The Pyrmont Festival has been a highlight on Sydney's culinary calendar for over a decade, showcasing the best of New South Wales produce, talent, and culinary expertise. As the festival prepares to celebrate its 12th year, it promises another weekend of gastronomic delights, wine, and local art at Pirrama Park on Saturday, May 18 and Sunday, May 19. This community-run event bridges the gap between city and country, with an impressive lineup of winemakers, brewers, and distillers from across the state. With more than 20 vendors participating, attendees can expect to sample the latest offerings from renowned producers such as Elbourne Wines and McKellar Ridge. [caption id="attachment_949752" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tim Pascoe[/caption] Beyond premium beer and wine, you'll find a diverse selection of food trucks, including Asian street food from The Star's Fat Noodle (home to the legendary 20-hour fat pho noodles), Sudanese fast food from Pharaoh BBQ, and fresh Sydney Rock Oysters straight from the Fish Market. Expect live music and art exhibitions from local talent, food and wine courses, art classes, and more when you head to Pirrama Park, Pirrama Rd, Pyrmont. The locally adored festival has free entry — check out the full program here. [caption id="attachment_949754" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo Tim Pascoe[/caption]
Get ready for a night of music, food and live entertainment bigger than Godzilla himself. Presented by legendary Sydney DJ and movie-lover Jay Katz, Toho Nights is a new weekly party at Goros in Surry Hills inspired by Japan's Toho movie studio. You may know them as the creators of Mothra, Rodan and the big bad lizard himself. Starting at 8pm every Thursday night, Toho Nights will combine DJ sets spanning a wide array of genres with visuals from Katz's cult film collective Mu Meson Archives, plus plenty of tasty Japanese street food and beverages courtesy of the Goros kitchen. They'll also be running through a rotating lineup of guest performers starting with Jeff Duff (best known his David Bowie covers) and Crookedmouth (who'll incorporate a Japanese Geisha dancer into his set). For more information about Toho Nights visit the Goros Facebook page.
Yet another ridesharing service is throwing its hat into the ring in Sydney, with China's DiDi platform set to launch across the city next month. The move comes almost two years after the platform first landed in Australia, launching in Victoria back in May 2018. It has since expanded to Newcastle, Perth and Queensland, and is finally heading to the Harbour City on Monday, March 16. The new app promises locals "a safe, reliable and value-for-money rideshare service", as DiDi goes head to head with the likes of Ola and Uber. It'll launch in Sydney with two of its services — Express and seven-seater Max — but not its carpooling service, Share. Uber has that covered, though. And it's sweetening the deal with some pretty tempting launch incentives, for both riders and drivers. Riders who sign up to the service before March 16 will enjoy a tidy 50 percent discount on all DiDi rides for four weeks, and will receive a $20 credit every time they introduce a friend to the platform. If you're a driver and you sign up two or more friends as fellow drivers before March 11, you'll get to keep 100 percent of trip fares for four weeks. The company's promising 24/7 support to both drivers and riders, an itinerary sharing feature for those riding, and a strict driver vetting process. And, it's saying trips can, on average, be up to ten percent more affordable than other Sydney rideshare services. DiDi Chuxing launched in China in 2012 and has quickly become a huge player in the global ridesharing game — it has since bought out Uber's Chinese operations and has stakes in numerous companies, including Ola, Taxify, Lyft and Grab. It'll be interesting to see how its services stack up to what's already on offer and how many drivers will be available at any one time. The DiDi app is now available to download from the app store, with services starting on Monday, March 16. Don't forget to sign up before then if you want to snag a month of half-price rides.
If a horror movie sports a killer premise, more films are always likely to follow. So, when A Quiet Place gifted cinemas just that back in 2018, giving it a sequel and then a spinoff didn't come as a surprise. Neither does the latest news about this hit saga: after 2020's A Quiet Place Part II and 2024 prequel A Quiet Place: Day One, A Quiet Place Part III has officially been locked in. You'll be watching the next flick about trying to survive post-apocalyptic times by being as silent as possible — because the extra-terrestrials that've invaded the earth get brutal when they hear a noise — in 2027. And, you'll be viewing a film with John Krasinski (IF) behind the lens again. The actor-turned-director helmed both the OG A Quiet Place and Part II, and is returning for Part III after Michael Sarnoski (Pig) did the honours on Day One. So far, all that's known about A Quiet Place Part III is a release date — Thursday, July 8, 2027 Down Under — and that Krasinski is directing, writing and producing, as per Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. So, just what the narrative will chart and which characters will be the focus haven't yet been revealed. Also unknown so far: if there'll be any familiar faces, including whether Emily Blunt (The Fall Guy), Millicent Simmonds (Wonderstruck) and Noah Jupe (Lady in the Lake) will be back. So far, after life as we know it ended thanks to aliens that leap upon any and every sound, audiences have already seen what happened on day 89, days 471–7 and, in a couple of different ways, on the day that started it all. Add when A Quiet Place Part III is set to the list of details that haven't yet been advised, however. When the first A Quiet Place made its way to the big screen, it did excellent things with its mostly dialogue-free premise and gave films about otherworldly attackers a creative spin, quickly proving a box-office sensation as a result. Again, more movies building upon that success was to be expected. So are more sequels now, given that we're living in busy horror franchise times — as 28 Years Later, Final Destination Bloodlines, I Know What You Did Last Summer and M3GAN 2.0 can help attest in 2025 so far, and as Black Phone 2, Five Nights at Freddy's 2, The Conjuring: Last Rites and The Strangers: Chapter 2 are also set to demonstrate this year. There's obviously no trailer for Quiet Place Part III yet, but check out the trailers for A Quiet Place, A Quiet Place Part II and A Quiet Place: Day One below: A Quiet Place Part III is set to release on Thursday, July 8, 2027 Down Under. Read our reviews of A Quiet Place, A Quiet Place Part II and A Quiet Place: Day One. Via Variety / The Hollywood Reporter.
Bluesfest is as old as I am, and in the period of time in which we've both been in existence, Bluesfest has grown from an idealistic little Easter weekend in Byron Bay to one of the most highly-awarded, innovative and internationally acclaimed festivals Australia has to offer. In that time I mostly just grew taller and formed an inability to function without coffee. This year marks one of the most exciting Bluesfests to date. Feverish attention has been given to the headliner, Bob Dylan, the rock 'n' roll saviour of the 1960s who inspired generations of brooding young men to don dark glasses and take up the guitar. But the excitement also extends to the rest of the lineup, rounded out by the bespectacled troubadour Elvis Costello, blues legend B.B. King, and the androgynous musical powerhouse who launched a thousand haircuts, Grace Jones. The six day lineup features many more acts, including Ben Harper, Michael Franti, The Blind Boys of Alabama, as well as Australian acts including Washington and Kate Miller-Heidke. Add to that camping in beautiful surrounds, market stalls, carnival rides and generally chilled atmosphere, you have a particularly awesome Easter to look forward to. Tickets are selling fast, and while you'll find it hard to get a whole-weekend ticket now if you haven't already got one, there are still some tickets available for the Thursday and the Tuesday, when Bob Dylan will be playing. Get in while you can.
Seafood is a true treasure of Aotearoa — and there may be no better place to sample some of the freshest than in the South Island. The South doesn't tend to do fine dining, preferring informal eating spots that emphasise ingredients, comfort and making you feel well and truly looked after. The wines are some of the best in the country, and the views? Incredible. Here's your guide to finding the truly unmissable seafood experiences of Te Waipounamu (the South Island). Whether you're eating with a knife and fork or deep-diving to the bottom of a newspaper parcel sitting on a beach, it's all ka pai (great). SHARE A POT OF GREEN-LIPPED MUSSELS AT THE MUSSEL POT Havelock is a little blip on the road between Picton and Nelson in the northeastern Marlborough region — blink, and you'll nearly miss it. But clamber out of the car, stretch your legs and go for a walk around the sleepy little marina where you'll find The Mussel Pot on the main road. Marlborough produces 80 percent of New Zealand's mussel exports. You will not find fresher. The Mussel Pot's menu dedicates the majority of its repertoire to these little green-lipped marvels. Order a kilogram of fresh mussels in cream, white wine, garlic and herbs ($20.50), or coriander, ginger, chilli and coconut cream ($20.50). It also serves battered mussels ($21.50) or grilled on the half shell ($21.50) and whip up a mussel platter ($47.60) if you can't decide which way you like them. 73 Main Road, Havelock, Marlborough. [caption id="attachment_686918" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Boatshed Cafe.[/caption] EAT OYSTERS PERCHED OVER THE SEA AT THE BOAT SHED CAFE IN NELSON The Boat Shed Cafe is a genuinely lovely eating spot in a beautiful old boat shed on the waterfront in Nelson, in the north of the South Island. It will win you over with plates of fresh food, many of which star locally caught seafood — think beautiful Bluff oysters served naturally with just a squeeze of lemon ($5.50 each) and roasted whole sand flounder with paprika and lime ($27). You can also choose the Trust the Chef banquet ($70 per person). This is food to share with people you love, watching the sun set over the sea with a cold glass of chardonnay (Neudorf is the local choice). New Zealand eating doesn't get much better than this. 350 Wakefield Quay, Nelson. [caption id="attachment_687366" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Graeme Murray.[/caption] SHARE A CRAY BESIDE THE OCEAN (OR HAVE ONE TO YOURSELF) AT NIN'S BIN This third-generation roadside eatery has served fresh seafood from its blue and white cray caravan since 1977 and has become an icon on the drive down the east coast. Shuttered for a long time after the Kaikoura earthquake, Nin's is now back up and running. Fishing quotas mean that Nin's opening hours vary, so check its Facebook page for updates, or give 'em a call before you head in for the hot crayfish, mussels and chips in newspaper. On the days you catch it open, your heart will sing as you drive around the corner and see the steam rising from the caravan hatch and the happy patrons tucking into their feast beside the sea. State Highway 1, Half Moon Bay. EAT FISH AND CHIPS ON THE BEACH IN AKAROA A lovely day trip, Akaroa is a sleepy little French colonial town beside the sea, over the hills from Christchurch. Head out in the morning from Christchurch and wander around town, go for a swim, have a long lunch at Rona's and finish the evening eating fish and chips on the beach or on the hill overlooking the harbour. The food is simple. The experience is a classic. There's not much more to say. Every South Islander knows it, and you should partake, too. Just don't forget the rip n dip. 59 Beach Road, Akaroa. [caption id="attachment_687223" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rodney F.[/caption] SIT DOWN AT FLEUR'S PLACE IN MOERAKI Fleur's Place feels like it has sat at the edge of the jetty in Moeraki, near Dunedin since forever. The elements of the day's menu are literally purchased off the back of the fishing boats and carried a few metres to the kitchen. At the heart of the operation is Fleur Sullivan, a chef who has a firm place in Aotearoa's food heritage. She centres the menu around local, organic produce and seafood like blue cod, John Dory, moki, bluenose, gurnard, sole, flounder, groper and crayfish. Fleur's is also one of the best spots to try local titi, or muttonbird. The wines largely come from central Otago, which is world-renowned for its pinot varieties and fruity white varietals. Take a seat and watch the seals on the foreshore, the fishing boats pottering in and out and parcels of fresh fish being brought into the restaurant or smokehouse. 169 Haven Street, on the jetty at Moeraki. Start planning your trip to New Zealand's south with our guide to the South Island journeys to take here.
