bus. You, unfortunately, can't use your Opal card on the service. While the idea of on-demand public transport may seem novel, it's not new for Sydney. As well as an on-demand ferry, the city already has on-demand buses running in the inner west and eastern suburbs. Cooee Busways are now running from 5am–9pm, Monday to Friday in the Schofields, The Ponds and Kellyville Ridge areas. You can download the app for free via the Apple or Google stores.
Put away the gadgets, turn off the Netflix, round up the family and lace up your (and the little guys') joggers. If you're up for a domestic holiday with a difference, exploring the great outdoors of regional Victoria may be the answer. Its variety of scenic walking trails offer the perfect opportunity to get some fresh air and quality time with the whole family — all the while surrounded by the pristine natural landmarks that make it a hiker's dream. To help you get out there with the entire fam, we've teamed up with our mates at Macpac to track down getaways perfect for all ages. These family-friendly hikes are well within reach of Melbourne, so you can add it on to a standard city break. The kids won't get bored in the car — and you'll make it back to the city in time for dinner. Load up that picnic basket and head to these coastal adventures and lakeside saunters that everyone will love. [caption id="attachment_717127" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Visit Victoria.[/caption] MORNINGTON DOG-FRIENDLY WALK The Mornington Foreshore offers everything from stunning camping spots and sandy beaches to great quality food and drinks. Featuring a dog-friendly path and modern playground, the walk begins in native bushland and includes many vantage points to glimpse a spectacular water view. Along the way, you'll get to explore Mothers Beach and its vibrant boat houses before arriving at the popular Mornington Pier. Good news if you brought your fur baby along for the family holiday, too — the Royal Beach is leash-free, and the water and rock pools provide a great spot to rest. Pack this: Kahuna 18L Urban Backpack ($71.99) [caption id="attachment_717128" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Visit Victoria.[/caption] YOU YANGS BIG ROCK WALK Set between Melbourne and Geelong, the You Yangs Regional Park is a great place to visit if you want to get back to nature but not too far away from the city. Home to towering granite rock formations that rise out of the volcanic soil, this place is most popular among rock climbers and mountain bikers. The Big Rock Walk is a leisurely 30-minute stroll winding its way between thick vegetation, eventually arriving at said 'big rock'. The name may lack some imagination, but you'll be inspired by the view from the top. On those cooler Victorian days, the rock soaks up the sun and makes for a pleasant picnic spot with incredible scenery. Pack this: Soft Touch Water Bottle 1L ($24.49) [caption id="attachment_717130" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Visit Victoria.[/caption] WADAWURRUNG COUNTRY WALK Beginning at Point Impossible, the Wadawurrung Country Walk showcases incredible white-sand beaches and coastal shrubbery that attract visitors from near and far. Plus, you can learn about the traditional Wadawurrung people that lived there for thousands of years as you journey along its path. The Torquay Sundial is another highlight and, set near the playground, is a great spot for the kids to discover. Designed by local artists Claire Gittings and Glenn Romanis, the sundial's art combines flora, fauna and oral stories significant to the local community. As you make your way along this 90-minute walk, make sure to stop off at the likes of Whites Beach Playground and the Elephant Walk Park to keep the kids entertained and their energy high. Pack this: Summit Ridge 22L Daypack — Kids ($80.00) [caption id="attachment_703508" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Brianna Laugher via Flickr.[/caption] LERDERDERG GORGE Only an hour's drive from Melbourne's CBD, Lerderderg State Park is a sprawling spot that spans 14,250 hectares. Begin your descent into the gorge from MacKenzies Flat, then follow the well-signed track towards the river that carves through the landscape. Roam the sandstone and slate rock formations of this 300-metre deep gorge and spot some of the beautiful flora and fauna dotting the area. The kids will have fun leaping across the stepping stones and splashing around int he shallows. Pack this: Cub 10L Daypack — Kids ($54.99) [caption id="attachment_717125" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Visit Victoria.[/caption] LAKE ELIZABETH WALK The Otway Ranges are home to some challenging climbs, but this walk is accessible for the whole family. Take a relaxing stroll around Lake Elizabeth and find out why this tiny section of the Otways is so beloved. Located just a ten-minute drive from the tight-knit community of Forrest, the Lake Elizabeth Walk offers the opportunity to wander through the ferns and even spot a platypus or two. Towering trunks burst from beneath the lake's surface, remaining from when the valley was flooded more than 50 years ago. There's also a small jetty where you can bring a dingy and paddle your way across the water. Pack this: Possum Child Carrier V2 ($239.99)
