So I have a confession to make. I was just a tad cynical when I was asked to firstly preview, and then review the MCA's new ARTBAR. I know what you are thinking. How could anyone possibly poo poo a party? Or how about art + booze + Friday night + balcony overlooking Sydney Harbour on Vivid Opening night? Yeah. Well. It is quite a talent. Here's the thing. I went to art school. I ran an artist run initiative for a couple of years. I knew people. I loved it. And then it all came to quite a dramatic halt. I left Locksmith Project Space. I left my commercial art gallery day job. Locksmith folded. I stopped making art. And I stopped going to openings for 18 months. In a nutshell, I divorced art. And I had a heavy break-up with all that is the emerging art scene in Sydney. And I was quite happy with that. Sometimes it happens. We change direction. And then I realised that the only thing I was still doing - remotely related - was write about art. But I wasn't really writing, so much as berating. I was writing about hating art. And at the heart of it - it wasn't really art's fault. So now I say, 'Art. It wasn't you. It was me.' But all this I only really realised on say, Saturday. So let's go back to Friday night. I meet my non-art friend at the train station. We trudge into Circular Quay. We wander about soaking up the Vivid antics, we settle into a pub in The Rocks. We grab a bite to eat and catch up on the week's events. Then, eventually, with nods of 'we should go' we sidle up to the entrance of the MCA. Before we even enter I run into a girl I used to go to uni with. And she excitedly tells me that there are heaps of kids from SCA upstairs. Oooo, can't wait. She is right. I look around at the balcony of Christmas past. Everywhere lurks an artist from my previous life. Luckily I brought my #1 +1 so we set to work saying hellos and answering questions along the lines of where-you-been? And you know what? Time flew. Before we knew it the beer had run dry and we were handing over $24 in gold coins for two glasses of the last red on the shelf. We never made it into the galleries, and we didn't see any of the performances. But it kinda didn't matter. I rekindled a love, I made peace with my past. I ran into old friends who might not notice you missing but when you are in front of their faces you feel like the only person in the world. And I remember the reason for openings for artists. Just for the talk. For the 'Oh, I did this and maybe you would be interested in this' and 'What are you thinking about at the moment?' The thing is ARTBAR is not a place for artists but amazingly enough the only people left after 8.30pm were artists. And they stayed. They caught up. They drank expensive plonk and huddled around the heaters on the deck.
Spectacular spectacular news: we've just found the best excuse you'll ever have to head to Paris, other than, well, just generally heading to Paris. Making movie-lovers' dreams come true, and just fans of the French capital's as well, Airbnb has listed quite the iconic spot. When it comes to the Moulin Rouge's famous windmill, no other word comes close to describing it. You've seen it lighting up the big screen in Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge!, spotted it as part of Moulin Rouge! The Musical's sets and, if you've been to Paris before, maybe even tangoed past it. Now, you can slumber in a secret room within the red-hued site. Yes, you'll be peeking behind the velvet curtains of the famed location — and walking through them. The space inside the windmill has never before been opened to the public, let alone been made available to book via Airbnb — and yes, it's decked out to look the part. The interior has been turned into a Belle Époque-inspired boudoir, so you really will feel like you've danced back to late 19th-century France or into a film (or both). To get the details exactly right, Airbnb worked with French historian Jean-Claude Yon on the renovations, with authenticity obviously a big driving factor. The results: that opulent boudoir, which comes filled with art nouveau features and a miniature paper stage; a dressing area filled with vintage costumes, perfumes and letters from admirers; and a private rooftop terrace with an ornate pagoda and garden furniture that would've been around at the time. Come what may, indeed. That's all stunning as it is — and the fact that you'll get backstage access to the theatre, a traditional three-course French meal and the best seats in the house for the Moulin Rouge's acclaimed show Féerie as well as an overnight stay makes it even better. So does the fact that your host for the booking is Claudine Van Den Bergh, lead dancer of Féerie. Then there's the cost, with all of the above only setting you back AU$1.49 / NZ$1.63 (or €1) for the evening. Yes, that price is correct. If you've tried to sleep in the Bluey house in Brisbane, or Dracula's castle in Transylvania — or shark tanks, van Gogh's bedroom and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' secret lair — then you'll know that getting into Airbnbs like this is more about entering to score a shot than booking, though. In this case, the Moulin Rouge windmill will only be hosting three individual one-night stays for two guests each on June 13, 20 and 27 To get your chance, you'll need to head to the windmill's Airbnb listing when reservations open — at 3am AEST on Wednesday, May 18. If you score a stay, that AU$1.49 / NZ$1.63 doesn't cover getting you to Paris, unsurprisingly. Accordingly, your bank account will still get a workout. And, if you've always wondered about the windmill's history — well, since seeing Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor fall in love on-screen near it — it was first constructed in 1889, to nod to the site's rural origins. Then, after a fire, it was reconstructed three decades later. For more information about the Moulin Rouge windmill listing on Airbnb, or to apply to book at 3am AEST on Wednesday, May 18, head to the Airbnb 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. Images: Daniel Alexander Harris.
It's here. Oh God, oh God, it's finally here. After more than a year of bickering, speculation and a seemingly never-ending parade of scandals, in the next four to six hours we'll probably know the name of the next American President. Just about every new organisation on the planet will be covering the race. Below, we've put together a list of the best places to tune in to the finale of the most exhausting reality show in the history of modern democracy. GOOGLE This year, Google launched their new election tool that presents election results in real time. Just pop in "US election" into search. YOUTUBE Hop on to YouTube for live streams from NBC News, Bloomberg, PBS, MTV News, Telemundo and The Young Turks. Complex News is also streaming an election-night special at YouTube Space NY. TWITTER BuzzFeed News has teamed up with Twitter for an exclusive election live stream, available via election.twitter.com, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Xbox One. FACEBOOK LIVE A few US news outlets will be using Facebook Live to stream election results, commentary and analysis. Check out PBS NewsHour, AJ+, The Washington Post and The New York Times. Alternatively, Huffington Post are streaming a Donald Trump candle melting in real time. So, y'know, there's that. OTHER GO-TO NEWS PLATFORMS The Guardian has the most adorable and comprehensive map and tracker we've seen. Huffington Post and Fox News will be streaming through Verizon's go90streaming service. US news sites like CNN (also fronting a killer interactive electoral college map) and MSNBC will be streaming from their own websites, and Fox will be streaming from their Fox News Go app. BLOGS You definitely want to keep your eyes on Nate Silver's FiveThirtyEight, along with The New Yorker and Politco. Oh, and The Onion, because laughing is better than crying. CLOSER TO HOME The ABC is operating an up-to-the-minute live blog, as is SBS and SMH. You can also stream ABC News 24, and yes, Antony Green will be on hand to break down all the numbers. VIRTUAL REALITY Yes, that's right, virtual reality. Because why wouldn't you want to get ever closer to Donald Trump. AltspaceVR have teamed up with NBC News to present VR coverage throughout the night. By Tom Clift and Shannon Connellan. Top image: The Guardian.
American choreographer Meg Stuart will bring her show An Evening of Solo Works to Carriageworks for two performances only this March 19 and 20. As founder of Brussels dance company Damaged Goods, Stuart has created over 30 works in her career that cover a number of mediums — this has seen her collaborate with visual artists and musicians and dabbling in theatre as well as dance. She received the Gold Lion for Lifetime Achievement from La Biennale di Venezia this year. This work showcases the oeuvre of the choreographer, and will have its Australian premiere in Sydney, where it will headline the public program for this year's Keir Choreographic Award. Stuart says her work "navigates the tension between dance and theatre, thought and action, remembering and forgetting". Through the evening, she will explore everyday movements and emotional states through one of her main tools: improvisation. An Evening of Solo Works will incorporate both performance from her own body of work as well as excerpts from full-length pieces Stuart has performed in the past. It will demonstrate just how the choreographer has developed her own language and creation methods through her work.
Since 2015, gin lovers around the country have tripped over themselves to get their spirit-loving fingers on a bottle of Four Pillars' Bloody Shiraz Gin — and that's before they've even had a sip of alcohol. The limited edition shiraz-infused concoction really is that good. It's one of the most coveted booze releases of each year, in fact. So, we thought you'd like to know that the next batch goes on sale on Tuesday, May 31. If you haven't come across the gin before, it's basically what it says on the label: gin infused with shiraz grapes. This gives the spirit a brilliant deep cerise colour and some sweet undertones (without a higher sugar content). That, along with its higher alcoholic content — 37.8 percent, compared to an average 25 percent in regular sloe gin — makes the Bloody Shiraz Gin a near-perfect specimen. It can be used in cocktails where you'd usually use your regular gin — or you can keep things simple with a G&T. Four Pillars initially created the game-changing gin when it came into a 250-kilogram load of shiraz grapes from the Yarra Valley. Experimenting, the Victorian distillers then steeped the grapes in their high-proof dry gin for eight weeks before pressing the fruit and blending it with the gin, and hoping like hell it would turn out well. It did. 2022's bloody great Bloody Shiraz Gin also comes as a limited-edition option, with Australian photographer and artist Luke Shadbolt helping create an eye-catching bottle. His impressive artwork is printed directly onto the glass, using a copper etching of one of his photographs of the Australian ocean — and is designed to take its cues from Hokusai's The Great Wave. Also bloody excellent: doing more than just selling the cult-favourite drop, Four Pillars has also made Bloody Shiraz Gin chocolate. Using leftover grape skins from crafting the tipple in the spotlight, these fruit and nut chocolate bars have been whipped up by Hunted+Gathered using ground grape skins mixed with cocoa butter and raw sugar, plus cashews and sultanas. If your tastebuds are tempted, it's super-limited, and you can get it in bundles with the Bloody Shiraz Gin. Clearly, it's been a bloody nice time for Four Pillars of late, with the Bloody Shiraz Gin range dropping just weeks after it relaunched its revamped Healesville base. And yes, that's one of the places that you can pick you the new gin and chocolate. The 2022 Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin and Bloody Shiraz Gin chocolate will go on sale around the country on Tuesday, May 31. Bottles cost $85, while bundles with chocolate cost $90. Head to the Four Pillars website to make a purchase — or hit up the Four Pillars Distillery at Healesville, Victoria and the Four Pillars Lab in Surry Hills, Sydney.
It's the most wonderful time of the year, when we can indulge in our favourite treats, have one too many of our favourite tipples and spoil the special people in our lives with the perfect pressies. And you'll find everything you need to have a beautiful Christmas at the many Yuletide markets and festive events popping up all over Sydney this silly season. At these popular holly, jolly happenings, you'll find hand-crafted homewares, gourmet delights, farm-fresh produce and quality stocking fillers, plus live entertainment, delicious street eats and a heart-warming atmosphere perfect for the whole family. Here is our pick of the best Christmas markets and events taking place this year in the Harbour City.
The Melbourne International Jazz Festival knows how to perfect the art of headliners. It also knows how to make the most of a jazz-fuelled spring night under the stars at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Fresh from welcoming Chaka Khan to the openair venue in 2023 for an Australian-exclusive show, as joined by Nile Rodgers & Chic, the Victorian fest has announced fellow icon Herbie Hancock as its big name for 2024. Hancock will help kick off this year's MIJF, which runs from Friday, October 18–Sunday, October 27 and will announce the rest of its lineup in August. The 14-time Grammy-winning legend will play Jazz at the Bowl, making the event's third year particularly memorable. This is the man whose career includes playing in the Miles Davis Quintet in the 60s, winning an Oscar in the 80s for Best Original Score for Round Midnight, and giving the world compositions such as 'Cantaloupe Island' and 'Chameleon' — and 'Rockit', too — after all. Joining Hancock at Jazz at the Bowl are fellow American musician Marcus Miller — who has also worked with Davis; boasts playing on albums by Hancock, Khan, Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Frank Sinatra and more; and is making his first trip Down Under — plus Noongar artist Bumpy. In excellent news for folks who won't be in Melbourne on Saturday, October 19, when 2024's Jazz at the Bowl will take place, Hancock has also announced a string of Aussie dates. Before and after hitting up MIJF, he'll play the Sydney Opera House, Canberra Theatre, QPAC Concert Hall in Brisbane, Festival Theatre in Adelaide and Perth's Concert Hall. "Having Herbie Hancock and Marcus Miller perform on the same evening at the iconic Sidney Myer Music Bowl is nothing short of extraordinary," said Melbourne International Jazz Festival Artistic Director Michael Tortoni. "These two icons have shaped the soundscape of modern music in profound ways. Bringing them together in such a historic venue underscores the significance of Jazz at the Bowl and offers our audience a unique experience. It's a celebration of iconoclastic excellence that will resonate for years to come." Herbie Hancock Australian Tour 2024: Friday, October 11–Saturday, October 12 — Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, Sydney Monday, October 14 — Canberra Theatre, Canberra Thursday, October 17 — QPAC Concert Hall, Brisbane Saturday, October 19 — Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne Sunday, October 20 — Festival Theatre, Adelaide Tuesday, October 22 — Concert Hall, Perth [caption id="attachment_964817" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Georgia Mein[/caption] Herbie Hancock's tour of Australia will take place across October. Head to the tour ticketing website for further details, and for ticket presales from 9am on Wednesday, July 10, then general sales from 9am on Thursday, July 11. The 2024 Melbourne International Jazz Festival runs from Friday, October 18–Sunday, October 27 at venues around Melbourne. Head to the festival's website for further details, and for tickets for Herbie Hancock from 1pm on Tuesday, July 9.
