The kind of place where 18 degrees is considered freezing, Brisbane is hardly a snowman's natural habitat. But that'll change come summer, when South Bank's Gallery of Modern Art welcomes its own icy figure — and, yes, it'll be made out of real snow. GOMA's latest high-profile acquisition, Snowman is the work of artists Peter Fischli and David Weiss, and dates back to 1987. First conceived as part of a site-specific work at a German thermic power plant, the fairly typical-looking snowman is made from three balls of snow, with the top one boasting hand-drawn eyes and a mouth. What's not typical of this well-travelled snowman, however, is its ability to survive full summers. To protect Snowman from Brisbane's subtropical climate, it'll sit encased in a glass and metal industrial freezer — so, while GOMA visitors will be able to see the frosty sculpture, you definitely won't be able to touch it. But, lucky gallery staff members will be given the task of retracing its eyes and smile every few days, with the artwork's enigmatic expression expected to shift subtly over time from happy to quizzical to maybe even diabolical as a result. When Snowman brings its literal chill to Brissie, it'll mark the piece's first visit to the Southern Hemisphere. Understandably, it's usually exhibited in locations where it's much, much older — including a hit season at New York's Museum of Modern Art. [caption id="attachment_743010" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Peter Fischli and David Weiss, Snowman (1987/2017-19). Copyright: Peter Fischli David Weiss, Zurich 2019. Courtesy Spruth Magers, Matthew Marks New York and Los Angeles, Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Zurich.[/caption] The icy work will first go on display on December 7 as part of GOMA's huge summer showcase, which is completely dedicated to the theme of water. As well as marvelling at Snowman — because a snowman in Brisbane is definitely something worth marvelling at — visitors will also be able to walk across a massive indoor riverbed, with Olafur Eliasson's Riverbed installation another of Water's centrepieces. More than 40 works by international and Australian artists will be featured across the entire exhibition. Geraldine Kirrihi Barlow, Curatorial Manager of International Art at GOMA, hopes the sculpture will help inspire visitors to contemplate topical environmental issues. "In the context of Water, Snowman prompts us to think about issues such as global warming and climate change," Barlow said in a statement. While Water runs until April 26, 2020, Snowman will become a permanent feature at GOMA. The piece isn't just on loan to the gallery, but has been acquired thanks to philanthropic support — and, according to The Courier-Mail, may even eventually tour the state in its freezer. Snowman will display at the Gallery of Modern Art, Stanley Place, South Brisbane as part of GOMA's forthcoming Water exhibition, which runs from December 7, 2019 to April 26, 2020. Top image: Peter Fischli and David Weiss, Snowman (1987/2016). Installation view: SFMOMA. Copyright the artists. Courtesy Matthew Marks Gallery. Photograph: Mary Ellen Hawkins.
If you've ever wanted to get your hands on any of Frank Green's popular products, here's your chance to score some for free. To celebrate the recent launch of the brand's new three-in-one insulated iced coffee cup with a straw, Frank Green has teamed up with Melbourne coffee brand Industry Beans to sling some freebies. For one day only, Industry Beans will give away a limited amount of free Frank Green coffee cups with every iced coffee purchase. In Sydney, head into Industry Beans' York Street cafe on Friday, February 9 from 7am to grab your very own Frank Green iced coffee cup — which is available in a range of colours, from the pearly white cloud to pastels like mint gelato and lilac haze. But be sure to get in quick as stocks are limited. The reusable cup provides a sustainable alternative to single-use plastic cups, which a classic iced coffee usually comes in. And, it also offers up solutions to pesky problems that iced coffee fanatics know all too well. Frank Green's iced coffee cups contain a double-wall vacuum insulation feature to prevent condensation and guarantee that your drink will stay cool by maintaining the ice for up to 12 hours, as well as a splash-proof lid and a stainless steel straw. Plus, you can ensure that your barista never spells your name incorrectly, as the cups are monogrammable. In extra brownie points for versatility, too, it can double as a stubbie holder or cocktail glass.
There's nothing like a flight sale to spark holiday plans, but the offer that Cathay Pacific is about to drop isn't your regular airfare special. Fancy a Hong Kong holiday without paying to get there and back? That's what's available for 6020 round-trip getaways. The caveat: the airline and the Airport Authority Hong Kong will cover the cost of your base fares, but you need to pay taxes and surcharges. The drastically discounted airfares form part of the Hello Hong Kong campaign, which was announced back in February with an aim to help the Asian destination kickstart its pandemic-era tourism industry. It was originally revealed as a massive flights giveaway, with the Hong Kong Tourism Board and the Airport Authority Hong Kong joining forces with local airlines Cathay Pacific Airways, Hong Kong Express and Hong Kong Airlines; however, it operates slightly differently in various parts of the world. In March, the focus was on tourists heading to Hong Kong from southeast Asia. Then, in April, attention shifted to travellers from mainland China in April. Now it's the rest of the globe's turn — and for Australians, that means this once-in-a-lifetime arrangement for trips out of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Perth to the busy city. From 12pm AEST on Monday, May 29, you'll be able to head over to Cathay Pacific's campaign website to score your fares. There are a few more rules, though, including the fact that you'll need to be a Cathay member — which you can sign up for online for free — and be logged in when the crucial time hits. There's also only one adult Economy Class fare per person for the 6020 lucky folks, offered on a first-come, first-served basis until they're all booked out. And, again, you do still need to pay those taxes and surcharges. Still on terms and conditions, you must be an Australian resident aged 18 or over to take up the deal. Once you've nabbed a ticket, they're non-transferable, non-reroutable and non-exchangeable. You'll be able to travel between Monday, May 29, 2023–Wednesday, February 28, 2024, staying for at least two days and at most a month. There are blackout periods, however, which'll limit your travel periods. Free flights are just one aspect of the overall Hello Hong Kong promotion. Another: free drink, dining, shopping and transport vouchers, with at least a million up for grabs from 16,000-plus outlets. Dubbed 'Hong Kong Goodies', these freebies will be available to folks visiting Hong Kong for 90 days or less — and you'll have to pick just one offer. So, you can choose between a welcome drink valued at more than HK$100 at one of more than 100 bars, restaurants and hotels; a HK$100 cash voucher to use at 140-plus restaurants, shops or attractions; or a gift worth more than HK$100 at a heap of Hong Kong attractions and museums. With the current exchange rate, whichever of these three goodies you pick equates to around AU$18 / NZ$20 — but it's still a freebie. [caption id="attachment_887783" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hong Kong Tourism Board[/caption] There are caveats for these vouchers, too. First, you have have to have a non-Hong Kong mobile number to obtain them. Also, there are rules about collecting and redeeming them. Visitors to Hong Kong have until December 31, 2023 to enjoy their goodies — and once you have chosen your coupon, you can't swap it. Cathay Pacific's discounted Hong Kong flights in conjunction with the Airport Authority Hong Kong are available from 12pm AEST on Monday, May 29 until sold out from Cathay Pacific's campaign website. Top image: Hong Kong Tourism Board. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
In 2019, just one Australian bar made it into the World's 50 Best Bars list: Maybe Sammy. This year, not only has the innovative bar in The Rocks made the list again, it has jumped 32 places to number 11 — and it's joined by two more Sydney spots. Laneway mezcal bar — and one of Concrete Playground's favourite openings of 2019 — Cantina OK! came in at number 28, while Bulletin Place, which has made the list many times during its eight-year life, came in 39. If you've been looking for an excuse to spend a night drinking cocktails in the city, this is it. With many Sydneysiders WFH during the pandemic, CBD bars have done it tough, with some venues reporting drops in revenue of 40 percent and more. Now, it's more important than ever to go out and support them (in a COVID-safe way, of course). For those yet to be acquainted with Maybe Sammy, its luxurious styling nods to old-school Vegas glamour, all blush pink velvet banquettes and lush indoor greenery, while the list of theatrical signature drinks pays homage to the classics. Cocktails are served with the likes of scent-filled pillows, hand cream and rosemary bubbles. The latter, comes atop the much-Instagrammed Dunes cocktail, pictured below, which is a delicate balance of gin, fino sherry, watermelon and agave. [caption id="attachment_788842" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dunes cocktail at Maybe Sammy by DS Oficina[/caption] While Sydney cleaned up in the top 50, only Melbourne venues (from Australia) featured in the 51–100 list, which was announced late last week. Fitzroy bar The Everleigh snagged the 73 spot, while newer CBD haunt Byrdi came in at 80. Petite Collingwood bar Above Board followed not too far behind at number 84 and the long-running Black Pearl — which has scooped a spot in the Top 50 list numerous times throughout the award's 12-year history — was voted in at 98. The annual World's 50 Best Bars awards are voted on by over 540 bar industry experts from around the world, including bartenders, consultants, drinks writers and cocktail specialists. You can check out the full lineup of the World's 50 Best Bars 2020 here, and see 51–100 here. Top image: Cantina OK! by Kimberley Low
Everyone has heard about — or tried to eat their way through — KitKat's famed range of weird and wonderful Japanese flavours. A cough drop version once existed, and it really wasn't great. The sake version, a perennial favourite, is absolutely delicious. But if you're vegan, none of these varieties will have tempted your tastebuds. KitKats in general won't have either, actually. Come July, that'll change for Aussies who follow a plant-based, dairy-free and cruelty free diet, and would also like to sink their teeth into a KitKat. The brand is launching KitKat V, a new vegan KitKat. It's made with a rice-based milk alternative, resulting in a smooth vegan milk chocolate — not dark chocolate — which is then layered over the usual crisp wafers. That means that from Monday, July 26, everyone can now have a break — and a KitKat — with KitKat V joining other plant-based alternatives among Nestle's products. So, if you'd like to crack open a few fingers while tucking into a glass of plant-based Milo, you'll be able to. The 41.5-gram bars will cost $2 and, if you're already keen, they can be pre-ordered from the KitKat Chocolatory website ahead of their supermarket debut at Woolworths Metro stores. When your next sugar craving hits, add them to your list alongside vegan Natural Confectionery Co fruit lollies, vegan choc tops, and vegan Magnums, Cornettos and Weis Bars. KitKat V will hit Woolworths Metro supermarkets on Monday, July 26 — or you can pre-order them now from the KitKat Chocolatory website.