Since the first Iron Man film in 2008, Marvel has trained superhero fans well. Notching up 33 movies in its enormous cinematic universe with 2023's The Marvels and showing zero signs of stopping, the comic book company has basically taken over the big screen, with this year delivering Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, too — and, as always, there's plenty more flicks on the way. Marvel hasn't just taken over picture palaces. Via Disney+, the small screen is also home to many a MCU story, including Secret Invasion and season two of Loki in 2023. Keen to see your favourite spandex-clad crime-fighters try to save the world in person as well? Along with splashing Marvel's heroes and villains across every screen it can find, that's also coming — and soon. Marvel Universe LIVE! is exactly what it seems — and if it sounds familiar, that's because it was meant to head Down Under in 2020, but then the pandemic hit. So, when it makes the trip to Australia in April 2024, it'll be unveiling its show to Aussie audiences for the first time. Sydney's season takes place from Friday, April 19–Monday, April 22 at Qudos Bank Arena. The production takes more than 20 characters such as Spider-Man, The Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy, teaming them up on stage and letting audiences marvel (pun intended) at their exploits. Featuring everyone from Iron Man, Thor, Black Panther and the Hulk to Captain America, Doctor Strange and Black Widow, it tasks the beloved superheroes with facing off against some of Marvel's infamous villains, including Nebula, Loki and Green Goblin. And, it packages their antics with video projections, special effects, pyrotechnics, martial arts, and both aerial and motorcycle stunts. The performance is aimed at all ages and, in news that's about as unsurprising as most wisecracks that Tony Stark ever uttered, the show has proven a massive success in the United States, Latin America and Europe. As a result, it was only a matter of time until it hit Australia after its pandemic delay. Obviously, attendees won't be watching Robert Downey Jr (Oppenheimer), Chris Hemsworth (Extraction II), Benedict Cumberbatch (The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar), Scarlett Johansson (Asteroid City) and Tom Hiddleston (The Essex Serpent) — or any of the many, many other high-profile stars who feature in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, because that list truly seems endless. But, if you're happy to get your Marvel fix however you can, add this to your 2024 calendar.
President Obama just appeared on Zach Galifianakis's cult web series Between Two Ferns and it was everything you want it to be and so much more. If the slow jams, the college 'fro, and the fact he's best friends with Jay-Z didn't already seal the deal, Barack Obama officially just took out the title of Coolest President in History (and someone in his media department is quite clearly a genius). The five-minute clip which is currently exploding on Funny or Die naturally starts with Zach on the back foot. “When I heard that people actually watch the show, I was pretty surprised," says Obama. He then goes on to land the obligatory Galifianakis fat joke: "[In 2014] we’ll probably pardon another turkey. Was that depressing to you? Seeing a turkey taken out of circulation that you couldn't eat?" Up against past guests like Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, and Justin Bieber, President Obama stood his ground well. After all, the show works best when the guest is famous enough for the outrage to seem novel, but good-humoured enough to take it in stride; and Obama is well-known for being a good sport. Because of this, Galifianakis may be the only man to ever 'shh' the President or call him a nerd. Other favourite bits include Zach asking what the president was going to do about "North Ikea" and Obama taking a jab at The Hangover: "If I ran [for president] a third time, that'd kind of be like doing a third Hangover movie. That didn't work out very well, did it?" Obama's appearance was actually in an effort to plug his latest healthcare initiative to young Americans and, while it's a good cause, we don't mind either way. Anything that brings out this beautiful sassy face is well worth the time and effort.
