Since opening in 2015, Precinct 75 in St Peters has become a mecca for Sydney creatives, offering various food outlets, design showrooms, monthly markets and even its own micro-brewery. Now, the precinct is playing host to a huge design-focused pop-up. From April 20-22, an immense array of businesses will hold stalls to show off their wares within Precinct 75. Popular brands such as eyewear label Bailey Nelson, luxury leather purveyors The Horse and Byron Bay Hanging Chairs will be there, alongside smaller scale companies like Turkish textile makers Atolyia and printing studio Quercus & Co. With a focus on handmade and one-off pieces, the pop-up is the perfect opportunity to purchase a thoughtful gift for a friend, or treat yourself to some unique accessories and homewares. Saturday's pop-up will coincide with Precinct 75's monthly community markets, so you can kill two birds with one stone and dedicate a whole day to designer goodies, delightful vintage clothing, antiques and artisanal wares. Precinct 75 Design Pop-Up will take place on Thursday, April 20 from 2pm - 8pm, Friday, April 20 from 10am - 6pm and Saturday, April 21 from 9am - 3pm.
Winter's almost done with its chilly bullshit, but before you can pack away your woolies just yet, Sydney's cooking up some serious comfort food that's much better enjoyed in the crisp, colder weather. There's a handful of deliciously food-focused events happening this week, so we thought we'd put them all on one table for you. Pick one course, or make a degustation of them all. Or you could just go and inhale some popcorn watching Sausage Party. Your choice. By the Concrete Playground team.
Allergic to the multiplex? Couldn't care less if the latest superhero film is any good? Keen to get your cinema kicks watching flicks that won't turn up anywhere else in Sydney? If you answered yes to any of the above, then you probably already know that the 2016 Sydney Underground Film Festival is just around the corner. What you mightn't know just yet is just what dark and delicious film delights its 10th anniversary program holds. The short answer: plenty. The slightly longer answer: where do we start? Whether you're after sequels to cult hits, remastered trash, docos about critical filmmakers or just a whole lot of movie mayhem and madness in between, you'll find it at The Factory in Marrickville from September 15 to 18 — as well as Sydney's first chance to experience a Saturday Morning All-You-Can-Eat Cereal Cartoon Party. Of course, SUFF wouldn't be the weird and wonderful alternative cinema celebration that cinephiles know and love without kicking off with something that'll get tongues wagging — or tails, actually. Whether you're a fan of Todd Solondz's 1995 effort Welcome to the Dollhouse, an aficionado of sausage-like pooches or fond of Greta Gerwig, you'll want to check out Sundance hit Wiener-Dog. Just remember that there'll be dachshunds and dark comedy. At the other end of the fest, SUFF closes in the only way it can courtesy of none other than John Waters. When festival directors Katherine Berger and Stefan Popescu heard that Multiple Maniacs had been restored and re-released, they couldn't resist. A camp comedy of extreme perversions set in a travelling sideshow — now that's how you close an underground film fest. Speaking of seminal filmmakers, Waters isn't the only great auteur in SUFF's sights. Check out the Noah Baumbach-directed documentary De Palma, as well as a 40th anniversary screening of his horror classic Carrie. Or, if Richard Linklater is more your style, Dream is Destiny will step you through his career. A 25th anniversary session of David Cronenberg's Naked Lunch keeps the big names coming, as does Sion Sono's latest over-the-top effort, The Virgin Psychics. As far as the latter's concerned, we're guessing the title says it all. Elsewhere, eager viewers can indulge their love of out-there fare courtesy of Turkey's Baskin, meme-focused doc Beware the Slenderman, and the Christopher Lloyd-starring I Am Not A Serial Killer, just to name a few. British monster comedy Aaaaaaaah! features The Mighty Boosh's Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding, while Anti-Birth follows the hard-partying Natasha Lyonne and Chloë Sevigny as they cope with a mysterious pregnancy. Or, enjoy the brightest-coloured witch movie you'll ever see, aka The Love Witch, or throw cutlery at the screen during The Room-focused tribute Room Full of Spoons. And yes, there's more in store across the complete four-day lineup. You know where to find us come mid-September. The Sydney Underground Film Festival runs from September 15 to 18. To view the full SUFF 2015 program, or to buy tickets, visit the festival website.
Hot fried chicken has been walking out the door down at Barangaroo since Belles Hot Chicken set up their wildly popular pop-up in November 2015 — 1000 kilograms of chicken weekly, apparently. And now, hot on the heels of opening their 130-seat permanent eatery in South Barangaroo, Belles will today open their second Sydney venue at the brand new Tramsheds Harold Park. If you haven't been to Tramsheds yet, here's a handy rundown of everything you can eat there. It's a lot. And, just to add more indecision to the overwhelming gastronomic offering, from today — Friday, October 14 — Belles will also operate at the Forest Lodge foodie precinct. While most vendors — which includes Butcher and the Farmer, Garçon by The Little Marionette guys, Tokyo Bird's Osaka Trading Co., Messina and Bodega, amongst others — opened last month, Belles needed a little more time to get set up. From midday Belles will serve up their signature hot chicken in a new 85-seat eatery. Co-owners Morgan McGlone and Miranda Campbell have expanded the menu to include their hot chicken sandwich and hot fish sandwich. You might have already snacked on Belles' fried Portobello mushrooms, crinkle cut chips, three bean salad, and you've probably dug into a personal serving of their signature chicken wings, lovingly laden with different levels of spiciness: southern, medium, hot, really hot, or really f**kin hot (and don't forget All The Sauces, from peach barbecue to the Mississippi Comeback). Picked the really f**kin hot wings? Put out the fire with a glass of natural wine, something Belles has championed since opening in Melbourne. Or just move along to one of the other bars in the Tramsheds space — we recommend Garçon for an espresso martini or Osaka Trading Co. for a gin yuzu cocktail. Belles Hot Chicken Tramsheds will open at noon on Friday, October 14 at Tramsheds Harold Park. For more info, visit belleshotchicken.com. By Lauren Vadnjal and Shannon Connellan.
November across Sydney galleries is all about iconic contemporary artists — from the Robert Mapplethorpe show at AGNSW, to 17 years of Tracey Moffatt's video montages at Casula Powerhouse, to the hotly anticipated Pipilotti Rist exhibition finally bursting into the MCA. Photography fans should prepare for a busy month — aside from the epic Mapplethorpe retrospective you've got Project Banaba at Carriageworks and Barbara McGrady at ACP. Punters can also step back into 17th century Netherlands with Rembrandt and the Dutch Golden Age. And, for those more interested in the artistic icons of the future, NAS unleashes their emerging talent-to-watch at this month's postgraduate exhibition. Image: Pipilotti Rist, 4th Floor to Mildness, 2016, installation view, MCA, 2017 © the artist, photo: Ken Leanfore.
Sydney dessert monarch Katherine Sabbath has teamed up with Waterloo cafe Devon on Danks for the ultimate Halloween treat. On Saturday, October 31, the high school teacher turned Instagram celeb will unveil her new dish on the Devon all-day menu: a dessert/brunch mashup with a terrifying twist. Because let's face it. We may act as though Halloween is all about ghosts and monsters. But the real appeal of the holiday has always been the sweets. Available for one month only, Sabbath's Frankenstein creation features spiced pumpkin bread, coconut foam and a pumpkin custard egg, a purple 'witch ball' of taro ice cream, and an anthill of speculus crumble and edible ants, as well as splatters of raspberry blood and green pandan slime. It's selling for $18 and will be worth every Instagram like you get. Customers will also get the chance to meet Sabbath and pick her brain at the dishes launch on Halloween day between 8am and 3pm.
Marrickville ceramics studio Clay Sydney has brought its super-popular classes online, so you can stay entertained (and get a little creative) while you're spending more time inside. The studio's resident ceramicists are running a host of classes virtually, including wine and cheese nights on Fridays and Saturdays (BYO wine and cheese), planter party and mugs and mimosas classes on Saturdays at 1.30pm, and jewellery making on Wednesday nights. There are also a heap of classes for littl'uns, too. Online classes work like this: sign up and the studio will courier you clay and tools within 48 hours; watch the webinar at the scheduled time, chat to the tutors and make your creation; drop your work off at the no-contact spot outside the Marrickville studio; the team will fire it; and you'll be able to pick it up from the no-contact pick-up point. If you aren't able to attend the interactive class at the scheduled time, no stress. You can watch the webinar at a later date (as many times as you want) or follow along using one of the cheat sheets. Classes will set you back just $55, which includes all the gear you need and firing.