The Rocks' Blak Markets are back, bringing together artwork, jewellery, textiles and food from Australia's Indigenous communities. The markets will once again take place on Gadigal land — setting up shop on the Tallawoladah Lawn in front of the MCA for two days from Friday, March 4 through Saturday, March 5 (10am–4pm daily). Throughout the weekend, more than 20 stalls will sell goods made exclusively by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and makers. Artworks, skincare, jewellery, body oils, clothes, homewares and magazines will all be on sale. In between wandering the stalls, you can check out the program of performances and workshops throughout the weekend. Both days will kick off with a Welcome to Country and a smoking ceremony. You can then catch traditional dancers, singing and kids' storytelling, as well as attend weaving workshops with Ngumpie Weaving and Magpie Song Healing. There will also be an Indigenous-owned coffee van serving up cappuccinos and ice cream if you need your morning caffeine hit or a snack while you're exploring the market.
Casula Powerhouse is gearing up for not one, not two, but three stellar exhibitions opening this month. They all kick off on Launch Day on July 22 amidst food, wine and dogs. In other words, all the good things. Near x Far in Switch Gallery (on until September 17) is the first of the offerings, presenting explorations of space and dwelling — from homes to natural landscapes to the metaphysical world — by artists Rebecca Gallo, Matthew James, David Kirkpatrick and Anna Kuroda, Shireen Taweel, Grace Toiava, Hannah Toohey, and Vaughan and Vincent Wozniak-O'Connor. The artists use sound, performance, sculpture, light, photography and pattern making to investigate how space is mapped, marked and remembered. Inland Drive in the Theatre Foyer Gallery showcases Western Sydney-based Gary Smith, whose artworks reflect upon memories of commuting on the inner west and south west lines through Liverpool and Campbelltown. Smith uses continuous-line drawing technique in conjunction with brightly coloured acrylic and watercolour paints to map out (from an imagined, drone-like aerial perspective) the urban landscape he grew up in, where carparks and shopping centres have replaced paddocks in a steady urban sprawl. You can check it out until August 10. Last but not least, dog lovers shouldn't miss Every Dog Will Have Its Day (also closing September 17) — a playful show in which ten contemporary artists including Abdul-Rahman Abdullah, David Capra and Anastasia Klose explore the enduring bond between humans and their dogs — plus the varied purposes dogs have fulfilled over history (workers, protectors, faithful companions). Emerging curators Sophia Cai and Kathleen Linn oversee this show ranging across sculpture, video, drawing, painting and performance. Go on, make a day of it. Image: Gary Smith, 'Grid Locked' (2016).
Surry Hills isn't short on pizzerias. You'll find traditional woodfired versions at Via Napoli, Neapolitan-style ones at Vacanza, pizzas with a side of award-winning cocktails at Maybe Frank and untraditional toppings at The Dolphin. When the inner-east suburb's newest pizza spot opens later this month, though, it won't be slinging your usual doughy rounds. Set to launch on the corner of Crown and Foveaux streets, Pizza Fritta 180, as the name suggests, will be serving a lesser-known Neapolitan dish: fried pizza. The corner store is the brainchild of Luigi Esposito — the founder and head chef of Crown Street's Via Napoli, which also has outposts in Lane Cove and Hunters Hill — who grew up selling pizza fritta on the streets of Naples with his grandparents. And he's still using his nonna's recipe today. Expect to tuck into the calzone-like Nonna Rosa (stuffed with salami, provolone, ricotta and pomodoro sauce) and the Pizza Elena (stuffed with pork cheek, provolone and creamy ricotta). These function as the ideal bar snack, to be eaten pizza in one hand and drink in another. The restaurant will also champion another type of fried pizza: the montanara. Instead of being stuffed and folded like pizza fritta, these mini pizzas are flat and topped with the likes of prosciutto and bocconcini or, even, an entire ball of burrata. Many of the ingredients for both dishes have been imported directly from Naples, too. And there's a full on sweets menu too, including fried Nutella calzones and hot cinnamon doughnuts called graffa. The restaurant's vibe will emulate the lively laneway bars of Naples — and you can bet aperitivo hour will be on the menu. Expect Aperol spritzes, negronis and Italian beers, of course, as well as cured meats hanging from the open kitchen, where chefs will be tossing and kneading the pizza dough throughout service. Pizza Fritta 180 will open in late February at 428 Crown Street, Surry Hill.
Melbourne masquerades as New York in Predestination, the latest film from German-Australian directing duo Michael and Peter Spierig. Reuniting the twin filmmakers with their Daybreakers star Ethan Hawke, this slickly produced time-travel noir attempts to put its own distinctive spin on one of sci-fi's most thoroughly exploited sub-genres. There are plenty of intriguing concepts beneath the movie's stylish surface, although often their delivery leaves a lot to be desired. Nevertheless, some old-school vibes — and an astounding, career-making performance from actress Sarah Snook — ensures Predestination is worth your precious time. Adapted, and expanded, from Robert A. Heinlein's 13-page short story All You Zombies, much of the first half of the film takes place in a dive bar in New York, where a time-travelling secret agent (Hawke), on the trail of a terrorist mastermind, is working undercover serving drinks. One evening, he strikes up a conversation, seemingly at random, with a sullen young man named James (Snook), who bets the barkeep a bottle of whiskey he's got the best story the place has ever heard. And it's certainly a corker of a yarn. James, it would seem, began his life as Jane, abandoned by unknown parents on the steps of a Cleveland orphanage. A bright, tough young woman, Jane very nearly becomes one of the first female astronauts, only to be ruled out by an unexpected pregnancy. The father of the child abandons her soon after, although the shock is overshadowed by a revelation from her doctor: it turns out Jane has a second set of fully functioning (albeit internal) male reproductive organs, and that complication from her pregnancy will leave her no choice but to transition into a man. How James's incredible story is connected to Hawke's manhunt isn't immediately clear — although it's obvious from the cryptic way the brothers frame the flashbacks – always obscuring certain faces — that the cogs will eventually interlock. The second half of the film, wherein Hawke offers James the chance to travel back and change his past, is positively overflowing with time paradoxes and plot twists. The problem is, anyone with even a passing familiarity with time-travel stories will see them coming at least three scenes before they do. It's not that the revelations aren't interesting on an intellectual level; they just never result in the dropped jaws and shocked gasps that the Spierigs would obviously like. Still, if their script could use some polish, they succeed in delivering style. From Hawke's fedora and six-shot revolver to his portable time machine disguised as a violin case, the feel of Predestination is a particular brand of retro-futuristic cool. Likewise, the narrative device of two strangers swapping stories across the bar has an enjoyably hardboiled quality to it and helps disguise the fact that the entire first half of the movie is basically one giant dump of exposition. It also helps a great deal that Snook is the one who's delivering it. Hawke brings his typical mix of wryness and intensity, while Noah Taylor is dapper is his seemingly all-knowing handler. But it's the Adelaide-born actress who clearly runs away with the film, ranging from tough and emotionally guarded to devastatingly raw. So affecting are the scenes immediately before and after James' transition that you could almost do away with the time travel story altogether. https://youtube.com/watch?v=UVOpfpYijHA
A shot-by-shot remake is an infinitely worthy cinematic venture, as recently proven by James Franco and Seth Rogen's tender tribute to Kimye, 'Bound 3'. But even this was not as raw, nor as pure as it could have been, had it been a truly zero-budget affair in the noble tradition of 'Badder Romance' and Be Kind Rewind. But now The Redux Project offers you the chance to appear in ultra lo-fi remakes of scenes from iconic Australian favourites like Muriel's Wedding and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. All in the name of humorously critiquing the world of modern cinema. Who's behind this idea? Performance Space in association with Sydney Festival and Carriageworks present the project masterminded by the UK's Richard DeDomenici, an old hand at the budget remake, having produced Reduxes the world over, starring whichever enthusiastic locals applied. The artist is seeking volunteers now to appear in movie scenes for The Redux Project: Mega Aussie Redux, the results of which will be edited and screened at Carriageworks along with the original films that inspired them. Which films are we talking? Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, The Matrix, Priscilla and Muriel will all be getting the royal (/peasant) treatment. I myself am absolutely volunteering, in the hope of bestriding the 438 bus, swaddled in 15 metres of aluminium foil a la Priscilla. The shoots will take place in the first week of January 2014 (Monday 6th – Sunday 12th), at locations across inner-city Sydney. If you would like to volunteer, shoot an email to redux@performancespace.com.au with the subject ‘REDUX: Count me in’. Let them know if there is a particular shoot you would like to be part of, and send a photo to assist with casting. Image from DeDomenici's Dawn of The Dead: Redux (shot in Westmoreland Shopping Centre, England).
