If you firmly believe that you can never have too much Idris Elba, then you have most of the planet for company. Right now, the Hijack-watching world and streaming service Apple TV+ are also firmly in that camp. After the British actor's high-octane thriller series hit the small screen in 2023 and swiftly hooked viewers, the platform has announced that it will return for a second season. And yes, Elba will be back — although what'll be testing his negotiation skills this time is yet to be revealed. In its first season, Hijack featured the Beast, Three Thousand Years of Longing and Luther talent as Sam Nelson, a veteran negotiator who was on his way home to the UK from Dubai when terrorists took over the flight. Accordingly, it was up to the actor that everyone would like to see as 007 tries to try to get everyone to their destination safely, all in a series that took place in real time. Nelson's onboard tasks switched from relaxing in the air to trying to talk his captors down, let authorities on the ground know what was happening and minimising casualties. If you're not only thinking about Bond but also 24, that's the right wheelhouse. And yes, non-stop tension does go down smoother when Elba is looking calm and collected under pressure, a fact that helped make the series one of Apple TV+ most-popular dramas last year. Created by Criminal's George Kay and Jim Field Smith — with Kay also behind Lupin — Hijack's first season also boasted Elba as an executive producer, a role that he'll retain again when it returns for its second season. Field Smith will again be the show's lead director as well. "I was floored by the overwhelming audience response after season one. It's top secret what new situation unfolds for Sam Nelson but I can assure you we will bring the high-octane back!" said Elba, announcing the show's renewal. Alongside the show's storyline for its second season, when Hijack will return hasn't yet been announced, and neither have any co-stars that'll feature opposite the series' The Harder They Fall, Fast and Furious: Hobbs & Shaw, The Suicide Squad and Thor: Ragnarok alum leading man. Fingers crossed that whatever the scenario, and whoever else features on-screen, another quickly addictive nail-biter results, even if you'd expect that it won't focus on Idris Elba on a plane again. Check out the trailer for Hijack season one below: Hijack streams via Apple TV+ — and season two doesn't yet have a release date. Read our full review of season one.
Into every few years, reports of a Buffy the Vampire Slayer comeback are born. Five years ago, a Buffy spinoff was in the works, for instance; however, like an undead bloodsucker and making daytime plans, nothing happened. But the just-announced Slayers: A Buffyverse Story is different. In fact, it's due to arrive within weeks, in mid-October. And, it's getting a heap of the show's original cast back together. Audible is behind the new entry in the Buffy realm — which, yes, means that it's arriving as audio only, not a new season of the beloved television show or a movie. But more Buffy is more Buffy. Also, Slayers: A Buffyverse Story has a fangtastic point of focus: bleached-blonde vampire Spike, with James Marsters (Runaways) returning to the role. Dropping on Thursday, October 12, the Audible original is the first ever to be set in the Buffy universe. Yes, everything in pop culture is a universe these days. This will jump into the leather-loving vamp's tale ten years after the events seen in Buffy the Vampire Slayer's final episode. Of course, fans will know that Spike's story also already took him over to TV spinoff Angel, too. Joining Marsters for Slayers: A Buffyverse Story is a who's who of Buffy stars, even if Sarah Michelle Gellar (Wolf Pack) isn't one of them. Nor are Alyson Hannigan (Office Race), David Boreanaz (SEAL Team), Michelle Trachtenberg (Gossip Girl) or Alexis Denisof (How I Met Your Father). That said, Charisma Carpenter (Going Home) is back as Cordelia, Anthony Head (Ted Lasso) as Giles, Juliet Landau (Claws) as Drusilla, Emma Caulfield Ford (WandaVision) as Anya and Amber Benson (The Nightmare Gallery) as Tara. Benson also co-wrote and co-directed the Audible original, scripting with Christopher Golden (who has penned a number of Buffy books), and helming with both Golden and Kc Wayland (the We're Alive podcast franchise). Danny Strong (Billions) is back as Jonathan as well, plus James Charles Leary (A Room Full of Nothing) as Clem. Slayers: A Buffyverse Story will also bring Laya DeLeon Hayes (The Equalizer) into the Buffy fold as 16-year-old slayer Indira Nunnally. With their ten-years-later tale, Benson and Golden have penned a story about Spike in Los Angeles, where he's pretending to be evil but it's just a cover. Then Indira blows the ruse, leaving Spike to both mind her and try to find her a watcher. The reason there's no Buffy Summers? Slayers: A Buffyverse Story also brings in parallel realm where Cordelia is the only slayer. And her big bad? That's where Drusilla comes in. "I'm ecstatic to be back with my dear friends for this next chapter in the Buffyverse, as we take listeners on a familiar but unexpected journey chock full of horror, passion and mischief," said Marsters, announcing Slayers: A Buffyverse Story. "I'm excited for old and new fans to experience this beloved world of vampire slaying like never before, brought to life through immersive audio storytelling." The latest Buffy chapter comes after not just the seven-season series that aired from 1997–2003, or spinoff Angel, but also the 1992 movie of the same name before them. There's no trailer for Slayers: A Buffyverse Story, but you can get a blast from the past with the TV series trailers above and below: Slayers: A Buffyverse Story will be available to listen to via Audible on Thursday, October 12.
If you're programming an openair cinema by the beach, which movies are a must-see? When Sunset Cinema hits Bondi Pavilion from November 2023, Jaws, Blue Crush and Finding Nemo tick the oceanside picture palace boxes. If you're showing flicks in the lead up to Christmas, what else has to get a whirl? Cue Home Alone, Die Hard and Elf, of course. And, if you're setting up shop in a year where Barbie had Ken declare that his job is "beach", you really need to show that as well. Get ready, Sydney cinephiles — all of the above are covered in Sunset Cinema's debut Bondi program. As first announced in September, cinema will join sun, surf and sand as one of the best things to enjoy at Bondi from Friday, November 17, which is when Sunset Cinema heads to Dolphin Court. There'll be bean bags to sit on. There'll be a bar serving boozy beverages, food trucks dishing up bites and popcorn as a snack option. There'll be movies under the stars, of course, with the full lineup just dropping. The season will get started with My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, then also show recent releases such as Asteroid City, A Haunting in Venice, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem and Past Lives. They aren't out yet, but Saltburn and The Marvels will be by the time that Sunset Cinema rolls around. Among the water-themed titles, Ground Swell: The Other Side of Fear and Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl are also on the bill. And, amid the festive flicks, so are The Holiday, Love Actually and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Also going retro: Dirty Dancing. In other words, there's plenty to watch — all under the beachside sky. Sunset Cinema is no stranger to Sydney. Over the summer of 2022–23, it screened in St Ives and also North Sydney, with a season at the latter also on the itinerary again from January 2024. Getting its projectors spinning at Bondi Pavilion is a brand-new addition to its lineup, however, and an exciting one. Film lovers can get their al fresco flick fix until Saturday, December 23, with Sunset Cinema screening from Monday–Saturday. BYO picnics are encouraged; however, the event is fully licensed, which means alcohol can only be purchased onsite. And if you don't pack enough snacks, that's where the hot food options, plus plenty of the requisite movie treats like chips, chocolates, lollies and popcorn, come in.
In 2017, one filmmaker had viewers around the world swooning. From the moment that Luca Guadagnino's big-screen adaptation of Andre Aciman's Call Me By Your Name premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and then the Berlinale, it wowed audiences, made a star out of Timothée Chalamet and had everyone talking about Armie Hammer's dancing skills. So the news that the acclaimed director is serving up another Italy-set coming-of-age drama is firmly — and understandably — cause for excitement. This time, Guadagnino is doing so on the small screen, courtesy of new HBO mini-series We Are Who We Are. It's set in 2016, and follows two American teenagers living on a US military base with their parents. Jack Dylan Grazer (IT: Chapter Two) stars as 14-year-old Fraser Wilson, a new arrival from New York with his mothers Sarah (Chloë Sevigny, Queen & Slim) and Maggie (Alice Braga, The New Mutants) — while first-timer Jordan Kristine Seamón plays Caitlin Poythress, a veteran of living on the base with her older brother Danny (Spence Moore II, AP Bio), father Richard (Scott Mescudi, aka Bill & Ted Face the Music's Kid Cudi) and mother Jenny (Faith Alabi, Cold Feet). Also featured in this eight-episode tale of friendship, teen angst, first love and finding one's identity are Francesca Scorsese (daughter of iconic filmmaker Martin Scorsese), Ben Taylor, Corey Knight, Tom Mercier (Synonyms) and Sebastiano Pigazzi — with the cast blending well-known names and faces with plenty of newcomers. We Are Who We Are started airing in the US back in September, which is when SBS revealed it would be screening it, too — via SBS Viceland and SBS On Demand. Now, the Aussie broadcaster has announced just when the show will make its local debut, screening weekly on TV from 9.30pm on Tuesday, November 3 and dropping the entire season online at the same time. If you're in the need of a virtual trip to Northern Italy, as directed by the filmmaker also behind I Am Love, A Bigger Splash and the 2018 Suspiria remake — and co-written by Guadagnino with Paolo Giordano (The Solitude of Prime Numbers) and Francesca Manieri (Daughter of Mine) — then add this to your future must-watch list. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6VAQ6LdnKs&feature=emb_logo We Are Who We Are will screen on SBS Viceland and SBS On Demand from November, airing weekly on TV from 9.30pm on Tuesday, November 3 and dropping its entire season online at the same time. Top image: Yannis Drakoulidis/HBO.
Leonardo DiCaprio making his first movie in four years, a swaggering Brad Pitt spitting out wry dialogue, 60s showbiz laid bare, and Australians Margot Robbie and Damon Herriman playing Sharon Tate and Charles Manson — it must be Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. One of 2019's most anticipated titles, the acclaimed filmmaker's ninth stint behind the camera travels back five decades to tell the tale of fading TV star Rick Dalton (DiCaprio), his trusty stunt double Cliff Booth (Pitt), his neighbour Tate (Robbie) and an industry that's changing fast. Set in Los Angeles in 1969, it's a story that charts the end of Hollywood's golden age, the Manson Family murders and everything going on around Tinseltown at the time. Tarantino loves jumping into the past — thanks to Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight, this is his fourth consecutive period piece — but he might've found his ideal niche. For this journey back to fame, fortune and crime gone by, he's also amassed a who's who of the film's titular town. Get ready — it's a long list. Tarantino regulars Kurt Russell, Tim Roth, Bruce Dern, Zoe Bell and Michael Madsen all feature, as well as Dakota Fanning, Lena Dunham, Al Pacino, Timothy Olyphant, James Marsden and the late Luke Perry. Nodding not only to Hollywood's past and present, but to its future, up-and-comers Maya Hawke and Rumer Willis also pop up (they're the daughters of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke, and Demi Moore and Bruce Willis, respectively). Basically, Tinseltown today delves into Los Angeles' darker days, a behind-the-scenes Hollywood caper meets US crime history, and Tarantino might've taken some inspiration from the Coen Brothers' Hail, Caesar! — at least if the ace and amusing initial teaser for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is any indication. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival — with Variety reporting it received a six-minute standing ovation — and will release worldwide from late July. Check out the first full trailer below: https://youtu.be/ELeMaP8EPAA Once Upon a Time in Hollywood releases in Australian cinemas on August 15.
