UPDATE, January 15, 2021: Ride Your Wave is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. In the type of scene familiar from many a film, 19-year-old Hinako (voiced by Rina Kawaei) frolics around a seaside spot with her boyfriend Minato (Ryota Katayose). In the scenic Japanese city of Chiba, the pair chat, laugh, stroll and sightsee, as plenty of couples have in similar situations. Actually, this duo does so twice. The first time plays out exactly as everyone expects but, occurring well into Ride Your Wave, the lovestruck duo's repeat romantic rendezvous comes with a twist. In the kind of image that can only really be brought to the screen via animation, Hinako isn't spending time with Minato in the flesh the second time around — instead, she's dragging around an inflatable porpoise filled with water that, when she hums the pair's favourite song, manifests her boyfriend's spirit from beyond the grave. Basically, Hinako is now dating a ghost in the guise of a blow-up aquatic mammal — a spectre that can appear in anything else that's wet, such as a glass of water and even a toilet bowl, too. It's a heartfelt yet clearly strange sight, and it's an image that filmmaker Masaaki Yuasa builds his whole sweet, sensitive and charming movie around. Already known for offbeat and distinctive animated efforts such as Night Is Short, Walk on Girl and Lu Over the Wall, the Japanese director blends his fondness for weirdness with a perceptive exploration of love and loss that belongs in the same company as huge recent global hits Your Name and Weathering with You. As brought to life, vocally, by former Japanese pop idol Kawaei and fellow local pop star Katayose (whose boy band, Generations from Exile Tribe, provides the film's pivotal — and extremely catchy — tune), Hinako and Minato's story begins much earlier. Initially, she's a surf-obsessed newcomer arriving in town to study oceanography, while he's a dutiful local firefighter. They cross paths on several occasions — she frequently hits the waves near his fire station, as he just-as-frequently notices — but they don't properly connect until Minato comes to Hinako's rescue when her apartment building is set ablaze. And, if tragedy didn't strike, perhaps they would've simply lived happily ever after. As Ride Your Wave astutely realises, though, those kinds of blissful, uncomplicated tales aren't the norm for everyone. Japan's plethora of big-screen animated gems have always received ample praise for their visual prowess; given how gorgeous and glorious everything from Studio Ghibli's greats to Yuasa's own filmic back catalogue looks, that's understandable. But movies such as Ride Your Wave don't surf their way into viewers' hearts based solely on eye-popping imagery alone. At their best, these films ripple with emotional depth and resonance — and while there's much about Ride Your Wave that threatens to veer into cheesiness at times, it remains an insightful, moving and charming example of the genre. On the surface, it might appear to be just another supernatural teen romance; however from the moment that Hinako is forced to face her future alone, this is a thoughtful, delicate and observant portrait of a woman struggling with one of the worst things that can happen. As whimsical as it might sometimes seem — and as it definitely sounds on paper — there's a rich vein of melancholy in Hinako's escapades with Minato's spirit. As she continues to hold onto him in any way she can, Yuasa and screenwriter Reiko Yoshida (A Silent Voice, Okko's Inn) show a raw and profound understanding of grief, its all-encompassing impact and the reality that, to those in mourning, absolutely everything reminds them of the person they're missing. Everyone who has lost someone has returned to places they once visited together and seen memories of happier times linger at every corner. Everyone in the same position has felt their heart skip a beat when a significant song plays, too. As well as being cute and quirky, the literal inflatable porpoise in Ride Your Wave's frames gives these common and relatable experiences a physical dimension. Don't go expecting this film to receive a live-action remake any time soon, of course, not that any animated movie ever needs one. Disney might currently be obsessed with turning its cartoon hits into flesh and blood (or photorealistic approximations), but Japan's animators are well aware that their chosen medium is far more expressive — especially when it comes to matters of the heart. There's a rhythm, flow and glow to Ride Your Wave that perfectly captures its protagonist's complicated situation, and that simply wouldn't translate to any other format. There's also the feeling that, through its seemingly fanciful narrative gimmick, Ride Your Wave tackles tough emotional terrain with unflinching, heart-swelling honesty. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMB7SpEvxOI Image: ©Ride Your Wave Film Partners.
If you've been saving your money the last couple months and are wondering where to spend it, head down to the Makers and Shakers Market on Saturday, October 12. Making its return to Sydney, it'll feature 60 high-quality stalls, so you'll definitely find something you like. The market provides an open platform for local makers to sell their handmade wares, gourmet foods and lifestyle products. Stallholders change with each market, but you can expect to start your shopping with a coffee or kombucha, then look for stunning ceramics. Next, perhaps scope out some chunky, colourful jewellery — before finishing up by adding a little plant life to your home. That's just a taste of the kind of goodies on offer. While you're wandering the stalls, you can tackle your post-shop hunger as well. The market will run from 9am–3pm, and tickets are $2 and kids under 12 are free. Image: Alana Dimou.
The 90s were great. That shouldn't be a controversial opinion. Whether you lived through them or have spent the last couple of decades wishing you did — aka binging on 90s pop culture — this shindig at the Oxford Art Factory will indulge your retro urges. Drinks, tunes, fashion — expect all of the above at the No Scrubs: 90s and Early 00s party from 10pm on Friday, May 3. Of course, it's up to you to make sure the clothing side of thing is covered, and to get into the spirit of the season. If you want to use Mariah Carey as a style icon, it'd be fitting. Expect to unleash your inner Spice Girl and Backstreet Boy too. TLC, Destiny's Child, Savage Garden, Usher, Blink-182, No Doubt — we'd keep listing artists, but you all know what you're getting yourselves into. Entry costs $20, with the fun running through until 3am.
In a city as culturally and geographically rich as Sydney, the word 'iconic' is bandied about quite a bit. While it's often an exaggeration, there's no denying the impact the precinct at 25 Martin Place has had on the city's skyline. The precinct — formerly known as the MLC Centre — has been an instantly recognisable icon of Sydney's built landscape for over 40 years. A gift to the harbourside locale by legendary architect Harry Seidler, the building was the tallest skyscraper in the southern hemisphere when it opened in 1978, and became the benchmark for visionary design throughout Australia as it drove the Sydney skyline into the future. More recently, the landmark structure has undergone an extensive renovation and revamp that will position it as a new CBD hub for fashion, dining, business and culture. It's also been renamed 25 Martin Place, celebrating its location in the heart of the city. We've teamed up with 25 Martin Place to take a closer look at the new dining and drinking venues bringing fresh life to this Sydney icon.
Near the end of the degustation at Momofuku Seiobo, you receive a dish of steamed grouper endives, celeriac puree and bonito dust — and a glass of onion juice. It’s part of the restaurant’s juice pairing, an alternative to matching wines where you get a different juice with each course. Momofuku Seiobo was the first restaurant in Australia to offer anything like it. “We had plenty of customers who are coming and they don't drink alcohol, and it's sort of ripping their experience a bit,” says assistant sommelier Ambrose Chiang. “So we worked out with the chefs what's in season and what's available.” That’s how it started, simply juice. It has since evolved to be a much more creative and nuanced way to pair food and drink. “People think it's just apple, orange and pineapple ... Things you could usually get out of a bottle. Sometimes it blows their mind a little bit.” Ambrose says. “It's the same way we approach the wine pairing. Certain flavour profiles, how we serve it, serving temperatures. Whether we strain the juice or not to give it more texture.” HOW MOMOFUKU DISCOVERED THAT ONIONS HAVE LAYERS Ambrose’s ‘onion water’ is the best example. As Momofuku’s menu is based around light and savoury flavours, Ambrose wanted to experiment with creating a savoury juice. “One problem with doing savoury juice — I don't want it to be a broth, I don't want it to be a sauce,” he says. Having something too heavy would offend the dish and that’s the last thing any sommelier wants to do. So he came up with an idea for, not onion juice or onion sauce, but onion water. Brown onions, spring onions and eschallots are cooked in a steaming hot pan until burnt and caramelised. Smoky and slightly sweet in flavour, they’re placed in bags of water and steamed overnight at 65 degrees. In the morning, Ambrose strains the onion and freezes the flavoured liquid. Still oily from the infusion, the ice block is left to drip through a fine muslin bag for two days. It looks like black tea and tastes, at first, like a nothing but a hint of savoury. Then, before it sinks down your throat, you get a burst of charred onion flavour. Ambrose describes the accompanying steamed fish course as “very savoury, slightly smoky but light”. To match it he needed something that was equally light but “with a slight sweetness, smokiness and savouriness” — exactly what you get from his onion water. EMBRACING MOLECULAR GASTRONOMY IN LIQUID FORM With the help of similar pioneering restaurants overseas, Momofuku’s innovation has helped the idea of non-alcoholic pairings to be taken more seriously in Australia. Sydney's Bentley and newcomer nel. are the most recent of a small but growing number of restaurants to test the idea of juice pairings. “My reaction was probably similar to others — sceptical to say the least,” says Bentley sommelier Nick Hildebrandt. “But with our new bar manager and drinks guru Phil Gandevia we actually started to put some thought and effort into it and came up with something that I believe is unique and very good.” Bentley’s first dessert — coconut sorbet, desert lime and honeyed melon — is now available with a pineapple, aloe vera and basil juice. “The idea was not only to match the dessert but to in a way add to it by having another component in liquid form sitting to the side.” Melbourne’s Attica runs a juice pairing based on the produce from their 1200 square metre garden. Banjo Harris Plane, the head sommelier, says one of his favourites is a cold smoked Granny Smith apple juice that’s paired with a King George whiting that’s been torched in a paperbark wrapping. “The harmony between the aroma of the dish and the juice is incredible.” Even with the success they’ve achieved at Attica, Banjo says they’re still scratching the surface of what could be done. “Next for Attica is to experiment with non-alcoholic fermentations, carbonation and thickening. We have also been looking at a scientific device called a homogeniser that incorporates liquids into each other, resulting in better consistency.” TAMING THE SWEET AND THE ACIDIC Joshua Picken, sommelier at Orana in Adelaide, told us they’re working on something similar for their juice pairing using native ingredients. “I have been playing with structural elements like tannin and tartaric acid. We explore non-alcoholic fermentations as I don't want every juice matching to taste sweet.” It’s a sentiment shared by many top sommeliers. “When you think about the juices that are available to us, they're quite sweet," says Ambrose. "If you're just offering juice by the glass, it's fine, but if it’s a pairing, it has to be working with the menu.” He says some other pairings he’s had served great juices, but they’ve been too sweet or overpowering to match the food. After being surprised by a customer request for a non-alcoholic pairing, Quay’s head sommelier, Amanda Yallop, was inspired to create a matching of mocktails and tea. “I am not a fan of only juice being presented. I’m a very big fan of acid in my wines, but to chase an entire meal with only juice is simply too much acidity.” Similarly, Vue de Monde and Brae in Victoria offer entire tea matchings from specialised tea sommeliers. THE NON- (OR LESS-) ALCOHOLIC FUTURE “I think that an evolution is on its way," says Amanda. "Chefs, bar staff and sommeliers are playing and testing with these pairings on a pretty serious level. There is enormous potential as to how far and how extreme it can become.” Despite that, she thinks non-alcoholic matches will never be treated with the same level of passion as wine. Considering both the range of flavours available to juice and the fact that high quantities of alcohol dampen your ability to taste, it could be argued that a non-alcoholic pairing is ultimately more appropriate for degustation-style eating. For one of the best sommeliers in the country, that doesn't quite fly. “I’d argue that there’s still more variety in wine than there is in juice, but I don’t really see it as either or,” says Banjo. “Different occasions for different things.” So perhaps a drink pairing is the best solution? Instead of juice or wine pairings, you’d simply get a different drink matched to each course; some will be wine, some will be juices and some will be something new. “What a fun idea," says Amanda. "I’m not sure how it would go down with guests expectations ... I might try it at Quay’s next food and wine training with our floor team and gauge the reception.” Images: Bodhi Liggett.
Gelato Messina first introduced its cookie pies to the world in 2020, and tastebuds across Australia thanked them. Then, it kept bringing the OTT dessert back when we all needed an extra dose of sweetness across the year. In fact, the dessert fiends have been serving them up for exactly 12 months now. That's a milestone worth celebrating, which Messina is doing by releasing a new birthday cake cookie pie. Chocolate chips are involved, as they usually are, but this dessert also includes a layer of vanilla custard, plus birthday cake crumbled on top. Yes, sprinkles feature as well. Of course they are. Hang on, a cookie pie? It's a pie, obviously, but it's made of cookie dough. And it serves two–six people — or just you. You bake it yourself, too, so you get to enjoy that oh-so-amazing smell of freshly baked cookies wafting through your kitchen. This time, you'll enjoy the scent of vanilla and birthday cake as well. The new pies will be available for preorder from 9am on Monday, April 12 — which is your chance to get yourself a piece of the pie. On its own, the indulgent birthday cake cookie pie will cost $25. But to sweeten the deal, the cult ice creamery has created a few bundle options, should you want some of its famed gelato atop it. For $35, you'll get the pie and a 500-millilitre tub, while with a one-litre tub or a 1.5-litre tub, it'll cost $41 and $45 respectively. The catch? You'll have to peel yourself off the couch and head to your local Messina store to pick up your order. They'll be available for collection between Friday, April 16–Sunday, April 18. You can preorder a Messina birthday cake cookie pie pie from Monday, April 12, to pick up from April 16–18.
Bell Shakespeare is rounding out the year with a play about the varied benefits of displaying personal responsibility, i.e. one which will undoubtedly cause both boomers and millennials to assure the other group that it was written with them in mind (before they both Google it and discover it predates them by 400 odd years). Bassanio is desperate to have a crack at wooing Portia, but to do so he needs 3000 ducats. He's broke, but his friend Antonio, a merchant, has always come up with the goods before. He does so again, but this time the money comes from Shylock, a moneylender happy to take anatomical reparations. Somehow we end up in a courtroom arguing semantics with Portia who is dressed up as a man. With Mitch Butel as Shylock and Jess Tovey as Portia, The Merchant of Venice is the rollicking birth of the courtroom drama and definitely worth a squiz.
Taking over Kogarah's Belgrave Street from Friday, June 27–Sunday, June 29, the Uncontained Arts Festival returns to South Sydney with another massive program. Now entering its fifth edition, expect a sprawling open-air gallery featuring three days of immersive installations, interactive art, live music, delicious food and more. Free to attend, this family-friendly event has become a popular creative showcase in recent years, attracting over 25,000 people ready to get absorbed by a series of bold creative experiences. Think silent discos, live mural-making, neon paint life-drawing and an LED tunnel — each more kaleidoscopic than the last. "I encourage everyone to visit Kogarah during Uncontained for some free winter fun," says Georges River Council Mayor Elise Borg. "Since our first festival in 2021, Uncontained has grown to become a landmark event in our community." While much of the program is yet to be revealed, a handful of sneak peeks are bound to excite. Artists Samuel Kim and Lawrence Liang will present their ANINA installation — a vibrant zen cat inspired by Tibetan Buddhism that responds to nearby sound, movement and rhythm. Meanwhile, Anastasia Parmson's I Drew a Line and Called it Home invites guests into an intimate space consisting entirely of three-dimensional black-and-white drawings. Alongside drawing workshops powered by UV lights and vinyl DJ soundtracks, the program also features tasty bites and brews, like Drippin Desserts' crispy doughnut fries and the Mediterranean street-food flavours of Teta's Pitas. Plus, on the opening night, the bar will be adorned with an impressive Uncontained ice sculpture. Don't worry, there's plenty of heating and seating so you can still cosy up on a cool evening. "It is more than just a festival — it's a vibrant celebration of artistic expression, imagination, and connection," Borg describes. "With something for everyone, it invites people of all ages and backgrounds to explore, create, and be inspired together." Uncontained Arts Festival runs from Friday, June 27–Sunday, June 29 at Kogarah Town Square, Belgrave Street, Kogarah. Head to the website for more information.