"The grid. A digital frontier. I tried to picture clusters of information as they moved through the computer. What did they look like? Ships? Motorcycles? Were the circuits like freeways? I kept dreaming of a world I thought I'd never see. And then one day, I got in." If you've watched 1982's TRON and its 28-years-later sequel TRON: Legacy in 2010, or listened to the latter's sublime Daft Punk-scored soundtrack, then you've heard those words. But what if everything that Jeff Bridges (The Old Man) describes as Kevin Flynn wasn't relegated to the virtual realm? In TRON: Ares, viewers will watch what happens when the program that shares the movie's moniker makes the jump from the digital space to the real world, giving humanity its first encounter with AI beings. Indeed, amid its heavy lashings of laser-red hues, the just-dropped first trailer for the feature has a monster-movie vibe when worlds start to collide. Flesh-and-blood folks such as Greta Lee (The Studio) stare up, then start fleeing. While things happen quickly in the digital realm, films about it clearly don't always earn the same description, given that it has now been over four decades since the first TRON film made its way to cinemas, and 15 years since its first sequel. A third movie was announced the very same year that TRON: Legacy released, in fact, but TRON: Ares has taken time to return cinemagoers to the grid. For much of the past decade and a half, it's been one of those pictures in the "I'll believe it when I'm actually sitting in a theatre watching it with my own eyes" category, until Disney not only announced that the feature had a date with picture palaces in 2025, but also dropped a first image from it. The date that you can see the next TRON on the big screen: Thursday, October 9, 2025 Down Under. Cast-wise, Jared Leto (Haunted Mansion) plays Ares, aka the threatening face of AI. Bridges is also back as the software-company employee who first found himself in the digital world in the initial flick. Evan Peters (Agatha All Along), Hasan Minhaj (It Ends with Us), Jodie Turner-Smith (The Agency), Arturo Castro (The Vince Staples Show), Cameron Monaghan (Shameless) and Gillian Anderson (Sex Education) co-star in TRON: Ares, while Joachim Rønning (Young Woman and the Sea) directs. Following on from Daft Punk's masterpiece of a score for TRON: Legacy was always going to be a tough feat, but TRON: Ares isn't skimping on musical talent. Doing the honours, as heard in the feature's first trailer: Nine Inch Nails, adding to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' run of film work (see also: Soul, Mank, Bones and All, Empire of Light, The Killer, Challengers, Queer and The Franchise just in the 2020s alone). Check out the first trailer for TRON: Ares below: TRON: Ares releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, October 9, 2025. Images: courtesy of DIsney. © 2025 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
No one alive today was living and breathing during Leonardo da Vinci's lifetime in the 15th and 16th centuries; however, Melbourne's The Lume is doing its best to help its patrons experience the Italian Renaissance-era great's existence. Opening on Saturday, March 16, Leonardo da Vinci — 500 Years of Genius sees the venue — which is Australia's first permanent digital-only art gallery — devote its surfaces to stepping into the artist and inventor's tale. His paintings grace the walls. His machines are dotted around its halls. Even original sheets from his notebooks, that boast his writing and sketches, are on display. Leonardo da Vinci — 500 Years of Genius was first announced in 2023, and is understandably The Lume's major 2024 exhibition, alongside a massive reason for folks living outside of Melbourne to head to the Victorian capital this year. Back in February, the venue also revealed that pages from da Vinci's Codex Atlanticus feature, displaying in Australia for the first time ever. Add them to the must-see list next to the world's most-famous enigmatic smile, The Last Supper, the artist's anatomical drawings and more. Attendees at the Grande Experiences-run Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre site can see what The Lume is calling its "most ambitious, immersive and breathtaking yet". That's quite the claim for a collection that follows a van Gogh celebration, a focus on Monet and his contemporaries and the First Nations-centric Connection. Given everything that's a part of Leonardo da Vinci — 500 Years of Genius, though, that statement also isn't surprising. No one will forget the Mona Lisa after heading to the exhibition. The artwork is almost everywhere within the 3000-square-metre space, and in a larger-than-life fashion — because that's how Grande Experiences' whole setup works. The iconic piece also links in with the segment of the showcase that's all about French optical engineer Pascal Cotte, who invented a multispectral camera and has peeled back the artwork's layers using his research. So, get excited about Mona Lisa Revealed, which includes an exact 360-degree replica — the only one in the world — as created thanks to Cotte's 240,000,000-pixel multispectral camera. The Last Supper also enjoys the spotlight in a big way, with emphasis on the 'big'. Similarly among Leonardo da Vinci — 500 Years of Genius' highlights: 40 of da Vinci's machine inventions, which are on loan from the Museo Leonardo da Vinci in Rome. Leonardo is just as well-known for his flying machine concepts, with his 15th-century vision of human flight scoring The Lume's attention. This part of the exhibition heroes recreations made in Italy from the artist and inventor's sketches, and also uses the materials and techniques that he would've at the time. Letting visitors check out pages from Codex Atlanticus is a huge coup. The 12-volume set is filled with da Vinci's drawings and writings, detailing his thoughts and featuring his sketches on a wide array of topics. It's priceless. It includes entries from its author from between 1478–1519, dating up to the year of his death. Since 1637, it has called Milan's Biblioteca Ambrosiana home — and it's thanks to a relationship between it and Grande Experiences, which is also behind Rome's Museo Leonardo da Vinci, that some of its sheets can display Down Under. Stepping through da Vinci's journey at Leonardo da Vinci — 500 Years of Genius also spans recreations of Florence's streets, Venice's canals and Milan — as brought to life via sight, sound, scent, touch and taste. Flying over Florence using virtual reality, dining at a Renaissance-themed experience where The Last Supper provides the backdrop, being turned into a da Vinci sketch thanks to AI, seeing how you align with the artist's Vitruvian Man drawing: that's all on offer, too. That said, Leonardo da Vinci — 500 Years of Genius isn't solely about its namesake's well-known works, with the 3000-square-metre multi-sensory gallery also exploring his inspirations and those creating their own masterpieces at the same time. Botticelli's The Birth of Venus, Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling and works by Caravaggio can all be sighted, for instance. In Queensland, at HOTA, Home of the Arts, Grande Experiences's Italian Renaissance Alive will also take a broader look at the Italian Renaissance period from late March — but anyone wanting to be steeped in da Vinci's works in particular will need to head to Melbourne. Leonardo da Vinci — 500 Years of Genius opens at The Lume, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, 5 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf, Melbourne, from Saturday, March 16, 2024 — head to the venue's website for tickets and further information. Images: Alicia Taylor.
With a city as large, diverse and storied as Sydney, there are incredible experiences around every corner. Outsiders may flock to the tourist traps of the inner city, but true Sydneysiders know there's just as much to see and do outside the CBD, including the ever-growing arts scene in greater western Sydney. From galleries in old power stations and state-of-the-art theatres to cultural food tours and historic houses, these experiences in the GWS region are a surefire way to get a big dose of culture — and to get to know the local communities who make up this part of Sydney's DNA. In partnership with Stockland, we've picked out five must-try experiences. So, next time you're craving some art in your life, all you have to do is hit the pavement and discover Sydney's art scene beyond the 2000 postcode. CASULA POWERHOUSE ARTS CENTRE The former power station first opened as a multipurpose arts centre back in 1994 and then relaunched as the Casula Powerhouse you know today in 2008. It's got incredibly diverse attractions and spaces, housing six galleries, a 321-seat theatre, artists studios, 20 hectares of parklands, an amphitheatre, legal graffiti spaces and a cafe and bar. You can check out new exhibitions and the Powerhouse's 1500 artwork-strong permanent collection. Or, join workshops and educational programs, and catch a tonne of live performances. The arts centre's jewel though is The Koori Floor Artwork by First Nations artist Judy Watson, which covers 600 square metres of the the Powerhouse's largest space, Turbine Hall. [caption id="attachment_808445" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Teniola Komolafe[/caption] JOAN SUTHERLAND PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE Affectionately known as The Joan, this theatre space is named after opera legend Dame Sutherland. In fact, she did a gala performance with Richard Bonynge to mark its opening back in 1990. As well as being home to the Penrith Conservatorium of Music and the Penrith Symphony Orchestra, The Joan has a strong focus on community events, with festivals, shows and events celebrating the local area, plus its own youth theatre group. At the on-site Q Theatre, you can catch everything from stage productions to talks, recitals, cabaret and comedy. [caption id="attachment_808454" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] TASTE'S AFGHANISTAN AND SYRIA FOOD TOUR We reckon one of the best ways to learn about a culture is by eating its cuisine (and lots of it). So, make time to get a taste of the different cultures that make up the tapestry of Sydney's west. If you're one for organised tours, then check out Taste, which offers guided food tours led by local experts. Its Merrylands tour is a fascinating — and tasty — look at the food customs of Afghanistan and Syria. Over the course of 3.5 hours, you'll get to sample street food, spiced ice cream, dumplings and some of the best bread and rice in the city. On top of all the eating, you'll have the opportunity to meet Afghani and Syrian chefs, business owners and refugees, each with their own unique tale of their homeland and how they came to Australia. FAIRFIELD CITY MUSEUM & GALLERY Housed in the former council chambers, Fairfield City Museum & Gallery has been around for almost four decades and is one of the go-to cultural experiences in the greater western Sydney region. It boasts a full and varied program of exhibitions, from contemporary art to social history and community-based works, as well as events, workshops and tours that dive into the history of the local area. It also runs an artist-in-residence program, where the Gallery gives one lucky applicant the opportunity of a three-month residency and solo exhibition. Plus, it's home to the city's Heritage Collection — a catalogue of photographs, audio and art that's available to browse online as well as view in person. [caption id="attachment_808455" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] ELIZABETH FARM Built by wool pioneer and controversial public figure John Macarthur in 1793, Elizabeth Farm is Australia's oldest homestead. The on-site heritage-listed cottage, overlooking the Parramatta River and set within a recreated 1830s garden, is now an all-access museum, giving you a close look at what life was like at the estate in the 1800s. Plus, you can learn about the series of major events that took place on these grounds throughout history. It's a fully immersive experience, complete with replica furnishings owned by the Macarthurs. Visit Stockland's pop-up fashion event House of Kicks at Stockland Merrylands (May 3–16) to take part in sneaker customisation, street styling and street art workshops. To secure your place in a workshop, head this way. Top image: Fairfield City Museum & Gallery
My Friend Dahmer isn't joking about its title. Exploring Jeffrey Dahmer's high school years during the 1970s, the film adapts the graphic novel of the same name, which was written by one of the serial killer's classmates and acquaintances. That said, based on the events depicted on-screen, it doesn't feel quite accurate to call John 'Derf' Backderf one of Dahmer's pals. Describing anyone as a friend of the teen who'll ultimately rape, murder and dismember 17 men doesn't feel quite right, for that matter, as the movie makes clear. "I like to pick up roadkill, but I'm trying to quit," Dahmer (Ross Lynch) tells one of his classmates. Every time the town doctor (Vincent Kartheiser) jogs past his house, he pays more attention than he should. In his garden shed at home, he likes to dissolve dead cats in acid. At school, when he's not keeping to himself, he's making odd noises and causing scenes in the hallways. It's the latter behaviour that piques the interest of aspiring artist Derf (Alex Wolff) and a few other students, inspiring them to form the 'Dahmer Fan Club' and to recruit its namesake as a member. The group encourages Dahmer's over-the-top performances, sneaks him into club yearbook photos as a prank, and even talks their way into meeting with the US Vice President. But behind the seeming camaraderie, Derf and the gang are still laughing at the new pal even when they're also laughing with him. Eventually they push the joke too far, before abandoning the guy they've been calling their mascot. There's nothing simple about Dahmer's adolescent years, as My Friend Dahmer shows. In addition to being repeatedly humiliated by the people he thinks are his friends, he struggles to cope with his sexuality, his mother's (Anne Heche) mental illness and his father's (Dallas Roberts) eventual absence. Still, there's something much too familiar about writer-director Marc Meyers' approach to this story. While the film doesn't ever try to justify or excuse the heinous deeds Dahmer would go on to commit not that much later in his life, it does draw a very short line between the treatment Dahmer is subjected to and his inner turmoil. The details might stem from reality, but the position the picture seems to take — that Dahmer was odd, but essentially an average guy until he was bullied — feels both superficial and uncomfortable, particularly given how often the same kind of sentiment is splashed across newspaper headlines to explain killings, attacks and mass shootings. Of course, watching a film about a notorious murderer's formative years shouldn't be an easy experience. Nor should empathising with a confused, tormented kid who'll go on to commit brutal crimes, including cannibalising some of his victims. The guilt and regret that the real-life Derf has obviously tussled with over the past four decades are infused into the movie, albeit in skin-deep fashion. Clumsy foreshadowing certainly doesn't help, especially since everyone knows how Dahmer's tale pans out. Whether it's someone remarking that Dahmer isn't going to bite, his mother declaring that their family eats their feelings, or an angry teacher furiously attempting to remove him from school photos, all these incidents just convey the obvious, showing absolutely no signs of depth. Segueing from Disney star to serial killer, a well-cast Lynch adds nuance where it's needed. Crucially, his performance pits Dahmer in the middle of two extremes — ostensibly normal but misunderstood and mistreated at one end, fated for horrific deeds at the other. In fact, the young actor captures a mood of ambiguity that the film around him can't completely master, offering up a portrayal that's never sympathetic but never filled with overt judgement either. Wolff is also impressive as Derf, although the character is sometimes painted in the same overly neat manner as much of the rest of the movie. Indeed, from a visual perspective, My Friend Dahmer looks like a picture-perfect portrait of '70s high school angst, as often laid out in wide shots that mimic Derf's graphic novel. But demonstrating that something darker lurks beneath the surface isn't as profound as the film seems to think. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LP4yqd90BT0
Every month, Two Good welcomes a new chef to help with its menu. In March, it was Neil Perry and, in April, Paul Farag. Now that May is here, Corey Costelloe has taken the reins. He's owner and head chef at 20 Chapel, Marrickville, which was recently named one of the World's Best Steak Restaurants. Before that, he spent 15 years as executive chef at Rockpool Bar & Grill. Leading Costelloe's cracking menu is a toastie packed with chicken, gruyere and dijon mustard. Then there's a bright salad of roasted pumpkin, green beans and feta, covered in pistachio dressing. For dessert, try the rich devil's food muffin. These specials all available throughout May at Two Good Cafe in Yirranma Place, Darlinghurst, and via the Two Good catering service. All proceeds go to helping women affected by domestic violence, homelessness or trauma find employment.
