Dumplings are a hot commodity in this city. The ability to encase pure, unbridled joy in an edible cocoon of merriment is an art respected by Sydneysiders citywide. Select few dumpling palaces are at the top of their game, those you'd happily wait many an agonising minute for. If you're any kind of dumpling aficionado, the words Din Tai Fung will have already sprung to mind. Start mixing that chilli/soy balance, the dumpling monarchs have some big ol' news for you — they've opened another new restaurant. Finding another new home at the brand new Central at Central Park development in Chippendale, Din Tai Fung have opened the doors on a new 120-seater eatery. It's the sixth Din Tai Fung chapter to open in Australia since it started serving up top notch xiao long bao six years ago in World Square. Having only opened its Chatswood instalment in April this year, Din Tai Fung are slowly but surely increasing their dumpling dominance. With contemporary Asian interiors developed by an international design house teaming up with Din Tai Fung’s Australasian Director, Dendy Harjanto, the new Central joint is licensed and sports the same menu as the flagship (think black truffle xiao long bao and those rainbow dumpling gems). “We’re very excited about bringing Din Tai Fung to the new Central Park development," says Harjanto. "The latest restaurant looks like no other Din Tai Fung but the menu, top-notch service and signature special touches, such as handbag baskets and coat covers remain. Why mess with our tried and true formula?" Why on earth would you. Din Tai Fung pumps out over 5000 dumplings daily, with dumpling training carried out at the World Square HQ. It takes two years to become a dumpling master. Two. Years. RESPECT YOUR DUMPLINGS. The newest Din Tai Fung can be found at Ten 1, Level 2 Central Kitchen at Central Park, 28 Broadway, Chippendale.
There's plenty to love about Shoalhaven: white sand beaches, primo snorkelling spots and a plethora of picturesque holiday homes. Next time you're road tripping through the area, you can refuel between swims and hikes at The Growers in Worrigee. Sprawling across 450 indoor and outdoor seats, the new restaurant and bar opened is from the team behind Acre Artarmon, The Greens and Taffy's, Tully Heard Consulting, so you can safely assume it's going to be lush. In the kitchen, chef Patrick Haney is plating up produce from the surround areas, including Batemans Bay oysters, Milton Beef and smoked goods from Eden Smokehouse. The kitchen does its own smoking, too, with woodfired pizzas coming topped with smoky chicken ($24) and a dedicated Smokehouse turning out the likes of pulled pork empanadas ($14), prawn tacos ($16) and chipotle chicken wings ($18). There are also plenty of options for those with dietaries, thanks to vegan cheese, gluten free pizza bases and vego cauliflower burgers ($23). Like the food, the drinks also have a local focus with cocktails starring spirits from Distillery Botanica, beers on offer from Jervis Bay Brewing Co and Bentspoke and a lineup of NSW wines. You can choose to eat and drink inside the restaurant or in the expansive outdoor garden, which is filled with plant-covered pergolas, a fire pit and play areas for children. While each space is unique, it has all been designed by Pony Design Co using plenty of natural timber, greenery and textured stones.
What do you get when you cross gin with Illawarra Steelers great Michael Bolt? Juniper. The moniker is of course a nod to the berry that makes the spirit what it is. Tucked away on Keira Street, Juniper is not Bolt's first foray into hospitality — he's got a small swag of venues under his old footy shorts. Australian labels are celebrated here, including local heroes South Coast Distillery. Purists can choose from a generous selection of gins, with staff more than happy to talk through the merits of a particular label. Gin also plays a starring role in the signature cocktails, like the Manly Margarita, made with Manly Spirits gin, chilli salt and jalapeño. There are bar snacks available. Or, if you've worked up an appetite, the bar is happy for you to order in from a selection of local restaurants. Images: Jasmine Low
Whether played by Julie Andrews in the original 1964 musical film or Emily Blunt in its 2018 sequel, Mary Poppins has always been a quintessentially English character. The beloved nanny is as well-known for being British as for her magical abilities and winning ways with an umbrella, after all. However the famous fictional figure also boasts a link to regional Australia — and now there's an Aussie museum dedicated to that fact. While Maryborough in Queensland's Fraser Coast region may seem worlds away from London, let alone Cherry Tree Lane, it's where author PL Travers was born. She also lived there until she was five, when her family relocated to Allora on the Darling Downs, as the 2013 movie Saving Mr Banks explored. Later, in her twenties, she moved to the UK, where she penned the eight Mary Poppins books that she's best known for. Because claiming any and every possible connection to fame is a thoroughly Aussie trait, Maryborough has long marked its link to Travers — the city hosts an annual Mary Poppins Festival, has been home to a bronze statue of the writer since 2005, and even has Poppins-shaped pedestrian crossing symbols on its traffic lights. With that in mind, the opening of The Story Bank of Maryborough is just the latest step in the town's supercalifragilisticexpialidocious celebrations, forming part of a hub focused on the Aussie-born writer. [caption id="attachment_732352" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Where Imagination Lays in Wait in Maryborough / Gerard via Flickr[/caption] Inside The Story Bank, which is located in the heritage-listed Australian Joint Stock Bank building where Travers actually entered the world, visitors will find a whole showcase about Maryborough's ties with Travers. The museum steps through her life story, her family and the influences on her work — and, as well as featuring plenty of Poppins-themed items (yes, expect umbrellas), it includes images and documents from Travers' estate. If you've ever wanted to Mary Poppins figurines everywhere (including sliding down bannisters, obviously), feast your eyes on book and film memorabilia, or pretend you're in Cherry Tree Lane, here's your chance. The site also features a theatrette, gallery and workshop space, all as part of a $1.5 million restoration project. As well as Travers and Mary Poppins, The Story Bank highlights other talented local artists, as well as the art of storytelling in general. Find The Story Bank of Maryborough on the corner Kent and Richmond Streets, Maryborough, Queensland — and head to the museum's website and Facebook page for further details.
UPDATE, April 12, 2021: Knives Out is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Binge, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Sharp, shiny and unafraid to leave a mark, Knives Out sticks a blade into the murder-mystery genre, gives it a good twist and has plenty of fun. The first post-Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi flick from writer/director Rian Johnson, who returns to the pulpier terrain of Brick and Looper, this movie knows how to slice through the familiar, toy with trusty tropes, and create a gloriously smart, subversive and entertaining whodunit. The setup: a death in a wealthy family. The deceased: a crime author who wrote books about this kind of scenario. Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) expires after his 85th birthday party, when all of his relatives happen to be in his remote mansion. And yes, as a cop (Lakeith Stanfield), trooper (Noah Segan) and private detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) discover, everyone has a motive — even if the old man's passing looks like a suicide. Initially framed via interviews with the Thrombeys, Knives Out interrogates the possible culprits. Daughter Linda (Jamie Lee Curtis) became a real estate mogul without her dad's help, keeps her Trump-sympathising husband Richard (Don Johnson) in check and has an arrogant son, Ransom (Chris Evans), who's the picture of privilege and entitlement. Her brother Walt (Michael Shannon) is Harlan's publisher and has his own right-wing problem child (Jaeden Martell), while sister-in-law Joni (Toni Collette) is a lifestyle guru with a college-aged kid (Katherine Langford) hanging on grandpa's purse strings. As his closest confidante, Harlan's nurse Marta (Ana de Armas) also fields the detectives' enquiries. She tries not to vomit, too — a reflex whenever she tells a lie. As he makes clear in his slow southern drawl, Blanc is very intrigued by that physical reaction. It's a narrative that Agatha Christie could've penned a century ago, when she started writing Hercule Poirot stories. And yet, unlike the current revivals of the author's work — 2017's Murder on the Orient Express and next year's Death on the Nile — Johnson isn't peering backwards. Knives Out is steeped in America's present socio-political climate, and directs its most cutting commentary at folks filled with bluster but possessing little in the way of good ol'-fashioned human decency. It's not by accident that Marta, a Latin immigrant from a South American country that none of the Thrombeys bothers to remember, sits at the centre of this expertly executed film. Or, that she's the only one who isn't frothing over Harlan's money. Sometimes Johnson's scathing statements fall on the obvious side, but hey, a blunt knife can still cause considerable damage. Mostly, Knives Out is sleek, slinky and fascinated with its many secrets, which have been pieced together with precision. For viewers eager to sleuth themselves, it isn't overly difficult to start sniffing in the right direction — but the joys of seeing the plot spill open go far beyond simply discovering who did what among the rogue's gallery of shifty suspects. And anyway, another game is afoot, as Blanc keeps telling his offsiders (in a nod to Sherlock Holmes, of course). The private eye doesn't know who hired him, or why, and he's as obsessed with that question as he is with the Thrombey clan's petty yet incessant sniping. Oh, the sniping. One of the keys to Knives Out's genre is how quickly it always strips its players down to their base instincts and motives, which this nifty picture does extremely well. Not every character gains quite enough flesh over the top, but the entire cast is gleefully happy going along for the ride. That Craig, de Armas and Evans fare best is really just a matter of screen time, although all three earn the added attention. As loose as he often is whenever he ditches Bond's grim seriousness (as seen in heist caper Logan Lucky), Craig is having a ball — while de Armas proves sensitive but savvy, and Evans leaves Captain America's wholesomeness far, far behind. Johnson hasn't overlooked two other crucial elements of ace whodunits, thankfully. All those double-crosses, puzzles and arguments are great, but truly excellent murder-mysteries also engage the eyes and serve up a rollicking good time. With his now five-time cinematographer Steve Yedlin, the filmmaker easily takes care of the first aspect while his movie roves around Harlan's labyrinthine home (kudos to the production design team, too). As for the second part of the equation, that stems from the director's light but biting handling of his own material — and his knack for a hearty laugh. Some murder-mysteries try but fail, as Netflix's weak Adam Sandler vehicle Murder Mystery demonstrated earlier this year. Some find their nutty niche and prosper, as 80s cult classic Clue has over the years. It's a testament to Knives Out that it achieves everything it should, hits every target and firmly feels like its own highly enjoyable film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tw6L1mu-Nss
2023 ain't nuthing ta f' wit: it's the year that Wu-Tang Clan are returning Down Under, after all. After the hip hop legends kicked off their NY State of Mind tour with Nas in 2022, they're bringing the 2023 leg to Australia and New Zealand — and it's still a joint affair. Two of the biggest names in the business since the 90s — with Wu-Tang Clan first making a splash with their 1993 debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), and Nas doing the same with 1994's Illmatic — will play four shows in total on their Aussie and Aotearoa visit. They're the first gigs in the 2023 tour, too, and all in May, kicking off in Auckland before hopping across the ditch for stops in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. The 2022 leg hit up more than 25 cities, and 2023's is just as epic — after its stint Down Under, it heads through Europe and then back to the US. Along the way, fans can enjoy Wu-Tang Clan's RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, U-God, Masta Killa, Inspectah Deck and Cappadonna taking to the stage three decades after they first came to fame — and Nas sharing the mic as well. Over that time, Wu-Tang Clan have dropped seven further albums from a fill discography that, including solo records by its members, notches up more than 85 full-length releases. Their tours pull from the whole lot, as set against that ever-present Wu-Tang 'W' — and honours the deceased Ol' Dirty Bastard as well. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Wu Tang Clan (@wutangclan) WU-TANG CLAN AND NAS 'NY STATE OF MIND' TOUR 2023: Tuesday, May 9 — Spark Arena, Auckland Friday, May 12 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane Saturday, May 13 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Sunday, May 14 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Wu-Tang Clan and Nas tour Australia and New Zealand in May 2023, with pre-sales from 11am local time on Friday, March 3, and general sales from 12pm local time on Monday, March 6. Head to the Live Nation website for tickets and further details.
