For one electric week this October, SXSW Sydney transforms the city into a live, living festival of creativity. With more than 1600 sessions and events taking place between October 13–19, including over 400 conference talks, 300-plus gigs, 100 film screenings and hundreds of brand activations, it's the ultimate playground for the culturally curious. Whether you're looking to catch the next breakout artist or want a front-row seat at Australian film premieres, a SXSW Sydney Wristband ($140) is your all-access pass. The Music Wristband unlocks entry to every gig across the week, while the Screen Wristband gets you into all festival screenings — from exclusive previews to star-studded conversations. And for the Screen Festival, you can also grab a $25 rush ticket to guarantee your seat at some of this year's hottest screenings — and if you can't grab a wristband, you can still check out a heap of free gigs at Tumbalong Park as part of SXSW Sydney Unlocked. Here's your cheat sheet to all the moments that'll make your pass pay for itself. Celebrate ten years of Hoops with The Rubens To mark the tenth anniversary of their breakthrough album Hoops, Aussie alt-rockers The Rubens headline a free all-ages mini-festival at Tumbalong Park on Saturday, October 18. Hoops & Everything, co-curated by The Rubens and the SXSW Sydney crew, is an all-day event that will spotlight emerging talents like Chicago indie duo Whitney, Folk Bitch Trio, Mariae Cassandra and Velvet Trip, serving up a huge day of genre-blurring sounds shaping the future of live music right in the heart of the city. No wristband? No worries — Hoops & Everything is part of SXSW Sydney Unlocked, meaning you can head in for free. See Ninajirachi ride her ARIA-nominated momentum From the Central Coast to opening for the likes of Charli XCX and Cashmere Cat, Ninajirachi is a star on the rise — and her eight ARIA Award nominations, the most of any artist, are testament to that. Don't miss one of Australia's most exciting electronic producers as she takes to the stage at American Apparel House at The Chippo on Wednesday, October 15, for a high-energy set that'll show you why the NSW artist is next-gen dance royalty. Get bootscootin', baby, at the Tumbalong Honky Tonk Dust off your boots for the Tumbalong Honky Tonk on Friday, October 17, and get ready to two-step under the Sydney skyline. Take a line dancing lesson from the Saddle Club before high-energy sets from chart-topping Max Jackson, Canadian country trio The Washboard Union, viral teen sensation Lewis Love and golden-rock duo Big Wheels. Discover the next global star at the International Stage From Indonesian hip hoppers Tenxi, Jemsii and Naykilla to the soulful stylings of Chinese singer-songwriter Tia Ray and Japanese boy band PSYCHIC FEVER, the International Stage is a world tour without leaving Sydney. Catch some of the best next-gen talent from around the world on the International Stage at Tumbalong Park on Wednesday, October 15, part of the free SXSW Sydney Unlocked program. Feel the power of First Nations creativity at Blak to the Future Headlined by rapper Tasman Keith, Blak to the Future is a free outdoor showcase that celebrates the future of First Nations music and screen culture, as part of the SXSW Sydney Unlocked program. Head to Tumbalong Park on Thursday, October 16, for an evening of short films from emerging filmmakers and live performances from Akala Newman, Mr Rhodes and RIAH, all coming together to shine a light on the future of First Nations storytelling. See the stars at exclusive screenings A SXSW Sydney Screen Wristband gets you closer to the action with access to in-person appearances and live conversations. Catch Noah Centineo introducing his new film, Our Hero, Balthazar, live, and don't miss an exclusive first-look preview of the upcoming Glen Powell-starring action thriller The Running Man. The debut footage will be followed by a live chat moderated by Nash Edgerton, featuring director Edgar Wright (Baby Driver, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) joining remotely. Celebrate a comedy legend with Paul Feig in conversation and on screen Celebrated filmmaker Paul Feig is heading to SXSW Sydney as the event's inaugural Screen Pioneer Award recipient. Catch his must-see keynote conversation on Wednesday, October 15, where he'll share career stories and creative insights with his trademark wit. Screenings of his greatest hits will also take place across the week, including Bridesmaids (plus a live Q&A with Feig himself), The Heat, and a 14-hour Freaks & Geeks marathon at The Ritz. These sessions are selling fast, so grab a rush ticket to guarantee your seat. Walk the red carpet for Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere The Australian premiere of this absorbing biopic opens the SXSW Sydney Screen program. Starring Jeremy Allen White as the Boss himself, the film tells the story of the legendary American rocker creating his 1982 acoustic album Nebraska. Catch Australian premieres and cult gems before they break out Your SXSW Sydney Screen Wristband is your ticket to a stack of Australian and NSW premieres, including a first-look at upcoming horror flick Black Phone 2, time-travel mockumentary Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie, Yorgos Lanthimos' absurdist sci-fi caper Bugonia, the haunting Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson-starring Die My Love and offbeat comedy-drama If I Had Legs I'd Kick You. You'll also find buzzed-about features like Japanese viral thriller Exit 8, By Design starring Juliette Lewis, and Psycho Therapy, a dark comedy led by Steve Buscemi. For the full SXSW Sydney 2025 lineup, head to the SXSW Sydney website — and get your all-access wristband at the ticketing website.
In sad news for Australia's creative scene, it's just been announced that SXSW Sydney has come to an end. Launched in 2023 as the first international spinoff of the Austin-born South by Southwest Festival, the event explored music, film, gaming, technology and entrepreneurial spirit through fascinating panel discussions, trade shows, performances and more. Describing the announcement as "bittersweet" on Instagram, the festival said in a statement that the decision "reflects a changing global environment that is impacting major events, festivals and cultural programs worldwide." Going out on a high note, SXSW Sydney said it attracted over 63,000 out-of-region attendees and recorded a 35 percent year-on-year growth in international visitation between 2024 and 2025. "SXSW Sydney would not have been possible without our partners, Destination NSW and SXSW, as well as those who contributed to the event — our speakers, sponsors, volunteers and attendees. SXSW Sydney was an unforgettable three-year journey, and we owe a debt of gratitude to the people who joined us for it," said Co-Managing Directors Simon Cahill and Jono Whyman. While the festival's foray into Asia-Pacific was short-lived, each year's lineup was stacked with incredible talent and experiences. The 2025 edition featured celebrated filmmaker Paul Feig and emerging superstar Ninajirachi, while 2024 was headlined by keynote addresses by Nicole Kidman and Chance the Rapper. "SXSW Sydney represented an ambitious and meaningful extension of the SXSW brand, and we are incredibly proud of what was built in partnership with the Sydney team, Destination NSW, and the broader creative community," said Jenny Connelly, Director in Charge of SXSW. Although the festival explored a possible path forward with the NSW Government and SXSW's global owners, Penske Media Corporation, it was ultimately decided that prevailing market conditions made the Sydney event no longer viable. Says Connelly: "While the event will not proceed in 2026, we are grateful for the collaboration, creativity, and commitment that defined SXSW Sydney." Head to the website for more information.
With Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras now less than a month away, we're all in on preparing — but put down the outfit plans for a moment as we share some news about one of the annual festival's biggest events: Fair Day is back for 2026, and we know exactly who and what is coming to Victoria Park for the all-day festivities on Sunday, February 15. First things first, the headline acts. House icon Janice Robinson of Livin' Joy is at the top of the call sheet, making a Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras debut with an exclusive performance for Fair Day, belting out anthems like 'Dreamer', 'Don't Stop Moving', and 'There Must Be Love' for the crowd. [caption id="attachment_1064104" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Jordan Munns[/caption] "I am super excited to be coming to Australia to perform for Mardi Gras," said Robinson. "I am a dreamer who continues to live her dreams, and Australia is a country I love deeply. This moment means more to me than words can express." Joining her are some local headliners: Blusher, fresh off the support slot for Rebecca Black and a Laneway show the week before, plus the Milkshake Man himself, Go-Jo and drag icon Courtney Act to bring a blend of star power and classic Mardi Gras flair. [caption id="attachment_1064103" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Jordan Munns[/caption] Beyond the headliners, there'll be dance music icon Zoe Badwi and her house vocals, DJ James Alexandr, joined by Nada Leigh to bring club energy to the park, the queer country bangers of Kath Ebbs, and a Mardi Gras debut gig for IVANA on the Main Stage with her euro-dance hits including 'Liar Liar', 'Need Your Love' and 'Burning'. International acts Mila Jam and Arisce will also join local stars Felicia Foxx, Aunty Tamara, Atomic Kiss, Jackel Doll, Tiddalicious, DJ Nate and more throughout the Fair Day grounds, so you won't go without music anywhere in the park. And of course, it's not just music. Starting with a smoking ceremony and performances from the Buuja Buuja Butterfly Dancers, you'll find fabulous canine pageantry at Doggywood, the return of the Trans Camp community zone, the fast and fabulous Queer Fashion Runway, chaotic sing-alongs at Karaoke Cave: Discos and Divas and similar mayhem plus muscles at Drag King Games. [caption id="attachment_1064102" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Ash Penin[/caption] Stay fed and refreshed, or just buy yourself a much-deserved mardi gras treat from one of the 200+ community stalls, food trucks, pop-up bars and picnic spots spread throughout the park. Download the Mardi Gras app ahead of the big day to find maps, set times and on-the-day updates. Fair Day 2026 will take place in Victoria Park on Sunday, February 15, from 10am. For more information, visit the website. Lead image: Ash Penin Images courtesy of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and City of Sydney
If you've ever wandered into Heartbreaker at midnight, or were lucky enough to perch at The Everleigh or Bar Margaux, you've felt the Madrusan effect — fastidious drinks, generous service and a belief that the right cocktail can change the temperature of a night. Zara and Michael Madrusan's new book, The Madrusan Cocktail Companion, is that ethos on paper: a sprawling, meticulously organised reference designed to be used, dog-eared and returned to again and again. [caption id="attachment_854881" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Madrusan's iconic rock 'n' roll dive bar in Melbourne's CBD.[/caption] Originally designed as an in-house guide for their own teams, the Companion has evolved into what Zara describes as "the definitive reference guide for classic cocktails, young and old" — the result of years of collecting, perfecting and categorising recipes from across the globe. The finished product is a bible that is equal parts accessible and technical (and looks pretty chic on the coffee table, too). We caught up with the Madrusans to talk about their cocktail philosophies, the summer drink everyone will be sipping, and why aperitivo culture will never go out of style. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bartender's Choice Consultancy (@bartenderschoiceconsultancy) CP: Let's talk summer drinks — if you had to pick one cocktail as the drink of this Australian summer, what would it be and why? Zara: The Pepino: a Blanco tequila sour with cucumber. It's light, clean and fresh. Tequila is thriving and we're here for it. CP: What trends are you noticing right now in the way Australians are drinking — either in bars or at home? Zara: Agave spirits are more popular than ever with our guests, and for good reason. There are so many amazing products available to us now. With more emphasis on health and wellbeing, low sugar, savoury cocktails are also very popular with ingredients like ginger, chilli and tomato. The martini is still having a moment (which is also music to our ears). This ongoing trend is pushing the industry to experiment with the classic formula, as well as creative garnishing, and scale — we love a half-size Hoffman House directly from the freezer, lemon twist, personally. CP: Spritzes and lighter aperitivo-style drinks have been huge over the past few years. Do you think that momentum will continue, or is something else about to take its place? Zara: The thing about aperitivo drinks is that they were deeply embedded in [Italian] culture long before they were popularised in modern culture. To so many people around the globe, they're not just drinks — they're a moment in time. Aperitivo culture connects people. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Concrete Playground Melbourne (@concreteplaygroundmelbourne) CP: For readers who want to impress friends at home this summer, which recipe from the book would you recommend they start with? Zara: Five-star cocktails don't have to be big, fancy-looking drinks. Some of the best reactions we've received from guests have been when we've offered simple, creative tweaks to well-loved classics — like adding a few dashes of absinthe to the negroni to make a 'Quill' or 'Ritz Negroni'. A subtle change that transforms the flavour profile, giving a crisp, dry finish to the bittersweet classic. Start with a base that people already know and love. This is where The Madrusan Cocktail Companion works wonders — if you know they love Gimlets, head to the Gimlet branch and you'll find a whole chapter of variations to explore. CP: The book draws on cocktail history dating back to the 1800s. Do you see any "forgotten classics" making a comeback this season? Michael: There are so many forgotten classics that are worthy of a resurgence, and we really hope this book brings them out of the shadows. I'm a big fan of blending base spirits — gin and Cognac go well, especially in refreshing drinks like the "Stay Up Late" from 1951. Zara: There are age-old cocktail categories included in the book that we don't see enough of currently. Simple drinks like the Sherry Cobbler from the 1860s deserve a renaissance this summer. CP: Non-alcoholic and low-ABV options are now firmly part of the drinking culture. How did you approach including those in the book, and what's exciting in that space for summer? Zara: Non-alcoholic cocktails deserve to be interesting and complex. The rise in their popularity is no surprise and shows no sign of slowing. Similarly, low alcoholic cocktails are a no-brainer. People are drinking differently, and it's exciting. We pushed our peers around the globe particularly with this category and included two distinct chapters in the 'By Popular Request' section of the book — 'Aperitivo and Spritz', which contains various low-ABV options, and a separate 'Non Alcoholic' collection with drinks spanning all styles. Don't skip past 'La Piña' by Jessica Gonzalez of Nomad NYC for sober summertime sessions — a Piña Colada riff spiked with jalapeño and lengthened with soda. CP: The scale of this book is staggering — but how do you personally like to drink when you're off-duty at home? Zara: We like a simple frozen Martini. It's truly a poem in a drink. 'The Madrusan Cocktail Companion' is out now — available via Murdoch Books. Prefer to have your cocktails made for you? Check out Melbourne and Sydney's best bars. Images: Supplied
You've probably noticed times are tough for hospo venues, especially those of the live music variety. However, until the end of June, you can do them a small favour with the help of purpose-driven, non-alc beer brewing legends, Heaps Normal. When the time comes to replenish your non-alcoholic beer stocks at home, online customers have the option to send a free case of Heaps Normal to their favourite venue. No strings attached — your local watering hole just gets a free case of beer to sell at their pleasure. "Aussie hospo venues – particularly live music venues – have been doing it tough lately and we're keen to give back. We figured the best way to do that was to let our community decide where the good karma should flow," says Heaps Normal's Chief Brand Officer Tim Snape. This good deed might just be the right move for you as well. Rather than waking up with a splitting headache after a big night out, the brand's tasty brews won't leave you with a hangover that stretches long into next week. "All you need to do is purchase a case of Heaps Normal for yourself and let us know which local watering hole you want to shower with a little good Karma (Case). We'll even throw a handwritten love letter from you in there, too," says Snape. When you're ready to bank that karma, you're welcome to gift any case from Heaps Normal's core range, from the down-to-earth Another Lager to the newly released Third IPA. Then, it's just a matter of your choice arriving at your go-to venue's door, ready to satiate thirsty customers keen to sidestep tomorrow's agony. Heaps Normal's Karma Cases campaign runs until the end of June. Head to the website for more information.
Injecting a little sparkle and shine into otherwise dull neighborhoods, these architectural designs celebrate all that glitters. Gilded in gold, sequins, crystals, and more, each structure looks fit to house a disco party, or perhaps a drag-queen. Peruse 10 of the world's most blinged-out buildings, and indulge in a little decadence, dahhhling. 1. Maison Martin Margiela @ Beverly Hills, US 2. Golden House @ Nuweiba, Egypt 3. 8 Woningen Kettingstraat @ The Hague, Netherlands 4. Zaha Hadid’s proposal for a new gold Lego-covered courtyard building at The Louvre @ Paris, France 5. Theresa Himmer's 'Glacier #01' @ Reykjavik, Iceland 6. Swarovski flagship store @ Tokyo, Japan 7. Copper sulphate crystal-covered abandoned housing estate @ London, England 8. Theresa Himmer's 'Volcano #01' @ Reykjavik, Iceland 9. Theresa Himmer's 'Waterfall #01' @ Reykjavik, Iceland 10. The Visionary Art Museum @ Baltimore, US [via Flavorwire]
Australia and New Zealand, you're getting more chances to dance the night away: Dua Lipa's already-huge Radical Optimism tour has expanded its trip Down Under. When it was first announced, there were three shows on the itinerary. Due to demand — and before general tickets even go on sale — the tour has been expanded to nine gigs. It's still only playing three cities, however. Accordingly, Dua Lipa fans will still need to head to Sydney, Melbourne or Auckland to catch the Grammy-winner's live shows. She's now doing three gigs in the New South Wales capital, four in the Victorian capital and two in Aotearoan city. Dua Lipa last travelled this way to bring her Future Nostalgia tour Down Under in 2022, and hit the stage at the post-parade party at the 2020 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras before that. The Radical Optimism gigs kick off in November 2024 across Asia, with concerts in Singapore, Jakarta, Manila, Tokyo, Taipei, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Seoul. Fans in Australia and Aotearoa get their turn to find the star under lights and turning the rhythm up in March and April 2025, thanks to shows at Rod Laver Arena, Qudos Bank Arena and Spark Arena. [caption id="attachment_963582" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Raph_PH[/caption] 2024 has been a huge year for the 'Don't Start Now', 'Physical', 'Break My Heart', 'Cold Heart' and 'Houdini' singer, with her third studio album Radical Optimism releasing in May and then the artist headlining Glastonbury. She also popped up in Argylle in cinemas. 2023 was no slouch, either, given that 'Dance the Night' graced the Barbie soundtrack and Dua Lipa featured in the film as a Barbie. The Aussie and NZ leg will restart the Radical Optimism tour in 2025, with dates also locked in across Europe in May and June next year, and in North America in September and October afterwards. As well as Radical Optimism and Future Nostalgia, Dua Lipa has tracks from her self-titled 2017 debut record to bust out, including 'Be the One', 'Hotter Than Hell', 'Lost in Your Light', 'New Rules', 'IDGAF' and 'Blow Your Mind'. [caption id="attachment_972947" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tyrone Lebon[/caption] Dua Lipa Radical Optimism Tour 2025 Australia and New Zealand Dates Wednesday, March 19–Thursday, March 20 + Saturday, March 22–Sunday, March 23 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Wednesday, March 26 + Friday, March 28–Saturday, March 29 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Wednesday, April 2 + Friday, April 4 — Spark Arena, Auckland Dua Lipa's Radical Optimism tour heads Down Under in March and April 2025, with general ticket sales from 1pm local time on Friday, September 20. Head to Dua Lipa's website for more details. Live images: Raph_PH via Flickr.