Little has changed since the 2016 leak of the Nauru Files, which detail 2116 incident reports of assault, sexual and child abuse, self-harm and horrible living conditions suffered by asylum seekers on Nauru, one of Australia's offshore refugee detention centres. With the centre continuing to operate regardless, 33 award-winning artists have teamed up to create All We Can't See: Illustrating the Nauru Files, which will show at Yellow House gallery from Friday, February 2 through Saturday, February 10. The exhibition illustrates the suffering of detainees through creative expression, with each artist having chosen a specific Nauru file to interpret. The exhibition's renowned Australian artists include painter Ben Quilty, 2017 Bvlgari Art Award recipient Tomislav Nikolic, Tim Maguire, Sulman Prize winner Aida Tomescu, and multi-discipline artist Belinda Fox. Two free panel discussions will be held alongside the exhibition on February 3 and February 10. The first will be moderated by Elaine Pearson from Human Rights Watch Australia and include discussions with Mohammad Ali Baqiri, an advocate, refugee and former detainee on Nauru. Award-winning journalist Paul Farrell — a lead member of The Guardian's reporting team on the Nauru Files — will also be in attendance, as will participating artist Angus McDonald. With a complete lack of media access to the island, the artists hopes to raise greater awareness through their art in this sure to be powerful exhibition. Image: Work by Pia Johnson.
In 2013, at London's Alexandra Palace, filmmakers Nick Fenton and Peter Strickland followed Bjork as she performed every single track on 2011 album Biophilia. What emerged was a rather dazzling doco that, to be fully appreciated, should most definitely be seen on the big screen. To that end, Palace Cinemas are hosting two screenings of Biophilia Live in two locations on the same night: one at Norton Street and the other in Paddington. Bjork and her band give the tunes spectacular treatment, drawing not only on traditional instruments but also on all manner of non-traditional ones, including those of the digital variety. There's even a few that haven't been invented yet. The Guardian described the film as "utterly bonkers yet moving", while the Hollywood Reporter got poetic. "Heavenly constellations billow across dark sections of screen above the stage," the review reads, "sometimes engulfing Bjork like she is some kind of gargantuan space goddess."
Sydney is doubling for 1920s Long Island and New York — again. When Baz Luhrmann (Elvis) decided to bring The Great Gatsby to the screen, he did so by filming in the Harbour City. Then, a decade after the Australian director's Oscar-winning movie hit cinemas, a The Great Gatsby-themed club popped up in town host a The Great Gatsby-inspired cabaret variety show. Cut to 2025 and that event, aka GATSBY at The Green Light, is returning to the New South Wales capital, kicking off in December. Once more, Sydney Opera House is following in Luhrmann's footsteps, with GATSBY at The Green Light making its Harbour City comeback between between Saturday, December 13, 2025–Sunday, March 15, 2026. The production is taking over the venue with an array of excuses to pretend that it's a century ago — and that you're on the other side of the globe. The GATSBY part of the big event's moniker refers to the entertainment, while The Green Light is the temporarily rebadged locale where this party-esque experience will occur. First, the show: taking its cues from F Scott Fitzgerald's book, which is marking its 100th anniversary in 2025, GATSBY gives the classic text the aerial, burlesque, dance and circus treatment. As performers show off their skills, live contemporary music accompanies their efforts. Odette will be crooning, Oscar Kaufmann is set to do hat stands, Miranda Menzies will play with fire and show off her hair-hang skills, Bayley Graham will tap dance, Florian Brooks will juggle and Bettie Bombshell is part of the fun, too. Spencer Craig is playing Gatsby, as is Jacob McPherson in the character's younger guise, while Mariia Borysiak is Daisy. Then, the club: The Green Light gleans inspiration from prohibition-era speakeasies. Yes, drinks are involved. Indeed, while you watch, you'll be able to say cheers to the entertainment with a beverage in hand. Images: Daniel Boud / Prudence Upton / Anna Kucera.
Since arriving in town a few years back, Salt Meats Cheese has been giving Sydneysiders a pizza-filled treat. And, as part of its lineup of Italian eats, it's been treating the city's residents to plenty of specials — including, this November, the return of its $25 all-you-can-eat pizza nights every Monday across three of its Sydney stores. "Does this look like someone who's had all they can eat?" isn't something you'll be saying when you devour as many slices as your stomach can handle in 90 minutes, so calm your inner Homer Simpson. The only catch is that you'll have to buy a drink as well, but you can choose from both boozy and non-alcoholic options. Available from 5pm at Salt Meats Cheese Dee Why, Drummoyne and Circular Quay (not Cronulla, unfortunately), this hefty feast serves up multiple options, too. You can stick with the $25 pizza-focused option, or add all-you-can-eat gnocchi as well for an extra $5. And if you're vegan or eat a gluten free diet, those can also be catered for for another $5. The varieties of pizza available will change each week, if you need motivation to head along more than once. Don't have an afternoon snack beforehand, obviously. All-you-can-eat Mondays is available at Salt Meats Cheese Dee Why, Drummoyne and Circular Quay.
California's rich migrant history, sunny climate and abundance of world-class ingredients ensure restaurants, wineries, breweries, and food trucks deliver mouthwatering experiences. Dining should always be a major focus when exploring the globe, but California's sheer diversity in flavour and experience makes it the ideal choice for a food-focused road trip. With the help of Visit California, we've pulled together a list of top-notch venues across the state that are worth planning your trip around. [caption id="attachment_960067" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Morro Bay Harbour, credit Nature, food, landscape, travel via iStock[/caption] Fresh Seafood Galore in Northern California SeaQuake Brewing, Crescent City Drawing inspiration from Northern California's towering redwood forests and pristine coastline, SeaQuake Brewing in Crescent City, about 25 minutes south of the state line, showcases what the region's cuisine is all about. Alongside tasty options like woodfired pizza and grass-fed burgers, the brewery has a bunch of seafood to sample. Dive into the decadent mac 'n' cheese topped with blackened shrimp or see how US fish 'n' chips measures up — this version features local rockfish coated in blonde ale panko crumb, . Deciding on the perfect beverage can be a challenge with innovative brews and non-alcoholic kombuchas on offer — the latter has up to 14 rotating flavours, including chai, tart cherry and blood orange. [caption id="attachment_962314" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Larry Myhre via Flickr[/caption] Tavern 1888, Eureka Just over two hours south of Crescent City is Eureka, a port city renowned for its Victorian-era architecture. Here, you'll find Tavern 1888, a renowned restaurant near the waterfront named after the historic building it occupies. Despite this, the cuisine takes a forward-thinking perspective with Southern hints while a vibrant cocktail menu gives the place a dynamic lift. Uniting top-notch ingredients from across the region, the Humboldt Bay oysters and the seared scallops with pea puree highlight the quality of the nearby waters. Once dinner is complete, step into the Phatsy Kline's Parlor Lounge for colourful cocktails and live tunes. [caption id="attachment_961516" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Dave Franklin via Flickr[/caption] The Wharf, Fort Bragg Three hours down the coast, perched on the edge of Noyo Harbour, The Wharf is a historic spot for lunch or dinner in Fort Bragg. Opened in the early 1950s as a coffee shop, it was the go-to spot for local anglers needing a caffeinated pick-me-up during a hard day's work. Today, not-too-different fishing vessels keep the restaurant topped up with fresh salmon, sea urchins, crabs and more. Swing by for tasty clam chowder or cioppino – a fish stew originating in San Francisco – accompanied by stellar views. [caption id="attachment_960345" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Visit California[/caption] Explore Californian Wine Country Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyard, Santa Barbara California is the home of winemaking in America, with the state responsible for more than 80 percent of the country's production. Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyard is an outstanding example of the state's expertise, based in the Santa Rosa Hills of Santa Barbara (two hours north of LA). There's a clear focus on pinot noir and chardonnay alongside syrah and grenache varieties. With a cool breeze from the Pacific Ocean sweeping through the surrounding mountains, Alma Rosa produces carefully balanced wines that reflect the mild climate and limits its releases to 300 or fewer cases. To sample some of these rare drops, catch an intimate on-site tasting in the estate's private ranch house. [caption id="attachment_961513" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Courtesy of Presqu'ile Winery[/caption] Presqu'ile Winery, Santa Maria Valley Thirty minutes away, immersed in the beautiful Santa Maria Valley, Presqu'ile Winery is a family-owned affair dedicated to cool-climate wines, such as pinot noir, chardonnay and syrah, with charming vines stretching across the bucolic property. Picture-perfect by design, the property was carefully conceived as a "tapestry of blocks", allowing for fascinating experimentation. Featuring modern-rustic architecture, the impressive on-site tasting room is complemented by experiences across the estate that range from bocce to horseback riding. [caption id="attachment_962584" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jordan Vineyard & Winery[/caption] Jordan Winery, Healdsburg Founded in 1972, Jordan Winery's reputation has steadily grown to become one of the top wineries in California. And it's no surprise when you consider the scale and splendour of the place. Set on 1200 acres of picturesque rolling hills in Sonoma County (one hour north of San Francisco), around three-quarters of the property is dedicated to supporting natural habitats. This ecological philosophy extends to the winemaking operation with significant renewable energy and biodiversity efforts elevating the class-leading cabernet sauvignon and Burgundian-style chardonnay. [caption id="attachment_961520" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Theleming via Flickr[/caption] Try Top-Notch Cuisine in Southern California Cielito Lindo, Los Angeles Mexican roots run deep in California, and Cielito Lindo is central to bringing tacos to the US. This laid-back taco stand has been serving customers simple but delicious creations for generations, having occupied the same spot on Olvera Street in Downtown LA since it was first established by Aurora Guerrero in 1934. Times have changed, but the venue remains true to its humble origins, striving to keep prices low for its long-standing customers. Today, you can still get two beef taquitos with guacamole sauce for $6.50. Add sides like tamale and chile relleno to make each bite that much more special. [caption id="attachment_962709" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Courtesy of Visit Carlsbad[/caption] Campfire, Carlsbad Campfire brings all the smoke, warmth and good times from a weekend in the wilderness into the confines of an upscale restaurant in the coastal town of Carlsbad, near San Diego. The location tells the story — a wooden hut and a corrugated iron Quonset transformed into a contemporary eatery, where a hearty menu recalls the best of California's spirited terrain. The menu changes with the seasons, but almost every dish is woodfired or cooked over an open flame. Expect charred, seared and fermented creations alongside a surprising selection of vegan-friendly options. Close your eyes and you can just about hear and smell the campfire crackling in the night. [caption id="attachment_962295" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Courtesy of Lucha Libre Tacos[/caption] Lucha Libre Taco Shop, San Diego The love for lucha libre, aka Mexican wrestling, is obvious across southern California, with street corners adorned with colourful murals featuring masked wrestlers and arenas filled with fans for sold-out events. Founded in 2008 by brothers who grew up watching the sport, Lucha Libre Taco Shop pays homage to this vibrant culture across three San Diego locations — Mission Hills, North Park and Pacific Beach. The delicious tacos and burritos taste even better when surrounded by the over-the-top decor. Take things to the next level by booking the Champions Booth – a kitschy gold-plated corner – or wear a luchador mask to get a discount on your feast. Start planning your tour of California, America's ultimate playground, today. Header image: Visit California
"I'm still a flight attendant, and I've been making better choices." In the just-dropped trailer for The Flight Attendant's second season, they're some of the first words that Cassie Bowden (The Big Bang Theory's Kaley Cuoco) utters — at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in Los Angeles, where she's moved after the dramas we all watched back in 2020. But no one ever thought that this pulpy thriller would come back and just give its protagonist a normal, average, uneventful life, so those opening moments of calm are short-lived, naturally. Cassie has picked up a part-time job, which she also tells her sober pals in LA about — but she doesn't mention that she's now moonlighting for the CIA. Yes, in its second batch of episodes, this airport novel-to-screen series is going full chaotic international espionage thriller. Expect to spy plenty of Berlin in the first sneak peek, too. This time around, Cassie is doing great things at both of her jobs — booze-free things, too — when she inadvertently witnesses a murder while on assignment for her side hustle overseas. Cue more country-hopping intrigue, with the show also filming in Reykjavik. Cue more of Cassie's inner monologues as well, even if she thinks she's seen the last of them with her last drink. Coming to Binge in Australia and streaming via Neon in NZ, The Flight Attendant has also unveiled its return date: in Australia, you can mark Thursday, April 21 in your diaries. Also new: cast members Mo McRae (Big Little Lies), Callie Hernandez (Under the Silver Lake), JJ Soria (Gentefied), Alanna Ubach (Euphoria), Cheryl Hines (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Jessie Ennis (Mythic Quest), Mae Martin (Feel Good), Margaret Cho (Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens), Santiago Cabrera (Ema), Sharon Stone (Ratched) and Shohreh Aghdashloo (The Expanse). They'll join Golden Globe- and Emmy-nominee Cuoco, obviously, plus returning co-stars Zosia Mamet (Girls), Griffin Matthews (Dear White People), Deniz Akdeniz (The High Note) and Rosie Perez (The Last Thing He Wanted). And if you're new to this small-screen adaptation of Chris Bohjalian's 2018 novel of the same name, the first season unravelled quite the twisty tale — starting high in the sky, bouncing around the globe and delivering a hectic murder-mystery. Quickly addictive, filled with sudden revelations and reversals, multiple points of interest playing out across a split-screen setup, and also sporting cliffhangers to end every episode, the slick, swift-moving series knew exactly the kind of story it was telling and went for broke. More is coming in season two, clearly. Check out the trailer for The Flight Attendant's second season below: The Flight Attendant's second season will be available to stream via Binge in Australia from Thursday, April 21 — and is headed to Neon in New Zealand. Read our full review of season one. Top image: HBO Max / Binge.