When Sydney's beaches began to close down due to COVID-19, it started with Bondi, with hordes of people continuing to flock to the popular spot despite the implementation of strict social-distancing requirements. Now, the city is beginning to shut down access to its coastal walks as well, with the iconic Bondi to Bronte route now out of bounds in the interest of public safety. Announcing the decision in a statement, Waverley Council advised that it made the call to close the Bondi to Bronte Coastal Walk for the expected reason — because large groups continued to visit the area. "Unfortunately, closing the coastal walk was the only way the council could help ensure that public health orders could be maintained along the walk," said Mayor of Waverley Paula Masselos. "Council is trying to balance the needs of our community, but we need our residents and visitors to adhere to social distancing in our public spaces." [caption id="attachment_719993" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] jipe7 via Flickr[/caption] From today, Waverley Council is blocking all points of access to the coastal walk until further notice. Anyone who tries to mosey along the seaside trail will also find additional signage in place, as well as barricades. Those who attempt to access the walk could also literally pay a price, with Council Rangers having the power to fine people who trespass in closed and signposted areas. And, as they have been for weeks now, the area's beaches remain closed as well. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. Top image: Dietmar Rabich via Wikimedia Commons.
For around 140 years, since back in the 1880s, Australians have been able to make calls from public payphones. Most of us might now carry mobile phones around with us in our pockets, but public payphones are still there — in case your battery is flat, you have no signal, you've lost or forgotten your phone, you simply don't have one, or there's an emergency. And, if you need to use one of Telstra's handsets while you're out and about, you now won't have to pay a thing if you're making a local, national or mobile call. Coins, phone cards, credit cards, debit cards: these have been acceptable forms of payment in the past; however, now you won't need them to get dialling in most situations. If you're calling overseas, that'll still cost you, but otherwise you can use Telstra's 15,000 payphones across the country for free. Telstra CEO Andrew Penn announced the news in a statement on the company's website, noting that "since mobiles became nearly universal, a lot of Australians might not give them [payphones] much thought. Until there's a natural disaster. Until you're in vulnerable circumstances, homeless or fleeing domestic violence." He continued: "that's why I decided it's time to make payphones free. Because even in the age of the smartphone, they play such a critical role in our community, particularly in times of need, and particularly for those in need." "I've seen myself how much payphones are part of the fabric of Australia and how important they are in good times, and bad. I've seen queues of people waiting in line, coins at the ready, to use a payphone to call home and tell their family and friends they're safe after a bushfire, a cyclone or some other natural disaster has taken the mobile network down," Penn said. "I know payphones are also a lifeline for thousands of vulnerable Australians — the homeless, the isolated, those escaping domestic violence — and often provide their only link to critical support services and those that care about them." Gone are the days when every 90s kid had a phonecard in their wallet to use when they needed to call home, but Australians still made 11 million payphone calls in 2020, including more than 230,000 to essential services such as Triple Zero. For more information about Telstra's free payphone calls, head to the company's website. Images: Sarah Tee.
Triple J's Hottest 100 is back for another year, counting down the best songs of 2025 as voted by listeners around the country. The nation's biggest music event kicks off from 12pm on Saturday, January 24, 2026, and while you could tune in from home, it's far better with a cold drink in hand and a crowd singing along beside you. Across Australia, venues are turning up the volume and opening their doors for Hottest 100 listening parties, complete with drink specials, live sets and all-day kick-ons once the number one song drops. From inner-city pubs and coastal beer gardens to small-batch breweries and rooftop bars, here's where to celebrate the countdown in style this weekend. NSW: Akasha Brewing Company – Five Dock The Lord Gladstone – Chippendale 4 Pines Truckbar – Brookvale Resin Brewing – Bulli Darlo Bar – Darlinghurst East Village Hotel – Darlinghurst Taphouse Sydney – Darlinghurst The Strand Hotel – Darlinghurst The Golden Barley Hotel – Enmore Bombies – Freshwater The Governor – Macquarie Park Sauce Brewing Co – Marrickville The Courthouse Hotel – Newtown The Marlborough Hotel — Newtown The Old Commodore Hotel — McMahons Point Drink West – Penrith Public House – Petersham Salisbury Hotel – Stanmore General Gordon Hotel – Sydenham The Australian Heritage Hotel – The Rocks La La La's – Wollongong The Illawarra – Wollongong VIC: The Wine List – Euroa The Catfish – Fitzroy Top Yard — Melbourne CBD Holmes Hall — Moonee Ponds Welcome to Thornbury — Northcote Esplanade Hotel — St Kilda Westside Ale Works — South Melbourne QLD: Ric's Bar — Fortitude Valley WA: Rocky Ridge Brewing Co — Busselton Inglewood Hotel – Mt Lawley Rosemount Hotel – North Perth ACT: Assembly The People's Pub – Braddon Capital Brewing Co – Fyshwick NT: One Mile Brewery – Winnellie Don't see a listening party near you? Head to the website for the full list.
If you like tacos, tequila and views of the ocean, clear your Saturday. Campbell Parade's Panama House is serving up an extra salty twist on its regular brunch for World Margarita Day. And it involves bottomless margaritas. To eat, the regular brunch packages will be available. For $39 a head, you'll get smoky beef croquettes, chicken enchiladas, swordfish tostadas, fajitas, baked barramundi and lots of shoestring fries. If you're vego, a similar meat-free feast will set you back $35, and includes the likes of portobello tacos, avocado tostadas and roasted cauliflower with almond mole rojo. For another $54, you can add on two hours of endless Tecate, mimosas, bloody marys, palomas and rosé. Now comes the salty party. On Saturday, February 22, you can add two hours of bottomless margaritas onto one of these brunches for another $25. That's a lot of booze, friends. If you can't make it along to the brunch, but would still like to enjoy a couple of drinks, the bar will be serving up $12 margaritas all day. You can book into the bottomless margarita brunch between 10–4pm. Image: Richard Mortimer
Ben Stiller is having a very good year. The actor has only made two movies, and neither have really proven to be a stretch for him, but when it comes to middle-aged malaise in soul-searching comedy-dramas, he well and truly knows what he's doing. The furrowed brow, the frustrated gaze, the constant passive-aggression streaming towards everyone his characters interact with: if you've seen Greenberg, While You're Young or this year's The Meyerowitz Stories, then you definitely know the type. And while Brad's Status mightn't reach quite the same heights as any of those titles, it still demonstrates Stiller doing what he does best. Playing the eponymous Brad, Stiller gets ample chances to show off his world-weary on-screen persona. Running his own non-profit organisation, married to the laid-back Melanie (Jenna Fischer) and about to see his son Troy (Austin Abrams) off to college, Brad still finds himself unhappy with his lot in life — purely because he hasn't done as well as his former friends. Nick (the film's writer-director Mike White) is a Hollywood hotshot, tech wiz Billy (Jemaine Clement) has retired to Hawaii with stacks of cash, and Jason (Luke Wilson) has a high-powered hedge fund job, a wealthy wife and a growing family. Meanwhile, the last time Brad saw author and TV political commentator Craig (Michael Sheen), he asked for a favour and didn't hear back. White's script, his third this year after The Emoji Movie and Beatriz at Dinner, uses a trip to Boston to stoke Brad's anxieties about his status. It's not really a surprising development; he's touring college campuses with Troy, and thinking about who he was when he was a student, who he is now, and the difference between his youthful dreams and his current reality. Just as Stiller isn't flirting with anything particularly fresh, but still knocks his performance out of the park, White does much same behind the camera. Having previously directed Year of the Dog and TV's Enlightened, the filmmaker is no stranger to pondering how people see their place in the world — and their reactions when they contemplate making a change. Here, of course, White has rich material to mine, especially in today's social media-obsessed world. Brad's Status shows Brad scrolling through his old pals' Facebook and Instagram feeds and fantasising about the glamorous lives he's sure they're living. Sound familiar? Far from simply serving up a Generation X riff on Ingrid Goes West, however, White also unpacks Brad's sense of entitlement as a perfectly comfortable white guy living in Sacramento (#firstworldproblems). On top of that, he probes the envy that can spring when a parent thinks their child might grow to eclipse them. It's an ostensibly straightforward, emotionally dense scenario, albeit one that overplays Brad's inner monologue a tad. There's an interesting balancing act at work here, one that Brad's Status aces more than it might initially appear. While the film's warm visuals might seem to clash with its pointed score, they encapsulate a movie that's both affectionate towards its flawed protagonist and painfully aware of his many faults. That, if nothing else, is something you don't see every day. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43jt74GwBmk
In 1981, SBS broadcast Women of the Sun, a historical production in more ways than one. Exploring the lives of four Aboriginal women from the 1820s to the 1980s, it earned acclaim for not just delving into female Indigenous experiences of the past, but for becoming the first television program ever to do so. 35 years later, Winyanboga Yurringa follows in the show's footsteps, this time bringing the female connection to country to the stage — and into the 21st century. Written and directed by playwright and recipient of the 2015 NSW Aboriginal Art Fellowship Andrea James, the performance draws on real-life stories to explore what's known in Aboriginal culture as women's business. Cue contemplations of identity, appearance, belonging, finding partners and tackling prejudice. The play depicts a revelatory camping trip as the six main characters interrogate their links with their homeland, heritage and with each other, as guided by their auntie, sister and cousin Neecy. It's a complex and compelling theatre work starring Kylie Coolwell, Alexis Lane, Angeline Penrith, Tessa Rose, Pamela Young and Matilda Brown. Presented by Carriageworks and Moogahlin Performing Arts. Image: Bindi Cole.
Our team of editors have curated a Hobart getaway package for Concrete Playground Trips, taking guests on an exclusive tour of Tassie's art, wine and culture scene. This trip covers your Hobart essentials, but then we've stepped things up a notch for you. Take a scenic flight over the iconic Wineglass Bay, get the 'posh-as' MONA experience (with a long, boozy lunch included), and squeeze in a series of wine tastings across the region. Plus, all the organising has been done in advance. No need to scour the internet for the best accom (the trip includes a four-night stay at the fantastic Henry Jones Art Hotel), book cabs or create an itinerary of your own. We've done it all for you. But we also know how important it is to keep holiday plans flexible — that's why there's no formalised itinerary for this trip. Instead, you can lock in the below included experiences at a time that suits you. MONA ON A WHOLE OTHER LEVEL If you haven't heard of MONA, you've been living under a rock. This art institution is a can't-miss Hobart experience. And this package doesn't just give you a ticket to the galleries and grounds. Booking through Concrete Playground Trips gives you a ferry ride to MONA and a private guided tour and wine tasting at their Moorilla winery. Then you'll enjoy an excellent two-course lunch that comes with even more locally produced wine, plus a bottle of Moorilla's Muse to take back to your hotel. If you're going to visit MONA, do it this way. WINEGLASS AND WILDLIFE TOUR On another day, guests take to the skies over Wineglass Bay. During a 45-minute flight, you'll soar further above Freycinet National Park, home to dramatic pink granite mountains, secluded bays, crystal clear waters and pristine white beaches. Leaving the peninsula, you'll fly over the seal colony of Ile Des Phoques and continue towards Maria Island, where you'll touch down to explore the island on foot. Known for its abundance of wildlife, Hobart's Maria Island is home to rare and endangered species like the swift parrot and Cape Barren goose, wombats, kangaroos and of course, the Tassie Devil. We even manage to squeeze a decadent seafood and vino lunch into the day – bring on all the local oysters! ACCOMMODATION We have the hotel picked out for you too. The Henry Jones Art Hotel will be your home for four nights, giving you somewhere historic and calming to rest your head. The jam warehouse turned dedicated arts hotel comes with in-house restaurants and cocktail bars serving up innovative feasts and cocktails from Tasmania's best seasonal produce. [caption id="attachment_865273" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Tourism Tasmania[/caption] Luxe amenities and foodie delights aside, what's most intriguing about a stay at The Henry Jones Art Hotel is the unique opportunity it poses to stay inside a – very comfortable, very cosy – art gallery, essentially. Some 400 artworks (most by emerging Tassie artists) adorn hallways, guest rooms and public spaces here, and you might just spot an artist in residency toiling away on their masterpiece in the lobby. Need further inspiration? Read our Long Weekender's Guide to Hobart and travel further afield to get a taste of all things Tassie with our extensive guide to the best of Tassie's fantastic food, produce and culinary culture. Book tickets to this exclusive getaway through the Concrete Playground Trips website. Main image credit: Tourism Tasmania & Rob Burnett
If you're looking for a place with history in this fair city of ours, this lavish abode has plenty. Dating back to the mid-1800s, Elizabeth Bay House was once known as the 'finest house in the colony' — a label earned due to its furniture, its staircase, its views over Sydney Harbour and, well, its all-round extravagance. Its sprawling 54-acre garden may no longer exist but, all these years later, you can still tour the premises and see the house's opulence for yourself. If you're feeling particularly flush, it's available to hire for events as well. Images: Tony Yeates, Peter Solness / Destination NSW.
