At two of the world's most-prestigious film festivals, prizes are awarded to the best queer movies on the lineup. Not all cinephiles can attend Cannes and Berlinale, so Australia's Mardi Gras Film Festival is bringing LGBTQIA+ flicks from both 2024 fests Down Under in 2025. Romania's Three Kilometres to the End of the World won the Queer Palm. The Istanbul-set Crossing took home the Teddy Jury Prize in Berlin. They're both highlights of the just-announced MGFF program, which has a date with Sydney cinemas in February — and boasts a roster of almost 150 flicks. The movie-loving component of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, MGFF wants audiences to enjoy its feast of LGBTQIA+ films on the big screen if they can. The bulk of the lineup will hit picture palaces across Thursday, February 13–Thursday, February 27, at venues including Event Cinemas George Street and Hurstville, Dendy Newtown, Ritz Cinemas Randwick, the State Library of NSW and The Rocks Laneway Cinema. For those who can't make it in-person, there's also a small-screen component, streaming a selection of titles on-demand nationwide from Friday, February 28–Monday, March 10. If you're hitting up movie theatres, award-winners aren't Mardi Gras Film Festival's only drawcards. On opening night, coming-of-age tale Young Hearts will start the proceedings with a story of romance in rural Belgium, while French standout Somewhere in Love is doing the honours to close out the physical event. In-between, viewers have 72 sessions to choose from, complete with the world premiere of In Ashes from Denmark-based filmmaker Ludvig C Poulsen; South Korea's Love in the Big City; the Alan Cumming (Schmigadoon!)-starring Drive Back Home; and Ponyboi, which features Australian actor and The White Lotus favourite Murray Bartlett (The Last of Us). Or, catch Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story, which tells of its namesake's tale from her 50s Nashville success through to disappearing from the public for four decades; Aussie effort Heart of a Man, about a closeted Indigenous boxer; period drama Lilies Not for Me with Fionn O'Shea (Masters of the Air) and Robert Aramayo (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power; Duino, a semi-autobiographical effort about an Argentinian filmmaker working on a movie about his first love; and the Venus Xtravaganza-focused I'm Your Venus, which is a must for fans of Paris Is Burning. That's just a taste of the program, which spans Aussie festive slasher Carnage for Christmas, Nina Hoss (Tár) in Foreign Language, a documentary about Ani De Franco, Brazilian drama Streets of Gloria and more, too. Blasts from the past come courtesy of a free screening of The Birdcage, plus a 20th-anniversary session of Imagine Me & You (featuring Lena Headey long before Game of Thrones), with both showing under the stars. If you'd like to don a habit, croon tunes in a cinema or both, Sister Act is getting the sing-along treatment. And from the 70s, Scarecrow in a Garden of Cucumbers — which is one of the first-ever trans-led feature films — is making its Sydney premiere. Cabaret is also on the bill, a fitting choice given that documentary Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story is on the lineup as well — gifting Liza Minnelli obsessives a double feature. Movie buffs eager to check out the online program from their couch can look forward to the aforementioned Drive Back Home and Heart of the Man; a doco about activist Sally Gearhart; Unusually Normal's factual portrait of a family that includes two lesbian grandmothers, four lesbian mothers and one lesbian granddaughter; and a blend of fiction and reality with 2024 Sundance Special Jury Award-winner Desire Lines, among other titles. A number of shorts programs will be available to stream, too, with packages devoted to Asia Pacific, transgender and gender diverse, queer horror, queer documentaries, sapphic and more. Black Doves' Ben Whishaw pops up in one of the gay shorts, while Hacks' Megan Stalter appears in one of the films in the comedy lineup. 2025's MGFF marks Festival Director Lisa Rose's last at the helm. "The film industry has changed dramatically throughout my time with Queer Screen. The volume of LGBTQIA+ content we see, as well as how and where we see it, continues to evolve," she notes. "Yet the sense of belonging that comes when the lights dim and a room full of queer people experience a queer story together remains a constant. Even when a film has the audience divided, the feeling of community that envelops us is unifying." Queer Screen's 32nd Mardi Gras Film Festival 2025 runs from Thursday, February 13–Thursday, February 27 at venues around Sydney — and online nationally from Friday, February 28–Monday, March 10. For more information, visit the festival's website.
Get a head start on Halloween at Insert Coin(s) Spooktacular for MoVement Sydney. Invading the Oxford Art Factory on Thursday, October 20, this horror show will bring with it blood-soaked pinball and thousands of Elm Street-worthy arcade games, overseen by the soon-to-be-released Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. Delivering '70s and '80s party anthems to soundtrack your scares will be DJs Levins (The Rhythm of the Night/Halfway Crooks), Glenn Be Trippin and Martin Novosel, founder and manager of Purple Sneakers. Meanwhile, your energy lapses will be taken care of by Woofy's Hot Dog Cart and fistfuls of free candy. Bearers of best Halloween costumes will score prizes.
You've had a shit week, huh? Things have been a little humdrum, a little less than awesome? Sure, you could binge-watch The Handmaid's Tale and know everything could just be a little bit worse or you could take your sorry ass to an entire market dedicated to candy, pastry and chocolate — a thing that is happening in Sydney this weekend. We're here for you. Coming to you from the ever-markety folks behind the Discovery Markets, Brewery Yard Markets and this weekend's Truckstop, Sweets and Treats is a one-day event dedicated to Sydney's finest lolly maestros, pastry practitioners and saucy, saucy chocolatiers. Forget your August, 2017 troubles with food stalls brimming with sugary business, have a little boogie to live music and hope no one social media-savvy sees you take on the doughnut eating competition. Not convinced? Put this free mulled wine by Handpicked Wines in your skeptical face and we reckon you'll have a good time. Best bit? It's happening in two places over the weekend. You'll find Sweets and Treats at Discovery Markets (8 Brodie Spark Drive, Wolli Creek) this Saturday, August 5 from 9am-3pm, and at the Brewery Yard Markets at Central Park Mall, Chippendale on Sunday, August 6 from 10am-4pm.
For the second instalment of The Midnight Special's pop-up restaurant series, the Newtown small bar is teaming up with Petersham's retro diner Daisy's Milkbar to create a menu of boozy treats that will bring out the kidult in you. The Midnight Milkbar will take over the kitchen for two weeks starting May 24, and feature twists on Aussie classics like toasties and fairy bread, along with boozy shakes and spider cocktails. The menu will include three signature jaffles — barbecued pulled pork with mac and cheese ($10), house-made meat pie ($10) and a vego option which is stuffed with baked beans, gooey cheese and oregano ($8). Late night snackers can also enjoy sides like mac and cheese ($5), vegemite roasted nuts ($5) and savoury fairy bread with bacon crumbs and garlic butter. On the booze side, specials include vanilla malt and bourbon shake ($17) or lime and tequila and creaming soda and vodka spiders ($15 each). Any bar that lets one drink like an adult and eat like a kid is alright by us, especially if there's some form of fairy bread involved. The Midnight Milkbar is open open 5.30pm till late daily for the pop-up run.
The Sydney Opera House's Summer Playground program is back this January for its fifth year running. This year, it's set to indulge the kidult within you with a vintage carnival theme – expect Coney Island vibes, fairground games (laughing clowns, anyone?) and maybe even fairy floss. Each year, the Summer Playground program features a pop-up bar with specialty drinks (think fresh flavours and fruity slushies), al fresco dining and activities for adults, kids and kidults alike (like the giant sandpit they're having this year). There's also always a stellar entertainment lineup – past performers have included Tim Minchin and Angus and Julia Stone. Spend a lazy summer afternoon (or three) on the Opera House's Western Boardwalk in January – and head here around January too for more info about the performers and menu, which you can be sure will be stunning.
Don't have the cash for a distillery tour in Scotland this summer? Cry not over spilt spirits. The Oak Barrel is coming to your rescue with the 2016 Sydney Whisky Fair. Wrapping itself around your senses for two solid days, this event will bring together whiskies and distillers from all four corners of the globe. Whether you're into peaty beasts from Scotland or smooth, boutique drops from Japan, you'll get them in one, convenient spot. And, if you're just a beginner with no idea of what you like, then this is the way to get started. It's not only big, established names, like Laphroaig, Bowmore and Canadian Club that'll be represented, but up-and-comers, too. There's even a bunch of Aussie distillers swinging by, including Tassie's Heartwood, Perth's Whipper Snapper and Adelaide's Iniquity. All tickets include tastings. Can't get your mitts on one? Consider booking one of the masterclasses, which range from 'Women In Whisky' to a sit-down dinner featuring Aussie drops.