Last week, the Victorian Government announced plans to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Now, the City of Sydney has one-upped that promise, announcing a net zero carbon emission target by the year 2035. The CBD city council had originally planned to hit the target by 2040, however, under the newly proposed Environmental Strategy 2021-2025, the target has been revised and pushed forward by five years. Lord Mayor Clover Moore is leading the City of Sydney's charge for stronger environmental action, calling out the federal government's weak approach to the climate crisis. "We're in the middle of a climate emergency, yet the Federal Government continues to ignore the community, expert advice and international pressure," Moore said in a media release. "Australia's emissions have been going up since 2014, and in the face of the Government's shameful inaction we are stepping up to reduce our emissions steeper and sooner." The City of Sydney's operations are currently powered by 100 percent renewable energy, with the local government area set to hit its 2030 target of reducing its emissions by 70 percent this year – nine years early. The new 2035 target is in line with research predicting Australia and the rest of the world need to achieve net zero emissions by 2035 in order to avoid 1.5 degrees in global heating and the subsequent consequences of such an increase. [caption id="attachment_811532" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Katherine Griffiths[/caption] The local government area has announced a multifaceted plan to tackle its emission output. Firstly, the City of Sydney will encourage businesses and residents to switch to renewable energy sources, as energy consumption is currently responsible for 73 percent of the area's greenhouse gas emissions. As part of the plan, residents will also be encouraged to move away from petrol-run private vehicles through improved public transport and electric car charging stations. Waste will also be addressed, with a goal of 90 percent of residential waste diverted away from landfill by 2030. This new energy plan follows several other City of Sydney initiatives carving the way for a vision of a greener Sydney CBD. In March, the local government announced plans to cover 40 percent of the city in greenery by 2050 and followed with a plan to convert a huge stretch of George Street into a car-free pedestrian zone over the next two years. The City of Sydney has committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2035. You can read a copy of the City of Sydney's Environmental Strategy 2021-2025 here.
Victoria's Hot Chocolate Festival is back again this August. And, like in past years, it's also bringing the decadence to you. Whether you're a Melburnian who can't make it to one of the three venues outside of town, or you're located elsewhere and you really love hot chocolate, the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie, the Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie and the Mornington Peninsula Chocolaterie are churning out at-home kits filled with creative hot choccie flavours. This year's physical fest boasts a wild range of flavours, with the at-home version following suit. Whichever you choose between Tuesday, August 1–Thursday, August 31, you'll receive couverture flavour-infused melts, a giant marshmallow and interactive elements to add to your choice of hot milk at home. Wondering which inventive flavours will tempt your tastebuds? The full 2023 lineup is as OTT and indulgent as ever — and as tasty. Kicking things off: a nod to Barbie via a pink-infused hot chocolate, as well as an Iced Vovo hot chocolate that features chocolate iced doughnuts for dunking. Or, you can sip on a poached pear and hazelnut version, a dulce de leche churros hot chocolate and a Biscoff hedgehog variety. Pick the Happy Vegemite hot chocolate and you'll get handcrafted caramel koalas to dip — or go for the Harry Potter-inspired hot choc to score a chocolate wand for doing the same. Some flavours come topped with waffles or pretzels. Yes, the list goes on. Only a selection of flavours will be available to make at home, but the ones on offer can be ordered throughout August for $6.50 per single-flavour kit. There's also a flat-rate shipping fee of $15 to anywhere in Australia. Images: A Myszka.
Solar power? Wind power? Sure. But pee power? Human urine serves as an energy source for Melbourne's pop-up Greenhouse restaurant. Open March 2 through to the 21st as part of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, Greenhouse is the brainchild of Joost Bakker, a designer who has proven that an entirely waste-free restaurant is indeed possible, and is making its debut in Melbourne after appearing in Sydney last year. The restaurant contains custom-built lavatory facilities designed to collect patrons' urine. The urine is then diluted and used as canola and soybean plant fertilizer. Nontraditional and maybe a little off-putting to some, pee collection is a surprisingly effective plant fertilising method. According to Bakker, “Urine is incredible for nitrogen, it’s so valuable — you only need the urine of 25 people to provide fertiliser for a hectare of crop.” Greenhouse boasts other eco-friendly features as well. The building is constructed out of a light gauge steel frame and ECO-ply plywood walls. Held together by glue made entirely of soybeans, the whole structure is 100% recyclable. The restaurant runs on energy generated and fuelled by pure canola oil, and is insulated by locally sourced straw bales, an agricultural by-product. [via Gristlist]
It's one of the world's biggest sporting goods retail brands, found in over 30 countries and dubbed by many as 'the ALDI of activewear'. And now, France's famed Decathlon — which launched an online store here last year and opened its first Sydney store in December last year — is expanding its physical Australian footprint. Two Melbourne stores are due this month, while the brand has just today opened the doors to its second Sydney outlet. Located on Paramatta Road in Auburn in the city's west, the new space is stocked with products relating an impressive 70-plus sports and activities. If it's anything like its Tempe counterpart, it'll boast 7000 sport-related products. Decathlon promises savings galore — so if you've got a sports nut or fitness fiend in your life, put this one at the very top of your Christmas shopping hit-list. When the first Sydney store opened last year, CEO of Decathlon Australia Mr Olivier Robinet said that the company wants to make sport accessible to all locals. "Australians are some of the most active people in the world, the whole country is like a playground," he explained. "Until now many Australians have had to spend hundreds of dollars to get a quality product. Decathlon has now changed this." So how cheap is it? Well, a pair of yoga pants range will set you back between $12 and $40, while a two-person tent is $30. More than just a standard store, Decathlon also features dedicated active zones, where customers can roadtest certain products, and its own community sporting areas, where local sports clubs can host sign-up days, barbecues and fundraising events. The Auburn store officially launches on Tuesday, November 20 — but if you sign up for free membership now and then drop by this weekend during the soft opening, you'll nab a free gift. Find Decathlon at 300 Paramatta Road, Auburn. The store is open from 7am–11pm seven days a week For more info, visit decathlon.com.au. Image: Decathlon via Facebook.
Not content with decking out its outdoor spaces with murals and more, Berlin is boosting its street art game. The German city now boasts its own street art museum — and, in keeping with its status as Europe's graffiti capital, the Urban Nation Museum for Urban Contemporary Art earns the honour of the world's largest street art gallery. Opening its doors on September 16 in Schöneberg in the city's inner south, the five-storey facility features original pieces from more than 100 well-known street artists, such as Shepard Fairey, Evol, 1010, and Icy and Sot. Curated by an international team of experts, and designed to grow and evolve, the site not only displays its art works in the traditional way, but turns its Wilhelminian-era building into a canvas. That means decking out its architectural features and exterior surfaces, including its facade, which will be covered in 8,000-square-foot murals that can be transported, rotated and stored. The nearby train tracks will also be fitted out with installations by more than 30 artists, expanding the museum's influence beyond its walls. Inside, visitors will find a bricks-and-mortar addition in the form of a catwalk stretched across the two-storeys of the building's interior — ensuring that displayed pieces can be properly seen both from a distance and close up. Free to enter and view, in keeping with street art's usual creed, the latest project from Urban Nation continues their efforts to turn Berlin into one huge street art gallery. Well, it continues them and adds a huge street art gallery. That said, the Museum for Urban Contemporary Art mightn't keep its title for too long, with a massive, warehouse-based street art museum currently coming together in Amsterdam for a 2018 launch. Paris also has its own, featuring 150 works; however, Urban Nation director and curator Yasha Young told Conde Nast Traveler that the Berlin gallery, "will be the world's first museum that covers all genres of urban contemporary art, including graffiti, paste-ups, sculptures, acrylic designs, and other forms typically found in cityscapes." For more information, visit the museum website. Via Conde Nast Traveler. Image: Urban Nation.
Here's an easy recipe for a movie, and a TV show as well: take a bunch of famous faces, throw them into the same space, knock off one of their characters and let a couple of them get sleuthing, pointing the finger at everyone else. It worked for Knives Out, gloriously so. It's made Only Murders in the Building a treat across not one but two seasons. And while it hasn't really hit the mark in recent Agatha Christie adaptations Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile — especially the later — the same setup remains intact in both flicks. The next film to give the premise a whirl is new whodunnit See How They Run, which definitely has the star-studded cast part taken care of. As seen in the just-dropped trailer, Sam Rockwell (Richard Jewell) plays veteran detective Inspector Stoppard, while Saoirse Ronan (The French Dispatch) steps into the shoes of enthusiastic newcomer Constable Stalker. And, the case they're tasked with looking into also brings Adrien Brody (Succession), Ruth Wilson (His Dark Materials), Reece Shearsmith (Venom: Let There Be Carnage), Harris Dickinson (The Souvenir: Part II), Shirley Henderson (Stan & Ollie) and David Oyelowo (Chaos Walking) into the mix — and more. Set in 1950s London, and in the West End to be precise, the movie follows the aftermath of a big-name death — a Hollywood director who was set to turn a smash-hit play into a film. Cue Stoppard and Stalker entering the sometimes-glamorous, sometimes-unseemly theatre world, trying to work out who's the killer. Slated to hit cinemas at the end of September, the flick hails from first-time feature director Tom George (TV's Defending the Guilty and This Country), with Mark Chappell (Flaked and The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret) on scripting duties. Then mood: jaunty. The tone: comic. Yes, it's firmly murder-mystery comedy. That's another regular part of the whodunnit equation, of course — turning a shock death and the investigation that follows into an amusing picture, that is. Check out the trailer for See How They Run below: See How They Run opens in cinemas Down under on September 29. Images: Parisa Taghizadeh. © 2021 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved.
These days, you can get a monthly subscription of pretty much anything delivered to your door, from pies to cars to plants to hard-to-find cheeses sourced from across the country. But for gin lovers, they're all bound to pale in comparison to a nifty new delivery service Gin Society, which treats its subscribers to a full-sized bottle of a small-batch artisanal gin each month. The company has just launched deliveries across Australia, kick starting the service with Italian gin Rivo, a full-bodied sip produced in Lake Como in the north of Italy with foraged botanicals. Like this one, the ongoing lineup is set to showcase a whole range of local and international gins, with a focus on drops you won't find at your local bottle shop. Each time one of these hand-picked, premium gins lands at your doorstep, it'll be accompanied by that month's edition of Gin Journal magazine, featuring expert tasting notes, suggested cocktail recipes, bartender profiles, reviews and details about the gin's origins. Everything you need to ensure you enjoy that bottle of artisan booze to its fullest. With their first order, new members will score a special Gin Society gift set, complete with crystal mixing glass, copper bar spoon, copper Hawthorne strainer and copper bell jigger — tools guaranteed to take your cocktail game to the next level. The gin subscription will set you back $95 each month, which includes a full-sized bottle of gin, the specialty magazine and exclusive invitations to Gin Society events. Sign up for your monthly gin fix at the Gin Society website.
