If you want to catch public transport in Sydney, the Opal card has been the main way to pay for your trip for a while now. But that's all changed. After rolling out card payments on light rail and ferries back in March last year, and on trains in November, Transport for NSW has announced that contactless card payments has now been rolled out across all Sydney buses. Which means, you can now travel the entire Opal network, without an Opal card. Yep, you can leave your Opal in your wallet/on your desk/down the side of the couch — with this new technology, you can just tap your card or phone (Visa, Mastercard and American Express are all accepted in credit or debit) right onto the regular Opal scanners. Doing this will charge you for an Adult Opal single trip ticket, and if you use the same card each time you travel, the daily, weekly and Sunday caps will automatically be applied to your fare. Other Adult Opal fare discounts are available on contactless payments, too. Which means if you transfer between services, travel off-peak, usually qualify for the Weekly Travel Reward (where, after eight trips in a week, you get half-price fares) you'll get those discounts on your credit card across the train, light rail, ferry and bus network. Moving away from dedicated transport cards — or adding other payment options — will make things easier for tourists and travellers (and people who, god forbid, leave their Opal at home), who shouldn't have to buy a new piece of plastic just to catch a bus or train (or pay extra for a paper ticket if they don't) when they're visiting. However, if we're moving towards a contactless future, ensuring the new system remains accessible for anyone that doesn't have a smartphone, smartwatch or bank card remains a concern. Contactless and credit card payments are now available on Sydney bus, train, light rail, ferry and Metro services.
Movies don't have pores, but How to Have Sex might as well. Following a trip to Greece with three 16-year-old best friends who want nothing more than to party their way into womanhood — and to get laid, too — this unforgettable British drama is frequently slick with sweat. Perspiration can dampen someone when they're giddily excited about a wild getaway, finishing school and leaving adolescence behind. It can get a person glistening when they're rushing and drinking, and flitting from pools and beaches to balconies and clubs. Being flushed from being sozzled, the stickiness that comes with expending energy, the cold chill of stress and horror, the fluster of a fluttering heart upon making a connection: they're all sources of wet skin as well. Filmmaker Molly Manning Walker catalogues them all. Viewers can see the sweat in How to Have Sex, with its intimate, spirited, like-you're-there cinematography. More importantly, audiences can feel why protagonist Tara (Mia McKenna-Bruce, Vampire Academy) is perspiring, and the differences scene to scene, even when she's not quite sure herself. How to Have Sex also gets those watching sweating — because spying how you've been Tara, or her pals Em (debutant Enva Lewis) and Skye (Lara Peake, Halo), or lads Badger (Shaun Thomas, Ali & Ava) and Paddy (Samuel Bottomley, The Last Rifleman) in the neighbouring resort unit, is inescapable. Walker has been there herself, with parts of her debut feature as a writer and director drawn from her own time as a Tara, Em or Skye while also making the spring break and Schoolies-like pilgrimage from England to the Mediterranean. When the movie doesn't lift details directly from her own experience, it shares them with comparable moments that are virtually ripped from western teendom. One of the feature's strokes of genius is how lived-in it proves, whether Tara and her mates are as loud and exuberant as girls are when their whole lives are ahead of them, its main character is attempting to skip her troubles in a sea of strobing lights and dancing bodies, or slipping between the sheets — but not talking about it — is changing who Tara is forever. If a film called How to Have Sex had arrived in cinemas in the 80s, 90s or 00s, viewers would've known exactly what was in store from its title. Indeed, more than a few teen comedies of the era, American Pie especially, could've adopted the non-Google-friendly moniker. But Walker's picture isn't those flicks, despite starting with Tara and company almost dizzy with euphoria about wrapping up their exams, farewelling secondary schooling and dashing eagerly into their vision of adulthood. Rather, How to Have Sex is a portrait of the details that don't typically get seen and definitely aren't stressed when garnering laughs about coursing hormones is the aim of the game. As it unpacks consent and coercion in a real and raw way, Walker's feature is steeped in the confusion, the hurt, the quiet "yeah" that isn't a hearty yes, the peer pressure and rivalries, and the fact that sex is almost everywhere — in one based-on-reality sequence, oral sex is a basically a contest in front of a vast crowd — but any genuine and considered "how to" is far from everyone's thoughts. In its first half, there's a woozy buzz to How to Have Sex that matches the slinky outfits, glittery faces, neon lights and constant chase for the best holiday ever. Tara, Em and Skye are in Malia, Crete, but there's no time for sightseeing when there's shots after shots to down, dance floors to cut loose on, splashes to be had, and Badger and his crew to pursue. "Oi, smokeshow" is how the bleached-blonde fellow Brit first greets Tara from across their balconies. There's a goofiness to him that pairs well with her bubbliness; her "angel necklace" and his "hot legends" neck tattoo also appear to match. But Skye doesn't approve, in the way that besties who don't always want what's best for their friends can nix someone's crush because they're thinking about themselves. After dubbing Badger a clown, she suggests with forcefulness that Tara set her sights on the supremely confident Paddy instead. If you're not aware going into the movie that Walker is also a cinematographer, it's evident in every frame of a film that she doesn't actually shoot herself. Nicolas Canniccioni (A Respectable Woman) takes on that gig, but How to Have Sex is made with a meticulous sense of colour and light, as Walker's lensing on the also-visually expressive Scrapper similarly possessed. While the in-the-moment flavour to the imagery thrusting Tara's plight to the screen doesn't subside, the hues and the gleam reflect the delicate tonal rollercoaster her story takes. In its second half, then, all that shines, fluoresces and fizzes isn't shimmering with exhilaration. After Paddy takes her to the beach alone, and Tara drunkenly loses the virginity her mates have been just as adamant that she can't go home with, nothing looks or feels the same. How Tara regards herself, not clocking the myriad of reasons why her situation has been so many other teen girls' situation and the societal underpinnings behind that truth, also shifts shatteringly. The before, the after, the seesaw from hedonistic bliss to gutwrenching discomfort, the sensitive lack of judgement shown to both How to Have Sex's women and men, the utter unwillingness for the feature to never stop being frank: with them all, Walker beams as brightly as a glowstick that she's an exceptionally talented, perceptive and compassionate filmmaker. At the centre of the booze and the horniness, so does McKenna-Bruce; that they've both been collecting accolades and awards attention, including Cannes' Un Certain Regard Award and BAFTA nominations for Walker, plus the British Independent Film Awards' Best Lead Performance and BAFTA Rising Star prize for her main actor, is deeply deserved. Calling this a launching pad for McKenna-Bruce isn't accurate, though, because her How to Have Sex performance should always be mentioned whenever her name comes up from now on out. Brassy, energetic, vulnerable, insecure, disoriented, regretful, dread-filled, let down by a fantasy of growing up that's never real, still picking herself back up: her stunning portrayal has it all, and she shouldn't ever want to soar away from it. It isn't just teen-comedy antics that How to Have Sex eschews; this story would never be easy to tell or witness, and nor should it, but Walker clearly doesn't pour it into the standard dramatic template. As much as it brings them both to mind at times, her film isn't Aftersun-meets-Spring Breakers, either — two excellent pictures themselves — but it's as honest and potent, and also as intensely immersive. Charlotte Wells' tender father-daughter trip played like a haunting memory and desperate attempt to hold onto someone lost. Harmony Korine's bacchanalian crime-comedy jaunt to Florida was rendered with a dreamlike air. How to Have Sex stares unblinkingly, knowing how many women have stood in Tara's shoes, how many men in Paddy's, and how a definitive resolution where everything falls where it should is a rarity. Sweat is far from the only aspect, then, that's messily real.
Currently on display in Melbourne, the National Gallery of Victoria's world-first exhibition Keith Haring | Jean-Michel Basquiat: Crossing Lines is pegged to be one of the hot-ticket cultural events of this summer. But if browsing the two iconic artists' works on a wall just isn't enough, you're going to want to check out the latest line of threads from clothing retailer and sponsor Uniqlo. The Japanese brand has just unveiled its new Crossing Lines collection of t-shirts, inspired by key pieces from both Haring and Basquiat's own repertoires. Launching overseas this month before dropping in Australian stores in January — all as part of Uniqlo's UT range — the mens' and womens' collection is the result of a collaboration with the Basquiat Estate and creative consultants Artestar. And it's filled with famous designs from the two late art legends, translating a number of Haring and Basquiat's works into t-shirt form. You'll spy Haring's famed crawling baby figure, Basquiat's recognisable scrawl from his piece Untitled (World Famous) 1983, and the tribute crown symbol painted by Haring after Basquiat's death. The horseshoe sketch makes an appearance, as do the familiar wiggling outline figures, just like the ones Haring famously painted on a Collingwood wall back in 1984. It's not the first time Uniqlo has gotten behind a major art event with some fresh designs. The label's collaboration t-shirts with acclaimed American artist Kaws proved a sell-out success when they launched earlier this year, coinciding with NGV exhibition Kaws: Companionship in the Age of Loneliness. Uniqlo's Crossing Lines collection will hit Australian stores in January 2020. Keith Haring | Jean-Michel Basquiat: Crossing Lines is on display at the National Gallery of Victoria until April 13, 2020.
A new food/art installation in Tokyo is offering a multi-sensory eating experience that combines delicate Japanese cuisine with stunning projections and sound. Located inside Sagaya, a Saga beef restaurant in the city's Ginza district, the permanent installation, titled Worlds Unleashed and then Connecting, was created by art collective teamlab and serves just eight guests each day. Projections depicting Japanese scenery and wildlife illuminate the walls and table, and react different to each artfully presented dish on the rotating monthly menu. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLYxixvQ_hw "When a dish is placed on the table, the world contained within the dish is unleashed, unfolding onto the table and into the surrounding space," explains the collective. "A bird released from one dish can perch on the branch of a tree unleashed from another. The trees that grow from each dish are not identical; their sizes and shapes are affected by the worlds unleashed by the other dishes on the table. These unleashed worlds are also affected by your behaviour. If you stand still, a tiny bird might alight on your hand; if you move suddenly, it might fly away." Pretty lofty, but we're never opposed to ambitious creativity on our plates. Via Designboom.
UPDATE, July 19: This article originally stated that free coffees were available on Wednesdays until the end of July; however, the promotion ended at the end of June. This piece has been updated to reflect that. Lode Pies and Pastries is known for its truly next-level baked goods. Whether it's creamy chocolate and hazelnut custard croissants or the store's viral LuMi Pithivier pie, people flock for their sweet and savoury creations. For the next few weeks though, people will be making a beeline through its doors for a different reason: free coffee. That's right, the new addition to the Lode family in Circular Quay will be offering free coffee to anyone who drops by once a week in June — and there's no catch. Lode has just arrived in George Street's new dining precinct Sydney Place, opening alongside 20 new hospitality and retail openings including Kosta's Takeaway, Malay Chinese Noodle Bar, Toastiesmith, Dopa by Devon, Thirteen Feet Tattoo and Toby's Estate — plus the soon-to-reopen Jacksons on George. To celebrate the new outpost, the Lode baristas will be whipping up coffees, teas and hot chocolates on the house every Wednesday between June 7–28. You don't have to buy a pie or a pastry — just head in and start your day with a complimentary cup of joe or drink of your choice. Of course, if you feel like reinvesting the money that you've saved on your daily caffeine fix back into a treat from Lode, you're more than welcome to. Some of the other delectable menu items Lode serves up include cinnamon scrolls, yuzu custard-filled pastries, blueberry tarts, pork sausage rolls, spinach pies, and ham, cheese, mustard and jalapeño croissants. Lode first opened in Surry Hills in 2021, so if you can't make it to Circular Quay, you can always head into the OG location for a decadent morning treat — sans free coffee. Lode Pies and Pastries Circular Quay is open 8am–3pm Monday–Saturday at 5 Sai Ying Lane, Sydney. You can nab free coffee, tea and hot chocolate at the bakery every Wednesday between Wednesday, June 7–Wednesday, June 28.
Located around three hours from Sydney on the south coast, Bendalong's Washerwomans Beach is home to calm, turquoise waters and an 840-metre stretch of golden sands — plus doggos aplenty. The tree-lined beach is a 24-hour off-leash area, offering heaps of space for your pup to roam free. Set between Dee Beach and Bendalong, the curved shape also protects Washerwomans from large swells. This makes it a safe place to take your dog for a dip without worrying about overpowering waves. Even after spending hours on these shores, your pooch won't want to leave — and neither will you. Image: Destination NSW
Winter in Sydney has become synonymous with Vivid, and the first weeks of autumn brightened by news of its plans. This year, the news is more light, more music and more ideas: interactive light art is expanding to Martin Place and the harbour waters, new music event Modulations comes to Carriageworks while the Pixies prop up the Opera House, and the Vivid Ideas program will bury you under the cumulative wisdom of 300 speakers. Vivid Music includes several new initiatives, including a Stephen Pavlovic-curated event, Modulations, at Carriageworks; New Wave club nights at the Seymour Centre and uber-contemporary performances at both The Basement and the Argyle Centre. We're eagerly awaiting the full VividLIVE announcement on March 24, but for now we can tell you that the Opera House will be hosting The Pixies in intimate mode, a groundbreaking ACO-Presets collaboration traversing 42,000 years of music history and 230+ songs, and a DJ-set from Giorgio Moroder (Daft Punk, Donna Summer, Scarface, Top Gun). Meanwhile, Modulations will feature the Pet Shop Boys' epic multi-sensory ‘Electric’ show, as well as an immersive adventure from Fred Deakin (Lemon Jelly), involving music, light, sculpture and interactive technology. Lighting the all-important sails this year is creative agency 59 Projections, who count the London Olympics and the spectacular War Horse among recent works. Last year's projection stars Spinifex are working on the MCA, this time collaborating with artist Jess Johnson, while France's Danny Rose is transforming the facade of Customs House into playable instruments. Even the vessels on Sydney Harbour don't escape a cloak of light. Fifty art installations will grace the hugely popular light walk, including an Aurora Australis; Luke Hespanhol's LOL, beach-ball smiles that laugh with you in Walsh Bay; and one that really appeals to our narcissistic sides, Simon Brockwell's e|MERGEnce in the new Vivid venue of Martin Place. It 3D projection maps your face onto a giant sculpture. While functioning as an umbrella for some massive creative industries events — such as Semi-Permanent and Good Design — Vivid Ideas is still hogging some star speakers for its own signature program. Before I Die artist Candy Chang, viral strategy secret-keeper Sara Critchfield from Upworthy, Antipodium's Geoffrey J Finch, 4D printing leader Skylar Tibbits, American Apparel's Ryan Holiday and street culture juggernauts Joshy D & Mike Giant all feature. As usual, the Vivid Ideas Exchange on level six of the MCA will be the place to let all these thoughts meld. The panels and workshops there will be based around eight 'content clusters', including 'The Future of Work', 'UX IRL' and 'DIY & Maker Culture'. The 18-day festival, named Australia’s Event of the Year in 2013 at the Australian Event Awards, is on from May 23 to June 9. It's kind of staggering how much it's achieved since starting in 2009, last year attracting 800,000-strong crowds and selling 11,000 Vivid-related packages to the international market. Photos of our crazy light shows spread around the world, while Circular Quay restaurants regale with stories of running out of food to serve the swarming masses. For the full program and ticketing information, see the Vivid Sydney website. By Rima Sabina Aouf and Jasmine Crittenden.