If you associate classical music with opera houses and black tie, then it's time to enter a brave new world. Surry Hills' underground bar Soultrap is bringing violins, violas and cellos into the bar. And you're welcome to wear jeans and drink cocktails. Spearheaded by pianist Evan Streater, The Chamber Project is a new gig series aiming to get you to experience classical music in a fun, relaxed environment. You'll hear some of Australia's best musicians, many of whom work regularly with Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the Australian Chamber Orchestra. But, rather than watching them from the discomfort and distance of a concert hall's nosebleed section, you'll be up-close. The next Chamber Project —titled Four. Three. Two — is happening at 6pm on Thursday, June 6, then again on the Queen's Birthday public holiday, Monday, June 10 from 3.30pm. Featured on the program is a quartet of two violins, a viola and a cello, set to play Haydn's String Quartet in D minor, Op. 76 No. 2, 'Fifths' and Philip Glass' String Quartet No. 3, 'Mishima'. These larger works will be interwoven with arrangements of Nordic folk tunes. Between each 20-to-30-minute piece will be a break so you can grab another drink and soak in what you've just heard. Several types of tickets are available. Opt to sit up close at a table and you can be treated to charcuterie and cheese boards. Meanwhile, holders of standing tickets will score a gourmet toastie and/or cocktail. The Chamber Project will take place on Thursday, June 6 from 6pm and Monday, June 10 from 3.30pm. To purchase tickets, head this way.
A K-pop haven, Crossover Dance is Sydney's leading studio for learning all of the latest Korean pop moves. The dance studio even performs at Sydney's biannual Kpop Summit — the biggest fan-run, cover-dance showcase in the city. Apart from all that K-pop, the studio also specialises in hip hop and breakdancing, popping and locking and contemporary jazz, to name a few. Designed with students in mind, the schmick space features three large studios, sprung wood safety floors, changing rooms and a kitchen area. If you're new to dance, Crossover offers a heap of beginners classes and special deals, such as a three-class trial pass for $55. Regular single classes cost $22, or you can get a ten-class pass for $200.
Don't just smile and wave, musical fans. If you're fond of films turned into stage shows — animated hits making that leap, to be specific — then you'll want to scramble into the theatre to see the next smash-hit making its way around Australia. This time, a group of animals escape from their home in New York's Central Park Zoo, then find themselves washed ashore an island after a series of misadventures. Yes, it can only be Madagascar the Musical. Adapted from the 2005 DreamWorks animated movie, this production will start doing the rounds from December 2022 with all the bells and whistles of the international touring production. After runs in the UK and New Zealand, the show will bring the screen-to-stage story to life, supported by a lavish set, world-class puppets and colourful costumes. This'll be Madagascar the Musical's Australian debut, enjoying a two-week run from Friday, December 16–Sunday, January 1 at Sydney Coliseum Theatre to kick things off. Melbourne's Comedy Theatre will next do the honours from Wednesday, January 4–Sunday, January 15, 2023, then the Crown Theatre in Perth from Thursday, January 19–Thursday, January 26, 2023. Brisbane and Adelaide residents, fingers crossed it's your turn after that. If you've seen the film, which also sparked 2008 sequel Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, 2012's Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted and 2014 spinoff Penguins of Madagascar — as well as various TV shows and shorts, then this musical since 2018 — then you'l know the story. At the show's centre sits Alex the lion, Marty the zebra, Melman the giraffe, Gloria the hippo and a gang of penguins, who find their zoo routines shaken up and then some. As set to an upbeat score featuring hits 'Copacabana', 'I Like to Move It', 'Best Friends' and 'Boogie Wonderland', this crew of critters leaves its comfortable zoo life behind, exploring the eponymous island ruled by King Julien. Hijinks ensue, as brought to the stage in the musical's Aussie run by a cast that includes Andrew Papas (ex-Titanium) as Alex the lion, Joe Kalou (The Book of Mormon, In the Heights, Wolf Like Me) as Marty, Moniquewa Williams as Gloria, Devon Neiman (The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil) as Melman and Jonathan Martin (the Pop Up Globe stage) as King Julien. MADAGASCAR THE MUSICAL 2022–2023 AUSTRALIAN TOUR: Friday, December 16, 2022–Sunday, January 1, 2023 — Sydney Coliseum Theatre, Sydney Wednesday, January 4–Sunday, January 15, 2023 — Comedy Theatre, Melbourne Thursday, January 19–Thursday, January 26, 2023 — Crown Theatre, Perth Madagascar the Musical tours Australia from December 2022. For more information and tickets, head to the musical's website. Images: LK Creative.
In 2019, a horrible goose wandered around a quiet village, then chaos ensued — and instigating it became one of the most-entertaining ways to mash buttons. Untitled Goose Game first released in September that year. By the time 2020 hit, more than a million copies had been sold, getting folks controlling a pesky waterfowl with a penchant for trouble. That's honking phenomenal for an indie game out of Melbourne, and it's a feat that the city's Australian Centre for the Moving Image keeps celebrating. After giving Untitled Goose Game the live orchestral treatment back in 2022, the Aussie screen museum is now hosting a world-premiere exhibition dedicated to the title. Honk! Untitled Goose Exhibition features different versions of the game from its various development stages that you can play, plus sketches, concept art and design material for attendees to check out. It's going to be a lovely five months in Federation Square from Tuesday, September 17, 2024–Sunday, February 16, 2025, and you'll be an adoring Untitled Goose Game fan. Sorry Mario Kart. Move over Tetris. Forget Wii Sports, Pokémon Go, Street Fighter or whatever other title first springs to mind whenever you think about video games. They're all well and good, but they aren't taking over ACMI like this homegrown hit from House House. If you're new to Untitled Goose Game, it's a puzzle game — and, yes, it's about a goose. You play as the bird, and your aim is to move objects and other characters, and just generally cause mayhem in a small village. No description can really do it justice, though; you just need to play it. While the game has filled oh-so-many hours over the past few years, and gotten its ARIA-nominated original soundtrack by Dan Golding stuck in everyone's heads, Honk! Untitled Goose Exhibition isn't just for diehard gamers. No matter if you know every inch of the game or you're only hearing about it now, you'll be plunged into its world in an interactive showcase that's designed to get you playing. How slapstick factors in, plus the form of comedy's history, is also a big feature. We don't expect that running off with keys, socks, glasses, radios and the like will be a part of it, however.
Surry Hills grill house Porteño will play host to an immersive evening of smoke, peat and meat with Laphroaig Tales of Fire featuring Adelaide grilling master Jake Kellie for one night only on Thursday, September 7. Tales of Fire brings together taste trailblazers in the world of whisky and food to celebrate both. Always drawn to the flame of fire-powered cooking, Kellie is the former Head Chef of the Michelin-starred barbeque restaurant Burnt Ends in Singapore. After returning to Australia, the accomplished chef opened his new trailblazing venue Arkhé in Adelaide in 2021. Kellie will share his tales of fire as he showcases his distinct fire-cooking skills. Together with Porteño's Elvis Abrahanowicz, Ben Milgate and the rest of the Surry Hills crew, Kellie will serve up a cracker five-course smoky masterpiece that combines the elements that make up Laphroaig Whisky: salt, peat and fire. To whet your palate, Kellie has hinted that Kaviari Paris caviar and Mayura Station 40-day dry-aged signature series striploin will both be making an appearance on the menu. Each course will be paired with carefully selected scotch cocktails and guests will also enjoy a Laphroaig-tasting flight. This will include the incredibly rare Laphroaig x Francis Mallmann Limited Edition collab, a 17-year-old expression finished in a white Madeira cask that was hand-chosen by Patagonian fire chef and Laphroaig Taste Trailblazing partner, Francis Mallmann. There are only 276 bottles in the world and one will set you back 800 euros — this could be one of your only chances to taste it. [caption id="attachment_602532" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Steven Woodburn[/caption]
Experience the fireworks from a one-of-a-kind view at O Bar and Dining. Perched 47 floors above the ground, the sky-high bar takes in an all-encompassing view of Circular Quay, the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge as the fireworks light up the Sydney sky. Three packages are on offer if you're looking to spend New Year's Eve here — and they're all going to set you back a paycheque or two. For $695, you'll receive an NV Louis Roederer Brut Premier on arrival followed by a decedent eight-course tasting menu. Taking things up a notch, you can nab yourself the window seat and a paired wine list for $875. Lastly, if you have 11 other friends willing to drop the big bucks on an exuberant New Year's, you can book out O Bar and Dining's private 12-person dining room with all of the above perks plus butler service for $1450 a head. On the menu for the night is poached Tasmanian lobster, Roku gin-cured kingfish, twice-cooked duck breast with caramelised endive, blackberries and black vinegar and flash-seared Rangers Valley wagyu with black garlic and potato gnocchi.