Nestled into the sleepy suburb of south Sydney's Grays Point, Jack Gray is a cafe by day and a wine bar by night. Open for coffee seven days a week and drinks on Fridays and Sundays, the venue is an exciting opening for The Shire, with top-notch eats, an exciting wine list and live music all in one place. Jack Gray is the passion project of owner Ben Coombes who wanted to turn his neighbourhood cafe into a community hub for Grays Point. "Our focus is to bring people together, whether it be with coffee or wine," says Coombes. Located on the edge of the Royal National Park, the cafe is an ideal stop for breakfast for anyone heading towards local parks, hikes or the nearby Pork Hacking River, as well as a reliable pitstop for locals on the hunt for their morning coffee. The all-day menu features breakfast classics done well. There are scrambled eggs with caramelised leek, vintage cheddar and sourdough; bacon and egg rolls made with Ironbark bacon and house-made apple and tomato relish; or banana crepes with vanilla bean ricotta, maple toasted almonds and dulce de leche. There's also a selection of loaded deli rolls that won't set you back CBD prices. Pick up a takeaway ricotta, caramelised onion, manchego cheese and mushroom breaky roll or a smoked salmon bagel. Come wine bar afternoons every Friday and Sunday, the baristas transform into bartenders and the focus becomes cocktails. There's, of course, a wine list that balances crowd-pleasers and interesting varieties including regional NSW pét-nats and "funky" South Australian reds. Accompanying the drinks are share plates of bar snacks like hummus or a peach and burrata salad, and soft-shell tacos. Crafted on locally made corn torillas, the tacos feature toppings like barbecue chorizo with tomatillo chimi churi, and irresistible vegetarian option that combines roast pumpkin, spiced cauliflower, avocado, salsa and pickles. Appears in: The Best Cafes in Sydney
Oh happy day. All things creative that formerly posed technical challenges to the layman are coming closer and closer to the layman's eager hands — from Instagram to 3D printing to Canva, the democratisation of creative industries is exploding all over your face. But for the more luddite individuals among Gen-Y nerds and Nintendo nostalgists, the really hot ticket will be Pixel Press. Forget lines of code; now all that's needed to create a fully interactive digital world is a humble 2B and a gridded sketch sheet. Much like the Lego Architecture Studio, which helps budding architects concretise their lofty imaginings, Pixel Press could be the perfect starter for anyone who fancies getting into the game design industry. In their backstory, the platform's creators describe using pencil and paper to track treasure locations in '80s video games. Such nerdery could only be destined for greatness. After a successful Kickstarter campaign, Pixel Press is currently in development with a beta release slated for later in the year, for mobile, desktop and web. What's the process? Simply print out the sketch sheet template, create your unique, five-level pixel world with tortured Picasso-esque etchings in pencil, then photograph it using the Pixel Press app on your iPad. This original version can then be manipulated with more complex design features — like which perilous pillar moves up and down when you jump on it — and shared with your friends, who will probably soon be trying to outdo your design. Though quite basic at present, as the app undergoes further development and users contribute and share their own designs, it's likely this tool will lead to ever-more innovative games for everyone to enjoy. Sign up with your email address here to be part of the A team. You will be richly rewarded by a Chuck Norris gif, throwing you a thumbs up for subscribing to updates on this cool initiative. Check out the team's Kickstarter video explaining the app below. Via PSFK.