Nothing short of a feast will be had at Al Asseel. This is the place to come with your nearest and dearest when you want to eat so much you can barely walk back to the car. Here, you'll find all the share-style dishes that make Lebanese cuisine a great choice for group meals. To keep things simple, we suggest grabbing a few of the mixed plates. The traditional Al Aseel mixed plate features skewers of chicken breast, lamb and kofta served with tabouli, baba ghanoush, hummus, falafel and garlic dip, while the skewer platter features shish tawook (grilled chicken), laham meshwi (grilled lamb), kofta and garlic dip. And don't forget to grab a Maamol Mix dessert platter — a selection of shortbreads filled with pistachios, walnuts and dates. Images: Cassandra Hannagan
Spoiler warning: this interview incudes specifics about Smoke if you aren't up to date with the series before reading. Noticing patterns sits at the heart of most detective narratives. For the characters in Smoke, that's firmly part of the job. Dave Gudsen (Taron Egerton, Carry-On) is a former firefighter-turned-arson investigator on the trail of two serial pyromaniacs — one using milk bottles to set their blazes, the other starting multiple infernos at once to attempt to split the fire department's resources — and, as a result, he's hunting for recurring clues in the ashes. So is Michelle Calderone (Jurnee Smollett, The Order), his new partner and a police officer who has been transferred to the fictional Umberland's arson squad not by choice. Add these figures to the list, too, in the nine-part Apple TV+ miniseries: Captain Steven Burke (Rafe Spall, William Tell), who is behind Michelle's reassignment; Commander Harvey Englehart (Greg Kinnear, Off the Grid), Umberland's fire chief; Ezra Esposito (John Leguizamo, Bob Trevino Likes It), the cop who was previously by Gudsen's side; and Special Agent Dawn Hudson (Anna Chlumsky, Bride Hard). Spotting connections falls on Smoke's audience as well, although it's an easy task at the outset. Here, Egerton leads, Kinnear co-stars and author-turned-TV showrunner Dennis Lehane is behind the miniseries, drawing upon a true-crime tale to make a thriller series about questioning appearances — who is reliable as a character, who isn't, and the difference between how someone is perceived and their reality — where unpacking the human psyche is a key factor. This all also proved the case with the streaming platform's Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning Black Bird in 2022. Smoke boasts a few more nifty links. Back when Egerton was just starting his on-screen career, one of his first roles was in the 2014 firefighter-focused British series The Smoke, for instance. "It's a weird moment," Egerton advises. "When I first started working on this, I sent a photo of myself in the firefighter gear to Rhashan Stone [Midsomer Murders] and Jamie Bamber [Beyond Paradise], who were two actors I worked with on that TV show The Smoke, saying 'this is weird'," he continues. "I'm glad that I've been employed long enough to end up doing two shows that are called the same thing. That's got to be a success on some level, right?" Then there's the fact that this Smoke, which debuted with two episodes at the end of June 2025 and is unveiling the rest of its instalments weekly, is drawn from the Firebug podcast focusing on IRL serial arsonist John Orr — and that when a 2002 HBO TV movie also told his tale, it starred Black Bird's Ray Liotta alongside now-Smoke supporting cast member Leguizamo. What interested the latter in stepping back into this story a second time? "Because this time it's better-written, it's better-directed — no offence. Ray Liotta was brilliant as John Orr, but I think this is a better version," Leguizamo tells Concrete Playground. "I think Dennis Lehane took some liberties, which I think made it much more interesting. It's based on, not a direct copy of what really happened, so I think that makes it more fun. He had a whole bunch of new characters, and he really gets into the mind and pathology of this character, the arsonist. And I think that's what's fascinating about this series." As Leguizamo notes, Smoke isn't a strict adaptation of John Orr's life. He isn't a character in the series, in fact. Lehane, who enjoyed great success on the page before his screen work — his books Mystic River, Shutter Island, Gone Baby Gone and Live By Night were all adapted into movies directed by Clint Eastwood, Martin Scorsese and Ben Affleck, respectively (Affleck helmed both Gone Baby Gone and Live By Night) — fictionalises many details, including monikers, in finding a new way into this story not only after Firebug but also Point of Origin. "I was trying to write about self-delusion. I was trying to write about chaos," the scribe who got his TV start penning episodes of The Wire, then worked on Boardwalk Empire, Mr Mercedes and The Outsider, explains. "I was trying to write about a world in which people feel so powerless and confused now that there are extremely powerful people who suggest with a straight face what we need to do is just burn it all down. Burn it all down. You don't like the way the government works? Burn it all down. Do we have anything to replace it with? Nope. But burn it all down. That's going on in the world, and at a pretty consistent level. And I thought this would be a fun way to look at it." "So everybody in this show is, I think, both psychologically complex and psychologically chaotic. And then they're emotionally chaotic. And then there's fire moving everywhere, which is chaotic unto itself. And it was just a way to look at a world that right now feels like it's on fire." [caption id="attachment_1014821" align="alignnone" width="1920"] John Lamparski/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival[/caption] Plenty of Smoke's complexity and chaos springs from Gudsen, who isn't just looking into the fires that are burning across his town, and is also an aspiring novelist writing about what he knows. "Dave is such a fascinating, extreme role," reflects Egerton of his latest recent part with a cat-and-mouse dynamic, because Black Bird and Carry-On also fall into the same category. "There's a few moments in this show that really come to mind very quickly as being extreme or strange moments. And I've got to be honest with you, I really love doing those moments," he says. "I do think of myself as an artist, but deep down inside I'm still the kid who wanted to climb on my school desk and have everybody look at me — so those moments, I do enjoy as an actor." What appealed to Egerton, Lehane and Kinnear about reteaming so soon after Black Bird? And to Spall, Leguizamo and Chlumsky about being a part of a series about the fine line between arsonists and arson investigators with them? What's the draw, too, of portraying morally ambiguous yet playful characters — and of jumping in when there isn't a single person in the series who is clearcut, and keeping audiences guessing about almost everyone is baked into the story? In addition to reckoning with people not being who you think they are, plus exploring what makes folks tick when they're attracted to things that can kill them or bring about their downfall, we also spoke with Egerton, Lehane, Kinnear, Spall, Leguizamo and Chlumsky about all of the above, plus more. On Reteaming on Another Crime-Thriller Series Developed by Lehane, Starring Egerton and Co-Starring Kinnear That's Unpacking the Human Psyche and Questioning Appearances Taron: "I think as an actor, you are only ever as good as the words on the page, and you're only ever as good as the person opposite you in the scene. And I really believe that. And I think in the case of the work I've done with Dennis, they are — both Jimmy and Dave — just very, very rich, well-drawn characters. And they're characters drawn by Dennis. And so I feel very privileged to be in this collaborative partnership with him. As long as he wants to employ me, I'm going to work with him because he writes tremendous roles. It's not always going to be the case. He's going to want to do things without me and that's cool. But if he wants me to do something, I'm down. I really love working with Dennis, and we've struck up a really great friendship and partnership over the past five years." Dennis: "I knew I wanted to do it with Taron because I love working with Taron, and because the two of us have a great shorthand and a rather immense amount of trust between each other — for where we're willing to go and how we're willing to push each other. So in that regard, that was a no-brainer to bring Taron in on this. It's an interesting thing, because Jimmy in Black Bird goes on a journey in which he's kind of a callow, shallow guy at the beginning, and by the end, by moving through this transformation, he's become a better human being, but he's lost a lot of his swagger. Dave starts off as oh, you think he's this sweet, heroic fireman, arson investigator — but very quickly, we start to put a lie to that, and by the third episode we've pretty much lit the whole concept on fire. And now it's really about the rabbit hole of 'how demented is this guy's psyche?' — and that becomes the journey of the show. So it's almost inverse. And it was fun to write, it was fun for Taron to play." Greg: "I just think they're good dudes. What can I say? Taron and Dennis, they're both super-talented. Who doesn't like to work with talented people? And in addition to them, we have a whole cast of talented people. So I knew, I just had great confidence that that this would be a good show. And it would be unexpected — and it would like any good novel, it would be a page-turner and keep the audience hooked and guessing. He certainly didn't disappoint in Black Bird. I know he — I mean, I guess you never know, but I have great confidence just in his ability." On What's Interesting About Digging Into a Cat-and-Mouse Dynamic as an Actor Taron: "I think there's obviously tremendous tension in a cat-and-mouse dynamic — and the feeling that a great deal is at stake. And stakes are important for really good storytelling, I suppose. I have to say, I do, having been the mouse in the cat and mouse dynamic of Carry-On, there is something nice about playing Dave, who is probably a little bit of both. I think he would probably style himself as a persecuted man at a certain point in this show, but as we know, he's anything but a victim. But that's very central to his pathology, I think. I think he's a man who styles himself as what he needs to be at any one time. And I think it probably suits Dave's needs to be thought of as a victim, as a mouse, some of the time." Anna: "A lot of acting is about identifying intentions, and the cat-and-mouse structure of storytelling is delicious for that. You have to commit. You have to ask 'why this mouse?' if you're the cat — 'why this cat?' if you're the mouse, to extend the metaphor. And it's all about figuring out those motivations. And what's so awesome is, in a show like ours, because it refuses to be cut and dry, you're always discovering new motivations. And you're always discovering like 'oh wait, this is what I thought this was', but once you see it, you're like 'oh, maybe that's what it was like'. It keeps living. It doesn't die on the page. It just keeps living and generating its own fire." [caption id="attachment_1014824" align="alignnone" width="1920"] John Lamparski/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival[/caption] On Whether Moving Into Creating TV Shows Was the Plan for Lehane When He Penned His First Novel or Scored His First Screenwriting Gig Dennis: "It definitely wasn't 30 years ago. It didn't really take effect — it didn't take hold even when I was doing The Wire. I think it was when I was doing Boardwalk that I said 'well, I really like this. I like the social aspect of this. I like the feel of it. Maybe one day I'll run a show'. And then we moved to LA three years later, and then it just really, my life changed drastically, and then it just took hold. And I ultimately became a showrunner." On How Lehane Having His Own Books, Such as Mystic River and Shutter Island, Adapted for the Screen Helped Put Him on the Path to Making Television Himself Dennis: "I think it opened some doors for me in LA, in Hollywood. People knew who I was. But my desire was never to make movies — which is weird because I love movies. I'm a movie fanatic. But my desire, I started to realise — it was when I was doing Mr Mercedes with David Kelley that I realised 'wow, the form seems to feel just like writing a novel'. If you've got ten episodes and they're 50 minutes apiece, that's 500 pages. Most novels and manuscripts are somewhere between 400–500 pages. That felt natural. So it felt as if I understood, at an organic level, how to tell a story for television — where writing for the movies is much more like writing a short story." On the Appeal of Being a Part of a Series That Explores the Fine Line Between Arson Investigators and Arsonists Rafe: "It's an unusual subject matter. I don't think I've ever thought about the idea of arson investigation. I don't think it ever crossed my mind. But of course it's a thing. Now, it's an extraordinary story, based in some ways on a real case. And yeah, I was interested in that, the idea of it, but what really hooked me in was the complexity of the characters — was their moral ambiguity, was their richness, was how each character was so well-defined, and how each character went on a very succinct journey. And I was really excited to play Steven. I was really thrilled to have a conversation with Dennis Lehane about it. I was really flattered to be asked. It's really great when people that you respect ask you to be in stuff. I never get over that. I'm always really made-up and flattered when someone of his calibre would want me to be in one of his shows. So I was flattered into doing it." John: "First of all, Dennis Lehane is one of the great writers, true-crime writers of our time. So the series was so well-written, and you don't get great writing like this too often. So that was a gift in itself. And then this character he wrote for me is unbelievable. This crazy, broken loser, loveable loser, who nobody believes but he knows the truth. It's an incredible role to play. I was so excited to be a part of it." [caption id="attachment_1014837" align="alignnone" width="1920"] John Lamparski/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival[/caption] Anna: "The writing. It's always the writing — the writing, the writing. Dennis Lehane is, I think, exactly what the world needs right now. We have to examine the things that he is fearlessly willing to examine. The way he writes, he gives every character that he's creating space and advocacy. And he allows the audience to ask their own questions and to engage with the storytelling. He's never telling you what to think — and this is exactly what I sign up for as an actor." On Going From Black Bird to Taking Inspiration From the Firebug Podcast and John Orr's Story Dennis: "So the sort of missing piece there is a guy named Kary Antholis. So Kary Antholis was a producer with me on Black Bird. Kary was obsessed with the John Orr case and had created Firebug. So he was the producer and narrator and writer of Firebug. And he pitched me when we were in the final stages on Black Bird, and I listened to it, and I said 'well, I don't think I'm the guy to tell the story of John Orr's trial, or the fires in San Bernardino and Glendale in the 1980s. That's not really my jam. It's not what I want to do. But I love the pathology of this guy. I would love to base a character on him, on his pathology. I would like to create a guy who is just as delusional, who is just as in denial, who is an arson investigator chasing an arsonist who happens to be him, and writing a book about an arson investigator chasing an arsonist whose arsons are mirrors for the real arsons that only the real arsonists would know about. That's a story I want to tell. Everything else, I kind of want to throw out'. And he was like 'great'. And so that's what we did as our launching pad. And I went off and told this story, which is very different than the John Orr story." On Stepping Into a Series with Real Life as a Basis, Even If the True Story Is Being Fictionalised Greg: "I was familiar with the podcast. And certainly there are fire chiefs, some people in that storyline, that I guess maybe Harvey is based on, but he's an amalgamation of a maybe a few different people. Most of it was just in the script I felt like Dennis had really written. Like I say, I used the basis of that podcast, a great piece of source information — I suspect we'll be seeing a lot more podcasts as sources for shows, because they're so rich and they offer so much creative backdrop to work with. I felt like this, though, had all been put into a script. And I felt like all of the characters had a real journey. I liked the character he had asked me to play. I worked with the Dennis, of course, on Black Bird, so it was great to come back to the party again." On Egerton's Run of Portraying Morally Ambiguous, Playful Characters — and Being Great At It Taron: "The secret is, the truth is, he is me. That's the thing. When you're an actor, sometimes when actors talk about the lengths with which they go to become someone else, there's something I think is slightly disingenuous about it because — or not disingenuous, that's mean, that's sounds judgmental. My experience of being an actor is not that you become someone else, it's that you express yourself through the prism of a character that has traits that are different to you. It's still you. It's still Taron. It's still me. It's still Taron existing in a set of imaginary circumstances that are different from the ones that have characterised my own life. So Dave is — although I am not an arsonist, I am exercising the muscles of imagination to be a version of me in that situation. I think I have a few of those on the way over the next 18 months — a few morally, either ambiguous or bankrupt, characters. And for some reason I'm entering a phase in my life where those are the roles that I'm playing, and I'm really okay with it. It's interesting. I think as somebody who started their career playing more archetypically heroic roles, there's a real appeal