Think of all the best things in life: the beach, beats and booze. They're all essential to a pre-game beach party (and, coincidentally, all start with B for some reason). So last weekend we teamed up with Sonos and got a pretty little beach house in Byron, loaded up on Stone & Wood beers, set up Banoffee on the balcony and got her to sing out towards the bay. It was Concrete Playground's own Beach Break. Duo-to-watch Kllo were there too, and we got to listen to their sweet electronic tunes with the Saturday arvo sun sky-high over Byron Bay. While Banoffee played 'Let's Go to the Beach' — and we basked in the glory of the fact that we were indeed already at the beach — we sipped on wines from Jacob's Creek and Stoneleigh Wild Valley and G&Tea cocktails made with Four Pillars gin, Earl Grey tea and Fever Tree soda. Also being shaken and stirred was Baron Samedi spiced rum punch and an Aperol and watermelon concoction that made it feel like summer all over again. Here's some snaps we took of the festivities. We're keeping these on-hand for gloomy days stuck in the office. Video: Andy Fraser.
Reign is ringing in World Chardonnay Day with a spectacular Chardy Party on Friday, May 24. The evening event will see 15 esteemed wine producers set up a tasting trail at the venue, along with an oyster station, lavish grazing tables, engaging masterclasses and live music. It doesn't stop there — all Trippas White Group venues will offer Chardonnay flights and a tempting 49 percent discount on select bottles throughout the week leading up to World Chardonnay Day on Thursday, May 23. Led by Trippas White Group sommeliers Louella Mathews and Luigi Celiento, the Chardy Party will feature renowned producers like Handpicked Wines and House of Arras. Guests will be able to engage with winery representatives, sample an array of wines and feast on freshly shucked Sydney Rock Oysters courtesy of East 33 at the oyster and Chablis station. Tickets for this exclusive soirée start at $89. VIP tickets are priced at $109, which comes with a masterclass with House of Arras, a tasting of Handpicked's acclaimed 2022 Wombat Creek Yarra Valley Chardonnay and a Plumm sensory experience.
Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols should never be far from anyone's ears — but there's listening to the iconic 1977 punk album, the only studio record from Sex Pistols, and then there's hearing it played live in full. Down Under in 2025, Australian music lovers will be treated to that very experience, with the group locking in a tour. Band members Paul Cook, Steve Jones and Glen Matlock are heading this way in April, as part of a project dubbed Sex Pistols Featuring Frank Carter. As the band's moniker makes plain, this is a case of punk figures joining punk figures, as first happened back in August 2024 for fundraiser gigs in London. Clearly the setup worked. This will be Sex Pistols' first trip this way in almost 30 years, since 1996 — this time pairing drummer Cook, guitarist Jones and bassist Matlock with Gallows, Pure Love and Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes alum Carter on vocals. The group have announced seven stops, including at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion on Tuesday, April 8. John Lydon, aka Johnny Rotten, the band's well-known former lead vocalist, was last part of their lineup in 2008 — which is when Sex Pistols last toured before 2024. Hearing Never Mind the Bollocks live and in full almost five decades since its original release means hearing 'Anarchy in the UK', 'God Save the Queen', 'Pretty Vacant', 'Bodies', 'Holidays in the Sun' and more. If this feels like an incredibly rare chance to experience a slice of music greatness, that's because it is — and if you need any more motivation, Sex Pistols Featuring Frank Carter's UK gigs earned rave reviews. Top image: Henry Ruggeri.
A great trailer does two things: makes you want to run to the cinemas to see the film in question, and makes you hit replay on the preview itself the moment it's finished. Or, thanks to the rise of TV trailers, it inspires your next date with your couch. You'll want to get as comfy as possible to binge-watch the next season of your favourite show, after all. Indeed, in the US, plenty of folks have been lounging around on their sofas today — and watching trailers. When the Super Bowl rolls around each year, the US gets immersed in one of the country's favourite sports, American football fans around the world join in the fun, and so do movie buffs. With so many eyes glued to the screen during the game, it's a prime slot to premiere the latest film previews during the commercial breaks. The biggest match of the year meets the biggest flicks of the year, naturally. This year's batch certainly kept to the theme, particularly where new instalments of long-running series are involved. Want to catch your first glimpse of Solo: A Star Wars Story? The next Jurassic Park movie, aka Jurassic World: Forbidden Kingdom? Mission: Impossible — Fallout, the sixth title in the Tom Cruise-starring franchise? The latest Cloverfield effort, which will then start streaming on Netflix once the game is over? Keen on some superhero action with Avengers: Infinity War? They're all here. Also on the agenda: The Rock versus a tall building in Skyscraper (because why not?), and a sneak peek at the second season of Westworld (which now has a US release date — April 22). There's also the John Krasinski-directed apocalyptic thriller A Quiet Place, which he also features in opposite Emily Blunt, plus the new Krasinski-starring Jack Ryan TV series. Plus, another look at Jennifer Lawrence getting her spy game on in Red Sparrow and the Castle Rock clip we were all watching just a few days ago aired as well. Check out the full slate below, and add them to your viewing list. SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Szts88zY4o In Australian cinemas May 24. JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NooW_RbfdWI In Australian cinemas June 7. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE — FALLOUT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb49-oV0F78 In Australian cinemas August 2. SKYSCRAPER https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THWBs0_khNs In Australian cinemas July 12. THE CLOVERFIELD PARADOX https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8brYvhEg5Aw On Netflix today. AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVxOVlm_lE8 In Australian cinemas April 25. WESTWORLD https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUmfriZoMw0 Australian airdate TBC A QUIET PLACE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8Q6ma2sfJQ In Australian cinemas May 10. JACK RYAN https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V69XYIRjKww On Amazon August 31. RED SPARROW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9VqmPX8m2k In Australian cinemas March 1. CASTLE ROCK https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwmhiqUPa28 Australian airdate TBC.