For six years and four seasons on Westworld so far, viewers have been asked to ponder humanity's potential future with robots and simulations. A key question driving the hit film-to-TV HBO series: how might the years to come unfurl if people use mechanics, artificial intelligence and elaborately fabricated worlds as playthings and playgrounds? In new streaming series The Peripheral, a similar query arises, also musing and hypothesising on what lies ahead — and how flesh, machines, the real and the digital might coexist. The latest question, in another twisty series, as fronted by Chloë Grace Moretz (Mother/Android)? What happens if robots and virtual reality become humanity's conduit through time? (Apologies, DeLoreans and phone booths.) Bringing Westworld to the small screen and now executive producing The Peripheral, Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy clearly have a niche. If you didn't know that the latter series comes to Prime Video via the same minds as the former — adapting a 2014 book of the same name by cyberpunk pioneer William Gibson, and with Scott B Smith (The Burnt Orange Heresy, A Simple Plan) as its showrunner — you'd easily guess. The pair don't just share comparable concepts, but also a near-matching look and feel. The two play like tech-, robot-, avatar- and dystopia-obsessed siblings prophesising about humanity's possible decisions and their repercussions, plus everything that the world of tomorrow might herald and mean, all in sleek, shiny, chilly and moody episodic packaging. (Staying in this terrain isn't new for the husband-and-wife duo either, with 2021 film Reminiscence also on their resumes. Joy wrote, directed and produced the Hugh Jackman-starring feature, while Nolan also did the latter. Its focus: reliving memories, and reuniting with the people in them, in another gadgetry-enhanced but devastated future.) When storytellers speculate on what the upcoming years might hold, they theorise about choices and ramifications. The Peripheral has many to ruminate upon. When it begins, 3D print shop worker Flynne Fisher (Moretz) simply decides to assist her military-veteran brother Burton (Jack Reynor, Midsommar) by slipping into his avatar to make cash in a VR game — which she's better at than him, but sexism in the industry still reigns supreme. Then, when he's tasked by a Colombian company with testing a new virtual-reality headset that looks lower-tech, doesn't come with a glasses-like screen but exceeds the competition in its realism, she does the honours again. Flynne hasn't just plugged into a better simulation, though. Via data transfer, her consciousness is time-travelling to the future and inhabiting a robot body (which is what gives the series its title). Get ready for two visions of the future for the price of one, both riffing on aspects of life circa 2022 that could easily evolve as predicted. In Flynne's daily reality, the year is 2032, the place is small-town North Carolina and almost everyone is struggling, so much so that cash bank withdrawals earn Homeland Security's attention. The vibe is straight out of Winter's Bone, complete with a shady figure, aka local drug kingpin Corbell Pickett (Louis Herthum, Hacks), throwing his weight around. Flynne and Burton's mother (Melinda Page Hamilton, Dirty John) has lost her sight and suffers from constant pain, while Burton has his own (and PTSD) courtesy of his stint in uniform. Accordingly, sourcing funds to buy meds is a daily worry — and a problem that donning a headset is meant to fix. But The Peripheral asks another question, unpacking class divides and the technology gaps they bring: is hurtling into the future really a choice when it's a matter of financial survival? The Peripheral contemplates such existential and societal queries — sometimes overtly, sometimes as subtext — as all science fiction should. That said, it also revels in as much sci-fi detail as it can, especially regarding Flynne's leaps onwards. There, it's 2099, in a London littered with new towering sculptures that double as buildings and yet also home to far emptier on the streets. The no-nonsense Aelita West (Charlotte Riley, Swimming with Men) is initially Flynne's guide, until the furtive, James Bond-esque industrial-espionage quest they're on ends badly, and with Flynne seeing something she shouldn't. Next, Wilf Netherton (Gary Carr, The Deuce) runs point, as funded by the wealthy Lev Zubov (JJ Feild, Lost in Space) — and finding the now-missing Aelita and remaining alive in both timelines are the new aims. There's no shortage of plot: as well as time travel, VR, simulations, robots and secret quests, The Peripheral spans apocalyptic conditions, invisible cars, woodland shootouts, contract killers, conspiracies defying the bounds of time, medical chaos, unrequited romance, lottery wins and multiple turf wars. At its heart, it's also still a tale of a family trying to survive in a world crumbling around them, no matter what the future does or doesn't hold. And, the series is a puzzle and a maze, traits it eagerly relishes across its first six episodes. The questions and twists keep dropping, alongside revelations that inspire more enquiries rather than provide answers. Getting lured in happens quickly, although Prime Video is doling out the pieces patiently — starting with two episodes, then releasing future instalments weekly. The more that The Peripheral goes on, the more its Westworld comparisons gain company, with Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Tron, The Matrix franchise and Netflix's German-language gem Dark also proving influential. The series also unravels a noir-ish action detective story, asking not only whodunnit several times, but wondering when in time they hailed from like a period-hopping version of Cluedo. The layers of mystery helps keep viewers hooked — albeit with overt and forceful cliffhangers to end each episode — but The Peripheral doesn't slouch elsewhere. That includes its scheming villain, with Years and Years and The Haunting of Bly Manor's T'Nia Miller a devilish delight as the string-pulling Cherise Nuland, the head of the sinister Research Institute and a gloriously scenery-chewing nemesis for Flynne and company. 2022 marks 27 years since another Gibson adaptation spun a story about virtual data, the commodification of humans to service it, the power and control that comes with it, and the people and companies that'd kill for it all. Unlike Westworld and the rest of the aforementioned obvious touchpoints, bland Keanu Reeves movie Johnny Mnemonic mightn't come to mind while watching The Peripheral, though, apart from the shared overuse of tech jargon. What should stick here instead is a series filled with intrigue and ambition, vivid world-building and engaging performances, including from a particularly stellar Moretz. Plugging in is easy — as is staying connected. Check out the trailer for The Peripheral below: The Peripheral streams via Prime Video.
Grocery shopping with Grandma just got real serious. It has just been announced that infrared shopping trolleys will be introduced at IGA stores in Brisbane in February, following successful trials over the past few months. These trolleys feature LCD screens which can locate items within the store, notify you of current specials, and scan your items so you can keep within your budget. If that wasn't enough, trackers in the supermarket ceilings can locate your trolley and let you know which aisle you're in. Keep your fingers crossed for these super-intelligent trolleys to appear at a store near you. Handling one of these four-wheelers means that choosing your cereal won't be a chore, it will soon become a hobby. [via Gizmodo]
With the silly season almost upon us, it's time to celebrate. You've worked hard this year, so you deserve to let your hair down in style and toast to making it through another jaunt around the sun. There's just one small hurdle you need to clear before you're sipping champagne in your finest threads and accepting your award for employee of the year: organising the extravaganza. If you're the lucky soul in charge of planning the end-of-year bash for all your work pals, congratulations on holding so much power. Now comes the responsibility of making sure it's remembered for all the right reasons. There's a lot to consider, from budgets and guest lists to menus and dietary requirements, not to mention picking a venue from the hundreds of great spots around the city. To help you out a little, we've partnered with Merivale to bring you seven cracking options across Sydney — when you book, be sure to ask about stocking the bar with some $99 bottles of Veuve Cliquot Yellow Label (to be enjoyed responsibly, of course). Get ready to crack the bubbly and toast the year that was.
Entering an Australian supermarket over the past month or so, you can be forgiven for thinking that you're walking onto the set of a post-apocalyptic film. People have been everywhere — until customer limits were put in place in-store — but the shelves are often bare, with shoppers panic-buying everything from toilet paper and hand sanitiser to pasta and milk. As the COVID-19 situation evolved, local supermarket chains were forced to implement item limits — and increase them when the hoarding kept happening, causing everyday staples to keep selling out. But, while some restrictions aren't going anywhere soon, Coles and Woolworths have started to lift caps on a range of items. At Coles, limits have been lifted on both UHT and fresh milk, all types of meat, plus tissues and nappies. The company currently only has one-pack-per-person limits on toilet paper and paper towels, and two-pack-per-person cap on eggs, sugar, frozen vegetables, frozen desserts, canned tomatoes, pasta, all dry rice regardless of size, flour, hand sanitiser, liquid soap and antibacterial wipes — although additional limits may still be placed on other items on a store-by-store basis, so it's best to pay attention to the signage while you're shopping. Over at Woolies, caps have now been removed on tinned tomatoes, canned legumes and all canned vegetables; longlife milk; oats; baby care items excluding wipes; and serviettes. A few weeks back, it was easier to list what wasn't restricted than detail what did have limits, with a two-pack-per-person limit applying in general to most products; however the chain's caps have been changing regularly. Still, before you head in to buy groceries, it's worth checking out the Woolies website for the latest details. Aldi's most recent limits are all still in place, including caps on toilet paper (one pack); dry pasta, dry rice, flour, paper towels, tissues, sanitiser and eggs (two packs); UHT milk, sugar and microwavable rice (six packs); and canned foods (ten packs). At IGA, it's still a store-by-store decision. "In the spirit of helping everyone in our local communities access essential items, stores have placed purchase limits on items that are critically low in stock. These limits are being managed on a store by store basis and are increasing day by day," the chain advised in a statement. For more details on Australian supermarket item limits, keep an eye on Coles, Woolworths, Aldi and IGA's websites. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. Top image: Vakrieger via Wikimedia Commons.
Our team of explorers has created an exclusive Queenstown travel experience for Concrete Playground Trips – and for this one we have well and truly pulled out all the stops. The lineup includes a world-first scenic flight, gin tastings at New Zealand's leading distilleries, a world-renowned Onsen experience with views like no other, and a stay at one of Queenstown's leading boutique hotels by Lake Wakatipu. This Concrete Playground Trips package gives you VIP access to some of Queenstown's very best offerings without the hassle of organising it all yourselves. All you and your mates need to do is book your flights there and back — we've got the rest sorted. Scroll down to get the details before you book here. HELI GIN TOUR Forget touring around wine regions by bus — been there, done that. Instead, fly from gin distillery to gin distillery by helicopter, all while taking in the insanely beautiful sites of New Zealand's Crown Range. This is a world-first experience that you have to try. Once you touch down, the tour guide-meets-gin aficionado will take you to a unique cellar door and distillery serving up some of New Zealand's finest gin. You'll hit three seperate gin spots during this tour, tasting a variety of gins and learning more about how this nectar of the gods is made. You'll also feed on a smorgasbord of seasonal bites throughout your six-hour expedition so there's no need for BYO snacks. ONSEN POOL EXPERIENCE After a big day of gin tasting and flying around Queenstown, you'll need to spend another day dedicated to relaxation. Cue this luxury spa experience. You'll be picked up from your hotel and taken to the world-renowned Onsen retreat. Plunge into your private cedar-lined hot pool overlooking the surrounding mountain ranges and let the rest of the world drift away. It's the pure escapism that you deserve. THE ACCOMMODATION The Concrete Playground Trips package includes three nights at the five-star QT Queenstown hotel in the plush Alpine King Room. QT hotels are known for their high-end finishes as well as their focus on art and design. And this Queenstown version lives up to the hype. Each room is full of artwork (paintings, sculptures and more), alongside simple but bold furnishings. Everything is just that bit extra. You're also located close to town — you can easily explore the rest of Queenstown in between the pre-planned experiences. A daily full breakfast for two is also included at the hotel, so you're all fuelled up for a day of exploring. Book tickets now by visiting Concrete Playground Trips.