At this Glenayr Avenue florist, owner Jenni May is always ready to spitball a bouquet to meet your needs. Camellias, peonies, tulips and turned out roses pack the wooden tables on one side of the store, and once you've locked in your budget, preferred colours and any pet hates she's busy plucking stems from vases to make up an arrangement that can soothe a broken heart, surprise a parent-to-be, or brighten up a friend's day. [caption id="attachment_776454" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yael Stempler[/caption] May visits the flower markets three times a week, and if you want the freshest of the bunch you should trust her best judgement. The same is true of her online store, which has $65 bouquets under names like Miss Maggie's Mystery: a florist's choice of the best in store on the day. And if you're sending in the eastern suburbs, delivery won't cost you a thing. Images: Yael Stempler
One great turn inspires another in Monsieur Chocolat — and what stellar, standout turns they are. In this handsome showbiz biopic, a late 19th/early 20th century comedic pioneer inspires a film-stealing performance from a current acting talent. The former is Rafael Padilla, aka Chocolat, the first black clown to star in the French big top. The latter is actor Omar Sy, who previously impressed audiences in The Intouchables, Mood Indigo and X-Men: Days of Future Past. If you don't recognise Padilla's name, the film will soon help you understand why. Examining how he became one of France's forgotten comics is as much a part of Monsieur Chocolat as charting his humorous feats. When the movie introduces the former Afro-Cuban slave, he's playing a cannibal in a regional circus and considered a novelty amongst a cast of white performers. His fortunes seem to change after he joins forces with English clown George Foottit (James Thierrée), and yet much still stays the same. While their acclaimed double act takes them to Paris' prestigious Nouveau Cirque, amusing the masses and earning their respect are two very different things. Here, the leap from loincloth to top hat proves giant in perception but tiny in reality, with director Roschdy Zem unafraid of tackling the obvious factor that complicated Chocolat's career. Bigotry dogs the performer at every turn; kids scream at his teeth-gnashing savage routine, while envious rivals try to keep him down. Even at the height of his popularity, he finds himself arrested on the street. So too is the prejudice clear in the public's reaction when he sets out to become a serious actor. Monsieur Chocolat presents a rise-and-fall narrative, as well as a dissection of stereotypes and discrimination, that feels simultaneously familiar and fresh. This isn't the first time a film has offered a behind-the-scenes look at the less-than-glamorous reality of fame and fortune; nor is it the first time we've been made to face the entertainment industry's poor treatment of multicultural talents. And yet, while few truly original stories may rear their heads these days, previously untold true tales can still strike a chord — particularly when may of the same social issues remain a problem more than a century later. Accordingly, Monsieur Chocolat is a bittersweet affair. It's rightfully sombre in its contemplation of how its title character was treated, and yet absolutely jubilant in depicting him do what he did best. Sy is crucial to both – his clowning skills are a sight to behold, as is his rapport with real-life circus performer Thierrée. In a better world, their reenactments of Chocolat and Foottit's marvelous act would be the only thing this movie needed to focus on, but unfortunately that's not the one we live in. Come for the big top delights. Stay for the grim reality behind them. In tackling both, this film is a worthy tribute to Chocolat's remarkable legacy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgOVqeNNu58
A staple of holiday dining tables the world over, the humble Christmas ham is too often sidelined as a one meal wonder. Add a slice or two of really good bread and suddenly a problem leftover transforms into a culinary masterpiece. Behold, the humble ham sandwich. After the festive rush is done and dusted, and the downtime between Christmas and New Years gets underway, let Abbott's Bakery's loaves do the heavy lifting when it comes to high adventure, low touch meals. Surf and Turf Sandwich While you may be off the clock and in relaxation mode in the days after Christmas, time waits for no crustacean and is definitely of the essence if you've got leftover prawns piled up from Christmas lunch. A surf and turf sandwich is an ingenious way of using up some of Christmas lunch's most perishable ingredients and comes together in less than 10 minutes with no cooking required. All you need to do is lay out a few slices of your favourite Abbott's Bakery bread, on which you'll spread on a tangy green pickle relish, before adding lettuce and whatever ham you have on hand — that can be store-bought slices or sliced off the last of the Christmas ham. Then top the bottom layer with another slice of bread, add tartare sauce, lay down some prawns and any extra tartare to taste. Finally, top with some more greens and a final slice of bread. Lunch is served and leftovers are given new life. Provolone and Ham Melt This provolone and ham melt makes the most of the mish mash of charcuterie board leftovers that litter kitchens throughout the holiday season. Combined with leftover ham and sandwiched between two slices of Abbott's Bakery Sourdough White, this is an inventive toastie that packs a flavour punch and can be made in 20 minutes or less. Start by spreading mayonnaise and mango chutney on two slices of Abbott's Bakery bread. On the slice with chutney, add shaved ham, pear slices, roasted peppers and provolone cheese before topping it with the other slice of bread. For the perfect golden brown crunch, brush both sides with melted butter and grill on a griddle until the cheese is oozy and melted. Classic Croque Madame A croque madame is one of those indulgent breakfasts that requires time more than skill. Difficult to throw together in a rush, but deceptively easy, this grilled cheese sandwich is a classic for a reason. This particular recipe comes together in just 20 minutes and starts with a fresh slice of Abbott's Bakery sourdough. Spread on some fruit paste and your favourite chutney, layer with ham and a mix of cheeses and top the filling with your second slice of bread. Then, heat half a tablespoon of butter and cook your sandwich in a frying pan for two minutes on each side with the lid covered. Remove your sandwich from the pan, add another half tablespoon of butter and fry an egg to place on top of the sandwich. Voila, breakfast — or lunch or any old meal in between when you're pottering around and feeling peckish — is ready. Ham, Brie and Spiced Mango Sandwich Summer means mangoes and this recipe demonstrates there's more than one way to skin a mango. This sandwich starts with the mango salsa which is acidic, spicy and sweet in equal measure. Once the salsa is ready, set it aside and spread butter and mustard on a slice of Abbott's Bakery Wholemeal bread. Then, layer lettuce, ham, brie and the salsa on the buttered bread before topping with microherbs and another slice. Plate it all up with a fresh wedge of lime. Ripping Two-Cheese and Ham Toastie The combination of flavours in this toastie call for a darker bread with a slightly more nutty, malty and earthy flavour. A mixture of sharp Dijon and sweet mustard pickle adds zing, while the blend of cheeses used — gruyere and colby — elevates this sanga into something special. Layer the spreads, cheese and ham between two slices of Abbott's Bakery Dark Rye bread, give them a grill in a fry pan for two minutes on each side. Then, remove them from the heat, add rocket for a fresh, peppery and ripping toastie to tuck into. Ham, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich (HLT) Forget the BLT. Meet its Christmas cousin the HLT. Proving that there are countless ways to mix up what goes between two great white slices, the ham, lettuce and tomato sandwich is both a spin on a classic and fantastic in its own right. Ready in mere minutes, assemble this classic lunchtime feed by layering ham, sliced cheese, tomato and lettuce on Abbott's Bakery Rustic White bread that's been spread with mayo and mustard. Discover the full range of Abbott's Bakery bread and create your ideal sandwich.
People of the gluten-free world, do we have some news for you. Nutie, Sydney's much-loved maker of GF donuts, is moving into the CBD for winter. Having opened its first shop in Balmain last year, the team is now gearing up to bring sweet hits to the city's ravenous 9–5ers. The announcement is a big win for vegans, too. Nutie peddles a stack of plant-free creations, including black bean brownies, wagon wheels, rocky road and lemon meringue pies. Meanwhile, among the gluten-free doughnuts, you'll find all kinds of marvellous flavour combos, such as pink Champagne, black sesame and green tea. If you must insist on eating something other than dessert, then dig into Nutie's savoury menu, which is packed with sangas, salads, buddha bowls and cauliflower pizzas. And, yes, they're all utterly devoid of gluten. Nutie is giving away 300 donuts to celebrate the beginning of their CBD adventure. Get there at 10am (or earlier) on Wednesday, May 23 to land your paws on one. Nutie will open at shop 9 in the Hunter Arcade, 109 Pitt Street, Sydney on Wednesday, May 23 at 10am. It'll then be open from 7am–5pm Monday to Friday until at least September. For more info, visit the Instagram page.
Tequila is having a moment right now. Global demand for the Mexican spirit has been soaring over the past decade, and is still on the rise. Some will say that it's been a long time coming, but this is probably not too much of a surprise given tequila's dubious (and long-held) reputation as a spirit downed as a shot. What should be less of a surprise, however, is that tequila is an incredibly complex spirit with a proud legacy, and is a product that is more than worthy of being taken seriously. It's not that we've been drinking it wrong — it's that we can be drinking it better. [caption id="attachment_862088" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Eliana Schoulal[/caption] POPULARITY IS SOARING Paul Hayes, CEO and co-founder of VIVIR Tequila, is playing his part in helping change perceptions. Launched in 2019, the UK brand made it its mission from the outset to "become the first independent brand based [in the UK] to support and educate on the category, and show Britain just how special quality tequila could be". This is a message that Hayes is hoping translates to the Antipodes, with the recent launch of VIVIR in Australia. Kevin Griffin (pictured above), National Sales Director of the spirit's Australian distributor Highball Spirits, believes we're well on our way. "Tequila is the fastest-growing spirits category in Australia right now, and a huge part of this is due to education around this fantastic spirit," he says. Griffin credits tequila's recent upswing on our shores to two converging factors: "Trends globally have shown us that people are premiumising when they are enjoying alcohol, so the movement from shots to cocktails is evident. During lockdowns when people were forced to make cocktails at home, you guessed it, most people turned to the classic margarita." Griffin notes a growth of more than 30% in recent demand for triple sec as evidence that the margarita is "now most definitely Australia's most popular cocktail". [caption id="attachment_862087" align="alignnone" width="1920"] David Garcia Sandoval (Unsplash)[/caption] A QUICK NIP OF TEQUILA EDUCATION Of course, there's a lot more to appreciating tequila than the margarita. But first, a very quick overview of the basics. First produced in the 15th century, tequila is made from the twice-distilled fermentation of the hearts of blue agave plants. Like other iconic food and drink products, its production is protected by Mexican law — all products advertising themselves as tequila must be made in the spirit's namesake town in the state of Jalisco, and must contain at least 51% of blue agave plant distillate. There are three main types of tequila: blanco, reposado and añejo. The latter two refer to tequila that's been aged following its distillation — reposado rests in oak barrels for anywhere between two to 12 months, while añejo ages between one to three years (anything beyond three years is called extra añejo). Blanco is tequila that's immediately bottled following distillation or aged for a very short period of time, and is often seen by tequila connoisseurs as the purest expression of the spirit. Whichever you prefer, though, there are differences in taste between tequila made from valley and highland agave plants — the former can be identified by its earthier flavours, while the latter is usually sweeter and fruitier. VIVIR produces all three of these expressions, as well as a tequila-based coffee liqueur, using premium Weber Blue Agave grown for nine years in the Jalisco highlands. The agave hearts, or piñas, are cooked in traditional hornos (clay ovens) and with natural volcanic spring water from a well at its distillery. The result is a natural, fresh, flavour-packed spirit that celebrates the agave plant. [caption id="attachment_862089" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Eliana Schoulal[/caption] ENTER: VIVIR Griffin thinks that VIVIR has entered the Australian market at exactly the right time. "VIVIR as a brand is a fantastic example of incorporating modern branding with a very traditional recipe process behind it. Consumers are choosing brands that have similar ethos to theirs so the fact that VIVIR follows sustainable practices in its production of tequila will sit well with the consumer." More importantly, perhaps, is the one fundamental that slick packaging can't hide: taste. But Hayes reckons VIVIR is on to a winner in that department, too. "Sip our expressions over ice and you'll immediately notice a difference — the smooth rounded mouthfeel and earthy fresh tastes of agave couldn't be further from that terrible shot we've all had at the end of a night out." To that end, Hayes is also excited about VIVIR becoming a potential gateway for people to appreciate tequila in new ways. "We often hear people saying they really want to 'get into tequila', but they don't know what to buy or how to drink it. We're always there to help out." SERVING SUGGESTIONS So, where to start? For Hayes, less is more. "A generous measure of VIVIR Tequila Añejo, which has been aged in bourbon barrels for 18 months, served over a large cube of ice in a whisky tumbler is my go-to serve. It lets the rich smoky aromas and unique flavours take centre stage, and is the perfect sipper for an evening after a long day behind a screen." Griffin is also a fan of keeping things simple. "Depending on the occasion, my drink of choice for years has been tequila blanco with tonic water and a slice of orange." And if it's cocktail hour? Griffin likes a rosita, an agave-fuelled cousin to the classic negroni that calls for sweet vermouth instead of dry. "A tequila-based negroni using the VIVIR Reposado is a great drink," he says. Griffin also likes switching up his old fashioned game with a tequila twist. "I love using the VIVIR Añejo Tequila with either a dash of honey water (1:1 water and honey) with a dash of chocolate bitters. It's a delicious drink that really highlights the sweeter vanilla notes in an aged tequila." No matter how you choose to enjoy tequila, you're in for a treat. "Good quality tequila tastes amazing and is wonderfully versatile," Hayes says. "There is so much craft and skill that goes into producing superior quality tequila and the results between brands can be as different to taste as whiskies. It really is a spirit to savour." To discover more about VIVIR Tequila, where to try it, where to buy it, as well as cocktail recipes, head to the website.
Rumours are fun, but knowing which bands are confirmed to play at Australia’s premier music festival is even better. The lineup for Splendour in the Grass was fed to early risers on Thursday morning via the Triple J Breakfast Show, quashing some rumours, verifying others and turning Coachella, Prince and holographic Tupac into nothing but distant memories. Generally regarded as Australia's biggest winter music festival, Splendour originated in 2001 at Belongil Fields outside of Byron Bay. The 2010 and 2011 festivals were relocated to Woodford, Queensland due to Byron Bay area restrictions, but this year's festival will return to its spiritual home. The three day festival, which this year takes place July 27-29, has a history of legendary line-ups, with past festivals including music greats like Kanye West, The Strokes and PJ Harvey. Tough acts to follow, but 2012's list won't disappoint. Headlining the 2012 festival will be Jack White, Bloc Party, Smashing Pumpkins, At The Drive-In and The Shins. Feast your eyes on the full lineup below and start saving your coin (is anyone still reading this anyway?). The lineup for Splendour in the Grass 2012: Jack White, Bloc Party, Smashing Pumpkins, At The Drive-In, Lana Del Rey, Azealia Banks, The Shins, Hilltop Hoods, The Kooks, Gossip, Miike Snow, Dirty Three, 360, Tame Impala, Explosions In The Sky, Ladyhawke, The Afghan Whigs, Missy Higgins, Wolfmother, Metric, Kimbra, Mudhoney, Band Of Skulls, Spiderbait, Django Django, Gypsy & The Cat, San Cisco, Last Dinosaurs, Electric Guest, Muscles, Angus Stone, DZ Deathrays, Howler, Lanie Lane, Wolf & Cub, Fun., Big Scary, Michael Kiwanuka, Seekae, Friends, Yacht Club Dj's, Bertie Blackman, Jinja Safari, Blue King Brown, Youth Lagoon, Pond, The Beautiful Girls, Yuksek, Tijuana Cartel, Ball Park Music, The Rubens, Ben Howard, Bleeding Knees Club, Zulu Winter, The Medics, Shihad, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Husky, Kate Miller-Heidke, Father John Misty, Emma Louise, Chet Faker, Here We Go Magic, Parachute Youth, Mosman Alder, The Cast Of Cheers, Gossling, Beni, Sampology (AV/DJ show), Canyons (DJ Set), Nina Las Vegas, Danny T, Alison Wonderland, Nice and Ego (AV/DJ show) Flume, Gloves, Luke Million, Harris Robotis, Alley Oop. Festival dates: Friday 27, Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 July. For more info check the Splendour in the Grass website. Words by Hannah Ongley and Anya Krenicki
Sometimes it can be hard to decide if you're in a beer or whisky mood. Well, say no more — we bring you Ardbeer, the hybrid tipple of your dreams (particularly if you're a fan of a boilermaker). Yes, for the first time in world history, a brewer has added Ardbeg whisky to beer. Handcrafted by the folks at Akasha Brewing Co. in Five Dock, the drop blends flavourful brown ale with a good dose of Ardbeg smokiness. And you can be among the first to taste test this beautiful creation at Websters Bar in Newtown on the first weekend in November — but there'll only be one keg available so you'll need to move quick. The launch is happening as part of The Ardbeg Smokehouse, a series of events taking over various Sydney venues during October and November and focusing on all things smoke. In between sampling Ardbeer, you can feast on burgers with Dr Pepper and smoky Ardbeg barbecue sauce or hot dogs with house-made smoky Ardbeg ketchup. You can also treat yourself to some top-notch Ardbeg cocktails. On the list, you'll find a smoky whisky sour, a smoky espresso martini and a potent take on the old fashioned. If you're more of a hardcore whisky connoisseur, you should definitely go for the flight. Settle in for a flavourful journey through three of Ardbeg's finest creations and test your smoky limits. Ardbeg will take over Websters Bar on Saturday, November 3, from 12–6pm and Sunday, November 4, from 12–5pm. To make a booking, contact Websters Bar on info@webstersbar.com.au
Motoi Yamamoto’s sculpture is bringing a new meaning to ‘living in the moment’. The supremely disciplined artist from Hiroshima creates installations out of grains of salt. Using intricate techniques that involve layering, shaking, sweeping and infinite amounts of patience, he has made a labyrinth, a set of steps, a ‘corridor to remembrance’ and a series of complex patterns that imitate biological systems. When the works have run their course, he sends them back to the sea. Yamamoto’s engagement with salt as a form started eighteen years ago, when he lost his sister to brain cancer. She was just 24, and struggling to cope with the loss, Yamamoto sought a way to recall his memories through his art. His very first piece was a bed comprised of bricks and the second, a three-dimensional representation of the human brain. In Japan, salt symbolises the processes of cleansing and mourning. Its use forms an important part of funeral rituals. Restaurateurs and small business owners often place salt at their doors, in the belief that it deters evil spirits and magnetises forces for good. “I can’t tell if my feelings of death have been changed by the passage of time or by the process of creating my work,” Yamamoto told the Daily Serving in June last year. “I don’t have any way to compare to the two alternatives because I’ve only experienced this through my work, not through a more conventional mourning process. I would like to think that it altered my thoughts on loss gradually, but I don’t know.” Yamamoto’s salt installations have been exhibited in galleries all over the world, from the Ierimonti Gallery in Milan to the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art in Charleston, USA. Last month, they were on show at the Mint Museum in Charlotte.