Tropfest, the world's largest short film festival, made a grand (albeit rainy) reappearance since it was shuttered in 2019 to a crowd of 35,000 braving wet conditions in Centennial Park on Sunday. The festival featured a star-studded jury of judges, including Australians Margot Robbie (Wuthering Heights), Sarah Snook (Succession), Danny Phillippou (director of Talk to Me and Bring Her Back) and producer Bruna Papandrea, English actor Taron Edgerton and a virtual appearance from legendary director James Cameron — all judging 16 short film entries with huge prizes on the line. [caption id="attachment_1076366" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] John Polson and Margot Robbie photographed by Wendell Teodoro/Getty Images[/caption] Taking the coveted top prize of $50,000 was Crescendo, directed by Sydney local Lianne Mackessy, which follows a young mother who has to scramble to find a new babysitter on the morning of a career-defining audition — jury president Margot Robbie described the film as "pitch perfect". Following in the second and third place for prizes of $30,000 and $20,000, respectively, were Jasper Sharpe's We Don't Take Breaks and Nicky Tyndale-Biscoe's Silent Night. The NIDA Emerging Performer Award for Best Female Actress went to lead actress and new mother Laura Bunting for her role in Crescendo, while the NIDA Emerging Performer Award for Best Male Actor was presented to Ben Keller for his performance in We Don't Take Breaks. [caption id="attachment_1076367" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Lianne Mackessy photographed by Wendell Teodoro/Getty Images[/caption] The inaugural Chery Creative Acceleration Award, celebrating the rising and boundary-pushing talent of the next generation of filmmakers, was presented to Georgina Haig, director of No Thank You. As part of the honour, Haig also took home a Chery Tiggo 7 Super Hybrid valued at $34,990. Best Cinematography, presented by Sony, was awarded to Josh Flavell for his work on Project Hourglass. Flavell also received a complete Sony camera and lens package valued at almost $20,000. [caption id="attachment_1076365" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Sarah Snook and Laura Bunting photographed by Wendell Teodoro/Getty Images[/caption] Taking home the new Pandora Women's Brilliance Award, created to recognise a woman in film whose vision, voice, and creative impact truly shine, was Tyndale-Biscoe for Silent Night, who was also gifted a Pandora Infinite lab-grown diamond jewellery set. Tyndale-Biscoe will also be invited to collaborate with Pandora on a bespoke piece of content. And the winner of the iconic Tropicana Award went to Sean Bayles for his film The End. You can watch a recording of the Tropfest 2026 livestream or any of the winning films on YouTube now. This article first appeared on Variety Australia.
Second-hand bonanzas don’t get any simpler than this. Introducing the Suitcase Rummage. To get involved, all you have to do is register online, throw everything you don’t want into a suitcase (or two or three) and head for Victoria Park on Saturday, November 14. There, you’ll meet similarly equipped de-clutterers. Happening between 11am and 4pm, the event is a market, but without the hassles of trestle tables, clothing racks or fancy arrangements. Instead, it’s all about buyers sorting and seeking for themselves. Suitcases will be loaded with all manner of goods, from bric-a-brac and vintage pieces, to CDs and vinyl, to jewellery and artworks. The Suitcase Rummage is a national event, which has taken place in Queensland, Victoria and the ACT. This is its first trip to Sydney. Those exclusively interested in buying — rather than selling — need not register. Just turn up on the day, ready to explore.
Continuously occupied for the last 140-odd years, Customs House is the oldest surviving customs building in Australia — it's been around since 1845, after all. With such a rich history, the building was once responsible for all imports and exports, taxes on locally manufactured goods and immigration, but is now a heritage-listed public space that houses a library, workspaces, exhibitions and three restaurants. Customs House literally lays Sydney at your feet with its model of downtown Sydney below perspex flooring in the atrium. So, on you next visit, give your best King Kong impression a go as you step from suburb-to-suburb, admiring the miniature Sydney Harbour Bridge, Opera House, CBD and more. Customs House is free to enter and is open 8am–10.30pm Monday–Friday, 9am–10.30pm Saturdays, and 9am–5pm Sundays.
Has the Easter long weekend snuck up on you? If you are yet to make plans but are looking to fill your extra days off with some very good live music, Waywards above The Bank in Newtown has you covered with three packed nights of music. Each night's lineup focuses on a different genre, kicking off with a hip hop showcase on Thursday, April 6. Commence your four-day break with some of the most exciting acts coming out of Australia's hip hop community right now, headed up by the one and only Mulalo. If the Naarm (Melbourne) rapper isn't on your radar yet she will be soon, with instantly unforgettable tracks like 'Tracy Grimshaw' making huge waves. Joining Mulalo will be Caucasian Opportunities, Carolina Gasolina, Flywaves, Kymie and VV Pete. Come Saturday, the vibe will shift towards nostalgic 2000s dance hits with a lineup of crowd-pleasing DJs arriving at Waywards. Leading the way is Discovery, Australia's highly convincing Daft Punk tribute show which will be rolling out all the hits of the French house/electronica luminaries. Also on the lineup is Sydney nightclub mainstay Jaime Doom of legendary troupe BangGang and local DJ Deckhead. Rounding out the long weekend festival is a double-whammy of indie delights with alt-pop gems Clews performing alongside Canberra's Sesame Girl on Sunday, April 9. Entry is free all weekend. Start getting into the zone with a quick hit of Mulalo now: Top image: Destination NSW
A well-designed sneaker is one of the finer things in life, much like a fine wine, a Cuban cigar or a cabinet fashioned from rich mahogany. Step into a crowded room wearing a good pair of kicks and you may verily command that room. Knowing this, luxury brand-touting Sneakerboy has come to us from Melbourne bearing not only the finest sneakers but a novel way of purchasing them — combining the efficiency of online shopping with the hands-on, social advantage of bricks-and-mortar stores. One feels that if Kanye or will.i.am were to go shopping in Sydney, this would be their first stop. Creative director Chris Kyvetos, who's formerly contributed his talents to Harrolds as creative director andAssin as a designer, is the mastermind behind this high-end sneaker gallery. How does it differ from yourHypes and your Platypi? Sneakerboy is like the Berlin underground gothic nightclub of sneaker stores, with a semi-secret location deep in Temperance Lane — you may have already walked by it, completely oblivious to the illuminated circular tunnel of leathery delights right under your nose. (Like me you may, however, have clocked the mysteriously attractive men loitering in the laneway). Enter the industrial-style, concrete-floored magic bunker and you'll see mounted rows of shoes by Prada, Yohji Yamamoto, Pierre Hardy, Balenciaga, Reebok, Krisvanassche, Givenchy and more. There are also clothes to be tried on, by designers Hood By Air, Christopher Kane and other trendoids of a similar, street-wise stripe. The shopfit is inspired by public spaces and the Paris Metro in particular, with future-retro metal seats and lighting cues giving the store a vibe that's raw and edgy yet sleek. Tech details hint at the forward-thinking outlook of this retail concept — plugs peeking out of shoe displays and screens mounted in the chairs. Where's the cash register? There is none — all sales are done on your own phone. This is just the physical place where you experience a product that you'll buy online, and which will be shipped to your door from offshore warehouses in Hong Kong (within 3-5 days, pledges Chris). It's also where you're likely to run into some of the slickest folk in town.
The sun is peeking out from behind the clouds, the birds are thinking about swooping, and now we really know winter will soon be out of here because summer's Sydney Festival 2015 has made its first lineup announcement. It's a show called Tabac Rouge by acclaimed circus mastermind James Thierrée, and in true festival style, it's a medium masher. The dance, theatre and acrobatics fusion is described as a "feast of visual poetry" by Sydney Festival director Lieven Bertels, who saw it in London earlier this year. "The show explores a world somewhere between the silent cinema classic Modern Times and a Jeroen Bosch painting — sometimes dazzling and funny, sometimes alienating and grotesque, but always hypnotic," he says. An adventurous recent work with a thumbs up from Europe (less so the UK), Tabac Rouge revolves around a disillusioned dystopian king trying to make sense of the world. Frenchman Thierrée plays the lead role, surrounded by a cast of agile performers, a junk shop aesthetic, an imposing scaffold set and plenty of smoke, mirrors and dramatic lighting effects. It sounds weird and enigmatic, but hopefully not quite so weird and enigmatic as this year's mostly impenetrable signature event, 'underwater opera' Dido and Aeneas. The grandson of Charlie Chaplin and great-grandson of Eugene O'Neill, Thierrée was raised in his parents' circus troupe, Le Cirque Imaginaire. Needless to say, his understanding and flexibility with the circus arts is right up there. He's a Sydney Festival veteran too, having brought us Junebug Symphony (2003), Bright Abyss (2006) and Au Revoir Parapluie (2008). You won't be able to miss Tabac Rouge; it plays at the Sydney Theatre for the whole duration of the festival. Tickets for the Australian exclusive start at $85/$72 concession, and premium tickets ($119/$109) are on sale now through the Sydney Festival website. https://youtube.com/watch?v=VH2MmpE9THc
We've all been there. It's a Tuesday evening in the middle of Sydney winter and when you do find some delicious filled tacos, you feel they just aren't being celebrated the way that they deserve. The Norfolk feels your pain and has decided that not enough is enough, so they are hosting a taco party to end all taco parties. Super Mega Grande Taco Tuesday is happening July 23 and is a fiesta of all things taco. Each delicious tortilla creation is as cheap as (corn) chips, coming it at only $3 each, and there are ten to choose from including chorizo, duck, pork belly and crab as well as all of the traditional favourites — and if you can challenge yourself to eat all ten flavour varieties within five minutes, you get them for free. To further indulge fans, there will be a taco throwing competition and taco porn populating every television screen (your guess is as good as ours as to what that actually is. I guess you'll have to go to find out). Doing their best Willy Wonka impersonation, The Norfolk will be hiding a golden ticket on the night, which entitles the finder to a taco party for them and their fellow amigos. Let the taco games begin.