If you've had the pleasure of tasting one of Tokyo Lamington's desserts since it opened in Sydney, you know they don't make just any old lamington. These inventive cubed sponge cakes come in an array of exciting and nostalgic flavours ranging from fairy bread and tiramisu to yuzu meringue. While the cult dessert store has been kicking around the harbour city for several years now, the brand has just taken the leap south and — like many Sydney icons in the past, from El Jannah to Black Star Pastry — has finally opened a Melbourne outpost. If you're new to Tokyo Lamington, it's a big deal in the cake game, all thanks to founders Min Chai and Eddie Stewart. After starting life overseas, introducing places like Singapore and Tokyo to some innovative riffs on the humble lamington, the brand settled in Newtown and has been impressing Sydneysiders with its creative desserts ever since. And now, for the first time ever, it's setting up shop permanently down south. [caption id="attachment_774463" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tokyo Lamington x Koko Black collaboration[/caption] Tokyo Lamington popped up in North Melbourne earlier in 2022, in a collaboration with Le Bajo, but that was only temporary. As of Tuesday, October 18, however, the dessert legends have opened a permanent bricks-and-mortar Carlton location from which to pump out those beloved lamingtons — so you can still get your chocolate and coconut fix next time you're down visiting Melbourne. Just like the Newtown joint, this new Elgin Street store boasts an extensive range of vegan cookies alongside savoury favourites like onigiri, pies, quiches and sausage rolls, too. And for caffeine addicts, it's pouring coffee from Single O seven days a week as well. Melburnians will also have their fingers crossed for some more local collaborations. In the past, Tokyo Lamington has teamed up with the likes of By George, Circa Espresso, Stitch Coffee, Koko Black and KitKat. For Chai and Stewart, who also founded N2 Extreme Gelato, there are clearly endless ways to transform the Aussie favourite into something new and exciting. Get your tastebuds ready for whatever they dream up next. Find Tokyo Lamington at 258 Elgin Street, Carlton. It's open 7am–3pm daily.
It's summer, or close enough to it. The temperature is warm, hot or scorching, or somewhere in-between. You can hear the sounds of someone splashing around in a cool, refreshing pool — but those noises aren't coming from your own swimming spot, because you don't have one. Many Australians can relate to this scenario each and every year (and, depending on where you live, maybe even most of the year round). Thankfully, it's a situation that Swimply is designed to counter. Even better: the pool-sharing service is relaunching Down Under at exactly the right time of year. Swimply first debuted locally in 2019, after getting up and running in the US and Canada before that; however, we all know what's happened in the world since then. Now, with Australians facing a summer without restrictions, the service is here to help you out if you don't have a mate with a pool, don't know your neighbours well enough to just pop by for a dip or live too far away from your local waterhole is too far away — and you're stuck trying to chill out in the bath or under the fan in the sweltering heat. Operating in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Perth, Adelaide and select regional areas, Swimply is a fairly typical sharing economy-style platform. One person rents out something they have and don't use all the time, while another person with a short-term need reaps the benefits. In this case, the service lets folks with pools lease out their backyard swimming spots when they're not in use, and helps people without pools find a place for a splash, all via an iOS and Android app. If you fall into the latter category, you can hire a spot by the hour. You can also look for pools with specific facilities and inclusions — such as chairs, lounges, towels, wifi, a changing area, access to a bathroom, a barbecue, a shady spot to sit under, night lighting, pool toys and heated waters. Some allow pets, while others are fine with parties and alcohol. Before booking, you can also scope out just how many guests you can bring (and whether kids are allowed), as well as how private the pool is from the neighbours. That said, it proves most cost-effective if you're splashing around with mates, with the cost set by the owner. Prices start at $25 per hour, but those fees vary. Some hit $100, and there's plenty around the $50–70 mark. Still, if you're keen to hop in a pool — and a private one, rather than your local public spot — Swimply gives you options. Swimply is now available to download on iOS and Android.
Australia's premier contemporary art support program, Artbank is launching an impressive new exhibition with some award-winning artists. From Where We Stand opens on Thursday, May 17, at the company's art-filled headquarters in Waterloo, and will explore the inseparable relationship between perspective and experience. If all that's a bit too much of a mouthful of art-jargon for you, here's what to expect: a series of classical landscape paintings from Artbank's extensive collection, plus intimate works inspired by personal experiences from six of Australia's most exciting contemporary artists. Among the six artists exhibiting is the just-announced winner of the 2018 Archibald Prize, Yvette Coppersmith. Coppersmith, whose Self-portrait, after George Lambert won the award, will be exhibiting portraits alongside works from artists Ricky Emmerton, Anna McMahon, Sean Meilak, Rusty Peters and Lisa Sammut. The remaining five artist's practices vary greatly. Some of the artworks you'll encounter on the night include Anna McMahon's exploration of a queer narrative through sculpture and video; Sean Meilak's architecturally-inspired geometric sculptures; and Rusty Peters' — Gija community elder — Indigenous artworks, which are inspired by the land and stories of the Kimberley. With such a wide array of works on site, this is an exhibition not to be missed. Get down to the opening, grab yourself some bubbly and get your art on – you won't regret it. The From Where We Stand Exhibition Opening will run from 6–8pm on Thursday, May 17. Entry is free, but you can register here. The exhibition will run until Friday, August 17. Images in order: Simon Shiff, Yvette Coppersmith, Rusty Peters and Lisa Sammut.
Grabbing everyone's attention with one shiny promise, then delivering something else as well: if you've ever watched Black Mirror, then you've seen that exact situation play out several times among its many tech nightmares. When the dystopian saga's seventh season arrives, that setup just might apply to the show itself, too. A sequel episode to season four's Star Trek-riffing USS Callister episode has long been promised, but a follow-up to choose-your-own-adventure movie Black Mirror: Bandersnatch also appears to be part of the six-instalment return. Black Mirror season seven now has a trailer, and Bandersnatch's Will Poulter (The Bear) and Asim Chaudhry (Industry) are part of it. The next chapter in Charlie Brooker's can't-look-away take on how humanity's use of gadgets and innovations can go devastatingly wrong also has an official release date. In excellent news, you'll be plugging in soon, on Thursday, April 10, 2025. The new episodes will drop two years after 2023's sixth season, which is a short gap in Black Mirror terms given that there was a four-year wait after season five. Season seven's batch of Black Mirror episodes is also bigger than the past two seasons, serving up six instalments — which only season three and four have done in the past. As teased by the trailer, the show's seventh season has artificial intelligence in its focus — and everything from a black-and-white realm and wearable tech to Peter Capaldi (Criminal Record) chatting about expanding minds on offer along the way. From USS Callister, Cristin Milioti (The Penguin), Jimmi Simpson (Pachinko), Billy Magnussen (The Franchise), Milanka Brooks (The Windsors), Osy Ikhile (All American) and Paul G Raymond (Deadpool & Wolverine) are all back. Across the rest of the season, the cast also includes Awkwafina (Jackpot!), Emma Corrin (Nosferatu), Rashida Jones (Sunny), Chris O'Dowd (The Big Door Prize), Issa Rae (American Fiction), Michele Austin (Hard Truths), Tracee Ellis Ross (Candy Cane Lane), Harriet Walter (Silo), Patsy Ferran (Mickey 17), Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers) and more. And if you're wondering whether Brooker took any inspiration from his headline speaker gig at the first-ever SXSW Sydney in 2023, you'll need to watch the new season to find out. Chatting with Netflix, he has promised "a mix of genres and styles". Also "they're all sci-fi stories — there's definitely some horrifying things that occur, but maybe not in an overt horror-movie way. There's definitely some disturbing content in it." Check out the trailer for Black Mirror season seven below: Black Mirror season seven will stream via Netflix from Thursday, April 10, 2025. Read our review of season six, and our interview with Charlie Brooker.
Whether it's predatory behaviour, racial slurs or people being too pushy in a crowded space, there is always behaviour at music festivals that makes people — generally minorities or females — feel unsafe. Like day-to-day life, it's unfortunately part of the experience. But after five women reported being sexually assaulted at the Marion Bay leg of Falls Festival over the New Year period, Laneway Festival has announced it will instate a hotline that punters can call in real time to report harassment or disrespectful behaviour on its 2017 tour. It's the first time Laneway has provided such a service, but it's an extension of the boss ladies of Melbourne band Camp Cope's #ItTakesOne campaign, which they launched last year to call-out and end harassment at gigs. The idea is that it only takes one dickhead to do something to make someone feel unsafe, but it also only takes one person to call them out and stop it. In a video released this week — which also includes Julia Jacklin and Ella Thompson from GL — Camp Cope said they wanted "to ensure everyone at our shows feels valued and important — our music is for anyone to enjoy, and to feel safe and respected while they're enjoying it". If you've got a ticket to Laneway — which heads to Melbourne this weekend and Sydney the next — jot down the number 1800 LANEWAY (that's 1800 526 3929). If you see any shitty or disrespectful behaviour, give it a call. An on-the-ground operator will be able to help you and sort the situation out. Look after your mates and the people around you to make sure everyone has the opportunity to dance their heart out while feeling safe. Image: Andy Fraser.
When an exhibition comes with a content warning, you know it's going to be thought-provoking. It's not like we haven't seen naked bodies in the Art Gallery of New South Wales before, so what makes Australian artist Pat Larter's work worthy of such advice? Frankly put, it's because Pat sets out to challenge us. The New South Wales artist questions the male gaze and the stereotypes of female desire and sexuality. And, in a practice spanning nearly three decades, the artist provokes reactions for her humorous and critical artworks across photography, film, video performance, collage and printmaking. [caption id="attachment_791297" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pat Larter, Still from 'Get arted' (1981), from the Pat Larter archive. National Art Archive | Art Gallery of New South Wales, gift of Richard Larter 1999. Photo: Richard Larter. Copyright: Estate of Pat Larter / Richard Larter[/caption] This is her first solo exhibition in a public art museum, and the exhibition celebrates Pat as an artist drawing from her extensive archive. Expect to find joyful, cheeky, fiercely anti-establishment artworks that — yes — contain sexually explicit imagery, but also a lot of zest for life. Top images: 1. Pat Larter, 'Pat's anger' (1992). Art Gallery of New South Wales, gift of Frank Watters 2018. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program. Copyright: Estate of Pat Larter. 2. Pat Larter, still from 'Artart Actions: Stock Exchange Crash' (1987), from the Pat Larter archive. National Art Archive | Art Gallery of New South Wales, gift of Richard Larter 1999. Photo: Richard Larter. Copyright: Estate of Pat Larter / Richard Larter.
Coronavirus restrictions are beginning to ease and you're allowed to have more visitors in your home, which is very welcome news as we move into the season of festive catch-ups, backyard barbecues, pool hangs and picnics. We're sure seeing your family and friends in the flesh is exciting enough. But if you want to put a worthy spin on your next catch-up, you can also use it to raise money for Movember. While the charity is best known for encouraging blokes to grow silly mos throughout the month of November to raise money for men's health, it also has an option to host an in-person or virtual event. And this weekend will be the perfect opportunity to get involved with its Shit Shirt Saturday party. This Saturday, November 28, Movember is encouraging you to invite your mates around to your place (or to your local park). Everyone will need to pay $20 entry (for charity, obvs) and wear the best worst shirt for a bit of fun. Movember is providing the entertainment with a lineup of 45-minute DJ sets to stream throughout the afternoon and evening. The tunes will kick off at 3pm with Eric Sidey, followed by Matt Jones, Nick Kennedy and Spacey Space. At 6pm, Airwolf will perform and Torren Foot will wrap things up at 6.45pm. To get involved, sign up to be a host at Movember's website and then, on the day, head here for the live-stream. Just remember to keep your shit shirt socially distanced from others.