It's been a couple of years since Sydney last enjoyed a live performance from Courtney Barnett, but this August, the acclaimed singer-songwriter will return to the harbour city for a show at a little venue called the Sydney Opera House. She'll play her first headline show in the iconic venue's biggest space: the Concert Hall. Off the back of her second album Tell Me How You Really Feel, Barnett's set to tear up the stage with her signature indie-rock energy and a full band in tow. She'll perform all the hits from this forthcoming record, including 'Need A Little Time', 'Nameless, Faceless', and the just-released 'City Looks Pretty'. Lauded as one of this century's most unique Aussie voices, Barnett's set a new tone with her latest work, following collaborations with the likes of Kurt Vile, The Breeders and long-term partner Jen Cloher. The past few years have seen the musician absolutely killing it internationally, nominated for both a Grammy Award and a BRIT Award, and scooping up a bunch of other top honours, including the Australian Music Prize 2016, APRA's Songwriter of the Year, and four ARIA awards. Courtney Barnett will perform in the Sydney Opera House's Concert Hall on Saturday, August 25 as part of the year-round Sydney Opera House Contemporary Music Program. Tickets go on sale at to newsletter subscribers at noon today and to the general public on Monday, April 23 here. Image: Pooneh Ghana.
Since its founding in 1989, the story of Bangarra Dance Theatre has been the story of First Nations culture and tales leaping, spinning, swirling and twirling across the stage via some of the best dance works that Australia has ever produced. Sometimes, including in the films Spear and Firestarter — The Story of Bangarra, those stories and that unparalleled artistry has also swayed across the screen. Wherever Bangarra's talents have spread, the end results have always proven a must-see. In the organisation's 35-year history so far, however, it hasn't ever put together a show like Horizon before. Playing Sydney Opera House on Gadigal Country until Saturday, July 13 in its world-premiere season, this is the iconic Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander performing arts company's first mainstage cross-cultural collaboration, expanding its focus to include tales from across Oceania. Joining forces: Māori choreographer and Arts Laureate Moss Te Ururangi Patterson, a veteran of Atamira Dance Company who is now the Chief Executive and Artistic Director at The New Zealand Dance Company; and Deborah Brown, a Helpmann Award-winning senior Bangarra dancer for 13 years with Torres Strait and Scottish heritage. In a production that takes its name to heart by pondering the space where the sky and sea meet, Patterson and Brown's The Light Inside pays tribute to the duo's respective countries while musing on what it means when we peer at the horizon looking for guidance and the way home. Beforehand, audiences are also treated to Sani Townson's Kulka, with an expanded form from its 2023 debut at Dance Clan opening Horizon. Images: Daniel Boud.
Forget about deckchairs and picnic blankets – you won't need either at Mov'In Bed. Instead, movie lovers are invited to snuggle up in a bed under the stars, in what is surely the most comfortable outdoor cinema experience in Sydney. Located at Moore Park's Entertainment Quarter, this year's lineup is bursting with great titles across a wide variety of genres. Whether you're an action fan, feel like a laugh or need a heartwarming romance to cuddle up close to, the team at Mov'In Bed have got you covered. Below, we've picked out five of our favourites from the jam-packed program. Happy viewing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kSuas6mRpk ACTION: KILL BILL VOLUME 1 & 2 Two movies means twice the action in this blood-spattered double bill from legendary director Quentin Tarantino. Join Uma Thurman's deadly assassin, a ruthless killer known as The Bride, on what the movie advertisements referred to as "a roaring rampage of revenge". Over the course of more than four hours, our sword-swinging protagonist cuts down dozens of enemies on her way to her final target. The dialogue is stellar, the choreography intense, the music as cool as in any film of the past 20 years. Oh, and the cast? Phenomenal. Put simply, Kill Bill is the work of a master at his brilliant best. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntxS1bBg5o0 HORROR: HAPPY DEATH DAY Think Groundhog Day, except Bill Murray keeps getting brutally murdered. That's the basic premise of Happy Death Day, an ingenious new horror flick from the producer of Get Out, Insidious and Paranormal Activity. Jessica Rothe plays an unfortunate college student forced to relive the same day again and again — a day that ends with her being killed by a masked assailant. Find the killer, break the cycle — or at least, that's the plan. Mixing scares with a healthy dose of black comedy, Happy Death Day is perfect if you like movies like Scream or Drag Me to Hell. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJmpSMRQhhs ROMCOM: THE BIG SICK One of the surprise hits of the year, The Big Sick is an utter delight and one of our absolutely favourite films on the Mov'In Bed program. Based on the experiences of its writer and star, the film follows aspiring Chicago comedian Kumail Nanjiani and his fledgling relationship with Emily (Zoe Kazan). There are two complications. Firstly, Kumail's family want him to marry a nice Pakistani girl. Secondly, Emily is soon struck down by a mysterious illness that leaves her in a coma. A romcom unlike any other, The Big Sick is funny, heartfelt and never ceases to surprise. See it with someone you love. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQFIu9InG7Q COMEDY: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 It has been quite the fun year for Marvel movies — and before Thor: Ragnarok showered cinema-goers with offbeat antics, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 got there first. A sequel to 2014's superhero space effort, it's a case of keeping the intergalactic adventure going as Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) and Groot (Vin Diesel) try to save the universe, again. This time, they've got some daddy issues to deal with in the form of Kurt Russell, but the series' inability to take itself too seriously and ace '70s soundtrack remain. It's the perfect cure for comic book movie fatigue, so gather the gang. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgVo96JaqeM DRAMA: EYES WIDE SHUT An iconic filmmaker's last-ever movie. A real-life Hollywood duo diving into a tale of marital disharmony. A film that holds the Guinness World Record for the longest continuous shoot. There's much that intrigues about Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut; the film took a whopping 400 days to make, had been on the director's slate since the late '60s and stars Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman back when they were the biggest couple in the world. And, that's all before even contemplating the film's story. Cruise and Kidman play a married couple rocked by infidelity and one particularly wild night, in an erotic drama that's provocative, probing and has to be seen to be believed. Snag tickets to these flicks and check out the full program for Mov-In Bed here.
Bust out that vintage dress and Nan's old sunglasses — the Central Coast is bringing its retro festival back to town at the end of October. A tribute to classic America — rock 'n' roll, hot rods and all — ChromeFest will unite a whole lot of rockabilly goodness into one big weekend of throwbacks. Start the day by browsing over 70 market stalls laden with vintage goods and numerous food stalls. If you feel like you really did belong in the 50s, you can sign up for a workshop to help you achieve that 'vintage glam' look — or if you've already got the styling and posing down-pat, you can take part in the fashion parade. For the more sit-back-and-observe type, there'll be the Pin-Up Doll Australia competition on the go, vintage cars cruising around and a Parkes Elvis Festival Tribute Artist (we told you it'd be a real throwback). The live music lineup also includes Mescalero, Midnight Drifters, Itchy Fingers, The Lincolns and Narelle Evans and the Jetbacks. Meanwhile, The Sydney Swing Katz dance troupe will perform everything from the charleston to the lindy hop to swing. A fair warning here: audience participation is expected. While the bulk of the action is going down around The Entrance, the entire region is getting involved with pubs and bowling clubs throughout the Coast hosting retro bands across the weekend. If you're planning to make a weekend of it and stay on the Coast, free shuttle buses to ChromeFest will be running hourly from Tuggerah, Toukley and Bateau Bay. For more info and to check out the full lineup of acts, head to the ChromeFest website.
Vivid might have started as a light festival, but it's become so much more. These days, the program ranges from talks to live performances and immersive experiences. And, beyond the official program, venues all over the city are getting on board with Vivid-inspired eats and drinks. One of them is Untied, Barangaroo's original rooftop bar. Throughout the festival, it's serving fairy floss fizz: a glass of sparkling wine topped with a cloud of fairy floss. You have four flavours to choose from: blue raspberry, green sour apple, pink watermelon and purple berry crunch. As soon as the glass lands, you'll want to get your phone out. The floss creates a shimmering, swirling effect that's very much Instagram friendly. Plus, it gives your wine a sweet kick. Glasses of fairy floss fizz are going for $14 each. They're only available from Friday, May 23–Saturday, June 14. Top and bottom images: Onecut Studios.
Not all that long ago, the idea of getting cosy on your couch, clicking a few buttons, and having thousands of films and television shows at your fingertips seemed like something out of science fiction. Now, it's just an ordinary night — whether you're virtually gathering the gang to text along, cuddling up to your significant other or shutting the world out for some much needed me-time. Of course, given the wealth of options to choose from, there's nothing ordinary about making a date with your chosen streaming platform. The question isn't "should I watch something?" — it's "what on earth should I choose?". Hundreds of titles are added to Australia's online viewing services each and every month, all vying for a spot on your must-see list. And, so you don't spend 45 minutes scrolling and then being too tired to actually commit to anything, we're here to help. We've spent plenty of couch time watching our way through this month's latest batch — and, from the latest and greatest through to old and recent favourites, here are our picks for your streaming queue from March's haul. Brand-New Stuff You Can Watch From Start to Finish Now Girls5eva One of the funniest TV comedies of the 2020s is back with its third season, and as hilarious as ever. So what are you waiting five? If that question doesn't make any sense, then you clearly haven't yet experienced the wonder that is Girls5eva. It starts with a numerical pun-heavy earworm of a theme tune that no one should ever skip, then bounces along just as catchily and sidesplittingly in every second afterwards. A move to Netflix for season three — after streaming its first and second seasons via Peacock in the US and Stan in Australia — might just see the Tina Fey-executive produced music-industry sitcom switch from being one of the best shows that not enough people are watching to everyone's latest can't-stop-rewatching comedy obsession. In other words, this a series about a comeback and, thanks to its swap to the biggest player in the streaming game, now it's making a comeback itself. If it becomes a Netflix smash, here's hoping that it'll be famous at least one more time. Two years have passed for longterm fans since Girls5eva last checked in with Dawn Solano (Sara Bareilles, Broadway's Waitress), Wickie Roy (Renée Elise Goldsberry, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and also a Hamilton Tony-winner), Summer Dutkowsky (Busy Philipps, Mean Girls) and Gloria McManus (Paula Pell, Big Mouth), but the gap and the change of platforms haven't changed this gem. Consider the switch of streamer in the same way that Dawn and the gang are approaching their leap back into their girl group after two decades: as an all-in, go-hard-or-go-home, whatever-it-takes relaunch. Now firmly reunited, the surviving members of Girls5eva have taken to the road. So far, however, their big Returnity tour has been happy in Fort Worth. In the Texan city, their track 'Tap Into Your Fort Worth' keeps drawing in crowds, even if that's all that concertgoers want to hear. Also, the Marriott Suitelettes for Divorced Dads has become their home away from home, but resident diva Wickie isn't content just playing one place. Always dreaming huge, massive and stratospheric, she sets the band's sights on Radio City Music Hall, booking them in for a gig at a fee of $500,000. Cue a six-month timeline to sell it out — a feat made trickier by the fact that the show is on Thanksgiving — or risk ruin. Girls5eva streams via Netflix. Read our full review. 20 Days in Mariupol Incompatible with life. No one should ever want to hear those three devastating words. No one who is told one of the most distressing phrases there is ever has them uttered their way in positive circumstances, either. Accordingly, when they're spoken by a doctor in 2024 Oscar-winner 20 Days in Mariupol, they're deeply shattering. So is everything in this on-the-ground portrait of the first 20 days in the Ukrainian port city as Russia began its invasion, with the bleak reality of living in a war zone documented in harrowing detail. Located less than 60 kilometres from the border, Mariupol quickly segues from ordinary life to an apocalyptic scene — and this film refuses to look away. Much of its time is spent in and around hospitals, which see an influx of patients injured and killed by the combat, and also become targets as well. Many of in 20 Days in Mariupol's faces are the afflicted, the medics tending to them in horrendous circumstances, and the loves ones that are understandably inconsolable. Too many of the carnage's victims are children and babies, with their parents crushed and heartbroken in the aftermath; sometimes, they're pregnant women. Directed by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Mstyslav Chernov, and narrated by him with the grimness and soberness that can be this movie's only tone, 20 Days in Mariupol even existing is an achievement. What it depicts — what it immerses viewers in with urgency, from shelled hospitals, basements-turned-bomb shelters and more of the city destroyed day after day to families torn apart, looting, struggling to find food and bodies of the dead taken to mass graves — needs to be viewed as widely as possible, and constantly. His footage has also featured in news reports, but it can and must never be forgotten. Doctors mid-surgery demand that Chernov's camera is pointed their way, and that he shows the world the travesties taking place. The Ukrainian reporter, who has also covered Donbas, flight MH17, Syria and the Battle of Mosul for the Associated Press, does exactly that. He's doing more than ensuring that everyone bears witness, though; he makes certain that there's no way to watch 20 Days in Mariupol, which shows the vast civilian impact and casualties, and see anything but ordinary people suffering, or to feel anything other than shock, anger and horror. 20 Days in Mariupol streams via DocPlay. STEVE! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces To do justice to Steve Martin's life, career and impact requires more than just one movie. So, the engagingly and entertainingly in-depth, intimate, affectionate and informative STEVE! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces explores the comedian and actor's existence in a pair of parts. The first is subtitled 'Then', honing in on his childhood and early stand-up days. The second, aka 'Now', jumps in when he made the leap to movies in the late 70s, which is where The Jerk, Pennies From Heaven, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Parenthood and LA Story comes in — and, of course, includes his tours with his ¡Three Amigos! co-star Martin Short, as well as their murder-mystery-comedy TV hit Only Murders in the Building. The initial half gets Martin narrating, sharing reflections personal and professional as accompanied by archival footage aplenty (and ample tapes of his stints in front of audience). The latter section treats him as an interviewee, with his wife Anne Stringfield, Short, Jerry Seinfeld (who has had Martin as a guest on Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee) and Tina Fey (who also co-starred with Martin in Baby Mama) among the talking heads. Behind it all is documentarian Morgan Neville, an Oscar-winner for 20 Feet From Stardom, as well as a filmmaker who is clearly taking his stylistic cues from his subject. That's noticeable in STEVE! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces' moniker, for starters — it throws caution to the winds of grammar and title formats just as Martin has to comedy rules, as the two-part film makes plain again and again. No matter how well-acquainted you are with Martin, insights flow freely in this fascinating way to spend three hours surveying the ways that he's made people laugh over decades upon decades, beginning with doing magic tricks and working at Disneyland on his school holidays in the 50s. Revelations bound through about Martin as a person, too; more than once, he notes that his life has felt as if it has played out backwards, and not just because he only first became a father in his 60s. Clips of his stand-up act, and the response to it in the 60s and 70s, are gold. Hanging out with the man who originally was only going to create Only Murders in the Building, not star in it, when he's bantering with Short are as well. STEVE! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces streams via Apple TV+. Spaceman Should astronaut become a dictionary-certified synonym for melancholy? Cinema believes so. Its latest case in point comes via Spaceman, where life temporarily lived above and beyond the earth replaces gravity with loneliness and disconnection for Jakub Prochazka (Adam Sandler, You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah). He's six months into a solo trip past Jupiter to investigate an eerie phenomenon in the heavens when this adaptation of Jaroslav Kalfař's 2017 sci-fi novel Spaceman of Bohemia kicks off. His quest is both time-sensitive and celebrated. South Korea is in close pursuit, he's frequently being told by Peter (Kunal Nayyar, Night Court), his contact at ground control — and Commissioner Tuma (Isabella Rossellini, Cat Person) happily keeps dialling him in for PR opportunities. As he soars through a strangely purple sky, however, endeavouring to fulfil his mission while pleading for maintenance approval on his crumbling ship, all that's really on his mind is his wife Lenka (Carey Mulligan, Maestro). Pregnant and left at home alone, she's no longer taking his fast-as-light-speed phone calls. Then Hanus (Paul Dano, Mr & Mrs Smith) scurries in beside Jakub, demanding attention — as a giant spider in space is always going to. For the best part of a decade now, seeing a live-action movie starring Sandler has meant heading to Netflix. In Australia, even Uncut Gems, his greatest-ever performance, arrived via the streaming platform. Alongside The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) and Hustle, add Spaceman to the list of such features that give their star worthy parts and would've made welcome cinema releases. It isn't new news that Sandler is an excellent actor in dramatic and/or weightier roles, or that his career is more than the Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore-style comedies that he first became known for. Spaceman director Johan Renck (Chernobyl) has cast him expertly, in fact, in this tale of isolation, arrested development, otherworldly arachnids and amorous entanglements. Sending Sandler on an Ad Astra-, First Man- and Solaris-esque trip proves contemplative and empathetic — and, amid spider's-eye flashbacks to his complicated childhood in the Czech Republic, time spent with Lenka on the ground and floating around the film's claustrophobic main setting, also brimming with raw and resonant emotion. Spaceman streams via Netflix. The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin Who needs facts when you can have a ball with irreverently riffing on history? It worked for Blackadder, then with The Great and Our Flag Means Death, and now does the same for The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin. It was evident from the concept when it was announced, and the trailer afterwards as well: this series is firmly in the same mode as the pirate comedy that gave streaming two wonderfully funny and heartfelt seasons, then was cancelled. The similarities don't stop being apparent now that Noel Fielding's latest stint of silliness is here with its six-instalment first season. Accordingly, viewers looking for something to help with their Our Flag Means Death heartbreak have somewhere to turn. Everyone who loves The Mighty Boosh's Fielding when he's getting surreal — something that his The Great British Bake Off hosting gig can't quite offer, even with his outfits — is also catered for. Awaiting in The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin is an entertaining jaunt that's exactly what anyone should expect given its premise, star, his fondness for whimsy and flamboyant outfits, plus Britain's love of parodying its own past. Fielding co-writes and executive produces, alongside leading — and his brother Michael is among the fellow The Mighty Boosh alum on-screen. Dick jokes abound, because who could pass up the opportunity given its protagonist? A who's who of English comedy also features. The year is 1735. The place is the UK, obviously. The subject is a real-life highwayman. If Dick Turpin isn't familiar, he's the son of a butcher, he was his father's apprentice, but then took on a different career as part of the Essex gang. In reality, he was executed by hanging at the age of 33. In The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin, standing on the gallows provides the opening. From there, the series steps through his time as a thief after being a vegan pacifist didn't gel with the family business. The key things that Dick takes with him when he leaves home, when his father John (Mark Heap, Significant Other) quickly replaces him with his cousin Benny (Michael Fielding, Merry Little Batman): eye-catching purple boots and a sewing machine. Soon enough, he has a crew by his side — and an instantly amusing revisionist history about Britain's equivalent of Ned Kelly is the result. The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin streams via Apple TV+. Read our full review. 3 Body Problem How do you follow up Game of Thrones? So asks one of the biggest questions in pop culture over the past decade. HBO's hit adaptation of George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series ended five years ago, but the network behind it, the TV industry in general, and everyone involved in it on- and off-screen has been grappling with that query since the series became a worldwide smash. For the cable station that made it, more Game of Thrones shows is the answer, aka House of the Dragon, the upcoming A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight and other floated spinoffs. For Hollywood, leaning in on fantasy franchises has been a solution. And for David Benioff and DB Weiss, the showrunners on the Westeros-set phenomenon, bringing another complex book saga to the small screen is the chosen path. Those novels: Liu Cixin's Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy, which arrives as 3 Body Problem, with 2008 book The Three-Body Problem as the basis for its eight-episode first season. Invasions, feuds, jumping timelines, a hefty cast of characters: they're all still in place. So are John Bradley (Marry Me), Liam Cunningham (Dracula: Voyage of the Demeter) and Jonathan Pryce (Slow Horses) among the cast, answering the "what comes next?" question for three Game of Thrones actors. Also, that composer Ramin Djawadi (Jack Ryan) is on music duties again isn't difficult to notice. With 3 Body Problem, which sees Benioff and Weiss team up with True Blood and The Terror's Alexander Woo to bring Cixin's text to the screen, sprawling high fantasy gives away to time- and space-hopping hard sci-fi, however. The danger to global stability still springs from a battle for supremacy, but one where countdowns start dancing in front of some people's eyes, particle accelerators stop functioning properly, other folks can't be seen in security footage, scientists seem to be killing themselves and aliens linger. The series begins with a physics professor being beaten to death in front of a crowd containing his daughter during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Then, it flits to London today to watch the entire sky wink, gleaming helmets spirit whoever dons them into a complicated and intricate virtual-reality game, and what lurks beyond the earth — and who — play a significant part. 3 Body Problem streams via Netflix. Read our full review. Road House It's a brave actor who tries to follow in Patrick Swayze's footsteps. The late, great star was one of a kind, other than the fact that the 80s and 90s screamed out for him to team up with Kurt Russell on-screen. But folks persist in attempting to take his lead, including Diego Luna (Andor) in the also Swayze-starring Dirty Dancing prequel Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, Édgar Ramírez (Dr Death) in the terrible 2015 Point Break remake and now Jake Gyllenhaal (Guy Ritchie's The Covenant) in Road House, another do-over of a Swayze hit. Gyllenhaal fares best in a film that isn't its predecessor in a swathe of ways — there's less sleaze to the titular establishment, and in general; less heat to its central romance; less zen about its protagonist; and no throats being ripped out — but is aided immensely by its key casting. No one needed a Road House remake, let alone one where its cooler is a former UFC fighter who has fallen on troubled times in and out of the octagon. Surely no one wanted to witness a strutting Conor McGregor make his acting debut, and so gratingly, as one of the new Road House's villains. But Gyllenhaal leaning into eccentricity as Dalton works a charm. The plot remains largely the same, albeit shifted to Florida, which sees director Doug Liman (Chaos Walking) also take a few stylistic cues from Miami Vice. In the eponymous venue, Dalton — Elwood, not James — is recruited to take over security by Frankie (Jessica Williams, Shrinking), with her bar suffering from a violence problem. Thugs keep smashing up the place, and patrons. Also, bouncers are constantly leaving the job. There's a cool, calm and collected air to Dalton's quest to clean up the joint, which contrasts with his inner turmoil. Soon, though, he's being threatened in an attempt to run him out of town. Daniela Melchior (Fast X) co-stars as the doctor that becomes his love interest, Billy Magnussen (Lift) as the drug-peddling nepo-baby baddie with designs on The Road House's land, Arturo Castro (The Vince Staples Show) as a motorcycle-gang henchman who genuinely appreciates Dalton's approach and Hannah Love Lanier (Special Ops: Lioness) as a bookshop-running teenager, but Road House circa 2024 is Gyllenhaal's show. This isn't the first attempt to capitalise upon the original Road House's success — even if it was nominated for five Razzies — thanks to 2006's Road House 2. Being better than that is a low bar, but this Road House clears it. Road House streams via Prime Video. Apples Never Fall On the page and on the screen, audiences know what's in store when Sydney-born and -based author Liane Moriarty's name is attached to a book or TV series. Domestic disharmony within comfortable communities fuels her tales, as do twisty mystery storylines. When they hit streaming, the shows adapted from her novels add in starry casts as well. Indeed, after Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers, it might come as a shock that Nicole Kidman (Expats) is nowhere to be found in the seven-episode Apples Never Fall. The Australian actor will be back in another version of Moriarty's tomes, also with a three-word title, with The Last Anniversary currently in the works. Fresh from an Oscar nomination for Nyad, Annette Bening is no mere stand-in right now. Also, where Kidman has co-starred with Reese Witherspoon (The Morning Show), Laura Dern (The Son) and Alexander Skarsgård (Mr & Mrs Smith), and also Melissa McCarthy (The Little Mermaid), Michael Shannon (The Flash) and Luke Evans (Good Grief), Bening is joined by Sam Neill (The Twelve), Alison Brie (Somebody I Used to Know) and Jake Lacy (A Friend of the Family). If Lacy's involvement brings The White Lotus to mind, he's again at home playing affluent and arrogant — but no one is on holiday in Apples Never Fall. Rather, in West Palm Beach, the tennis-obsessed Delaney family finds their well-off existence shattered when matriarch Joy (Bening) goes missing, leaving just a banged-up and blood-splattered bicycle, a strewn-about basket of apples and her mobile phone behind. Her adult children (Lacy, Brie, Thai Cave Rescue's Conor Merrigan Turner and The Speedway Murders' Essie Randles) are worried, while husband Stan (Neill) first advises that his spouse is merely ill, a choice that does nothing to stop suspicion rocketing his way. In addition to charting the search for Joy, the Queensland-shot Apples Never Fall bounces through ample backstory. After its introductory instalment, each episode focuses on one of the family; across them all, the timeline is split into "then" and "now". It soon becomes apparent that the doting Joy and determined Stan were talented players, then established the Delaney Tennis Academy when his aspirations were cruelled by injury, and she sidelined hers to support him and have their kids. Another person looms large over the narrative, too: Savannah (Georgia Flood, Blacklight), who graces the Delaneys' doorstep in its flashbacks, fleeing from domestic abuse — or so she claims. Apples Never Fall streams via Binge. Read our full review. Breeders Sitcoms about raising a family are almost as common as sitcoms in general, with the antics of being married with children up there with workplace shenanigans as one of the genre's go-to setups. Thanks to the OG UK version of The Office, Martin Freeman knows more than a little about employment-focused TV comedies. Courtesy of The Thick of It and Veep, actor-turned-director Chris Addison and writer Simon Blackwell also fall into that category. But Breeders, which the trio created and thrusts them into the world of mining parenting for laughs, isn't your standard take on its concept. As became immediately evident when the British series began in 2020, and remains the case now that it's wrapping up with its current fourth season — which aired overseas in 2023 but is only hitting Down Under in 2024 — this show does't subscribe to the rosy notion that being a mother or a father (or a son or daughter, or grandmother or grandfather) equals loveable chaos. There's love, of course. There's even more chaos. But there's also clear eyes, plus bleakness; again, this is largely helmed and scripted by alumni of two of the best, sharpest and most-candid political satires of the 21st century, and always feels as such. Season four begins with a time jump, with Breeders' overall path tracking Paul Worsley (Freeman, Secret Invasion) and Ally Grant's (Daisy Haggard, Boat Story) journey from when their two kids were very young — including babies, via flashbacks — to their teenage and young-adult years now. Consequently, five years on in the narrative from season three, another set of actors play Luke (Oscar Kennedy, Wreck) and Ava (debutant Zoë Athena) in this farewell run as the first is moving in with his girlfriend and the second explores her own love life, as well as grappling with the inescapable reality that her elder brother's ups and downs have always monopolised her family's attention. Paul and Ally also have the ailing health of Paul's parents Jim (Alun Armstrong, Tom Jones) and Jackie (Joanna Bacon, Benediction) to manage, in addition to the ebbs and flows of their own often-fraught relationship, plus just dealing with getting through the days, weeks, months and years in general (Ally turning 50 is one of this season's plot points). That this all sounds like standard life is part of the point; watching Breeders is like looking in a mirror, especially in its unvarnished and relatable all-you-can-do-is-laugh perspective. Freeman's knack for swearing will be especially missed. Breeders streams via Disney+. New and Returning Shows to Check Out Week by Week Palm Royale More things in life should remind the world about Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, 2021's wonderfully goofy (and just wonderful) Florida-set comedy starring Kristen Wiig (MacGruber) and Annie Mumolo (Barbie), plus Jamie Dornan (The Tourist) singing to seagulls. The also Wiig-led Palm Royale is one such prompt. Thankfully, watching the page-to-screen dramedy doesn't cause audiences to wish that they were just viewing Barb and Star, though. The two share the same US state as a locale, too, alongside bright colour schemes, a bouncy pace and a willingness to get silly, especially with sea life, but Palm Royale engages all on its own. Adapting Juliet McDaniel's Mr & Mrs American Pie for the small screen, this 60s-set effort also knows how to make gleaming use of its best asset: Saturday Night Live, Bridesmaids and Ghostbusters alum Wiig. In its ten-episode first season, the show's storyline centres on Maxine Simmons. A former beauty-pageant queen out of Chattanooga, Tennessee, she thinks nothing of scaling the wall to the titular country club, then breezing about like she's meant to be there — sipping grasshoppers and endeavouring to eavesdrop her way into a social-climbing friendship with Palm Beach's high-society set — and Wiig sells every second of the character's twist-filled journey. Even better: she heartily and entertainingly conveys the everywoman aspects of someone who has yearning for a better life as her main motivation, and isn't willing to settle for anything less than she thinks that she deserves, even in hardly relatable circumstances. There's no doubting that Maxine is both an underdog and an outsider in the milieu that she so frenziedly covets. When she's not swanning around poolside, idolising self-appointed bigwig Evelyn Rollins (Allison Janney, The Creator) and ambassador's wife Dinah Donahue (Leslie Bibb, About My Father) among the regulars — their clique spans widow Mary Jones Davidsoul (Julia Duffy, Christmas with the Campbells) and mobster spouse Raquel Kimberly-Maco (Claudia Ferri, Arlette) — and ordering her cocktail of choice from bartender Robert (Ricky Martin, American Crime Story), she's staying in a far-from-glamorous motel. Funding for her quest to fit in with the rich and gossip-column famous comes via pawning jewellery owned by her pilot husband Douglas'(Josh Lucas, Yellowstone) comatose aunt Norma Dellacorte (Carol Burnett, Better Call Saul), the plastics and mouthwash heiress who ruled the scene until suffering an embolism. Palm Royale streams via Apple TV+. Read our full review. High Country The role of Andie Whitford, the lead part in High Country, was written for Leah Purcell. It's easy to understand why. There's a quiet resolve to the character — a been-there-seen-that air to weathering tumult, too — that's long been a part of the Indigenous Australian star's acting toolkit across a three-decade career that started in 90s TV shows such as GP, Police Rescue and Water Rats, and has recently added The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart and Shayda to her resume (plus much in-between). Andie is a seasoned police detective who takes a job back in uniform overseeing the town of Broken Ridge, which is located in the mountainous Victorian region that gives the mystery series its name. A big reason for the move: stability and work-life balance, aka relocating for the sake of her personal life with spouse Helen (Sara Wiseman, Under the Vines) and daughter Kirra (Pez Warner, making her TV debut). An existence-resetting tree change is meant to be on the cards, then. But her arrival, especially being installed as the new police chief, doesn't earn the sunniest of welcomes. Then there's the missing-person cases that swiftly start piling up, some old, some new, some previously explained by pointing fingers in specific directions. High Country's framework, down to its character types, is easily recognisable. Creators Marcia Gardner and John Ridley, who worked with Purcell on Wentworth, know what everyone does: that a great story can make any whodunnit-driven procedural feel different. So, also part of the series are Andie's retiring predecessor (Ian McElhinney, The Boys in the Boat), who is fixated on a past disappearance; the former teacher (Henry Nixon, The PM's Daughter) he's certain is responsible, who has become the town outcast; a local ranger (Aaron Pedersen, Jack Irish), one of the few other Indigenous faces in town; the financially challenged proprietor (Linda Cropper, How to Stay Married) of a haven for artists; cop colleagues of varying help and loyalty (Romance at the Vineyard's Matt Domingo and Wyrmwood: Apocalypse's Luke McKenzie); and rabble-rousing siblings (Boy Swallows Universe's Nathaniel Dean and The Clearing's Jamie Timony). Crucially, where the show takes them always feels like its own journey. This might also be the second Aussie effort in two months to use this part of the country as a backdrop, following Force of Nature: The Dry 2, but High Country is similarly no mere rehash there. High Country streams via Binge. The Regime After past wins for Mildred Pierce and Mare of Easttown, Kate Winslet might just add another Emmy to her mantle for The Regime. When the British actor turns her attention to TV for HBO, she unveils spectacular performances — something that she does everywhere anyway (see also: the 30-year-old Heavenly Creatures, 20-year-old Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and more-recent Ammonite, for instance), but this working relationship has been going particularly well for her. Winslet's latest small-screen stint for the US network takes her into the realm of satire, and to a Central European country under authoritarian rule. Nothing for the nation's current leadership is quite going to plan, though. This is a place where Chancellor Elena Vernham singing 'If You Leave Me Now' to open an official dinner, keeping her deceased father in a glass coffin, and overhauling the palace that she calls home due to fears of moisture and black mould are all everyday occurrences. Each of the above happens in The Regime's first episode, as does hiring a soldier linked to a scandal involving the deaths of protestors at a cobalt mine — with his new gig initially requiring him to monitor the air quality in every room that the Chancellor enters. Winslet (Avatar: The Way of Water) is mesmerising as Vernham, who takes her cues from a range of IRL world leaders — it's easy to glean which — in a show that's as captivating as its lead performance. She has excellent company, too, spanning the always-ace Matthias Schoenaerts (Amsterdam) as said military man-turned-Vernham's new advisor, Andrea Riseborough (To Leslie) as her regular offsider, plus everyone from Hugh Grant (Wonka) to Martha Plimpton (A Town Called Malice) popping up and making the most of their supporting parts. The Regime's creator Will Tracy wrote The Menu and also episodes of Succession, so he has experience being scathing; his time on the staff of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver also shows its influence. If he'd been watching Armando Iannucci's The Death of Stalin while dreaming up this (including nabbing Riseborough from the cast), that wouldn't come as a surprise, either. With Stephen Frears (The Lost King) and Jessica Hobbs (The Crown) behind the camera, The Regime is a probingly directed effort as well as it works through its six chapters. The Regime streams via Binge. Need a few more streaming recommendations? Check out our picks from January and February this year, and also from January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December 2023. You can also check out our running list of standout must-stream shows from last year as well — and our best 15 new shows of 2023, 15 newcomers you might've missed, top 15 returning shows of the year, 15 best films, 15 top movies you likely didn't see, 15 best straight-to-streaming flicks and 30 movies worth catching up on over the summer.