The bustling interior of Love Supreme brings together a comfortable rustic feel with a dash of modern industrialism, giving it a laidback, effortless appeal to long-time customers — and fresh faces. Famous for using largely organic ingredients to create some slightly left-of-centre pizzas, this is a great spot for a casual date night or a dinner with friends. Grab a serve of stuffed zucchini flowers to start, then perhaps a pumpkin vegan pizza with leek and olive tapenade. If you aren't actually keen on a slice (or several), there's a great selection of salads and pastas including a particularly tasty pappardelle with lamb ragu. Love Supreme also boasts an impressive wine list, and also serves locally brewed beers from Batch, Yulli's and (for the more adventurous) Wildflower. Images: Kitti Smallbone
Sydneysiders, it's finally time to drop it like it's hot again — because Snoop Dogg is coming back to our fair city. For the first time since 2014, the rapper is hitting stages Down Under as part of this new 'I Wanna Thank Me' tour, which'll be playing Qudos Bank Arena at 7pm on Wednesday, March 1–Thursday, March 2. If this sounds familiar, that's because this tour was initially due to happen in 2022, only to be postponed. Now, Snoop Dogg has locked in the rescheduled dates, complete with an extra show in Sydney. Clearly, fans of the musician/actor/cook book author/wrestling MC/wine brand owner will be breaking out the gin and juice. Snoop will also be inspiring hip hop aficionados to be the life of the party and, if you can remember his time as Snoop Doggy Dog and Snoop Lion across his career, to ask about his name as well. Yes, you can expect to hear singles such as 'What's My Name?', 'Gin and Juice', 'Drop It Like It's Hot' and 'Snoop's Upside Ya Head', as well as tracks from his last few albums — with his 17th record from 2019, I Wanna Thank Me, sharing its moniker with the tour. Since then, he's also dropped two more albums: From tha Streets 2 tha Suites in 2021 and BODR in 2022, with another, Missionary, also in the works.
You would be forgiven if you didn't know that October 4 is World Taco Day. It would be a serious fiasco, though, if you didn't make a fiesta out of the contrived (but, admittedly, delicious) occasion. Luckily, The Royal in Paddington is celebrating with all-you-can-eat tacos. For $30 each, you and your mates can expect a bottomless supply of Mexican fare from 5pm. Choose from three tacos: chicken with green tomatillo salsa, smoky barbecue pork with slaw and pickled onions, and grilled barramundi with red pepper salsa. When you're done, you can hand over an extra $9 for a marshmallowy s'more-inspired dessert taco to truly send you into a food-induced siesta. Now this might sound like mariachi to your ears already, but the team behind the bar will also be quenching your thirst with $10 margaritas all night long.
"I'm a muddler freak," laughs mixologist Tomas Vikario. He's talking, of course, about the bartenders' tool which is used to muddle or mash ingredients together at the bottom of a cocktail glass. (Tomas has an unhealthy collection of 20 muddlers; one is even custom-made). Concrete Playground's favourite cheeky mixologist is showing us how to make a simple summer cocktail that's easy to recreate in the comfort of your very own herb garden. (Or kitchen. We just couldn't resist making ours in the sunshine.) For Tomas, a muddler is an essential tool for a good mojito. Tomas has been a mixologist ever since a graphic design course drove him to drink*, over eighteen years ago. Born in Croatia and now living in Sydney, he first shared his passion and experience with CP for our first DIY cocktail recipe 'A Perrier Tea Break'. Today, Tomas shows us his fresh, fruity twist on the classic Cuban mojito. "I like to put a twist on every classic drink," Tomas tells us. "The Perrier Summer Berry Mojito actually improves with every sip – the mint, rum, berry and lime flavours become more intense as the ingredients have time to mingle together." And mingling at home with friends and Ernest Hemingway's tipple of choice is exactly what we fancy doing this summer. Here's how you can too. *Half true. Tomas assures us that the end of his graphics design career and the beginning of his passion for mixology has no correlation. Ingredients: 30ml lime juiceWhite cane sugarBlueberriesStrawberriesMint50ml Havana Club rumPerrier sparkling mineral water STEP 1 It's just not a mojito without that fine balance between sweet and sour. So to start, add two spoons of white cane sugar to a tall glass; Tomas suggests using a highball or Collins glass. (Too many friends, not enough highballs? Tomas has the answer for that one too: old jam jars or tin cans. Be sure to clean them out first, obviously. Take a look at the final image for an example.) STEP 2 Add 30ml of freshly-squeezed lime juice (that's the juice of approximately one lime). STEP 3 Add two chopped strawberries and six blueberries, before gently pressing the sugar, berries and lime together using a muddler. This extracts the juice and aromas of the fruit. STEP 4 Now add two stalks of fresh mint (approximately 10-15 mint leaves). Tomas recommends tapping or scrunching the mint before adding it to the glass, this helps to release the flavour and aroma of the herb. Muddle the ingredients together and try not to break the leaves – 0r the glass! STEP 5 Add 50ml of rum. Tomas uses Havana Club rum for that authentic Cuban taste. STEP 6 Using a long-handled spoon, stir in a few cubes of ice. STEP 7 Top up with more ice and add chilled Perrier sparkling mineral water for 100% natural, long-lasting bubbles. STEP 8 Decorate with a sprig of mint. Place a straw next to the mint for extra minty aroma as you drink. MIX IT UP: FLAVOUR VARIATIONS "People have so many childhood memories of eating mangoes – so it's a great alternative flavour instead of the berries," says Tomas. If you like the sound of a Perrier Mango Mojito or a Perrier Watermelon Mojito, simply replace strawberries and blueberries with half a small mango, or four cubes of watermelon. Or, try all three. ¡Qué rico!