Jimmy Hurlston, the burger fiend you know and love from Jimmy's Burgers and Collingwood's famous tram car nosh spot Easey's, is poised to take down Sydney and win hearts with his burgers. Hurlston has announced that come late April, his new venture, Guilty, will be opening in Darlinghurst. As well as bringing his Insta-famous burgs with him, Hurlston has suggested the new eatery, located in the Republic 2 complex, will encompass a broader American/South American-themed menu as well, including hot dogs and champagne. Guilty will be repping its hometown and showing off a range of Melbourne brewed beers on tap. No word yet on whether there'll include a genuine Melbourne tram car set up though. Sydney better ready itself because Hurlston has some ambitious ideas about burgers. An Easey's speciality, for the uninitiated, is the addition of creamy mac and cheese to an already towering burger. And the vegetarian option? Forget eggplant and grilled giant mushrooms, your burger pattie will be replaced with a crunchy potato cake. Jimmy Hurlston's burger creations are not for the weak of heart. Via Good Food. Images: Easey's. Guilty is slated to open late April on Burton Street in Darlinghurst.
On the morning of the launch of Vivid 2018, Fratelli Fresh is opening an emporium at Darling Harbour. The epic space will offer, well, everything — from Mecca coffee and Sonoma baked treats, to Neapolitan pizza and tiramasu, to masterclasses and $5 happy hour negronis. If you've time to hang around, claim a table in the waterfront beer garden that's dotted with citrus and olive trees. If not, grab some pasta and run. There'll be room for more than 550 diners and drinkers in the light-filled 1100-square-metre venue, which you'll find opposite the Chinese Gardens. It's split into a bunch of spaces, each of which is dedicated to various dining styles, cooking stations and bars. There's also an adult-friendly games corner, where you can play ping pong, jenga, shuffleboard and foosball. As usual, Fratelli's classic red and white Italian aesthetics apply. The menu features both Aussie producers, including Vannella Cheese and Salumi Australia, and world-famous Italian brands, like Baci chocolate and Campari. Feast your way through pizzas, pastas, salads and rotisserie meats before hitting the dessert bar, loaded with tiramisu, tortas, panna cotta, biscotti, sfogliatella (a filled pastry from Campania), hand-made truffles, chocolate bars, cannoli and gelato. On Tuesdays, it's time for all-you-can-eat pizza and, on Thursdays, for $20 endless antipasti boards. In the on-site vinoteca you can explore more than 80 Australian and Italian drops. Otherwise, choose from the by-the-glass wine list or from a bunch of Goose Island (US) craft beers. There's also an entire bar devoted to Campari, which will offer a whopping seven spritzes and six negronis on-tap. To celebrate the opening, Fratelli is giving away KeepCups to the first 2500 coffee customers, which will then get you $1 coffees for the following 30 days and $2.50 coffees thereafter. Useful if you work in the area. Moreover, anyone buying brekkie during the first 30 days will also score one-buck coffee (the blend used is roasted specifically for Fratelli by Mecca). The emporium opens tomorrow morning with a bunch of launch weekend happenings, including live music and free tastings by Mecca, Sonoma, Vannella Cheese, Ross Hill Wines, Campari and Goose Island. After that, keep an eye on the calendar for masterclasses, workshops and gastronomic adventures. This new opening is Sydney's eighth Fratelli Fresh, and follows Rockpool Dining Group's announcement that it will open a new outpost at Manly Wharf in August this year. The group has certainly made good on its promise of rapid expansion. Fratelli Fresh will open at 7am on Friday, May 25 at 2/14 Darling Drive, Darling Harbour. It will be open from 7am till midnight, seven days a week. For more info, visit the website.
Sydney's newest urban playground will host its first major shindig as part of the 2015 Sydney Architecture Festival. Opening to the public at the end of last month, The Goods Line is a 500m pedestrian walkway that connects Central Station with Darling Harbour that has been touted as Sydney's answer to New York City's High Line. Now it's time to see if it's worthy of the comparison. Set to take place on Saturday, October 3, the unfortunately named #TheGoods will be a daylong activation within this year's Architecture Festival, and will see The Goods Line come to life with a wide range of free and ticketed events. Things begin at 8am with yoga and tai-chi sessions on The Goods Green, followed by drawing and photography classes led by prominent Sydney architects and artists. The program also features a number of talks and panel discussions, culminating with a symposium on architectural innovation. Those of you with home renovation plans, meanwhile, can take advantage of a Meet an Architect session and nab 15 minutes of face time with a leading local architect. Other notable events throughout the day include a Zine Fair featuring independent publications from local students and creatives, a self-sustaining garden designed by engineers from the University of Sydney, and an after-dark showcase of architecturally-themed short films at The Goods Line Amphitheatre on Mary Ann Street. There will also be a Pressed Juice pop-up to keep visitors refreshed, while some of Sydney's leading food trucks will fire up their engines in time for lunch. #TheGoods is the flagship event of this year's Sydney Architecture Festival, which will run for four days from October 2-5 at various locations around the inner city. For the full festival program visit their website.
Things are about to get a little livelier at Cockatoo Island, as the historic site prepares to play host to a multi-faceted shipping container summer pop-up. Contained will see the island temporarily score a bar, a restaurant and a hotel from this Thursday, February 8. The brainchild of Anatoly Mezhov and Irene Polo and originally erected in Perth, Contained features a whole swag of offerings to tempt Sydneysiders onto the island right through to June. Most excitingly, pop-up restaurant Don Tapa will be dishing up a creative mix of South American and indigenous Australian flavours, starring ingredients picked fresh from the on-site urban farm. Head to the bar to enjoy even more local goodness. Urban Winery's Alex Retief has pulled together a wine selection celebrating some of NSW's most underrated regions, to sit alongside a Young Henrys beer rotation and a range of Archie Rose's artisan spirits. And, if you fancy making a proper stay of it, there's the Contained boutique hotel, where guests can stay right by the water, in luxury digs made from repurposed shipping containers. You'll get waterfront views and the ability to order food right to your room. This isn't cheap, of course, with rates at $305–385 a night. A program of one-off Contained events will also be held over the coming months, including a six-course Valentine's Day degustation and a series of guest chef dinners. And the 21st Biennale of Sydney will run from March till June — which would be the prime time to check it out. Contained will be set up on Cockatoo Island from February 8 until June. For more info or to book a room, visit contained.sydney.
The world's most famous scientist and the alleged inventor of gravity, Stephen Hawking will deliver his first ever Australian lecture at the Sydney Opera House in April. Addressing audiences from the University of Cambridge via video conference, the internationally renowned cosmologist and theoretical physicist will discuss both his life and the big questions of science. Whether he has any theories about the new season of The X-Files still remains to be seen. Hawking's contributions to modern and popular science are unparalleled. His research into black holes and the Big Bang Theory helped deepen our understanding of the universe, while his book A Brief History of Time has sold more than ten million copies. He's also kind of a boss, as seen most recently in his interview with John Oliver on Last Week Tonight. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8y5EXFMD4s The physicist’s life was recently immortalised in the film The Theory of Everything, for which lead actor Eddie Redmayne won an Academy Award. Of course, the most noteworthy thing about that movie for most people was the revelation that, despite the accent of his computerised voice, Hawking is actually British. The Sydney lecture is part of the Ideas at the House series, the Opera House’s ongoing program of talks, panels and presentations. The 73-year-old Hawking will be introduced by his journalist daughter Lucy and fellow theoretical physicist Paul Davies. An Evening with Stephen Hawking takes place on Sunday, April 26 at 8pm. Tickets start at $69 from here. Image: Lwp Kommunikáció CC.
If you're keen to have your say in Australia's upcoming postal vote regarding same-sex marriage, then make sure you're enrolled to vote by August 24. With 14 percent of young Australians yet to do that, time is running out. But what if you just enrolled over a beer at the pub? Sydney party crew Heaps Gay is taking matters into their own hands. From August 17–20, they're hosting an Equality Weekender. Essentially, it's a massive, nationwide enrolment drive, involving barbecues, parties and assorted spontaneous events where you can enrol or update your enrolment details right there in the bar via postal forms and iPads. So far, more than 40 venues have signed up, including The Lansdowne, Mary's, The Unicorn, Vic on the Park, The Lord Raglan, Cake Wines, World Bar, The Imperial, Stonewall and Volumes Festival. Each venue will be holding a 'rego party', with enrolment forms, envelopes or (much easier) iPads to get that enrolment sorted, as well as plastering the walls with enrolment posters featuring artwork by Luke Arnold. "There is an old rule to never discuss politics in a pub, and while some folk in Canberra want to make this issue purely political, we recognise that it is squarely about equality, respect and love," said Jake Smyth, co-owner, The Lansdowne, Mary's and The Unicorn. "We are throwing a party to all to register to vote, to have your voice heard, to speak out for the family members, the friends, the teenagers whose voice has been ignored for too long. Vote yes to marriage equality!" Heaps Gay's founder and director Kat Dopper hopes to see plenty of young Australians show up at these events. "Young people have such a huge part to play in the conversation of marriage equality. By holding these events and encouraging people to bring a little positivity into the world, we hope that people will get more involved and more engaged in this issue. This isn't just about marriage, this is about equal rights — and we need each and every one of you to join in."
