Thanks to Sydney's year-round calendar of events, big nights out look a little different these days. This month, instead of squeezing into a bar, we're headed for the stands — because from March 1–21, Sydney becomes centre stage for the AFC Women's Asian Cup Australia 2026™, welcoming the region's best women's football teams to Stadium Australia and Western Sydney Stadium for three weeks of world-class action. As the premier women's football competition in Asia, the tournament brings powerhouse national teams — including Australia, China PR, DPR Korea, India and more — to two of Sydney's biggest arenas. Expect electric atmosphere, high-tempo matches and edge-of-your-seat finishes as players leave it all on the pitch for national glory — all dialled up to 11 when you're there in person. [caption id="attachment_1077381" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Football Australia, Photo by Misch Bocska | MB Photomedia[/caption] Sydney hosts an incredible run of fixtures across both venues, from early group-stage clashes to blockbuster knockout matches — including the showpiece Final at Stadium Australia. Mark your calendar for Australia's International Women's Day clash against Korea Republic at 8pm on Sunday, March 8; two quarter-finals on March 14 and 15; a semi-final on March 18; and the final on Saturday, March 21. With most matches taking place at night, you'll have plenty of chances to shake up your after-dark routine and catch some of the world's brightest footballing talent up close. For local fans, it's a rare opportunity to catch the Matildas in action on home soil, with star players Sam Kerr and Mary Fowler returning after long-term injury layoffs. Under new coach Joe Montemurro, the Aussies enter as one of the favourites — and will be looking to the home crowd to help lift the AFC Women's Asia Cup title for the first time since 2010. [caption id="attachment_1077384" align="alignnone" width="1920"] AFC Photo Library[/caption] Whether it's a night out with family or mates — or even a different kind of date night — this is the kind of event that feels bigger than 90 minutes of football. The women's game is in the midst of a generational rise, and this tournament is where the next breakout star or the next iconic goal could unfold live in front of you. Add affordable ticket options — with prices starting at $20 for adults and $10 for kids — and a festival-like stadium atmosphere, and your next night out is sorted. [caption id="attachment_1077530" align="alignnone" width="1920"] AFC Photo Library[/caption] The AFC Women's Asian Cup Australia 2026™ takes place between March 1–21 at Stadium Australia and Western Sydney Stadium. For the full Sydney fixture and to get your tickets, head to the ticketing website.
It was a busy couple of days in Melbourne as the city's hospitality and retail industries enjoyed their first weekend of trade post-lockdown, but it was especially momentous for online activewear retailer Stylerunner. On Saturday, October 31, the brand celebrated the launch of its first-ever bricks-and-mortar store, opening the doors to a 200-square-metre flagship space on Armadale's High Street. With eight years and an ever-growing following under its belt, Stylerunner has now created an IRL shop space in collaboration with local creative studio Noise Noise Noise. It has a bright, mood-boosting colour palette and is filled with shapes and curves referencing organic forms and nature. Soothing natural scenes play out across the store's digital screens, while a cloud-inspired neon number floats above the rear lounge area. Shoppers can expect a suite of thoughtful touches, from the styling suite call buttons promising speedy service to the complimentary water and luxe, recyclable packaging. There's even a signature store scent to enjoy while you get in that retail therapy. Gracing the racks is a lineup of threads, sneakers and accessories from dozens of well-loved local and international sportswear labels, including La Detresse, Nike, PE Nation, Exie and many more. Stylerunner's upcoming namesake line will also be on show. There's more to come, too, with Founder Julie Stevanja, revealing plans for at least two more stores coming soon to NSW and Queensland. Find Stylerunner's flagship store at Shop 1152-1154 High Street, Armadale.
There’s something a-brewing in Sydney’s bar and restaurant scene. Between the rise of the foodie blogger, pop-up stalls featuring the world’s best food and gourmet food trucks, the lines between food of the street and fancy kind are being blurred. You might experience the best meal of your life from a takeaway box or find a world class chef slogging away at a tiny hole-in-the-wall. The revolution is happening, friends. So we’re not at all surprised to announce that the guns from Mojo Record Bar are opening a tiny, chill, no-fuss CBD venue wherein you’ll find some of the city’s biggest names in the industry. The Easy Eight may only have capacity for 60 patrons, but it's going for big impact. The bar, which has only been open for about two weeks, borrows tried and tested themes from Mojo (think great music and a chill vibe) and combines them with a gastropub ethos — sans the pretension. Styled up like an authentic U.S. diner, it's located in the laneway off Clarence Street, which you've probably frequented a few times on visits to Baxter Inn. The big names come in with the menu, which has been created by Harry Stockdale-Powell and Jack Bathurst, who between them have worked at some of the biggest venue in town, including Rockpool, Bacasse Marque, Sepia and Toko. According to Harry, the concept for Easy Eight was born from the desire to drink and hang out in a low-key environment, but have access to come damn fine food options at the same time. Isn’t that all anyone wants in life? But down to the brass tacks. The menu will feature indulgent dishes like lobster mac 'n' cheese, New York-style deli boards and beef-dripping roast potatoes with salted chilli — which is the kind of fare that will make your poor drunk brain explode with pleasure. And rest assured you will be drunk, because here’s a rundown of the drinks list. Alongside the immaculate beer selection, you’ll find a Popcorn Old Fashioned (served with popcorn-infused bourbon and maple syrup), the Apple Pie (apple, vodka and pie crust) and the Fairy Bread Fizz, which is basically a meal in itself with vodka, lemon, egg white, sugar and hundreds and thousands. Yeah. This is the kind of magic that happens when chefs get together, get creative and democratise good food. A thousand points to Easy Eight. The Easy Eight, 152-156 Clarence Street, via the laneway at the back of Baxter’s Inn, is open now.
Adjacent to the ivy's rooftop pool, Uccello is an Italian-inspired diner for the city worker looking to capture those European long lunch vibes. The menu, designed by head chef Ben Sitton (ex-Rockpool Bar & Grill and The Savoy Grill, London), is fresh, flavoursome and brings together some of Italy's best dishes in a relaxed Australian atmosphere. There are antipasti aplenty, with cold and wood-fired offerings ranging from a house-made buffalo ricotta with asparagus and basil to split Yamba prawns with chilli. While Pasta lovers will find solace in the spaghettini with clams and mussels and potato gnocchi with tomato, stracciatella and basil. Plus, the restaurant's stone oven is put to good use, cooking New England lamb saddle with white asparagus and salsa verde, Burrawong chicken with salt-baked heirloom carrots and pistachio and market fish of the day served with smoked pepper trapanese and pipis. If dessert is in order, you'll find the classics, including pannacotta (with strawberry and salted caramel almonds), semifreddo (with passionfruit and salted caramel macadamias) and tiramisu on the menu. Otherwise, grab something exciting off the highly extensive wine list, and head out to the pool to enjoy it in the sunshine.
Singapore's food scene reflects the diversity, passion and innovation that runs through the city. From fine-dining restaurants that push culinary boundaries to hawker stalls recognised by Michelin, there's a good meal to be had in every corner of Singapore. If you're feeling intimidated by the sheer volume of choice, let our guide take some of the pressure off. We've teamed up with Singapore Tourism to shed light on some classic Singaporean fare, as well as where to find them. [caption id="attachment_979197" align="alignnone" width="1920"] John Heng[/caption] Kopi Start the day off with a cup of fresh coffee, or 'kopi' as it's locally known. Drawn from traditional Malay coffee, kopi is complex, full-bodied and packs a strong kick. Robusta beans are roasted in margarine and sugar, before being strained through a cloth sack or sock. A traditional kopi is served with a splash of condensed milk, with options to switch things up from there. For a milkier brew, try a Kopi C (black coffee with sugar and evaporated milk), Kopi Gah Dai (with more condensed milk), or the foamy Kopi Tarik (cooled down by pouring the drink between two cups). There are also kopis with less sugar or dairy, or the completely black Kopi O Kosong. You'll find kopi all around Singapore, but we'd recommend going to an old-school kopitiam (coffee house) like Tong Ah Eating House or Heap Seng Leong — which is especially known for its rich Kopi Gu You (served with condensed milk and a square of butter) — where you can pair your caffeine hit with kaya toast and eggs. Zi Char Comfort food at its simplest. 'Zi char' refers to a type of home-style cooking dished out by casual eateries and food stalls around Singapore. Local staples include wok-fried fare such as hor fun and char kway teow (stir-fried rice noodles), pork ribs cooked with coffee or marmite, and seafood or meat coated with salted duck egg. For some authentic zi char outside of hawker centres, head to Keng Eng Kee Seafood for signature plates such as the seafood hor fun with Chinese sausages and egg, butter cereal prawns, salted egg squid and marmite chicken. New Ubin Seafood is a more contemporary zi char restaurant, but still serves classics like bee hoon (vermicelli noodles), fish head curry and crispy fish skin in salted egg. Nasi Lemak Traditionally a Malaysian breakfast dish, nasi lemak combines the subtle sweetness of coconut with the spice of sambal and bite of dried anchovies. A typical serving consists of rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaves served alongside a variety of accompaniments, including cucumbers, a hard-boiled egg, crispy dried anchovies, roasted peanuts and sambal (chilli paste). The Coconut Club is — aptly — a local favourite for nasi lemak. The restaurant's signature dish comes with the option to add fried chicken, beef rendang curry, a fried egg or grilled fish cake. Dickson Nasi Lemak also specialises in the national dish, serving only nasi lemak from morning to the afternoon. Add-ons include fried chicken leg or thigh and chicken or beef rendang, paired with hot or iced kopi or teh (tea). Peranakan Cuisine Hailed as one of the earliest fusion cuisines, Peranakan (or Nyonya) food is a mixture of Chinese, Malay and Indian cooking techniques with colonial influences. Its roots trace back as far as the 15th century, when Chinese migrants began settling in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. Well-known Peranakan dishes include ayam buah keluak (chicken with buah keluak nuts and a tamarind and spice-heavy gravy), laksa, fish maw soup, palm sugar cake made with bouncy tapioca flour, and kueh salat (pandan and coconut custard atop sticky rice). If you're keen to try the cuisine, look no further than Candlenut. Helmed by chef Malcolm Lee, Candlenut is the first Peranakan restaurant to be awarded with a Michelin star. The Ah-Ma-Kase option means you won't have to struggle with making any decisions — just sit back and let the kitchen bring you heaping plates of its beloved classics. Another Nyonya gem serving Peranakan and Singaporean cooking is National Kitchen by Violet Oon, housed inside the historic National Gallery Singapore. Hainanese Curry Rice Another amalgamation of cultures, Hainanese curry marries Indian spices with Peranakan stewed cabbage, European pork chop and Chinese soy sauce for maximum flavour in every bite. Other combinations include braised pork belly or chicken, with sides of egg, bean sprouts, tofu or seafood. Beach Road Scissors Cut Curry Rice and Loo's Hainanese Curry Rice have been slinging out loaded plates of Hainanese curry for decades. Open until 3.30am for those late-night cravings, Scissors Cut is known for the way each plate is prepared — once you've chosen what you want with your curry, the chef uses a pair of scissors to chop the ingredients up with incredible speed and dexterity, before topping it all off with the curry sauce. On the other hand, Loo's serves its curry with each component on separate plates, so you can choose to mix and match as you wish. You can't go wrong either way. Book your Singapore holiday now with Flight Centre. All images courtesy of Singapore Tourism Board.
When Michael Le was a child his grandmother would often serve caramelised pork belly with rice on the family dinner table. Le now offers a revised version of this dish in the form of a Vietnamese pork roll in his restaurant, Great Aunty Three. The caramelised pork roll ($6) captures the essence of what Le and wife Mai are trying to achieve: fresh, authentic, quality Vietnamese street food. The pork, slow cooked in coconut juice for up to five hours, is tender and juicy, combined with fresh vegetables in a crusty Vietnamese roll. The roast pork roll ($6) is also a winner, drenched in a honey mustard sauce, crisp bits of crackling and copious amounts of carrot, cucumber and coriander. Watch this space for the up and coming chicken roll. Rice paper rolls, although common in Sydney, can be a hard art to master. Great Aunty Three does not disappoint, with a delicious duck roll, a prawn roll that is paired well with a rich sweet chilli and peanut sauce and a surprisingly tasty and hearty vegan roll (all $2.80 each or three for $6.80). To go with your rolls, try a Vietnamese tea or a refreshing fruit shake. Michael, Mai and their staff are warm and welcoming. The red decor is at once striking. Patrons can sit at small tables and stools outside on the footpath or benches and a soon to be communal dining table inside. Stopping in for a roll on the go is becoming a thing, too. Inspired by family, and authentic Vietnamese street food passed down from generation to generation, Great Aunty Three makes you feel instantly at home.
If you were a kid of the 90s, you probably have an innate curiosity with exploring lighthouses fuelled by many afternoons of watching Round the Twist. And on Fingal Island, you can do just that. First things first: it's not actually an island, but rather an irregularly shaped headland at the northeastern end of Fingal Bay. It's connected to the mainland via a sand spit but, due to hazardous conditions at the spit, it's impassable on foot. But you can reach the landmass via boat. To make the most of your trip, we recommend joining one of Imagine Cruises' eco-tours. The tour, which takes approximately three hours, includes a guided walk to some of the island's best spots, including the legendary Port Stephens Lighthouse. Here, you'll get to climb the spiral staircase of the sandstone structure, take a peek at the keepers' quarters, learn stories of its long history and perhaps spy a whale or two from the balcony in the winter months. The tour also includes visits to Government Cove, Shark Bay and a secluded Aboriginal fish trap lagoon — the latter two are great swimming and snorkelling sites during warmer weather, too. Images: Destination NSW
Ever since Urthboy's pioneering hip-hop crew The Herd welcomed the political demise of John Howard with"finally the king is dead we cried off with his head", it was clear this was one rapper who didn't fit hip hop's chest-beating conventions. And now the man born Tim Levinson is bringing his unique brand of Aussie hip-hop to the Annandale. Since the chart-topping success of Macklemore's marriage equality anthem 'Same Love', hip hop with a conscience has been back in a big way. Yet while Macklemore trades in gimmickry and overt sentimentality, Urthboy offers his fans a heady mix of brains and the lefty protestor, with songs that tackle that most unsexy of topics: politics. With everything from Australia's refugee policy ('77%') to the national flag ('Empire Tags') to Rudd's infamous 'Sorry speech' (in a GetUp!-sponsored reworking of the Paul Kelly classic 'From Little Things Big Things Grow'), Urthboy has become an unintentional and unlikely voice of a generation. He's now showing off a host of fresh new tunes from his hit album Smokey Haunts, so there has never been a better time to don your favourite Che Guevara T-shirt and jump on the Urthboy train. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Xc_V6qqx70I
In the most mathematical news since boffins discovered a pattern in prime numbers, the cast and crew behind of Adventure Time, the show that straddles generational gaps like it ain't no thing, are coming to town next March. It's going to be live, it's going to be loud and it's gonna be so flippin' awesome. Making quick trips to Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, Adventure Time Live will be an interactive, audio-visual festival that includes Q&As with cast and crew, cosplay competitions, live reads of classic episodes and much more to be announced. It's not a show, it's an experience, man. The event hits Australia between March 10 and March 12 next year, which will probably coincide with the largest gathering of adults pretending to be children pretending to be adults that this country has ever seen.