In a time before Netflix, Stan and The Pirate Bay, there was only one way to binge watch TV: huddled in front of Saturday Disney, elbowing your siblings out of the way and fantasising that one day you would win that batshit insane weekly prize and all would be phenomenal. For one night only you can relive the glory days of cartoons and diabetes-inducing cereal binges at the Factory Theatre for Sydney Underground Film Festival. Aptly named the Saturday Morning All-You-Can-Eat Cereal Cartoon Party, the event is a smorgasbord of cartoons from the '40s through to the '80s (interspersed with vintage advertisements) curated by film critic and writer Kier-La Janisse. It's a format pretty much directly taken from Williamsburg's Nighthawk Cinema, but we're not complaining. While resplendent in your jimjams, you'll be able to max-out on as much nostalgic, sugary cereal you can inhale, and rub shoulders with kidults who never had the luxury of ad-skipping. This event took over Melbourne's Astor Theatre in May this year, and tickets were snapped up fast, so don't hit snooze on this one.
When it comes to being male, middle-class, and white, there are few names bigger than pop icon Ben Folds. Since going on hiatus from his not-so-aptly named trio, Ben Folds Five, the eponymous figure is venturing beyond his traditional classic-pop fusion. He still sings and plays piano, but he's upgrading slightly from his three-man ensemble (bass, drums), to a legitimate New York-style instrumental group in the form yMusic (string trio, flute, clarinet, trumpet). This new ensemble has naturally influenced Fold's sound, one only needs to listen to his solo project released last year So There, heavily featuring the chamber ensemble to hear this. Folds himself testifies to his fraternal connection with the ensemble, and it will be on display all through Australia in the month to come. Starting at QPAC in Brisbane on August 18, Folds and his new band will be playing the Opera House on August 20 and 21, the Perth Concert Hall on August 23, the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on August 25, the Palais Theatre in Melbourne on August 26 and 27, and finally the Canberra Theatre on August 28. If you want to see truly canonical pop, bridging the last few decades, you might want to catch these shows.
Good Food Month 2016 will wrap up with an uber-posh, Hamptons-inspired picnic in Centennial Park — so dig out your finest 1920s garden party dress and your mad croquet skills. Taking care of the catering will be Matt Moran, who'll be bringing a piece of his Woollahra restaurant Chiswick with him, alongside Three Blue Ducks duo Darren Robertson and Mark LaBrooy. Somehow, they'll be carting a half-tonne barbecue into the park and frying up a storm. Come dessert time, you'll be lingering over Alistair Wise (Sweet Envy) and Andy Bowdy's creations. And, needless to say, there'll be all the Pimms cocktails you can handle. Tickets at $95 and include entry as well as six food and drink tokens. Party kicks off at midday.
If you've been struggling to live in the teenies because you're musically and spiritually stuck in the noughties, we have some news that's going to bring you bolting straight into the present. Ministry of Sound are embarking on a super-niche tour. From mid-November, they'll be paying visits to Australia's capital cities to perform, get this, their greatest clubbing moments from The Annual 2001-2004. And that'll be all, folks. Leading the lineup will be OGs John Course and Mark Dynamix, who, between them, have placed millions of CDs in club-loving hands and ears over the past couple of decades. They're the mighty duo behind Ministry of Sound's annual compilations, on which you probably first heard Roger Sanchez, Basement Jaxx, Tim Deluxe, Cassius and Groove Armada. To each gig, Course and Dynamix will be inviting a bunch of cracking support artists. Sydneysiders will be treated to an extra-special tribute to early noughties break beat at a Clubber's Guide to Breaks Room. You can count on appearances by the UK's Plump DJs, as well as by homegrown breaks guru Kid Kenobi. MINISTRY OF SOUND 2001-2004 REUNION TOUR November 18 — The Prince, Melbourne December 16 — The Metro, Sydney December 20 — HQ, Adelaide January 13 — Discovery, Darwin January 15 — Matisse Beach Club, Perth January 21 — The Met, Brisbane Tickets are over here. In the meantime, to get yourself in the mood, have a listen to this dedicated Reunion Tour play list on Spotify.
Since opening in 2015, The Goods Line has helped many a pedestrian scurry between Central Station and Darling Harbour in car-free bliss. But that's not its only function, as you'll discover when Really Goods Line Day rolls around for this year's Sydney Design Festival. This seven-hour extravaganza will explore the space's potential through live music, fitness events games, talks, tastings and demonstrations. Prepare to prove your mettle in table tennis tournaments, sample quality coffee, take body balance classes, hear Sacha Cole discuss design, watch marching bands and hear DJ Mase Boogie spin some tunes. When you're not getting into the action, fuel up at food trucks courtesy of Agape Organic, De Wafel and Eat Art Truck.
While Australian winters can get pretty damn nippy (hello slanket, our old friend), unfortunately we're not often blessed with really fun cold weather. We don't get snow, sleet or iced-over lakes which means we don't get snow days, slush fights, skating, tobogganing or a plucky bobsledding team to represent us in the Olympics (OK, we do have that last one). The Winterlight wonderland in Parramatta's Prince Alfred Park is aiming to right this grievous wrong. From June 25, you can delve into the kind of winters that the Starks seem to fear so much — a snowy, fun winter. The installation boasts all the icy activities you could ever want. If gliding around a treacherous ice pond with knives attached to your boots is your bag (known as 'ice skating'), you'll be delighted to know there's a large ice rink planned. But if you're more of a demure ice frolicker, the elegant ice toboggan may be more your thing. Or perhaps a trip down a slick ice slide? It's just $5 for three slides. The world is your cold, wet oyster. A turn about the rink will set adults (14 years and older) back $20, but after you ease your tired feet back into normal shoes and try to remember how to walk, the real fun begins. Mulled wine fun, that is. Winterlight is decked out with a delicious, delicious village serving up mulled wine, hot chocolate pasties, bratwurst and burgers. And really, aren't bratwurst and mugs of mulled wine the real spirit of winter? Winterlight is on at Prince Alfred Park Parramatta, from July 1- 17. Open Sunday to Thursday 10am to 8.45pm and Friday to Saturday 10am to 9.45pm. Image: Benson Kua.
AT YOUR DOOR: The Doormen of New York City marks the first large-scale photographic exhibition for New York-based Australian photographer Alina Gozin'a. Capturing a quintessential aspect of New York culture, the show takes the doormen of the city's grandest buildings — who guard a multiplicity of secrets but never share their own — and makes them the subject. In contrast to her usual portraits of movie stars and politicians, Gozin'a instead chose to "shine a light on these fascinating invisible characters who keep Manhattan turning". The result is 13 large-scale El-Greco-inspired, painterly photographic portraits of 13 doormen, all immigrants from Eastern Europe. "I am fascinated by the real cost of immigration," explains Gozin'a, who herself immigrated to Australia from the then USSR aged 14. "These men have stories of great sacrifice that I wanted to share with the world." Each doorman is captured first in his uniform, then in his own clothes, with the intent to strip away their professional façade and reveal them as real people with their own intricately complex lives. Very much Gozin'a's homage to her adopted city of New York, the show nevertheless asks whether the role of 'doorman' is a charming old-world tradition that should continue or an outdated relic of the privileged classes that alienates the man in uniform. Image: Alina Gozin'a, 'Yuri', [cropped], image courtesy and copyright of the artist.
As Sydney Fringe's free official opening party, Fringe Ignite will take over the festival's new Oxford Street Hub with 28 gigs across ten spaces. Curated by singer-songwriter Thelma Plum, the extravaganza will let you catch local singer-songwriters, bands, DJs, rappers and more in one evening. Listen out for Adrian Eagle's uplifting rootsy sounds, the powerhouse vocals of Alice Terry who released debut album The Fear Of... in June, singer-songwriter-producer Rainbow Chan and loads of others. Music will be resounding wherever you go — from the National Art School and UNSW Art and Design to Stonewall and Ching-a-lings to Ariel Bookseller and Daily Jocks. If, come 10pm, you're far from ready for bed, head to the afterparty at the Fringe Club, in the Kings Cross Hotel.