Jason Schwartzman as a private detective. That's it — that's the show. In Bored to Death, the Wes Anderson favourite plays Jonathan Ames, a Brooklyn-based writer who moonlights as a sleuth, pals around with a comic book artist played by Zach Galifianakis and sees a literary magazine editor played by Ted Danson as his surrogate father figure. Adding another layer of eccentricity: the fact that Bored to Death was created and written by an author also called Jonathan Ames, who later wrote the novella that excellent hitman thriller You Were Never Really Here was based on. But even without that nifty trivia tidbit, this is a delightfully offbeat three-season gumshoe series that deservedly amassed quite the cult following when it initially aired from 2009–11. Also, everyone from Jenny Slate and Kristen Wiig to Patton Oswalt and Isla Fisher co-star.
UPDATE Monday, September 27: Guns N' Roses Australian and New Zealand tour has been postponed to November and December 2022. You can find all the details at the Guns N' Roses website. "Stadium rock is back!" pronounces the tour poster for the newly announced Guns N' Roses tour of Australia and New Zealand. The tour, scheduled for November 2021, is the first international stadium tour announcement since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The eight-stop tour will hit Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Adelaide and Perth, as well as Wellington and Dunedin, between Saturday, November 6, 2021 and Wednesday, November 24, 2021. The idea of stadium shows doesn't feel too far fetched after the latest State of Origin match was played in front of a full crowd following the rolling back of event restrictions in Queensland. New Zealand stadiums are also back to full capacity and Sydney is hosting a pair COVID-safe stadium gigs on Saturday, November 28 and Saturday, December 5. The biggest challenge to the tour going ahead will be Australian borders, which remain shut with no clear indication of when they may reopen. It's been a while between drinks for Guns N' Roses fans, with the rock band last touring Australia in 2017 on the Not in This Lifetime tour, the first tour to see founding members Axel Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan all take the stage together in over a decade. Following the tour, the band left fans hanging with Slash tweeting that the band would be back Down Under soon. Three years on and fans are waiting for a November Rain singalong in a packed stadium. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SbUC-UaAxE GUNS N' ROSES AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND TOUR DATES 2021 Gold Coast – Saturday, November 6, Metricon Stadium Adelaide – Tuesday, November 9, Adelaide Oval Melbourne – Thursday, November 11, Melbourne Cricket Ground Sydney – Sunday, November 14, ANZ Stadium Wellington – Friday, November 19, Sky Stadium Dunedin – Sunday, November 21, Forsyth Barr Stadium Perth – Wednesday, November 24, Optus Stadium Members of Guns N' Roses Nightrain Club will have access to pre-sale tickets on Monday, November 23 from gunsnroses.com. General public tickets are on sale on Thursday, November 26 from Ticketek Australia and New Zealand. Image: Raph_PH via Flickr
Saving water is one of those things that your parents drilled into you as a young kid as you recklessly allowed the tap to run a little longer than you're supposed to. And while water supply has not been under the same scrutiny as global warming of late, it remains a top environmental concern beaten only by climate change and the issue of finding alternative sources of energy. Luckily saving water can be as simple as capturing rainwater in some sort of dispenser to be stored, treated and reused. The Rainbarrel Man Co. builds wood clad, steel banded rain barrels from repurposed material; they use western red cedar wood purchased from local saw mills (usually salvaged lumber). The result is an attractive rain harvesting system that can be paired with a drip irrigation kit or a storm water manager. While the storm water manager allows you to direct the collected water to your bioswale or rain garden, the drip irrigation kit can be used to water your plants at the roots. An added bonus to this is that collecting rain water and reusing it prevents the polluted storm water (which carry pesticides and animal waste) from entering our drains and contaminating natural surroundings. Once your Rainbarrel is installed, you'll need to add a pump system that distributes your stored water around your garden year round. RainPerfect is easy to install, costs just US$139 and converts the sun's rays into sustainable energy. And if you want to take your environmentally habits indoors, Pensar Development's Indulgence concept shower learns your individual shower habits and routines to reduce water usage in the home. Cycles consist of a low-flow initial rinse, followed by warming mist jets before finishing with a second low-flow rinse.
UPDATE, August 23, 2022: Elton John has added extra shows in Sydney, Newcastle and Melbourne due to demand. This news story has been updated accordingly. Some farewell tours seem to last forever — and, thanks to the pandemic, Elton John's Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour is one of them. Since September 2018, the music star has been saying goodbye all around the globe, including making the trip Down Under already. But what was meant to be his final trip our way resulted in some rescheduled gigs, so he's coming back again. And, because he'll be here anyway, John has added a few extra shows to his schedule. It's been a big few years for the singer, not only with the huge tour — which spans more than 300 concerts across five continents — but with his life story hitting the big screen in biopic Rocketman. He had a massive first round of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour in Australasia, too, with over 705,000 tickets sold to gigs a three-month period that spanned 34 Australian and six New Zealand dates from November 2019. Missed out then? Keen to go again? Mark January 2023 in your diary. In New Zealand, John will play his two rescheduled gigs at Auckland's Mt Smart Stadium, as well as a newly announced show at Orangetheory Stadium in Christchurch. In Australia, he's adding encore gigs in Newcastle, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Fans can expect to feel the love through all of his hits, including 'Rocket Man', 'Tiny Dancer' 'Bennie and the Jets', 'Crocodile Rock', 'I'm Still Standing' and 'Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting' — especially the latter, you'd expect, on his Saturday shows in Brisbane and Auckland. The concerts will also feature never-before-seen images and videos show from John's 50-year career — well, never seen before the tour — which'll be displayed throughout the show. When the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour comes to an end, John will retire from touring after five decades on the road. If that all sounds rather massive, that's John's career in a nutshell. He's played more than 4000 shows across his career, sold more than 300 million records worldwide and holds the record for the biggest-selling single of all time thanks to the 1997 version of 'Candle in the Wind'. In Australia, he'll wrap up his time onstage in Brisbane, playing his 36th-ever Queensland gig — and 233rd in Australia, which comes third to only the UK and US in hosting the most-ever John concerts. In NZ, he's bowing out in Auckland — with remaining tickets to the city's shows on-sale now, and tickets to the encore gigs in Christchurch, as well as in Australia, up for grabs on Monday, August 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtVBCG6ThDk ELTON JOHN 'FAREWELL YELLOW BRICK ROAD' 2023 TOUR DATES: Sunday, January 8 and Tuesday, January 10 — McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle Friday, January 13 and Saturday, January 14 — AAMI Park, Melbourne Tuesday, January 17 and Wednesday, January 18 — Allianz Stadium, Sydney Saturday, January 21 — Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane Tuesday, January 24 — Orangetheory Stadium, Christchurch Friday, January 27 andSaturday, January 28 — Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland Elton John's Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour returns to Australia and New Zealand in January 2023. Remaining tickets for the Auckland shows are on-sale now, with tickets to the encore gigs in Newcastle, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane up for grabs on Monday, August 1. There are also pre-sales from Tuesday, July 26. Fore more information, head to the tour website. Images: Ben Gibson.
Dreaming about warm coastal escapes is only natural now that winter has descended. Yet a trip inland to rural pastures can be just as satisfying, especially when a top-notch event like the Orange Region Fire Festival ignites the atmosphere. Held from Friday, August 1–Sunday, August 10, this bustling annual event has a stacked program for its 2025 instalment. With 40 events on the schedule, it's no surprise that cuisine is a focus, with this acclaimed food and wine region bringing the heat. Catch the Fireside Feast at the Oriana Gardens, participate in an immersive fire-cooking masterclass with Michael Manners, or settle into a long lunch guided by the cool-climate experts at Ross Hill Wines. Yet there's more to the Orange Region Fire Festival than just sumptuous eating and drinking. The event begins with the Millthorpe Fire Fair, with Pym Street illuminated with fire pits, street performers, late-night shopping and live music. Meanwhile, the Central Tablelands' creative side will be on full display at the Orange Readers and Writers Festival on Saturday, August 2, featuring a lively lineup of renowned authors, including Debra Oswald and Jane Caro. You're also welcome to get involved through a myriad of workshops. Jude Keogh from Earth & Fire Studio will guide a five-day pottery course, while Greentrees Gourmet Preserves founder Jasmin Bond will teach guests how to make seriously good jam or marmalade. Inspired by firelight, heading along to this rural festival is sure to spark your creativity, even when it's a little dark and dreary outside.
When Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows dropped its last terrible three words on us at the close of the book, all was not well. It would never be well without Harry, Ron, Hermione fighting the Dark Lord in a series of fantastical and wholly engrossing scenarios. But, little did we know, this would not be the end of the Age of Harry Potter. Thanks to the internet and the sheer demand for all things HP, Harry has lived on through new books, fan website Pottermore, the Fantastic Beasts film spinoff series and all manner of events dedicated to the franchise. One of the biggest things to come of the post-Harry Potter era has been Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, of course — aka the West End play that's essentially the eighth book in the series. It first arrived in Australia in February 2019, hitting up Melbourne's Princess Theatre, and proved unsurprisingly popular. And while it's about to return after the city's latest lockdown — from Thursday, November 18, in fact — the production has just announced that its shows from May 2022 will be a whole lot different. Muggles, if you want to see The Cursed Child in its current two-part form, you'll need to accio yourself along before March next year. After that, from May, it'll be taking to the stage in a single one-session showing — condensing its story into one part. Basically, this'll be The Cursed Child reimagined — and it'll hit Melbourne after making its world premiere on Broadway this month. San Francisco and Toronto are also getting one-part versions of the show as well; however, Melbourne will beat them to it. So what exactly is The Cursed Child about? Well, it picks up 19 years after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and that abominably cheery epilogue on Platform 9 3/4. Harry is now an overworked Ministry of Magic employee, and the play focuses on both him and his youngest son Albus Severus Potter as they grapple with the past and future. Since debuting in London in July 2016, the production has won a swathe of awards and has proven a repeated sell-out — in the West End, on Broadway and in San Francisco, too. In its Melbourne run so far, it has become the most successful play in Australian history, including attracting 325,000 people in its first year. Melburnians — and other Australian Harry Potter and/or theatre aficionados — can access tickets now for the two-part run of the show, which'll remain onstage until Sunday, March 27, 2022. Tickets for the one-session showings of The Cursed Child will go on sale at 9am on Tuesday, November 16. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will return to Melbourne's Princess Theatre on Thursday, November 18 in its two-part form, running until Sunday, March 27, 2022. It'll then switch to a one-session production from May, with tickets for the latter on sale at 9am on Tuesday, November 16. For more information, head to the play's website. Top images: Matt Murphy/Evan Zimmerman for Murphy Made.