Getting excited about 2025's Melt Festival has been easy for a few months now. First, the Brisbane LGBTQIA+ event announced that Broadway icon Bernadette Peters was making the River City her only Australian stop just for the fest. Then, it also confirmed that the River Pride Parade would float its boats for another year. After that came news of 1000 Voices, uniting singers from queer and pride choirs en masse. Need more? Melt is still over four months away, but it just unveiled its initial big program drop. Reuben Kaye, the Miss First Nation drag contest, a queer wrestle party, Femme Follies Burlesque: they're all on the lineup so far as well. Whether you're a Brisbanite or keen to hit the Sunshine State for the spring queer fling, pop Wednesday, October 22–Sunday, November 9 in your diary and get ready to be spoilt for choice. [caption id="attachment_1007544" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Claudio Raschella[/caption] Kaye is heading to the fest to give his cabaret show enGORGEd, which'll feature Camerata — Queensland's Chamber Orchestra, its Sunshine State premiere. Shining the spotlight on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander drag queens, Miss First Nation is also making a date with Brisbane for the first time, bringing the finale to the city after putting on state heats around the nation in the lead-up. The Tivoli is your go-to for Melt's high-energy queer wrestle-party, while Femme Follies Burlesque will bring its sapphic moves to The Wickham. Or, you can catch The Lucky Country, a new musical about what it means to be Australian — and the myths and contradictions that come with it — in 2025. Malacañang Made Us and Whitefella Yella Tree are also treading the boards, the first about the Filipino Australian experience and the second telling a love story. [caption id="attachment_1007548" align="alignnone" width="1920"] David Kelly[/caption] There's also a queer boat party on floating venue Oasis; the return of Queer PowerPoint; and a drag Scream Queen shindig with Naomi Smalls and Yvie Oddly, plus Drag Race UK's Kyran Thrax. Or, check out a heap of instruments and performers suspended by rope to pay tribute to Brisbane's punk history, Gerwyn Davies' series of portraits in collaboration with Open Doors Youth Service's trans and gender-diverse young people, and Instagram imagery given a new life in Micah Rustichelli's Demon Rhythm. Melt has more program news on the way, because this fringe-style celebration of queer arts and culture goes huge as it fills Brisbane Powerhouse and spreads further across the city. In 2024, more than 120 events popped up in 70-plus venues across southeast Queensland, complete with a Wicked-themed Halloween ball, a pool party and plenty more. [caption id="attachment_1007543" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anna Hickey[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1007545" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Markus Ravik[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1007547" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gregory Lorenzutti[/caption] Melt Festival 2025 runs from Wednesday, October 22–Sunday, November 9. Head to the festival website for more details.