Legendary underground LA hip hop group Jurassic 5 will take you back to the concrete streets at the Enmore this March, playing a huge sideshow for this year's Bluesfest. This charismatic six-piece formed in the '90s, comprising the remnants of Unity Committee and Rebels of Rhythm. Since breaking up in 2007 due to creative differences, the crew's notoriety has grown rather than dissipated. Having recently reunited, these old-school revivalists are back to flaunt their soulful beats and social commentary. Punching into the mainstream was never a priority for the J5 crew. In saying that, 2014's sold-out world tour has thrust the group into the limelight, revamping their global profile and earning legions of new fans. There is an enduring quality to their music; eloquent and intelligent hip hop with real heart. With one of the most energetic live shows around, J5 ought to pull on your nostalgic heartstrings with Bluesfest sideshow.
Atlanta born musician Raury has just turned 18 and is brimming with what seems to be an obscene amount of charisma for a teenager. Having earned enough attention to see him collaborating with SBTRKT, opening for OutKast and getting flown to recording studios by Kanye West (before he had released a single album), the youthful champion of hippie swagger will be touring Australia for Laneway Festival and doing sideshows across the country. His debut album Indigo Child is full of impassioned and erratic messages and crosses haphazardly between folk, rap, soul and indie rock earning him comparisons to Lorde — not only for his age, but for his seamless ability to take on different genres. While his sound is hard to pin down, his fresh energy, earnestness on stage and the real feverish soar he can bring to songs like 'God's Whisper' (the ultimate bang-your-drum, revolution round the campfire song) make him an artist you should catch from the beginning.
UK super-producer, funk-lovin' pal of Nile Rodgers and certified boss Mark Ronson is heading back to Australia. Making the trek for a special promo tour for his latest album Uptown Funk, Ronson's confirmed he'll be dropping by the Oxford Art Factory to throw a few gems on the decks for a one-off DJ set. Landing #6 in triple j's Hottest 100 for his infectious, Bruno Mars-fronted single 'Uptown Funk', Ronson's got a lot of love in Australia. Hitting OAF on Wednesday, February 4, Ronson will playa late night DJ set for anyone who remembers to nab themself a ticket at 9am on Friday, January 30. You're going to want to get in quick on this one, as far as Ronson's team have announced, this is the only ticketed show he'll be playing this visit — aside from a V Island comp show. Tickets go on sale here Friday, January 30 at 9am (exclusive pre-sale open Thursday, January 29 for Secret Sounds subscribers).
Denim crotch holes gettin' you down? Cool autumnal breezes making life slightly uncomfortable in the nether regions? You need new jeans. Yeah, you do. Luckily, Stockholm's go-to denim crew Cheap Monday have brought a brand new pop-up store to Surry Hills: Cheap Monday Pop. Taking over the Goulburn Street garage of The Record Store on Crown Street, Cheap Monday have created a little winter haven for their new season range, with doors open from Wednesday to Sunday right through to the end of June. Expect to find the latest offerings from their SS15 and PF15 collections — for dudes and ladies — from their 'Spray On' skinny jeans to their casual knitwear, jewellery, footwear, tees, tanks and even underwear. Bet you didn't know Cheap Monday do undies. Maybe you did. You go Glen Coco. It's a pretty little pop-up for Orjan Andersson's denim-toutin', internationally leading fashion retailer, bringing that sweet, sweet Stockholm minimalism and industrial aesthetic to Surry Hills. We're talking clean monochrome palettes, exposed lighting fixtures, everything you'd expect in a CM pop-up. Now, do something about that crotch hole. CHEAP MONDAY POP OPENING HOURS: Wednesday - 10am - 6pm Thursday - 11am - 7pm Friday - 11am - 6pm Saturday - 11am - 6pm Sunday - 12pm - 5pm
Bright sparks, light bulb moments, the invention of fire – glowing matter and smart ideas have a long history together, and Vivid Ideas' 2015 program brilliantly renews this union. You may find your own brain cells overcooking at the number of events on offer this year, however, as over 30 venues across Sydney get more activated than a handful of Bondi almonds. If you're lucky, your choice can be guided by your industry-specific mixers and panels, but for those of us with FOMO for innovation and creativity across multiple platforms, our list of top ten Vivid Ideas events may be a helpful guide.
It's hard to believe that it's only been six months since George Maple (aka Jessica Higgs) released her debut single. At the time, Higgs had been living in London for eighteen months, so the slinky 'Talk Talk', from her Vacant Space EP, first hit airwaves on Annie Mac's show on BBC Radio 1. Meanwhile, the New York Times had dibs on unveiling the video clip. Since then, Higgs, who's from Sydney originally, has played CMJ, SXSW, Annie Mac's AMP Collected in London and a couple of headline shows in Australia, including the Museum of Contemporary Art and Future Classic’s Christmas Weekend. So she's in prime position for taking on her first proper national tour. Three gigs are already sold out — Sydney's Oxford Art Factory on April 24 and 30, and Melbourne's The Howler on 25 April. There's still time, however, to grab tickets to the Black Bear Lodge in Brisbane on April 23, The Bakery in Perth on May 1 and The Rocket Bar in Adelaide on May 2. Meanwhile, Higgs's new tune, 'Where You End And I Begin', recorded with Philadelphian rapper Grande Marshall, is starting to rack up hits. Where You End And I Begin feat. Grande Marshall by George Maple, Grande Marshall
For all of you who've been obsessing over the case of Steven Avery, you might now have the chance to get the answers you crave. Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos, the filmmakers behind the addictive and highly frustrating Netflix true crime series Making a Murderer, is a highly-anticipated, last minute addition to the Spectrum Now Festival talks program. The pair, whose ten-part series has become a cultural phenomenon since premiering on Netflix in December, will travel to Sydney for an hour-long interview and audience Q&A session with festival ambassador and The Weekly host Charlie Pickering. Set to take place at 7pm on Thursday, March 10, tickets for the event will cost $49.90 and go on sale on Wednesday, February 24 (or you can sign up to their newsletter to access the pre-sale one day earlier). If you've been living a nomadic lifestyle out in the bush for the past few months and thus haven't heard, Making a Murderer follows the infuriating case of Wisconsin native Steven Avery, who served 18 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, only to be arrested and tried for murder shortly after he was released. If you've got a spare ten hours, you can binge watch it on Netflix right now. Just don't expect to finish with your faith in humanity intact. "We always wanted Making a Murderer to start a dialogue around important issues in our criminal justice system," say directors Ricciardi and Demos. "We are thrilled that so many people all over the world are responding to the concept of fairness and equality, and we can’t wait to come to Australia to continue this discussion."
Shake off those autumn blues with a morning yoga session on the Sydney Opera House steps. There's surely no better way to start your day right than by saluting the sun as it shimmers over the harbour, with those legendary white sails as your backdrop. And then, of course, there's all that Instagramming potential — if you're being cheeky between poses. If yoga ain't your thing, you can opt for high-intensity interval training (HIT) or functional fitness. All classes start at 7am and run for an hour, with HIT happening on Mondays, yoga on Tuesdays and Thursdays and functional fitness on Wednesdays and Fridays. The genius behind this operation is the Sydney Opera House's CEO, Louise Herron AM, who's long been a fan of keeping fit. "There's something particularly special about the Opera House in the early hours of the morning," she said. "I couldn't think of a more inspiring place to revive and reconnect with yourself and others."