Some artists cover everything they can with dots and pumpkins. Others fill galleries with wool. For South Korea's Do Ho Suh, creating brightly coloured fabric structures — staircases, corridors and the like — is a big part of his impressive and attention-grabbing work. Known for creating large-scale sculptures and architectural installations, the acclaimed sculptor and artist fashions pieces that art lovers can walk through, within and around, all to truly experience his musings on space, memory and the body. And, if that sounds like how you'd next like to get your creative fix, Suh's work will be on display at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia this summer. From Friday, November 4, as part of the Sydney International Art Series 2022–23, the MCA will play host to Suh's first-ever large-scale solo exhibition in the southern hemisphere. A Sydney exclusive, it'll showcase not just his giant eye-catching pieces, but also other sculptures, drawings, prints, models and video works — which draw upon not only his childhood in South Korea, but also his time spent in New York, Berlin, London and elsewhere. [caption id="attachment_854872" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Do Ho Suh, Staircase-III, 2010, installation view, Museum Voorlinden, Wassenaar, 2019, polyester fabric, stainless steel, Tate: Purchased with funds provided by the Asia Pacific Acquisitions Committee 2011, image courtesy the artist, Museum Voorlinden, Wassenaar, Lehmann Maupin Gallery, New York, Hong Kong, Seoul and London, and Victoria Miro, London and Venice, © the artist, photograph: Antoine van Kaam.[/caption] Highlights include a full-scale reconstruction of Suh's childhood home using paper rubbings, which'll sit in the Museum's Level 1 North gallery as part of an inaugural presentation called Rubbing/Loving Project: Seoul Home; his Hub series, which lets visitors walk through his interconnecting fabric structures; and Staircase-III, which comes from the Tate Collection, and does indeed feature a hand-stitched fabric staircase. Or, there's the floor-based (and clearly aptly named) Floor, which is made from thousands of tiny sculptured figures with their arms in the air, all holding up transparent glass plates that gallery visitors will walk over — and also Who Am We?, a portrait-based piece that uses tiny pictures as custom wallpaper, and ponders identity and individuality. Plus, based on Suh's experience with conscription, Metal Jacket is made out of stainless-steel military ID tags that are splayed out like roof shingles or fish scales. Spanning three decades, the full range of pieces also includes other replicas of places that Suh worked or lived in over his life — and, as the huge, walk-through nature of many of his works demonstrates, a big focus on scale. [caption id="attachment_854883" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Do Ho Suh, Floor (detail), 1997-2000, installation view, Lehmann Maupin Gallery, New York, 2000, PVC figures, glass plates, phenolic sheets, polyurethane resin, image courtesy the artist, Lehmann Maupin Gallery, New York, Hong Kong, Seoul and London © the artist.[/caption] Do Ho Suh opens at the Museum of Contemporary Art on Friday, November 4, 2022. Top image:Do Ho Suh, Passage/s, 2017, installation view, Victoria Miro, London, polyester fabric, stainless steel, image courtesy the artist and Victoria Miro, London and Venice, © the artist, photograph: Thierry Bal.
If you like your spirits dark and your booze collection could use a top-up, then we know an excellent Aussie choice to add to that shopping list. Melbourne distiller The Gospel just cleaned up in the 2023 International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) earlier this week. The Brunswick-based producer took out a gold medal in the prestigious awards, earning a score of 96 points from the judges for its signature Straight Rye Whiskey. That impressive effort resulted in the sip being the highest-awarded Aussie whiskey in the entire competition. But wait, there's more. The Gospel's score also saw it become the equal second highest ranked rye whisky in the world. Not too shabby for a small distillery located in the backstreets of Melbourne's inner north. Judges described the drop as being "decadent and complex", noting: "the palate is harmonious and well-balanced, leading to a memorable finish." And it wasn't the only Gospel creation that impressed, with the team's Solera Rye Whiskey nabbing its own silver medal at the awards. This year's IWSC pulled more than 4100 entries from across the world, with more than 250 expert judges tasked with sipping, critiquing and awarding them. Thought to be Australia's only dedicated rye whiskey distillery, The Gospel crafts its booze using unmalted rye from just one farmer, who's located in South Australia's Murray Mallee region. It's helmed by Ian Thorn, the first maker in Australia to score Master Distiller accreditation. If you're keen to sample more of the distillery's work, The Gospel's also just dropped a new limited-edition cacao husk liqueur for Easter, made in collaboration with the chocolate masters at Mork. The Gospel Straight Rye Whiskey is available to buy from the website, as well as at select bottle shops across Australia.
There are more Japanese restaurants in Sydney than you can poke a chopstick at, but newcomer Kid Kyoto stands out from the crowd. Set against the backdrop of the alternative music scene of the 90s — with a generous dash of the 80s — this place is making its own rules and turning up the volume. The Bridge Street venue is the third CBD offering from the culinary guns behind Indu and Méjico, the Sam Prince Hospitality Group. True to form, it's ambitious in both scale and execution. This time around music — grunge, specifically (and lots of Nirvana) — is the headliner. It may not be the conventional way to approach a restaurant but owner Sam Prince is excited by the direction they're taking. "We're not just flirting with the idea of being music-led — it permeates through everything. I want diners to experience the songs and the lyrics almost as ingredients they're eating." Fine tuning this music-led concept into reality might be a stretch for most but not head chef, Seb Gee. You could say his partnering on Kid Kyoto was serendipitous — fate even — given Gee was listening to Rage Against the Machine as he made his way to his trial. "I'm a child of the '90s so when Sam told me the idea for the restaurant, I was like, 'done — that's perfect'." Gee worked with his team of chefs to develop a menu that pays homage to classic Japanese flavours while toying with surprising ingredients and textures. "People aren't going to be getting the usual takes, like sushi, sashimi," he says. A lot of time was spent looking at the fundamentals of Japanese cuisine before "flipping it on its side". Gee describes the cooking at Kid Kyoto as "Japanese with a sprinkle of Nine Inch Nails on top". There's a strong seafood bent too, raw dishes like smoking salmon sashimi and cold squid 'udon' salad pique the taste buds. Meanwhile, the Cloudy Bay clams with bonito schmaltz and roast tomato miso is a nod to Gee's New Zealand and Jewish heritage. To quench your thirst there's a selection of sakes and Japanese whiskeys fit for an emperor. For those more cocktail inclined, the folks from Archie Rose have teamed with Kid Kyoto to develop a bespoke gin, which combines with Noilly Prat and junmai daiginjo sake in the Kid Kyo-tini. The Ama-tonic is a magic muddle of shiso sake, yuzu marmalade and a house-made cherry tonic. The nostalgia extends to the building itself, a heritage-listed site that backs onto the cobbled Bridge Lane in the city. The design evokes a slightly moody izakaya, stripped back walls contrast with hits of neon and burnished Japanese timber. For a closer look inside, check out our long-form feature on Kid Kyoto. Images: Letícia Almeida.
When André 3000 asked 'what's cooler than being cool?', he might have been prophesying what went down in Thredbo last week. Because it was ice cold when more than 200 brave punters stripped down to Budgy Smugglers for a mass ski and snowboard down the snow-covered mountain. The inaugural Kosci in Your Cossies event took place on Thursday, July 25, with the keen riders descended on Australia's highest bistro and bar — at the top of the scenic Kosciuszko Express Chairlift — just after lunch. Here, they changed into their teeny-weeny custom-made Kosciuszko togs and one-pieces before heading to the start of the country's third-longest ski run. The Supertrail covers a whole 3.7 kilometres of snow— which is a fair distance to travel in clothing better fitted for the beach, folks. Thankfully, the sun was out, the wind was minimal and the mercury hit a balmy five degrees when the riders carved their way down the mountain. After speeding down to the bottom, the scantily clad skiers were greeted with crackling fires, warm beanies and a Kosciuszko pale ale. As the sun set, the Kosci in Your Cossies Apres Party kicked off. Some (even braver) folk decided to keep their bathers on for a scarily long time as they danced to Joyride and Groove City, while others (smartly) decided to layer up with some warmer snow-appropriate attire. The night ended at the Kosciuszko Pale Ale Banger Party over at Keller Bar, where (fully clothed) snow bunnies danced till the wee hours to DJs and musicians — with a pint in hand. What the?!🤔❄️😱 Over 200 uni students took on the #KosciInYourCossies challenge! Who's in for next year? 😜💪🏄‍♂️Kosciuszko Brewing Company Posted by Thredbo Resort on Tuesday, 30 July 2019 Remember to Drinkwise.
The Mudgee Classic is part of The Classics, a national series of cycling events that take the best parts of the celebrated hobby and scaling it up to a level that makes it a bit above your standard Sunday morning ride. Set amongst the beautiful regional wine country of Mudgee, 268 kilometres north of Sydney, this yearly iteration is one weekend only and split into five different courses to cater to all experience levels. On Saturday, May 4, those looking for a cycling ride equivalent to 'the scenic route' will take to the Dirty Mudgee gravel ride, a 55-kilometre loop trail of rough-yet-scenic trails and smooth rural lanes and country roads across 700 metres of elevation. Then on Sunday, May 5, riders can challenge themselves across the Social Classic (35 kilometres), Roulers Classic (65 kilometres), Challenge Classic (120 kilometres) or Maxi Classic (170 kilometres). These four courses cater to all levels, and offer a variety of difficulty and scenic value to make sure you've got some pretty pictures for your pedalling. Images: Destination NSW
When it comes to the craft beer scene, Adelaide is often mistreated as the infant sister to Melbourne and Sydney. In truth, South Australia is making some of the best craft in the nation at the moment and is giving its 'older sisters' a serious run for their money. Adelaide even has one of the best craft beer festivals in the country — a barbecue and brew combo that has all of the makings to swiftly become one of the best worldwide. From the overnight mega-success story that is Pirate Life to bacon flavoured beers, Negroni IPAs and even a beetroot saison brewed by uni students, Adelaide is on the watch list in the craft beer world right now. Taking a trip down south? Here's what beers to drink and where to find them. If you aren't planning a trip anytime soon, we suggest you get those tickets booked anyway — for beer's sake, that is. [caption id="attachment_600792" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Nola.[/caption] WHERE TO DRINK Adelaide's small bar scene is booming in step with its craft beer scene and the two fit hand in glove. Even simple cafes like Cafe Troppo are housing two taps of craft alongside their eco-friendly fare and ethically-sourced coffee and teas. Craft beer and whisky lovers can't miss Nola, known explicitly for both. The New Orleans-style bar houses 16 taps that are constantly rotating and feature independent SA brewers, as well as Australia-wide and international guest stars. If 16 taps somehow isn't enough for you, they're also boasting an extensive list of one-off and rare release bottles. Now that's commitment to the craft. For an underground feel, the Bank Street Social (top image) is the speakeasy in these parts and reminiscent of Sydney's Baxter Inn. They're committed to showcasing SA craft beer and ciders in equal measure to their ridiculously large whisky wall. The Bank is the spot to search out the latest releases in the region while you get your boogie on or relax on one of their luxe, golden booths. If you're more into a classic pub style, The Wheatsheaf Hotel cannot be beat in these parts. Each of their 13 rotating taps are strictly craft only, with bottled beers from around the world as well. They also boast a beer garden, regular live music, board games and art exhibitions, so it's an all-round good time to be had. Benjamin on Franklin toes the line between small bar feel and classic hotel setup — this joint is less pub, more 1920s-style, bohemian beer purveyor. The three dining booths in their beer garden are the perfect escape for a intimate date over craft beer (what else?). [caption id="attachment_600794" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Pirate Life.[/caption] WHAT TO DRINK When in Adelaide, keep your eyes peeled for these big names in the small batch brewing game. A few you may recognise from your local bottle shop, namely Pirate Life, which has only been operating since 2014 and has done major things to catapult Adelaide, and Australia, onto the world craft beer stage. Big Shed Brewing Concern is another you may have heard of, considering the Facebook fame which their "Fresh as Fuck" campaign fostered — the crew hand-delivered beer from their Adelaide brewery to Sydney's Bitter Phew in less than 24 hours after kegging, all in the name of fresh beer. Sadly, many of these aren't yet shipping up north, but it's only a matter of time before you'll be sipping these across the country and hopefully around the world. [caption id="attachment_600795" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Barossa Valley Brewing Co.[/caption] EXTRA SPECIAL BREWS Pirate Life Brewing What to try: Cerveza Negra collab with Tomfoolery Wines Barossa Valley Brewery What to try: I Can't Believe It's Not Bacon Mismatch Brewing Co. What to try: Negroni IPA Smiling Samoyed Brewery What to try: Multi award-winning Dark Ale Campus Brewing What to try: Beetroot Saison [caption id="attachment_600796" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Little Bang.[/caption] OTHER AWESOME BREWERIES TO SCOUT OUT Little Bang Big Shed Brewing Concern Clare Valley Brewing Co. Fair Weather Malt Fiction Prancing Pony Pikes Beer Company Wheaty Brewing Corps. Marissa travelled as a guest of the Adelaide Beer and BBQ Festival. Top image: Bank Street Social.
Love dessert? Not so good at sports? Keen on using the former to help the latter? Well, it could actually happen. In the kind of culinary development that oh-so-many dreams are made of, an Italian cardiologist has invented an ice cream he claims will improve your sporting ability. So, who do you thank? Science, and Professor Valerio Sanguigni from the University of Rome Tor Vergata. He has crafted his own secret recipe for a gelato that has antioxidant properties. And, as anyone that has ever seen an ad for skin care products or trendy supermarket health foods knows, they're so good for you that television commercials won't stop shouting their praises. Sanguigni's three types of ice cream draw upon his own research into the area — into antioxidants, not ways to justify eating more frozen sweet treats (that's just an added bonus, though he is apparently a lifelong enthusiast). In tests, he gave chocolate, hazelnut and green tea-flavoured gelato to groups of volunteers, and then noticed that they subsequently pedalled faster on an exercise bike than those who ate ordinary ice cream. In short, their vascular function and physical performance improved. No word yet as to what Sanguigni's plans are for his sports-boosting dessert, though it sounds like the type of thing he'd want to start selling quick smart. So, just think: if you've ever wanted to be a little more active — and actually be good at shooting hoops, hitting balls or whatever other sport takes your fancy — gelato might help. With a Korean convenience store also selling ice cream as a hangover cure, it seems that your favourite chilled confectionery just might be the sweetest and tastiest super food of them all. Via Munchies.
