1980s Brisbane is coming to your streaming queue, and one of Australia's iconic novels along with it. It's been four years since Harper Collins sold the television rights to Boy Swallows Universe in 2019, then a year since Netflix announced its involvement in bringing the tale to the screen in 2022. Now, when 2024 hits, the wait to see what Trent Dalton's beloved award-winner looks like as a streaming series will be over. Boy Swallows Universe has won a swag of awards, including the Book of the Year, Literary Book of the Year and Audio Book of the Year at the 2019 Australian Book Industry Awards — and was longlisted for Australia's most prestigious literature prize, the Miles Franklin. It sold a heap of copies and been turned into a play. The Brisbane-set story trod those boards in Brissie, too, and now it's a Netflix series that was shot in the River City. After releasing behind-the-scenes glimpses of the production, initially advising that it would arrive in 2023 and dropping a first teaser trailer, the TV adaptation has now locked in its release date and unveiled its full sneak peek. First, mark Thursday, January 11, 2024 in your diary. Then, check out what's in store for this coming-of-age story on-screen via the new trailer. Dalton's novel and now the television show that follows spin a tale about a young boy, his prophetic brother and his jailbreaking best friend as they navigate the heroin-filled underworld of 80s Queensland. Also included: Eli Bell's (Felix Cameron, Penguin Bloom) attempt to understand how to be a good person, with his plight spanning a lost father, a criminal for a babysitter, a mum recovering from addiction, a mute brother, a stepfather who deals and a red telephone. Netflix's Boy Swallows Universe adaptation features eight episodes, running as a self-contained limited series, as it plunges into the space between childhood's magic and adulthood's reality. Travis Fimmel (Black Snow) also stars as Lyle Orlik, while the cast includes Simon Baker (Limbo) as Robert Bell and Phoebe Tonkin (Babylon) as Frances Bell — plus Lee Tiger Halley (The Heights) as Gus Bell. Also appearing: Bryan Brown (Hungry Ghosts) as Slim Halliday, Anthony LaPaglia (Nitram) as Tytus Broz, and Sophie Wilde (Talk to Me) as Caitlyn Spies, plus Christopher James Baker (Ozark) as Ivan Kroll, HaiHa Le (Spooky Files) as Bich Dang and Deborah Mailman (The New Boy) as Poppy Birkbeck. And, you'll see Ben O'Toole (Barons) as Teddy, Zachary Wan (Never Too Late) as Darren Dang, and Millie Donaldson (Jack Irish) and Eloise Rothfield as Shelley Huffman (aged 17 and 13, respectively). Boy Swallows Universe is directed by Bharat Nalluri (The Man Who Invented Christmas), Jocelyn Moorhouse (The Dressmaker) and Kim Mordaunt (The Rocket), and scripted by screenwriter John Collee (Master and Commander, Happy Feet, Hotel Mumbai). The impressive names involved extend to the show's executive producers, too, which include Joel Edgerton (The Stranger), Troy Lum (The Water Diviner, Saving Mr Banks, Mao's Last Dancer), Andrew Mason (The Matrix, The Water Diviner), Sophie Gardiner (Howard's End, Chimerica) and Kerry Roberts (Foe, Boy Erased). Check out the full trailer for Boy Swallows Universe below: Boy Swallows Universe will stream via Netflix from Thursday, January 11, 2024. Images: courtesy of Netflix © 2023.
The dining room at Icebergs undeniably has one of the best views in Sydney. But the blissful Bondi views usually come at a pretty steep cost, considering that, for the best seats in the house, you have to fork out for a lavish feed in the two-hatted fine dining restaurant. But this summer, you can soak up that scenery without burning through too much of the budget (and with better views than at the bar), at a new pop-up on the Icebergs Terrace. The bar — which is a collaboration with Ketel One Botanical — has transformed the Bondi venue's outdoor area into a lush, flower-filled oasis serving cocktails and snacks from the Icebergs bar. The newly revamped terrace is now sporting a verdant fitout designed by local landscape architects and horticulturalists Secret Gardens. It's decked out with stacks of native Australian flora and boasts primo views of Bondi Beach. As the name suggests, the cocktail list is based around Ketel One Botanical, which is a new low-alcohol vodka that's been distilled with botanicals and infused with fruit essences. It's available in three flavours — grapefruit and rose, peach and orange blossom and a crisp cucumber and mint — and is being served with some of Icebergs' house-made sodas ($12 each). These include a blend of coconut, sea rosemary and jasmine, and a fig leaf and mango creation. If you're a gin lover, it's sure to be right up your alley. If not, there are a few wines, a Byron Bay Lager and a frozen grapefruit and orange cocktail on the menu, too. To match the botanically-driven boozing, a selection of bites from the Icebergs menu will make their way outside. You can stay light with oysters, fries or a caprese salad, or go all in with a crispy fish sandwich or the Icebergs burger ($20). Drinks are pouring from 12.30pm each day all summer (and until the end of May 2020). Find the Icebergs Terrace x Ketel One Botanical pop-up bar at Icebergs, 1 Notts Avenue, Bondi Beach. It's open daily from 12.30–8pm until the end of March next year, then from 12.30–6pm on Saturdays and Sundays in April and May.
It seems like we've been talking about the live action remake of Ghost in the Shell for a really long time. Now that it's finally here, we're not going to waste time weighing up the quality of the source material. It's proven itself in the manga iteration, as well as the cult anime film that followed. Instead, the question is this: does the remake add anything to the discourse? And as such, should you bother paying to see it or should you give it a miss? Ghost in the Shell, in case you're not familiar, is based on a 1989 manga by Masamune Shirow. Protagonist Major Mira Killian (played here by Scarlett Johansson) is a member of Section 9, a unit of elite officers tasked with fighting cyber criminals. Major has a human brain and consciousness (a 'ghost') inside a fully cybernetic body. Her previous life is a mystery, even to herself. But when a delinquent hacker known only as Kuze (Michael Pitt) starts to infiltrate the network to which all humans are connected, a series of events are set in motion that lead Major on a classic origin chase, punctuated with shadowy memories ('glitches') from her past. Let's start with the good: the visuals in this new version of Shirow's story are stunning. Director Rupert Sanders has crafted a really good looking film, with many rich scenes and compositions. It's literally a smorgasbord of sci-fi aesthetics. But, like the model children of celebrities, it was always going to look great, because the source material is spectacular. Many of the film's most memorable images are taken almost shot for shot from the original. It's great to look at, sure, but no points for originality here. Moreover, this Americanised take on Ghost in the Shell feels decidedly more commercial (read: dumber) than its Japanese counterpart. Many of the same philosophical ideas are present, but you can't help but feel as though they're being fed to you with a spoon. Likewise, the mood here is less melancholy, less isolating. The eerie, disconcerting quality of the anime has been diluted, and the film feels weaker for it. The filmmakers have woven in extra content from the manga, shed a few of the more ambiguous scenes to resolve the narrative, and maximised Johansson's screen time. On the plus side, the score absolutely holds up, with composer Clint Mansell building on what came before while also bringing something fresh to the table. Finally, let's get to the big white elephant in the room: why was Scarlett Johansson, a Caucasian woman, cast in a role that many have said should have gone to an Asian or Asian-American actor? Sadly, whitewashing is a very real problem in the film industry, where cultural whiteness (and often white actors) is inserted into films where it simply doesn't belong. Did Scarjo bring something that a Japanese actor couldn't? Quite simply, the answer is no. Still, the sad truth is that all the controversy and talk of whitewashing in the lead up to the film may well be the most interesting about it. It may look pretty, but look any deeper and Ghost in the Shell is a bit of a fizzer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4VmJcZR0Yg
Taking a hidden garden in Rozelle’s Callan Park as their stage, De Quincey Co will present their latest multidisciplinary dance performance Inner Garden for just three exclusive performances. Showcasing their company’s trademark sculptural choreography, the work explores imagination and obsession, inviting audiences into a lush space filled with plants, dancers, musicians and installations. The work was conceived by associate director Tess de Quincey, who says, "This isn’t sitting in a concert hall, the performance is happening all around you. Once you enter the Inner Garden you’re surrounded by artists and dancers doing strange, beautiful things and telling the stories of their own obsessions and past.” With an immersive sound design, striking costumes and dazzling installations (including a mountain constructed from tables surrounding a gigantic palm tree) this sounds like fun for anyone interested in dance, spectacle and imagination.
An exciting selection of newly acquired works by contemporary Australian artists will go on display this summer at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia. From mid-December until the final week of February, you'll be able to see a collection of artworks by 28 local and international artists across mediums ranging from painting to photography to installation. Curated by the MCA's Anna Davis and Megan Robson, New Acquisitions in Context 2013 celebrates the diversity of artistic practice, introducing gallery patrons to new works and allowing them to revisit some old favourites. A major theme is exploration of landscape in a variety of forms, be it real or imagined, suburban or sacred, and its manifestation within cultural and historical contexts. Highlights include Imants Tillers’ 2011 work Tabula Rasa (for my father), Hayden Fowler’s New World Order (2013), Judith Wright’s Relative Conversations (2006), Khadim Ali’s The Haunted Lotus (2011-12) and Tracey Moffatt’s 2008 piece First Jobs (pictured).
Physical theatre and contemporary dance fans will no doubt be intrigued by the world premiere of FORKLIFT — a new work that combines dance with contortion and aerial acrobatics. Oh, yeah, and the whole thing takes place on and around a working 2.5 tonne forklift. It sounds playful, impressive and a little bit dangerous. Brought to you by Australia's very own KAGE (the “more than dance” but “not quite theatre” makers) as part of the Sydney Festival, the 50-minute show takes for its setting an industrial wasteland in which three women work a graveyard shift. Just three dancers, a machine and a whole lot of movement embracing the contrast between the light, lithe limbs of the performers and the heavy, solid metal of the forklift. Directed by Kate Denborough, co-founder of KAGE with Gerard Van Dyck, FORKLIFT stars Henna Kaikula (hand balancer and contortionist extraordinaire), Amy Macpherson and Nicci Wilks, formerly of Circus Oz. Yes, the dancers went and got forklift licences to make this unlikely dream a reality. Image by Justin Bernhaut.
Despite the many different varieties of margarita available, only one is the undisputed best — no matter which tequila-soaked flavour it actually is. That type of marg: a free marg. And for three weeks from Wednesday, February 15–Tuesday, March 7, 10,000 of them are up for grabs around New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia. International Margarita Day is upon us for another year, hitting on Wednesday, February 22, and tequila brand Altos is celebrating. That's where the hefty giveaway comes in, but starting early and running for a couple of weeks after the date itself. Days commemorating different foods are really just an excuse to sell more dishes, drinks and/or ingredients, but this is an occasion — and stack of freebies — worth saying cheers to. Exactly how many bars are pouring free 'ritas across the three-week period varies per state, but Sydneysiders can head to Employees Only, Watsons EQ, Coogee Beach Club, Marrickville Bowling Club, Club 77, Chula, Mejico, Kid Kyoto, Applejack Group's venues and more. For Melburnians, you'll want to make a date with places like Maeve Fox, Death or Glory, Fitzroy Beer Garden, Fable, Mejico, Public House and Common Man. Brisbanites, pop Emporium, Southbeach Social, Victoria Park, Brooklyn Standard, Pig 'n' Whistle West End and others on your list — and Adelaide residents, you're heading to Republic. [caption id="attachment_698575" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Employees Only[/caption] There are a few caveats, as always comes with these types of giveaways. You do need to sign up online first, which'll get you a voucher for that free marg and entry into a competition to win a trip to Mexico. Altos is calling the promo a Mexican wave, because if you get a friend to sign up as well, you'll score an extra entry in that contest. That — and those free cocktails — is excuse enough to get clicking and sipping. [caption id="attachment_869703" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mejico[/caption] Altos Tequila's margarita giveaway runs from Wednesday, February 15–Tuesday, March 7. For more information, to register for your free drink and to find your nearest venue, head to the brand's website.
Only a few years ago, the food truck was a late-night grotesquery that sold you a questionable kebab as you stumbled home at 5am. But Sydneysiders love their grub and have come to understand that a mobile food unit is a viable food option, not the one thing standing between you and a deadly hangover. The food truck is no longer an addendum to an average night, but the key to a great night — and the good folk at Sydney Good Trucks know it. The first ever EQ Food Truck Jam is a free-entry smorgasbord of food truck goodness, all conveniently parked at the Entertainment Quarter’s Showring and Market Canopy for the weekend of October 3–4. And they’re really pushing the boat out to impress us, with live music, an ice skating rink, jumping castle (bounce before eating — we don’t want any airborne spew), DJs, giveaways and the Sydney Trapeze School (not entirely sure what their role is here, but we can only offer the same advice as before — trapeze before food please). But of course, we only really have little piggy eyes for the food, and this spectacular lineup does not disappoint. The Tella Ball stand will be there, continuing to bleed the country dry of Nutella with their milkshakes topped with Nutella-filled donuts. You’ll also find Sydney's established trucks alongside the city's beloved food establishments: think Gelato Messina, Knafeh's 'bearded bakers', Toby’s Estate Coffee, Bad Betty Burgers, NYPD New York Sandwiches (selling Reubens to be revered), Cherry Highway ice-cream, Caminito, Let’s Do Yum Cha, Urban Pasta, Tsuru and Agape Organic. Yes take your smelling salts, it will be overwhelming. If you're feeling lost, you can download the app to help you navigate your way around the smorgasbord. If you can’t make the inaugural Food Truck Jam, don’t fret as EQ’s night markets will be running throughout spring and summer. EQ Food Track Jam is happening on Saturday, October 3 from 5–10pm and Sunday, October 4 from 12–10pm at the Entertainment Quarter’s Showring and Market Canopy. Free entry. For more information, check out the website.