If you've worked up a hunger wandering around the small boutiques, vintage stores and other shops in Nelson Bay's town centre, make tracks to Seabreeze Hotel. Located at the marina end of Stockton Street, the pub makes for a good spot to refuel. The venue has a contemporary look and feel across its various spaces — it boasts a dining area, public bar and a patio. It also has 18 rooms that sleep between 2–4 people, and a bottle shop if you want to grab something to go. Order a cocktail jug to share — we have our eye on pineapple rosé sangria — or a bottle of wine from the two-page menu (with nothing over $100), before diving into the food menu. If you're just a little peckish, pick some starters to share, like karaage chicken bao, loaded fries and garlic pizzetta. Or, if you're really hungry, order the beef brisket ragu linguine or a wagyu rump with creamy mash. Just be sure to leave room for the Golden Gaytime-inspired dessert with honeycomb parfait, Kingston biscuit crumb, chocolate ganache and roasted peanuts.
It is little wonder that, for many of us, bikes are our preferred means of transport when getting from A to B. They're cheaper, greener, and ensure the health and general perkiness of various muscular groups. Yet while we love our bikes, we rarely share the affection with the cycling paths we ride on — indeed quite the opposite. But that may be about to change. French industrial designer, Ines Le Bihan, has recently developed Bicycle Road, a modular bike path with benefits galore. The Bicycle Road consists of small square-shaped panels which are easily assembled and disassembled, which means they take the labour, disruption and cost out of painting pesky white lines. The Bicycle Road is also well-equipped to deal with seasonal changes and to cope with the natural inclinations of the road. It also promises to be a safer alternative. And Greener. What is not to like about the Bicycle Road — it promises to be a greener, safer, more economical alternative to the less than adequate bike tracks that currently trail around our city street. We may even end up loving our bike tracks as much as our bikes. Maybe.
Don't mess with Vin Diesel's on-screen family. Since 2001, that's been a basic cinema rule, holding hard and fast — and furiously, of course — in the Fast & Furious franchise. Back then, it didn't seem like a high-octane take on Point Break with a heap of extra Coronas and 100-percent more street racing would span ten sequels and a spinoff, and also become one of the biggest movie series there is. But here we now are awaiting the arrival of Fast X, and knowing that there's another flick to come after that. The saga's penultimate ride (well, supposedly) races into cinemas on May 18 and, after dropping a first trailer a few months back, it has just given audiences another sneak peek. All the essentials are covered, which really means Diesel (The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special) glaring at everyone who threatens that brood, an ever-growing list of other famous faces, speedy-driving vehicles everywhere, ridiculous dialogue, OTT action setpieces and more than a few explosions. In Fast X, Dom's grandmother (Rita Moreno, West Side Story) joins the series — and so does his new nemesis Dante (Jason Momoa, Dune). The latter is going after the usual F&F crew to avenge his own blood, another franchise staple. He's on that quest because he's the son of Fast Five's drug kingpin Hernan Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida, Warrior Nun), which is a handy way go get him threatening Dom and company for slights against his own family. Seasoned viewers will remember that that's how Jason Statham's (Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre) Deckard Shaw originally came into these films. Accordingly, this new stint of ride-or-die, quarter-mile-at-a-time chaos can only be resolved by high-action stunts and ties back to past movies, as Dom faces off against Dante. Statham does indeed make an appearance, as he's done since Fast & Furious 6 and in spinoff Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw. Also featured are a whole heap of franchise regulars, such as Michelle Rodriguez (Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves), Jordana Brewster (Who Invited Charlie?), Ludacris (End of the Road), Tyrese Gibson (Morbius) and Sung Kang (Obi-Wan Kenobi) as Dom's wife Lottie, sister Mia, and pals Tej, Roman and Han. And, Nathalie Emmanuel (The Invitation) returns as Ramsey, Scott Eastwood (I Want You Back) as government operative Little Nobody, John Cena (Peacemaker) as Dom's brother Jakob (see: Fast and Furious 9), Helen Mirren (Shazam! Fury of the Gods) as Deckard's mother Queenie and Charlize Theron (The School for Good and Evil) as criminal mastermind Cypher. Every F&F flick also throws new famous folks onto its road — and while sadly Keanu Reeves has yet to grace its frames to cement the Point Break ties, or Channing Tatum in a Magic Mike/F&F mashup that'd be a ridiculous dream, Fast X adds Momoa, Moreno and Brie Larson (Just Mercy). Also, while not a household name by any means, Leo Abelo Perry (Cheaper by the Dozen) joins the series as Brian Marcos, Dom's young son. As for how it'll all turn out when Fast X unfurls its wonders — in what's meant to be the first film in a two-part finale for the franchise, and what feels like it'll have to be a five-hour movie itself just to fit the entire cast in — the two previews so far are filled with chases and aerial feats, ample mentions of family, twist reveals and glorious F&F vehicular mayhem in general. Now You See Me and Grimsby filmmaker Louis Leterrier directs, fresh from helping make TV series Lupin such a hit, and also reteaming with Statham after The Transporter and The Transporter 2 back in the 00s. Yes, we'll count that as another F&F instance of family ties. Check out the latest Fast X trailer below: Fast X releases in cinemas Down Under on May 18, 2023.
Unfortunately, it's not an unusual problem. You arrive at your destination, but your bag doesn't. For all the airline staff know, it could have been shuffled off to Zanzibar by now. Or maybe it never even left home. With 90,000 or so flights in the air every day, worldwide, its location could be anyone's guess. In an effort to decrease the frequency of the all-too-common mislaid luggage dilemma, British Airways, in conjunction with Densitron and UK-based creative agency Design Works, have come up with a digital solution. They're currently trialling electronic bag tags, which have the potential to replace the current paper-based system. After checking in, the ticket-holder can use a smartphone to send flight details to the tag (via an app). Then, rather than having to stand in lengthy queues, he or she can drop off his or her bag for scanning. Not only does the electronic bag tag promise to make the tracking of luggage easier, it also means more efficient check-in procedures. Plus, it's reusable. "[The e-tag] is more expensive, but ultimately it is re-usable — you would acquire and use it multiple times," Lewis Freeman, an industrial designer from Designworks told the BBC this week. "The life of the product is up to five years. I imagine the technology would move on faster than the tag would need replacing." If the tags prove to be successful, they'll be publicly available in 2014. [via Hypebeast]
Secret Gardeners, get your diaries out: the festival has officially announced its 2015 return. On Friday, February 27, and Saturday, February 28, just as summer is packing its bags, the most clandestine event on the music calendar will arrive at its once secret, now regular destination known as 'The Farm', a 3000 acre property on the city's fringes. As usual, we won’t know the lineup until well after the ticket allocation is exhausted. We can tell you, however, that tickets will go on sale at 9am on November 14, with the supporters’ ballot happening on November 7. Admission for both days is $185, while for Saturday only it’s $125. If previous experience is anything to go by, tickets are likely to be snapped up within a few hours. Since last year, the Secret Garden crew has been busy, in their own words, “making improvements, watching bands in dark rooms, and dreaming up the wildest, grandest playground that the farm has ever seen”. We can expect new spaces and increased weather readiness. Numbers, meanwhile, will remain at their comfortable and intimate limited capacity, despite the fact that the program is promising to deliver “the best Secret Garden yet”. There’ll be a handpicked selection of “memorable” previous acts, combined with a bunch of new favourites. Last year, the crowd was treated to appearances from Worlds End Press, Bloods, Elizabeth Rose, Donny Benet and numerous other artists. All in all, the festival will continue to uphold its two founding aspirations: to be the best, most unusual weekend music event around and to raise plenty of funds for charity. Last year, $100,000 in proceeds were donated to an array of charities, including Oxfam, Sarah Hilt Foundation and Girls and Boys Brigade. On the 'unusual' front, the first day of the festival has typically been themed and elaborately costumed, and this year looks to carry on that tradition, with organisers instructing you to "Get your sewing kits ready".
Your mission, movie lovers, should you choose to accept it: watching the first sneak peek at the new instalment in one of cinema's biggest franchises. The initial teaser trailer for Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning — Part One is here and, yes, it's filled with espionage intrigue, explosions, chases, fights and Tom Cruise wearing masks. Also covered: stunts, stunts and more stunts, plus even more stunts still. At this point in his career, all new Cruise movies seem to belong to a broader saga. That'd be: "one of the world's biggest stars does death-defying stunts to lure audiences into cinemas". The Mission: Impossible flicks have been keeping those daredevil flames burning for almost three decades now, and its leading man just keeps upping the ante. And yes, he's still committed to doing as many dangerous feats as he can himself, including riding a motorcycle off a cliff this time around. Arriving more than a year before the movie hits cinemas — it'll release Down Under on July 13, 2023 — the debut glimpse at Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning — Part One isn't big on plot. There is a story to stitch together all those stunts, though. First, Cruise's Impossible Missions Force agent Ethan Hunt is told that his "days of fighting for the so-called greater good are over", and that the mission now is to control the truth, as well as the concepts of right and wrong. So, that leaves him needing to pick a side. So far, so vague — but that's what first glimpses are usually about, including at Tom Cruise-starring future blockbusters that are debuting their initial sneak peeks because another Tom Cruise-starring certain blockbuster (that'd be Top Gun: Maverick) is reaching the silver screen this week. The Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning — Part One trailer does cover plenty of other familiar faces, however, including the characters of Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg, The Boys), Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson, Dune), Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames, Father Figures), and Alanna Mitsopolis (Vanessa Kirby, Pieces of a Woman). Also popping up: Hayley Atwell (Avengers: Endgame) and Esai Morales (How to Get Away with Murder), both as new figures — and the latter as the movie's key villain. Four years after helming the series' sixth film, 2018's Mission: Impossible – Fallout, writer/director Christopher McQuarrie returns for Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning — Part One — his third M:I flick in a row after also doing the honours on 2015's Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. And yes, as the name makes plain, Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning — Part One will have a sequel, which is set to release sometime in 2024. Check out the trailer for Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning — Part One below: Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning — Part One releases in cinemas Down Under on July 13, 2023.
How you give out free beer and wine at an Australian music festival and have it remain, for the most part, something you can still describe using words like “magical” and “intimate”, I don’t really know. Probably it’s the animal costumes and all those fairy lights. Well Secret Garden does it year after year in a secret location just one hour from Sydney, and they’re unleashing the next one in a flowery wine-drenched explosion next March. The musical line-up won’t be announced until January, but you can be assured it will be a marvelous slew of up and coming bands and DJs that you’d wanna dance until dawn to even if you weren’t drunk on wine and happiness and dressed as a Native American banana. A select few of them will be close enough to hug at Friday’s intimate mini-festival inspired by the first ever Secret Garden, while the rest of them will play across eight glitter-strewn fields on the Saturday. This year organisers will be pre releasing a bunch of tickets to randomly selected seasoned gardeners as part of a Secret Garden Family ballot drawn on 8 November. Those selected will be sent a unique ticket code giving them access to buy three tickets before they go on sale to the general public at 8.30am on November 15th. Secret Garden will be held on 8th and 9th March 2013 at a secret location one hour from Sydney. Tickets to both days are $194 plus booking fees and Saturday (free beer and wine day) tickets are $135 plus booking fees.
There's not much you can't do with tomatoes – from soup to spag bol to juice. To celebrate one of the world's most versatile fruits (or is it a vegetable?), Marrickville's Ester Distillery is teaming up with event caterer Aplenty for Viva Pomodoro! – a tomato party. Get there at 11:30am for a pasta-making class with Aplenty founder Michaela Johansson. She'll show you how to make cavatelli, orrechieti and pici around Ester's rather spectacular red marble table while the staff bring you drinks. Come 12:30pm, the party proper will kick off, with a long, long lunch. Linger over bowls of tomato pasta, abundant charcuterie boards, and cheese and anchovy pairings – accompanied by warm, crusty, buttery bread topped with pickled tomato. To match these delights, Ester has come up with a tomato-inspired cocktail menu. Try the sweet yet savoury Tomato-Strawberry Martini (Ester dry gin, tomato, strawberry, basil), or the tangy yet tropical Renata Passata (Old Tom gin, Ester alternativo aperitivo, pineapple, lime, tomato). Then there's the salty, spicy Bloody Pomodoro – a take on the Bloody Mary, with Ester strong gin, tomato juice, horseradish, jalapeño brine, and Perello olives. Viva Pomodoro! is happening for one-day-only, so be sure to book your spot at the table soon. [caption id="attachment_997344" align="alignnone" width="1920"] hughobrien.co[/caption] [caption id="attachment_997345" align="alignnone" width="1920"] hughobrien.co[/caption]
Taronga Zoo is turning one hundred this year, and to celebrate they're throwing a party. A big one. With lions. And tigers. And quite possibly bears. But this isn't a party that just anyone can get in to. No, this is a party to which you need to be invited. Luckily for animal lovers, the zoo has just launched its official 'birthday ballot', with 5000 tickets up for grabs. To get your name in the draw, all you need to do is signup via this link. Go ahead. We'll just amuse ourselves with this panda until you get back. "Our birthday party will be a milestone day to celebrate 100 years of bringing people and wildlife together," said Taronga CEO Cameron Kerr. "There will be special experiences with our amazing animals, unique presentations and more to enjoy. It will be an unforgettable day!" The birthday bash will take place on Friday October 7, marking one hundred years to the day since the zoo first opened in Mosman. The winners of the ballot will be announced by mid-August. If you miss out, or just can't wait that long, the zoo is also offering $1 entry to anyone who visits on their birthday. If you need any more convincing, Taronga's brand new baby meerkats will probably be there and look like this: Images: Dollar Photo Club, Taronga Zoo.