If you've heard all the fuss about The Dolar Shop, you'll be happy to know the Chinese/Macanese hot pot empire has finally made it to our shores. With 53 global restaurants under its belt, the group has just opened its Aussie flagship venue within Market City's new 1909 Dining Precinct. Joining fellow newcomers Chongqing noodle hot-spot Mr Meng and DIY Korean barbecue joint Kogi, the 200-seat eatery is serving up an authentic taste of Macanese fare. For the uninitiated, that's a bold blend of Portuguese and Cantonese cuisines. It's a venue primed for big share feasts, with the menu filled with options for customising your ideal hot pot banquet. Once you've selected the various elements, a pot of stock arrives at your table, to then simmer on the hot plate while you cook your chosen ingredients. Base broth varieties run from a light chicken consommé, to the gutsy Szchuan 'hot & spicy' number, both to be teamed with various cuts of premium meats, fresh seafood and vegetables. You'll find top-quality wagyu, fresh noodles, signature dumplings and just about every type of mushroom you've ever heard of. And the seafood offering is huge, with options like Tasmanian red lobster, blue swimmer crab, live prawns and local greenlip abalone making for some pretty pimped-out seafood hot pots. Before you start cooking, hit the dedicated sauce bar to get creative with the condiments, or let the menu guide you towards one of the suggested sauce pairings. The space itself is elegant, decked out with a healthy dose of marble and metallics, and there's even a trio of sleek private dining rooms for those who want to take their hot pot experience to the next level. Find The Dolar Shop at Level 3 Market City Shopping Centre, 9-13 Hay Street, Haymarket. Image Credit: Anna Kucera
We hope you weren’t expecting to get much work done this summer. The Sydney concert calendar is bursting with so much talent that getting to the ‘must-sees’ alone could be your full-time job. This summer will see an impressive array of international acts packing their bags for Sydney’s festival frenzy, some exciting local collaborations featuring at the Sydney Festival, and a barrage of side shows throughout the new year. The Sydney Opera House will provide your indie-folk fix, serving up a tantalizing platter of international wonders including Fleet Foxes and Beirut in early January, and Bon Iver later in March. During the Sydney Festival, they’ll also play host to Yeah Yeah Yeah’s Nick Zinner and his new friends at the Australian Youth Orchestra, bound to bewitch us with 41 Strings, his eclectic composition featuring acoustic and electric, violins and synths. The Keystone Festival Bar in the Hyde Park Barracks - everybody’s favourite cheeky midweek night out - has more fun in store for us at the 2012 Sydney Festival. The bar will be nicely christened by Dan Deacon joined by his five-piece ensemble and Animal Collective keyboarder, John Maus. The following week will see a double dose of So Frenchy So Chic, featuring the soulful Nigerian-French artists Asa and Fefe, followed by Nouvella Vague and Moriarty reinterpreting the '80s. The Sydney Festival will also see Beth Orton mixing folk and electronics in the ethereal acoustics of the City Recital Hall after her five year absence from Oz. The Enmore delivers a comprehensive collection of acts in 2012, dotted with festival sideshows including Laneway headliner Feist, Girl Talk and The Drums. A definite highlight on their calendar is alternative hip hop group Odd Future, a killer collective all the way from LA. A summer line up this good is not going to be easy on the wallet. Let’s just hope that after a couple of months of epic gigs followed by dusty days at work, you’ve still got your day job. DecemberDecember 1 - Armin Van Buuren @ Metro Theatre December 2 - Donny Benet @ FBi Social December 8 - Future Of The Left @ Annandale Hotel December 10 - Gang Gang Dance @ Sydney Opera House, Studio December 16 - Oscar & Martin @ Oxford Art Factory December 30 - Architecture in Helsinki @ Cargo Bar December 31 - Little Red and Jinja Safari @ Rock Lily, Pyrmont JanuaryJanuary 2-4 - Fleet Foxes @ Sydney Opera House, Concert Hall January 2 - Dum Dum Girls @ Oxford Art Factory January 3 - Grouplove @ The Factory Theatre January 4 - Aloe Blacc @ Enmore Theatre January 5 - Beirut @ Sydney Opera House, Concert Hall January 5 - Metronomy @ Manning Bar January 6 - The Kooks @ Hordern Pavilion January 7 - Holly Throsby @ Sydney Festival First Night, Hyde Park January 8 - Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro and Electric Empire @ Keystone Festival Bar January 8-10 - The Jolly Boys @ The Famous Spiegeltent, Honda Festival Garden January 9 - Deerhoof and DJ Yamantaka Eye (The Boredoms) @ Keystone Festival Bar January 11 - Dan Deacon Ensemble and John Maus @ Keystone Festival Bar January 12 - Sons and Daughters, Songs & The Laurels @ Keystone Festival Bar January 13 - Shabazz Palaces, Taylor McFerrin & Shangaan Electro @ Keystone Festival Bar January 13 - Arctic Monkeys @ Enmore Theatre January 14 - Picnic: Andrew Weatherall & Neville Watson @ Keystone Festival Bar January 14 - Summer Sounds in the Domain: Mike Patton’s Mondo Cane @ The Domain January 14-15 - CANT @ The Famous Spiegeltent, Honda Festival Garden January 17 - Julianna Barwick @ The Famous Spiegeltent, Honda Festival Garden January 17-18 - Beth Orton @ City Recital Hall Angel Place January 17-21 - iOTA: Young, Hard and Solo @ Sydney Opera House, Play House January 18 - So Frenchy So Chic: Asa & Fefe @ Keystone Festival Bar January 18-19 - PJ Harvey @ State Theatre January 20 - Tune-Yards and Jonti @ Keystone Festival Bar January 21 - The Whitest Boy Alive & New Navy @ Keystone Festival Bar January 21 - Dan Sultan & Busby Marou with Kasey Chambers @ Old King’s School Site January 22 - 41 Strings by Nick Zinner @ Sydney Opera House, Concert Hall January 23 - Battles @ Metro Theatre January 23 - Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds @ Enmore Theatre January 24 - Odd Future @ Enmore Theatre January 24 - Kitty, Daisy & Lewis @ Metro Theatre January 24 - Kasabian @ Hordern Pavilion January 25 - Washington presents Insomnia @ Sydney Opera House January 25 - Foster the People @ Enmore Theatre January 25 - Mad Racket: Peven Everett @ Keystone Festival Bar January 27 - Royksopp @ Enmore Theatre January 27 - The Stepkids & Electric Wire Hustle @ Keystone Festival Bar January 28 - Cavalera Conspiracy @ Metro Theatre January 28 - Girl Talk @ Enmore Theatre January 28 - Future Classic: DJ Koze & Prins Thomas @ Keystone Festival Bar January 28-29 - Eleanor Friedberger @ The Famous Spiegeltent, Honda Festival Garden FebruaryFebruary 2 - The Horrors @ Metro Theatre February 6 - Wu Lyf @ Metro Theatre February 7 - Feist @ Enmore Theatre February 7 - Portugal The Man/Givers @ Metro Theatre February 8 - The Drums + Cults @ Enmore Theatre February 8 - Anna Calvi @ Metro Theatre February 8 - Glasser @ The Standard February 9 - Laura Marling @ Sydney Opera House, Concert Hall February 9 - M83 @ Metro Theatre February 9 - Austra @ The Basement February 24 - Death Cab for Cutie @ Enmore Theatre MarchMarch 11-13 - Bon Iver @ Sydney Opera House, Concert Hall March 16-17 - Kate Miller-Heidke @ Sydney Opera House, Studio
This month Alex Steinweiss, the inventor of the album cover, died at the age of 94. In the 1930s his simple idea revolutionised the marketing of music, and although the digital revolution hasn't killed off the music industry in the way many predicted, perhaps the marketing and consumption of music is due for another shake up. We look at three ways artists are using new tech to grab their fans' attention and beat the pirates. 1. Make it collaborative. Many a young band has called on friends and fans to help make their first film clip. British band The Vaccines have taken the idea to their entire fanbase, inviting them to provide images of their summer festival experiences via instagram to make the clip to their new song 'Wetsuit.' Other artists like Imogen Heap have gone a step further and asked fans to pitch in with creating the lyrics and music. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ur-y7oOto14 2. Make it interactive. By and large, music is now consumed digitally, either online or via a portable device that probably starts with 'i'. In the same way that Steinweiss used the medium of the record sleeve, artists are using the web and digital devices to express their creativity and involve the 'listener' on more levels. The Polyphonic Spree's latest single Bullseye is available as an interactive, video-game-like app. OK Go have released their latest song, 'All Is Not Lost', online with a dedicated website where, thanks to the magic of HTML5, viewers can generate a customised, kaleidoscopic video featuring their own message spelled out by the Pilobolus dancers. https://youtube.com/watch?v=o8AELvVUFLw 3. Make it immersive. Going one step further, Bjork has released her entire album Biophilia as a free app. Within the app you can purchase the tracks, each of which comes with its own game, video, musical score and sleeve notes. The volume and variety of material on offer demonstrates that there is a world of possibilities for artists to deliver far more than just an audio file, and change the way we consume music. [via PSFK]
Lennox Head is an ideal location for hang gliding, watching surfers and spotting the odd dolphin. If it is whales you're after though, head to the top of Lennox Point at Pat Morton Lookout. The expansive views over the Pacific and Seven Mile Beach are where you'll spot the migration — and it's also the best point from which to see surfers catch the famous right-hand break down on the beach. Pack a picnic for this grassy knoll as you'll want to stay a while. Image: Flickr
Whether you're at a brewery, a vineyard or a distillery, it's a true delight tasting your way through a producer's wares right where they made them — often partnered with first-hand knowledge from the team themselves. While residents of Sydney's Hills District still have to travel to taste some wine from the source, they now have their very own local distillery right in their backyard, creating and sampling spirits next door to the area's brewery. Located just metres away from The Australian Brewery is Hills Distilling Co, a new purveyor of gin and vodka that officially opened on Friday, March 15. The intimate two-storey venue is here with gin tastings, masterclasses, guided tours and dumplings from an acclaimed Sydney chef. Head inside and you'll find the ground floor gin bar and cellar door, boasting tables for up to 12 guests seated and another ten standing. Head up the stairs and that's where the magic happens, with the mezzanine playing home to the blending tanks and ageing barrels. If you want to get your hands on a bottle of Hills Distilling Co gin, just drop into the retail space. Or else, there are just two opportunities to experience the distillery each week. It all kicks off on Thursdays, when the crew runs appointment-only guided tours between 3–6pm. These weekday afternoon peeks behind the curtain include a masterclass guiding you through the process of distilling gin, as well as cheese and charcuterie to snack on throughout. If you'd rather drop in after work on a Friday, you can kick off your weekend at the cellar door, open from 3–6pm one day a week. For these three hours, you can nab a table and enjoy tastings with a selection of mixers and cocktails of your choice. Plus, Friday dinner is sorted thanks to a lineup of dumplings courtesy of Sebastian Tan, the acclaimed Head Chef at the Macquarie Park Cantonese restaurant and yum cha joint JINJA. The distillery comes from Momento Hospitality, a group of Hills locals that first teamed up to open a Baulkham Hill bottle shop back in 1976. In the nearly five decades since, the team has extended its reach all across Sydney, opening venues such as Hillside Hotel, Bella Vista Hotel, Nags Head Hotel, Fire and Brimstone, and the home of JINJA, The Governor Hotel. Hills Distilling Co is located at 9/1 Capital Place, Rouse Hill. Head to the distillery's website for more info. Images: Steven Woodburn
South American food is all the rage right now. Most of us are familiar with the wonderful empanada and the delightful churro (never mind heath food stores' obsession with quinoa), but this little Chilean bakery in Fairfield has much much more to offer. For one, the atmosphere. Plastic chairs and tables, white tiles, and Chilean pride everywhere. We're talking coloured streamers that stay up all year, flags, plastic streamers of flags, and Chilean television buzzing away at the end of the room. If you're trying to learn Spanish, this is the perfect chance to practise. More importantly, the food. The equivalent of a pork roll from your local Vietnamese bakery is the Lomito, which in the Completo version comes as pork slices on a white bun with lettuce, tomato, sauerkraut and mayo. Chacarero ($8.80 for the 'Palta' or avocado version) is the beef alternative. Then, of course, there's the empanadas. Choose from eight varieties, including Pino ($3.70) with beef and egg, Pollo ($3.70) with chicken and olive, Espinaca ($3.70) with spinach and cheese, or the indulgent Queso ($2.60), fried with cheese filling. One of the more unusual savories not to be missed is the Tamale ($2.50 each). Made from masa (corn dough) and wrapped in a leaf, these are super soft and filled with surprises. The desserts (up to $3) have a cabinet all to themselves and, to be fair, they deserve it. The specialties here feature manjar, which is a little like dulche de leche. Try the Tres Leche, three milk cake or the Horns filled with manjar. You'll also find churros (Chilean donuts), Berlin donuts and a range of biscuits. La Paula is the real deal, and it tastes (and feels) like it. Prices are low and the food is super fresh, making it well worth the journey to Fairfield - or the Kingsford branch if you prefer. [nggallery id=141]
House of Pocket — the group behind Stitch, Kasippu and Pocket Bar – is making a return to the classics, and you're invited along for the ride. You can now take your pick of one of 30 golden age cocktails for just $18 a pop. On the list you'll find the Hemingway Daquiri (rum, maraschino, grapefruit, lime), the Mint Julep (bourbon, mint, syrup), the Bees Knees (gin, honey, lemon) and another 27 concoctions that all cocktail drinkers should know. If you haven't tried them all yet, this is an excellent opportunity to give some a go. On top of celebrating the great mixology tradition, the House of Pocket folks are keen to make going out more affordable – any night of the week. "It would be great if pollies could level the playing field and give cocktail drinkers the same tax relief they gave beer drinkers," said owner Karl Schlothauer. You'll find Stitch, which takes inspiration from the back streets of New York City, behind a tailor's shop front on York Street, while Kasippu brings a warm atmosphere and delicious Sri Lankan curries to Kent Street. Pocket Bar is by the waves in Terrigal on the Central Coast. All 30 cocktails are available at all three venues.