Set within the walls of the old Sebel Townhouse — once the beating heart of Australia's music industry — Divino Osteria brings a slice of homely Italian charm to Elizabeth Bay. Owner Anthony Alafaci has reimagined the storied space as a welcoming neighbourhood eatery that's all about warm, attentive service and traditional southern Italian flavours. Sicilian-born Head Chef Andrea Di Stefano has crafted a menu that showcases honest, home-style recipes prepared with finesse. Expect handmade pasta, stone-baked pizza from a hand-built brick oven, oversized ravioli filled with wagyu sirloin, and slow-cooked sauces that carry generations of flavour. Dishes like the signature costoletta d'agnello (a herb-crusted lamb cutlet with beetroot puree and potato terrine) speak to a chef who isn't afraid to break from tradition. To drink, you'll find a thoughtful list of sustainable wines from Italy, Australia, France and New Zealand. The cocktail list mirrors the food menu in that you'll find both traditional classics, like limoncello spritz, alongside reimagined classics, like the Aperol margarita or the mango-infused amaretto sour. Whether you're coming in for a slow Sunday lunch or a lively midweek dinner, Divino Osteria welcomes you to enjoy good food and good company, the southern Italian way. Images: Guy Davies.
Art plus bar. This almost universal gallery opening deal is a pretty tasty mix already. But the MCA adds extras to this time-honoured tradition with its now SMAC-winning series ARTBAR. They're evenings of strange and interesting things at play among the art, recurring monthly and curated by a rotating cast of local artists. This month, art-constructor extraordinaire Michaela Gleave (whose installation work was recently seen on stage near the climax of I Love Todd Sampson) borrows the reins of the building for the night. She's bringing her ongoing art-yen for the heavens down to earth, including indigenous astronomy from Ray Norris and a pocketable solar selection.
Do you like horror films? Australian director Mark Hartley obviously does. His infectious, gleeful enthusiasm for his popular if sometimes critically reviled genre of horror makes this a blood-soaked treat for like-minded fans. Having previously explored the rich if somewhat forgotten back catalogues of Australian exploitation cinema horror in his excellent doco Not Quite Hollywood, he takes the next logical step here, remaking Richard Franklin's 1978 cult favourite B-movie. The tagline of the original also serves as a neat plot summary: 'He's in a coma…yet, he can kill!' He is Patrick, a patient who somehow maintains his excellent condition while those around him waste away in a vegetative state in a creepy, isolated hospital. When a young nurse makes a ghoulish discovery that leads to her grisly end, the bright young Kathy 'Jac' Jacquard (Sharni Vinson) is recruited to the facility, which is overseen by Dr. Roget (Charles Dance) and his dead-eyed daughter, Matron Cassidy (Rachel Griffiths). Jac has just broken up with her boyfriend Ed (Damon Gameau) and is seeking a clean break. She soon finds an ally in the spirited Nurse Williams (Peta Sergeant), who fills her in on the shady happenings in the facility, a dimly lit Gothic hellhole. She takes a special interest in Patrick, who Dr Roget has adopted as his special project, administering electro-shock therapy and other techniques not prescribed in any medical journal. Alarmed at the bizarre experiments and freaked out that the comatose Patrick seems to be able to communicate with her, Jac confides in Brian (Martin Crewes), a former doctor and writer who advises her to report Dr Roget to the authorities and get out of town. But this wouldn't be a horror film if its hero took the safe option, and as Ed arrives in town to reconcile with Jac, he too gets drawn into the escalating terror wreaked by malevolent forces at the hospital. Patrick rattles through genre tropes (creaky elevator shafts, dirty-looking syringes, zombie-like patients wandering blackened corridors, moments of silence shattered by a pounding at the door) with an expert's assurance and a fan's relish. This is a film that knows exactly what it is, and that recognises that some things are cliches for a reason. Vinson, last seen in You're Next (a more nasty and realist film than Patrick) makes for a plucky heroine, while it's a shame Sergeant's character fades into the background somewhat as Jac delves further into Patrick's story. Their performances form part of an impressive film seemingly destined for cultish devotion. While Patrick may not convince the unconverted, horror fans will lap up every minute of its lean, gore-splattered running time. https://youtube.com/watch?v=0N5iCcPGqoY
When Meryl Streep joined the cast of Only Murders in the Building, whether she'd prove a hit in the murder-mystery comedy was hardly a puzzle to solve. Indeed, the acclaimed actor slipped right into the show's third season like she'd always been there. And, she's coming back in season four to do it all again. Only Murders in the Building was renewed for its fourth season back in late 2023, and now casting details are being revealed. Yes, Selena Gomez (The Dead Don't Die) is back as Mabel Mora, as are Martin Short (Schmigadoon!) as Oliver Putnam and Steve Martin (It's Complicated) as Charles-Haden Savage. As just announced, so is Streep (Don't Look Up), while Saturday Night Live great Molly Shannon is also joining the series as well. As per The Hollywood Reporter, Streep and Shannon will have recurring roles in the new season, which will start with its main trio enjoying a trip to Los Angeles. But they're not leaving The Arconia, the show's main setting, behind. There's already been a fourth murder there at the end of last batch of episodes, giving the crew something to investigate after 2021's season one (aka one of the best new shows of that year), 2022's season two (aka one of the best returning shows of that year, too) and 2023's season three (again, one of that year's best returning efforts). The series started with three residents of the same New York apartment building crossing paths after a murder in their building — hence the title — then bonding over true-crime podcasts. Next, they did what everyone that's jumped on that bandwagon knows they would if they were ever in the same situation, starting their own audio series that's also called Only Murders in the Building. That's how season one kicked off — and continued, proving a warm, funny, smart and savvy series at every step along the way. In the show's second season, another death needed looking into. That time, it was someone the main trio were all known not to be that fond of, so suspicions kept pointing in their direction. Indeed, every season, another death has given aspiring artist Mabel, Broadway producer Oliver and actor Charles-Haden another case to dive into. In season three, that involved discovering who caused actor Ben Glenroy (Paul Rudd, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem) to shuffle off this mortal coil at the opening night of Oliver's latest show. Streep plays Loretta Durkin, another thespian, who scored her big theatre break in the same production in season three — and became a love interest for Oliver. Shannon (The Other Two) will play an LA businesswoman who gets drawn into season four's mystery, Variety reports. There's no sneak peek at season four as yet, but you can check out the full trailer for Only Murders in the Building season three below: Only Murders in the Building streams Down Under via Star on Disney+. Read our reviews of season one, season two and season three. Images: Hulu. Via The Hollywood Reporter / Variety.
We're a long way from New York City's Lower East Side, but it'll feel a whole lot closer (for at least one night) when celebrated speakeasy-style cocktail bar Death & Co hits Down Under. The NYC team will be visiting three much-loved venues across Australia for a series of cocktail-fuelled dinners. Out to offer locals a taste of their contemporary drinks mastery, Death & Co's David Kaplan and Alex Day are swinging past Surry Hills' The Winery for two nights. The dinner on Sunday, February 2 is already sold out, but there are still spots available for the one on Monday, February 3. Launched in 2006, the NYC bar is considered something of a pioneer in the world of modern cocktail bars, having scored a slew of big-time awards, played host to a roll-call of bartending legends and birthed its share of now-iconic cocktail creations. Each of the Aussie dinners will see the team showcase five crafty concoctions, matched with five courses from the host venue. The tour's a collaboration with US label Aviation Gin, which just so happens to be owned by your good mate Ryan Reynolds, so you can expect lots of gin. There will be sips like the Have At It welcome shot, blending Dry Sack Sherry, gin, lemon juice and grapefruit, and the Trust Fall: a fusion of Aviation gin, pisco and vermouth, finished with lychee liqueur, raspberry, absinthe and Peychaud's Bitters. At The Winery, the booze is carefully paired with dishes like 'drunk mussels' done with gin, absinthe and tomato, spanner crab toast with stracciatella and caviar, and a deep-fried carrot cake to finish. Tickets to each event clock in at $95 per person (or $145 if you also want a signed copy of Death & Co's own book, Cocktail Codex). All that should leave you feeling pretty inspired to try out some drinks wizardry in your own home bar.
A dessert menu staple in many a Chinese restaurant, deep-fried ice cream is the kind of sweet treat that delivers the best of two worlds. On the one hand, there's frosty, creamy ice cream. On the other, there's that crisp warm coating. With Sydney's restaurants forced to shut up shop due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it's likely that you haven't tucked into a serving of deep-fried ice cream recently. It's not really a dish that lends itself to takeaway, after all. But, thanks to Duo Duo's delivery range, you can now get DIY kits brought to your door so you can quickly (and easily) whip up the dessert gem at home. You can opt for cookies and cream, simple vanilla bean or a bright-green pandan and coconut flavour — or all three. Each kit costs $9, and comes with a serving of handmade ice cream coated in sponge cake and Japanese panko. From there, you simply deep fry it for 45 seconds at 200°C, then get eating. Deliveries are shipped on weekdays and, if you spend more than $40, there's no fee. Otherwise, you'll pay $10. Tubs of ice cream are also available for delivery. To top things off, there's also an ice cream-peddling Duo Duo food truck, serving up the deep fried desserts (of course), plus tubs of its inventive flavours, so you can stock your freezer with durian, Thai milk tea, Earl grey milk tea, Vietnamese ice coffee, and chocolate and peanut butter fudge ice cream. It's currently parked up in Strathfield and open Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. For further information about Duo Duo's ice cream deliveries — or to order a DIY deep-fried ice cream kit — visit its website.
This one man show might be about a bee sting, a childhood, a relationship with a woman - oh no, that's right, it's about nothing. But it does tell you that up front in the title, so you should be prepared for it. Not so much stream-of-consciousness as random puddles of it, Brooklyn playwriter Will Eno's script is erratic but deadpan, placing the audience in a state of awkward self-awareness and uncertainty for its whole 63 minutes. The rambling monologue is delivered with uneasy severity by Luke Mullins who displays a knack for comic timing that he hasn't been able to exploit in his other recent productions (The War of the Roses, The Duel). The attempts at clever self-reflexivity fall on the shallow side, but this is an intriguing hour of theatre from director Sam Strong, providing an uncomfortable window onto one man's bittered psyche. As Mr Pain says at one point "it might be beautiful, if you like that sort of thing." https://youtube.com/watch?v=l436LcnXnpU
You've probably heard of Salt Meats Cheese — the hospitality group has blown up in recent years, and now it has six venues across New South Wales and Queensland. The latest SMC to join the clan is a flagship store inside Circular Quay's Gateway dining precinct. This new iteration has taken over what was briefly Popina Kitchen, which was a collaboration between the group and North Bondi's Shuk. Taking ownership of the space, the Salt Meats Cheese group have changed things up a bit for the new flagship — it's a little different to its siblings. For one, with room for 110 guests, it's huge. And secondly, it will be the first SMC with a menu headed up by Massimo Mele. Inspired by Mele's childhood memories of Italy, the venue serves classic Italian fare with a couple of modern twists. Think deep-fried pizza with house dip, cavatelli with mushrooms and kale pesto, and a dish of tagliolini with raw tuna, rocket, garlic, chilli and capers. Each pizza at the new venue is made with a thinner Roman-style base than the Napoli-style bases SMC is known for. There are eight varieties to work through, from a classic margherita to a pork and fennel sausage pizza with charred broccolini and fontina cheese. To match the fare, Adriano Risi has curated a wine list of local and Italian varietals, with big influence from his home state of Tasmania. There's also a daily aperitivo hour from 5–6.30pm where you can grab $10 cocktails and $5 wine and beer, with complimentary bar snacks to top it all off. The Circular Quay outpost is open for business and a rooftop bar is set to join the offerings soon. The changes signpost a shift in direction for the group, which could be a good thing — we didn't think the Broadway store quite reflected the group's standards when we visited last year. Salt Meats Cheese Sydney is located on Level 2 of the Gateway building at Circular Quay and is open Monday through Friday for lunch and dinner and Saturday for dinner.