If you adore a hidden bar, you'll love Clarence Street watering hole Old Love's. The venue from the team behind Old Mate's Place is located down an unmarked corridor and behind a nondescript security door in the basement level of the building. You truly don't know whether you're about to find a bustling CBD venue or an empty fire escape — but luckily, a welcoming cocktail bar awaits you. Once inside, you'll find a loving homage to the world of rum. You're handed the Book of Rum upon entry, a passion project that Old Mate's Dre Walters worked tirelessly on in the lead-up to the opening. The book is a guide to all things rum, and the back bar is set up in the order the different regions and distilleries appear in the book. Flick through the pages to the middle of the guide, and you'll discover a list of fun and inventive cocktails — many of which are based on long-forgotten Pacific Island and Caribbean combinations that Walters and the team dug up from historic tiki recipe books. The Old Mate's Place owner says they've "dropped some power steering" into these drinks of yesteryear with the help of contemporary spirits and modern mixology. The Pet Dragon will delight, combining a house-made rum-based drambuie, dried plum extract, a burst of citrus and egg whites for fluffiness. The Cuban Payphone takes white rum and brightens it with sherry, citrus, sugar and orange bitters. A favourite from the Ginny's and Old Mate's menus, the pickled jalapeño Tommy's margarita is also available here — a good option for the rum-averse. There are also seasonal daiquiris made with whatever fruit is available from the markets that week. If you want to dip your toes in the world of rum, chat with the bartender and pick out a rum to combine with freshly squeezed sugar cane juice. It's the beginner's version of a rum on the rocks. Rounding out Old Love's offerings are a few memorable bar snacks. The mini Cubano and the jerk chicken roll are packed with flavour — a true delight when paired with a top-notch cocktail.
Tasmania's sinister winter music and arts festival Dark Mofo has announced its return to Hobart this June. The festival was one of the first events to cancel its 2020 festivities due to the COVID-19 pandemic, citing a potential $5 million dollar loss that could jeopardise the future of the festival had it run and then been called off. Luckily, the organisers' foresight has paid off, with the festival preparing for a grand return in 2021. Dark Mofo is set to run a condensed five-night festival from Wednesday, June 16–Tuesday, June 22. The reduced scope of the festival comes as a result of the Hobart City Council withdrawing its financial support, the cutting of sponsors and trepidation surrounding the potential for another cancellation. It's also the last year of the festival's five-year funding agreement with the State Government. The festival decided to drop sponsors this year as organisers believed they were having a negative impact. "While we've appreciated the support from many high profile brands, we want to be able to pursue our own cultural agenda free from restraint and with a renewed commitment to the art," Creative Director Leigh Carmichael said in a statement. While in previous years the festival has run over several weeks, Carmichael promises the "smaller and more intense" 2021 run to be "a typically grim and gloomy affair". The full program is due to be announced in early April. [caption id="attachment_800593" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jesse Hunniford[/caption] Previous years' lineups have seen a fantastical combination of musical performances, performance art and large-scale installations come together. In 2019, the program featured the likes of artists Ai Weiwei and Mike Parr, American musician Sharon Van Etten and one of the world's largest glockenspiels. 2021's program can be expected too stay true to the Dark Mofo ethos with a likely increased concentration of local Australian artists due to current border closures. Dark Mofo will run from Wednesday, June 16–Tuesday, June 22 in Hobart, Tasmania. The 2021 program is expected to be announced in early April. Top Image: Lusy Productions
This autumn, the sweet fiends behind Victoria's hot chocolate and ice cream festivals launched a virtual month-long sugar extravaganza dedicated to sweet, nutty, marshmallowy rocky road. In place of its usual Yarra Valley Rocky Road Festival, the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery hosted online tasting sessions and giant boxes filled with 31 different flavours of rocky road. As metropolitan Melbourne reenters lockdown this July, it has brought back the latter. Until the end of lockdown (expected to be August 20), you can get the mammoth Ultimate Rocky Road Box delivered to your door for $110. Flavours include Golden Gaytime, Tim Tam, salted caramel macadamia, salty pretzel, Sour Patch, rum and raisin and many, many more. You can check out all of them here. Elsewhere on the shop's delivery menu, you'll find one-kilogram slabs of rocky road, a chocolate breakfast box and high tea sets. The boxes can be delivered anywhere within Australia for a flat rate of $15.