When Dolly Parton sang about pouring herself a cup of ambition in the giddily catchy 80s hit '9 to 5' — the song that accompanied a film of the same name four decades back, now echoes in a stage musical as well and will never, ever get old — she wasn't talking about wine. But Zimbabwean quartet Joseph Dhafana, Tinashe Nyamudoka, Marlvin Gwese and Pardon Taguzu have lived up to those lyrics one glass of top-notch vino at a time, despite not drinking alcohol as Pentecostal Christians. Clearly, these men have quite the story to tell. It starts with fleeing their homeland under Robert Mugabe's rule, and then sees them each make new homes at considerable risk in South Africa, where they all also eventually found themselves working with the grape. In the process, they discovered a knack for an industry they mightn't have ever even dreamed of contemplating entering otherwise — and, in 2017, they took Zimbabwe's first-ever team to the World Wine Blind Tasting Championships in Burgundy, France. In the words of the always-great and ever-quotable Parton again, Joseph, Tinashe, Marlvin and Pardon waited for their ship to come in, and for the tide to turn and all roll their way. '9 to 5' doesn't actually have a single thing to do with Blind Ambition, the film that splashes through the Zimbabwean sommeliers' story, but their against-the-odds journey is equally infectious and uplifting. The Australian-made documentary about the foursome has also been likened to another on-screen underdog tale, this time about Black men seeking glory in a field that isn't typically associated with their country of birth. Blind Ambition isn't the wine version of Cool Runnings for numerous reasons — it hasn't been fictionalised (although it likely will be at some point) and it isn't a comedy, for starters — but the comparison still pithily sums up just how rousing this true story proves. The reality is far more profound than a Disney flick, of course. Making their second wine-focused doco of the past decade, Warwick Ross and Rob Coe — the former the co-director of 2013's Red Obsession, the latter its executive producer, and both sharing helming credits here — decant emotion aplenty from the moving and inspiring Blind Ambition. It flows freely from Joseph, Tinashe, Marlvin and Pardon's plights, which the film begins to drip out individually, harking back to before the quartet had even met, then blends together. Getting across the border was especially harrowing for Joseph, for instance, while ensuring that his new life honours his parents back home is particularly important for Pardon. Overcoming poverty and adversity echoes through their stories, as does the hope that their newfound affinity for wine brings — including via Tinashe's desire to plant vines on his grandfather's land one day. From those histories grows a keen eagerness to turn vino into their futures, and amid those dreams sits the World Wine Blind Tasting Championships. The activity that gives the competition its name is serious business; the first word isn't slang for getting black-out drunk or even just knocking back drinks to the thoroughly sozzled stage of inebriation, but describes how teams sample an array of wines without knowing what's rolling over their palates. Every national squad, all with four people apiece, is given 12 drops. From the six red and six white varieties, they must pick everything they can just by sipping — the grape, country, name, producer and vintage — to earn points. And, they also need to spit out the answers quickly, within two minutes of taking a taste. Yes, it's an event that you need to train for. No, it doesn't involve getting sloshed. As stressed verbally and visually throughout the doco, there's a specific — and very white — crowd for blind wine-tasting. It's also a pursuit marked by wealth and privilege, and by the access to a vast selection of different wines that springs far more easily when you come from or have access to both. Accordingly, Team Zimbabwe instantly stands out, not that its members ever let that stand between them and their next tasting glass. While Blind Ambition could've just stuck to the feel-good angle that gushes from Joseph, Tinashe, Marlvin and Pardon's efforts as outsiders within this insular realm, it smartly dives further, knowing that anything else would be too superficial and tokenistic. Accordingly, while the film celebrates their achievements, it also ensures that the racial and class divides that are as inherent to this part of the wine world — and to the wine world in general — as grapes fermented into alcohol remain as prominent as a red wine stain on a white tablecloth. That makes Blind Ambition a multi-layered movie with something to say as well as a heartwarming true tale to share, aka the kind of real-life situation that documentarians fantasise about. Heralding diversity and exposing its historical absence rank high among Team Zimbabwe's feats, and the footage that follows them training in South Africa and navigating the competition in Burgundy speaks volumes about the Eurocentric and money-driven industry they've plunged into. Competitive blind wine-tasting is a sport that requires coaches, too, and developments arise when both South African coach Jean Vincent Ridon and French wine expert Denis Garret become involved. All the way through, however, Joseph, Tinashe, Marlvin and Pardon's contagious joy, pride and enthusiasm for the field, for competing at the Olympics of the wine world, for the fact that their journey has taken them from refugees to finding a new calling, and for opening up the world to African vino, is never anything less than resonant. Like any standout plonk, wine or otherwise, Blind Ambition leaves viewers wanting more, though. Ross and Coe cover plenty in the film's 96 minutes, including postscript glimpses into the team's lives following their World Wine Blind Tasting Championships debut, but wishing for deeper notes at several stages along the way — the tension of the contest and its ins and outs, noticeably — is the prevailing aftertaste. While moderation is a wise approach to imbibing, parts of the film feel like just a sample themselves. It's still a delightful doco drop that lingers long on the cinematic palate, but another pour wouldn't go astray.
Whenever 90s rom-com Pretty Woman comes to mind, Roy Orbison's song likely does as well. When the musical based on the hit flick arrives in Australia for the first time, you'll be getting Bryan Adams tunes lodged in your head, too. The Canadian singer-songwriter helped bring the Julia Roberts (Leave the World Behind)- and Richard Gere (The Agency)-starring film to the stage, penning the music and lyrics for the show — and during his latest Aussie tour, it was announced that Pretty Woman: The Musical is finally heading Down Under, debuting in Brisbane. From Sunday, October 5, 2025, the late 80s-set tale of Vivian met Edward will roll into the QPAC Lyric Theatre in the Queensland capital, following a romance that's already fuelled a box-office smash as a movie, then premiered on Broadway in 2018 as a theatre production. If you've seen the film, you'll know the story, as an escort and a corporate raider fall in love — and you'll also know that it made Roberts a star, complete with a Golden Globe win, plus her first Best Actress Oscar nomination. Alongside America's most-famous theatre district, where it broke records at the Nederlander Theatre, Pretty Woman: The Musical has graced the stage in London's West End, plus Spain, Italy, Poland and Germany. There's no word yet regarding the local cast, so who'll be following in Roberts and Gere's footsteps — and Laura San Giacomo (NCIS) and Hector Elizondo's (Mr Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie) as well — hasn't been announced. Whether Pretty Woman: The Musical will head to other Australian stops also hasn't yet been revealed. Behind the curtain, Adams worked with his songwriting partner Jim Vallance, who he wrote 'Summer of '69', 'Run to You', 'Cuts Like a Knife' and 'Heaven' with, on the music and lyrics. Late filmmaker Garry Marshall (Mother's Day), who directed the Pretty Woman movie — plus Roberts and Gere's on-screen reunion in 1999 in Runaway Bride — penned the book with the OG flick's screenwriter JF Lawnton (Yellow River Christmas). Images: UK tour, Marc Brenner.
"What we need is a hot, fresh dead body — preferably right here or very near to here." So declares Oliver Putnam (Martin Short, Schmigadoon!) in the just-unveiled first trailer for Only Murders in the Building season four. Viewers of 2023's season three already know that exactly that is about to greet him, Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez , The Dead Don't Die) and Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin, It's Complicated), aka the three New York City-residing podcasters who started teaming up to record audio when murders began occurring in their building. Being aware that there has again been a killing in the Arconia doesn't mean knowing what's in store in the sleuthing comedy's return, though — with season four now locked in to start streaming from Tuesday, August 27, 2024. Indeed, something different is afoot this time around, taking Only Murders in the Building into territory not seen in 2021's season one or 2022's season two, either. Get ready for a trip to Hollywood. Both Oliver, Mabel and Charles' investigation and the cinema business beckon in Los Angeles. A studio wants to turn their podcast — which is also called Only Murders in the Building — into a film. Again, Oliver has the right words for the scenario in the sneak peek: "pack your bags, bitches — we're going to the movies". Cue not only the return of Meryl Streep (Don't Look Up), who joined the cast in season three, but also the arrival of Molly Shannon (The Other Two), Eugene Levy (Schitt's Creek), Eva Longoria (Tell It Like a Woman), Zach Galifianakis (The Beanie Bubble), Melissa McCarthy (Unfrosted), Kumail Nanjiani (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire) and Richard Kind (Girls5eva) joining the cast. Alongside Short, Gomez and Martin, fellow long-running Only Murders in the Building regulars Michael Cyril Creighton (American Fiction), Da'Vine Joy Randolph (a newly minted Oscar-winner for The Holdovers) and Jane Lynch (Velma) are also back. When it premiered in 2021, the series started with three residents of the same NYC apartment complex crossing paths after a death in their building, then bonding over true-crime podcasts. Next, they did what everyone that's jumped on that bandwagon knows they would if they were ever in the same situation: started their own audio series. Every season has given aspiring artist Mabel, Broadway producer Oliver and actor Charles another case to dive into, smartly and amusingly so. In the show's third batch of episodes, it was the murder of star Ben Glenroy (Paul Rudd, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem) at the opening night of Oliver's latest show that had them turning detective. Check out the first trailer for Only Murders in the Building season four below: Only Murders in the Building streams Down Under via Star on Disney+, and will return for season four on Tuesday, August 27, 2024. Read our reviews of season one, season two and season three.
Flying interstate can be frustrating at the best of times — especially during peak periods — but you can expect more than a few cancellations and delays this weekend as some Jetstar employees prepare to strike over three days, on Friday, December 13 until Sunday, December 15. Last week, both the Australian Federation of Air Pilots (AFAP) and the Transport Workers' Union (TWU) voted to proceed with industrial action in response to ongoing failed negotiations with the airline. The TWU has announced that it will hold a series of two-hour work stoppages on the Friday, while the AFAP will hold two four-hour stoppages — one on Saturday, and one on Sunday. In a statement released today, Jetstar Group CEO Gareth Evans said that, because of the action, Jetstar will cancel 44 flights on Saturday and another 46 on Sunday — which is 90 of an estimated 740 across the weekend. If you're flying with Jetstar on these days and your flight is affected, you've probably been sent your new flight details. Jetstar has re-timed flights and transferred some passengers to Qantas flights to avoid too much chaos, but there's likely to be delays to across Sydney, Melbourne, Avalon, Brisbane, Cairns and Adelaide airports. https://twitter.com/YourAFAP/status/1204269727264034816 The TWU is at loggerheads with Jetstar after failed negotiations with the airline that sought to secure a number of demands for employees – like more rest breaks, annual wage increases of four percent and a guaranteed 30 hours of work a week. TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine said that "disappointingly, Jetstar have rejected the vast majority of the workers' demands outright". Jetstar, however, says the impact of the TWU action is likely to be "minimal" as it would involve "less than half" of its regular ground staff. In a statement released last week, Evans said that the airline has offered a three percent annual wage increase to the union. The AFAP strikes are set to be more disruptive — as they will leave aircraft without anyone to actually fly them. However, despite earlier reports that the action could impact flights over the upcoming busy Christmas period, the union has said that it won't strike between Saturday, December 21 and Friday, January 3. The strikes will take place this weekend, December 13–15. If your flight has been cancelled or changed, Jetstar will contact you directly. For any further flight status updates, check the Jetstar website.