A luxurious, all-expenses-paid staycation awaits you in the penthouse suite at the top level of one Kokoda Property's homes. Kokoda has recently opened a new development in Newstead, two-kilometres from Brisbane's CBD, so it's giving you the chance to spend five nights in the building's penthouse to really live it up around the river city. Valued at over $8000, the prize also includes return flights to and from Brisbane for you and your guest, a private chef for your meals and a whopping $5000 spending money to ensure you can splurge on pretty much anything your heart desires during your stay in Brisbane. To top the whole thing off, you'll also score a $1000 furniture gift card to deck out your home with some new pieces of furniture that will remind you of your luxe trip to Brisbane. The competition comes just in time for a post-summer getaway for anyone who had their plans ruined due to the pandemic or La Nina. If you're looking for inspiration for where to head in the city, you can check out our neighbourhood guide to Brisbane. In order to enter, head to the Kokoda Property website and follow the property group on Instagram where you can stay up to date with all of Kokoda's giveaways. The comp closes on Monday, April 4. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
Get excited, festivalgoers: Pitch Music & Arts is returning to Grampian Plains in 2025, complete with a jam-packed roster of talent. Joy Orbison, Honey Dijon, Funk Tribu, 2manydjs: they're all on the bill. So are Daria Kolosova, SPFDJ, 999999999, Shanti Celeste, FJAAK, Lady Shaka and Job Jobse, with the list going on from there. Everyone should make the trip to the Grampians at least once, and here's as ace an excuse to do so as any: the return of the much-loved camping festival, which will host its eighth edition, taking over Moyston again. Next years' festivities are happening from Friday, March 7–Tuesday, March 11. Not only will its three stages play host to a sparkling lineup of local and international musical talent, as always, but the tunes will be backed by a hefty program of interactive art and installations. Basically, no matter who makes it onto the bill, attendees are in for a very big, very busy four days. Joy Orbison's 'flight fm' and 'better' were used in teaser videos for 2025's fest, which was indeed a huge advance lineup hint. You can also look forward to catching Gabber Eleganza, BASHKKA, Funk Assault, Baraka, ISAbella, Ogazón, southstar, Midland, Dax J, Anetha and plenty more, including Osmosis Jones, Moopie, DJ PGZ, Stev Zar, Jennifer Loveless and Mabel. On the Pitch Music & Arts arts lineup: Adnate, Anatolik Belikov, Ash Keating, Builders Club, Clayton Blake, EJ Son, ENOKi, Georgia Treloar, Henry Howson & Ambrose Zacharakis, Jaqui Munoz, Joan Sandoval, Lukas Rafik Mayer, ØFFËRÎNGŠ (aka Melissa Gilbert), Petra Péterffy, Rachel Lyn & Cameron Trafford, Raquel Villa, Reelize Studio, Sam Hayes, TERRAIN, Tetrik and UnitePlayPerform. In between all of the dance-floor sessions and arty things, festivalgoers will again be able to make themselves at home in the Pitch Pavilion, which is where yoga classes, meditation and sound baths usually help patrons unwind. The local-focused Club Serra will be new in 2025, championing homegrown talent. Pitch Music & Arts 2025 Lineup 2 LUBLY 2manydjs (DJ set) 6 SENSE 999999999 Anetha Audrey Danza BADSISTA Baraka (LIVE) BASHKKA D. Tiffany Daria Kolosova b2b SPFDJ Dax J Diffrent DJ Fuckoff DJ Gigola DJ Paulette DJ PGZ b2b Moopie Ed Kent Ela Minus Elli Acula Fadi Mohem FJAAK (LIVE) Funk Assault Funk Tribu Gabber Eleganza presents the Hakke Show GiGi FM Guy Contact Honey Dijon ISAbella Jennifer Loveless Job Jobse Joy Orbison Kasper Marott Kia Kuzco (LIVE) Lacchesi Lady Shaka Leo Pol Maara Mabel Maruwa Mia Koden Midland Mikalah Watego Miley Serious Naycab Ned Bennett Objekt Ogazón Ollie Lishman Osmosis Jones Pablo Bozzi Pegassi Shanti Celeste southstar Stev Zar Sugar Free Surf 2 Glory Taylah Elaine The Illustrious Blacks Trym VOLVOX Y U QT Images: Duncographic, William Hamilton Coates, Max Roux and Ashlea Caygill.
No matter who your favourite Marvel hero is, whether it's Iron Man, Captain America or Thor, you can't miss out on Marvel's Infinity Saga Concert Experience, coming to Sydney this December. The new film concert offers an immersive Marvel encounter, spanning 23 movies in one event, accompanied by live music from the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. You can revisit the early days of the captivating saga and get up close and personal with all your heroes. Marvel's Infinity Saga Concert Experience combines the most memorable moments from the first 23 movies into one screening. Past heroes join forces with the next wave of Avengers, including Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel, and more. In terms of the music, you're in for a real treat. Conductor Benjamin Northey leads the Sydney Symphony Orchestra through Academy Award-winning scores by Ramin Djawadi, Alan Silvestri, and Ludwig Göransson. You can also expect a taste of the Guardians of the Galaxy mixtape. There's nothing quite like seeing your heroes on stage against the backdrop of the melodic sounds of one of the world's greatest orchestras. Relive the iconic series of films in this unforgettable concert experience live at the Sydney Opera House. Book tickets now. Images: Supplied.
Start clicking your fingers: come August 2025, Tim Burton's (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice) TV dive into the world of the Addams Family will be back, with Netflix dropping the first half of Wednesday's second season. The streaming platform has been teasing what's next in this creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky realm for over a year, including via new cast announcements and an initial sneak peek. For more of what's in store, the show's full season two trailer has just dropped — along with news of an upcoming Wednesday experience Down Under. In the latest glimpse at the series' second season, its namesake (Jenna Ortega, Death of a Unicorn) is back at Nevermore Academy and being heralded as a hero thanks to her efforts in season one. Wednesday is characteristically unimpressed by the attention. Soon, her focus is elsewhere, however, thanks to a premonition of her roommate Enid (Emma Myers, A Minecraft Movie) coming to a grave end, with Wednesday determined to do whatever she can to stop that from happening. The show is releasing season two in two batches. Part one arrives on Wednesday, August 6, then part two on Wednesday, September 3. Another date for the diary: Saturday, August 16, which is when Wednesday Island will temporarily become a part of Sydney's landscape. More details are to come, and soon — the timer on the pop-up's website is counting down to 12am on Friday, July 11, 2025. For now, Netflix has revealed that the Wednesday cast are heading to Australia as part of a worldwide promotional tour, and that Cockatoo Island / Wareamah in Sydney Harbour will be transformed into a Wednesday haven. Think: experiences that'll make you feel like you're at Nevermore, other activations, performances and more. Back to the new season: Joanna Lumley (Amandaland), Steve Buscemi (The Studio), Billie Piper (Kaos) and Thandiwe Newton (Mufasa: The Lion King) are among the series' new cast additions, some of whom can be seen in its full trailer. Season two also features more of Catherine Zeta-Jones (National Treasure: Edge of History) as Morticia, Luis Guzmán (Justified: City Primeval) as Gomez, Isaac Ordonez (Color Box) as Pugsley and Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo (Dreamers) as Deputy Ritchie Santiago, all getting meatier parts than in season one. Among its new cast members, Evie Templeton (Criminal Record), Owen Painter (Tiny Beautiful Things), Noah B Taylor (Law & Order: Organised Crime), Frances O'Connor (The Twelve), Haley Joel Osment (Blink Twice), Heather Matarazzo (Paint) and Joonas Suotamo (The Acolyte) are also onboard — plus Christopher Lloyd (Hacks), following Christina Ricci (Yellowjackets) among the stars of the 90s Addams Family films popping up in Wednesday. Fred Armisen (Fallout) remains Wednesday's take on Uncle Fester, though — one that Netflix is so keen on that there's been talk of a spinoff about the character. Check out the full trailer for Wednesday season two below: Wednesday season two arrives in two parts, with part one dropping on Wednesday, August 6, 2025 and part two on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, both via Netflix. Read our full review of Wednesday season one. For more information about Wednesday Island, which is taking over Cockatoo Island in Sydney on Saturday, August 16, keep an eye on the pop-up's website — and we'll provide more details when they're announced. Images: Helen Sloan and Jonathan Hession/Netflix © 2025.
Call it Red Light, Green Light. Call it Statues. Call it Grandmother's Footsteps. Whichever name you prefer, how good are you at playing the game that gets folks a-sneaking, ideally without being caught? Now, how would you fare trying to creep forward while avoiding being spotted when Young-hee is lurking? Squid Game fans, if you visit Luna Park Sydney, you'll be able to find out. Opening timed to Squid Game season two's arrival on Netflix on Boxing Day 2025, Squid Game: The Experience will get everyone playing Red Light, Green Light with Young-hee in Luna Park's big top — and also busting out their marbles skills, then walking over the glass bridge. Get your green tracksuit ready. Front Man is there to dare you to take the Squid Game challenges IRL, which obviously doesn't involve notching up a body count like in the series — and isn't televised like reality competition show Squid Game: The Challenge. Some games are inspired by the Netflix program. Others are brand new. Players can take part individually, or in groups of up to 25. As you work through the challenges, which get harder as you go along, you'll earn points. Another difference from the series: if you get eliminated from a game, you'll still be able to take part in the challenges that follow. And yes, Young-hee has popped up Down Under before, with a 4.5-metre, three-tonne recreation of Squid Game's eerie animatronic figure with laser eyes making its presence known also in Sydney back in 2021. [caption id="attachment_975032" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Netflix[/caption] Updated Friday, May 23, 2025.
Let's face it, anyone can take a swing at wine pairing and claim success — like drinking sangiovese at an Italian joint and pinot gris with your seafood feast. It may add a personal flair to dinner but it's not exactly rocket science. Pairing a frosty beer with your meal is, while considered less formal, arguably a braver and more interesting choice. And, if you don't actually like wine, it's also more enjoyable. Luckily, more and more restaurants around Sydney now allow you to bring beer along, so we've highlighted some of our favourites that do so. Read on to discover the eateries near you that permit you to crack open a cold one and savour it with your burger, curry or bowl of dumplings.