David Bowie lit up the entertainment world like a flash of lightning. In fact, after wearing a bolt of brightness across his face on the cover of his 1973 album Aladdin Sane, the symbol became forever linked with the star. Now, a collective of Bowie-obsessed designers are trying to ensure that he continues to dazzle London thanks to a proposed permanent public memorial. In a plan that has must-visit tourist attraction written all over it, creative consultancy This Ain't Rock'n'Roll have launched a crowdfunding campaign to see a three-storey-high, red and blue coloured piece of stainless steel art built in the centre of Brixton, just five streets away from where Bowie was born. Yes, it'll take the shape of a lightning bolt. Yes, they've already thought of calling it the ZiggyZag. Yes, measuring nine metres in height and almost seven metres in width, it'll be just like the man who inspired it — impossible to ignore. The structure will sit next to another Bowie tribute in the form of Jimmy C's internationally famous Aladdin Sane mural, turning the Brixton spot into an absolute haven for worshipping the artist. If it eventuates, we're guessing there'll be plenty of dancing in the streets. Created in consultation with Bowie's team in New York and London, the project has a target of £990,000 — raising £43,647 so far at the time of writing — with the pledge period ending on March 21. Those who donate funds won't just play a part in making history, but can also receive books, pins, prints, t-shirts, pendants, limited-edition art and even 3D-printed miniature replicas, depending on the level of their contribution. For more information, visit the David Bowie memorial's crowdfunding page.
Something completely new is set to join Australia's skyline: a Skystand overlooking the Brisbane Cricket Ground, aka the Gabba. Located atop 20-storey development Silk One in Woolloongabba's Trafalgar Street, it's exactly what it sounds like: a rooftop terrace that peers over the stadium, allowing residents to see whatever might be happening on the ground — namely Brisbane Lions AFL matches during winter and cricket games over summer. A handful of concerts also take place at the Gabba, with Adele playing there in 2017 and Taylor Swift slated for later in 2018. The idea is that people who live one of the complex's 178 apartments (or people who are friends with people who live in the apartments) will get access to these events without really leaving home, all while hanging out on a sky-high timber deck, underneath a pergola, with a big screen TV and a dining and barbecue area at their fingertips. The rooftop will also include a gym, pool, spa and sun lounges, in case whatever's on in the stadium doesn't pique your interest. Of course, an obvious question has to be asked: how much will you really be able to see from 20 levels up? Sure, there'll be a television on hand so that you can watch all of the ins and outs of the game in detail, and you'll save yourself the cost of a ticket. But the Gabba is more likely to provide a glossy backdrop as you hang out in the Skystand, rather than letting you actually enjoy the game or concert. Still, we're guessing the sound of the crowd, or whoever is on stage crooning, will echo up that far. Given that the area around the Gabba is currently filled with both new high-rises and construction sites in the process of erecting new high-rises, it wouldn't be surprising if other buildings follow suit. That said, the folks behind Silk One say their Skystand has been "strategically designed to maximise the birds-eye views of the Gabba stadium". Silk One in Woolloongabba and its Skystand are slated for completion in mid-2020.
Perhaps you've spent some time this year building a Lego bouquet. Or, if you're a Melburnian, you might've made a trip to a Lego recreation of Jurassic World. Whatever interactions you've had with the plastic building blocks of late — including picking up some Lego and IKEA storage boxes, meditating to the sounds of jumbled bricks or signing up for a subscription service during lockdown — you may not have thought about one inescapable fact: that all that plastic is the stuff of environmental nightmares. Lego itself hasn't been ignoring the obvious. Back in 2018, it committed to using sustainable materials in all its core products and packaging by 2030 — and it started by producing a range of sustainable pieces made from plant-based plastic, called bio-polyethylene. The next step: making its bricks from recycled plastic. And while the company isn't quite ready to start selling sets made from recycled materials in stores, it has just unveiled its first prototype bricks. The new blocks are made with PET plastic from discarded bottles, and mark the first that've been made from a recycled material to meet the brand's quality and safety standards. It took some work to get to this point, though, with materials scientists and engineers spending the past three years testing more than 250 types of PET materials — and hundreds of other plastic formulations. One of the trickiest things to nail (and one of the most important): getting the bricks to clutch together. In a statement, Lego said that "it will be some time before bricks made from a recycled material appear in Lego product boxes". From here, it'll keep testing and developing the PET-made bricks, before deciding whether to move into the pilot production phase — with this process expected to take another year at least. And if you're wondering about the plastic used in the new blocks, it has been sourced from US suppliers, with a one-litre plastic bottle providing enough raw material for ten 2 x 4 Lego bricks. For further information about Lego's sustainability plans, head to the brand's website.
Even if you enter Bridge of Spies unaware of its director, it soon becomes obvious that Steven Spielberg is at the helm. Tom Hanks popping up on screen, as he did in Saving Private Ryan, Catch Me If You Can and The Terminal before this, offers one such indication of the man behind the camera, although the clues certainly don’t stop there. The way the story is handled, the heavy-handed score that tells audiences what to feel rather than trusting the storytelling to do so, as well as the almost overbearing sense of righteousness that infuses every scene, all do plenty to give away the Spielberg touch. Under his guidance, the actor many likely wish was their dad lives up to that fantasy as an ordinary, upstanding guy driven by a desire to do what's right. Hanks’ character, the real-life James B. Donovan, is a tax lawyer taken out of his comfort zone, yet always guided by his strong moral compass. He's asked by the government to undertake the unpopular role of representing Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance), a Soviet agent found on U.S. soil, at his controversial and highly publicised espionage trial. Next, Donovan is tasked with negotiating Abel's return to his homeland in a trade for captured American operatives. And yes, for anyone wondering about the movie's name, at one point the spies really do stand on a bridge – although the film's moniker speaks more to the network that springs up between warring sides. As he journeys to the unsafe streets of post-WW2 Berlin to broker a deal, Donovan's involvement must remain secret and officially unsanctioned — at least as far as the public and the record of the time are concerned. Accordingly, Bridge of Spies never misses the opportunity to bluntly idolise its protagonist, nor stress the strength of his character as he rallies for a person, an approach and good old-fashioned due process when no one around him will share his views. That's not to say that any of these points are unreasonable, or that the praise isn't earned. It's just that Spielberg, initial screenwriter Matt Charman, and script tinkerers Ethan and Joel Coen (yes, the brilliant minds behind Fargo, The Big Lebowski and Inside Llewyn Davis) rarely let the story breathe beyond their laudatory viewpoint. Given that they certainly take their time unraveling all the necessary information and intricacies, it's an approach that proves both distracting and disappointing. Of course, Spielberg crafts a polished film regardless, and one remarkably visually textured from its almost silent opening. Hanks, too, remains a likeable, reliable lead. The real star of the show though, other than the actual events that the movie didn't need to depict in such an emotional fashion, is Tony and Olivier award-winning theatre actor Rylance. If the rest of the feature seems to strive to simplify something complex for the sake of sentiment, he's proves the humanised and genuinely heartfelt opposite. Audiences could be forgiven for wishing that the rest of the film followed his lead, and was more like Spielberg's blistering Munich and less like his sappy War Horse. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-2x3r1m2I4
A few weeks ago, The Basement's future was looking seriously shaky. In a Facebook post on April 3, the venue's management explained the current site was no longer suiting their needs and that they were looking at finding a new home. But yesterday it was announced that musical entrepreneur Albert Dadon will ensure The Basement won't be lost forever. Dadon — who runs Melbourne's Bird's Basement — snapped up both the name and assets of the long-running Sydney jazz club, and is now on the hunt for a new CBD location to house it. He's even taking suggestions from the public. ''I was saddened to see The Basement close its doors," Dadon said. "It was a loss to the cultural health of the city and Australia. I hope that with the help of those who are committed to retain and reinvigorate Sydney's music scene we will find an ideal new location of The Basement." It's not the first time this guy's flown to the rescue of Australia's jazz scene — back in 2000, he played a major role in the resurrection of the Melbourne International Jazz Festival, wrangling government funding and then growing audience numbers by 195,000 in just nine years. Dadon, who also happens to be a leading jazz guitarist himself, opened Bird's Basement in Melbourne's CBD in 2016. He's aiming to create a similar venue with this latest project, saying he "would love to provide Sydneysiders with a wonderful 21st century experience" similar to his Melbourne venue. The Basement is now closed. We'll let you know when a new location has been confirmed.
Neil Watkins' latest performance is a contemporary Irish story that resonates with audiences globally through an exploration of the universal themes of loneliness and hope. Oh, and it's about wanking. But this story doesn't just rely on our natural curiosity towards graphic material, as clearly it's not that difficult to hold an audience's attention for 60 minutes when you're talking about whacking off to internet porn. What makes The Year of Magical Wanking unique is its promise to be as hauntingly sad as it is hilariously charming. The leading performance artist — and former Alternative Miss Ireland — plays Maverick, a 33-year-old homosexual with a Jesus complex. A self-confessed wanker from the beginning, his monologue addresses his self-destructive struggle with foul sexual fantasies after a life of being subjected to intolerant parents, HIV and abusive sexual relationships. Performing barefoot with no mask save for a warrior-like streak of makeup beneath each eye, he's literally laid bare before the audience as he takes them on his journey towards self-acceptance. Director Phillip McMahon has a long association with The Abbey Theatre, who brought us Terminus last year, and was named a person to watch in 2012 by the Irish Times. The play itself was nominated for Best New Play and Best Performer at Dublin Fringe 2011. Presented by both Mardi Gras and daring queer Irish theatre company THISISPOPBABY, The Year of Magical Wanking will give audiences something more enduring than just a good laugh. Though there will, no doubt, be plenty of those, too.
As Australians gear up for a postal vote on the issue of same-sex marriage, Melbourne City Council is showing its unequivocal backing of marriage equality by lighting up the Melbourne Town Hall in rainbow colours for the next two nights — just as it did in the wake of last year's Orlando nightclub shootings. Along with the municipal building's temporary makeover on Wednesday, August 16 and Thursday, August 17, the Council has also arranged a message in support of marriage equality to be screened up on Swanston Street's Young and Jackson Hotel's iconic rooftop sign for an hour from 11am today, and on rotation between Monday, August 21, and Sunday, September 17. We'll see even more of its endorsement in the coming weeks too, with local businesses offered window stickers backing the campaign. It all comes after Melbourne City Council last night endorsed a motion to campaign in support for marriage equality and to promote respectful dialogue surrounding the debate, with Lord Mayor Robert Doyle AC clear about the message they're hoping to send out. "When I think of Melbourne I think of equality," Doyle said. "I want Melbourne to take pride in its tolerant, welcoming, diverse culture. I believe all of our residents should have the opportunity to marry, if they wish." Melbourne City Council's a long-time supporter of marriage equality, having unanimously voted to back same-sex marriage back in 2015 and called on the Federal Government to legislate for it.