in like fucking shit up a bit, you know?" On Fleshing Out Characters When There Isn't a Single Person in the Series That's Clearcut — and When Keeping Audiences Guessing About Almost Everyone Is Baked Into the Story John: "Oh, I love that. That's what I live for — these roles that are not black and white, that are really complex and you can sink your teeth into, that allow you to be the full spectrum of human life. Life doesn't present itself with villains and heroes. It's just very complex and grey — in the grey zone. I really enjoyed this character, because there was so much to do in terms of he thinks he's sexy, nobody believes him, he thinks he's right, everybody thinks he's wrong. I think it's a very relatable sort of character. So it was a lot of fun for me." Rafe: "I think that the first thing you need to work out is the character's intention, is what they want and how they go about getting it, without passing judgment on it. You can never really have your own personal view on the person that you're playing. You need to believe that they're doing what they think is right. And so Steven, my character, from the outside is obviously dubious at points. But he is able to justify everything he does in his own mind. Now, from an objective point of view, a lot of the things that he does are wrong. But he would be very good at telling you why you were wrong in thinking he was wrong. And he's someone that's used to getting what he wants. So all of this stuff that I'm talking about is the stuff that me, as an actor, hooks into. What does the character want? What does he need? How does he go about getting those things? What gets in the way of him achieving those objectives? All of those things are really playable. And when you've got writing as detailed, as rich as this, it makes that pretty easy. Then you get there on the day and you try and make it sound real. That's it. You try and make it sound real and like real people talking — which, as I say, is easier when the when the writing is as excellent as this." On Playing Someone Who Is Forced to Reckon with the Fact That a Person He Knows Is Completely Different to Who He Thought He Was Greg: "I don't think people want to see what they don't want to see. I think Harvey is, I don't think it's — I guess he could be naive, but I just think it's that human condition of not wanting to be surprised by a friend. It's too painful. It hurts to have someone you trust break that. So he's kind of the last man standing in this when it comes to his assessment of one particular character, but he comes around and gets on board, but it takes a minute." On Chlumsky Taking on Roles with a True-Crime Angle After Veep with Inventing Anna and Now Smoke Anna: "I will engage in true-crime as a genre if the story is good — and when the story is good, that's what matters to me. It's funny, but these roles have been really excellent journeys into the people who are having to engage with these kinds of things every single day. And I appreciate it. I appreciate getting to play them." On Exploring What Makes People Tick When They're Drawn to Things That Can Kill Them or Bring About Their Downfall, Especially When They're Far From Being Honest About Themselves Rafe: "That's a really good question. I think that bad people don't know they're bad people. They think they're good. I think everyone thinks they're good. And so it's interesting to work out, when you're playing a character, what he puts out into the world and how others perceive him, and the dichotomy between those two things. He makes mistakes, but I like him, and I think that that is always good. And I think I always like the characters that I play, even if they're bad people, because I'm inside them. It's difficult to talk about acting, really, because it's such a sort of slippery old thing — and ultimately it is the process of throwing a load of shit against the wall and seeing what sticks. And it's quite a private process. But sometimes it's really fun, and this was one of those cases — and I don't know why. I think it's to do with the people that I was working with. I think that's what it comes down to, is being surrounded by really clever people that make your job easier." On the Crucial Commitment to Using Practical Effects Wherever Possible — and Getting Performances That Are Truly Responding to the Fire as a Result Dennis: "We were adamant about that from the very beginning. The first production meeting, that was the topic: 'how do we make this?'. If they could do it in Backdraft before CGI existed, then the problem has to be how CGI is being employed, not how they used to do fire. So we came up with a fusion of practical fire, CGI fire, put them together. If you had the practical fire in a scene, then the CGI artist could go in there and know what he was matching to. There's a fire — match to that. With the opening scene in which the fireman, Dave Gudsen, is trapped in a fire and runs toward his own reflection — that opening sequence was shot with Taron using nothing but practical fire on what's called a burn stage. So I don't think Taron had to do much acting there. That was pretty much 'aaaaah' — I wasn't going on that stage. But later, in some of the other scenes where the fire was far less practical, the actors were just bringing it, man. They were just bringing it. And we were documenting it and then filling in those fires later." Taron: "It's interesting. I didn't anticipate, when I first read the scripts, that Dennis would elect to shoot the fire practically. And it's a really amazing sequence. I think he chose to do that because that moment, for Dave, the opening sequence of the show, it's more than just the turbulent moment from his past. It's a kind of existential moment where something happened for him that changed who he is, and even I don't fully understand what that was, but it's something to do with his relationship with himself. It's something to do with his own self-image. And I think the significance of that event meant that it needed to be particularly cinematic and almost visually poetic. And the fire looked stunning in that sequence. It really is quite beautiful to behold. And I'd argue that it's better executed than anything that could have been done with computer-generated imagery. So I really loved that sequence. In terms of preparation, you do a little bit of training with the breathing apparatus to make sure that you're safe and set to go in there — because you can't step on a set like that without a regulator, and all the crew are wearing them as well. But beyond the rehearsal we did, which was quite rigorous because it's a dangerous set, I didn't go and do any special firefighter training or anything." On How the Smoke Cast Reflects Upon Their Careers So Far and Their Paths to the Series Taron: "The life of an actor is strange for many reasons, but it's very strange to have a moving video chronology of your own life. And sometimes I'll put on the telly or put on Netflix, like things I've been in sometimes pop up on Netflix and I'm all of a sudden having, like I put on the telly and there's a bit of me at 24 — and I find it really weird. And it's quite creepy. Because in my head, I look the same as I did when I was 24. And then I see a bit of a clip of Kingsman and I'm like 'no, no, definitely not'. And it's weird. I don't get super-reflective about my career so far, and I feel just enormously grateful to still be working and really grateful to be playing leading roles — and to be working with the great people that I get the chance to work with. And I don't take any of it for granted, ever. I am such a fortunate individual. I'm really glad that I'm still being employed." Rafe: "It's one thing getting opportunities, I think, as young actors. And I think that we put a lot of stock in like 'the big break', the idea of that — and there's a lot of reverence of that. That's never really been the case in my career. Like, I've always just done, just kept going, and done one thing and another thing and keep getting asked to do things. It's all I've ever wanted, really, is just to sustain a career. Because that's the most-difficult thing, is sustaining — is to keep going and to keep employed in good work. It's really difficult. It's a really difficult thing. So I'm just very, very grateful that I get to do it, because I really like my job. I really, really like — I love acting. I love actors. My dad's an actor, grew up around them. I think it's both a very important and very silly thing to do, and I'm very grateful for those things." Greg: "It's funny, we [Kinnear and Spall] both played Atticus Finch [in To Kill a Mockingbird], so we've both been through the same path. Plus, Rafe's done a lot of comedy and a lot of drama. I have been able to have kind of done both of that as well, which is really great. I feel very fortunate to be able to do both. This, I feel like Harvey's got — there's a little humour and a little warmth with him, and there's a little drama mixed into it. Whatever's led me here, it's the right mix of stuff, because I find myself more often than not being real happy with whatever it is that I'm doing at the time. That's certainly the case of Smoke." Anna: "I just want to tell the truth and explore the human condition. And if I get to in beautiful text, then I feel like I'm engaging in the culture and I'm engaging in the world, that's really anything anybody can ask for. So I'm just very proud that I'm still getting to answer questions about a show that I still feel that way about. I'm that kind of actor who's always wanting to stretch in different in ways. It's what keeps me alive in the craft. So it always feels like a gift when I get to stretch something." John: "I love to be a part of things that really make you think deeper than most shows. I like to be in work that makes a statement, that tries to change the way the world is and makes it a better place. That's what I strive for. And hopefully I hit that mark more than not. I've had to fight for appropriate representation and appropriate roles that I felt should have came my way, or been offered to me, because I'm a Latin actor in America. And I've had to deal with quite a bit of racism in this country, even though we're such a huge — we've been here since the beginning, the first European language spoken in this country was Spanish, not English, but we're still the most aggressively excluded ethnic group in America, even though we're 20 percent of the population. So I've had to deal with a lot of a lot of that, and luckily I haven't given up, and have persevered. And I think my fanbase is what's helped me to stay strong and to continue. And luckily Dennis Lehane saw something in me for the role of Ezra, and I'm really thankful for that." Smoke streams via Apple TV+.
Maybe it's the massive layout, which everyone traverses from the front door to the checkouts without taking any shortcuts. Perhaps it's all the display-room setups, turning almost every nook and cranny of a huge warehouse into dream homes. It could be the promise of those Swedish meatballs mid-shop, the coveted blue bags, or just knowing that your house will get a makeover when you return after browsing and buying oh-so-much. Whichever fits, a trip to IKEA isn't an ordinary shopping experience — although that'll prove true in a different way for 16 days between Friday, August 26–Saturday, September 10. That's when The IKEA Festival, aka your latest excuse to hit up the chain's closest store, will host a heap of free activities. Fancy an IKEA-inspired manicure, likely in blue and yellow? Of course you do. Also on offer across IKEA's Sydney stores: terrarium workshops, interior designer speed-dating sessions, plant-based cooking demonstrations, food tastings, DJs spinning tunes, a van-life installation and talks on sustainability. For renters, the class about maximising your home when it isn't your own should pique your interest. Can't make it along in-person? There's also an online live shopping event — and, of course, you can also hit up the brand's newly launched As-Is Online marketplace for discontinued, ex-display and pre-loved products.
Have you ever watched Groundhog Day and found yourself thinking, "this is all ace and amusing, but I wish a masked murderer was running amok?" Have you ever settled down for Edge of Tomorrow and decided that the whole thing really could use some spooky college hijinks? If your answer to either of those questions is yes, then horror-comedy Happy Death Day just might be the film you're looking for. Here, reliving the same day comes with laughs, scares and a very determined killer. Sorority sister Tree (Jessica Rothe) is the character caught in a loop, but becoming a better person or stopping alien invaders isn't her aim. Instead, she just wants to work out why she keeps ending up dead — and, obviously, to figure out how to avoid it. Each day plays out the same way: she wakes up in the dorm room of a classmate, Carter (Israel Broussard), who she assumes she drunkenly hooked up with, before shuddering when her roommate Lori (Ruby Modine) tries to give her a birthday cupcake. Going to class, house meetings, ignoring her dad, getting ready for her own surprise party — nothing is particularly out of the ordinary. Or rather, it seems that way until she's brutally attacked, then finds herself doing it all over again. Given Hollywood's fondness for repetition, it's surprising that a film like Happy Death Day didn't happen earlier. There are plenty of elements here that movie fans will recognise — and that's not news to director Christopher Landon (Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse). This is a flick that's well aware that Groundhog Day exists, and that the slasher scenario has been done to death (note the sly references to "Monday the 18th"). It's also knows that the Scream franchise has already found the thrilling and funny side of calling out and exaggerating genre tropes. Still, don't underestimate how far a playful tone and knowing approach can go in this situation. Producer Jason Blum is something of a horror maestro these days, backing the Paranormal Activity and Insidious franchises as well as this year's hits Split and Get Out. Keeping that successful run going, his latest takes to its satirical task with glee — think slick, montage-heavy visuals, an upbeat vibe and soundtrack, and absolutely no misapprehensions about the sort of entertaining, tongue-in-cheek movie that it wants to be. Thanks to the great work of Rothe, Happy Death Day also boasts an impressive central performance. Focusing on an attractive young woman fending off a bad guy is hardly new territory given the picture's chosen genre, but the actress last seen in La La Land portrays her protagonist as more than just a victim in waiting. After starting in Mean Girls territory, her zest and take-charge attitude matches that of the movie. As such, audiences should have no qualms about watching her experience the same day again and again — even if the film itself doesn't necessarily warrant repeat viewings. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ENyivsLb_g
If you've caught up with some of the highest-profile new movies in recent months, you might have noticed that looking up has been a big part of a few films. Top Gun: Maverick demanded it, while Don't Look Up grappled with the very idea of peering upwards — and the sky plays a significant role in fresh release Nope, too. Tonight, on the evening of Thursday, August 11 Down Under, looking up should be on your agenda as well. Stare at the heavens with your own two eyes and you'll see a stunning sight — and it'll also be visible tomorrow morning, on Friday, August 12, too. Another supermoon is upon us, and will officially be at its peak at 11.35 AEST on Friday — but if you train your peepers towards the sky this evening, you'll still be in for a glowing show. While super full moons aren't particularly rare — several usually happen each year, and one occurred just last month — there is a good reason to peer upwards this time around. If you're wondering why, we've run through the details below. WHAT IS IT? If you're more familiar with The Mighty Boosh's take on the moon than actual lunar terms, here's what you need to know. As we all learned back in November 2016, a supermoon is a new moon or full moon that occurs when the moon reaches the closest point to Earth in its elliptical orbit, making it particularly bright. They're not all that uncommon — and because August's 2022's supermoon is a full moon (and not a new moon), it's called a super full moon. It's also a sturgeon moon, too, which doesn't refer to its shape or any other physical characteristics, but to the time of year. In the northern hemisphere, August is around the time that sturgeon fish start to show up in big numbers in North America's lakes. Of course, that doesn't apply in the southern hemisphere, but the name still sticks. Also, this supermoon happens to the last one of 2022. WHEN CAN I SEE IT? As mentioned above, the sturgeon supermoon will officially be at its peak at 11.35am AEST tomorrow, Friday, August 12, Down Under — but thankfully it will be visible from Thursday night Australia and New Zealand time. The moon does usually appear full for a few days each month, so if you already thought that the night sky looked a little brighter this week, that's why. Still yet to catch a glimpse? You'll want to peek outside when it gets dark to feast your eyes on a luminous lunar sight. Head over to timeanddate.com for the relevant moonrise and moonset times for your area, with the moon rising at 4.22pm AEST on Thursday, August 11. WHERE CAN I SEE IT? You can take a gander from your backyard or balcony, but the standard advice regarding looking into the night sky always applies — so city-dwellers will want to get as far away from light pollution as possible to get the absolute best view. Weather-wise, the Bureau of Meteorology advises that Sydney and Perth will be cloudy, Melbourne is in for a few showers, and the wet will increase in Adelaide. In Brisbane, though, clear skies await. Over in NZ, Conditions are fine in Auckland, while Wellington can expect periods of rain. Fancy checking it out online? The Virtual Telescope Project is set to stream the view from Rome at 3pm on Friday, August 12, too. Top image: NASA/Joel Kowsky.