Whether your school holidays were filled with chilling tales by campfires or reading Goosebumps by torchlight, you'll appreciate the historic spooks this after-dark tour inspires. Cockatoo Island's history of paranormal encounters stretches back more than a century, with reports of apparition sightings and sensory experiences — like unexplained bursts of air and smoky aromas — colouring its past as a convict prison and dockyard. This spine-tingling exploration will take you through rarely visited buildings and corridors, where true tales of murder and botched prison escapes will be shared while you wield spirit-detection devices to seek out lingering souls. Only brave ghost hunters over 18 are invited to this two-hour journey into the unknown that sets out on select Friday and Saturday nights from 9pm ($47 per person). Images: Robert Mulally, Sydney Harbour Federation Trust
It's a flickering, cool and intimate feeling. Although you know the music is live with you there in the room, you can't take your eyes of the silent movie actors who seem to own any sound that accompanies them. It's surprising how many events are coming up which combine silent films with live sound. Curiousworks' March Twist is doing it, and Edwin Montgomery is scoring something similar the week after. But probably the strangest of all of them is Living Sound in Silent Light — a night of film at the Red Rattler mixing old films and new, where the evening's only rule is that any sound needs to be done live on the night. Headliners Nichol, Russel and Lenz are re-scoring the classic Cabinet of Doctor Caligari, but other acts are taking a stranger approach to stranger films. The skeleton-powered Surgical Sideshow will collaborate with some projected pictures, and Transient Atmospheric Phenomena plan to play to Dog Days — a short shot around Sydney on a custom-rigged infrared camera, and instrumented with a short-wave radio, 44-gallon drum and cello. LC Beats intends to beat-box to an animated short of his own, and Ibis Nixon will start the evening with an Alfred Hitchcock silent short.
Community radio is a lovely thing. Run by passionate volunteers who hold a genuine love of local music and the arts, and embraced by supportive listeners who appreciate the alternative to commercial radio, community radio is the backbone of our local communities and the culture we seek to find. One of Sydney's leading community radio stations, FBi Radio, has just turned ten. To celebrate, they have curated and organised the biggest event in the station's history. Join FBi as they celebrate double digits in style. They’ve lined up 35 acts across four stages for the day-long festivities on Sunday, September 8, at Carriageworks. The line-up includes ARIA Award-winning dance music legends The Presets, FBi SMAC Award winners Hermitude and Seekae, alongside an array of the best Australian live acts and DJs. The second line-up announcement has seen the addition of Sarah Blasko, Kirin J Callinan, Bleeding Knees Club, Deep Sea Arcade, Oliver Tank, Big Village Allstars, Katalyst, Fishing and Naughty Rappers Collective. They join previously confirmed acts Urthboy, Decoder Ring, Spit Syndicate, The Laurels, Thundamentals, The Preatures, Sampology (AV Show), World’s End Press, Straight Arrows, Collarbones, Naysayer & Gilsun (AV Show), Zeahorse, Movement, Citizen Kay, HOOPS, Ro Sham Bo, Joyride, Simon Caldwell, Kato, Shantan Wantan Ichiban, Mike Who, Mealo & Space Junk, FBi DJs, secret guests and more to be announced. FBi first hit the airwaves on August 29, 2003, and since then have stayed true to their word, playing 50 percent Australian music, half of those from Sydney. FBi Turns 10! is an 18+ event and tickets are $49 or $39 for FBi supporters. Doubling up as a fundraiser, proceeds will go towards the station for 10 more years of unique content, music and arts.
Emerging out of China as one of the nation's up and coming artists, Sun Xun is headed to the Museum of Contemporary Art for his first ever Australian solo exhibition. Best known for his intricate animations made from thousands of ink paintings, charcoal drawings and woodcuts, for this special exhibition, he'll be creating a enormous 40-metre-long bark paper painting from a series of woodcuts. His handmade films, often littered with sporadic dialogue, combine text, sound and images to explore concepts about truth and memory, as well as history, culture and politics. Sun Xun will takes over the MCA's level one North and South Galleries, and he'll also be sticking around at the gallery for a one-week residency. Throughout the opening week of the exhibition, the public will get a chance to see Sun Xun in action as he creates an original ten-metre-long painting, which will be in response to his time spent in Sydney. Also, don't miss this emerging artist in conversation with MCA Curator Anna Davis, where he'll discuss the influences and ideas behind his compelling works. Images: Sun Xun, Who First Saw the Stars? 2018; Sun Xun, 21 Grams 2010; Sun Xun, Maniac Universe 2018; Sun Xun Newspaper Paintings 2015–18. Photographer: Jacquie Manning. All images courtesy of the artist and Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney.
Fugitive Structures is a pretty big departure from the usual exhibitions at Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation. Instead of displaying works by blue chippers (Ai Wei Wei, Yang Fudong etc.), they’re taking a stab at starchitecture. An awesome new initiative between SCAF and BVN Donovan Hill — one of Australia’s largest architectural practices — Fugitive Structures is an annual, invitation-only competition for emerging to mid-career architects. The winner is given the opportunity to create a small, temporary structure in an urban setting. The project takes its cue from the Architectural Pavilion at London's Serpentine Gallery. "Over the years I have been inspired by the creative energy and simplicity of execution behind the annual Serpentine Gallery Pavilion project," says Dr Gene Sherman, SCAF's executive director. "I wanted to reference, but not imitate the concept, preferring to concentrate on young architects in our region, and giving them the opportunity to freely explore architectural ideas and space without focusing on a utilitarian outcome." Andrew Burns, a Sydney-based architect, is the competition's inaugural winner. He’s already made a big, minimalist splash with Australia House, a gallery, studio and atelier commissioned by the Australian Embassy in snowy Niigata Prefecture, Japan. Burns' structures sit somewhere between architectural form and art object, making him an ideal choice for the Fugitive Structures project. Crescent House is a precise, understated construction sitting in the SCAF Zen Garden — the super chilled area between the Foundation's exhibition space and their theatre and library annexe. Light streams through small holes in the front wall of the building. They are placed irregularly and the beautiful patterns cast on the floor reminded me of the glowing stars I stuck up around my room as a kid. It's a magical effect. The pavilion itself is quite dark, but it's open enough that it lets in a considerable amount of light. The end result is a gloriously meditative, tranquil space. It's hard to leave. En route to Crescent House, you'll cruise past an Olafur Eliasson installation in SCAF's main gallery space. Eliasson's The cubic structural evolution project (2004) is a huge mess of white Lego. You’re encouraged to get your paws on the blocks — which is good as they're ridiculously inviting — and help turn the rubble into a cityscape. Although not related to Burns' Crescent House, it’s a terrific counterpoint to the Fugitive Structures project with their shared emphases on construction and the blending of art and architecture. For the Crescent House, I'd recommend a visit during the week, as much of the effect gets lost when you're climbing over people to get in. SCAF is open Wednesday to Saturday, 11- 5. Image: Brett Boardman Photography.