One of the many reasons that Italian food is so enduring is that it's built on strong foundations. To celebrate this fact, The Dolphin in Surry Hills is making a return to the classics over the next two months. Between now and Sunday, June 29, the pub will showcase eight traditional regional dishes for $25 a pop, with each week bringing a new one to try. Swing by during the week beginning Monday, May 12, for linguine alle vongole (with clams), which originated in Naples on Italy's southern coast. Then, return the following week for a generous serving of tagliatelle alla bolognese, which hails from Bologna in the north. Other dishes coming up include fettuccine Alfredo, spaghetti carbonara, gnocchi al gorgonzola, rigatoni pork ragu, and tortiglioni alla vodka. In even better news, wine will be going hot at $10 a glass, so you can find the right match (or matches) for your classic without breaking the bank. Book online or walk in and try your luck.
Singles Night in the Garden returns on Thursday, October 17, to help Sydneysiders find romance and love (or just some new mates). As far as romantic settings go, the twinkle of fairy lights around The Grounds of Alexandria garden is certainly pretty enough to make any awkwardness fade into the leaves of the surrounding plant life. Tickets will set you back $30, which will get you entry into the garden, a glass of bubbles on arrival and pizza throughout the night. The Grounds isn't, of course, just going to let you loose with a bunch of strangers without guidance — activities on the night include speed dating, giant games, trivia and live music. Plus, the Garden Bar will be open for when you need a little bit more liquid courage. So you don't feel like you've stepped onto the set of The Bachelor or The Bachelorette, tickets are being allocated based on gender — you can get in touch with the Grounds to book your ticket if you'd rather not specify. The event is for those aged 24–35 only, and remember you're in public, so try and keep the PDA to a minimum. Singles Night in the Garden will run from 7–10.30pm.
Everyone's favourite food rescue organisation OzHarvest has transformed an old Waterloo grocery store into its second "take what you need, give if you can" market. Opening in collaboration with the City of Sydney and NSW Government, the new food market is hoped to help address the drastic rise in demand for food relief and support the vulnerable community in the area. After the successful trial of the OzHarvest pop up Hamper Hub in June and July — an incentive delivering 600 bags of free groceries and pre-cooked meals distributed to local residents once a week — the market will be the long-term centre for the vulnerable, who can access food relief services from 10am–2pm Friday–Monday. This is OzHarvest's second supermarket of the kind, following the opening of its Kensington store in April 2017. The grocer now feeds 300 customers a day operating on a similar "take what you need, give if you can" philosophy. The impact of COVID-19 has seen the need for food relief skyrocket, said OzHarvest Founder and CEO Ronni Kahn, with many Sydneysiders experiencing food insecurity for the first time ever due to job loss. "OzHarvest is committed to feeding as many people as possible and has expanded its services, beyond the usual food rescue operations to offer new emergency food relief," Kahn said in a statement. "We know the importance of providing a nourishing meal. It's more than just food. It means that families who are struggling will be able to take stronger steps to rebuild their lives during this pandemic". The impact of the pandemic has led OzHarvest to expand its emergency food relief services, launching new community initiatives including regular weekly Hamper Hubs for international students and a mobile market distributing food to bushfire-affected areas. If you're in need of food services, you can visit the supermarket (you'll need to BYO bag) — or, if you would like to support the organisation, you can donate. Just $1 will allow OzHarvest to deliver two meals to people in need. The OzHarvest Market Waterloo is open from 10am–2pm Friday–Monday at 95 Wellington Street, Waterloo. For more information about OzHarvest services and to enquire about volunteering, visit ozharvest.org.
Say goodbye to your childhood. Then, say hello to a beloved favourite slicing and dicing on the big screen. As announced back in 2022, the usually adorable literary critter that is Winnie-the-Pooh has been given the horror-movie treatment, in what's instantly one of the most intriguing flicks of the past few years. And, in great/cursed news for Australians, Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey is hitting cinemas Down Under in 2023. This isn't the AA Milne creation that you grew up with. Instead, it's a slasher film about the Hundred Acre Woods' famous inhabitant and his pals. And, if cuddling up with your significant other while watching a horror movie is your idea of a prime Valentine's Day date, Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey will bow locally on Tuesday, February 14, hosting sneak-peek sessions before a four-day season between Thursday, February 16–Sunday, February 19. Take every horror movie staple, every expected line and all the usual eerie settings, then throw in a favourite figure that's stopped being friendly and turned savage instead: yes, that's what's in Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey's pot. And yes, based on the trailer, it looks as creepy as the whole concept sounds. "Oh bother!" is definitely the mood, after Christopher Robin returns to the Hundred Acre Wood as an adult, years after leaving his pals Winnie, Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger, Kanga and Roo behind. All that time alone hasn't turned out well for those animals, and there's about to be a body count to prove it. No, the idea that Pooh might turn murderous hasn't ever crossed anyone's minds before this film. Gracing pages for almost a century — plus screens big and small for decades — Winnie-the-Pooh has done many things in his time, but getting grisly hasn't been one of them. Ever since Milne first conjured up the honey-loving, walking-and-talking teddy bear back in the 1920s, Pooh has enjoyed plenty of adventures involving his human and animal friends, and tried to eat as much of his favourite foodstuff as possible. We've all seen the cartoons and toys, and also watched films such as Goodbye Christopher Robin and Christopher Robin in recent years. To director Rhys Waterfield, however, Pooh is no longer cute and cuddly, even if he's a honey-fiending teddy bear who normally doesn't wear pants (although he appears to here). And if you're wondering about the tone of Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, other than horror, the filmmaker's other upcoming titles include Firenado, Sky Monster and Rise of the Loch Ness. Clearly, Pooh breaking bad all falls into B-movie territory, which the premise makes plain as well. The setup: after seeing their food supplies dwindle as Christopher grew up, Pooh and Piglet have spent years feeling hungry. They've turned feral, in fact, even eating Eeyore to survive. So when Christopher returns, it sets the pair on a rampage, which leads to them a rural cabin where a group of university students are holidaying. From that summary, it's obvious what'll happen from there. The trailer cements that fact, and throws in more horror tropes than you could fit in a pot of honey in the process. Now all that's left is to see the end result in Aussie cinemas, with Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey also hitting screens overseas around the same time. Wondering why something that's usually so sweet and innocent is being given the creepy, bloody, eerie horror treatment — turning Winnie-the-Pooh into a killer, no less? It's because the character has just entered the public domain in America. Disney no longer holds the copyright, and no one can now hold the exclusive intellectual property rights over the character, opening the door for wild interpretations like this slasher flick. Check out the Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey trailer below: Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey will screen in Australian cinemas on Tuesday, February 14, then from Thursday, February 16–Sunday, February 19. Images: Jagged Edge Productions.
Every March, Adelaide — the only UNESCO City of Music in Australia — gears up for festival season. Its centrepiece is the Adelaide Festival, a 17-day extravaganza of music, theatre, art, talks and unusual happenings, which encompasses world music festival WOMADelaide as well as Adelaide Writers' Week. In 2019, more than 70 events will take place, including 17 Australian premieres and ten worldwide premieres, all put together by artistic directors Rachel Healy and Neil Armfield. Taking place between March 1–17 at a variety of venues around Adelaide, here are some of the most epic, creative and left-of-field. THEATRE Travelling from South Africa is theatre company Isango Ensemble, to perform the Australian premiere of A Man Of Good Hope. This musical tells the true story of Asad Abdullah, who, at eight, witnessed his mother's murder in Somalia, then travelled across six African nations alone. Also exploring the experiences of refugees is Manus by the all-Iranian Verbatim Theatre Group, which tells stories from Manus Island and Nauru. For a more experimental adventure, immerse yourself in Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya. Melbourne's La Mama Theatre will perform the play in real time — over two days — at The Cedars, Sir Hans Heysen's former 60-acre property in Hahndorf, Adelaide Hills. Alternatively, let Portuguese theatre-maker Tiago Rodrigues teach you to memorise a poem, all while he recounts the life of his grandmother, in By Heart. MUSIC Join 90,000 other people at WOMADadelaide, a four-day world music festival that takes over Adelaide's beautiful Botanic Park every year. On 2019's program you'll find Angelique Kidjo, the Central Australian Aboriginal Women's Choir, Julia Jacklin and the John Butler Trio, among scores of other local and international acts. Making its Australian premiere is Grand Finale by Israeli-born, London-based choreographer Hofesh Shechter, a momentous work that combines dance, live music and theatre in its exploration of demagoguery, groupthink and ecological disaster. Meanwhile, Aboriginal soul singer Emma Donovan will be teaming up with The Putbacks to perform a tribute to the late Ruby Hunter, the first indigenous Australian woman to record an album — and Tim Minchin will also be delivering the world premiere of his solo show Back. ART Headlining the art program are two major surveys. One is of Australian artist Ben Quilty, known for his work as an official war artist in Afghanistan, as well as his campaign to save Bali Nine members Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran. The other is of New York-born photographer Roger Ballen, who now lives in South Africa, where he shoots squatter camps and mine dumps, and, most famously, collaborated on Die Antwoord's 'I Fink U Freeky' video. Also capturing little-told stories will be the Thessaloniki Museum of Photography's group exhibition Another Life: Human Flows / Unknown Odysseys, which depicts various moments in refugees' journeys — from portraits of personal anguish to heartbreaking images of piles of life jackets. TALKS The core of the talks program is Adelaide Writers' Week. Inspired by the theme 'telling truths', this year's event features an international collection of wordsmiths, from Sohaila Abdulali, the Mumbai-born US author of What We Talk About When We Talk About Rape, to Kassem Eid, Syrian refugee, activist and author of My Country. Nigerian author and Man Booker Prize Winner Ben Okri will deliver the opening address, 'Imagination Redeems'. Start each festival day with brekkie and papers at The Palais, settle into a long lunch with a writer — be it Annabel Crabb or Maggie Beer — and finish up with a Twilight Talk in the Pioneer Women's Memorial Garden. PLUS On any great festival program, there are always events that defy categorisation. Take Dutch artist Julian Hetzel's Schuldfabrik, for example — it's an installation that immerses you in a mini-factory and retail outlet where human fat is turned into soap and sold, with all proceeds going to aid programs in the developing world. Then there's Legs On The Walls' Man With The Iron Neck, which combines aerial circus, video and text to explore suicide in a small, tightly-knit, AFL-loving community. And, finally, Dutch company Schweigman&'s Blaas invites you step inside a gigantic white blob and expect the unexpected. Adelaide Festival takes place between March 1–17, 2019 at a variety of venues around Adelaide. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the festival website. Top image: Ben and Martin Photography.
A shot-by-shot remake is an infinitely worthy cinematic venture, as recently proven by James Franco and Seth Rogen's tender tribute to Kimye, 'Bound 3'. But even this was not as raw, nor as pure as it could have been, had it been a truly zero-budget affair in the noble tradition of 'Badder Romance' and Be Kind Rewind. But now The Redux Project offers you the chance to appear in ultra lo-fi remakes of scenes from iconic Australian favourites like Muriel's Wedding and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. All in the name of humorously critiquing the world of modern cinema. Who's behind this idea? Performance Space in association with Sydney Festival and Carriageworks present the project masterminded by the UK's Richard DeDomenici, an old hand at the budget remake, having produced Reduxes the world over, starring whichever enthusiastic locals applied. The artist is seeking volunteers now to appear in movie scenes for The Redux Project: Mega Aussie Redux, the results of which will be edited and screened at Carriageworks along with the original films that inspired them. Which films are we talking? Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, The Matrix, Priscilla and Muriel will all be getting the royal (/peasant) treatment. I myself am absolutely volunteering, in the hope of bestriding the 438 bus, swaddled in 15 metres of aluminium foil a la Priscilla. The shoots will take place in the first week of January 2014 (Monday 6th – Sunday 12th), at locations across inner-city Sydney. If you would like to volunteer, shoot an email to redux@performancespace.com.au with the subject ‘REDUX: Count me in’. Let them know if there is a particular shoot you would like to be part of, and send a photo to assist with casting. Image from DeDomenici's Dawn of The Dead: Redux (shot in Westmoreland Shopping Centre, England).
It's no secret that here at Concrete Playground, we love an event or two. Every single day, our fair city is buzzing with a variety of happenings. Sure, the daily grind can often leave you wanting to crawl straight into bed at tools down, but that inner culture vulture of yours needs to be fed. So, we've rounded up the best things to do in Sydney after work tonight (that's Thursday, May 17). Rather than heading straight home, check out a whole bunch of free art (with a glass of bubbly), warm up with ramen in Bondi or see Sydney Dance Company's newest show and have something interesting to talk about at work tomorrow.