Hardcore foodies, this one's for you. Chef Rene Redzepi, the man behind Noma and its super expensive, impossible to get into Sydney Harbour spinoff, is organising a day-long symposium featuring some of the biggest names in food. Set to take place at the Sydney Opera House on Sunday, April 3, MAD SYD: Tomorrow's Meals will welcome a number of world renowned chefs and culinary professionals for "a day of talks and ideas exploring the future of food". Confirmed speakers include Redzepi, David Chang (Momofuku), Kylie Kwong (Billy Kwong) and Massimo Bottura (Italy's Osteria Francescana), as well as food activist Chido Govera and social researcher Rebecca Huntley. MAD is heading down under! On April 3rd we will present our first large scale public event at the Sydney Opera House - visit madfeed.co for more info #MADSYD A photo posted by MAD (@themadfeed) on Feb 5, 2016 at 9:40am PST Founded by Redzepi, MAD (the Danish word for 'food') is a non-profit organisation that, according to their website, "works to expand knowledge of food to make every meal a better meal; not just at restaurants, but every meal cooked and served". They've hosted similar symposiums in Copenhagen since 2011, but this is the first time they've held one outside of the Danish capital — and the first one that will be open to the public. "Back when we started MAD in 2011, we found ourselves on a field, in heavy rain, in a tiny circus tent that ultimately collapsed during lunch," says Redzepi. "MAD has been on an incredible journey since then, but the culmination of our long relationship with Sydney and Australia taking place in one of the world's most iconic spaces is the greatest privilege. We cannot wait to share this day with everyone - friends and family, old and new." Anyone interested can register for pre-sale tickets through the Sydney Opera House website, and tickets will go on sale to the general public at 9am on Monday, February 22. We can only hope they don't sell out as fast as bookings to Noma Australia did. MAD SYD is happening on Sunday, April 3 — one day after the last service of Noma Australia. Register for tickets here. Image: Daniel Boud.
Newtown's getting a brilliant new festival, giving the spotlight to female and transgender musicians. Named Earopund, this new event's epic program includes not only a slew of live performances, but also spoken word, talk and light projections. At Part One, happening from 7.30pm on Saturday, January 23 at Newtown Social Club, there'll be tunes from Astrix Little, Chunyin (Rainbow Chan), Imperial Broads, Fabels and Bree van Reyk (Synergy Percussion, founder of Girl's School of Rock); light projections by JAX (Slinky & Snudis); and spoken word by Sara Saleh and Justina Ray. Part Two, taking place from 2pm on Saturday 30 January at Alpha Gallery (226 Union Street, Erskineville), will feature no fewer than thirteen performers, plus projections by VJ Amla. The event is the brainchild of musician Astrid Zeman, who's received a sizeable dollop of triple j love for her tracks 'Counting Sheep' and 'Imagination'. She came up with the concept after repeatedly attending gigs where women were underrepresented. “I’ll sometimes see a few bands in a row, maybe 15 musicians, and there won’t be a single woman on stage. Male bands will sometimes be singing about how hot a chick is, or how they enjoy relaxing with their girlfriends on the weekend, or about doing guy stuff with their mates … and I just find it hard to relate to this material. Seeing performances that are repeatedly male-dominated makes me feel frustrated and disempowered," she told Music Australia. "We want to reverse the trend, promoting female and LGBTQIA+ musicians in the scene and raising awareness of gender equality.”
This is music you'll have to chase around Sydney, but super worth it. Driving around the city for MoVement Sydney, Rolling Records is a mobile record store, all decked out with wood panelling, selling second-hand vinyl. But it's not just any pop-up shop set-up; there's a DJ booth, listening station and a big ol' sound system. Created by top notch Katoomba resident George Pizer, Rolling Records has been up and running since January this year, popping up all over the joint. Here's where the truck will be parked: FRIDAY — Opposite Newtown train station (Oporto carpark) SATURDAY — Bondi Markets (Bondi Public School) SUNDAY — Super Open Air feat. Honey Dijon at The Factory Theatre, Marrickville This is just one way to get into MoVement Sydney, here are seven more. Image: Rolling Records.
Sydney's schwanky rooftop pool bar, Ivy Pool Club, has had a big ol' revamp just in time for the warmer months. Unveiling a brand new look this week, moving the space from LA-inspired glamour to Italian Riveria-style trimmings, Ivy Pool Club is prepped for a whole new season of poolside lounging, overt splurging and a whole bunch of Italian-themed festivities. To royally christen the refreshed rooftop space, Merivale's crown jewel is hosting a five-day Italian extravaganza over October 19-23: La Dolce Pool Club. Think long table feasts, a decadent pool party and long, boozy lunches with Merivale's best. Here's the rundown. Monday, October 19 will see a free 'Date Night with Sinatra', with cheap pizza and pasta by the pool and live Rat Pack-era music. Then, on the Tuesday, Pool Club joins forces with Uccello for a big long table feast of Italian cocktails and hearty nosh, curated by David Lovett and Vincenzo Biondini. Wednesday will see a free mini Italian market, showcasing Sydney's best Italian cuisine — Italian barbecue, cheese and charcuterie, pizza, and gelato — among live roaming performers and special cocktails from Avión Espresso, Absolut Elyx and Havana Club. Entry is free but numbers are limited so RSVP. Friday is the long, long lunch day, as Mr. Wong’s super chef Dan Hong teamed up with Merivale chefs Danielle Alvarez and Ben Greeno for a huge poolside barbecue feast. La Dolce Pool Club runs October 19-23 at the newly revamped Ivy Pool Club, Level 4, Ivy, 320 George Street, Sydney. Check out all the event details at Merivale's website.
Usually you'd have to fork out quite the cash bundle to enjoy some apres ski wonderment, but there's a brand new pop-up in Sydney that skips the ski lodge bill. Making a little winter wonderland of the former space of Darlinghurst's Victoria Room, The Chalet is set Sydney's temporary little winter ski lodge. According to Good Food, the space will come decked out with an in-house snowmaking machine, fondue stations, a jaffle bar and even a chairlift above the entrance stairs (yeah, it's probably not exactly a working one but can you imagine if it carried you upstairs?). Now, that's theming. So who's behind this adorable wintry endeavour? Some of Sydney's finest theme-happy hospotality kings are at the helm of The Chalet, namely The Lobo Plantation's Eddie Levy and Michael Hwang and The Island's Adam Abrams and Julian Tobias. Taking time off their upcoming restaurant at the InterContinental Sydney Double Bay, the foursome have created quite the winter go-to; blending their proven decorating skills with all the mulled wine and hot chocolate you could want after a long cold day's trudgery. The Chalet will be open for three months where The Victoria Room (235 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst) used to be. According to GF, the space will then be handed over to a yet-to-be-announced team for a more permanent new spot. Images: Dollar Photo Club and The Chalet.
Sleater-Kinney recorded their first album in Australia. The year was 1994, and the fledgling band from Olympia, Washington knocked out their debut effort in a single day. They've been back several times since, but their latest visit feels extra special. Given that the indie-punk trio went on an indefinite hiatus in 2007, it very well might never have happened. Thankfully, Corin Tucker, Janet Weiss and Carrie Brownstein — yes, Portlandia's Carrie Brownstein — are back for another round of blistering rock tracks infused with the spirit of the riot grrrl movement. Reunions might happen all the time, but this is no ordinary group or return. If you've listened to any of Sleater-Kinney's albums from their Aussie-made 22-minute, self-titled initial outing to their latest release, 2015's No Cities to Love, then no doubt you agree. And if you haven't, don't just take our word for it. TIME called them “America’s best rock band”, and Rolling Stone hailed them as “America’s best punk band ever", after all.
Brisbane's Young Franco should be on your one-to-watch list. Seriously. He's heading around Australia on his very first run of national headline shows to plug his brand new single 'Don't U Want Me', out via new Australian label Of Leisure. This young whippersnapper has been garnering interest from the likes of triple j and THUMP with his sophisticated, super catchy beats, hitting it out of the ballpark on his recent UK tour, Alison Wonderland tour support and huge Splendour set. 'Don't U Want Me' featuring Blair De Milo, will be sitting pretty on our playlists all spring and summer long. Heading around Australia this October and November, Young Franco will undoubtedly show off his latest EP Franco & Friends, a feature frenzy with the likes of KLP, Set Mo, Feki and De$ignated, his recent collab with Brisbane pal UV boi, and his Motez, Alison Wonderland and Peking Duk-approved debut EP Futurefunk.