The brains behind one of inner city Sydney's favourite regular markets, Chippendale's Brewery Yard Market, have been bringing the magic to the south, launching a brand new market in Wolli Creek earlier this year. Located at Discovery Point and aptly named Discovery Markets, it's a fiesta of independently grown, baked, designed and made goodness — from local produce and tasty treats to fashion pieces and homewares. And this Christmas, they're putting on one heck of a special edition. For Christmas at Discovery Point, the crew are turning things up at notch. The market will run from 9am - 3pm during the day, then during twilight from 5pm-9pm, featuring over 60 handpicked stalls including Chapa, Brooklyn Boy Bagels, Arepa Oz, Waffles and Dom, Shades of Grey Decor, Petite Perette, Sonoma Baking Co. and The Chilli Effect. There'll also be live music and Christmas carollers, Christmas-themed workshops by Work-Shop, a neon silent disco truck by Silent Sounds, wine tastings, street art demonstrations, kids activities and communal long table for eats, chats and pre-holiday catchups. If you're hooked, the Discovery Markets are held on the first and third Saturdays of every month.
If movies have taught us one thing, it's that you shouldn't feed gremlins after midnight. If movies have taught us a second thing, it's that hardened criminals are no match for a precocious eight-year-old played by Macaulay Culkin. But if movies have taught us a third thing, it's that you should never, ever, under any circumstances go into the water. Because that's where Jaws lives. Do you want to get eaten by Jaws? Didn't think so. Unfortunately, despite it basically being a straight-up fact that anyone who dips so much as a toe into the murky depths will 100 percent get eaten by a ravenous 25-foot shark, the lunatics at Golden Age Cinema are still insisting on screening Jaws in an outdoor pool right by the harbour. In partnership with Art & About Sydney, Golden Age will screen Steven Spielberg's quintessential summer blockbuster crucial public safety announcement on back-to-back evenings in late January 2016 at Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool on Woolloomooloo Bay. Tickets go on sale in November, with the option for floating or 'beachside' seating. The screening will be accompanied by ocean-inspired beverages and fresh seafood, as well as guest talks designed to dispel myths about our toothy aquatic friends. Although frankly, headlines like this aren't exactly helping their case. In the meantime, Golden Age are also hosting a car park screening of Blade Runner in late November, complete with food, music, artwork and a futuristic night market. It promises to be a transportive event, even (or especially) if you fear self-aware AI as much as you do sharks.
If your midweek lunches have looked a little sad of late, here's something to get excited about: all through March and April Harpoon Harry will be flexing its daytime charms and dishing up a limited-edition offering of Lunchtime Sandwich Heroes. You can ditch the sad salad roll and forget about the lacklustre leftovers — Harry's got you sorted with a tempting rotation of $15 sambos, on offer weekdays to takeaway or eat in. And with two new sandwiches hitting the menu each fortnight, no one's about to get bored of this lunch bunch. Sandwich Heroes kicks off on Monday, March 2, with a hefty club sandwich and a vego number called Plants, Shoots & Leaves filled with eggplant and feta. Elsewhere on the lineup, you'll get to devour the likes of a Japanese 7-Eleven-inspired egg salad number and a fried chicken sanga worthy of your finest midweek hangover. The latter is set to star southern-style Rice Bubbles-fried chicken, house-smoked chilli mayo, avocado and cos. You'll also spy a cheeky rye number, loaded with sliced pastrami, swiss cheese, slaw and russian dressing — and a classic fish finger sambo somewhere in the mix. To check out exactly when you can find each sanga, check out the lineup below. HARRY'S LUNCHTIME SANDWICH HEROES LINEUP March 2–13: Club Members Only and Plants, Shoots & Leaves March 16–27: The Steaks Are High and Croquet in Tokyo March 30–April 10: Red & Green Roster and Fush Funger Sambo April 13–24: So-Fried Chicken and Pistrami De Resistance Harry's Lunchtime Sandwich Heroes are available weekdays from 11.30am–3pm or until sold out. Updated February 26
You've probably got a whole bunch of beard jokes, banjo bashing and eye-rolling up your sleeve already. But put your four-part harmony rant aside for a second, there's special edition Young Henrys beer afoot. London's folk-pop foursome Mumford and Sons are releasing their brand new album Wilder Mind on May 4, and to launch the whole stadium-ready thing they'll be opening a pop-up bar inside Newtown Hotel for two weeks from Monday 27 April to Sunday 10 May. This isn't the first time Mumford and Sons have had a Sydney pop-up bar, their 2012 album Babel saw a pop-up whisky bar on Oxford Street with film screenings and tastings aplenty. This time around, the Newtown Hotel pop-up will trade whisky for Young Henrys' special edition Wilder Mind ale, with DJ sets, live music and mural painting locked in for the duration of the activation. Plus, you'll be able to hang around and listen to the new album if you're a Mumfordian. While you're waiting, let's remember this straight-up chuckler of a video. Fine holiday fun. The Mumford and Sons Wilder Mind pop-up will be at Newtown Hotel, 174 King St Newtown from Monday 27 April to Sunday 10 May.
When it comes to fashion, staying ahead of the pack can be a mighty tough feat. But if you're keen to kick monochromic minimalism to the curb, while giving a little back to your global community, we've found just the bold West African label to help you do it. YEVU, which means 'foreigner' in the local Ewe language, is a socially responsible clothing line bringing the wild traditional wax prints of Ghana to Aussie shores. Linking local African tailors with style-conscious global customers, founder Anna Robertson is creating serious change for Ghanaian seamstresses living on the poverty line. After launching their sell-out debut range in October 2013, and following a successful pop-up run in November last year, YEVU returns this month with a fresh selection of awesome new threads (we actually can't get enough of these prints). From February 2-12, the entire new range will be available exclusively from the YEVU IRL store in Paddington, followed by an online launch from February 13 at yevuclothing.co. Plus, you'll be able to pick up archival pieces and the last remaining limited edition styles from last quarter's collection on sale. It's the first collection since Robertson employed a more extensive Ghanaian team to release more collections with limited runs, and it's also the first time YEVU have shot their campaign in Australia with a local cast, working with photographer Sarah Adamson. YEVU's IRL pop-up runs Friday, February 3 to Sunday, February 12. Opening hours are Monday to Saturday 10am–7pm, Sunday 11am–5pm. To attend the official launch, head along on Thursday, February 2 from 6–9pm. Images: YEVU/Sarah Adamson.