You've made it through hump day in one piece. To celebrate, take full advantage of the balmy spring evenings and treat yourself to a cheeky little fish and chips picnic in Bondi. Although fish and chip shops are a dime a dozen on Campbell Parade, we're absolute suckers for Bondi's Best, whose fare entirely lives up to its name. Take your lightly-battered pieces of fresh hoki and hand-cut chips up to Sam Fiszman Park at the northern end of the beach. With its sweeping views over Bondi, this is the perfect place to get all the salty fresh air without the swarming crowds.
Not everyone is a sports fan, but if you like live tunes, the Australian Open should still be on your radar even if you care little about on-the-court action. Only one music event in the world takes place as part of a Grand Slam, and that's AO Live. On the lineup for 2025's iteration: none other than Kesha, Armand Van Helden, Kaytranada and Benson Boone. Game, set, match, music: that's what's on offer when the Australian Open returns in January 2025 with two jam-packed weeks of tennis, plus a few aces for music lovers in the form of its three-day festival. It was back in 2023 that the annual Melbourne sports event launched the AO Finals Festival, getting a heap of talents taking to the stage. Unsurprisingly proving a hit, the fest returned in 2024, and will now be back again in 2025 under a new name. [caption id="attachment_975223" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brendan Walter[/caption] The venue: John Cain Arena, where AO Live will run from Thursday, January 23–Saturday, January 25. 2025's version features the event's biggest lineup so far — and while only the headliners have been announced at the moment, there's special guests to come. The fest kicks off with Boone on the Thursday, followed by Kaytranada on the Friday. Both days will span 5–9pm. Come Saturday, coinciding with the women's finals, Kesha will make her first visit to Australia in seven years, joined by Van Helden. Wrapping up AO Live, the day will kick off at 2pm and finish at 7pm. Expect plenty of company, with the 2023 fest selling out, then 2024's moving venues to John Cain Arena to take advantage of its 10,000-person capacity. AO Live ticketholders will also get a ground pass to the Australian Open, so you can watch the tennis as well as catching live tunes. As always, there'll be scores of food and drink pop-ups scattered throughout Melbourne Park, as well as big screens showing all the on-court action. AO Live 2024 Lineup Thursday, January 23: Benson Boone + special guests Friday, January 24: Kaytranada + special guests Saturday, January 25: Kesha Armand Van Helden + special guests AO Live hits John Cain Arena, Olympic Boulevard, Melbourne, from Thursday, January 23–Saturday, January 25, 2025. For tickets from Thursday, October 10, 2024 and more information, head to the festival website. AO Finals Festival images: Ashlea Caygill.
A beloved Redfern Street hideout for half a decade, Ron's Upstairs turned its fairy lights off for the last time back in May. Ron's called the space home for five years. When one door closes, however, another opens, and in place of Ron's is Fontana, a new Italian diner above Itacate. The vibrant new venue arrived just two months after the closure of Ron's, bringing the warm hospitality of its predecessors. Gone are the playful plastic vines and colourful wallpaper, while the red carpet and parquetry flooring from Ron's remains. New leather-clad booths are complimented by warm mahogany tones and just the right level of mood lighting. And, most importantly, the charm and homeliness of the space's previous occupant are still here in spades. Fontana is the latest opening from Daniel Johnston, Harry Levy and Ivery Wawn, who have all worked together across Don Peppino's, Wilmer and Alfios. In the two years since Don Peppino's has closed, the trio has been busy. Johnston and Wawn have been honing their craft at Alberto's and Cafe Paci respectively. Levy opened Porcine above P&V Paddington with Nick Hill and Matt Fitzgerald. Johnston is in charge of the kitchen, creating an Italian-focused menu full of recognisable and nostalgic flavours. While Fontana's menu is ever-changing, expect to choose from a selection of share plates, a few choice pasta dishes and a couple of mains. Possible highlights include warm crunchy bread rolls with a layer of baked balsamic vinegar (it's best ordered with the ricotta della casa); or the creamy fettuccini verde. The panne frito is another standout — fried bread complimented with a schmear of tomato paste and an anchovy. An array of specials also pop up each day, and as is tradition, gnocchi is added to the menu on Thursdays. Accompanying Johnston's food is the drinks menu that has been led by Wawn. There are a handful of classic cocktails and a range of interesting and eclectic wines showcasing organic and biodynamic farming principles. Fontana is located at 133a Redfern Street, Redfern. It's open from 5.30pm Wednesday–Friday and from midday Saturday.
There's a new kid on the block — literally. 107 Projects has found its latest home in South Eveleigh, the stylish up-and-coming inner-city suburb. The not-for-profit organisation has launched this site in partnership with the Social Enterprise Council of NSW, ACT (SECNA) and with support from Commbank. Davy Road has welcomed the third all-encompassing creative centre from 107 Projects, following in the footsteps of its previously established locations in Green Square and Redfern. The independent organisation hopes to nurture an inclusive venue accommodating diversity, social equity, artistic endeavours and local community values. Operating as an open-plan innovation precinct, the hub is set to host an array of community-focused initiatives, including community programs, corporate events, exhibitions and cultural festivals, much like at its sibling hubs. 107 South Eveleigh can accommodate up to 200 guests and is available to hire for all creativity-centred events, from smaller initiatives to larger-scale entertainment and everything in between. The first project on the books is the 'Free Feed' program, a relaxed event encouraging locals to enjoy some stress-free time to themselves, which will occur fortnightly. To kick off the initiative, 107 South Eveleigh will host its launch event — including catering — on Thursday, September 13, to coincide with R U OK Day. "Along with our shared values, we've partnered with SECNA so together we can grow organisations that prioritise community, inclusivity, social responsibility, and diversity while expanding our reach to as many humans as possible with our social impact programs," said Jess Cook, CEO of 107 Projects Inc. With the addition of SECNA's residency program operating throughout its rooms, the sleek newcomer aims to become the 'social enterprise heartbeat' of the area by directly catering to its surrounding community and their needs. The flexible space will maintain a focus on South Eveleigh's ongoings within a five-kilometre radius of its location to inform its upcoming community-centric projects, which will hone in on bettering wellness, greenery and recreational spaces. Plus, the additional support from CommBank will assist in providing an improved and affordable stomping ground for the locals to enjoy. All image credit: Rhiannon Hopely Photography. You'll find the innovation-forward 107 precinct at Level 1/2 Davy Road in South Eveleigh.
Calling all boating buddies, tinny hooners, fishing fans, weekend sailors and water racing pros – the most exhilarating sailing event in the world is coming back to Sydney Harbour. But fair warning, it's a bit of an upgrade from what you might be used to. We're not talking about high-grade yachts or roaring speedboats. We're talking about lightning-fast F50 catamarans and the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix Sydney. The global touring series takes national teams of elite sailors from around the world and pits them against each other in boats capable of moving up to 100km per hour. The third season has seen action in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, North and Arabian seas throughout 2022. Now, in 2023, they're competing in four remaining events across the Pacific. [caption id="attachment_882905" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Bob Martin for SailGP[/caption] The third weekend of February will welcome the event to Sydney Harbour for the fourth time in the championship's history and there are loads of ways to stay close to the action, both on and off the water. Get front-row seats on Genesis Island, watch from up close on an Official Spectator Boat, explore the SailGP Village in Barangaroo and peek behind the scenes in Team Base Tours. The KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix Sydney runs from Saturday, February 18, to Sunday, February 19. For more information and to grab tickets, visit the website. Header images: Brett Costello and David Callow for SailGP
When you wish upon a star, do you wish for all things Disney to be worked into your daily life? If so, then you'll be familiar with Sydney fine-dining institution NEL and its Once Upon a Time degustations. Since 2019, the Harbour City restaurant has been regularly plating up 11-course meals featuring dishes inspired by the Mouse House and its movies. In fact, it's done so four times so far. 2024's run will mark the enchanting dining experience's fifth chapter, then — and NEL's Executive Chef and namesake Nelly Robinson has new film-themed culinary creations in store. From Tuesday, April 16–Saturday, August 10, fans of top-notch meals and Disney alike can flutter into the Surry Hills eatery to enjoy courses that take their cues from Frozen, 101 Dalmatians, The Jungle Book and more. Both savoury and sweet dishes are on offer, with or without beverages — including cocktails — that also help tell a magical tale. For those who'll never be able to let their Mouse House obsession go, cured ocean trout Nordic-style — complete with a pickled onion snowflake, snow made out of cream cheese, and dustings of lemon and dill done at your table — is on the menu. Of course the Cruella de Vil-themed plate goes with a black-and-white colour scheme, featuring ricotta gnocchi, pan-seared mushroom and a celeriac velouté. And there'll be far more than the bare necessities tempting your tastebuds with the banana-shaped cream paired with roasted white chocolate and peanut butter brittle. Other courses include a nod to Peter Pan via a golden sweet pastry crumble, aka the Once Upon a Time degustation's version of pixie dust; saying "hi ho, hi ho" to a Snow White-inspired dish; and also paying edible tribute to Mulan, The Lion King, Bambi and The Nightmare Before Christmas. There's even NEL's version of a wand, aka a chicken and eggplant pastry that comes in a crisp tulle. NEL is known for its themed degustations, also spanning KFC-inspired dinners, Moulin Rouge!-themed and Christmas degustations, and heroing native Australian ingredients in the past. Unsurprisingly, the Once Upon a Time spread is especially popular — and because it serves up new and fresh dishes riffing on the Mouse House's favourites each time, it's always a different experience each year. Price-wise, this childhood-inspired feast will require an adult salary, costing $185 per person, with beverages matched for an extra $165. Reserving a spot ASAP for dinner Tuesday–Saturday from 5.15pm, and for lunch from 12pm on Saturdays as well, is recommended — this always books out.
Aluka describe themselves as a “Melbourne-based band of ladies who enjoy making music, knitting and interpretative dance". Their musical collaboration was borne out of a tight friendship. Discovering a shared passion for hanging out together and singing, but less of one for learning instruments, they decided to go a cappella. Five years later, Aluka have performed and recorded with the likes of Missy Higgins, Lisa Mitchell and Clare Bowditch and have made an appearance at the Sydney Opera House. Now they're on their way to Sydney to launch debut LP Space. Involving tricky shifts in timing, unexpected spurts of body percussion, and complex harmonies, Aluka's songs challenge the conventional a cappella mould. In making their CD, the girls travelled all around Victoria, searching for sonically satisfying recording spots. A chook shed, a swimming pool, a bunker from the Second World War, several bathrooms and a particularly resonant stairwell all played host to the experimental trio.
At the moment, you and I can't go visit an Australian aquarium or zoo, as they're temporarily closed in a bid to contain COVID-19. But, the animals still need to be fed, the tanks cleaned and the littl'uns cared for. So, staff at Sea Life Sydney have made the most of the lack of visitors and taken some very special furry guests along for a day. And, yes, we've got the adorable photos to prove it. Earlier this week, Sea Life's animal care team brought in their pet pooches to help them around the aquarium. Some of the tasks performed by the four-legged workers included feeding the resident sharks, dugong, penguins and fish; auditing the aquarium website; modelling merch; and attempting to send emails. As well as just general observation. Very important. Ned, a golden labrador, did a lot of the latter. And looked very happy while he did. Typical golden lab, really. Georgie the spaniel, slightly more serious, got stuck into emails. But maybe less successfully, by the look of that blank screen. Dukdik, definitely the most productive of the canine staff, not only fed Pig the Dugong lettuce, but also worked hard on the website and modelled some Sea Life merch. Hopefully these photos have given you some Friday warm fuzzies. Temporarily, at least. This is not the first time Sea Life has taken us behind the scenes during COVID-19, either. The Sydney aquarium — and its outposts in Melbourne and on the Gold Coast — are regularly live streaming playtime with their marine residents. Already, we've seen baby penguins fed, explored a jellyfish exhibition and hung out with tiny seahorses. To see what live-streams are coming up, head over to the Sea Life Facebook page.
Tavi Gevinson, the precocious pixie editrix, is finally manifesting her person on our shores. As a hugely successful teen blogger and founder of Rookie magazine, her entrepreneurial chutzpah is something of a phenomenon. Sydney Opera House Concert Hall will host Tavi's Big Big World, part of Ideas at the House, a program which presents conversations with influential personalities. She'll also be at the Melbourne Writers Festival. She's an old hand at public speaking, too, having already given a TED talk. Awash as the internet is with kids promoting their #personalbrands, it's cool to see someone so young found a publication like Rookie, a surprisingly down-to-earth and intellectual voice in the teen zine scene. Launched in 2011, it's festooned with the Tavi aesthetic, which, since her solo blogging days as a 13-year-old, has channelled '90s pop-goth and pretty pastels, movies like Ghost World and all the quirkiest developments of the fashion world. But it's Tavi's self-awareness and feminism that make her a compelling fashion commentator: never glossing over the fact that this is an industry which fetishises youth, she's all for female empowerment. We're looking forward to hearing her speak on a local stage. Book here (from July 12) to see Tavi speak at the Opera House on August 18, and here for her August 23 appearance in Melbourne.
Music lovers and festival fans, get excited: Spilt Milk is back for 2023, hitting up Canberrra's Exhibition Park on Saturday, November 25. Post Malone leads the lineup, with Dom Dolla and Latto also topping the bill. So, expect to hear everything from 'Sunflower' and 'I Like You' to 'Rhyme Dust' and 'Big Energy'. Tkay Maidza and Aitch also rank among Spilt Milk's impressive 2023 names, with Chris Lake, Dermot Kennedy, Budjerah, Cub Sport, Lastlings, Partiboi69, Ocean Alley, Peach PRC, Royel Otis similarly set to hit the stage. Also, because this fest is also about food, there'll be bites to eat from Chebbo's Burgers, 400 Gradi, Chicken Treat, and the BBQ and Beer Roadshow. Originally only held in Canberra, then expanding to Ballarat, then the Gold Coast and now also Perth in 2023, the multi-city one-dayer has cemented its spot as a must-attend event for a heap of reasons — with this year's lineup clearly one of them. [caption id="attachment_851187" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jordan Munns[/caption] SPILT MILK 2023 LINEUP: Post Malone Dom Dolla Aitch Budjerah Chris Lake Cub Sport Dermot Kennedy Djanaba Grentperez Jessie Murph Lastlings Latto Lime Cordiale May-A Mincy Ocean Alley Pacific Avenue Partiboi69 Peach PRC Poolclvb Redhook Royel Otis The Buoys The Dreggs Tia Gostelow Tkay Maidza Apricot Ink Clique & Brittany Demarco G.A.C.T (Just Tneek, Kinetictheory, Bin Juice, Geo) Sophie Edwards Sputnik Sweetheart Zach Knows Top image: Billy Zammit.
