If there's one word that every film festival hopes will be used to describe the experience of watching your way through its program, it's this: discovery. Maybe you'll find your new favourite movie among its lineup. Perhaps you'll glean a fresh understanding of a particular director or actor's talents. You might see a star better known for their work on-screen blossom behind the camera. You'll also hopefully peer far beyond your own patch of the world. You could become a convert to a genre or a champion of a specific topic, too. The number of ways that sitting in a cinema can prove revealing, an unearthing and an exploration goes on. They all apply to the just-announced roster of titles for 2025's Melbourne International Film Festival — a list more than 275 flicks deep. Across Thursday, August 7–Sunday, August 24, MIFF is where The Chronology of Water, the feature directorial debut of Kristen Stewart (Love Lies Bleeding), will screen for the first time Down Under — and where Urchin, which notches up the same feat for Babygirl's Harris Dickinson, will as well. Both are heading to Melbourne fresh from their Cannes premieres. The Victorian capital's major annual film fest will also give the city its initial chance to see early pandemic-set western Eddington from Ari Aster (Beau Is Afraid), celebrate a music icon with the world premiere of Jimmy Barnes: Working Class Man, enjoy the full Norwegian Sex trilogy that culminated with 2025 Berlinale Golden Bear-recipient Dreams (Sex Love), get unsettled by Daisy Ridley (Cleaner)-led Australian found-footage horror We Bury the Dead, take the family to animated sequel The Bad Guys 2 based on Aussie author Aaron Blabey's books, pay tribute to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and much, much more. As it does every year, the Melbourne International Film Festival has been unveiling pieces of its 2025 lineup over the course of a month or so. Accordingly, movie lovers should already know that If I Had Legs I'd Kick You starring Rose Byrne (Physical) is the fest's opening-night pick, that Parasite composer Jung Jae-il is coming to Australia to conduct the movie's score live in an Aussie exclusive and that the Cannes Palme d'Or-winning It Was Just an Accident by Jafar Panahi (No Bears) is on the lineup, too — plus The Passion of Joan of Arc with a new score by Julia Holter performed live and a heap of other titles. One film that was previously announced is Richard Linklater's (Hit Man) Blue Moon with Ethan Hawke (Leave the World Behind), Margaret Qualley (The Substance) and Andrew Scott (Ripley), but it's now just one of two of the director's features on the bill. The other: Nouvelle Vague, with the American helmer bringing the French New Wave to life. Her Smell's Alex Ross Perry is another filmmaker with two titles on the lineup. With Videoheaven, a movie essay solely comprised from movie and TV clips, he pays tribute to the video-store era — and with Pavements, he focuses on the band Pavement via an experimental blend of documentary, narrative, musical and more. The director is among MIFF's 2025 guests as well, including as a juror for its Bright Horizons award, the fest's $140,000 official competition for filmmakers that was introduced back in 2022. After Aftersun screened in the comp's debut year, its filmmaker Charlotte Wells is this year's jury president. The aforementioned Urchin and If I Had Legs I'd Kick You are in the running for 2025's Bright Horizon prize, as are the likes of Cannes hit Sound of Falling, Un Certain Regard award-winner The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo, the Bangkok-set A Useful Ghost, and Matthew McConaughey (Agent Elvis)- and Kurt Russell (Monarch: Legacy of Monsters)-starring crime-thriller The Rivals of Amziah King. It isn't hard to find more standouts across the complete MIFF program, such as dramedy Sorry, Baby, which has had the film festival circuit talking since Sundance; Left-Handed Girl, with first-time director Shih-Ching Tsou boasting Anora Oscar-winner Sean Baker as her co-writer and editor; legal drama Two Prosecutors; and Kelly Reichardt's (Showing Up) Josh O'Connor (Challengers)-led The Mastermind. Others include O'Connor again in the small town-set Rebuilding, coming-of-age story Enzo from BPM (Beats Per Minute)'s Robin Campillo, Wagner Moura's (Dope Thief) Cannes-winning performance in The Secret Agent, Bi Gan's (Long Day's Journey Into Night) Resurrection, the surveillance culture examination of documentary The Perfect Neighbor, 1000 Women in Horror's cinematic celebration, Aussie animation Lesbian Space Princess, the true crime-focused Zodiac Killer Project, Peter Dinklage (Wicked) as The Toxic Avenger and horror-comedy Zombucha! with Jackie van Beek (Audrey). The festival's retrospectives titles are always a highlight, and 2025's picks are no different — whether you're keen to mark 25 years since Looking for Alibrandi reached the screen via a 4K restoration; also see Sweetie, the debut feature from Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog), get the same restored treatment; flash back to BMX Bandits; or work your way through MIFF's largest-ever tribute to a single director via the 27-film Chantal Akerman: Traces strand. Hitting up a picture palace in metro Melbourne isn't the only way to dive into MIFF 2025, as has also become the case every year, thanks to both its regional screenings in cinemas across the rest of Victoria and the fest's nationwide online program on ACMI's streaming platform Cinema 3. The former runs across Friday, August 15–Sunday, August 17 and Friday, August 22–Sunday, August 24, while the latter will get you tuning in virtually from Friday, August 15–Sunday, August 31. "MIFF returns to illuminate the dark depths of Melbourne winter with a globetrotting array of exceptional cinema, incredible experiences, and the biggest festival celebration of Australian filmmaking on the planet," explains MIFF Artistic Director Al Cossar about this year's lineup. "With over 275 films across 18 days in cinema, weekend regional expansions across Victoria and a further week online available at your place, all around Australia, MIFF is an invitation to discover a world of film, and the world on film; to up-res your cinephile credentials, and to binge your way through an epic program brimming with imagination and ideas." The 2025 Melbourne International Film Festival runs from Thursday, August 7–Sunday, August 24 at a variety of venues around Melbourne; from Friday, August 15–Sunday, August 17 and Friday, August 22–Sunday, August 24 in regional Victoria; and online nationwide from Friday, August 15–Sunday, August 31. For further details and tickets, head to the MIFF website.
It's a joyous occasion when two of your closest mates get together. And when those two friends — caffeine and alcohol — are responsible for getting you through exhausting city livin' it's an even bigger cause for celebration. We're talking, of course, of the loved espresso martini. Whether as a post-work pick-me-up or a post-meal digestif, espresso martinis are undeniably popular. And The Argyle is fuelling our ongoing love affair with its new pop-up martini bar. Every day from 12pm, the pop-up — dubbed Espresso Yo'self — will be stirring and shaking espresso martinis. Produced in collaboration with Patron and the Rockpool Dining Group, the pop-up offers five extravagant coffee-based tipples plus a rotating weekly special. The menu kicks off with a take on the classic, called Intuition for Beginners ($21), that features Patron XO Cafe, coffee liqueur, Baileys and a cream float. For something more indulgent, look to the Three Wishes ($20), made with Patron XO Cafe, nougat, vanilla and honey or the version topped with a doughnut — if that's your thing. Or, if you're feeling adventurous, the first weekly special, Incendio Espresso Martini ($22), includes brown cacao, egg white and — wait for it — fresh chilli. If you weren't awake before... The caffeine- and Patron-fuelled pop-up is running for three months, too, so you've got plenty of time to make your way through the menu. The Espresso Martini Pop-Up is open from 12pm daily and will run until the end of May. To make a reservation, head to The Argyle website.
Combining yoga, strength and cardio in one innovative exercise space, Sydney's Flow Athletic has created a fitness spot for gym-goers who want to shake things up. They offer the usual yoga, spin and circuit training, plus some silent disco yoga sessions from time to time. The centre created significant buzz on opening, so it makes sense that it's now frequented by a wave of pro athletes, gym junkies and beginners alike.
Strenuous physical activities and cold beer go together like, well, cold beer and a lot of stuff. That's the driving inspiration for a little celebration called Gears and Beers Festival, the brainchild of the Rotary Club of Wollundry Wagga Wagga. The annual celebration takes the best parts of racing and festivals, combining them in a joint and complete event on Saturday, September 30 and Sunday, October 1. First is the gears. If you're up for it, you can register for one of five cycling courses. The weekend kicks off on Saturday with the 40-kilometre Wiradjuri Welcome course, designed to warm you up for the main events the following day. Sunday racers can register for the scenic ten-kilometre Strawberry Ride, the 30-kilometre road course, the gravel-heavy Sic60 60-kilometre course, the lengthy 115-kilometre course and the flagship Dirty130 130-kilometre course. All the Sunday rides are timed to have you arrive at the festival grounds at around lunchtime. If you've registered in a ride, entry is free. But non-riders can also purchase tickets to the festival separately. The festival is held in the Victory Memorial Gardens of Wagga Wagga, where you'll have a chance to recover from the ride with cold (and local) craft beers, ciders and wines — or hot local coffee and food alongside live music and sunshine with your fellow riders. Gears and Beers festival runs from Saturday, September 30 to Sunday, October 1. To register or find more information, visit the website.
The trio behind Sydney's Wild Sage cafes and Alegre Bar and Dining have brought a huge new 104-seat Japanese Peruvian restaurant to Barangaroo, with Callao opening on Barangaroo Avenue right by longstanding favourites like NOLA Smokehouse and Bar, Shirt Bar and Lovefish. Nikkei cuisine is having a bit of a moment in Sydney thanks to openings like Callao and Lima. The collision of regional flavours and cooking techniques has a long history, thanks to the two nations' diplomatic ties dating back to the 1800s. "Callao is the name of the port in Peru where the first 790 Japanese immigrants docked," says Head Chef Jihwan Choi. "For us, this destination was such a beautiful representation of the merging of these two cultures and their respective cuisines." The menu's three biggest sections consist of crudo, wood-fired meats and seafood, and steaks. It's a real share-style affair, with suggested must-trys including the scampi tartare and seared bonito tiradito, plus the wood-fired prawns, which are prepared on a custom-built parrilla grill and accompanied by aji panca bisque, sea urchin butter and tobiko mayo. If you're going all out, the banquet menu will set you back $119, and runs through the aforementioned bonito tiradito and prawns, as well as oysters, wagyu tri-tip, lamb skewers, Murray cod and queso fresco-topped potatoes, all paired with a variety of accoutrements from blood plum sauce to ponzu leche de tigre. Make sure to leave room for dessert — the selection of sweets at Callao isn't something you want to miss out on. There's a pineapple paddle pop inspired by the nostalgic Peruvian summertime treat helado de piña, and featuring fresh grilled pineapple, sorbet and rum caramel; cheesecake topped with toasted corn, finger lime, milk skin and avocado sorbet; and a trio of chocolate truffles. The combination of Japanese and Peruvian sensibilities continues through the drinks list, where you'll find a hefty saké collection alongside signature cocktails like the Bellavista, a mix of Pisco Quebranta, Midori Japanese melon liqueur, coconut husk rum, lemon and pineapple juice. All of this is housed in an impressive space designed by Kathryn Ashley Studio. The moody dining room draws you in with a luminous feature wall reminiscent of the mountains of Peru. The neutral palette and its splashes of red will set you up for supreme date-night vibes — while also accommodating Barangaroo client lunches and more casual catch-ups. Callao is located at 2/100 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo. It's open 12–3pm and 5–10pm Monday–Saturday. Browse the menu and make a booking at the restaurant's website. Images: Dexter Kim.
Remember the name Deniz Gamze Ergüven. The Turkish-French filmmaker may have only directed one feature to date, but it's a movie audiences won't forget in a hurry. In focusing on the troubled plight of five sisters confined to their home, Mustang might bring The Virgin Suicides to mind. Yet there's much more to the film than the comparison might indicate. Setting her film in a conservative seaside village in northern Turkey, Ergüven probes the complicated reality that siblings Lale (Günes Sensoy), Nur (Doga Zeynep Doguslu), Ece (Elit Iscan), Selma (Tugba Sunguroglu) and Sonay (Ilayda Akdogan) face on a daily basis. Stuck in a patriarchal society — and in a house overseen by a strict uncle (Ayberk Pekcan) and dutiful grandmother (Nihal G. Koldas) — their teenage lives are not their own. They're not allowed to just be girls who want to have fun; they're future wives, mothers and caregivers, destined to be defined by their husbands rather than themselves. Indeed, when Lale characterises their existence as "a wife factory", her choice of words couldn't be more fitting. As the youngest child as well as the film's narrator, it's through her eyes that viewers experience both the harsh limitations that dictate the sisters' days, and the need they feel to break free. It all starts when school winds up for the summer, with the quintet heading to the beach to splash around with a group of boys. By the time they get home, news of their apparently inappropriate behaviour has already reached their relatives' ears, inspiring a regime of virginity tests, locked doors, barred windows, cooking lessons and desperate attempts to marry them off. Being trapped in such a restrictive situation is as devastating as it sounds. And yet, thanks to the sisters' different personalities and Lale's undying defiant streak, the narrative is also laced with amusing moments and ample tenderness, as well as the spirit of female empowerment and camaraderie. As co-written by Ergüven with Augustine filmmaker Alice Winocour, the Academy Award-nominated effort proves as much a celebration of young women refusing to simply do what they're told as it is an indictment of the male-controlled status quo. It's also a film that's immersed in blossoming femininity from start to finish. While Sensoy steals every scene she's in with her naturalistic charm, her four main co-stars are no less effective. Cinematographers David Chizallet and Ersin Gok shoot the movie to stress intimacy even amidst rampant oppression, while the score by Warren Ellis evokes both tension and yearning. Accordingly, though Mustang is undoubtedly concerned with domination and escape, it's not a tale of victims, but rather a testament to resilience.
Located in the heart of the Hunter Valley, Hope Brewhouse is all about four things: beer, wine, food and music. The 420-hectare property is home to a winery, restaurant and one of the state's biggest outdoor stages. The venue has hosted the likes of Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones and Fleetwood Mac, as well as events like Wine Machine, the Grapest 5k run and the Elton John's farewell tour. But it's still worth coming here on any regular weekend. You'll also find large tables and benches resembling a German beer hall and, outside, the patio serves up views of green hills, gum trees and vineyards — making it one of New South Wales' most picturesque breweries. It's the perfect place to work through Hope's listing of interesting brews, like the 'choc milk' porter (infused with milk sugar, cocoa and vanilla extract), the super juicy New England-style IPA and the rice and sorghum gluten-free pilsner. The kitchen operates all day, too, with a menu of pizza, burgers, cheese plates and bar snacks available. Hope Estate's 18 wines are of course also on offer. So you'll have plenty to work your way through — we just suggest you get a designated driver.