Seizure Prom The "frustrated creatives" who started new Australian writing launchpad Seizure four years ago are gearing up to host their first ever prom. You'll get the chance to hang out with the Seizure lit crowd and get some classic prom shots taken (time to drag out that year 12 dress/tux and hairdo to match). This time you'll want the photographic evidence; with the organisers taking inspiration from the Under the Sea Dance in Back to the Future, it'll be a fine-looking affair. Friday, July 18, at the Giant Dwarf. More info here. Crooked Colours Pulsing synths, addictive percussion and mellow crooning have seen this Perth trio launch from strength to strength, making waves both locally and abroad. From Unearthed beginnings through to shows at Groovin' the Moo and Laneway, Crooked Colours have generated a following hypnotised by their feelgood ambience. These electronica lads are currently on their first ever national tour, promoting the brand spanking new EP, In Your Bones. Friday, July 18, at Goodgod Small Club. More info here. Symbiosis Jane Sheldon is not what you might think of when you think 'opera singer'. Last we've seen the New York-based Australian soprano around Sydney, she's been singing fragments of Charles Darwin's Origin of Species at the Australian Museum or facing a wall mesmerically warbling Holocaust poetry for the Sydney Chamber Opera. She fuses her ARIA Award nominated voice with contemporary experimentation, all while working with such international institutions as the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra and the Boston Camerata. Her latest project sees her setting up at the relaxed 107 Projects to perform a set of contemporary avant-garde works. Friday, July 18, at 107 Projects. More info here. Hendricks and Hendrix Nights at Chip Off the Old Block It's a pleasure to walk into the Chip Off the Old Block, tucked away on narrow Little Queen Street, and find not a sugar skull, novelty lamp or plastic flamingo in sight. Each table’s supplied with bowls of unshelled walnuts and pecans, shiny nutcrackers and rumpled paper bags to catch the shells, as well as a pack of cards — as if to encourage guests to put their phones down, entertain their busy thumbs another way, and have an old-fashioned conversation. Saturday is Hendricks & Hendrix night (9-11pm), which offers up the sublime combo of $10 Hendricks G&Ts, Jimi on the stereo and free hot chips. Saturday, July 19, at Chip Off the Old Black. More info here. Foe, Like the Enemy Pop-Up The acquisition of good vintage clothing can be a difficult feat. Much like the metaphoric fog, sometimes you have to sort through a whole bunch of crap until you find something good. Fortunately for us, the guys behind Foe, Like The Enemy have trawled through Asia and the Americas to source the best vintage clothing they could get their hands on. Until Saturday, July 19, at Shop 1, 50-52 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills. More info here. Bondi Feast There's plenty of food at Bondi Feast, but it's not the main course. The Rock Surfers Theatre Company's annual festival serves up offbeat performances, comedy and writerly projects from some of our favourite creative Sydneysiders, all backed up by a rotating cast of food vendors in the Bondi Pavilion's Festival Bar. With tickets to shows starting at $10, consider it a tapas of ideas, hilarity, provocation and feels. See such high-brow theatre as Awkward Conversations With Animals I’ve Fucked and My Struggle The Life and Times of an Individ (In a World Full of Hipsters). Saturday, July 19 (continuing until July 26), at the Bondi Pavilion. More info here. Charlie's Country There are very few faces as synonymous with Australian cinema as that of actor David Gulpilil. His third and most recent film with Rolf de Heer marks the last part in a loose thematic trilogy — one that began with The Tracker in 2002 and continued with Ten Canoes four years later. Gulpilil looks far older than his 61 years, but as Charlie he may never have been better — he's just taken home a best actor award at Cannes for it. It's a performance loaded with understated feeling, one that's obviously informed by a wealth of personal experience. His very face tells a story, about a country, its people, and its cultural and cinematic history. What a wonderful piece of acting in a likewise remarkable film. All weekend long at Palace Verona. Full review here. Tabaimo: MEKURUMEKU No one does inner turmoil and domestic horror quite like the Japanese. It seems so many of their artists have found that magical space between buttoned-up manners and social graces and unbound anger, anxiety and fear. The secret seems to lie in restrained contradiction. In a major solo show at the MCA, Mekurumeku, Japanese artist Tabaimo has managed to strike this eerie balance perfectly, presenting a body of work spanning just over a decade. All weekend long at the MCA. Full review here.
Whether you're in lockdown, working from home or just social distancing in general, your day could always do with a few more cute animals. And, if you didn't realise this before the pandemic, you definitely will have over the past few months: the internet is always happy to oblige. Earlier in the year, Melbourne's zoos started live-streaming their penguins, leopard cubs and giraffes, while Sydney's aquarium brought us playtime with Pig the dugong, the Wild Life zoo opted for cuddles with quokkas and Brisbane's Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary opted for a non-stop look at one of Australia's cutest native marsupials. The list of animal-focused streams has grown over the course of 2020, including Melbourne Aquarium's own series of meditation and relaxation videos. And now, also from Melbourne, a den of small-clawed otters are getting in on the fun. In the latest webcam setup at Melbourne Zoo, a lens has been trained on the site's four Asian small-clawed otter pups. They were born in February this year to otter parents Paula and Odie, who became the first of their species to breed at the Victorian site since back in 2011. And, whether they're sleeping or playfully fighting — a type of behaviour that helps them bond — these little critters are immensely adorable. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r14IcXmQMyg&feature=emb_logo The otter webcam joins Melbourne Zoo's Animals at Home portal, where you can also peer at the aforementioned penguins, snow leopard cubs and giraffes — and lions, too. As the otter live-stream runs all day, every day, we can't promise this won't put a slight dent in your usual plans — and, on weekdays, your productivity — but we can promise that it'll help brighten up your day every so slightly. Check out Melbourne Zoo's Animals at Home portal via its website. Images: Zoos Victoria
Every Saturday morning at 10, FBi show All the Best tells a collection of real and fictional Sydney stories. Its weekly themes run from 'ritual', to 'silence', to an exploration of Sydney's compass points north, south, east and west. After a successful late night live recording at Surry Hills Library, it's getting ready for another go. A live version of the show with a Power Trip theme will join faces to its words at the Sydney Writers' Festival this Thursday evening. As part of its lust for power, the show will combine documentary short stories with readings from Festival authors along a similarly forceful vein. Journalist Wendy Bacon will help document her turbulent days editing Tharunka, alongside pieces on modern-day magic and the cost of war. Peppered among them, Mandy Sayer will read from her fiery World War II novel Love in the Year of Lunacy, sharing a stage with show regular Vanessa Berry and fellow Festival guests, investigative reporter Anna Krien and Iranian/Australian writer Sara Haghdoosti. Singer songwriter Fergus Brown will make live music, and push into the action with occasional live score. Image by Wendy Bacon, from an original 70s edition of Tharunka . Click through for full image. Warning: contains one extremely rude word.
If you've seen Hannah Gadsby's two Netflix comedy specials so far — smash-hit Nanette and follow-up Douglas — then you'll know that the acclaimed Australian comedian's sets and "feel-good romantic comedy" don't usually go hand in hand. But comedy, like life, changes. Indeed, Gadsby has been embracing exactly that on- and off-stage. And after getting married to their producer Jenney Shamash, new special Something Special is all about warm vibes. Well, mostly. "Just for the next hour, we're going to feel good together, and then we can head back out there and be the mass-extinction event that we are," Gadsby tells the audience in Something Special's just-dropped trailer. "I didn't say who it's a feel-good show for," the comedian continues, as they also noted when the special's streaming date was revealed by Netflix. Come Tuesday, May 9, Gadsby has a wedding to talk about, plus the politics around nuptials, homophobic bakers, queer domesticity and bunnies. Announced in 2022 and filmed at the Sydney Opera House that same year, Something Special is based on their recent stand-up show Body of Work. Even with the feel-good rom-com tone, expect Gadsby's usual wit, insights and sense of humour. It's been a huge few years for the Tasmanian-born talent, and they keep going from strength to strength onstage — and on-screen. In fact, when the time came for Gadsby to initially follow up international smash-hit show Nanette, that seemed a rather difficult task. After all, the one-performer stand-up set copped serious praise on its 18-month travels across Australia and the UK, even scooping the top honours at both the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and Edinburgh Festival Fringe — and, of course, spawning its very own Netflix special. But, then Douglas was born, with Gadsby returning to the stage with a performance named after a pet pooch. While Nanette pulled apart the concept of comedy itself, dishing up an insight into Gadsby's past, Douglas took comedy fans on a "tour from the dog park to the renaissance and back". It made its way across stages around Australia and New Zealand in late 2019 and early 2020, and then hit Netflix in 2020 as well. After that came Body of Work — first as a live show again, and now as Netflix special Something Special, too. It's the first release in Gadsby's new a multi-title deal with the streaming platform that is also set to span a new multi-comic special featuring gender-diverse performers. Check out the trailer for Something Special below: Hannah Gadsby's Something Special Netflix special will be available to stream from Tuesday, May 9, 2023. Images: Jess Gleeson/Netflix © 2023.
This global pandemic might have us cooped up at home, but it sure hasn't dulled our penchant for online shopping. Without the bottomless brunches, bar hopping adventures and retail therapy sessions of regular life, many of us have a little extra in the savings fund and a whole lot more time for scrolling. And of course, those package deliveries are all the more thrilling when your social life is taking an enforced hiatus. An offshoot of Bendigo and Adelaide Banks that's built for the digital world, Up is one of the new kids on the banking block. Its focus is on offering a primo mobile banking experience — the kind that fits into your real life with minimal hassle, leaving you more time to worry about the important stuff (like which of the 19 items in your basket will be making it to the checkout). As an online shopping companion, Up's ticking plenty of boxes, thanks to a suite of features designed to keep things simple. For example, it'll show actual business names, locations and company logos in your spending history, so you're not left doing mental gymnastics trying to guess the story behind that $45.50 you dropped at 3am last Saturday. It's also got an automatic transaction categorisation function, to help keep your balances and budgeting in tip-top shape, without too much effort. https://www.instagram.com/p/Btw0EVqn2fE/ Shopping on international sites can normally be a bit fraught, what with the extra charges and conversion dramas. But Up is being a mate and passing on zero fees on all overseas purchases, both online and IRL. It displays both the local and foreign currency on your receipt and app, and will even send you an immediate purchase notification in Aussie dollars. Throw in a bunch of nifty savings functions — like the ability to instantly round up your spare cents — plus upcoming bill predictions and a 1.85-percent interest rate, and you've got yourself one nice, breezy banking situation. For more information about Up and to sign up for an account, jump over to the Up website. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy. General advice only. Please consider your personal circumstances before making a decision to join Up. Conditions https://up.com.au/hook_up_a_mate/. Product issuer Bendigo & Adelaide Bank.
Summer is the season for Bondi Pavilion to shine. Which is why it's gone all peacock on us and is showing off with a spectacle of events over the next few months. The unveiling of the new-look Bondi Pav following a multimillion-dollar restoration reopens a centre for community activity on Bondi's beachfront. And, yes, while most parts of the revamped space — such as the art gallery, Bondi Story Room, Between The Flags store, pottery studio and expansive public courtyard — are worth checking out all year round, some things are just better with a side of summer sunshine. First up is Casa Aperol, the Mediterranean-inspired pop-up slinging fruity cocktails from December 2022 to March 2023. Or summer Tai Chi — which will help you get your zen on every Tuesday in the High Tide Room until January 31, 2023. There's also Glory Days Restaurant & Bar from the hospitality group behind North Sydney's Glorietta. The upstairs bar is currently open on Saturdays and Sundays from 12pm until dusk, while the ground-floor restaurant is opening soon and will be serving Italian fare in an appropriately casual atmosphere for a venue located a few steps from the sand. Culture vultures and art aficionados should save the date and check out the Summer Cinema, which will show screenings of classic cinema from around the world on various Wednesday evenings from the Pav's beautiful theatre; sign up for Bondi Stories — Local History Tours or a Bondi Aboriginal walking tour to learn more about the stories behind this iconic seaside locale, or Liquid Mountains, a free art exhibition worth adding to calendar. For the full-line up events at Bondi Pavilion this summer, check out the website.