UPDATE: DECEMBER 23, 2019 — Even more star bartenders have now joined the lineup. The below article has been updated to include them. Head to The Baxter Inn on Sunday, December 29, to do some good with your booze bucks. The popular whisky den is hosting a Bushfire Benefit — a charity initiative that'll see some of Sydney's best bartenders join forces for one night. On the night, Big Poppa's Mary White, Dre Walters and Daniel Noble from Old Mate's Place, The Drink Cabinet's Jason Crawley, Tio's Alex Dowd and Jeremy Blackmore, Jay Cozma and Ross Purnell from Shady Pines, Charlie Ainsbury and James Marcel Chew Wynn-Williams from Proof & Co, Paige Aubort and Evan Strove from Bulletin Place, Charlie Lehmann and Sebastian 'Cosmo' Soto at Ramblin' Rascal Tavern, Sweet & Chilli's Jared Plummer and Cam Northway, Lewis Jaffrey and Rachelle Hair from Archie Rose, and teams from Mary's Newtown, Lobo Plantation, Charlie Parker's and The Baxter Inn will all be making drinks. [caption id="attachment_707972" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Leticia Almeida[/caption] Each team will shake and stir their signature cocktails, which will all be going for $12 a pop. An entry fee of $50 also includes one cocktail and all proceeds from the night will be go to the NSW RFS. It's been a particularly devastating bushfire season already, with 768 homes lost and more than 2.7 million hectares burnt at last count. The Baxter Inn Bushfire Benefit runs from 4–10pm. Images: Leticia Almeida
Charging headlong into its 2017 edition, Taste Orange Food and Wine Festival is set to take over Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel on Sunday, May 7. For six glorious, autumnal hours, you'll get to sip and sample Orange's best offerings, while soaking in all the harbour views. Numerous wineries will be making the 260-kilometre journey coastwards for this Aussie Wine Month event. Topping the list are Rowlee, whose 2013 Arneis inspired a 4.5/5 glass rating in Halliday's 2015 Wine Guide; Ross Hill, whom Huon Hooke awarded Top Sauvignon Blanc in Australia in 2013; and Tamburlaine, whose organic wines have scored a stack of prizes. Also making appearances will be Philip Shaw, Angullong, Logan, Heifer Station and Cargo Road. You can definitely count on trying some spectacular Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Should you find yourself looking for food matches, you won't have to move. Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel will be setting up food stalls in the park and dishing up some nosh, from succulent pulled pork rolls and barbecue ribs to cheese boards and soup. Entry to the Taste Orange Food and Wine Festival is free. However, you will need a few bucks on you to do some tasting. Your best bet is to nab tokens in advance — they're available online at ten for $40, which includes a free wine tasting glass.
Ladies and gentlemen, turn off your engines. One of the world’s most outlandish racing events is headed to the harbour city. The 2015 Red Bull Billy Cart Race will see both amateur and professional teams piloting their own home-built, gravity-powered racers along a downhill racetrack/obstacle course in Sydney’s Centennial Parklands. And you're invited to cheer 'em on for free. Scheduled to take place on Sunday, November 15, the race will see 60 of Australia’s strangest and most innovative vehicles battle it out for the chance to be crowned champion. Competitors will be judged on three separate criteria: performance, speed and creativity. Ludicrousness appears to be a pretty big factor as well, with memorable competitors in previous races built to resemble teacups, corncobs and even the Golden Gate Bridge. Red Bull has hosted more than 40 billy cart races since 2000, in locations ranging from England to South Africa to Helsinki. The Sydney event has already been given a distinctly Australian flavour thanks to the unveiling of a racer shaped like a pair of bright red budgie smugglers. Hey, they don’t call us the lucky country for nothing. For more information about the event, head on over to the Red Bull Billy Cart website. Images: Red Bull.
Nine independent local designers will soon converge on Crown Street for a powerhouse pop-up. Throughout the first week in September, you'll find them at Blank_Space Gallery, showcasing their latest creations, from fashion and jewellery to ceramics, furniture and objects. Though their works are diverse, these nine artists share a commitment to local, ethical and sustainable making and have all spent time in Chippendale's WIP (Work in Progress) Studio. The group is made up of jewellery designers Alexandra Dodds and Pip Stent, who both source Australian materials, from recycled silver and gold to fair-trade diamonds; fashion designers Annie Hamilton and Jillian Boustred, whose high-quality, locally-made garments feature hand-illustrated prints; Bel Campbell and Tara Bennett, whose handmade homewares celebrate slow work, raw materials and organic shapes; and ceramicists Emily Ellis, Gretel Corrie and Milly Dent. WIP Shop will open at 11am on Saturday, September 2, with welcome drinks happening from 4pm. After that, opening hours are Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday 11am-6pm, and Thursday 11am-9pm. Images: Rosie Fitzgerald, Annie Hamilton, Gretel Corrie.
Music festivals and writers festivals have existed for years, but they rarely mix. Sure, you'll hear poetic lyrics at the former, and maybe attend a tunes-inspired session at the latter. A true fusion of the two, though, is an elusive beast. Well, it was, until a few smart-thinking folks decided to organise a rock and roll writers festival. In an Australian first, the weekend-long event will explore the relationship between the literary and musical worlds. It's an idea that's so great, we can't believe that no one has done it locally before. Come April 2016, some of Australia’s finest authors, songwriters, lyricists and music commentators will converge upon Brisbane for two days of discussions, interviews, panels and more. An initial lineup boasting stacks of talented speakers has just been announced, featuring performer Jackie Marshall, previous jMag editor Jenny Valentish, journalist and Australian Music Prize judge Kate Hennessy, former Time Off editor and owner Sean Sennett, Courier Mail music writer Noel Mengel, and Pig City: From The Saints To Savage Garden author Andrew Stafford, among others. They'll all natter on about everything that's great about words, songs and the combination of the two, while trying to surprise, entertain, enlighten and challenge attendees in the process. And they'll do at the Brightside, because if you're going to throw a rock and roll writers festival, you have to do it at a rock and roll venue. The Rock and Roll Writers Festival runs from April 2 – 3, 2016, at the Brightside, 27 Warner Street, Fortitude Valley. For more information, visit their website.
In its inaugural year, brand new Sydney festival Volumes enjoyed the kind of success that debut events long for, but is seldom achieved. As a multi-venue festival taking over several Oxford Street spaces, it was touted (by us, hello) as a mini South by Southwest-style festival featuring some of Australia's premier artists, bands, DJs and, importantly, live music venues. And thank the merciful gods, Volumes is coming back in 2016 to kick off festival season. This years' lineup is a whizzbanger, with reams of artists set to take over Oxford Art Factory, Brighton Up Bar, The Cliff Dive and The Burdekin over August 26 and 27. The first day, Friday, August 26, is a wee bit more dancey with BV, Dro Carey, Charles Murdoch, Rainbow Chan, Alba, Silent Jay x Jace XL, HTMLflowers, DEER, Milwaukee Banks, 30/70, Christopher Port, Lupa J, Jaysways, Body Promise, Sidechains DJs, Melty, Spirals and Godriguez. The second day, Saturday, August 27, is jam packed with quality: Nicholas Allbrook, Slum Sociable, Fishing, Mall Grab, Donny Benet, Mossy, Rolling Blackouts CF, You Beauty, Cliques, Marcus Whale, Habits, Zero Percent, Good Boy, Orb, Unity Floors, Terrible Truths, The Harpoons, Hubert Clarke Jr, Null, Babicka, Leo James, Scott and Charlene's Wedding, Darts, Summer Flake, Angie, Scraps, 100%, California Girls, Good Morning, Solid Effort, Us The Band, Xanga, Nite Fleit, Andy Garvey, Adi Toohey and Playful Sound. We'll also be graced the curatorial talents of a horde of DJs from I OH YOU, Strange Yonder, Thump, Noisey, Rice Is Nice and Bedroom Suck. Early bird tickets are on sale now, and at $69.90 +BF for a two day pass, it's the best value for money festival out. Grab em' here and get excited – summer is looking fine. Volumes returns to Sydney over August 26 and 27 at venues around Oxford Street. More details and tickets on the Volumes website. Image: Sam Brumby/Volumes.
Ex-Rockpool chef Harry Stockdale-Powell has recruited Bulletin Place bartender Matt Linklater for a new project, with the pair set to work closely together at the former's new European-style restaurant and basement bar. Opening next month on Bridge Street in the CBD, Bouche on Bridge will showcase the English-born chef's passion for local produce and sustainable practices in the context of a relaxed fine dining environment. While the full Bouche menu is still under wraps, Stockdale-Powell and company have revealed few highlights, such as rare breed suckling pig with unripe fermented strawberries, onion tarte Tatin with parmesan ice-cream, and whole hay-smoked chicken with white soy bread sauce. In order to keep things as sustainable as possible, the kitchen will make use of lesser-known cuts of meat, while bread, cultured butter, cold-pressed olive oil and cured meats will all be made on-site. But we're equally excited for what's happening downstairs. Dubbed The Cellar, the restaurant's subterranean basement bar will no doubt prove popular with the after work drinks crowd and serious cocktail fiends. Linklater will be whipping up concoctions like the oddly-named Crustbuster, made with brandy, fennel, strega and served with a liquorice rim, and the White Whale, which is a take on a White Russian with vodka, fernet, crème fraïche and coffee bitters. The bar will also boast a 300-strong wine list, courtesy of sommelier Seamus Brandt. Bouche is set to open at 6 Bridge Street, Sydney in September. For more information visit boucheonbridge.com. Image: star5112 via Flickr.