While we hope your relationship doesn't involve prison escapes, henchmen and war, Wes Anderson's (arguably) greatest love story does. And, this Valentine's Day, you can watch it with a limited-edition Gelato Messina dessert in-hand. Surry Hills' cinema Golden Age will be screening the star-studded The Grant Budapest Hotel twice on Thursday, February 14 — at both 6.10pm and 8.30pm — and every filmgoer will score a complimentary Messina de Chocolat. Inspired by the Courtesan au Chocolat made by Mendl's Patisserie in the film, the individual towers of choux pastry are filled with chocolate fondant gelato, glazed with pink and green pastel icing and topped with a golden almond — and served in the oh-so-familiar millennial pink boxes. As usual, Golden Age's bar will be open before and after the flick, so you can have a date night cocktail and snack, if you so please.
Netflix might be making a docu-soap about Byron Bay influencers, but it isn't the only streaming service set to beam the area's scenic backdrops into Australian homes. Stan will soon unveil Eden, a new eight-part series shot in the coastal town and New South Wales' Northern Rivers region. It's unlikely that this fictional mystery-drama will receive the same backlash that Netflix's reality TV show has been garnering since its announcement, though. Eden does sound somewhat familiar, however. Like plenty of TV shows — Twin Peaks and The Killing, just to name two — it begins with a missing person. From there, it also charts the secrets and revelations festering beneath the surface of its small-town setting. In this case, a young woman has disappeared, with the series chronicling the aftermath over the course of a summer. The just-released first teaser sets the mood — and if you're wondering when the whole show will drop, Stan is yet to reveal an exact date. But, sometime this year (and likely to be sooner rather than later), you'll be able to watch a cast that includes BeBe Bettencourt (The Dry), Sophie Wilde (Bird), Keiynan Lonsdale (The Flash), Cody Fern (American Horror Story), Samuel Johnson (Molly), Christopher James Baker (True Detective), Rachael Blake (Cleverman), Leeanna Walsman (Penguin Bloom), Simon Lyndon (Mystery Road) and Maggie Kirkpatrick (The Letdown) step through Eden's twisty tale. Behind the camera, the show stems from head writer Vanessa Gazy (Highway) and writing team Jess Brittain (Clique), Anya Beyersdorf (Shakespeare Now), Clare Sladden (Freudian Slip) and Penelope Chai (Other People's Problems) — and directors John Curran (Chappaquiddick), Mirrah Foulkes (Judy & Punch) and Peter Andrikidis (Alex & Eve). And, the creator of Skins, Bryan Elsley, helped created Eden, too, with Fiona Eagger and Deb Cox (Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries). Check out the first teaser trailer for Eden below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaPeDr3DoMA Eden will hit Stan sometime this year — we'll update you with an exact date when it is announced. Top image: Every Cloud Productions.
These days, it's hard to be wowed, or even mildly surprised by a shopping centre. But Melbourne's newest suburban retail precinct is a whole different story. Set to officially open its doors on Friday, December 6, Burwood Brickworks doesn't just have a strong sustainability focus — it's on track to being the most sustainable shopping centre on the planet. Sitting on Middleborough Road in Burwood East, it's been built with the aim of scoring certification under the Living Building Challenge, an international program for sustainable buildings. It requires the building to have a net zero carbon footprint, produce more electricity than it consumes and use non-toxic and recycled materials in its construction, among other things. If successful, Burwood Brickworks will be one of only 25 structures worldwide to stake this claim, and the first-ever retail building to do so. Clocking a total of 13,000 square metres, the precinct boasts a Reading Cinema complex, a new-concept Woolworths store, a large Dan Murphy's and a curation of smaller independent retailers, all within an airy, light-filled space. The crowning glory, however, is the sprawling rooftop space, sporting its own paddock-to-plate restaurant and 2000-square-metre urban farm designed and run by consulting firm Tully Heard. They're the same crew who operate Sydney's farm-to-table Acre Eatery, here joining forces with local eco-warrior Joost Bakker (Greenhouse by Joost, Brothl) in the role of the centre's Creative Consultant. Along with a rooftop greenhouse, the huge variety of fruit, herb and veggie patches will be used in the restaurant, with excess sold to the public. There's even a coop of quails laying eggs for the kitchen. Visitors will be able to wander through the gardens and attend workshops, talks and more hands-on green-thumb experiences to come. The rooftop farm's not big enough to handle all of the kitchen's food supply, though, so Head Chef Brad Simpson (Lamaros, The Smith) has been busy sourcing any remaining ingredients from a crop of top Victorian suppliers. Think Mt Zero for olive oil and grains, and Flinders & Co, Sher Wagyu and Western Plains Pork for meat. In total, 20 percent of the Burwood Brickworks site will be used for growing food, with fruiting trees even planted between each aisle of the centre's car park. But while these urban farm practices might be the obvious, big-ticket sustainability drivers – along with the rooftop solar panel system generating a hefty one megawatt of power – it's the finer details that really set this centre apart. PVC has been scrapped from the build entirely in favour of less toxic alternatives, a swag of reclaimed hardwood has been incorporated throughout the precinct, and the products used by each retailer have had to meet super strict standards. Natural light and air quality are also huge factors here, so expect an abundance of greenery, windows aplenty and in the central space, a soaring, ventilated sawtooth roof decked out with huge skylights. A far cry from most of those other shopping centres we've frequented in our time. Burwood Brickworks is set to open on Friday, December 6, at 78 Middleborough Road, Burwood East.
The Domain is set to score a massive infusion of music this January, with the launch of a brand new series of music festivals and parties. To kick off the Sydney Summer Series, which will run throughout January at The Domain, is a disco-filled lineup of international music legends on Saturday, January 12. The inaugural event will feature rock 'n' roll royalty The Jacksons, along with Kool & The Gang and The Village People. Heading the bill, The Jacksons are set to make their first Aussie appearance in five years, with four of the original crew — Jermaine, Jackie, Tito and Marlon — dishing up hits like 'ABC', 'Blame It On The Boogie' and 'Can You Feel It'. They'll be joined by acclaimed artists Kool & The Gang, tapping into a back catalogue of tunes like 'Cherish', 'Celebration' and 'Jungle Boogie', as well as disco kings Village People, unleashing iconic songs like 'YMCA', 'Macho Man' and 'Go West'. California R&B trio The Pointer Sisters are also coming along for the ride, with Sister Sledge and Sounds of The Supremes rounding out that huge serve of old-school disco magic. They'll all play under the stars, embracing summer at one of Sydney's best CBD al fresco venues. There's no word yet on who else will head down under for the new Summer Series, but let's hope it continues the impressive trend of the kick-off event. Image: Destination NSW.
Since 2017 in Sydney, 2018 in Melbourne and 2019 in Brisbane, a trip to Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq has meant stepping inside a circus-themed arcade bar that's primed for kidulting. And, that's still the case; however, once a month from May until November, the chain is ramping its core concepts of circus, arcade fun and nostalgic activities for adults up a few levels. Run by Funlab, the group also responsible for Holey Moley, Strike Bowling and B. Lucky & Sons, Archie Brothers is kicking off a new Showtime event series. After launching on Friday, May 7 in Alexandria, and on Saturday, May 8 in Docklands and Toombul, it'll take place on the second Saturday of each month at each site, turning each venue into an adults-only circus and cocktail pop-up. From 7–10pm at each event, attendees can expect stilt walkers, magicians, burlesque and beverages — and tarot card readers and face painters as well. The lineup of performers will vary depending on the city, but there'll also be juggling and snake charming in Sydney, and mime in Melbourne. Brisbanites can look forward to unicycling, acrobatics, diabolo, balloon modelling and more juggling. The carousel-themed Archie Brothers bar will be pouring Showtime Disco Mirror Ball cocktails, which combine Red Bull, passionfruit, cranberry juice, triple sec, whiskey and lime, while the rest of the chain's usual drinks list will be on offer, too. Food-wise, the theme park and American diner-inspired menu will span sandwiches, pizzas, sliders, onion rings, mac and cheese and other dishes. And, all of Archie Brothers' usual games and activities will be on the agenda, as will prizes. So, you'll be whipping out your Mario Kart skills, hitting the dodgems, bowling and just generally mashing buttons in May, and again come June 12, July 10, August 14, September 11, October 9 and November 13. Then, you'll be trading all the tickets you amass for gaming consoles, 90s paraphernalia and more (and there won't be any kids around vying for the same goodies). Showtime at Archie Brothers kicks off on Friday, May 7 in Alexandria, and on Saturday, May 8 in Docklands and Toombul, then runs on the second Saturday of each month until November. To attend, you'll need to book online. Images: Zennieshia Butts.
Have you ever sat on the beach enjoying a hearty feed of fish and chips, and thought "wow, I wish this cost me an extra $480"? Well, you're in luck. Barangaroo eatery love.fish is set to serve what they claim is the country's "fanciest" fish and chips, using exotic and expensive ingredients from around the world — and setting you back a cool $500 a plate. Available for one day only and the brainchild of love.fish head chef Michael Millkovic, the dish consists of Glacier 51 Patagonian toothfish (the wagyu beef of the ocean, according to those in the know) and Eastern rock lobster, both encased in a Belvedere vodka batter. On the side, you'll enjoy Thorpdale-sourced hand-cut chips and black Spanish winter truffles, topped with Hadid Royal Oscietra caviar. A jar of that stuff will usually set you back AU$745, so you're really getting a bargain. No, the dish doesn't end there — it's then dusted in gold leaf. And what plate of fish and chips would be complete without a side of Cristal champagne dipping sauce? Not these ones, don't worry. The dish is available at love.fish for one day only, on Thursday, March 24 — so if it sounds like a bit of you, you'll want to get your booking in now.
Already in 2022, Australian shoe brand Volley has given footwear fiends one type of sneaker inspired by a local icon, aka its ridiculous mullet kicks. Now, it's time for a new range that pays tribute to more homegrown favourites. No lengthy strips of hair are involved with these summery shoes, though — but you can expect to get ice cream cravings every time you look down. In its latest collaboration, Volley has teamed up with Streets on a line of sneakers that nod to three treats that help define summer in Australia: Bubble O'Bills, Paddle Pops and Splices. The new shoes take their colour cues from the ice creams, meaning that they come in a pale pink hue, yellow like banana Paddle Pops and light green to match pine-lime Splices. The word you're looking for? Sweet. Now, you just need to pick which ice cream you'd most like to think about all day. The Streets range is decking out Volley's heritage low sneakers — but if you'd like to celebrate Aussie desserts with a pair of heritage high kicks, there's a fourth pair, all in white with Streets colours on its collar and laces, on offer as well. The rest of the collab spans Streets socks and a Streets bucket hat, with prices starting at $19.99 (for the socks) and topping out at $89.99 (for the heritage high kicks). The Volley x Streets range is strictly a limited-time collection, which means ideally getting in faster than you can lick your way through a Paddle Pop — or blow a bubble from a Bubble O'Bill gumball. Wearing your ice cream-inspired sneakers while scenting your home with Streets' team up with Dusk, which includes Bubble O'Bill, Paddle Pop, Golden Gaytime and Splice Candles, is clearly recommended. The Volley x Streets range is on sale now — head to the Volley website for further details.
The zombie apocalypse has evolved. When just 28 days had passed, survivors faced a nightmare. Little had improved when 28 weeks had gone by. Now, following 28 years of chaos, Jodie Comer (The Bikeriders), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (The Fall Guy), Ralph Fiennes (The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar), Jack O'Connell (Back to Black) and Alfie Williams (His Dark Materials) are dealing with the aftermath of a society ravaged by a horrific infection for decades. Yes, the trailer for the aptly named 28 Years Later is here. Although 2030 will mark 28 years since viewers were treated to one of the best zombie movies ever, aka 28 Days Later from filmmaker Danny Boyle (Yesterday), you'll be watching a new flick from Boyle in the same franchise in 2025. First confirmed at the beginning of 2024, the movie has dropped its first full sneak peek to help close out the year — complete with Teletubbies, towers of skulls and bones, a possibly familiar-looking zombie, and the grim reality after days became weeks and then years of coping with the new status quo. 28 Days Later has already spawned one follow-up thanks to 2007's 28 Weeks Later, but Boyle didn't direct it. Screenwriter Alex Garland, who also penned Sunshine for Boyle, then hopped behind the camera himself with Ex Machina, Annihilation, Men, Civil War and TV series Devs, wasn't involved with 28 Weeks Later, either. But they're both onboard for the third film in the series, which is the start of a new trilogy. The saga's fourth feature 28 Years Later Part II: The Bone Temple has already been shot, in fact, with Candyman and The Marvels' Nia DaCosta directing. The setup this time around: almost three decades after the rage virus initially seeped through humanity after escaping from a biological weapons laboratory, some survivors have etched out a life on a small island. Elsewhere, quarantine remains a key way of tackling the infection. With that starting point — and with unease dripping through the first trailer, complete with stunning imagery — expect Boyle and Garland to dig into the terrors that linger when two of the island's residents venture over to the mainland. With 28 Days Later among the movies that helped bring Oppenheimer Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy to fame, the actor is an executive producer on 28 Years Later. That mightn't be all that's in store for him, though, if you pay close attention to the trailer. In the original film, he played Jim, a bicycle courier who wakes up from a coma in a deserted hospital 28 days after an outbreak changed the world forever. Marking Boyle and Garland's first proper collaboration after Boyle adapted Garland's best-selling novel The Beach for the big screen two years prior, 28 Days Later still ranks among the best work on either's resume — and on Murphy's as well, even if it didn't win him any of Hollywood's top shiny trophies. Set in the aftermath of the accidental release of a highly contagious virus, the film's images of a desolated London instantly became iconic, but this is a top-notch movie on every level. That includes its performances, with then-unknowns Murphy and Naomie Harris (the Bond franchise's current Moneypenny) finding the balance between demonstrating their characters' fierce survival instincts and their inherent vulnerability. If you wondering why 28 Months Later wasn't made, it was talked about for years, but the time has now passed unless the new trilogy includes a flick set between 28 Weeks Later and 28 Years Later. Check out the first trailer for 28 Years Later below: 28 Years Later releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Talk about stating the obvious: "this is a multi-year journey you're about to embark on," Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo, Dark Waters) tells Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black) in the new She-Hulk: Attorney at Law trailer. He's teaching her the ways of being green and huge, and possessing super strength — and, in the kind of winking, nudging tone that the new Disney+ series looks set to revel in, he's clearly not only talking about the on-screen journey, but the experience of keeping up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe for those watching along. This far in — 14 years since the first Iron Man reached screens, with 28 other movies releasing since, and the slate of streaming series only growing — being a fan of the MCU is a big commitment. After a few gaps during the first year of the pandemic, there's always something new Marvel-related to watch on screens big and small, or so it seems. In 2022 so far, Moon Knight, Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, Ms Marvel and Thor: Love and Thunder have all already arrived, for instance. Hitting Disney+ from Wednesday, August 17, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is the next title on the way — and, yes, the idea is all there in its name. Walters is a lawyer newly specialising in superhuman law. After an experiment by Banner, she's soon turning green when she's scared and angry. And as both the initial and the new trailers for the about-to-release MCU show point out, with the latest dropping during this year's San Diego Comic-Con, things get chaotic from there. If your memory of TV extends back to the late 90s and early 00s, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law should give you big Ally McBeal vibes — but with superheroes instead of Calista Flockhart and dancing babies. Walters' work life, her efforts to balance being an attorney and being She-Hulk, her dating experiences: they're all covered, as is sitting around chatting about everything with her best pal (Ginger Gonzaga, Kidding) over drinks. The latest trailer also takes a few cues from The Boys, diving headfirst into the fallout when "more and more eccentric superhumans are coming out of the woodwork", as Walters is told. That's why she's enlisted to head up the legal division — her boss wants the She-Hulk to be the face of it, he explains. As it explores what it's like to be a single thirtysomething attorney who is also a green six-foot-seven-inch hulk — you know, that old chestnut — the show's nine-episode first season will also feature familiar MCU faces in the form of Benedict Wong (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) as Wong and Tim Roth (Sundown) as Emil Blonsky/the Abomination. Rounding out the cast is a heap of recent sitcom standouts: Josh Segarra (The Other Two), Jameela Jamil (The Good Place), Jon Bass (Miracle Workers) and Renée Elise Goldsberry (Girls5eva). And, behind the lens, Kat Coiro (Marry Me) and Anu Valia (And Just Like That...) share directing duties across the season, with Jessica Gao (Rick and Morty) as head writer. Check out the latest She-Hulk: Attorney at Law trailer below: She-Hulk: Attorney at Law will start streaming via Disney+ from Wednesday, August 17. Images: courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.