Darlinghurst is set to gain a serious new player in its cafe scene with the opening of AP Bakery this March. Located along Burton Street (just behind Oxford), the new bakery is run by Shwarmama collaborators (and Sydney hospo greats) Russell Beard (Reuben Hills, Paramount Coffee Project, Paramount House Hotel) and Mat Lindsay (Ester, Poly). The A and P stand for 'all purpose', but the gents are working with anything but ordinary flour. Head baker Dougal Muffet also farms the heirloom seeds and grains that will be used in the cafe's New American stone mill — which will be milling away daily to create bread with a premium flavour and nutrition combo. Other seeds will be supplied by the Australian Gene Bank, which focuses on old-world wheats and lesser-known corn varieties from local farmers who follow regenerative practices. Expect the baked offering to change regularly, but some staples will include sourdough baguettes, fermented potato buns and mixed grain loaves. You can also count on extra-large pizza bianca and a pastry cabinet filled with classic (and oh-so-flaky) croissants, buckwheat pain au chocolate, rosella wheat canelé and Vegemite and asagio cheese scrolls. [caption id="attachment_786703" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Paramount Coffee Project[/caption] As with Reuben Hills and Paramount Coffee Project, the cuppas will be very, very good. Beans will be single origin, with seasonal espresso blends also on the docket. And it'll all be roasted at the nearby Reuben Hills Roastery, of course. Apart from the caffeinated drinks, punters can also enjoy a glass of natural wine from the all-Australian list. A succinct brekkie and lunch menu will round out the offering. With a fit-out by Architect Anthony Gill — who looked after the team's other venues of Poly, Ester and Shwarmama — the design plays to the cafe's setting in a heritage-listed sandstone cottage. Think exposed beams, a glasshouse-like entrance and all original fireplaces. The dining room will sit alongside the bakery, with the mill and deck oven on full display, so you can watch (and smell) the bread making in action. AP Bakery is slated to open this March at 32 Burton Street, Darlinghurst. Top image: Shwarmama by Kitti Gould
Festivals have evolved. Nowadays, they're almost unrecognisable from the pits of despair we experienced in our teens — and there's a festival to suit almost everyone. If your bag is being terrified until you poop your pants, Horror Movie Campout is the festival for you. Last year they debuted in Sydney and Melbourne, and this year it's not only coming back, but spreading further. Brisbanites had their chance back in September, and Adelaide residents can embrace all things scary in late October. Basically, it's the Meredith of monstrosity, the Splendour of spookiness…kind of exactly like Stereosonic ain its current zombied state. So what goes on at a horror festival? Well, it's full of horrifying spectres and hair-raising scenes of horror (aka, your blood will literally curdle). We've had some clues from last year: yep, survivors camped out overnight in the woods (first mistake right there, seriously). They reported roaming zombies, all the classic pop-culture murderers you can shake your pathetic choice of weapon at and of course, menacing clowns. Not only do the organisers hire actors to scare the bejesus out of you, but everyone comes to event dressed in costume. So get down to your local stuff shop before they sell out of 1920s nightgowns, fake blood and Kabuki masks. You can expect a horrifying 'death chamber' maze, as well as a main stage with live music (will it be horrifying? They haven't specified but probably). Then, the main event is a series of curated horror shorts followed by two headliners, decided by you, the victims. The Melbourne campout is happening on December 3 and 4 (giving you just enough time to recover from Halloween) at the very remote and haunted Point Cook Homestead. Hint: old Point Cook has seen its fair share of murders. Melbourne Horror Movie Campout is happening on December 3 and 4; book your tomb online. Adelaide is on October 29 and 30 — and pencil it in, Sydney, because your event is happening next year on March 11 and 12. Grab your one-way ticket to poop town through the website a little closer to the date.
Sydney loves a good collaboration. Whether it's the combination of two nostalgic chocolates, a new Enmore Road bar from a heap of hospo favourites or one-off culinary combos, it's always a delight to see two of our faves come together to make something new. Ricos Tacos and its owner Toby Wilson seems to agree, with the beloved Chippendale joint announcing a new series of collabs with three of this city's most exciting venues. Taking place every two weeks across three Tuesdays in autumn, Ricos Mates will roll out one-off menus, with a new Sydney favourite in the kitchen for each iteration. Things will kick off with a takeover from Porcine on March 28, so expect plenty of perfectly cooked pork to be injected into the Ricos menu. From there, Central Station's brand new pizzeria Pizza Oltra will be on the tools, bringing its New York-style flair over to Meagher Street on April 4. Finally, Marrickville warehouse restaurant Baba's Place will be arriving with its cult-following celebration of southwest Sydney cuisine on April 18. Ricos recently updated its opening hours, adding a dinner menu featuring crab tostadas and lemon myrtle margaritas to its already popular offerings. These collaborations take full advantage of the extended closing time. Each collab night kicks off at 5.30pm. You might be tempted to try and reserve your spot so you can make sure you get your hands on a Porcine or Baba's Place taco, but Ricos doesn't take bookings, so you'll just have to get down early. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ricos Tacos (@ricostacotruck) Top image: Nikki To
We don't mean to alarm you but it's already mid-November, which means it's time to start thinking about your festive plans — including where you want to be toasting the arrival of 2023 on the biggest night of the year. If you're sick of battling crowded bars and booked-out eateries on New Year's Eve, we completely get it — and we've got you covered. This year, nab a NYE ticket to North Sydney hotel View Sydney where you can ring in the new year with top-notch views of the city and a prime position for the fireworks. And after a tough couple of years sans celebrations, View Sydney is making up for it by throwing not one, but two (!) New Year's Eve bashes so you can choose your own adventure: celebrate over a civilised multi-course dining experience, or party until your feet fall off. For revellers looking for a relaxed but elegant atmosphere, View Dine is a bougie banquet taking over the hotel's restaurant, serving a degustation menu to be enjoyed alongside sweeping harbour views. Costing $350 per person, you'll get five courses of fresh Australian produce — and local wines to match, of course. Start 2023 the way you mean to carry on — over good food, drink and conversation. For those revellers looking to dance the night away, View Soiree is the hotel's open air event ready to bring all the celebratory vibes. DJs will be playing all night and free-flowing wine, beer and signature cocktails will be on offer. Live cooking stations will be firing up all evening to provide a selection of international cuisine – think Brazilian BBQ, Mexican food, sashimi and fresh seafood. And the best part? All of your food and drink is included in the $400 ticket price so all you need to do is turn up ready to party. Both events will offer front-row seats to Sydney's spectacular fireworks displays at 9pm and 12am, so gather your group and book your spots now — and rest easy through December knowing NYE is all taken care of.