A play about not growing up and a life spent in make believe? Sounds like the Belvoir folks are getting self-referential and thumbing their noses at detractors with their production of Peter Pan, which comes complete with an ensemble cast of theatre's cheekiest. The poster boy for never-ending youth with the sociable habit of flying into strangers' windows will be played by Meyne Wyatt, who has brought a contagious energy to each show he's done from Silent Disco to Buried City and was most recently seen in the hit film The Sapphires. Charlie Garber, John Leary, and Geraldine Hakewill are his allies in Neverlandian adventure. The team claims to have been struck by the strange, wholly un-Disney-like quality of JM Barrie's original text, which is what they'll be bringing to the fore in their adaptation. The undertaking is helmed by artistic director Ralph Myers with Tommy Murphy as dramaturg — sure hands at plotting a course past the second star to the right and straight on till morning. Kicking off in the early days of January, Peter Pan will be a perfect fit for this festive time of year.
With its snow-capped mountains, frozen lakes and long, starry nights, Tasmania experiences winter more intensely than any other state in Australia. If you've been dreaming of a spot where you can settle in front of a crackling fireplace and sip a whisky after a day of exploring some rugged Aussie landscapes, a trip to Tassie will do just the trick. There are stacks of toasty places to stay — from luxe pavilions with mind-blowing views to 19th-century country manors to cosy, off-grid studios. So we've scoped out seven of the most divine spots to book this winter. At each of these extraordinary abodes, you'll find yourself snuggled up and relaxing in total comfort. Spend your entire time inside — basking in luxury – or get out and about exploring, safe in the knowledge that a super-warm hideaway awaits your return. [caption id="attachment_718979" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Adam Gibson.[/caption] PUMPHOUSE POINT, LAKE ST CLAIR Even if you've never been to Tasmania, you've probably seen Pumphouse Point. Set on the deepest lake in Australia and encircled by heritage-listed Tasmanian wilderness, this retreat is an Instagram star. And the most famous building is The Pumphouse itself, a converted hydroelectric station that lies at the end of a 250-metre-long jetty. Inside, you'll feel like you're floating on the water. Back on land, there's the art deco-inspired Shorehouse and The Retreat, a timber-rich studio with floor-to-ceiling glass aplenty, so you can still get those stellar views of snowy Lake St Clair while staying toasty by the fire. Plus, to make your stay extra luxe, you can settle into the outdoor tub for a soak beneath the stars. [caption id="attachment_718981" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Courtesy of Saffire Freycinet.[/caption] SAFFIRE FREYCINET, COLES BAY The decadent Saffire Freycinet afford views over some of Tasmania's most renowned landmarks, including the Hazards mountain range, Freycinet Peninsula and Great Oyster Bay. If you're keen to splurge, book a private pavilion. It comes with a courtyard featuring a plunge pool that's set at 30 degrees all winter long (though you can adjust the temperature to whatever warmth you prefer). Plus there's the option to have a chef come to cook you dinner. What's more, you can take things to the next level this winter with a 'Double the Luxury' experience. A seaplane or helicopter will greet you in Hobart and fly you over Wineglass Bay to your accommodation. You can then return the same way, or you can casually travel back in a premium sports car instead. [caption id="attachment_718987" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Piermont.[/caption] PIERMONT, SWANSEA This eco-friendly, luxurious stay is quite the rustic experience set among the trees. Surrounding the 180-year-old homestead, there are 15 sustainable cottages to stay in, each designed and built to blend seamlessly with nature. Set on the pristine shores of Great Oyster Bay, the tranquil abode is dotted with she-oaks, gum trees and dune grasses, which is arguably even more beautiful when blanketed in snow. Expect expansive spa bathrooms overlooking the surrounding winter wonderland, outdoor decks and log fires. There's also an onsite restaurant, where you can feast on some of the freshest seasonal organic produce. What should you expect in the cooler months? Think local cheeses, sesame-roasted quail with a fermented shiraz and chilli dressing and Wild Clover lamb served with a salsa of Piermont olives, fresh herbs, blue gum-smoked oysters and seasonal greens. [caption id="attachment_718978" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Prospect House Private Hotel.[/caption] PROSPECT HOUSE PRIVATE HOTEL, RICHMOND Built in the 1830s as a two-storey Georgian mansion, this grand hotel, surrounded by landscaped gardens and rolling hills, will transport you straight to the 19th century. Take your pick of one of ten high-ceilinged rooms overlooking the courtyard, or opt for the epic grand suite. Whichever you choose, you'll be greeted with a drink on arrival, treated to afternoon tea and, in the mornings, cooked a farmhouse breakfast. The stately Prospect House lies a 30-minute drive northeast of Hobart, on the edge of the picturesque Coal River Valley wine region, so you can knock on some neighbouring cellar doors on your way. After a day of sampling local vinos, come back and get cosy by the large open fireplace (perfect for marshmallow toasting). [caption id="attachment_718977" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Walter Pavilion.[/caption] MONA PAVILIONS, HOBART Don't just see MONA. Stay there, at one of the dazzling MONA Pavilions. The eight beauties are each dedicated to an Australian artist or architect and contain artworks from the MONA collection. The stays range from Sidney, a cosy studio devoted to Sidney Nolan, to Roy, an expansive three-bedroom penthouse inspired by Roy Grounds with a stunning outdoor spa. All offer breathtaking views of the River Derwent, plus there's a heated infinity lap pool, sauna, gym and winery. What's more, MONA and its more than 1900 artworks are right next door and, if you're staying from June 6–23, you'll be in the thick of Australia's biggest winter festival — Dark Mofo. [caption id="attachment_718976" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Magnolia Garden Pavilion. Courtesy of Tourism Tasmania and Rob Burnett.[/caption] HATHERLEY BIRRELL COLLECTION, LAUNCESTON Take two multi-award winning designers, a bunch of contemporary artworks and a heritage-listed Italianate mansion, and you get the Hatherley Birrell Collection. Found in Launceston, this property has been transformed into four unique stays each as luxurious as the next. Sleepover in The Ballroom, a lavish suite with a translucent glass bathroom, marble fireplace and balcony overlooking Ben Lomond Mountain. Or, laze away at the Magnolia Garden Pavilion, where you can soak in the outdoor bath in the company of a 150-year-old magnolia tree. [caption id="attachment_718984" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rocky Hills Retreat.[/caption] ROCKY HILLS RETREAT, SWANSEA Surrender yourself to nature at Rocky Hills Retreat, a spectacular, glass-walled studio designed by Australian architect Craig Rosevear. 90 minutes northeast of Hobart and set atop 250 acres of bushland, this escape affords incredible views over Great Oyster Bay and Maria Island on Tasmania's east coast. In Tasmania's cooler months, the vistas are a snowy wonderland. As soon as you get there, start filling the Huon pine bath on the outdoor deck. That way, it'll be ready by sunset for you to soak in the (very) crisp Tassie air among some spectacular rugged surrounds. Pro tip: tee up a glass or two of sparkling wine to go with your soak. Feel like getting creative? Head to the well-stocked private art studio, where you can draw, paint, sculpt and knit — all perfect indoor activities on a cold winter's day. Top image: The Retreat at Pumphouse Point by Jarrad Seng.
Northern Sydney is now home to an impressive new addition, with sprawling, multi-level pub The Governor opening its doors. The Macquarie Park hangout has all the makings of a quintessential Aussie boozer, boasting a roomy front bar and bistro, a garden terrace for those al fresco sessions, and even its very own rooftop bar, complete with 360-degree views. From the same group behind large-scale watering holes like the Bella Vista Hotel and Hillside Hotel, The Governor is angling to be a crowd-pleaser, offering a little something for every mood, occasion and time of the week. The main bar and bistro, which can seat an impressive 260, is decked out in dark timber, royal green and foliage aplenty, with cosy booths that take their design cues from old-school train carriages. Settle in by the open fire, or out under the festoon lighting of the leafy terrace. To match the variety of spaces, Head Chef Luke Lashford has put together a broad food offering — with everything from teriyaki chicken poké and a range of woodfired pizzas, to a slow-cooked Flinders Island lamb shoulder, best shared between three or four people in one of those intimate booths. The drinks list is designed to complement, featuring old favourites alongside crafty seasonal creations. Upstairs, rooftop bar Ess — which is slated to open in early August — boasts a bar and kitchen of its own, an Asian-inspired menu heroing the Japanese charcoal grill. Venture up for the likes of wagyu beef skewers, port ribs with wasabi chimichurri and portobello mushroom katsu baos. Find The Governor at 9-13 Waterloo Road, Macquarie Park, and visit the venue's website and Facebook page for further details. Ess is set to open in early August. Images: Kai Leishman
What do you get when you put two globally celebrated, era-defining artists on stage together for an in-depth chat? Well, you'll have the chance to find out, when the legendary Patti Smith joins Aussie rocker Paul Kelly for a special Sydney Writers' Festival appearance at Sydney Town Hall. The pre-eminent pair come together on Wednesday, April 8, for a special event that sees the acclaimed lyricist and author dive deep into her backstory. With our own much-lauded wordsmith and poet Kelly as host, audiences are in for a compelling night of storytelling. Expect to gain a glimpse into Smith's dynamic life and career, which tracks back to her emergence in the 1970s New York arts scene. As well as chatting through her groundbreaking music and awarded writing, Smith will reflect on her most recent best-selling book Year of the Monkey, and the period of solitary cross-country travels and experiences that inspired it. General admission tickets are $55, which includes a copy of Year of the Monkey. You can then add on additional tickets for $30.
Do you like Italian food? Then let us introduce you to the happiest place on earth. Your stomach has probably been craving pasta, pizza and gelato since news of Eataly World first started circulating — and those rumbles are only going to get louder now that the world's first Italian food theme park has announced its opening date. Due to open in Bologna, Italy on November 15, and calling itself an agro-food park, the site will take patrons on a trip from the field to the fork. That'll involve with six interactive experiences, more than 40 places to eat, over 100 stalls and shops, and a dedicated parmesan cheese bar. In fact, over nearly 20 acres, Eataly World will feature restaurants, kitchens, grocery stores, classrooms, farms, laboratories and more, showcasing everything from livestock, dairy products and the cereals that become pasta, to preserves, Italian desserts and the best in both boozy and non-alcoholic beverages. As well as boasting free entry — aka making a good thing even better — Eataly World will make daily classes part of its schedule, ensuring visitors don't just wander through this Italian food-focused realm, but can pick up a few new skills as well. To get around the massive area, bikes will also be available. Eating, drinking and cycling in Italy: it sounds like a culinary holiday dream. The park is the latest venture from Oscar Farinetti, the founder of Italian food and grocery chain Eataly, which has locations in New York, Boston and Dubai. And while it has taken some time to come to fruition — it was first announced a few years back, and then set for a 2015 opening that didn't happen — it looks like it has been worth the wait. Speaking to Eater last year, Eataly vice-president and Eataly World CEO Tiziana Primori said the park would mix entertainment with education. "We call it from the farm to the fork because you can see all the steps of the chain, from the animals to the raw materials and workshops and restaurants." The hope is that the park will attract as many as 10 million visitors each year, providing a boost to Bologna tourism in the process. The city already boasts a number of gastronomic attractions, including a medieval marketplace and the world's only gelato university. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou5uPuVBub4 Via Eater. Header image via Dollar Photo Club By Tom Clift and Sarah Ward.
When Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox, Kin) and Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio, Dumb Money) first sit face to face in the debut episode of Daredevil: Born Again's initial season, they do something that neither has ever been fond of with the other: agree. Daredevil and Kingpin are no more, they both confirm, under threats going both ways should that statement ever stop proving accurate on either's part. Murdock has his legal career to focus on. Fisk is running for mayor of New York City. Murdock will hold Fisk to account, though, if he's anything but above board in his new role running the Big Apple — and Fisk, campaigning with a strong anti-vigilante message, will respond if Murdock slips into Daredevil's red costume again. Murdock and Fisk are back. With the characters dating back more than half a century, so is one of the comic-book realm's greatest rivalries. It's been a decade since the first streaming series to follow their battle on the small screen premiered and also seven years since it wrapped up, with Netflix's Daredevil spanning three seasons from 2015–2018. While that show wasn't part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, its successor definitely is. Joining Disney+'s small-screen catalogue after WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, two seasons of Loki, Hawkeye, Moon Knight, Ms Marvel, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Secret Invasion, Echo and Agatha All Along, Daredevil: Born Again is a new beginning for its namesake and his nemesis, then, but it also honours its television past. Grey areas not only come with the territory in this fierce feud — they aptly apply to its latest TV date. Consider this a fresh start, yes, as well as a sequel. The MCU has been working towards bringing Daredevil and Kingpin's friction into the fold for a few years now, officially announcing Daredevil: Born Again in 2022 much to the delight of fans, then beginning to put that plan into action elsewhere across the franchise. So, viewers have already seen Murdock in Spider-Man: No Way Home and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Fisk in Hawkeye, and both in Echo. As those appearances have been popping up and piling up, giving the pair their own series again has journeyed along a winding path due to a creative overhaul partway through. Consider Daredevil: Born Again a show with history, too, in multiple ways in front of and behind the camera. Boasting a connection with Marvel's small-screen tales at Netflix courtesy of The Punisher (which sat alongside not just Daredevil, but Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist and The Defenders), screenwriter and TV producer Dario Scardapane joined Daredevil: Born Again during that shake-up, taking over the reins as showrunner. One of his key tasks: finding the right balance between continuing the story of the Netflix show and taking this new chapter for Murdock and Fisk in its own direction. He was certain that moving forward couldn't mean never looking backwards. He also felt strongly that two more beloved characters needed to be a part of the series. Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll, Queen of the Ring) and Franklin 'Foggy' Nelson (Elden Henson, Killers of the Flower Moon) weren't originally featured in Daredevil: Born Again — and if that seems unthinkable, that was also the case for the Trauma, The Bridge and Jack Ryan alum now calling the shots. [caption id="attachment_994610" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Disney[/caption] Scardapane said he wouldn't take the gig without Karen and Foggy, in fact. "I'm a true Italian in form. I have a tendency to make bold statements that may or may not be 100-percent accurate," he tells Concrete Playground. "The thing is, when I went in and talked to them, those two characters had been missing from the original, the first iteration. And unfortunately, in having them referenced but not seeing them, there was something missing in terms of that bridge between seasons. And then I also think that one of the most-interesting characters in the Marvel world, that has not been given as much room to just rock, is Karen Page. I just think that's a fantastic character. I'm super interested in the relationship she has with Matt Murdock. I'm interested in that family of three that you see, and when there's a loss in the family, what happens. So it was, yeah, it was a little extreme to say 'I'm not going to take it unless I get to do this', but it seemed that it was absolutely integral to telling the tale and bringing us into this new version." "And we wanted to do it," notes Sana Amanat, one of Daredevil: Born Again's executive producer — and not only an MCU veteran thanks to Ms Marvel, but a comic-book editor who co-created Kamala Khan on the page. "I think we realised it as we were watching the material. We're like 'this feels like there's something missing'. The heart of the show was missing, and we were all just very simpatico," she advises. "Dario has this phrase, he says 'yes, and' a lot, which I love — because it makes for such a rich collaboration. We wanted the same thing for this project — very much so," Amanat continues. Adds Scardapane: "and it was funny, I think I wasn't there, but I think probably in that, when you had the opportunity to kind of stop, slow down and take a look, it must have felt like 'oh, somebody's missing'. Like there's an X-factor there." As Daredevil: Born Again's nine-episode first season keeps establishing, Daredevil's past ties couldn't remain more crucial to the series, even in a narrative that sees Murdock confront a new future — and, in what proves an engrossing character study not just of its eponymous figure but of his main adversary, in a show that faces the similarities between Daredevil and Kingpin, and how those commonalities drive their obsessions with each other regardless of whether either will admit it. We also chatted with Scardapane and Amanat about that dynamic, as well as how crucial Cox and D'Onofrio are individually and together, knowing what to build upon from Netflix's Daredevil, how working on The Punisher and Ms Marvel helped them prepare for Daredevil: Born Again, and more. On Finding the Right Balance Between Continuing the Story of the Netflix Show and Shaking Things Up Sana: "I think it was quite important, first of all, for us to pay respect to the material that was there before. We really believed in it and we really loved it. The challenge for us was making sure that it was familiar, yet it was charting a new course. We didn't want people to feel like they needed to watch everything — they needed to be able to step in at the first episode and know everything that you needed to know. And I have to say, really a lot of credit to obviously Dario and our writing team, and Justin and Aaron [directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, who also worked on Moon Knight and Loki], who told us everything you needed to know in those first 15 to 20 minutes. I think also visually, stylistically, again there is a lot of references pulled from the old show, but we tried to do something new and fresh also to make sure that New York felt real, and that there was also stylistic pops that took into account his sensory experience — Matt Murdock as someone who is blind with heightened senses. So that combination, I think, really made it feel like a Daredevil that was in its new course and new chapter, and hopefully it feels exciting and thrilling and bold for folks coming in. We hope that you guys really see the love that we put into it." Dario: "And then when I came in and saw what they had, it was like 'this stuff is really, really, really cool'." Sana: "Yeah." Dario: "But it needs a bridge. It needs something that takes you from the past, from the end of the Netflix show, into what we're doing now. And that was really a large portion of the job, in terms of giving audiences, — and fans like myself of the old show — a touchstone, and then taking them somewhere new." On How Crucial Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio Are — Not Just as Daredevil and Kingpin Individually, But in Bringing That Rivalry to the Screen Together Sana: "They're so absolutely pivotal. I feel like they are these mythological figures. They are larger than life. When you see them step on set as Daredevil and as Kingpin, you see the presence that Charlie and Vincent have and what they bring to these roles. So there's no other question for me — I mean, those are those characters. And that diner scene in itself, at the opening of 101, said everything that you needed to know about the entire series, about their prowess as actors — and through Dario's incredible writing, and Justin and Aaron's great, great directing. It's just an amazing combination." Dario: "And you were right when you say that the two of them together are more than the sum of their parts." Sana: "Yeah." Dario: "And that's what's so fun about working with and writing for two characters that have such a rich history. There's the history that the characters in the comic book have. Then there's the history that that Charlie and Vincent have, having done this now for about ten years. So when you get in a room to do a scene or write a scene for them, you have the weight and the joy of all that history, and these two actors who know it so well." Sana: "Yeah, it feels like the years of storytelling is building to an intense character drama about these two characters — and honestly, how similar they are. They might be different, but they're pretty similar, too." On Daredevil: Born Again Being a Character Study That Highlights the Commonalities Between Daredevil and Kingpin — and Why That Makes Them So Obsessed with Each Other Dario: "They're both carrying duality. That's what's funny. You have a character or person that is Matt Murdock and Daredevil. You have a person that is Kingpin and Fisk. And those are constantly interacting and constantly bouncing into each other, and bringing out the worst in each other at times. And this whole saga, for lack of a better word, this is what it's all about: this dance, this fight between Kingpin and Daredevil. What are the ripple effects it has into the world? What are what these two people's obsessive need to bang heads? What does it mean for everybody and everything in a city around them?" Sana and Dario, in unison: "It's hard to come to terms with your violent nature." Sana: "Truly, they both have a very complicated and similar relationship to violence, and that is something that is really intriguing to show." On Deciding Which Elements to Continue From the Netflix Series — and Where to Stand Apart Dario: "It's really funny — that's a great question, and there's kind of a litmus test for all of it. There's so many people. We're all bringing everything we can to being custodians of this character. When something's right, you literally feel it. And when something's off, you feel it. So in the same way, if I write something for Vincent that just doesn't feel right, he's like: 'hold on, try this'. And when we build a storyline that just doesn't feel on-story — we discarded a few for season two that just didn't feel like what we wanted to do. And the thing is, is that we've taken almost everything that was started over the course of those three seasons, because there's so much in those three seasons, and we've just put it into a context of seven, eight years later and a bigger conflict because Fisk is now, he's the system." Sana: "There's also just us as fans being like 'oh my god, we love this from the old show." Dario: "Gotta do it. Gotta do it." Sana: "We've got to do it. So that's our litmus test. Like Bullseye — you know, we love Bullseye." Dario: "You were like, very early on 'so, we've got to do a oner'. I was like 'yes, we do'. There was no, especially with the two of us, there's very little like 'oh, no, that's not the show'." Sana: "100 percent. We're usually on the same page, which is awesome." Dario: "Yeah." On What Scardapane Learned From Making The Punisher and Amanat From Ms Marvel That Helped with Daredevil: Born Again Dario: "Now wouldn't that be a team-up." Sana: "Oh my god, that'd be awesome. It's like The Last of Us — but yeah." Dario: "You go first." [caption id="attachment_994625" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Disney[/caption] Sana: "What did I draw on for this? I mean, ultimately the biggest thing for me — obviously the joy of filmmaking and creating and storytelling is just unmatched, and for me, I've been lucky enough to do it at Marvel for so long. It is about the people that you work with, making sure that they feel heard, that they feel like they're bringing their best — and that we're all creating the same thing together, we're all collectively building just this beautiful tapestry of a very hopefully powerful story. And to me that's the same in any genre that you work on. And if you're lucky enough to work with such great collaborators who can help you bring this vision to life, my job really is to help draw the best out of everyone we're working with to be able to tell the best story that we possibly can. And that is the delight, the delight of my job." [caption id="attachment_994626" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Disney[/caption] Dario: "The takeaway from The Punisher for me, really — and I will say I had two, for lack of a better word, two great teachers on that job in Jon Bernthal and Steve Lightfoot — was you're writing something that is incredibly dark, incredibly gritty and incredibly violent, but you're always trying to find the humanity inside it. And you're always — when you watch some of Steve's writing, and when you watch some of Jon, what he does with the character — you're always trying to find the heart. And I definitely brought that as best I can to Daredevil. In and amongst all the punching and broken bones and mayhem, you want to find the heart and soul of these characters. You want to really feel." Daredevil: Born Again streams via Disney+. Daredevil: Born Again stills: Giovanni Rufino, courtesy of Marvel Television. © 2024 MARVEL.
An abandoned house and alcohol — horror movie plot or your key to becoming a liquor connoisseur? Luckily, in this case, it's the latter. Set in an abandoned Chippendale heritage house from March 8–10, Dan Murphy's is holding an interactive pop-up event dedicated to helping you spot — and serve — a quality tipple. Your tour through the House of Discovery will be a full sensory experience; each room is themed around a different drop with plenty of taste-testing involved. The drinks menu, curated by Dan Murphy's Spirit Ambassador Charlie Ainsbury (former This Must Be The Place bartender), highlights old and new spirit favourites for you to (re)fall in love with and recreate at home. Here's what to expect. MARTINIS IN THE 1950s ROOM There is something incredibly sophisticated about the classic martini. It's been a mainstay on cocktail menus since forever, but its heyday was undoubtedly during the 1950s when boozy business lunches and home bars started to trend upwards (and a man named Bond made it his drink du jour). The versatility of this popular tipple means that almost everyone can find a mix that makes their tastebuds sing. Upstairs in the House of Discovery, you will find yours. Step into a room decked out like a quintessential 1950s lounge — think kitsch furniture and wallpaper and flooring awash with clashing bold patterns. Behind a retro bar, expert bartenders will be shaking and stirring away, demonstrating how to make the classic martini: gin, vermouth and a garnish of your choice (olive, citrus peel or cocktail onion). Served ice cold, this is the ultimate cocktail to kick off your night. Don't be too concerned if after a few you've forgotten the steps to remake it at home — our martini recipe guide will be on hand to help you out. PIÑA COLADAS AT THE TIKI BAR If you're in dire need of a holiday (aren't we all?), head to the tiki bar. With palm trees, bamboo furniture and tiki statues, this oasis is the closest you'll get to an island escape without the expensive plane ticket. Fittingly, the tropical favourite piña colada is the drink on offer here. At the presentation stand, a bartender will mix together white rum, pineapple juice and coconut cream with a dash of lime juice to create the cult classic. If you're after something different, give Charlie Ainsbury's creation, the Swim-Up Pool Bar, a try instead. A twist on the classic, this cocktail subs coconut milk with orgeat syrup and a dash of nutmeg on top. Next time a staycation is on the cards, our piña colada recipe guide will help you recreate the tropical magic at home. BLANCO, REPOSADO AND ANEJO IN THE TEQUILA ROOM The tequila room is all about heroing the famed Mexican spirit. Set among a garden of agave plants and cacti, you'll get a hands-on history lesson on the spirit. Don't bother searching for the lime quarters and salt shakers — things are a bit classier in here, with a range of different palate cleansers to trial. No throwing back shots either. The spirits will be served in wine glasses to sip slowly and differentiate the flavours of the three tequila styles: blanco, reposado and anejo. Blanco is tequila in its purest form — it gives off heavy flavours of agave and packs quite a punch, while reposado offers subtle notes of oak thanks to the several-months ageing process. Anejo has a more complex flavour due to its ageing process of a minimum of twelve months — take your time with this one to pick up the syrupy undertones of vanilla and butterscotch. LOCAL HEROES ON THE GROUND FLOOR On the ground floor, you'll be able to uncover some homegrown stars. Out of Adelaide Hills Distillery comes a unique bitter orange aperitif called The Italian. Based on a family recipe, this take on the spritz incorporates native Australian ingredients including Riverland orange, riberries, lime, thyme and quandong. In the local room, these native ingredients will be displayed in individual white dishes. Take time to sniff and study the notes of each before trialling the end product in Italian spritz cocktail form. It's fresh and citrus-driven, yet a more restrained bitter liqueur than Campari, making it a pleasure to drink. DRINKS FIRST, FOOD SECOND IN THE GARDEN In keeping with the theme of the event, this station is all about discovering a new way to approach meal time. Breaking from tradition, select your drink of choice first from a curated menu and a tasty morsel will be supplied to complement. Boosted by your newfound alcohol expertise, you might want to go all in on the sake. The Konteki Pearls of Simplicity Junmai Daiginjo starts quite florally but finishes clean so you can easily eat up a plate of pork and vegetable gyoza as you sip. Elephant in the Room chardonnay is a bold drop with fruity notes and an acidic finish, partnering well with some fresh, citrusy rice paper rolls. Or, perhaps worn-out by your lengthy liquor expedition, an easy-drinking pale ale is called for? Award-winning BentSpoke Barley Griffin is light and crisp, making it the perfect accompaniment to seafood — in this case, some nori salt-dusted fried squid. Sip, savour and boost your cocktail savoir-faire at Dan Murphy's House of Discovery from March 8–10. Get your tickets here.
How do you take something great and make it even better? Add goats. That probably doesn't apply in every situation, but it certainly seems to with HBO comedy Barry and its long-awaited third season — at least if the just-dropped new trailer is anything to go by. All killer, no filler: when it comes to this Bill Hader-starring gem, that notion firmly applies. The premise is pure TV gold, following an assassin who'd rather be an actor, but finds it hard to cut ties with his murderous gig. Making it even better is the pitch-perfect casting of former Saturday Night Live great Hader, of course, who has never been better than he is playing the eponymous hitman here. The setup: when Hader's Barry Berkman heads from Cleveland to Los Angeles for his job, he discovers a previously unknown passion for acting after he stumbles into a class held by veteran thespian Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler, The French Dispatch). The catch? Barry kills people for money, and that isn't a line of work that you can leave easily, especially when you become caught in the Chechen mafia's violent and deadly dramas. As SNL fans will already know, Hader is an on-screen treasure. He's truly something else in this part-comedy, part-tragedy series. Barry's struggle mightn't seem that relatable on paper, but it proves exactly that with Hader in the role. Also excellent is Winkler, expectedly. And, similarly great is Bill & Ted Face the Music's Anthony Carrigan as Chechen gangster Noho Hank — who befriends Barry, isn't that skilled at the whole crime business and quickly becomes one of the most memorable characters to ever grace a TV series. It's no wonder that fans have been hanging out for the third season of this Emmy-winner, which finally arrives in April — on Monday, April 25 in Australia via Binge, in fact — after a three-year gap since season two. Based on both the initial teaser trailer and this new sneak peek, Barry's quest to go on the straight and narrow — and pursue acting — is still as chaotic as ever. In fact, this season will focus on the other factors, including his own psyche, that saw Barry become a killer to begin with. Another big part of the new episodes, according to HBO: fellow characters trying to make the right choices. Also returning are Stephen Root (The Tragedy of Macbeth) as Barry's former handler Monroe, who is in hiding; Sarah Goldberg (The Night House) as Barry's girlfriend Sarah, who is also an actor; D'Arcy Carden (The Good Place) as a fellow acting student; and Sarah Burns (Werewolves Within) as Detective Mae Dunn. And Hader isn't just phenomenally excellent on-screen in Barry — he also co-created it, has directed a heap of episodes, and also co-wrote others. Check out the full trailer for Barry season three below: Barry's third season will start streaming via Binge in Australia and Neon in New Zealand from Monday, April 25. Images: Peter Iovino and Merrick Morton/HBO.
Facebook might have spawned its fair share of hook-ups over the years, but now the site's taking the whole matchmaking thing to the next level. As announced by CEO Mark Zuckerberg at the company's annual F8 developer conference, a new Facebook feature for dating and relationships is just around the corner. According to Facebook's blog post about its latest technology announcements, the dating service is designed to improve the experience of meeting new people. You'll be able to use it to create a dating profile (separate to your regular one, thankfully), which will then throw you potential love matches, based on information about your mutual friends, preferences and things you might have in common. Users will also be able to scout out compatible matches through Facebook's 'Groups' and 'Events' features. The service is being built as we speak, with testing slated to kick off later this year. Other nifty new Facebook services announced at the F8 conference include a blood donations registrations feature for communities in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, and new ways of sharing to your 'Stories'. Also in development is a 'Clear History' feature, which will show you what websites and apps send Facebook your information, and enable you to switch off the process going forward. It's a feature that might make users feel more secure after the Cambridge Analytica privacy breach.