Missed The Preatures on their huge sold-out 'Cruel' tour this spring? How'd you like to catch them live this summer, for free? The Sydney fivesome are gearing up for another national escapade, this time joining forces with Corona Extra for a huge free November tour. Locked in for 20 locations across the country, Corona Sunsets will see the Sydneysiders play unplugged shows everywhere from Bondi Beach's Bucket List to the Portsea Hotel. Kicking off in Yallingup, Western Australia on November 6, the tour will wind through some of The Preatures' favourite bars in WA, NSW and Queensland before finishing up in Victoria on the last weekend in November. Isabella Manfredi, Gideon Bensen, Jack Moffitt, Thomas Champion and Luke Davison will be careening through their 2014 debut album Blue Planet Eyes, from crowd favourite singles like 'Cruel', 'Somebody's Talking' and 'Is This How You Feel?' to lesser known album gems like 'Ordinary' and 'Whatever You Want'. Fingers crossed for a raucous pub singalong to The Preatures' go-to cover, The Angels' 'Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again'. All shows are free entry, over-18s only and it's first-in, best-dressed. If Corona Extra's previous free Australian tours, like Cloud Control, are anything to go by, you're going to want to get there pretty damn early. For details head to Corona's website. THE PREATURES' CORONA SUNSETS NSW TOUR DATES: November 13 Towradgi Beach Hotel, Towradgi, 8.30pm November 14 Watson’s Bay Hotel, Watsons Bay, 3.30pm Manly Wharf, Manly, 7.30pm November 15 The Bucket List, Bondi, 2.30pm Mona Vale Hotel, Mona Vale, 7.30pm November 22 Hotel Brunswick, Brunswick Heads, 8pm
Calling all creative ladies, this 'un-conference' is for you. A three-day "event for creative women, to learn from creative women", Make Nice is a brand new part of Vivid Ideas, featuring a super successful lineup of pioneering international and homegrown talent. Limited to 150 female attendees, Make Nice is a three-day creative event that isn't your regular conference format. Each presenter will offer practical advice for working in the creative industries, unpack the value of idea exchange and dialogue, and focus on the importance of genuine professional support. But they'll also be sitting next to you for the conference, learning from your ideas and having mad chats. Your ticket includes brekkie from Love Soup, opening eats and dinner by Flour and Stone, wine by Cake Wines, beer by Two Birds Brewing, the finest coffee and tea (and non-alcoholic cocktails) by Sensory Lab and T Totaler, and a goodie bag. Each attendee will be invited to a private online forum (along with the speakers) that will be active year round, connecting you to each other after the event and inviting you to future Make Nice events. MAKE NICE SCHEDULE Thursday, June 2 — Cake Wines Cellar Door 6-8pm: Opening night drinks and welcome Friday, June 3 — aMBUSH Project Space 9am - 4pm: Keynote presentations, panel discussions, round-table talks 6.30pm - 11pm: Dinner, drinks and dance party Saturday, June 4 — aMBUSH Project Space 9am - 4pm: Keynote presentations, panel discussions, round-table talks This is one of our top picks for Vivid Ideas events. Read the whole list and reboot your brain.
If you're ready to share a deep, dark, dirty secret that you've been harbouring your entire life, there's only one way to do it: on a stage, in front of a crowd. Well, that's the idea behind Confession Booth, anyway. After three years of dishing the dirt at Giant Dwarf and World Bar, Sydney's most debauched storytelling night has found a permanent home at Goodgod Small Club, not to mention a big shot podcast on ABC First Run. Confession Booth sees writers, musos, actors, comedians and all-round creative types spill the beans on their most embarrassing, outrageous and top-secret moments — all facilitated by ever charming hosts A.H. Cayley and Matt Roden. Check the Goodgod website or the Confession Booth Facebook page for the weekly lineup of brave, ready-to-confess humans. Previous confessors include Brendan Cowell, Tracey Spicer, Sarah Blasko, Osher Günsberg (Andrew G), Yumi Stynes, Benjamin Law, Nahji Chu, Rhys Muldoon, Wendy Zukerman, Michael Hing, Gen Fricker, Catcall, Rainbow Chan, Marcus Whale, Joyride, Levins, SPOD, Nick Coyle, Lewis Hobba, Nakkiah Lui, Oliver Mol, Annaliese Constable, Cameron James, Corey White and more. But it's not just a passive sharefest. If you've got a story you're dying to share, you can divulge during the audience confession segment — dig deep enough and you might find yourself carrying home a prize (probably booze and a significant weight off your shoulders). By Jasmine Crittenden and Shannon Connellan.
If you know of a better way to celebrate the first month of spring than a flurry of doughnuts, Black Star pastries and limited edition N2 gelato, we'd like to see it. Heralding the more flowery season of the year, Sydney CBD shopping and foodie hub The Galeries is throwing a little mini-festival, Spring Social, with installation art, musicians handpicked by FBi Radio and a handful of Sydney food and drink pop-ups. Picture a mini-marketplace of your favourite Sydney treats. There'll be eight pop-ups in total, including a Black Star Pastry and N2 Extreme Gelato dessert stand (dear sweet mother of god, what a team). Sydney's extreme baked good lovers Grumpy Donuts will be there, alongside a Lo-Tea stand by new Galeries resident Lotus Dumpling Bar, The Feather Tribe artisan homewares store, Yayoi sake barrel and tasting sessions, and a GIF photobooth. Yep, a GIF photobooth, allowing you to simultaneously enter the draw for a trip for two to Japan and hit it out of the ballpark for your social media presence. For spring bevs, The Arthouse will have their own pop-up bar with signature cocktails, and FBi Radio have selected some of their favourite bright new artists to perform while you're noshing and sloshing. And it wouldn't be a spring minifest without some pretty, pretty art to go around. Large scale art installation SKYBLOSSOM will take over the central void to launch the festival. Happy sprung. Spring Social is open Thursday to Sunday from 9am to 9pm. Image: Grumpy Donuts, Alana Dimou.
Sydney bass-boy and nationally-recognised cool guy Hayden James is bringing his massively popular techno musings to venues all over Australia. James only appeared on the scene in 2013, cropping up like most modern beat artists on exclusively online mediums like Soundcloud and YouTube, however it wasn't very long before he garnered quite the hefty fanbase. International touring schedules ensued, landing his precise, near-minimalistic take on hard hitting beats, summery harmonies and techno bass in front of thousands of dancing fans. James has spent the formative portion of the last few months touring the US and Europe, and following a brief stop over in Singapore, Seoul, Hong Kong, Jakarta and Bali will be bringing his Just a Lover tour to Aussie shores. Starting at Brisbane's Triffid on August 26, then onto Max Watts in Melbourne for August 27, he'll spend September 2 at Perth's Villa Nightclub, September 10 at the Fat Controller in Adelaide, before a final blowout in his hometown Sydney, at the Metro Theatre. Supported by Dena Amy.
Promising a whimsical new take on Shakespeare's love triangle-fuelled, shipwrecked comedy, Belvoir's production of Twelfth Night or What You Will marks the return of Keith Robinson to the stage after nearly ten years, alongside the Belvoir debut of Neighbours star Nikki Shiels. They join a large cast of veteran Belvoir performers including Peter Carroll (The Great Fire, Seventeen), Amber McMahon (Angels in America) and John Howard (Ivanov). Director (and Belvoir's current artistic director) Eamon Flack's gender-blind casting sees an even split between female and male actors, with McMahon and Emele Ugavule portraying Sebastian and Antonio respectively. This plays on the themes of gender and mistaken identity already in the play, as Shiels' character Viola disguises herself as a man called Cesario throughout. This is the first Shakespearean production by the theatre since the introduction of Flack as new artistic director. He's previously directed the Shakespearean comedy As You Like It for Belvoir in 2011, as well as Helpmann Award-winning productions of The Glass Menagerie and Angels in America. Image: Brett Boardman.
We've all got one. But we don't always feel brave enough to admit it. You know what I'm talking about: a conspiracy theory. A secret, maybe crazy, but more likely plausible, conviction that the CIA killed Princess Diana, Lizard People are running the White House, Elvis Presley is still alive and no one's ever, actually, really, truly set foot on the moon (except for David Bowie). Since July 2015, Giant Dwarf has been providing Sydney's conspiracy theorists with a monthly opportunity to let loose. With comedians Cyrus Bezyan (RAW Comedy National Finalist, ABC Fresh Blood) and Jack Gow (Sydney Comedy Festival, Break Out Comedy Showcase 2015, two-time The Moth StorySLAM winner) as your skivvy-wearing hosts, Conspiracy Theories sees a bunch of panelists spill the beans on who, in their opinion, really runs the world. The event's seventh edition, coming up on Tuesday, February 23, will feature Eddie Sharp (Versus on FBi, Erotic Fan Fiction), Kate Coates (iTS – Improv Theatre Sydney), Kara Eva Schlegl (SBS Comedy), and Alex Wilson (sleepmakeswaves).