Monika Behrens and Rochelle Hayley have brought out their best watercolour brushes for Bedknobs and Broomsticks series, and produced a set of finely detailed scientific illustrations of various flora, fauna and, um, sex toys. The plants and animals are elements of rituals and medicines used by wise women and in witchcraft; the dildos are there in reference to a possibly apocryphal claim that certain preparations were applied internally, using, um, aids to that. By depicting the artificial phallus on the same ground as the supplies a female healer would have had recourse to, Behrens and Hayley also make a neat point about the way womens' knowledge has been treated in this area: that it's either not taken seriously (it is kind of hard not to giggle at the meticulous rendering of some of these luridly-coloured devices) or perceived as a threat (they're witches! Witches!). Women healers threaten masculine ascendancy either by appropriating or providing a counter-tradition for treatment of the body and womens' sexuality does a pretty similar thing. The threat of the feminine is also central to Tim Schultz's Schultztown pictures. These are big, confronting nudes, grotesques whose bodies are pallidly degenerate and alien-seeming or robust to the point of animality. His two modes can be roughly described as Tim Burton doing Classical French portraits or Caravaggio painting villains from Disney films, both representing a strategy of containment of the erotic feminine and perversion of it to specific expressive ends. The titles and prices painted onto the gallery walls are suggesting what one of these might be and flipping the already foetid unwholesomeness of the chaotic salon hang into a camp critique. Image: Tim Schultz, The Piper, 2006
This article is sponsored by our partners, the Sydney Festival. Penny-pinched and pauperised after Christmas? Planning on pawning your little sister’s pet pooch for a ticket to Dido and Aeneas? Fear not. Front-row seats to an underwater opera might be out of reach, but we can show you how to get the best out of Sydney Festival — even if you’re heading into 2014 as down-and-out as the Environment Portfolio. Of the 104 events on this year's program, 21 are free. First off, what better way to reduce your stress level to that of your bank balance but via mega outdoor concerts? Summer Sounds in the Domain on Saturday, January 11, will see the return of Hot Dub Time Machine, a 45-minute-long, carbon-neutral dance-video-lights-party covering 60 years of music history, mashed up by Sydney DJ Tom Loud and powered by the crowd. Following that, Chaka Khan will be demonstrating why, 35 years later, she’s still every woman. Just up the road, the Sydney Festival Village (aka Hyde Park) will host the Rekorderlig Gazebo Friday to Sunday evenings and the Village Bandstand Thursday to Sunday nights. Think left-of-field live performers, like the Crusty Suitcase Band and the Gramophone Man, in addition to specialist DJs, including Matt Vaughan, Gonzo ‘The Mad’ Peruvian and Marcus King. Records will be spinning until 2am on weekend nights. Between dance floor sessions, you can rest your body while feeding your mind with free art. If inflatables float your boat, there’s the Australian premiere of Sacrilege — a bouncy, blow-up version of Stonehenge created by UK artist Jeremy Deller. (Yes, you can actually jump on it.) And if the Rubber Duck was one of your 2013 festival faves, find out how it’s fared after 12 months of absence by heading to Parramatta. While you’re there, pop into the Town Hall to see another Kaldor Public Art special — Project 28. It's a trio of works from Slovakian artist Roman Ondak, one of which is Swap — a highlight of 13 Rooms, held at Pier 2/3 in April last year. Humour, poetry and audience participation are promised. Meanwhile, Carriagewoks will play temporary home to French artist Christian Boltanski’s first major installation in Australia. Titled Chance, it’s a vast, complex work inviting viewers to ‘explore the idea that all human life is the result of chance’. For another monumental experience, which the Huffington Post has described as ‘a feat of impossible architecture’, weave your way through Darling Harbour to see Merchant’s Store, a ‘perspective-skewing’ interactive installation by Argentinian artist Leandro Erlich. Finally, if there is a ticketed event on the program that you’d trade your granny to see, you can try your luck at Tix for Next to Nix. Located in the Festival Village, it’s a last-minute ticket booth that will open daily between midday and 2.30pm, selling $25 tickets for all shows scheduled for the following 24 hours. To maximise your chances of nabbing a seat, we suggest you roll up as early as possible. Want more Sydney Festival events? Check out our top ten picks of the festival.
Beloved Woolloomooloo cafe John Montagu is celebrating ten whole years on Cathedral Street with a series of discounts and parties. Between Monday, November 13–Monday, November 27, the friendly neighbourhood coffee spot is serving up a heap of deals to welcome in anyone who's visited over the past decade. You can catch the full schedule over at the cafe's Instagram, but two dates you want to mark in your diary are Thursday, November 23 and Sunday, November 26. On November 23, you can score your daily coffee for just $2. With the cost of living as high as ever, a gold coin for your morning caffeine hit is a mighty fine deal — especially as John Montagu uses Gabriel Coffee and serves up killer cappuccinos, long blacks and batch brews. If you're an oat or almond milk drinker, you'll just have to add 50 cents for the alternate milk. Come the following Sunday, the cafe is hosting an afternoon party. There will be food from the team's Wolli Creek diner Yan Restaurant — and the party is BYO, so feel free to bring a bottle of your favourite wine. On Saturday, November 25, John Montagu is giving away a $100 voucher and a tenth birthday merch pack to one lucky customer. And, to round out the festivities on Monday, November 27, everyone can come in and pair their morning cup of joe with a slice of birthday cake.
Sydney ambient electro darlings Seekae have just dropped news of their third album and a national tour in August. Luckily they haven't done so silently. They've also gifted us with a new single, 'Test & Recognise'. Picking up the tempo and embracing the power of the synth, it could signal a new direction for the group — from classic chillout sessions to the dancefloor. With past releases, The Sounds of Trees Falling on People and +DOME, Seekae have made a name for themselves in the past few years, playing local festivals like Harvest and Golden Plains. Known for hypnotic electro-pop such as 'Void', 'Crooks' and 'Blood Bank', their name is synonymous with late night drives through the city or relaxed midnight hangs with friends. In the bigger picture, their debut was named one of the albums of the decade by FBi Radio, and their follow-up earned them four nominations at the Australian Independent Music Awards. Since then they've been touring internationally and even took to the stage at this year's SxSW. Seekae's third album, The Worry, is openly described as their most ambitious work to date. Bringing vocals to the fore and losing some of that distinctive ambient haze, it definitely marks a departure from their past sound that may not win over all fans. However, the shift will make for an entertaining live gig. Caught somewhere between blissful oblivion and classic electro these new tracks are sure to get people awkwardly shuffling around the dance floor nationwide. Seekae National Tour Dates: Saturday, August 9 - Darwin Festival, Darwin* Tuesday, August 12 - The Zoo, Brisbane Friday, August 15 - The Gov, Adelaide Saturday, August 16 - The Villa, Perth Friday, August 22 - 170 Russell St, Melbourne Saturday, August 23 - Metro Theatre, Sydney Tickets are on sale this Friday, June 30. *Tickets for Darwin Festival go on sale June 26.