Did you know that crabs' teeth are located in their stomach? Better brush up on your crab trivia in preparation for the Morrison Bar & Oyster Room's second annual Crab Carnival, a month-long complement to August's Oyster Festival. Enjoy the festivities while sipping on crab-inspired cocktails and munching on crab menu specials — including $5 crab tacos from 6 - 7pm daily. For a real treat, try the chilli mud crab at market prices or the the soft shell crab burger with green goddess dressing. What would a carnival be without the games? Thursday April 2 and 16, the Morrison will hold hermit crab races at 7pm. If you're more in the market for eating crab, face off against the chefs in their crab eating contest, which will be held on Tuesday, April 7, at 7pm. The entry fee is $20 and all profits from the contest will go to the SeaLife Conservation Fund. Spaces will fill up fast for the crab racing and crab eating contests, so make sure to get there early.
Let's hear it for the girls. Beauty and lifestyle website Outergold is launching All Your Gold, a year-long art series showcasing new works by contemporary female artists. To mark the beginning of the series, Outergold is putting on an exhibition featuring the work of all 12 artists at the Tate Gallery. "When we launched Outergold, we really wanted the store to be a hub for customers that also share our passions for things we love beside beauty — music, travel and art," say co-founders Bridget Rusk and Carney Nir. The exhibition showcases the work of typographers, street artists, illustrators, textile artists, photographers and everything in between. Featured international artists include illustrator and Wes Anderson titles letterer Jessica Hische, Hannah Stouffer and Cara Stricker. Australian-based artists whose work will be included are Gemma O'Brien, Biddy Maroney of Webuyyourkids, Miso, Cat Rabbit, Syke, Takie, Greedy Hen, Furry Little Peach, and Jacqueline Bui. Look for a different artist to be highlighted each month over the next year on the Outergold website.
When a crowd is already pulsing before the end of the first warm-up act, you know you're in for a special night. Barely had the Enmore Theatre's doors opened on the final evening of RÜFÜS' acclaimed Worlds Within Worlds tour on Sunday before an eager throng had assembled, ready to absorb and reflect the alluring indietronica promised by a notable triple-bill. With 17 sold-out shows serving as a teaser for this one, the palpable anticipation of the umlaut-laden fans came as no surprise. Enthroned upon an impressive LED-sequinned deck, Future Classic's Hayden James pushed all the right buttons to harness said energy and keep it amping upward. Against a backdrop of throbbing colours, enormous unfurling flowers and floating textual elements, the Sydney producer laid down an ethereal set of smooth electro-dance beats, effortlessly interweaving the levels and textures of his sound. An already enthusiastic crowd roared for 'Permission to Love' from James' 2013 self-titled EP, with a flawless performance doing justice to the hype that has surrounded the single since it dropped mid-last year. Seattle-based production duo Odesza kept the crowd engaged with their unique, mellow style, sweeping together waifish samples and intriguing beats from their debut album Summer's Gone. The Enmore air was electric by the time the indie dance trio itself was ready to take the stage. RÜFÜS exploded into a set that undulated gorgeously from high-octane favourites like 'Sundream' and 'Take Me' of Triple J Hot 100 fame, down into the moodier shadows of 'Sarah' and 'Simplicity is Bliss', and right back again. With the benefit of frontman Tyrone Lindqvist's compelling performance, the music took on more nuance and personality live than it conveys in recorded form. A 12,000-LED-strong backdrop produced by Red Bull and designed by Melbourne studio ENESS was brought to life by, and brought life to, the electronic music, in a symbiotic relationship that elevated RÜFÜS' escapist sound to an entirely new place. From oozing sunset colours for 'Take Me' to pulsing rainbows for dance anthem 'Tonight', ENESS' set appeared as a living, dancing fourth member of the ensemble — to gratifying effect. The spine-tingling female vocals for 'Unforgiven' were delivered by Nicole Millar, who burst onto the electro-dance scene only recently with her soulful contributions to the Cosmo's Midnight track 'Phantasm' and Peking Duk's 'High'. The sweet, coquettish delivery by the bespectacled powerhouse charmed the audience and the band in equal measures. Throughout the show, RÜFÜS appeared genuinely humbled by the breathless adoration of a crowd sad to see them wrap up a killer Australian tour and depart our shores for Berlin, where they will work on their next record. Lindqvist thanked the crowd more than once for paying for tickets and commented on the magic of being on stage at a venue where the three friends had themselves purchased spots at countless gigs not so long ago. A short but satisfying encore ended with 'Desert Night', with an ecstatic, bouncing crowd singing every word of the perhaps self-referential lyrics: "I'm alright, oh look at me now." We'll certainly be looking to see the fruits of RÜFÜS' expedition abroad; with a tour like this for a debut album, we can only imagine what else lies in store. Images by Kane Hibberd/Red Bull Content Pool and James Douglas for SpeakerTV.
It's not news that LAX is a hell hole to travel through. The long lines, endless delays and insane amount of swarming people can easily do your head in. That is, unless, you have $7500 to spare. As of May 15, VIP travellers at LAX now have access to an exclusive new terminal — The Private Suite makes the flying process laughably easy, offering luxury waiting suites, a dedicated TSA security line and even transport onto the tarmac in a BMW 7-Series sedan. On airport arrival, travellers are assigned a dedicated eight-person team to escort them to their personal suite, which includes a fully stocked bar and food pantry, two-person daybed, flatscreen TV, private bathroom and views of the airport runways. This team includes two personal assistants, one security personnel and one whom you never meet but handles all of your luggage. The entire process is reversed when members arrive into LAX, so you're covered either way. According to The Private Suite, it typically takes 2200 footsteps from car to plane, but, for members, they're cutting that number to a cool 70 steps total. While this service is the first of its kind in the States, similar VIP terminals exist at London's Heathrow, Munich and Dubai airports. It's clear each of these services is catering to dramatically affluent humans and, especially in LAX, the Hollywood 'elite' specifically. According to the website, "Members don't walk down long crowded concourses, or line up at ticket counters and boarding gates. They don't deal with baggage. And they don't deal with paparazzi." All this obviously sounds fantastic, but it comes at a serious price — the cost for The Private Suite during trial period is $3500 for domestic and $4000 for international, on top of your flight. The price does cover an entourage of three passengers, though, and they also offer slightly cheaper shared lounge services for $2000–$2500. On top of these charges, membership to the program costs an additional $7500 per year, but does get you in at a bit of a cheaper price point per flight. Membership will also get you the crème de la crème treatment, including complimentary in-suite massage, hair, make-up and nail services. Importantly, photography, video, and audio recordings are strictly prohibited in The Private Suite. What happens in The Private Suite, stays in The Private Suite. Images: The Private Suite.
Getting paid to do what you love is the ultimate employment dream. Finding a job doing something that everyone loves? That's a next-level kind of gig. When Gelatissimo turned taste-testing new gelato flavours into an actual position, it fell into that category. When Domino's wanted someone to eat garlic bread for cold hard cash, it did too. And over at hospitality group Australian Venue Co, there's a similar kind of job on offer. Fancy adding 'secret sipper' to your resume? That's the gig that AVC is currently advertising again, with 100 positions available around the country. You'll get assigned to cover some of the company's bars and pubs in your city, and you'll get paid for dining, drinking and then submitting a review once a month. If you've ever worked in retail and heard about mystery shoppers, then you know the drill. That's how these roles work, but in hospitality. So, you'll be posing as a customer and interacting with the venue's staff to scope out their service — and you'll be so discreet that they'll be unaware that you're on AVC's payroll, like they are. Members of the company's Secret Sipper Club, as the lucky wining-and-dining folks are called, will receive a $30 meal allowance for their monthly visit, plus $200 for each review. For that cash — which will make this a side hustle rather than your only gig — you do need to do more than offer a few words, completing a detailed written report after each meal. You don't need to have any experience in the field. Obviously, we're all veterans at eating and drinking, but you don't need to have done this type of job before. There are some pre-requisites, though, such as being over 18; having your own transport and access to a mobile device; being passionate about the industry; attentiveness and impartiality; and having time to do 12 visits each year. And if you're wondering which venues you might be visiting, it could be any in AVC's stable. In Sydney, that includes everywhere from The Winery, Cargo and Kingsleys through to BrewDog South Eveleigh, The Rook and Little Pearl. For Melburnians, you might be hitting up The Espy, The Duke and Sarah Sands Hotel, or BrewDog Pentridge, State of Grace and Trinket. Brisbane's venues include The Wickham, The Regatta, Crown Hotel and Riverland, plus the likes of Burleigh Town Hotel, The Local Tavern and Wallaby Hotel on the Gold Coast. In Adelaide, The Hope Inn, The Unley and The West End Tavern are on the list, while Perth residents could find themselves at Raffles Hotel, Sweetwater Rooftop Bar, The Globe and Wolf Lane. Find out more about AVC's Secret Sipper Club — and apply — by heading to the company's website.
Kitchen by Mike's casual approach to fine dining was game changing when the restaurant first opened in Rosebery all those years ago (way back in 2012). It combined casual eating, American high school lunchrooms, locally sourced ingredients and an acclaimed chef — Mike McEnearney — to create a flexible, no frills restaurant that sold itself through the main event: food. The canteen-style restaurant then closed — to much despair from fans — in 2015. But, it's about to return. This time, though, it's reopening in the CBD — which means city workers' lunch options are about to improve tenfold. Moving into the digs of McEnearney's soon-to-close fine diner No.1 Bent Street — which is located, fittingly, at 1 Bent Street — Kitchen by Mike will start serving fresh, nourishing food, from breakfast through dinner, from Wednesday, May 1. Those familiar with the now-closed flagship KBM in Rosebery, or the new canteen at Sydney International Airport, will be pleased to know that well-loved breakfast favourites are still on the bill, such as McEnearney's bacon butty and the sourdough pancakes with lemon curd. His famed woodfired sourdough will also be available — at all times. For lunch and dinner, you'll be able to browse through an array of salads, woodfired and slow-cooked meats, tartines, pizza and pastries. Many vegetarian options will be on offer, too, including cauliflower, sheep's curd, green apple and radicchio on sprouted buckwheat toast, and the famed cucumber, mirin, ginger and sesame salad. While it seems like the Rosebery KMB has been closed forever — four years is a long time — McEnearney says plans to reopen the restaurant have been in the works for quite some time. "We've been trying to re-open Kitchen by Mike for a while," said McEnearney in a statement. "Then it hit me— it was right under my nose all the time. No. 1 Bent Street is the perfect fit." According to the acclaimed chef, the casual style of eatery is more fitted to the CBD at the moment — with city workers on the look out for "casual yet wholesome places to eat" — so, he decided to close No. 1 Bent Street, and open KBM instead. Keeping with McEnearney's environmentally friendly approach to running venues, the restaurant will also be low waste and single-use plastic free. Customers will also be encouraged to bring their own reusable takeaway containers — and coffee cups, of course — when ordering food to-go. And there are plans to rebuild the Physic Garden, which was once attached to the Rosebery KBM outpost. At its biggest, the urban garden contained 100 different plant species, 50 of which were grown for their medicinal properties. Find Kitchen by Mike at 1–7 Bent Street, Sydney from May 1. It will be open from breakfast through dinner, with both dine-in and takeaway options available. No 1 Bent Street will close on Thursday, April 18.
After bailing from the office at a reasonable hour, head to Gelato Messina (in Surry Hills or Darlinghurst) and get yourself a sundae made from the daily special. Delicious frozen treat in hand, stroll down to Golden Age Cinema for a movie screening in a beautifully-restored building.The range of films they screen is eclectic — new, old, arthouse, iconic — and they also host weekly live performances in the bar. Cocktail in hand you can watch the likes of Rainbow Chan, the Great Outdoors and The Double.
If you've been making an effort to be kinder to the planet, chances are your daily coffee habits have had a bit of a shakeup of late. Maybe you've said farewell to your last takeaway coffee cup, switched to drinking only fair-trade beans, ditched environmentally harmful coffee pods, or all of the above. Well, now local company Pod & Parcel could just see you change up your coffee game once again. The start-up is the brainchild of three Melbourne business consultants, Ben Goodman, Elliott Haralambous and Jai Felinksi, who wanted to combine the ease of a coffee pod with the quality of specialty coffee — without leaving a nasty impact on the planet. The trio developed a special plant-based pod that is fully biodegradable and compostable, taking just six months to break down, as opposed to the 500 years of its competitors. With an estimated two-to-three million coffee pods consumed daily in Australia alone, that's a whole lot of reasons to switch. Another is the coffee itself. Far from skimping on quality, the trio has collaborated with local coffee roasters to develop its product, so you can enjoy that cafe-level cuppa from the comfort of your home. Choose from a single-origin Guatemalan — with notes of creamy vanilla and blood orange — or a toffee-noted blend of Colombian and Tanzanian beans, among many others. Because it's specialty-grade arabica coffee, it has a back-story, too. Consumers can find out where it came from, how it travelled and exactly when it was roasted. Consider this a budget-friendly alternative to those exxy brews from your local specialty coffee shop, that also challenges big name pod manufacturers like Nespresso. Pod & Parcel's creations come in a swag of different flavours and intensities, available online from around 86 cents per pod. If you fancy saving even more, you can sign up to its Coffee Club, which delivers pods straight to your door.
Sure you've had plenty of time to see the Art Gallery of New South Wales's blockbuster exhibition Japan Supernatural, but have you been yet? We get it, there aren't enough hours in a day. Luckily, if you're yet to see the exhibition, or you're keen to see the 200 works again before it closes, the gallery is extending its opening hours for its final weekend. From Friday, March 6 to Sunday, March 8, the gallery will stay open till 10pm — so you really have no excuse not to visit. The exhibition explores the spirit world in Japanese art — from paintings and sculpture to prints, film, animation, comics and games. Wander through the gallery after dark and see contemporary artist Takashi Murakami's huge mural; Utagawa Kuniyoshi's work Mitsukuni defies the skeleton spectre conjured up by Princess Takiyasha (1845–46); and the painted handscroll Night procession of the Hundred Demons (1772–81) by Toriyama Sekien. Need more inspiration? Check out five must-see works here and the haunting characters to look out for here. On top of staying up late, the gallery is also hosting a series of mini events. Drop into an origami workshop led by Japanese-born, Sydney-based contemporary artist Midori Furze. Taking place in the gallery's cafe on Friday, from 6–8pm, and Sunday, from 5–7pm, this art class will teach you how to create paper Japanese spirits, known as yōkai. You can also catch a free live gig on the exhibition's closing night. Sydney-based singer-songwriter Morgana Osaki will be performing her experimental electronic tunes on Sunday, from 5–8pm. Japan Supernatural is open from 10am–10pm on Friday, March 6, Saturday, March 7 and Sunday, March 8. For more information, head here. Images: 'Japan Supernatural' at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, November 2, 2019 until March 8, 2020. Photo: AGNSW/Jenni Carter.