Marrickville may be renowned for its culture, brimming with music venues, theatres, restaurants and bars, but a few of its residents are not on-board with one of the suburb's beloved concert halls. Livingstone Road's The Great Club is under fire from a handful of its neighbours, who have been filing repeated noise complaints which the venue says have put it under immense financial pressure. The Great Club opened in 2021, taking over a building that previously housed a longstanding Greek club for decades. Since adopting the space, the venue has hosted a diverse genre-spanning program of gigs and carpark parties — and has also opened a Greek-inspired front bar and restaurant serving up pub classics and Greek staples under the name Yia Yai's Dive Bar. According to The Great Club's Event Boss Cassie Benco, following the aforementioned carpark parties — a community music festival run in collaboration with non-alcoholic beer brand Heaps Normal, plus a Hottest 100 day party — the small group of neighbours really started to kick up a fuss. While they had previously lodged complaints, the issues became more significant following these outdoor gatherings. "Basically, we have three neighbours that have been filing complaints against us about the noise," says Benco. "We have a lot of neighbours that are very supportive of us, obviously, but these ones have just been causing a lot of problems — complaining to Council and to Liquor and Gaming." [caption id="attachment_886011" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dexter Kim[/caption] Despite continuous contact with the Inner West City Council about the events the venue had planned, as well as a continued commitment to conclude all live music events by 11pm, Benco says the council has now intervened — leading to The Great Club reducing capacity on gigs, working with sound engineers to manage sound levels, cancelling plans for any future outdoor events and hiring lawyers to deal with the complaints. "[Not running outdoor events] really sucks 'cause it's such a good space and most of the community love it. And the Hottest 100 was such a good day. We had kids here and everyone with their dogs." The Inner West City Council has organised mediation with the neighbours in order to hopefully resolve the issues but, during an already tough time for live music, these added financial costs have put the venue under pressure of closing. In response, The Great Club has launched a fundraising campaign via the website Chuffed in the hope of raising $50,000 to keep the venue alive and vibrant. "[The Great Club's Owner] Ali did a callout to get people to send in letters of support, and a lot of people suggested 'you should do crowdfunding'." The campaign has already raised over $10,000 at the time of writing, with perks on offer to those that donate. On top of knowing you're helping save the bar, those who donate $50 will be sent a Great Club tote bag — or if you donate $100, you'll get your name on the door of an upcoming gig of your choice with a plus one. If you want to really go big with your donation, there are even heftier prizes like your name on the guest list for a full year, or a Great Club party for you and nine mates with free food and drinks. "We just feel very lucky to be so loved by so many, even though a very small ratio are causing issues. It's still so great to see so much support," says Benco. Following The Great Club's public campaign about the noise complaints, the Inner West Council released a statement. "The Inner West is working actively to resolve the issues between The Great Club and its neighbours. Following a couple of events held at the club in late 2022 that were not compliant with the club's license, complaints were received by neighbours. All events since have been compliant," reads the statement. "Our Good Neighbour policy was developed specifically to find solutions to issues like this through mediation not litigation, and we're hopeful that we can work with both parties to find a solution that works for The Great Club and its neighbours." If you want to head in and check out the venue, The Great Club has the likes of Urthboy, The Terrys, Candy and a massive Ireland Rocks showcase on its upcoming program, while Yia Yia's is open 6pm–late Wednesday–Saturday. The Great Club is located at 160–164 Livingstone Road, Marrickville. Find out more about its issues with noise complaints and its fundraising project via Chuffed. Top image: Georgia Griffiths.