Prepare to feel stressed, movie lovers. Prepare to be plunged into an on-screen nightmare, too. That's Ari Aster's gambit, as the US filmmaker demonstrated with two of the eeriest, creepiest movies of the past five years: 2018's Hereditary and 2019's Midsommar. So, of course the trailer for his long-awaited new flick Beau Is Afraid is unsettling. In fact, it'd probably be even more distressing if it wasn't. Move over Toni Collette and Florence Pugh — this time, Joaquin Phoenix is getting the disquieting works thrown at him, in the actor's second film since picking up an Oscar for Joker. He plays the eponymous Beau, who just wants to go home to see his mother when the just-dropped trailer for the April-releasing movie starts. Then he gets run over by a woman and shackled with an ankle monitor by a doctor (aka Only Murders in the Building costars Amy Ryan and Nathan Lane). The latest US release by adored studio A24, which is currently even more abuzz after Everything Everywhere All At Once's Golden Globes wins, Beau Is Afraid doesn't saddle its namesake with hauntings and cults. Its trailer isn't as grimly dark as Hereditary, either, or a sunshine-filled daylight horror show like Midsommar. But it does paint a picture of Beau as a lonely, paranoid man — his phone's recent-call list is heavy on chats with his mum, therapist, landlady and pharmacy — dreaming about past family holidays, popping medication, and eating Hawaiian and Ireland-themed TV dinners before he ends up being held hostage. Once again, Aster writes and directs, with viewers able to see the end result in April — with the US getting an April 21 release date, and Down Under distributor Roadshow locking in an April 20 date. Also part of Beau Is Afraid's first trailer: an epic journey, multiple versions of Beau, whimsical dreamscapes and Beau not having any idea what's going on. And, also among the cast: Patti LuPone (American Horror Story), Denis Ménochet (The French Dispatch), Kylie Rogers (Yellowstone), Parker Posey (The Staircase), Stephen McKinley Henderson (Causeway), Hayley Squires (The Essex Serpent), Michael Gandolfini (The Many Saints of Newark), Zoe Lister-Jones (How It Ends) and Richard Kind (The Watcher). Check out the trailer for Beau Is Afraid below: Beau Is Afraid opens in cinemas Down Under on April 20.
The eye and the brain are incredibly powerful organs through which humans receive and process a large proportion of their sensory information. What we see every second of everyday helps shapes our understanding of almost every aspect of our lives. And our brains develop certain expectations about objects based on a long history of experience. However, sometimes optical illusions can challenge our pre-conceived ideas of structures and confound both our eyes and brains. Through clever deceptive techniques, artists and architects can create buildings that elude our basic understanding of how constructions are made and what they include. Here are nine bewildering optical illusions sure to confuse and amaze and challenge your conceptions of architecture. Warped Building This apartment building is your average apartment block...with a twist. A fairly large, warped twist. The unique structure is situated in the Czech Republic's capital city, Prague, and has picturesque views overlooking the River Vitara. El Grifo Magico Appearing to defy gravity and perform some magical feat, this 'floating tap' seems to be pouring an endless supply of water from its vantage point of mid-air suspension. Even though a magician should never reveal their secrets (and stop reading now if you would like the magic to remain), it has been revealed that a pipe hidden by the water actually holds the structure up. Upside Down House Spider-man? Gravity-defying shoes? Talented acrobats? No, it's another awe-inspiring architectural design that tricks and boggles the mind. This unorthodox house has everything upside down and back to front - literally. Trompe-l'eoil Ever after looking at this image several times, it is still impossible to fathom the appearance of this melting building, closer resembling a time warp than an apartment block. In actual fact, this image actually depicts a painting, but even then it succeeds in confounding the brain.The image uses the french art technique of tromp-l'eoil, which attempts to make 2D images appear like 3D optical illusions that really exist. One-walled House History has taught us to understand a house as a building comprising of at least four walls, a roof and a door. However, in Odessa, Ukraine, they have challenges this perception by creating a disconcerting house, which from the front appears orthodox, but when viewed from the side reveals only a single walled-building. Cafe Wall Illusion In 1979 a cafe was erected in Bristol, England, with a perplexing exterior that confused and bemused, and which continues to do so into the present day. A variant of the Münsterberg shifted chessboard illusion, this tessellating pattern uses light and alternating bricks of black and white to make the parallel and even lines appear to be sloped. All the line are actually horizontal and all the levels of the building perfectly equal in size. Bâtiment Another building which seems to flout all logical laws of gravity is the artist Leandro Ehrlich's mirrored art installation for the 'In Perceptions' exhibition in Paris. Whilst people appear to be casually hanging from 3-storey balconies or chilling whilst suspended horizontally to the wall, this trickery is actually a result of a mirrored painting of a building on the ground. 3D Lichtenstein House The top image gives the impression of a quaint and colourful little house that would be fitting within the setting of a fairytale story. The second picture, however, reveals its highly deceptive nature. Cleverly using only two walls placed at specific angles, when viewed at from a particular viewpoint, this house appears to be a complete 4-walled building. Sinking House Another sneaky illusion using angles, the top picture of this house depicts a building seemingly falling into the depths of the Earth. Yet when righted, the correct angle of the house demonstrates a perfectly average home located on the slope of a hill.
South Sydney neighbourhood Kogarah gets creative every year with the Uncontained Arts Festival. Taking over Belgrave Street from Friday, June 27–Sunday, June 29, the 2025 edition offers another jam-packed schedule teeming with immersive installations, interactive art, live music, delicious food and more. Primed for after-dark visits with the kids, over 25,000 people are expected to attend, seeking out the festival's inventive experiences. From silent discos and live mural-making to neon paint life-drawing workshops and even an LED tunnel, expect artistic expression, imagination and connection throughout this weekend-long event. Although the full lineup is still under wraps, artists Samuel Kim and Lawrence Liang will grab attention with their colourful ANINA installation. Inspired by Tibetan Buddhism, this towering zen cat responds to nearby sound, movement and rhythm. Meanwhile, Anastasia Parmson's I Drew a Line and Called it Home offers an intimate space adorned from top to bottom with 3D black-and-white drawings. A lively community arts event needs the bites and brews to match. Fortunately, the festival presents food trucks in abundance, with Drippin Desserts serving up their famed crispy doughnut fries, while Teta's Pitas offers fresh Mediterranean street-food flavours. With plenty of heating and seating available, Uncontained Arts Festival offers a stellar winter's night out for the entire family.
When was the last time you went out dancing? Not just jostling around the pub with your mates to the biggest hits of the 80s, 90s and now while wishing that your shoes weren't stuck to the floor – we mean hectic, throw you hands in the air, holy shit did that just happen it's 3am type dancing. If you can happily say that you go out dancing all the time, then that's good. That's very good. If you can't say that, get yourself to the Kings Cross Hotel on September 24th. Tickets for Delorean Disco are $10 ($15 on the door) and it's a party well worth attending. The Delorean Disco promises to take you on a dance floor journey like no other. Dipping in through the decades you'll kick off your exploration of the musical eras and visit genres like the rhythm, soul and rock & roll of the 60s before cascading into all things shiny and good that happened in the 2000s. Think about how much hassle you'll save by combining four genres into one club (there's four levels). You don't have to round up your mates and find new spots – you can just stay here all night. Each floor will play a different array of classic music. Dive: 60s psych-out and with rock, soul and R&B. Ground: House party anthems from the 70s, 80s and 90s. Balcony: Yacht rock, mum rock, dad rock and CEO Rock with Sweetie, Body Type DJs and Adam Lewis. Club: Hip hop and classic club stompers from the 90s and 2000s, courtesy of Andy Garvey and FlexMami. Get yourself to Kings Cross Hotel – it's going to be a banger of a dance party.
What do Sydney Film Festival, Taiwan Film Festival in Australia and Africa Film Fest Australia all have in common, apart from worshipping cinema and sharing that love with the Harbour City's movie fans? In 2025, each has films flickering in Sydney's most-famous venue. Australia's dedicated showcase of contemporary African cinema is the newest event of the three, only debuting in 2024. For its return this year, it's opening at the Sydney Opera House on Thursday, September 4, then also playing at the iconic Circular Quay site on Friday, September 5 before hopping to Riverside Theatres in Parramatta until Sunday, September 7. Nigerian comedy-drama I Do Not Come to You by Chance is kicking off the second Africa Film Fest Australia, with the feature based on Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani's novel, telling of a university graduate and his uncle's email scams, and making its Aussie premiere at the festival. Also showing at Sydney Opera House: Fanon, which is similarly being seen Down Under for the first time, with Martinican-born philosopher and psychiatrist Frantz Fanon in the spotlight. Another impressive title on the bill is closing night's The Fisherman, also an Australian premiere, and the Ghanaian comedy that became the first film from the county to score official selection at the Venice International Film Festival. Before it wraps up the fest, audiences can catch the likes of biopic Samia, about Somali Olympic runner Samia Yusuf Omar; Berlin award-winner The Heart is a Muscle; documentary Nteregu, focusing on music in Guinea-Bissau; and fellow doco Sudan, Remember Us, with Sudanese youth activists at its centre. An initiative by Arts & Cultural Exchange, AFFA spans two short film programs, too — one animated and featuring a Q&A with Nigerian filmmaker Somto Ajuluchukwu — alongside a pre-screening opening-night Afrobeats shindig with DJ GNGR on the decks. Or, you can hit up a Screen Industry Forum. For African Australians aged between 16–25, there's also a two-day workshop about comics and visual storytelling.