Merrick Watts has some charming words for cafe workers who want to be treated like human beings. Appearing on Channel Nine's Today program, where the discussion centred around a number of Melbourne cafes who refuse service to customers who order while talking on the phone, the radio host and alleged comedian let loose on "hipster" baristas, proclaiming that they should "just make me the coffee" and that "you're not doing real work." "I'm paying for it, so how about you just give it to me, as opposed to the hipster attitude with your beard and all your weird mermaid tattoos," said Watts, to the delighted chortles of his fellow panellists. "Are you a sailor, or are you making coffee?" "Just give me the coffee, let me talk on the phone, 'cause we can't have a conversation, I don't need to engage, because I don't speak pirate!" If you can stomach the rest of the rant, you can watch the 9 News video here. Presumably it's been a while since Watts has deigned to associate with anyone who works in the hospitality industry. Thing is, we actually know quite a few baristas — many of whom work 40+ hours each week. One former Melbourne barista described a typical shift as "8-9 hours without sitting, often 10+ orders deep, trying to juggle customer expectations of friendliness with prompt service". They added: "People on phones generally slowed down the whole process and would often be the first to return a coffee if you'd misinterpreted their wild arm waving." We're not saying you have to be best mates with your barista . And yes, we've all encountered a rude one from time to time — but maybe part of the reason for that are people like Watts, who think it's totally fine to treat lesser paid hospo workers like vending machines. At the end of the day, it's not that hard to take 15 seconds and actually engage with the person on the other side of the counter. Or, if you're really not feeling it, order from a skip-the-queue app and go on your way.
There has been much discussion about what the future of food will look like — lab-grown meat, veganism, Soylent-like meal replacements, insects. And news and finance magazine The Economist wants you to get accustomed with the last-mentioned possibility: eating critters. To help ease you into the idea of snackin' on creepy-crawlies, it's giving out free ice cream. But don't expect your usual go-to flavours — instead think chocolate with grasshopper chunks, strawberry with mealworm swirls and neapolitan with mixed bugs. The insect-laden ice cream truck will be popping up around Sydney for three weeks in March and is part of the magazine's new Feeding the Future campaign. While insects aren't a totally new concept to Sydney's dining scene — you can eat them at Kylie Kwong's Billy Kwong and at Bea in Barangaroo House — this is certainly one of your only chances to try them for free (and prepared by a professional, not collected from your backyard). If you've got the courage to try these futuristic flavours, track down the cart at the locations below. Monday, March 5 - Wynyard Park, 12pm–6pm Tuesday, March 6 - UNSW, 10am–5pm Wednesday, March 7 - Wollongong University, 10am–5pm Thursday, March 8 - Henry Deane Plaza, 8am–7pm Friday, March 9 - Martin Place, 12pm–5pm Monday, March 12 - University of Sydney, 10am–5pm Tuesday, March 13 - UTS, 10am–5pm Thursday, March 15 - University of Sydney, 10am–5pm Friday, March 16 - Chatswood Mall Market - 9am–9pm Sunday, March 18 - Manly Wharf, 10am–6pm
There once was a time a brother-sister duo known as Angus & Julia Stone rose to fame and cast their spell upon the nation, and on countries far and wide. Then came the amicable split that saw the siblings go their separate ways to pursue solo projects – albeit still holding on tight to the Angus & Julia Stone success. The question on everyone's lips was: Will they be as magical solo as they are in a duo? Two albums later, and Julia Stone has blast down those concerns. Her sweet, fragile and childish voice coupled with her whimsical melodies and stories have proven that she is just as powerful as a solo singer/songwriter. Her latest offering, By The Horns, features some of those gems including Let's Forget All The Things That We Say and It's All Okay. Prepare to get wooed by Ms Stone, who will be touring off the back of her second record, with support from The Trouble With Templeton. https://youtube.com/watch?v=zQbRzn0ypio
It's time to kick off your boots and relegate cardigans to the back of the cupboard: summer is almost upon us. When it comes to sunshiny good times, we're kind of experts here in the land of Oz. From coastal escapades and balmy starlit parties to adventures through our epic and varied landscapes, we've got plenty of awe-striking experiences to discover when the weather is fine. Many of these splendid excursions are best enjoyed with a rejuvenating tipple. So, if you're after a fresh beverage to colour your summer, why not check out the flavourful range from new-to-the-scene Mosey Fruity Beer. These zippy brews provide the refreshment of a poolside beer enlivened with fruity, tropical tang. To spruce up these three classic summer experiences, just add a few cans to your bar fridge or moveable feast. GRAB YOUR MATES FOR A PARK HANG AND CHEESE BOARD It's safe to say that, after the last few years, we appreciate picnics in the park and group hangs like never before. Whether you're chilling with your best mates every other day or are in dire need of a catch-up, a romp around the park in the sunshine is sure to boost the communal serotonin. If you want to elevate it to a fancy affair, delegate menu items to construct an epic picnic. Naturally, you'll need cheese — from crumbling fetas to sharp cheddar, nut-based vegan delights and explosive blobs of burrata, a well-appointed cheese board is a luxury that can be enjoyed by the masses. Make sure each member of the picnic party adds to the spread. You'll want to tick off cured meats, pickled veg, fresh fruits, nuts and every chip and dip imaginable. And of course, there are the drinks. Locate a glorious patch of grass where booze consumption is allowed and load up your portable mini bar — making sure to add a blueberry Mosey Fruity Beer to the collection. It imbues the classic crispness of a lager with the summer-fresh essence of ripe blueberries for a flavour combination that'll sit happily in any picnic mix. If you prefer your picnics with some background beats, Mosey's got you sorted with a bop-heavy playlist ready to go. GET THE FAM TOGETHER FOR A POOLSIDE BARBECUE As the days grow longer and the breezes warmer, Aussie families naturally congregate by the barbecue for practice runs before the big Christmas bash. While we aren't all blessed with a sparkling backyard pool, there's surely a distant aunt or pretty-much-family-at-this-point friend with a chlorinated or salty oasis for you to dive bomb. So, don your cossies, dig the noodle out of storage and stock your chilly bins ready for an epic family get together. Fun is the aim, so be sure to come ready for a few rowdy matches of backyard cricket, an ultimate frisbee sesh and competition-heavy shoulder wars in the pool. These festive occasions with the cousins you haven't seen in yonks inevitably involve impressive chargrilled feasts. The lime Mosey Fruity Beer is the perfect complement to rich cuts of lamb, stacks of potato bake and the essential pavlova finisher. Any beer bitterness is stripped away, so you can enjoy the citrusy hit of lime alongside the warming palate a crisp lager is known for. The brew is just as well paired with a plate of fresh prawns — what more could you ask of a family feast under the summer sun? And in case you're lacking in the tunes department, Mosey has a premixed playlist that will keep the vibes high. END THE WORK WEEK WITH BEVVIES AND A VIEW On struggle street as you limp towards Friday afternoon after a massive week of work? Hold onto the promise of knock-off drinks with the work gang. We all know how demoralising it can be when you're stuck toiling away while the weather is blissful, especially if you take a peek at the 'gram and see folks of leisure surfing waves or soaking up the sunshine in luxe holiday destinations. But, rest assured, your time will come. Start the weekend early with celebratory Friday arvo drinks and snacks. You'll want to seek out the most scenic spot for your well-deserved session to eke the most out of the fading afternoon light. If your office has a balcony — or you work somewhere with a slick bar area or cute garden — stake out your chill-out station. Then, pass around a few cans of passionfruit Mosey Fruity Beer to get things started. It's an easy-drinking brew with a summery sweetness that'll delight drinkers of all sorts, regardless of whether you're into sessionable lagers or extravagant cocktails. Match this sweet refreshment with some salty good times in the form of fried chicken or a simple-yet-crowd-pleasing bag of chippies — and an equally punchy playlist. C'mon, you've earned it. Armed with a four-pack of Mosey Fruity Beers, you'll be ready to make summer yours. To find out more about the juicy bevs, head to the website. Images: Chester Newling
Break out the waffles: Amy Poehler is coming to Australia. If you're a Parks and Recreation fan, nothing less than eating breakfast foods non-stop between now and the end of May will do to celebrate. The actor behind Leslie Knope — and Saturday Night Live legend, and voice of Joy in both Inside Out and Inside Out 2 — has a date with Vivid Sydney, heading to the Harbour City for an in-conversation event that'll see her chat through her career. Inside Out 2 releases in cinemas in mid-June, so it'll receive plenty of focus when Poehler gets talking — so much so that the Sydney Opera House evening that'll be moderated by Zan Rowe will include a 30-minute first-look at the film. But her work spans far and wide beyond the animated Pixar franchise, including to films such as Baby Mama and Sisters, writing the hilarious Yes Please and unforgettable Golden Globe hosting gigs with Tina Fey. [caption id="attachment_793108" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo by: Chris Haston/NBC[/caption] Poehler's session will take place on Monday, May 27, making it one of the early highlights of the festival. It comes after 2023's Vivid Sydney also featured a massive screen-focused in-conversation session, welcoming The White Lotus' Jennifer Coolidge and Mike White.
Consider yourself a bit of a wine expert? Can you swish with the best of them? Can you hold long conversations about tasting notes and ageing barrels? Or are you more in the Leslie Knope school of thought when it comes to wine sampling — couldn't tell you the difference between a Cab Sav and a Merlot, but it's tasty and I'll go with it? Wherever you sit on this spectrum, Mental Notes promises to have something for everybody on the wine enthusiast scale. Returning for their third event on September 23, both levels of the Lansdowne Hotel will be hosting winemakers from all over Australia, giving keen wine-drinkers the opportunity to taste a cheeky wine, or three. With over a hundred wines available for the tasting, you can drink your way through the country's vineyards, and learn a trick or two from the winemakers themselves. If this wasn't already a pretty sweet deal, there will also be a smattering of food on the day to complement (read: soak up) some of that sweet wine goodness thanks to the venue. Hosted by Joel Amos (DRNKS) as well Kenneth Graham and Jake Smyth of Mary's, The Unicorn and the Landsdowne fame, there will also be a casual bar operating during the wine tasting — with a wine list that will be changing every hour — because, can you ever really have enough booze at a wine event?
If there’s one thing we’ve come to know about ourselves it’s that we love a good gimmick. Whether it’s a nautically-themed gastropub or an entire cafe built on Pantone colour palettes, we can’t get enough of the weird and the wonderful. And so it’s no surprise that we’re squee-ing in anticipation of the Brisbane Festival's bizarre food-meets-theatre offering Fear and Delight. Created by Strut & Fret, the theatrical culinary event has been making waves in the news for the last few days, mainly because of the inclusion of food artists Bompas and Parr's so-called G&T Cloud Experience, first opened in London last month. This, in layman’s terms, means 'a room filled with a cloud of humidified gin and tonic which is consumed through the skin and eyeballs'. Yep, breathable booze. As expected, some are delighted with the prospect and others are fearful, while some people are just downright ready to party. Health experts have been lining up around the block to offer their opinion on the phenomenon. Professor Jake Najman, of the University of Queensland’s Drug Research and Education Centre, told the Guardian that rapidly absorbing a carcinogenic chemical is a big no-no. To be fair to the Professor, downing six Jaeger bombs and a Big Mac every Saturday night could also be considered near to carcinogenic but that certainly doesn’t stop us. However Najman also admits that not too much is known about the effects of inhaling alcohol, so bottoms up! Or bottoms out or however it is you toast in this new landscape of possibility. Celebrated internationally for such foodie happenings as an anatomical whisky tasting, a DNA-matching cocktail bar and a huge pagan feast at this year's Dark Mofo, Bompas and Parr are no strangers to controversy. Parr told Bloomberg that humidified drinking is "a new way of experiencing drink, and it’s social because it’s an immersive shared environment. You all have the same flavour sensation. Alcohol tastes better, with more nuances. You can detect more subtle flavours when it is humidified". What a time to be alive! But don’t worry about overdoing it on the alcohol-infused vapour, as Fear and Delight director Scott Maidment says that patrons would have to stand in the cloud for 40 minutes to absorb the equivalent of a large gin and tonic. So even if you get naked and do laps of the room, you won’t end up too drunk to watch the show afterwards. It really adds a whole new layer of meaning to #vapelife. Brisbane Festival’s Fear and Delight runs 4-25 September at South Bank Culture Forecourt. Grab tickets here.