Redfern is now home to its very own craft beer bar. Occupying the former Angry Pirate digs, The Noble Hops is the suburb's new go-to for all things craft. Owner Joe Wee self-proclaims the amount of craft beer on offer as epic. "Redfern is an awesome suburb, all it really needs a neighbourhood bar that focuses on beer," says Wee. Previous owner Peter Groom will remain as manager for the time being and the two will welcome both existing and new patrons to their craft beer den. Positioned as the next neighbourhood haunt, the bar's ten taps will be reserved for local brewers above all else. "My philosophy is Noble Hops should be a neighbourhood, inner west bar and there are plenty of good beers around the neighbourhood to create this" says Wee. Wayward and Shenanigan's will both sit on tap this month, along with SA's La Sirene. Local and Australian brews aren't the only kind you'll find here though. Wee is also sourcing kegs and bottles of craft from around the world, including Victory Brewing Company and Sierra Nevada, which will both be on tap for the opening weeks. For the local guys, Wee is planning tap takeovers, brewers' nights and potentially a Noble Hops collaboration brew. "I'd love to create a beer just for Redfern. The neighbourhood deserves its own beer," says Wee. A home brewer, Wee won last year's People's Choice Award at Uncle Hop's SCBW home brewer's competition. While the bar doesn't have a kitchen, patrons are encouraged to bring in takeaway from the new La Coppola Sicilian pizzeria that just opened across the street. "There's no better combination than wood fire pizza and beer," says Wee. The rustic interior has a big focus on timber, making it quite the warm and cosy place to grab a pint. It will surely be a welcome addition as winter's chill starts to descend upon Sydney. Images: Cassandra Hannagan
It's the kind of dazzling space that you could easily lose a whole day to, and it seems that plenty of people have. A year after opening, Tokyo's teamLab Borderless Digital Art Museum has revealed that it welcomed more than 2.3 million visitors in its first 12 months, making it the most visited single-artist museum in the world. In this case, the term 'single artist' doesn't mean that everything that graces the site's walls, floors and ceiling is the work of just one person, with teamLab comprised of a collective of creatives. Still, Borderless' entry figures for the year exceed the other top single-artist venues, eclipsing the Van Gogh Museum's 2017 record high, the last reported figures for Spain's Dali Museums in the same year and the Picasso Museum's numbers for 2018. The first, in the Netherlands, saw 2.26 million patrons through the door, while the second reached 1.44 million across three sites and the third hit 948,483. [caption id="attachment_701274" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Sarah Ward[/caption] While plenty of Japanese locals have made the trip to teamLab's permanent Odaiba facility, almost half of Borderless' visitors hail from overseas. Folks from more than 160 countries and regions made the trip, with the most coming from the USA, followed by Australia, China, Thailand, Canada and the United Kingdom. teamLab's other Tokyo site, teamLab Planets in Toyosu, also attracted huge numbers over its first year. Another immersive space — this time asking patrons to walk barefoot through its digital artworks — it received 1.25 million visitors from 106 global locations. It's safe to assume that patronage at teamLabs two current pop-ups — across 500,000 square metres of Japanese forest and hot springs, and in old oil tanks in Shanghai — will also prove rather healthy. For Australians keen to get a glimpse of the collective's work without jetting overseas, it's bringing its sculptures of light and "cascades of shimmering luminescence" to this year's Melbourne International Arts Festival in October. Find teamLab Borderless Tokyo: MORI Building Digital Art Museum in Odaiba Palette Town, 1-3-8 Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan. It's open seven days a week — for more information, visit the museum's website. Via Business Wire.
Sydney's omakase options have skyrocketed in the past couple of months, with restaurants boasting impressive and extensive Japanese set menus popping up in The Rocks, The Star's Sokyo and now: Chatswood. Chase Kojima, one of Sydney's most renowned Japanese chefs and the mastermind behind Sokyo's new omakase menu has also just opened Senpai Ramen, a ramen omakase experience on Sydney's north shore. The 20-seat restaurant invites visitors to experience ramen in a new way. Omakase is a Japanese dining tradition that loosely translates to 'leave it to the chef'. Senpai Ramen offers a 90-minute dining experience featuring a seven-course set menu that eases you in with entrees before building towards four signature ramen varieties. "At Senpai Ramen diners will enjoy a fun and unique experience with our tasty seven-course degustation," Kojima says. "We use the best seafood and meats, and combine them with incredible Japanese and Australian flavours for a unique and absolutely exquisite experience." The menu will set you back $65, but you can add additional courses and dishes if you fancy. Kicking things off is a mini Chirashi seafood experience featuring sashimi and Saikyo-style miso-marinated toothfish, while the main event is four varieties of ramen Kojima has crafted. The brothy bowls feature ingredients like 12-hour pork broth, spicy miso butter and rare smoked duck. Located across from Chatswood Mall with Kojima's Saikyo and Butter Chatswood nearby, Senpai is easy to spot with its eye-catching neon lights. The bright blue and purple lights continue inside where diners are immersed in a futuristic sensory experience while they sample sashimi and ramen. With the restaurant currently only open for dinner (lunch is coming soon), spots are filling up fast so it's best to jump online ASAP and book your place. Senpai Ramen is located at G05/88 Archer Street, Chatswood. It's open 5–9pm Tuesday–Sunday.
It's no secret that Australians are always up for a bit of magical fun and frivolity, with Harry Potter-themed events and pop-ups a pretty regular occurrence these days, like the muggle that transfigured a Great Hall for brunch, a huge Harry Potter store, two-day movie marathons and boozy Wizard's Cauldron potions classes. Next on your Hogwarts timetable is the Wizard's Beer Festival, where you'll sip brews in a wizarding wonderland, while making your way between wand-making classes, DJs and tarot card readers. There's no word yet on exactly what beers you'll be drinking — local numbers? international favourites? alcoholic butterbeer? — but your ticket does include a 12-ounce (355-millilitre) brew on entry, and five tokens you can use on beers and the aforementioned activities. Previously slated to run in March, you can now mark the date down in your calendar as Sunday, November 1, when the magical beer fest will apparate into a soon-to-be-announced Sydney location. Folks in costumes pretending to be Hermione, Dumbledore and others isn't really our idea of a magical HP experience, but perhaps a few boozy butterbeers will get you in the right mood. Ticket prices start from $55 and can be purchased here. Top image: Wizard's Brunch.
Pre-work swims and afternoon picnics in the park just became a whole lot more enticing in Petersham thanks to a new opening that's reinventing the classic pool canteen. Splash Coffee has just taken over the food and drink offering at the Fanny Durack Aquatic Centre, setting up shop right next to Petersham Park with standout coffee, loaded sambos, fresh salads and a freezer stocked full of ice creams. Splash is the second Inner West opening from the team behind Newtown's always-pumping Soulmate — an accomplished crew also boasting the minds behind northwest Sydney favourites The Tuckshop and the now-closed Baron. Open seven days a week, Splash begins to stir from the early hours, swinging open its doors from 6.30am each morning. That means pre-work swims paired with a hearty brekkie and Single O coffee are well and truly on the cards. As with Soulmate, all your classic lattes and flat whites are on offer alongside batch brew, cold brew and even a maple and cinnamon oat-milk cold brew. The all-day breakfast section of the menu spans granola, smashed (or splashed) avo and B&Es (or V&Es — vego and egg rolls). There's a handful of salads, including the plentiful seasonal salad chocked full of roast potatoes, peas, beans, asparagus, pickled onions and red wine dressing. If you're after a more-sizeable option, picks include fish and chips, a selection of sandwiches and a loaded Bradman burger. The fish sandwich is a certain summer hit, packing thin pieces of fish schnitzel, American cheese, house-pickled beetroot, white onion, shredded lettuce and a signature sauce between two ultra-fluffy pieces of white bread. Summer swimmers can head to the takeaway window inside of the pool in order to elevate their dips with a heap of nostalgic treats on offer at the cafe — including a chip butty with optional curry sauce, milkshakes, smoothies, fresh-squeezed juice, and your classic ice cream selections from Paddle Pops to Bubble O'Bills. Splash's proximity to the park also opens it up to servicing leafy picnics under the nearby trees. The team has even supplied picnic blankets, which you can borrow when you order a coffee or a feed. Splash is located at the Fanny Durack Aquatic Centre, 2A Station Street, Petersham — open 6.30am–3pm Monday–Sunday. Head to the cafe's website to view the full menu.
For cheese fiends, there's only one suitable way to tuck into the beloved dairy product: all the time, or at least as much as possible. That's an idea that Australian cheese festival Mould not only understands but encourages, and has since 2017. In 2023, from May through to August, those cheese dreams will be continuing as well. Because you can never have too many occasions to eat cheddar, brie, camembert, raclette or whatever other cheese takes your fancy, Mould is back for another year, letting dairy lovers to explore and devour the mild, hard and soft bites that Australia's best cheese wizards have to offer. The event hails from Bruny Island Cheese Co cheesemaker Nick Haddow and the organisers of Pinot Palooza, and will hit up not just Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney but also Perth for its latest run. Running for either two or three days in each city, Mould will kick off in Brisbane in May, then head to Melbourne in early June, plus Sydney at the end of June and beginning of July. As for Perth, it's getting a Mould x Pinot Palooza combo — because cheese and wine are that fine a pairing. There won't just be a few cheeses on the menu at each stop. Usually, more than 75 artisan cheeses from around the country are ready and waiting for you to devour, spanning dairy from around 30 producers. In past years, that lineup has included Bruny Island Cheese Co, naturally, plus Grandvewe, Milawa Cheese, Yarra Valley Dairy and Stone & Crow, as well as Section 28, Red Cow Organics, Nimbin Valley Cheese, Dreaming Goat, Long Paddock Cheese and Second Mouse Cheese. Alongside unlimited tastings of Australia's best cheeses — snacking on samples and purchasing slices and slabs to take home with you — the fest features cooking demonstrations, masterclasses and talks. And it wouldn't be a cheese festival without beverages to wash it all down with, so expect a bar serving Aussie wines, whisky, vodka, gin, beer, cider, cocktails and sake, all of which match nicely to a bit of cheese. Unsurprisingly, Mould is mighty popular. In 2021, attendees tucked into a one million samples across the fest's three cities, and also took home over 3.5 tonnes of Aussie dairy products. So, if this the kind of event that your cheese dreams are made of, you'll want to nab an early-bird ticket ASAP for Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane — with the Perth event not yet on sale. MOULD — A CHEESE FESTIVAL 2023 DATES: Friday, May 12–Sunday, May 14 — John Reed Pavilion, Brisbane Showgrounds, 600 Gregory Terrace, Bowen Hills Friday, June 2–Sunday, June 4 — The Timber Yard, 351 Plummer Street, Port Melbourne Friday, June 30–Saturday, July 1— Carriageworks, 245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh, Sydney Friday, August 25–Sunday, August 27 — Centenary Pavilion, Claremont Showgrounds, Perth Mould — A Cheese Festival tours Australia from May. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the event's website.