Everyone has an opinion about Aaron Sorkin. Whether it's a gushing adoration for imagining Josh Lyman and Jed Bartlet, an intense frustration for his silver-tongued yet repetitive Sorkinisms, or a disbelief in the fact he can't write a decent female character to save his life (barring CJ Cregg, of course). We've all had arguments about the 52-year-old screenwriter at some point, and his highly criticised HBO drama The Newsroom only intensified the debate. Now, in a discussion at Tribeca Film Festival, Sorkin finally (if not a little begrudgingly) acknowledged its faults. "I’m going to let you all stand in for everyone in the world, if you don’t mind," said Sorkin to a live audience. "I think you and I got off on the wrong foot with The Newsroom and I apologise and I’d like to start over." If only that were possible. The show, soon entering its third and final season, has faced harsh scrutiny since its 2012 premiere for its overt preachiness, malformed relationships between characters, and ultimately for the fact that it's nowhere near as good as The West Wing. “I feel like I’m just now starting to learn how to write it,” Sorkin said. "I wish that I could go back to the beginning of The Newsroom and start again... but I'm feeling really good about how the third season is going." The bulk of his 'apology' went out to the journalists offended by the show's seemingly overt criticism of the modern press. “I think that there’s been a terrible misunderstanding," Sorkin said, sounding a little too much like Gob from Arrested Development. "I did not set the show in the recent past in order to show the pros how it should have been done. That was and remains the furthest thing from my mind. I set the show in the recent past because I didn’t want to make up fake news... I wasn’t trying to and I’m not capable of teaching a professional journalist a lesson. That wasn’t my intent and it’s never my intent to teach you a lesson or try to persuade you or anything.” Every scene from the show ever, would beg to differ. #sorrynotsorry Via Huffington Post.
Highly awarded cocktail bar Maybe Sammy, which was named the 11th best bar in the world this year, will welcome a sister venue to the CBD come February 2021. Sammy Junior will sling cuppas by day and mini cocktails by night — until 6pm, that is. Opening in the heart of the CBD along King Street, the new espresso bar will take design cues from Maybe Sammy, with its interiors overseen by famed architect George Livissianis (The Dolphin Hotel, Chin Chin Sydney, The Apollo, Cho Cho San), For its coffee, the cafe will offer a blend that's been specially crafted for the venue by coffee connoisseur and Maybe Sammy Co-Founder Martin Hudak (2017 World Coffee in Good Spirits Champion). Classic Aussie breakfasts, as well as sandwiches and salads for lunch, will cater to both takeaway and dine-in customers, with around 50 seats for the latter. The food menu has been created by Chef Robert Lechowicz of Cronulla's Blackwood Pantry, so you know you'll be getting some top-notch bites, too. [caption id="attachment_794853" align="alignnone" width="1920"] DS Oficina[/caption] Then, in the evenings, Sammy Junior will have similar cocktail-den vibes to its sibling. Mini cocktails will be available on tap, with a few wines and beers also on the docket. But, Sammy Junior will shut up shop around 6pm each night, so revellers will need to take a short walk down to Maybe Sammy in The Rocks for kick-ons. In other news from the hospitality group, Maybe Frank in Surry Hills closed its Bourke Street location for good on Sunday, December 20. But Maybe Frank Randwick is still going strong and a new Surry Hills outpost is on the cards, too, so it's not all bad news. Sammy Junior will open in February 2021 at 66 King Street, Sydney. Images: DS Oficina
Returning for the first time since 2019, Falls Festival has one clear thing to say about its 2022 events: it bets you'll look good on the fest's dance floors. It wants you to get on your dancing shoes, too, and make the most of spending a couple of days immersed in live tunes — from Arctic Monkeys, for starters, as well as from fellow big-name acts Lil Nas X, Peggy Gou, Chvrches and Jamie xx. Your destinations this time around: Pennyroyal Plains, Colac in Victoria from Thursday, December 29–Saturday, December 31; North Byron Parklands, Yelgun in New South Wales from Saturday, December 31–Monday, January 2; and Fremantle Park, Fremantle in Western Australia from Saturday, January 7–Sunday, January 8. That's where and when the fest will hit to either see out 2022, kickstart 2023 or both — after revealing back in 2021 that it was saying goodbye to its usual Tasmanian leg in Marion Bay after 17 years, and also moving from Lorne in Victoria after a 27-year stint. As always, Falls has delivered one helluva lineup — one that's exciting, broad, hops between international stars and homegrown hits, and is certain to draw crowds. Also making appearances: Aminé, Ocean Alley, Camelphat and Spacey Jane, plus DMA's, G Flip, Pinkpantheress, Rico Nasty, Amyl and the Sniffers, Mall Grab and Ben Böhmer. And yes, that's just a taste of the bill. The tunes will be backed by a colourful curation of art events, performances, pop-ups, markets, wellness sessions and gourmet eats — because that's the Falls Festival way. Think: morning yoga, hammocks, swimming pools, three-legged races, backyard cricket, non-alcoholic beer pong and pinot-and-paint sessions, plus burgers, Korean chicken, woodfired pizza and ramen on the food lineup. Drinks-wise, everything from margaritas to hard seltzers (and beers and bubbles) will be on offer. Camping options include renting a tent or glamping in both NSW and Victoria. And yes, if it feels a little early for a Falls lineup, there's a reason for that. Pre-pandemic, the fest usually unveiled its bill in August; however, we all know how the world has changed in the past couple of years — and that we're all planning much further ahead than usual. Anyway, here's what you're here for — the lineup as it currently stands, with more to be announced. FALLS FESTIVAL 2022 LINEUP: Arctic Monkeys Lil Nas X Peggy Gou Chvrches Jamie xx Aminé Ocean Alley Camelphat Spacey Jane DMA's G Flip Pinkpantheress Rico Nasty Amyl and the Sniffers Mall Grab Ben Böhmer DJ Seinfeld Genesis Owusu TSHA CC:DISCO! Young Franco Anna Lunoe Luude Lastlings MAY-A Choomba The Vanns King Stingray Peach PRC Beddy Rays Jean Dawson Telenovela Biscits Barry Can't Swim Elkka Floodlights Wongo Yng Martyr 1300 Moktar Magdalena Bay Dameeeela Ebony Boadu Rona. Elsy Wamayo Juno Mamba and more FALLS FESTIVAL 2022 DATES: Pennyroyal Plains, Colac, VIC — Thursday, December 29–Saturday, December 31 North Byron Parklands, Yelgun, NSW — Saturday, December 31–Monday, January 2 Fremantle Park, Fremantle, WA — Saturday, January 7–Sunday, January 8 Falls Festival 2022 will take place in December 2022 and January 2023 in Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia. Pre-sale tickets are available from 9am (local time) on Monday, May 9, with general sales kicking off at 9am on Thursday, May 12. For more info and to buy tickets, visit the festival's website.
Tackling climate change can feel like an impossibly tough task at times, but having a positive impact on our planet is possible — and more so when you get your house in order. With around eight percent of greenhouse gases caused by food waste, making smarter decisions at the shops and implementing sustainable kitchen tricks are just some ways you can reduce your carbon footprint. Whether you learn how to pickle old fridge veg or make the switch to buying organic, seasonal produce from local growers, these small choices can equate to something much bigger. We've teamed up with Glad to celebrate its new Glad to be Green range — and to bring you six simple ways you can combat climate change from your very own kitchen. LEARN HOW TO PICKLE You might be tempted to instantly dump shrivelled, scary-looking vegetables you find at the back of the fridge straight into the bin. Don't be so hasty, though, as you could be throwing away an easily pickled snack. Not only are pickled veggies tasty, but they will also rapidly cut down your food waste at home — if you make them yourself, that is. Pickling has been a go-to preserving method for thousands of years and it's pretty easy to do. Just reach for those old apples, onions, carrots, cucumbers and basically any other plant-based product. Throw in whatever combination you want inside a sterilised glass jar. Add the brine, which is made up of water, vinegar, salt and your favourite spices, and make sure all produce is submerged. Seal tight and put in the fridge. Depending on what kind of pickling you're going for — quick, canned, fermented — the process can take as little as 90 minutes and sometimes as long as around five weeks. Still feel a bit daunted? The pickle legends at Cornersmith run online classes as well as in-person ones for Sydneysiders. [caption id="attachment_778329" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jacqui Manning[/caption] BUY ORGANIC, SEASONAL FRUIT AND VEG FROM LOCAL GROWERS Australia is blessed with some of the best produce around, so why not go straight to the source? Hitting up your local farmers market for organic, seasonal fruit and vegetables ensures you get your hands on the freshest produce available, meaning it's likely to keep for longer. It doesn't matter if the produce is 'ugly' by supermarket standards, either, so pick up that wonky carrot or gnarly lemon and know that at growers markets, it's all about the taste (and reducing the waste). Plus, buying local often means less food miles involved and pesticide-free produce is better for the environment, too. You'll also get among your community and directly support local farmers. GROW YOUR OWN HERBS The right herbs can make or break a dish. But going to the supermarket for another bunch of basil when you only need a little isn't exactly an environmentally friendly choice. Yep, after a few days that basil will become brown and sad and you'll chuck it. And so the cycle continues. Unless, that is, you start your own mini herb garden. You can do this on your windowsill, balcony or in your garden and, when you need to liven up your meals, all you have to do is cut off a few leaves. Don't have a green thumb? Rest assured that keeping a herb garden alive is easy with some simple planning. Just decide on a selection of herbs you'll actually use, choose a sunny spot and go easy on the water. START A WORM FARM When food waste breaks down in landfill, it releases methane: one of the most potent greenhouse gases. So, instead of chucking your scraps in the bin, why not start a worm farm? That way, your scraps are repurposed and take on a new life. Fortunately, compost worms, such as tiger and red worms, love to munch on many food types, so you can load them up with vegetable scraps, fruit skins and coffee grinds. A thriving worm farm traps gases released from scraps in the soil, diverting some of the emissions that are usually a direct result of the food waste coming from your kitchen. Visit your local hardware store to find ready-to-go worm farms or make building one your next DIY project. Some local councils even offer discounts on worm farms via Compost Revolution. [caption id="attachment_766152" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lisa Fotios[/caption] COMPOST YOUR ORGANIC MATTER (OR DONATE IT) According to Foodbank Australia, the average Australian household throws away 2.5 million tonnes of edible food each year. So, it's no wonder reusing our waste in worm farms and compost has proven to be one of the best ways to reduce food waste and its harmful gas emissions. Many Aussie councils have started implementing composting schemes, so check out your local council to see if you can hop on the bandwagon. All you have to do is throw your scraps into an organic matter bin for collection and, eventually, it'll be turned into compost. The Glad to be Green Compostable Kitchen Caddy Liners are made from 30 percent renewable material cornstarch and are certified compostable to Australian standards. Or, if you have a proper compost operation going — and too much product to fertilise your own garden — you can donate your compost to local community gardens, schools and other organisations. STORE YOUR LEFTOVERS PROPERLY It might sound simple, but so much food goes to waste just because it hasn't been stored properly. If you've cooked up a storm and need a convenient way to store leftovers, you don't have to stock up on cheap plastic containers that'll end up in the trash before long. If you're keen to invest in some snazzy reusable lunchboxes, consider this the dangling of the proverbial carrot. Otherwise, you can opt for Glad to be Green's Reseal Bags and Cling Wrap, which are made from 50 percent plant-based materials, including sugarcane, and provide a robust bio-based alternative. Go green and visit the Glad website for more tips and tricks. Top image: Cottonbro, Pexels UPDATE: Friday, June 25 —Sydneysiders who work or live in Woollahra, Waverley, Randwick and City of Sydney Councils are currently under stay at home orders. Buying essential groceries is one of the four reasons to leave home, but you must wear a mask. You can stay up to date with the developing COVID-19 situation in Sydney, as well as current restrictions, at NSW Health.