The teenagers of Point Place are at it again: hangin' out down the street, that is, usually in the Forman family basement. This time, decades have passed on- and off-screen since the world first met a group of high schoolers happily doing the same old things they did last week in the fictional Wisconsin town. Netflix's new That '90s Show picks up just over 15 years after That '70s Show's timeline, embracing all that the mid-90s had to offer from raves and Alanis Morissette's initial fame to video stores and Donkey Kong. (Yellowjackets isn't the only series going all-in three decades back right now.) For viewers, the 1995-set series arrives 17 years after its predecessor said farewell. The years might've changed, but the basics stay the same in a wave of familiar places, faces, scenarios and themes — and the overall formula. From 1998–2006, Eric Forman (Topher Grace, Home Economics), girl-next-door Donna Pinciotti (Laura Prepon, Orange Is the New Black), and pals including Michael Kelso (Ashton Kutcher, Vengeance), Jackie Burkhart (Mila Kunis, Luckiest Girl Alive) and Fez (Wilmer Valderrama, NCIS) earned That '70s Show's attention as they chatted through their hopes and dreams, got stoned frequently, and tried to work out who they were, who they loved and what they wanted. Now, doing the same is Eric and Donna's 14-year-old daughter Leia (Callie Haverda, The Lost Husband), plus the new friends she makes while visiting her loving, supportive but sometimes embarrassing empty-nester grandparents. It's during a July 4th weekend stopover at Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp, WandaVision) and Red's (Kurtwood Smith, The Dropout), aka her dad's childhood home, that Leia finds something she doesn't have in Chicago: peers that truly understand her. Despite dashing Eric's dreams of a father-daughter space camp trip just as Red is informing him and Donna that they're now "upstairs people", Leia decides to stay in Point Place for the summer. As perky as ever, Kitty is thrilled to have the house — all levels — filled with kids once more. The perennially cantankerous Red doesn't share or even feign her enthusiasm, but he is eager to start threatening another generation with an emphatic kick in the rear — and to call them all "dumbass". Those new teens? The elder Formans' neighbours Gwen (Ashley Aufderheide, Four Kids and It) and Nate (Maxwell Acee Donovan, Gabby Duran & The Unsittables) — one a feisty riot grrrl getting Leia to rebel for the first time in her life, the other the airhead successor to Michael Kelso — and their existing friends. There is a genuine Kelso, too, in the form of hunky ladies' man Jay (Mace Coronel, Colin in Black & White), who's firmly his dad's son. Rounding out the gang: the witty Ozzie (Reyn Doi, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar), the openly gay member of the group, and Nate's super-smart girlfriend Nikki (Sam Morelos, Forgetting Nobody). Including recognisable character traits and the entire new pot-smoking, basement-dwelling crew's dynamic, as well as their hijinks — and spanning the chaos brought by Gwen and Nate's mother Sherri (Andrea Anders, Ted Lasso) as a replacement for Eric's elder sister Laurie, plus the return of the same theme tune (but given a decade-appropriate makeover), the stoner circle and each episode's interludes — That '90s Show is the blatant doppelgänger of TV sequels. Reviving teen-centric hits from decades back is one of pop culture's favourite recent trends, covering everything from Saved by the Bell and Gossip Girl to Bel-Air, but this comeback is deeply determined to give exactly what worked the first time — and for 200 episodes at that — another spin. In a series developed by That '70s Show creators Bonnie Turner and Terry Turner alongside their daughter Lindsey Turner and also That '70s Show producer Gregg Mettler, cue layer upon layer of nostalgia — for That '70s Show and for the new series' own titular decade alike. Entertainingly for fans of the original, That '90s Show's love of nods and references to its predecessor is as vast as Eric's still-buzzing love for Star Wars (see: Leia's name, and Eric's job as a professor exploring the religion of Star Wars). Obviously, the Netflix continuation couldn't be called That '90s Show if it didn't embrace its namesake as well, complete with references to Clerks, Home Alone and Free Willy, and a Beverly Hills 90210-inspired fantasy sequence. The extra dose of nostalgia? Not only getting viewers thinking about That '70s Show and the 90s, but recalling watching it in the 90s and 00s, and also wading through its affection for the 70s at the same time. Here, nostalgia and familiarity are in, making any big new moves is out — other than for Leia when she decides to stay with Kitty and Red the summer, putting herself out there to make new friends and chasing her heart. Sticking with what this franchise knows could've been unambitious and straightforward, but it couldn't suit both That '70s Show and That '90s Show better. Before it made stars out of Grace, Prepon, and the now-married Kutcher and Kunis, a considerable part of the first series' appeal was its low-key vibe; it was a show to hang out with, just as its main players did with each other while they navigated recognisable and relatable suburban teen life. This follow-up knows not to depart from that key trait, just as it knows that the mechanics of being in high school haven't shifted no matter how long has passed. Could this be a continuation of That '70s Show if the old gang didn't show up at various points, including the OG Kelso, Jackie, now-celebrity hairdresser Fez and always-high hippie Leo (Tommy Chong, Color Out of Space)? Of course not. Could this new series escape the temptation to have Leia fall for Jay and use that will-they-won't-they situation as one of its ongoing threads? Of course not again. That '90s Show is an endearing, laidback, easily bingeable throwback all the same — well-cast, too, although Doi and Morelos deserve more focus if it returns for a second season — and one that gets its levels of dripping nostalgia exactly right. Case in point: when it opens, it's with Kitty dancing in her kitchen to the apt 'Groove Is in the Heart', that 1990 Deee-Lite hit that hailed back to the 70s. Check out the trailer for That '90s Show below: That '90s Show streams via Netflix. Images: Patrick Wymore/Netflix © 2022.
Electronic music has been getting a big shove into the spotlight recently thanks to good people doing things like this. In fact we’re so all over the genre that we’re being given a conference about it, and helping cultivate this ambient surge for two years now have been the guys in charge of putting stuff on at Goodgod. The freshest endeavor of Sydney’s inner-city dance oasis is this thing called Hi-Beams, which sees the decks pulled out to the middle of the front bar’s d-floor for a free weekly documentation of producers and DJs pushing raw and interesting electronic sounds. Last week it was the sonically intrepid Prize, Gardland and Cliques, the last of which have been on our radar for a while now despite having only two tracks due for release. Each 30-minute set will be broadcast and recorded live via Hi-Beams.tumblr.com, but you know what they say about being there. Hint: It’s more fun and the snacks are better.
What would Bondi be without its breakfast joints? The suburb seems to have 'em on every corner, with each one better than the next. From the health-conscious to the all-day spots slinging buttermilk pancakes and top-notch cuppas, these beachside institutions serve some of the best breakfasts in all of Sydney. Here are our picks of the best of the bunch. An honourable mention goes out to Porch and Parlour, which is currently closed due to a fire incident. It deserves a spot on this list and we're hoping for a speedy reopening.
UPDATE, May 14, 2021: American Utopia is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. There may be no catchier lyric in music history than "same as it ever was", the five words repeated in Talking Heads' 1981 single 'Once in a Lifetime'. As uttered again and again by the band's inimitable frontman David Byrne, it's a looping phrase that burrows into your skull and never leaves. It's a line that, apropos of nothing, starts echoing through your brain at random moments as well. It's also the type of lyric that, when the above situation happens, no one protests. So when American Utopia opens with the musician sat at a table holding a brain and talking about what its various parts do, it feels as if Byrne is acknowledging what everyone already knows in the deepest recesses of their consciousness: that Byrne long ago got cosy in our craniums and has been nattering away to us ever since. As he stares at grey matter while wearing a grey suit — a perfectly fitting one, unlike the famed big number he wore in iconic 1984 Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense — Byrne has something else on his mind, though. American Utopia starts with the part of our bodies where we all mentally reside, but slowly and smartly evolves from the cerebral to the communal. It segues from one man alone on a stage lost in his own thoughts to 12 people singing, dancing, playing instruments and connecting, and also pondering the state of the world and how to better it in the process. And it takes its titular concept seriously along the way, confronting America's political and social divisions in Byrne's witty, wise and impassioned between-song chats, but never satirising the idea that the US could be improved to the benefit of everyone. American Utopia is a concert film like its predecessor; however, as that masterpiece proved, the whole notion means more to Byrne than merely standing in front of a camera and busting out well-known hits. From the sublimely soothing 'This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)' to the punchier 'Burning Down the House', plenty of Byrne's best-known songs do grace American Utopia. 'Once in a Lifetime' is among them, of course, as are 'Road to Nowhere' and 'Everybody's Coming to My House', with the film's playlist spanning his career with Talking Heads and solo. Across a range of styles and tempos, each track is a wonder, and not just in the way that fans already know. As should be obvious from the fastidious fashion in which Byrne has conceptualised this stage performance — which he toured in 2018, then adapted for Broadway in 2019, and has now turned into this standout movie directed by Spike Lee — this is a meticulously crafted work. Basking in the glory of Byrne and his band is inevitable and would happen regardless, but soaking in everything that American Utopia does is another marvel entirely. It shouldn't be so striking to notice that Byrne and his colleagues are doing their thing completely untethered, for instance. The stage they stand on is bare except for a shimmering grey chainmail curtain that wraps around three sides, and their instruments and microphones are powered by packs so there are no pesky cords all over the place. Even percussion instruments are strapped to the folks playing them, with absolutely nothing touching the floor other than dancing (and in Byrne's case, bare) feet. It's freeing, not just for Byrne and his band, but to watch. Every move made is immaculately choreographed, but without all the wires and big equipment that's usually part of every concert experience, the performers can simply interact. And as they do, the audience engages on a deeper lever as well. Stop Making Sense devotees, which should include everyone given that it's the best concert movie ever made, will spot that Byrne has reversed his strategy from that earlier film. There, he walked onto the stage with a tape deck, pressed play, grabbed the microphone and kicked off by singing 'Psycho Killer'. When it came time for the next song, another bandmate joined him with their instrument of choice. The cycle repeated with the next track, and the next as well. It was a playful and also probing approach to the genre that made viewers confront its literally staged nature, which American Utopia achieves in the opposite manner and with broader aims — because, other than Byrne's presence, nothing is the same as it ever was here. Before Byrne forces you to do so, you probably won't have realised how enlivening, wondrous and cathartic it is to see the act of connecting so firmly thrust to the fore. It takes an incredible amount of work to make something so tightly constructed seem so loose and natural, and that's just one of the reasons that American Utopia is yet another of the star's masterpieces. The other sizeable factor: Lee, who is on quite the hot streak via BlacKkKlansman, Da 5 Bloods and now this. Like Byrne, he doesn't just want to plonk the performers in front of a lens, with his energetic directorial choices designed to complement the show and make the audience feel as if they're in the room. American Utopia, the stage production, already celebrates intimacy. At its core, it features a dozen people turning a semi-enclosed cube into an inviting space for collaboration and togetherness. Sometimes peering down on the action from above, sometimes weaving between band members, Lee and his 11 camera operators find the exact right shot for the exact right moment in every instance — and prove inventive and creative as they're doing so, too. Although it comes early in the film, when Byrne sings "home is where I want to be", another of his earworm lyrics, everything about what's easily the most joyous cinematic experience of the year instantly makes you feel that he's talking about exactly where he's standing at that very second. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97nnV0fNd30&feature=youtu.be
Cities are brilliant. They facilitate things like coffee, sex and conversation. You can get a pizza at two in the morning, you can stumble into washed-up models at the pub, and you can ask your local drag queen where they got their fabulous dress while you stand in line for an ATM. But for all of that, our cities have problems, and increasingly we are realising that the spaces we live in have an unparalleled impact on human health and happiness. There are 7 billion people alive today. By the end of this century there will be 10 billion. And it's estimated that 80 percent of those people will live in cities. "We have to deal with a doubling of urban dwellers in the next forty years. How are we going to make life in these places sustainable?" This is the question asked by Danish filmmaker Andreas Dalsgaard, whose documentary The Human Scale made its Australian premiere at the Sydney Film Festival last week and will screen at Melbourne's ACMI in June and July. The Problem with Building Cities as Machines In centuries past, cities were built at human walking pace, with the street and the square the fundamental elements of urban life. Think Rome. But things changed radically in the 20th century. Under the influence of modernist architects like Le Corbusier, cities were reconceived as machines for living, with the central functions of work, home and play separated for maximum efficiency. The most important element was the car. Buildings were meant to be glimpsed momentarily as you sped past on the freeway. Think Los Angeles. This has led to perfume bottle cities like Dubai, every building built to impress. They are places that look fantastic from the perspective of a helicopter. But they look rubbish from eye-level. Moreover, they aren't good for people. The cities we are building right now are making people ill. We build out, fostering social isolation and financial hardship. And we build up, when taller buildings inhibit fresh air, exercise and meeting other people. They are, in short, bad for your health. "In the Western world, we created this way of life, and we're now learning that there are huge problems connected with it," says Dalsgaard. "A lot of Western cities look towards Copenhagen and ask 'Why is it that 37 percent of people bike, why is it that you have this wonderful public domain and public life, can we get some of that?' And at the same time we have countries like China, which are developing so fast and copying a way of life which isn't sustainable, both on a human level and environmentally. Then we have the third world, represented by Dhaka — 3 billion people worldwide knocking on the door, about to make the same mistakes." The Human Scale is asking us to consider the ways a human-centred approach to urban planning, design and architecture could address these issues. "There are so many things we struggle with in human society," says Dalsgaard. "We have obesity, we have diabetes, we have depression and anxiety, and a lot of these things are connected with how we live." How to Reclaim Cities for People The central figure of The Human Scale is Jan Gehl, a Danish architect and urban designer who has inspired something of an international movement in urban planning. In the 1960s, Gehl began mapping pedestrian behaviour in Copenhagen. What he saw was that if you make more public space, there will be more public life. The best example of Gehl's vision is Copenhagen. The streets are for people, not cars. Small bars and cafes proliferate, public life thrives, and bicycles and walkers control the pace of life. These measures are more sustainable, not only financially but also environmentally and psychologically. People are healthier, they interact with each other, and they feel a sense of ownership over their own city. "It is so cheap to be sweet to people in city planning," explains Gehl. Because one of the central points of The Human Scale is that the way we are developing now — more cars, more high rise buildings, more energy consumption — is more expensive and dangerous than we can perhaps conceive of. Gehl's approach instead recognises that we can't halt the pace of growth. We have to look at what we have and consider how we do more with less. The Human Scale shows how Gehl's ideas have been adapted successfully in New York and Melbourne. One of the loveliest moments of the documentary is a scene showing a spontaneous snowball fight which broke out in New York's Times Square after it had been pedestrianised according to Gehl's recommendations. It demonstrates a wildness and passion which can only emerge in a city if you have a critical mass of people reclaiming public space. But these changes clash with the short-term interests of industry. "It's a constant struggle," notes Dalsgaard, "and the only way you can struggle is through the public domain. Citizens need to raise their voices saying 'we want this', or 'we don't want this.' If you don't have people doing that, then the poor measure of profit that huge high-rise developments make, they will prevail. And it's not that I'm against profit, I just believe in smart profit and long-term profit. And we have to find ways to fight for that." Why does this matter in Australia? In 2007, The Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore, commissioned Jan Gehl to create a plan to put life back into Sydney. It aimed to create more public spaces; to encourage small businesses, bars and cafes; to create a vibrant night-time economy; and to introduce cycleways and pedestrianise areas of the CBD, as had been done in Melbourne decades before. "Melbourne understood this thirty years ago," says Dalsgaard. "And that has meant that Melbourne today is a very attractive city, which has out-competed Sydney in many ways." Some of Gehl's proposals have worked in Sydney — it's seen an explosion in small bars due to reformed licensing laws, and events like Vivid encourage people into the streets. But peak industry groups sit at odds with public interest. We see this in the development of Central Park at Broadway, with the looming high-rises gradually blocking out the sunlight. And we see it in the proposed development of Barangaroo, where prime waterfront land which could be used as public space is likely to become Sydney's second casino. When asked about this conflict, Dalsgaard points to the success of Copenhagen's Meatpacking District, a former industrial section of the city (much like Barangaroo), which could have generated a vast amount of money for the government. But instead of selling off the district to developers, Copenhagen decided to keep the Meatpacking District as a place with low rents to encourage creative communities. This has transformed the Meatpacking Distract into the most exciting and innovative part of Copenhagen. "The thing about industry," notes Dalsgaard, "is that it's profit driven, but we have very poor measurements when it comes to long-term profit. It's a huge short-term cost for Copenhagen to decide to do that. But because there's this creative hub, people all over the world now are talking about the Meatpacking District. How do you measure that value?" What The Human Scale demonstrates is that it's dangerous to build just because you can. It shows that governments, industry bodies and architects the world over need to stop creating cities like a self-important child sat at a table with a Lego set, looking down from above. What matters is making cities good for people, making sure they are places that keep us healthy and happy, and which we want to wander, rest and linger in. The Human Scale is screening at ACMI from June 14 to July 4. The Sydney Film Festival continues until June 16.