If you're just a hunk, a hunk of burning love for the one and only Elvis Presley, and you live in Australia, you've been having quite the few years. A massive exhibition dedicated to the king of rock 'n' roll came our way, Baz Luhrmann's AACTA-winning and Oscar-nominated biopic Elvis wowed fans, and Sofia Coppola's Priscilla is the headed to the big screen soon. Also on offer: a new Presley-focused stage musical that debuted in Sydney in August, is now playing Melbourne's Athenaeum Theatre, and has just locked in its 2024 dates and stops. Called Elvis: A Musical Revolution, this production features more than 40 of the singer's hits, because there's just that many songs to include. All of the expected favourites are worked into the biographical musical, which means everything from 'Jailhouse Rock', 'Hound Dog', 'That's All Right' and 'All Shook Up' through to 'Suspicious Minds', 'Heartbreak Hotel', 'Burning Love' and 'Blue Suede Shoes'. 'Good Rockin' Tonight', 'Earth Angel', 'Don't Be Cruel' and 'Are You Lonesome' get a whirl as well, as do 'Blue Moon of Kentucky', 'See See Rider', 'Can't Help Falling in Love' and 'A Little Less Conversation'. That's what the show's audience hears. As for what everyone sees — what makes the musical one for the money, naturally — the production's story tells Elvis' tale from his childhood in Tupelo, Mississippi through to his triumphant '68 Comeback Special. If you've seen the aforementioned Elvis, none of it will be new news, but Elvis: A Musical Revolution works its hip-swinging magic anyway. Sydney will get a return date with the musical from February 2024, with Elvis set to be in the building at the State Theatre again. After that, it's Her Majesty's Theatre's turn in Adelaide from April, Crown Theatre in Perth's time in the spotlight from May and HOTA, Home of the Arts on the Gold Coast's from June. Starring Rob Mallett (House Husbands, Singin' in the Rain), Elvis: A Musical Revolution hails from David Venn Enterprises, which has also been behind Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical, The Wedding Singer and Bring It On: The Musical — and arrives via a partnership with Authentic Brands Group, the owner of Elvis Presley Enterprises. Also behind the scenes, the musical's book comes courtesy of David Abbinanti and Sean Cercone — who have Saturday Night Fever: The Musical and Ghost: The Musical on their resumes — with Abbinanti also composing the orchestrations, arrangements, and additional musical and lyrics. "We couldn't be happier about the response from audiences, and look forward to celebrating the life and music of Elvis Presley with even more Elvis fans and theatre lovers across the country," said producer David Venn. "It's a testament to our cast and creative team, as well as the enduring legacy of The King." ELVIS: A MUSICAL REVOLUTION 2024 AUSTRALIAN DATES: Until Sunday, December 24, 2023 — Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne From February 2024 — State Theatre, Sydney From April 2024 — Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide From May 2024 — Crown Theatre, Perth From June 2024 — HOTA, Home of the Arts, the Gold Coast Elvis: A Musical Revolution is currently playing Melbourne, and will keep touring Australia until at least mid-2024. Head to the show's website for further details, tickets for Melbourne and to join the ticket waitlist elsewhere. Images: Ken Leanfore / Daniel Boud.
The Spanish are once again bringing their special brand of fiesta to Sydney this May. The 13th Spanish Film Festival has a programme brimming with over 40 films, many of which come with a glittering array of festival accolades, including the Oscar-nominated short animation The Lady and the Reaper, which will open the festival along with the crowd pleasing rom-com Friends Zone. Other critically acclaimed films include Berlinale winners The Milk of Sorrow, Crab Trap and Gigante, as well as the Goya- (Spanish Academy Awards) winning animation The Missing Lynx. And closing the festival is Agora, this year's favourite with six Goyas, by Oscar-winning director Alejandro Amenábar (The Sea Inside, The Others) and starring Rachel Weisz (The Constant Gardner) as the Greek mathematician and philosopher Hypatia. Set in fourth century Alexandria, this historical epic tracks the revolutionary rise of religion and the political and social upheavals that portend centuries of Classical tradition. Alongside these new releases from Spain and Latin America, the festival has programmed an exciting All By Women section, highlighting the achievements of contemporary female filmmakers. Included among this great selection is the winner of this year's Goya for Best New Director, Mar Coll, with her debut feature, Three Days with the Family. The festival is also shining the spotlight on director Fernando Trueba, who will be visiting Australia to conduct Q&A screenings of his new film The Dancer and the Thief. Audiences will also have the opportunity to catch up on his lauded films, including Oscar-winning Belle Epoque, the Civil War–set The Girl of Your Dreams and Trueba's love letter to Latin jazz, 54th Street. Documentaries, Julio Medem's naked romp Room in Rome and a vibrant Viva La Musica section (including a Q&A screening with Sydney Dance Company artistic director Rafael Bonachela for Blank Canvas) are all vying for attention over a jam-packed 12 days. And keep an eye on the website for the special 'best of the fest', screening on a lucky 13th day! To win one of five double passes visit our Facebook page, invite some of your peeps to CP then confirm on the wall below. https://youtube.com/watch?v=f-xH0lHUs9c
In a world where the new is often demanded but rarely considered or discussed for any length of time, the Berlin-based Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson is a memorable exception. A self-defined 'phenomenon-producer', Eliasson creates work from nature's supermarket: light, moss, water, ice and steam. He has summoned a geyser in Pittsburgh, erected waterfalls in New York, installed a sun inside the Tate Modern, and coloured rivers in Stockholm, Los Angeles, Iceland and Bregenz (Germany) a gaudy radioactive green. Renowned for his studio practice (where a small militia of assistants and collaborators specializing in anything from science, architecture and horticulture are employed), Eliasson is a serious manufacturer of experiences and one of those contemporary artists that art history won't be able to neglect. Here for his touring exhibition, Take Your Time, Eliasson will partake in a conversation with curator Madeleine Grynsztejn on his collaborations, past projects and current exhibition. And with much of Eliasson's work centered on shifting our perspectives through momentary and surprising encounters, you may well find that the mother nature of contemporary art has more to speak about than just the weather. If you miss the man see the show: Take Your Time: Olafur Eliasson is on from December 10 - April 11, 2010.
A brand-new event is coming to Bondi Pavilion this winter, with the inaugural Bondi Wellness Festival taking over the historic beachfront venue on Sunday, July 27. The one-day event will bring together some of Australia's most respected wellness leaders to explore movement and mindfulness in a high-energy, community-focused setting. Across three streams — Movement, Connection and Expansion — festival-goers can take part in everything from high-intensity boxing sessions and cardio-dance workouts to sound healing, guided meditation and breathwork led by Bondi lifeguard Dean Gladstone. The day also features panels, talks and live podcast recordings tackling topics ranging from fertility to biohacking. Whether you're chasing a post-workout high, taking a closer look into self-awareness or seeking renewed motivation, the festival is designed to uplift and inspire. With facilitators and keynote speakers like Gina Chick, Sinead Hegarty, Trent Knox and Sandor Earl, you'll be able to nourish your mind and body, right by the sea. Add in delicious eats from Glory Days and Surfish, as well as tarot readings, massages and a pop-up bookstore by Gertrude & Alice, and you've got yourself a dreamy Bondi Sunday.
Maybe you love nothing more than telling simulated people what to do. Perhaps a fantasy universe is your favourite place to escape to when you're mashing buttons. More than a quarter-century back, virtual critters might've been your go-to pastime. The Sims, World of Warcraft and Neopets have all made an impact on the gaming world, and on audiences. All three are also scoring plenty of love when Game Worlds takes over the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne. For five months from mid-September 2025 till February 2026, this video-game exhibition will shine a spotlight on 30 iconic titles — and make attendees feel like they're stepping inside some of them, too. Expect everything from original concept art and never-before-seen designs to rare objects to fill the Federation Square site's Gallery 4. Expect to be able to get playing, rather than just peering, as well. [caption id="attachment_997869" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Blizzard Entertainment[/caption] Although the full lineup of games featured hasn't been revealed as yet, they'll span from the 70s until now, and 20 of them will be playable. Demos, games from years gone by, trying to break speed records: they're all part of the setup, which will include international hits, new Australian releases and everything in-between. "As the home of videogames in Australia, Game Worlds celebrates the continuous evolution of this century's defining artform. It builds on ACMI's multi-decade experience in making video-game exhibitions, and our long-term support of the Australian video-game sector through preservation, education, industry partnerships and our dedicated Games Lab," said ACMI Director & CEO Seb Chan, announcing the exhibition. "Whether you love games as much as we do or have never picked up a controller, Game Worlds gives fresh insight into video games and their cultural impact." [caption id="attachment_997868" align="alignnone" width="1920"] World of Neopia[/caption] As Chan referrenced, ACMI has staged major video-game showcases before. This is its third, in fact, following 2008's Game On and 2012's Game Masters. Since the latter, the venue has also hosted smaller gaming exhibitions, such as 2017's Code Breakers — where women in the industry were the focus — and 2024's Honk! Untitled Goose Exhibition. Earlier in 2025, it celebrated 25 years of The Sims across one nostalgic weekend. As it regularly does with its showcases, the gallery will pair Game Worlds with talks, film screenings and other events, family-friendly activities among them. [caption id="attachment_997870" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Blizzard Entertainment[/caption] [caption id="attachment_997871" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Blizzard Entertainment[/caption] Game Worlds displays at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Federation Square, Melbourne, from Thursday, September 18, 2025–Sunday, February 8, 2026. Head to the venue's website for more details. Top image: Electronic Arts.
Set within the gallery hub of Chippendale and Redfern, Abercrombie Street's Galerie Pompom has been a local favourite for years. The mixed media gallery opened back in 2012 and exhibits work from young and emerging artists, representing predominantly Sydney and Melbourne-based creators. At the moment, that includes Sydney's Adam Norton and Danica Firulovic and Melbourne's Elvis Richardson, as well as New Zealand's Scott Gardiner. For more on each artist's background and a glimpse of their work, head to the website. If you're heading there, expect a range of art on display, from bold and tongue-in-cheek paintings to kaleidoscopic sculptures, small-scale installations and fun prints. Galerie Pompom is open 11am–5pm Wednesday–Saturday and 1–5pm on Sundays, as well as by appointment.
Writer-director Sarah Polley's follow-up to the much-loved drama Away from Her, Take This Waltz, follows the story of freelance writer Margot (Michelle Williams) as she meets a rickshaw driver from Toronto, Daniel (Luke Kirby). Margot shares with him an uncontrollable sexual chemistry, and when they realise they live just across the street from each other, the bombshell is dropped: Margot is happily married to sweetheart husband Lou (Seth Rogen), a gentle and caring cookbook writer. Margot finds herself in a complex and conflicting situation, not knowing whether her comfortable routine with her husband, whom she still loves, is enough in the face of the fiery desire of her alluring neighbour. She finds herself frequently trying to bump into the young man and testing the limits of her resolve by having late-night pool dips and sipping margaritas with him, yet not actually acting on the attraction. Far from being a shallow display of trivial conflicting desires, the movie poignantly illustrates the internal dilemma of whether familiarity and comfort will suffice when they come up against the temptation of exotic sex, romance, and art. Williams gives a heartwarming and evocative performance, making audiences sympathise and identify with her plight. Similarly moving displays from Rogen and Kirby work to make this film a heartwarming and complex production, which is a must-see for romantics and cynics alike. We're giving away tickets to Take This Waltz. Enter here. https://youtube.com/watch?v=xUQTNY5yaVk
If the Marvel Cinematic Universe can notch up 30 big-screen entries and counting, and the Fast and Furious franchise can approach double digits, then surely Hollywood — and Keanu Reeves — can keep making John Wick movies forever. Yes, all the titular character wants is out, but that hasn't been turning out as he's planned in film after film after film. And if the assassin's exploits keep hitting screens, audiences will keep watching. For now, we're thinking he's back in John Wick: Chapter 4, which'll hit cinemas in March 2023. During San Diego Comic-Con midyear, the movie dropped its first trailer — and, if you're always in the mood for more Keanu in more things all the time, a bigger sneak peek has just arrived. If you're thinking that Wick's luck might run out at some point, the new film understands. But this stunt-filled saga still has one last way to give its namesake his non-violent life back. He can agree to a duel against the Marquis (Bill Skarsgård, Barbarian) — but of course only one can survive. With that premise, expect the ante to be upped on the saga's latest onslaught of frenetic action scenes, as the new trailer also makes plain. Anywhere that Wick can shoot, fight and dispense with everyone trying to take him down, he will and does. This flick involves hopping around the globe, in fact, including Paris, New York and Berlin — and also getting into sword fights in Japan, and riding horses through a sandy desert. Accordingly, as all John Wick movies have so far — the first in 2014, John Wick: Chapter 2 in 2017 and John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum all included — this one will follow the hitman that other hitmen fear as he takes on his ever-growing list of adversaries. Whatever gets thrown his way hasn't stopped Wick yet, after he got dragged back into the assassin life when a past batch of enemies messed with his dog. Reeves' former stunt double-turned-filmmaker Chad Stahelski directs again, as he has on all three prior movies. On-screen, Reeves is also joined by a roster of familiar and new John Wick faces, with fellow franchise mainstays Ian McShane (American Gods) and Lance Reddick (Godzilla vs Kong) returning, and Reeves' The Matrix co-star Laurence Fishburne — after appearing in the past two movies — as well. And, Donnie Yen (Mulan), Hiroyuki Sanada (Mortal Kombat), Shamier Anderson (Son of the South), Rina Sawayama (Turn Up Charlie) and Scott Adkins (Triple Threat) are all also set to feature. In similarly excellent news, a fifth John Wick movie is already in the works, because more ass-kicking Keanu is always a great thing. And, so are two spinoffs: The Continental and Ballerina. The first is a streaming series, clearly set around the hotel that features so prominently in the films as a safe haven for hitmen. As for the second, it's a movie that ties in with John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum, and will star Ana de Armas (Blonde) — and also feature Reeves and McShane. Check out the full trailer for John Wick: Chapter 4 below: John Wick: Chapter 4 will release Down Under on March 23, 2023.