Jimmy Chin is no stranger to peering at the world from angles that most folks don't see. He's also familiar with hitting peaks. As a mountain athlete, scaling great heights has been his job; however, the above descriptions also apply to his work as a filmmaker. With his partner Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, he won the Best Documentary Feature Oscar for Free Solo. Before that, the pair took home an audience award at Sundance for the also climbing-focused Meru. The Rescue, their doco about the efforts to free 12 Thai schoolboys and their soccer coach from the Tham Luang Nang Non cave system, earned them more acclaim — and both Annette Bening (Apples Never Fall) and Jodie Foster (True Detective: Night Country) scored Academy Award noms for starring in the duo's feature debut Nyad. Get Chin talking, then, and he'll clearly have much to discuss — about his work as a director and a mountaineer alike. On his first appearance in Australia, he'll be doing just that at Sydney Film Festival and Vivid Sydney. The two events are co-hosting Beyond the Summit with Jimmy Chin, where the Oscar-winner, National Geographic photographer and author will be behind the microphone for one night only. [caption id="attachment_706085" align="alignnone" width="1920"] National Geographic/Jimmy Chin[/caption] How does someone who clambers up mountains then become a celebrated documentarian? How did skills in the former help with the latter — not just when climbing is the focus on-screen, as was clearly the case with Meru, and also with Free Solo's chronicle of Alex Honnold's El Capitan ascent sans ropes, but in general? Why do extraordinary feats, including Diana Nyad's 110-mile ocean swim, appeal to Chin as a filmmaker? They're just some of the threads that this in-conversation session, which is taking place on Friday, June 13, 2025 at Sydney Town Hall, might cover. Chin will dig into shooting in extreme conditions, too, alongside how being a professional adventurer influences the way he sees the natural world on film. [caption id="attachment_833518" align="alignnone" width="1920"] National Geographic[/caption] "I'm excited to be a part of Vivid Sydney and the Sydney Film Festival this year. It's a great way to celebrate storytelling and creative risk-taking, which have both shaped my life in the mountains and behind the camera. To share my experiences in one of the world's most iconic cities is an incredible opportunity," said Chin about his upcoming trip Down Under. "Vivid Sydney's collaboration with Sydney Film Festival this year helps bolster the calibre of both festivals and this event is testament to that. Jimmy Chin is a captivating creative with an equally impressive resume, and this conversation promises to be one to remember," added Vivid Sydney Festival Director Gill Minervini. "Jimmy Chin's work sits at the intersection of art, athleticism and ambition. His films are as exhilarating as they are emotionally resonant, and we're honoured to welcome him to Sydney for this one-of-a-kind conversation," noted SFF Festival Director Nashen Moodley. [caption id="attachment_945212" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kimberley French/Netflix ©2023[/caption] Sydney Film Festival and Vivid Sydney have a number of collaborations on their 2025 slates, including a screening of Justin Kurzel (The Narrow Road to the Deep North)-directed documentary Ellis Park, about iconic musician Warren Ellis establishing an animal sanctuary to protect endangered species in Sumatra, plus An Evening with Warren Ellis at City Recital Hall. At the first, at the State Theatre, audiences will obviously see the film. Afterwards, its subject — a Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds collaborator and Dirty Three founder, as well as a pivotal force in movie scores, including on The Proposition, The Road, Far From Men, Mustang, Hell or High Water, The Velvet Queen, The New Boy, Back to Black, Kid Snow and newly minted Oscar-winner I'm Still Here — will chat about the doco, and also put on a short musical performance. Then there's Planet City: Live. Courtesy of designer and director Liam Young, the speculative fiction experience takes attendees to a different future — one where humanity has responded to the environmental destruction of the planet in a decisive fashion. Young's film is set at a time where there's just one city, which is where everyone on earth resides, with the rest of the globe left to rewild. At SFF, Young will provide live narration for the film, while Forest Swords will play its score live as Planet City screens. All of the above are just a taste of Sydney Film Festival's program, which has unveiled a few other sneak peeks so far — a batch of other initial titles, a Jafar Panahi retrospective and Together as the opening-night flick, for starters — in advance of the full lineup releasing on Wednesday, May 7. Check out the trailers for Meru, Free Solo, The Rescue and Nyad below: Beyond the Summit with Jimmy Chin takes place on Friday, June 13, 2025 at Sydney Town Hall — head to the Sydney Film Festival website for tickets. Sydney Film Festival 2025 runs from Wednesday, June 4–Sunday, June 15 at cinemas across Sydney. Hit up the festival website for further information and tickets — and check back in with Concrete Playground on Wednesday, May 7 for the full lineup. Vivid Sydney 2025 runs from Friday, May 23–Saturday, June 14 across Sydney. Head to the festival website for further information.
It's been 100 years since the art world welcomed an icon with the birth of Jeffrey Smart, who went on to become one of Australia's most celebrated artists. And this summer, the National Gallery of Australia is paying homage to his life and work when it hosts a retrospective exhibition, aptly dubbed Jeffrey Smart. Running from Saturday, December 11–Sunday, May 15, the exhibition will dig deep into the renowned artist's legacy through a major survey of his works. Greatly inspired by the urban environment and the age of industrial modernity, Smart was known for his hyperrealist streetscapes, theatrical stylings and penchant for geometric composition. Vehicles, highways, factories and water towers are common motifs within Smart's art, as are eerily empty streets occupied by solo travellers. The National Gallery of Australia's centenary showcase will feature pieces from throughout his illustrious career and highlight the many varied themes Smart explored via his painting, as well as chronicle his evolution as an artist. Book your timed visit to check out Jeffrey Smart here — it'll be open daily (except Christmas Day). [caption id="attachment_834494" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jeffrey Smart, Wallaroo, 1951, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, purchased 1959, © The Estate of Jeffrey Smart.[/caption] Top Images: Jeffrey Smart 'Self portrait, Procida', National Gallery of Australia, copyright The Estate of Jeffrey Smart. Jeffrey Smart 'Corrugated Gioconda', National Gallery of Australia, copyright The Estate of Jeffrey Smart.
Beloved Inner West pub The Erko has given its menu a hyper-local revamp with the help of the new top dog in the kitchen, ex-Chiswick chef Ethan Robinson. Borrowing inspiration from Matt Moran's Woollahra favourite and its in-house garden, the new selection of eats at The Erko leans on fresh local produce — including ingredients from Erskineville's community garden — in order to reimagine classic pub fare. "We're making our own bread, hand cutting the chips, crumbing the chickens, fermenting and pickling in-house using surplus, blemished and oddly shaped produce, using herbs and veggies sourced locally, and composting our kitchen waste," says Robinson. "We have a little patch at the Erko Road Community Garden next door where we're growing herbs, native greens, chillies, cherry tomatoes, garlic chives, carrots, and Jerusalem artichokes. We're also using local honey and have locally made hot sauces too." If you're heading in for an afternoon beer and you're after some finger food, the zucchini fritti is our pick — a bowl of super-crispy little morsels paired with a creamy no-fuss herb mayo. Alternatively, opt for the fried chicken sliders that are brought to life with the addition of honey, hot sauce and a crunch of lettuce. If you want to get fancy, The Erko has jumped on the ceviche trend and added kingfish with dill, cucumber and a citrus dressing (see below) to the starters menu — plus, you can score $2 oysters every Sunday from midday. And, the salad selection has also been freshened up, with the standout being a vibrant octopus and chickpea salad that can work as a pesco-friendly main or a light share plate. The mains don't venture too far from what you'd expect from your local pub (nobody wants to head in with a parmi on their mind and not find it). What Robinson has done is add a little flair to these tried-and-true classics, with the schnitzel topped with parmesan and crispy capers, the steak paired with chimichurri butter, and the team is working with local seafood suppliers to provide a catch of the day that spotlights lesser-known wild-caught fish. "You can still just pop in for a burger or schnitty — but they'll taste so much better than a regular pub feed," says Robinson. The Erko is located at 102 Erskineville Road, Erskineville. Images: Steven Woodburn
Trying not to think about Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet is about to become impossible in Australia. So will getting Celine Dion's 'My Heart Will Go On' out of your head, where it's dwelled for most people since the Oscar-winning track was released in 1997. The reason: a new Titanic exhibition is dropping anchor Down Under, making Melbourne Museum its berth for four months. From Saturday, December 16, 2023–Sunday, April 14, 2024 Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition will bring 200-plus items from the ship to the Victorian capital, in its Aussie trip after selling out its Paris season and also proving a hit in the US. The pieces on display are legitimately from the vessel's wreck site, too, after the RMS Titanic's ill-fated voyage in April 1912 — aka the events that James Cameron (Avatar: The Way of Water) turned into the DiCaprio (Killers of the Flower Moon)- and Winslet (Ammonite)-starring Titanic more than a quarter-century ago. For everyone bound to exclaim "I'm the king of the world" while walking through Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition's Australian-exclusive stop, this is the king of all Titanic exhibitions. In fact, it's the most extensive in the world. As well seeing the genuine objects from the ship, attendees will wander through full-scale recreations of the vessel's interiors, such as the veranda cafe, first-class parlour suite and grand staircase. "Tragedy, heroism, sacrifice, survival and loss — these are themes the evokes which continue to resonate today, with people of all ages across the globe," said Museums Victoria CEO & Director Lynley Crosswell, announcing the exhibition. In addition to the recovered items and recreations of the Titanic's spaces, the exhibition will tell tales about those who were onboard the ship that launched its maiden voyage on April 10, 1912, only to sink five days later on April 15 after hitting an iceberg. This exploration of a tragic chapter in history will focus on passengers and crew alike, while also stepping through the vessel's class divisions and pondering the boat's legacy. Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition will display at Melbourne Museum, 11 Nicholson Street, Carlton from Saturday, December 16, 2023–Sunday, April 14, 2024 — head to the venue's website for further details and tickets. Images: EMG / Alexandre Schoelcher / Museums Victoria.
Love a sip of sake? Fans of Japanese rice wine should add Sakeshop to their must-visit list. Now open in Stanmore and trading in everything sake (as you may have guessed from the name, which pulls very few punches), Sakeshop specialises in nihonshu, shochu, umeshu (all variations of sake) and Japanese beer. The team behind Sakeshop have run this gamble before. A sake store was introduced to Chef's Armoury in Richmond four years ago and enthusiastically received by Melbourne's sake fiends. Owner Leigh Hudson, a form chef, sommelier and accredited sake educator, has expanded to Sydney — but Sakeshop is more than just a shop. In addition to serving different types of sakes, the store hosts events and classes spanning everything from discovering and pairing various tipples to learning everything there is to know about the beverage in question. They're also putting on pop-up izakaya nights, the first of which is going down on August 9, with another slated September 16. And they'll also be offering sake education courses through WSET Sake School, the only certified sake-based course in Australia. There are intensive classes for hardcore enthusiasts and also one-day courses for those of you who just want to be impressive on a date. Check out the website for dates. Kanpai! Find Sakeshop at 105-107 Percival Road, Stanmore. Head to their website and Facebook page for further information. By Imogen Baker and Sarah Ward.
Taco Bell did it. Mark Wahlberg's Wahlburgers and fellow burger joint Five Guys, too. And now Wendy's is officially following suit. Add the square burg-slinging fast-food franchise to the list of American joints making the jump Down Under, with The Wendy's Company announcing that it has locked in a master franchise agreement with Flynn Restaurant Group to launch a heap of Aussie outposts. And we do mean a heap: 200 stores, in fact, as slated to open by 2034. The news comes after Wendy's started making moves to hit our shores in 2022, enlisting Australian franchise consulting firm DC Strategy to work with the burger brand to come up with an Aussie strategy. And, it follows the success of a 2021 Wendy's pop-up in Sydney, where it handed out free burgs and desserts. Indeed, Wendy's announcement mentions the one-day pop-up's success among the reasons for giving Australia a couple of hundred places to nab its burgers within the next 11 years. It's expected that the stores will largely start launching from 2025, with other timing yet to be announced. Exactly where Wendy's will set up shop also hasn't been revealed. "Australia is a strategic market for long-term growth for Wendy's. Flynn Restaurant Group has incredible experience in the restaurant space, and we are thrilled to expand our relationship with them," said Abigail Pringle, President, International and Chief Development Officer of The Wendy's Company, announcing the Aussie move. "They have a strong leadership team, great culture, vast industry knowledge, success with our brand in the US, and we are confident that Flynn Restaurant Group is the right partner to unlock growth for Wendy's in Australia." Flynn Restaurant Group and Wendy's have history, with the former already running nearly 200 of the latter's outposts across five US states. Also on Flynn Restaurant Group's plate in America: operating Applebee's, Taco Bell, Panera, Arby's and Pizza Hut restaurants. When Wendy's hits Australia, it won't be the only food joint with that name. Across 120 venues in Australia and New Zealand, that moniker also graces a South Australian-born ice cream chain which is now known as Wendy's Milk Bar. With more than 7000 stores worldwide, the American Wendy's is one of the globe's biggest and most recognisable burger chains. While most of its outposts are scattered across the US, the chain also has over 1000 international locations in countries like New Zealand, Canada and the UK. The first Wendy's was opened by Dave Thomas in Columbus, Ohio in 1969. It quickly grew due to the popularity of its burgers and iconic Frostys, growing to over 1000 restaurants in its first nine years of operations. Those square burgers, the ice cream-meets-thickshake combos, perhaps the chain's French toast sticks and pretzel cheeseburgers, too: start looking forward to eating them in Australia. [caption id="attachment_811853" align="alignnone" width="1920"] PRNewsfoto/The Wendy's Company[/caption] [caption id="attachment_869874" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sharon Hahn Darlin[/caption] Flynn Restaurant Group is set to develop 200 Wendy's restaurants across Australia by 2034. Check out Wendy's announcement for further details.
Things are looking up in Brisbane, with rooftop bars popping up all around the River City in recent years, plus a new 100-metre-high Sky Deck set to follow. Sydney has the Sydney Tower Eye, Melbourne has its Skydeck and now the Queensland capital will gain its own lofty tourist attraction — complete with a restaurant, bar, glass-floor viewing platform, and 360-degree vantage out over the Brisbane CBD and Brisbane River. The Brisbane Sky Deck forms part of the city's $3.6-billion Queen's Wharf precinct, a project that's been in the works for at least eight years now. Finally slated to open by the end of 2023, and sprawling between Alice, George, Queen and William streets, the development will be crowned by the sky-high spot to grab a bite, drink and take in stunning views — which'll sit atop everything other dining options, hotels, shops, apartments and a heap of public space. While part of one of Queen's Wharf's resident resorts — it's set to feature four hotels — Sky Deck will be open to the public. Also, it isn't small, with a capacity of 1500 visitors at a time. Here, folks keen to scale great heights can also host parties, with an events space part of the setup. Brisbanites, your shindigs are looking up as well. Specific details about Sky Deck's restaurant and bar, including their menus and operators, haven't yet been revealed; however, that glass-bottomed platform will sit around the midway mark of the structure. From the just-released artists impressions of the venue, locals and tourists alike can expect ample greenery and crucial outdoor seating elsewhere, the latter giving everyone plenty of places to stop, sit and take in the panoramic vista. Expect Brisbane's Sky Deck to be popular, too. The Queensland Government certainly does, with Deputy Premier Steven Miles advising in a statement that "the Sky Deck will be a magnet for the estimated 1.4 million international, interstate and local visitors to the city each year." As for the rest of the Queen's Wharf Brisbane redevelopment area, it spans across 12 hectares in the CBD, and will include around 50 new bars, cafes and restaurant; a casino; those four aforementioned hotels; approximately 1500 apartments; and a swathe of retailers in a huge new shopping precinct. The full precinct features repurposed heritage buildings, too, plus the Neville Bonner Bridge and Brissie's first riverside bikeway cafe. For Brisbane inhabitants, Queen's Wharf has been in the making for so long — and the construction around it just seems to be taking forever, too — that it feels like it has always been coming. But "let's meet at Queen's Wharf" is something that'll soon be able to be said, including by visitors. Ahead of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, the River City is transformation central, including tearing down and rebuilding the Gabba; renewing and reinvigorating South Bank, complete with a treetop walk, a permanent handmade goods market and new riverside lawns; making over Victoria Park; and revamping and expanding Northshore Hamilton. Also, a new seven-hectare riverside parkland is set to join South Brisbane, QPAC's fifth theatre is under construction and Kangaroo Point is set to score a new green bridge with an overwater bar and restaurant. Queen's Wharf is slated to start opening in the Brisbane CBD from late 2023. We'll update you when a specific date is announced — and you can find out further details in the interim via the development's website.