If you're planning on spending this gig mildly toe-tapping, you might want to wait in the car. Sydney's long-labouring beatsmiths Hermitude have their newest album already sitting pretty on playlists Australia-wide — and another national tour ready to bust a few hard-dancing ligaments. Start stretching y'all. Luke Dubber (Luke Dubs) and Angus Stuart (El Gusto) have plenty to celebrate on this national tour. After nabbing the Australian Music Prize in 2012 for their straight-up killer album HyperParadise, they're riding a sweet wave of toastworthy accolades surrounding their 2015 Dark Night Sweet Light. The LP debuted at #1 on the ARIA chart (a first for Hermitude's label Elefant Traks) and has been featured as album of the week on FBi and triple j, alongside serious airplay for lead single 'The Buzz'. So it goes without saying, you're going to have to get in quick for a ticket to this show. The lads have come a long way from their early days of performing entire shows dressed as neanderthals with their decks covered in vines (actual thing), but the bombastic energy and unpredictable live instrumentation of Hermitude's live shows remains an unmissable combination for longtime fans and newcomers like. Do yourself a favour and don't read the tweets the next day, get to this show.
Dark and debaucherous banquets from Bompas and Parr, immersive art sleepovers at Cradle Mountain and all the demon purging and ceremonial death dances you could want in a festival. Dark Mofo is back for 2015. Centred around the winter solstice and running June 12-22, MONA's annual June festival celebrates the Neolithic-started tradition over ten days of weird and wonderful art, performance, music and happenings around Hobart. Last year's festival attracted more than 130,000 Mofos, and with this year's lineup, they're looking at a lot more pilgrims. Coinciding with MONA's huge Marina Abramovic retrospective Private Archaeology, this year's Dark Mofo is deeper, creepier and darker than ever before — with art, food, music and performance pioneered by 250 artists from around the world. For one of the biggest events of the festival, the brave and adventurous at heart will want to lock in June 15-17 for a two-night immersive art experience sleepover within Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. That's right. Immersive art sleepover. It's called Wild At Heart and is curated by the Unconscious Collective (Motel Dreaming). British jellymongers and universally applauded food artists Bompas and Parr are hosting a full-on, debaucherous banquet. Huge. And Melbourne contemporary artist Ash Keating will open an exhibition called Remote Nature Response as part of the whole WAH shebang. Music-wise, Dark Mofo is as brooding and gloomy as ever at Hobart's historic Odeon Theatre, with already-leaked, heartbreaking headliners Antony and the Johnsons leading the charge with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. British art-pop collective The Irrepressibles are also locked in, alongside Arkansas experts in doom metal Pallbearer. Seattle's 'horror-country' rocker King Dude will be there, as well as German industrial dance outfit Oake. There's plenty of Australians in the bunch too, from The Drones' brooding folkster Gareth Liddiard to Melbourne's '60s-inspired crooner Brous and performance vocalist Kusum Normoyle, modern day Divinyls-like Sydneysiders The Preatures, Hobart's eclectic pop group Tiger Choir and Melburnian chillwave must-see Klo. Also hailing from Melbourne, gloomy electronica artist Jake Blood and frenetic rock outfit My Disco. Then there’s Japan's electro-conducting EYE, who will be premiering new work CIRCOM, especially for Dark Mofo, presented by Red Bull Music Academy. Immersive art and experimental theatre fans, you'rve got plenty to look forward to. Dark Mofo set to unveil a brand new festival precinct dubbed 'Dark Park' at Hobart's Macquarie Point. Huge public artworks will invade the park, from a high-octane Fire Organ by German chemo-acoustic engineer Bastiaan Maris with producer Duckpond, to a Night Ship cruising around the river, and a full-body sonic massage immersion of Bass Bath by Melbourne’s Byron J. Scullin in collaboration with Supple Fox. Virginia Woolf’s Orlando will be performed by Victoria’s THE RABBLE theatre company at the Theatre Royal (Australia’s oldest theatre) and you'll find a dark take on Roald Dahl's The Witches at Salamanca Arts Centre’s Peacock Theatre. Plus, you won't want to miss Dark Mofo's new late-night ceremonial death dance Blacklist curated by Supple Fox. We don't even know what that means. Those keen to lose themself in a dark, dark cinema have plenty of Nordic dark folkloric films to sink their teeth into. North Hobart’s century-old State Cinema is presenting a super niche series featuring A Second Chance, A Spell to Ward off the Darkness, Down Terrace, A Field in England, Partisan, Severed Ways: The Norse Discovery of America, Valhalla Rising and more, curated Nick Batzias and James Hewison. Dark Mofo Films will also see the red carpet world premiere of Tasmanian-filmed Foxtel adult drama series The Kettering Incident at the Odeon. Last but not least, we feast. Dark Mofo's annual bacchinalian food festival returns to Princes Wharf Shed 1 — the ever-anticipated Winter Feast. Guest chefs Jake Kellie, Martin Boetz, Sean Moran, Mike McEnearney and O Tama Carey and the Mona Source restaurant team head five nights of feasting and performance, culminating in a Balinese ogoh-ogoh parade to purge all those demons and burn all those fears. Really. Then there's the annual Nude Solstice Swim — nothing like an early morning swim in Tasmanian water to cure your Mofo hangover. Dark Mofo runs June 12-22 in various locations across Hobart, Tasmania. Tickets are on sale from 10am Monday, April 20 from here. Registration for tickets for Antony and the Johnsons with the TSO over here. Images: Beth Evans, Matt Glastonbury.
As governments around the world continue to drag their feet resettling refugees fleeing the Syrian conflict — which has entered its ninth year — it falls once more to the non-political professions to show the government where the hands go on the humanitarian clock. This time, it's hospitality's turn. On Monday, August 12, UNICEF Australia will once again partner with some of the country's best chefs for a charity dinner celebrating Syria's strong culinary traditions. The dinner is part of nationwide fundraising campaign called #CookForSyria, with money raised going to UNICEF Australia's Syria Crisis Appeal for Children. Surry Hills' Nomad will host the posse of gastronomers as they prepare a banquet comprising their signature dishes with a Syrian flourishes. And this year, the all-star lineup of chefs, sommeliers and front-of-house staff is also all female. Saint Peter's Julie Niland, Palisa Anderson from Chat Thai, Isabelle Caulfield from Poly, Shannon Martinez from Melbourne's Smith & Daughters, Icebergs' Jaci Koludrovic, Claire Van Vuuren from Bloodwood and Nomad's own Jacqui Challinor are just some of the big names you'll see in the kitchen. Tickets are a steep $295 per person — but, remember, it's all going to a good cause — and include a four-course Syrian feast and matching wines, chosen by two top female sommeliers: Sixpenny's Bridget Raffal and wine consultant Samantha Payne. Expect service to be at the top of its game, too, as Momofuku Seiobo's Kylie Javier Ashton and Nikki Friedl from Africola will be running things on the floor. It may seem on the surface like you're paying for the food, but 14 professional chefs jammed into a single kitchen also suggests a night of great theatre. While the top guns will have their turn on August 12, UNICEF Australia is encouraging anyone with passing knowledge of an oven to contribute throughout August and September, too. Restaurants and cafes can produce a limited edition Syrian versions of favourite dish, donating $5 from each one sold to the charity. For those who deal in culinary delight on a slightly smaller scale, bake sales are your recommended course. While you're waiting for the oven to pre-heat, you can read more and register here. To reserve your spot at the one-off dinner, make a reservation via the Nomad website. Image: Nikki To
Charge the flux capacitor, folks. With 2020 marking 35 years since the first film in the trilogy hit cinemas, the Hayden Orpheum is taking audiences Back to the Future. On Sunday, February 9, the venue will screen all three parts of Robert Zemeckis's iconic time travel trilogy for the bargain basement ticket price of just $20. The evening begins, as you'd expect, with the original Back to the Future — one of the greatest movies to come out of the 80s, and one of the most entertaining time travel movies ever made. You'll then get a glimpse of what was once the far-distant future but is now our recent past, with Part II set in 2015. (Seriously, aren't we all meant to be riding around on hoverboards by now?) Poor predictions aside, Part Two is a seriously underrated flick — the rare sort of sequel that actually enhances your enjoyment of the first film. The same can't quite be said of Part III, although if you can make it past the whole Wild West shtick, it's still pretty entertaining.