Daniel Mudie Cunningham is a Sydney-based artist, curator, writer and cultural critic, currently the chairman of dLux MediaArts and senior curator at Artbank. His works draw on and rethink the image streams of art history, everyday life, popular culture and fandom, demonstrated mainly through video and performance. In 2012 his piece Funeral Songs — a jukebox that plays a mix of songs people have said they'd like played at their funerals — was included as part of the permanent collection at Hobart's MONA. He's currently working on a project that will reflect on the Cronulla Riots ten years on and how its visual history intersects with the seemingly very different Stonewall Riots of 1969. More immediately, Cunningham is going back in time, re-performing his 1993 work Gender is a Drag at ALASKA Projects in Sydney. It's the 20th anniversary of the work, which also marked the artist's first public performance. Image by Ross Cunningham.
The festive season might be one of the happiest times of year for many, but there's no denying it can come with an all too heady financial hangover in the new year. And that's a shame because summer's most unmissable events do waggle a price tag. That's why we've teamed up with American Express, which offers a solution for Amex Credit Card card members to split a big cost into manageable sections. That's the idea behind Plan It® Instalments, a feature that allows you to split payments into instalments with no interest to be paid over 3, 6 or 12 months — T&Cs apply. But how can you use Plan It Instalments to live your best life? All over Australia's east coast, there are headline events you can secure a ticket to right now. [caption id="attachment_978661" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade on March 2, 2023[/caption] Sydney The Harbour City rarely has a shortage of things to do. Many summer events take place in the prettiest (and busiest) parts of town, which only increase ticket prices. For a more relaxed but oh-so-luxurious alternative that's just as close to the water, a Sydney must-see is the Westpac OpenAir Cinema. With a program of indie films and blockbusters alike and food supplied by three on-site eateries from top Sydney chefs against a backdrop of the Sydney skyline and harbour, this isn't your average cinema experience. The pricing is worth it and easily broken down with Plan It Instalments. Finally, one of Sydney's biggest events returns in February to round out the season: Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival. This citywide celebration runs from Friday, February 14 to Sunday, March 2 and has a whole host of offerings. Sure, some events, like the main parade, are free — but many of Mardi Gras' most fun experiences are ticketed. Be it drag brunches, boat parties, concerts and more; you can secure a spot for yourself and any fellow partygoers today. [caption id="attachment_913351" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Daniel Boud[/caption] Melbourne Down south in Melbourne, the offering is as stacked as ever in the heat of summer. Don't let the adverse weather stop you from having a good time. Melbourne is kicking off 2025 with a culture-heavy events program and Plan It Instalments will prevent the headline items from denting your savings when you need them. A truly fabulous event is at the top of the cards, TINA: The Tina Turner Story. The musical tells the story of an icon beloved by Australians and is so much more than just a biography. It's a toe-tapping dive into the life of the queen of rock 'n' roll and includes 20 of her most popular songs. Book using Plan It Instalments and get some seats before the show leaves Melbourne for good on Sunday, March 2. If you fancy heading further afield, up in Falls Creek is Feastival. Sure, this alpine town is generally a winter destination, but this three-day festival at the tail end of February will bring a new level of festivity outside of peak season. What's on the cards? Feasting (duh), comedy shows, paint and sips, pilates, heritage walks and a massive weekend of music featuring The Cat Empire, Budjerah, Azure Ryder and more. Make it a great getaway that goes steady via Plan It Instalments. Brisbane Up north in the River City, summer is the season of concerts. The regular summer offerings go on in force, but some of the hottest tickets in town are courtesy of artists stopping by on global tours. Then, on Tuesday, February 25, comes the long-awaited return of The Goo Goo Dolls to Australian shores. On their first visit in 20 years, they'll be joined by Thirsty Merc as they blow the roof off of the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre with banging ballads like 'Iris', 'Slide', 'Just the Way You Are' and more. Finally, an icon among icons, Kylie Minogue, is playing two shows at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre as a part of the Tension Tour on Wednesday, February 26 and Thursday, February 27. Plan It Instalments is available for American Express Credit Card Holders for plans over $100. For more information, visit the website. Plan It Instalments Terms and Conditions: You can create an Instalment Plan as long as your account is in good standing. We may withdraw this offer, prevent you from creating any new Instalment Plans or cancel any of your existing Instalment Plan(s) at any time if your Card Account is overdue, or if you do not comply with your Card Conditions. The minimum Plan amount is AUD$100. We may also limit the amount that can be transferred to an Instalment Plan. You will be charged a Monthly Plan Fee for each Instalment Plan created. This fee will be charged each month your Instalment Plan is active and will be disclosed to you at the time of creating your Instalment Plan. Each Instalment Plan will begin from the date it is successfully created, as communicated to you in your Online Account. Payment of your first Monthly Instalment will be due in your next payment cycle. You may request to cancel your Instalment Plan(s) at any time through your Online Account or the Amex App. Any billed Monthly Plan Fees will remain payable, but no further Monthly Plan Fees will be billed after cancellation is effective. As cancellation can take 24-48 hours to process ("Processing Time"), you may be charged a further monthly plan fee after requesting cancellation if the Processing Time occurs on your payment date. View the full Plan It Instalments Terms and Conditions here. American Express Consumer Credit Cards are offered, issued and administered by American Express Australia Limited ABN 92 108 952 085, Australian Credit License No. 291313.
In celebration of the Mardi Gras season, Object Gallery are gearing up to run a series of Make Play workshops, aimed at unveiling creative potential in unknowing Sydneysiders. Unleash your very own out-of-this-world being with Justin Shoulder's Fantastic Creatures Workshop; let Sydney glamourpuss Matt Format help you create your own faaaaabulous lashes in the Bespoke Eyelashes Workshop; put that frustrated costume designer to work in Angela Sinnett's Costume Design 101 or get yo' Mardi Gras bling on with the Bling Your Runners Workshop (again with Sinnett). Then learn how to shoot, cut and upload the entire festival experience, with Gareth Tillson's indispensible iPhone/iFilm Workshop. Want more Mardi Gras events? Check out our top ten picks of the festival.
What even is creative non-fiction? A legitimate question, and in fact one that writers themselves often ask. Creative non-fiction is kind of like the awkward cousin who's around your age but who you only ever see at Christmas and Easter and you have never had anything to say to. Yeh. That one. What are we supposed to talk about? And yet the truth is that people read creative non-fiction on a regular basis. Heck, you've probably even written some yourself. Magazine profiles, long-form narrative journalism, essays and memoirs are all examples of it — the writing form that not only reports the facts but also tells stories. Interesting, investigative, insightful stories. Feel like finally getting familiar with said cousin, in the hope of family Christmas celebrations being moderately less awkward? On Saturday November 2, The NSW Writer's Centre will host the 2013 Creative Non-Fiction Festival — a day of workshops dedicated to the craft of writing non-fiction, curated by writer and all-round shit-stirrer Benjamin Law (Gaysia, Good Weekend). And the line-up of guest speakers is eclectic and brilliant. Including the likes of authors and radio hosts Monica Attard (Russia: Which Way Paradise?) and Dominic Knight (Disco Boy), new kids like Nadia Saccardo (Smith Journal), veterans such as John van Tiggelen (The Monthly) and Delia Falconer (The Service of the Clouds) and then just genuinely hilarious people like Clementine Ford (Daily Life). If you were ever after a crack team of engaging, entertaining and respected Australian writers then these are your guys. This hand-picked group are among the best journalists, memoirists, columnists and editors in the country. Sustenance on the day comes from Cantina Mobil food truck. Tickets are on sale now and the full list of speakers and program for the day is available here. Get in quick!
As the days get warmer and longer, what better way to rediscover the city than at one of the many street parties taking over Sydney? Head west on Saturday, October 13, to do just that and celebrate Marrickville's diverse culture and community at the returning Marrickville Music Festival. Supported by Live Music Australia, an Australian government initiative, the free festival will spotlight local talent and businesses, from live music and performances to restaurants and retailers down and around Marrickville Road. Discover emerging artists across various genres at one of the seven music stages. The Main Stage will host performances by DOBBY, Loretta, FANGZ, Karen Lee Andrews, Sir Archer, In Good Hands and Isobel Knight. For something different, at least 20 other musicians and bands will be performing on the big day. Dedicated stages will be set up for Jazz, Hip Hop, World and Funk music, while a second stage will play host to local singers and songwriters, including Dina Juana, Martha Chess Phelps, Euan Hart, Dan Romeo, Sam Green, Lindsey and Lorenzo. Other local groups will make appearances on the community stage, with performances from Coomba All Stars, Marrickville Bush Band, the Inner West Vietnamese Language School and more. Between sets, meander down the road for the Inner West Artist Market, which will feature over 30 artists and makers. For those with an eye for photography, head down to Marrickville Library to join a hands-on workshop hosted by local music photographer Jack Moran, to discuss the tricks of the trade in music photography. Stop for a breather and grab a bite at one of the food stalls along the main street. Or head to one of the many local restaurants, which will take over parts of the footpaths for the day, so you're well-positioned to enjoy some of the roving and pop-up performances. The event runs from 12–6pm on Sunday, October 13, but you can keep the good times going with a cold bev and even more live music at one of the official afterparty venues: Gasoline Pony, Lazybones Lounge, Pepito's, Unexpected Guest Distillery, Where's Nick, Man on Marrickville, The Crown and Emperor Hotel. Marrickville Music Festival is supported by Live Music Australia, an Australian government initiative. Check out the full lineup of events and artists at the Marrickville Music Festival website and get in the mood with the festival's Spotify playlist.