When the 2023 Coachella lineup was announced, Frank Ocean topped the bill alongside Bad Bunny and BLACKPINK as this year's headliners. And when the schedule for the Californian festival's first weekend was announced, his top slot on the Sunday night — Monday Down Under — was eagerly anticipated. But for folks watching along from home, that date with Ocean didn't occur, with his set pulled from YouTube's online feed. It won't happen on Coachella's second weekend, either, with the artist now dropping out completely. As Variety reports, Ocean has pulled out of his second 2023 Coachella set for medical reasons. "After suffering an injury to his leg on festival grounds in the week leading up to weekend one, Frank Ocean was unable to perform the intended show but was still intent on performing, and in 72 hours, the show was reworked out of necessity," a statement from his management advises. "On doctor's advice, [Ocean] is not able to perform weekend two due to two fractures and a sprain in his left leg." There's no word yet from Coachella's organisers, either regarding Ocean taking himself off the bill or a replacement. But Variety reports that blink-182 is expected to slip into the Sunday-night headlining slot, after being a late addition to the first weekend's lineup — playing on the Friday, and breaking out the newly reunited group's classic lineup. Set times for the second weekend also haven't dropped yet, for those keen to make shapes at home while pretending you're at the real thing (and live the Coachella life without heading to Indio, California, as well) regardless of who takes to the stage. Fellow big name Björk didn't livestream her set on the first weekend either, and there's no indication so far regarding if that'll be the case for weekend two as well. As for the rest of the Coachella 2023 lineup, it includes The Chemical Brothers, Gorillaz, Blondie, Kaytranada, Pusha T, Idris Elba, Calvin Harris, The Kid LAROI, ROSALÍA, Charlie XCX, boygenius, The Breeders, Underworld, Fisher, Porter Robinson, Gordo, Weyes Blood and more. Bookmark Coachella's YouTube channel ASAP — or hit it up below: Coachella's second 2023 weekend runs from Friday, April 21–Sunday, April 23 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. To watch the livestream, head to YouTube from 9am AEST on Saturday, April 22 Down Under. Via Variety.
Mitzi began as an alias for two guys from Brisbane to make some music under so that nobody knew they were two guys from Brisbane. Now there are four guys, one EP and one era-defying single, and anonymity is pretty much a thing of the past. Mitzi are at the forefront of an Australian electro-dance tidal wave propelled by acts like Cut Copy and Midnight Juggernauts, except they're doing it with disco. Mitzi will support Foals at their sold-out Oxford Art Factory shows before joining Lindstrøm and Classixx at Future Classic's Sydney Festival bash. Future Classic will also release their debut album Truly Alive on February 15 (you can pre-order it here). In the interim we pulled drummer Cale Suesskow aside to talk about what it's like to be one of the most exciting things happening in Australian music right now. You had a well-received eight-date single tour at the end of last year to promote single 'Who Will Love You Now'. How did you spend Christmas and New Years? Did you manage to get some time off? Yes, time off was welcomed with a few celebratory drinks. We spend Christmas and New Years with friends and family, did some writing (without any pressure) and have also been DJing quite a bit. Now that were all refreshed, we're pretty keen to get out there and play some more shows. You've performed sets at Parklife, Splendour and Stereosonic, and supported acts including Neon Indian, Little Dragon and Whitest Boy Alive. What have been some of the highlights? Neon Indian support was our third ever show and the first time we played to a packed room, there was such an energy that night and I think it really helped cement the thought that we might be onto something good. The Whitest Boy Alive tour was incredible, we are all massive fans of their music and it was great to see how they work close-up. The best thing about being given the opportunity to support great acts is learning things from people that are more experienced than we are. Sydney's electronic/dance scene has been swelling lately. Have you seen similar things happening in Brisbane or do people still associate it with Brisvegassy clubs? There isn't really much of a scene for good house music in Brisbane and people don't go crazy for it, but there are a few places where tasteful bangers like Disclosure go down a treat. We went and saw Todd Terje before Christmas, playing a small club to a half full dance floor, which pretty accurately portrays dance music in Brisbane. How did you come to work with Jono Ma on 2011's EP All I Heard? His new project Jagwar Ma just signed to Future Classic too, which is pretty cool. We had all known Jono before Mitzi started, he's a talented guy and we wanted him to mix our EP so we asked him, not much of a story, sorry. But yeah, it's great they're releasing through Future Classic, more good music to welcome to the family. What local artists/tracks have you been vibing to lately? Jagwar Ma, hahah. Oh, and new Seekae with vocals. Your music draws from a wide range of influences. What acts were you listening to while you were making the new album? Nothing out of the ordinary really, stuff like Fleetwood, Chic, Fela Kuti, lots of house music and electronica, a little bit of Hip Hop and RnB. The Kindness album dropped last year and we were pretty blown away by the production. The Blood Orange album also came out while we were in the studio and it showcased, in our opinion, some pretty awesome songwriting. How do you achieve that familiar retro sound while also creating something new and something that has longevity? I guess that comes from the way we record, which stems from our musical influences. We like to record the core elements of the band in a way that is true to the 70's style, that is, with vintage pre-amps and mics, lots of compression and lots of muffling things up. But then we add lots of synths and effects that stems from our house and electronic influences. Sometimes these sounds can be quite spatial and reverberated, which is a nice contrast to the retro sounding drums and bass. How did you come to work with Ash Workman on the upcoming album? How has that, and signing with Future Classic, influenced your sound? Another boring story here, basically we loved Metronomy's The English Riviera and emailed Ash's manager to ask if he'd be up for working with us. We had already finished the songs, so I don't think these factors influenced the sound, rather the sound influenced who we wanted to mix and release the album. We've been with Future Classic since the E.P and we haven't made any acute changes in direction so its only fitting that we would wish to continue the relationship. You're also known for putting on great DJ sets and doing cool mix tapes. What are some of your favourite venues to DJ at? For us, Djing can be great fun, especially places where we can play the club music we love and the audience vibes just as hard. Spice Cellar is always a good time, and we played a place called Moloko Night in Townsville just before Christmas that went pretty crazy, contrary to what we had assumed it would be like. We've also had some good nights at Bowler Bar in our hometown too.
Back in May, when you were still desperately waiting for the almost three-year gap between Stranger Things season three and four to end, Kate Bush mightn't have been a big part of your life. She should've. You should've already had a date to dance to 'Wuthering Heights' dressed up as the iconic British singer, too. But when Netflix dropped the first seven episodes of Stranger Things' fourth season, Bush mania exploded. While you've been listening to 'Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)' on repeat for the past month or so — especially during the gap between the season's initial batch of episodes and the supersized final two — you might've been obsessing over something else in the process. Been wondering what song might save you from Vecna? Haven't we all. And, so has Spotify. Timed to coincide with those last couple of season four instalments — all four hours of them — the music streaming service is now creating personalised Stranger Things playlists that'll pick the tunes it thinks will keep you from falling prey to villainous forces. Each listener will get a different range of tracks, which'll include your recent and past favourites, as well as selections from the team behind the show. The theme: high-energy music that'll empower you to vanquish nefarious foes. Obviously, unlike Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink, Fear Street), you won't be pumping soul-saving tunes into your ears from a cassette. Also, you don't really have a big bad like Vecna to deal with. But you get the idea — and the excuse to keep indulging your Stranger Things love until the fifth and sadly final season of the hit sci-fi series arrives. Your own personalised Upside Down playlist will update every day, if you need another excuse to keep your headphones on you. Spotify is also streaming official Stranger Things soundtrack albums, plus a playlist filled with songs either from the show or picks inspired by it. Naturally, on the latter, tunes from the 80s are well represented. (And yes, Metallica's 'Master of Puppets' — aka the song you're likely to be obsessed with throughout July — is on there. Of course it is.) Check out the trailer for the second half of Stranger Things season four below: To access your personal Upside Down playlist, head to Spotify. Stranger Things is available to stream via Netflix. Read our full review of Stranger Things season four volume one. Images: courtesy of Netflix.
Summer might be fading, but the days are still warm enough to hit the beach after work. And, if you happen to be in Bondi on a Wednesday evening, there's a new way to refuel after a dip — a bottomless bao session at Easy Tiger. For just 25 bucks, you'll get as many bao as you can handle in 90 minutes. A variety of fillings is on the menu, from chicken katsu and smoked beef brisket, to tempura eggplant and crispy pork adobo. Whatever your selection, lather it in the sauce of your choice — be it the house sambal, black pepper adobo, or plum sauce — then pile on topping like pickled cucumber, hot and sour salad, and crisp lettuce, which are all laid out for you. In between bites, quench your post-surf thirst with one of the daily happy hour specials like $12 Espolòn Margaritas, $10 prosecco and $7 rice beers from Bondi Brewing Co. Easy Tiger's bottomless bao sessions are happening every Wednesday from 3pm till close. At this stage there's no end date in sight, so the rest of autumn (and winter, for that matter) is looking pretty safe for a midweek feast.
From the remnants of war and conflict, Saught aids the creation of wearable pieces of art. Aiming to support sustainability in post-conflict countries worldwide, with a current focus on Cambodia, the organisation strives to make the entire jewellery-making process a collective effort on the part of people recovering from a period of war, from metal scrap collecting through to design and sale. For the 'Freedom From Fear' collection, pieces of discarded metal from landmines and unexploded ordnance were collected by the Cambodia Mine Action Centre. Then, artisans from Cambodia NGO partner workshops, with input from designers, handcrafted individual jewellery pieces. On sale for AU$160, the necklace pictured above, called the 'Bricks of Hope Statement Necklace', is made with brass pieces plated in rhodium to symbolise three decades of bombing in Cambodia; the orange silk is incorporated to represent hope for reconstruction. These workshops allow local Cambodian artisans to both collect income and to improve their craft and business skills. The result is a simple yet striking piece of jewellery. [Via Lost At E Minor]
Roll up to the latest music festival that's taking to Australian and New Zealand stages: Light It Up, a brand-new hip hop fest that'll make its debut this spring. Hitting arenas Down Under come September, the event is backed by the folks that brought Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube this way earlier in 2023, and boasts its own impressive lineup. Leading the bill: 'See You Again' rapper Wiz Khalifa. If you've had Khalifa's 2015 single in your head for years, you're obviously a Fast and Furious franchise fan. The last time that the North Dakota star toured Australia was the same year that tune was featured in Fast and Furious 7, after being commissioned as a tribute to Paul Walker. It isn't the only track he'll be busting out on his next visit, of course, thanks to a career that also includes everything from 'Say Yeah' and 'No Sleep' to 'Work Hard, Play Hard' and 'Remember You'. Khalifa will be joined by fellow US talents Rae Sremmurd and Lola Brooke — both fresh from Coachella 2023, with the latter making her first trip to Australia. Rounding out the lineup are local acts Hooligan Hefs, Youngn Lipz and DJ BeastMod. When Light It Up debuts, it'll host its first-ever gig at Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena, then head to the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Adelaide Entertainment Centre, RAC Arena in Perth and Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena. After that, the fest will cross the ditch to Auckland's Spark Arena. LIGHT IT UP 2023 DATES: Saturday, September 2 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Sunday, September 3 —Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane Tuesday, September 5 — Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide Wednesday, September 6 — RAC Arena, Perth Friday, September 8 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Sunday, September 10 — Spark Arena, Auckland LIGHT IT UP 2023 LINEUP: Wiz Khalifa Rae Sremmurd Lola Brooke Hooligan Hefs Youngn Lipz DJ BeastMode Light It Up will tour Australia and New Zealand in September 2023. For more information, or for tickets — with pre-sales from 12pm local time on Thursday, June 1 and general sales from 12pm local time on Friday, June 2 — head to the festival website.