Benedict Hardie says the only way he could write a play about the dire state of affairs in Australia’s immigration debate was to write a comedy. He’s dubbed The Boat People a black comedy, and it does have the structural elements of a farce. But at its core The Boat People is a poetic elegy for those whose lives have been destroyed by inhumane policies. Christian refugees from Iraq, Sarah and Karl Abboud (Susie Youssef and William Erimya) arrived in Australia as teenagers and met at Villawood Detention Centre. As adults they build a small fortune from a restaurant chain, Safina, whose point of difference in the dining landscape is the commodification of their identity as refugees, with offerings such as the 'Manus Meal' or the 'Chop Morrison' — it’s "true blue reffo tucker". The Boat People opens with Verity Hampson’s lighting gradually revealing a shimmering mound of silver rock (or perhaps the underside of a small boat), the light falling in dappled patches as if through water — a dream state reference to the pasts of the now wealthy and secure Abbouds. Michael Hankin’s set is an enclosure of vertical windows, which serves both as the impressive floor to ceiling glass of the successful couple’s waterfront home and as a reminder of the pair’s previous lives in detention. Hardie’s comedy hinges on the Abbouds using their minority status to make money from white middle class guilt, while compounding stereotypes in the process. Those boarding Sarah's harbour tours in repurposed people smuggling boats can enjoy the postcard-worthy view knowing Australia has given refugees a 'fair go' if the Abbouds have succeeded. Bleeding-heart journalist, Melanie (Emily Rose Brennan), embodies the middle class guilt in the play — starting out by seeking the truth, then ultimately committing to selling a refugee success story at any cost (ostensibly for the good of all asylum seekers). Youssef and Brennan drive the show with masterful focus, allowing Erimya and Luke Joseph Ryan (as the halfwit personal trainer-turned-bodyguard, Shane) to dance around the edges of the action. Ryan successfully channels Will Arnett with his slapstick bravura. Erimya’s off kilter comedic timing can take a bit of getting used to, but his awkwardness begins to make more sense as it's revealed that Karl is a trauma victim and not just a bumbling fool. Youssef’s closing monologue about a childhood in detention is chilling and Hardie’s writing here is plain and to the point — the farce is stripped back and we’re left with the facts at hand. Hardie isn’t using comedy in The Boat People as a device to trick the audience into thinking about darker truths; he’s deploying humour as a completely appropriate response to a political reality we all wish was a bad joke.
After rolling out pop-up igloos each winter for the last six years, Pier One is back for the chilly season, this time with a tweak on its time-tested hangout spots. The igloos will not be returning after more than half a decade, but in their place is The Glass Room, a new harbourside haunt with cocktails grazing boards and a personal hot tub. The luxurious private glass hut has been designed by Alyce Tran the co-founder of the stylish tableware company In the Roundhouse with vibrant pink, white and red furniture and finishes transporting you to summer in the middle of a chilly winter's night. The Glass Room is available for groups of up to 12 people to book for periods of two and a half hours. The room comes with a $300 hire fee and a $400–700 minimum spend depending on when you reserve it. On offer inside is a lavish food and drink menu featuring Sydney rock oysters, duck liver and cognac pate, Sonoma sourdough, crisps and dips, quesadillas, wagyu beef sliders and lemon pepper calamari. All of this is available for $60 per person, which can then be paired with drinks like limoncello spritzes, champagne margaritas, a selection of Australian and French wines, and beer coolers filled with Sone & Wood Pacific Ales or Coronas. While you're basquing your own private party at The Glass Room, you can also enjoy the waterside hot tub which can warm five partygoers at a time — whether they're enjoying a relaxing bath during the day or a soak under the stars. You can hire out the space daily, from 12–2.30pm, 3.30–6pm or 7–9.30pm, until Sunday, October 1. And if you opt for the latter time slot from Friday–Sunday, you can add on a night's stay for two guests for an extra $450. If you do opt to stay overnight you'll see the room transform into The Glass Suite — which breakfast the next morning and parking. Images: Anna Kucera.
"This is not about getting back at dad. But, if it hurts him, it doesn't bother me." So announces Shiv Roy (Sarah Snook, Pieces of a Woman) in the just-dropped new teaser trailer for Succession season four, although it could've been any one of the Roy family's adult children uttering such words. If there's one thing that viewers of this award-winning HBO drama know, it's that this brood is big on insults and scheming against their father, and each other — and on grudges and feuding over who'll run the family company as well. Expect this soon-to-drop fourth season to be no do different, clearly; the more things change for the Roys, which also includes patriarch and business titan Logan Roy (Brian Cox, Remember Me), plus Shiv's siblings Kendall (Jeremy Strong, Armageddon Time), Connor (Alan Ruck, The Dropout) and Roman (Kieran Culkin, No Sudden Move), the more that volatile underlying dynamic stays the same. And, expect to start seeing the results this autumn Down Under. That timeframe had already been announced, but HBO has now revealed an exact release date — Monday, March 27 in Australia and New Zealand — along with another sneak peek at the upcoming episodes. This is the third glimpse at what's in store in Succession season four, following on from an initial sneak peek in a broader HBO trailer in mid-October last year, plus another in late 2022 when that autumn timing was confirmed. In the entire trio of teasers, Shiv, Kendall, Roman and Connor have banded together to form a rebel alliance against their dad. In the new trailer, they're asked to call him to try to start mending their rift. No, that isn't a simple request. All of the current the chaos stems from the season-three move to sell the Roy's company Waystar Royco to a tech visionary played by Alexander Skarsgård (The Northman), who also returns in season four. Unsurprisingly, not everyone is thrilled. When an entire series is about who'll take over the lucrative and powerful family business, removing that option for everyone is going to cause some hefty fallout. Also included in this sneak peek: Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen, Operation Mincemeat) trying to stay on Logan's good side following his own actions at the end of season three, and his betrayal of his Shiv. And, also Tom inappropriately comparing the Roys' battle to world politics — talking to cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun, Zola), naturally. It was back in 2021 when HBO announced that Succession would return for a fourth run, after its Emmy-winning third season proved that exceptional — and popular. Viewers are clearly in for more power struggles and more savaging of the one percent, aka more of what Succession has always done best. Indeed, if you're a fan of twisty TV shows about wealth, privilege, influence, the vast chasm between the rich and everyday folks, and the societal problems that fester due to such rampant inequality, there have been plenty of ace examples of late, including The White Lotus and Squid Game. No series slings insults as savagely as this tremendous series, however. No show channels feuding and backstabbing into such an insightful and gripping satire, either. Check out the latest teaser for Succession season four below: Succession season four will start streaming from Monday, March 27 Down Under, including via Foxtel, Binge and Foxtel On Demand in Australia and Neon in New Zealand. Check out our review of season three. Images: Claudette Barius/Macall B Polay, HBO.
Short of physically volunteering your time, there aren't many ways you can help those in need over lunch. But Sydney-based social enterprise food company Two Good is looking to change that, with their buy-one, give-one lunch delivery model. Having just expanded from Sydney to Melbourne this week, Two Good are delivering delicious salads through Deliveroo — and for every one sold, a meal is donated to domestic violence shelters in both cities. They're not just any old salads either. The Two Good guys — Rob Caslick and Cathal Flaherty — have worked with the most loveable man in the international food world Yotam Ottolenghi and renowned Melbourne chef Andrew McConnell to create two options that far surpass any soggy salad you were planning on making in your office's kitchenette this afternoon. Ottolenghi's creation is a poached chicken salad with chargrilled zucchini, sorrel, capers and pine nuts, while McConnell looks after the vego option with a cracked wheat and freekeh salad with preserved lemon and berries. The salads — available to order for lunch through Deliveroo — are $14 and $13 respectively, which is a pretty standard price for a salad in this town. And, considering for each salad you order the legends at Two Good will donate a meal to a domestic violence shelter in your city, it's an incredibly low cost way to food yourself and help someone who needs it. Meals are donated to ten shelters around NSW and to The Safe Futures and St Mary's House of Welcome in Victoria. What's more, Two Good also employ women from the shelters they work with in NSW, and are looking to do the same in Victoria in the next three months. If you want to buy a salad, you can place an order through Deliveroo from 11.15am in Melbourne and Sydney. For more information on Two Good, go to twogood.com.au.
Stellar LGBTQIA+ celebrations, the Sunshine State capital and sparkling spring weather: that's the Melt Festival formula every year, including in 2025. Brisbane's annual ode to "queer joy, protest and pride", as Melt Executive Producer Emmie Paranthoiene dubs it, is taking over the River City between Wednesday, October 22–Sunday, November 9. On the lineup: 18 days packing more than 60 venues with hundreds of performances and events. Getting excited about 2025's Melt Festival has been easy for a few months now. First, the Brisbane LGBTQIA+ fest announced that Broadway icon Bernadette Peters was making the River City her only Australian stop just for the event. Then, it also confirmed that the River Pride Parade would float its boats for another year. After that came news of 1000 Voices, uniting singers from queer and pride choirs en masse. Next came its initial big program drop. Now the full bill has been unveiled — one that Paranthoiene describes as "celebrating the full spectrum of LGBTQIA+ voices, from bold new talent to iconic artists who continue to break boundaries with this diverse program. Melt is a love letter to our community and everyone's invited to the party." Think: pageants, parades, musical theatre, comedy, choral installation, burlesque, visual arts, theatre, films such as Lesbian Space Princess and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and plenty more. The fringe-style celebration of queer arts and culture fills Brisbane Powerhouse, and also spreads further across the city. Sugar by Tomáš Kantor is one new highlight, with the cabaret taking cues from Pretty Woman and boasting tunes from Chappell Roan, who has been on the Melt lineup herself in the past. Or, catch the return of BRIEFS with Jealousss, plus the Briefs Bus doing guided tours that explore Brisbane's queer history. Comedian Urzila Carlson is on the program, too, as is actor and activist Zoe Terakes (Ironheart, The Office, Talk to Me) doing an in-conversation session. 2025 newcomer Melting Pot is giving Brisbane Powerhouse a pop-up venue each week, featuring the likes of QUIVR DJs, Miss First Nation heats and queer line dancing — plus Melt artists putting on showcases and other surprises. Theatrical performance Rhythmology digs into factory resets as a theme, while daytime disco Play Date is designed for families. [caption id="attachment_1017773" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Atmosphere Photography[/caption] Reuben Kaye, the full Miss First Nation drag contest, a queer wrestle party, Femme Follies Burlesque: they're all on the lineup from past announcements. Kaye is heading to the fest to give his cabaret show enGORGEd, which'll feature Camerata — Queensland's Chamber Orchestra, its Sunshine State premiere. Shining the spotlight on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander drag queens, Miss First Nation is also making a date with Brisbane for the first time, bringing the finale to the city after putting on state heats around the nation in the lead-up. The Tivoli is your go-to for Melt's high-energy queer wrestle-party, while Femme Follies Burlesque will bring its sapphic moves to The Wickham. Or, you can catch The Lucky Country, a new musical about what it means to be Australian — and the myths and contradictions that come with it — in 2025. Malacañang Made Us and Whitefella Yella Tree are also treading the boards, the first about the Filipino Australian experience and the second telling a love story. There's also a queer boat party on floating venue Oasis; the return of Queer PowerPoint; and a drag Scream Queen shindig with Naomi Smalls and Yvie Oddly, plus Drag Race UK's Kyran Thrax. Or, check out a heap of instruments and performers suspended by rope to pay tribute to Brisbane's punk history, Gerwyn Davies' series of portraits in collaboration with Open Doors Youth Service's trans and gender-diverse young people, and Instagram imagery given a new life in Micah Rustichelli's Demon Rhythm. [caption id="attachment_1007544" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Claudio Raschella[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1007548" align="alignnone" width="1920"] David Kelly[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1007545" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Markus Ravik[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1007547" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gregory Lorenzutti[/caption] Melt Festival 2025 runs from Wednesday, October 22–Sunday, November 9. Head to the festival website for more details. River Pride Parade images: brizzypix.
If you never got to live your Euro summer — or if you did make the trip and need to relive your adventures — there's a little slice of Southern Italy right here in Sydney. Enter Divino Osteria, an Elizabeth Bay eatery that transports the flavour and hospitality of southern Italy to the eastern suburbs. To get the lowdown on the family operation, its menu, and why you should pencil in a reservation ASAP, we spoke to chef Andrea Di Stefano and owner Anthony Alafaci. The address of Divino Osteria might call up some memories for veterans of Sydney nightlife, since 19-23 Elizabeth Bay Road was formerly home to The Sebel, a famous celebrity haunt that went back to 1963. Today, Divino Osteria and Alafaci have swapped A-list party secrecy for Italian hospitality. [caption id="attachment_1005500" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Guy Davies[/caption] What Was the Vision for the Space When it Opened? "The vision for Divino Osteria was to establish a space that celebrates Italy's vibrant culinary heritage, offering a cozy yet refined casual dining experience that captivates the senses and fosters a sense of community among guests. The name 'Divino' in Italian means 'divine' or 'heavenly,' often used to describe something extraordinary, or of exceptional quality. It reflects the idea that the dining experience at our restaurant is not just about food but something sublime and memorable. 'Osteria' refers to a traditional Italian restaurant, typically more casual and focused on offering local, home-style dishes. Osterias were gathering places for friends and family to enjoy simple, hearty meals together, with an emphasis on community and warmth. Together, 'Divino Osteria' embodies the essence of what we offer — a heavenly, welcoming place where you can savour the rich, authentic flavours of Italy, rooted in tradition but presented with modern flair." Which Particular Niche Does Divino Osteria Fill in the Local Dining Scene? "We're a casual Italian eatery focused on local, home-style dishes, reflecting our commitment to genuine hospitality and creating a dining experience reminiscent of sharing a meal at a friend's home. We seek to bring people together with good food and wine. We distinguish ourselves in Sydney's dining landscape, appealing to those seeking a genuine and heartfelt Italian dining experience." Divino's head chef, Andrea Di Stefano, is Sicilian by birth and brings his own range of skills and love for the simple authenticity of Italian cooking, having crafted a menu that celebrates fresh, seasonal ingredients and authentic methods, including handmade pasta, stone-baked pizza from the venue's hand-built brick oven, slow-cooked sauces, and locally sourced produce. [caption id="attachment_1005497" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Guy Davies[/caption] What Kitchen Experience Did You Have Before Joining the Divino Team? "I started cooking at 12 years old in our family bakery and pizzeria in Italy, one of three boys all in the food industry. I later trained up in a hotel kitchen in Catania, Sicily, where I cultivated a palate for the different yet specific flavours of Italian cuisine. This was refined at home in collaboration with my mother and grandmother, cooking familiar home-style dishes. I later had the opportunity to hone my skills in fine dining kitchens across Italy and London, learning from Michelin-starred chefs. Now, in Australia, I've combined those experiences to craft the menu at Divino Osteria." Of All the Dishes on the Menu, Which Is Your Favourite to Prepare? "The costoletta d'Agnello is my favourite dish to prepare on our current menu. Lamb chops are a cherished component of Italian cuisine for their tenderness and rich flavour. They offer the versatility to be prepared in various ways that highlight their natural flavour while adding your own refined touch, whether through technique, seasoning or presentation, allowing for creative culinary expressions." [caption id="attachment_1002655" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Guy Davies[/caption] Can You Take us Through Divino's Drinks and Wine Offering? "Divino's wine list is a carefully curated journey through Italy's most celebrated wine regions. From Tuscany to Sicily, each bottle featured reflects the traditions and terroir of its origin. There are Italian classics like barolo, nerello mescalese, nero d'avola and amarone. We also have an array of Australian and New Zealand wines from the Barossa, McLaren Vale, Margaret River and Marlborough. Each bottle has been selected to complement and pair perfectly with the food and elevate the dining experience. We also have some specialty cocktails, some classics and bold Italian signatures too. Our cocktail list is a celebration of fresh citrus, fragrant herbs, and vibrant liqueurs. Whether you're in the mood for something bitter, sweet, sparkling, or spicy, there's a glass here with your name on it." What's Your Favourite Drink on the Menu? "One of the standout elements of our bar program is our curated Limoncello, which is made to reflect the flavours we love most from the south. It's a small touch, but it makes a huge difference in flavour. [caption id="attachment_1002652" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Guy Davies[/caption] If Someone Is Making Their First Booking at Divino, What Would You Recommend They Order? Di Stefano: "The medaglioni is a personal favourite on our specials menu. Using a wagyu sirloin MBS9+ with brown butter and sage, we craft oversized ravioli and present it on a plate. It pairs really well with a due lune nero d'avola/Nerello Mascalese grape, which really enhances the flavour of the food." And for drinks? "You can't go past an Aperol Spritz or a Limoncello Spritz. Both are light, refreshing and perfect for daytime drinking — bitter, citrusy and just the right amount of effervescence. If you're after something a little stronger, a Tommy's Margarita is a great option, too — clean, fresh, and packed with flavour without being too heavy." To make a long lunch booking at Divino Osteria, or to find more information, visit the website.