Sydney, you're about to discover (and taste) what can happen when an acclaimed Finnish chef and an award-winning Italian sommelier join forces. Giorgio De Maria (formerly of 121BC and Rootstock Sydney food and wine festival), is teaming up with Finnish-born Pasi Petanen (2015's SMH Chef of the Year and the guy behind Café Paci), for That's Amore — a series of wine dinners to be held at Mecca in Alexandria next month. Across 12 nights in March, the pair will combine culinary talents, pulling together innovative foodie flair, some serious wine knowledge, and a couple of lively personalities, for what promises to be one very rare dining experience. This fusion of front and back of house is bound to ensure some well-rounded feasting, starting with the weekly-changing, five-course menu. Here, the duo's hinted at a focus on produce-driven dishes, with an Italian edge. Meanwhile, De Maria's working his own brand of magic, proving the cross-cultural combo isn't the only perfect partnership on the table here. His handpicked selection of wine is available to try matched to each course, or simply quaffed by the bottle. That's Amore dinners will take place on March 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, and 25 at Mecca, 2/26 Bourke Road, Alexandria. The five-course menu is $75 per head, with drinks charged on consumption. Jump on the That's Amore Instagram page for a peek at the menu and nab your spot by emailing thatsamoreinsydney@gmail.com.
Electronica megastar Omar Souleyman is on his way to engulf you in Arabic techno beats with a national tour this January. Souleyman has reached cult status internationally for his patented sound of insanely fast synths adapted to Syrian folk music and his "epitome-of-cool" persona, with Bjork herself labelling him as one of her favourites. Never seen without a pair of aviators and his red and white kaffiyeh, Souleyman has long been famous in his homeland of Syria, with, believe it or not, a rumoured 500 separate bootleg cassette releases recorded straight from his many performances at weddings around the country. His 2013 album, Wenu Wenu, was his first recorded outside Syria, and its blending of Western electronica beats and traditional dabke music (an Arabic form of folk dancing) promises live performances filled with electric sax solos, super high-tempo synths and vocals given alternatively in the tone of commanding pronouncements and trance-inducing chants. You can catch Omar Souleyman at The Aurora as part of Sydney Festival on January 16, Melbourne's Corner Hotel January 19 and The Brightside in Brisbane January 21.
The Museum of Contemporary Art's ARTBAR has become a firm fixture on Sydney's after-dark cultural calendar. For the uninitiated, ARTBAR combines art, music, design and performance for a huge art party on the last Friday of every month, curated by a different artist each time. This month, the event comes under the direction of interdisciplinary artist Reko Rennie. Perhaps best known for his public art installation Always was, always will be at Taylor Square in Darlinghurst, Rennie's work combines Indigenous iconography with street art to explore notions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identity in an urban environment. For ARTBAR, Rennie has chosen the theme 'Maverick' to run the night, curating a night focused on praising nonconformity and independence. Australian and international artists will showcase "unexpected art forms" and transform the MCA into a "space of experimentation". "I show my work where I want and where I can," says Rennie. "I'm not affiliated with the dominant commercial galleries and their curators. For this I've been called a maverick artist… I like it. This night is for all those who are mavericks. Each of the artists I have selected have forged independent careers in creating and making art.' Your ARTBAR ticket also includes free entry to Tatsuo Miyajima: Connect with Everything.
The World Press Photo Foundation is a global platform connecting professionals and audiences through raw visual journalism and storytelling. The organisation was founded in 1955 when a group of Dutch photographers organised a contest to expose their work to an international audience. Since then the contest has grown into the world's most prestigious photography competition and global travelling exhibition. The 61st edition of the World Press Photo Exhibition will touch down in Sydney this month and will be on display at the State Library of NSW from May 26 until June 24. The winners from this year's contest were chosen by an independent jury that reviewed more than 73,000 photographs by 4548 photographers from 125 countries. The one that took top honours for 2018 is Ronaldo Schemidt's frightening image of José Víctor Salazar Balza who was set alight at a protest in Caracas, Venezuela when the gas tank of a motorbike exploded. This will be on display alongside other finalists, including Adam Ferguson's portrait of a 14-year-old Boko Haram suicide bomber and Patrick Brown's devastating shot of Rohingya refugees after the boat in which they were attempting to flee Myanmar capsized. Further categories on show will include contemporary issues, environment, general news, long-term projects, nature, people, sports and spot news. Image: 'Venezuela Crisis' by Ronaldo Schemidt (cropped).
Gyros is not something that's necessarily hard to find in Sydney — especially not with the explosion of takeaway outlets like Zeus Street Greek and GRK Souvlaki and local favourites in Bexley, Beverly Hills and Five Dock. But even so, it's about to get easier with chef George Calombaris today announcing that he will open four of his Jimmy Grants souvlaki bars in Sydney over the next year. Calombaris first opened Jimmy Grants in Melbourne's Fitzroy in 2013, and has since opened four other stores in Melbourne and one on the Gold Coast. The expansion to Sydney seems somewhat late in the piece, but he MasterChef judge says he's "excited" to finally bring the brand up here. This first store will be located in Newtown and will open next month. If you haven't been into a Jimmy Grants down south, it's a similar offering to that of Sydney's Zeus Street Greek. Souvas are stuffed with the likes of chicken, lamb, falafel, prawns and beef short-rib, chips come topped with feta and oregano and dessert is a baklava choc-top. Also on the menu is a selection of dips, meat plates, salads and Jimmy's famous steamed dimmys. The whole thing is pretty casual — they have room for diners to sit-in but do lots of take away and delivery through UberEATS — and the new Sydney stores will be fitted out with recycled or repurposed materials and feature the brand's signature neon blue. With the Newtown store set to open in September, a CBD location will follow in October. The remaining two locations are yet to be revealed, but they'll be opening in 2018 — potentially alongside Sydney versions of Calombaris' other Melbourne restaurants, Gazi and Hellenic Republic. The MAdE Establishment group have hinted that they are currently scouting for appropriate sites for these venues. Calombaris was recently forced to back-pay over $2 million to staff at his Melbourne restaurants Gazi, The Press Club and Hellenic Republic after underpaying them through systematic payroll errors over the last six years. The first Sydney Jimmy Grants will open in September in Newtown. We'll keep you updated with further information. Until then, check out jimmygrants.com.au.
There more centenarians in Okinawa — Japan's island-dotted, southernmost region — than anywhere else in the world. Want to know why? Head to Life, by Okinawa, a pop-up at 46 Kensington Street, Chippendale, between now and Tuesday. Open between 11am and 8pm daily, the pop-up is a glorious escape from hectic city life. You'll be treated to free tea and Chinsuko cookies in a tea house, free yoga lessons, free meditation sessions and free karate classes. In between, relax in a hibiscus garden, wander through an exhibition showcasing traditional ceramics and textiles, and watch films that'll transport you to Okinawa's white sand beaches, subtropical jungle and magical coral reefs. Plus, if this taster event has you ready to book a trip, you'll be able to nab a pretty good flight deal on the spot. Workshops and classes are as follows: February 3 12.30pm and 7pm - karate class (30 mins) 6pm - yoga (30 mins) + meditation (30 mins) February 4 2.30pm - yin yoga (30 mins) 4:30pm - karate demo 5:30pm – karate class (30 mins) February 5 12.30pm and 6.45pm – karate class (30 mins) 5:30pm – yin yoga (30 mins) February 6 12.30pm and 7pm - karate class (30 mins) 6pm - yoga (30 mins) + meditation (30 mins) February 7 12.30pm and 7pm – karate class (30 mins) 6pm – lifestyle coaching (30 mins)
Turns out eating an entire two sticks of buttery, bready garlic bread from the freezer section doesn't count as an 'appreciation conference', because one Melburnian is making this actual event happen. Garlic bread aficionado and straight-up boss Baxter Kirk is putting on the world's very first Garlic Bread Appreciation Conference in Melbourne. Set to descend upon the MCG (yep, the giant, giant MCG) on Friday, January 15 at the strange time of 3.07am, the conference will "discuss the underrated garlic bread," according to the Facebook event. With 47,000+ people supposedly 'attending' the event, this could be the biggest celebration of garlic breadery the world has ever seen. Whether this conference is real or a beautiful, beautiful troll, we'll be raising a glass of cheap cola to that beloved buttery, buttery side anyway, before, during and after the event. Via Pedestrian. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore has long been a supporter of small bars, live music and Sydney's creative culture. And now, she's putting her weight behind opposition to the lockouts. In an article published in the SMH on April 3 titled, 'It's time we grew up and ditched the one-size-fits-all lockout', the Lord Mayor wrote that "well-managed licensed premises and live music and performance venues should be exempt from the 1.30am lockout" — and considering Sydney's live music venues have lost almost half their revenue since the lockouts, we're psyched. She added that the 3am 'last drinks' rule should be determined according to each venue, taking into account its "compliance history, planning controls and economic, social and environmental factors". What's more, the Lord Mayor has put all this into the City of Sydney's submission to the NSW Government's Liquor Law Review, which is underway under the leadership of former High Court judge Ian Callinan and due to be done and dusted by August. "It's about balance," the Lord Mayor told the SMH. "It is about enabling people to go out safely in a rich and diverse night life that you have in a global city." She also pointed out the lockouts have had negative impacts on live music (which they bloody well have), culture and businesses, leading to job losses. In 2013, Sydney's late-night activities were worth $17.8 billion and kept more than 30,000 people at work. At the same time, the Lord Mayor acknowledged that levels of violent behaviour in Kings Cross and other areas had become concerning. For years before the lockouts, the City had appealed to the State Government to take action, such as putting on more public transport and better planning, but had received little or no support. Since the introduction of the lockouts in February 2014, live music ticket sales in Sydney have dropped by 40 percent. On 1 March 2016, Music Australia reported that the Oxford Art Factory alone had suffered a 30 percent drop in revenue. Consequently, industry bodies, such as the Live Music Office and MusicNSW, have been lobbying for exemptions for live music venues. Meanwhile, numerous artists and bands, including The Preatures and Flight Facilities, have voiced their opposition to the lockouts, and on 22 February 2016, more than 15,000 people rallied under the banner #KeepSydneyOpen. Via SMH. Image: Stocksnap.