It wouldn't be Good Food Month without the Night Noodle Markets — and it wouldn't be a Sydney food event without Gelato Messina. It should come as no surprise that the latter is popping up at the former, or that they've whipped up a few mouth-watering new menu items for the occasion. Commence drooling. Astutely taking inspiration from Asian cuisine, the dessert geniuses aren't holding back when it comes to tempting tastebuds across the 18-day event. And yes, you'll have to head to Hyde Park for these exclusive offerings; however given that everything from deep-fried gelato to caramelised puff pastry is involved, we're sure that won't be a problem. As far as quick-dipping cold, creamy confectionery is concerned, Messina is serving up a couple of dishes, so prepare to be spoiled for choice. Turron Not takes deep-fried banana and brown sugar gelato, wraps it in filo pastry and adds ube cream, kalamansi puree and coconut crunch. And then there's the smartly named Fryer and Ice, which features deep-fried caramel and coconut gelato, mango pudding and drizzled passionfruit caramel. Enjoying a different interpretation of an ice cream favourite is also an option, thanks to Only On Sundaes' concoction of salted coconut sorbet, black stick rice, lychee tapioca, caramelised puff pastry, lemon grass and white choc ganache. Plus, those after some good ol' gelato in an edible vessel — aka swirls of milk chocolate and green tea gelato, covered in white chocolate and pistachio crunch, and served in a green tea waffle cone — will want to want to try the Matcha Do About Nothing (and make a big fuss). Sounds delicious, doesn't it? When Messina is involved, of course it does. Fans after a more substantial dose of dessert goodness should also note that the gelato gods have just released tickets to this month's Creative Department Experience. It's going to be a sweet October. The Night Noodle Markets run from October 6 to 23 in Hyde Park as part of Good Food Month. Check out our ten tastiest events you can still get tickets to.
Sydney has no shortage of history, both owned and borrowed, to learn about this summer. From the long cultural history of the First Nations custodians of the land to the colonial bones of Sydney's architecture to the modern-day melting pot of cultures and stories, every era leaves its mark. We've combed through the Harbour City and found some historical gems that deserve your attention, whether you're a local or a visitor, starting with a new and exciting opportunity that will only be in the city for a few months. RAMSES & THE GOLD OF THE PHARAOHS — THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM The Australian Museum is always a top choice for history in Sydney, and this exhibit running until May 2024 is unlike anything the museum has ever hosted before. Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs is a multi-sensory, immersive experience for all ages and is exclusive to the Australian Museum. The exhibition explores the life and reign of the late Ramses the Great, Egypt's second longest-reigning Pharaoh, and is comprised of over 180 objects, each dating back approximately 3000 years. Ramses II lived well into his 90s, old even for a monarch, and each object captures important details of the era and his life. Items on display include jewellery, ceramics, small mummified animals, royal masks, and even the actual sarcophagus that Ramses was entombed in in 1213 BC. You'll also find an optional multisensory VR experience that will transport you virtually to two of the era's most significant monuments, the tomb of Queen Nefertari and the temples of Abu Simbel. [caption id="attachment_923966" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] QUEENSCLIFF TUNNEL AND HOTEL STEYNE — MANLY Sydney's own history spreads well beyond the centre of the city, from bush to coast. On the coastal side of town is a suburb that is one of the most well-known to the culturally, coastally and historically inclined — Manly. On the north side of Manly Beach, on the border of Queenscliff, is the Queenscliff Tunnel. It could easily be dismissed as a detail in the rocky headland, but it is actually a manmade tunnel, supposedly carved in 1908 by local fishermen to act as a shortcut between Freshwater and Manly Beaches. It's open to visitors but on an elevated cliff face, so remain cautious. Back on flat ground is another historical highlight, Hotel Steyne. Originally built in 1859, the pub has been destroyed by two mysterious fires, but the current building dates back to 1923 and is one of the best pub feeds in Manly. ILLOURA RESERVE AND THE FENWICK — BALMAIN EAST Among some of the lesser-known harbourfront historical areas, specifically in Balmain East, is Illoura Reserve. Before the arrival of European settlers, the area was a swamp, only established in land purchases in the early 19th century as a part of a 222-hectare grant to colonial Surgeon Dr William Balmain. Seeing the connection? Since then, the area has been used as a harbourside industrial precinct and a tip. One building that has stood since the 1880s is The Fenwick. Originally a store for harbour tugboats, it evolved alongside Illoura Reserve and is now a stunning waterfront cafe and art gallery. The menu stars local and seasonal produce, and the second-floor gallery showcases a range of local and international artists, with everything available for purchase. [caption id="attachment_923971" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Tim Downey via Flickr[/caption] PADDINGTON RESERVE GARDENS — PADDINGTON Away from the harbour, in the inner east hub of Paddington, we find a historical site that holds great significance to the city. More than just a public park, these are the Paddington Reservoir Gardens. This was where most of Sydney's water was pumped from its construction in 1866 to its closure in 1899. In its prime, it had a hefty capacity of just over 9000 megalitres. Still, it was closed and repurposed into a storage yard until 1934, when it was partially converted into a service station. When the roof collapsed twice in the 1990s, the station was again closed. Following a major restoration, the site was reopened as a park in 2009, combining elements of its history with overland reserves that had been constructed prior. Now, it's known for its beautiful but eerie appearance, almost like post-industrial Roman undercity ruins, but on Oxford Street. [caption id="attachment_826667" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] CREMORNE RESERVE AND MACCALLUM POOL — CREMORNE POINT Across the city and harbour is the suburb of Cremorne, one of the most disputed shorelines of Sydney Harbour's history. Once a site of great significance to the Cammeraygal people, the land was acquired by Europeans in 1833. Over the following years, it would be a public amusement park, residential development, and even almost a coal mine in the early 1890s. Thankfully, the point and reserve are now protected as a heritage conservation area. One of the gems of the location is MacCallum Pool, a harbour swimming pool originally constructed by local residents. It was maintained by locals until hygiene concerns of harbour swimming prompted North Sydney Council to take over maintenance in 1930. Renamed to MacCallum in tribute to one of its most loyal civilian carers, Hugh J MacCallum, the council has since restored the pool and added decking, landscaping and fencing to secure the pool and its visitors. [caption id="attachment_827016" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Anna Kucera[/caption] FOUNDATION PARK, FORTUNE OF WAR AND THE DOSS HOUSE — THE ROCKS The Rocks precinct is synonymous with Sydney's history, being one of it's oldest and most iconic heritage precincts. One hidden detail, an unmarked alleyway off Argyle Terrace, is Foundation Park. At first glance, it looks like a collection of discarded furniture, but it's actually a living museum designed to recreate the space and feel of Sydney's oldest homes. The history of The Rocks extends to some of its extremely popular venues, such as Fortune of War and The Doss House. Fortune of War is regarded as Sydney's oldest pub, originally built by a former convict settler in 1828. The name comes from its regulars, sailors and soldiers who were leaving and arriving in Sydney for (or from) war. The Doss House is equally historic, a heritage-listed underground whiskey bar with rooms that pay tribute to the building's many past identities, from a bootmaker workshop to a cheap accommodation for the desperate and even an illegal opium den. [caption id="attachment_923973" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Ryan Frank via iStock[/caption] BADU MANGROVES AND HOMEBUSH BAY — HOMEBUSH When you think of Homebush, history and nature might not be the first thoughts that come to mind. But one of the best-kept secrets of Sydney can be found in Homebush. Badu Mangroves is a 56-hectare slice of wetland between Homebush Bay and Bicentennial Park. Overlooked for most of Sydney's history, this haven of local wildlife was choked by pollution for decades but is now thriving again thanks to a restoration program and can be explored via an elevated boardwalk. The mangroves, as mentioned, are adjacent to Homebush Bay, and from the boardwalk, you can spot the famous 'floating forest', the wreck of the SS Ayrfield. Originally built in 1911 and part of a fleet of cargo ships that ferried coal, oil and wartime supplies, it survived WWII but is now being slowly broken down by a mangrove forest. A small slice of history, forever locked in the waters of the Parramatta River. For more information on Ramses & The Gold of the Pharaohs, or to book tickets, visit the website. For more experiences in Sydney, keep exploring Concrete Playground.
Compton was the epicenter of West Coast hip-hop in the late 1980s and early 1990s. NWA and then Dr Dre were the gangsta kings of Californian rap, so it’s appropriate that Dre has lent his approval to the new kid on the block, Kendrick Lamar, who hails from the same suburb in Los Angeles. Dre appears on and executively produced Lamar’s second album Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City, and although it’s unlikely Dre will land in Sydney any time soon, Lamar will perform a first show at the Metro on December 14 and a second at the Enmore on the 20th. A member of LA collective Black Hippy, Lamar released his first album Section 8.0 last year after the obligatory run of free mixtapes. The 24-year-old rapper has already sold out his first Sydney show, so hip-hop fans are likely to be queuing on Gumtree and round the block come December. Apparently a significant moment of Lamar’s creative life was witnessing Dre and Tupac Shakur film the video for California Love in 1995. Fast forward 17 years, and Lamar is bringing his West Coast love to Sydney. Tickets to Kenrick Lamar's second show at the Enmore go on sale Wednesday, 31 October at 9am.
Chances are, you've seen Parramatta Gaol on TV. And it's no wonder: built between 1835 and 1842, its spooky sandstone makes for dramatic TV settings. Having closed in 2012, Parramatta Gaol was the longest serving gaol in Australia. Over the years, several prisoners escaped by scaling the walls. But more unusual is the story of ex-prisoner Anthes, who, in 1926, tried to break in. These days, Parramatta Gaol is empty. Well, except for the ghosts who you may get to meet on a ghost tour. Apart from that, get a good view of the gaol from the outside and keep an eye for special events, including open days. Image: City of Parramatta
A brand-new interactive advertising campaign from Play Melbourne jumps energetically away from traditional advertising. In an attempt to allow tourists to experience a city before they actually arrive, the Remote Control Tourist lets online users control the movements of two real tourists and watch the results via live stream. Essentially, you sign into remotecontroltourist.com using your Facebook or Twitter account. You can see the map of where the tourist is, what’s nearby, and their video and audio feeds. Then, just send a request for that tourist to do whatever you want. For example, "Find out if Manchester Press do Brazilian coffee." They don’t. The logic behind the two peeps with camera strapped to their heads seems to be that typical tourism ads just show what the tourism company wants you to see, but as a tourist the experience is always totally different. So why not check out the tourist life before embarking on it, all from the comfort and safety of your own home? The idea is not so crazy. The real-life tourist doesn’t have to acquiesce to every request, so nothing creepy or weird is going to go down. Plus, it appeals to the God complex that hides deep down inside us all — who doesn’t want to have complete control over somebody for a little while? It’s also oddly addictive to watch a total stranger responding to online requests like that. So, if you want a chance to "go before you go" to Melbourne, check out the website between October 9-13. Images via Remote Control Tourist.
There's something rather cool about being ahead of the curve when it comes to cinema, watching the latest and greatest flicks on the silver screen well before anyone else. And, at Australia's biggest short film festival, you can do just that. The internationally acclaimed Flickerfest is celebrating its 32nd year come January 2023, so you can expect an A-class lineup of cinematic delights over its ten-day run. The annual event is Australia's leading Academy® Award-qualifying short-film fest, and is backed with BAFTA recognition, too. In January, you can catch screenings under the stars at the festival's beachside home in the northern end of Bondi Beach Park. The outdoor cinema will be set in a palm tree-ringed garden courtyard plus indoor screenings in the revamped Bondi Pavilion cinema, both supported by Waverley Council. You can choose from a program of over 200 short flicks from Australia and around the world, handpicked as the most inspiring, provocative and entertaining among the whopping 3100 submissions this year. The program is divided into 29 sessions, so you can plan your visit around the genres that interest you most — like comedy, romance, LGBTQIA+ and documentary films. Want to make a night of it? Drop by the festival's panoramic beachside bar for a pre- or post-show drink and snack. Plus, there'll be an ultra-swish opening-night gala and closing-night event which, for a few extra bucks, you can attend to be part of the action. After wrapping its Sydney stint, Flickerfest will share the short-film love and pop up at over 45 venues across the country between February and October. The 32nd Flickerfest International Film Festival will run from Friday, January 20 to Sunday, January 29. Tickets and the full 2023 program are available from Friday, December 16. For more information, head to the website.
It's alive: Guillermo del Toro's version of Frankenstein, that is, with the Oscar Isaac (Moon Knight)- and Jacob Elordi (The Narrow Road to the Deep North)-starring film on its way to Netflix before 2025 is out. Earlier in the year, the platform unveiled the movie's initial trailer. Now comes a range of images that provide a new glimpse at the director's version of Mary Shelley's horror masterpiece, including a first look at Elordi as the creature. Oscar-winning The Shape of Water director del Toro will be the first to tell anyone, as he did at Neflix's annual Tudum event for 2025, that he's long had an obsession with Frankenstein, that he's been weaving that affection for it into his work since he first hopped behind the camera and that making his own adaptation of the gothic-horror masterpiece is a dream come true. "This is, for me, the culmination of a journey that has occupied most of my life," he advised the crowd at the time. So far, from its trailer and images, that love for Shelley's now 207-year-old novel is evident in every frame of del Toro's Frankenstein. "I first read Mary Shelley's book as a kid, and saw Boris Karloff in what became, for me, an almost-religious stage," he continued at Tudum while accompanied by Isaac and co-star Mia Goth (MaXXXine). "Monsters have become my personal belief system. There are strands of Frankenstein throughout my films — Cronos, Blade, Hellboy, big time on Pinocchio, and a long, long [list], et cetera." Audiences will be able to watch the Netflix flick from sometime in November, with an exact release date not yet confirmed. Isaac portrays the feature's namesake, aka Victor Frankenstein, the scientist driven by tragedy to attempt to conquer the line between life and what exists beyond it. As the trailer notes, "only monsters play god". As Victor advises himself, "in seeking life, I created death". Also uttered in the movie's debut sneak peek, reinforcing its theme: "what manner of creature is that? What manner of devil made him?". Goth is Elizabeth, Victor's fiancée. From there, Christoph Waltz (Old Guy), Ralph Ineson (The Fantastic Four: First Steps), Charles Dance (The Day of the Jackal), Lars Mikkelsen (Dalloway) and del Toro regular Burn Gorman (Pacific Rim, Crimson Peak, Pinocchio) are also part of the cast. Frankenstein will never stop entrancing filmmakers, as it has James Whale back in 1931 when Karloff played the monster, Mel Brooks (Dracula: Dead and Loving It) with 1974 comedy Young Frankenstein, Kenneth Branagh (A Haunting in Venice) on his 1994 take, Danny Boyle (Yesterday) with his stage adaptation, Tim Burton (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice) via Frankenweenie and Yorgis Lanthimos (Kinds of Kindness) in Poor Things, plus Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Lost Daughter) with 2026's The Bride!, just to name a few other examples. Check out the trailer for Frankenstein below: Frankenstein will release via Netflix sometime in November 2025 — we'll update you when an exact date is announced. Images: Ken Woroner/Netflix © 2025.