To make the most of your adventures, you'll need a warm, comfy place to rest your head — and, ideally, one with a cracking view. You can find just that at Creel Lodge. Located at Waste Point, overlooking Lake Jindabyne, this spot has epic views with mountain chalet comforts, like an outdoor fireplace and a large dining table for red wine and card games in the evenings. It's located within the National Park, so you're right in the heart of the action for walking trails, bike rides and water-based fun. After a day of exploring, fire up the barbecue on the deck and see if you can spot any of the resident kangaroos. The Lodge has four bedrooms and sleeps up to eight people, and in the summer months you can book in from $345 per night.
For 50 years, Australia's contribution to music, theatre, opera, circus and dance has been catalogued and preserved, and sometimes exhibited, all thanks to the Australian Performing Arts Collection. At Arts Centre Melbourne, more than 850,000 objects sit within this repository, the nation's largest dedicated to hitting a stage. That's a collection worth putting on display permanently, even if every single item obviously can't always be in the spotlight. From December 2025, the new Australian Museum of Performing Arts at Hamer Hall will do just that — aka showcase the country's performing arts legacy, successes and history for the public to enjoy. The new museum is launching in two phases in the Victorian capital: the first, arriving before this year is out, will span nearly 500 square metres, all devoted to performing arts exhibitions; then the second, which doesn't have a launch date as yet, will expand the space to around 800 square metres. AMPA will both put its own items on display and host touring international showcases. Which exhibition it'll open with in December is set to be revealed in September. The Australian Performing Arts Collection truly is a treasure trove, featuring costumes and objects from the likes of Kylie Minogue, Hugh Jackman, Nick Cave, Peter Allen and Chrissy Amphlett, plus dames Nellie Melba, Joan Sutherland and Olivia Newton-John. The Australian Ballet, Circus Oz, Melbourne Theatre Company and Opera Australia are among the Aussie arts institutions also featured. Again, while exactly what will be on display come December 2025 hasn't been revealed, the collection includes items such as Minogue's gold hot pants from the 'Spinning Around' music video, threads worn by Jackman in The Boy From Oz, Cave's visual journal aka the Handmade Book, maracas shaken by Allen, a tunic worn by Amphlett and the leather jacket of AC/DC lead singer Bon Scott. In addition, it boasts a Jean-Philippe Worth cloak donned by Melba in Lohengrin more than a century ago, a costume worn by Sutherland in 1972's Lucrezia Borgia for the Vancouver Opera, Helen Reddy's Grammy Award for 'I Am Woman', a set model for the Priscilla, Queen of the Desert stage musical — and much more. [caption id="attachment_1003659" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Corset worn by Kylie Minogue, Intimate and Live tour, 1998. Designed by William Baker. Gift of Kylie Minogue, Cultural Gifts Program, 2004. Australian Performing Arts Collection, Arts Centre Melbourne. Photo: Narelle Wilson Photography.[/caption] Historically – and until AMPA opens — the collection's pieces are usually seen in Hamer Hall and the Theatres Building's foyer displays at Arts Centre Melbourne, the Australian Music Vault, on behind-the-scenes Collection Store Tours at Hamer Hall, and if they're on loan to other institutions. "I'm so pleased to be bringing to life the long-held vision to make the riches of the Australian Performing Arts Collection more accessible to the Victorian community through new and expanded spaces," said Arts Centre Melbourne CEO Karen Quinlan. "Through treasured objects, iconic performers and a rich theatrical legacy, AMPA will enable us to share with the world the incredible performing arts history and stories of the stages of Australia and beyond." [caption id="attachment_1003660" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photograph of band Divinyls performing at Subiaco Oval on Australian Made Tour, 1987. Photograph by Bob King. Gift of The Age, 1995. Australian Performing Arts Collection, Arts Centre Melbourne.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1003661" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Costume worn by Hugh Jackman in The Boy from Oz, 2006. Designed by Roger Kirk. Gift of BFO Arena Pty Ltd, 2009. Donated in memory of Ben Gannon. Australian Performing Arts Collection, Arts Centre Melbourne. Photo: Narelle Wilson Photography.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1003662" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Set model bus for Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Australian production, 2006. Designed by Brian Thomson. Gift of Brian Thomson, Cultural Gifts Program, 2015. Australian Performing Arts Collection, Arts Centre Melbourne. Photo: Narelle Wilson Photography.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1003663" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shoes worn by Dame Nellie Melba. Gift of Pamela, Lady Vestey, 1977. Australian Performing Arts Collection, Arts Centre Melbourne. Photo: Narelle Wilson Photography.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1003664" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photograph of Dale Woodbridge-Brown, TWENTYSIXTEEN, Circus Oz, 2016. Photograph by Rob Blackburn. Gift of Circus Oz, 2023. Australian Performing Arts Collection, Arts Centre Melbourne.[/caption] The Australian Museum of Performing Arts will open at Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne, 100 St Kilda Road, Southbank, in December 2025. Head to the venue's website for more details. Renders: Scharp.
When Vivid rolls around, and it's rolling around once again this May, Sydney puts lights, music and food at the top of the priority list with celebrations all over the city. With the full program having just dropped earlier this week, attached events are cropping up everywhere we look — one of the most exciting being the latest collaboration between The International and P&V Wine + Liquor for a takeover of The Wine Bar at 25 Martin Place. Joining the occasion for the sake of good food and drink to go with all the light, art and sound, The co-owner of P&V Wine + Liquor Merchants, Mike Bennie, is joining forces with The International's Food & Beverage Director, Alex Kirkwood and Head Sommelier Jacqueline Turner to present Cult & Classic. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The International Sydney (@theinternationalsydney) Celebrating the best of the NSW wine scene, the one-day-only event will see The Wine Bar be overtaken by over 30 winemakers from across the state, who are bringing well over 100 wines to try — all included in the price of your ticket. They'll be best paired with a food menu designed by The Wine Bar's head chef, Gabriel Del Conti (Ragazzi), in collaboration with Chef Hugh Piper (Dear Sainte Éloise) of the Good Food Guide's Chef's Hat-winning wine bar in Orange, Hey Rosey. The tidy bundle that is your $45 ticket includes entry and a tasting glass to enjoy the many, many wines on offer, as well as live music from top DJs keeping the vibes up from 3–7pm, before the afterparty moves to the rooftop Panorama Bar. P&V's Mike Bennie is proud of the wine on offer, saying "The rise and rise of the avant-garde of NSW wine producers works in tandem with the emerging sect of high quality, younger gen boutique wineries — the last five to ten years alone has seen an explosion of indie makers plying their wares." "NSW is proving to be an ever-increasing, fertile ground for diversity of winemakers and wine styles, which makes tasting events like this so exciting and fun. The kaleidoscope of drinks on show will keep everyone on their toes." Cult & Classic will take over The Wine Bar at 25 Martin Place from 3–7pm on Saturday, June 6. For more information or to get tickets, visit the event website.
Getting a top-notch slice might just be right around the corner, as Divide 8 spreads its wings further across Sydney with the launch of two new locations in Stanmore and St Leonards. Following on from the OG locales in Bronte and Gymea, this expanded offering means ordering a pizza that comes with a side of community goodness is even more within reach. First up, the Stanmore store is nestled into a convenient spot on Percival Road. Seating 20 patrons indoors and out, the decor is a familiar but inviting affair, as exposed brick walls combine with Divide 8's signature orange branding. Perfect for a casual sit-down with friends or a takeaway pit-stop on the way home, expect an authentic and communal aesthetic. The menu is decked out with fan favourites, like the Miss Marg with fresh tomato, buffalo mozzarella and 16-month aged Grana Padano topped with fresh basil. There's also the Marrickville Mercedes, featuring lemon and garlic-marinated lamb, heirloom tomatoes, Spanish onions and feta on an eggplant base, topped with golden peppers and fresh cucumber dill yoghurt. With these new locations carrying on Divide 8's reputation for top-quality ingredients, trust that everything on your pizza is made and prepared in-house. For instance, the pizza dough is made using a protein-enriched flour produced in NSW. You also won't find a canned good in the place, with fresh local ingredients taking your slice to the next level. Sustainability is also central to Divide 8's thoughtful operation, from packaging and ingredient sourcing to production. Here, the ovens, equipment and benches are repurposed from previous pizza stores, plus your pizza box is biodegradable. You might even notice the shelving is made from an old brick fireplace. The brand is also known for its support of the local community. If you're getting down to the Stanmore location, Divide 8 has teamed up with Hearthe – a cafe and cake shop just a few steps away – to use their fresh sourdough for a garlic bread base. In St Leonards, there's a similar collab happening with Fiore Bread. This way, you can feel extra good about your next slice. Open Sunday–Thursday from 4pm–9pm and Friday–Saturday from 4pm–10pm, find Divide 8 Stanmore at 104 Percival Road, Stanmore, and Divide 8 St Leonards at Shop 1/48 Albany Street, St Leonards. Head to the website for more information.
In 2019, the Great Barrier Reef gained a new addition, as well as a new way to enjoy its natural underwater delights. When the Museum of Underwater Art installed its first artworks in December, it became the southern hemisphere's first attraction of its type — and yet another reason for everyone to add visiting Australia's tropics to their travel bucket list. Two artworks were put in place at the time. The first, Ocean Siren, is located 30 metres offshore from The Strand jetty at Townsville and actually towers above the water; however, it interacts with live water temperature data from the Davies Reef weather station, then changes colour in response to variations as they happen. The second Coral Greenhouse, definitely lurks below the sea. And, until now, that meant that visiting it was a bit of a problem. As part of an official launch of the Museum of Underwater Art's first phase, folks can now take a tour of Coral Greenhouse — with recreational divers and snorkelers able to access the work from Saturday, August 1. The tours are being run by Adrenalin Dive Townsville and Pro Dive Magnetic Island, who'll help you see and swim through this striking sculpture. Down the track, SeaLink Queensland, Yongala Dive Burdekin and Orpheus Island Resort will be able to take you for a splash, too. [caption id="attachment_778364" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matt Curnock[/caption] And it is striking. Coral Greenhouse sits 18 metres below the waterline on the John Brewer Reef off Townsville, measures 12 metres in height and weighs around 58 tonnes. It's made out of stainless steel, neutral marine grade cement and zinc anodes, and it does indeed look like a greenhouse. In fact, it's an underwater building. It's also filled with more than 20 sculptures, many resembling local school children — and has been made to both stand up to wave pressures and cyclones, and remain visible to divers and snorkelers. Most importantly, it isn't just a greenhouse in name, with the piece featuring coral garden beds. With that in mind, Coral Greenhouse is also designed to "offer opportunities for scientists, marine students and tourists to engage in action-based learning and to conduct globally important research on coral reef restoration and new technology," marine sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor notes. The creator of the Museum of Underwater Art, he sees this particular work as "an interface into our underwater world" and a way "to tell stories of the Great Barrier Reef, and for people to understand what a fragile, beautiful and sacred space it really is". [caption id="attachment_778365" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matt Curnock[/caption] In total, four pieces are planned for the Museum as part of its aim to highlight reef conservation, restoration and education — with two more sculptures set for Palm Island and Magnetic Island in the future. Palm Island's forthcoming installation will connect the spot's the cultural story to the land and sea, according to the MOUA's website, and is expected to be in place by the July 2021. As for the Magnetic Island artwork, it's working towards a December 2021 unveiling. Of course, while the first tours of the underwater museum have officially kicked off, not everyone can get into Queensland. The Sunshine State has, at writing, closed its borders to all of Victoria and greater Sydney. Find the Museum of Underwater Art off the shore of Townsville, Queensland. For more information, visit the museum's website. To book a tour, head to the Adrenalin Dive or Pro Dive Magnetic websites. Images: Matt Curnock
At a time when we've all been spending more of our minutes, hours, days and months on home turf, Instagram has just launched a new feature to help you make the most of it — and to help throw some love towards all of the small businesses in your area. Hitting the social media platform from today, Tuesday, September 14, the new 'Map Search' function lets you use Instagram to find restaurants, bars, shops and venues near you. Can't decide where to grab lunch? Looking for a hair salon in your vicinity? This'll assist. How does it work? Map Search uses a map (obviously) that highlights popular tagged locations. You might've seen these spots pop up in your feed anyway, and you could've even tagged some yourself. And, you can access the new function in a few different ways. You'll see an icon in Instagram's Explore feature, which is where you can hit up the map, and even filter locations by fields such as salons and restaurants. You'll also now see maps pop up whenever you search for particular hashtags — the very pandemic-appropriate #takeaway, for instance — which'll then highlight the relevant places that fit the hashtag near you. The aim: to support small businesses, and to help Instagram users do the same. Thinking local has been one of the mantras of the past 18 months or so, due to lockdowns, restrictions and border closures — and we all know that the hospitality industry, and small businesses in general, have been doing it tough during the pandemic. Map Search also helps give small businesses a boost on a platform plenty of them are using, and that many of us are using to find them anyway. So, the proprietors of restaurants, bars and shops get another way to be seen by potential customers, and patrons get another way to discover their local haunts. Fancy looking further afield? While Map Search definitely lets you find places immediately around you, users can also search anywhere they like. Either pinch and drag the map to wherever you're interested in, click on an Instagram geotag — which'll bring up the map, so you can start searching from there — or just type wherever you're looking for into Explore. For more information about Instagram's new Map Search function, head to the social media platform's website.