Luigi Esposito, the pizzaiolo who helped ignite Sydney's love of woodfired pizza through his wildly popular Surry Hills institutions Via Napoli and Pizza Fritta 180, has added yet another venue to his mozzarella-topped empire. With his first two restaurants on Crown Street, Esposito told the story of Neapolitan pizza — both the traditional iteration and its flash-fried street-food cousin. Now, with his latest venture, he's shifting the narrative away from Naples to focus on the cuisine of Rome. Located on the corner of Crown and Foveaux streets (in the former digs of Pizza Fritta 180, which has moved in next door to Via Napoli, just up the road), 170 Grammi is so named for the exact amount of dough — just 170 grams per 13-inch pizza — required to create the thin and crispy base that distinguishes Roman slices from their Neapolitan counterparts. Rather than the pliant, doughy chew and bubbly, charred crust that Sydneysiders are familiar with, 170 Grammi's pizzas are all about the crunch, and the counterpoint of textures between the molten toppings and the crisp base beneath. "We've made them using the traditional 'la tonda scrocchiarella Romana' or round style that was popular in the 1950s," Esposito said, although with a few of the 13 variations on the menu, he's also breaking with tradition. Transcribing the flavours of Rome's most-beloved pasta dishes, toppings include the simple crowd-pleaser of cacio e pepe — and the silken yet salty combo of egg, guanciale pork and pecorino romano of the a'carbonara. The restaurant's signature dish is the porchetta di ariccia, featuring slow-roasted porchetta alla Romana and smoked scamorza mingled with roasted rosemary-kissed potatoes, and showcases a family recipe passed on to Luigi from his father-in-law Tonino Toscano. "I'm so pleased to be able to recognise my wife and her family in one of our pizzerias," Esposito said. The menu also features the best Roman-style antipasti, including suppli (the Italian capital's riff on arancini) and trippa alla Romana — tripe in a piquant tomato sauce — as well as an affordable wine offering with no bottles priced over $65. And it's not just 170 Grammi's pizzas — each cooked at 300 degrees for just three minutes in the kitchen's custom-built woodfired oven — that will have Sydneysiders queuing around the block, just as they did when Pizza Fritta 180 first opened in 2020 at the same address. A classic Roman-style dessert, the maritozzi, which features a soft brioche-style bun filled to bursting with sweetened whipped cream, is sure to become the new obsession of sweet-toothed Sydneysiders everywhere. Find 170 Grammi at 428 Crown Street, Surry Hills, open 5–10pm Wednesday–Sunday — head to the venue's website for more details. Images: Trent van der Jagt.
Next month, the bustling Night Noodle Markets will return to Hyde Park for eight nights of tasty things on sticks, bowls of noodles, bao and extravagant frozen desserts. Taking over the inner city park from October 11–18, the fifteenth iteration of the fairy light-lit markets will see over 30 of Australia's favourite food stalls set up shop — serving humans and dogs alike. Wait up — dogs? Yep, this year, the NNM have launched the aptly named Night Poodle Markets. On Saturday, October 12, the NNM will be filled with floofs galore, a roaming dog photographer and dog treats from The Doggie Bakery. Tickets to the one-off event are just $5 — which include a doggy portrait and treat — with 100 percent of profits going to the NSW RSPCA. You can sign-up for this very exciting event from Tuesday, October 1. In terms of food for humans, the NNM has just unveiled its full menu. And Gelato Messina is preparing to wow Sydneysiders once more with a brand new menu. While last year's frozen treats were inspired by the Philippines, this year, they're an ode to Thai sweets. Choose from the Bangkok Banana, a Thai milk tea cheesecake sandwich with sponge and meringue; the Phuket Bucket, banana fritters served with caramelised banana gelato and peanut crumble; the Coco Phangan, mango sorbet with coconut sticky rice; or the Eye of the Thai-ger, a multi-layered dessert of condensed milk pudding, condensed milk crumble, shaved ice, lychee gelato and jellies. Or don't choose and eat them all — you can spread them out over eight nights, after all. [caption id="attachment_742360" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Eye of the Thai-ger[/caption] Elsewhere on the NNM menu, you'll find Bangkok street food snacks, foot-long potato fries, bao, spicy biang biang noodles and paella. Sydney's all-vegan Flyover Fritterie & Chai Bar will also be making an appearance, as will Crows Nest's purveyors of fried chicken Johnny Bird and Redfern's much-loved maker of baked goods Donut Papi. As all great things must come to an end (of sorts), this'll be the last year the NNM will be held at Hyde Park. Details are scarce for now, but we're being told they'll relocate to "a larger space" in 2020. We'll let you know when more details on that drop. In the meantime, start scheduling your visits the market — and cross your fingers that this year will be a little less rainy. The Night Noodle Markets run from October 11–18 at Hyde Park as part of Good Food Month.
"Do you remember the first time you saw a dinosaur?" asks Bryce Dallas Howard in the latest instalment of the Jurassic Park franchise. We do. It was 25 years ago, as John Williams' iconic score built to its majestic climax and the cast of Steven Spielberg's iconic blockbuster rose from the seats of their jeep, tore off their glasses and stared wide-eyed at a beautiful, towering Brachiosaurus. It's been a quarter of a century since the first Jurassic Park captured the imagination of moviegoers the world over and ushered in the brave new world of CGI-enhanced filmmaking. The whole thing was classic Spielberg: a rollicking, family-friendly adventure that pushed the boundaries of innovation whilst remaining grounded in entirely relatable human stories. Its extraordinary success made sequels inevitable, but unfortunately none except perhaps 1997's The Lost World have come even close to recapturing the magic and wonder of the original. In Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom we have a film significantly better than its immediate predecessor, yet one that still falls well short of the bar set back in 1993. Much of the problem with this instalment lies with the franchise's so-called villains. In Jurassic Park the combination was perfect: flawed human antagonists in Dennis Nedry and John Hammond, existential menace in the form of technological hubris, and, of course, those dinosaurs. Between the thuggery of the T-Rex, the cunning of the raptors and the toxic spit of the Dilophosaurus, every step through the failing park held unbearable peril for its characters, instilling a dread that overflowed into the audience. Since then, however, the Jurassic movies have relied largely on a generic recurring villain: InGen, the unscrupulous genetics corporation behind all that Dino-DNA splicing. Even worse, the raptors and T-Rex have become, thanks to their broad popularity, inadvertent heroes, leaving the Dino-threat to come from species that never even existed. Here again in Fallen Kingdom it's that same formula at play: InGen is secretly cooking up some new dinosaurs to sell as weapons (still as ridiculous a concept as it was in Jurassic World), and the big scary dinosaur is a genetically-engineered ultra raptor. Around them are cookie-cutter human bad-guys in the form of mercenaries, big game hunters and