If you know even the slightest thing about the circumstances surrounding Jamal Khashoggi's death, it's impossible to watch The Dissident without feeling angry. That's most viewers' starting mood, given that the Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist's assassination has garnered ample media attention — and Oscar-winning director Brian Fogel (Icarus) is well aware of how much coverage the subject has received, and of how the world feels about the situation. Indeed, his thorough and exacting documentary both feeds upon and fuels that shock and ire. The mood is tense, the commentary is pointed and the prevailing sentiment is savage. Both rage and outrage permeate each frame, unsurprisingly so, as the film lays bare the brutal facts surrounding Khashoggi's murder, its lead-up and its aftermath. No other tone would be acceptable. Nothing other than dismay, abhorrence and anger would be either. When you're making a movie about a man who entered his nation's embassy to obtain paperwork so that he could get married, then left it in dismembered pieces while his bride-to-be waited outside, how could anything other than fury, horror and alarm eventuate? Although the details have already been well-documented since October 2, 2018, they're still reassembled in The Dissident. Accordingly, the doco tells of Khashoggi's visit to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul just over a year after fleeing his country, after which he was never seen alive again. He wanted to marry academic Hatice Cengiz, his Turkish fiancée. To do so, he needed a document certifying that he was no longer wed to his prior wife. He'd first sought that necessary certification from the embassy just a few days earlier, so they knew that he'd be returning — and once he stepped inside once more, he was ambushed, attacked and killed by a newly arrived team of Saudi agents. Cengiz contacted the authorities when the man she thought she'd be spending the rest of her life with didn't surface, but the Saudi government claimed that the exiled reporter had left via a back entrance. It didn't take long to ascertain the truth, as was suspected from the moment he failed to reemerge. The official story changed several times, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman denied any knowledge of a premeditated plot, but the fact remains that Khashoggi was slaughtered by operatives from his homeland. Nothing about Khashoggi's plight has been easy to face over the past three years; however, confronting this true tale is essential. Even if the soundtrack to his film needlessly overstresses the emotive highs and lows, Fogel is clearly aware of just how important his task is here, and does his part to help ensure that these specific events aren't allowed to fade in anyone's memories. He charts the tough-to-stomach minutiae, knowing that ignoring and forgetting the grim intricacies isn't that much different from excusing or accepting them. Crucially, he also provides a wealth of context, including by chronicling Khashoggi's career from the 80s onwards. Initially, the journalist had a congenial relationship with Saudi's monarchy and government, but that shifted as he called them out in article after article — and as he continued to speak the same truths to the same powers, and to the world, after leaving for Washington DC in 2017. Also earning the attention of Fogel and his co-writer Mark Monroe (The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart): Omar Abdulaziz. Another Saudi exile, the now-Canada based vlogger was friends with Khashoggi, and recounts their connection throughout the film. Early on, Abdulaziz says that the fate of his pal weighs heavily upon him, but it takes The Dissident time to fully explain why — beyond the normal bounds of grief and past the anger that everyone aware of Khashoggi's assassination feels, that is. While Fogel could be accused to trying to add extra intrigue, urgency and mystery to a movie that largely deals in known facts, his documentary is already gripping anyway; rather, he's further fleshing out the background to a heinous crime. The intimate details explored and exposed throughout the film, including a wealth of surveillance footage, phone calls and WhatsApp messages, and even audio transcripts of the murder taking place, all evoke a strong reaction, of course. But so does seeing the bigger picture, including gleaning the feature's insights into how some countries can work ruthlessly and in a highly orchestrated manner to silence dissenting voices, and understanding the role that both technology and money play in such targeted activities. Whether recounting the grisly reality of Khashoggi's final minutes, conveying the callous disregard directed his way by his assassins and their government, hearing from Turkish police and prosecutors, listening to Abdulaziz or spending time with Cengiz, The Dissident never loses sight of its core focus. This is a movie about one of the utmost political atrocities of the past five years — and about the fact that few repercussions have come Saudi Arabia's way since, with the last US President even claiming that the situation was too ambiguous — but it's also a film about Khashoggi above all else. Here, he isn't just a martyr. He's not simply a name splashed across news headlines, and repeated again and again in broadcasts. And, he's definitely never the type of figure that's discussed and detailed yet always remains a remote presence. Some of The Dissident's most stirring moments feature the journalist being himself and trying to find happiness again, in fact, all after being forced to start his life anew. That's part of this equally chilling and moving doco's power. Truly coming to terms with how Khashoggi's life came to an end involves seeing not just a man given the titular label, or someone killed for speaking out, but a person who sought a better future for himself and for his homeland, only to have his existence cruelly extinguished instead. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wnmC7uLTNQ
The Italians. Good food, good wine, good catchphrases, and good looks. The Italians make the finest cheese, the sweetest pastries, and the heartiest of family feasts. The culture of eating and drinking Italian style is such an adored facet of Sydney's diverse dining scene that Concrete Playground has decided to showcase some of the best all in one place. Let us present to you our guide to Italian Sydney. 1. Best for group festas: Popolo Here's where punters can find some of the best Southern Italian cuisine in Sydney. Both owners are ex-Fratelli Paradiso staffers and retain from their previous employment the adage 'first in, best dressed'. Only half the restaurant's tables are bookable so we recommend you get in quick. Suited for a group celebration over a southern Italian feast or a solo excursion, Popolo is an insider tip for one of Sydney's best Italians. 50 McLachlan Avenue, Rushcutters Bay; 02 9361 6641; www.popolo.com.au 2. Best for Lovers: 121BC 121BC is the bar attached to the eponymously named boutique bottle shop in the wilds of Surry Hills. With a focus on regional Italian flavours, 121BC's wine list changes monthly, and is complemented by the menu of fresh, seasonal food which is uniformly delicious. The folks behind 121BC are also particularly concerned with 'bio-dynamic', natural wines, the kind that are preservative-free and linger on the tongue. One of Sydney's most exciting and authentically Italian wine bars. Do it. 4/50 Holt St (enter via Gladstone St), Surry Hills; 02 9699 1582; www.121bc.com.au 3. Best for gelato: Gelato Messina Gelato Messina is old school; it's been around since 2002 and they aim to make ice cream the way it was done a hundred years ago. More than 40 flavours are made daily on the premises and come at you via paper cup or waffle cone. "For traditionalists, Gelato Messina has all the staples of the classic gelato repertoire. There's vanilla bean, chocolate and all manner of fruit sorbets. But for the daring, the real specialty is Messina's conceptual ice cream flavours," says Gelato Messina's co-owner Declan Lee. 389 Crown Street, Surry Hills; www.gelatomessina.com 4. Best for pizza: Vacanza in the Hills Let us introduce you to the god of traditional southern Italian pizza. Vacanza in the Hills is the ticket. Emphasising the southern Italian connection, the kitchen staff are from the home country and slide out thin-based pizzas of the more traditional variety. The Vacanza is sprinkled with truffle oil and grated pecorino, Il Sacaceno peppered with prosciutto and parmesan, and Il Capitano laced with fennel sausage, goat's cheese, and roasted mushroom. 414 Bourke Street, Surry HIills; 02 8964 6414; www.vacanzainthehills.com.au 5. Best in the North: The Italian What a treat the north shore has been served. No longer must local Mediterranean enthusiasts trek to the inner west for fabulous Italian fare. Italian feels like the village trattoria you have in your Italy-inspired dreams. The pastas are named after their region of origin, the wine list extensive, and atmosphere aplenty. A food-focused team make this suburban gem zing, and the result is an authentic Italian experience with a distinctly local focus. 191 High Street, Willoughby; 02 9967 5468; www.theitalianwilloughby.com.au 6. Best for a Beautiful Life: Cafe Sopra Cafe Sopra, literally 'above' the original Frat Fresh in Waterloo, is another level of deliciously fresh delights. Sopra's policy is menu items that emphasise the best that Fratelli has to offer, focusing on fresh produce. The resulting dishes are light, fresh and exciting: a mix that is perhaps at its best in the morning hours. 7 Danks Street, Waterloo; 02 9699 3550; www.fratellifresh.com.au 7. Best for salumi & antipasti: Parma On a prime real estate corner on Crown Street sits Parma. Named after the north Italian town famed for parmigiano reggiano, prosciutto, and Barilla pasta, Parma has imported these flavours and a relaxed cafe/bar interior to Surry Hills. The menu is a large and diverse Italian spread offering entrees, mains, and desserts. Our go to? The Nutella panzerotto for an indulgent finish. 285A Crown Street, Surry Hills; 02 9332 4974; www.parmacucina.com.au 8. Best for Mama's cooking: Baccomatto Osteria You're unlikely to get authentic home-cooked Italian food unless your mama or papa is from the homeland, but hey you're in luck. Baccomatto, meaning "mad mouth" in Italian, isn't trying to be fancy pants fine dining, but a relaxed place to socialise. In doing so, with authentic regional dishes and sauces, it succeeds where other stuffier places fail, in good-natured service and a lack of omnipresent Buddha Bar ambient beats in the background. 212 Riley Street, Surry Hills; 02 9215 5104; www.baccomattoosteria.com.au 9. Best for long summer nights: North Bondi Italian This is a beachside trattoria. There are plenty of people who will get dressed up to be seen here. Yet, you don't have to. The placemats double as paper menus. You'll be fishing your cutlery out of a box on the table. The floorstaff are gadding about in denim aprons. The menu is split into formaggio, antipasti, salumi, insalate, verdure, pasta, panini, carpaccio, fruitti di mare, offal, carne, dolci, and 'roast of the day'. Italian Sydney, eat your heart out. 118-120 Ramsgate Avenue, North Bondi; 02 9300 4400; www.eqpg.com.au/ 10. Best for drama: Buffalo Dining Club The Buffalo Dining Club itself is quite laidback, but when they serve you your spaghetti from a giant wheel of cheese, you are guaranteed to gasp. It is a little piece of Campania dropped into the backstreets of Sydney's inner city. This time, it happens to be in trendy Darlinghurst. As you can probably guess, buffalo mozzarella and burata are the main attractions here. For $17, you order one of the cheeses and two vegetable sides — and with options like balsamic carrots, Portobello mushrooms, chargrilled broccolini, and marinated fennel, it's a hard choice. 116 Surrey Street, Darlinghurst; 02 9332 4052; www.facebook.com/BuffaloDiningClub By the Concrete Playground Sydney team.
UPDATE, Wednesday, June 19, 2024: Dream Scenario is available to stream via Netflix, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Gushing about Paddington movies, channelling Elvis, screaming about being a vampire, swooning over Cher, kidnapping babies, fighting cults, battling demonic animatronics, driving ambulances, flying with convicts, swapping faces, avenging pet pigs and milking alpacas, Nicolas Cage has gotten himself lodged in many a moviegoer's brain before. Dream Scenario takes that idea to the next level, not with the screen's most-inimitable star as himself — this isn't The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent — but in a film that works as well as it does, and as sharply, because he's its irreplaceable lead. Although writer/director Kristoffer Borgli didn't write his third feature (after DRIB and Sick of Myself) with Cage in mind, there's pure magic in matching his tale of pop-culture virality, fame and its costs to the man born Nicolas Kim Coppola. Who else could play someone so ubiquitous in the collective consciousness that everyone knows him, has deep-seated feelings and opinions about him, and can't stop thinking about him? Albeit for different reasons, it as much a stroke of genius as enlisting Being John Malkovich's namesake. Dream Scenario wears its comparisons to Spike Jonze (Beastie Boys Story) and Charlie Kaufman's (I'm Thinking of Ending Things) masterpiece better than anything else between 1999 and now, other than their subsequent collaboration Adaptation — as starring none other than Cage — and the Kaufman-penned, Michel Gondry (Kidding)-helmed Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. David Lynch (Cage's Wild at Heart director) and Ari Aster also come to mind while watching Borgli's film, which blends the surreal and satirical, and also spins a nightmare where dread paints every frame. Aster produces, lending a hand on a movie that pairs well with his own Beau Is Afraid, aka another flick where a schlubby, awkward and unhappy middle-aged man has his life upended in no small part thanks to his own anxiety. Dream Scenario isn't attempting to ape its predecessors, or Borgli's own Sick of Myself, another musing on celebrity, attention and the fact that almost everything about 21st-century existence has become a performance. Rather, the Norwegian filmmaker's latest plays like its title suggests: the product of slumbering while having all of the above swirling, twirling and dancing in your synapses — and with Cage always lurking, of course. The Renfield actor loiters as the bulk of Dream Scenario's characters get some shuteye, too, skulking on the edge of nocturnal reveries conjured up by their sleeping subconscious. But for the folks within Borgli's movie, they're sharing their headspace with an average biology professor that no one outside of his own university has initially heard of. Even then, his students and colleagues barely think twice about him. One former classmate-turned-fellow academic (Paula Boudreau, Take Me Back for Christmas) has ripped off his research for her book without worrying about any repercussions. When Dream Scenario opens inside the napping mind of Paul's teenage daughter Sophie (Lily Bird, The Northman), she's witnessing him sweep up leaves, then do nothing when items fall from the sky and she flies into the air. In a reaction that the feature makes plain would be shared by his other high-schooler daughter Hannah (Jessica Clement, Gen V), plus his wife Janet (Julianne Nicholson, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story), she believes it's strange enough to tell him about — and that it keeps recurring — but isn't losing sleep over why he's so passive. Cage plays Paul Matthews, who far more people than just one of his children is spotting when they close their peepers. Soon, it's harder to find someone who isn't dreaming about him among his pupils, acquaintances, exes, his city, America and globally. A past love (Marnie McPhail Diamond, Orphan Black: Echoes) pens an article about the phenomenon, which thrusts Paul to worldwide attention in everyone's waking hours as well. And there is attention, springing from the internet, the news, a lofty old pal (Dylan Baker, Hunters) who never normally invites him to his exclusive dinner parties, and social-media marketers Trent (Michael Cera, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off) and Mary (Kate Berlant, The Other Two). With their assistant Molly (Dylan Gelula, Loot), the latter duo endeavour to capitalise upon Paul's yearning to get published by pitching Sprite campaigns and dangling Barack Obama's purported interest. The one largely non-plussed party: Janet, who isn't seeing him as she snoozes, but Paul tries to make wish that she was (and in a Stop Making Sense-style oversized suit). That Paul's pilfered work focuses on "antelligence", his term for creatures arranging themselves into communities, is a telling early detail in Dream Scenario. So is how much Janet's apathy about Paul suddenly being everywhere as the planet kips — pottering rather than engaging — differs from the general response. And, obviously, there's the entire gag about someone who stands out so scarcely when they're awake that they're only given any notice for being an overnight bystander who literally does nothing. As it digs into crowd behaviour, group think, herd reactions, psychological contagion and social conformity, Dream Scenario is rarely subtle, nor is Borgli trying to be. Eschewing nuance doesn't make the picture any less shrewd and playful, however, including when it starts embracing the blatant in the heartiest of ways after Paul's luck twists. First, his unwitting A Nightmare on Elm Street experience turns terrifying for those inflicted with the dream epidemic, making him an aggressor in their mind's eye. Then, getting to the detail that sparked the film's screenplay, he becomes the new poster child for cancel culture. In a world rightly obsessed with Cage across his 100-plus on-screen credits, no one has likely thought that overlooking the Leaving Las Vegas Oscar-winner — and Adaptation Oscar-nominee — would, should or could happen. That's another of Dream Scenario's stellar jokes, alongside evidence of why this wouldn't be the movie it is without him. No one can ever ignore Cage, especially in one of his finest comic performances as someone so regularly disregarded, then made an icon and later a pariah. In fact, his portrayal of Paul is so rich because he brings such empathy and complexity to a neurotic man who loses control over reality's sense of who he is and can't do anything about it. It's not hard to expect that the much-memed Cage might relate; naming an actor whose go-for-broke commitment is so feverishly stripped of its context by the online masses, making him famous for being Nic Cage over any one project or his talent, is impossible. Cage is visibly having fun as well, as is the entire movie around him. Borgli isn't skewering wokeness, supporting the cancelled or decrying the validity of society deeming some behaviours unacceptable; instead, he's parodying the irrationality of chasing validation through digital exposure and its spread, the narcissism that fuels that urge and beams just as brightly in internet compliance, and the commodification and performativeness of just about everything in 2020s-era life. As shot by Mandy cinematographer Ben Loeb, edited by the filmmaker himself and featuring Cage as a producer — he's that all-in — Dream Scenario is at its best when it's showing rather than telling, though. When its hallucinatory dream sequences prove eerie and unsettling in their mundanity and horrors alike, it draws its audience into a realm where anything can happen, yet the worst usually does in both routine and wild ways. That's when Dream Scenario is exactly what everyone should want in their heads — with Cage, naturally.