Not all that long ago, the idea of getting cosy on your couch, clicking a few buttons, and having thousands of films and television shows at your fingertips seemed like something out of science fiction. Now, it's just an ordinary night — whether you're virtually gathering the gang to text along, cuddling up to your significant other or shutting the world out for some much needed me-time. Of course, given the wealth of options to choose from, there's nothing ordinary about making a date with your chosen streaming platform. The question isn't "should I watch something?" — it's "what on earth should I choose?". Hundreds of titles are added to Australia's online viewing services each and every month, all vying for a spot on your must-see list. And, so you don't spend 45 minutes scrolling and then being too tired to actually commit to anything, we're here to help. We've spent plenty of couch time watching our way through this month's latest batch — and, from the latest and greatest through to old and recent favourites, here are our picks for your streaming queue from June's haul. Brand-New Stuff You Can Watch From Start to Finish Now The Bear Serving up another sitting with acclaimed chef Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White, The Iron Claw), his second-in-charge Sydney (Ayo Edebiri, Inside Out 2) and their team after dishing up one of the best new shows of 2022 and best returning shows of 2023, the third season of The Bear is a season haunted. Creator and writer Christopher Storer (Dickinson, Ramy) — often the culinary dramedy's director as well — wouldn't have it any other way. Every series that proves as swift a success as this, after delivering as exceptional a first and second season as any show could wish for, has the tang of its prior glory left on its lips, so this one tackles the idea head on. How can anyone shake the past at all, good or bad, the latest ten episodes ruminate on as Carmy faces a dream that's come true but hasn't and can't eradicate the lifetime of internalised uncertainty that arises from having an erratic mother, absent father, elder brother he idolised but had his own demons, and a career spent striving to be the best and put his talents to the test in an industry that's so merciless and unforgiving even before you factor in dealing with cruel mentors. Haunting is talked about often in this third The Bear course, but not actually in the sense flavouring every bite that the show's return plates up. In the season's heartiest reminder that it's comic as well as tense and dramatic — its nine Emmy wins for season one, plus four Golden Globes across season one and two, are all in comedy categories — the Faks get to Fak aplenty. While charming Neil (IRL chef Matty Matheson) is loving his role as a besuited server beneath Richie aka Cousin (Ebon Moss-Bachrach, No Hard Feelings), onboard with the latter's commitment to upholding a Michelin star-chasing fine-diner's front-of-house standards and as devoted to being Carmy's best friend as ever, he's also always palling around with his handyman brother Theodore (Ricky Staffieri, Read the Room). They're not the season's only Faks, and so emerges a family game. When one Fak wrongs another, they get haunted, which is largely being taunted and unsettled by someone from basically The Bear equivalent of Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Boyles. For it to stop, you need to agree to give in. In Storer's hands, in a series this expertly layered as it picks up in the aftermath of sandwich diner The Original Beef of Chicagoland relaunching as fine-diner The Bear, this isn't just an amusing character-building aside. The Bear streams via Disney+. Read our full review. Hit Man The feeling that Glen Powell should star in everything didn't start with Top Gun: Maverick and Anyone But You. Writer/director Richard Linklater (Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood) has helped the notion bubble up before as early back as 2006's Fast Food Nation, then with 2016's Everybody Wants Some!! — and now he riffs on it with Hit Man. When viewers want an actor to feature everywhere, they want to see them step into all sorts of shoes but bring their innate talents and charm each time. So, Linklater enlists Powell as Gary Johnson, a real-life University of New Orleans professor who wouldn't be earning the movie treatment if he didn't also moonlight as a undercover police operative with a specific remit: playing hitmen with folks looking to pay someone to commit murder, sting-style. Johnson doesn't just give the gig the one-size-fits-all approach, though. Once he gets confidence in the job, he's dedicated to affording every target their own personal vision of their dream assassin. So, Powell gets to be a polo shirt-wearing nice guy, a long-haired master criminal, a besuited all-business type and more, including the suave smooth-talker Ron, the persona he adopts when Madison Figueroa Masters (Adria Arjona, Andor) thinks about offing her odious husband. Hit Man is as a screwball rom-com-meets-sunlit film noir, and an excellent one, as well as a feature based on a situation so wild that it can only stem from fact. Alongside charting Gary's exploits in the position and the murkiness of falling for Madison as Ron, it's also an acceptance that the kind of darkness and desperation needed for a person to want to hire a stranger to kill to make their life better isn't a rarity — if it was, Gary's services wouldn't have been needed. Linklater has been in comparably blackly comic but also clear-eyed territory before with Bernie, the past entry on his resume that Hit Man best resembles. The also-ace 2011 Jack Black (Kung Fu Panda 4)-led picture similarly told a true tale, and also sprang from an article by journalist Skip Hollandsworth. This time, Linklater penned the script with Powell instead of Hollandsworth, but the result is another black-comedy delight brimming with insight. Hit Man is a movie about finding one's identity, too, and Powell keeps showing that he's found his: a charismatic lead who anchors one of the most-entertaining flicks of the year. Hit Man streams via Netflix. Fancy Dance Lily Gladstone might've won the Golden Globe but not the Oscar for Killers of the Flower Moon, but her exceptional resume shows every sign of more awards coming her way. Fancy Dance, the other movie to join her filmography in 2023 — it premiered at Sundance that year, but only makes its way to streaming worldwide now — is yet another example of how the Certain Women and First Cow star is one of the very-best actors working right now. Where Gladstone's time in front of Martin Scorsese's lens showcased her mastery of restraint, playing an aunt trying to do what's best for her niece and a sister searching for her absent sibling benefits from her equal command of looseness. Jax, her character, is a pinball. When she bounces in any direction, it's with force and purpose as well as liveliness and determination, but the choice of where she's heading is rarely her own. All she wants is to find Tawi (debutant Hauli Sioux Gray) and protect 13-year-old Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson, Three Pines), but set against the reality that law enforcement mightn't look as enthusiastically for a missing Indigenous woman — or treat one with a record attempting to do right be her family with consideration — that's far from an easy task. Writer/director Erica Tremblay hails from the Seneca–Cayuga Nation, where much of Fancy Dance is set. As Gladstone is, she's also an alum of Reservation Dogs — including helming two episodes — and so is experienced at depicting everyday reservation life with authenticity. Accordingly, her first fictional feature after documentaries Heartland: A Portrait of Survival and In the Turn takes a social-realistic approach in its details, especially when it's simply surveying the space and empathy that First Nations versus white Americans aren't given. Because Jax has a criminal history, child services deems her unfit to look after Roki, or even to take the teen to the powwow where the girl is certain her mum will attend to again steal the show in the mother-daughter dance competition; instead, Jax's white father (Shea Whigham, Lawmen: Bass Reeves) and stepmother (Audrey Wasilewski, Ted) are their choice of guardians. Fancy Dance's protagonist isn't one to simply acquiesce to that decision, and Gladstone makes both her fire and her pain palpable — and her tenderness for Roki, who is weightily portrayed by her Under the Bridge co-star Deroy-Olson, as well. Fancy Dance streams via Apple TV+. Exposure When the words "DO NOT MESSAGE" greet someone that's looking through their friend's phone, curiosity kicks in. When that mysterious contact is spied, plus a list of deleted texts and apologies for unintended hurt, immediately after your best mate has taken her own life and left you to find their body, uncovering the person on the other end of the thread becomes an obsession. Twenty-seven-year-old photographer Jacs (Alice Englert, Bad Behaviour) is all impulse and immediate gratification when Exposure begins, when she's at a rave hooking up with a stranger and dancing with her lifelong BFF Kel (Mia Artemis, Anyone But You). The next morning, everything changes forever, except a haunting truth that no one likes realising when tragedy strikes: our worst moments alter us forever, but they can't fix our worst traits or paper over our other traumas. So Jacs keeps being Jacs as she heads home from Sydney to Port Kembla, where she'll barely let her mother Kathy (Essie Davis, One Day) and Kel's ex Angus (Thomas Weatherall, Heartbreak High) lend their support, and where her self-sabotaging spiral only gains momentum as she attempts to turn amateur, fixated, dogged detective. Pain ran in the family in the aforementioned Bad Behaviour, the 2023 New Zealand film — not to be confused with the 2023 Australian miniseries that streamed via Stan, as Exposure also does — that Englert made her feature directorial debut with, plus penned and co-starred in. The movie told of a former child actor (Jennifer Connolly, Dark Matter) and her stunt-performer daughter working through their baggage around the former's attendance at a new-age retreat. Filmmaking talent also ran in the family, given that Englert is the offspring of Oscar-winner Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog). While she's solely on-screen this time, with Lucy Coleman (Hot Mess) scripting and Bonnie Moir (Love Me) helming, Englert is superb again, including at excavating life's agonies once more. Exposure's moniker applies in multiple ways, spanning the controversial contents of an award-winning snap, facing past distresses, playing sleuth and confronting your own chaos — and it equally fits the raw and rich performance at the centre of this six-parter, which also showcases Davis and Weatherall's typically excellent work. Exposure streams via Stan. Under Paris Creature features are often humanity-did-wrong features. Under Paris doesn't have Godzilla stomping around as a scaly, fire-breathing, Tokyo-destroying embodiment of nuclear devastation's reach and impact, but it does set a giant shark on the loose beneath the French capital due to pollution, specifically the Great Pacific garbage patch, making its natural saltwater terrain uninhabitable. This genre of film doesn't restrict its badly behaving people to merely causing the source of their misery, either, often surveying a range of terrible reactions that exacerbate the issue as well. Underestimating the situation is one such response, which has a well-known history in flicks about killer sharp-toothed fish. The mayor of New England's Amity Island in Jaws wasn't great, and now the the City of Light's equivalent (Anne Marivin, Rebecca) is just as uncaring when she refuses to shut down the city's waterways — despite the pleas of marine researcher Sophia Assalas (Bérénice Bejo, The Movie Teller), police chief Angèle (Aurélia Petit, Saint Omer) and law-enforcement diver Adil (Nassim Lyes, All-Time High) — because it'll disrupt a billion-dollar triathlon with its swimming leg in the River Seine. The chomping shadow of Steven Spielberg's (The Fabelmans) summer blockbuster lingers over Under Paris heavily, as it has over all shark movies for almost five decades now. Rare is the film that lives up to the Hollywood great as well as this, however, even though oh-so-much of the story plays out as expected. As Sophia first witnesses calamity when her research crew falls victim to Lilith, the shark they've been tracking, and then is forced to help save Paris three years later when environmental activist Mika (Léa Léviant, Mortel) advises that the creature has made its way to the city, it helps immensely that this shark-in-the-Seine picture isn't a Snakes on a Plane-esque comedy. Fresh from directing episodes of Lupin, Farang and Budapest director Xavier Gens is firmly making a thriller, not playing the scenario for laughs. The setpieces, many in the Parisian catacombs, are both efficient and effective. The film's visuals overall earn the same description. And while nodding to Free Willy as well is a touch clunky, The Artist Oscar-nominee Bejo is never anything less than committed. Under Paris streams via Netflix. Am I OK? The question in Am I OK?'s title is indeed existential: is Lucy (Dakota Johnson, Madame Web) coping with being a thirtysomething in Los Angeles treading water emotionally, romantically and professionally? From there, more queries spring. Can she — or, more accurately, will she — shoot for more than not quite dating the smitten Ben (Whitmer Thomas, Big Mouth), right down to shaking his hand at the end of their evenings out together, and also for something beyond working as a day-spa receptionist while putting her passion and talent for art on the back burner? Is she capable of breaking free of a comfort zone padded out with spending all of her spare time with her best friend Jane (Sonoya Mizuno, House of the Dragon), including being so predictable that she always orders the same thing at their brunches at their favourite diner? Regarding the latter, she gets a push when Jane agrees to a lucrative transfer to London, splitting the pair for the first time since they were teenagers. Am I OK? is an arrested-development coming-of-age movie, then, and a film about being honest about who you are and want to be. Change comes for us all, even when we've built a cocoon to protect our happy status quo — and, at the heart of this romantic drama, change clearly comes for Lucy. She's forced to consider a path forward that doesn't involve solely being defined as half of a platonic duo. She also confronts the feelings for her coworker Brittany (Kiersey Clemons, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters) and the truth about her sexuality that she's never previously admitted. Am I OK? is a coming-out tale, too, but it treats Lucy's stuck-in-a-rut existence and at-first-tentative attempts to embrace how she truly feels holistically, seeing how life's passage inevitably shifts how we see ourselves. If the movie feels more honest than it might've been, that's because screenwriter Lauren Pomerantz (Strange Planet) spins a semi-autobiographical story. Also, the directing team of real-life couple Tig Notaro (2 Dope Queens) and Stephanie Allynne (who helmed Notaro's 2024 special Hello Again) — who met making 2015's In a World… — demonstrate the ideal light-but-delicate touch. Plus, Johnson and Mizuno exude genuine BFF chemistry, with the former again showing why fare such as this, Cha Cha Real Smooth, How to Be Single, The Peanut Butter Falcon, A Bigger Splash, Suspiria and The Lost Daughter, a diverse group of pictures, is a better fit than the Fifty Shades trilogy or a Spider-Man spinoff. Am I OK? streams via Binge. Lumberjack the Monster Spanning big-screen releases, TV and straight-to-video fare, Takashi Miike has notched up 115 directorial credits in the 33 years since making his helming debut. Lumberjack the Monster isn't even the latest — it premiered at film festivals in 2023, which means that miniseries Onimusha and short Midnight have popped up since — but it is Miike back in horror mode, where 1999's Audition and 2001's Ichi the Killer famously dwelled. Here, the inimitable Japanese filmmaker and screenwriter Hiroyoshi Koiwai (Way to Find the Best Life) adapt the eponymous 2019 Mayusuke Kurai novel. Its namesake character also exists on the page in the movie itself, in a picture book. This is a serial-killer picture, though, and with more than one person taking multiple lives. A mass murderer wearing a bag over their head and swinging an axe is on a rampage, and lawyer Akira (Kazuya Kamenashi, Destiny) and surgeon Sugitani (Shôta Sometani, Sanctuary) aren't averse to dispensing death themselves. A clash is inevitable, not that the slick Akira expects it, or that his costumed attacker anticipates that their current target will survive his blade, sparking a cat-and-mouse game. Lumberjack the Monster doesn't just weave in fantasy boogeyman stories, offings upon offings, and characters with dark impulses going head to head. The police are on the case, giving the film a procedural layer, as well as Akira motivation to hunt down his assailant first. Science fiction also washes through, with brain-implanted chips and modifying human behaviour both for worse and for better part of the narrative. There's also a moral-redemption element weaved in. Consequently, it's no wonder that this tale is Miike joint. As well as being prolific, Miike loves making his resume the ultimate mashup. To name just a few examples, see: the yakuza action of Dead or Alive, superhero comedy Zebraman, titular genre of Sukiyaki Western Django, samurai efforts 13 Assassins and Blade of the Immortal, period drama Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai, video-game adaptation Ace Attorney, romance For Love's Sake, thriller Lesson of the Evil, vampire movie Yakuza Apocalypse and the crime-driven First Love. Unsurprisingly, Lumberjack the Monster is specifically the engrossing — and bloodily violent — Frankenstein's monster of a flick that Miike was always going to relish making when splicing together such an array of elements came his way. Lumberjack the Monster streams via Netflix. New and Returning Shows to Check Out Week by Week Fantasmas With Fantasmas, creator, writer, director and star Julio Torres welcomes viewers into a world that couldn't have been conjured up by anyone else but the former Saturday Night Live scribe, who then became the co-guiding force behind Los Espookys and filmmaker responsible for Problemista. Torres also leaves his audience grateful that they exist in this particular world, where HBO has given him the means and support to make a comedy series so singular, so clearly the work of a visionary and so gloriously surreal. Fantasmas has no peers beyond Torres' work, other than the patron saint of spilling the contents of your mind and heart onto the screen with zero willingness to compromise or hold back: David Lynch. That said, even that comparison — and the utmost of praise that comes with it — can't prepare viewers for a show where clear crayons are one idea whipped up by the on-screen Julio, another sees Steve Buscemi (Curb Your Enthusiasm) playing the letter Q as an avant-garde outsider, Santa Claus is taken to court by elves (including SNL's Bowen Yang), and series-within-a-series MELF riffs on 80s and 90s hit sitcom ALF but starring Paul Dano (Spaceman) and featuring quite the twist on its alien-adopting premise. As the sets appear like exactly sets but with a DIY spin, star-studded cameos stack up, and absurdist vignettes pop in and out to flesh out Julio's mindscape as much as the futuristic realm imagined by the IRL Torres, there is an overarching narrative at the core of Fantasmas. The series' take on Julio trades in concepts, plus in being unflinchingly himself, but doing anything is impossible without a Proof of Existence ID card in this dystopia. He's on a quest to secure one, which isn't straightforward. In the process, he's also searching for a tiny gold oyster earring, and pondering whether to upload his consciousness and jettison his body. By his side: robot companion Bibo (Joe Rumrill, The Calling) and agent Vanesja (Martine Gutierrez, returning from Los Espookys and Problemista), who is really just a performance artist playing an agent. As phantasmagorical as everything that the show flings at the screen can get, which is very, it also tears into relatable issues such as societal status, class clashes, housing, capitalism's many woes and inequities, and the treatment of immigrants. As purposefully eager as it is to show its crafting and creativity, too, it does so to stress the fact that it's being made by people chasing a dream rather than corporations bowing to an algorithm. Fantasmas streams via Binge. Presumed Innocent When Presumed Innocent begins, Rusty Sabich (Jake Gyllenhaal, Road House) has devoted his career to putting away Chicago's criminals. He isn't expecting to be soon treated the same way. Audiences with an awareness of both film and literary history know what's coming, though, with the eight-part Apple TV+ series the latest page-to-screen show from David E Kelley — and also another program with a story that already made the leap from bookshelves to the big screen before getting the television treatment. In recent years, Kelley has ushered A Man in Full, Anatomy of a Scandal, Nine Perfect Strangers, The Undoing and Big Little Lies down the first route. He's taken The Lincoln Lawyer down the second as well. His pedigree spinning legal narratives dates back to LA Law, The Practice, Ally McBeal and Boston Legal, too. Now, he's adapting author Scott Turow's debut 1987 novel, which initially became a hit 1990 Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny)-starring feature. Turning the tale into a series and the passage of more than three decades are a gift to Presumed Innocent's complexity; there's more time, obviously, to fill out the intricacies of a scenario where a hotshot prosecutor is now a suspected murderer, and to ensure that the misogyny of the 80s and 90s doesn't still shine through. At a time when being chief deputy under District Attorney Raymond Horgan (Bill Camp, who also appeared in A Man in Full) is already a fraught scenario — aka an election year — Sabich's life is turned upside down when his colleague Carolyn Polhemus (Renate Reinsve, 2021's Cannes Best Actress-winner for The Worst Person in the World) is found dead. The circumstances closely resemble a case that the two had previously worked on, so Rusty takes the lead. What only his supportive wife Barbara (Ruth Negga, Good Grief) knows is that the pair had an affair, which almost tore apart the Sabichs' marriage. A secret like that doesn't stay quiet for long, though, especially with Horgan's adversary Nico Della Guardia (O-T Fagbenle, Loot) and Rusty's ambitious counterpart Tommy Molto (Peter Sarsgaard, Memory) looking to appease the electorate, and quickly. Presumed Innocent hasn't skimped on casting, to its benefit — in a show that isn't painting its protagonist as a hero or anything as clearcut, Gyllenhaal is at his slippery best, while both Reinsve and Negga flesh out the women caught up in his mess, and Sarsgaard eats up the screen, especially when Rusty and Molto face off in court. Presumed Innocent streams via Apple TV+. The Boys "Superheroes, they're just like us" has been an unspoken refrain humming beneath on-screen caped-crusader tales in recent decades. Possessing great powers doesn't mean knowing how to wield power, or greatness, or how to navigate the daily elements of life that don't revolve around possessing great powers, as movies and TV shows in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the DC Extended Universe and beyond have kept stressing. Even as it dispenses a much-needed antidote to superhero worship's saturation of big- and small-screen entertainment — even as it has made distrusting the spandex-clad and preternaturally gifted its baseline — The Boys has also told this story. Across the entire extent of human history, what's more recognisable than power and dominance bringing out the worst in people? As adapted from Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson's comics series of the same name by showrunner Eric Kripke (Supernatural) since 2019, this series has stared at the grimmest vision of a world with tights-adorned supposed saviours. It's a show where murder at the hands of supes, which is then covered up by the company profiting from elevating them above the masses, is an everyday reality. It's a dark satire. It's gleeful in its onslaught of OTT violence and sightings of genitals. What it means to grapple with the struggle to hold onto humanity has firmly been at The Boys' core since its first episode, however, making it a mirror. It has never been hard to see where art imitates life in this account of its namesake rag-tag crew (Thor: Ragnarok,'s Karl Urban, Oppenheimer's Jack Quaid, Wrath of Man's Laz Alonso, One on One's Tomer Capone and Bullet Train's Karen Fukuhara) saying "enough is enough" to the US' downward spiral. With flying, laser-eyed, super-strong, supernaturally speedy and otherwise-enhanced beings commercialised by a behemoth of a company called Vought International, The Boys has never been subtle at pointing its fingers at the many ways in which pop culture and the corporations behind it hold sway. The show's parallels with American politics in its portrait of a factionalised nation torn apart over a polarising leader who considers himself above the law are equally overt. Of course, the series is just as blatant in unpacking the consequences of letting the pursuit of power run riot. In its narrative, in chasing supremacy above all else, humans and supes really are just like each other — a truth season four doesn't ever let slip from view. The Boys streams via Prime Video. Read our full review. House of the Dragon It's a chair made out of swords. So notes Daemon Targaryen's (Matt Smith, Morbius) description of the Iron Throne. Not one but two hit HBO shows have put squabbles about the sought-after seat at their centre so far, and the second keeps proving a chip off the old block in a fantasy franchise where almost everyone meets that description. If the family trees sprawling throughout Game of Thrones for eight seasons across 2011–19 and now House of the Dragon for two since 2022 (with a third on the way) weren't so closely intertwined in all of their limbs, would feuding over everything, especially the line of succession, be such a birthright? Set within the Targaryens 172 years before Daenerys is born, House of the Dragon keeps the black-versus-green factionalism going in season two, to civil war-esque extremes over which two offspring of the late King Viserys the Peaceful (Paddy Considine, The Third Day) should wear the crown and plonk themselves in the blade-lined chair. The monarch long ago named Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy, Mothering Sunday) as his heir. But with his last breaths, his wife Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke, Slow Horses) claims that he picked their eldest son Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney, Rogue Heroes) instead. In King's Landing, the response was speedy, with Rhaenyra supplanted before she'd even heard over at Dragonstone that her father had passed away. Based on George RR Martin's Fire & Blood, House of the Dragon has also long painted Rhaenyra as the preferred type of chip off the old block. She too wants peace, not war. She also seeks stability for the realm over personal glory. If Viserys spotted that in her as a girl (Milly Alcock, Upright) when he chose her over Daemon, his brother who is now Rhaenyra's husband, he might've also predicted the dedication that she sports towards doing his legacy, and those before him, proud. Conversely, Aegon, also the grandson of Viserys' hand Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans, The King's Man), sees only entitlement above all else. Martin's tales of dynasties trade in the cycles that course through the bonds of blood, especially in House of the Dragon. Everyone watching knows what's to come for the Targaryens in Daenerys' time, right down to an aunt-nephew romance as the counterpart to Daemon and Rhaenyra's uncle-niece relationship. (No one watching has started this prequel series, the first spinoff of likely many to Game of Thrones, without being familiar with its predecessor). Ice-blonde hair, ambition that soars as high as the dragons they raise and fly, said flame-roaring beasts of the sky, the inability to host happy reunions: these are traits passed down through generations. Some are a matter of genes. Martin continues to explore why the others persist. House of the Dragon streams via Binge. Read our full review. The Acolyte When you've just made two seasons of a time-loop TV show about reckoning with the past, what comes next? For Russian Doll co-creator Leslye Headland, another jump backwards beckons. The Star Wars franchise has been telling tales set not just in a galaxy far, far away but also a long time ago for almost five decades; however, across its 11 movies and five live-action Disney+ TV shows until now, it hasn't ever explored the events of as long a time ago as Headland's The Acolyte brings to the screen. Welcome to the High Republic era a century before Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace — and into a thrilling new angle into one of pop culture's behemoths. Stepping through the events before the events that it has already relayed to audiences isn't new for Star Wars, as went the prequels, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Andor, but so now goes The Acolyte as well. The key aspect of the latter isn't just that this eight-instalment series gains the space to jettison familiar faces and spin its narrative anew — it's also that it's traversing more of the world that George Lucas first envisaged in the 70s, and what the force means to more than the usual faces and those tied to them. And, it isn't afraid to question the heroes-versus-villains divide that's as engrained in all things Star Wars as lightsabers, having a bad feeling and droids. Taking place in a period of peace and prosperity — well, for some — The Acolyte is still home to heroes. Villains are part of the tale, too. But the idea that the Jedi always fall into the first camp and their enemies can only sit in the second is probed. Similarly queried is the notion that anything in the Star Wars realm, let alone everything, is that binary. The premise: Jedi are being eliminated by a mysterious warrior, a setup that is pushed to the fore immediately and initially aligns its emotional response as audiences since 1977 know to expect. But as gets uttered three episodes in, "this is not about good or bad — it's about power and who gets to wield it". The Acolyte's opening showdown unfolds in the type of cantina that's hardly new to the saga, but the battle itself is. From beneath a mask, a warrior (Amandla Stenberg, Bodies Bodies Bodies) isn't afraid to throw down, throw knives and throw around her ability to use the force, with a Jedi her target. In the aftermath, the robe-adorned head honchos have ex-padawan Osha in their sights. Now working as a meknik, which entails undertaking dangerous spaceship maintenance tasks that robots are legally only supposed to do, she fits the description. Her old Jedi mentor Sol (Lee Jung-jae, Squid Game) isn't so sure, though, especially knowing her past. The Acolyte streams via Disney+. Read our full review. Need a few more streaming recommendations? Check out our picks from January, February, March, April and May this year, and also from January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December 2023. You can also check out our running list of standout must-stream shows from last year as well — and our best 15 new shows of 2023, 15 newcomers you might've missed, top 15 returning shows of the year, 15 best films, 15 top movies you likely didn't see, 15 best straight-to-streaming flicks and 30 movies worth catching up on over the summer. Top images: FX, Brian Roedel/Netflix, Apple TV+, HBO and Stan.