There's nothing particularly noteworthy about British actors playing Americans, since by now they've pretty much all done it. But it is a little weird when (a) every single one of a film's American characters are played by Brits, and (b) none of them actually need to be American for the story to make sense. In fact, in Bastille Day, the fact that all but one of the Americans also work for the CIA only adds to the mystery, given the film is set entirely in Paris, has nothing to do with America and any other spy agency would have made as much sense, if not more. Still, Americans they all play and – to be fair – they do a fine job playing them. Richard Madden (Game of Thrones) plays Michael Mason, a gifted American pickpocket who steals and then discards a bag from an anarchist bomber's naive girlfriend Zoe (the delightful Charlotte Le Bon), unaware that it contains a powerful explosive. When the bomb goes off killing several French citizens, Mason is presumed to be a terrorist, and – for no particular reason – the CIA decides they want to nab him before the French do. Sent in to retrieve him is the gruff, burly and comically maverick agent Sean Briar (Idris Elba), whose 'to hell with protocol' attitude is so inexplicably extreme it borders on parody. When Briar realises Mason is innocent, the pair teams up to track down the real bombers before they can carry out their final objective: setting Paris ablaze with race riots to provide cover for a daring robbery. Filmed on what appears to be a shoestring budget, director James Watkins (also British) manages to keep the pace snappy and the action altogether interesting, enough to gloss over most of the threadbare plot. The film's rooftop chase sequence would feel comfortably at home in any Bourne movie, while a close-quarters fist-fight inside a minivan provides Bastille Day's most inventive and engaging scene. Everything has a real Luc Besson feel about it, but not always in the good way. Secondary characters are just caricatures, the violence is hyper-stylised and rarely believable, and what little dialogue there is tends towards corny cliches. Bastille Day also contains perhaps the greatest line of instantly-dated dioalogue ever recorded, with one of the villains saying (without a single shred of irony) "the hashtags will tip them over. Release the final hashtag." Much has been made recently of Elba's potential selection as the next Bond, and this film certainly does nothing to harm his action man credentials. Elba is a giant, unstoppable juggernaut whose impressive physicality imposes itself in every scene. When asked early on why he ran from Briar, Mason's reply of "because you were chasing me. Have you seen yourself!?" is as amusing as it is fair. Still, it seems a waste to squander all this acting talent on a film that asks so little of its players and gives so little in return. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5R0bI8EJCQ
An upcoming exhibition will show us if necessity really is the mother of invention, when it comes to art. Japanese artist Tomokazu Matsuyama will board a Sydney-bound plane in Tokyo, with a fully charged but unplugged Toshiba Portégé Z20T in his hand. His mission? To create an entire exhibition using only the notebook before its battery runs out. That’s 17 hours, exactly. You’ll be able to judge the success of Matsuyama’s experiment for yourself on June 24 and 25, when the fruits of his labour go on show at the Quayside Room of the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia. The free exhibition, titled Made in 17 Hours, will open at 7pm each evening. Even though there’s no charge, it is ticketed, so you'll need to book a spot via Eventbrite. Limited food and drinks will be served. Tomokazu Matsuyama was born in Tokyo in 1976 but now lives in New York City. He has exhibited all over the world, from San Francisco’s Gallery Wendi Norris to Luxembourg’s Zidoun-Bossuyt Gallery to Australia’s Lesley Kehoe Galleries.
Stationery and craft lovers, we have found your mecca. If the beautifully dressed front window (bunting guaranteed) doesn't grab you, the walls of hilarious, handmade cards, tags and rolls of washi tape most certainly will. The second room (!) displays rows of blank cards, boxes of rubber stamps and a collection of notebooks that would make Hemmingway spit his martini. With all the pretty paper and all the pretty stationery, Paper 2 also makes for the perfect place to get lost in if you're waiting for a table at its busy neighbour, Four Ate Five. But it's definitely worth a trip all on its own.
When Vivid rolls around, there aren't many square metres of the city that aren't covered in illuminated installations. But you'll have to find time in your winter schedule to sneak in a visit to the big neon playground that's popped up in Circular Quay for the festival. If Vivid lets you indulge your inner child, The Samsung Electric Playground lets you unleash it. The glowing all-ages play pen — which has popped up in First Fleet Park next to the MCA — features a range of light, sound and physical interactions for you to ogle, climb on and interact with. Inside, you'll find an interactive 'field' of 320 light poles, a reactive LED dance floor, a neon hula-hooping station and a custom-built 'sky walk' that will let you take selfies with the sweeping Vivid views. And that's not to mention the 6.5-metre-tall LED-illuminated slide that you can launch yourself down if you so desire. If it sounds like this is shamelessly made for Instagram, it is. Samsung will have a heap of its Galaxy S10s roaming around and staff will apparently be on-hand to snap pics of you interacting with the installations. Nonetheless, it sounds like it could be a fun stop on your Vivid itinerary. The brand will also set up a second studio-style installation inside the MCA, which will include Instagram workshops alongside with two custom-built interactive installations: one that creates an installation out of your heartbeat, and another creates a "kaleidoscopic experience" from the details in your eyes. Both installations will be open throughout Vivid and 100 percent free to attend. Electric Playground is open from 6–11pm daily.
A taste of the Italian cobblestone dining experience has come to the not-so European backstreets of Neutral Bay, in the form of the Italian Street Kitchen. The casual eatery is confident and social, complete with a sleek fit-out and interactive food stations, where you can pile your plates high with antipasto, pasta, pizza or hearty roasted meat dishes. The concept is Italian street food at Italian street prices. And though we wish they were dishing up hot cheesy slices for two euro a piece, a serving of pasta is $12, while a pizza will you set you back $12-16. So while it's not quite street value, it's still pretty goddamn affordable. Italian Street Kitchen is owned by Sydney restaurateur Mauro Marcucci, who is eager to bring the social pizza and chill vibes of Italy to Australia. "We are recreating Italian casual dining," he says. "Whilst street food is popular everywhere now, Italian street food is not something you tend to find in Sydney or Melbourne. The idea is to showcase simple, authentic food that is recognisable for our guests." The drinks menu boasts an extensive list of Italian cocktails, craft beers and local and imported wines. We recommend starting with an Aperol Spritz or a Negroni ($14), and then moving onto the wine on tap, which will set you back $8 a glass or $38 for a one-litre carafe. Sip while you peruse the lengthy food menu which contains just about every possible combination of cheese, tomatoes and carbs. We recommend starting with the salami and cheese board ($8 per person), which arrives stacked with melt in your mouth slivers of meat like mortadella, bresaola and salami casalingo. For the cheese fiends, there's a world of options ranging from fried cheese — molten balls of deep fried mozzarella stuffed with champagne ham and basil ($3.50) — to baked cheese ($10), which is served with chargrilled bread. The roast pumpkin arancini ($2.50) should also not be missed, as they come complete with a molten cheesy centre. There's an alarming amount of deep fried items on the menu — but rest assured, everything is battered in crunchy panko crumbs, which is on the healthier side of the batter spectrum. Right? As for the pizza and pasta dishes, there was a notable lack of key ingredients. The pork cheek rigatoni amatriciana ($15) was lacking the necessary salty chunks of pork cheek, and was little more than pasta lightly coated in a spicy Napoli sauce with a whiff of bacon. While the margherita ($14) is one of the more affordable pizzas, it was in desperate need of an extra smattering of stretchy mozzarella cheese. The desserts were definitely the highlight though, and all come in at $9. A generous chunk of tiramisu tasted satisfyingly alcoholic and was big enough to share, while the mini calzoncini — oven baked pizza dough filled with liquid Nutella and served with a scoop of vanilla gelato — allows Nutella addicts to get their fix. Our favourite was the cremafritta, which was a final triumphant return to the frier in the form of deep fried custard creme dusted with icing sugar. They looked like little dessert hash browns served with a scoop of chocolate gelato. Italian Street Kitchen is the perfect mid-week eatery for those looking for authentic Italian food north of the bridge. But, as is usually the case with this cuisine, you might want to check your diet at the door.
If you're an iced coffee aficionado, you'll know it's very important to have one within arm's reach at all times — which can be tough on summer sojourns to beaches, parks and picnics. Well, New Zealand roastery (and firm Concrete Playground fave) Coffee Supreme has really come to the party with its latest release: a range of grab-and-go canned coffees (and one fancy-schmancy tea). The cans hit Australian cafes on Thursday, May 11 and come in three varietals: an iced long black, an iced oat latte and an iced Cascara fizz. The first two are fairly self-explanatory but if the fizz has spiked your interest, we've got the details. This coffee cherry-flavoured tea is made from the dried skins of coffee cherries and has a sweet, fruity taste with notes of rosehip, hibiscus and cherry. It's, of course, fizzy and a little lower on caffeine if you've already hit your coffee limit that day. The new cans are only available online and at your local Supreme-using cafe, so stock up on a few to pop in the fridge for caffeine emergencies this summer. We see them being crucial when en route to a morning gym class, packed into the chiller for a picnic, or perhaps necking back as you get ready for a big night out. If you want to get your hands on a free sample of the new range, Coffee Supreme's Abbotsford and Brookvale cafes, and Make My Day Brisbane are giving out 200 free cans from 9am on Friday, May 19. Plus, Coffee Supreme fridges are popping up across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, offering more cans free of charge. From Monday, May 15–Sunday, May 21 you'll find the fridge at FluidForm Studio in Sydney, Up There Athletics in Melbourne and Double Double in Brisbane. The following week, across Monday, May 22–Sunday, May 28, you can grab a free iced coffee at Sydney's Deus ex Machina, Melbourne's MAAP or Brisbane's Range Brewing. And, rounding out the tour will be DRNKS in Sydney, Blackhearts & Sparrows in Melbourne and Your Local Film Lab in Brisbane from Monday, May 29–Sunday, June 4. Coffee Supreme's new range of canned iced coffee is available online and in cafes around Australia. Follow along with the freebies the brand is giving out at the Supreme Australia Instagram account.
A taste of the Northern Beaches' wholesome living comes to the inner east in the form of organic cafe COOH. A bigger sister to the original venue in Curl Curl, the larger space in Alexandria affords expansions in both the menu and trading hours. The venue is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with tasty, colourful ingredients a mainstay throughout. Vegans are well-catered for here with the tree nut vegan cheese board a popular lunch choice. In fact, most dietary requirements are carefully considered here — all menu items call out potentially problematic inclusions including egg, gluten and nuts. Even the coriander-averse diners are covered. Mediterranean flavours make appearances throughout each sitting, but none more so than dinner; moussaka croquettes, saganaki and prawns with a tomato ouzo sauce are some of the starters designed to share. Beverage-wise, expect quality coffee (roasted at the Curl Curl venue) and a selection of organic teas and smoothies for the breakfast service. Later in the day, the bar serves up Four Pines and Young Henrys and a strong selection of organic and boutique wines.
There have been seemingly endless conversation surrounding the topic of pill testing of late, as we face some pretty grim figures — five young people have died from suspected drug overdoses at NSW festivals in as many months. But despite these devastating and ever-growing stats, the government has remained firmly opposed pill testing as a harm minimisation measure at raves and festivals. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian continues to vocally squash the idea, and it wasn't even considered by the expert panel assembled to produce the Keeping People Safe At Music Festivals report a few months back. Now, Sydneysiders have the chance to throw their support behind pill testing and push for the government to also get on board, at a protest rally at Sydney's Town Hall this Saturday, January 19. During the rally, there'll be a series of speeches from harm minimisation experts and campaigners at Town Hall from 4pm, before the march moves on through to Hyde Park. With an expected turnout of over 7000, the rally is being backed by a coalition of advocate groups, including Keep Sydney Open, anti-sniffer dog campaign Sniff Off, Reclaim The Streets, Students for Sensible Drug Policy and Unharm, which campaigns for safe and positive drug use. Pill testing advocates across the country maintain that it can save lives, citing extensive research carried out internationally, as well as the results of Australia's only pill testing trial, which was carried out at Canberra's Groovin The Moo last year. At any rate, many argue the rising death toll makes it pretty clear that the government's current zero-tolerance approach to drugs isn't working. "We're throwing this protest because we're sick of reading the same headlines about young people dying around us," said Reclaim The Streets spokesperson Kieran Adair. "Festival overdoses are easily so preventable, the Government needs to stop burying its head in the sand and listen to the experts." Image: Keep Sydney Open rally, Kimberley Low.