We love that salt, meats and cheese is literally what you can expect to find at this gourmet Italian providore in Alexandria. This warehouse has a whole room dedicated to cheese (yes, a room just for cheese!), an extensive hanging selection of imported and local charcuterie meats and a range of diverse and very specific sea salt flavours like vintage merlot, espresso and vanilla bean. The two Italian guys behind this place also run cooking classes every weekend and hire out the venue for private dinners events.
When you're watching The Room, or reading behind-the-scenes memoir The Disaster Artist, or seeing the star-studded film the latter spawned as well, one big fact is always glaringly apparent. It's inescapable. It's as obvious as Tommy Wiseau's lanky hair and awkward demeanour. It's as plain as the spoons scattered throughout The Room. Yes, Greg Sestero went through one helluva experience. Of course, if it wasn't for The Room, Sestero mightn't have enjoyed his current fame. When you're in a movie that's so bad it's bad but also someone great to watch — but definitely not great itself by any standards — that's a particular kind of success. So, Sestero has made the most of it. He penned The Disaster Artist. He popped up in the flick based on it. He reteamed on-screen with Wiseau for the two-part Best F(r)iends. And he heads to screenings, doing Q&As to chat about all things The Room, too. It's been five years since Sestero last came to Australia to indulge the nation's The Room fixation, but for a week in February, he's back. His timing is perfect given that Wiseau's disasterpiece notches up 20 years in 2023. Spoons at the ready at the Hayden Orpheum on Sunday, February 12, clearly. Sestero is doing two things: getting talking about The Room as part of 20th-anniversary sessions, and also showing his new horror film Miracle Valley. This one is a horror movie on purpose, rather than accidentally like The Room, and also marks Sestero's feature directorial debut. For newcomers to The Room — with your pristine minds currently untainted by its wonders, and your vocabulary free from constantly saying "oh hi Mark" — it tells the tale of a banker, his adulterous fiancée, his conflicted best friend, a local teen caught up in a drug deal, a mother with cancer, a particularly tense party, a bunch of guys playing football in tuxedos and the worst apartment decorating scheme you've ever seen. Wondering how all of these things come together? Even the wildest combination you can come up has nothing on The Room. As for Miracle Valley, it's about an obsessive photographer and his girlfriend, who head off on a desert getaway but get threatened by sinister forces. No — disappointingly or welcomely, depending on how you feel about The Room — Wiseau is not among the credited cast.
It wouldn't be a September in Sydney without the Sydney Underground Film Festival, the city's annual roundup of strange, surreal and subversive cinema. This year, though, it's doing things differently. Yes, it's a familiar story, because SFF and MIFF have already taken this course of action — but SUFF 2020 will be held completely online, and will also be available to stream nationally. This isn't just a case of SUFF transplanting its usual program to the virtual realm, though. In its digital guise, the fest will run more than twice as long as usual, screening online from Thursday, September 10–Sunday, September 20. And, it's purely comprised of shorts. In other words, get ready for some mighty out-there flicks in small doses. Highlights include the latest work from The Killing of a Sacred Deer and The Favourite director Yorgos Lanthimos, and from acclaimed Canadian The Forbidden Room and The Green Fog filmmaker Guy Maddin and his regular collaborators Evan Johnson and Galen Johnson as well. From the former, you can check out Nimic, which stars Matt Dillon as a cellist who experiences a life-changing confrontation on the subway. From the latter, there's Stump the Guesser, which is an absurdist silent flick about a carnival psychic. With more than 100 films from over 20 countries on offer, SUFF's lineup is screening in specific packages — so you can decide whether you want to binge on Aussie shorts, go for films that'll mess with your mind or opt for the absolute trippiest of cinema offerings. Short documentaries are have their own category, there's an entire program dedicated to horror shorts and another is all about OTT animation for adults. Sydney Underground Film Festival screens online from Thursday, September 10–Sunday, September 20, with tickets available now — for $10 per session, or $55 for a full festival pass. Top image: Nimic.
Surely the only thing better than feasting on creamy fresh burrata is having the skills to make it yourself, any time you like. Or you could enjoy the best of both worlds, when Leichhardt's Capriccio Osteria hosts a burrata making class on Thursday, October 4. Here, you'll learn the art of crafting, shaping, stuffing and knotting burrata in true Italian fashion, guided by local producer Vannella Cheese's head cheesemaker Vito Minoia. This guy's a true cheese expert — he's been hand-stretching curds since he was 16 years old back in Puglia, Italy. But of course, you can't have a culinary masterclass without some good old-fashioned food appreciation, so the one-night cheese students will also sit down to a four-course taster of Capriccio's new seasonal menu. Expect a lively lineup of spring's best spoils with cheese as the hero. The whole night's activities will set you back just $49 — which, for both the feast and your newfound cheesemaking skills, seems like a good investment. You can make a booking either online or over the phone.
His intricate, symmetrical streetscapes are Sydney landmarks - if you don't know his name, you almost certainly know his work. Beastman is a prolific street artist whose work has been exhibited far and wide from Australia to Berlin and London. He's also the founder and editor of the online art publication [weAREtheIMAGEmakers]. Lookout for THE HOURS, Beastman's new joint venture with Marty Routledge and Numskull, launching in September. In this second instalment of our new Hidden Sydney series, we asked Beastman to reveal five snapshots of this city - the insider secrets hiding, until now, in plain sight. 1. Higher Ground Studio, Annandale This is our studio and where I spend most of my time - it's probably my favourite place in Sydney. It's where I paint, draw, send emails, conduct various business activities, listen to good music, play ping pong and talk shit with my friends - every damn day! I share the space with nine other artists - Numskull, Phibs, Max Berry, Mark Alsweiler, Ears, Birdhat, Tom Ferson, Bennett and Thomas Jackson. 2. Hibernian House, Surry Hills This amazing building holds a lot of memories for me, I used to have a studio in there years ago with Ben Frost, Numskull, Trent Whitehead, Mark Whalen and Teagues. The studio was full of good times - painting, skating, hacky sack, rooftop painting, drinking and random parties. Hibernian House also happens to be where I kissed my wife on our first night out together… how romantic. 3. Four Ate Five, Surry Hills One of the best cafes in Sydney, hand painted and juiced up by studio buddy Mark Alsweiler. 4. Strathfield Skatepark, Belfield Many hours of my life have been spent at this place, always a great chill place to skate with friends. The park is really simple and doesn't use up much energy to skate - pushing is not necessary. The hotspot is the top banked hip, great for big backside 180s. 5. China Heights Gallery, Surry Hills A lot of credit is due to China Heights Gallery for supporting the Sydney art scene over the last decade, the long running gallery has held many memorable exhibitions in its varied spaces. Run by Edward Woodley and Mark Drew, China Heights has nurtured some of Sydney's most successful and talented artists including Mark Whalen, Trent Whitehead, Paul Davies, Numskull and Ryan Heywood. Their old Crown Street space was the location of my first solo exhibition back in 2008.
Getting a decent, healthy feed when you're on the road isn't easy. From the highway, Maccas and servos can look like your only options. However, if you know where to go and when, there are some top spots serving delicious feasts, from The Sir George in Jugiong to The River Deck in Albury. The latest addition to this top-notch class of vendors is the Ingelara Farm Truck, a roadside food truck serving up fresh (and warm) seasonal and organic dishes on the Monaro Highway on the way to NSW's snow fields. Co-owners Tom Osborne and Daniel "Sausage" Nixon live the biodynamic Snowy Mountains farm after which the food truck has been named, where they grow their own produce and create their offerings from scratch. This includes organic soups, sourdough, smoked pork and chicken, pumpkin pie, filter coffee and biodynamic veggies. Right now, the duo is set up with one crowd in mind: keen skiers. Whether you're heading to the slopes at Perisher, Jindabyne or Thredbo or sadly making your way home, you'll find the micro kitchen in Bredbo Village, about an hour south of Canberra. They're just outside the Christmas Barn on the Monaro Highway every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 8.30am till 5pm until the end of September. And, when the ski season is all over, keep an eye on their travels by following @ingelarafarmtruck. The Ingelara Food Truck is currently located outside the Bredbo Christmas Barn, 23 Monaro Highway, Bredbo on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. For mroe info, visit their Instagram.
If you've ever wanted to take a deep dive into some of the most iconic moments of the late 1960s, here's your chance. Kicking off this April, a major exhibition devoted to the huge international impact of these five momentous years is coming to the Melbourne Museum. Dubbed Revolutions: Records and Rebels, the exhibition originated at London's Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), and it pulls together over 500 objects sourced from the famed art and design museum, as well as international loans and Melbourne Museum's own impressive collection. It's a captivating exploration of 1960s youth culture and how collective action at the time spurred revolutionary shifts all across the Western world, from the tunes to the fashion to the political protests and defining moments and events like Woodstock. You'll revisit these game-changing elements in the context of their lingering impact today, five decades on. To that end, expect to catch a rare glimpse of items like Mick Jagger's signature stage costume, John Lennon's legendary glasses, handwritten lyrics for 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds' and even a guitar that was smashed on stage by Pete Townsend of The Who. Closer to home, historic items will reference pivotal Australian moments of the time, such as the anti-Vietnam War protests and the recognition of Australia's First Peoples in the 1967 referendum. State-of-the-art audio guide technology will feature a carefully curated musical soundtrack played through Sennheiser headsets, changing according to your position in the gallery. Think, Jimi Hendrix's live Woodstock set, Bob Dylan's 'The Times They Are A-Changin' and a whole lot of The Beatles, interspersed with interviews, videos, film screenings and light shows.
Paris — city of light, culture, shoebox apartments and, now, Post-it note art wars. Earlier this year, inspired by either a bout of spring fever or possibly an excess of office supplies, French video gaming company Ubisoft created an image of a space invader — made out of Post-it notes — in their office window. Shortly after, their neighbour, BNP Paribas, responded by creating their own Post-it note art in their office window. Not to be upstaged, Ubisoft responded with a new, slightly bigger and better, Post-it note creation. And that is how the 'la guerre des Post-it' began. Since then, office windows in the west of Paris and around the business district, La Defense, have been covered with colourful Post-it note artwork as new companies enter into the battle attempting to outdo each other's artwork, either in size or ingeniousness. A website has been created to showcase the Post-it creations and to keep score of each companies' contributions. To date, Ubisoft appear to be the victors in the Post-it wars; their latest creation consists of over 3,000 Post-it notes and extends over three floors. While shareholders may not be overly impressed with the level of productivity taking place, it's nice to see that French corporate types unleashing their creative sides.