Before Sydney went into its current lengthy lockdown, whipping out your phone, opening the Service NSW app and using it to check in at venues had become a normal part of everyday life. When the city begins to reopen again — when 70-percent of New South Wales residents have had both their COVID-19 vaccinations, which is expected around mid-October — you'll be falling back into that habit. And, ideally, that's how you'll also show that you're fully vaxxed as well. Crucial to NSW's roadmap out of lockdown is loosening rules and restrictions for folks who've received both vaccination doses — as also applies with the state's current outdoor gathering rules, which came into effect in mid-September. So, unsurprisingly, the government wants to streamline the process of showing that you've been double-jabbed. Today, Wednesday, September 22, NSW Minister for Digital and Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello announced that the state will pilot an update to the existing Service NSW app that integrates vaccination certificates — which are provided by the Federal Government via its immunisation register. The aim is to start to test the update in regional NSW with 100–500 people from Tuesday, October 6, for two weeks. "Hopefully, the subject of that pilot will be strong, and as a result of that we can then open up to the rest of the state," Dominello said at NSW's COVID-19 press conference. As promised - here is an update on the vaccination integration with the Service NSW app. 1. Display - this is a draft. We have added an additional privacy feature with the show more/show less status 👍🏼 pic.twitter.com/eiUkXlBVu6 — Victor Dominello MP (@VictorDominello) September 22, 2021 At present, you can access your COVID-19 vaccination certificate via the Medicare Express app, and then either keep logging in there when you need to show it, or save it to your Google or Apple wallet. "What we will be doing is integrating that, and providing people with the option of then having it in their Service NSW app to make it really easy when they're checking into venues across NSW," the Minister said. "That way, you don't have to open up several different apps just to get into a venue. You open up one app, the Service NSW app. On that app, it'll enable you to check in, and at the same time on that same screen it'll show your vaccination status," he continued. You will need to consent to give the app authority to access your immunisation record, so it won't happen automatically. First, though, the NSW Government is still working with the Commonwealth Government regarding access to the latter's data, and is also consulting with industry on the design of how it should work. It's also planning to implement security features, such as a hologram just like on digital drivers licences, as well as another QR code. It's expected that the app might be able to be used to show your vax status when state borders reopen as well. Whether the update to the app will be ready to be rolled out statewide when Sydney comes out of lockdown isn't yet known. But, if it isn't, you'll be able to show proof of vaccination via the Medicare Express app, or your Google or Apple wallet, until it is. For more information about the Service NSW app, or to download it if you haven't already, head to the government department's website.
Sydneysiders, it's roadmap time — again. If you've been wondering how life throughout New South Wales will change as more people across the state get vaccinated, Premier Gladys Berejiklian has outlined the details today, Monday, September 27. And, you now have a few new double-jabbed thresholds to pop in your diary, plus some new dates as well. Back at the beginning of September, the Premier announced the first phase of New South Wales' roadmap out of lockdown, which focused on the 70-percent fully vaccinated threshold. That mark is fast approaching, and is expected to be hit by Monday, October 11. From there, more rules will ease again when 80-percent of NSW residents over the age of 16 have been doubled-jabbed. And, on Wednesday, December 1, restrictions will relax even further again. "I know people are counting down the minutes until we reach 70-percent double-dose and the freedoms that will provide, and today we are providing further certainty by announcing the 80-percent roadmap and future settings," said the Premier. "Vaccination remains our ticket to freedom, so we need to work even harder to get jabs in arms, to help stop the spread, minimise outbreaks and ensure people are protected when we open up," Berejiklian continued. [caption id="attachment_802757" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cassandra Hannagan[/caption] At the 80-percent double-dosed threshold, which is expected to arrive around two weeks after the 70-percent double-jabbed mark is hit — so, by the time October is out — the focus is still on the fully vaxxed. For everyone who has rolled up their sleeves twice, gatherings at home will go up to ten, and outdoors they'll increased to 20. At COVID-safe events, 200 people will be able to attend, with that number going up to 500 if it's seated and ticketed. Also, in hospitality venues, vertical consumption will be back indoors. Community sport will also be allowed again, retail will still be under the one person per four-square-metres rule that kicks in at 70-percent, and hairdressers, nail salons and other personal services businesses will be under the same density cap — but without the five-client limit that applies at the lower threshold. Gyms and indoor recreation facilities will still be under the same capacity requirement as well, hosting classes with up to 20 people. Sporting facilities and major recreation outdoor facilities — which spans stadiums, racecourses, theme parks and zoos — will also remain under the one person per four-square-metres rule with a 5000-person cap. At indoors venues such as cinemas, theatres, music halls, museums and galleries the one person per four-square-metres rule will still be in place, or they'll be able to fill to a maximum of 75-percent fixed seated capacity (whichever is larger). Weddings and funerals won't have any caps, but will have the one person per four-square-metres requirement. And, this is when domestic travel — which includes trips to regional NSW — will be permitted. It was originally going to kick in at 70-percent double-dosed, but has been pushed back to 80-percent. Caravan parks and camping grounds will be allowed to open, including for the unvaxxed. Also, carpooling will be on the cards again. Masks will still be required in all indoor public venues, including public transport, front-of-house hospitality, retail and business premises, on planes and at airports. Then, the next phase of the roadmap kicks in on Wednesday, December 1. This is the phase that Berejiklian is calling "COVID-normal". At this point, there'll be no limits on gatherings at home or outdoors, plus the density rule at venues and planned events will move to one person per two-square-metres — including in hospitality, retail and in gyms, at major recreation outdoor facilities, and at indoor entertainment sites. Amusement centres and nightclubs can reopen, too, but under the one person per four-square-metres rule. Indoor pools can reopen as well, under the one person per two-square-metres requirement. Plus, weddings and funerals will also move to the one person per two-square-metres cap. And, the roadmap will include unvaccinated people at the same settings from Wednesday, December 1 as well — so, when summer starts, the relaxed rules will apply to everyone. These just-announced plans for the 80-percent fully vaxxed mark and December 1 all build upon NSW's already-revealed outline for life at the 70-percent double-jabbed threshold — which is when fully vaccinated Sydneysiders will first be permitted to sip beers in pubs, eat meals in restaurants, have friends over to their homes and see movies in cinemas again. Hospitality venues will operate under the one person per four-square-metres rule inside and the one person per two-square-metres rule outside, with vertical consumption only outdoors. Most other venues will be under the same one person per four-square-metres cap, including retail, major recreation outdoor facilities and indoor sites. Also, that's when five-person at-home and 20-person outdoor gatherings will allowed as long as all adults are vaxxed. NSW recorded 787 new locally acquired cases of #COVID19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night. pic.twitter.com/8Qkdwzp9qA — NSW Health (@NSWHealth) September 27, 2021 It's worth noting that the national plan requires all of Australia to reach each vaccination threshold overall before an individual state or territory that's met that milestone can ease restrictions — but that hasn't been mentioned in NSW's roadmap. Also, what's set to happen with international travel hasn't yet been revealed, but the Federal Government has advised that heading overseas again is likely to return "by Christmas at the latest". Today's NSW announcement came as the state reported 787 new COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours to 8pm on Sunday, September 26. Wondering where you can currently get vaccinated? There's a handy online map that helps you find your nearest clinic. Keen to keep an eye on vaccination rates? A heap of online resources will help you do that as well. For more information about New South Wales' reopening roadmap, head to the NSW Government website. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website. Top image: Cassandra Hannagan.
Things are heating up here in Sydney, and Aqua Sculpt has officially debuted as Australia's first open water floating wellness destination, bringing an innovative approach to movement and mindfulness to Sydney's harbour. The brand's founder and head trainer, Nina Hirschfeld, created a space that promises to deliver a transformative mind and body experience rooted in nature, all performed on custom-designed standing floating boards. Aqua Sculpt blends pilates, yoga, stretching, and immersive sound bath meditation while grounding them in mindful movement. Guests can engage in low-impact, strength-building classes that activate the core, challenge balance, and promote deep relaxation. Each session sculpts the body and calms the mind through guided movement and immersive sensory elements. With plans to expand across Asia, the brand is positioning Sydney as the forefront of wellness tourism, offering guests a range of experiences designed to balance mind, body, and environment, including sunrise sculpt sessions, restorative evening floats, and themed experiences. The pilates on water adds the challenge of balance, focusing on strength and stability while connecting with nature and your breath. Similarly, their yoga class promises to deliver a full-body experience, inviting calm connections with oneself and their surroundings. Their seniors' stretch, perfect for those seeking restorative relaxation, focuses on stretching while lying down or seated in shallow water. Aqua Sculpt also offers a sound bath, using the calming power of sound and water to provide profound stillness, emotional release, and inner clarity. Their sculpt and sip picnic, held at Bellamy Beach, invites guests to pause, stretch and sip. Each event offers a signature pilates or yoga class, followed by a picnic with bubbles, good food and great company. Saving the best for last, Aqua Sculpt offers a wellness retreat in several locations, providing guests with the opportunity to pause, reconnect, and recharge. Each retreat offers floating water pilates, yoga, and sound baths. This experience serves more than just a weekend getaway, but a shared space for women who value wellness, rest, and joy. Whether you're a wellness expert, a curious beginner, or seeking a unique way to combine holistic wellness with stunning scenery, Aqua Sculpt offers a revolutionary approach to moving, breathing, and reconnecting. Book your class. Images: Supplied
Each year when winter hits Melbourne, there is an energy to the city as it comes to life with the annual festival of music, arts and performance, RISING. Running from Wednesday, June 4 to Sunday, June 15, RISING's exciting lineup fills the streets, galleries and hidden corners with 65 events featuring work from over 300 boundary-pushing artists. The exhibits and installations happen nonstop throughout each day, but once night falls, Melbourne is truly invigorated, with a whole new side of the city to uncover. Whether you're a local or just visiting, the festival is an invitation to get out, stay up late, and explore Melbourne at its most vibrant and delightfully unpredictable. Planning a trip? Here's our pick of unmissable experiences to make your Melbourne sojourn an unforgettable one. 'Intangible #form' at The Capitol If you're looking for something fun (and free) to do after dark, Shohei Fujimoto's immersive installation, Intangible #form, at The Capitol is a standout in this year's RISING lineup. Entering the space feels like stepping into a sci-fi dream, with glowing red laser beams shifting and responding to your movements, pulling you into an almost hypnotic state. Open from 4.30pm to 10.30pm daily during the festival, it's one you can't miss. Reed House A good RISING itinerary deserves meals as memorable as the art you'll see. Reed House delivers just that. This Lonsdale Street restaurant sits within a landmark heritage building in the heart of the city, and features a humble menu inspired by British brasseries, which is exactly what you want on a cool Melbourne night. It's the perfect spot to fuel up before a night of performances, or to debrief on your day's discoveries over dinner and drinks. 'Kill Me' — Marina Otero RISING consistently delivers performances that push boundaries, and this year is no exception. This year's must-see is Kill Me, a provocative new performance by Argentine choreographer Marina Otero that (literally) bares all. It's exactly the kind of thoughtful, unapologetic work RISING champions, guaranteed to keep you talking long after the show ends. Night Trade A festival favourite during past years, RISING's Night Trade transforms Melbourne's Howey Place and surrounding laneways into a nocturnal playground. Wander around to discover a mix of music, art, and food, including late-night bites and micro cocktail bars, and experience performance art from artists like Saeborg and Nyege Nyege up close and personal. There's plenty to see — all for free — and it's all set against the backdrop of Melbourne's famous laneways. Apollo Inn Tucked discreetly off Flinders Lane and by the team behind famed restaurant Gimlet, Apollo Inn captures Melbourne's late-night charm with cocktails to match. Dimly lit and always (quietly) buzzing, it's the kind of place you want to end up after an evening of exhibition-hopping, to plan tomorrow's adventures or just soak in the city's after-hours energy. [caption id="attachment_1000969" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Eugene Hyland[/caption] 'Swingers: The Art of Mini Golf' For a little extra rebelliousness, head to the Flinders Street Station Ballroom for Swingers: The Art of Mini Golf – a one-of-a-kind playable art exhibition. This nine-hole mini-golf course is no ordinary game, because each hole is an artwork created by female artists, including Miranda July, Kaylene Whiskey, and Saeborg. The concept is a nod to the rule-breaking 19th century women who invented the game after being refused access to the real course. Open from Wednesday, June 4 to Sunday, August 31, go for a late-night slot and experience the surreal, interactive installations that challenge traditional notions of mini golf. 'Frida Kahlo: In her own Image' at Bendigo Art Gallery If you're keen to keep the cultural exploration going after RISING, you can take a short road trip out of town to Bendigo for Frida Kahlo: In her own image, exclusive to the Bendigo Art Gallery, and make a day of it by exploring the township. Just two hours away from Melbourne CBD, the exhibition offers an intimate look at the iconic Mexican artist's revolutionary life and art. It's the perfect complement to Melbourne's RISING, rounding out your weekend of new experiences. So pick your favourite spots, embrace after-dark adventures, and discover why a winter in Melbourne is genuinely unforgettable. Head to visitmelbourne.com.au to discover more of what makes Melbourne every bit different. Images courtesy of Melbourne. Every bit different. By Jacque Kennedy
2024 started with Donald Glover on-screen in the TV remake of Mr & Mrs Smith. 2025 Down Under will begin with Childish Gambino returning to Australia and New Zealand on his The New World tour. The rapper and hip hop star has announced five dates across the two countries, starting in January and running into February, on what will be his first trip to these shores since 2019. On the agenda, then: summertime magic, when the musician/actor/writer/director plays not just his latest album Atavista — the finished version of 2020's 3.15.20 — but tracks from a career behind the microphone that dates back to 2011. Accordingly, expect to hear 'This Is America', 'Redbone', 'Sweatpants' and other songs from his past records Camp, Because the Internet and Awaken, My Love!. The Down Under leg of the tour will kick off at Spark Arena in Auckland, Gambino's only Aotearoa show. From there, he's hitting up the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena, Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena and RAC Arena in Perth. When he last headed this way — complete with a headline spot at Splendour in the Grass — it was after initially announcing a 2018 Australian tour, then cancelling it due to an ongoing injury. Before that, he performed at Falls Festival in 2016. [caption id="attachment_955317" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Eli Watson via Flickr.[/caption] Gambino mightn't have been on Aussie and NZ stages for a spell, but Glover had the final two seasons of Atlanta — both in 2022 — reach screens since he was last Down Under. Voice work on Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, producing TV series Swarm, the aforementioned Mr & Mrs Smith: they've all joined his resume as well. He'll also be heard as Simba again in Mufasa: The Lion King, the prequel to 2019's photorealistic version of The Lion King, before 2024 is out. On all Australian and New Zealand shows, Gambino will be supported by Amaarae. Childish Gambino 'The New World' Tour 2025 Australia and New Zealand Dates Tuesday, January 28 — Spark Arena, Auckland Saturday, February 1 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane Tuesday, February 4 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Friday, February 7 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Tuesday, February 11 — RAC Arena, Perth Childish Gambino is touring Australia and New Zealand in January and February 2025 — with ticket presales from Thursday, May 16, 2024 at staggered times, and general sales from Monday, May 20, 2024 at staggered times. Head to the tour website for further details. Top image: Eli Watson via Flickr.