The Abercrombie is back! The storied corner pub and haven of electronic music is reopening in December thanks to Solotel who will be reviving the Ultimo venue, reintroducing its packed dance floors and 24-hour license to Sydney's nightlife. Swinging open its doors once again right at the end of 2022 means the venue has to throw a huge New Year's Eve event, and it's recruited one of Sydney's biggest party crews to send off the year. Motorik will be taking over the venue on Saturday, December 31, pulling together a stacked lineup of DJs for this eight-hour party that's set to kick on until the early hours of 2023. In a move that throws back to the glory days of The Abercrombie, heading up this program of musical tastemakers will be Germany's house and dubstep trailblazer Boys Noize. One of the stars of the late-2000s and early 2010s DJ scene, Boys Noize will be hitting the decks from 1.30am until late. In support will be Clashe, Francis Xavier, DJ Macaroni, Mclean & Mai, the Motorik Vibe Council and FBi Radio's Reenie. While you're at the revamped Abercrombie, you can explore the two new spaces opening as part of its reopening transformation. Head upstairs and you'll discover a sleek cocktail lounge and rooftop bar called Casa Rosa, or discover Lil Sis, a cosy wine bar and bottle shop located in the adjoining terraces next to the pub. The first release is sold out, but final release tickets are available for $49. Images: Shane McCauley
Looking for a last minute excuse to skip town this weekend? Get your motor running, get out on the highway and get going to Mudgee. You'll be joining thousands of visitors as they converge on the wine-loving country town, to indulge in its first-ever Food and Drink Trail. All weekend, you'll be matching Chardonnays with cheeses, and Shirazes with dishes-beginning-with-sh, as you wander from one stop to another. There are no fewer than fifteen stops on the itinerary, including Alby + Esthers, Baker Williams Distillery, Burnbrae, di Lusso Estate, Elton's + Blue Wren, Huntington Estate, Lowe Wines, Moothi Estate and Short Sheep Micro-Winery. If you're wondering what to expect, check out our Weekender's Guide to Mudgee. What's more, your food and wine will be coming at you at way-cheaper-than-Sydney prices. Just 40 bucks will buy you a 'trail pass', consisting of five vouchers, each of which gets you a sample of local wine, beer, spirit or other beverage, along with a matching, regionally-inspired small dish. And there's no stopping you: buy as many trail passes and make as much merriment as you like, all weekend long. As long as you're having a good ol' time, Mudgee won't judge.
Although Potts Point locals were saddened by the sudden closure of Bourke Street Bakery, a brand new all-day eatery should lift a few spirits. The folks behind Redfern's Moon Park, which closed in September 2016, will be opening their anticipated new venue, Paper Bird, on Monday, July 31, with Korean, Japanese and Chinese spins on breakfast, lunch and dinner. Initially, Paper Bird will open for breakfast and lunch only (Monday to Friday 7am-3pm, Saturday to Sunday 8am-3pm), and will not be taking bookings for breakfast and lunch. "The breakfast dishes will be familiar, but with an Asian twist," says Ned Brooks, who co-owns the eatery with head chefs Ben Sears and Eun Hee An. "Singapore barbecue bacon, smashed avo and eggs on toast with dried fish, toasted muesli and persimmon ... It's often about swapping one European ingredient with an Asian one." A friendly nod to former tenants, Paper Bird will be serving Bourke Street Bakery sourdough, rye, potato bread and croissants for brekkie, and they'll be doing all-day Xi'an cumin lamb sausage rolls with cumin and black vinegar. They're also serving up breakfast bao, bagels with smoked trout zuke and floss, and 'King's Congee' with rice and milk porridge, crab corn and doughnut chips. Doughnut chips. If you've been missing that Moon Park fried chicken, you'll soon be scoffing it again on a fried chicken and bacon muffin called 'The Big Bird', or as an all-day snack — five pieces of shrimp brined fried chicken with soy and syrup will set you back $25. The all-day lunch and dinner menu will see plenty of curious offerings including Chongqing popcorn, bocconcini kushiage, menbosha (that's a prawn toast sandwich), crispy scallion pancakes, Japanese cheesecake with preserved cumquat, sweet potato doughnuts with date ice cream, and milk bingsu with anglaise and yuzu curd. And that's just your first visit with one buddy. Don't look at us. On the drinks menu, you'll find about 100 wines, with 20 or so available by the glass. Brooks, who'll be running the bar, says, "Around 50 percent are Australian and 50 percent international, from France, Italy, Spain and America." There's also a high-end sake list, a bunch of beers and cocktails. Single Origin will be taking care of the coffee. Going against Sydney's current obsession with guttings and renovations, the team hasn't torn the site apart. "The fitout is already lovely," Brooks says. "It was made by craftsmen and we don't want to touch it too much. We don't want to see a beautiful bar top and dark wooden banquettes get ripped out and turned into landfill ... Sydney is an expensive city, but people still want to go out to drink and eat. One way to reduce prices is to spend less money on renovations." Designed in collaboration with Phillip Arnold of Plus Minus Design, the space offers indoor seating for about 60, including 10 spots at the bar, plus 15 places outside. Paper Bird will confirm a start date for dinners soon, and reservations will be available only through the website. Paper Bird will open Monday, July 31at 46A Macleay Street (enter via Crick Avenue). Opening hours will be Monday to Saturday 7am–midnight, Sunday 8am–3pm. By Jasmine Crittenden and Shannon Connellan. Image: Nikki To.
Sydney's Angel Place is pretty well populated with high-end restaurants these days, with Long Chim and Mercado joining China Lane and the Merivale-encircled cornucopia last year. The CBD laneway hub will soon joined by a new Italian restaurant that boasts freshly-baked panini and pastries, handmade pastas, locally-sourced produce and two serious chefs. Bacco Osteria e Espresso is the first city collaboration between executive chef Andrew Cibej and head chef Scott Williams, both of whom hail from Surry Hills stalwarts Vini, 121BC, Berta and Chippendale's Ester. Various owners of China Doll, China Lane and Mercado are also all involved. Designed by Anthony Gill Architects, the team responsible for the chefs' aforementioned venues, Bacco will open as a trattoria-style restaurant and espresso bar. An earthy, olive colour palette dominates the interiors, and unifying wooden finishes gives off a warm, intimate feel. The team have also imported all of their cooking equipment from Italy, so expect a highly particular menu. Bacco's espresso bar opened mid-May, launching with a front window that turns out Little Marionette coffee and Bacco's house-baked breads, pastries and paninis, the latter of which include porchetta and pickles and vitello tonnato varieties. The team are also offering up pizza-by-the-slice, making them our personal inner-city heroes. The trattoria-style restaurant section will open next Monday, May 29, and focus on rustic, yet polished Italian fare — think goat ragù strozzapreti and spaghetti with sea urchin, along with handmade gnocchi in a pistachio and pecorino sauce, made by Cibej's nonna no less. The decadent antipasti will offer dry-aged lamb tartare with whipped anchovy and smoked swordfish with kohlrabi and apple, and dessert includes house-baked ricotta cheesecake. The extensive wine list has been curated by Clint Hillery (sommelier for China Doll Group) and features over 70 local and imported wines across Italian and New South Wales varietals. Overall, the team is going for an unpretentious, casual vibe. Bacco Osteria e Espresso is located 1 Angel Place, Sydney. The espresso bar is now open Monday through Friday from 7am until late and the restaurant is opening on May 29, with opening hours on Monday through Friday from noon until 10pm and Saturday from noon until midnight.