The cold weather won't stop many from scoring a scoop of ice cream, but sometimes, a warmer bite just feels right. With this in mind, it's a good thing Gelato Messina is back with a new edition of its cult-favourite cookie pie. Made in collaboration with Tony's Chocolonely, this is the ideal chance to discover the brand's mission to end exploitation in the cocoa industry. Designed to be baked fresh at home, this feel-good cookie pie offers the ultimate treat for when you're rugged up on the couch. Plus, this inventive dessert hits all the marks of a winter treat: golden on the outside, gooey on the inside, and loaded with Tony's beloved milk and dark chocolate pieces. Crafted in-house by Messina's pastry team, expect each pie to resonate with the same thought and care as the brand's top-notch gelato. Speaking of, this molten delight is best served with a scoop of your go-to Messina flavour on top, helping to create your dream combination. Available from all Messina stores and for delivery from Monday, July 7, these limited-edition treats are served first-come, first-served. Just don't expect them to last long. Priced at $25 each, you're welcome to bundle with 500ml, 1L or 1.5L tubs of Messina gelato, so you can scoop at home until your heart and tastebuds are content. If you're keen to brave the cold weather, single-serve cookie pies will be served in all Messina stores (except Circular Quay and The Star) from Monday, July 14. Available from 5pm every Monday–Thursday throughout winter, these smaller portions are priced at $12, with your choice of gelato scoop making your after-dark adventure more than worth it. Plus, the team is getting in the mood by launching Brownie Points, a limited-edition flavour created to pair with your pie. Think salted milk chocolate gelato, lashings of caramel and Tony's double-choc brownie rolled into a toothsome scoop. It's available from all Messina stores from Saturday, July 12–Saturday, July 19, or until sold out. Tony's Chocolonely and Gelato Messina's cookie pie is available from all locations and for online delivery from Monday, July 7. Head to the website for more information.
Each Sunday, Lost Paradise and the Ivy link up to throw a raging end-of-week affair filled with some of the country's and world's best DJs. Lost Sundays has become a weekly mainstay of Sydney's nightlife scene, hosting everyone from local upstarts to global superstars like Four Tet, Denis Sulta and Skream. And, if you want to lock in a boogie for March, the event series is throwing a huge block party across the Ivy precinct. Lost Sundays Block Party will bring over 30 artists to the Sydney CBD on Sunday, March 17 for a huge precinct-wide shindig. Two of Australia's most exciting dance music exports lead the lineup, with DJ Boring and CC:Disco! both throwing down sets on the day. There are also some international additions to the program including Anz, KiNK, Special Request and Sally C. Plus, you can catch Chippy Nonstop, Gabrielle Kwarteng, Gerd Janson, Job Jobse, Kessler, Labat, Matisa, Sedef Adasi, Shampain, Sherelle and Spray. Discover 12 hours of world-class, dancefloor-filling tunes from 2pm and continuing all the way until 2am. Plus, food and drinks from some of Sydney's best restaurants has been promised so you'll be able to recharge between sets. If you want to secure your spot, standard tickets are available for $123, while VIP passes will set you back $174. Images: Jordan Munns
"I think a little bit is that annoying mosquito lead. It gets in your ear and it's hard to get it out." That's why Chris Stracey, one half of Bag Raiders with Jack Glass, thinks that the duo's perennial earworm 'Shooting Stars' not only initially resonated with listeners, but keeps resonating. More than a decade and a half has now passed since the peppy tune first hit airwaves; indeed, 2025 marks exactly 15 years since the track notched up 18th spot in Triple J's Hottest 100. The tune's story didn't end there, though, and not just thanks to that initial wave of love lingering. "Case in point: with the Troye tune, it opens with that and it's just instantly like 'oh okay, yeah, I'm in'. It's just one of those," Stracey tells Concrete Playground. He's referring to fellow Aussie Troye Sivan, who sampled ''Shooting Stars' in his 2023 single 'Got Me Started'. Between Bag Raiders first releasing their song and Sivan's track, the tune also went viral — and global — thanks to a meme that it'll forever be linked to, then rocketed up the Billboard dance charts. "It's been crazy. I mean, it's been good. There's nothing to complain about. But it just feels like it's total dumb luck in a way. The way the Internet works, you can't really engineer things like that. You just let it do its thing. It's surprising to us that it's continuing to do its thing, but I wouldn't say there'd been too many negative things that have come with it," advises Glass. "It's been amazing," pipes in Stracey. "It's been a lucky and crazy and awesome ride," adds Glass again. "It also had a weird arrangement at the time. It's just basically like verse, verse, verse, verse, chorus," explains Stracey. "And breakdown," reminds Glass. "Whereas most songs would go verse, chorus, verse, chorus," continues Stracey. "I remember that being a comment, that a few people were like 'what is that arrangement? I've never heard a song do that'. And we didn't really know much about writing songs at the time. We were just like 'oh, let's just make it chill and then make it big'. So maybe that hasn't to do with it, but I don't know." Bag Raiders will always be known for 'Shooting Stars', but the song that Flume has also covered with Toro y Moi is just the beginning of the duo's journey — well, after going to the same Sydney high school, reconnecting afterwards and teaming up to make music, forming the band in 2006. It also came after 2008's 'Turbo Love' became a radio favourite, and their remix of 'B.T.T.T.T.R.Y.' by K.I.M. (aka The Presets' Kim Moyes) made the Grand Theft Auto IV soundtrack. Jump to 2025 and two studio albums sit on their discography, 2010's self-titled release and 2019's Horizons, as do collaborations with everyone from The Kite String Tangle to Panama, their own record label and status as a music-festival favourite. Bag Raiders' next fest gig is AO LIVE, the music lineup that's been accompanying the Australian Open since 2003. Only one Grand Slam around the world pairs tennis with a music event: Melbourne's annual stint in the sport's spotlight. For 2025's AO LIVE from Thursday, January 23–Saturday, January 25, Bag Raiders sit on a bill filled with big names: Benson Boone headlines the Thursday night, Kaytranada does the honours on the Friday, and Glass and Stracey take to the stage on the final day, as do Kesha and Armand Van Helden. Music lovers who'll be filling the crowd aren't the only ones that are excited. So are Bag Raiders. What gets them pumped about being on any festival bill? "One big thing is who else is on the lineup," says Glass. [caption id="attachment_975224" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ashlea Caygill[/caption] "I would say in this case, it's such a sick lineup. To be on the same bill as Kaytranada and Armand Van Helden, who's a bit of a hero of ours, is pretty exciting. So that's something that I would say I look to. Also just to be in a cool, kind of weird environment — and this certainly fits that bill as well," Glass also advises, calling out how unique it is to be playing a music fest at a major tennis championship. Adds Stracey: "And also we're doing this one live, whereas the last few thing festivals that we've done, I think we were doing DJ sets — which is also really fun, but we've got this new live show that we've been building and it's been really fun to pop that off whenever we can. And doing it at a festival, and the atmosphere is tip top, is definitely going to be really fun." Glass and Stracey are indeed still having fun with Bag Raiders. Chatting through their career — how they started, their early influences, the 'Shooting Stars' experience, the path that's led them to here — they sound as inspired as ever, in fact. As for what the future holds, "I think just keep doing what we've been doing the last couple of years, which is making dance music, and going out and DJing it. I think we're in a good moment. So, more of the same please," notes Glass. Fingers crossed that their current idea of a dream collaboration comes to fruition, too: "We meet so many people along the way and then we just kind of go 'oh, you know what, it'd be fun to do a track with that person'," explains Glass of their process. "Actually, we were hanging out with the guys from ONEFOUR at Ability Fest. That would be quite a good collab. Those guys are cool as hell," adds Stracey. We also spoke with the pair about what they love about playing festivals, what audiences can expect from that aforementioned new live show, what they've learned along their journey, how the Australian dance music scene has changed and plenty more. [caption id="attachment_975226" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ashlea Caygill[/caption] On Bag Raiders' Favourite Part of the Festival Experience as an Artist Jack: "Being outdoors is kind of sick. We're so used to playing in sweaty clubs at like two in the morning. There's something very fresh and nice about being outdoors. And just the energy that people bring to festivals is different to a club. I don't know, it seems to be a bit more ... " Chris: "Like a one-off concert." Jack: "People are just like — the vibes are high." Chris: "Yeah, it's more, more, more, more — more of everything. More fun, more people usually." Jack: "More bands." Chris: "And that's also what's so fun for us, too. We've met a lot of really good friends in music now through playing at the same festivals, and just kicking it side of stage and watching their shows. That's really fun." On What Audiences Can Expect From Bag Raiders' New Live Show Jack: "Our new show is pretty turbo actually. It starts pretty hard and fast, and then continues to get harder and faster for the course of an hour." Chris: "So the journey will be from high energy to higher energy." Jack: "Yeah, kind of a take-no-prisoners live show that we've built." Concrete Playground: "That suits being at a sports event." Jack: "I think so." Chris: "Yeah, high intensity. Those people are used to watching the hectic stuff at the highest level, so we've got to also bring it." Jack: "We're all athletes, you know what I mean?" On How Influential 'Shooting Stars' Has Been in Putting Bag Raiders on the Path to Where They Are Today Chris: "We were just making tracks and putting them out, I guess, and we didn't really think that it would do what it did. We had no expectations of it, really. We were just working on a bunch of music, and then we just kept going and did the album it. It's been something that the outside perception of it is kind of bigger than the importance that we hold on it. We've never tried to do another version of that song or anything like that. It's just one of those funny things where you're making one thing in your bedroom, basically." [to Jack] "It was half in your spare room in your house, and then in our studio, the first studio that we moved into. And it's just incredible that you can do something like that and then it takes off." Jack: "But I think it's only looking back where you realise how weird and crazy that journey was. I think as it's gone, it's all felt pretty natural and normal. And then the internet stuff, like I said, has been kind of wacky but cool. But I don't think there's really ever been a moment where ... " Chris: "That's informed the new music that we've made." Jack: "Yeah, exactly." On the Original Dream When Bag Raiders Formed in 2006 — or Before That, When Glass and Stracey Knew Each Other in High School Jack: "I think just to be able to do that — and do that as a job." Chris: "Yep." Jack: "I didn't really dream much bigger than that." Chris: "Me neither." Jack: "But that's also not that easy to do. We've been lucky and we've worked hard and we've been able to do that. It's still a dream. It's like a good dream that we've kind of reached, I guess. I don't think either of us ever wanted to be global superstar DJs or in the gossip magazines. It wasn't anything like that. It was just to keep being able to make music which we both love, and to do that as much as possible, basically." On the Moment When Glass and Stracey Knew That Bag Raiders Was Their Job Now Chris: "I quit my cafe job, where I had to wake up at 5am and open the cafe. I was like 'I'm not doing this shit anymore'. It's because around when we started getting booked, after we get got some radio play on Triple J and we started getting booked to DJ, we're traveling. So we go to Melbourne and we go to Brisbane and we go to Newcastle, and we're like 'oh, cool, so people are paying for us to go to these other cities and then also paying us fees'. And for the amount of work that you do — I mean, there's a lot of travelling and you're doing work on music behind the scenes — but in terms of hours, a DJ gig is like two hours. And I'd been putting in eight- hours shifts, getting up at 5am or 4.30am or whatever. And I was like 'this has gotta go'." Jack: "Yeah, totally." On Bag Raiders' Diverse Range of Initial Influences That Started Them on Their Music Journey Jack: "I think at that time we were making all kinds of different music. We both had interest in electronic music, but it wasn't necessarily club music and dance music. And then at around the time when we started in Sydney, our friends are throwing these parties and we were attending them, and we were buddies with the DJs. And then I guess slowly the music we were making went from more-ambient stuff into more club-focused things, and then we would turn up at the club and give it to the DJs and they would just play without even … " Chris: " … Listening to it. It's actually insane." Jack: "Yeah, they trusted us enough to press play on CDs, which could've been anything. And I guess it was through the influence of that, the parties were called Bang Gang and the Bang Gang DJs were really big." Chris: "They also played all over the place. You would hear Daft Punk, you would hear kind of techno stuff and then you would hear … " Jack: "Fleetwood Mac." Chris: "Yeah, Fleetwood Mac. Bon Jovi. They were playing all over the place. It was that real anything-goes sort of vibe. And I think, also because we've always been into so much different kind of music — the first thing that we did as Bag Raiders was that mix CD that we called Bag Raiders, which was sort of the same, was all over the place, had a couple of our edits, but it had The Cure, it had 50 Cent, it had dance stuff. It had Cream, like Eric Clapton." Jack: "Outkast." Chris: "Yeah." Jack: "It was wild." Chris: "And I think we've just always tried to have that — we've never really been people that are just into one thing. All of our releases have kind of been all over the place, apart from recently, where they're a bit more geared towards the club world again. But it's definitely been that we've been influenced by loads of different stuff." Jack: "I feel like that's the ethos of Bag Raiders as well, to just raid from all these different genres and just put them all together in a big washing machine and see what comes out." On What Bag Raiders Takes Inspiration From Now, Almost Two Decades On Chris: "Since COVID really, I think both of us have been re-energised in making club music. It's been really fun to, because we had a couple of years and no shows at all, and it seemed like when DJ gigs started happening again, the energy from the people was just way more." Jack: "Yeah." Chris: "It was like a really hardcore kind of thing, like people are way into letting loose, it seems. So it's been really fun to just make the kind of music that we would be putting in our DJ sets anyway." Jack: "Or that we would want to hear if we were out in a club, for sure. And I think that's one thing we've probably gotten better at is understanding how clubs work and how to DJ and stuff. For sure 15 years ago, we had no idea for our first DJ sets — they were like absolute shitshows." Chris: "Train wreck." Jack: "Train wreck after train wreck. So we've finally learned how to DJ, I would say." On Whether the Success of 'Shooting Stars' Came with Pressure — and How Bag Raiders Handled It Chris: "Pressure to make another 'Shooting Stars'? A little. We definitely had a moment where we did an album that we thought was pretty cool and we loved it, and then the label's a little bit like 'oh, we need another 'Shooting Stars'-style thing. Like: 'well we're not – that's not what we do, bro'. It's funny, because labels will sign you because you did something that you liked for yourself that worked. And then as soon as it comes around to the second time around, they suddenly are like 'oh, we know what's going to work — you should do this thing that worked before and keep doing it'. And that's never been in our interest at all. But I mean, we've been out of a label deal for four years now or something like that." Jack: "Yeah, yeah." Chris: "And so for us it's just been so freeing, and you realise you really don't need labels these days. It doesn't take a $1000-a-day studio to make a record anymore. You can do it with a laptop in the library. And then barely anyone does music videos anymore as well. It seems like they just stick it up on social media or something, and that's it. It's kind of been really freeing and really fun to enter that world, too. Because especially in dance music, you do something and you're playing it out as you're working on it. And so as soon as you've gone 'oh, this is finished, it's ready to go, let's just put it out', the fact that there's no red tape anymore, to just be able to do something and then like suddenly it's out in the world, that's ... " Jack: "A good feeling." Chris: "Yeah, very good feeling." On Glass and Stracey Starting Their Own Label Jack: "It's been awesome. So far, I think we've only just put out our own music on it, right? It would be cool in the future to put out music of friends and music that we really like. But it's exactly like what Chris is just talking about. It just feels very freeing. And it's not even that no one's telling us what to do, because even had they done that in the past, we kind of wouldn't listen anyway. But it's more like there's no big machine. There's no bureaucracy. There's no like red tape. There's no waiting around for a label to get its ducks in order before something comes out. It's just all very immediate, and we can move really quickly. That stuff feels really freeing, I think." On What Glass and Stracey Have Learned Over Their Bag Raiders Journey So Far Jack: "I certainly know a lot more about how the music industry works now, and who the evil players are — who to avoid and who to buddy up with. And then in terms of music, I don't think our approach is that different to what it was back then, to be honest." I would like to think that's one of the secrets of our longevity and success. We never try to make music for anyone except ourselves. Whatever makes us feel good or happy in the moment in the studio, that's what we're going to make. Chris: "And I suppose we've been lucky, we haven't had any overbearing labels or managers or whatever forcing us in certain directions, so we've free enough to just do whatever feels good. And I think probably people can sense that or something, like audiences. I think people have much better radars than what some people think. They can tell if something's being forced or tailored, or tried to be created in some direction — and people want to listen to stuff that just makes everyone feel good." On How Glass and Stracey Have Observed the Australian Dance Music Scene Changing Since They Were Starting Out Jack: "When we came up and especially in Sydney, the scene was so strong and there were so many clubs. Right now we're in King's Cross at my studio, on a road where there used to be like six clubs — and there's none here now. So it's a bit sad. I feel like there's maybe less enthusiasm for clubbing from young people, and less people seem less convinced about its importance. You go to Europe and cities like Berlin, and it's such a big part of the fabric there, and it's recognised by everyone as a really important form of expression or art even. And I think we've lost that a bit in Australia. So that's a bummer. Having said that, the amount of good music that still comes out of here is very inspiring and sick, considering the constraints of what I was just saying. There's so much good stuff. A lot of what we DJ is Australian music from friends or people we like here. So yeah, I feel like the scene is really strong kind of against all odds in a way, with lack of support." Bag Raiders play AO LIVE on Saturday, January 25 — with the full event running from Thursday, January 23–Saturday, January 25 at John Cain Arena, Olympic Boulevard, Melbourne. Head to the Australian Open website for more details and tickets. In New Zealand, Bag Raiders are playing Gardens Music Festival on Saturday, March 1 at Auckland Domain, Park Road, Parnell, Auckland. Head to the event website for more details and tickets.