By the time October hits, 3600 Australian pharmacies will be administering COVID-19 vaccinations with the Moderna jab. It's the third coronavirus vax to be used in Australia after AstraZeneca and Pfizer, with doses of Moderna arriving on our shores in the past few days — and now being rolled out to chemists nationwide. During the week beginning yesterday, Monday, September 20, 1800 pharmacies will receive their batches and start getting Aussies to roll up their sleeves for Moderna. Next week, from Monday, September 27, that number again will join the Moderna rollout. So, if you haven't had your jabs yet, you now have more options — both in terms of which vaccination to receive and where to get it. Exactly how many pharmacies will be stocked with Moderna in each state varies; however, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed that 721 chemists across his state will be administering the shots from this week. Obviously, which pharmacists themselves are doing Moderna jabs also varies, but the Australian Government Department of Health's Vaccine Clinic Finder website lets you find where you can get it, or the other COVID-19 vaccines if that's what you'd prefer. Moderna's vax got the nod from Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration back in August, with the TGA advising that "the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine has shown strong efficacy preventing symptomatic COVID-19 and severe COVID-19 in clinical trials." In early September, it was approved for 12–17-year-olds, too, meaning that it's now approved for all Aussies over the age of 12. The Australian Government has an agreement with Moderna for 25 million doses of the vaccine, which includes 10 million this year and 15 million in 2022. Elsewhere around the world, Moderna's jab has also received approval or authorisation to use in emergency situations in countries such as United Kingdom, Canada, the European Union, the United States, Switzerland and Singapore. Partly funded by a donation from the one and only Dolly Parton, Moderna's vaccine is actually the fourth to get the nod in Australia, following AstraZeneca, Pfizer and a jab from Johnson & Johnson — the latter of which hasn't been included in the country's vaccine rollout so far. Like the Pfizer vaccine, the Moderna jab is an mRNA-based vaccine. So, it uses a synthetic genetic code called RNA, which tells the cells in our bodies how to make the coronavirus' unique spike protein. Then, once our bodies have done just that, making the protein that's encoded by the mRNA vaccine, we're able to recognise the spike protein as being foreign to our system and launch an immune response against it. Two doses of the Moderna vaccine are required — and while the AstraZeneca jabs are recommended four–12 weeks apart, and the Pfizer jabs three weeks apart, Moderna's should be administered within 28 days of each other. Wondering what that the Moderna approval means in terms of boosting Australia's vaccine ability (because actually getting a jab hasn't been particularly straightforward under the country's slow-moving rollout)? Back when the Moderna vax got the tick, Prime Minister Scott Morrison advised the 25 million doses would join the 125 million doses of Pfizer and 53 million doses of AstraZeneca that are already part of the vaccine campaign. "The first one million doses is on track to arrive next month and will go to pharmacies. Then we will have three million in October, three million in November and three million in December," the PM said. And if you'd like to keep an eye on the country's vaccination rates now that a third vax is in the mix — with those rates tied to easing restrictions nationally, and on a state by state level (as seen in the New South Wales and Victorian roadmaps out of lockdown) — we've rounded up where you can do just that. For more information about the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, head to the TGA website. To find out where you can get vaccinated, check out the Australian Government Department of Health's Vaccine Clinic Finder website.
Established in 2013 as an online gift store stocked with items for apologising, showing gratitude and getting a little romantic, multi-hyphenate concept store Sorry Thanks I Love You has continued to evolve with the launch of a second Sydney concept store in Paddington. Moving into 25hours Hotel The Olympia — a long-awaited boutique development — this forward-thinking fashion, design and art space feels right at home alongside a similarly eclectic mix of neighbours. Slotting in beside an Australian outpost for London's renowned Palomar restaurant, specialty cafe Jacob The Angel, and a Hollywood-inspired cocktail bar, Sorry Thanks I Love You brings together rare clothing and accessories from around the world. Think high-end names like Comme Des Garçons, Bao Bao Issey Miyake and MM6 Maison Margiela, alongside emerging designers from Paris' Dover St Market incubator. Plus, locals like Loco Love, Momoko Hatano, and Dinosaur Designs round out the collection. Yet this brand-new storefront will feature garments of a different kind, as STILY has recently revealed a debut clothing collection of its own. Designed by Co-Founders Ant White and Caroline Ball, fashion-forward pieces span cut-to-length velveteen jersey t-shirts, diamond quilted denim jackets and water-resistant parkas that wouldn't look out of place in an Oasis photoshoot. Made in Japan and Portugal, each silhouette is the result of months of careful consideration. "It's the beginning of a new chapter for Sorry Thanks I Love You: one fuelled by experience, experimentation and a quiet obsession with doing things properly," says Ant. Similar care has been taken in designing the new store. Led by Paddington local and award-winning architect, Shelley Indyk, the Oxford Street location presents as a calming, light-filled space. For those familiar with STILY, the Yves Klein blue returns, adorning a pressed-tin ceiling, plush velvet curtains and custom detailing throughout, contrasting with stark white walls and garment racks that tread the line between fashion boutique and art gallery. "If Sydney is a city of villages, then Paddington is its capital," says Caroline. "The Olympia is the kind of beautiful electric shock that Oxford Street has been waiting for, and we can't wait to show Sydneysiders what's inside." Sorry Thanks I Love You is now open Monday–Saturday from 10am–6pm and Sunday from 11am–5pm at The Olympia, 1 Oxford Street, Sydney. Head to the website for more information.
Forget the Hilton. These hotels market their unique, and occasionally bizarre, approach to hospitality. For adventurous travellers looking for more than just a memorable trip, these five hotels will guarantee that your accommodations are equally unforgettable. Caves of Civita Where: Sextantio, Italy Opened in 2009, Caves of Civita creates a primitive ambiance with 18 cave-like guest rooms. The walls are rock, linens are hand-sewn, and the furniture is furbished using ancient techniques. You certainly won't find a minibar or widescreen television here. The hotel blends near-seamlessly into the surrounding landscape and has earned a 4-star rating for its romantic hideaway feel. Hotel Alcatraz Where: London, UK The new Hotel Alcatraz opened its doors in London last week, completing the UKTV's marketing stunt to promote JJ Abrams' new television drama series, 'Alcatraz'. The hotel contains four 1.5 by 2.7 metre rooms which have been constructed to accurately represent cells of the infamous San Francisco prison, which closed in 1963. Each room is appropriately utilitarian, containing a mattress, sink, prison-style toilet and two shelves. Intrigued guests must pose for mug-shots upon check-in, and are then issued prison uniforms and metal food trays by the 'prison wardens' -- hotel staff. The new 'inmates' are also subjected to historical prison activities, including exercise sessions and tailoring. Capsule Hotel Where: Amsterdam, The Netherlands The Capsule Hotel in Amsterdam offers 1972 oil rig survival pods as overnight accommodation. It's a tight squeeze into these electric orange life rafts, perhaps not suitable to the claustrophobic traveler - or an arguing couple, for that matter. Sandcastle Hotel Where: Weymouth Beach, Dorset, UK Sculpted from 1000 tonnes of sand, the Sandcastle Hotel blows the sand creations of our childhood out of the water. A stunt to draw Brits back to the country's beaches, the hotel offered guests both a twin and a double sized bed, entirely made of sand - until rain washed the 100 hours of manpower away. Laterooms.com, which commissioned the sculpture, insists that if guests do not mind sandy toes (or sandy everything for that matter), a night spent stargazing in this open-roofed getaway would be perfectly romantic. Das Park Hotel Where: Ottensheim, Austria The charmingly utilitarian rooms at Das Park Hotel are snug inside re-imagined drainpipes. Providing guests will just enough space for a bed and for storage, these rooms are strictly minimalist; the only decor is the painting work of Austrian artist Thomas Latzel Ochoa. The accommodations are available for rental from May through to October under a "pay as you wish" policy; guests are encouraged to leave only as much as they can afford to support Das Park's project.
Maybe you've heard about that fabled burger joint in Penrith (and now Beaumont Hills) named Burger Head. Maybe you've wanted to go but you live in the inner west and rarely leave. Well, here's your chance to get your hands on one of the much-loved burgers, with Newtown brewhouse Young Henrys hosting the burger joint for a one-day pop-up. Sunday, February 3 marks the first time Burger Head's burgers will hit the inner west. For the occasion, the team will be cooking up some crowd favourites alongside a one-off creation, which includes a smashed Angus beef patty, beer tempura onion rings, beer cheese sauce (both making use of Young Henrys' brews, of course), American hi-melt cheese and a smothering of dill and jalapeño mayo. If you've never tried Burger Head's burgers before, we suggest trying The Americana (with a smashed Angus patty, pulled barbecue brisket, grilled onions and mustard mayo) or The Clucker (a fried buttermilk chicken burger seasoned with 16 herbs and spices, pickled onion and mayo).
They're super compact and slimline enough to be stashed into even the most petite of purses, but memobottle's reusable, flat water bottles have achieved some very big things with their latest Kickstarter campaign, achieving full funding in a record-busting nine hours. The Aussie company first launched back in 2014 in an effort to help kick single-use plastic bottles to the curb, with co-founders Jonathan Byrt and Jesse Leeworthy taking to the crowdfunding platform to introduce and fund their two original, easy-to-carry, rectangular designs. Three years on, the pair have now unveiled their long-awaited second range, memobottle H2.0, completely blitzing their Kickstarter campaign in the process. The latest of these minimal designs include The Slim, which holds 450mL, and the extra petite A7, which can carry 180mL while taking up even less bag space than your phone. Admittedly, the bottles don't hold a heap of water, but they will get you through meetings or the journey from home to work. For anyone who's big on accessorising, there's also a range of interchangeable lids in copper and matte black, as well as copper desk stands and fitted leather bottle sleeves crafted by Aussie label Kinnon. The Kickstarter campaign for memobottle H2.0 is live until September 24, with one percent of all pledges donated to water.org. Jump on board to reduce your use of plastic, add to your minimalist aesthetic and help memobottle reach its goal of halving single-use bottle consumption by the year 2020. memobottle H2.0 is now being funded on Kickstarter. You can find more info and back the project here.
Haute couture. Murder. Disco tunes and Studio 54. Throw in one of the biggest names in fashion — and a tale that's filled with both glam and grim strands, too — and that's House of Gucci. Ranking highly among the most anticipated movies set to hit the big screen across the rest of 2021, this Ridley Scott (All the Money in the World)-directed drama steps inside the Gucci family fashion dynasty, charting its successes and shocking moments over the course of three tumultuous decades. If you've read the book The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed, which this new film is based on, then you'll know the details. If you've seen news coverage about or can remember the events that rocked the Italian family back in 1995, you will as well. The focus: Maurizio Gucci, grandson of company founder Guccio Gucci, and the head of the fashion house throughout the 80s and early 90s — until he was assassinated by a hitman in 1995. Adam Driver steps into also Maurizio's unsurprisingly stylish shoes, in what's proving a big year for him in cinemas. He'll also grace the big screen in Scott's next film The Last Duel, which is due to release in October — a month before House of Gucci arrives in November. In the latter flick, he's joined by Lady Gaga in her first big-screen role since A Star Is Born, this time playing Maurizio's wife Patrizia. Obviously, there's quite the tale to tell — and, as the just-dropped first trailer for House of Gucci shows, Scott is going big on striking threads, 70s and 80s tunes and vibes, indulgence and luxury dripping through in every frame, and also an unavoidable air of melodrama. To help, the star-studded cast also includes Jared Leto (The Little Things) sporting plenty of prosthetics and makeup, as well as Al Pacino (The Irishman), Jeremy Irons (Love, Weddings and Other Disasters) and Salma Hayek (The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard). As the trailer reminds us, that's a whole lot of Oscar-winning and Oscar-nominated talent in one flick. Check out the trailer below: House of Gucci will release in Australian cinemas on November 25.
Get ready to boogie: JAM Record Bar is here to shake up Sydney's CBD with a lively space filled with epic tunes. Merivale is behind the venue, with CEO Justin Hemmes and his Bettina driving a passion project that's aptly named after their parents John and Merivale. Residing in George Street digs, this newcomer opens its doors on Friday, April 19 with 15,000 vinyl records and an enticing Japanese snack menu created by Sushi e's Head Chef Michael Fox. Plus, there's cocktails that draw inspiration from Japanese favourites, as well as the classics, curated by Merivale's Creative Cocktail Lead James Irvine. The music-focused outpost's history is rooted in the legacy of its namesake, with the family, including John and Merivale, launching an array of JAM-titled projects from the 50s up until 2003. They ranged from JAM Jeans and its adjacent clothing store through to record label JAM Recordings, which founded national music festival Good Vibrations. While the venue may be small, the hits are anything but. Merivale's Head of Music and Entertainment Nick van Tiel has taken on the task of ensuring that the record bar's vinyl collection — which spins on a custom vintage JBL sound system — is wide-spanning. Thanks to the diverse selection of tunes chosen by the JAM Record Bar team, you'll walk into a different set of songs each time. This intimate spot takes cues from Tokyo's popular listening bars, putting its own spin on the concept. Justin and Bettina both worked with Akin Atelier and Merivale's in-house teams to bring the space to life. JAM Record Bar features pink plywood, cork and 'pink batt' insulation to create a surround-sound experience that emulates sitting inside a speaker box pumping out bangers. As for eats, expect snacks like Japanese-style sandos, spring rolls and grilled skewers starring ingredients like furikake and yuzu tartare. The drinks list highlights the iconic highball and plenty of sake, alongside margaritas and a stiff old fashioned. Find JAM Record Bar at 320 George Street, the Ivy Precinct, Sydney from Friday, April 19 — open 12pm–12am Monday–Saturday and 12pm–10pm Sunday. Images: Mattia Panunzio.
Following eight mighty culinary pop-ups in locations like Newtown, Marrickville and Melbourne, acclaimed hospitality duo BABS has taken over a beloved space on Enmore Road for their first longer-term venue. Led by Head Chef Ellie Hayes O'Brien and Restaurant Manager Bec Shave, BABS has built a cult following over the last 18 months through a series of long lunches and dinners, all celebrating women in the hospo industry. The name BABS is double-pronged — standing for Bad Ass Bitches, and paying homage to the patron saint of said badasses, Barbra Streisand. This is the energy that O'Brien and Shave have brought to their new short-term home on Enmore Road, opening a BABS neighbourhood bar and restaurant for three months in Saga's former digs. The short and sweet stay has brought the usual female-led vision of BABS previous pop-ups to 178 Enmore Road. The layout of Andy Bowdy's popular cafe has been maintained, but the lights are now a little moodier — and the duo have traded Saga's sandwiches and pastries for sardines and pét-nats. The Euro-focused menu features chicken liver gougeres and handmade pasta, plus playful sweets like champagne jelly and sticky flans. [caption id="attachment_916528" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lily Austin[/caption] Drinks-wise, expect two-sip martinis, amaro and negronis, plus a robust wine list with special attention paid to female vino-makers. If you're lucky, you might wander in as a magnum of natty wine has just been cracked. Tying the whole operation together is vintage pink crockery reminiscent of your grandma's house and handprinted linocut menus made by the head of design at BABS, Eva Balog. Both O'Brien and Shave are hospo lifers and Inner West locals, with the pair deciding to channel their love for food, booze and good times into something special following the lockdowns — and after nearly two years of experimentation, they've arrived at BABS' first standalone venue and one that they describe as "a love letter to the Inner West". The limited-time bar and restaurant is open from 5pm Thursday–Saturday and for lunch on Sundays throughout spring. It will be a walk-in-only affair, meaning you'll be able to saunter down to Enmore Road for a glass of wine and a few memorable snacks whenever the inspiration hits. Images: Lily Austin.