If Melbourne's famous for anything, it's a sense of discovery. Nothing beats the absolute thrill of ducking down a laneway, following the scent of coffee, and stumbling into something you didn't even know you were looking for. In one particularly special part of the city — Little Collins street — that discovery will bring you to Hotel Indigo Melbourne Little Collins. The hotel and its close neighbours are stitched together from historic buildings that once housed everything from Turkish baths to grand music retailers. Inside, things get even cooler. Its interiors are threaded with local stories, from a statement spiral staircase inspired by the drapery sold by Sidney Myer (yes, the founder of the eponymous department store) to a huge lobby mural by renowned Melbourne artist Lisa King. Best of all, the hotel's position on Little Collins street puts you right in the centre of Melbourne's CBD. Here's how to plan your next weekend exploring the neighbourhood. Begin in the Laneways Forget Google Maps for a while. The best part of this Melbourne neighbourhood is its grid-like layout, meaning it's almost impossible to get lost. In fact, the laneways around Little Collins are best explored without a plan. Hosier Lane is the obvious icon, its walls splashed with artwork and graffiti. But veer off course and you'll also stumble upon AC/DC Lane with its nod to Aussie rock, or Centre Place where tiny cafes and restaurants are packed with the local lunch crowd. Take Coffee Seriously It might sound cliché, but in this neighbourhood coffee really is the fuel that keeps everything moving. Pellegrini's, which opened in 1954, is a time capsule of Melbourne's espresso beginnings, when Italian immigrants kickstarted the city's coffee culture. Nearby, Brother Baba Budan is instantly recognisable for the chairs hanging from its ceiling, and Dukes on Flinders Lane is where the locals queue for their morning fix. Staying nearby means you're never more than a few minutes from a genuinely great cup. Dine Like a Local Melbourne is nothing if not a food city and around Little Collins, you'll find flavours from every corner of the globe within walking distance. Fern Bar and Dining, tucked inside Hotel Indigo, is a slick all-day spot where menus lean into seasonal Victorian produce and good vibes. It's perfect for a pre-theatre bite or early-morning brekky. Venture outside the hotel and you're spoiled for choice: Cumulus Inc serves refined share plates in a converted warehouse, Grossi Florentino is your go-to for old-school Italian, and Embla is the best place to crack a bottle of natural wines and seriously good bar food. Our best advice? Come hungry. Soak Up The Architecture From gothic banks to Victorian-era buildings and Art Deco beauties, Melbourne's skyline is a result of decades of boom and reinvention. Design lovers will want to check out the Gothic Revival spires atop the Manchester Unity Building, look up at Gaunt's Clock in Royal Arcade, and explore the intricate mosaic floors inside the Block Arcade. If you're planning a trip for next winter, Open House Melbourne also gives you the rare chance to peek inside heritage buildings usually closed to the public. Around here, even the spaces between buildings are just as interesting as what's inside them. The Perfect Base When you're done wandering, Hotel Indigo Melbourne Little Collins makes for a fitting place to land. Home to 179 modern, stylish rooms, it's built in a historic building and filled with nods to the neighbourhood. With a beautiful lobby area, luxe outdoor courtyard garden, and views across the city from almost every window, the space feels less like a cookie-cutter hotel and more like a continuation of the streets outside. Want to stay in the thick of it? Find out more about Hotel Indigo Melbourne Little Collins here.
The Abercrombie is back! The storied corner pub and haven of electronic music is reopening in December thanks to Solotel who will be reviving the Ultimo venue, reintroducing its packed dance floors and 24-hour license to Sydney's nightlife. Mark Friday, December 23 in your diaries, as that's the date the pub will swing open its doors and kick things off in true Abercrombie fashion with a 36-hour-long party that will stretch from 5pm on the Friday all the way until 5am on Christmas Day morning. Just a few of the names making appearances across the bar's first 36 hours include Astral People DJs, dameeeela, Andy Garvey, Mike Who, Nomad Radio, Pure Space, Lovejoy, Ayebatonye and original regulars of the space back in its previous lifetime, Purple Sneakers DJs. Entry is free so you can pop in and out of the venue throughout the 36 hours if you're not ready to party for a day and a half straight. While you're at the revamped Abercrombie, you can explore the two new spaces opening as part of its reopening transformation. Head upstairs and you'll discover a sleek cocktail lounge and rooftop bar called Casa Rosa, or discover Lil Sis, a cosy wine bar and bottle shop located in the adjoining terraces next to the pub. [caption id="attachment_881870" align="alignnone" width="1920"] dameeeela[/caption] THE ABERCROMBIE 36-HOUR PARTY LINEUP: Andy Garvey Astral People DJ's Ayebatonye B_A Banquet DJ's Blueprint Bobby Vibe Positive Caravan Club Sweat DJ's Conspiracy Crew dameeeela Daniel Lupica eclectic. Edseven Gallery Recs Kali Lovejoy Mike Who Nomad Radio Paul Jextra People's Party Pure Space Purple Sneakers DJ's RAW Reenie Said Dami Undisclosed DJ's UNDR Ctrl DJ's Velodrome
UPDATE, April 9, 2021: The Gentlemen is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Google Play and YouTube Movies. When in doubt, they say to go back to your roots. Given that Guy Ritchie's last two films were Aladdin and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, it's fair to assume that doubt had squarely reared its head. As a director whose name alone evokes the sound of cockney rhyming slang and the image of grimy London back alleys, dancing bedazzled elephants were about as off-brand as it gets. So he goes back to his roots with The Gentlemen — and it's a warm and welcome return. Boasting an enviable cast, The Gentlemen is a Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch-style crime caper centred upon Mickey Pearson — a marijuana kingpin looking to exit the UK's drug trade at the height of his career. Played by Matthew McConaughey, Mickey is a charming but ruthless American expat whose fondness for the London lifestyle sees him decked out in tweed, cavorting with the aristocracy and taking tea whenever the opportunity calls for it. When word of his impending retirement begins to spread, however, its sets off a series of secret alliances and double-crosses that puts the entire deal at risk, as well as a number of lives. There's a lot to like about The Gentlemen, but the highlight is surely its unofficial narrator, Fletcher (a delightful turn by Hugh Grant). Fletcher is a seedy private detective who digs up dirt for the tabloids. Rather than dish said dirt on Mickey, he decides it would be more profitable to offer to lose it in exchange for a healthy payout. The film structures its story around Fletcher as he makes his case to Mickey's bodyguard and consigliere, Raymond (Charlie Hunnam) — which he does by laying out the details as if he's writing a screenplay. The meta nature of it all could've been right on the nose, but Ritchie pulls it off thanks in no small way to Grant's giddying and likeable performance. Where Ritchie rediscovers his mojo by returning to his roots, Grant does so by ditching, the foppish hair and awkward humility, and replacing it with homoerotic innuendo and sleazy hubris. He goes completely against form — it's a joy to behold. So too is Michelle Dockery as Mickey' wife, Rosalind. Every shred of her time on Downton Abbey is abandoned as she struts and swears her way through The Gentlemen like an Essex-based Lady Macbeth. By contrast, Colin Farrell plays one of the most understated characters of his career, but the result is just as compelling. Known simply as Coach, he trains local youths in boxing to help rehabilitate them from a life of crime. Sporting his real-life Irish accent and a selection of remarkable tracksuits, Farrell lights up his scenes with equal parts controlled menace and lyrical wordplay. Against such terrific supporting roles (Succession's Jeremy Strong also deserves mention for his amusing, albeit also cartoonish turn), the film's two leading men are far less memorable. That's not to say they don't deliver the goods — it's just that their goods are less sparkly. Hunnam doesn't quite nail the reserved tough guy routine, although he does land the film's best line. As for McConaughey, he forever feels like the odd man out, with his southern drawl at odds with the abundant cockney. Overall, The Gentlemen is fun, to put it in the simplest of terms. It's certainly not without its faults — the patchwork of styles, from action film to hip hop music video and everything in between is constantly jarring — but the general experience is an agreeable one. Like the scotch enthusiastically consumed by Fletcher throughout, The Gentlemen is a little rough at first, but smoother with every sip until you're silly drunk and smiling like a fool. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je22_P3Qm7U
What does a group of pink guards do when they hit an Australian beach? That isn't likely to be a storyline in Squid Game when it returns for its second season on Boxing Day 2024, but we have been given the answer in the lead up to the show's much-anticipated comeback anyway. In Melbourne on the morning of Tuesday, December 10, 2024, St Kilda Beach welcomed 200 visitors, all kicking back on the sand — on towels, reading, sitting under umbrellas, throwing balls, flying kites and more — in eye-catching Squid Game attire. As announced on Monday, December 9, Netflix sent a continent of pink guards to the seaside patch of the Victorian capital to remind everyone that the show's second season is on the way — and soon — in an eerie fashion. There wasn't a green tracksuit in sight, but there were plenty of jumpsuit- and mask-wearing folks enjoying a morning out. This isn't the first time that the streaming platform has brought the South Korean sensation Down Under. When season one proved a massive success, the creepy Red Light, Green Light doll from the show towered over Sydney Harbour. Up at Sydney's Luna Park, you'll have another chance to get some IRL Squid Game action — without any murder, of course — when an immersive experience hits the tourist attraction to get you playing Red Light, Green Light from Monday, December 16, 2024. Three years have passed since Squid Game became an award-winning Netflix sensation — for viewers and, in the show itself when new episodes drop, for Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae, The Acolyte) as well. Audiences and Player 456 are alike are in for a new round of life-or-death matches when the streaming smash finally returns, although only the series' protagonist will be fighting for survival again while on a quest to shut down this chaos forever in season two. No one watching should ever want Squid Game to end; however, the show itself will wrap up in 2025 with season three. First comes the long-awaited second season to end 2024, though, where Player 456 is back in the game with new fellow competitors for company. Netflix has been dropping multiple early looks at season two, including a teaser trailer to kick off November — and it finished off the month with a new glimpse at what's to come. As the show's protagonist dons his green threads once more for the new season, his new fellow competitors are wary of his motives. Also part of the recent teases: Lee Byung-hun (The Magnificent Seven) as Gi-hun's nemesis Front Man, plus Wi Ha-joon (Little Women) also back as detective Hwang Jun-ho. For season two, Gong Yoo (Train to Busan) also returns as the man in the suit who got Gi-hun into the game in the first place; however, a show about a deadly competition that has folks battling for ridiculous riches comes with a hefty bodycount. Accordingly, new faces were always going to be essential — which is where Yim Si-wan (Emergency Declaration), Kang Ha-neul (Insider), Park Sung-hoon (The Glory) and Yang Dong-geun (Yaksha: Ruthless Operations) all come in. Squid Game's pink guards took over St Kilda Beach in Melbourne on the morning of Tuesday, December 10, 2024. Head to Netflix's social media for more details. Squid Game season two streams via Netflix from Thursday, December 26, 2024. Season three will arrive in 2025 — we'll update you when an exact release date for it is announced.
For one week only, Georgie Wine Bar is teaming up with Maybe Sammy to present Francesca: a gnocchi pop-up bar that's bringing a taste of New York's Little Italy to the Sydney CBD. Happening as part of Maybe Cocktail Festival, this event will combine steaming bowls of fluffy gnocchi with imaginative Italian-inspired cocktails. Four indulgent gnocchi varieties are on the menu, all inspired by New York's legendary Italian dining scene and named for cult 1980s flick Bianco, Rosso e Verdone. Cheese lovers should go for the creamy Bianco, while those who can't go past a traditional tomato sugo can tuck into the Rosso. Then there's the Verdone, made with fresh green pesto. Can't decide? Opt for the Tricolore, which gives you a little of all three. The menu also includes a selection of classic Italian starters and desserts. To match these pillowy creations, Maybe Sammy has come up with a cocktail list of Italian classics with a twist. Think: reimagined takes on a bloody mary, garibaldi, bellini and more. Can't stick around for long? You can pop in for a plate of gnocchi and beer, wine or soft drink of your choice for $18, plus there's a grab-and-go window for gnocchi al desko. To get Georgie ready for Francesca's takeover, she's undergone a bit of a makeover. From the moment you walk in, you'll feel like you've been whisked away to Little Italy via red-and-white tablecloths, piles of chilli, and artworks featuring Mutti tins.