The Sydney Entertainment Centre is set to undergo a $1 billion makeover beginning late next year. Today, New South Wales Premier Barry O'Farrell announced the demolishment and rebuilding plan, which will increase the size of the existing Centre by two thirds. The 30-year-old Centre will be undergoing work for an estimated three year period, from late 2013 to late 2016. During that time, 3,500 construction related jobs will be created. O'Farrell is confident in the economic benefits a new, bigger Centre will provide NSW as well. "NSW has already lost $150 million in economic benefit over the four years to 2010-11 because the current facilities have not been able to accommodate 169 conventions and 12 exhibitions," Mr O'Farrell told the Sydney Morning Herald this morning. He believes that the new Centre will more than make up for its $1 billion price tag in five years. The new facilities are aimed at increasing the state's major events competitiveness. They will include the biggest meeting room and highest-capacity convention hall in Australia, as well as a premium entertainment facility with a minimum 8,000 audience member capacity. During the construction period, other Sydney venues will step up to take on events, says O'Farrell. Sydney Olympic Park, the Australian Technology Park at Everleigh, Moore Park and various Sydney hotels will be among the venues to expand their role in hosting events.
Sydney ambient electro darlings Seekae have just dropped news of their third album and a national tour in August. Luckily they haven't done so silently. They've also gifted us with a new single, 'Test & Recognise'. Picking up the tempo and embracing the power of the synth, it could signal a new direction for the group — from classic chillout sessions to the dancefloor. With past releases, The Sounds of Trees Falling on People and +DOME, Seekae have made a name for themselves in the past few years, playing local festivals like Harvest and Golden Plains. Known for hypnotic electro-pop such as 'Void', 'Crooks' and 'Blood Bank', their name is synonymous with late night drives through the city or relaxed midnight hangs with friends. In the bigger picture, their debut was named one of the albums of the decade by FBi Radio, and their follow-up earned them four nominations at the Australian Independent Music Awards. Since then they've been touring internationally and even took to the stage at this year's SxSW. Seekae's third album, The Worry, is openly described as their most ambitious work to date. Bringing vocals to the fore and losing some of that distinctive ambient haze, it definitely marks a departure from their past sound that may not win over all fans. However, the shift will make for an entertaining live gig. Caught somewhere between blissful oblivion and classic electro these new tracks are sure to get people awkwardly shuffling around the dance floor nationwide. Seekae National Tour Dates: Saturday, August 9 - Darwin Festival, Darwin* Tuesday, August 12 - The Zoo, Brisbane Friday, August 15 - The Gov, Adelaide Saturday, August 16 - The Villa, Perth Friday, August 22 - 170 Russell St, Melbourne Saturday, August 23 - Metro Theatre, Sydney Tickets are on sale this Friday, June 30. *Tickets for Darwin Festival go on sale June 26.
When good ol' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye, George Washington was distilling his own at Mount Vernon, and Boardwalk Empire and Mad Men fuelled our unquenchable single malt hankerings; The Glenmore was gearing up for their latest winter venture. Sipping the American Classic atop The Rocks' Argyle Cut, The Glenmore is offering exclusive masterclasses in the art of rye, whisky, whiskey and scotch appreciation. The furthest thing from a soapbox-inducing dry month, The Glenmore are hosting their very first Rye July. "We have seen a huge increase in the popularity of whiskey lately as people are re-discovering the ‘water of life’. So much so that experts are warning that there’s a potential world shortage on the way," gushes Glenmore general manager Nick Beath. "So we’ve teamed up with the team at Bulleit to celebrate the golden drop and offer all whiskey lovers the chance to learn from the best at a range of exclusive masterclasses that will leave everyone thirsty for more." A one-off series of appreciation classes on wintry Thursday evenings, Rye July takes over the snuggly lounge level of The Glenmore with whiskey tasting sessions, tips on food pairing (with canapes to nibble) and how to make actually decent DIY pre-batched cocktails. Sounds like a much better whisky-fuelled idea than the time Jim Beam thought Mila Kunis was the perfect brand face. Most importantly, on 10 July, the crew will lay it down — once and for all — the difference between a whiskey, a whisky and a rye; so you can jaw-drop your mates at Baxter's Inn or The Wild Rover next time you're ordering a snifter. Limited tickets for each event are available at $30 per person. For more information or to just jump in and book, email info@theglenmore.com.au or call (02) 9247 4794.
A string of long weekends is a joy while it's happening, such as the current Easter and ANZAC Day run (plus Labour Day, too, if you're in Queensland). When it's over and five-day work weeks become a reality week after week again, however, holiday dreams start calling. Clearly Jetstar wants you to get a jump on planning your next vacation, given that the Australian airline has just kicked off its latest big flight sale. Both domestic and international fares are on offer at discounted prices, with 40,000-plus seats available between now and 11.59pm AEST on Sunday, April 27, 2025. You'll want to get in quick, though, given that sale tickets mightn't last that long — and these deals run until sold out if that happens before the scheduled end date. One-way prices start at $49 for Club Jetstar members and $54 for everyone else this time, which covers routes from Brisbane and Melbourne to and from Newcastle. Next up, $97/102 will get you between Adelaide and Sydney, $99/104 from Melbourne to Cairns, and $114/119 between either Sydney or Melbourne and Uluru — and flights to and from the Gold Coast, Whitsunday Coast and Margaret River are also among the discounts. With the overseas options, one-way fares kick off at $159/165 from Cairns or Darwin to Bali, while Melbourne–Singapore ($179/189) and Brisbane ($279/289) or Sydney ($299/319) to Seoul are some of the other choices. Expect to primarily take winter getaways no matter where you're heading, although the international routes cover dates from mid mid-May to late-August 2025 and the domestic fares are for mid-July to late-September 2025 travel. The usual caveats apply: all prices apply to one-way fares; checked baggage is not included, so you'll want to travel super light or pay extra to bring a suitcase; and, as per above, dates vary according to the route. [caption id="attachment_938861" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] Jetstar's Just Plane Good Sale runs until 11.59pm AEST on Sunday, April 27, 2025 — or until sold out if prior. 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.
Blockbusters like The Hobbit may sell out screenings on Boxing Day, but no film session sells out like a St George OpenAir Cinema session sells out. There's something bewitching about the opportunity to watch a big screen and Sydney Harbour's landmarks in one sightline. Advanced tickets go within hours. Fortunately, their limited door sales provide some hope. Tracks, starring Mia Wasikowska, has been announced as the opener for St George Openair Cinema 2014. It's based on the epic true story of adventurer and memoirist Robyn Davidson, who walked solo from Alice Springs to the Indian Ocean in the late '70s, becoming an accidental celebrity in the process. Given that the film's official release is set for March 6, the Friday, January 10, screening at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair is reason for serious excitement. The dynamic program features another 14 premieres and previews. One of the major drawcards is bound to be Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, scheduled to screen on Thursday, January 30, which tells the late, great leader's story, based on his autobiography, with Idris Elba starring as Mandela and Naomie Harris as his wife, Winnie. On the other hand, Thursday, January 16, will see the telling of a true story of quite a different kind, when a preview of Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street screens. The film recounts the tale of Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio), who spent his twenties bathing in luxury after founding successful firm Stratton Oakmont, before spiralling into corruption, power lust and drugs. Then there’s Jean-Marc Vallee’s Dallas Buyers Club, another real-to-life work, portraying the promiscuous, homophobic Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey), whose attitudes change dramatically when he’s diagnosed with AIDS and told he has only 30 days to live. It’s screening on Friday, January 24. If Tracks leaves you craving another dose of Wasikowska, then catch her on Sunday, January 19, in Only Lovers Left Alive. In a vampire story directed by Jim Jarmusch (Mystery Train, Coffee and Cigarettes), she plays a wild younger sister who brings chaos into the world of her older sibling, Eve (Tilda Swinton), a super-cool vampire who’s been living a debauched yet blissful existence with her devoted rock guitarist boyfriend (Tom Hiddleston) for hundreds of years. While we’re discussing unconventional romances, Spike Jonze’s (Being John Malkovich, Where the Wild Things Are) funny, futuristic Her promises a few surprises. It depicts the story of a sensitive writer (Joaquin Phoenix) who falls in love with a female voice (Scarlett Johansson) via an advanced operating system. And if you've ever wanted to see Woody Allen act as a pimp, then John Turturro's Fading Gigolo has you covered. European cinema gets a look in, with the spectacular Italian film The Great Beauty, one of the most acclaimed works on this year’s Cannes program. Disillusioned journalist, Jep (Toni Servillo), whose dreams of becoming a novelist remain unfulfilled, spends his nights partying aimlessly with Rome’s elites, until an unexpected event alters his perspective. Plus, there’s a couple of French romantic comedies: Regis Roinsard’s ‘50s-style directorial debut, Populaire about a champion typist (Deborah Francois) who inspires her charismatic boss’s (Romain Duris) competitive streak, and Cedric Kaplisch’s Chinese Puzzle, which visits both France and New York while exploring the complications of sperm donation. If action and drama are more your bag, there’s Jason Reitman’s Labor Day, Daniel Schechter’s Life of Crime (based on Elmore Leonard’s novel of the same name) and J.C. Chandor’s All Is Lost, starring Robert Redford.
After an ambitious three-year-long restoration, Sydney's historic Hotel Morris is just about ready to reopen. Come late January 2023, guests will get to see how this space has been returned to its former glory — all the while sneaking in a few Australiana features for good measure. When Hotel Morris opened back in 1929 in an eye-catching Italian renaissance building, it was the tallest hotel in Australia and known for wonderfully exemplifying Palazzo architecture. Buildings in this style were inspired by the ornate palaces built by wealthy Italians back in the Renaissance. In other words, they are loud, inside and out. The Accor team, who now operate the property, have made sure this grand Sydney landmark keeps this old-school feel with a more modern twist. Inside, it feels tastefully gaudy — an oxymoron, we know. It's very 'eleganza extravaganza' as the design team has carefully clashed several marble finishes with all kinds of other textiles. Within spaces like Bar Morris, many different coloured tiles sit alongside stucco wooden floorboards, brass and stone finishes and more marble. Works by Aussie artists have also been hung throughout. But they strongly focus on earthy tones, making it all work together. Our Italian grandmothers would love this over-the-top design. And we live for it too. While little has been said of the drinking and dining options at Bar Morris, we do know that the day-to-night menu will focus on simple, seasonal produce infused with Italian influences. Start with coffee and pastries, move on to deli-style small plates of food and eventually get into the Italian and Australian wines curated to work alongside heartier dinner options. It seems as if simple food will be served within these glam surrounds. Now, moving up the tall building, there are 82 rooms. Fortunately, for a greater sense of calm, they have gone down a different design route up here. Art Deco reigns supreme up in these rooms, ensuring Hotel Morris keeps that European feel — but in an altogether more understated way. Expect warm golden mustard tones with custom furniture, brass detailing and some earthy stone finishes. It reflects the rich features that have been preserved on the outside of the heritage building. The prominent ghost signage on the side of the building has also been revived, bringing some history and character back to central Sydney's streetscape. Hotel Morris, located at 412 Pitt Street, is set to welcome guests from late January 2023. Head to the website to see more updates before its opening.
Baffled by bubbly? Us too, so we thought it best to enlist the help of an expert to get the fast facts right. To bring you our Bluffer's Guide to Champagne, Concrete Playground caught up with acclaimed journalist and Champagne educator, Champagne Jayne who taught us just how damn special the bubble drop actually is. Let us share with you why ... Champagne 101 Champagne is exclusive to the Champagne region in northern France. Due to the cumulative effects of soil, climate and the cultivation practises, the three types of grapes used (chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meaner) are married together to produce the world-famous bubbly drop. The Champenois (master Champagne makers) use the lengthy and arduous traditional method that involves the bottle going under a second process of fermentation to create the fizz. Champagne first gained world eminence through its connection with the baptism of French kings, and consequently royalty spread the word throughout Europe about this exotic wine, awarding it status of opulence and nobility. Nowadays, it is the natural partner for any event where celebration, luxury and romance are themes. Popping, Pouring and Drinking Temperature plays an integral part in Champagne appreciation. "Bubbles are part of the pleasure. Serving champagne anywhere between 4.5 degrees celcius to 7 degrees celcius is perfect. If it is too cold it will suppress the aromatics and if it is too warm, the wine will froth up and then go flat," says Jayne. To open the bottle with the proper pomp, hold the bottle at a 45 degree angle (preferably aimed away from your compatriots) and keeping the cork still, gently twist the bottle. Pour a little bit into clean glasses to let the foam die down, and then top up leaving adequate space to get a whiff of its excellence. Matching Champagne with Food Champagne is the ideal drink as an aperitif, encouraging conversation that can be somewhat stale at the beginning of the night. However, because it is blended from numerous base wines, Jayne says that it's like an orchestra of flavour in your mouth and matches well with food. "Anything goes, from prawns to pizza!," she says. There are many types of Non-Vintage, but the general rule of thumb is that they're easy on the palate (and pocket), and best to serve with canapés. Vintage Champagnes have a slightly richer and heavier palate weight making them ideal with a more intensely-flavoured dish and are "also an unparalleled match for any cheese and delicate dessert". Is Champagne only for Special Occasions? "Rubbish! It's like a holiday in a glass!" exclaims Jayne. Champagne is most frequently associated with exclusive affairs, but why should we be such scrooges and reserve this esteemed beverage for memorable moments? Jayne believes it is the ultimate icebreaker for any audience and guaranteed to make anyone smile. "It isn't about being snobby, posh or saving up to celebrate a job or a wedding, it's actually the affordable luxury in life! Everyone can afford the small indulgence of enjoying a really decent glass of fizz on a Friday night." Hear, hear. We'll cheers to that. Champagne on the Cheap This is a toughie because unless you're Gina Rinehart, spending your bucks on Vintage champagne might not be so simple. Jayne says that the best value choice on the market at the moment for something exceptional is currently the world's favourite, Moet & Chandon which can be found for around $85. For Champagne at the start of a meal, Jayne recommends Pierre Gimonnet. "The delicious crisp blanc de blanc is approachable in style and accessibly priced," she says. "For everyday bubbles, Lanson or Duperrey are an affordable option at around $40," Jayne adds. For those who want a James Bond themed beverage, don't look past his favourite tipple Champagne Bollinger. The full-bodied classic (much like the man himself) can be spotted for $60. And don't forget to ensure that the label actually says 'Champagne' as well as France. If it doesn't, you've been well bluffed. Famous Champagne Drinkers Madame de Pompadour, King Louis XV's favourite mistress, is credited with bringing champagne to the French royal court in the eighteenth century. She is also famously quoted as saying, "Champagne is the only wine that leaves a woman beautiful after drinking it." We're certainly willing to road test that. Winston Churchill was also notorious for enjoying the tipple. And Napoleon was known to take large stocks for the army wherever they campaigned. Want to get even more serious? If you've got a spare 308 bottle handy, why not simulate Marilyn Monroe's habit of bathing in the bubbly stuff every night? And left we forget to remind you that it was American author and humorist, Mark Twain, who had it right all along. It was he who said, "too much of anything is bad, but too much Champagne is just right." Where to Drink Champagne in Sydney Most hotels, restaurants and bars in Sydney are stocked with the big names like Mumm, Moet & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot. Conversely, if you’d like to go all out and grace yourself with boutique grower champagnes, Jayne recommends seeking out obsessive enthusiasts. "Places like Veluto, The Bentley, One Moncur, Monopole and Ananas have the best champagne for a bar situation," she says. After something notably remarkable for that down-on-one-knee occasion, perhaps? Jayne suggests knocking your socks off and booking into Quay, Marque or Est. for the ultimate sensory experience. "These places stock prestige champagne, with perfectly matched food and a refined atmosphere." Champagne Alternatives Crémant: is what you should look out for when after French bubbly on a budget (pronounced ‘cray-mawn’). This sparkling wine is made in France using the same traditional methods, however falls outside the borders of the Champagne region. Cava: this white or pink sparkly number is produced mainly in the Penedés region in northern Spain. Like crémant, Cava is made using the same method, but with different grape varieties. Cava is a part of Spanish tradition and like Champagne is often consumed at special occasions. Prosecco: this is the Italian aperitif of choice. Light and fresh, the aromatic bubbly has an apple-and-pear sweetness. Prosecco is the original base ingredient of the Bellini cocktail.