In this or any other galaxy, whether here, near or far, far away and a long time ago, Star Wars streaming shows can't all be Andor. In cinemas, the franchise's movies can't all be Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, either. So, in both formats, they aren't always the weightiest and most grounded instalments that the series has ever delivered, all while demonstrating about as much interest in nostalgia as Jar Jar Binks has in not being annoying. The latest TV effort in the George Lucas-started space-opera saga, Ahsoka doesn't want to follow exactly in the last new Star Wars small-screen entry's footsteps, however, even if it's another sidestep tale about battling evil that champions folks who are rarely thrust to the fore. Instead, it has intertwined aims: serving up a female-led chapter and drawing upon the franchise's animated realm. For many, Star Wars is 11 live-action movies, the bulk of which arrived in three trilogies that splashed around Roman numerals aplenty. For those with a Disney+ subscription, the pop-culture universe covers the streaming platform's live-action shows, too, with not just Andor but three seasons of The Mandalorian, 2021–22's The Book of Boba Fett and also 2022's Obi-Wan Kenobi connected to those flicks. Star Wars has always expanded further since its 70s beginnings, though, via TV specials and films, books (Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope's novelisation actually released before the feature) and animation. So, from the latter — and specifically from animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars and the TV series it spawned, plus fellow animated shows Star Wars Rebels and Tales of the Jedi — springs Ahsoka and its eponymous ex-Jedi padawan Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson, Clerks III) from Wednesday, August 23. Ahsoka appeared in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett as well, with the series that the character now anchors also spinning off from the former. The show's inter-franchise Star Wars links are strong, then, but it isn't just for fans who've watched every frame that the saga has ever sent hurtling across screens — thankfully so. Ahsoka creator Dave Filoni has given himself a tricky task, diving deeper beyond the obvious Star Wars fodder while still engaging more-casual franchise viewers. Nods and references abound for diehards, and to key figures and beloved creatures alike, yet so does a supremely well-cast spin on the space opera's well-loved formula. As Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill, The Sandman) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness in the original 1977–83 big-screen trilogy), Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen, Obi-Wan) and Kenobi (Raymond & Ray's Ewan McGregor since the 1999–2005 prequel trilogy), the latter and Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson, Marlowe), and Rey (Daisy Ridley, Chaos Walking) and Leia Organa Solo (Carrie Fisher, Catastrophe) have all demonstrated — such pairings go on — Lucas and his successors in steering all things Star Wars love a master-and-apprentice story. Ahsoka provides two tied to the force, with its namesake once a pupil to Anakin before he went to the dark side, and also a mentor to her own student in rebellious, flame-haired Mandalorian Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Guns Akimbo). Thanks to the man who became Darth Vader, Ahsoka is wary about the Jedi order and unsurprisingly cautious in general. Via her prior time with Sabine, she knows the difficulties of being a guide to a headstrong protégée. While the show gives its central figure nefarious foes to battle, it also has her grappling with her past traumas, mistakes and regrets. She's guarded there, too; when rebel crew member and now-New Republic general Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)) suggests that the way forward might involve enlisting Sabine's help, Ahsoka is reluctant. But only the youngest of the main trio can unlock a pivotal orb that holds a map that could lead to exiled Imperial officer Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen, The Kingdom) and Ahsoka's fellow one-time padawan Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi, The Inspection). With just the 2015–19 sequel trilogy and animated series Star Wars Resistance set after it, Ahsoka's plot hones in on fending off the fallen Empire's attempts to rebuild and strike back again. Hoping otherwise: Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto, The Last Tour), who starts the program imprisoned but is swiftly freed thanks to former Jedi-turned mercenary Baylan Skoll (the late Ray Stevenson, RRR) and his own his trainee Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno, The Reunion). Bringing back Thrawn from banishment is their next step, putting them on a collision course with Ahsoka, Hera and Sabine — amid early Indiana Jones-style treasure hunting, vivid lightsaber duels, reminders of how insidiously that greed can lure people in, a stunning hoverbike race, a loth-cat's cuteness, a tad too much exposition and droid Huyang (Good Omens' David Tenant, lending his voice again as he did in The Clone Wars) hanging around, all in the first two episodes. If the storyline sounds all Star Wars 101, that's because it is, yet a change of perspective and a stacked cast ensure that Ahsoka never feels like it's lazily sticking to a template. Filoni, who also worked on both the film and TV versions of The Clone Wars, as well as Rebels, Resistance, The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Tales of the Jedi and more, clearly knows the drill — and how to make this take on it stand out. It isn't just that this is the first series focused on a woman connected to the Jedi, and one of the few within its ranks. Ahsoka cares about the way that conflict has scarred and wearied its hero and her colleagues, and shaped them and stretched their bonds in the process. It could easily be called Ahsoka, Hera and Sabine, which would suit three of its core performances. Still, beneath the character's head tails, Dawson turns in a portrayal to build a show around — serene, wry, fierce, thoughtful, purposeful, formidable, haunted and determined — which Ahsoka wisely does. Perhaps a Sabine offshoot will join the Star Wars fold in the future, with Bordizzo that magnetic in her stubborn, impulsive and daring role. In one of his final performances given his passing in May, the reliably commanding Stevenson is similarly arresting — and Sakhno, too, even if largely through her presence, a killer glare, and pitch-perfect costuming and lighting that helps her instantly look the entrancing part. Ahsoka gets that last aspect right throughout and across the board, taking as many visual cues from Star Wars' animated forays as its live-action jaunts, yet always sporting its own glow. This isn't Andor, but after those franchise-best heights it's still a series that intrigues, engages and often soars. Check out the trailer for Ahsoka below: Ahsoka streams via Disney+ from Wednesday, August 23. Images: ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd & TM. All Rights Reserved.
Summer is a mere few weeks away and there's no better seasonal combo than a weekend barbecue and icy cold craft beer. We’re on mission to inspire and enhance your barbecue experience this silly season by bringing to you recipes that go beyond the simple sausage sizzle. We've searched Sydney's most talked-about restaurants from the buzzing inner west to the slick CBD, the stylish eastern suburbs and all the way to the chilled-out northern beaches for recipes that will earn you a pat on the back and cheers from your soon-to-be-impressed guests. Ten top-notch chefs from across town with a talent for wielding a set of barbecue tongs have matched one of their favourite grill-friendly recipes with a brew from James Squire's solid craft beer range. Crisp pilsners with zesty Hartsyard octopus for the sun lovers. Strong Porters to wash down Neil Perry ribeyes. Golden ales with Pinbone's barbecued duck hearts for the adventurous. Thank us later; your summer barbecues will be talked about for many moons. BARBECUED DUCK HEARTS WITH CUMQUAT AND MUSTARD — PINBONE INGREDIENTS: Duck hearts Handful of cumquats (or oranges and mandarin) Creme fraiche Hot English mustard Bitter leaves METHOD: Brine duck hearts in a 5 percent salt/water solution for 30 minutes. Remove and dry with paper towel. Grill on the barbecue for 2 minutes on each side and rest. Cut cumquats in half and grill on barbecue until nicely charred (orange and mandarin also work nicely if you can’t find cumquats). Mix equal parts creme fraiche and hot English mustard together and lay the mustard base on one half of the plate. To serve: Season generously and garnish with bitter leaves. Pair with James Squire Stow Away IPA. BBQ FREMANTLE OCTOPUS — GREGORY LLEWELLYN FROM HARTSYARD Serves 4 INGREDIENTS: 1kg Fremantle Octopus separate into individual tentacles only 4L Water 300g salt 100g paprika smoked peel of one lemon 4 cloves of crushed garlic tbsp peppercorn tbsp fennel seed tbsp coriander seed METHOD: Heat half the water with the salt until dissolved. When dissolved pour warm solution into remaining cold water. Toast all spices (minus the paprika) together over a medium/high heat until fragrant. Add to liquid mixture. Add garlic, paprika and lemon peel. When mixture is cool add octopus tentacles and brine for 12 hours. Remove from brine, rinse and dry. Place into a heavy bottomed saucepot and cover with extra virgin olive oil. Cook on stove top at about 75-80°C ensuring the oil does not boil for 2-2.5 hours. Remove the octopus from pot. It should be fork tender with a tiny bit of chew. Refrigerate until cold (this should probably be done the day before). Prepare BBQ to about 200°C. BBQ octopus until suction pads are crispy and the tentacles are evenly cooked but not black. When cooked toss into a bowl with the following dressing: DRESSING: 100ml olive oil 2 tbsp sliced garlic 1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves picked 1 tbsp fresh parsley leaves picked 1 tsp crushed red chilli flakes Cook olive oil and garlic until slightly brown. Add the rest of the ingredients until crispy. Remove from heat. Let cool. Season with the juice of two lemons. Pair with James Squire Four 'Wives' Pilsener. STICKY LAMB RIBS WITH POMEGRANATE AND SOY GLAZE — DANIEL SAN INGREDIENTS: 30gm peeled eschallots 0.1gm pomegranate 60gm cos lettuce 5gm flat leaf parsley 5gm mint 2gm extra virgin olive oil 300gm Junee lamb American ribs GLAZE: 50gm peeled garlic 4gm lemons 80gm frozen wasabi tube 150gm castor sugar 15gm sea salt flakes 60gm sesame oil 400gm pomegranate molasses BRAISING STOCK: 2L water 10ml Kikkoman soy 10ml mirin 10ml sake 5gm radish daikon 20gm young ginger METHOD: Place ribs in braising stock and place in oven on 160°C for two hours. Take ribs out and leave to cool in the stock for one hour. Cook ribs on the bbq and glaze with the above. Serve on cos lettuce with pomegranate drizzled on top. Pair with James Squire's The Constable Copper Ale. SMOKED BARBECUE WINGS w/ BULLEIT BOURBON BARBECUE SAUCE — HENRIETTA SUPPER CLUB INGREDIENTS: 2.5L pork (or beef stock in a pinch) stock FOR BARBECUE SAUCE: 250ml Bulleit bourbon 2 cinnamon sticks 3 star anise 2 cloves 1 lime (juice and zest) 2 lemon (juice and zest) 100ml good sherry vinegar 1 x can of coca cola 1 x can ginger ale 25g whole black pepper corn 100ml real Canadian maple syrup 500ml of store bought barbecue sauce METHOD: Place in a large pot on a medium heat-high heat. Reduce until sticky. pass through a chinois or large sieve. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate once cooled. To prepare the wings, poach desired quality of wings in a good-quality wings chicken stock for 25min. Coat with a seasoned flour (we use 'Cajun flour' — corn flour, plain flour, Cajun spices and seasoning). Deep fry for five minutes on 180 degrees or brown on the barbecue hot plate in good quality cooking oil. Place cooked wings in a steel bowl and coat generously with the barbecue sauce. Garnish with chives and serve with chipotle mayo (real mayonnaise with a slug of chipotle hot sauce like El Yucateco or Tabasco). Pair with James Squire Nine Tales Amber Ale. SMOKED PORK RIBS — PATRICK FRIESEN AND CHRISTOPHER HOGARTH FROM PAPI CHULO INGREDIENTS: 4 USA-style cut pork ribs BBQ rub BBQ sauce Apple wood and oak chips METHOD: Try to find pork ribs with the most amount of meat you can. Clean the silver skin off the back of the ribs using a fork to pry it off and a tea towel to hold onto the silver skin when you pull it off. Season both sides lightly with BBQ rub and smoke straight away. Smoke at 120°C over oak and applewood for one hour. Wrap in foil and smoke at 120 degrees for another hour and a half. Brush with BBQ sauce and enjoy. BBQ SAUCE: 50gm Heinz ketchup 16gm Frank's RedHot sauce 20gm Yamasa soy 10gm water 30gm brown sugar 6gm black pepper 3gm smoked paprika 3gm sweet paprika 2.5gm onion powder 2.5gm garlic powder 5gm Korean chilli powder Mix all ingredients in a bowl and let sit for an hour. BBQ RUB: 100gm salt 20gm cracked black pepper 4gm onion powder 2gm garlic powder 20gm paprika 5gm smoked paprika 5gm cayenne Mix in a bowl right before you want to use. Pair with James Squire Sundown Australian Lager. RIB EYE ON THE BONE — NEIL PERRY FROM THE BURGER PROJECT INGREDIENTS: 4 x 360g rib eye on the bone Sea salt Extra virgin olive oil for grilling 4 lemon wedges METHOD: Heat the barbecue or grill — whether using wood, charcoal or gas — until extremely hot. Salt and oil each side of the steaks and allow to come to room temperature. Place steaks on the grill, cook for approximately five minutes, rotate the steak 90 degrees to get the cross pattern on the meat halfway through the cooking. Turn the steak over and cook for another four minutes. Allow the meat to rest for a few minutes off the grill. Place on a cutting board and slice each of the steaks into five or six slices, form the meat back to its original shape and serve on a plate with a sprinkle of salt, drizzle of olive oil and a wedge of lemon. Pair with James Squire Jack of Spades Porter. LAMB BURGER WITH PICKLED EGGPLANT, WATERCRESS AND HARISSA — MICHAEL RANTISSI FROM KEPOS STREET KITCHEN Serves 4 INGREDIENTS: 750gm good-quality coarse lamb mince 2 teaspoons coriander seeds, toasted and crushed 1 bunch coriander, leaves picked and finely chopped 3 - 4 tbsp olive oil 4 tbsp harissa 1 tsp chilli flakes Salt and pepper to season 4 brioche burger buns, toasted ½ cup makdous (pickled eggplant stuffed with walnuts available from Middle Eastern grocers) 1 bunch watercress Harissa aioli METHOD: Combine the lamb mince, coriander seeds, fresh coriander, olive oil, harissa and chilli in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and mix to combine. Once combined, divide the mixture into four and then gently shape the burger patties with your hand. Don't overwork the patties too much as it makes them tough. These burgers can be cooked in a frypan on the stove top or the grill on your barbeque. Cook to your taste, two to three minutes per side for medium rare or longer for your requirement. To assemble toast the brioche burger buns (inside of bun only). Take the base of the burger bun and add a dollop of the harissa aioli, a spoonful of the pickled eggplant with walnuts, watercress, then the patty, add another handful of watercress and another dollop of aioli and then top with the bun. Pair with James Squire One Fifty Lashes Pale Ale. BARBECUE CHICKEN WINGS — CHUR BURGER INGREDIENTS: 1kg mid cut chicken wings BARBECUE SAUCE: 1 onion, finely chopped 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped 100ml olive oil 150g brown sugar 150ml Worcestershire sauce 500g ketchup Juice of 2 lemons 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme Place chicken wings in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring water to the boil, stir chicken wings gently and then turn heat off. Let wings sit in water for 12 minutes and then pour wings into a colander. Place on trays in a single layer and refrigerate overnight to dry out. Sweat off onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft but with no colour (about 2-3 minutes). Add everything else, bring to a simmer and cook out for about 10 minutes. Cool down and store in refrigerator. Toss in the barbecue sauce mix and then place on hot grill until smokey and charred. Remove from grill and place into a clean bowl and toss with some further barbecue sauce and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Serve. CHIPOTLE MAYO: 1L plain mayonnaise 150ml Melbourne Hot Sauce Chipotle & Cayenne 10g rosemary, chopped 10g fresh oregano, chopped 10g parsley, chopped Mix all together. Pair with James Squire Hop Thief American Pale Ale.
Endings have always been a part of Succession. Since it premiered in 2018, the bulk of the HBO drama's feuding figures have been waiting for a big farewell. The reason is right there in the title, because for any of the Roy clan's adult children to scale the family company's greatest heights and remain there — be it initial heir apparent Kendall (Jeremy Strong, Armageddon Time), his inappropriate photo-sending brother Roman (Kieran Culkin, No Sudden Move), their political-fixer sister Siobhan (Sarah Snook, Pieces of a Woman), or eldest sibling and now-presidential candidate Connor (Alan Ruck, The Dropout) — their father Logan's (Brian Cox, Remember Me) tenure must wrap up. He's stubborn, though. He's proud, too, of what he's achieved and the power it's brought. Whenever Logan has seemed nearly ready to leave the business behind, he's held on. And if he's challenged or threatened, as three seasons of the Emmy-winning series have done again and again, he shows no signs of ever letting go. Succession has always been waiting for Logan's last stint at global media outfit Waystar RoyCo, but it's never been about finales quite the way it is in its fourth season, which starts streaming from Monday, March 27 Down Under (including via Foxtel, Binge and Foxtel On Demand in Australia, and on Neon in New Zealand). This time, there's a ticking clock not just for the show's characters, but for the stellar series itself. In late February, in an interview with The New Yorker a month out from season four's premiere, Succession's creator and showrunner Jesse Armstrong advised that this is its last go-around. Nothing can last forever, not even widely acclaimed hit shows that are a rarity in today's TV climate: genuine appointment-viewing. So, this one is going out at the height of its greatness — yes, its final batch of episodes begins out that strongly — which is how Logan should've always wanted to as well. That Succession won't be tearing into its ultra-rich squabblers again after these ten episodes casts a shadow over the new season, unsurprisingly. That said, given that it commences with the Roys as fractured as ever in the aftermath of 2021's season three — with Kendall, Roma and Shiv all estranged from and actively working against their dad, who has badged them "rats" with his usual venom — there's a higher sense of tension, greater stakes and a firmer feeling of finality anyway. This bickering brood has split, backstabbed, betrayed, undermined and reunited many times before. They've overcome health scares, accidental killings, high-strung weddings, legal troubles, hostile attempted takeovers, dark scandals, political scrutiny and more. Armstrong and his writing team could've kept the cycle going, but there's an unshakeable sense of hurt to this round of tussles that feels like the last the Roys can endure. In season three, Waystar went from trying to buy streaming service GoJo to entertaining a buyout from it — and from its tech visionary Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård, The Northman) — instead. And, as Kendall, Roman and Shiv kept trying to lock in their futures, Logan found a way to cut them out that couldn't have cut deeper. Accordingly, when season four kicks off with Logan's birthday just as season one did, a party that he's characteristically miserable at, only Connor shows up among his kids. The other three are busy trying to secure financing for The Hundred, the new media venture they're pitching as "Substack meets Masterclass meets The Economist meets The New Yorker". What they really want to do, of course, is stick it to their old man above all else. Money, which the Roys have much more of than most, aren't afraid to splash about and are always chasing, sure can't buy a reprieve from good old-fashioned pettiness. That's always been a glaring truth at the heart of the series, just like its fantasy equivalent Game of Thrones, because boasting immense control and hefty fortunes can't make anyone a decent person. No one watches this takedown of unfettered power, wealth and entitlement for hugs and smiles, but for Shakespearean dramedy and tragedy that rips brutally and ravenously into the one-percent. However it concludes and whoever thinks they've won — make no mistake, Succession is always a battle — no one is likely to be living happily ever after, or even managing to be content enough with where things wind up. Still, Roman will probably be smirking, Shiv shooting a steely glare and Kendall wearing the intense gaze that never wholly masks his inner sadness. They all sport exactly those expressions to begin season four, all while building their plans to simultaneously cement their next step and topple Logan. As sycophantic grins beam noxiously around his birthday, he's as caustic as ever even in just his eyes — more so with Shiv's husband Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen, Operation Mincemeat) playing middleman in a crucial deal, and when cousin Greg's (Nicholas Braun, Zola) love life taints the festivities. Yes, the more that things change in Succession, the more that they stay the same, including with general counsel Gerri (J Smith-Cameron, Fleishman Is in Trouble), CFO Karl (David Rasche, Swallow) and vice-chair Frank (Peter Friedman, She Said) hovering around while looking like they'd rather be anywhere else. Family malaise is a dime a dozen on TV, and workplace struggles as well. Succession is so sharp and scathing — so devastatingly well-cast and delicious with its incisive insults, too — that it's in a stratosphere of its own. With this compelling ensemble and the cracking dialogue they're gifted, the show's directors could just point cameras at the former in glass-walled rooms as they spout the latter and the series would gleam from every angle. That isn't how the handsomely staged and executed effort fills its episodes, but both its actors and writers remain at the top of their games. Indeed, watching Succession in such savage vintage form in everything from Strong's concentration to Culkin's way with witty slights, plus Braun's cluelessness and episode-one helmer Mark Mylod's (The Menu) tonal mastery, viewers will never want it to end. There'll be much to miss when the show severs its final ties at the end of May, glorious episode titles included (the fourth season's opener is aptly called 'The Munsters'). It's going out how it's always gone on, though — without losing its bite, or its taste for blisteringly dark, pointed and funny family-feud chaos. Logan is pondering farewells again, too. Succession hasn't lost its ability to astonish, and its fearsome white-haired patriarch waxing lyrical about whether death is just an abyss over a diner dinner with his chief security guard is one such delight. There'll certainly be a chasm left in the show's wake but, like its most formidable figure won't stop doing, audiences will just have to make the most of it while it's here. Check out the full trailer for Succession season four below: Succession season four starts streaming from Monday, March 27 Down Under, including via Foxtel, Binge and Foxtel On Demand in Australia and Neon in New Zealand. Check out our review of season three. Images: Claudette Barius, Macall B Polay / HBO.