If there's one comprehensive way to celebrate David Bowie's wildly chameleonic life, it's surely an evening with DJ and film expert Jay Katz at Toho Nights at Goros. Unsurprisingly, Katz is a Bowie buff, with an extensive collection of rare recordings and visuals, so expect to dig deep into the archive. On top of sharing his materials, Katz will be bringing a bunch of guest DJs along to spin various deep cuts and oddities. Meanwhile, the beloved Goros karaoke booths will open wide, giving you the chance to work through your grief by unashamedly banging out all the hits. You're invited to get into the spirit by dressing up — according to whichever of Bowie's incarnations caught your imagination: be it Aladdin Sane, Ziggy Stardust or the Thin White Duke. The celebration kicks off at 8pm and goes till late. Entry is free. Image: Lost Sydney.
Nocturnal creatures and art lovers, get on down to the National Art School this Thursday night for a free after-dark shindig. From 6pm, for three hours, you'll be able to wander through the Redlands Konica Minolta Art Prize, while sipping on wine and listening to live music. Adding to the adventure, NAS are running a tour through the grounds kicking off at 6.30pm, which will fill you in on the school's fascinating history — including its former incarnation as Darlinghurst Gaol. Then, from 7.30pm, you'll be hearing from a bunch of artists, including 2016 Emerging Art Prize winner Jack Lanagan Dunbar, as well as Rosie Deacon, Francesca Heinz and Shane Haseman. This event is just one in the 2016 NAS nights series. "NAS Nights is a welcome opportunity for curious newcomers together with seasoned art-lovers to enjoy a great exhibition of contemporary artwork, engage with artists, and hear live music in a relaxed, convivial evening setting," says curator Judith Blackall.
If Neighbourhood Watch or The Cat stole your heart, you'll be happy to know that playwright Lally Katz is back with a brand new creation. This time, she's drawn on her parents' life (with the addition of a big dose of imagination) to develop the story of Danny (Harry Greenwood), a young man who spends his youth lost in drugs and free love, before meeting a charismatic sensei (Natsuko Mineghishi), through whom he befriends fellow wayward character Jerry (Fayssel Bazzi) and his rather appealing sister Lois (Catherine Davies). Jump to the next scene and into the present. Both Danny and Lois have grown old and, while Lois lies ailing in bed, Danny sits and waits by her side, performing one karate move after another. Enter Patti, their grandchild, who, after two years of absence, is going through a gender transition and recovering from a broken relationship. Belvoir presents Back at the Dojo in collaboration with Melbourne-based theatre company Stuck Pigs Squealing.
Vivid Sydney is really cranking it up this year, with a truly epic program of lights, music, ideas and live events, which, in one heck of a slam dunk, includes none other than Björk (BJÖRK!). As part of Carriageworks' contemporary program, she'll launch a huge virtual reality project dubbed BJÖRK DIGITAL — a collaboration with some of the world's best filmmakers and programmers. And to celebrate the opening, Björk herself will travel to Sydney to curate a one-off music event at Carriageworks, where she'll DJ with special guests. In a response that absolutely everybody expected, the opening night event and the additional party sold out quick sticks. While that leaves the 12 people who actually got tickets pretty smug and happy, it leaves the rest of us sad and confused as to how we'll live a life where Björk doesn't make an appearance. But hey, the two big parties are just the icing on the real cake. The BJÖRK DIGITAL exhibition will run from June 4-18. It will include a downright must-experience program of her extensive video, multimedia and virtual reality works, divided into five unique spaces. Entry is free but we can't recommend booking the VR experience enough. It's quietly booking out. By Shannon Connellan and Lauren Vadnjal.
Hold onto your paper plates Sydney, because Carriageworks has just added another night market to their 2016 calendar. After the wild success of The Night Market, a winter gathering of the best food and drink in the city held as part of Vivid back in June, it's no surprise they're bring back the after-dark outdoor nosh session for one night only this spring. Like its previous instalment, it's quite straightforwardly called The Spring Night Market. The event will see over 50 stallholders take over Carriageworks on the spring evening of Saturday, September 3 from 5pm. If you went along to the winter market, you can expect to once again sample goods from NSW's top tier of restaurants, winemakers, spiritmakers, breweries and providores. Porteño, Billy Kwong, Icebergs, Efendy, Young Henrys, Cake Wines and Pepe Saya will be returning to kick off the new season, and will be joined by Alex Herbert's Bird Cow Fish, St Peters' Urban Winery and Mr Black, who'll be whipping up coffee cocktails. Curated by Sydney chef (of the just-opened No. 1 Bent Street) and Carriageworks Farmers Market creative director Mike McEnearney, The Spring Night Market will hero new season produce. Each stallholder will be able to clue you into the regional source of their produce — a requirement that could only come from the paddock-to-plate-focused McEnearney. The Winter Night Market, held over two nights in June of this year, brought in over 9000 people each night. So, in short, you'll want to get there early and be prepared to queue for the good stuff. THE SPRING NIGHT MARKET STALLHOLDER LINEUP: Bar Pho Baxter & Bird Billy Kwong Bird Cow Fish Blini Bar by Crepe & Coffee Co. Burrawong Gaian Cake Wines Chrissy's Cut Sausages Country Valley Dairy Dessertmakers Ding the Recipe Efendy Eloquesta Wines Freeman Vineyards Gumnut Chocolates Hand N Hoe Organic Macadamias Icebergs Bar & Restaurant Juicing by Colours Kitchen Green Kurrawong Organics La Bastide Lowe Wine Mimosa Valley Lamb Moobi Valley Farm Mr Black Cocktails Mr Goaty Naturally Felafel Pasta Emilia Pepe Saya Porteno Restaurant Prickle Hill Produce Shepherd's Artisan Bakehouse Slow Wine Co. Sweetness the Patisserie The Drink Cabinet The Pines Kiama Trolleyd Urban Winery Vale Creek Wines Young Henrys Brewing Co. By Lauren Vadnjal and Shannon Connellan. Image: Tim da-Rin.