What do you do with a slab of unused space in the middle of the CBD? You plant a barley crop and open a brewery, of course. As part of Street Works, a landscape design competition hosted by the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA), the Beerline project will see Quay Street transformed into Haymarket's very own self-sustained brewery. Following its installation amongst traffic lights and tram tracks, the public harvesting of the barley crop last week marked the first step in the three-month process that takes the crop from barley to bottle. Throughout December, the barley will undergo the process of malting, brewing, and fermenting, ready to be bottled and served to the public in the January Beer Festival. Brewing will take place on site from start to finish, aiming to promote awareness and appreciation of the value of our food, more than just a 'vacuum sealed container on a supermarket shelf'. But the social initiative doesn't stop there. The crop will produce around 500 beers, all available for online 'adoption' through a pledged donation to Oz Harvest. Once you've adopted a beer, you can attend regular brewing events to keep an eye on your little tike as it grows up from grass, to make its social debut as an icy cold bevvy. The visionaries behind Beerline are a pair of bright young architects who go by the name of the Bean Factory. The Beerline is the first in a series of small ideas they intend to release into our city, in the hope that they grow (quite literally, in this case) into something bigger. The four other projects featured in the Street Works initiative will grace our city streets until the end of January. Check them out at www.streetworks.org.au
There is nothing wrong with grown ups playing with Lego. Just ask architectural artist Adam Reed Tucker. In collaboration with Lego, Reed has created two new series in the Lego line which aim to celebrate the world's most iconic landmarks by bringing them to Lego life. For Reed, the humble lego brick has been somewhat of a revelation and he sees his mini lego creations as 'interpretations rather than replicas'. And he's right. Despite the fact that his creations are made of a toy you may have tried to eat as a toddler, they are undeniably sophisticated, artistic and a challenging exercise in right-brained fun. The Lego Architectural line consists of a Landmark Series and an Architect Series. The landmark series allows architectural enthusiastics to assemble their very own Empire State Building, White House or Rockerfeller Center, while the architect series pays homage to some of the world's greatest architects, in particular Frank Lloyd Wright. There is both a Lego creation of Wright's Solomon R. Guggneheim Museum and his Fallingwater, now one of the world's most famous and visited residences. The Lego Architectural line is a fresh and clever take on a much loved old toy , and a great gift for the young (or not so young) architects in your life. Or you might just want to keep it for yourself.
Warhol, Chagall, de Kooning, Gauguin, Matisse, Rembrandt, Renoir — what a bunch of big fat fakes. You'll need to look a little closer at the latest exhibition in New York City's Center Gallery, because every last work is 100% sham. Until this August, the FBI had these frauds locked away, never to see the light of day again. In a rare moment of public awesomeness from the Feds, Fordham University's Center Gallery plays host to a collection of seized forgeries from the evidence stores of the FBI Art Crimes department. From a Warhol Brillo Box to De Kooning's seminal work Woman, I, each work in the aptly named Caveat Emptor (let the buyer beware) exhibition has been certified by the FBI as a genuine forgery. Many have been classified and reclassified over the years, with the FBI fine-tuning their art crime detection techniques and nailing some big-time fraudsters. Art forgery has been around for thousands of years, from ancient Roman copies of Greek marbles to Michelangelo allegedly “borrowing” master works, copying them and returning the imitations to their owners (so Vasari says). Forgeries still plague the FBI today; this exhibition is running at a rather testy time for New York's art world, with the recent accusations against an NYC art dealer who allegedly scammed two big-time Manhattan galleries out of up to US$33 million with counterfeit Rothkos, Pollocks and De Koonings. So how do you tell a genuine fake? Luckily for this forgery noob, an NYC conservator casually inhabiting the gallery noted the tell-tale subtleties in the works, tiny details you really have to be looking for to notice. Warhol's 1972 Mao for instance, can be dethroned by the painted staples (Warhol mass-produced his works, stapling the dried canvases afterward). Boom! Fake. The forged Matisse work sports an identical style to the French master; however, the lifeless colour palette may have pricked the suspicion of the buyers. Voila! Faux. So, not dissimilar to RSVPing to a tacky nightclub launch, why would you knowingly head along to a room full of fakes? Caveat Emptor inevitably makes you question the value of a 'real' work of art, as the works on the walls are technically not works at all; they're all evidence in art crime, as damning as a fingerprint-mottled pistol or balaclava left at the bank. It's a staggering thought that an unknown artist could have the gumption to recreate Rembrandt or photocopy Gauguin. With a few minuscule muck-ups, the works are almost carbon copies of the original masterpieces. It's hard to tell whether the exhibition is a celebration of the brilliance of the FBI, the works sitting like mounted trophies, or the genuine skill of the 'artists' themselves. The works are even faux-signed by the forgers, with as much attention paid to a spot-on signature as the work itself. For legal reasons, we can't meet all the makers of these bonafide recreations. Unfortunately, that's often classified. One of the greatest art forger's in history, Ken Perenyi, wrote his own salacious story in a book not so coincidentally called Caveat Emptor: The Secret Life of an American Art Forger. Luckily enough, one of Perenyi's favourite masters to copy was English maritime painter James E. Buttersworth, a fraudulent copy of whose is included in the exhibition. Though the novelty of sort-of-seeing Warhol's Mao next to a tiny Renoir study is undeniably fun, there's something about the hand of the master artist that's missing. That being said, these phonies sure can paint. Images by Shannon Connellan.
If there's ever a time not to throw away your shot, it's this: getting the chance to be in the room where Lin-Manuel Miranda chats about Hamilton live in Australia in March. The smash-hit musical's creator is heading Down Under for the first time since the show started its Australian run, to see the Aussie version which kicked off in Sydney, then hit Melbourne and is now playing Brisbane. Even better: he's doing a live public Q&A session to share some insights about the theatre production that everyone has been talking about for almost a decade now. While the news that Miranda would hit Brisbane for an in-person Hamilton fan event was revealed last week, further details have now dropped. The Tony-, Grammy-, Emmy-, Olivier- and Pulitzer Prize-winner will take to the QPAC Lyric Theatre stage on Sunday, March 5 to discuss all things Hamilton in an interview with Leigh Sales. Also joining them: actor Jason Arrow, who plays Alexander Hamilton in the Australian production. [caption id="attachment_795466" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] Attendees can expect to hear about everything from Miranda's decision to make the show to begin with through to how the lyrics for Hamilton's famous tunes came about — and about the music theatre easter eggs peppered throughout the piece as well. Folks eager to get the Hamilton scoop from the man himself will need to hope they have luck on their side, however, given that the only way to attend is to win free tickets. Entries open at 10am AEST today, Monday, February 20, via the QPAC website, closing at 10am on Wednesday, February 22 — which is when winners will be drawn, then notified by email. Miranda's Brisbane Q&A is an Australian exclusive, so Hamilton obsessives elsewhere in the country will need to make plans to hit up the Sunshine State if they score tickets. [caption id="attachment_773737" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hamilton filmed version courtesy Disney+.[/caption] "I have been waiting such a long time to come to Australia and I can't wait to be with the company down under in-person for the first time," said Miranda when his visit was first announced. "I have heard such great things from friends and fans in Australia, it is going to be fantastic to be able to meet them and watch them perform." The biggest show in musical theatre this century, this game-changing, award-winning, rightly raved-about take on 18th-century American politics is about the life of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, as well as inclusion and politics in current-day America. In addition to its swag of Tony Awards — 11 in fact, which includes Best Musical — it has nabbed a Grammy Award and even a Pulitzer Prize. And, Miranda wrote the music, lyrics and the book for the critically acclaimed hip hop musical. [caption id="attachment_774805" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hamilton filmed version courtesy Disney+.[/caption] The Broadway hit's Aussie production features a cast that currently includes Jason Arrow as Alexander Hamilton, Martha Berhane as Eliza Hamilton, Callan Purcell as Aaron Burr, Akina Edmonds as Angelica Schuyler, Matu Ngaropo as George Washington, and Victory Ndukwe as Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson. Sami Afuni plays Hercules Mulligan and James Madison, Wern Mak does double duty as John Laurens and Philip Hamilton, Elandrah Eramiha plays Peggy Schuyler and Maria Reynolds, and Brent Hill steps into King George III's robes. When it finishes its Brisbane season at QPAC's Lyric Theatre on Sunday, April 23, the show will leave the country for a New Zealand run. That'll mean that fans will then need to be content with watching the filmed version of Hamilton's Broadway production, which started streaming via Disney+ in 2020, again. (And yes, it's as phenomenal as you've heard). Brisbanites keen to see Hamilton for cheap in-person can also try the $10 ticket lottery, which offers tickets for less than the cost of lunch. [caption id="attachment_846530" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Daniel Boud[/caption] Lin-Manuel Miranda will chat with Leigh Sales and Jason Arrow at QPAC's Lyric Theatre, South Bank, Brisbane on Sunday, March 5. To enter to win free tickets to attend, head to the QPAC website between 10am AEST on Monday, February 20–10am on Wednesday, February 22. Hamilton's Brisbane season runs until Sunday, April 23 at QPAC's Lyric Theatre, South Bank, with tickets available via the musical's website. Top image: Hamilton filmed version courtesy Disney+.
With international borders reopening, it's time to start dreaming of your next overseas getaway. If you're looking for some next-level inspiration for a place to stay, Airbnb's Instagram has it in spades. Showcasing some of the most picturesque stays you can book through the platform, Airbnb's Instagram feed is full of awe-inspiring accommodation that'll see you checking out flights to the other side of the globe. If you don't have time to scroll through the account's thousands of posts, Airbnb has put together a list of the most liked images from its Instagram from 2021. Coming in at number one is a blissful wooden A-frame cabin smack-bang in the middle of the Zion National Park in Utah. The US accommodation boasts stunning views of the Zion Mountains, however it seems to be booked out for the foreseeable future. Plenty of other homes on the list have dates open if you're looking to head overseas for a trip that'll make all your friends envious. Coming in as the second most-liked post of last year, the Raven Rock Treehouse is perched high up on a 40-acre wilderness preserve in Fletcher, North Carolina. The idyllic treehouse stay is also reasonably priced, with one night setting you back $179. Further south in Mexico you'll find the Villa Amalfi. This five-bedroom spot can house up to ten people for a luxurious trip to Tulum. For $986 a night, you can enjoy this villa's unique outdoor pool, solar-powered in-room jacuzzi, garden swing and gourmet kitchen. And, over in Serbia you'll find the Mariner Boathouse, a floating home docked at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers in the country's capital Belgrade. You can check out the full list over at Airbnb's website, and if you're not ready to book a trip out of Australia just yet, Airbnb has plenty of places to stay in Australia's backyard. If you're looking for the most beautiful and interesting homes you can rent in Australia, browse through our bucket list of hundreds of lush getaways, from secluded cabins oozing with romance to enchanting stays scattered around Tasmania. [caption id="attachment_840722" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mariner Boathouse[/caption] All images courtesy of Airbnb. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
This Saturday, October 29, what will you be doing? If the answer isn't celebrating Mexico's Day of the Dead holiday, then you might have to re-evaluate your plans, as Espolón Tequila is holding not one, but two parties on the last Saturday of October. The traditional Day of the Dead holiday actually runs over two separate days on November 1 and 2, when it's believed that the souls of those who have passed to the underworld can come back to visit. Families in Mexico and Latin America (and around the world) come together to welcome their loved ones back with their favourite food, drinks, candles, flowers and incense and celebrate the meaningful holiday together. The two Espolón Tequila celebrations will run at the same time on Saturday night — at the Manly Wharf Hotel and Taylor's Rooftop in the CBD. The former kicks off at 8pm with a complimentary Espolón margarita on arrival; after that, they're $10 all night. Taylor's will be mixing up margaritas as well — a whole menu of them, in fact. Espolón tequila is handcrafted and distilled by artisans in the Los Altos region of Mexico, which makes it the perfect drink to celebrate the Day of the Dead with. Both events are free to attend, and there will be face painters on hand to help you out with an authentic costume.