It was a groaning, grimacing Timothy Spall who won the Best Actor Award at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, for a role in which his face is frequently scrunched, his posture is constantly hunched, and his voice is guttural when heard. His applauded performance leaves a lasting imprint, yet as primal as it proves, it only scratches the surface of a character and a film both called Mr Turner. Beneath the physicality sits a portrayal and a biopic that finds underlying beauty in brutality, while never equating both traits as opposite extremes. Such an approach matches the 19th-century subject, the titular J.M.W. Turner, who made his name painting vistas of land and sea. Some of his oil and watercolour pieces showed pastoral elegance, but for all his praised use of light, increasingly his pictures were tinted with the destruction and violence of nature. His command of technique remained untouched; however, the tone of his canvases evolved over the course of his career. This professional progression, venerated now, wasn’t well received during his lifetime. In Mr Turner, Spall inhabits the hulking figure of a reclusive and eccentric man in what amounts to slices of his existence over his final quarter-century. In his personal affairs, his ailing father (Paul Jesson), his dutiful housekeeper (Dorothy Atkinson), and his secret landlady turned companion and confidant (Marion Bailey) all influence this last difficult chapter, one also marked by the former mistress (Ruth Sheen) and daughters (Sandy Foster and Amy Dawson) he refuses to publicly acknowledge. Writer/director Mike Leigh is known for his fondness for and feeding off of the improvisation of his cast. His films — recently, Happy-Go-Lucky and Another Year – are a cooperative act between the auteur and his actors. Accordingly, his overarching narratives can be driven by the whims of individual scenes, as is strongly the case here. In Mr Turner, Leigh has crafted a pieced-together story that showcases the very best of everyone involved. Spall’s every action may monopolise the frame, but in this feature as in all of the filmmaker’s offerings, there isn’t a bad performance to be found amongst the sprawling yet subtly brushed tale. Indeed, it is with a painter’s touch that Leigh guides his cast, and that his actors enliven their characters, constructing the film layer by layer. The exquisite visuals by Cannes award-winning cinematographer Dick Pope perform the same creative task, further perfecting the feature’s evocation of its central vocation. From sequences following Turner traversing the countryside, to quiet conversations stolen indoors, every image tumbles from artistry – whether glimpsed alone or considered as a whole. As Mr Turner finds the humanity within the harshness of a life of winding down and of an extraordinary talent housed within a complex man, Leigh and his collaborators on-screen and off turn the corresponding account into its own masterly work.
Here's one for the money: a huge Elvis Presley showcase, filled with around 300 artifacts owned by the King of Rock 'n' Roll himself, all on display in Australia. Between Saturday, March 19–Sunday, July 17, you'll want to step into your blue suede shoes and take a trip to the Bendigo Art Gallery, which'll fill its walls and halls with Elvis' clothes, vehicles and other personal items. All those jumpsuits he was so famous for wearing? A selection will be on display. The only car from his movies that was actually his? That red convertible 1960 MG, from the film Blue Hawaii, is visiting Australia for the first time. The Bendigo Art Gallery will also showing some tender love to Elvis' military uniforms, first job application and wedding tuxedo — plus Priscilla Presley's wedding dress. Plenty of the items heading to regional Victoria rarely travel beyond Graceland — so yes, calling the exhibition is Elvis: Direct from Graceland is apt. It'll serve up this hunk of burning Elvis love in an Australian exclusive, as curated in collaboration with the Graceland archives. Other featured objects include Elvis' 1976 Red Bicentennial Custom Harley Davidson, his first grade crayon box from school and other garments from his personal wardrobe — if you're wondering what else will get the exhibition shaking, rattling and rolling. Costumes from his film career, movie scripts, jewellery worn by him and even vintage Elvis-branded merchandise will all be on display as well. Elvis: Direct from Graceland will step through all the key periods in the rock 'n' roll icon's life, from his early Mississippi days through to his Vegas years — and also peer beyond the pompadour and sequins, exploring his interest in books, karate and horses, and all things Graceland. It's Bendigo Art Gallery's latest huge exhibition to focus on style icons, after previously showcasing Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly, Balenciaga and Mary Quant. When it comes to celebrating high-profile figures, it seems the venue can't help falling in love. [caption id="attachment_829957" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Elvis Presley strolls the grounds of his Graceland estate, 1957. Photo by Michael Ochs. © EPE. Graceland and its marks are trademarks of EPE. All Rights Reserved. Elvis Presley™ © 2021 ABG EPE IP LLC.[/caption] Top image: Elvis Presley in the 1968 NBC television special, Singer Presents... Elvis, later known as the 'Comeback Special'. Photograph: Fathom Events/CinEvents. © EPE. Graceland and its marks are trademarks of EPE. All Rights Reserved. Elvis Presley™ © 2021 ABG EPE IP LLC.
It seems like every group has one person who knows how to host. With what can sometimes seem like zero effort, some people just know how to make nights in come together perfectly. But if you want to be the host with the most and don't know where to start, we've got you covered. We've teamed up with American Honey to ask Concrete Playground staff for easy tips for turning your pad into the designated group hangout spot. [caption id="attachment_862460" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Taryn Elliott (Pexels)[/caption] LIGHTING The importance of good lighting cannot be underestimated — it is, perhaps, the biggest mood-setter in any room. Which is also probably why so many of our staff nominated it as the most important thing to keep in mind when hosting. While it might take a bit of tweaking to get the balance between too bright and too dark exactly right, your efforts will be well worth it should you get it just right. Rule of thumb, according to Branded Content Manager Courtney Ammenhauser, is to "keep it low and warm". Our NZ Editor, Sarah Templeton, agrees: "Lamps and candles only. There's nothing worse than walking into a 1000W halogen-lit situ." Making sure your room is illuminated by lamps and candles is a surefire way to keep the vibe is cosy and intimate. And, let's be real, this is far more flattering than bright ceiling lights. Nobody wants to feel like they're in the office while hanging out with mates. Small table lamps like this Setago piece and this Hay number are easy to move around if you need to, while also making for interesting focal points. [caption id="attachment_862458" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Svitlana (Unsplash)[/caption] SCENTED CANDLES If you want your place to be the Monica and Rachel's for your crew, you'll want to create a full sensory experience. Sure, you could whip up a batch of cookies to have a toasty, heartwarming scent floating through your home, but scented candles are a far less labour-intensive way to up the olfactory factor. And for some of us, like Client Services Director Sami Zoratto, there are practical reasons for keeping things lit. "Because my house can smell of dog so I need to drown that out with candles. I am known for a nice-smelling house." As an added bonus, you'll also be hitting the low-and-warm lighting brief at the same time. We love the range by Sydney brand Hunter. GLASSWARE AND DRINKS Going for that mi casa es su casa energy? That's where a bit of prep — or at the very least, keeping on top of your housework — can go a long way. "Always have a good lineup of glassware ready to go, out of the cupboard," recommends Editorial Director Suz Tucker. "Set your glasses up at a table or bench or a bar so people naturally feel like they can make themselves a drink. It stops you having to be the bartender and really adds to the vibe being more casual." Whether it's a selection of tumblers for short drinks — like these from Sydney brand No.22 — or highball glasses ready and polished, a considered selection of drinking vessels shows that you're taking your hosting duties seriously. Having a good variety of drinks on hand can also do a lot of the work for you when it comes to creating the perfect entertaining-at-home moment — and if you want to go the extra mile, think about a simple signature serve that guests can make themselves, too. Our go-to: a deliciously smooth American Honey, soda and fresh lime — the perfect drink to enjoy over an intimate catch-up with close friends. [caption id="attachment_862459" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Libby Penner (Unsplash)[/caption] TABLE DECORATIONS A thoughtful table decoration or centrepiece is one of those things that really makes it look like you've got your shit together, even if the opposite is true. It doesn't take too much to add some colour and texture to your coffee or dining table — Partnerships Coordinator Lexi Wright recommends colourful tablecloths, placemats and napkins as subtle ways to establish a theme or colour palette, while Partnerships Manager Cinzia Giacchi makes sure her hang-out spaces feature candle stands and holders to add height and elegance. And an easy centrepiece of a fruit bowl, filled with fresh citrus fruits, adds a fresh pop of colour and shape. [caption id="attachment_862494" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sarah Brown (Unsplash)[/caption] SEATING It goes without saying that when you're sitting down, you're generally more relaxed than when you're standing up. So, rather than having some people standing and others sitting like it's your Year 10 social, you need to make sure there are enough seats to go around. Tucker is a big advocate of considered seating arrangements. "Have a selection of seating at different heights and configurations. A stool anyone can pull up anywhere. A couch for three. Dining chairs that can easily be moved. An ottoman. The best parties involve changing seats, swapping your conversation partners and literally and figuratively taking in different perspectives. It creates a lack of symmetry in a good way — it helps people loosen up." [caption id="attachment_862495" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Simon Godfrey (Unsplash)[/caption] FLOWERS AND PLANTS If it's freshness you're after in your hangout space, it doesn't get much fresher than flowers and indoor plants. Not only do they add colour, natural scents and liveliness to any space, but greenery has also been shown to boost mood, energy and creativity while purifying the air. And because they come in all shapes and sizes, flowers can also complement the design elements of a room, or create all new talking points. There are plenty of incredible florists in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, but these aren't your only options. A tip from Branded Content Producer Grace Mackenzie: "If you're looking to be thrifty, go for a walk with secateurs and sneakily snip foliage to pop in vases." [caption id="attachment_862472" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Luisa Brimble (Unsplash)[/caption] SOFT FURNISHINGS Sure, a comfortable couch or armchair is great, but soft furnishings can take the comfort to the next level thanks to their ability to bring relaxation, warmth and volume to a space through different fabrics, colours and patterns. We're talking cushions, blankets, throws and the like — basically anything that can help you and your mates get as cosy as can be. Branded Content Manager Nik Addams reckons it's not just about the comfort factor, though: "Rugs can also be a great way to demarcate different zones, especially in a smaller space" he says. [caption id="attachment_862479" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Noman Shahid (Unsplash)[/caption] INSTANT CAMERAS Those of us of a certain age would remember that a digital camera was a must-bring item on any night out — and still have the cringy Facebook albums to prove it. And while we still love a little photo moment, you don't need to dust off the old Canon PowerShot to help your crew create a keepsake of a great night in. Instant cameras by the likes of Polaroid or Fujifilm are an easy way to add an element of interaction and keep the vibes high. Or, as Tucker says: "It's like a silly alternative to a photo booth at an event, except it's a bunch of your favourite people making faces in front of the fridge." [caption id="attachment_864739" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cottonbro (Pexels)[/caption] GAMES Whether you're hosting mates who've known one another for years or people who don't know each other too well, games are "natural conversation starters in any home social setting", according to our National Branded Content Editor Melanie Colwell. And even if the whole night doesn't revolve around the wheelings and dealings of Monopoly or deciphering the scribbles on a Pictionary board, breaking up an evening with a round of cards is a great way to keep things flowing, while also providing an opportunity to create new memories with your people. Need some ideas? Opus has a heap of games that are guaranteed crowd-pleasers. For more inspo on how to create your own golden moments with mates, head to the American Honey website. Top image: Cottonbro (Pexels)
Our city is constantly changing and evolving, with longstanding Sydney streets being treated to makeovers, new pavilions being built and multi-million dollar snow resorts coming to Penrith. Among all these big infrastructure changes, small and carefully designed spaces are always popping up as well. 2021 has seen an awe-inspiring concert venue open in Chippendale, a new food and drink precinct finally welcome in patrons in South Eveleigh and two new multi-storey venues add new bars and restaurants to historic buildings. We've compiled a list of our six favourite spaces that have emerged in Sydney this year. These are the spaces that are pushing things forward with breathtaking visuals, sustainable community spaces or exciting new areas to explore.
Feel like you could use a little spiritual growth? Good thing Buddha's Birthday Festival is around the corner, as this two-day event offers boundless ceremonial immersion, not to mention fascinating performances, vegetarian cuisine and enriching handicrafts. Running across the weekend of Saturday, May 3–Sunday, May 4 at Tumbalong Park, this peaceful green space in Darling Harbour will serve as the ideal host for guided meditations and mindfulness workshops. Forming part of the Culture Alive series, now is your chance to evoke a sense of enlightenment. That shouldn't be too difficult, considering the cultural exchange on display. Saturday's schedule features lion dancing, purification ceremonies and an after-dark light offering. Then, Sunday adds baby blessings and multicultural performances, featuring traditional dances and contemporary beats. You're also invited to attend Alms Round – a daily practice where Buddhists collect food offerings. Of course, a vast array of vegetarian bites are spread throughout the festival, with dishes from Malaysia to India keeping you well fed. Then, you can put your skills to the test by crafting your own water-marbled silk scarf. Plus, if you're feeling active, take part in VegRun – an easygoing charity fun run that kicks off with some morning Tai Chi. The $5 entry fee goes towards mental health organisations, including the Black Dog Institute and Lifeline.