For 22 years, BIGSOUND has highlighted Australia's music industry, getting power players sharing their experience and advice, championing up-and-coming talents, fostering crucial connections, and celebrating live tunes and the folks that make them happen in general. Here's a few other handy numbers for the music conference-slash-festival's upcoming 2023 run: four days, 18 venues, 141 artists and 300-plus showcases. Brisbanites and music obsessives, take note: the Sunshine State capital will be Australia's music haven between Tuesday, September 5–Friday, September 8. Earlier this year, BIGSOUND announced its first speakers, headlined ROC Nation's Omar Grant — who was once the road manager for Destiny's Child and now shares the President role at Jay-Z's entertainment agency. Now, it has dropped the full list of musicians that'll be getting behind a microphone. More than 1300 applications to hit BIGSOUND's stages were received for the 2023 event, but it's the festival team's job to whittle them down to the standouts. Among those making the bill: Brisbane's own Full Flower Moon Band, Zheani, Felivand and Baby Prince; Sydney's Moss and Little Green; Melbourne's PANIA, Moaning Lisa and The Slingers; Perth's DICE and Siobhan Cotchin; and Adelaide's Aleksiah and The Empty Threats. From New Zealand comes Reb Fountain and SWIDT, while Casey Mowry and MF Tomlinson are heading to Queensland from the UK. The list goes on, complete with a significant focus on representation. Among 2023's talents, 27 percent identify as LGBTQIA+, 50 percent are female or gender non-conforming, and First Nations acts comprise 18 percent of the lineup. Indeed, 27 showcases will be devoted to Australia's Indigenous artists, including Miss Kaninna, Loren Ryan, Brady, The Merindas, J-MILLA, CLOE TERARE, Tjaka and Kobie Dee. Fancy checking out the most isolated heavy metal band in the world? That'd be Southeast Desert Metal, and they're also on the roster. As always, the huge music-fuelled shindig will do what it always does: showcase impressive acts, artists and bands while filling as many Brisbane spaces as possible with musos, industry folks and music-loving punters, all enjoying the latest and greatest tunes and talent the country has to offer. Past events have showcased everyone from Gang of Youths, Flume, Thelma Plum, Tash Sultana, Sampa the Great, Courtney Barnett and Cub Sport to San Cisco, Violent Soho, Baker Boy, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Methyl Ethel, Tones and I, Spacey Jane and The Jungle Giants, so BIGSOUND's program is usually a very reliable bellwether. "At its core, BIGSOUND needs to work for artists. It's a global music market and in 2023 we've gone far and wide to attract speakers and buyers from around the world to ensure international relationships are forged and deals are made," said BIGSOUND and QMusic CEO Kris Stewart, announcing 2023's talents. "Our definitive goal is to create a rising tide for everyone. At the end of the week, we want everyone to leave with something — someone new they've met, a deal they've made or new insight to grow their careers. We remain proactive in finding new ways to do this and can't wait for people to discover a whole stack of amazing artists from the showcase lineup." BIGSOUND 2023 ARTIST LINEUP: 1tbsp Ūla aleksiah Alf the Great Anieszka Ashli Aurateque Baby Prince Battlesnake BAYANG (tha Bushranger) Bec Stevens Beckah Amani Behind You bella amor Ben Swissa Boomchild Boox Kid CAMINO GOLD Casey Lowry Charbel Charm of Finches CHISEKO Chitra CLOE TERARE Coldwave Cult Shotta Dean Brady Delivery DENNI DICE Dr Sure's Unusual Practice Dyan Tai ECB Elizabeth Emma Volard FELIVAND FELONY. Foley Freight Train Foxes Friends of Friends Full Flower Moon Band GAUCI Georgia Llewellyn GIMMY Glenn Skuthorpe Band Good Pash Gut Health Hannah Cameron Haters Hevenshe Isaac Puerile Izy Jada Weazel J-MILLA Joan & The Giants Joey Leigh Wagtail Johnny Hunter Jujulipps JUNGAJI Kavi Khi'leb Kid Heron King Ivy Kitschen Boy Kobie Dee Komang Kristal West Kuzco Little Green Logan Lola Scott Loren Ryan MARLON X RULLA Mason Watts Matilda Pearl Mazbou Q Melody Moko MF Tomlinson Micah Heathwood Mikayla Pasterfield Miss June Miss Kaninna Moaning Lisa Moss mostly sleeping Mr Rhodes Nat Vazer Nathan May Nikodimos Oscar the Wild Otiuh PRICIE Platonic Sex POOKIE Porcelain Boy Porpoise Spit PRETTY BLEAK Proteins of Magic Ra Ra Viper RAAVE TAPES Radio Free Alice Radium Dolls REBEL YELL Riiki Reid Ruby Jackson Rum Jungle S.A.B Sachém SAHXL Siobhan Cotchin smol fish Sollyy Sophisticated Dingo Southeast Desert Metal Steph Strings STUMPS Suzi SWIDT Taitu'uga Tamara & the Dreams teddie The Empty Threats The Grogans The Merindas The Omnific The Slingers Thunder Fox Tjaka Too Birds Tori Forsyth Trophie Twine Valtozash Vixens of Fall WHO SHOT SCOTT Yawdoesitall YIRGJHILYA Yorke Zheani Zia Jade BIGSOUND 2023 will take place between Tuesday, September 5–Friday, September 8 in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane. For more information, visit bigsound.org.au. Images: Dave Kan / Simone Gorman-Clark.
Wayang Kulit is a type of Indonesian shadow puppet theatre where, in its traditional form, the 'goodies' and the 'baddies' are easily identifiable by their shape. If only life were that easy. For artist Sangeeta Sandrasegar, shadows are just as revealing as they are in Wayang Kulit. In her own masterful way, she explores the formation of self and the details of our identity through shadow, casting a long low light over the societal roles we live in. With sculptures and silhouettes, Sandrasegar's exhibition may rely on specific light sources, but it's this that gives each one of her exhibitions their own unique flavour, adapting to the space and allowing for creative interpretation of the surroundings. So no need to be scared of the shadows, step into them and see what is illuminated.Image: The Shadow Class--Untitled (Carpet weaver), 2007-2008
In case you hadn't noticed, Sydney is big. Really getting to know the ins and outs of an area are near impossible unless you live in it. Enter Culture Scouts. Culture Scouts is all about providing local walking tours with an edge. This tour won't cover the guide book favourites; it's a curated cultural hit-list of the best arty spots in the area, from the cool, creative cats who know best. The Inner West tour focuses specifically on the art meccas of Enmore and Newtown. The guides, who are all creative professionals, will help you dive into the artistic underbelly of the neighbourhoods, showcasing the best street art, murals and graffiti. They will steer you towards the best foodie haunts and vintage stores plus you'll get to meet some of the area's most colourful residents. You will feel like a local in no time.
For the very first time comedy duo Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, aka Tim and Eric, are jetting off for a three-date Australian tour. They're best known for their nightmarish Adult Swim show Awesome Show, Great Job!, which has featured big-name Hollywood stars like Michael Cera and Jonah Hill, alternative comedians like Neil Hamburger, and musicians like Marilyn Manson. It fuses them with surreal, satirical humour, faux commercials, and camp comedy. Tickets for their October Sydney stopover go on sale at 9am Sydney time on June 22. Prepare for things to get weird! As well as their sold-out October 2 Metro show, Tim and Eric will perform a second show on Wednesday, October 3, at the Enmore Theatre.
Perhaps Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon and Cream once got together for a big love-in jam, and Tame Impala were there like baby grasshoppers learning their craft from these musical masters. The Perth tio's debut self-titled EP, released last year, featured the track Desire Be Desire Go as well as Half Full Glass Of Wine which boasts a tripped up, psychedelic video brimming with frenzies of colour, animation and activity. Now the boys are fresh from a monolithic shed in Indidup – located an hour from the Margaret River – where they have been recording material for their debut album. In the meantime, they’ve offered us a teaser with Sundown Syndrome available on iTunes and collectable 7†vinyl, which also comes complete with a remix of the title track by the Canyons, and an interesting b-side where the trio reinterpret the Blue Boy’s 90s hit, Remember Me. Sydney singer-songwriter, Jonathan Boulet will be support at their Manning Bar show, playing tracks from his debut album including alt. radio favourite, A Community Service Announcement. Tame Impala will also play at Albury-Wodonga’s iconic Ettamogah pub as part of the inaugural all-ages Indie Music Festival, sharing a bill with Cog, British India and others. Let the sunshine in but remember to avoid the brown acid. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfcHq0hhFWg
Drake's first tour of Australia in eight years kicked off in mid-February. If you haven't caught him already, you won't be on this trip Down Under. Organisers have announced that the remainder of Canadian artist's Aussie shows, plus his New Zealand dates, have all been postponed. There's no details yet as to when they'll be popped back on the calendar. "Due to a scheduling conflict, four of Drake's 16 sold-out shows in Australia and New Zealand will be postponed. We are actively working on rescheduling these dates along with adding some additional shows," advises the statement. "We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience. Drake and the entire team have had an incredible time doing these shows and are excited to return soon. We look forward to sharing the rescheduled dates with you as soon as possible." The dates impacted: the five-time Grammy-winner's returns to Brisbane and Sydney, the former on Tuesday, March 4 and the latter on Friday, March 7. He's already played dates in both cities, unlike in Auckland, where his Spark Arena gigs on Saturday, March 15–Sunday, March 16 will no longer go ahead. Patrons can hold on to their tickets for the new dates, whenever they're revealed — or you can get a refund instead. Regarding the second option, the promoter offers a note: "as these shows are sold out, any refunded tickets may be released for sale at a later date". Drake's 2025 Anita Max Win tour was first announced in November 2024, and then kept being extended — not once but twice. The last dates added in Australia are the shows that've been scrapped for now. Before this year, the 'Hotline Bling', 'Too Good', 'Passionfruit', 'Nice for What', 'In My Feelings', 'One Dance' and 'Laugh Now Cry Later' performer last hit the stage in Australia in 2017 on his Boy Meets World tour. The Degrassi: The Next Generation star and platinum-selling singer is currently fresh off his 2023–24 It's All A Blur Tour, which saw him chalk up over 80 soldout shows in North America. Drake's 'Anita Max Win' Tour 2025 Postponed Dates Tuesday, March 4 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane Friday, March 7 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Saturday, March 15–Sunday, March 16 — Spark Arena, Auckland Drake has postponed the rest of his Australian and New Zealand tour, scrapping dates in March 2025. Head to the tour website for more details, with tickets set to remain valid for yet-to-be-announced new dates or refunds available. Images: The Come Up Show via Flickr.
Every last trilby-wearing tween celebrity, former President's daughter and your smug, smug US-based friends will be rubbing their paws together after this afternoon's Coachella festival lineup announcement. Running over two weekends from April 12–21, the Californian festival has delivered their usual jaw-dropper of a lineup — including Australia's own Tame Impala headlining both Saturdays. Kevin Parker and his touring bandmates have big-name company, of course. Childish Gambino hasn't rescheduled his cancelled 2018 Australian dates yet, but he will be leading the charge on Coachella's two Fridays sessions. As for the Sunday shows, Ariana Grande doing the honours. Elsewhere, a bonafide metric fucktonne of squealworthy acts fill out the rest of the bill — Janelle Monae, Solange, Weezer, Aphex Twin, Khalid, Diplo, CHVRCHES, Jaden Smith, Idris Elba and Aussies Rüfüs Du Sol, to name a few. Anyway, let's be honest, you haven't truly read any of those words — you'll be wanting this: Coachella runs over two weekends, from April 12-14 and 19-21 in Indio, California. Tickets go on sale at 11am PST on Friday, January 4. For more info, visit coachella.com.
Maybe your house needs the kind of colour and flair that only art can bring. Perhaps you're keen on supporting artists. If the first applies, the second should as well. Whichever fits, one event has you covered without requiring you to bust your budget to enjoy art on your walls. Even better: Affordable Art Fair is doing the rounds of Australia's east coast again in 2025, popping up for a four-day run in Brisbane in autumn, Melbourne in winter and Sydney in spring. Everyone should be able to fill their home with art no matter their bank balance. That's the idea behind this event, and has been since 1999. Back in the 20th century, Affordable Art Fair initially popped up in London to share eye-catching pieces with the world at manageable prices, and then started spreading its art-for-all ethos around the world. It only came to Brisbane a quarter-century later — in 2024 — but Australia is no stranger to this event, thanks to Sydney and Melbourne stops before that. Clearly Aussies are fans, given that it's returning again in 2025. Brisbanites will be heading to Brisbane Showgrounds from Thursday, May 8–Sunday, May 11. In Melbourne, Affordable Art Fair will take over the Royal Exhibition Building across Thursday, August 28–Sunday, August 31 — and in Sydney, Carriageworks is playing host from Thursday, November 6–Sunday, November 9. On offer at each venue will be original artworks by the thousands, with prices starting from $100. If you do happen to be flush with cash, however, costs will max out at $10,000 per piece. Alongside London and its three Down Under host cities, Affordable Art Fair has brought its budget-friendly wares to Brussels, Hamburg, Stockholm, Amsterdam and Berlin in Europe; Singapore and Hong Kong in Asia; and New York and Austin in the US. Unsurprisingly, democratising art has been proving the hit as Affordable Art Fair notches up the years. Up to 2024 across its stops worldwide since 1999, the event had sold 568,000 artworks at a value of over AU$820 million. In Brisbane, around 50 independent Australian galleries will have pieces up for sale this year — some new to the lineup in 2025, some back from 2024. Buying art isn't the only drawcard, though, with talks, tours, workshops, live tunes, bites to eat, drinks and live artist demonstrations all also on the agenda. "Affordable Art Fair is a fun and accessible way to view and buy art, whether you're a seasoned collector or considering buying your first piece," advises Australian Fair Director Stephanie Kelly. "The Fair offers a welcoming and relaxed space where art buyers can learn more about each piece, talk to gallerists, watch artists in action, hear from experts and immerse themselves in an array of styles, genres and mediums. Visitors also have incredible access to gallerists and experts who love to help them with every aspect of choosing art, from their budget and preferred style to selecting a space to hang it and how to frame it." "Every piece at Affordable Art Fair Brisbane is from a living artist, every artwork on display lists a sale price, and every piece can be bought, wrapped and taken home on the same day." Affordable Art Fair 2025 Australian Dates Thursday, May 8–Sunday, May 11 — Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane Thursday, August 28–Sunday, August 31 — Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne Thursday, November 6–Sunday, November 9 — Carriageworks, Sydney Affordable Art Fair Brisbane will return to Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney throughout 2025 — head to the event's website for tickets and more details.