When it comes to kicking back and relaxing, some people swear by a nice warm bath. Others prefer tapping their toes to their favourite tunes, having a boozy beverage or just switching off from their always-vibrating phone. And, for another group, there's nothing that induces bliss better than listening to the one and only Keanu Reeves. Actually, that last category should really apply to everyone. If you're someone who finds the actor behind John Wick, Neo, Johnny Utah and Ted "Theodore" Logan particularly soothing, then you'll want to make a date with A World of Calm. Announced earlier this year, made by HBO and now heading to Australia via SBS over the Christmas break, it's giving the world exactly what we want: Keanu's voice reading a narrative that has been scientifically-engineered to induce a feeling of tranquility, as paired with music and footage that's also designed to do the same. Ideally he'll say "whoa!" more than once. In HBO's first leap into health and wellness-style content, the ten-episode series is based on the popular Calm sleep, meditation and relaxation app, with the US TV network pairing up with the folks behind the latter. The two companies have really just found a way to bring Calm's Sleep Stories to the screen — which have been called "bedtime stories for grown ups", have notched up more than 250 million listens, and are all about calming and soothing listeners. Keanu only does the honours on one of A World of Calm's half-hour episodes, which is about a master woodworker carving a canoe. That said, the rest of the series definitely doesn't slouch in the star-power stakes. Joining him is a cast that'd do any movie proud, spanning not only Idris Elba, Oscar Isaac, Nicole Kidman, Zoë Kravitz, Kate Winslet, Lucy Liu, Cillian Murphy and Priyanka Chopra, but also two-time Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali. Kidman kicks off the series via an episode about bird migration, Chopra narrates an instalment about chocolate in Central America, and Winslet takes viewers into the world of horses. Also on offer: Isaac narrating an episode about making noodles, Murphy focusing on snow, Ali waxing lyrical about water, Kravitz focusing on glassmaking, Liu exploring coral and Elba heading into space. As for what you'll be looking at while your ears soak in the dulcet tones of all of the above A-list stars — who are basically guiding you through a televised relaxation session — HBO advises that the series serves up "mesmeric imagery". Created with Nutopia, the folks behind National Geographic's One Strange Rock and Disney+'s The World According to Jeff Goldblum, that includes visuals from the company's global network of cinematographers and filmmakers. Intrigued? Need to destress after 2020's challenges? Eager for whatever new slow TV event SBS serves up, after previously delivering extended train documentaries and tours of the Cadbury chocolate factory? The Australian network is dropping new episodes of A World of Calm daily from Friday, December 25–Sunday, January 3, airing at 7.30pm — and you'll find them on SBS On Demand afterwards. Check out the trailer below: A World of Calm airs on SBS daily at 7.30pm from Friday, December 25–Sunday, January 3, with each episode hitting SBS On Demand afterwards. Images: HBO Max.
Victorians are preparing to say goodbye to plastic bags as the State Government today confirmed it will impose a statewide ban from late 2019. The Department of Land, Water and Planning has announced that all bags less than 35 microns thick will be banned — that includes degradable, biodegradable and compostable options. Regular black bin bags, animal waste bags and those little bags you put your fruit and veggies in at the supermarket won't fall under the ban. After conducting a public consultation late last year, the Victorian Government received an "enormous amount of feedback" in favour of delivering the ban. "The Government will continue to work closely with Victorian communities and businesses to design the ban — to ensure it works for all Victorians and our environment," said Environment Minister Lily D'Ambrosio. Premier Daniel Andrews announced the ban on The Project back in October last year in response to a #BanTheBag Change.org petition run by the nightly Ten current affairs program. The move brings the state into line with South Australia, the ACT, the Northern Territory, Tasmania and Queensland, who announced it will next year ditch lightweight single-use plastic bags in September 2017. NSW is now the only state that hasn't committed to banning single-use bags. Woolworths has stopped stocking plastic bags at the checkout, and Coles will do the same from this weekend. Instead, the supermarkets will provide thicker, more durable options that won't be included in this ban — but, even though they're meant to be more reusable, it's hard to say if people will use them any differently to the way they use single-use bags now.
Prepare to see some very fashionable pups strolling the streets of Australia, because instantly recognisable fashion label Gorman has launched its latest line of limited edition dog coats. What's more — as part of a second collaboration with Guide Dogs Australia — those new threads will have their wearers looking good for a very good cause. All profits will go towards providing extra support and boost awareness for the life-changing organisation. The quilted dog jackets are available in three different exclusive Gorman prints — named Emoji, River of Love, and Camo — and four sizes, ensuring pups big and small can look the goods. Each features a polyester shell, cotton lining and adjustable velcro straps for the perfect fit. And in excellent news for humans who want a piece of the action, the line also includes matching water-resistant raincoats for the lesser species. Just imagine how many looks you and your fluffball will get down at the dog park. Gorman's latest Guide Dogs Australia range is available online and at Gorman stores nationwide. Prices start at $39. Image: @spencerthechow and @frankiethelilsausage via Instagram.
They say change is as good as a holiday, and a holiday with some leftover change? Sign us up. The little-known island of Bali is the perfect destination that feels worlds away without having to travel around the world. Flights are cheap, the people are a delight, the food is exceptional, and the beaches are breathtaking. It's no wonder it's an Aussie traveller's favourite. From lush tropical rainforests to terraced rice paddies to multiple surfers' paradises — sometimes even just a couple of nights away is all you need. To help you lock away a quick (or longer) getaway, our editorial team has curated some top travel packages for four distinct Bali locations. Find your preferred option and book it through Concrete Playground Trips now. EXTREME RELAXATION IN NUSA DUA For laidback luxury in between extreme watersports adventures, Sadara Resort on the gorgeous beachfront of Tanjung Benoa has your name on it. Tanjung Benoa is Bali's number one water sports playground, with activities from jet skiing to parasailing, banana boat rides and sea-walking adventures. But fear not, if your holiday is for relaxing and relaxing only, then our Nusa Dua travel deal has everything you need. Sink into your included one-hour Balinese massage before or after you sink into the ocean-facing pool, where you can sink cocktails at the swim-up bar. You'll also enjoy the inclusion of daily breakfast and afternoon tea plus a set menu lunch or dinner. LEGENDARY VIBES AT LEGIAN BEACHFRONT In among the action of iconic Kuta, enjoy a beachside break at AlamKulKul Boutique Resort. This is a prime location for exploring Kuta's beaches along the boardwalk and checking out character-filled laneways before heading back to watch a sunset and sip a Bintang on the beach. Check out our resort package, where you can enjoy true Balinese interiors and architecture, a thriving tropical garden and the on-site spa in between ocean adventures. Your daily breakfast at the restaurant will be an ideal start to the day before you make the most of everything the resort and surroundings have to offer. A GREAT RATE VILLA ESCAPE IN SEMINYAK Let's face it: we all want to be the people who have a Balinese villa and floating breakfast for ourselves — and with this deal, it can be you. The Bali Dream Villa is the ideal location for a getaway, with speedy access from the airport that gets you right into the buzz of Seminyak and its plethora of award-winning restaurants. Inclusions abound with return airport transfers, welcome drinks and daily breakfast and afternoon tea for two. It has everything you need for a private vacay away, with your own pool and kitchenette facilities to make yourself feel truly at home. LUXURY VILLA STAY IN ULUWATU Escape everyday life at beautiful Prasana by Arjani Resort – an all-villa resort perfectly positioned in Bali's beautiful southernmost tip, Uluwatu. This stop is a tad pricier, but it is worth it for what you get included in our exclusive travel package. Whether surfing or spa trips are more your speed, you'll have ample opportunities for both. Explore the famous beach club-lined Melasti Beach or surfer favourite, Padang-Padang, or stay in and enjoy the ocean view from your private villa, take a dip in your private pool or get a relaxing treatment at the Menaka Spa. It's a getaway for all to enjoy the best of Bali, and sometimes, that's just the thing you need to refresh, reset and recharge. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips to destinations all over the world.
UK department store Debenhams set up five virtual pop-up stores last month, whereby shoppers could try on dresses without even removing their clothes. The company set up five of these 'stores' around English tourist attractions. Users download an app, then use their smartphone camera to impose garments on photos of their friends. The images can then be shared via social media sites, and users can enter a code for a handy 20% discount from the online store. What resulted was a chance for users to shop in an innovative manner, and see some hypothetical images of themselves in new clothes at historical sites. This is a great example of social media and technology changing the way in which companies are communicating with consumers.
Good news for dumpling lovers: New Shanghai is hosting its first ever Wine and Dumpling Dinner at Chatswood Chase this week. We're talking a feast of delicious dumplings, including New Shanghai's genre-busting soupy and crispy Pan Fried Pork Buns. The event also marks the launch of a new wine list, meaning hand-picked selections served up to match each and every dish. Tempting, yes? It all happens this Tuesday 27th and Wednesday 28th. The six course dinner plus wines is a mere $59 per head. If the usual popularity of Shanghai is anything to go by, we'd be booking fast to secure a table. Not even joining the long line outside the door will get you in on these nights otherwise.