Wintertime is gallery time in Melbourne, so it's no surprise the NGV took a go-big-or-go-home attitude to follow up their extended Van Gogh and the Seasons exhibition. Thankfully, they haven't disappointed with a huge display of the works of Katsushika Hokusai. Running until October 15, the Hokusai exhibition is the largest single assemblage of the artist's work ever to be seen in Australia. More than 150 of his works are on display – including his five career-defining series of woodblock prints, the complete 15 editions of handprinted manga, plus silk works and rarely exhibited paintings. To make the exhibition a reality, NGV curator of Asian art Wayne Crothers worked closely with the Japan Ukiyo-e Museum (JUM), a privately owned gallery and one of the world's largest collectors of Japanese woodblock prints. Crothers says this relationship allowed the NGV to showcase the "highest quality examples" of Hokusai's work available. On entering Hokusai, you'll get to know the artist from works from his early career before coming to his universally acclaimed Thirty-six Views of Mt Fuji series. Created during Hokusai's own circumvention of Mt Fuji and his eventual summit, this series is the best instance of Hokusai's uncanny ability to depict everyday Japanese life and the population's closeness to nature. Next up is the unmistakable centrepiece — The Great Wave off Kanagawa — while across the gallery threshold is A Tour to the Waterfalls in Various Provinces, which rests against a distinctly 'Hokusaian' Prussian blue backdrop. Here, the gallery splinters into various spaces dedicated to his many manga volumes, and other lesser-known (but equally as impressive) works. While we're fortunate enough to be able to see many of Hokusai's headline artworks for the first time in Australia, Crothers explains the artist's most famous works are only the beginning to this exhibition: "One of the things we wanted to show through this exhibition was for everyone to enjoy 'The Wave', but then move beyond it and to experience the imagination in Hokusai's other creative projects." Here, with the help of Crothers' nuanced insight, we've selected five great works (aside from The Great Wave) from the Hokusai collection that you can't possibly miss. [caption id="attachment_630150" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Amida Falls in the far reaches of the Kisokaidō Road, courtesy of The Japan Ukiyo-e Museum, Matsumoto.[/caption] THE AMIDA WATERFALL ON THE KISO ROCK, A TOUR TO THE WATERFALLS IN VARIOUS PROVINCES, (C. 1832-1833) The Waterfalls series represents some of the most experimental and creative works Hokusai produced at any time throughout his career. A stunning design piece, The Amida Waterfall on the Kiso Road shows an overhead view of flowing water, before halfway down the work changing perspective to a right-angled illustration of a waterfall. [caption id="attachment_630153" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hokusai install at NGV, shot by Tom Ross.[/caption] VIEW OF THE PONTOON BRIDGE AT SANO IN KOZUKE, REMARKABLE VIEWS OF BRIDGES IN VARIOUS PROVINCES (1830) One of Crothers' favourite works of the exhibition, this piece captures the beautiful Japanese winter landscapes, while the travellers trudge across the snow covered pontoon in silence. Throughout this series, Hokusai illustrates the changing of the seasons across diverse locations and depicts the lives of working class Japanese people during this period. [caption id="attachment_630155" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The ghost of Kohada Koheiji, courtesy of The Japan Ukiyo-e Museum, Matsumoto.[/caption] 100 GHOST STORIES (1831) Based upon numerous well-known Japanese supernatural tales, the Ghost Stories series is Hokusai's surreal interpretation of these stories. Taking a satirical and humorous approach, for this woodblock print series Hokusai took one small detail from each popular fable and crafted caricatures, which mocked government corruption, societal wrongs and other common issues during this era. An immaculate collection, Crothers says these prints best demonstrate Hokusai's "vivid imagination". [caption id="attachment_630159" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hokusai installation, shot by Tom Ross.[/caption] CLIMBING THE MOUNTAIN, THIRTY-SIX VIEWS OF MT FUJI (C. 1830-1833) While you might assume Thirty-six Views of Mt Fuji has 36 accompanying prints, in fact, the series was so popular that Hokusai created an additional ten prints (although the original title was kept). Described by Crothers as the perfect 'final gesture', this 46th print depicts a group near Mt Fuji's summit, which was said to hold the key to immortality — a topic Hokusai often showed interest in. REFLECTION IN LAKE AT MISAKA IN KAI PROVINCE, THIRTY-SIX VIEWS OF MT FUJI (C. 1830-1833) Depicting a peaceful reflection of the summertime summit of Mt Fuji in its lush landscape, this woodblock print is another from the subsequent ten prints to the original series. Hokusai is known for including many subtle details and references throughout his work, and on closer inspection of this piece, you'll notice the distinctly summer time Mt Fuji shows off its wintery side in the lake's reflection. Hokusai is now showing at NGV International.
Prepare to exclaim "yeah, science!" like Jesse Pinkman — and to see a whole lot more of Aaron Paul's Breaking Bad character. The acclaimed series is making a comeback, cooking up a movie that'll serve as a sequel to the show's finale. In the spotlight: Walter White's former student and protege, who might just be in a spot of trouble. While this follow-up will span a single two-hour package, rather than span multiple episodes, it is still coming to a small screen near you. As revealed by The Hollywood Reporter, it's heading to Netflix before screening in the US on AMC, the network behind the original show. Just when it'll hit the platform hasn't been announced. First revealed last year, the film has a working title of Greenbriar, and begin shooting back in November. Plot details are scarce; however it'll reportedly focus on Pinkman and chart a kidnapped man's escape. It hasn't been confirmed if the former and the latter are one and the same, but it doesn't seem like much of a stretch to put them together. As Better Call Saul diehards are well aware, Breaking Bad has never completely gone away since the OG show wrapped up in 2013; however fans eager to look forward in the show's chronology, not backwards at the early life of Bob Odenkirk's shady lawyer Saul Goodman, have something to add to their must-watch list. There's no word yet on who else will feature in the film — and although Bryan Cranston confirmed the news of the movie, but whether he's in it or what it's about is still the subject of rumour. Via The Hollywood Reporter.
The Upside Down has arrived in Australia, specifically Sydney, again. When season four of Stranger Things dropped in 2022, a rift to the show's netherworld popped up in Bondi. Three years later, as everyone waits for the Netflix favourite's fifth and final season to stream sometime before 2025 is out, Stranger Things: The Experience has brought a whole host of Stranger Things nods this way — and entering its eerie realm is indeed one of them. Stranger Things: The Experience is making its Aussie debut at Luna Park Sydney courtesy of Vivid Sydney's 2025 program. Between Friday, May 23–Saturday, June 14, wandering into the venue's Crystal Palace means visiting 1986 — and also Hawkins, Indiana, of course — in an interactive stint of Stranger Things-loving fun. Locations from the show are part of the setup, as is a supernatural mystery. And yes, you can expect to feel nostalgic, even if you don't have your own memories of the 80s because you hadn't been born yet. Stranger Things: The Experience isn't just about exploring recreations of settings that you've seen while watching Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown, The Electric State) and the gang, however. The installation features its own storyline, where playing along means trying to save Hawkins from yet another threat, alongside making a date with the Upside Down. Christmas lights in the Byers' living room? Tick. Vecna? Tick again. Scoops Ahoy serving up banana splits and Surfer Boy Pizza offering slices? Keep ticking. The latter pair are found at Mix-Tape, an 80s-themed mall experience — as is the Palace Arcade, where MADMAX's high score begs to be bested, plus the themed cocktail-slinging Upside Bar. It's also where you can grab limited-edition merchandise. This trip into the TV series created by the Duffer Brothers was designed and developed with the duo. In its first-ever journey to Australia — after initially opening in New York in 2022, then enjoying stops in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Seattle, Toronto, London, Paris and São Paulo since — it falls into the Ideas portion of Vivid's lineup. Luna Park Sydney and immersive experiences based on Netflix shows keep going hand in hand of late; since the end of 2024, the Harbour City tourist attraction has been hosting Squid Game: The Experience, letting small-screen fans dive into another streaming smash. At the time of writing, playing Red Light, Green Light with Young-hee in Luna Park's big top is on the agenda until late June, which is also when the South Korean show's third and final season premieres. Stranger Things: The Experience runs at Luna Park Sydney, 1 Olympic Drive, Milsons Point, Sydney from Friday, May 23–Saturday, June 14,2025. For more information, head to the Luna Park Sydney website. Vivid Sydney 2025 runs from Friday, May 23–Saturday, June 14 across Sydney. Head to the festival website for further information.
There's a difference between embracing the fantastical and making fantasy. As a book since 2018, then a stage production and now a seven-part Netflix series, Boy Swallows Universe knows how to fly in the first direction without becoming the second. Author and journalist Trent Dalton spins a semi-autobiographical 80s-set story, which surveys his childhood and its challenges with clear eyes, but also brims with hope and zero judgement. That's protagonist Eli Bell's (Felix Cameron, Penguin Bloom) approach to everything, including his recovering addict mother Frankie (Phoebe Tonkin, Babylon), his heroin-dealing stepfather Lyle Orlik (Travis Fimmel, Black Snow), his alcoholic and agoraphobic dad Robert (Simon Baker, Limbo), and his elder brother Gus (Lee Tiger Halley, The Heights), who hasn't spoken since a traumatic incident in the siblings' past. It's also how he sees family friend, babysitter, father figure, and no-nonsense but supportive source of wisdom Slim Halliday, as played by Australian acting icon Bryan Brown in Boy Swallows Universe's leap to the screen. The character is one of Dalton's great inclusions and, as with much in the novel, doesn't merely stem from Dalton's imagination. The name, that he spent decades in the Queensland capital's Boggo Road Gaol for the death of a taxi driver, his multiple escapes from the notorious prison: they're all 100-percent real. So is the fact that the young Dalton knew the convicted murderer when he was a boy growing up in Brisbane's west. Casting Brown is like most talent choices in Boy Swallows Universe: a dream pick. Chatting with Concrete Playground about the part and the Brisbane-made series, he's full of praise about Cameron as 12-year-old force-of-nature Eli. "He's a fabulous young kid and he's done a fabulous job," he advises. But Brown's own inclusion, like Tonkin, Fimmel, Baker, Halley, Totally Completely Fine's Zac Burgess as the older Eli, Talk to Me's Sophie Wilde's as Caitlyn Spies and more, is just as pitch-perfect. To Eli, Slim is a man with answers, encouragement and no sugarcoating — someone who believes in him, wants the best for him, but won't skip over life's realities. Try to picture an Aussie actor who'd nail the role and Brown is alone in springing to mind. Boy Swallows Universe joins his almost five-decade-long resume, at a time when Brown jokes that "someone asking me to do a job now is quite a good thing". In the past five months, he's been on-screen almost constantly — in fellow streaming series C*A*U*G*H*T, the recut of Baz Luhrmann's Australia as miniseries Faraway Downs and in US-produced but Sydney-shot rom-com Anyone But You. His career has followed the same path since the mid-70s, and reads like a history of Aussie film and television. For both 1980's Breaker Morant and 1999's Two Hands, he has Best Supporting Actor Australian Film Institute Awards. In the latter as with Boy Swallows Universe, he was paired with up-and-comer: there, it was Heath Ledger. [caption id="attachment_935699" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jono Searle/Getty Images for Netflix[/caption] Brown's credits also span The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith, Newsfront, The Shiralee, Dirty Deeds, Beautiful Kate, Red Dog: True Blue and Sweet Country. The list goes on. Over in Hollywood in the 80s, after TV's A Town Like Alice was a hit overseas as well as at home, he earned Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for The Thorn Birds, led action-thriller F/X, famously mixed drinks with Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One) in Cocktail and starred opposite Sigourney Weaver (The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart) in Gorillas in the Mist. In 2004, he featured in the Ben Stiller (Locked Down)-led Along Came Polly as well. With Boy Swallows Universe, Brown was drawn in as everyone who has come across it in any form has been: by the story. Initially introduced via screenwriter John Collee's (Hotel Mumbai) scripts, he found it as astonishing as readers, theatre patrons and viewers keep doing. The series that results is now streaming — and we spoke with Brown about his first responses to Dalton's tale, his eagerness to play Slim, taking on someone with layers both on the page and in reality, mentoring Cameron, why everyone loves Boy Swallows Universe and more. ON BROWN'S FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH THE BOY SWALLOWS UNIVERSE STORY "The scripts. I hadn't read the book, and the producer Troy Lum (Palm Beach) sent me John Collee's — at that stage — eight one-hour scripts, and I thought they were quite wonderful, the scripts. That then led me to go get the book and read the book, and to thoroughly enjoy it and go 'this is a remarkable story this', given it was basically true. And so to be able to be a part of it, I was only too willing." ON WHAT APPEALED TO BROWN ABOUT PLAYING SLIM HALLIDAY "I think the fact that he was a crim, but we don't meet him doing anything criminal. We hear about what a crim he was, and how he'd been in jail for 30 years and how he'd escaped, but we see him as someone that really wants to help the boys not go the way that he did. So I think it's the fact that he's not as you would expect him to be. When someone says 'I've got a part for you to play, it's a crim, love you to do it' — [but] basically I'm babysitter in this." ON HOW TO PREPARE FOR A PART THAT ISN'T JUST A CHARACTER IN TRENT DALTON'S BOOK, BUT A REAL-LIFE PERSON "Basically I can only play the scripts. So if there's something missing in the scripts, then I go 'this conflicts with something else, I need to know more about it'. But the scripts were so well done, the character was so well-outlined, the relationship with the boy was so clear and it felt quite instinctive to be able to play — I didn't have to research his criminal activity. None of that came into the playing of this piece. So it was about trying to understand why he wanted to be with the boy and behave as he did, and pretty well the scenes answered that for me." ON PLAYING SLIM AS NO-NONSENSE BUT SUPPORTIVE, AND A FATHER FIGURE FOR ELI "Once again, I come back to how well something's written. If a character is written well, you're just pulling the glove on and getting on with it. It's where something comes into conflict or it doesn't make sense that you're at sixes and sevens in trying to play something. But this was so well-written on the page that I was able to play it pretty easily. It was a part that was enjoyable to play." ON HOW BROWN SEEES THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SLIM AND ELI "I guess it is a bit father-son, but it's better than that. It's like he doesn't have to be the parent and exercise certain disciplines — he just has to be there as someone that appreciates and would always be there for the boy. And just that knowledge that he gives to the boy, there is someone solid here that believes in me, that's the relationship that I think that Slim brings." ON HOW THAT MENTORING RELATIONSHIP TRANSLATED WITH FELIX CAMERON OFF-SCREEN "People would probably say it did. We got on very well. We had a lot of fun together. He's a cheeky little bugger, and I really enjoyed mucking around with him. But behind all that there's a very bright young fella — and there's a fella who, obviously he's got wonderful parents. There's a boy that appreciates pretty well everything that's going on here. He appreciated doing this. It never went to his head in any way. I'm sure there were areas of confusion for him, but he never brought that to the table." ON WHY BOY SWALLOWS UNIVERSE CONTINUES TO STRIKE SUCH A CHORD "I think it is a story of hope. The boys want and hope that their life will be better, and do everything — they don't judge their parents, there's no judgement in this show about people, but there is the boys who just see that there's a life out there, and hope that they can have a life that's different to the ones that their parents are experiencing. I think that there's a joy in that. It's not a dour story. It's not a dark story. There's darkness in things that happen with the characters, but it's not a dark story. It's a story of hope and desire from the boys to have a real life, and I think you can't help but get affected by it." [caption id="attachment_935703" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chris Hyde/Getty Images for Netflix[/caption] ON WHAT BROWN LOOKS FOR A ROLE "It's pretty easy. I read it. I go 'do I like the story?'. If I don't like the story, there's no point even thinking about the part. And if I do like the story, then I look at the character and I go 'how does this character contribute to the story?' and 'can I do something of value with that character that makes that story live?'. It's pretty straightforward. I know pretty well straight away if I don't want to something. But if I'm a bit intrigued, then I have to ask myself more questions as I go through it. Once again, it's instinct. I look at it and I go: 'am I there? Can I be there?'. And if I can, the other side of it is, I like to know who else is doing it, and I like to know who the production company is and who the director will be to make me feel confident about that it can be done well." Boy Swallows Universe streams via Netflix, arriving on Thursday, January 11, 2024. Read our review. Images: courtesy of Netflix © 2023.