As the country that gave the world Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie, to name just a few world-famous Aussie actresses owning the silver screen in recent years, Australia is no stranger to celebrating formidable women in cinema. It tracks, then, that the country's national centre devoted to moving pictures — aka the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne — has curated a world-premiere exhibition dedicated to femininity across film history. Girls to the front at this six-month-long showcase, with Goddess declaring its affection for ladies of the screen right there in its name. Displaying from Wednesday, April 5–Sunday, October 1, it's both a massive and a landmark exhibition. More than 150 original objects, artworks, props and sketches will grace the Federation Square venue's walls and halls, all championing oh-so-many talented women and their impact upon cinema. [caption id="attachment_882188" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Britt Romstad, 2022, photo by Phoebe Powell. Costume: Kitty (Elaine Crombie) costume, Kiki and Kitty, Australia, 2017, designed by Amelia Gebler, courtesy of Jetty Distribution Pty Limited. Backdrop: Marilyn Monroe on the set of Some Like It Hot, photo by Don Ornitz, © Globe Photos / ZUMAPRESS.com. Image courtesy of ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy Stock Photo.[/caption] That lineup includes costumes that've never been displayed before, various cinematic treasures, large-scale projections and other interactive experiences. While exploring the female footprint upon film is an immensely worthy subject, Goddess will also chart how representations of femininity have changed over the years — not just in different eras, but in different places, too — and inspire a rethink of plenty of cinema's memorable female characters. Silent-era sirens, classic Hollywood heroines, unforgettable femme fatales and villains, Bollywood stars, women in China and Japan's cinematic histories: they're all being given the spotlight. Goddess will also dive into provocative on-screen moments from Hollywood's silent days through to today that've not only left an imprint, but also played a part in defining (and altering) what's considered the feminine ideal. Expect an interrogation of how women on-screen have helped to redefine fashion expectations, sparked a boundary-breaking genre and spearheaded the #MeToo movement — and to spend time thinking about how screen culture has shaped societal views of gender. [caption id="attachment_882194" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Blonde Venus, 1932, Marlene Dietrich. Image courtesy of PARAMOUNT PICTURES / Ronald Grant Archive / Alamy Stock Photo.[/caption] ACMI hasn't revealed the full slate of women highlighted, or films, or items that'll be on display, but the details revealed so far are impressive. Think: Marlene Dietrich in 1930's Morocco, Pam Grier's spectacular Blaxploitation career, Tilda Swinton in 1992's Orlando and the aforementioned Robbie via 2020's Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). Plus, Mae West's sky-high heels from 1934's Belle of the Nineties, costumes worn by Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon in 1991's Thelma & Louise (1991) and Michelle Yeoh's fight-ready silks from 2000's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon will also feature. The list goes on, clearly, spanning Anna May Wong, Marilyn Monroe, Laverne Cox and Zendaya as well. And, expect everything from Glenn Close's Cruella de Vil in 102 Dalmatians to the Carey Mulligan-starring Promising Young Woman to get time to shine. [caption id="attachment_882191" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, 2000, Yu Xiulian costume.[/caption] "The women of Goddess are bold, rebellious and defiant. Their power is expressed in numerous ways — in what they wear, how they move and the stories they tell," said ACMI Director of Experience and Engagement Dr Britt Romstad, announcing the exhibition. "ACMI's exhibition honours their influence and daring, and explores how they have transformed the face and expectations of on-screen femininity for audiences, time and time again," Romstad continued. [caption id="attachment_882195" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Thelma and Louise, 1991, L-R Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, © MGM. Image courtesy of Moviestore Collection Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo.[/caption] Goddess will pair its wide-ranging display with soundscapes by Melbourne-based composer Chiara Kickdrum, and also feature a sprawling events program complete with late-night parties, performances and talks — and film screenings, of course. The full program, including guests, will be announced in February 2023, which is when tickets go on sale. Unsurprisingly, the exhibition is ACMI's big midyear blockbuster — and its 2023 contribution to the Victorian Government's Melbourne Winter Masterpieces series, as Light: Works from Tate's Collection was in 2022. After showing in Melbourne for its premiere season, Goddess will then tour internationally, taking ACMI's celebration of women on-screen to the world. [caption id="attachment_882197" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Limehouse Blues (AKA. East End Chant), 1934, L-R Anna May Wong, George Raft. Image courtesy of Everett Collection Inc / Alamy Stock Photo.[/caption] Goddess will display at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Federation Square, Melbourne, from Wednesday, April 5–Sunday, October 1, 2023. For more information, and to join the ticket waitlist, head to the ACMI website. Top image: Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn, 2020, Margot Robbie, © Warner Bros. Image courtesy of LANDMARK MEDIA / Alamy Stock Photo.
It's been a few years now since Westfield Miranda unveiled its renovations, including its brand new food court and fresh food precinct. And one of the best additions to the area was The Grocery Store, a grocer overflowing with fresh produce and quality goods. The store is run by veteran grocer Charlie Evripidou and his two sons At the entrance of the store is a cafe that serves coffee, freshly squeezed juice, fruit salads, yoghurts and cakes, if you're looking for a place to refuel during a shopping marathon. Venture into the spacious store and you'll find more fresh fruit and veg, plus a deli and shelves packed with pasta, sauces, canned goods, nuts and more. And the refrigerated section features ready meals, Fresh Fodder dips, kombucha and yoghurt. The store offers delivery across the Sutherland Shire and St George areas (free for orders over $50) via its website, with same-day delivery available in some cases, too. Images: Leigh Griffiths
Pakistani activist and history's youngest Nobel Prize laureate, Malala Yousafzai is heading Down Under, for two exclusive talks in Sydney and Melbourne this December. She'll appear as part of The Growth Faculty's thought-provoking Women World Changers speaker series — the same event that brought Hillary Clinton to Australia and New Zealand in May this year. Yousafzai was just 11 when she first launched her campaign to promote education for girls, penning a blog from her home city in Pakistan's Swat Valley. At 15, she survived an attack by the Taliban, and in 2014, went on to become the youngest person ever awarded the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize. Her remarkable story continues, as she sticks with the fight for education rights for every girl in the world. The activist co-founded the Malala Fund and currently studies at the University of Oxford. Now, for the first time, the inspirational 21-year-old will share her experiences with Australian audiences, speaking at Sydney's International Convention Centre on Monday, December 10, and at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre the following night. Catch An Evening with Malala Yousafzai at the International Convention Centre, Sydney, on Monday, December 10, and at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Melbourne, on Tuesday, December 11. Tickets are $99, available via The Growth Faculty's website.
In one of the standout movies of 2014 — in 2015 Down Under, based on when it hit cinemas locally beyond film festivals — an escapable supernatural force just kept coming. Once it had you in its sights, this presence wasn't just creepy and unsettling; it was single-minded and unrelenting. The flick: It Follows. The ominous evil: the eponymous 'it', which latched onto the sexually active, passing from person to person when they slipped between the sheets. A decade later, it's about to have company in sequel They Follow. US distributor and studio Neon has announced that It Follows is scoring a follow-up, and that two key figures are returning as well: filmmaker David Robert Mitchell and star Maika Monroe. As The Hollywood Reporter and Variety report, the pair are reteaming for a second stint of sex bringing about death thanks to one helluva cursed chain of events. View this post on Instagram A post shared by NEON (@neonrated) In the first movie, The Guest and The Bling Ring's Monroe played 19-year-old Jay Height, who got intimate with her boyfriend, found herself saddled with more than morning-after regret, then enlisted her sister, friends and neighbours to try to fight back. While Monroe will reprise her role, nothing has been revealed regarding They Follow's storyline, or anything else but Mitchell's involvement, apart from the tagline: "it's everywhere". Exactly when you'll be watching They Follow hasn't been announced, either, other than that it's coming soon. Fingers crossed that Disasterpiece (Bodies Bodies Bodies, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On) will be back on score duties, after doing such a fantastic job on the first film. After It Follows, which debuted at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, Monroe's career has taken her to The 5th Wave, Independence Day: Resurgence, Greta and Honey Boy — and the episodic The Stranger as well. Writer/director Mitchell made his second movie with It Follows, with 2010's The Myth of the American Sleepover already on his resume first, then helmed 2018's also-excellent Under the Silver Lake. There's no trailer yet for They Follow, obviously, but you can check out the trailer for It Follows below: They Follow doesn't yet have a release date, but we'll update you when it does. Via The Hollywood Reporter / Variety.
Launched in Melbourne in 2016, and running annually since, the Feminist Writers Festival is finally heading to Sydney for the first time on November 1–3. The impressive three-day program will take over UTS's Dr. Chau Chak Wing Building and features 12 sessions with over 40 of Australia's leading feminist thinkers and writers. In an effort to promote and support female-identifying writers within Australia, the festival will see speakers come together in panel discussions and workshops focusing on activism, fiction and the intersectional lives of women. Session topics include 'finding and sustaining a feminist voice', 'writing and speaking indigenous lives', 'domestic violence and the law' and 'words for the feminist activist'. Big names include legal writer Larissa Behrendt, commentator Anita Heiss, independent editor Zoya Patel (founder of Feminartsy), Fairfax columnist Jenna Price, renowned novelist Rebecca Shaw, essayist Alison Whittaker and poet Fiona Wright.
2019 is shaping up to be a mighty big year for Elton John. Biopic Rocketman launches into cinemas in May, starring Kingsman's Taron Egerton as the singer and covering his wild 70s antics. The live-action version of The Lion King hits screens come July, featuring the musician's iconic tunes from the original, as well as new songs. And to cap it all off, the star himself is headed our way for a huge farewell tour. Bringing his 300-stop Farewell Yellow Brick Road shows to Australia and New Zealand between November 2019 and February 2020, John will be doing over 40 concerts across more than two months — including gigs in capital cities, a number of regional dates, and shows at A Day on the Green. Two December shows at Sydney's ICC have completely sold out. However, there are a limited number of $149 tickets available for his additional shows at Qudos Bank Arena on January 7, 9 and 14. He kicked off the extensive tour last September, embarking on a three-year global goodbye trip. When it comes to an end, he'll retire from touring after five decades on the road. If that all sounds rather massive, that's John's career in a nutshell. He's played more than 4000 shows across his career, has sold more than 300 million records worldwide and holds the record for the biggest-selling single of all time thanks to the 1997 version of 'Candle in the Wind'. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtVBCG6ThDk Fans can expect to feel the love through all of his hits, including 'Rocket Man', 'Tiny Dancer' 'Bennie and the Jets', 'Crocodile Rock', 'I'm Still Standing' and 'Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting' — especially the latter, you'd expect, on his six Saturday shows. The concerts will also feature never-before-seen images and videos show from John's 50-year career, which'll be displayed throughout the show, as well as a new tour wardrobe designed by Gucci. Image: Ben Gibson.
This resort is so remote that it is only accessible by four-wheel-drive, speedboat, or a paraglider (although we have no idea where your luggage will fit on the glider). You'll feel totally isolated from the rest of the world — in a good way — when staying in the northern-most region of Oman. The resort is located within the Musandam Peninsula which is so damn beautiful. You've got clear blue waters which are perfect for snorkelling, as well as rocky cliffs and open plains that can be explored by foot, mountain bike or four-wheel drive. You come here to bask in the unique natural landscape. Constructed to resemble a traditional Omani village, these stone-walled villas and suites are the pinnacle of luxury, even if they look rustic from the outside. Staying here might take up a large chunk of your accommodation budget but it will be an unforgettable experience worth the splurge. This starts with the villas themselves. Each has its own private plunge pool, a large terrace with a dining area, a sand 'garden' and a butler who will help you experience all that this magical stay has to offer. Seriously, when staying here, you'll feel like you're in a dream — it's that unique and beautiful. Six Senses Zighy Bay has stacks of options when it comes to dining. Have dinner at the hilltop restaurant overlooking the entire bay which serves local and international cuisine, or experience some authentic Bedouin dining right on the beach. They also have tapas at an al fresco bar and can even send a private chef to your villa. The luxurious digs might be remote but there's still a diverse range of activities available for guests. For one, there is an award-winning spa facility which includes two Arabic-style hammams. Its best known for its locally-inspired treatments that use indigenous ingredients to both pamper and soothe. But you're not just here to sit by a pool and spa (although you certainly can if your heart so desires). Adventure activities abound at Six Senses Zighy Bay. Explore the craggy coastline's clear deep waters on a traditional dhow cruise or a scuba-diving expedition, go waterskiing in adjacent bays, canoe around the bay at your pace, paraglide from the cliffs, join a mountain-biking trek in the Hajar Mountains or hike up some of the goat paths. You can even go a little further out on one of their Dubai day trips and 4x4 excursions to the ancient village and plateau of Sabatyn. Whether you're doing serious unwinding or This has got to be one of the very best resorts in the world. Now you can book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips, and discover inspiring deals on flights, stays and experiences.