money-hungry suits, as well as franchise regular Dr. Henry Wu (B.D. Wong), the original Jurassic Park geneticist who continues to learn precisely zero from all his past mistakes. There is still a lot of fun to be had here, and even a few unexpected feels as director J.A Bayona (A Monster Calls) reminds us that monsters of choice are always worse than monsters of instinct. The film's central conceit, too, is a compelling one: a volcano on the island upon which the dinosaurs currently reside is poised to erupt, meaning they will again become extinct without human intervention. To rescue or not to rescue becomes the burning question for Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), Claire Dearing (Dallas Howard) and returning fan favourite Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum). InGen, predictably, wants the animals saved for far less noble reasons than preservation. The scenes set on the island are the strongest in the movie, and include perhaps the most affecting moment in the entire franchise in the form of a heart-wrenching callback to that iconic Brachiosaurus shot from all those years ago. Thereafter, Fallen Kingdom transforms into a semi Gothic horror film as the action shifts to an isolated mansion in which the characters are stalked by Wu's latest creation. Toby Jones and James Cromwell give spirited performances during this phase, but the weaknesses of the script refuse to be covered up. The bad get eaten whilst the good survive, and it honestly never feels like our heroes are in any genuine peril. As part two of a planned trilogy, the end-point of Fallen Kingdom certainly offers some interesting possibilities for the final instalment. That said, absent a more nuanced and, dare we say, sympathetic villain, this franchise, like Dr. Wu, seems destined to repeat the mistakes of its past. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vn9mMeWcgoM
The Badlambs story started 17,000 kilometres away. After years cutting hair in a bunch of contexts — from Edinburgh's Famous Spiegeltent to Adelaide Arts Festival's late-night club — hairdresser Tony Mellis decided to set up his own salon in 2001 in Bloomsbury, an upmarket area in London. More than a decade later, he was ready to move to Australia — Bondi, to be exact. So he brought his business with him. Hairdressing, for men, women and children, is just one aspect of what goes on at Badlambs. While you're there, rummage through Mellis' incredible collection of antiques, bric-a-brac and local artworks. Just some of the objects to have passed through his hands include a framed, signed version of Listen Like Thieves on vinyl signed by INXS themselves, an original enamel London street sign, and a meat cleaver autographed by Mark "Chopper" Read. Oh, and don't be surprised if musicians drop by to jam on the in-salon piano — live music of both the organised and impromptu varieties is part of the Badlambs experience.
Sydney's pop-up events organiser and vintage queen Dear Pluto has operated out of the Mini-Mart Petersham collective space for 11 years now, but its fashion reign is coming to an end. The brand is hosting its last-ever vintage sale and closing its local storage space. This bitter moment, however, comes with a sweet parting gift — the brand is hosting one last blowout sale in true 'everything must go' style. It's happening this week from Thursday, June 13 till Sunday, June 16, with prices starting at just five bucks. Expect heaps of 1950s through 1990s fashion up for grabs, for both men and women. Every last garment will be on sale, including Christian Dior dressing gowns, Adidas track suits and even one very special 1960s pink fur coat. These endless racks of quality threads will be on serious discount, too, starting with a $5 sale bin. If you already have enough in your wardrobe but can't miss out on a good quality shop, the collective's other tenants will be open for a browse as well — think indoor plants, 'lewd' cards by Millie Hall and other artisan homewares aplenty. There will be no restocking, so serious shoppers will want to get in early. The sale will run Thursday and Friday from 11am–6pm, Saturday from 9am–4pm and Sunday from 10am–3pm.
From an art blog highlighting female talent, to a Surry Hills gallery show, to art-loving premises of their very own. Tough Titties has come a long way in a short time. Nestled in one of the City of Sydney's new Darlinghurst creative spaces, their freshly-christened Oxford Street Design Store takes broad inspiration from McSweeney's 826 Valencia project. That San Francisco project mixes youth writing programs with stunning-to-visit fronts of house. While Sydney already has a more traditional approach taking place at Redfern's Martian Embassy, Tough Titties have taken it upon themselves to put together a variation that grown-ups can play in too. The Oxford Street Design Store comes in two halves. In front its a shop, curating contributions from local designers, artists, writers and other creative venturers as long as said item has a price which at $20 or under. Out back, it plays host to cheap space for creation and salon-like events by artists and designers. Open already, the store is holding its launch party Tuesday night, giving you the chance to nose around the creative space, guzzle arts-supporting cake wine, and promise yourself you're really not going to buy too many of their wonderful things. No, really. Especially not that one. The Oxford Street Design Store is open Wednesday to Sunday from midday. Submissions are still open to sell, volunteer or use the workspace at the store. Details via oxfordstdesignstore.com.au
What do you get when you cross gin with Illawarra Steelers great Michael Bolt? Juniper. The moniker is of course a nod to the berry that makes the spirit what it is. Tucked away on Keira Street, Juniper is not Bolt's first foray into hospitality — he's got a small swag of venues under his old footy shorts. Australian labels are celebrated here, including local heroes South Coast Distillery. Purists can choose from a generous selection of gins, with staff more than happy to talk through the merits of a particular label. Gin also plays a starring role in the signature cocktails, like the Manly Margarita, made with Manly Spirits gin, chilli salt and jalapeño. There are bar snacks available. Or, if you've worked up an appetite, the bar is happy for you to order in from a selection of local restaurants. Images: Jasmine Low
Whether you're after a tipple to balance out the onslaught of silly season boozing, or you're simply keen for a boost of gut health, kombucha is set to be a staple sip this summer. And you can learn how to master the art of crafting this fermented tea-based drink yourself, at a hands-on workshop, coming up at the Royal Botanic Garden. Hosted in The Calyx building on Saturday, January 19 the class is helmed by fermentation expert and founder of the Cultured Artisans Gillian Kozicki. She'll dive deep into the world of fermenting, showing students how to make and maintain their own tasty kombucha at home, even using produce and ingredients harvested from the surrounding gardens. As well as being guided through the ins and outs of kombucha crafting, you'll get to taste a variety of different blends for future inspiration and score your own SCOBI (the culture needed for brewing a batch of the drink) — all setting you well on your way to having an endless supply of homemade 'buch this summer. While you're at the RBG, check out the killer Plants with Bite exhibition, made up of more than 25,000 carnivorous plants.