"He came to Italy, moved into Dickie's house. He just wouldn't go away." That's what Patricia Highsmith's 1955 book The Talented Mr Ripley charted when it introduced fictional con artist Tom Ripley. It's also the plot of 1960 crime-thriller Purple Noon starring French acting icon Alain Delon, then of 1999's Matt Damon (Oppenheimer)-led The Talented Mr Ripley as well. And, it's part of Netflix's new Ripley, too. Move over Damon, Delon, the great Dennis Hopper, Lawmen: Bass Reeves star Barry Pepper and John Malkovich: there's a new Ripley in town. Actually, Malkovich hasn't gone far. Netflix's upcoming limited series stars All of Us Strangers and Fleabag favourite Andrew Scott as its namesake, but he's joined by an actor who has also played the Highsmith-penned part. That was unveiled in the show's initial teaser; now, Ripley has just dropped a moody full trailer. An eight-part effort arriving on Thursday, April 4, Ripley isn't short on drawcards, then — Scott chief among them. He's stepped into classic characters' shoes before, and suave yet scheming folks that can't be trusted, thanks to his stint as Moriarty in Sherlock. So one of the internet's boyfriends taking on Tom Ripley feels like a stellar and natural next step. Where The Talented Mr Ripley also featured Gwyneth Paltrow (The Politician) as Marge Sherwood and Jude Law (Peter Pan & Wendy) as Dickie Greenleaf, Dakota Fanning (The Equalizer 3) and Johnny Flynn (One Life) are doing the honours this time. As seen in the initial sneak peek at Ripley, Malkovich (Billions) also pops up in the series, which follows its eponymous figure to Italy. Tom's gig: being paid by a rich man to persuade his son to come home. Steven Zaillian, who has excellent fellow miniseries The Night Of on his resume alongside screenplays for Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York and The Irishman, plus an Oscar for Schindler's List, scripted and directed all eight episodes. He takes his cues from the novelist who also gave the world Strangers on a Train and The Price of Salt — with the first brought to cinemas by Alfred Hitchcock and the second adapted as Carol. And if you're wondering about Malkovich's time as Tom Ripley, he played the character in 2002's Ripley's Game, the second adaptation of Highsmith's third Ripley novel of the same name after 1977's The American Friend with Hopper. The author also wrote Ripley Under Ground, which was turned into a 2005 Pepper-led film, plus The Boy Who Followed Ripley and Ripley Under Water. Check out the full trailer for Ripley below: Ripley streams via Netflix from Thursday, April 4, 2024. Images: Lorenzo Sisti / Stefano Cristiano Montesi, Netflix.
The Museum of Contemporary Art's first ARTBAR - a night of drinks, DJs, performance art, karaoke and much more - kicks off at 7pm this Friday, May 25, and Concrete Playground has tickets to giveaway. Tickling your late night gallery fancy, Friday's ARTBAR will include Sydney-based photographer and video artist Justene Williams, whose Crutch Dance television installation (pictured) is currently on display at the MCA. Held on the same day at Vivid Sydney's opening night, guests of the first ARTBAR will have the double pleasure of experiencing the priceless views of Sydney Opera House ablaze with light projection from URBANSCREEN. Plus, music from DJs Charlie Chux (Abercrombie), Perfect Snatch (Gay Bash, Shameless), Touch Sensitive (Van She) and Tyson Koh (Loose Joints FBI & Clambake). And if that wasn't enough, there will be karaoke 'with consequences' and hot shaves on the night. No ARTBAR event will be the same, so take a look at the event details on the MCA website. Concrete Playground has tickets to giveaway for the first ever ARTBAR on Friday, May 25. To be in for a chance to win tickets, make sure you are subscribed to Concrete Playground then email your name and address to hello@concreteplayground.com.au.
By now, you've probably had an absolute gutful of winter, not to mention of everyone else's European holiday snaps clogging up your Instagram feed. Plus, daydreaming about tropical getaways doesn't quite stack up to the real thing, right? Well, wannabe jetsetters, if you've got a vacation-shaped hole in your life, it turns out this is your lucky week, because a mammoth travel sale is hitting the internet tonight. The bargain-filled Click Frenzy Travel sale returns for a 29-hour online shopping riot, kicking off at 7pm on Tuesday, August 2019. And it's chock full of airfare, cruise, accommodation, tour and holiday package deals, for all kinds of budgets. Though, with a lineup of over 600 sales, it's going to be pretty hard to book just one trip. Virgin Australia's offering up to 40 percent off a range of domestic and international journeys, with prices starting from just $69. You can nab some wild discounts on holiday packages in the likes of Bali, London, Europe and Fiji from the crew at Luxury Escapes, or take advantage of savings of up to 50 percent on select Intrepid Travel trips to destinations including the Galapagos Islands and Croatia. [caption id="attachment_661817" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Intrepid Travel trip to the Galapagos Islands[/caption] Cantik Bali Villas is offering luxury private pool villas from $85 per night, G Adventures is knocking 25 percent off some of its worldwide tours, and Kogan Travel is slinging an array of hot deals including an 11-day China tour from $699. You'll also find $1057 return Air New Zealand flights departing Melbourne and Sydney for sunny Buenos Aires, as well as a stack of Beyond Travel deals, including mega savings on a 2020 Iceland cruise tour. In a Click Frenzy Travel first, this week's sale will also feature a cool 99 percent off 'Go Overboard' deals, up for grabs in limited quantities. The lineup is set to include everything from $2 Beats headphones (usually $250) to $500 Flight Centre vouchers priced at just $5. Dust off that suitcase and start plotting your annual leave — it's holiday time, finally. The Click Frenzy Travel sale runs from 7pm on Tuesday, August 20, until midnight on Wednesday, August 21. You can find it and all the tasty travel bargains here. Top image: Underwater temple ruins in Bali.
This holiday season, restaurateur Maurice Terzini (Icebergs Dining Room, Ciccia Bella, Bondi Beach Public Bar) has once again joined forces with Sonoma Bakery to bring Sydneysiders a festive treat: an extra-special, limited-edition panettone. An Italian sweet loaf first created in Milan, panettone is typically baked and eaten during the holidays. The Icebergs and Sonoma version is made for Christmas lunches and dinners, too. But, as Sydneysiders first discovered in 2019, this one combines traditional Italian techniques with native Aussie ingredients — so, it's made for enjoying alongside a plate of fresh prawns next to the pool (or on the beach). The 2020 panettone goes heavy on ingredients sourced from Something Wild and Daniel Motlop in South Australia, with a big focus on supporting First Nations communities. While the traditional version is studded with the likes of dried raisins, candied orange and lemon zest, this one uses sandalwood, davidson plum, lemon myrtle and green ants — with the latter giving it a citrusy flavour according to Icebergs head chef Alex Prichard. These panettones are not simple creations in general, either. Each one takes more than 36 hours to make, including time spent hanging upside down — to keep the dome shape and the crumbly texture — as soon as it comes out of the oven. If you're keen to nab a taste, the panettone is now available on the dessert menu at Ciccia Bella in Bondi and Parramatta and, of course, Icebergs. You can also nab a whole one for $65 to take along to your next Chrissie party from Icebergs and Ciccia Bella, as well as Woollahra's Victor Churchill, Newtown's P&V Wine + Liquor Merchants and natural wine bottle shop Drnks (online store only). Yes, this collab panettone is fast becoming a Christmas tradition. The Icebergs X Sonoma panettone costs $65 and is now available to-go from Icebergs, Victor Churchill, P&V Wine + Liquor Merchants and Drnks online store. You'll also find it on the dessert menu at Ciccia Bella and Icebergs.
Roberto Succo (aka Roberto Zucco) — murderer, kidnapper, hijacker, thief — was Europe's Public Enemy Number One during the early '80s. He was also a womaniser with movie-star looks and a chilling ability to charm. At just 26, he committed suicide following a failed escape attempt from an Italian prison. Shortly afterwards, French playwright Bernard-Marie Koltes transformed Zucco's brief, strange, tormented and tormenting life into a play. Titled Roberto Zucco, it turned out to be Koltes’s final work and was first performed posthumously in Berlin in 1990, under Peter Stein's direction. “Killers never look like killers,” Zucco explains, in a calm, controlled tone. “Killers go for quiet little strolls in the crowd, just like you and me.” Koltes’s script, like Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, attempts to go beyond the hysteria of headlines, to explore the murderer as human. Zucco appears as a Hamlet-like philosopher (minus the innocence and indecision), tortured by his own mortality, agonisingly alienated, capable of kindness and even poetry, yet driven to kill. We don’t learn anything more, in terms of specific motivations. An absurdist-influenced, fragmented structure depicts Zucco's deranged mind, darting from cold calculation to insane ranting, with vignettes presenting various heinous crimes, from the strangling of his mother to the shooting of a teenager to the seduction of a virgin who falls hopelessly in love with him. Le Theatre des Assassins, a brand-new company promising to “keep the Sydney theatre scene alive and awake with controversial, innovative, thoughtful, quirky and immensely entertaining theatre” brings Koltes’s script to the Old Fitz stage via Martin Crimp’s English translation and a minimalist yet visually striking production. Yvonne Hocothee’s set features piles of black milk crates as the only props (with the exception of a few guns) and two expansive vertical panels lit (by Larry Kelly) in a spectrum of colours, shifting the mood deftly and effectively. Occasionally, the characters slip behind them, transforming into larger-than-life silhouettes. Director Anna Jahjah’s interpretation is big on physicality. The actors move about the stage in broad, sweeping gestures. The menace of abuse — be it murder-to-victim or brother-to-sister, psychological or sexual, potential or real — is depicted through disturbingly forceful contact. At first, it’s arresting, but after a while, too much of a good thing results in a loss of impact. As the great musician Sun Ra famously said, “Space is the place.” Tim Cole plays a suitably handsome but not overly convincing Roberto Zucco. Somehow, he’s just not mad, bad or potent enough. Gemma Scoble, as the deflowered-virgin-turned-prostitute who we know only as ‘The Girl’, is similarly insufficient. We need her to be more vulnerable, more shocked, more desperate. ‘The Sister’ (Danielle Stamoulos) has the opposite problem, overdoing her character to the point that we’re constantly aware she’s acting. ‘The Brother’ (Lucas J. Connolly) is appropriately brutish and intimidatory, but doesn't do fragile so well. Some of the minor parts were played with more punch. Adrian Barnes is the stand-out, displaying his depth and flexibility as both ‘The (frenzied, alcoholic) Father’ and The Old Gentleman whose helplessness elicits an unexpected show of compassion from Zucco. The same goes for Lyn Pierse, who plays the murderer’s despairing mother, a comedic knitting woman and ‘The Madam’ of a brothel. Her 'Panic-Stricken Prostitute', Delphine Vuagnoux, is charismatic and real, while Sam Dugmore and Neil Modra demonstrate adept comic timing as well-meaning but hopeless guards and detectives. In selecting Robert Zucco as their first-ever production, Le Theatre des Assassins have taken on a challenge. They’ve affirmed their vision as a quirky, dynamic company but still have some fine-tuning to do, which is to be expected, given that few artistic endeavours emerge fully formed. Let's see what happens next.
Australia's famed collection of oversized attractions has just gained a new addition, with the much-hyped arrival of The Big Melon in Chinchilla, Queensland. This latest 'Big Thing' takes the form of one very juicy looking watermelon, very much at home in the town long known as the 'Melon Capital of Australia'. Chinchilla's biennial Melon Festival helped rocket the town to victory in a recent nationwide competition by travel site Wotif, in the hunt to find the location and giant-sized star of the country's next 'Big Thing'. Following thousands of submissions from the public and a pretty fierce voting process, the Big Melon claimed victory over fellow sizeable finalists, Glen Innes' Big Kilt (NSW), Mittagong's Big Tulip (NSW) and the Big Peanut in the Queensland town of Kingaroy. Chinchilla's fruity new arrival clocks in at over three metres tall and almost nine metres wide, taking pride of place at the town's Visitor Centre. It joins a group of over 150 towering landmarks dotted throughout the country, from longstanding icons like the Big Pineapple (QLD) and Big Banana (NSW), to more recent additions including the Big Olive (SA) and the Big Ant (SA). The Chinchilla Melon Festival regularly pulls over 15,000 visitors from all corners of the globe, with the 25th anniversary edition happening from February 14 to 17, 2019. The event features a jam-packed program of melon-inspired revelry, from melon 'skiing' and a melon race, to a melon-eating competition and a melon bungee fling. There's even a festival weigh-in to find the area's heftiest melon — a title which looks to be a shoo-in for the town's new oversized landmark.