Take a deep dive into the wondrous cinematic worlds of Wes Anderson — symmetry, quirkiness, pastel cinematography and all. From January 6–27, Golden Age Cinema is dedicating every Wednesday night to the acclaimed director's work. The series is called Wes Days, because of course it is. Film buffs can enjoy a weekly serve of Anderson's distinctive visual stylings, compelling soundtracks and all-star casts, with the Surry Hills venue playing a different flick or two each week. First up, catch the family dramas of The Royal Tenenbaums on the season's opening day, before opting for a Moonrise Kingdom and Rushmore double, the top-notch pairing of Fantastic Mr Fox and The Grand Budapest Hotel, and a showing of Isle of Dogs. Fancy seeing The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou? That's also screening, but as part of another of the cinema's seasons — so you'll need to head along on Saturday, January 9. As for The Darjeeling Limited, it's planned to hit the venue sometime in February. Fingers crossed that 2021 is the year we all finally get to see Anderson's latest, the pandemic-delayed The French Dispatch, too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rs7mIoG8ffI
"A pink, glittery, existential dance party in their heart." That's what Greta Gerwig hopes that audiences will find when her third film as a solo director splashes its rosy — and rose-hued — frames across the silver screen. The movie in question is Barbie, marking Mattel's six-decade-old doll's live-action debut. And, no matter how you feel about the toy itself, the feature boasts no shortage of reasons to get excited: the Lady Bird and Little Women filmmaker guiding the show; the fact that Gerwig co-wrote the film with her Frances Ha, Mistress America and White Noise helmer Noah Baumbach; Margot Robbie not only starring but producing and originating the project; a killer cast, including Ryan Gosling as Ken; and the self-aware sense of humour that's bounced through not one, not two, but three trailers before the picture hits cinemas Down Under on July 20. Gerwig and Robbie know that Barbie is a product with history. First reaching stores in 1959, as one of the first-ever dolls that weren't of babies, the plaything has sparked more reactions than the toy itself sports outfits — and this figurine in all of its many guises has never been short on wardrobe options. As a flick, Barbie aims to unpack those swirling responses and, yes, play with them. The feature's marketing tagline might be adamant that "if you love Barbie, this movie is for you" and also "if you hate Barbie, this movie is for you", but Robbie adds to it. "It's also a film for people who feel indifferent about Barbie. But when I pitched that to marketing, it didn't really roll off the tongue in the same way." The Australian Babylon, Amsterdam and The Suicide Squad actor shared her thoughts in Sydney, as did her Maggie's Plan, Jackie and 20th Century Women star-turned-filmmaker helmer Gerwig. In the leadup to the picture's release, Barbie is going global, with a trip Down Under one stop on the feature's promotional tour. Also visiting: Issa Rae and America Ferrera, with the Insecure and Superstore talents popping up on-screen alongside Robbie. Rae plays President Barbie, while Ferrera is Gloria, one of the film's few non-doll characters. Weeks out from Barbie hitting cinemas, the Gerwig-directed, Robbie-led, Rae- and Ferrera-costarring movie has already achieved a feat that would likely seem unthinkable if any other talents were involved: this is one of 2023's most-anticipated cinema releases. Actually, Barbie scored that status months out — years even, after the Gerwig-and-Robbie pairing was locked in back in 2021. Audiences are eager, but the folks that've been given the chance to bring this Barbie flick to them couldn't be more thrilled, too. Talking about the film at a beachside Bondi event at Icebergs, where the venue's famous pool even scored a temporary Barbie-themed makeover, the team's enthusiasm is palpable. "It's a movie that I think can really cut across generations and gender," notes Gerwig, who advises that the feature has been made for everyone aged eight to 108. Also covered at Gerwig, Robbie, Rae and Ferrera's Australian press conference: making a "wild, bananas Barbie movie", the huge opportunity to play with something so globally recognised, expanding the character, challenging stereotypes, following Wonder Woman's lead and breaking all of the Barbie rules. ON HOW IT FEELS NOW THAT BARBIE WILL SOON BE IN CINEMAS Greta: "At this very moment, just being in this setting and being with all of you — and the beach, and we're in Australia, and all these talented people — I really am feeling like what a spectacular life this is. It's overwhelming and amazing, and I just feel very grateful that Margot came to me almost four years ago and said 'do you want to you write a Barbie thing?'. And I'm grateful that in my postpartum haze four years ago, I said yes. It's just been such an extraordinary confluence of so many people coming together who are just outrageous and smart and talented — and that we got to make this wild, bananas Barbie movie is just an extraordinary blessing." ON WANTING TO MAKE A BARBIE MOVIE IN THE FIRST PLACE Margot: "I was aware that the Barbie IP was floating around, had gone up and running, and hadn't come to full fruition. So we've been keeping tabs on the property, and when there seemed like there was an opening, we jumped at the opportunity. We sat down with the Mattel CEO, Ynon [Kreiz], and that was five years ago, and pitched what we as our production company would want to do with a Barbie movie. And I knew even at that time that I would want to do it with someone like Greta Gerwig. She was the dream writer/director for it. I didn't know if she was going to say yes to it, but there are very few people in my mind that I want to make a Barbie movie with, Greta being the top of the list — and thank goodness she said yes. But the reason we went after the property is because it seemed like a very big and exciting and scary opportunity. It's globally recognised — the word itself is globally recognised. And not only that, people have very strong feelings about Barbie in a lot of cases. So it felt like a really exciting place to start a film, and start with the audience, where they already feel a certain way — perhaps that, at the very least, they have associated childhood memories with it. And it seemed like we could do something special with it." ON BEING A PART OF BARBIE'S ON-SCREEN WORLD Issa: "It was spectacular. Greta approached me and, just in our interview-slash-meeting, told me that she envisioned a world, a Barbie world, where I was President. I was super flattered by that, and also questioned her taste in political leaders. But it's a world that is perfect and beautiful — and seeing her brilliant writing, and the cast attached, it was a no brainer for me. So I was just honoured to to play in the world." America: "It was Margot and Greta's involvement that made me interested in what the script was. It was irresistible to be invited to — to take a peek into the world that these two incredibly talented and intelligent, respected women in our fields were going to do with Barbie. I never imagined myself in a Barbie movie, and I just opened the script and I was laughing on page one and then I was crying — and then I was laughing and crying. I had so many feelings and, truly, my first thought was 'are they even going to let Greta make this?'. I did not go into it feeling invested in Barbie — I didn't grow up playing with Barbies, I didn't feel represented in the world of Barbie — but Greta and Noah's brilliance created a world that made it relevant to me. And it is really exciting to get to be a part of a moment that is expanding such a dominant, influential female iconic character in our global culture, to include more of us. And also to include people with perspectives that aren't necessarily positive and kind toward the very long legacy and history that Barbie has." ON TACKLING A CHARACTER WITH SUCH HISTORY — AND BREAKING ALL THE BARBIE RULES Greta: "I grew up with a mum who didn't love Barbie, which only made me more interested in Barbie. So I had a lot of hand-me-down Barbies — a lot of Barbies who were Kate McKinnon's version, like their clothes were all on backward. That Barbie is very close to my heart. When we signed on to write it and I went to the Mattel headquarters, they opened up all the archives and took me through everything from 1959 till now, and the designers and the people who work there were just really fun to talk to and really interesting. But I would say that actually what we we did is, if there were rules, I think we broke all of them. That was part of it, in a way: 'tell me what your sacred cows are and I will do something naughty with it'. Margot, as a producer, was so instrumental in the whole process of just saying 'I want to make this. I want to make her version of this movie, her vision and and really protect it'. But yeah, if anything, it was an introduction to all the rules so they could be broken." America: "I remember when Greta and I first started speaking, she gave me a list of movies to watch to get in the vibe and the feel and the tone, and actually one of the movies I watched was a documentary called Tiny Shoulders about the expansion of the brand. I learned so much watching that. I did know a little, but through the making of this movie and the little bits of research that are either in the movie or that you caught researching it, it's really phenomenal to get a sense of how long the Barbie legacy has been — and how there have been times in the legacy where she was a revolution, and other times where she was behind her times and she needed to catch up. Just the mere fact that she was the first doll a girl could play with that wasn't a baby doll is something that I didn't really ever know. So there was there was an appreciation right from the start of how long her legacy is and how varied her place in our culture has been." ON CHALLENGING THE BARBIE STEREOTYPE Margot: "I definitely didn't want to portray Barbie as being vapid in any way. The thing about our how our story is constructed is that Barbie can be anything — Barbie can be president, Barbie can be a Nobel Prize-winner, you see all this stuff at the beginning of the movie that sets up how incredibly intelligent Barbie is. But at the same time, she hasn't been exposed to so many of the concepts that she's going to be exposed to in the real world. So it was a fine line between playing naivety without it coming across as unintelligent, because I didn't want it to seem ditsy— and that's just not interesting to play. It's not interesting to watch, either. There are times in the movie where we lean into stereotypes — we literally call my Barbie 'stereotypical Barbie' — so we're very much leaning into some stereotypes so that we can, in a way of being self-aware, play up the comedy, and also have a deeper conversation about some sort of issue. But then there are other times where you're like 'okay, if we play up that particular stereotype, it's going to be boring for people for the hour and 40 minutes that they're watching this movie'. It was an interesting challenge to find 'okay, what how do we portray the fact that she hasn't been exposed to certain things that she's going to learn along the way, but it doesn't mean that she's not intelligent?'." ON GETTING HELP FROM WONDER WOMAN — AND PASSING THAT HELP ON Margot: "Obviously I want the movie to do well because we all worked so hard and we love it so much. But I think it is important when a movie like this does do well — like, if Wonder Woman hadn't done what Wonder Woman had done, I don't know if people would have given us the budget we got to. And if this does well, then the next person who wants to make [something female-led]. It's so important." Greta: "We were just saying this the other day. I think all the time, I was like 'I'm so grateful that Patty Jenkins made Wonder Woman'. And yeah, whoever comes next, it will be..." Margot: "I remember when they were trying to come up with comps [comparable films] for this movie, and there's not that many. And it's important to have them. It makes a difference on the business side of things to have those comps, and have the proof in the pudding that they've made money and done well. Hopefully we can be an extra stepping stone for the next thing." Check out the trailer for Barbie below: Barbie releases in cinemas Down Under on July 20. Images: Barbie press tour photography by Caroline McCredie for Warner Bros/NBC Universal. Barbie film stills via Warner Bros.
In Australia, we have one man to thank for introducing us to ricotta — and that's Salvatore Montalto. In 1959, Salvatore moved here from Sicily, bringing with him a lifetime's experience of cheesemaking. In 2015, his son Sam followed in his footsteps by founding Monte Fresco Cheese in Smithfield — an artisan cheese company that produces premium ricotta, feta and halloumi for restaurants, cafes and consumers nationwide. The company has won gold multiple times at the Royal Easter Show. On July 10, Montalto is giving you the chance to find out how he does it. For 90 cheesy minutes, you'll go deep behind the scenes at Monte Fresco. Expect to learn the secrets behind Montalto's cheesemaking techniques, see a live cheesemaking demonstration, and (of course) have cheese tastings galore. Tickets are just $10 and available online. The Monte Fresco Cheese workshop is just one event in the second of Powerhouse Museum's Powerhouse Food: Producers series, which celebrates Western Sydney's diverse food scene — from Arabic grocery stores to market gardens to Fijian chefs. Middle and bottom images: Josh Robenstone
Given the size of Sydney Fringe Festival's 2018 program, it's no surprise that it'll all culminate in a decadent, magical, art-fuelled closing event: The Last Supper. This extravagant feast, taking place on Sunday, September 30, is promising live performers, live music and a plethora of indulgent dishes — under the stars in Kensington Street Festival Village. First, you must choose which restaurant's delights you would like to feast on, be it Olio's Sicilian delights, Eastside's whimsical creations, Mekong's inventive Southeast Asian fusion or the French wonders of Bistrot Gavroche. Then, on arrival at the dinner, you'll be ushered to your seat at a long table, accompanied by up to 12 of your hungry disciples. Over two glorious hours, your chosen eatery will deliver multiple courses, designed especially for the festival. Expect to find yourself surrounded by snake charmers, fire twirlers and rain dancers. Keep an eye out, too, for tango musicians and Fringe Festival headliners, who'll be making surprise appearances. For anyone who prefers a moveable feast, Spice Alley's myriad of street food vendors will peddle tasty fare, while Gin Lane will serve spirits infused with foraged local ingredients and Handpicked Cellar Door will offer its wines for tasting. Whichever way you experience The Last Supper, you're encouraged to 'dress on the wild side' and dance, dance, dance. The Last Supper will take place on Sunday, September 30. The ticketed meals are available across two sessions, 5pm and 7.30pm, and cost $60 per person. To nab a seat at the table, visit the website.
While Messina's main jam is usually crafting supremely scoffable varieties of gelato, the brand's love of food extends far beyond the freezer. The cult gelateria has often teamed up with savoury-focused culinary heroes, throwing big ol' food parties. For the next Messina Eats at the brand's expansive new Marrickville HQ, the dessert specialist is doing things a little differently, inviting a baking crew close to its heart for the weekend pop-up. Shadow Baking is the new project of three of Messina's head chefs — Tom Mitchell, Florian Fritsch and Remi Talbot. Usually, if you want to get your hands on the team's flaky creations, you'd have to head to The Cannery's monthly markets — but, to give more Sydneysiders the chance to taste the Shadow Baking treats, it's popping up for a Messina Eats party in the HQ car park. Expect macadamia and mandarin croissants, custard tart danishes, reuben croissant sandwiches, pandan and coconut brioche, and a special one-off kouign-amann custard gelato sando in collaboration with Messina. Shadow Baking is set to open a permanent outpost in Darlinghurst soon. Once it arrives, you expect all the goodies from The Cannery Markets plus plenty of regular collaborations between the baking team and Gelato Messina. If you want to get your hands on a next-level pastry to kick off your weekend, the Messina Eats: Shadow Baking collab is popping up at 1 Rich Street, Marrickville from 8am on Saturday, September 16 until sold out.
Can you think of a better way to spend a muggy, summer night than with an outdoor movie and quality food by the harbour? From November 21 to December 16, American Express is bringing its outdoor cinema to Sydney's inner-city coastline. The new Pyrmont spot is the newest location for the pop-up cinema, which is hosting outdoor events in 12 locations across Australia and New Zealand this year. Movies on this big screen will include just-released hits like Bad Times at the El Royale, Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's A Star Is Born and Boy Erased, as well as classic — including Dirty Dancing, Elf and Love Actually. The event will kick off with an advanced screening of Robin Hood, too. Salt Meats Cheese will be supplying the movie bites, with a daily menu of antipasti and woodfired pizza, and drinks will be on offer from Urban Alley Brewery, Pimm's, Giesen Wines and Black Devil Cider. In addition, there will be more than 20 events across the installation, including live music performances, DJs and trivia Oh, and it's a dog-friendly space, so you don't need to leave part of your family at home. Plus if you're an Amex user you'll get 15 percent off selected tickets, plus a blanket. American Express Openair Cinemas will also pop-up in Sydney's inner west (Jan 11–Feb 17) and Bondi (dates to-be announced)
The 90s were great. That shouldn't be a controversial opinion. Whether you lived through them or have spent the last couple of decades wishing you did — aka binging on 90s pop culture — Oxford Art Factory's New Year's Eve shindig will indulge both your retro and your festive urges. Drinks, tunes, fashion: expect all of the above at the No Scrubs: 90s and Early 00s party from 9pm on NYE. Of course, it's up to you to make sure the clothing side of thing is covered, and to get into the spirit of the season. If you want to use Mariah Carey as a style icon, it'd be fitting. Expect to unleash your inner Spice Girl and Backstreet Boy too. TLC, Destiny's Child, Savage Garden, Usher, Blink-182, No Doubt — we'd keep listing artists, but you all know what you're getting yourselves into. Entry costs $10 on the door, with the fun running through until 3am.
The first day of the year, The Domain and Sydneysiders flocking to see live tunes: that's one helluva New Year's tradition. It's also what Field Day serves up every year, and will again to start off 2024. Leading the bill: RÜFÜS DU SOL and Central Cee. The 2023–24 crossover period will be busy for the Sydney fest's two headliners. They're both hitting the Harbour City on Monday, January 1 after also playing Victoria's Beyond The Valley over the Christmas break. On their New South Wales stop, they'll have G Flip and Genesis Owusu for company, plus Romy, Sub Focus, Ross From Friends, Claptone and COBRAH. Yes, it's going to be quite the massive party. For RÜFÜS DU SOL, this is a huge hometown gig. For British rapper Central Cee, everything from 'Doja' and 'Let Go' to 'Sprinter' and 'Obsessed with You' will get a whirl. Combining both local and international names again in 2024 — as was the standard pre-pandemic, and returned in 2023 after an all-Aussie lineup in 2022 — Field Day will also feature Destroy Lonely, LUUDE, Logic1000, Kinder, Dameeeela, Mell Hall and JessB as part of its packed roster. A triple j Unearthed winner is still to join the lineup as well. [caption id="attachment_811734" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anna Warr[/caption] FIELD DAY 2024 LINEUP: RÜFÜS DU SOL Central Cee Cassian Claptone Cobrah Conducta Destroy Lonely G Flip Genesis Owusu Isoxo Knock2 Logic1000 Luude Mall Grab Notion Riton Romy Ross From Friends (DJ set) Sub Focus (DJ set and ID) Dameeeela Fukhed J-Milla Jessb Kinder Mell Hall Swim Willo Top image: Fifth Legend via Wikimedia Commons
Insert Coin(s) combines club tunes, retro gaming, graffiti art and geek culture at Oxford Art Factory. Following on from their sneak peak of The Darkness II, this fourth round of Insert Coin(s) will feature multiple screens of FIFA Street (not out till March 15) and SSX (released March 1). You'll also get access to a custom '80s style milk bar (mmm… alcoholic milkshakes), contemplate foot-long dogs at a New York-style hot dog vendor (wow… so many condiments), and rediscover your skills at pinball, arcade and tabletop units, including Pacman, Addams Family, Donkey Kong, Frogger, Shinobi, Back to the Future, Fish Tales and World Cup Soccer. DJs will spin classic tracks from the '80s and '90s all night long and the Insert Coin(s) team have even got some graffiti artists coming to create live art inspired by the video games of yesteryear. Since the launch event last September, this event series has become a hit with gamers, geeks and social gypsies everywhere, so take a boozy trip down memory lane and revisit the all-time classics from the 8-bit era. What the heck happened to my pinball machine points anyway? Game on!
While Australia can sometimes feel a little disconnected from the rest of the world, much of the globe can relate to our ongoing refugee situation. It's these widespread geopolitical and migration crises that world-renowned artist and activist Ai Weiwei is shining a spotlight on with his New York public art exhibition, Good Fences Make Good Neighbors. After running a crowdfunding campaign to fund the project back in August and September, the Chinese creative's latest installation is up and running from today until February 2018. The powerful showcase features a series of large-scale works throughout the entire city, as Ai Weiwei highlights the role of the security fence in dividing people, the immigration and border control practices and policies that go along with these physical barriers, and the current global rise in nationalism. https://www.instagram.com/p/BaHLa7Rn9hh/?taken-by=publicartfund Spanning more than 300 sites across five boroughs, the artist's huge fence-inspired works can be found at places like Central Park and Greenwich Village's Washington Square Arch, as well as on top of and between private buildings. He has also created a collection of flagpole-mounted works, sculptures around bus shelters and two-dimensional lamppost banners. Meanwhile, traditional advertising spaces at bus shelters, LinkNYC kiosks and newsstands will display images taken during Ai Weiwei's time researching at refugee camps across the world. Good Fences Make Good Neighbors stems from his own experiences with displacement and detention, combined with his recent research surrounding the global refugee crisis. If you can't make it to New York to see the installation in person, Instagram has you covered. For more of Ai Weiwei's exploration of the topic, Human Flow, his latest documentary, is due in Australian cinemas in March 2018. Images: Ai Weiwei studio via Kickstarter.
As part of one of the only remaining independent cinema chains, Dendy Newtown offers a unique, somewhat nostalgic, cinema experience. The blockbusters are here if that's what you're after, but the bigger drawcard is the selection of first-run independent films and art titles. Through the Dendy Arts program, productions from MET Opera, National Theatre and National Ballet, among others, are screened. It also holds events throughout the year: advance screenings of new releases, retro screenings of old faves, and film genre festivals. Located in the heart of Newtown makes a visit to Dendy is a great way to either start or end a day of adventures. While everybody's favourite "cheap Tuesday" offer may have disappeared from most cinemas, it is still going strong here and it's not the only offer kicking around. There's two-for-one on Sunday night, plus members and students both get cheaper tickets. If the classic dinner-and-a-movie date is on the agenda, a handful of surrounding food joints also offer ticket combos to complete the formula.