If you've never been interested in silent films, this Spanish production might change your mind — and if they are your taste, you'll be pleasantly surprised. Blancanieves, which translates to 'Snow White', is a unique interpretation of the classic Grimm Brothers fantasy. Set in Andalusia, Spain during the early 1900s when bull fighting, flamenco and romance were at their best, the film expresses all the gusto and passion of Spanish culture — even without those sultry words. The protagonist of the story is Carmen (Macarena García), the daughter of famed matador Antonio Villalta (Daniel Giménez Cacho). On the same fateful day, Antonio is injured in a bullfight and Carmen's mother dies whilst giving birth to her. Carmen, who is raised by her grandmother until her death, goes to live with the paralysed Antonio, and his nurse-turned-wife, Encarna (Maribel Verdú). As her evocative name implicates, Encarna runs a house of horrors, treating her husband and stepdaughter with cruelty while masking her own bizarre fetishes. According to the traditional story, the stepmother is insanely jealous of the budding beauty and tries to do away her. Of course, our heroine survives (with a little amnesia) and is taken in by a group of travelling dwarves who nickname her 'Blancanieves'. By accident, it is discovered that Carmen has her father's knack for bullfighting. They travel around Spain as she stares down bulls in a gladiatorial yet glamorous fashion, most notably in an emotive last torero. Dubbed "a love letter to European silent cinema", by director Pablo Berger, Blancanieves had been in his heart for quite some time. Inspired by a photograph of bullfighting dwarves, Berger started on the project in 2003. Eight years later, he got wind that The Artist, another black-and white silent film, had premiered at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. "I almost threw my phone against the wall," he told the Guardian. The high concept was gone." If he worried that Blancanieves would look like a copycat of the Oscar winning Artist, I disagree. As do copious others; the film received ten Goya awards (the equivalent of the Spanish Oscars). Blancanieves has all the qualities of a classic silent film but with a fresh twist that keeps our modern minds guessing. By incorporating Hitchcock-type cinematography, Berger crafts a beguiling version of the traditional story that is in turns melancholy, eerie and erotic. His cast of devastatingly beautiful Spanish beauties, such as Verdú (from Y Tu Mamá Tambien and Pan's Labyrinth), makes us swoon with every lash bat and tear roll. The roles of the dwarves are also unexpected — possibilities for betrayal and even romance can be found. So if you're looking forward to a debonair don of a prince charming in this story, forget it. But with a fantastically ambiguous ending that will have you wanting more, his is a part that's hardly missed. https://youtube.com/watch?v=HanTDiiZLpg
If you have lived in Sydney for frankly any time at all, you should be familiar with King Street Wharf mainstay Cargo. It's the place that you inevitably end up when, already a few drinks down, someone in the group (occasionally you) suggests finding a dance floor to tear up. But this winter, the venue is keeping things cosy, filling its waterfront space with lit-up igloos. To match the Vivid madness currently happening around Darling Harbour, the transparent igloos will be glowing with fairy lights, and decked out with cushions and blankets so you can people watch (just minus the winter chill). Each igloo houses up to eight people, and for a very reasonable $25 per person, you'll get a grazing plate for everyone to share and a warm cocktail each. When you're done with that, you can order more snacks — like vegan tacos, fried chicken and loaded waffle fries — straight to your igloo. Keep your insides (and your hands) warm throughout the night with hot mugs full of pumpkin hot toddy, buttered rum and dirty chai martinis. Availability is limited, though, so we recommend rounding up the crew and booking in a session pronto — especially while Vivid is on. Even if you miss the lights, the igloos will be hanging around until the end of August.
Summer in Sydney isn't just good for swimming and sundowners. It's also the best time of year to get out and about and catch some live music. For that very reason, Merivale is throwing a series of free (yes, free) warm weather gigs across Sydney. Dubbed See Sound, and presented in conjunction with Furphy, this season-long live music program will take place every weekend at Vic on the Park (plus Bondi's The Royal and Coogee Pavilion). If you live in the Inner West, the Vic on the Park is probably already one of your local haunts — and your pup's, too. It might be best to leave Fido at home this time, though. You'll want full danceability as the See Sound series takes over The Vic's stage from 8pm every Friday night. On Friday, December 21, Absolutely Everybody — a monthly party night that usually takes place at fellow Inner West pub The Landsdowne — is switching locations for its end-of-year bash, the Chrisco Disco Bonanza. This special set will feature pysch-pop duo World Champion, pop trio Baby Beef and DJ duo Fox Force II. And the good music vibes are spilling over into other days on Vic on the Park's calendar, too. Head down from 12pm on New Year's Day for a recovery Furphy and lineup of performances from Amyl and The Sniffers, Straight Arrows, Candy and Neighbourhood Void. You can visit the rest of the See Sound program over here. Gig updates will happen throughout summer, so keep checking in to find out who's up next.
Since its founding in 1989, the story of Bangarra Dance Theatre has been the story of First Nations culture and tales leaping, spinning, swirling and twirling across the stage via some of the best dance works that Australia has ever produced. Sometimes, including in the films Spear and Firestarter — The Story of Bangarra, those stories and that unparalleled artistry has also swayed across the screen. Wherever Bangarra's talents have spread, the end results have always proven a must-see. In the organisation's 35-year history so far, however, it hasn't ever put together a show like Horizon before. Playing Sydney Opera House on Gadigal Country until Saturday, July 13 in its world-premiere season, this is the iconic Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander performing arts company's first mainstage cross-cultural collaboration, expanding its focus to include tales from across Oceania. Joining forces: Māori choreographer and Arts Laureate Moss Te Ururangi Patterson, a veteran of Atamira Dance Company who is now the Chief Executive and Artistic Director at The New Zealand Dance Company; and Deborah Brown, a Helpmann Award-winning senior Bangarra dancer for 13 years with Torres Strait and Scottish heritage. In a production that takes its name to heart by pondering the space where the sky and sea meet, Patterson and Brown's The Light Inside pays tribute to the duo's respective countries while musing on what it means when we peer at the horizon looking for guidance and the way home. Beforehand, audiences are also treated to Sani Townson's Kulka, with an expanded form from its 2023 debut at Dance Clan opening Horizon. Images: Daniel Boud.
It's not every day you get to hang out with a Hollywood A-lister and step into a fully immersive experience that's as close to the Land of Oz as you'll ever likely encounter. Yet that's precisely what's going down just outside Los Angeles, as Airbnb celebrates the release of Wicked: For Good with the launch of Elphaba's Retreat. Made for Wicked fanatics, this one-of-a-kind experience and overnight stay is worth the international adventure alone. Taking place on Wednesday, December 3, superstar Cynthia Erivo — aka Elphaba in the films — is inviting 20 guests to discover Elphaba's Retreat through a three-hour experience. Stepping into a picture-perfect refuge, those selected will have the chance to hang out with the Grammy, Emmy, Tony-winning and three-time Academy Award nominee that goes far beyond a simple meet-and-greet. On the day, you'll sip tea by the fireside with Cynthia, while a sommelier serves a special blend steeped in forest flora. Then, guests undertake a guided exploration, revealing easter eggs and authentic artifacts from the movies before taking part in a multi-sensory sing-along that brings the Ozian Forest to life. Finally, there's still time for a creative workshop where you'll weave your own witch's broom from willow, moss, poppies and more. Yet this fantastical adventure gets even better for a lucky guest and their plus-one who experience Elphaba's Retreat through an overnight stay. With the witch heading out of town for the night on Saturday, December 6, this whimsical accom filled with whispers will serve as a peaceful after-dark hideaway. Throughout the night, guests can expect a quiet meal and an enchanting evening of non-stop stargazing. Ready to change for good? Guests can now request to book the experience with Cynthia Erivo on the Airbnb website for free, with submissions closing at 2am AEST on Thursday, November 14. At the same time, guests can request to book the overnight stay — you'll have until 2am AEST on Friday, November 21, to submit. Designed as the ultimate Wicked experience, there's no better way to get immersed in Elphaba's world. "Elphaba taught me that our differences are what makes us powerful," says Cynthia Erivo. "Her story transformed me, and I can't wait to share that journey with you." Submissions for the Airbnb Wicked: For Good experience close at 2am AEST on Thursday, November 14, while booking requests for the overnight stay remain open until 2am AEST on Friday, November 21. Head to the website for more information.
In Stay of the Week, we explore some of the world's best and most unique accommodations — giving you a little inspiration for your next escape. In this instalment, we go to The Henry Jones Art Hotel in Hobart, Tasmania, where you'll encounter hundreds of artworks adorning the walls, views of the harbour and boutique interiors with exposed timber beams and walls of hand-cut stone that nod to the building's former life as a waterfront jam factory. Stay here as part of one of our curated itineraries on Concrete Playground Trips that includes a four-nights stay with daily breakfast included, scenic flights for two over Wineglass Bay, and Posh Pit tickets to MONA. Book it now. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL? Located in the Hunter Street precinct, this building is one of the oldest waterfront warehouses in Hobart named for the one-time building owner who started working in the former jam factory as a 12-year-old kid, working his way up the ranks until he eventually took over the business and ultimately made the jam trade his bitch. While art hotels are no longer new-news, the Henry Jones does has the claim to fame as Australia's first dedicated art hotel and the extensive collection of works and ongoing artist in residence program upholds its place as a leader within the onslaught of art-devoted stays that has followed. There are some 400 artworks throughout the property with a strong representation of emerging Tasmanian artists. Stroll the hallways, guest rooms, drinking and dinings options and public spaces, including The Packing Room Gallery, which hosts a roster of themed exhibitions. THE ROOMS At the Henry Jones Art Hotel no two rooms are the same. Organic materials, tones and polished timber meets rich accents of primary colours and thoughtfully curated decor in each of the hotel's lodgings. In many rooms, large harbour-facing windows let in natural light to show off sleek contemporary design elements amid the building's original features. Like much of Hobart, it's a collision of old and new influences. As for the details: luxurious bedding, original artworks and beautifully-appointed modern bathrooms complete with ample fluffy white towels. There's also the requisite free wifi and in-room coffee machine, and in some rooms you'll find an ultra-deep Kohler bath tub for soaking between strolls and sampling the sensational local dining scene. FOOD AND DRINK Speaking of dining, the in-house offering is a step above your usual hotel lobby bar. There's the IXL Long Bar, for innovative cocktails and snacks. At the front of the hotel is the Landscape Restaurant and Grill with a menu by Head Chef Nathaniel Embrey designed around the Asado grill and inspired by the region's exceptional local produce and artworks of legendary landscape artist John Glover that surrounds diners. Then there's the hero of the lineup: Peacock & Jones. Culinary Curator Ben Milbourne (chef and former Masterchef Australia contestant) and Head Chef Julian Volkmer (MONA) have crafted a menu that celebrates the very best of seasonal Tasmanian produce from sea urchin to truffles. And, of course, the drinks program showcases a carefully considered selection of Tasmanian wines, whiskies and spirits. [caption id="attachment_869996" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Maria Island[/caption] THE LOCAL AREA It's no secret that we are serious devotees to all that Tasmania's got on offer. Here's a quick guide to some of our Hobart favourites, and a more comprehensive exploration of all the flavours of Tassie can be found here. Head to The Henry Jones Art Hotel website to book a stay or, if you'd rather we sort your itinerary for you, book our curated Bucket-List Hobart Getaway here.
With Halloween comes the perfect excuse to don your scariest costume and have a ball. To celebrate all things ghoulish, El Topo is letting you party until dawn at Halloween Things. With plenty of bevs, spooky decorations, and tunes to get down to, it's sure to be a cracking night. Head down to Bondi from 9pm on Saturday, November 2 and catch the festivities in full-swing. Tuck into some free fairy floss and popcorn or pick up one of El Topo's cocktails, with everything from punch to brain shots on offer. Then, have a go at some apple-bobbing (there's a bar tab up for grabs) or have some fun with free face painting. Plus, you can put your best, costumed foot forward and get the chance to win a $50 bar tab for you and your crew. Entry is ticketed, but at $15 a head it's a pretty good bargain for a top night out.