Journey back to the golden age of French cinema at the inaugural edition of the Alliance Francaise Classic Film Festival. Held over four days at Event Cinemas in George Street and Hayden Orpheum in Cremorne, this fledgling festival will showcase half a dozen iconic titles from the oeuvre of legendary screen actress Catherine Deneuve, whose poise and versatility have made her a staple of France's film industry for more than 50 years. Working chronologically, the program begins with a pair of 1960s musicals in the form of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and The Young Girls of Rochefort, the latter of which will open the festival on Thursday, September 3. Also from this period comes Luis Bunuel's sexually provocative Belle de Jour and Jean-Pierre Melville's A Cop. Jumping forward a few decades, historical epic Indochina earned Deneuve a Best Actress nomination at the 1992 Academy Awards, while 2010's ensemble comedy Potiche shows how talented she remains even after all this time.
Heathcote's Sydney Wildflower Nursery offers possibly the largest array of Australian natives in greater Sydney. It's got flannel flower, woolly bush, kangaroo paw, finger lime and edible coppertop berries, too — and that's just to name a very, very few. For those looking to delve deeper into Sydney's local flora and fauna, the shop hosts workshops a few times per year and the next one is on native bee keeping. The website also offers tonnes of tips for all you budding green thumbs there. And, if you're also a budding chef, the nursery sells a heap of edible Australian natives — such as the aforementioned finger lime — and the website has a heap of recipes, too.
Unsurprisingly, Paul Feig has had Wham!'s 'Last Christmas' stuck in his head for some time. Given that the Bridesmaids, Ghostbusters and A Simple Favour director's latest film is a festive rom-com based on the well-known 1980s hit, and uses 14 other songs by the late, great George Michael, that comes with the territory. "It never goes away — but in a great way," he explains. Feig isn't complaining. "The funny thing is that, when you're working on a Christmas movie, your entire year is Christmas," he says. "So, in the middle of May, when you're singing 'Last Christmas' while you're walking down the street, you're like, 'this is weird'. But now it all comes full circle and you're like, 'I'm all set!'." Starring Emilia Clarke as down-on-her-luck Londoner Kate, and Henry Golding as the handsome stranger who turns her life upside down — again, in a good way — Last Christmas isn't Feig's first Yuletide-themed movie. That honour goes to 2006's Unaccompanied Minors, although considering the higher-profile titles on his resume (he created cult TV series Freaks and Geeks, featured on-screen in the 90s version of Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and also helmed The Heat and Spy), it's hardly his calling card. Indeed, based on his past experience on that feature, he didn't particularly want to make another Christmas movie. But Feig is a seasonal film fan. His favourite picture of all time: It's A Wonderful Life. Guided by his background in the genre, his love of watching Christmas movies himself, and a witty script co-penned by Emma Thompson (after he almost directed her in Late Night), Last Christmas is his attempt to add a new perennial go-to to everyone's end-of-year viewing lists. With recently Feig visiting Australia to promote the release of the movie, we chatted with the filmmaker about all things festive on-screen, creating a "warm hug" of a movie and championing funny women — among other topics. ON RETURNING TO THE CHRISTMAS GENRE "It was really Emma Thompson's script. Honestly, I didn't want to do another Christmas movie — and she said, 'oh I've got this script together, you should read it and we should do it'. And I was like, 'oh how exciting, it's Emma Thompson'. And then you open it up and it says Last Christmas and you're like, 'oh no, it's a Christmas movie'. But it was so good. My favourite movie in the world is It's A Wonderful Life, and to me, this had elements of that. It had elements of just every rom-com I've ever loved, too. And also it had this great lead character in Kate, who's this very challenging woman who is not behaving the way that women are normally meant to act in these movies. And Emma's writing was so smart and so honest about this woman that I couldn't not do it." ON THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF A CHRISTMAS MOVIE "[On Unaccompanied Minors] I learned that a Christmas movie needs to have a lot of layers. It needs to really have emotion — and characters that people relate to, and feel that the kind of issues that come around Christmas sort are filtering through them. Those layers are what gives you depth and reality. Here, Last Christmas is not only about a women surviving a catastrophic illness, but it's also an immigrant story. And that really appealed to me — this displaced family who were doing well in their country and, because of a war, had to flee, and now they've ended up in this big city where they can't do what they normally did, and how they're all damaged by that. None of us set out to make a political movie, but at the same time, if you're going to make a film about an immigrant family in London in 2017, they are going to be affected by Brexit. It's going to affect their psyche. I really liked that that layer was in there, but not in a way of just being preachy or being anti-anything — just saying 'look, these are the consequences of how people feel because of these things'." ON TRYING TO MAKE A FILM THAT VIEWERS WILL REVISIT EVERY YEAR "You definitely think about it. It's funny — when I made Unaccompanied Minors, I'd never made a Christmas movie before. So you kind of go is 'well, the great thing about this is it's going to be a movie that people are going to watch every year, and it's going to become a favourite, a perennial!'. And then you find out that that's not true. There are a tonne of Christmas movies, and a lot of them are very forgettable. A lot of them just sort of disappear and don't make that once-a-year list. If you look at that list, it's incredibly small. So I just realised that you can't take it for granted, and you just really have to make the best movie you can. Again, it's all about the characters and story. That's the only reason that any movie works. But you also make it, as Emma calls this movie, 'a warm hug' — that, visually, it's got this beauty of Christmas to it, and it's got this happy, lovely glow. I wanted to make Last Christmas something you'd want to revisit, hopefully not just at Christmas time, but definitely when Christmas rolls around — to make it one of these things that you have warm memories about and makes you feel good. Because no Christmas movie doesn't make you feel good at the end. Maybe Black Christmas or some horror movie. Even then, I think probably the protagonist wins and defeats evil. I remember when I first saw It's A Wonderful Life in film school — and saying that if I could make a movie that makes me feel the way that I do at the end of that movie, if I could do that on my own, then I would be very happy. I definitely feel like, for me, our movie gives you that same world of feeling." ON THE CHRISTMAS MOVIES HE REVISITS AGAIN AND AGAIN "Love Actually is such a great one, because it's so uplifting. I love watching that because I can never get over what a master feat Richard Curtis did juggling all those stories in a way that you follow them all and care about them all — that's the hardest thing in the world. But then, I like Die Hard. I think that's a great Christmas movie. I know there's a lot of controversy — people say it's not a Christmas movie, but I'm on the 'it's a Christmas movie' side. And it ends with 'Let it Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!'!" ON CHAMPIONING WOMEN IN COMEDY — AND WEATHERING THE DEBATE SURROUNDING GHOSTBUSTERS "It just shows you how ridiculous and how behind the times Hollywood has been for so long — the fact that we're still arguing that. Especially about should women be in certain franchises or roles and all that kind of thing. But the most onerous part is just the 'are women funny or not?' question. You just have to scratch your head and go 'what year are we in? Is it 100 years in the past? Have I stumbled into a time machine or something?'. It's not even a valid question, but people still seem to bring it up. How many times can we disprove it? How many hilarious women can there be before people wake up. But I think it's the same thing as, when I talk to people and they go, 'oh, the food in London is terrible'. And I say, 'when was the last time you were in London?'. And they go, 'well 20 years ago'. That's the dumbest thing. You're just saying some stupid thing and passing along some trope that you heard somebody else say, and it doesn't even make any sense. So yeah, it's crazy." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co5jWMYsr34 Last Christmas is now screening in Australian cinemas — read our full review.
Internationally acclaimed photo-artist Samantha Everton has gone to extraordinary lengths to source exactly the right antique marionettes, hand-sewn curtains, kingfisher-blue smocks and oddball flourishes for her 2011 Marionettes series. From a distance, her domestic tableaux look like sweet snapshots of well-seamed splendour. Up close, they reveal themselves to be unsettling images of women caught in moments of silent implosion; the unhappy inhabitants of hyper-realities. Marionettes float in airless rooms, clamber up the wall; demonstrate the depths of their despair by plonking face-first into birthday cakes. Their immaculate baby-doll dresses mock the mendacity of modern fantasy, and in most photos a large stuffed bird, such as a duck, observes proceedings impassively. Everton is drawing attention to the difference between picture-perfect worlds and lived experience; her previous bodies of photographic art, namely the Utopia series, the Vintage Dolls series, and the Catharsis series, also illuminate women's psychological and sociological isolation. Everton always captures her images on traditional film using a medium format camera to heighten the surrealism of the narrative content and underlying symbolism. In Marionettes, her characters experience catatonic crisis in stifling settings and the unerring precision of her photographic processes means that we too dive into the shadowy depths of subconscious desire. Come witness these captured moments of implosion — in Blue Day, a woman hangs from the picture-rail in her bedroom, waiting for you. Image: Birthday Cake, Samantha Everton, 2011
Striking a balance between fun and serious dining can be difficult. Some restaurants lean one way, offering affordable meals, karaoke and 'Ring for Tequila' buttons. Others nail the full-blown fine dining experience. But Barangaroo's Korean barbecue and steakhouse joint SOOT manages to provide a mix of both, pairing vibrant communal dining and shots of soju with top-notch cuts of wagyu. SOOT lands next to NOLA Smokehouse and The Butcher's Block on Barangaroo Avenue from the hospitality group Kolture, led by David Bae (Tokki, Kogi), whose father introduced Australia to Korean barbecue in 1992. Each table is fitted with smokeless and odourless DIY charcoal grills ready to sizzle some high marble-grade beef for you and your friends. Hero dishes ready to hit the grill include the MBS9+ chuck eye roll steak, short rib cooked using a 50-year-old family recipe, on-the-bone rib-eye which can be ordered by the gram and marinated kurobuta pork ribs. Pickled and fermented items also feature heavily on the menu, with SOOT making its own kimchi, sesame bean sprouts, pickled onions, jalapeños, okra, asparagus or radishes in-house. Rounding out the extensive list of eats is Korean fried chicken or cauliflower, seafood pancakes, a raw bar featuring rock oysters and sashimi, minced wagyu bibimbap, tofu clam soup and truffle mashed potatoes. While the food menu features cuts of meat and truffle-infused veggies that could rival Sydney's new wave of omakase experiences, the drinks list is a joyous celebration of Korean spirits and sake. Cocktails range from miso sours and soju spritzes through to grapefruit highballs and Hennessy, lemon, jasmine and minted honey tea, but the extensive range of sake, soju and Korean ju are the real highlights. Ask the staff for recommendations and expand your soju palette with a variety of flavours, strengths and rarities. If you want to sample your way through the best of SOOT's menu and leave the decisions up to the chefs, turn your attention to The Butcher's Table set menu. This journey takes you through sections of the menu's hits including a banchan set, wagyu tartare, seafood pancake, shallot salad, assorted veggies, gyeranjjim, the dessert of the day and four carefully selected cuts of meat: the 240gm SOOT steak, the 120gm deckle steak, the ox tongue and the family-recipe short rib.
Want to get back to nature without actually having to rough it? Lucky for you, you can now take in the rolling hills of Mudgee in New South Wales, with the region's first ever luxury glamping service. Now taking guests, Sierra Escape is located 20 minutes drive from Mudgee's town centre, some 260 kilometres north-west of Sydney. The 280-acre property boasts spectacular views and is home to wildlife including kangaroos, deer and a variety of native birds. So yeah, basically it's paradise. The $350 per night tent — if you can even call something this opulent a tent — includes floor-to-ceiling windows, a king-sized bed, a camp stove and fridge, an ethanol fireplace and a separate bathroom complete with freestanding bath, shower and flushing toilet. It's insulated for all seasons, and there's even a deck out front where you can kick back and watch the sunset. "Sierra Escape aims to provide off-the-grid accommodation for those who love the outdoors but still enjoy the comforts of a luxury hotel," said co-owners Cam and Tasch D'Arcy. "Sierra is close to wineries and restaurants, but far enough from it all that it's the perfect retreat. We're excited to share Sierra with visitors to the area and hope their glamping experiences inspire a new way of travelling." For more information visit www.sierraescape.com.au.