Between them, Jane Austen, William Shakespeare, JRR Tolkien, Bram Stoker, the Brontë sisters, Virginia Woolf and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle are responsible for a wealth of literary treasures. So are Oscar Wilde, Harold Pinter, William Blake, Charles Dickens, Lewis Carroll, Lord Byron, TS Eliot, Thomas Hardy, James Joyce, DH Lawrence, John Keats, William Wordsworth and Rudyard Kipling, plus AA Milne, Beatrix Potter, Dylan Thomas, Sir Kazuo Ishiguro and Zadie Smith. HOTA, Home of the Arts on the Gold Coast mightn't seem like the usual place to celebrate them all, but it is until the start of August 2025, all thanks to Writers Revealed: Treasures From the British Library and National Portrait Gallery, London. Announced earlier in the year, open since mid-April and running till Sunday, August 3, this exhibition is all about paying tribute to great authors and writers — beyond libraries, bookstores, and your own bookshelf or Kindle. Indeed, getting the chance to revel in the talents behind some of the finest works of literature ever committed to paper in a stunning showcase across a gallery's walls is rare. Writers Revealed is a world-first. What features at an exhibition devoted to wordsmiths? Eager word nerds can see author portraits, plus rare handwritten manuscripts and first editions. More than 100 literary artefacts and portraits span the likenesses of the writers responsible for Pride and Prejudice, Romeo and Juliet, The Lord of the Rings, Dracula, Wuthering Heights, Sherlock Holmes and other masterpieces, as well as texts themselves, with five centuries of literature covered. As the exhibition's full name states, this is a collaboration between the British Library and the National Portrait Gallery, London. If you're wondering why the two institutions are pairing portraits with books, one of the showcase's aims to explore how literature and visual expression are linked. Also in the spotlight: the legacy of influential writers, plus digging into their creative processes. A draft of Dracula, what's thought to be the only Shakespeare portrait to be painted while he was alive, a picture of Austen by her sister, John Milton's publishing contract for Paradise Lost, letters from both Smith and Ishiguro: they're among the highlights that can be found across 1000 square metres in HOTA's Gallery 1. "We are thrilled to collaborate with the National Portrait Gallery on Writers Revealed, a truly unique exhibition that brings together some of the most exceptional objects from our collections. Visitors will experience rare first editions and exquisite manuscripts alongside celebrated portraits of the writers who created them," said Alexandra Ault, Lead Curator of Modern Archives and Manuscripts at the British Library, announcing the exhibition. "Featuring treasures that rarely leave our gallery in London, this major new exhibition will bring HOTA's visitors closer to some of the most-important figures in English literary history," added Catharine MacLeod, Senior Curator of 17th Century Collections at the National Portrait Gallery. "Encountering these displays, visitors will discover what is revealed and what is hidden when life, writing and portraiture intersect." Writers Revealed: Treasures From the British Library and National Portrait Gallery, London displays at HOTA, Home of the Arts, 135 Bundall Road, Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast until Sunday, August 3, 2025. Head to the gallery's website for further details and tickets.
If you tuned into MasterChef last night, Monday, April, 13, you would have noticed a few things. Firstly, the show has three news judges: food writer Melissa Leong, Orana founder Jock Zonfrillo and Andy Allen of Three Blue Ducks. Secondly, Gordon Ramsay is weirdly nice (?). And lastly, Reynold Poernomo makes a damn fine dessert. Those familiar with the long-running show — which is now in its 12th season — will already know this, of course, with the Dessert King whisking and foaming for the cameras in the seventh season. Last night, though, Poernomo gave us a nice little reminder with his White Noise dessert — made with whipped coconut ganache, strawberry gun jelly, yoghurt gel and strawberry pebbles — which Ramsay called "breathtaking" (see, nice). Instead of Googling 'how to make Reynold Poernomo's all-white 'MasterChef' dessert', then realising you actually need liquid nitrogen and titanium dioxide to make it, you can order one of the Dessert King's cakes to your house. Yes, Poernomo has two Sydney dessert shops, in Chippendale and Ryde, called Koi, which he runs with his brothers Arnold and Ronald. In these COVID-19 times, both shops are offering Koirantine Cake Delivery, which means they're dropping off delicious desserts to a whole heap of suburbs across inner-city Sydney and the northern suburbs. Convenient. You know what's even more convenient? That White Noise dessert is on the menu, available for pick up or delivery from this Friday, April 17. We're sure it's not a coincidence in the slightest, but we're still excited. Also on the menu is a spiced chocolate brownie, a mascarpone tiramisu and a Red Fortune Jar layered with lychee pear, strawberry compote, rose and yuzu. You can order Koi Desserts for pick up or delivery over here.
Sitting in a middle seat is few people's favourite way to fly, so Virgin Australia ran a lottery that gave away prizes to make the dreaded perch more enticing. Not knowing where your bag is when you disembark the plane is a downright travel nightmare — and now the airline is tackling that, too, this time by rolling out a baggage-tracking tool. Virgin Australia has been testing the new feature since May, but Monday, August 28 marks its launch on almost 70-percent of domestic flights. Accordingly, the next time you fly there's a high chance that you'll be able to track the status of your luggage via the carrier's app. The function marks a first for an Australian airline, and is included free on the routes that it's available on. Obviously, this feature covers checked luggage only. If you're carrying your bags into the cabin with you, you'll know where they are. For those stowing their suitcases in cargo, you'll be able to see where they are across your entire journey. Here's how it works: you'll need that aforementioned app, and to check your bag. You'll also want to enable push notifications. From there, you'll be informed via your phone when your luggage is checked in, when it's available for collection on the ground once you land and also when it is transferred to an international partner airline if you're travelling overseas. The app will tell you which baggage carousel to head to as well, solving another airport annoyance. The routes covered so far include select flights out of Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, the Gold Coast, Canberra and Newcastle, and also from Ballina/Byron, the Sunshine Coast and Hamilton Island. Joining them on the list right now: Launceston and Hobart, plus Townsville, Rockhampton and Mackay. In Western Australia, the service will become available on select flights out of Perth soon. "We know the potential of lost baggage is a concern for travellers globally and anticipate this announcement will give many guests that extra level of comfort knowing where their bag is at every step of the journey," said Virgin Australia Group Chief Customer and Digital Officer Paul Jones, announcing the rollout. Virgin Australia's baggage-tracking tool starts rolling out from Monday, August 28. Find out more via the airline's website, and download the app online as well.
If one of your new year's resolutions is to kick your disposable cup habit (to say nothing of your caffeine addiction), then Westfield Sydney would like to help. For five mornings from Monday, January 15, the CBD shopping centre is giving away 800 free reusable cups made by Melbourne-based design company Frank Green, as well as free coffee from Fratelli Fresh and Guylianto go inside them. The bonanza will last all week and, to take advantage of it, all you have to do is pledge, via a social media post, to stick with your permanent vessel and give up buying disposables. Due to the regular cups' waterproof plastic film, they can't be recycled in the standard recycling system and, at the moment, Australians toss out around one billion of them a year. Earlier this month, the UK's caffeine habit hit international headlines when a bunch of Liberal Democrat MPs called for a 25p levy on all one-use cups, with a goal to eradicate them by 2023. Local initiatives, like this cafe's choice to ban them and this trial to recycle them in a purpose-built plant, are working towards a similar goal. The Frank Green 'SmartCup' is an Aussie-designed and Aussie-made creation. If you haven't used one before, they're spill-proof, workable with just one hand and made of BPA-free non-toxic materials and comes in a range of colour combos. Plus, it's fitted with some whizzbang tech, which lets you pay for your coffee, find your favourite cafe and pre-order. They usually RRP at around $30–35. The giveaway will take place each morning between 7.30–10.30am on Monday, January 15 till Friday, January 19 inside Westfield Sydney, corner Pitt and Market streets, Sydney. For more info, visit the Westfield website.
It's safe to say that as we enter the final month of summer, it's still boiling out there and we could all use a little something to help us through the hot summer days. So why not cool things down (like, -196°C down) with the help of Suntory -196? And if anyone knows how to keep it cool, it's Suntory -196, thanks to their patented Freeze Crush Infuse Technology. This involves flash-freezing whole fruit at -196 degrees Celsius before crushing and infusing it with shochu and vodka, enhancing the flavour profile and providing an extra burst of fruity intensity. See out summer with Suntory and be in the running to win one of 80 Suntory -196 prize packs. While temperatures are still scorching, cool down with -196's refreshing, fruit-flavoured drinks and exclusive, never-seen-before merch created in partnership with Japanese artist Kentaro Yoshida. Lucky winners will score a Suntory -196 Double Lemon four-pack, plus a limited-edition Kentaro Yoshida x Minus -196 A2 screenprint and embroidered cap. The brand new merch designs a one-time-only run of Yoshida's ongoing partnership with Suntory -196 and can't be purchased anywhere else. Thirsty? Enter your details below to go in the running. [competition]988725[/competition] If you can't wait that long for a refreshing tipple, you can head to your nearest store to get your hands on a limited-edition Variety Pack featuring all the classic Suntory -196 flavours — Double Lemon, Double Grape and Double Peach — in a handy 10-pack. The perfect shareable option for you and your mates this summer. Check out Kenny Yoshida's work for an idea of the aesthetics in store, and what you've got to look for next time you're in the bottle shop. Enter now to beat the heat with Suntory -196 or head in store to pick up a Variety Pack now. The competition is for Australian residents aged 18 years and over; T&Cs apply. Images: Supplied.
Formally known as Sweethearts Rooftop, this perch on the fourth floor of the Potts Point Hotel has been a go-to spot for elevated fun in The Cross since 2012. However, the easy-breezy venue is set to become even more appealing for rooftop hangs, relaunching with a brand-new flavour as Sweethearts Terraza. Blending the energy of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula with Sydney's openair lifestyle, the changes happening up high are no small thing. Reimagined by the Caswell Group, the 120-seat rooftop restaurant boasts a freshly renovated interior, where terracotta tones and lush greenery create an unmissable coastal vibe. While the venue has long featured a Mexican-style bent, this renewed rooftop oasis is taking the spice and zest to even greater heights. Guided by chef Roberto Garcia — the man behind Marrickville's authentic street food spot, San Pancho Taqueria — the rising culinary star has shaped a Yucatán-inspired menu for Sweethearts Terraza's arrival. Bringing modern Mexican cooking to the rooftop, guests can expect dishes like ceviche yucateco — barramundi served with a sweet but spicy combo of passionfruit, mango and habanero — and slow-braised beef short rib, featuring a sour orange-honey glaze. Another coastal highlight is Tikin Xic Fish, a whole-roasted barramundi marinated in citrus and annatto, served with charred lime and pumpkin seed mole. "For me, Yucatán is fire, citrus, and celebration," says García. "I wanted to bring those flavours to Sydney — not as a postcard, but as something alive and contemporary. The menu is fresh, visual and designed to be shared, capturing the spirit of the Yucatán while feeling right at home on a Sydney rooftop." The talent behind the bar, Neilson Braid (Maybe Sammy, De Vine Food & Wine), is just as good. Playing on Mexican classics and global favourites, he says the cocktail lineup features bespoke infusions and house-made syrups to showcase Mexico's "citrus, bright tropical fruits, and hot, smoky flavours." Order a Sol Fuego to experience cilantro-infused tequila fat-washed with chipotle, or the bright and fresh El Claro, a tangy take on a Tommy's margarita. Sweethearts Terraza is now open Wednesday–Friday from 5pm–12am and Saturday–Sunday from 12pm–12am at Level 3/33-35 Darlinghurst Rd, Potts Point. Head to the website for more information. Images: Trent van der Jagt.
Homer Simpson is coming to Sydney. He's a cartoon character, so obviously there's a twist. Thanks to The Other Art Fair Sydney, the doughnut-loving, Duff beer-drinking, "doh!"-exclaiming animated dad is making an appearance as part of a sculpture called Homer Homer, which'll be on display between Thursday, March 18–Sunday, March 21. This isn't any old likeness of the character, though. Rather, it's a five-metre-tall inflatable version. And, it combines his yellow-hued face with that of another famous Homer: the Ancient Greek poet, who is presumed to have written the Iliad and the Odyssey. The top half, including those sparse strands of hair, is all Simpson. The bottom half is inspired by a bust of his namesake. So, it really does look like a huge statue. Combined together, the piece is the work of Cool Shit, which has a history of toying with popular culture in big, blow-up works. If you've seen The Rock Rock — which combines Dwayne Johnson's face with a massive monolith — you'll know what the aptly titled Homer Homer is all about. Or, you might've heard of Snoop Dogg Hot Dogs, which pairs up the hip hop star with a fast food staple. Other Cool Shit pieces include Nicolas Cage in a Cage, Tina Turner Prize and Happy Kanye, because being playful is definitely part of the remit here. [caption id="attachment_803720" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Clyde Yee[/caption] At The Other Art Fair, Homer Homer is on the event's public program, which also includes drop-in drawing classes thanks to Dr Sketchy's Anti-Art School, Marc-O-Matic turning static imagery into experiential art, Shannon Crees creating a digital animated artwork live and Ink Sphinx doing tattoos onsite. And yes, it has been a busy few months for super-sized odes to pop culture. Clearly, if a giant Borat statue can take over Bondi Beach and an 18-storey portrait of Nicole Kidman can hover above Darlinghurst, then a huge sculpture of Homer Simpson is just the next step. Homer Homer will be on display at The Other Art Fair Sydney, which is taking place at The Cutaway at Barangaroo, from Thursday, March 18–Sunday, March 21. Top image: Shey Simon Laplanche.