Just about every day it feels like Barangaroo announces a new addition to its eating and drinking repertoire. Last week the Bentley team launched sustainable seafood restaurant Cirrus and Belles Hot Chicken finally opened their much-anticipated permanent venue. And now, let us introduce Bel & Brio, a European-style emporium covering a whopping 800 square metres. As you might expect of such an epic space, Bel & Brio serves more than one purpose — in fact, there are five areas altogether. So you can swing by for a coffee, wine or a full-blown meal, and, while you're at it, take care of your entire weekly shop in the marketplace. In the 240-seater bar and dining space, you'll find European-inspired dishes designed for sharing. There's not one, but two, executive chefs on board: Sicilian-born Andrea Assenza who's worked all over Europe and Asia, and Vanessa Martin, former owner-chef at the now closed hatted Italian restaurant Il Piave. Grab a mate or two and tuck into slow-cooked lamb ragu with lemon ricotta ravioli or crispy pork belly with braised fennel orange salad. The cocktail menu is the work of mixologist James Snelgrove, who you might have met previously at Bentley, Ms.G's or Button. Meanwhile, wine guru Jon Osbeiston is taking care of the 400-strong wine list. He's also behind Bel & Brio's extraordinary cellar, where you can explore more than 2000 drops from Australia, Italy and France. If you don't have time to hang around for a meal, you can always stick to a caffeine hit in Coffee & Co, which is open from 7am. The beans are roasted by Will & Co and turned into excellent coffees by ex-Baker Bros folk Alessandro and Gianni Panetta. There's also a brekkie menu and pastries, baked daily in Bel & Brio's kitchen in Lane Cove. Alternatively, go for a spot of takeaway. The eatery sells a slew of ready-to-eat meals, including rotisserie meats, paninis, traditional pizza al taglio (the ones cooked as a rectangle) and fresh pastas. And, in the marketplace, you'll find loads of high-quality groceries, from pasture-raised eggs and cold-pressed juices to fresh bread and flowers. In-demand designers DS17 — who've recently done The Resident and the brand new Nour — took care of the interior, drawing inspiration from Europe's legendary food halls. Expect a classic, elegant look, combining timber, brass, copper, polished concrete and marble. Bel & Brio is now open at 300 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo. For more info, visit belandbrio.com.au.
It's one of the most popular podcasts in the world, and one that has educated listeners on topics from the inner workings of waterslides to the ingredients that make up Spam. Now, Stuff You Should Know is coming to Sydney for the first time. Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant are the hosts of the research-based, general knowledge podcast. The pair became friends while working at HowStuffWorks.com and created the podcast as an attempt to repackage some of the website's most popular content. So far they've recorded episodes on everything from disco to the time when Nazis invaded Florida in WWII; wonky stuff like trickle-down economics and voter suppression; science-y topics like the sun, global warming, bioluminescence and willpower; and totally random topics you'd never think could be interesting, like grass, zoot suits and shotgun houses. Since 2014, Josh and Chuck have taken the Stuff You Should Know live show on the road to cities across the US, Canada, the UK and Ireland. Like the podcast, the live experience bundles up learning with laughter. Expect to witness a never-heard-before episode unfold in real time.
There's no way the newly revamped Imperial Hotel was going to celebrate its first New Year's without some serious fireworks. And indeed, the ever-vibrant and proudly LGBTQIA+-friendly pub is wrapping up 2018 with a bang, hosting a huge NYE fiesta for party people of all persuasions over its three levels. From midday on December 31, the super keen can get things rolling up on the Imperial Up rooftop, where the prosecco and pizzas will be flowing hard and fast all afternoon. Then, the pub's dynamic 'drag and dine' destination Priscilla's will be dishing up the ultimate New Year's food situation, with a complimentary glass of bubbly for anyone indulging in one of the kitchen's feasting menus. Best to make a booking ASAP if you want a table. And from 9pm, you'll need a ticket as the official party NYE Thing fires up. A diverse and jam-packed lineup of live tunes is planned, as hosted by legendary duo ETC ETC and Jojo Zaho. Expect to ring in the new year with help from some of the city's top queer talent, including The Magda Szubanskis, Cunningpants, Smithers, Nipslip, The Shady Ladies, Maple Behaviour and more.
Anyone who's familiar with The Whitlams' back catalogue knows that the scourge of the poker machine has long been a concern of Tim Freedman's. His 2000 hit 'Blow Up the Pokies' was a response to the gambling addiction of the band's original bassist, Andy Lewis. Now, he's getting behind a new movement called Proudly Pokies Free, which aims to draw attention to — and reduce — the destructive impact of pokies in communities across Australia. The initiative has been instigated by sibling duo Anna and Tom Lawrence, whose late father, Neil Lawrence, created 2015 ABC doco Kaching! Pokie Nation. Proudly Pokies Free will kick off on Sunday, October 23 with a launch party at the Oxford Art Factory. There'll be performances from Freedman himself, alongside Joyride, Wild Honey, Left. and Bad Deep DJs, as well as guest speakers. "I'm proud to be involved with the Proudly Pokies Free movement to hopefully encourage a mindset that rewards and encourages venues that show imagination in programming and curating their activities," said Freedman. "It's time for the people of Sydney to push back against the pokies."
Start coordinating your crew's dress-ups — one of Australia's best and most beloved festivals, Secret Garden Festival, is back for another year. Returning to the festival's hallowed and not-so-secret-anymore location outside of Sydney, Secret Garden is celebrating its eighth year over February 26 and 27. And now, with just 17 days to go, the team have revealed the first 10 of the 50+ artists on their music lineup. While the full lineup, as SG tradition goes, will remain under lock and key until the festival sells out, the crew have given a sneak peek into what to expect. Melbourne's Grammy-nominated neo-soul powerhouse Haitus Kaiyote will be there alongside Sydney's synthy dance duke Hayden James, the unstoppable hip hop/R&B force that is Sampa The Great, Adelaide raw garage outfit Bad // Dreems, absolute Australian party legends Stereogamus, Sydney art pop wunderkind Montaigne, smooth electronic hardworker Roland Tings, Sydney super duo The Meeting Tree, alt-pop ten-piece Dorsal Fins and the fast-climbing World Champion. Tip of the Iceberg - Teaser AnnouncementPresenting, a teaser announcement of our 50+ act lineup. Party time! Two day tickets MOVING FAST >> http://bit.ly/SG_TicketsWe're keeping the rest a surprise…Posted by The Secret Garden on Monday, February 8, 2016 They'll be joining the already announced Sydney party crews already locked in for the weekend: Love Bombs, Shag & Friends, Purple Sneakers and Money For Nothing DJs will be curating their very own parties in the forest. As for the rest of the lineup? Secret Garden's lips are sealed, but they're promising "over 50 bands and DJs, 30 actors, dancers and comedians, 18 pop-up performances, 10 drag queens, 8 dance floors, 6 stages, 1 very busy kissing booth and many, many more secrets to be discovered in our adult play land synonymous with dress ups, sequins, glitter and good times." Two day tickets are moving quickly and one day tickets have now sold out. Get movin'. SECRET GARDEN FESTIVAL FIRST LINEUP ANNOUNCEMENT: Bad//Dreems Dorsal Fins Hayden James Hiatus Kaiyote Montaigne Roland Tings Sampa The Great Stereogamous The Meeting Tree World Champion Secret Garden runs February 26 to 28 in a secret location outside of Sydney. Tickets on sale now from Oztix. More info over here. Image: Anna Warr.
NAIDOC Week happens in the first full week of July every year, with a packed program of events to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The theme this year? 'Because of her, we can!' One of the biggest events of the week is NAIDOC in the City, which invites Sydneysiders down to Hyde Park for a day of festivities from 10am–2pm Saturday, July 14. The event is a sensory delight (seriously). Underground earth ovens will be temporarily installed in the park, cooking up slow-cooked samplers of everything from kangaroo fillets to crocodile puffs and lemon myrtle barramundi. Rocks heated by fire cook the foods under a blanket of banana leaves, branches, wet hessian and sand. While you're there, watch didgeridoo workshops, join traditional dance circles and settle in for storytelling sessions. There will also be a range of market stalls showcasing arts, crafts and books. Image: Joseph Mayers
Australia's about to embark upon an entire month of parties, gigs and backyard shindigs, all raising sweet, sweet money to fight poverty around the world. Having run successfully in the UK for about ten years, Oxjam is a month-long, nationwide music festival aiming to raise money for Oxfam. Now it's launching in Australia, with goodhearted gigs coming to venues, garages and backyards nationwide. Even you can throw one. One of those star-studded fundraisers which has seen the likes of Hot Chip, Fatboy Slim, Coldplay and T.E.E.D. crank out a set for a good cause, Oxjam has been a long time coming for Australia. Teaming up with MTV Music and MTV Dance, Oxfam are launching the festival in August; with the main events happening across Sydney and Melbourne. Local venues, collectives and labels like I Oh You, Noisey, Goodgod Small Club, One Day, Motorik, UNDR CTRL and more are holding some of the official gigs — where of course, funds raised will go directly to Oxfam. Oxjam's major gig lineup will be collectively announced in June. But you don't just have to wait for Noisey's lineup, you can also host your own party wherever you are. Literally anyone can hold their own Oxjam, from existing venues to local bowling clubs, big time clubs to your very own home. So if you're deep house DJ in your crew you could set up the decks in your garage, put a collection tin at the door and throw down one humdinger of a fundraving do. (And if your neighbours complain, give 'em hell until they donate too.) First time at the event-throwing rodeo? MTV Australia are hosting an official event at MTV HQ in Sydney (date TBC), where budding venue managers, club promoters and regular shindig starters can get tips on throwing their own Gig For Good during Oxjam. If you can't make it to the how-to, Oxjam's website has a bunch of handy tips and DIY guides for party planners. Oxjam is happening Australia-wide over August 2015, with the main gigs happening in Melbourne and Sydney. But with one in three people around the world living in poverty, Oxjam's probably one of the best reasons to throw a local backyard gig we've ever heard. Head over here for more info and start planning. Image: Goodgod Small Club.