The team behind multi-venue dining destination Hinchcliff House has been hard at work creating four new restaurants and bars at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth. The historic hotel, which has been undergoing a mammoth $60 million renovation, will eventually feature a Vietnamese-French fusion diner, Delta Rue, and a leafy rooftop oasis, Wentworth Bar, on its higher floors. However, before that duo open, its sister venues on the hotel's ground level will be welcoming their first guests from Wednesday, October 9. [caption id="attachment_974651" align="alignnone" width="1920"] (L–R) Nathanael Merchant and Elliott Pinn | Jason Loucas[/caption] A luxury 110-seat diner heroing Australian-sourced seafood cooked over charcoal, tilda will combine refined cuisine with a laidback Aussie vibe. Head Chef Nathanael Merchant (ex-Bently), alongside Precinct Executive Chef Elliott Pinn, has created a menu that features native ingredients incorporated into dishes that nod to Australia's multicultural culinary heritage, such as scallops with lemon myrtle, tamarind and coconut, and crab toast with seaweed butter, avocado and caviar. Sommelier Paul Sadler (ex-Chophouse) will also favour locally produced drops, with major vineyards sharing the cellar with small-batch, contemporary and progressive makers. One distinctive offering at tilda will be the tableside bread and butter service, mirroring a popular dining trend from the US. Presented on a butler's tray with Dinosaur Designs-made utensils, guests can choose their own adventure, with options including softened butter spiked with pepper and chive, whipped macadamia and seared Jersey cow's milk drizzled in honey, perfectly paired with saltbush focaccia. [caption id="attachment_974654" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jason Loucas[/caption] Pitched as "where old-world charm meets contemporary cool", live jazz performances, sleek decor and dazzling bartending will set the tone at bar tilda. Also located on the ground floor, it will be yet another welcome addition to Sydney's recent boom in martini bars — including Bobbie's in Double Bar, Dry Martini in Chippendale and Midtown at The Bristol in the CBD. Whisky will also be a prominent focus, not only on the drinks list but also in the decor. A grand, gilded whisky armoire containing more than 100 varieties of amber nectar will create an impressive focal point. House Made Hospitality's Director, Jason Williams, has crafted a cocktail menu that includes some theatrics. The martini experience, for example, invites guests to get up close and personal with one of the bar team as they mix their preferred martini at their table from a dedicated martini cart. Vinophiles are well served with 30 by-the-glass options to sample, primarily championing Australian producers. These include drops from both stalwart vineyards and new-wave cellar doors. Bar snacks will lean luxe yet playful, with light bites including cacio e pepe popcorn and loaded fries topped with 24-month-aged parmesan and bacon aioli. Hungrier guests can opt for classic dishes like a chopped salad topped with lobster, a Rangers Valley Black Onyx rump cap steak with peppercorn sauce, and an ever-faithful cheeseburger. "Whether you're just passing through Sydney or you're a local looking for a change of pace, the bar offers a lively pause," Williams says. "It's a chance to unwind and soak up the best of what's pouring in our own backyard." Find tilda and bar tilda at Softiel Sydney Wentworth, 101 Phillip Street in the CBD. Tilda is open Monday–Tuesday, 7am–10pm; Wednesday–Friday, 7am–11pm; Saturday, 5.30–11pm; and Sunday, 5.30–10pm. Bar tilda is open Monday–Tuesday, 6am–11pm; Wednesday–Friday, 6am–late; Saturday, 7am–late; Sunday, 7am–11pm.
What it means to leave and live up to a legacy comes up often in Creed. Ryan Coogler's boxing drama resurrects the Rocky saga, bringing back the aging fighter synonymous with the series and introducing the offspring of another beloved character. No surprises there. But what is less expected is how well the feature succeeds in doing all three. That, and just how rousing the drama proves, both as the next instalment in a series and as a movie in its own right. Cast 2006's lacklustre Rocky Balboa from your mind: this is a continuation that fans can warm to, as can those without four decades of fondness for the franchise. That, on its own, is no easy feat. As the last jump back into Sylvester Stallone's knockabout world confirmed, revisiting the Italian Stallion in the years since the 1976 original can be rather hit-and-miss. Enter director Ryan Coogler and leading man Michael B. Jordan to show that the sixth sequel/spinoff can be the charm. The Fruitvale Station duo reteams to bring the writer-director's passion project to fruition, and in doing so gift the young actor with another knockout part. Jordan plays Adonis "Donnie" Johnson, a boxing wannabe with a pedigree he's struggling with. Though his early years were spent in foster care and juvenile detention, he's the illegitimate son of famed fighter Apollo Creed — and while he shares the same sporting ambitions, he wants to make it on his own terms. Heading from Los Angeles to Philadelphia, he seeks out his dad's repeated opponent turned pal Rocky (Stallone), eventually convincing him to become his trainer, and tries to follow in his father's footsteps. Cue the story of an underdog scrapping his way to the top despite several setbacks, more than a few montages and inspirational speeches, some high stakes and blistering bouts, plus an on-again, off-again relationship between Adonis and his neighbour, aspiring singer Bianca (Tessa Thompson), as well as a surrogate father-son bond blossoming with Rocky. Little happens in Creed that isn't easily foreseen. And yet the film doesn't feel like another formulaic follow-up. In fact, just as it sprinkles the familiar score from the original offering throughout its soundtrack and references events from movies gone by, Creed finds the right balance between looking backwards and starting a new future. Combining sincere nostalgia with a clear path forward, the feature achieves exactly what its protagonist is aiming for as he endeavours to do justice to his predecessor while making his own way. Coogler's direction – emphasizing the grit of the streets and the urgency of the ring, and shooting every fight close and tight for maximum tension – is certainly influential. His indie stylings are an ideal fit for the material, and for enlivening a genre seen so many times before that much of its content has become cliched. And yet, his technique often takes second place to the stars that grace the screen. That's not a criticism of Coogler — it's just a reflection of how engaging both Jordan and Stallone prove. The former once again demonstrates his charisma, complexity and versatility, while the latter benefits from stepping away from the main fray, and the rapport they share is moving. With mentor-protégé tales common movie fodder, it's rare for such an on-screen pairing to really hit the emotional marks. Crucially, Creed isn't a comeback for Stallone, but a film that keeps him connected to the iconic series he started. It plays upon his ambling acting strengths and passes on the baton to a worthy successor. And yes, it both leaves and lives up to a legacy.
The end of winter means warming temperatures, blooming flowers and summer inching closer. In 2023, it also means looking up. To close out August, a super blue moon will take to the sky — or a blue supermoon, if you prefer. Both terms fit, because the Earth's only natural satellite will serve up both a supermoon and a blue moon. The date to point your eyes to the heavens: Thursday, August 31. Stare upwards with your own two eyes and you'll see a noteworthy sight — but it'll actually be at its peak that morning. Heading outdoors at 11.35 AEST is recommended; however, if you train your peepers towards the sky the evening before or afterwards, you'll still be in for a glowing show. While super full moons aren't particularly rare — several usually happen each year — blue moons only happen every few years. Wondering why else you should check this one out? We've run through the details below. [caption id="attachment_769713" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NASA/Joel Kowsky[/caption] WHAT IS IT? If you're more familiar with The Mighty Boosh's take on the moon than actual lunar terms, here's what you need to know. As we all learned back in November 2016, a supermoon is a new moon or full moon that occurs when the moon reaches the closest point to Earth in its elliptical orbit, making it particularly bright. Again, they're not all that uncommon — and because the supermoon on Thursday, August 31 is a full moon (and not a new moon), it's called a super full moon. A blue moon refers to the second full moon occurring in a calendar month. Despite the name, it isn't blue in colour. Also, despite the saying, they happen more often than you might think, but still only ever few years. The next monthly blue moon after this is set to occur at the end of May in 2026. Normally, the August moon is also a sturgeon moon, too — and while that's the case in 2023 as always, that moon has already been and gone. That's what happens when there's two months in a month, with this year's sturgeon moon happening on Wednesday, August 2. The name, doesn't refer to its shape or any other physical characteristics, but to the time of year. In the northern hemisphere, August is around the time that sturgeon fish start to show up in big numbers in North America's lakes. Of course, that doesn't apply in the southern hemisphere, but the name still sticks. WHEN CAN I SEE IT? As mentioned above, the super blue moon will officially be at its peak at 11.35am AEST on Thursday, August 31, Down Under — but thankfully it will be visible from Wednesday night Australia and New Zealand time. The moon does usually appear full for a few days each month, so you should find the night sky looking a little brighter this week anyway. That 11.35am AEST time applies in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, with folks in Perth needing to look at 9.35am local time and people in Adelaide at 11.05am local time. In New Zealand, get peering at 1.35pm NZST. WHERE CAN I SEE IT? You can take a gander from your backyard or balcony, but the standard advice regarding looking at glowing sights in the sky always applies — so city-dwellers will want to get as far away from light pollution as possible to get the absolute best view. Fancy checking it out online? The Virtual Telescope Project is set to stream the view from Rome at 1.30pm AEST on Thursday, August 31, too. For more information about the super blue moon on Thursday, August 31, head to timeanddate.com.
Mainstay Waterloo pub The George is the next Sydney pub in line for a major revamp, thanks to new owners who, collectively, are behind The Duke of Enmore, Ghostboy Cantina and natural wine retailer Drnks. Together, they'll relaunch the Elizabeth Street pub as a new-age venue with three faces: a late-night pub, an authentic taco joint and a natural wine bottle shop. Co-owners James Wirth and Michael Delany are known for their epic revamps — previously, they bought and made over The Norfolk, The Flinders, The Carrington and The Oxford Tavern, before selling them all in 2016. Most recently, they overhauled the The Duke on Enmore Road. The George, on the other hand, has never been renovated before. "I had my eye on [The George] for over a decade — I always liked the kind of ugly look of it, it's almost like a Commonwealth Bank from the outside" says Wirth. "It's a rare pub because it was built in the 60s, unlike the typical 1800s or 1920s era you see in Sydney." To keep some of the pub's history in-tact, the team will focus on reupholstering and repurposing the pub's original features — including vintage wood panelling found in the basement, which will now adorn the walls. Apart from that, the place will get a new coat of paint and the concrete beer garden will get a refresh. https://www.instagram.com/p/BvIbBYbAxce/ For this venue, Wirth and Delany have got chef Toby Wilson (Bad Hombres, Ghostboy Cantina) and Drnks founder Joel Amos on board as co-owners, too. Amos will head up a brand new natural wine bottle shop. That means lots of natural wine from independent producers and "interesting stuff that people would bother travelling for". The bottle-o's labels will be available for both takeaway or dine in, with an additional $20 charged for the latter. And if you don't feel like dropping $35 on a bottle pét-nat, Wirth says that cheap cases of beer will be available for takeaway, too. Otherwise, at the bar, there'll be eight taps with Aussie classics like VB and Resch's alongside local craft brews from Grifter, Philter and the bar's own Waterloo Lager. For food, Wilson has created a new concept, Taco King, which promises to be one of the chef's most expansive offerings yet. "We've wanted to do a natural wine bar and taco joint for a while, so when The George came up, we decided to just plug in the concept there," says Wirth. "Mexican is kind of everywhere in Sydney but there's not heaps of great Mexican, and Toby is really committed to making it authentic." https://www.instagram.com/p/BvJDipHghmL/ At the centre of the food offering is the al pastor, a Mexican specialty that's based on the Lebanese immigrant version of shawarma spit-grilled meat — and is a rare find in Sydney. Other specialties include spicy kingfish ceviche tostadas, battered fish tacos and zucchini flower quesadillas with salsa verde, along with Mexican-style sandwiches and hamburgers. The cocktail list will also have a South American edge, like the Mexican French Martini made with tequila, the Brazilian-style caipirinha and the michelada, made with Mexican beer, tomato juice and lime. And it'll all be available until late on the weekend. These hospitality heavyweights aren't stopping there, either — the same crew has also snatched up The Old Fitzroy in Woolloomooloo. The team has already begun rolling out a new English-style pub menu, but will fully relaunch the pub in about 6–8 weeks. We'll keep you updated on that one. The George will reopen in early April at 760 Elizabeth Street, Waterloo. We'll keep you updated you with an exact opening date soon.