It's the sipper of the season, and it's not hard to see why so many people are in a love bubble with spritz. Inspired by the power trio of Italian orange bitters, prosecco and soda, the genre has exploded from classic Aperol concoctions to a whole new world of Champagne cocktails, with many using ritzy ingredients, from kombucha to rosé, lemon sorbet and sake. If that sounds like something you'd like to wrap your hands around, check out our list of Sydney's eight most exceptional spritz cocktails.
It wasn't simply debuting during the pandemic's first year, in a life-changing period when everyone was doing it tough, that made Ted Lasso's first season a hit in 2020. It wasn't just the Apple TV+ sitcom's unshakeable warmth, giving its characters and viewers alike a big warm hug episode after episode, either. Both play a key part, however, because this Jason Sudeikis (Saturday Night Live)-starring soccer series is about everyone pitching in and playing a part. It's a team endeavour that champions team endeavours — hailing from a quartet of creators (Sudeikis, co-star Brendan Hunt, Detroiters' Joe Kelly and Scrubs' Bill Lawrence), boasting a killer cast in both major and supporting roles, and understanding how important it is to support one another on- and off-screen (plus in the fictional world that the show has created, and while making that realm so beloved with audiences). Ted Lasso has always believed in the individual players as well as the team they're in, though. It is named after its eponymous American football coach-turned-inexperienced soccer manager, after all. But in building an entire sitcom around a character that started as a sketch in two popular US television ads for NBC's Premier League coverage — around two characters, because Hunt's (Bless This Mess) laconic Coach Beard began in those commercials as well — Ted Lasso has always understood that everyone is only a fraction of who they can be when they're alone. That's an idea that keeps gathering momentum in the show's long-awaited third season, which premieres the first of its 12 episodes on Wednesday, March 15, then keeps rolling out more week by week. Season three starts with Ted left solo when he desperately doesn't want to be, in one of the rare situations that can cut through the Kansan-in-London's usually unflappable optimism. Season two helped unpack his perennially upbeat ways, and started to see fractures, so a less-than-chipper Ted is no longer a complete surprise. But Ted questioning why he's on the other side of the world, and alone away from his son Henry (Gus Turner, Life After Life) and now-former wife Michelle (Andrea Anders, That '90s Show)? That's how Ted Lasso's third season kicks off, and it scores a goal with that choice. The series has already established that its various figures — Ted, Beard and the AFC Richmond crew they joined when owner Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham, Hocus Pocus 2) brought them to the UK initially to tank her ex-husband's beloved club — can work as a team. Now it's going deep on why they want to. "I guess I do sometimes wonder what the heck I'm still doing here," says Ted. "I mean, I know why I came, but it's the sticking around I can't quite figure out," he continues. That's a new core thread, and a notion that echoes across other plots. After becoming West Ham United's manager under Rebecca's ex Rupert Mannion (Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Anthony Stewart Head), the Greyhounds' former assistant Nathan 'Nate' Shelley (Nick Mohammed, Intelligence) is thrilled and overwhelmed — and happy to keep his nasty streak going publicly, while also grappling with it privately. He knows why he joined a different team, as everyone who has seen the past two seasons does. But, as showdowns with his old club and mentor keep bubbling up, that isn't the same as knowing why he should commit to being Rupert's version of himself to stay with that team. Season three also has delightfully grumpy retired player Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein, Uncle) leaning into his coaching role at Richmond in Nate's absence, and face why he's doing it, including pushing him closer towards star striker Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster, The Devil's Hour). He has time, after his relationship with Keeley Jones (Juno Temple, The Offer) — now an ex to both Roy and Jamie — ended in season two, while she's exploring why she was so eager to start her own PR film. As for Jamie, his arc since episode one has been one of cockiness humbled by stark truths, then finding a sustainable status quo. When a new hotshot arrives, he also has to confront why he's part of the team and what he wants that to mean. As celebrated as Ted Lasso's entire cast is, with two acting Emmys for Sudeikis and Goldstein in two seasons, one for Waddingham, and nominations for Hunt, Temple, Mohammed, Jeremy Swift, Toheeb Jimoh, Sarah Niles and more, Dunster's performance deserves more notice. What will all this questioning lead to in season three? Ideally, to happier, kinder people who understand themselves better — Ted's ultimate goal always, ranking high above winning. But with Richmond back in the Premier League, Britain's football media predicting it'll be relegated again when the season is out, Rupert securing West Ham's success however he can and Rebecca desperate not to lose to the man she's already lost plenty to, winning matters more than it ever has in Ted Lasso. So, whether everyone will benefit from that journey, why they're taking it, what it'll cost and what it'll mean for the show's various teams sits at the heart of the season. Of course, as every TV viewer knows, a lot can happen in a season. Every sports fan, and anyone who has ever just watched a sports-themed TV show or movie, is well-aware, too. Higher stakes, deeper emotional dives: that's the first four episodes of Ted Lasso season three, across longer episodes that clock in between 40–50 minutes apiece. As the second season did, this go-around also broadens who it spends time with, giving Richmond players Colin Hughes (Billy Harris, The Outlaws) and Thierry Zoreaux (Moe Jeudy-Lamour, Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan) a bigger spotlight as Sam Obisanya (Jimoh, The French Dispatch) and Dani Rojas (Cristo Fernandez, Spider-Man: No Way Home) gained before them. There's that team focus again, so much so that Ted Lasso can't stop filling the field. Beard and Higgins (Swift, Housebound), the club's Director of Football Operations, still have Ted's back, and Dr Sharon Fieldstone (Niles, The Sandman) remains a call away. No Ted Lasso devotee wants to start thinking about its end game, but its creators have; a three-season arc has been discussed. Unlike Succession and Barry, a finish to the acclaimed hit hasn't been announced going into this new round of episodes — but as the series ponders why Ted and company have chosen their teams, what keeps them there, and what makes them better by being there, a feeling of change lingers in the air. Everything that's always made Ted Lasso a delight remains in season three, including its sincerity, warmth and care, determination to see both the joys and the struggles, and the pitch-perfect performances. Also, every season of the series has always started with new beginnings of a sort. If this one concludes the way it kicks off, though — whether or not there's a season four — then it looks set to embrace why teams achieve, fail, find success out of mess, are stronger together, but can only win when everyone does. Check out the trailer for Ted Lasso's third season below: Season three of Ted Lasso starts streaming via Apple TV+ from Wednesday, March 15. Read our full review of season two.
Before Cannes Palme d'Or-winning director Apichatpong Weerasethakul won one of cinema's most-coveted prizes for Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives — and picked up prestigious awards at the same festival for Tropical Malady and Blissfully Yours before that, then went on to make his English-language debut with the Tilda Swinton (The Killer)-starring Memoria — the acclaimed Thai filmmaker initially hopped behind the camera for 2000's Mysterious Object at Noon. It was his first feature. It heralded the arrival of an exceptional new talent. At First Films, Sydneysiders can catch it on the big screen. When red carpets and whichever stars stroll around glitzy events monopolise the headlines, it can seem as if film festivals are all about the big end of town — aka the movies that'll hit a theatre near us all anyway, and the actors and directors that we all already know. That's one part of the cinema industry staple. Another far-more-crucial component is highlighting new voices and getting their impressive movies before audiences. That's the First Films format. Surry Hills' Golden Age Cinema and Bar launched its own film fest that's solely about debut movies in 2022. In 2024, it's back between Thursday, December 5–Sunday, December 8 to again celebrate new discoveries — and showcase a feature in Weerasethakul's first film that helps illustrate why debut stints behind the camera are worth cherishing. The fest opens with the already-soldout Go Fish, another rightly revered blast from the past, with a 4K restoration of Rose Troche's first film screening to mark the influential queer cinema title's 30th anniversary. Also on the six-movie program, All, Or Nothing at All from Jiajun 'Oscar' Zhang uses Shanghai's Global Harbor mall as its setting; Mountains follows a Haitian man in Miami, and won Monica Sorelle the Independent Spirit Awards' Someone to Watch Award; and Jazmin Renée Jones' documentary Seeking Mavis Beacon steps through the story of the model on the cover of 80s-era typing software. All three are Australian premieres. Making its Sydney debut, The Hidden Spring sees Jason Di Rosso from ABC Radio National's The Screen Show turn writer/director while musing on his father's terminal illness.
Given it has a whopping 26 beaches to its name, you'd be forgiven for thinking Port Stephens is a holiday destination reserved only for the warmer months. Yes, cooler weather may make a lazy day of sunbaking and snorkelling a little less inviting, but you don't need to wait for a heatwave to take that well-deserved break up north. The coastal region has plenty to offer outside of peak season, too. Here are a bunch of activities that'll convince you to visit Port Stephens at any time of year. Please stay up to date with the latest NSW Government health advice regarding COVID-19.
Of all the new TV shows that are heading to streaming in 2023, only one has a groove and a meaning. Well, only one is based on a movie with a theme song that claims that, at least. And yes, you now have that tune stuck in your head — because 'Grease', the track, is that much of a catchy and persistent earworm. The entire Grease soundtrack is, and perhaps the tunes that come with Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies will be as well. This new prequel series steps back into the 70s-made, 50s-set musical rom-com's world, giving its titular girl gang an origin story. Based on both the initial teaser and the just-dropped full trailer, Rise of the Pink Ladies is hopelessly devoted to taking that task seriously. Here, in a ten-episode series set to stream via Paramount+ in Australia from Friday, April 7 — with New Zealand airing details yet to be revealed — it's the 1954–55 school year. It's also when the eponymous young women are given words of warning about appropriate behaviour. "Ladies, you must be careful with whom you associate," Assistant Principal McGee (Jackie Hoffman, Only Murders in the Building) tells them in the first trailer. "A girl's reputation is all that she has." Welcome back to Rydell High, clearly, but before Danny (John Travolta) and Sandy (Olivia Newton-John) walked its halls. If the OG Grease and its tale about an Australian transfer student falling in love with an American high schooler in California is the one that you want — always — then you'll know that this franchise hasn't ever just been about the hit 1978 movie anyway. Before it became a silver-screen classic, it was a popular stage musical. After the first film's success, it spawned a 1982 Michelle Pfeiffer-starring sequel, too. Pink jackets, T-Birds, dance scenes (including while wearing mechanics' overalls), a new take on a familiar track advising that Grease is indeed the word: they're all included in show's two sneak peeks so far. Cast-wise, Marisa Davila (Love and Baseball), first-timer Cheyenne Isabel Wells, Ari Notartomaso (Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin) and Tricia Fukuhara (Loot) play the four teens who start the Pink Ladies, and are joined on-screen by Shanel Bailey (The Good Fight), Madison Thompson (Emergency), Johnathan Nieves (Penny Dreadful: City of Angels), Jason Schmidt (FBI: Most Wanted) and Maxwell Whittington-Cooper (The Photograph). This isn't the last time that all things Grease will pop up again, either — not including the stage musical and OG movie's enduring popularity, of course — with a Danny and Sandy-focused prequel flick Summer Lovin' also in the works. Check out the full trailer for Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies below: Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies starts streaming via Paramount+ in Australia on Friday, April 7. New Zealand release details haven't yet been revealed — we'll update you when further information comes to hand.
Stellar LGBTQIA+ celebrations, the Sunshine State capital and sparkling spring weather: that's the Melt Festival formula every year, including in 2025. Brisbane's annual ode to "queer joy, protest and pride", as Melt Executive Producer Emmie Paranthoiene dubs it, is taking over the River City between Wednesday, October 22–Sunday, November 9. On the lineup: 18 days packing more than 60 venues with hundreds of performances and events. Getting excited about 2025's Melt Festival has been easy for a few months now. First, the Brisbane LGBTQIA+ fest announced that Broadway icon Bernadette Peters was making the River City her only Australian stop just for the event. Then, it also confirmed that the River Pride Parade would float its boats for another year. After that came news of 1000 Voices, uniting singers from queer and pride choirs en masse. Next came its initial big program drop. Now the full bill has been unveiled — one that Paranthoiene describes as "celebrating the full spectrum of LGBTQIA+ voices, from bold new talent to iconic artists who continue to break boundaries with this diverse program. Melt is a love letter to our community and everyone's invited to the party." Think: pageants, parades, musical theatre, comedy, choral installation, burlesque, visual arts, theatre, films such as Lesbian Space Princess and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and plenty more. The fringe-style celebration of queer arts and culture fills Brisbane Powerhouse, and also spreads further across the city. Sugar by Tomáš Kantor is one new highlight, with the cabaret taking cues from Pretty Woman and boasting tunes from Chappell Roan, who has been on the Melt lineup herself in the past. Or, catch the return of BRIEFS with Jealousss, plus the Briefs Bus doing guided tours that explore Brisbane's queer history. Comedian Urzila Carlson is on the program, too, as is actor and activist Zoe Terakes (Ironheart, The Office, Talk to Me) doing an in-conversation session. 2025 newcomer Melting Pot is giving Brisbane Powerhouse a pop-up venue each week, featuring the likes of QUIVR DJs, Miss First Nation heats and queer line dancing — plus Melt artists putting on showcases and other surprises. Theatrical performance Rhythmology digs into factory resets as a theme, while daytime disco Play Date is designed for families. [caption id="attachment_1017773" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Atmosphere Photography[/caption] Reuben Kaye, the full Miss First Nation drag contest, a queer wrestle party, Femme Follies Burlesque: they're all on the lineup from past announcements. Kaye is heading to the fest to give his cabaret show enGORGEd, which'll feature Camerata — Queensland's Chamber Orchestra, its Sunshine State premiere. Shining the spotlight on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander drag queens, Miss First Nation is also making a date with Brisbane for the first time, bringing the finale to the city after putting on state heats around the nation in the lead-up. The Tivoli is your go-to for Melt's high-energy queer wrestle-party, while Femme Follies Burlesque will bring its sapphic moves to The Wickham. Or, you can catch The Lucky Country, a new musical about what it means to be Australian — and the myths and contradictions that come with it — in 2025. Malacañang Made Us and Whitefella Yella Tree are also treading the boards, the first about the Filipino Australian experience and the second telling a love story. There's also a queer boat party on floating venue Oasis; the return of Queer PowerPoint; and a drag Scream Queen shindig with Naomi Smalls and Yvie Oddly, plus Drag Race UK's Kyran Thrax. Or, check out a heap of instruments and performers suspended by rope to pay tribute to Brisbane's punk history, Gerwyn Davies' series of portraits in collaboration with Open Doors Youth Service's trans and gender-diverse young people, and Instagram imagery given a new life in Micah Rustichelli's Demon Rhythm. [caption id="attachment_1007544" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Claudio Raschella[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1007548" align="alignnone" width="1920"] David Kelly[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1007545" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Markus Ravik[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1007547" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gregory Lorenzutti[/caption] Melt Festival 2025 runs from Wednesday, October 22–Sunday, November 9. Head to the festival website for more details. River Pride Parade images: brizzypix.