UPDATE: November 23, 2023 — We've arranged an exclusive package to help you make the most of Mona Foma 2024. Book with Concrete Playground Trips and you'll have accommodation, ferry transfers, festival tickets and more all sorted, from just AUD$600 per person. There is only a limited number of packages available, though, so secure your booking here ASAP. Dark Mofo might be taking a breather in 2024, except for a few beloved events, but Tasmania's Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) will still be embracing summer at Mona Foma. The sunny counterpart to the Apple Isle's moody winter fest has locked in its return from Thursday, February 15–Sunday, February 25, 2024 in Hobart, and from Thursday, February 29–Sunday, March 3, 2024 in Launceston. It has also dropped one helluva getaway-worthy lineup. Back in October, Queens of the Stone Age announced an Australia tour for 2024, and were also revealed as the first act on Mona Foma's program for the year. At the latter, they'll have no shortage of company. Also on the music bill: Courtney Barnett, TISM, Paul Kelly, Mogwai, Shonen Knife, and Cash Savage and The Last Drinks, for starters. [caption id="attachment_923480" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pooneh Ghana.[/caption] Making a Tassie stop on her latest tour, Barnett's show features two sets. To begin with, she'll work through album End of the Day — aka the score to the Barnett-focused documentary Anonymous Club — with Stella Mozgawa. After that, she'll dive into the rest of her catalogue of tunes. Now that TISM are back playing live together — something that only started happening again in 2022 after 19 years without gigs — the Australian legends will bust out 'Greg! The Stop Sign!', 'Whatareya' and 'Ol' Man River' at Cataract Gorge. The Ron Hitler-Barassi-led band are part of a free one-day event at the stunning site during Mona Foma's Launceston weekend, as are Cash Savage and The Last Drinks. Head along and you'll also enjoy morning meditations to start the day, and hear from Mulga Bore Hard Rock and FFLORA + Grace Chia. [caption id="attachment_926549" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Moshcam[/caption] Still on tunes, Kelly will be focusing on his 2022 compilation Time, while Mogwai and Shonen Knife are part of the returning lawn-set Mona Sessions — as are fellow overseas talents Holy Fuck, Wednesday, Michael Rother and Friends (playing Neu! songs), and Lonnie Holley with Moor Mother and Irreversible Entanglements. Clearly, there'll be no shortage of musicians to listen to. Darren Hanlon, Bree van Reyk and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra are teaming up; Isaac et Nora, the 14- and 11-year-old French-Korean siblings, will perform Latin-American songs they've learned by ear; and producer Filastine and singer Nova, one based in Barcelona and the other hailing from Indonesia, will provide live tunes on a 70-tonne sailing ship's deck to muse on the climate crisis as part of Arka Kinari. DJs will get spinning beneath James Turrell's Armana at Mona as well, and Mona Foma artists will be hitting up the Frying Pan Studios to jam and record. [caption id="attachment_926554" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Wei-Tsan Liu.[/caption] Emeka Ogboh's contribution to the program is also a big highlight, coming via exhibition Boats. Here, the Nigerian artist ponders migration as part of an experience that boasts its own gin — as made with native Tasmanian and West African botanicals — plus snacks, conversation and a sound installation. Also set to impress: Taiwanese artist Yahon Chang getting painting on a 20-metre-by-15-metre canvas at Princes Wharf 1, including using a brush that's human-sized, in a performance that'll blend calligraphy, art, meditation, kung fu and tai chi. [caption id="attachment_926552" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Amy Brown, image courtesy of Street Eats @ Franko Hobart and Mona Foma.[/caption] Other Mona Foma 2024 standouts include the world-premiere of Anito, a solo performance by Justin Shoulder that takes its cues from queer club culture, plus everything from theatre and dance to visual arts and installations; Dancenorth's latest production Wayfinder, which includes Hiromi Tango on design duties and music from Hiatus Kaiyote; party venue Faux Mo returning, but in a new home at The Granada Tavern; and a Street Eats night food and drink market pop-up. "Mona Foma wrangles over 500 performers and artists from places as far flung as Nigeria, Taiwan, Rajasthan and Launceston into a veritable orgy of creativity. If you can't find something to do, then you're dead — but then you wouldn't be reading this," said Mona Foma Artistic Director Brian Ritchie, announcing the 2024 lineup. "So, buy tickets, except for TISM, which is free. One of the most reclusive bands (only three gigs in twenty years) for free in amongst the most unique water feature of any urban environment, qualifies as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Carpe diem." [caption id="attachment_923130" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Andreas Neumann[/caption] [caption id="attachment_926548" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ivan trigo Miras[/caption] [caption id="attachment_926545" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nick McKinlay[/caption] [caption id="attachment_926546" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Naomi Beveridge[/caption] [caption id="attachment_926547" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lisa Businovski[/caption] [caption id="attachment_926550" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Akira Shibata[/caption] Mona Foma will take place from Thursday, February 15–Sunday, February 25, 2024 in Hobart, and from Thursday, February 29–Sunday, March 3, 2024 in Launceston. Tickets go on sale at 10am AEDT on Tuesday, November 21 — head to the festival website for further details. Top image: Steve Cook. All images courtesy of the artist and Mona Foma. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
I have a friend who will claim, every time he sees you, that "the craziest thing happened to me today". This sounds like it could be irritating, but it's not at all — he always has crazier and crazier stories to back it up. While I'm sure that these ridiculous events are not all imagination, a large slice of this pie is his skill for seeing and telling things like no one else I know.Watching the Bougainville Photoplay Project was a bit like that. While academic Dr. Paul Dwyer introduces himself in full suit and credentials, the performance rapidly unfolds into an intimate retelling. Dwyer is unusually honest in blending ethnographic research and a recent history of colonialism with his family's history and personal motivations. While maps and research studies cover the walls, it is his father's slides that the performance revolves around. By offering up his memories and his own body as evidence, alongside his reflections, curiousity and wit, Dwyer presents us with a case study in as complete a form as he can give it. Any gaps in the narrative only serve his case, instilling in the audience a concern that resonates long after leaving the Old Fitz.
Among the many trends that have popped up in 2020, major film festivals streaming their programs to the online masses ranks among the better developments. It's a one that, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, seemed rather unlikely — Australia's major film festivals want cinemagoers to head along in-person, after all, and soak in the silver screen magic in a darkened cinema surrounded by a movie-loving crowd — but with gathering and venue bans and limits in place to tackle the coronavirus, digital film fests swiftly became a reality for Aussie audiences. The Melbourne International Film Festival's 2020 online version, dubbed MIFF 68 1/2, ran from Thursday, August 6–Sunday, August 23 — and, in news that should come as a surprise to no one, it amassed quite the audience. In fact, the virtual event and its 100-plus film program nabbed the beloved Victorian fest its biggest crowd yet. Given this is the festival's whopping 69th year, that's quite an achievement. Before the closing weekend had even kicked off, Australians had streamed MIFF's films more than 205,000 times — reaching an approximate national audience of over 307,500. Around 20 percent of those viewers are estimated to have come from outside of Victoria, too. If you're wondering which flicks everyone was checking out, of the top three movies, two — documentary Looky Looky Here Comes Cooky and comedy Paper Champions — were Aussie-made titles. Also popular, accounting for 69 percent of the event's streams until the last three days of the fest, was MIFF's free lineup. It comprised almost two-fifths of the program and, up until the morning of Friday, August 21, notched up 135,000 streams of individual short films. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgwX2hvgXCI The benefits of an online film festival — or an online component to a major film festival like MIFF — are many. They're also pretty obvious. For people with disability or chronic health conditions, the digital option makes fests far more accessible. The same applies to movie buffs with children, who work shifts, or who simply can't take 18 days, even a few days or just one night off work to watch films. And, as a fifth of this year's viewers demonstrated, folks who live outside of Victoria still want to be involved as well. Of course, that Melbourne was under stage four stay-at-home conditions during MIFF's dates, and still is, would've helped. Also playing a part: the fact that Aussies have become pretty accustomed to staying in and getting their movie fix on the couch this year. MIFF isn't the only Aussie fest taking the online — and national — route in 2020. Among the others, Sydney Film Festival did the same in June, the Revelation Perth International Film Festival held its digital version in July, and the Sydney Underground Film Festival going virtual in September. The Melbourne International Film Festival is set to return in 2021 from Thursday, August 5–Sunday, August 22. Top image: Black Bear.
The Valonz Group has been leading the way in hair fashion since 1986. Creators Jim and Renya Xydis have garnered a reputation with a long list of high-profile clientele and offering their expertise at Australian, New York and London Fashion Week shows. The Valonz salon in Paddington remains a go-to destination for the latest treatments and hair services. The team consists of highly skilled stylists who strive to be on the cutting edge of innovative techniques and technologies in the industry — leaving a trail of happy and loyal clients in its wake.
When The Favourite took a chapter of 18th-century history, filtered it through a witty and twisted sense of humour, and brought it all to life with lavish sets, luxurious costuming and a high-profile cast, it instantly attracted attention — and became one of the best films of 2018. Now, The Great is here to roll out the same format on the small screen, this time swapping English royalty for a famed Russian empress. And, sporting savage, satirical humour in spades, it works just as well. The moniker 'the Great' has popped up plenty of times in Russian history; however there's no doubting who it refers to in this instance: Catherine, formerly Princess Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg of Prussia. As played by Elle Fanning (The Neon Demon, Mary Shelley, Galveston), she hasn't yet ascended to greatness when The Great begins. But, by the time the show's first episode finishes, she's firmly plotting her path. Sent to Russia to marry reigning emperor Peter III (The Favourite and True History of the Kelly Gang's Nicholas Hoult) and solve her family's money troubles, the educated and idealistic Catherine arrives in her new homeland with a romantic vision of life, her nuptials, her place in the kingdom and her adopted country in general — especially its treatment of women. Alas, instead of marital bliss and being regarded as an equal, she's soon betrothed to a vain, arrogant, brattish ruler who'd rather binge-drink vodka, shoot bears, throw parties and start wars to prove his manliness than spend any real time with his new wife. He's also the kind of guy who describes himself as possessing "a gentle heart and massive cock", then pauses to make sure his ever-present entourage of ass-kissing noblemen furnish him with praise and laughs. It's no wonder, then, that when Catherine describes her hopes and dreams for a tender and ecstatic wedding night, her caustic but loyal maid Marial (The Aeronauts' Phoebe Fox) only barely manages not to roll her eyes. The reality of the royal couple's first evening together is definitely no one's fantasy, with Peter thrusting away while he chats to his best friend Grigor (Bohemian Rhapsody and Top End Wedding's Gwilym Lee) about shooting ducks. Created and written by The Favourite's Oscar-nominated, BAFTA-winning co-scribe Tony McNamara — and based on the Australian playwright, screenwriter and director's 2008 Sydney Theatre Company stage production of the same name — The Great serves up acerbic laughs from the outset, and doesn't let the mood drop. That means sharp, sly and thoroughly self-aware dialogue, an irreverent and cheeky tone, and having ample fun with real-life details. Indeed, The Great's title card notes upfront that the show tells "an occasionally true story". The broad strokes of Catherine's life remain in place, including her progressive plans for Russia and her quest to topple her husband in a coup; however slavish devotion to history is far, far less important than dark comedy, laugh-out-loud lines, a willingness to get silly and viewing Imperial Russia as a farce. Entertaining, engaging and very easy to binge, The Great also benefits from pitch-perfect casting. In her first comedic role, Fanning is equally luminous, intelligent and calculating, especially when she's scheming her way to the top. But, while the series isn't called Peter III (or "no Peter the Great", as he's dubbed in one episode), Hoult constantly steals the show as the demanding and impetuous frat boy emperor. Also deserving attention: the delightfully sarcastic Fox, Lodge 49's Adam Godley as the manic Archbishop, Hoult's fellow Skins alum Sebastian de Souza as Catherine's approved lover, Iron Fist's Sacha Dhawan as her chief co-conspirator and Australian actress Belinda Bromilow as Peter's offbeat aunt. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5vLgpdXz0g All ten episodes of The Great's first season are available to stream via Stan in Australia and NeonTV in New Zealand. Top image: Ollie Upton, Hulu
Located a mere 40-minute drive from Auckland CBD, Kumeu has become one of New Zealand's most versatile drinking and dining destinations. Here, you'll find lush rolling hillsides, stunning natural sights and a high concentration of family-run estates. It's also the perfect backdrop for everything from cosy winter lunches to celebratory family feeds, casual summer picnics and a slew of wine-related tastings, tours and experiences. If you're after a short break, flights to Auckland from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are super short — around three-and-a-half hours on average — and Air New Zealand offers great everyday direct fares from all three cities. Here are our picks for where you should head for a glass (or two) once you've touched down. WEST BROOK WINERY Nestled amongst the gently undulating hillside of the Ararimu Valley, West Brook Winery is undoubtedly one of the most picturesque pit-stops on this tour of the west. Framed by row after row of glorious grape vines, the cellar door is fully equipped with a serene view out over the terraces toward a lily pond. While the tranquil grounds offer warm respite from the stresses of the working week, the real treat at West Brook must be its comprehensive menu of cellar door experiences. Designed to please every level of wine lover (from the curious to the aficionado), these packages have every budget catered for with prices between $6 and $50 per person for wine tastings, wine and cheese matches and the full monty tasting tour. Consistently applauded for its flawless production of chardonnay and riesling varieties, it's the Sparkling Crackling Rosé which has proven to be most popular with punters. And with tasting notes such as raspberry, mandarin and paprika, it's not a surprise. THE HUNTING LODGE WINERY Despite a history that stretches all the way back to 1868, current owners the Sutton family have reinvented The Hunting Lodge as one of Auckland's most exciting restaurant destinations. Positioned atop 80 acres of lush green hillside, The Hunting Lodge has a lot to offer, from the rustic cellar door and lawn bar through to the slick restaurant, olive groves, manicured gardens and family zone. You'll envisage a way to celebrate every kind of occasion. Summers here are synonymous with Mediterranean-style platters and a glass or two of dry chardonnay, yet a transition to the approaching winter should also get you excited — imagine curling up in the comfort of the homestead sampling the rich, gamey flavours of chef Des Harris' seasonal creations. Backed by a slew of industry accolades, which commend everything from the ambience to its aroma, The Hunting Lodge should skyrocket straight to the top of your 'to do' list. KUMEU RIVER WINES Winning international acclaim and the hearts of visitors far and wide, the family behind Kumeu River Wines definitely deserve some of the credit for putting New Zealand's chardonnay (and damn good pinot gris) on the map. Established in 1944 by Croatian migrants, the Brajkovich family, Kumeu River Wines may just be the most serious of the wineries on this list — but no less warm and inviting. With 40 hectares of vineyards, which bottle around 250,000 wines annually, the operation has become an international benchmark for non-Burgundy produced chardonnay. Stop in and soak up some serious wine knowledge from the incredibly informed team at the cellar door, where you taste up to five different drops for $5, while overlooking Maté's Vineyard just across the road. BABICH WINES Widely regarded as one of New Zealand's premier wine estates, Babich Wines has a distinct family history that filters into every aspect of the 103-year-old business. Managed by third generation family members, visitors to the flagship cellar door, winery and vineyard in Kumeu can expect a tender family atmosphere where nostalgia and comfort envelope you just like a hug from your nan. Arriving on the shores of Aotearoa in 1910 with a dream of gum digging in the far north, penniless Babich patriarch Josip gave the family a century's worth of family lore — anecdotes they are all too willing to share over the eight-strong tasting menu. The Babich family has traded the traditional restaurant for an easy-going picnic area — a feature which ensures the focus remains on the award-winning wines. Along with a game of petanque, guests are encouraged to bring their own nosh to be enjoyed with an impressive selection of in-house drops. Or, you can nab a spot on the sunny verandah and enjoy a glass of the East Coast Vintara while overlooking the vines. SOLJANS ESTATE Like many other successful wineries across Auckland's west, Souljans Estate Winery began and continues to thrive as a family business. From humble beginnings in 1937, it has become one of the neighbourhood's most visited wineries today. Soljan is known for producing pinot gris, chardonnay and pinotage from its picture-perfect vineyard. Plus, visitors might be surprised to find that its Fusion Sparkling Muscat is, in fact, New Zealand's most awarded sparkling wine — and an ideal accompaniment to a feast of Mediterranean bites at the adjoining restaurant. The sunny grounds are completed with a casual cage and a surprisingly decent gift store. Soljans has cemented its place in the hearts and bucket lists of wine-lovers both near and far. Book your flights to Auckland with Air New Zealand and start planning your next long weekend away. Plus, Vinomofo has released a case of wine featuring six delicious wines representing the diverse and unique sub-regions of Waiheke, Kumeu and Matakana. Every case has a one in 50 chance of winning return flights to Auckland (from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane). T&Cs apply.