UPDATE, October 12, 2020: The Shape of Water is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, Amazon Video and iTunes. A secret lies inside every fairytale and monster fable, whispering to those who dare to enter. It's an obvious one, though it's not always fully appreciated. As we wade through narratives about dark forces and strange, enchanting creatures, it's not just their fantastical or fright-inducing aspects that enthrall us; it's also the fact that they beat with a warm human heart. Like Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker and countless other storytellers before him, filmmaker Guillermo del Toro knows this — and he's eager to prove it every chance he gets. Since taking on the undead in his quietly unnerving debut Cronos more than two decades ago, the Mexican writer-director has approached his gothic tales with empathy and curiosity. His films might be filled with bugs, ghosts, vampires, beasts and kaiju, but at their core they ponder what it means to be alive. Accordingly, when Pan's Labyrinth follows a young girl as she plunges into a mysterious garden underworld, del Toro charts the relatable need to explore, connect and fight back in trying circumstances. Likewise, when The Shape of Water brings together a mute woman and a man-like amphibian against the backdrop of Cold War-era USA, he spins a story about the power of love and the resilience of outsiders searching for a place to belong. As often seen in the director's work, the enemy here isn't the monster, but rather the idea of judging something just because it's different. A moving horror-romance that splashes its devotion across every gorgeous teal and butterscotch-hued frame, The Shape of Water swims into the realm of Elisa Esposito (Sally Hawkins). When she's not working nights cleaning at a government facility with her chattering colleague Zelda (Octavia Spencer), she finds company with her lonely artist neighbour Giles (Richard Jenkins) and comfort in her daily routine. But things change when security operative Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon) marches into her life, along with the water-dwelling being (Doug Jones) he's brought back from the Amazon. While everyone else is fearful, cruel or primarily interested for scientific reasons (such as Dr. Robert Hoffstetler, played by Michael Stuhlbarg), Elisa finds a kindred soul in the captured creature. The idea of outcasts finding solace in each other's arms is hardly new, but while del Toro's movie seems to dive into busy waters, he's really wading through a stream all of his own. In the crowded field of monster flicks, The Shape of Water cherishes and celebrates its big-hearted heroine and her aquatic companion with love and care, ensuring every emotion they express also washes over the audience. Equally vivid and violent as it jumps between matters of the heart and moments of espionage, the film entrances with its sweet, soulful, delicate approach while never shying away from weighty themes of persecution or oppression (and at the same time, it remains remarkably light on its feet). In short, it's a whirlpool of intensely felt, vibrantly realised wonder — one that's both frothy on the surface, and dark and deep underneath. A sea of perfectly assembled elements, The Shape of Water truly feels like a film that no one else could have made. Working from a script co-written with Vanessa Taylor (Divergent), del Toro is operating at the top of his game, and his fingerprints can be seen in every exquisitely detailed image. With its stylistic odes to both creature features and the Golden Age of Hollywood, succumbing to the movie's seductive visual charms is easy. Falling for the sensitive way in which it handles its underwater lovers is as well. Assisting in that department, Hawkins and Jones couldn't be better, fashioning their performances out of glances, movements and the things that words just can't say. Often they're floating, either literally or emotionally. Thanks to the story's depths of affection and acceptance, so is the audience. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQH3jqetJoY
Chic, sleek and stylish alert: Australia's most stunning places to drink, eat, grab a coffee and spend a night away from home have just been named for 2023. Each year, the Eat Drink Design Awards shower some love — aka its annual hospitality design accolades — on Australia's most stunning bars, eateries and hotels. On this year's list are a heap of Sydney venues, plus spots in Melbourne and Adelaide as well. If soaking in gorgeous surroundings while you sip, snack and slumber is your ideal way of heading out of the house, then consider the awards' yearly picks a must-visit guide. At these spots — all of which were completed between July 1, 2022–June 30, 2023 — chefs, signature dishes, creative cocktails, stellar coffee and comfortable beds aren't the only attractions. [caption id="attachment_929397" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Beau and Dough, Romello Pereira[/caption] For restaurants, cafes and hotels, Sydney emerged victorious. In fact, the Harbour City is so stacked with beautiful and innovative places for a meal that two shared the restaurant category: Beau and Dough in Surry Hills and Kiln at Ace Hotel Sydney. The first was praised for "designing for two separate yet interconnected venues", while the second earned compliments because its "design plugs into current conversations about sustainability, collaboration and community". In the cafe field, S'wich Bondi in Bondi Beach got the nod. "This little gem is a brave circuit breaker; it's not your average pitstop cafe-sandwich bar. A beautifully crafted bespoke space that aesthetically delivers in spades, it manages to weave together urban chic and Bondi's laid-back, fashionable culture," said the 2023 Eat Drink Design Awards jury, which consisted of Good Food journalist Emma Breheny, Akin Atelier director Kevin Ho, Hassell associate Di Ritter, The Bentley Restaurant Group chef and owner Brent Savage, and Artichoke acting editor Amy Woodroffe. [caption id="attachment_929398" align="alignnone" width="1920"] S'wich Bondi, Claudia Smith[/caption] Over in the hotel category, Capella Sydney was singled out. "The jury members were all impressed by this example of adaptive reuse. What used to be a government building has been painstakingly restored such that the original property, once inaccessible to most people, has been given new life and opened up to the public," the statement about this pick noted. For the best bar design, lock in drinks in the South Australian capital, with Adelaide's Dolly in Unley winning the gong. This is a "tactile wine bar" and "boasts a distinctive and timeless ambiance", said the jury, which also called out the fact that "the project's creative vision revolved around transforming the existing space into an experiential haven for locals". Victorian venues took out the retail deign and identity design fields, with the former going to LeTAO in Melbourne and the latter to Kōri Ice Cream in Hawthorn. [caption id="attachment_929400" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kōri Ice Cream, Architects EAT, Saville Coble[/caption] For the 2023 Hall of Fame Award, Sydney French restaurant Bistro Moncur in Woolhara, as designed by Tzannes, received recognition. As it does every year, this year's Eat Drink Design Awards also named commendations in various categories. Among the venues also getting some praise: Babylon Brisbane, the now-shuttered Butler in South Brisbane, Glory Days Bondi, Convoy in Moonee Ponds, Sydney's Hotel Morris and Bar Morris, Fitzroy's Pidapipó Laboratorio and Glenside's Kin Seafood. [caption id="attachment_929401" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bistro Moncur[/caption] "There was a diverse aesthetic in this year's winners expressing a lot of individuality, suggesting clients have allowed their design teams to lean into strong concepts and narratives. Plenty of examples of ambitious interiors offer complete sensory experiences, drama and bespoke craftsmanship," said the jury. "The very high level of design execution and attention to detail deserves extra praise this year, given the social and economic climate these works have occurred within. The judges applauded those designs that took risks and tried something innovative; yet at the same time, they praised designs that spoke softly and will likely retain relevance for decades in an industry with a proclivity for impermanence." [caption id="attachment_929402" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Capella Sydney, Timothy Kaye[/caption] [caption id="attachment_924664" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kiln, Anson Smart[/caption] [caption id="attachment_929403" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dolly, Jonathan VDK[/caption] 2024 EAT DRINK DESIGN AWARDS WINNERS: Best Restaurant Design: Beau and Dough by Smart Design Studio (Surry Hills, NSW) and Kiln, Ace Hotel Sydney by Fiona Lynch Interior Design (Sydney, NSW) Best Cafe Design: S'wich Bondi by Studio Shand (Bondi Beach, NSW) Best Bar Design: Dolly by Genesin Studio (Unley, SA) Best Hotel Design: Capella Sydney by Bar Studio (Sydney, NSW) Best Retail Design: LeTAO by K Holland Architectural Interiors (Melbourne, VIC) Best Identity Design: Kōri Ice Cream by Principle Design (Hawthorn, VIC) For the full list of winners and commendations, head to the Eat Drink Design website. Top image: Kiln, Anson Smart.
March is the ultimate movie marathon. With the end of summer (or whatever that thing that wrapped up in February was), festival organisers want to cater to our common desire to seek entertainment indoors. So much so that there are nine full film festivals on within these short few weeks. For those bemused by the acres of programme, take the Concrete Playground-approved shortcut. From black-and-white classics to technicolour gorefests, these are our picks of the top nine films to catch across all nine events. https://youtube.com/watch?v=yTX3RlwOdbo 1. Bardelys the Magnificent March 13, 7.30pm, Govinda's, $14.90 at the Silent Film Festival Govinda's is fanning the fires of film nostalgia lit by The Artist with its season of silent movies on Tuesday and Sundays. A highlight is certainly this lush classic of adventure and romance, recently restored from a print unearthed in France. For a movie double: Comedy! The era is known for its slapstick, but The Italian Straw Hat is said to bring some elegance to proceedings (presumably with said hat). https://youtube.com/watch?v=SDRN2vCxOQ0 2. LBF (aka Living Between F**ks) March 14, 7pm, Randwick Ritz, $13 at the Australian Film Festival Based on the cult novel by Cry Bloxsome, starring Toby Schmitz and Gracie Otto and backed up by a soundtrack of impeccable Australian indie, LBF is destined to be an underground hit. It follows a twenty-something writer who, returning to Australia for his ex-girlfriend's funeral, quickly goes off the rails. For a movie double: The festival closes with Redd Inc, a cross between The Apprentice and Saw that might provide a gruesome catharsis for office workers. https://youtube.com/watch?v=nf83I2aOsDM 3. Delicacy (La Delicatesse) Until March 25, selected cinemas at Alliance Francaise French Film Festival (March 6-25) Movies like this one are why the French Film Festival attracts sell-out crowds around the country. We're all looking for Amelie Deux, and this gorgeous film, starring Audrey Tautou and following the fate of a grieving widow who unexpectedly kisses a (genetically not so blessed) coworker, might be it. For a movie double: Actor/singer/ultimate adoptive Frenchwoman Jane Birkin herself will be taking questions following a screening of her intimate doco about her life with Serge Gainsbourg, Souvenirs of Serge. 4. Scarlet Road March 15, 7pm, Red Rattler at Seen and Heard (March 15-29) You may have seen Touching Base at Mardi Gras. The charitable organisation is dedicated to disability and sex, and this documentary follows Rachel Wotton, one of the project's founders. For a movie double: watch the pharmaceutical industry race to invent Viagra for women in Orgasm Inc. 5. Those Tricky Women: Australian and International Shorts March 16, 7pm, UTS, $10/7 at WOW Film Festival (March 6-16) See Lucinda Schreiber's work for Gotye alongside other animations ranging from the twee to the grotesque. We love the look of The Cartographer from Jane Shadbolt. For a movie double: The night before, WOW will be taking over Surry Hills' Late Night Library with more Australian and international shorts. https://youtube.com/watch?v=N8hEwMMDtFY 6. Another Earth March 22, 9.20pm, Dendy Newtown at Fantastic Planet (March 22-April 1) This introspective indie film, with its focus on a new planet in the sky and its melancholic feel, is reminiscent of, well, Melancholia. Which we loved, so... For a movie double: Find balance with Another Earth's polar opposite, Unicorn City, which is full of roleplaying in-jokes and Python-esque humour. https://youtube.com/watch?v=A_ee9K9hXtw 7. The Whisperer in Darkness March 24, 5pm, Dendy Newtown at A Night of Horror With the current old-Hollywood love-in going on courtesy of The Artist and Hugo, this HP Lovecraft tale of terror — filmed in black-and-white, crackly 'Mythoscope' by the HP Lovecraft Historical Society — will be a hit. For a movie double: steel your stomach for the perverse, richly visual odyssey ofThe Theatre Bizarre. https://youtube.com/watch?v=BpAFPgNyxmc 8. Le Havre March 24, 10am, Dendy Opera Quays at Young at Heart (March 22-25) Sydney's seniors film festival is packed with those heartwarming indies to which we'd gladly take our grandmas. Le Havre, about an elderly gent in a Normandy fishing village who winds up harbouring a young African refugee, is currently on 98 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. For a movie double: See what Maggie Smith was like in 1972 (hint: still awesome) in Travels with My Aunt, set aboard the Orient Express. 9. The Russians Are Coming March 31, 2pm, Sydney Opera House, free at Message Sticks (March 27-April 1) Some stories are just worth sharing. This one tells of a refreshingly uncolonial encounter that occurred when, for 10 days in 1820, a group of wayward Russian sailors and local Maoris became mates. For a movie double: You can't go past Toomelah, the story of mission life that made the grade at Cannes.
One minute Sydney's Johnny Took, Matt Mason and Tommy O'Dell were writing nostalgic garage pop in a Newtown bedroom. The next, they were on high rotation on triple j, applauded by Splendour in the Grass-goers and basking in Channel V praise along the lines of "terminally infectious". With comfortably breezy tunes that could rival Oasis, DMAs are Australia's answer to Brit-rock — and they have the wardrobe of Adidas to match. The trio's sweet acoustic sound first hit the ears of influential label I OH YOU (Violent Soho, DZ Deathrays) in September 2013. "A good friend (who I guess I owe a beer to now) called me up and began barking down my phone about an amazing young band from Newtown," explained I OH YOU director Johann Ponniah, who released the trio's debut EP earlier this year. Their debut single 'Delete' swept across social media and dominated radio rotation, then the lads were one of the highlights of Splendour in the Grass this year, prompting many a singalong to 'Feels like 37' and 'The Plan'. Living well up to the significant hype, DMAs played their Britpop-loving butts off, as frontman Johnny Took steered the crew with his Gallagher-like pipes and tambourine stick. After a few smaller, low-key shows to promote their debut EP, the Sydneysiders are now embarking on their first ever national tour; playing shows in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Fremantle. If you haven't seen DMAs live yet, get amongst it at Oxford Art Factory this Friday and Saturday. Adidas trackies optional. Supported by The Creases. Words by Molly Glassey and Jasmine Crittenden. https://youtube.com/watch?v=vKSWC5r1tYg
Teetering over 50 metres above George Street beside Sydney Town Hall, a streamlined, cloud-shaped arch is one of three brand new public artworks coming to Sydney's CBD — to be installed as part of the City of Sydney's George Street-based revamp. An oversized milk crate pavilion and 60 delicate handmade bronze bird sculptures by notorious British artist Tracey Emin have also been confirmed by the City of Sydney today. Designed by Tokyo-based architect and artist Junya Ishigami — winner of the coveted Golden Lion for Best Project at the 12th Venice Architecture Biennale and visiting professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Design — Cloud Arch will act as a gateway to the newly pedestrian-friendly George Street, with the brand new light rail passing right underneath it — kind of like an elegant, minimalist Colossus of Rhodes for Sydney's CBD. "Green, global and connected are the characteristics of the new Sydney, and this new public space about to be created in George Street will be the exact manifestation of these qualities," says Ishigami. "Good public policy is not, in itself, enough — there is a need for a new symbol to embody and communicate these qualities to the world. The Cloud is that new symbol, comprehensible to all. The Cloud evokes comfort, openness and freedom." At 50 metres high and significantly ribbony, you might be wondering how Cloud Arch will stand up to those pesky CBD wind gusts or densely-populated flocks of art-hating birds. Using a single box beam as the central construction framework, Ishigami's tapered steel plates will apparently stand up to the elements without a hitch. Cloud Arch will also change shape from wherever you're getting a crick neck looking at it around the CBD, classic perspectival win (it should be visible from as far north as Wynyard station, the Coca Cola sign on Darlinghurst Road to the east and Liverpool Street to the south). Meanwhile, in the southern end of the city, an oversized milk crate will make Belmore Park its new snuggly home. Nestled next to Central Station, the 13.7 metre high, milk crate-shaped pavilion has been designed by Sydney-based, Egyptian-born artist Hany Armanious. Ol' Milky (not it's actual title, it's really called Pavilion but this kid's sticking with Ol' Milky) will offer seats and lighting within its 42:1 enlarged body, breathing new life into the somewhat raggedy Belmore Park. "Pavilion is a representation of the most humble and ubiquitous of urban forms... transformed into a grandiose and extravagant public oasis," says Armanious. "At such a scale it assumes the authority and majestic beauty of a gothic cathedral or Greek temple, while remaining intrinsically contemporary. "Belmore Park is one of the few clear open spaces in central Sydney and is therefore a natural meeting place... Pavilion is a bold interpretation of a pavilion for all, a place for contemplation and repose, but also performance, community gatherings and ceremony." Heading back to the northern end of the CBD, through the refurbished Kent Street underpass and around Bridge and Grosvenor Streets, Young British Artist and notorious character Tracey Emin has a little magic of her own to sprinkle on Sydney. My Bed creator will introduce a brand new, permanent installation to the area titled The Distance of Your Heart, comprised of 60 handmade bronze bird sculptures. Paired with a plinth dedicated to homesickness, the Emin birdies will hang out along the thoroughfare, perch on doorways and telegraph poles and remind the homesick and lonely there's someone thinking of them. It could possibly be the nicest, prettiest thing Emin has ever done. "The longest time I have ever spent [in Sydney] is two and a half months. Most days I would wake up feeling very happy and free but occasionally I would find myself feeling low and disorientated and I realised I was suffering from an overwhelming feeling of homesickness." says Emin. "As my artwork I would like to make a counter site in Sydney for the young, the old, the backpackers, the tourists and the businessmen and women; somewhere else they can have their image taken to send back to the loved ones that they miss, that conveys the feelings of distance and homesickness." These three shining new additions to the Sydney CBD have been handpicked by a special evaluation panel (comprising Ms Flynn, city design director Bridget Smyth and four members of the city’s Public Art Advisory Panel: director of Carriageworks Lisa Havilah, professor of architecture at UNSW Richard Johnson, artist and visiting fellow at the College of Fine Arts Janet Laurence, curator of C3West for the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia Anne Loxley) after the City of Sydney's largest international public art callout to date. With a whopping 700 entires from 25 countries to pick from, the three winners mark the first three projects for the City of Sydney's $9.3 million city centre public art plan (snuggled inside the City’s $220 million contribution to the NSW Government’s light rail project). Lord Mayor Clover Moore noted the public art plan was a direct result of the City of Sydney's massive Sustainable Sydney 2030 consultations, Sydney Open and the new Cultural Policy. "We heard the public loud and clear say they want more public art in Sydney," said the Lord Mayor said. "The transformation of George Street with light rail and a pedestrianised boulevard gives us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to re-imagine our city. The artworks selected by our expert evaluation panel will cement Sydney’s reputation as a capital of culture and creativity... I have no doubt they will become iconic landmarks of our city for today and future generations." The City of Sydney will now kick off a thorough design development process for all three works, including consultation with local businesses and residents. You can give your own two cents about the works at the City of Sydney's consultation website, sydneyyoursay.com.au.