It's no coincidence that everyone's dream occupation is astronaut. Astronauts get to travel into truly unchartered spaces; they are pioneers who feel and see things the rest of us humble earthlings could only dream of. Until now, I guess. Today NASA have launched the very first live HD broadcast of Earth thereby making all the wonders of the universe free and accessible to every slovenly astro-novice sitting at home on their couch. Basically, the internet is the greatest. Live HD Earth viewing from the space station! Sit back, watch & enjoy our home planet: http://t.co/3rUbOQEWpt #ISS pic.twitter.com/DfGBVB2FI9 — NASA (@NASA) May 8, 2014 This thing is so good it might just beat Pandacam. Maybe. Set from a vantage point on the International Space Station, NASA has positioned four cameras facing Earth. Housed in temperature specific casing these cameras have in fact been designed with the help of American high school students, and the High Definition Earth Viewing Experiment (HDEV) is only an experiment with which to test their durability. So far, it's safe to say the cameras are doing their job. The footage is surprisingly clear and the stream is relatively uninterrupted. A grey screen does however separate footage from each camera angle, and if you can only see darkness that's due to the ISS orbit. (Come on — I know you're not an astronaut, but you have a basic understanding of how planets work, right?) While watching the stream, users can also add comments and interact with other viewers via Facebook plugins and chat options. Already viewed over 7 million times, the footage is an incredibly humbling experience not only for its astronomical proportions, but for its communal nature. Even Garth from Wayne's World is on board. NASA is streaming HD video from space: When it flies over California you can just about see me waving...I'm tiny. RT http://t.co/3bfwyM3EWb — Dana Carvey (@danacarvey) May 7, 2014 Best of all, the broadcast footage comes in total eerie silence. "There is no audio on purpose," NASA state. "Add your own soundtrack." We recommend Pink Floyd or anything from The Beatles psychedelic phase. This is every stoner kid's dream come true. Live streaming video by Ustream Via BGR and Mashable.
It wouldn't be Good Food Month without the Night Noodle Markets — and it wouldn't be a Sydney food event without Gelato Messina. It should come as no surprise that the latter is popping up at the former, or that they've whipped up a few mouth-watering new menu items for the occasion. Commence drooling. Astutely taking inspiration from Asian cuisine, the dessert geniuses aren't holding back when it comes to tempting tastebuds across the 18-day event. And yes, you'll have to head to Hyde Park for these exclusive offerings; however given that everything from deep-fried gelato to caramelised puff pastry is involved, we're sure that won't be a problem. As far as quick-dipping cold, creamy confectionery is concerned, Messina is serving up a couple of dishes, so prepare to be spoiled for choice. Turron Not takes deep-fried banana and brown sugar gelato, wraps it in filo pastry and adds ube cream, kalamansi puree and coconut crunch. And then there's the smartly named Fryer and Ice, which features deep-fried caramel and coconut gelato, mango pudding and drizzled passionfruit caramel. Enjoying a different interpretation of an ice cream favourite is also an option, thanks to Only On Sundaes' concoction of salted coconut sorbet, black stick rice, lychee tapioca, caramelised puff pastry, lemon grass and white choc ganache. Plus, those after some good ol' gelato in an edible vessel — aka swirls of milk chocolate and green tea gelato, covered in white chocolate and pistachio crunch, and served in a green tea waffle cone — will want to want to try the Matcha Do About Nothing (and make a big fuss). Sounds delicious, doesn't it? When Messina is involved, of course it does. Fans after a more substantial dose of dessert goodness should also note that the gelato gods have just released tickets to this month's Creative Department Experience. It's going to be a sweet October. The Night Noodle Markets run from October 6 to 23 in Hyde Park as part of Good Food Month. Check out our ten tastiest events you can still get tickets to.
If you're looking for a fresh waterside activity for your Sunday mornings, Sydney has been treated to a new outdoor market on the foreshore of the Parramatta River. After opening on November 8, Ryde Wharf market is happening at Anderson Park, Meadowbank, on the second Sunday of each month. The market features over 70 stalls offering fresh produce, hot food, flowers, homewares and a range of gifts just in time for the holidays. You can support local businesses and sample some of the best food and fashion Sydney has to offer. Take your time wandering around the stalls as you enjoy Popelino's Little Marionette Coffee and Brooklyn Boy Bagels. Pick up fresh, local fruit, vegetables, fish, cheese and olive oil from the likes of Veggie King, the Great Cheese Company and Fish Face, or a new addition to your wardrobe at the market's range of fashion and jewellery stalls. The market is run by the same team behind the biweekly Cambridge Markets and Entertainment Quarter's Ultimate Christmas Market happening next month. [caption id="attachment_716408" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brooklyn Boy Bagels[/caption] Ryde Wharf Market runs from 8am–2pm on the second Sunday of each month.
On his first-ever trip Down Under, on a tour that'll see him become the first Latin act to headline stadiums globally, one gig was never going to be enough for Bad Bunny in Australia. Accordingly, before general tickets for that already-announced show go on sale, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio has locked in a second Aussie concert due to presale demand — also in Sydney. Bad Bunny has won three Grammys and 11 Latin Grammys, starred in Bullet Train and hosted Saturday Night Live, among plenty of other achievements; however, he hasn't hit the stage in Australia — yet. By the time that summer 2025–26 is out, he'll tick a trip Down Under off of his list, with his DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS world tour now including two shows in the Harbour City. ENGIE Stadium in the New South Wales capital is set to play host to Bad Bunny on both Saturday, February 28 and Sunday, March 1. He's playing the New South Wales capital in-between dates in Brazil and Japan, two other countries where the 'Mia', 'Callaíta', 'Qué Pretendes' and 'Vete' singer will perform live for the first time ever. Also on his itinerary: Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Japan, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom, France, Sweden, Poland, Italy and Belgium, all between November 2025–July 2026 so far. His DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS-themed jaunt around the world is named for his latest album, which released in January this year and spent three weeks in a row atop the Billboard 200 chart. The Puerto Rican superstar's global tour will follow his upcoming No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí gigs, a 30-date residency at José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in his homeland, which has sold over 400,000 tickets. Before that, he toured North America in 2024, and both North and Latin America in 2022. His DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS shows will take him to Europe for the first time since his 2019 X 100pre tour. On the charts, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, his sixth album, has kept garnering love — also sitting in the Billboard 200 top ten for 13 weeks, taking the number-one slot on Billboard's Latin Albums chart for 16 consecutive weeks and helping him become the first-ever Latin artist with 100 Billboard Hot 100 entries. Prior to both his No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí residency and DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS world tour, Bad Bunny also has another date with SNL, this time as the musical guest on the season 50 finale that's being hosted by Scarlett Johansson (Fly Me to the Moon). Bad Bunny DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS World Tour 2026 Australian Tour Saturday, February 28–Sunday, March 1 — ENGIE Stadium, Sydney Bad Bunny is playing ENGIE Stadium in Sydney in February and March, 2026. General ticket sales start at from 11am on Friday, May 9, 2025 —head to the tour website for more details.
Solar power helps save the world and is one of the easiest renewable energy sources to tap, and now you can source it from the comfort of your own home, office and even on a plane. Designers Kyuho Song and Bao Oh have created the Window Socket, a plug socket that harnesses solar energy to charge your appliances. Just attach it to any window that receives sunlight using the suction plate, and the solar panels on its rear will start collecting energy from the sun, which is then transformed into electrical energy via an in-built converter, which is then stored on an internal battery for immediate or later use. The socket takes 5-8 hours to charge completely and will last up to ten hours once fully charged. The greatest thing about the Window Socket is that it was designed for portability to allow electronic accessibility everywhere. So once charged you can carry it on the move and rejuvenate the iPod in your bag or take business outside and power your laptop in the park. This revolutionary technology is an evolution of pre-existing solar battery backup technology and will transform the accessibility of solar power for everyday users. However, the product is still in its concept phase, with the designers wanting to further improve its storage capacity and product efficiency before placing it on the market, so keep an eye out. [Via PSFK]
Located in the ground floor of a heritage building (that was the former headquarters of Red Cross Australia), Cross Eatery has been offering up healthy eats and superb coffee since 2016. And with former-Mecca barista Marcelo Sota heading operations, it's easy to see why it's so popular. Early birds can start their day with a coffee and brekkie from 6.30am every Monday through Friday. Plus, there's kombucha and cold-press juice on-tap. The chalkboard menu changes seasonally but reliably features healthy dishes from breakfast through to lunch. Currently on offer is the broccolini, Frekeh and goats chevre salad from the salad bar, a house-cured salmon and horseradish tartine, and a breakfast bowl packed with veggies, slaw and a poached egg. Or, you can grab one of its signature Cross brekkie rolls, made with ham, poached egg and brussel slaw. With communal tables and a bright, minimalist aesthetic, Cross Eatery is a hotspot for health-conscious city folk.
Most travellers heading to Japan don't factor cars into their plans. Tokyo-bound visitors can explore everything by foot or subway, and those journeying elsewhere can hop on a high-speed bullet train (or, if you're flush with cash, a luxe carriage). Still, there's nothing quite like roaming around a new place from behind the wheel, going wherever the expressway takes you — and to make this easier for tourists, the country has just launched an unlimited road trip pass. With Japanese highways operating on a toll system, the Japan Express Pass will allow holders of foreign passports to venture as far and wide as they'd like, all for one set price. Well, almost; they do come with a 10,000 kilometre limit. Available in seven- and 14-day packages for between AU$228 and $400, they're designed to encourage more folks to venture beyond the Japan's cities and soak up its rural sights. If that's on your itinerary any time soon, the passes will become available from 275 car rental stores across the country from October 13. You will still need a driver's licence that's valid for use in Japan — which means an International Driver's Permit and a current Australian state driver's licence. That's what you'll need if you're keen to try your hand at Tokyo's MariCar, a real-life recreation of Mario Kart that lets you race through the streets of the city, so you probably want to make sure you have it anyway. Via The Japan Times. Image: Atif Johari.
When Yours and Owls announced that it wasn't going ahead in 2024, joining the long list of music festivals scrapping plans for this year, it thankfully only put its fun on hold for a year. Returning in 2025 was always the intention, and now that big comeback has dates. Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 1–Sunday, March 2. Yours and Owls didn't completely sit 2024 out, however. Earlier in October, it held a pre-party, aka the event you put on when you can't put on the full festival experience at your usual time of the year because it doesn't work for your headliners' calendars. So, a tunes-filled shindig still took over the University of Wollongong campus — complete with Golden Features, Peking Duk, Alice Ivy, Anna Lunoe and more — to keep things warm for next year. [caption id="attachment_965220" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Ian Laidlaw[/caption] There's no word yet as to who'll be taking to the stage when Yours and Owls starts autumn 2025 in the best possible way, but organisers have advised to expect details soon. It's been a rollercoaster ride of a few years for the fest. It only turned into its new site in 2023 after it was forced to cancel in 2022 when La Niña flooded its Stuart Park venue. Affectionately labelled 'Gong Christmas', Yours and Owls moved to UOW as part of the fest and university's three-year partnership, with the all-weather solutions available at the campus cited as one of the driving factors behind the team-up — plus the uni's picturesque green spaces and a mutual commitment towards carbon-emission reduction. [caption id="attachment_906428" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jess Gleeson[/caption] 2023's Yours and Owls featured Oliver Tree, Chet Faker and Descendents, and also Hilltop Hoods, Earl Sweatshirt, Golden Features, Ocean Alley, Flight Facilities and Pendulum — so expect 2025's fest to be worth waiting for. Confirmation that the event will be back next year follows locked in details for the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025 for a heap of fellow festivals, such as Laneway, Golden Plains, Bluesfest (for the last time), Wildlands, Good Things, Lost Paradise, Beyond The Valley and Meredith. [caption id="attachment_906426" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ruby Bowland[/caption] [caption id="attachment_906427" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ian Laidlaw[/caption] Yours and Owls will return to Wollongong on Saturday, March 1–Sunday, March 2, 2025. Head to the festival website for more details.
Two inner west train stations are slated to receive $40-million makeovers as part of their integration into the Sydney Metro project. The upgrades at St Peters and Erskineville stations will help improve accessibility at both sites, and will see them become part of the T4 Illawarra train lines from 2024. This change will provide direct access for inner west residents to Martin Place Station and Sydney's eastern suburbs. The planned upgrades follow an announcement in February that Transport for NSW would be introducing hundreds of extra weekly services to the city's train network. The $1 billion plan to increase the capacity of the rail network is set to include a significant increase in services running through the T2 and T8 lines, both of which run through the inner west, as well as a 6000-passenger capacity increase to the T4 line. When they join the T4 line, trains running through St Peters and Erskineville will no longer continue past Central and Town Hall on to the City Circle (Wynyard, Circular Quay, St James and Museum), but will instead connect from Central to Martin Place, Kings Cross, Edgecliff and Bondi Junction. Both St Peters and Erskineville stations will be fitted with new lifts and canopies in anticipation of increased train services when the Metro opens. Erskineville Station will receive four lifts, a new pedestrian footbridge, new amenities and toilets, a new entrance at the southern end of the station and platform tactiles to help customers with vision impairment. Similarly, St Peters Station will be fitted out with two new lifts, as well as new amenities including a family accessible toilet, platform tactiles and upgrades to the pedestrian pathways. Planning approval is still required, but construction is slated to start later in 2021. Some early work at St Peters Station will take place on Saturday, April 17 during a scheduled train shutdown. You can find out more info on the train shutdown on the Transport for NSW websit. The St Peters and Erskineville Station upgrades are expected to be complete in 2023, in time for the opening of the Metro in the area the following year. For more information about the Sydney Metro City and Southwest project, head to the Sydney Metro website. Images: artist interpretations of the St Peters and Erskineville station upgrades.