The comedy that won this year's Palme d'Or, Robert Pattinson getting gritty running around New York, the 100th feature from a Japanese master and an effort inspired by real-life witch camps in Africa. Hope you've got some room on your flexipass, Sydney Film Festival-goers, because they're just some of the flicks the fest has just added to its 2017 lineup. Every year, SFF unveils their full program in May; however seasoned fest attendees know that's not really the complete picture. Given that the Cannes Film Festival is held after SFF announces their yearly bill, artistic director Nashen Moodley always gifts cinephiles a few late additions in the form of titles straight from the Croisette. Start rearranging your festival schedule accordingly. In 2017, The Square sits at the top of the heap — just as it did in Cannes' competition. Winning the festival's coveted main prize, the latest film from Force Majeure's Ruben Östlund steps into a contemporary art museum, crafting biting satire starring Danish actor Claes Bang, The Wire's Dominic West and Mad Men's Elisabeth Moss. In the high-profile camp, it'll be joined by the Safdie brothers' Good Time, which left France empty-handed, but earned raves for RPatz's performance. Forget brooding vampires — here, he's caught in a heist gone wrong in a movie that's been compared to Dog Day Afternoon and Taxi Driver. Takashi Miike's Blade of the Immortal is also headed to SFF, as well as British first-time offering I Am Not a Witch. Yes, the former — a gory samurai effort from the filmmaker behind 13 Assassins — really is the 56-year-old director's 100th film. And as for the latter, it tells a tale of a nine-year-old branded a witch by her new community, in a feature that both makes a statement about misogynist power structures and finds absurdity in the whole situation. Rounding out the new batch are Iran-set animation Tehran Taboo, which charts the struggles required to express individuality and sexuality; Un Certain Regard winner A Man of Integrity, an indictment of authoritarian societies from banned Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof; and flying refugee flick — yep, you read that correctly — Jupiter's Moon. In short, you've now got even more SFF choices. Don't go spending days trying to fit them into your diary though, as they're certain to get snapped up rather quickly. The 2017 Sydney Film Festival runs from June 7 to 18. To check out the complete program and book tickets, visit the festival website.
The old fashioned charcoal chook is getting a bit of an upgrade at the newly launched Juicy Lucy in Surry Hills. Owned and operated by the same guys behind Sugarcane, this brand spanking fast food joint combines the classic Australian chicken shop with the flavours of South-East Asia, including garlic, coriander and turmeric. The birds at Juicy Lucy are spiced with cloves, cassia bark, coriander seeds and Sichuan pepper, then stuffed with rice and garlic and slow roasted whole. Other menu options include the Lil Kim Burger (fried chicken, slaw, kimchi and Korean barbecue sauce) and the Jackie Chan Wrap (rice, Malay chicken, pickles and herbs) as well as fried drumettes and chicken tenders cooked in Asian-style tapioca batter. They also offer a rotating lineup of specials including green papaya salad and an Asian take on the Caesar salad (lettuce, kaffir lime, pork crackling and coconut dressing). We'll take one of each, please ✌🏽️#crazygoodchicken #juicylucychicken #sydneyeats #friedchicken #burger A photo posted by Juicy Lucy (@juicylucychicken) on Feb 24, 2016 at 10:49pm PST "Chicken is just something we really enjoy eating," co-owner Milan Strbac told Good Food. "There's a lot of Middle Eastern-style chicken restaurants around, a lot of American-style ones, but not many south-east Asian-style shops." Located at 232A Elizabeth Street just around the corner from Sugarcane, Juicy Lucy is open from 11am until late, Monday through Saturday. Diners can eat in or get their poultry to go. For more information visit Juicy Lucy on Facebook. Via Good Food.
Entries have now closed. Fair is foul and foul is fair, and both descriptors very much apply to the harrowing new adaptation of William Shakespeare's Macbeth. Foul in that Australian director Justin Kurzel, who burst onto the scene with the unforgettable Snowtown, evokes the bleakness and epic sense of tragedy in the Bard's play. And fair in that Kurzel's hypnotic style, along with the incredible work of his cast, make this one of the single most compelling movies of the year. Michael Fassbender gives a thunderous performance as the eponymous Scottish thane, a good man brought low by his own overleaping ambition. Alongside him, Marion Cotillard has likewise rarely been better, disappearing into the role of Lady Macbeth. A supporting cast of UK heavyweights including David Thewlis, Paddy Considine and Sean Harris is nothing to turn your nose up at, either. But Kurzel doesn't rest on the laurels of his cast or the pedigree of the material. His visceral direction, including some absolutely mesmerising uses of colour and slow motion, makes Macbeth one of 2015's must-sees. Macbeth is in cinemas on October 1. To celebrate the film's impending release, we've teamed up with Transmission Films to host an exclusive preview on Wednesday, September 30, 6.15pm, at the Dendy Newtown. To score tickets, click here.
Sydney's sought-after lobster rolls are heading to a more fittingly seaside location this summer. Celebrated for their American-style lobster rolls, Waterman's Lobster Co. is bringing their seafoody fare from Potts Point to Bondi for a three-month pop-up. Opening on Boxing Day, Waterman’s Bondi take over the former Mr Moustache site (RIP) on Hall Street. Waterman's owners Matt Swieboda, Tristan Blair and Nate Hatwell will be transforming the former Bondi bar into a vaguely beach-inspired pop-up eatery, open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Food-wise, expect a bite-sized version of the Potts Point eatery, focusing on those signature Maine and Connecticut-style lobster rolls. There's a veggie roll option too, as well as other seafood possibilities (in case you're not crash hot on lobster). There'll also be a small selection of sides and salads including oysters and kingfish tartare, an Australian-focused wine list with drops from Great Southern, Adelaide Hills, Tumbaruma and Yarra Valley, and a solid cocktail list featuring Waterman's favourites like the Ritz Spritz, Line and Sinker and The Old Man & The Sea. Best bit? All nosh will be available to eat-in or take away — because that postcard-happy beach won't picnic on itself. Waterman’s Bondi will open Saturday, December 26 from midday, located at 75-79 Hall St, Bondi Beach. Open for lunch and dinner, seven days a week from 12pm to late.
Blossoming foodie fest Parramatta Lanes has announced their heaving 2016 lineup and, like a rich, cheesy arancini sent from the heavens, it's stuffed full of the best, brightest and most filling industry folks. You might want to start fasting now because it's a total smorgasbord. The festival — which won Best Community Event at this year's Australian Event Awards — will take place across ten of Parramatta's inner city laneways and squares. Headlining the festival are the team behind Efendy in Balmain, including head chef Somer Sivrioglu, who'll be serving up contemporary Turkish fare. Neil Perry's Burger Project has burger lovers covered with his broad menu of burgs, while Surry Hills hip hop/sneaker fiends Butter will be offering up their particularly beloved brand of fried chicken (it's unclear at this stage whether sneakers will also be on the menu). Brew-wise, you'll find gin wizards and cocktail artists Archie Rose shaking up some crisp bevs, and Young Henrys will be serving their famous craft beers. For dessert? KOI Dessert Bar, the project of Masterchef alum Reynold Poernomo, will be whipping up his treat/work of art creations. Also on board are local favourites Courtney's Brasserie, The Emporium, Temesek Knafeh, Adora Handmade Chocolates, StroopBros, N2 Gelato, KayterCon and Paper Street Ice Cream. And there will (of course) be a food truck food court because no festival is complete without one. One of their signature events is the Dine Bright in the Park dinner, which will see 100 diners eat under the stars on Thursday, October 13 in support of migrant training social enterprise Bright Hospitality. Dinner will be catered by Efendy and Rockpool (among others) and drinks will come from the legends at Archie Rose and Urban Winery. Tickets to this one are $120, but you might have to get in quick to nab one. Otherwise, you can try your hand at winning some below. [competition]591941[/competition]