Mother nature wants us to stop using plastic bags. They aren't good for the environment, particularly when disposed of incorrectly and become fatal turtle food due to their uncanny jellyfish-like appearance in the ocean. Consequently, she has teamed up with Mother Nature, a fellow attendee of her weekly mother's club, to create a brand-new range of uncarriable carrier bags that will tempt us into changing our plastic bag usage and recycling habits. Building on their first series of uncarriable carrier bags in 2005 that featured bags emblazoned with 'sperm clinic drop in centre' and 'Phil Collins unofficial fan club', the creative company has released four new yellow bags with overlaid x-ray machine like designs that suggest you are carrying items that you would not want your closest friends to uncover, let alone the wider general public. The designs include drug paraphernalia, sex toys and weapons and beg the question of how desperate your plastic bag need is if you are willing to be seen carrying these items. Showing that reverse psychology works a treat though, they may prove to be on everyone's want list as they are so covetable and novelty. But even then, that should slow plastic bag consumption, as these can carry all of your shopping and other plastic bag needs. Just don't take them on a plane, except maybe the sex toys one; that one probably won't get you stopped, just stared at a lot. Via It's Nice That
This is not a travel guide. This is a local's map of Sydney. These are the five places where Sydney Underground Film Festival co-director Katherine Berger goes to recaffeinate, play, rummage, work and party. SUFF is on Thursday to Sunday this week. Since 2007, the festival has been dedicated to fostering a truly alternative and experimental film culture in Sydney. In the past, it has premiered Oliver Stone's South of the Border, revisited cult classics like Red, White and Blue, and given a platform to emerging filmmakers working out on a limb. Check out our preview or buy tickets online. And keep an eye out for Katherine's upcoming lo-fi mockumentary Zombie Massacre III. 1.BEST URBAN PARKLAND: SUFF OFFICE/CALLAN PARK, ROZELLE SUFF finally moved from working out of a lounge room into a nice big office at Sydney College of the Arts (a wonderful form of sponsorship!). It's complete with retro bar bought on eBay for $30! I also love that that the college sits within Callan Park, Rozelle; where there are so many interesting nooks and crannies to discover – hidden gardens, a bamboo forest, water views, decrepit old buildings and even an informal cat sanctuary! 2. BEST NEPALESE FOOD: EVEREST KITCHEN, MARRICKVILLE Just off Marrickville Road on Victoria Road is Everest Kitchen, one of my favourite restaurants. I love the food here and always kick off with the vego traditional entree set. I could eat the soy bean salad and dumplings with beaten rice all day! 3.BEST OP-SHOPPING ADVENTURES: ANGLICARE, SUMMER HILL My Saturday morning ritual is first coffee then getting to the Anglicare Charity Store Depot on Carlton Crescent in Summer Hill by 9am. It's hilarious watching the eager shoppers inch forward and then basically run when they open the doors! Here you can buy second-hand clothes by the kilo ($8) and all shoes are $5. I strongly believe in op-shopping and rarely ever buy new clothes (could be my lack of budget also!) but I do believe we are a culture of over-consumption. Mind you, I probably over-consume in vintage shopping! 4.BEST COFFEE IN THE VILLAGE:THE DRUGSTORE, SUMMER HILL I live in Summer Hill, which I think is a great little suburb or village as it’s referred to. However, what blows my mind that in an area of basically two streets there is now ten cafes! I just imagine what if one day there was no more coffee beans? But I have to say the latest café to open, The Drugstore, is pretty cool. It's decked out all retro with neon lights, quality coffe and top-notch baristas. (PS. Plus it's right next door to Vinnies!) 5.BEST LOCAL VENUE:THE FACTORY THEATRE, MARRICKVILLE The Factory Theatre has been home of the Sydney Underground Film Festival since its inception 6 years ago. This venue suits the festival for its location in a somewhat of an industrial area (it used to be a printing factory), plus they have always allowed us to show some weird, messed up, crazy, and sometime quite risqué films - so they are pretty cool in our book.
Whether you studied it in high school or just obsessed over Baz Luhrmann's glorious 90s movie, everyone knows how Romeo and Juliet ends — and it doesn't conclude happily for either of its eponymous star-crossed lovers. But what if it didn't wrap up that way? What if Juliet lived to love again? And what if her experiences from there, after thwarting theatre's greatest tragedy, involved a whole heap of pop tunes from the last couple of decades? There's no need to ponder how all of that might turn out because the answer already exists, all thanks to Olivier Award-winning jukebox musical & Juliet. A hit in London's West End since 2019, it remixes the iconic love story in multiple ways — tinkering with its narrative and throwing in all that toe-tapping music. Even better: in only its second stop outside of the UK, following Toronto, & Juliet has locked in a trip to Australia. Come February 2023, with exact dates to still be confirmed, it'll hit Melbourne's Regent Theatre. Whether it'll then head to other Aussie cities — as most big productions tend to do after their premiere seasons — is also yet to be announced. If you're now thinking "wherefore art thou?" about & Juliet's setup, it picks up after the ending we all know doesn't eventuate. And, it muses on what might happen if Juliet could choose her own fate instead. That scenario involves Anne Hathaway — no, not that one — and her husband William Shakespeare, and features songs by Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Robyn, Katy Perry, The Weeknd, Kelly Clarkson and more. Tunes that get a spin: 'Larger Than Life', 'I Want It That Way', '... Baby One More Time', 'Show Me Love', 'Oops!... I Did It Again', 'As Long As You Love Me', 'Stronger', 'I Kissed a Girl', 'Since You Been Gone', 'It's My Life', 'It's Gonna Be Me' and a whole heap more. The common factor between them all is Swedish songwriter Max Martin, who penned or co-penned every track on the musical's soundtrack. As well as Martin's involvement — including as one of & Juliet's co-creators — the musical features a book by the Emmy-winning Schitt's Creek writer David West Read. And if you're wondering about the show's shiny Olivier Awards, it was nominated for nine for its West End debut season, and nabbed three: for Best Actress in a Musical, Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical and Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical. An Australian trailer hasn't dropped for & Juliet yet, but here's a clip from its London run: & Juliet will make its Australian premiere at Melbourne's Regent Theatre from February 2023. For more information or to sign up for the ticket waitlist — before tickets go on sale in October — head to the musical's website. Images: Johan Persson.
"We're in a war. You wanna fight?" If you've watched 2016's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, then season one of Andor — the Disney+ prequel series to the big-screen spy thriller — then hearing those words uttered by Diego Luna (La Máquina) won't come as a surprise. Viewers know where this tale is headed, but watching the best small-screen addition to a galaxy far, far away lead us there has already proven gripping TV once. The show's namesake makes the above statements in the just-dropped first teaser trailer for Andor's long-awaited second season — and more rebellion and fighting for revolution awaits. Almost three years have passed since the Mouse House's streaming platform stepped into this story — three years that've been filled with Ahsoka, the sadly short-lived The Acolyte and Skeleton Crew. When it returns in April 2025, Andor will be just the second of Disney+'s live-action Star Wars shows to extend beyond a single season (the other: The Mandalorian), although Ahsoka is also locked in for more episodes. If you missed it the first time around, Andor takes a favourite big-screen character and steps back into their story before the events that viewers have already seen — so, like Obi-Wan Kenobi. As its title makes plain, the show focuses on its namesake, Cassian Andor, with Luna reprising his Rogue One role. Star Wars fans have already seen him as a Rebel captain and intelligence agent, and also watched how his story wraps up, hence the show's need to jump backwards. The focus: following Andor as he discovers how he can play a part in battling the Empire. Indeed, charting the rebellion, and how people and planets joined in, is the series' whole remit. In season two, as the end we all know is coming gets closer, expect higher stakes — and also Ben Mendelsohn (The New Look) as his Rogue One character Orson Krennic, plus Alan Tudyk (Grimsburg) as K-2SO. The first season of Andor saw filmmaker Tony Gilroy (The Bourne Legacy) — who co-wrote the screenplay for Rogue One — rejoin the Star Wars franchise as the series' creator and showrunner. He's back for season two. On-screen, so are Stellan Skarsgård (Dune: Part Two), Genevieve O'Reilly (Tin Star), Denise Gough (Who Is Erin Carter?), Kyle Soller (Bodies), Adria Arjona (Blink Twice), Faye Marsay (Ten Pound Poms) and Forest Whitaker (Emperor of Ocean Park) . Release-wise, the 12-episode season — which is not just Andor's second, but its final season — is being unveiled in four chapters comprising of three episodes a piece. A new chapter will hit your streaming queue each week from Wednesday, April 23 Down Under. Check out the first trailer for Andor season two below: Andor season two streams via Disney+ from Wednesday, April 23, 2025 Down Under. Read our review of season one. Images:©2024 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.
Sydney is finally stepping up its technology game, announcing it's looking to roll out free public Wi-Fi access in key areas across the inner city. The plans are part of the City of Sydney's draft digital strategy, as it aims to boost Sydney's digital future, promote it as a 'smart' city and meet technological expectations. The City of Sydney includes the CBD, Darlinghurst and Surry Hills, Pyrmont and Annandale right down to Erskineville and Rosebery. "The digital strategy commits the City to investigating the rollout of a free and accessible WiFi network," a City of Sydney spokesperson told us. "The City of Sydney is currently preparing an expression of interest for the rollout of free public Wi-Fi across our local area that will be released to the market in the coming months." While free Wi-Fi is available at libraries and community centres across the city, a larger-scale public network for the CBD has been flagged as a must — especially as the Inner West, Waverley and Parramatta councils are among those who have already implemented free access. Melbourne rolled out free Wi-Fi last year and Perth has had citywide access since 2013. As the CoS's strategy states, the infrastructure will ensure visitors and people on low incomes have online access and improve people's general experience of the city, making it safer and easier to get around and "help Sydney to market itself as a networked community and leading global city". The CoS will release an expression of interest for implementation soon in the hope that the Wi-Fi system will be rolled out this year.
Summer is easily the best season of them all: sun-filled days, balmy nights, hanging outdoors, going to festivals and relaxing by a body of water — it's all so good. Now, if you're feeling a little down about the sun-soaked season having just said goodbye, hold the tears; Pimm's has decided to keep those summertime vibes alive for just a little bit longer. Pimm's is keeping the dream alive at Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel with $22 jugs and $10 single serves until the end of April — meaning we've just scored two extra months of summer. And to celebrate this summer extension, we're giving away a Pimm's long lunch for four. Should you be the lucky winner, you and your mates will get $300 worth of food to sink your teeth into and $100 of Pimm's to wash it all down with. Think beach bites from the likes of soft shell crab sliders, tuna crostini, applewood smoked chicken and chilli prawn linguine. And of course, a big ol' bucket of the Australian tiger prawns with cocktail sauce. To go in the running, enter your details below. [competition]710979[/competition]
As authorities and aid organisations scramble to provide relief to the more than eight million people affected by the Nepalese earthquake, two good-hearted Sydney pubs have announced they’ll donate a portion of their Friday and Saturday takings to Oxfam. On Friday, May 1, Keg & Brew in Surry Hills will set aside all the proceeds from one keg of Murray’s Angry Man and one keg of Stone & Wood Pacific Ale. Then on Saturday, parent venue Dove & Olive will follow suit, contributing the money made from kegs of Holgate and Young Henrys. Both venues will have visiting brewers on hand, like Simon ‘Wombat’ Kraegan from Young Henrys, to chat to punters about what they’re drinking — and presumably try and spruik sales for a damn good cause. The fundraiser is inspired by head chefs Devendra Sherchan at Keg & Brew and Nirajan Khadji at Dove & Olive, both of whom are originally from Nepal. In additional to the beer, they’ll also be serving one-off Nepalese dishes starting early next week, with that money going directly to Oxfam as well. So, if you’re looking to have a few beers this weekend, consider heading up to Surry Hills. You’ll never feel less guilty about drinking more than you should. For more information about Keg & Brew and Dove & Olive, visit their websites here and here. To donate directly to Oxfam’s Nepalese Earthquake Appeal, head to www.oxfam.org.au.
First, the bad news: if you don't already have a ticket to Laneway Festival 2025 in Sydney to see Charli XCX, Djo, Beabadoobee, Clairo, Barry Can't Swim, Remi Wolf and more, they've completely soldout. Now, some good news: in the Harbour City, Laneway is throwing an official afterparty. The small club show features RONA., Fcukers doing a DJ set and more — and it's your next chance to get in on the Laneway action. The date for the shindig is obviously the same as the Laneway date. Accordingly, you'll be heading to Oxford Art Factory on Sunday, February 9. Sydney's gig also features DJ Ivan Berko, Loosie Grind and BEMAN. Tickets are limited — so, like all things Laneway, getting in fast is recommended. As for the festival itself, if you've been lucky enough to nab tix, its lineup also features BICEP doing their CHROMA AV DJ set, Olivia Dean, Eyedress, Skegss, Hamdi, Joey Valence & Brae, 2hollis, Ninajirachi, Julie, Girl and Girl, and more. [caption id="attachment_793715" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Andre & Dominqiue via Destination NSW[/caption]