Gone are the days when film buffs got their fix in one of three ways: at the cinema, via the video shop and thanks to whatever happened to pop up on TV. Lately, streaming platforms have become a cinephile's best friend — especially with COVID-19 restrictions keeping everyone at home. We say 'platforms', plural, because there's just so many to choose from. Netflix may be the industry's big gun, but Aussie audiences can also subscribe to Stan, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+, DocPlay, iWonder, Quibi and OzFlix, too. And, as even the most casual movie fan probably knows, that isn't even the end of the list. Feeling spoiled for choice? Can't pick which platform to splash your cash on? There is an easier way. Australian viewers can also access a number of free streaming services such as SBS On Demand, Tubi and Kanopy — which don't skimp on film options, but won't cost you a cent. And in the interests of budget-friendly movie marathons, we've rounded up ten excellent flicks you can stream for free right now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLdhN4oMxCQ BAD GENIUS Mark our words: in the next couple of years, an English-language version of this Thai thriller will reach our screens. A high-stakes high-school exam flick, it's smart and slick, funny and fast-paced, as well as tautly made and tension-filled — and it turns a situation we can all relate to into a nail-biting heist caper. Straight-A student Lynn (Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying) is the misbehaving high-achiever of the title, who first hatches a plan to make money by feeding her classmates test answers, and then bands together with her customers to cheat at the biggest test there is. The premise was taken from reality, and part of the movie was shot in Sydney, but the real highlight is Bad Genius' lively style and thoroughly entertaining narrative. Bad Genius is available to stream via SBS On Demand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8oYYg75Qvg YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE In Lynne Ramsay's long-waited fourth feature, an ex-soldier and former FBI agent grapples with his own trauma while trying to save others from theirs. Joe (Joaquin Phoenix) rescues children abducted and abused by pedophile rings — and if that sounds like an astonishing story, just wait, because You Were Never Really Here isn't done yet. Indeed, it's hard to pick what's more stunning here: Ramsay's empathetic and expressive direction, which keeps making unexpected choices to immerse viewers in Joe's headspace, or Phoenix's internalised performance, which won him the best actor prize at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. Call it a tie, and call this film an exceptional achievement that isn't easily forgotten after watching. Phoenix might've won an Oscar this year for Joker, but this is his best performance. You Were Never Really Here is available to stream via Kanopy. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gg9nzOFVwtQ THE FIFTH ELEMENT The 90s didn't shy away from big-screen sci-fi, but there's nothing quite as entertaining as The Fifth Element. Forget Independence Day, Armageddon and Men in Black — if you're eager for a film about humanity battling aliens and trying to save the planet, Luc Besson's action-packed flick is the best pick. Come for Bruce Willis and a pre-Resident Evil Milla Jovovich at their kick-ass best. Stay for the eye-popping set and costume design, with the latter by Jean-Paul Gaultier. And, story-wise, get immersed in an ambitious and entertaining futuristic tale about a taxi driver saddled with finding four mystical stones to fend off an intergalactic attack. The Fifth Element is available to stream via SBS On Demand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36iHKZmeH60 BRIMSTONE & GLORY It's human nature to stare at the sky whenever fireworks ascend to the heavens. We hear the popping sound, spy the bright flashes of light and simply can't help ourselves. Set in Tultepec, the tiny town at the heart of Mexico's fireworks industry, Brimstone & Glory captures that feeling more effectively than anyone could've expected. Indeed, the gorgeous documentary commits the vibrance of watching colourful explosions twinkling above to film as it charts the locale's National Pyrotechnic Festival, explores the lives of those both working and watching, and proves as spellbinding as the substance at its centre. Brimstone & Glory is available to stream via Kanopy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKD0sMntjWE THE TRIBE Writer/director Miroslav Slaboshpitsky's first feature was always going to be a hard sell. The film runs for more than two hours without a word of dialogue, a hint of music or even any subtitles, with its characters — a group of classmates at a Ukrainian boarding school for the hearing impaired — communicating only through sign language. And it's not just a difficult concept; in an effort that becomes both violent and haunting — all the more so because it demands audiences pay the utmost attention to what they can see — it's also difficult to watch. Reports of fainting are widespread, but those who can stomach its brutal sights will find a movie completely unlike anything else they've ever seen before. The Tribe is available to stream via Tubi. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-70r7GkiBGM HEATHERS These days, Heathers is a stage musical, a TV series and (in Brisbane at least) a regular dance party theme. If you've ever wondered why this dark high school-set tale just keeps spawning new adaptations and celebrations, then you owe it to yourself to watch or rewatch the original 1988 movie. For Veronica Sawyer (Winona Ryder), every day at Westerburg High School is hell. Even though she's part of the popular clique — with her three closest friends all called Heather — that still proves the case. Then brooding loner JD (Christian Slater) arrives at school, instantly shaking up the status quo. The result: murder, mayhem, teen angst and one incredibly acerbic, sharp and amusing satire. Heathers is available to stream via Kanopy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVsAixfCL4Q HOLY MOTORS Cinematic mind-benders don't get much better — or more strange, eccentric and surreal — than Leos Carax's Holy Motors. Following a man called Oscar (Denis Lavant) who rides around in a limousine, attends unusual appointments in various costumes and plays an array of different parts, it's the type of film that can't be neatly summarised. Indeed, as Oscar goes about his day, anything could happen. Sometimes, he's dressed up as a beggar in the Parisian streets. Later, he's an old man listening to Eva (Kylie Minogue) sing. As it hops between kaleidoscopic vignettes, Carax's vibrant film ponders and probes identity and individuality, all while serving up dazzling visuals, exuberant performances and constant surprises. Holy Motors is available to stream via SBS On Demand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9QrvLd2pbY RIVER OF GRASS Kelly Reichardt boasts quite the filmography. She explored the companionship only a pet can bring in Wendy and Lucy, delved into the western genre in Meek's Cutoff and contemplated eco-activism in Night Moves. Then, she brought Michelle Williams, Laura Dern and Kristen Stewart together for contemplative triptych Certain Women, and stepped back to 19th-century America for her stellar latest film First Cow. Before all that, though, Reichardt spun a story of social isolation and disconnection in the Florida suburbs, all thanks to her debut feature River of Grass. And as with every entry on the director's resume, this not-quite road movie couldn't feel more authentic or keenly observed. River of Grass is available to stream via Kanopy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzp2HP4gaJ0 PURPLE RAIN 'Purple Rain', the song, is one of Prince's all-time greats. Purple Rain, the album, ranks just as highly. And Purple Rain, the 1984 film, is exactly the kind of movie that a Prince-starring rock musical should be. Focusing on an aspiring musician trying to balance his troubled home life with his band and his girlfriend, the storyline is straightforward — but when you plonk a charismatic star like Prince in the middle of it, bathe the flick's frames in plenty of purple, and crank up the killer soundtrack, sparks fly. Given the narrative, the array of live concert scenes also work a treat. And while the sequel, 1990's Graffiti Bridge, doesn't reach the same heights, this is a mighty entertaining, toe-tapping way to spend 111 minutes. Purple Rain is available to stream via Tubi. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-_LxiRETWA THE CONVERSATION In 1974, Francis Ford Coppola directed a little film called The Godfather Part II. Yes, everyone has heard of it. But that was just one of his movies that year — and with zero scorn aimed towards the Oscar-winning crime flick, which is rightfully considered one of the best sequels ever made, The Conversation is actually even better. Winning the Cannes Film Festival's top gong, this Gene Hackman-starring thriller delves into a topic that's still very relevant today: the moral dilemma around surveillance. Hackman is fantastic as the film's conflicted protagonist, while Coppola crafts a tense, moody and brooding masterpiece. Keep an eye out for a young pre-Star Wars Harrison Ford, too. The Conversation is available to stream via SBS On Demand.
Déjà vu might strike when 2024 arrives, at least when it comes to one of your first TV shows of the year. Jamie Dornan (A Haunting in Venice), Danielle Macdonald (French Exit), amnesia, a past coming back to haunt, an early-January release: the first incredibly easy-to-binge season of The Tourist back in 2022 ticked all of those boxes, and now so will the second next year. When the series first arrived, it was swiftly renewed for another go-around — and, although plenty is clearly remaining the same, that follow-up does involve one big shakeup. While the initial season of The Tourist was set in Australia with Dornan as the titular figure, the season takes place in Ireland. This time, it's Macdonald's Aussie cop Helen who is travelling abroad. As the show's just-released first trailer for season two illustrates, however, not being able to recall anything remains part of Dornan's remit as Elliot. The character's lack of memory ties into a plot that bring secrets from his past into play, as well as a family feud. Audiences will be able to see the end result from Tuesday, January 2 via Stan in Australia and Monday, January 1 via TVNZ+ in New Zealand, with The Tourist season two spanning another six episodes. Screenwriters Harry and Jack Williams (Baptiste, The Missing, Liar) return as well, but Dornan and Macdonald will have Conor MacNeill, Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre), Olwen Fouéré (The Northman), Diarmaid Murtagh (Outlander), Nessa Matthews (Inspektor Jury: Der Tod des Harlekins), Mark McKenna (The Miracle Club) and Francis Magee (Then You Run) for new on-screen company. If you missed The Tourist's first season, Dornan's Elliot was caught up in a mystery, which unfurled its specifics in cliffhanger-heavy instalments. The show also had fun with its premise — and its onslaught of twists and turns. It knew that zigzagging thrillers that work from a clearcut roadmap should make their familiar pieces feel anything but, and should take their audience along for a wild ride. And, it was well aware that that should all be the case even when largely driving down a recognisable road. An Irish traveller in Australia, Elliot was run off the street by a steamrolling long-haul truck, sparking his fogginess about his own moniker and everything else about his past. Macdonald's Local Constable Helen Chalmers took a shine to him anyway, but piecing together his history was far from straightforward. His other immediate questions in season one: why is he in the middle of Australia, why does a bomb go off in his vicinity and why is he getting calls from a man trapped in an underground barrel? Check out the trailer for second season of The Tourist below: The Tourist season two will start streaming from Tuesday, January 2 via Stan in Australia and Monday, January 1 via TVNZ+ in New Zealand. Read our full review of season one.
When the 21st Biennale spreads its artistic arsenal across seven venues in Sydney this March, we plan to be ready. 70 artists from across the globe will be exhibiting their eclectic works under the theme of Superposition: Equilibrium & Engagement in celebration of the 45th anniversary of this explosive festival. In partnership with the Biennale of Sydney, we've curated three different itineraries to arm you with everything you need to navigate this vast and varied program. But let's not forget that an inquisitive, creative-focused brain needs nourishment, so we've thrown in some top food and drink joints nearby as well. The Biennale and the Sydney Opera House have been firm friends since the first festival in 1973, and this year, it's where the magic is set to begin again. Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei will present his keynote speech here, and the iconic building will be the focus of the innovative events within. This itinerary also takes in the Art Gallery of NSW and ends in Woolloomooloo at Artspace in the historic Gunnery Building. THE OPERA HOUSE [caption id="attachment_646890" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ai Weiwei in Human Flow, 2017.[/caption] AI WEIWEI'S KEYNOTE SPEECH Known for his gutsy fusion of art and activism, Ai Weiwei is one of the world's most spoken about artists and a huge coup for the 21st Biennale. In conversation with festival director Mami Kataoka, Weiwei will speak about how his work has changed since he left his native China, his artistic focus on forced migration and much more. A screening of his Oscar-nominated newest film Human Flow will follow, which features 23 countries shot over one year in a powerful exploration of the refugee crisis that is gripping the globe. [caption id="attachment_654211" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rayanne Tabet: The Dead Sea in Three Parts, 2013. Photograph: Sebastiano Pellion.[/caption] WORKS BY OLIVER BEER AND RAYANNE TABET In a series of original performances, Sydney's most iconic building will become part of the art program — in rather unusual ways. British artist Oliver Beer has utilised his orchestral training and has been researching the building with a peculiar method: by getting the building to sing back to him. He will enlist local vocalists to sing at the building in spaces where it will then sing back to them. And those who love a good mystery can join Lebanese architect Rayyane Tabet as he tells some of the unresolved mysteries of the Sydney Opera House through performance. PITSTOP: POOLSIDE CAFE AT ANDREW (BOY) CHARLTON POOL After a saunter along the water's edge and through the Royal Botanic Gardens — keeping an eye out for the rare White Pied Currawong along the way — take a poolside pitstop for a quick refresh. A swim, a smoothie or a sneaky sip of wine may be just the trick to keep your artful eye astute. The menu at Poolside Cafe is fresh and appetising and served alongside some killer views. Tucked into the back of The Domain, the pool boasts sights of the Woolloomooloo Finger Wharf, and from here, you'll only have a mere hop and skip along a leafy path to your next stop at the Art Gallery of NSW. ART GALLERY OF NSW [caption id="attachment_654219" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Semiconductor: Earthworks, 2016. Photograph: Semiconductor.[/caption] THE BIENNALE ARCHIVE It may be the 21st Biennale, but given it is on every two years, it has been kickin' up the Sydney art dust for 45 years. (We're questioning the maths, too.) Either way, that's a lot of creative events and exhibitions, especially given its nature to expand out into many venues across the city. This year, the Art Gallery of NSW will house a fascinating archival retrospective on the history of the Biennale, showing off more than four decades of worldwide works that have come to Sydney. The venue is especially fitting for such a display, given the AGNSW first partnered with the Biennale in 1976. [caption id="attachment_654212" align="alignnone" width="1920"] CATPC (Congolese Plantation Workers art League) with Baloji and Renzo Martens: The ceremony celebrating the repatriation of the White Cube in Lusanga, 2017. Photograph: Thomas Nolf.[/caption] WORKS BY 17 ARTISTS 17 artists will be on display throughout the gallery. Painter and Wathaurung elder Marlene Gilson sheds light on the indigenous connection to famed historic events like the Eureka Stockade and Melbourne Cup. Cambodian art collective Sa Sa Art Projects takes a look into the history of Phnom Penh's destroyed White Building, while Indian artist N.S. Harsha is behind a twelve-metre-long mirrored display made of cardboard and teak elephants, sure to be an Instagram favourite. PITSTOP: FRISCO HOTEL As you make your way from AGNSW to Artspace, just around the corner from your next stop, you'll find this brightly renovated hotel with an ace balcony overlooking the street and with views of Woolloomooloo Wharf. Like any good nautical-styled bar, rum-based drinks keep the theme alive, with cheeky cocktails like the Sailors Mistress, Summer Fling and Frisco's Spiced Lemonade. Frisco Hotel has a casual menu of pub greats. And if you're just stopping in for a pre-show snack, you'll struggle to decide what to order with the grazing board, pumpkin arancini and chicken tulips with smoked chipotle aioli and slaw all on the menu. ARTSPACE [caption id="attachment_654214" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tiffany Chung: water dreamscape — the gangster named Jacky, the sleepers, and the exodus, 2017.[/caption] AI WEIWEI AND FOUR INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS You wouldn't be blamed for heading to Artspace on a direct mission to check out Ai Weiwei's Crystal Ball, focused on looking smack into the future we could be facing on the other side of our current humanitarian crisis. But while you're there, discover some other works created using polar media and by four other artists. There are the frescoes of Indian painter Tanya Goel, an embroidered textile map of diaspora by Vietnamese creative Tiffany Chung and video projects by Belgian artist Michael Borremans and China's Geng Xue who will present Poetry of Michelangelo, 2015. The 21st Biennale of Sydney sets up across the city on March 16 and will run until June 11. Find out more about the program here, and check out our guides from the MCA to Cockatoo Island and Haymarket's 4A to Carriageworks. Lead image: Ai Weiwei: Law of the Journey, 2017. Photograph: Ai Weiwei Studio.