Victorian distilleries have made quite the splash at the 2021 Australian Distilled Spirits Awards, claiming half of the trophies handed out at this year's award ceremony, held overnight at the Melbourne Showgrounds' Victoria Pavilion. An impressive nine trophies were awarded to local makers at the prestigious ceremony on December 1, while McLaren Vale's Never Never Distilling Co took out the top gong, awarded Champion Australian Distiller. It's been a rough couple of years, but testament to the industry's fighting 'spirit', this year's awards saw a hefty 765 entries from 191 distilleries, with 90 gold medals handed out and hundreds more silver and bronze. Among the Victorians to claim victory was Eltham's Naught Distilling, whose Australian Dry Gin scored both the Champion New World/Contemporary Gin and Champion Victorian Gin trophies. The Mornington Peninsula's Jimmy Rum was named Champion Victorian Distillery, while its Jimmy Rum Silver nabbed the brand-new award for Champion Cane Spirit. North Melbourne's Cap & Bells earned gongs for its Marionette bitter orange curacao and dry cassis, and an exciting cask collaboration from Chief's Son and Mornington Peninsula Brewery was awarded Champion Australian Small Batch Spirit. Never Never — whose name you might recognise from the recent oyster shell gin collaboration with Lucas Group restaurant Society — also took out the trophies for Champion Navy Gin (the Juniper Freak) and Champion London Dry Gin (Triple Juniper Export Strength Gin). [caption id="attachment_761553" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Archie Rose's Rye Malt Whisky[/caption] Unsurprisingly, the New South Wales spirits scene also represented, with big wins for Archie Rose's Rye Malt Whisky, Regal Rogue's Lively White vermouth, and Mobius Distilling Co's Apple Pie Liqueur and 38 Special Vodka. Meanwhile, fresh trophies for Bundaberg and South Australia's Ginny Pig Distillery now offer a few extra incentives for that boozy interstate trip you've been plotting. Running since 2015, the Australian Distilled Spirits Awards is the country's largest national spirits competition. They're hosted by not-for-profit organisation Melbourne Royal, and judged by some of Australia's top distillers, booze retailers and spirits writers. For the full list of 2021 Australian Distilled Spirits Awards winners, check out the website. Top Image: Jimmy Rum, by Chris McConville
We've all been living through the sweats and the naps, the lying in front of the fan and the UberEats-ing ice cream. Summer isn't kind sometimes, and even the most motivated among us find it easy to come up with excuses to not exercise during the hottest months (e.g., it's a million degrees outside and you'll die = valid). What we've decided is that finding fairly active pursuits to spend your time on counts just as much; as long as your blood is pumping and you're schvitzing a bit, you've ticked the box and can sit down to a nice cold beer(s). Have a go at some of these this summer — your morning jogs are a thing of the past. ROWBOATING Rowboating is A+ for a number of reasons, including, but not limited to, upper arm strength, teamwork, enjoying the water and re-enacting scenes from The Notebook or Bridget Jones Diary. It's also very accessible, with boats available to hire all over Melbourne and Sydney, and a nice alternative to land-based activities this summer. Take a picnic in with you and when your arms tire, hang up your oars and drift around eating cheese and sinking a few cold ones. Up north in Brisbane, the waters are more friendly for kayaking, which is also a perfect shenanigan for two — and everyone looks great in a yellow life jacket. Where? Lane Cove Boatshed in North Ryde, Sydney; Fairfield Park Boathouse in Melbourne; and Kayak Hire Brisbane, in Scarborough. DANCE CLASS The broadness of this one means you'll be able to tickle your fancy no matter what floats your dancing boat. Dancing is one of the most effective forms of fitness out there, mostly because you're often having so much fun you don't even realise that you're exercising your coordination, strength and flexibility, as well as hiking up your energy levels and mood. Take a salsa class with your significant other, a contemporary class to flail around to Sia like you've always wanted or get yourself into a street dance situation if it's Step Up feels you're after. There are studios around Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane which offer all these choices and more. They say "dance like nobody's watching" and even if there are people watching, it's chill — you're doing a noble thing by being active in the first place. Where? Sydney Dance Company in Walsh Bay, Sydney; The Space in Prahran, Melbourne; and Mad Dance House in Brisbane. CIRCUS FIT Circus Fit has been marketed as the new gym class for people who hate gym classes, and as such it's something a little bit different: it's a combo of both strength and flexibility training, with a healthy dose of aerial work thrown in there, too. Just head along and jump on your trapeze (low-hanging, luckily) and after a warm-up, you'll work through a variety of exercises that target core strength and stability — and, you'll have a whole bunch of fun doing it too. Try it at Fitness Playground in Sydney, but in Melbourne and Brisbane, you can head along to a short course in aerials at NICA or Flipside Circus, respectively. If you've ever had that urge in you to run away and join the circus, well, you probably can't because of life responsibilities and the fact that it's hard to touch your toes and all that, but you can feel like it isn't such a distant possibility for 60 minutes during class. Where? Fitness Playground in Marrickville, Newtown and Surry Hills, Sydney; NICA in Prahran, Melbourne; and Flipside Circus in Alderley, Brisbane. ROCK CLIMBING Rock climbing may not seem like the ideal hot weather sport at first — but you can easily avoid the elements by just heading to an (air-conditioned) indoor climbing centre where you can climb to your heart's content and not get overheated or intense sunburn. It's a win/win. Go on a date because rock climbing is the perfect duo activity: one person climbs while the other belays (holds the rope beneath them) so it's all romantic because your date's life is in your hands — nothing says 'second date' more than not letting someone fall off a really high rock wall, right? If you're flying solo or don't quite trust your entire life with that special someone, bouldering is an excellent alternative — no ropes necessary and no extreme heights either. Notoriously good for upper-body and arm strength, a climb up one of the numerous rock climbing centres around the country is definitely a valid option for those wanting to remain active this summer but who turn their noses up at high energy circuit training. Where? 9 Degrees in Alexandria, Sydney; Cliffhanger Climbing Gym in Altona North, Melbourne; and Urban Climb in West End, Milton and Newstead in Brisbane. ULTIMATE FRISBEE The thing about throwing a Frisbee around is that it's actually very difficult to catch (and often, throw smoothly). A game of Ultimate Frisbee could easily lull you into a false sense of security before you realise your calves are burning and you're sweating up a storm; miles have been run trotting around after that thing as it catches the wrong wind and ends up in someone else's picnic. Before you even notice, you've had a medium to hectic workout and it's time for a bit of a sit-down and a cold brew. Game-wise, the rules of Ultimate Frisbee are simply that you have to pass the Frisbee to a teammate at the opposite end zone of play and that — similarly to netball — you can't step while holding the disc. Pick a nice quiet beach and you can cool off in the water once you're done too (plus running on sand makes for an extra workout). Where? Collins Flat Beach in Manly, Sydney; Elwood Beach in Elwood, Melbourne; and Flinders Beach on North Stradbroke Island. Forgo the trip to the gym and get your exercise in a new way, then reward your workout success with a ice cold Hahn, because you deserve it.