Not a sauv blanc fan? Think rosé is just alcoholic red cordial? That's cool (though we'll defend rosé 'til the death). Or perhaps you're simply a lover of all boozy beverages. Whatever your stance, the Bendigo Craft Beer and Cider Festival may be right up your alley. This one-day event returns to Tom Flood Sports Centre on Saturday, March 23. Brewers from across Australia will be represented, with more than 100 different beers or ciders to take a punt on. The 2019 lineup boasts heavy representation of Victorian craft brewers including local Bendigo crew Brookes, plus Tooboorac Brewery, Cornella Real, Shedshaker Brewing and more. Meanwhile, The Side Project, Modus Operandi and Green Beacon Brewing Co will be making the trip from South Australia's Limestone Coast, Sydney and Brisbane respectively. There'll be live music, food trucks and festival games to keep the mood up for the day, too — think Giant Jenga and table tennis. Nabbing a VIP marquee for your crew is an option, but we think the real win would be just plonking yourself down on the nearest haystack and sipping your cold brews through the afternoon. Entry to Bendigo Craft Beer and Cider Festival is $38.80 with discounts available for group bookings of five or ten people. To purchase tickets, head this way.
How do you solve a problem like the dreaded middle seat, everyone's least-favourite spot to sit on a plane? While Qantas is letting customers pay extra to have no one next to them, Virgin has taken a different approach: hosting a Middle Seat Lottery to encourage passengers to nestle in, with a heap of prizes on offer as incentives. One such reward for slotting into the middle? Limited-edition Virgin bar carts. If you've always wanted your own at home — and, based on how quickly Qantas' fully stocked versions sold when it put them up for grabs during the pandemic's early days, you do — you just have to agree to sit somewhere you usually wouldn't by choice to go in the running. There are four money-can't-buy Virgin bar carts on offer, all with a different theme. These ones don't just come stocked with booze, either, with each hand-refurbished cart filled with goodies focused around either disco, day spas, watching flicks at home and sports. The first cart, which is the prize for whoever wins the lottery for flights between November 14–20, includes a spinning mirror ball, cocktail shaker, Bluetooth speaker and smoke machine. That'd be the disco fever cart, clearly, and it's all shimmery on the outside as well Exactly when the other carts will slot into the Middle Seat Lottery's prize pool hasn't yet been revealed, but they're all similarly packed. The day spa cart comes covered in rattan, and features a robe, eye mask, slippers, aromatherapy diffuser and candles, while the at-home cinema cart includes a customisable cinema-style letter board, a popcorn maker, candy bar and movie projector (and it's upholstered in red velvet). Or, sports fans can enjoy a cart with a removable esky, drinks coolers, a Marshall speaker, an AFL Sherrin and a pop-out basketball hoop. Running since late October until Sunday, April 23, 2023, the Middle Seat Lottery is as self-explanatory as it sounds. Plonk yourself down in the abhorred seat — with a ticket, of course — and you could score goodies for your trouble. The freebies change each week, but there's more than $230,000 in prizes on offer across the six-month competition — only if you either select the middle seat or you're assigned it. As well as the bar carts, those prizes span Caribbean cruises with Virgin Voyages, complete with flights to and from the USA; a helicopter pub crawl in Darwin, again with flights there and back included; and a Cairns adventure package, which covers flights, accommodation, bungy jumping, river rafting and other activities There's also flights and tickets to your AFL team's away games in 2023 — and, still on Aussie rules, an AFL Grand Final package, covering a lunch, tickets to the game, being on the boundary line before the match, merch and an after party. One prize will be given out each week, with 26 prizes in total across the competition's duration. And if your week doesn't coincide with a holiday giveaway, platinum Velocity Frequent Flyer status with one million points is also on the freebies list. An hour or so in a seat you wouldn't normally pick for the chance to win holidays, heaps of footy or frequent flyer points to book more holidays? Worth it, probably. To go in the running to win any of the above, you do need to be a Velocity Frequent Flyer member over the age of 18. And, you'll have to fly somewhere within Australia, on a Virgin Australia-operated domestic flight, during the competition period — in a middle seat, obviously. Also, to enter, you then need to use the Virgin Australia app within 48 hours of your flight's scheduled departure time, tapping on the Middle Seat Lottery tile, finding your flight and entering your details. From there, winners will be drawn each week and contacted if they're successful. Virgin Australia's Middle Seat Lottery runs until Sunday, April 23, 2023. For more information, head to the Virgin website. Images: Carly Ravenhall. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
The Concrete Playground team is out and about soaking up the Sydney Festival in January. Here's what we've found so far — this diary will be updated as the festival progresses. Bullet Catch January 17-20 at Carriageworks It might seem glib to predicate a show on a trick with a live gun. But that's only if you haven't seen Bullet Catch, written and performed by Scotsman Rob Drummond. It's part magic show, part theatre, and I'm in awe the whole time — not all because of the illusions. Maybe because of the insight into human psychology that allows him to perform acts of mind-reading and manipulation, Drummond has created a piece that is incredibly emotionally and intellectually involving — taxing, even (in the good way). I can scarcely imagine what it's like from the closest seat in the house; one audience member is picked for show-long participation that includes sharing personal memories, reading letters from an accused murderer and, eventually, shooting Rob in the face. At this performance, the strong-minded Liz is a total star. I hope, after a few drinks, she looked back on the experience fondly. -Rima Sabina Aouf, editor Hot Dub Time Machine January 10, 11, 18 and 25 at the Spiegeltent A few days ago my colleague Jasmine referred to Hot Dub Time Machine as a "glorified jukebox". I wouldn't say that statement is inaccurate so much as incomplete. Hot Dub Time Machine is a perfectly theatricalised glorified jukebox. The secret power source, 'hot dub', fuelled by your dancing; the special 'Hot Dub Power-Up Dance Move Multipliers' dedicated to each decade; DJ Tom Loud constantly hyping the crowd — they all combine to compel you to dance, particularly in a confined milieu like the Spiegeltent, and particularly with a crowd of true believers like these. Every minute, the song switches, and we receive it with screams and rapture as though it were the actual artist appearing live, and they had just started to play their most well-known and loved song. It's an incredible ride; either get on board or go home. -Rima Sabina Aouf, editor Bullet Catch one of the most amazing performances I've seen - and I don't just mean the magic. Emotional, thoughtful, involving. #sydfest — Rima Sabina Aouf (@rimasabina) January 19, 2014 I, Malvolio January 16-19 at Carriageworks Tim Crouch wants me to laugh at his naked butt. Me and everyone else in the room. He is wearing longjohns soiled in every possible way, covered with flies and utterly pathetic. His character, stuffy steward Malvolio, was in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night bullied, tricked into thinking his mistress was in love with him, publicly humiliated and institutionalised. Naked butts are funny. Victimising the weak is wrong. What's a theatre patron to do? This is just the kind of inner conflict and confusion Crouch wants to illicit. That he manages to do so during such an accessible, entertaining and well-constructed show is what marks him as one of the UK's most admired theatre makers. He's also just a terrific performer to witness, disarming even while pee-stained. -Rima Sabina Aouf Oedipus Schmoedipus January 9 to February 2 at Belvoir If you listen to many Sydney theatre reviewers, you'll believe there's something wrong with you if you enjoy the opening act of Oedipus Schmoedipus, apparently the festival's most divisive work. But I'm here to say it's bloody brilliant (emphasis on the bloody — it's basically writer-performers Zoe Coombs Marr and Mish Grigor killing each other and themselves in numerous vivid ways). The comedic timing, the ingenious weapon/blood-pack concealment, the improbable wailing of 'Love the Way You Lie' — it's impeccable. There are other highlights in the hour that follows (including creative use of a couple dozen new volunteer performers squirming on stage each night), though its persistent weirdness can get alienating and a bit tired later on. Oddly enough, considering the show's whole premise is riffing on the theatrical canon, it's fans of said canon who will likely hate the result. Intrepid arty genre-hoppers, your presence is required. -Rima Sabina Aouf, editor Amadou and Mariam's Eclipse January 9-11 at the Town Hall As a sighted person, it was hard not to become somewhat disoriented when the lights cut out at Amadou and Mariam's Eclipse. Once you adjusted to having lost a sense, however, it was really quite an amazing insight to, for at least an hour and a half, experience the world as a blind musician does. The joyful and vibrant performance is broken into 11 songs, each marking an important milestone for Amadou and Mariam's, woven together by narrative interludes written by Malian poet Hamadoun Tandina as well as elements of scent. Yes, you read that right: scent. This aspect of the performance was somewhat more subtle. If you were unaware that the fragrances were being piped into the hall purposefully, you would assume that the person sitting next to you had maybe been a little trigger happy with their new perfume. Did the performance benefit from this pleasant add-on? Not so much. But the idea of presenting the audience with a rich array sensuous experiences is certainly an interesting one. -Rebecca Speer, senior art writer Summer Sounds in the Domain January 11 Children, teens, parents, grandparents and great-grandparents converged on this year's Summer Sounds in the Domain. Maybe that's because Hot Dub Time Machine — a short history of chart-toppers since 1954 — promised something for everyone. Or maybe it’s because Chaka Khan's been doing her thing for so long that her music conquers generational divisions. We'll never know. But the first hour saw the 100,000 or so members of the Domain crowd on their feet, unanimously getting down to the likes of 'Let's Twist Again', 'Superstition' and 'I Will Survive'. Being amongst a Sydney crowd so decidedly uninhibited was definitely refreshing, but it was difficult to see Hot Dub Time Machine as anything much more than a glorified jukebox. The promised mixing and mashing were pretty minimal. Chaka Khan, on the other hand, delivered what you'd expect — a couple of hours of searing funk. Backed by a powerful band, she moaned, grooved and belted her way through all the classics, decked up in a sparkling silver and black jumpsuit. Of course, the favourite, 'I'm Every Woman', was saved up for the finale. -Jasmine Crittenden, writer Amanda Palmer January 9-19 at the Spiegeltent It's a rare artist that can have you nearly crying over the death of her step-brother and then laughing about, um, pubic hair (you guessed it!) — within the space of three minutes. It also takes someone special (if not extraordinary) to successfully challenge this reviewer's utterly uncharitable cynicism regarding amateur ukulele-ists. Amanda Palmer did it all during her first hour in the Spiegeltent on Thursday, January 9. As the opener for a ten-concert series, it was everything you'd expect of a Palmer extravaganza — funny, surprising, funnier, bizarre, hilarious, sad, over too soon — performance that's honestly, unashamedly interwoven with the fragility, confusion and the ecstasy of real life. New tunes ('Map of Tasmania', 'Vegemite'), Dresden Dolls classics ('Coin Operated Boy'), a chilling version of Australian ballad 'The Drover’s Boy', and two unexpected guests (one naked) all featured. Palmer promised that no two nights at the Spiegeltent would be the same. - Jasmine Crittenden, writer LIMBO January 8-26 at the Spiegeltent LIMBO is the latest in the dirty, artsy, mischievous Spiegeltent circus tradition, and it's a pretty great example, the best in some time. Charm is the strength of these performers from Strut & Fret. And actual strength is also a defining skill, as they hop around on their hands, balance their colleagues on their heads and swallow flame. They're jacks of all trades, including beatboxing and tap dancing. Although there's a little too much 'filler' in the first half, they work up to some breathtaking and theatrically finessed stuff — and the fact that all the music is created live by resonator guitar, tuba, pedals, mixing bowl and other sparse instruments just adds to the magic. -Rima Sabina Aouf, editor Chilling at @carriageworks for the @sydney_festival with a Hendricks G&T in preparation for #lavoixhumaine - perfect Friday evening — Jack Arthur Smith (@jackarthursmith) January 10, 2014 La Voix Humaine January 9-13 at Carriageworks There's no doubt La Voix Humaine — one of the festival's headline shows based on Jean Cocteau's 1927, self-destructive solo monologue of one woman’s fatally catastrophic mental decline post-relationship breakup — represents the hardships, both haunting and harrowing, of one of life's most relatable emotional disasters. However, at times, sadly, this modern adaption is a little confusing and somewhat inconsistent when translating to a 2014 audience. Overall, a deeply affecting performance — credit to Halina Reijn’s representation of a severely pathetic, broken woman — but, previously billed as one of the world's greatest solo plays, might leave you a little disappointed. Jack Arthur Smith, writer Turns out we love jumping. #sacrilege at #sydfest a big hit. -Concrete Playground Sacrilege January 8-26 at Hyde Park Sydney Festival might have cracked the Rubber Duck formula. For the second year in a row, they've found a showpiece with that special combination of factors that fills grown adults with childlike glee and small children with... their regular glee. Sacrilege is a 34m replica of Stonehenge by Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller. A 34m inflatable replica of Stonehenge you can bounce on. They let on 100 people at a time in ten-minute blocks, and the crowds are loving it and loving Instagramming it. We grabbed the last bounce of the day just before 9pm, and it was 95 percent adults losing their shit (but still respectfully minding their manners). -Rima Sabina Aouf, editor #sydfest Village in full swing. The place to be for the next 2.5 weeks. -Concrete Playground Festival Village January 8-26 at Hyde Park First thoughts on the Festival Village? It is a big win for festival director Lieven Bertels and SydFest 2014. The fairy lights, the beach-ball lanterns, the Messinaweiners, the smoke peeling off the Food Society barbecue, the bars, the books, the seating options strewn all over — this is just the kind of city beer garden Sydney lusts for. With two major venues and the already much-loved inflatable Sacrilege in its bounds, the Village is a true festival hub — one that you don't need a ticket to enjoy. Is it massive and involving enough to surpass Festival First Night? Very nearly. -Rima Sabina Aouf, editor The big bouncy #sacrilege goes up in Hyde Park for #sydfest. -Concrete Playground
Snapping street art is old hat now, with the halls of Instagram strewn with the point-and-shoot documentation of many a Banksy, Shepard Fairey Obey knock-off and epic East London murals. But the only real reward is a couple of likes from your buds back home, what if you could gain kudos from the artist themselves? Beloved Parisian street artist Invader has launched a brand new game for snappers, the perfect complement to his celebrated '70s 8-bit video game-inspired critters hanging about on walls worldwide. With the brand new app Flash Invaders, you're encouraged to find the artist's iconic little Space Invader installations, take a shot (or 'flash'), upload it to the app and earn points for each successful snap. The Flash Invaders app doesn't accept imposters, comparing your photo with a database of images to match it up. If you've found a genuine Invader, you earn points for that particular work. And don't try to trick the app with phony Google-searched photos either, as the software has been designed to only allow users to 'flash' the Invader works when you're actually in front of it — your bedroom-bound GPS location gave you away. But where can you find these little critters (and how can you tell if it's the real deal)? Head to Invader's website to check out the international locations of his official installations. Unfortunately, there's not too many in Australia, one in Perth and this one in Melbourne: Your best bet is to casually head to the artist's hometown, Paris, where there are over 1000 Space Invaders lurking in alleyways, atop buildings and along stairwells. These are the thumbnails from Invader's website, to get the picture: Or try Rome: Maybe Vienna: Perhaps Varanasi: Start playing Flash Invaders here. Via Vandablog.