In 2019, just one Australian bar made it into the World's 50 Best Bars list: Maybe Sammy. This year, not only has the innovative bar in The Rocks made the list again, it has jumped 32 places to number 11 — and it's joined by two more Sydney spots. Laneway mezcal bar — and one of Concrete Playground's favourite openings of 2019 — Cantina OK! came in at number 28, while Bulletin Place, which has made the list many times during its eight-year life, came in 39. If you've been looking for an excuse to spend a night drinking cocktails in the city, this is it. With many Sydneysiders WFH during the pandemic, CBD bars have done it tough, with some venues reporting drops in revenue of 40 percent and more. Now, it's more important than ever to go out and support them (in a COVID-safe way, of course). For those yet to be acquainted with Maybe Sammy, its luxurious styling nods to old-school Vegas glamour, all blush pink velvet banquettes and lush indoor greenery, while the list of theatrical signature drinks pays homage to the classics. Cocktails are served with the likes of scent-filled pillows, hand cream and rosemary bubbles. The latter, comes atop the much-Instagrammed Dunes cocktail, pictured below, which is a delicate balance of gin, fino sherry, watermelon and agave. [caption id="attachment_788842" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dunes cocktail at Maybe Sammy by DS Oficina[/caption] While Sydney cleaned up in the top 50, only Melbourne venues (from Australia) featured in the 51–100 list, which was announced late last week. Fitzroy bar The Everleigh snagged the 73 spot, while newer CBD haunt Byrdi came in at 80. Petite Collingwood bar Above Board followed not too far behind at number 84 and the long-running Black Pearl — which has scooped a spot in the Top 50 list numerous times throughout the award's 12-year history — was voted in at 98. The annual World's 50 Best Bars awards are voted on by over 540 bar industry experts from around the world, including bartenders, consultants, drinks writers and cocktail specialists. You can check out the full lineup of the World's 50 Best Bars 2020 here, and see 51–100 here. Top image: Cantina OK! by Kimberley Low
Just in case you needed a timely reminder that girls can, and indeed do, run the world, the Sydney Opera House's All About Women festival has announced a pretty inspirational lineup for its 2017 program. Set to return to the House on March 5 next year in the lead up to International Women's Day, the annual event both explores and celebrates what it means to identify as a woman in today's changing world. And, following on from a record-breaking attendance in 2016 — which saw the likes of Miranda July, Carrie Brownstein and Mallory Ortberg share their wisdom with the crowd — next year's festival is shaping up to be a doozy, as legendary ladies from across the globe descend on Sydney for a jam-packed day of talks, panel discussions, performances and female-centred fun. With 22 events, there's something in this lineup that'll speak to just about every woman out there. Academy Award-winner and advocate Geena Davis will be diving into the latest research on entertainment stereotyping and on-screen gender diversity, while Janine di Giovanni, Newsweek's Middle East editor, will discuss her own work on violence and the human cost of war. Elsewhere in the program, you'll find Jess Thom's eye-opening performance about life with Tourette's, Seattle-based writer and fat acceptance activist Lindy West talking about her memoir, comedian Zoe Norton Lodge's side-splitting storytelling session, and an insightful glimpse into some of writer and activist Clementine Ford's wildest hate mail. All About Women 2017 will take place on Sunday, March 5 as part of the Sydney Opera House's Talks and Ideas program. Tickets start from $27, with multipacks on sale from December 9. Jump on the All About Women website for a peek at the full program. Image: Prudence Upton.
Move over croquembouche, there's a new dessert tower in Adriano Zumbo's life. The popular dessert wizard has come together with boutique hotel chain QT to launch a next-level QTea experience at the boutique chain's Sydney CBD outpost. The weekly dose of indulgence will be centred around a tower of Zumbo-specialty sweet treats paired with high tea classics like scones and champagne. So, what's on the menu? Macarons (or Zumborons as Zumbo has named them)? Of course. Croquembouche? Maybe not, but there are plenty of classic Zumbo desserts to snack your way through. There's the chef's famous passionfruit tart alongside new creations like a heart-shaped chocolate mouse, raspberry and pistachio cake, a reinvented scone and a white chocolate and yuzu vanilla cake. Plus, lobster rolls topped with coconut, chilli and lime mayo alongside caesar sliders and goats cheese tarts. Zumbo also has plans to change things up as the team working on the high tea finds its feet. He told Concrete Playground he wants to incorporate more plant-based options, more classics from his back catalogue and large share plates. "The first change will probably be to put that little miniature V8 cake onto the stand," he said. "I would like to bring a couple of my favourite Zumbo's Just Desserts dishes." Accompanying the food in the lobby of the hotel and QT Sydney's Studio Q is a memorable array of beverages and a side of fun and theatrics. DJs will be on hand, as will be a collection of roaming champagne trollies. Perrier Jouet Champagne will be paired with the desserts and lobster rolls, or diners can choose from QT's collection of 60 different champagnes. Plus, a limited-edition burnt blueberry tea. QTea is available on Saturdays and Sundays starting from Saturday, May 29 and will set you back $95pp. QT Sydney is located at 49 Market Street, Sydney.