If you've wandered through Surry Hills or the CBD recently, you've probably seen quite a few passenger-less trams zooming around. And you've probably been wondering, like us, if they'll be taking passengers anytime soon. The answer is yes: next week. It's been a heck of a long time coming, but after multiple delays, you'll finally be able to board a tram on Sydney's new light rail from Saturday, December 14. Finally. Finally. And you'll be able to do so for free, too. Trips on the L2 Randwick-Circular Quay line won't cost a cent during the opening weekend. Time to make the most of your tax dollars. https://www.facebook.com/SydneyLightRailProject/photos/a.1175128939280346/2838116559648234/?type=3&theater To summarise the saga that is the CBD and South East Light Rail project: it was first announced back in 2012, construction began in 2015 and, since then, it's faced legal stouches, cost blowouts (to almost $3 billion) and delays galore, due to everything from awry overhead wires and a discovery of thousands of Indigenous artefacts. It was initially meant to be completed in early 2019, but that was pushed out to March 2020. Now, Transport for NSW has announced the first commuter services will be up and running by December 14. Just in time for all that Christmas shopping and economy boosting, of course. The project's completion also tidily coincides with the scrapping of the lockout laws in the CBD on January 14, 2020. Cynics will say it's more than a coincidence. After kicking off on 11am on Saturday, December 14, trams will run daily between 5am–1am. It'll also be a turn-up-and-go service with trams running every 4–8 minutes between Circular Quay and Central, and 8–12 minutes between Central and Randwick between 7am–7pm on week days (what's considered "peak" times). It'll be just one of the lines, the L2 line from Circular Quay to Randwick, that'll be up and running, however, with the L3 Kingsford to Circular Quay stretch expected to open in March 2020. It's not the first time trams have run through Sydney's CBD — just the first time in almost 60 years, with the old tram tracks ripped up back in 1961. Commuter services on the L2 Randwick Line (Randwick–Circular Quay) of the CBD and South East Light Rail will start on Saturday, December 14, 2019.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are back in business — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COrqRKMZ2KM&feature=emb_logo EMA Before 2021 comes to an end, Pablo Larraín will have given the world Spencer, a new biopic about Princess Diana featuring Kristen Stewart as the royal figure. Also on his hit list this year: Lisey's Story, a Julianne Moore-starring TV adaptation of a Stephen King book that has been scripted for the screen by the author himself. But with the release of Ema in Australian cinemas, he's already gifting viewers something exceptional. A new project by Larraín is always cause for excitement, and this drama about a reggaeton dancer's crumbling marriage, personal and professional curiosities, and determined quest to become a mother rewards that enthusiasm spectacularly. In fact, it's a stunning piece of cinema, and one that stands out even among the Chilean director's already impressive resume. He's the filmmaker behind stirring political drama No, exacting religious interrogation The Club, poetic biopic Neruda and the astonishing, Natalie Portman-starring Jackie — to name just a few of his movies — so that's no minor feat. For the first time in his career, Larraín peers at life in his homeland today, rather than in the past. And, with his now six-time cinematographer Sergio Armstrong (Tony Manero, Post Mortem), he gazes as intently as he can. Faces and bodies fill Ema's frames, a comment that's true of most movies; however, in both the probing patience it directs its protagonist's way and the kinetic fluidity of its dance sequences, this feature equally stares and surveys. Here, Larraín hones in on the dancer (Mariana Di Girólamo, Much Ado About Nothing) who gives the feature its name. After adopting a child with her choreographer partner Gastón (Gael García Bernal, Mozart in the Jungle), something other than domestic bliss has followed. Following a traumatic incident, and the just as stressful decision to relinquish their boy back to the state's custody, Ema is not only trying but struggling to cope in the aftermath. This isn't a situation she's simply willing to accept, though. Ema, the movie, is many things — and, most potently, it's a portrait of a woman who is willing to make whatever move she needs to, both on the dance floor and in life, to rally against an unforgiving world, grasp her idea of freedom and seize exactly what she wants. Di Girólamo is magnetic, whether she's dancing against a vivid backdrop, staring pensively at the camera or being soaked in neon light. Bernal, one of the director's regulars, perfects a thorny role that ties into the film's interrogation of Chile's class and cultural divides. And Larraín's skill as both a visual- and emotion-driven filmmaker is never in doubt. Indeed, this film's imagery isn't easily forgotten, and neither is its mood, ideas, inimitable protagonist, or stirring exploration of trauma, shock and their impact. Ema opens in Sydney and Melbourne cinemas on May 13, and in Brisbane on May 20. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sV6VNNjBkcE THOSE WHO WISH ME DEAD A smokejumper stationed to a Montana watchtower, plagued by past traumas and forced to help a teenage boy evade hired killers, Those Who Wish Me Dead's Hannah Faber actually first debuted on the page. Watching Angelina Jolie bring the whisky-swilling, no-nonsense, one of the boys-type figure to the screen, it's easy to assume otherwise. The part doesn't quite feel as if it was written specifically for the smouldering movie star, though. Rather, it seems like the kind of role that might've been penned with Liam Neeson or Denzel Washington in mind — see: this year's The Marksman for the former, and 2004's Man on Fire for the latter — then flipped, gender-wise, to gift Jolie a new star vehicle. On the one hand, let's be thankful that that's not how this character came about. Kudos to author Michael Koryta, who also co-writes the screenplay here based on his 2016 novel, for conjuring up Hannah to begin with. But on the other hand, it's never a great sign when a female protagonist plays like a grab bag of stock-standard macho hero traits, just dressed up in a shapelier guise. It has been six years since Jolie has stepped into a mere mortal's shoes — since 2015's By the Sea, which she wrote and directed — and she leaves no doubt that Hannah is flesh and blood. There's still an iciness to the firefighter, and she still has the actor's cheekbones and pout, but Maleficent, she isn't. She's bruised, internally, by a fire that got away and left a body count. After hanging out with her colleagues, parachuting out of cars and brooding in her tower, she's soon physically in harm's way as well. As Those Who Wish Me Dead's plot gets her to this juncture, it also cuts back and forth between forensic accountant Owen Casserly (Jake Weber, Midway) and his son Connor (Finn Little, Angel of Mine), plus assassins Patrick and Jack (The Great's Nicholas Hoult and Game of Thrones' Aiden Gillen). Thanks to a treasure trove of incriminating evidence against important people that no one was ever supposed to find, these two duos are on a collision course. When they do cross paths — while Owen is trying to take Connor to stay with Ethan (Jon Bernthal, The Peanut Butter Falcon), his brother-in-law, a sheriff's deputy and one of Hannah's colleagues — it also nudges the boy into the smokejumper's orbit. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuINvoFAnng&t=3s SPIRAL: FROM THE BOOK OF SAW With Spiral: From the Book of Saw, what came first: the decision to call its protagonist Ezekiel, or the casting of Samuel L Jackson as said character's father? Either way, the film's creative team must've felt mighty pleased with themselves; getting the Pulp Fiction actor to utter the name that's been synonymous with his bible-quoting, Quentin Tarantino-penned monologue for more than a quarter-century doesn't happen by accident. What now four-time franchise director Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw II, Saw III and Saw IV) and Jigsaw screenwriters Josh Stolberg and Pete Goldfinger mightn't have realised, though, is just how clumsily this choice comes across. The Saw series has made almost a billion dollars at the worldwide box office, but now it's resorting to winking and nodding to one of its latest stars' past movies. Perhaps Bousman and company didn't notice because almost everything about Spiral feels that forced, awkward, clunky and badly thought-out. Jackson and Chris Rock might gift the long-running franchise a couple of high-profile new faces; however, this ostensible reboot is exactly as derivative as you'd expect of the ninth instalment in a 17-year-old shock- and gore-driven saga. Focusing on a wisecracking, gung-ho, about-to-be-divorced police detective known for exposing his dirty colleagues, Spiral tries to coil the series in a different direction, at least superficially — and pretends to have meaty matters on its mind. Ezekiel 'Zeke' Banks (Rock, The Witches) has been crusading for honesty, integrity, fairness and honour in law enforcement for years. Starting back when his now-retired dad Marcus (Jackson, Death to 2020) was the precinct's chief, he's been vilified by his peers for his efforts. When a killer appears to be targeting rotten cops, too, Zeke is desperate to lead the case. Initially, he just wants to avenge the death of the first victim, one of the only co-workers he called a friend, but he's soon trying to track down a murderer that seems to be following in franchise villain Jigsaw's footsteps. A lone wolf-type not by choice but necessity, Banks also happens to be saddled with a rookie partner (Max Minghella, The Handmaid's Tale) as he attempts to stop the bodies from piling up. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBFvpz_Tlrs&feature=youtu.be THE MAN IN THE HAT Throughout his four-decade-plus career, Ciarán Hinds has appeared in everything from Excalibur and The Phantom of the Opera to There Will Be Blood and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 — and in Game of Thrones and First Man as well. But his expressive face never been put to as a great use as it is in The Man in the Hat, which tasks the Irish actor with staying silent for its duration, save for a rare word here and there. As the titular figure, he potters around France in a small Fiat 500. What might've been a leisurely journey just because (its purpose is never explained) becomes somewhat frantic when a car filled with five bald men starts following his every move. The headwear-donning protagonist witnesses them up to no good, drives off quickly and attempts to take the scenic route, but wherever he goes, his pursuers cross his path eventually. That doesn't stop either the eponymous man from whiling away the time on his travels, whether dropping into cafes, helping the people he meets along the way, seeing the sights, having a swim or flirting with a red dress-wearing, bike-riding woman (Sasha Hails, Quiz). Often, the man in the hat simply listens to his short-term companions, including a fellow lonely soul (Stephen Dillane, Mary Shelley) initially spending his time under a bridge and a biker (Maïwenn, DNA) at a makeshift campsite. Written and directed by Oscar-winning Shakespeare in Love composer Stephen Warbeck with TV travelogue veteran John-Paul Davidson (Stephen Fry in America, Brazil with Michael Palin), The Man in the Hat is undeniably slight. It's also doused in the same type of Gallic whimsy that made Amelie a delight to some and an utter chore for others. And, with its jaunty score, episodic antics, smatterings of slapstick, and gorgeous small-town and countryside backdrop, it can play like a fever dream you might have after eating too much cheese, pairing it with a few healthy glasses of wine, making European holiday plans and falling asleep watching great silent comedians from decades ago. None of the above is a bad thing, however, if you're on the film's wavelength. Indeed, surrendering to The Man in the Hat's charms — and appreciating its exacting staging and choreography — happens both quickly and easily. It wouldn't be the same feature without Hinds, though, who adds an enchanting wordless performance that owes a clear debt to Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Marcel Marceau and Jacques Tati, but is never an act of miming mimicry. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-d92kJUisU CARMILLA Premiering at the Edinburgh International Film Festival back in 2019, Carmilla first reached the screen shortly after Portrait of a Lady on Fire made its maiden appearance at Cannes. It debuted more than 14 months before Ammonite, the other big lesbian period romance of the past two years. But this gothic novella adaptation will always be seen as the lesser of the three recent films. Inspired by Sheridan Le Fanu's 1872 text, Carmilla is indeed another tale of love, lust, repression and the roles that have been enforced upon women for far too long. It takes the restraint that its characters are tasked with displaying a little too firmly to heart, though. While handsomely shot with a keen eye for vivid detail, moody in tone from start to finish, and eagerly savaging society's judgement of female sexual awakening and of sapphic desire, its often feels stilted rather than filled with yearning — and frequently seems as if it's holding a little too much back. Also, although its source material is one of the first works of vampire fiction, hitting the page nearly three decades before Bram Stoker's Dracula, first-time solo writer/director Emily Harris doesn't heartily sink its teeth into that genre, either. There's absolutely nothing wrong with eschewing the supernatural, of course, but a few especially striking images aside, Carmilla's pulse rarely quickens. What this story of passion, seduction, persecution and flouting strict norms does unshakeably possess, however, is memorable and committed performances by its key female cast members — all of whom do their utmost at every turn. Hannah Rae (Fighting with My Family) plays Lara, the cooped-up, constantly lonely daughter of the distant Mr Bauer (Greg Wise, The Crown). When the film commences, she's giddy with excitement about the impending arrival of a fellow teen from a neighbouring town, who's set to join their household for a prolonged sojourn. It'll give her a much-needed reprieve from her stern governess, Miss Fontaine (Jessica Raine, Patrick Melrose), who usually dictates every aspect of her daily routine. The tutor is even determined to train her left-handed pupil to favour her other appendage, all in the name of curing her of her sins. But, when their planned visitor doesn't make the trip, mysterious newcomer Carmilla (Devrim Lingnau, Immortality) earns everyone's attention instead. A victim of a carriage accident with no memory of who she is or why she's in the area, she's like a beacon in the night to the curious and isolated Lara, even as Miss Fontaine endeavours to maintain a close watch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uiCkL26zfQ FINDING YOU When aspiring violinist Finley Sinclair (Rose Reid, The World We Make) meets acting superstar Beckett Rush (Jedidiah Goodacre, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) by falling asleep on his shoulder during a flight from New York to Ireland, she definitely isn't just a girl standing in front of a boy asking him to love her. The college exchange student thinks the cinema world's biggest current heartthrob is arrogant, in fact, and likely wouldn't have given him another thought if they didn't end up staying at the same small-town bed and breakfast thanks to pure rom-com logic. No, Finding You doesn't try to hide its Notting Hill-esque concept. Based on the young adult novel There You'll Find Me, it's quite eager to nod in its fellow romantic comedy's direction — and towards as many of the genre's other cliches and tropes as it can find. Even its setting sticks to recent convention; however, it's never as grating and inane as the Scotland-set Then Came You, and doesn't feature a twist as ridiculous as Wild Mountain Thyme. Everything about Finley and Beckett's will-they, won't-they romance plays out as expected, though, other than one key factor. Writer/director Brian Baugh (I'm Not Ashamed) hasn't met a pointless plot development he doesn't need to work into his movie, it seems, so the path to true love here definitely doesn't run smooth. Finley heads to Ireland seeking a change of scenery and a new source of inspiration after failing a big audition, while Beckett makes the trip to shoot the latest instalment of a big blockbuster franchise he's no longer that interested in being in. As they work out their individual issues and inch closer together, the script also tasks her with becoming his acting coach, and sightseeing with him in an attempt to track down a cross sketched by her brother. She also learns a few musical tricks from the boozy town expert (Patrick Bergin, The South Westerlies), and gets caught up in a decades-long scandal surrounding an elderly and cantankerous woman (Vanessa Redgrave, Mrs Lowry and Son) she's assigned to visit for class — while Beckett battles with his manager dad (Tom Everett Scott, 13 Reasons Why) about his future, the tabloid attention and the fake love affair he's supposed to be in with his co-star (Katherine McNamara, The Stand). When Finding You lets its two leads simply spend time together, it benefits from their warm rapport. When it bundles in every complication it can think of, it veers from being blandly predictable to needlessly contrived and convoluted. For whatever misguided reason, Baugh favours the latter over the former, all served up with a soundtrack that couldn't be more stereotypical if it just repeated the word "Ireland" over and over again. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on January 1, January 7, January 14, January 21 and January 28; February 4, February 11, February 18 and February 25; March 4, March 11, March 18 and March 25; and April 1, April 8, April 15, April 22 and April 29; and May 6. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Nomadland, Pieces of a Woman, The Dry, Promising Young Woman, Summerland, Ammonite, The Dig, The White Tiger, Only the Animals, Malcolm & Marie, News of the World, High Ground, Earwig and the Witch, The Nest, Assassins, Synchronic, Another Round, Minari, Firestarter — The Story of Bangarra, The Truffle Hunters, The Little Things, Chaos Walking, Raya and the Last Dragon, Max Richter's Sleep, Judas and the Black Messiah, Girls Can't Surf, French Exit, Saint Maud, Godzilla vs Kong, The Painter and the Thief, Nobody, The Father, Willy's Wonderland, Collective, Voyagers, Gunda, Supernova, The Dissident, The United States vs Billie Holiday, First Cow, Wrath of Man, Locked Down and The Perfect Candidate.