There's no shortage of things to do on a trip to Paris, or iconic sights to see. Between now and September, visitors can add taking a dip in a canal to their travel bucket list — and while it mightn't initially sound all that special, it's the first time Parisians have legally been able to do so in nearly a century. As part of the annual Paris Plages, a summer-long event that turns the banks of the river Seine into short-term artificial beaches, the Bassin de La Villette now boasts three temporary pools. Measuring 100 metres in length in total and 16 metres across, the trio of splash-tastic bodies of water is comprised of a shallow paddling pool for kids, a second shallow pool with a depth of 1.2 metres and a 2.2-metre deep pool for adults. Given that going for a swim isn't just about jumping into some refreshing H20, with lazing around afterwards also part of the fun, the pool area includes a beach with huts, deckchairs and palm trees — aka a tropical getaway right in the heart of the city. And if you're wondering why it's all so novel, Paris' canals have historically been known for their murky state, making the fact that the Bassin de La Villette is now clean enough for people to soak in an event worth celebrating. While the pools will be dismantled at the end of the season, it is hoped they'll return next year. Paris has further plans to open up its waterways, including in the Daumesnil lake in the Bois de Vincennes on the eastern side of the city, as well as part of its 2024 Olympics bid. In Australia, similar plans have been mooted for Melbourne and Brisbane, although neither have come to fruition yet. Via The Local / The Guardian. Image: Jmpoirier1
Glamping has been having a renaissance in recent times. For too long, your fussy friend was always the one to kill the vibe on every camping trip. You know the kind — the one fumbling with expensive battery packs and car adaptors for their hair straightener while the rest of the group settle into full Bear Grylls-style wildling life. But now, the tables have turned. Now, the glamper has an awesome arsenal of James Bond-level gadgets at their disposal and, if you laugh at them, they won't let you into their amazing impromptu hot tub. The latest invention to set glampers' hearts aflutter, the Nomad Collapsible Hot Tub is exactly what it sounds like. Delivered to you in what must seem like the most infuriating IKEA-style flat pack ever, the tub is easily transportable within a regular-sized duffle bag. When fully assembled, this vinyl-coated slice of heaven transforms to a structure 1.5m wide and 60cm tall. It holds 850 litres of water and approximately four or five super-chilled adults. As idyllic as this concept sounds, it obviously hinges on a few important things. For instance, unless you carry 850 litres of water with you wherever you go, you really need to be camping somewhere with easy water access. The tub needs to be filled with the help of a pretty hardcore water pump, and it has to be heated with a nifty little water heater coil. This means two things: you really have to be prepared — this isn't the $2 shop blow-up pool you fill up with the hose on Australia Day — and you have to willing to pay for it. In a special sale offer, Nomad are selling both the tub itself and the water heater coil for US$990. But that's not taking into account the water pump you'll need to fill it or the inevitable postage you'll rack up in shipping both to Australia. All in all, you'd surely be looking at around $1500 for a dip in the spa. Plus whatever exorbitant costs you and your glamping buddies are already paying for a tent with a king size bed in it. All things considered, it still has a crazy amount of pulling power. Even if you can't assemble an IKEA flat pack to save your life, even if you consider a ticket to the hot springs a splurge in the budget, even if you get pruny fingers immediately after jumping into any form of hot water, you really can't deny how much better your camping trip will be with a gadget like this.
If you have lived in Sydney for frankly any time at all, you should be familiar with King Street Wharf mainstay Cargo. It's the place that you inevitably end up when, already a few drinks down, someone in the group (occasionally you) suggests finding a dance floor to tear up. But the appeal of Cargo stretches beyond after-dark dancing. A recent overhaul has brought a funky metropolitan buzz to the venue with a new palette of concrete, glass blocks and pops of royal blue. Combined with its prime real estate overlooking Darling Harbour and this pretty appealing package, Cargo is an ideal spot to get your day drink on. Each Saturday and Sunday, Cargo hosts Get Spritzed, a 2.5-hour deal on bottomless spritz cocktails. For $60 per person — and a minimum of two people, no getting boozed alone — you and your mates can spend the afternoon slinging many an Aperol spritz. In addition to the well-loved classic, there's also a Campari spritz, a sweet rosé spritz and a fruity tropical spritz to try. Even day-drinking rookies know that the key to going the distance is a lined stomach so the package also includes a selection of starters and pizzas to share. There's certainly worse ways to spend a Saturday or Sunday. Already have weekend plans? Never fear. Cargo also has some pretty sweet midweek deals including Happy Hour — from 4–7pm, Monday to Friday, when you can pick up a vino for $5, a schooner for $6, house spirits for $7 or a cocktail jug for $18 — and Throwback Thursdays, which features 90s hip hop and R&B. Bookings for Get Spritzed are available from 12–3pm each Saturday and Sunday. Head to the website to reserve a table. Image: Anna Kucera
When Netflix released the first season of Heartstopper in 2022, audiences found it easy to say "I love you". When the streaming platform dropped the show's second season in 2023, the same was true of this coming-of-age gem. But in the first look at the series' third season, uttering those three words is causing plenty of anxiety for Charlie Spring (first-timer Joe Locke) — so much so that he's practising what he wants to tell Nick Nelson (Kit Connor, Little Joe) in front of the mirror. Netflix hasn't quite unveiled a trailer for the upcoming third instalment of this webcomic-to-page-to-screen delight, but it has released footage as part of its date announcement. So, everyone gets a very brief sneak peek at one scene — Charlie's nerves, his sister Tori (Jenny Walser, Call the Midwife) offering advice and Nick showing up at his door — and also the knowledge that the show will return on Thursday, October 3, 2024. This season will open with an episode called 'Love', fittingly, as Charlie attempts to express it verbally and Nick also has something to say to him. Expect the pair to learn more about each other — including Charlie seeing Nick in a singlet and Nick seeing Charlie in a cap, both for the first time, as per the just-dropped clip — and also start to think about the future beyond high school. As charming as romantic comedies, LGBTQIA+-championing tales, British series and coming-of-age stories can get so far, Heartstopper has proven a show to swoon over regardless of whether you currently are or ever have been a queer teen trying to be true to yourself, navigating adolescence and riding the emotional rollercoaster that is falling for someone. Its first season proved such a hit that Netflix renewed the series for two more go-arounds afterwards — with the graphic novel's author and illustrator Alice Oseman as the show's writer (and creator, obviously). Story-wise, Heartstopper began with Truham Grammar School pupils Charlie and Nick Nelson being seated next to each other at the start of a new term, with sparks flying swiftly and overwhelmingly — at least on Charlie's part — and then a life-changing love story blossoming. In season three, a few well-known faces are joining the cast, with Hayley Atwell (Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One) playing Nick's aunt, Eddie Marsan (Back to Black) as Charlie's therapist and Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton) as Charlie's celebrity crush. Check out the first look at Heartstopper season three via the date announcement video below: Heartstopper season three will stream via Netflix from Thursday, October 3, 2024. Read our reviews of season one and season two. Images: Netflix.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, you'll find Little Beach Boathouse perched right on the edge of Nelson Bay's Little Beach. In fact, when the tide is high, the outdoor seating area of the downstairs bar and cafe, Below Deck, is actually over the water. Upstairs, the main restaurant offers coastal dining at its best — fresh seafood and a winning view of the shimmering bay. The restaurant opened back in 2013 (followed by the bar in 2016) with a focus on locally sourced ingredients — from the seafood and produce to the drinks. The extensive wine list heavily features drops from the Hunter Valley, and local craft brewery Murray's makes it on the beer list. Lunch is a fairly straightforward affair — one main and sourdough for $40 per person. But you're given the option to add in starters and dessert if you want to linger a little longer admiring the view (you will). Prawn cocktails, Port Stephens rock oysters with native pepperberry mignonette or Hervey Bay scallops with cauliflower puree are among your upgrade options. Come dinnertime, you can opt for a two- or three-course set menu ($55 or $65 respectively). Predictably, it's mostly seafood on offer, think squid ink spaghetti, miso glazed salmon and market fish, but there are meat and vegetarian options, too. Image: Destination NSW
It's December 16, you need to get a Secret Santa gift for your Aunt Cheryl, but you a) don't know what just likes, and b) really don't want to brave a Westfield. What do you do? Well, if you find yourself in this exact predicament, Centennial Park's end-of-year plant sale might just be your Christmas miracle. Centennial Parklands is getting rid of its excess plants for as little as $2. From 9am on Saturday, December 16, the inner city park will put a range of succulents, bird-attracting natives and indoor babies up for sale. Just head to the nursery next to the new Wild Play Discovery Centre. Pick up something for Aunty Cheryl, and something for yourself while you're at it. Because everyone likes plants and, this way, you can bypass Bondi Junction altogether.
The past few years have seen virtual reality, technology spawn some pretty nifty things in the world of film and TV. Film festivals from Cannes to Byron Bay have added VR programs to their lineups, and cities across the globe have introduced festivals dedicated entirely to the technology. But you know VR has really taken hold whenthe world's oldest major film festival jumps on board, and in a big way. Kicking off its 74th run this week, the Venice Film Festival looks to have its sights set firmly on the future, hosting its inaugural Venice Virtual Reality competition and even taking over an abandoned island to showcase the selections. Creepily enough, Lazzaretto Vecchio was once a quarantine island and leper colony, but during the festival, which runs from August 30 - September 9, its hospital hallways and semi-renovated buildings will instead play host to a lineup of VR installations. There'll also be a dedicated VR theatre inside a former hangar, complete with revolving seats. The Venice Virtual Reality program features just 22 VR pieces from over 100 submissions. Six of those are huge, room-scale installations, which find visitors interacting with the space around them, and sometimes even with live performers. Highlights include Danish film Separate Silences, which features a near-death experience in hospital; and Alice - The Virtual Reality Play, an Alice in Wonderland-inspired piece from France, where viewers interact in real time with the film's characters. Credit: submarinechannel.com / Image: La Biennale di Venezia