The ultimate date night is inbound, and it's only running for ten nights this October. Taronga After Dark is a brand new late-night experience perfect for couples or mates who want to see what Taronga Zoo is like after sundown. From Friday, October 3 to Sunday, October 12, you'll be able to wander through lantern-lit trails, enjoy cocktails under the stars and have incredible encounters with wildlife that come alive at night. You can also see the nocturnal routines of the reptiles and amphibians, or check out sunset seals at dusk for a wild presentation from the zoo's aquatic residents. For families, there's a magical mermaid show and a fluro fun zone, and for thrill-seekers, add on an illuminated Wild Ropes Adventure climb. For the adults, the Archie Rose sunset bar is the perfect pit stop while exploring. You can also refuel at one of the nearby food trucks, serving a range of sweet and savoury options, and enjoy some live acoustic tunes as you watch the sun set over Sydney Harbour. If you're looking to take your date night up a notch, why not make it a wildlife getaway? Opt to stay at Taronga Zoo's Wildlife Retreat, the onsite eco-conscious hotel with luxurious rooms, high-end amenities, modern Australian dining, and breathtaking Sydney Harbour views throughout the site. The Wildlife Retreat surrounds what is known as the Sanctuary, a beautiful native wildlife enclosure created exclusively for guests of the Wildlife Retreat at Taronga. This thoughtfully designed habitat envelopes guest bedrooms for a truly immersive wildlife experience — you may even wake up with a koala outside your window. Whether you're planning a unique catch-up with friends or a magical date night under the stars, Taronga After Dark is a one-of-a-kind way to explore the zoo in a whole new light. Buy your tickets and find out more about the event on the Taronga Zoo website.
Calling all whiskey connoisseurs: the whiskey brand of American country music singer-songwriter, musician and 11-time Grammy winner Chris Stapleton, Traveller Whiskey, is finally making its way out of the States and all the way down to Australia. For one month only from the end of February, the only place to taste it (for free) is at the Sydney CBD's own slice of the American South: Jolene's Sydney. This is no one night only tipple, Jolene's will transform into what may well be one of the biggest shouts of whiskey Sydney has ever seen — with one free tasting of Traveller for every patron nightly at 8pm between Tuesdays and Sundays. In addition to the whiskey round, Jolene's will be dishing out Traveller-inspired cocktails and food. Try the East Kentucky Sweet Tea made with Traveller Whiskey and blackberry (Kentucky's state fruit) liqueur, which is an ode to Stapleton's Kentucky roots as you snack on an all-American menu which features the likes of loaded tater tots topped with smoked brisket, liquid cheese and Traveller Whiskey-infused barbecue sauce. Whether you're a Stapleton fan or whiskey lover, you'll find something worth sipping or snacking on at Jolene's. One of Sydney's most popular country and Western music bars, there are even more Traveller-inspired events to enjoy alongside each free round. Don't miss live country music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, as well as surprise offers and experiences for anyone who stops by. Australia's biggest round is taking place exclusively at Jolene's between Thursday, February 27 until Thursday, March 27. Visit Jolene's Sydney to get a taste of Traveller Whiskey.
Starring Sydney Sweeney as a virginal American nun in Italy whose new life as a bride of Christ finds her in the family way, Immaculate is the kind of movie that horror fans pray for. In the realm of religious-themed frightfests, which is as packed as Catholic mass at Easter or Christmas, the nunsploitation flick is as unholy as cinema gets. It's eerie and unsettling from the outset, when a fellow sister (Simona Tabasco, giving the film not one but two The White Lotus alumni) tries to escape the My Lady of Sorrows convent, only to be chased by cloaked figures, then buried alive. It ripples with unease from the moment that Sweeney's Cecilia arrives from the US to leering comments. From there, Immaculate spans everything from controlling priests and envious nuns through to winding catacombs, secret laboratories and a crucifixion nail (yes, from that crucifixion). Then there's the unforgettable ending. Immaculate is the type of film that Michael Mohan prays for, too. Chatting with Concrete Playground about directing one of the horror movies of 2024 — and being asked to by Euphoria's Sweeney, who he previously helmed on TV series Everything Sucks! and erotic thriller The Voyeurs — he calls the feature's final two minutes the highlight of his career. "It's such a visceral experience, and the way that people sort of slowly catch on to what's happening in the audience is just so fun to discover," he advises. "Really, the last two minutes are my favourite part of the movie. My favourite thing I've ever directed is the last two minutes of this movie, and it's just something to behold." For Mohan, all hail the reaction that Immaculate is garnering as well, starting with the response when it premiered at SXSW 2024 (the US version, not the Australian fest) in March. "It's made it so that I can't watch the movie with any other crowds, because it was like a drug," he jokes. "To a filmmaker, the experience of watching the movie at SXSW was like the cinematic equivalent of heroin — just because people were screaming, people were yelling, people were making fun of each other for screaming, people were standing up and cheering. It is everything a filmmaker could ever want out of an audience reaction. It was amazing." Immaculate almost didn't happen, however. The tale behind the flick making it to the screen takes almost as wild a ride as the picture itself. It was a decade back, before she was in everything-everywhere-all-at-once mode — this is her third movie since December 2023 to reach cinemas, slotting in alongside Anyone But You and Madame Web — that Sweeney initially auditioned for the picture. Now, she's a producer on it, handpicking both the script as her ideal horror effort, plus Mohan to guide it. A text asking "interested in directing a horror film?" is how she started bringing the filmmaker onboard. Barely 18 months later, Immaculate has moviegoers worshipping. Mohan's path to here doesn't just involve getting Sweeney in front of his lens, then turning her into a helluva scream queen. Short films — both writing and directing them — began gracing his resume in 2003. 2010 coming-of-age comedy One Too Many Mornings marked his first feature, followed by Alison Brie (Apples Never Fall)- and Lizzy Caplan (Fatal Attraction)-led rom-com Save the Date. After that came the 90s-set Everything Sucks!, which he co-created, but it only lasted one season. If it wasn't for that show, though, he mightn't have crossed paths with Sweeney. Call it divine intervention? Notably, Mohan wasn't new to the picture's Catholicism, growing up in it ("I grew up super Catholic, so it was in my bones. I was the leader of the youth group. I'm since a lapsed Catholic," he tells us.) With Immaculate now in Australian and New Zealand cinemas, we chatted with Mohan about that first text message about the movie, working with Sweeney as a producer as well as a star, his initial vision for the film, taking inspiration from 70s horror and the feature's take on religion. Also part of our conversation: Sweeney's versatility, how to get the perfect movie scream — of which she contributes plenty — and the picture's unshakeable imagery, plus more. On Receiving a Text from Sydney Sweeney Asking "Interested in Directing a Horror Film?" "I was just scared because I needed to love the script. I want to make as many movies with her as I can, but I also need to feel like I can bring myself to it and that I'll elevate it. So thankfully when I read the script, I realised there's so much potential here, there are twists and turns that I did not see coming. When I pitched my ideas for where I wanted to take the story to Sydney, she was thankfully very receptive. Even though we didn't have a whole lot of time to massage the script, we just went for it. She sent me the script in August of 2022, and I was then on the ground in Rome basically three months later prepping the movie." On Working with Sydney Sweeney Not Just as an Actor, But as One of Immaculate's Producers "It's interesting. At the start, I took an approach like I was a director for hire, to some degree; however, my stipulation in doing the film is that I wanted her to buy into what my vision of the film was. So I put together a lookbook, like as if I wasn't her friend. And I was like 'here, this is what I would do if I didn't know you. This is what I would do if I were trying to win this job'. And the imagery that I sent her and the things that she responded to were exactly in line with how she saw the movie, too. So going into it, we were both on the same page. At the same time, she's the producer, I'm the director, so we had a push and pull in terms of in terms of what we were doing creatively. Anytime I came to her with a new idea, her first response was always like 'but is it scary? Because it needs to be scary'. Luckily our dynamic is such in that my approach to anything in terms of creative is that if you have the same end goal in mind, there's no right or wrong in the journey going there — there's only who feels the most passionate about something. So if you get into a creative disagreement, if it's something that really matters, I can say to her 'this matters to me more than it matters to you' and she can go 'okay' and let go. For instance, there was a scene I cut out of the movie. She was like 'I really want you to put that scene back in'. And I was like 'I really don't think it needs it'. She was like 'no, this is important. This is important to me'. I'm able to look at her and go 'this is more important to her than it is to me, I'm putting it back in the movie' — and that's how you have such a great give and take in terms of collaboration, where it doesn't feel like there's too many cooks in the kitchen." On Mohan's Initial Vision for Immaculate "The initial vision was just to make something that would hopefully traumatise people. We wanted to really go hard. But we wanted to do it smartly. When the film starts, it kind of feels like a traditional horror movie. Yeah, there are all of these horrific images, there are these great jump-scares and it's bumping along, but then it starts to get a little bit more disturbing. Then it starts to get a little bit more disturbing, until at the end of the movie you're seeing something that is actually a lot more similar to French extremist horror than The Conjuring. And so to be able to craft that arc for the audience, where they feel more and more in peril as they're watching the film, was part of the design." On the Importance of Sydney Sweeney's Versatility in Taking Audiences on the Film's Journey "I love when a movie takes a character from point A to point Z. So, to start her off as this sort of meek and quiet, mild-mannered nun, into what becomes like this insane feral creature covered in blood, screaming at the top of her lungs — that's just dramatics. That's just creating a wider arc. And it's very easy for me to conceive of such a wide arc when I know that the person playing it will be able to knock it out of the park. Sydney's ability to go to completely unhinged places is her superpower as an actor. It is incredible to see because I don't know how she does it. And so for me as a director, just my job is to make sure she stays out of her head, and to gently nudge her this way or that way to shape the performance and find the deeper levels. But it's a like driving a Rolls-Royce when you're directing her — she takes direction perfectly. And we just have this history. It's just really easy for the two of us to work together." On Making a Movie That Feels Like a Blend of Both 70s-Era Horror and Contemporary Horror "That's just what I watch. If you look at my Letterboxd, it's a balance of absolute trash and The Criterion Collection — and I think this film is perfectly in the middle. I just love the horror films of the early 70s. I think that there's something a little bit more fearless about them. If you look at The Exorcist — I mean, everybody has talked about The Exorcist until the end of time, because that scene where she has the crucifix and she's stabbing herself and she's bloody, it is so disturbing. Yet that is a mainstream film. That was a studio movie. And it's almost more scary, the fact that it's really well-photographed, than seeing the grimy independent version of that. So to me, it's bringing that level of elegance, coupled with the lurid — that's just where my voice happens to live." On Immaculate's Unholy Imagery "Similar to Sydney, my cinematographer [Elisha Christian, The Night House] and I have worked together forever. He was my roommate senior year of college. And so something that we're always trying to do is bring a sense of beauty to everything we do, whether it's a horror or whether it's an erotic thriller, or some of the earlier comedies that we were working on. I'm just a huge fan of his work. I love what Elisha has done. Here, it goes back to what I was talking about with The Exorcist — when you take something that is absolutely horrific and you film it with a formalism and a beauty, that's a type of cinema that I feel like is lacking. And so for us to be able to do that, it's really just our natural voice is how we shot this film. All of our inspiration poured into it in a way, and this is how it turned out. Also, the name of the movie is Immaculate, and so we wanted to have it immaculate — and so it could also just be as simple as that." On How to Get the Perfect Horror-Movie Scream "Every actor is different. I can tell you that for Simona, at the beginning of the film, Simona Tabasco, there's a scream that she has to let out — and she brought me aside and she was like 'I'm scared of screaming'. So I was like 'okay, come with me'. We went out into the middle of the field and I was like 'I'm just going to scream with you'. And so I just started screaming, and then she started screaming. And then I started screaming back at her, and then she started screaming back at me, and you lose your inhibitions with it. I think that's the most important part, just making sure that the actors aren't self-censoring themselves. Because when you scream, it's an unnatural thing, especially if you're not actually in pain. So it's just all about letting go, and allowing allowing them to let go. Then in the case of Sydney, she's got a set of pipes and she uses them." On Finding Inspiration in the Production's Italian Location — and in Giallo "With religion, I was trying to bring that sense of majesty to it and that sense of power, because this is a movie that doesn't have a whole lot of backstory for the characters. I wanted to keep it to a tight 88 minutes, and I needed the audience to understand from her perspective why she was so swept up in this world. So we were able to do that visually by finding these locations that were absolutely majestic. At the same time, I'm in Italy making a horror film. The responsible thing to do is to at least honour the elders that came before me. So I did watch a ton of giallo films, not to bite off the aesthetic in the way that like Edgar Wright did in Last Night in Soho, but more to have a little bit of a deeper understanding of some of the more-nuanced aspects of the genre. So, for instance, there's this great film What Have You Done to to Solange?. What I love about that film is how they visually capture the patriarchal dynamics between the men and the women. So there's a scene in ours that's an interrogation scene where Sydney's at one end of the table, and she's framed with the flames behind her, almost like she's coming from hell. Then the men are on the other side of the table, and they're all standing, looking down on her. And you see that throughout the course of the film, this playing with heights. The same with in the ceremony at the beginning, she is kneeling in front of the men who are towering above her. And then at the end of the movie, obviously those paradigms are completely shifted, when she gets the upper hand and she is the one who's the powerful one in the frame. So some of that comes from those giallos that are a little bit more naturalistic. Additionally, there's this great film called The Red Queen Kills Seven Times, and I listened to the score of that film non-stop. I loved it. It helped put me in the vibe of that type of cinema, and I loved it so much that I actually used a cue from that in a key montage about half an hour into the film as well." On Why the Combination of Religion and Horror Keeps Appealing to Audiences "I think especially in Catholicism, it's so dark. Part of the ceremony of a mass is eating the body of Jesus, and it's not a representation — it's the literal body, it's transforming when you pop it in your mouth. It's wild that that's what we believe. It's wild that we take a sip of wine and believe it to be his blood. So Catholicism is metal, and so it lends itself to horror just very, very naturally." Immaculate released in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, March 21. Read our review. Images: Fabia Lavino, courtesy of NEON.