Move over croquembouche, there's a new dessert tower in Adriano Zumbo's life. The popular dessert wizard has come together with boutique hotel chain QT to launch a next-level QTea experience at the boutique chain's Sydney CBD outpost. The weekly dose of indulgence will be centred around a tower of Zumbo-specialty sweet treats paired with high tea classics like scones and champagne. So, what's on the menu? Macarons (or Zumborons as Zumbo has named them)? Of course. Croquembouche? Maybe not, but there are plenty of classic Zumbo desserts to snack your way through. There's the chef's famous passionfruit tart alongside new creations like a heart-shaped chocolate mouse, raspberry and pistachio cake, a reinvented scone and a white chocolate and yuzu vanilla cake. Plus, lobster rolls topped with coconut, chilli and lime mayo alongside caesar sliders and goats cheese tarts. Zumbo also has plans to change things up as the team working on the high tea finds its feet. He told Concrete Playground he wants to incorporate more plant-based options, more classics from his back catalogue and large share plates. "The first change will probably be to put that little miniature V8 cake onto the stand," he said. "I would like to bring a couple of my favourite Zumbo's Just Desserts dishes." Accompanying the food in the lobby of the hotel and QT Sydney's Studio Q is a memorable array of beverages and a side of fun and theatrics. DJs will be on hand, as will be a collection of roaming champagne trollies. Perrier Jouet Champagne will be paired with the desserts and lobster rolls, or diners can choose from QT's collection of 60 different champagnes. Plus, a limited-edition burnt blueberry tea. QTea is available on Saturdays and Sundays starting from Saturday, May 29 and will set you back $95pp. QT Sydney is located at 49 Market Street, Sydney.
Think of the Gold Coast and your mind probably jumps straight to its picturesque beaches, beloved theme parks and the lively strip of Surfer's Paradise. While these can all make for a brilliant getaway, the Gold Coast has a number of year-round events that give the holiday destination a cultural edge. From world-class sporting spectacles to exciting festivals, Get Up and Gold Coast in 2026, and plan a trip around these exciting events. AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 This March, the Gold Coast is hosting one of the premier sporting events of the year: the AFC Women's Asia Cup 2026. Alongside Sydney and Perth, the Gold Coast will become a bucket list destination for football fans. The Gold Coast Stadium will host four group matches from Monday, March 2, until Sunday, March 8. This includes the Matildas' second group match, followed by two rounds of play-offs on Thursday, March 19. Whether you're a sports fan or not, there's no denying the buzz and atmosphere that comes from a major sporting event like this. There are still tickets available, so be sure to nab yours and book in a Gold Coast escape. Australian WPGA Championship The Australian Women's Professional Golfers' Association Championship brings the world's best female golfers to the Gold Coast. Players will compete for the Karrie Webb Cup (and $600,000 in prize money) at the Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club and the Palms Golf Course from Thursday, March 19, until Sunday, March 22. Outside of the championship, the Sanctuary Cove Marine Village is your destination for sport and entertainment with food and beverage options, music, pop-up bars, dedicated fan zones, interactive golf challenges, chill-out areas and shopping. At WPGA, witness the best in golf while enjoying the Gold Coast's picturesque weather and scenery. WSL Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro In May, the Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro (part of the World Surf League Championship Tour event) will be held on the Gold Coast's golden beaches from Friday, May 1, until Monday, May 11. This year, the event is taking place in Snapper Rocks and is set to deliver world-class surfing. Past winners include Kelly Slater, Stephanie Gilmore, Mick Fanning, Carissa Moore and Gabriel Medina, so you know that it'll be worth the journey to see this year's talent on show. The Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro is free to enter, so you and the family can witness the best surfers in the world compete up close and personal. Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show One of the Southern Hemisphere's largest boat shows, the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show is an annual showcase of superyachts, sailboats, marine tech and waterfront appreciation. The event takes place over four action-packed days from Thursday, May 21, to Sunday, May 24. See superyachts up close and personal and revel in the luxurious waterfront lifestyle that the Gold Coast delivers in droves. Blues on Broadbeach Every May, the Gold Coast suburb of Broadbeach transforms into one of Australia's largest music festivals, Blues on Broadbeach. Across multiple indoor and outdoor stages, the four-day (and night) event is a celebration of soul, rhythm and blues music. It kicks off on Thursday, May 14, with a non-ticketed lineup that includes Charlie Musselwhite, Ruthie Foster, Robert Finley, The Lachy Doley Trio, and many more. While most of the festival is free, the Sunday Ticket offers exclusive access to a stellar lineup. On Sunday, May 17, ARIA Award-winning The Teskey Brothers and special guests Judith Hill and Ash Grunwald will perform to the crowd as the sun sets over Broadbeach. Alongside live performances, you can wander between beachfront parks, bars and pop-ups, making it the ultimate chilled Gold Coast experience for music lovers. Cooly Rocks On Coolangatta puts on its retro filter the first weekend in June with Cooly Rocks On. The nostalgia-fuelled street party is a celebration of the motors, music and lifestyle of the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s with classic car displays, a pin-up pageant, live gigs and vintage beachfront markets, all free to explore. From Wednesday, June 3, until Sunday, June 7, you can browse through a selection of retro treasures and memorabilia and listen to some of the finest rock 'n' roll, swing, rockabilly and tribute artists from around the world. There's also a preliminary round of the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artists Contest taking place. Cooly Rocks On is one of three festivals in the country to host this round, and the winner will secure a spot at Elvis Week in Memphis. Rock on. Pacific Airshow The Pacific Airshow Gold Coast transforms the city's famous beachfront into an open-air runway. From Friday, August 14, until Sunday, August 16, fighter jets, aerobatic teams and precision solo flyers will take to the skies for a weekend of high-octane airshows. Enjoy general admission, or take it up a notch with hospitality experiences at the Garden Bar or Beach Club. Ticket holders can enjoy a curated menu of food and drinks, a patio area with seating and shade, private restrooms, and live airshow commentary. It's a Gold Coast-style winter escape. Bleach* It's not just Melbourne and Sydney hosting the country's premier cultural events. Bleach* Festival is a contemporary arts festival running from Thursday, October 1, until Sunday, October 11. The spring festival brings dance, art, music, exhibitions, and panels across three vibrant festival hubs: Kurrawa Park, Emerald Lakes, and the Gold Coast's Home Of The Arts (HOTA). There's a range of free and ticketed events to choose from, with the full lineup released later in the year. Keep your eyes peeled and book in some cultural experiences. Groundwater Country Music Festival Is country music more your scene? Groundwater Country Music Festival is the Gold Coast's destination for all things boots, banjos and beachside twang. Taking over the streets of Broadbeach from Friday, October 16, until Sunday, October 18, the free three-day festival brings a stacked lineup of Australian and international acts. While the 2026 lineup is yet to be announced, the October festival is a must-do for music lovers on the Gold Coast. Expect line-dancing sessions, street food, pop-up bars and a laidback coastal atmosphere complete with cowboy hats. Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 The Gold Coast 500 turns Surfers Paradise into a high-speed street circuit, bringing Supercars racing right into the heart of the city. For one adrenaline-fuelled weekend from Friday, October 23 until Sunday, October 25, the sound of engines echoes between skyscrapers as drivers battle it out just metres from the beach. Whether you're a die-hard motorsport fan or simply keen for a high-energy weekend by the beach, the event blends sun, speed and spectacle. Explore more events and accommodation options, and be ready to Get Up and Gold Coast. Image credit: Supplied
Easter is right around the corner, which means it's time to get ready for everyone's favourite rabbit to hop into town — and we're not talking about Peter, Roger or Bugs. If you're looking for a way to celebrate Easter right up to the weekend itself — all without leaving the city — hit up the Ingenia Holiday Parks Sydney Family Show this March. The annual event runs from Saturday, March 23, to Monday, April 1, at the Entertainment Quarter Showring. Here you can check out the action-packed motorcycle and bike stunt show, work out some energy on the Monster Jump obstacle course, turn yourself upside down on carnival rides, cuddle furry friends in the animal nursery and, of course, take home a showbag or two on your way out. This year, the show also features high-octane oinks in the form of pig racing, a special day for dogs on Sunday, March 24, a rabbit hopping competition on Good Friday, and a dedicated easter zone open daily. Tickets are $30 per person for adults and $15 for kids aged 3–15, or you can grab a family pass for $70 for four people. Score access to your fill of rides with 24 coupons for rides and games or a three-hour unlimited rides wristband for $50. Prebook your tickets online to avoid any disappointment at the door. The Ingenia Holiday Parks Sydney Family Show is happening at the Entertainment Quarter from Saturday, March 23, to Monday, April 1. For more information and to grab tickets, visit the website.
For years, Foxtel has been Australia's main source for HBO series, airing everything from Game of Thrones, Westworld and Succession to Chernobyl, Veep and Big Little Lies. And, if you weren't signed up to the pay TV service, that meant streaming your favourite shows via its online platforms — such as the now-defunct Presto and the currently available Foxtel Now. From Monday, May 25, Aussie TV fans will have another option: new streaming service Binge. While Foxtel Now isn't going anywhere, the Foxtel-run Binge works more like Netflix, Stan, Amazon Prime Video and their long list of competitors. So, rather than replicating Foxtel's channel packages via an online platform, requiring you to pick and choose different options depending on whether you're eager for sport, movies or drama, as Foxtel Now does, with Binge you'll pay a flat fee to gain access to everything. On the TV lineup: all of the aforementioned HBO programs, plus older faves such as The Sopranos, The Wire, Six Feet Under, Sex and the City and Girls. After HBO's new US streaming service HBO Max launches in the US on May 27, Binge will also feature scripted shows from the platform, such as the new Gossip Girl reboot. And, working with companies such as WarnerMedia, NBCU, FX, BBC and Sony, it'll boast plenty of other highlights — including classic comedies like Seinfeld, The Office, 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation; crime thrills thanks to Law & Order and NCIS; new releases like Breeders and Mrs America; documentaries such as Planet Earth; and competitive series including the Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman-hosted Making It. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhWFiFfrbY0 Kicking off with more than 10,000 hours of content, Binge's catalogue will also feature a heap of movies — think flicks from the Fast and Furious, Jurassic Park, Mission: Impossible and DC Universe franchises; films from directors such as Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino; and newcomers like the Hugh Jackman-starring Bad Education. And, if you're eager for recommendations — and not just from an algorithm — it'll include curated collections that'll steer you in different viewing directions. You can also select 'binge' or 'surprise me' options, which'll do the choosing for you. Price-wise, Binge will cost $10 per month for one SD screen, $14 per month for two HD screens and $18 per month for four HD screens, with a two-week free trial also available when it kicks off. Users will be able to access the service online, and via Android TV, Apple TV, Telstra TV, Chromecast, tablets and mobile devices. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuB2VNA8MLQ&feature=youtu.be Binge launches on Monday, May 25. For further information — or to sign-up — visit the platform's website. Top image: Game of Thrones, Helen Sloan.
If you missed out on the last Sydney Contemporary — or last year's The Other Art Fair — fret not. While the latter most recently happened in October, it's back again in March. Art lovers, you know what this means: you'll have another opportunity to snatch up an artwork from emerging and unrepresented artists from March 22 to 25. Presented by Saatchi Art, the fair showcases more than 100 artists (selected by a formidable committee of contemporary art experts), typically drawing in about 10,000 people over four days. Celebrating the vibrancy and innovation of Sydney's emerging art scene, it's a rare chance to buy work directly from artists rather than through a gallery. Thinking of buying? Fair organisers advise you to obey your taste, buy what you like, take a risk and most of all, make the most of having the artist on hand to chat to. Alongside the art will be workshops, large-scale installations, talks and events, plus drinks to refresh your palette between perusals. Make a party out of it by attending on opening night ($25), or stop by for a general browse between Friday to Sunday, with general entry tickets costing between $12 and $15. Head along to catch a rising star at the beginning of their career — or just to soak up all that creativity and get inspired.
To the north of Cronulla's main drag you'll find Greenhills Beach, the only dog-friendly beach in Sydney that faces directly onto the ocean (as opposed to a bay). A favourite among locals, another drawcard to Greenhills is the fact it tends to be less busy than the main beaches at North and South Cronulla. To access it, take a scenic coastal walk north along Cronulla Esplanade past Wanda Beach, another popular local swimming hole. As Greenhills is unpatrolled, swimming is not recommended, but the long peaceful shoreline provides a relaxing setting for both humans and their canines to stroll, nap or picnic. And good news for pet owners, dogs can go off-leash on the beach before 10am and after 4pm daily. Images: Mel Koutchavlis