As announced in 2017, officially given a green light in 2018 and then launching a couple of years back, the Art Gallery of New South Wales has been a two-building art museum since late 2022. The first space, the 153-year-old AGNSW's OG structure, boasts a sandstone facade dating back to the 19th century. The second came about as part of the $344-million Sydney Modern Project. But even when the venue's extension opened its doors to the public, it didn't have a name. Meet Naala Badu, then. AGNSW has finally announced a moniker for the space that's been known as Sydney Modern to art-loving visitors for more than a year. The term is the Aboriginal word for "waters" in the Sydney language, and has been paired with Naala Nura, which means "seeing Country", as the new name for the gallery's first building. [caption id="attachment_880685" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Iwan Baan[/caption] Overall, the institution itself is still called the Art Gallery of New South Wales. That hasn't changed. But each part of it now has a distinct title, each reflecting its location and architecture. Naala Badu earned its moniker thanks to its proximity to Sydney Harbour, plus the waters that've long been pivotal to NSW's communities. Naala Nura's counterpart nods to the building's sandstone, as well as Indigenous Country in general. Now displaying on both buildings, the names were chosen after AGNSW consulted with the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council among other key Aboriginal stakeholders and communities, with the gallery's board of trustees, Indigenous Advisory Group and Indigenous staff in support. "Aboriginal language has a deep and spiritual connection to Country. We hope this can be felt by everyone when the building names Naala Badu and Naala Nura are used by the community and visitors to the Art Gallery of New South Wales," said Indigenous Advisory Group chair Rachel Piercy. [caption id="attachment_749853" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jenni Carter[/caption] "We are greatly honoured that the Art Gallery's two buildings on this significant site in Sydney will bear the Aboriginal names Naala Badu and Naala Nura. They evoke a powerful sense of place — this place of extraordinary physical beauty with its complex, contested histories. We intend to carry these names with the deepest respect," added AGNSW director Michael Brand. Located on the hill beside Naala Nura, which gives it a view of Woolloomooloo's Finger Wharf, the four-level Naala Badu sprawls across 7830 square metres and is designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese architects SANAA (with Australia's Architectus as the executive architect). One of its highlights is the Yiribana Gallery, which moved over from Naala Nura to showcase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander work. "As an Indigenous Australian for whom English is my second language, having not had the opportunity to learn my first language, I applaud the gift of living, breathing language for the Art Gallery's two buildings. With the spotlight on the Art Gallery's new initiatives for Aboriginal art and culture, we've created a globally renowned art destination where visitors can experience the best art and culture Australia has to offer," noted Tony Albert, an Art Gallery trustee and also the inaugural chair of AGNSW's Indigenous Advisory Group. [caption id="attachment_880684" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Iwan Baan[/caption] [caption id="attachment_909005" align="alignnone" width="1920"] AGNSW[/caption] [caption id="attachment_880682" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Iwan Baan[/caption] Find Naala Badu and Naala Nura at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery Road, The Domain, Sydney. For more information, head to the AGNSW website. Top image: © Iwan Baan.
We've all been there: hankering for a bite to eat after a few drinks, a gig or a show, but unable to find anything that isn't fast food. Yes, Sydney's lockout laws might be behind us, but the city's dining scene isn't always able to serve up something satisfying when it comes to late-night meals — or, sometimes, even somewhere to grab a beverage. During Vivid, however, that's changing at a number of restaurants and bars around Circular Quay. During the huge citywide celebration of arts, music, culture and oh-so-dazzling lights, 12 spots are staying open later than usual. On the list: Bistecca, Lana, Besuto, Tapavino, Grana, Londres 126, Bar Mammoni and Bouillon l'Entrecote, all of which will trade till midnight Wednesday–Sunday throughout Vivid. And, if you'd prefer a late-night sip, Double Deuce, Mary's Underground, Apollonia and Maybe Sammy are doing the same — but until 2am. All dozen venues are expanding their trading hours across those five nights per week — so, every night except Mondays and Tuesdays — throughout the entire festival, which kicked off on Friday, May 27 and runs through until Sunday, June 18. That means that you can pair your plans to see talks, shows, concerts and luminous installations with an 18-course omakase experience, bistecca alla Fiorentina, steak frites, mezcal, burgers, cocktails inspired by The Godfather and mini martinis.
Chocolate and Valentine's Day have long gone hand-in-hand, but two Sydney eateries are upping the seasonal sweet treat ante in 2021. For two weeks between Sunday, February 14–Sunday, February 28, the Guylian Cafes in Circular Quay and The Rocks are hosting decadent high teas that'll have chocoholic couples thinking they're in heaven — and it's super affordable, too. For $50, you and your chosen chocolate-loving date can work your way through a menu that features Guylian's chocolate seashells, Belgian waffle bites and fruit to dunk in chocolate dipping sauce, and a changing array of other chocolate desserts. So, you could also be tucking into cherry ripe tarts, chocolate doughnuts topped with caramel chocolate mousse and chocolate brownie biscuits with a caramelised hazelnut chocolate glaze. There are also gluten-free and allergy-free options as well. Drinks-wise, you can choose to wash all that chocolate down with a bellini, mimosa, sparkling wine, tea or coffee on arrival. And if you'd like to turn the occasion into a double date, a session for four costs $100.
Luck, be a lady tonight: when Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour's famed floating stage returns for 2025, Guys and Dolls will be sweeping audiences off to 50s-era Manhattan from the city's — and the country's — most-stunning performance venue. As one production does each year, the hit five-time Tony-winning musical will unleash its showgirls and gangsters, as well as its incredibly catchy tunes, against a helluva backdrop. Guys and Dolls will play the unique waterfront opera venue at Mrs Macquaries Point from Friday, March 21–Sunday, April 20, following in the footsteps of West Side Story in 2024, Madama Butterfly in 2023, The Phantom of the Opera in 2022 and La Traviata in 2021 — to name just a few shows that've gotten the Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour treatment over the years. This time, expect a new version of a musical that first premiered on Broadway in 1950, then on West End in 1953, and has enjoyed many a revival in the seven decades since. [caption id="attachment_968000" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour 2016 — Turandot, Hamilton Lund.[/caption] The story, as also conveyed in the 1955 Marlon Brando- and Frank Sinatra-starring film — which was nominated for four Oscars — follows Sky Masterson as he endeavours to win big, then crosses paths with missionary Sister Sarah Brown. Also weaved into the narrative: the tale of Nathan and Adelaide, with the former also immersed in gambling and the latter his fiancé. Tunes such as 'Luck Be a Lady', also 'Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat', 'Adelaide's Lament' and 'I've Never Been in Love Before' will echo across the harbour in the latest take on Guys and Dolls, as directed by Opera Australia's Artistic Director Jo Davies. "Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour is so magical, just the walk through the venue to reach your seat creates such a sense of anticipation. I'm thrilled to be bringing a beloved musical like Guys and Dolls, with its wild ensemble dance numbers and brilliantly sharp comedy, to this incredible stage," said Davies. [caption id="attachment_968002" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour 2021 — La Traviata, Hamilton Lund.[/caption] Helping make the season even more of a spectacle is Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour veteran set designer Brian Thomson, who also demonstrated his talents on La Traviata, Carmen and West Side Story. As always, also included in this Guys and Dolls experience is not just the show on the overwater stage, but also fireworks each evening, dazzling Sydney skyline views and hitting up pop-up dining spots that are constructed onsite each year. [caption id="attachment_968003" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour 2022 — The Phantom of the Opera, Hamilton Lund.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_968006" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour 2024 — West Side Story, Richard Milnes, Alamy Stock Photo.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_968004" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour 2019 — West Side Story, Hamilton Lund.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_968001" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour 2017 — Carmen, Hamilton Lund.[/caption] Guys and Dolls at Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour will run from Friday, March 21–Sunday, April 20, 2025 — with tickets via Opera Australia subscription packages available and general tickets on offer from Tuesday, August 13, 2024. Top image: Opera Australia's Performance of West Side Story on Sydney Harbour 2019, Hamilton Lund.
Throughout the last 12 months of gathering restrictions and lockdowns, many music festivals have teased returns, announced dates and even lineups. While a few COVID-safe music events have been able to take place, we've yet to see any of the major music festivals return. Despite this, Byron Bay Bluesfest has been persistent in forging ahead with its plan for its 2021 edition of the festival. Those plans have now been given a provisional green light, with the festival announcing it's been given NSW Government approval to run the festival at 50 percent capacity this April — if no outbreaks occur beforehand. In an announcement made on Wednesday, February 17, Bluesfest Festival Director Peter Noble OAM said, "The NSW Government has indicated that, if the current COVID-19 situation continues in NSW, Bluesfest would be permitted to proceed, following our comprehensive COVID-19 safety plan." [caption id="attachment_800518" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hiatus Kaiyote Bluesfest 2016 by Andy Fraser[/caption] The festival is scheduled to take place over the Easter long weekend, Thursday, April 1–Monday, April 5, at the Byron Events Farm (formerly Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm). Under the approved safety plan the festival will run at around 50 percent capacity, all patrons will be required to be seated while watching performances and COVID-19 safety marshals will be on hand to ensure social distancing is maintained. Camping will be allowed to go ahead and face masks will not be required. A full statement on the festival's COVID-safe protocols is expected next week. Following the cancellation of Bluesfest 2020, the festival announced its 2021 dates and lineup back in July. This lineup was later amended after it became clear border restrictions would remain in place for the beginning of 2021 and international acts would be unable to make the journey over. The new all-Australian lineup features Jimmy Barnes, Tash Sultana, Ocean Alley, John Butler, Hiatus Kaiyote and Kev Carmody. The news follows a turbulent few years for Bluesfest and the NSW music festival industry as a whole. Prior to the cancellation of its 2020 event, Bluesfest had threatened to leave NSW in 2019 citing the governments overbearing regulations surrounding music festivals at the time. The approval of the 2021 festival hopefully indicates a brighter future for the industry, with Noble declaring, "this is a great day, not only for Bluesfest, but also for the Australian Live Music Industry and our unrelenting efforts to get back to presenting Live Music Safely." Byron Bay Bluesfest has been given approval to run Thursday, April 1–Monday, April 5, at the Byron Events Farm. Find all the details and purchase tickets at the Bluesfest website. Top image: Andy Fraser
Their impressive 2023 Women's World Cup efforts mightn't have ended in a medal, the 2024 Paris Olympics sadly didn't turn out as planned and the next Women's Asian Cup, which Australia is hosting, isn't until 2026 — but the Matildas have an opportunity to emerge victorious on the international stage in 2025. The contest: the SheBelieves Cup, a four-nation annual competition that's been held by US Soccer for a decade now. This is the first time that Australia is taking part, and you can watch along between Friday, February 21–Thursday, February 27. Australia's national women's soccer team will play three other squads that also competed in Paris: Japan, the USA (unsurprisingly) and Colombia. First up is the Japan match in Houston, then battling it out with the contest hosts — and Olympic gold medal-winners and world number-one team — in Glendale, before facing Colombia in San Diego. While the time difference means that none of the games are being played in Aussie prime time, they're still on in Australian-friendly slots — all mornings. On the east coast, you might want to go into work late on Friday, February 21 (8.30am AEDT / 7.30am AEST / 8am ACDT / 5.30am AWST) and Monday, February 24 (8.30am AEDT / 7.30am AEST / 8am ACDT / 5.30am AWST), or have an early lunch on Thursday, February 27 (11am AEDT / 10am AEST /10.30am ACDT / 8am AWST). To watch, Paramount+ is your destination, showing the games live exclusively Down Under. For this batch of matches, Steph Catley is donning the captain's armband, with Ellie Carpenter and Emily van Egmond as her deputies. After Tony Gustavsson left following the Olympics, the Matildas don't yet have a new permanent full-time coach, so Tom Sermanni — who did the job between 1994–97 and 2005–12 — remains at the reins, after stepping in temporarily in late 2024. Mary Fowler is back in the squad after sitting out the Matildas' last 2024 games to put her mental and physical health first — and, as well as Catley, Carpenter and van Egmond, she has plenty of company. The team also includes Mackenzie Arnold, Caitlin Ford, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Katrina Gorry, Michelle Heyman, Alanna Kennedy, Hayley Raso and Tameka Yallop. As for Sam Kerr, she hasn't yet returned to the field following her ACL injury last year, so isn't taking part in the SheBelieves Cup. The Matildas 2025 SheBelieves Cup Games Friday, February 21 — Matildas v Japan at 8.30am AEDT / 7.30am AEST / 8am ACDT / 5.30am AWST Monday, February 24 — Matildas v USA at 8.30am AEDT / 7.30am AEST / 8am ACDT / 5.30am AWST Thursday, February 27 — Matildas v Colombia at 11am AEDT / 10am AEST /10.30am ACDT / 8am AWST The Matildas' SheBelieves Cup 2025 games take place between Friday, February 21–Thursday, February 27 — and you can watch via Paramount+. Images: Tiffany Williams, Football Australia.