Wins can be hard to come by, whereas fails, well, when it rains, it pours, right? When you've missed your morning train, been yelled at by your boss, come home to a huge electricity bill and then realised you've got nothing in the fridge for dinner — a win can feel like a distant memory. It's in moments like these where you've got to recognise the little wins — those seemingly minor things that can reshape your day and make you feel all warm and fuzzy. We've put our heads together with our friends at Coopers to come up with some foolproof, easy ways of making you feel like everything's coming up you. The win might be as simple as growing your own basil, but don't underestimate the effect that putting a fresh herb — one that you've nurtured from a little baby seed — into a homemade dish can have. Trust us, you'll feel like an accomplished gardener and your food will taste delicious. Win, win. Look at that, two wins in a row. MONDAY: READ A BOOK TO AN ELDERLY COMPANION Remember how soothing it was when your mum read you a bedtime story? Very. There's something really nice about being read to, so spare a thought for those who could use it. Go visit your nan, your friend's nan or even a stranger's nan, and take a book you've been meaning to read — that way you'll kill two birds with one stone, get through a chunk of your book and spend some quality time with an elderly companion. If you don't know an elderly person, just walk into your nearest respite or aged care facility — or even a hospice — and get to know someone who's no doubt lived quite a life. TUESDAY: EAT AT A NEW RESTAURANT There's nothing wrong with your tried-and-true Indian eatery down the road nor clicking the 're-order' button time and time again on Deliveroo. But there's also a lot to be said about trying new places and foods. How about Ethiopian instead of Indian? Moroccan instead of burgers? There are heaps of new places popping up across our cities all the time, so treat your tastebuds to new flavours from a fresh venue. Hit up one per week, even if you have to trek out to the other side of the river or harbour, and your stomach will thank you for it. What's more, trying a new place every week will give you a whole wealth of dining knowledge in your city. On our list, Half Acre in Melbourne, Lankan Filling Station in Sydney and Little Big House in Brisbane. WEDNESDAY: GROW YOUR OWN HERBS Making a pasta sauce from scratch is super nourishing for the soul and makes you feel like a nonna who's been doing it for generations. Every good homemade bolognese needs fresh herbs, so, why not push yourself even further and grow them in your own garden? Then you can attest to the freshness of every ingredient (well, perhaps you didn't grow the tomatoes, but if you can do parsley you can do tomatoes, too). Find a sunny — but not too sunny — spot in your backyard, plant your parsley and basil seeds in the ground or in a pot and don't forget to water them (that's probably the most important part). Now you're a bona fide green thumb, bravo. THURSDAY: DO A BOOK SWAP No more excuses, this year is the year that you'll read that Tolstoy novel. Okay, maybe next year... But this year you are going to read more, you can promise yourself that. While it can be hard to find the motivation to devour a lengthy novel, it becomes much easier when you do it in tandem with a friend — it's like a good type of peer pressure. Swap a book you love for one of theirs and off you go. Or, step things up a notch and start a book club. If you aim to meet once a month, you can get away with reading a few pages a night. And, the best part is, it'll improve your media consumption habits, too. No more Instagram right before bed? That's a win for your sleep habits, mental health and eyeballs. FRIDAY: HEAD TO DANCE PARTY You might be tired after a full work week but muster your second wind, Friday night beckons. Corral your mates, have some beers and head to a themed dance party. Nothing says 'win' more than living out your dream of dancing at a Beyonce vs. Rihanna party (seen in the past at Melbourne venue Yah Yahs). If you're in Sydney, keep an eye on what The Bait Shop is up to — often themed nights around sub-cultures and music of the noughties — or Brisbanites should monitor The Brightside, which held a Hogwarts-themed event this year. SATURDAY: GET ACQUAINTED WITH A NEW STYLE OF MUSIC Though your music likes and dislikes are probably set in stone and your favourite Spotify playlist forever on repeat, why not refresh your listening habits with some tunes outside of your usual genres? Head to live music venue — no, not your regular — and spend the evening getting acquainted with a new style of music. Head to The Night Cat in Melbourne for some rhythm and blues, Lazybones Lounge in Sydney for some folk and country or Doo-Bop Jazz Bar in Brisbane for, well, jazz. [caption id="attachment_680605" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Buffalo Bar, Brisbane.[/caption] SUNDAY: WATCH FOOTY WITH SOME RANDOMS If you've ever travelled overseas during AFL season and walked into a pub while a game is on the big screen, you'll know that it's never easier to make 20 new best friends than over footy and beer. If you're new in town, bored in your own town or just feel like you could do with some new friends, head to a pub where they broadcast live sport and shout "GO [insert team here]!". Before you know it, you will have gained a whole family of fellow supporters who'll probably have your back through thick and thin — and that's a massive win. We suggest, the Bellevue in Sydney, the Royal Saxon in Melbourne and Buffalo Bar in Brisbane. Bring on the beers and cheers. Kick off your 'easy wins' by enjoying a Coopers Dry, or two, with your mates. Top Image: Half Acre by Tim Ross.
Avoid the chaos of the CBD come December 31 and celebrate the new decade at a party by the beach. Better yet, make it a mini bar crawl without the hassle of having to trek between venues. This New Year's Eve, Coogee Bay Hotel is hosting two big parties to farewell 2019. You can start the night off with three hours of bottomless drinks (the usual suspects — beer, wine and bubbles are on the menu) plus canapes to line your stomach at a VIP pre-party on the balcony. That means exclusive views of the ocean and Coogee's 9pm fireworks. The party runs from 7pm–10pm and tickets are $149 or $169 for access to the hotel's countdown shenanigans. Alternatively, Coogee Bay Hotel's massive live music space, Selina's, will be a neon haven of tunes and good times from 8pm all the way through to 3am. If you're skipping the balcony and heading straight in for a boogie, first release tickets are $40, so snap them up quick. The music lineup for Selina's countdown party is huge, so get ready for synth harmonies and hip-hop beats from Tassie's Close Counters as well as the techno house jams of Motorik Vibe Council. Then get wild with Gold Coast surfer dudes Cut Snake, before grooving well into the night with tunes by DJ duo The Aston Shuffle. Coogee Bay Hotel's VIP balcony pre-party runs from 7pm–10pm, with tickets available here. The countdown party at in-house venue Selina's goes from 8pm–3am, with tickets available here.
When the news dropped earlier this year that Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck was coming to Melbourne, every local foodie quite rightly lost their mind. Packing up a three-Michelin starred restaurant and transporting it to the other side of the world for six months is no small feat. And, while Melbourne is treated to a great spectrum of culinary talent, the food wizardry of this sound-cooking, bacon ice cream-making legend really is next level. But, the question remained: how to secure a seat? After the announcement came in March this year, Crown received upwards of 40,000 requests to book a table. We'll give you a minute to let that number sink in. With a proposed service of 50 diners per night, and the space in operation for a mere six months, The Fat Duck would only be able to accommodate a third of those that enquired nearly a full year in advance. That's huge. "We were totally overwhelmed with the response, it's been unbelievable ... [it shows] just the complete, utter food obsession that has happened over here," Blumenthal said in a press conference this morning. Now, to cope with the astronomical interest (and to save the receptionists at Crown a world of trouble), a booking system has been decided. To eat at The Fat Duck, you will have to enter a ballot. Open from October 8 until October 26, the ballot will be run in a similar way to Meredith Music Festival (though we really can't say it will have the same no dickheads policy). Punters can register their ravenous interest, an independent third party will randomly select the successful diners, then both confirmations and rejections will be sent out on November 10. It's not yet clear whether you can pick the date and time of your reservation. Honestly, it seems unlikely. Unsurprisingly, the seat also won't come cheap. Dinner will be served as a set menu of 12–15 courses and will set you back a cool $525 (before drinks). This may well be the only lottery where the prize is a huge bill, but when we think about that bacon ice cream we can't help but feel it's worth it. The Fat Duck opens on February 3, 2015, but more importantly the ballot opens on October 8 at 9am. Via Good Food.
If you managed to nab a ticket to Paul Kelly's Making Gravy tour last year, then you were one of the lucky ones. If you weren't and have been lamenting ever since, you can stop. The songwriting legend has just announced that he'll be performing the show all over again this December, in Perth, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane (on Gravy Day itself, December 21). Like the song, the tour — now in its third year — is becoming a bit of an Aussie Christmas tradition. Time to start thinking about getting the tinsel and ugly jumpers out of storage. As in 2018, you can expect to hear a stack of songs from Kelly's four-decade long career. Listen out for all the hits, from 'Dumb Things', from the album Live, May 1992, to 'Love Never Runs On Time' from Wanted Man (1994). The Christmas classic 'How To Make Gravy', first released in 1996 on an eponymous EP, is on the menu, too. The tour will coincide with the release of Kelly's new greatest hits album Songs From The South (1985–2019), his collaborative avian-inspired album 13 Ways To Look At Birds and a book of poetry he's curated, called Love Is Strong As Death. Kelly won't be hitting the road alone, either — he's inviting a bunch of special guests. He'll be joined by ARIA Award-winning rocker Courtney Barnett, Aussie Eurovison finalist Kate Miller-Heidke, NZ singer Marlon Williams and Gamilaraay songstress Thelma Plum (in Sydney only). [caption id="attachment_737416" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mia Mala McDonald[/caption] MAKING GRAVY DATES 2019 Perth — Optus Stadium, Saturday, December 7 Melbourne — Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Thursday, December 12 Sydney — The Domain, Saturday, December 14 Brisbane — Riverstage, Saturday, December 21 Paul Kelly Making Gravy pre-sale tickets will be available from midday on Tuesday, August 20 with general sales from midday on Friday, August 23. Perth, Sydney and Brisbane tickets will be available via Ticketmaster with Melbourne's via Ticketek. Top image: Cybele Malinowski
If you've found yourself hankering for an Italian beef sandwich after watching The Bear or been inspired to devour a damn-fine slice cherry pie thanks to Twin Peaks, then you'll know that TV shows and movies can influence your culinary choices. You mightn't have expected Yellowjackets to be on that list, however. When a series follows a group of teenage girls stranded in the wilderness after a plane crash, then forced to get creative — and cannibalistic — to survive, then IRL menu options don't normally jump out. Trust Sydney's NEL to challenge that perception with its latest imaginative 11-course degustation. The Harbour City fine-diner has taken inspiration from pop culture before, including via its popular Disney-inspired feasts and its Moulin Rouge!-themed spread. Among the restaurant's other limited-time degustation menus as well — KFC-inspired dinners, Christmas meals, heroing native Australian ingredients and more — taking cues from Yellowjackets certainly stands out, though. On offer: dishes that dig into the wild and primal reality that the hit show's characters find themselves in. The fact that NEL has dubbed the four-day-only pop-up menu 'Eat Your Heart Out' says plenty. [caption id="attachment_991129" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kailey Schwerman, Paramount+[/caption] "To be approached to create a Yellowjackets-inspired menu just felt like the perfect next venture for NEL Restaurant," said Chef Nelly Robinson about whipping up an inventive feast that aims to plunge diners' senses into Yellowjackets' world — not just via sights and sounds, but also via tastes. "For anyone that knows us, they understand we are about pushing the boundaries of what is possible, and getting to ask the questions of 'how do we make an ear appetising?' or 'how can we get someone to dig into a brain?' was a very exciting quest. The answer is obviously in the flavours, and while it might not be visually 'conventionally appetising', the flavours and aesthetics will most definitely leave you speechless." Across a three-hour experience that'll be on offer between Tuesday, March 4–Friday, March 7, 2025, think: digging for truffles, then tucking into the aptly named Salmon over River Misty (a moss- and salmon-heavy dish) and also seeing how NEL comes up with its own take on the show's darker survivalist scenario. Some dishes will nod to the diet consumed in the series, whether via heart-shaped servings, working in liver or plating up "something a little more ear-y". If you're feeling adventurous enough, you will need to try your luck not only in terms of testing your tastebuds, but to score a seat. Sittings are only available via entering for a chance to win on the NEL website between now and 11.59pm AEDT on Wednesday, February 26, 2025. So, attending is free — but only if your name is selected. If you're not located in Sydney, travelling there is at your own expense, but the Yellowjackets dinner at NEL will be on the house. For those who haven't dived into the series so far or need a refresher, Yellowjackets instantly proved one of the best new shows of 2021 when it debuted courtesy not just due to its killer setup — but it does tell a tale that fascinates from the outset. The thriller hops between the 90s and 25 years later. Across two seasons until now, life and friendship have proven complex for Yellowjackets' core quartet of Shauna (The Tattooist of Auschwitz's Melanie Lynskey as an adult, and also No Return's Sophie Nélisse as a teenager), Natalie (I'm a Virgo's Juliette Lewis, plus Companion's Sophie Thatcher), Taissa (Law & Order's Tawny Cypress, and also Scream VI's Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Misty (Wednesday's Christina Ricci, and also Atlas' Samantha Hanratty). The trailers for season three also put it this way: "once upon a time, a bunch of teenage girls got stranded in the wilderness ... and they went completely nuts." The full setup: back in 1996, en route to a big match in Seattle on a private aircraft, Shauna, Natalie, Taissa, Misty and the rest of their teammates entered Lost territory. The accident saw everyone who walked away stuck in the forest — and those who then made it through that ordeal stuck out there for 19 months, living their worst Alive-meets-Lord of the Flies lives. Season three starts streaming in Australia via Paramount+ on Friday, February 14, 2025. Check out the trailer below: NEL's Eat Your Heart Out degustation will be available from Tuesday, March 4–Friday, March 7, 2025 at 75 Wentworth Avenue, Sydney. For more information or to go in the running for a seat — which is only available to competition winners, with entries open till 11.59pm AEDT on Wednesday, February 26, 2025 — head to the NEL website. Yellowjackets season three starts streaming in Australia via Paramount+ on Friday, February 14, 2025.