Beloved Sydney winery Cake Wines is shaking things up after a string of secret pop-up parties, moving into more grown-up, sit-down territory this time. Cake is launching a series of 'community feasts', taking place on select Saturdays through November and December. The feasts will bring hungry Sydneysiders together with chefs, producers and winemakers for a series of communal lunches and dinners. Each feast will be held in a different community garden or farmers market, starting with St Helen's Community Garden in Glebe on November 7. For the inaugural feast, chef Richie Dolan from Chiswick will join Cake Wines' head winemaker Sarah Burvill and garden manager Jock Keane to deliver a bespoke menu made with produce grown in the St Helen's Garden, with the food specially matched with a wine from Cake's 2014 and 2015 vintage releases. "This is a chance to prioritise the importance of real community, the gardens and the food they can provide, and of course, the wines that go along with that," says Burvill. "I’m really excited about working closely with the gardeners and chefs to understand the range of produce and food that will be on offer so I can match the wines accordingly and make this a really special experience." Future feasts will be held at the Ultimo Community Garden with Thievery head chef Jordan Muhamad on November 21; the Carriageworks Farmers Market with chef and creative director Mike McEnearney on December 5; 107 Project's Rooftop Garden with Redfern Continental chef Bobby Fry on December 12; and Charlie's Garden in Redfern with Hartsyard head chef Gregory Llewellyn on December 19. Each event will host around 120 guests over two sittings, with lunch sessions commencing at 12.30pm and dinner sessions commencing at 4.30pm. Tickets cost $120 a head and include food as well as a matched Cake Wines and James Squire beer option. Best of all, a portion of wine sales will be donated back to the host garden. To book your ticket, go here. https://vimeo.com/142993326
One of Queensland's top chefs is making his mark on Sydney, at the helm of a new gourmet venture on College Street near Hyde Park. Opening this week, The Resident is owned by the same foodies behind Lotus Dumpling Bar, but don't expect Chinese food here. Instead you'll find a mix of Spanish and Mediterranean morsels, served up under the watchful eyes of Pablo Tordesillas. Tordesillas is best known as the head chef at Ortiga, which prior to its closure was one of the most celebrated Spanish eateries in Brisbane. At The Resident, he'll serve up a small but sophisticated menu that combines tapas-style snacks and salads with mains cooked over a charcoal grill. You might start with a number of small plates – think fried cuttlefish with egg and potato, and mussels with lemon myrtle, artichoke and dill – before working your way up to lamp rump with turnip and rapini sauce, or octopus with ajo blanco, sumac and grapes. If you're really hungry, you could even try tackling their 1kg dry aged rib eye. At $95 it's not exactly cheap, but then again, this is a kilo of steak we're talking about here. Just make sure you leave room to sample their selection of sweets and cheeses. Personally, we've got our eye on the rum baba with quince, lemon balm and almond cream. Find The Resident at 18 College Street, Darlinghurst. For more information visit The Resident's website.
If you were to name a New Year's Eve special edition brewski, what would it be? This was the hectic face-melter of a question we asked you guys a few weeks back, when Young Henrys announced the search for a name for their special edition beer, made especially for the upcoming epic NYE Above the Harbour event. Young Henrys are only making 20 kegs of this special brew, available to everyone with tickets to NYE Above the Harbour. A light, summery fruity pale ale brewed especially for the night with Australian malts, Antipodean hops from NZ, and later dry hopped with Aussie varieties like Galaxy, the beer will only be available for ticketholders. We had hundreds of entries to name the beer, so many name possibilities for the midnight brew — some awesome, some wildly questionable. And the winner is? Broken Resolutions. Nice one, Grant Seylhouwer, y'massive realist. "It's estimated that only eight percent of resolutions are successful, so why kid yourself. Break your resolution pre-NYE with a cold Young Henrys' 'Broken Resolution' Beer." Dammit, he's so right. Grant's taking home a case of Young Henrys tinnies and a double pass to the event because he hit the nail on the head. Luckily, if you're keen to try the brew, the general admission tickets are still on sale — the VIP tix have sold out, soz. New Years Eve Above the Harbour is happening at Tarpeian Way, The Domain on December 31 from 6pm – 12.30am (doors open 5.30pm). Capacity is strictly limited so book your tickets here.
Things are looking dicey for the future of Australia's creative industry. Devastating budget cuts courtesy of the federal government can often have that effect. The latest casualty is Paddington's film, television and digital media training organisation Metro Screen, which yesterday announced that it will cease operations at the end of the year after failing to secure the necessary funding. "Every effort has been made by Metro Screen to secure additional funding but to no avail," read a statement by Kath Shelper, chair of the Metro Screen Board, which was posted on the organisation's website. "We need to be responsible to our staff and ensure we are able to meet our obligations to them, and therefore it is with regret that the Board has made the decision to close Metro Screen in December 2015." First established in 1981 with funding from the (now defunct) Australian Film Commission, Metro Screen has for decades helped emerging screen practitioners by providing training, equipment and funding assistance. In recent times, the not-for-profit organisation has operated with the aid of a $240,000 grant from Screen Australia, but that money will dry up at the end of the year. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Screen Australia is itself expected to lose $3.6 million in federal funding over the next four years. According to Metro Screen CEO Christian Alvarez, the Metro Board had hoped to secure around $750,000 in new projects to help cover the loss, but admitted that while they had successfully secured "some significant high profile projects in the past 12 months, unfortunately the target has not been met." Current Metro Screen programs and classes are expected to continue as normal until the organisation closes its doors in December.
As far as food and drink matches go, the combination of messy Buffalo wings and an ice cold can of beer is one for the ages. And yet, only now has this classic duo spawned a Sydney restaurant of its own, with best mates Anthony MacFarlane and Alfredo Perez set to open the doors to their Darlinghurst joint, Wings and Tins, this weekend. To make up for lost time, the boys are going hard on the concept — an assortment of wing varieties decked out with house-made sauces, seven styles of fries, and an enormous lineup of tinnies ranging from local craft brews to foreign favourites. As the kitchen flexes its creative muscles, there'll be new wings specials unleashed each week, kicking off with nine types of wings including this beauty: a double fried, bacon-wrapped wing, served on a waffle with hot sauce, maple syrup and lime aioli. Regular offerings run the gamut from smoky chipotle barbecue wings, to a blackberry and brown sugar version. And, if you fancy playing with fire, there's the T-bone's Doom Juice wings, doused in a sauce made from Carolina Reaper chillies. Down a whole serve to get your mug on the wall of fame, or order the Russian Roulette, where one of these mouth-burners is secretly stashed amongst a basket of regular wings. As for the space, Perez and MacFarlane have taken over the former digs of Darlinghurst's No Name, decking it out with a series of cosy booths, each one complete with a can-crusher and its own theme. Spend the evening chowing down on wings and slamming cans, in a seat styled like a vintage Swedish ski cabin. Wings and Tins opens this Saturday, August 26, at 2 Chapel Street, Darlinghurst.
If you'd lived in Sydney 100 years ago, the Queen Victoria Building would've been your go-to farmers' market. Local growers and makers would pour in, peddling fresh produce, groceries and textiles. To celebrate this delicious history, the QVB has decided to host a pop-up foodie market this August. For five tasty, tasty days between Wednesday, August 3 and Sunday, August 7, a crowd of Sydney's favourite providores will take over the building's first floor. You'll be able to wander from stall to stall, browsing, sampling and deciding which morsels to take home. If dairy is your weakness, get into Pepe Saya's perfectly creamy, cultured butter, which will be sold alongside a stack of artisanal breads. Also delivering on the freshly-baked front will be Sonoma, with their 36-hour-made sourdough. Meanwhile, Salt Meats Cheese will be serving up a truffled mushroom toastie filled with provolone, cheddar, mozzarella and truffled mushrooms. Once that's done and dusted, move onto Vanto's Naples-style wood-fired pizza. Next up is dessert. There'll be no shortage of choice for sweet tooths, with Nutorious selling caramelised nuts and popcorn prepared in an old-school copper barrel, Spoon and Fork offering a selection of too-good-looking-to-eat cakes and biscuits, Koko Black taking care of chocoholics and Doughnut Time presenting a new, QVB-inspired creation. Wash it all down with a coffee from Kikko Cafe and pick up a bunch of Mr Cook flowers on the way out. The QVB Marketplace will open 10am-4pm, from Wednesday 3 to Sunday 7 August. On the Thursday, opening hours will extend to 7pm. Image: Pepe Saya.