Just in case you needed a timely reminder that girls can, and indeed do, run the world, the Sydney Opera House's All About Women festival has a pretty inspirational lineup for its 2017 program. Set to return to the House on March 5 next year in the lead up to International Women's Day, the annual event both explores and celebrates what it means to identify as a woman in today's changing world. And, following on from a record-breaking attendance in 2016 — which saw the likes of Miranda July, Carrie Brownstein and Mallory Ortberg share their wisdom with the crowd — next year's festival is shaping up to be a doozy, as legendary ladies from across the globe descend on Sydney for a jam-packed day of talks, panel discussions, performances and female-centred fun. With 22 events, there's something in this lineup that'll speak to just about every woman out there. Academy Award-winner and advocate Geena Davis will be diving into the latest research on entertainment stereotyping and on-screen gender diversity, while Janine di Giovanni, Newsweek's Middle East editor, will discuss her own work on violence and the human cost of war. Elsewhere in the program, you'll find Jess Thom's eye-opening performance about life with Tourette's, Seattle-based writer and fat acceptance activist Lindy West talking about her memoir, comedian Zoe Norton Lodge's side-splitting storytelling session, and an insightful glimpse into some of writer and activist Clementine Ford's wildest hate mail. Image: Prudence Upton.
Self-care means different things to each of us but, as Sydneysiders, it's hard to beat a trip to the beach for a stroll, an ocean swim or to just chill out on the sand. Combining your beach visit with a luxurious spa treatment can, therefore, be considered the ultimate one-two punch of self-care. Endota Spa Cronulla on Gerrale Street is just a few minutes' walk from South Cronulla beach. Part of the largest spa network in Australia, which first began in 2000 on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula, this welcoming space has six treatment rooms, plus two double treatment rooms if you're visiting with a friend or partner. The range of treatments includes massages (remedial, hot stone and pregnancy), organic and LED facials, microdermabrasion, body wraps and scrubs. Want to keep enjoying the effects of your experience long after you leave? Add a mani, pedi, wax or spray tan to your package, too.
New Zealand's far north is rich in history and beauty. Just a three-hour drive, or a 50-minute flight, from Auckland is the Bay of Islands, a breathtaking destination where the British first settled and the nation's founding document was signed. A journey off the beaten path will give access to sleepy towns that roll on to crystal clear inlets and more than 144 undeveloped islands up for exploration. In the colder months you may struggle to pass another soul on the streets but the region still boasts mild temperatures that welcome outdoor adventures and even a dip with some wildlife — there's a reason why they call it the winterless north. In anticipation of your next weekend getaway, this is our guide to New Zealand's Bay of Islands. SEE AND DO It's called the Bay of Islands for good reason; there are 144 islands that make up the region. A good way to cover the region is by going off-land for a water cruise. Explore Group's Hole in the Rock tour journeys out to the Bay's most iconic geological formation. But before even approaching, and potentially sailing through the giant opening, you'll be treated to a display of wildlife in the area. Dolphins are abundant. So much so that the company promises a 90 percent hit rate of spotting the ocean mammals. Elsewhere, you can expect to spot the smallest penguins in the world, large schools of mullet and blue maomao and the New Zealand fur seal. On the way back the trip stops off at the secluded Otehi Bay on Urupukapuka Island for lunch. Afterwards, you can venture out for a swim, go for a walk and catch sweeping views across the Bay. Boasting kilometres of white sand coastline, kayaking is great way to explore the area without forking out on boat hire. Coastal Kayaks hosts tours out of Paihia and Waitangi, covering the stunning Haruru Falls and historic lagoon which is abundant with native birdlife. One particular excursion with the company involves a five-kilometre walk through native bush and mangrove forests to the falls, with a three-kilometre guided kayak return through the country's first river port. In large groups it's all about fun and owner Chad heightens the experience with interactive games, onboard water pistols and lighthearted yet informative banter. On the other side of the one-way bridge lies the official birthplace of New Zealand, Waitangi. In 1840, British representatives and a number of high ranked Māori chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi to share ownership of the land — albeit only the English version was signed, leaving little in favour for the land's original inhabitants — you'll learn more in the onsite museum. Guided tours of the historical Waitangi Treaty Grounds give insight into Māori culture, the arrival of the British and subsequent Treaty signing. You'll also discover a traditional Māori waka (or canoe) that gets its yearly outing on Waitangi Day and the restored cottage of the former governor. For further interest, there's the option to book the interactive Māori cultural show showcasing traditional music, weapons and games and sample the goods from a hāngi — a traditional Māori earth oven. FOOD AND DRINK It's all about local, seasonal produce in the Bay which opens up a whole world of fresh meal options. A good place to start is at The Old Packhouse Market. Found in Kerikeri (in an old packhouse, no less) the weekly vendor gathering is the perfect spot to load up on supplies before hitting the road. Expect to pick up everything from homemade pies to raw milk, deep-fried oyster po' boys and fruit and vegetables from literally just around the corner. Enjoy your finds while listening to live music, receiving a palm reading or getting a reflexology massage. Across the road is another must-visit attraction. As soon as you enter the Makana Confections giftshop the smell from the adjoining factory will be tugging on your heartstrings. The best part is that free samples are handed out upon arrival so you can try before you buy — you'll also see staff crafting the exact same thing through the window, so you know it's fresh. The cafe offers a selection of gelato, chocolate truffles, cakes and slices. While in Kerikeri head to The Rusty Tractor for a modern interpretations of breakfast classics and a four-shot bucket of coffee, Cafe Jerusalem for authentic Israeli cuisine, and La Taza Del Diablo for portions of Mexican cuisine that not even the ravenous could get close to finishing. Not many would relate the far north to wineries but there are plenty worth stopping into. At Kerikeri's Marsden Estate you can enjoy an educational wine tasting before settling on your preferred varietal and sampling a platter under the vines in the courtyard. Found just outside of Russell, Paroa Bay Winery is a family-owned property set against the rolling hills. Stay for a flight and try the Mediterranean-inspired menu at newly opened restaurant, Sage. Elsewhere is Russell, The Crusty Crab is the place to order piping hot fish 'n' chips to enjoy on the beach; in the warmer months Hone's Garden offers wood-fired pizza, fresh beer and friendly community vibes; Hell Hole is a great option to start your day with loaded bagels and fresh coffee; and Gables offers both bistro fare and a history lesson as the oldest licensed restaurant in the country. Check out our full guide to eating and drinking in the Bay of Islands here. STAY Thirty minutes from Kerikeri, well off the beaten path down a gravel road, you'll find Takou River Lodge. Once owned by a pair of bachelors, the 150 acre site is now the pride and joy of environmental scientist Anna and engineer Ian O'Reilly. Nestled in the surrounds of certified organic beef farm and regenerating native bush are five luxury cabins for all different price points and occasions. The pick of the crop is the aptly titled Magic Cottage. Set on the edge of the Takou River, the property ticks all the boxes for a romantic escape, including an open-air bath and early morning birdsong. Along with the accomodation, guests can explore the native forest, use supplied kayaks for an adventure to the beach and book the riverside hot tub, which after-dark is the perfect place to spot glowworms. Unless you plan to make the trek back into Kerikeri, you'll need to bring your own supplies. A dinner option can be provided by the highly regarded Food at Wharepuke by chef Colin Ashton who presents a blend of modern European and Thai-inspired cuisine. With the ocean practically lapping into its foyer, The Duke of Marlborough is a pristine destination to unwind in four star accommodation or simply stop by for a bite to eat in an award-winning restaurant. The property was erected in 1827, originally operating as an unlicensed grog shop by an ex-convict. It later became the first licensed hotel in New Zealand. The property still retains its vintage appeal; the rooms are grand with high ceilings, the walls are covered with marine memorabilia and the solid furniture certainly has a story to tell. The restaurant is all about showcasing local seasonal produce and modern interpretations of classic favourites. You can expect to sample local oysters or oven roasted fish that was caught directly in front of the hotel. The beverage list is extensive with over 100 wines and 30 beers from the region and further abroad. The wine tasting rack is a good option for indecisive diners, offering three generous samples to sip back as the sun drops over the inlet. GETTING THERE Kerikeri Airport is the region's main port of call. From Auckland Airport it's a breezy 50-minute flight to the sleepy terminal. Alternatively, it will take you just over three hours to drive from Auckland to Paihia and Russell. Feature image: The Duke of Marlborough.
Keanu Reeves is one of cinema's treasures, and should never be far away from our screens. Since the mid-1980s, across a career that's spanned everything from the Bill & Ted movies and stone-cold masterpiece Point Break through to The Neon Demon and Always Be My Maybe, he thankfully rarely has been. And, seeing him in lean, slick, no-nonsense action-star mode, dispensing with whatever troubles and struggles come his way via impressively choreographed displays, is one of the biggest movie-watching pleasures there is. But only two film franchises have served up just that again and again: The Matrix and John Wick. In the film saga where Keanu knows kung fu, viewers have already been treated to four instalments. In the movies where he plays the hitman that other hitmen fear, the fourth flick is on its way. During San Diego Comic-Con, John Wick: Chapter 4 just dropped its first trailer, in fact. Yes, we're thinking that the assassin is back — again. As all John Wick movies have so far — the first in 2014, John Wick: Chapter 2 in 2017 and John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum all included — this one will follow the formidable killer as he takes on his ever-growing list of adversaries. There's still a huge bounty on his head, and plenty of foes want to collect. That hasn't stopped Wick yet, though, after he got dragged back into the assassin life when a past batch of enemies messed with his dog. If you're thinking that Wick's luck might run out at some point, the new film — which is set to hit cinemas Down Under in March 2023 — understands. "No one, not even you, can kill everyone," Wick is told. But proving that wrong has always been at the heart of this stunt-filled saga. Well, that and increasingly upping the ante on all those action scenes, with Reeves' former stunt double-turned-filmmaker Chad Stahelski at the helm. In the first sneak peek at John Wick: Chapter 4, both Reeves and Stahelski keep doing what they do best, and spectacularly so. That includes hopping around the globe, with Wick seen walking through Paris in winter with the Eiffel Tower looming large, and also getting into sword fights in Japan — and the film also heading to New York and Berlin. On-screen, Reeves is joined by a roster of returning and new John Wick faces. Fellow franchise mainstays Ian McShane (American Gods) and Lance Reddick (Godzilla vs Kong) are back, and so is Reeves' The Matrix co-star Laurence Fishburne after appearing in the past two movies. And, Donnie Yen (Mulan), Bill Skarsgård (Eternals), Hiroyuki Sanada (Mortal Kombat), Shamier Anderson (Son of the South), Rina Sawayama (Turn Up Charlie) and Scott Adkins (Triple Threat) are all set to feature as well. In also excellent news, a fifth John Wick movie is already in the works, because more ass-kicking Keanu is always a great thing. Check out the first trailer for John Wick: Chapter 4 below: John Wick: Chapter 4 will release Down Under on March 23, 2023.
Before the pandemic, compiling a travel bucket list was limited only to your imagination. Now, after years of international border closures, and also the shutting down of overseas travel into and out of many countries, it's also guided by COVID-19 rules, requirements, restrictions and entry procedures. But if you've been keen to add Bali to your itinerary, the Indonesian island has good news: it's now open to double-vaccinated Australian and New Zealand tourist without quarantine. Back in February, Bali started welcoming back select tourists — including folks from Down Under — but with a shortened isolation period, requiring arrivals to quarantine for five days once they hit the island. Now, since Monday, March 7, that rule has been scrapped. There's still mandatory testing, as well as a few other procedures to abide by, but you no longer have to factor in a lengthy stint confined to your hotel before your getaway genuinely kicks into gear. Firstly, the new rules only apply to travellers who have had at least two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine — and, in the 48 hours before you get to Bali, you also need to get a PCR test (and, obviously, it needs to return a negative result). Then, thanks to Bali's newly implemented Visa on Arrival program, you'll fill out the paperwork and pay the fee (around AU$50) when you hop off the plane, and also take another PCR test. You will need to isolate until you get a negative result from that one, but that's clearly better than spending five days in quarantine. Upon arrival, you'll also need to show proof of a paid hotel booking for four days/three nights, as well as health insurance that covers COVID-19 up to at least US$25,000. And, you'll have to download the Bali COVID app as well. Then, three days after you get there, you're required to take another PCR test as well — but there's no isolation requirement attached. Countries covered under Bali's Visa on Arrival program since Monday, March 7 include Australia, New Zealand, USA, UK, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Qatar, Japan, South Korea, Canada, Italy, Turkey and UEA, with the scheme expanding to 42 nations on Monday, March 21. Indonesia has also just dropped its quarantine requirement nationwide, effective from the same date. That yearning you now feel? It's the need to pull out your dusty suitcase, get packing and book yourself a beachy Bali holiday. For more information about the requirements for travelling to Bali, head to the Indonesian Government's website.
Prepare for your summer to get a whole lot chiller: Merivale and Corona have just announced a slew of A+ Sunday afternoon shows at amazing waterside venues. And the best part? A huge chunk of them are free. Bless 'em. Corona must have a lot of cash to splash, just to make you guys happy. No complaints here. The Sunday Sundown sessions will be held over 12 Sundays from January 3 to March 20. They'll be going down at Coogee Pavillion rooftop, the ivy Pool Club and The Newport. While Coogee Pavillion has never before hosted music events — which is absolutely cray considering what a beautiful place it is — that's all about to change. Kicking off with a free acoustic set by The Preatures on January 3, the Pavillion will host SAFIA, Dustin Tebbutt and Nicky Night Time with support acts Tyler Touché, JOY., E^ST and Cassian over the coming months. The Newport which is set to open next month, will also put on a series of free Sunday shows including Gypsy and the Cat, Saskwatch, Asta, Ben Lee and Mansionair, supported variously by Gordi, YesYou, Elizabeth Rose and World Champion. And if you want to splash out a lil, the ivy Pool Club is selling tickets for $20 to Tkay Maidza, KLP, HolyGhost and L D R U. Just remember to bring your togs. Phew, that's a lot of info to take in. The TL;DR message is this: free/cheap shows, sick lineup, great venues. Summer looking fierce.
For the last four years or so, the Blue Mountains' Russell Fitzgibbon and Doug Wright aka Fishing have been shaking up the Sydney electronic music scene with Hookz mixtapes, applaudable live shows and a killer debut album Shy Glow, featuring members of Cloud Control (lead singer Alister Wright is Doug's brother), Collarbones and Guerre. In June, the Sydney duo held an audiovisual overload of an album launch party at The Basement as part of VIVID; now they're trekking through the country's major cities to showcase their much-anticipated debut LP. Fishing's style has been self-described as 'RAVE' and their most recent music video (featuring several shirtless males, strobe lights and lots of lasers) is testament to this. They've supported the likes of local faves like Elizabeth Rose, Safia and the now-disbanded Snakadaktal, and are set to play OutsideIn later in the year. If their massive raver set at Splendour in the Grass this year is anything to go by, you're in for a humdinger of a party. https://youtube.com/watch?v=HwgWQBLdUwk
By the time Sunday rolls around, you're lucky if you have the energy and willpower to think, let alone cook. So do neither. Instead, grab a friend or three and head for LL Wine and Dine in Potts Point, where, from 11am, you can sink into all-you-can-eat yum cha for 30 bucks a head, accompanied by live music, $25 cocktail jugs, $10 Bloody Marys and good coffee. The menu is big on dumplings of all kinds, from straight-ahead prawn, to more exotic scallop and pork, to animal-friendly vegetable. Also look out for spring rolls, rice paper rolls, barbecue pork buns and pork spare ribs. That's right, you won't be going hungry around here — no matter how worn out or ragged you might be from the night before. You'd be smart to make a booking: this is one of Sydney's more popular Sunday feasts.