What happens when two cousins played by Kieran Culkin (Succession) and Jesse Eisenberg (Fleishman Is in Trouble) honour their grandmother and explore their family's past by heading to Poland? Eisenberg himself asked that question, then turned the answer into the Sundance-premiering and now Jewish International Film Festival-bound A Real Pain. The actor not only co-stars but writes and directs the dramedy, his second feature behind the lens — and Australian audiences can see the results when JIFF returns for 2024. This year's festival is back to finish out the year, screening in seven cities, including across Monday, October 28–Thursday, December 5 at Ritz Cinemas and Thursday, November 7–Wednesday, November 20 at the Roseville Cinemas in Sydney. Just like its fellow major cultural film fests, such as its French, Spanish, Italian, Scandinavian and Japanese counterparts, JIFF's 2024 slate is jam-packed. Movie lovers can choose between 41 features, two TV shows and a showcase of short films, with the festival's titles hailing from 17 countries. Eisenberg and Culkin aren't the only big names on the lineup. Closing night's Berlin-set The Performance, which is adapted from an Arthur Miller short story and tells of a Jewish American tap dancer, stars Jeremy Piven (Sweetwater). The fest's centrepiece pick Between the Temples features Jason Schwartzman (Megalopolis) as a cantor and Carol Kane (Dinner with Parents) as his former elementary school music teacher. And in White Bird, which hails from a book by the author of fellow page-to-screen effort Wonder, Helen Mirren (Barbie) and Gillian Anderson (Scoop) pop up. In Sydney, The Brutalist is on the JIFF bill as well. It shows Down Under after winning Venice's Silver Lion-winner for Best Director for actor-turned-filmmaker Brady Corbet (The Childhood of a Leader, Vox Lux). Starring on-screen: Adrien Brody (Asteroid City), Felicity Jones (Dead Shot) and Guy Pearce (Inside), in a flick that follows architect László Toth and his wife Erzsébet to America from Europe after the Second World War. Well-known folks are also in the spotlight in documentaries Janis Ian: Breaking Silence, Diane Warren: Relentless and How to Come Alive with Norman Mailer — and acclaimed director Michael Winterbottom (24 Hour Party People, The Trip movies) is on the lineup via British Mandatory Palestine-set historical thriller Shoshana. Then, there's TV series Kafka, arriving a century after the death of its namesake. Highlights across the rest of the program include documentary The Commandant's Shadow, about The Zone of Interest-featured Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss' son Hans Jürgen Höss meeting with survivor Anita Lasker-Wallfisch; Tatami, following a female Iranian judo athlete played by Arienne Mandi (The L Word: Generation Q), with Guy Nattiv (Golda) and Zar Amir Ebrahimi (last seen on-screen in Shayda, and also co-starring here) co-directing; television's Auckland-set Kid Sister; and Aussie doco Pita with Vegemite: An Israeli Australian Story.
"Your nose like a delicious slope of cream / And your ears like cream flaps / And your teeth like hard shiny pegs of cream." Le Diner en Blanc — like Howard Moon's poem — will have you in all white. But sorry, Booshers: this Sydney event is just for the sophisticated. Now popping up all around the world, the Diner en Blanc began in Paris more than three decades ago thanks to François Pasquier and friends. For the second time in 2022, Sydney's creme de la creme will once again dress in all-white — this time on Saturday, November 12 — and flock along, with the event held at a predictably stunning location that remains secret until the very last moment. Following an evening of elegance, fine dining and live music, the 2000-plus foodies then pack up their crystal, dinnerware, tables, chairs and litter. Like ghosts (white 'n' all), they leave behind no sign of their rendezvous. That said, don't get any ideas — a white sheet thrown over your figure will not do for an outfit. Le Diner en Blanc guests must either be invited by a member from the previous event, or get on the waiting list for a ticket — with the latter open for registrations now. And, if you're wondering what the event entails — other than eating, drinking and wearing white and white only — you'll need to bring a table and two white chairs with you, as well as your own picnic basket, glassware, white tablecloth and white dinnerware. You can order a catered picnic, though, if you don't want to bring your own. Booze-wise, you'll either need to opt for wine or champagne via the event's e-store, or be happy bringing your own non-alcoholic beverages. Wondering where Le Diner en Blanc might pop up this time? In past Sydney outings, it has brought its all-white setup to Bondi Beach, Centennial Parklands and the Sydney Opera House forecourt.
If you're looking for a new swimming adventure by don't feel like searching for far-flung swimming holes, swing by the Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre on Saturday, February 2. For one fun and floaty day, you'll be able to try every pool and a bunch of fitness classes without paying a cent. The 50-metre lap pool is not the only pool here — there's also a spa, a smaller leisure pool and another one for water-based fitness sessions and therapies. There's also a sauna and steam room, as well as a gym included in the $40 million centre's facilities. Plus, exercise classes — from aqua aerobics, yoga and pilates to boxing and cycling — take place daily. During open day, expect DJs, roaming musicians, giant inflatables, snacks and other shenanigans. If you're unfamiliar with the centre, take a tour. Maybe you'll want to make it your local place for laps.
Albert Hammond Jr., guitarist for The Strokes, is on the road again. But, this time, he's headlining in Australia as a solo act for the first time ever. On top of appearing at Mountain Sounds Festival on Saturday, February 20, he'll be passing through Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne for his first ever headline tour. Hammond Jr.'s third solo album, Momentary Masters was released in July 2015 to critical acclaim. Five years had passed since his previous work, ¿Cómo Te Llama? and seven since his debut, Yours to Keep. Snap up tickets to his only Sydney show at the Oxford Arts Factory this Friday, February 19.
It's not every day you come across a robot movie that stars swashbuckler Hugh Jackman and weirdos Die Antwoord, but that's exactly what's happening right now. The South African hip hop group step onto the silver screen for the new movie from their fellow countryman Neill Blomkamp, the filmmaker behind two of the most interesting and well-received sci-fi films of recent times, District 9 and Elysium. Jackman? He's the bad guy for once. Chappie begins when a robot created for law enforcement (to help bring down Johannesburg's notoriously high crime rate) is programmed with a brand new piece of AI software that allows it to develop feelings and opinions. To start with, he's as innocent and curious as a child, though even more quick to learn. Under the care of Yolandi and Ninja (the Die Antwoord duo play gangsters but keep their names) but exposed to the conflicts of the world, the lessons he gets are sometimes good, sometimes bad. Whatever happens, you know you're in for an original two hours of cinema. As Tom Huddleston writes in the Time Out London review, "This hugely entertaining oddity could never be mistaken for the work of any other filmmaker." Chappie (© 2015 Columbia TriStar Marketing Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved) is in cinemas on March 12, and thanks to Sony Pictures Releasing Australia, we have 20 double in-season passes to give away in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter and then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au
It's safe to say, restaurants like Meu Jardim don't come around every day. After all, this dramatic new Skittle Lane venture from restaurateur Ussi Moniz Da Silva not only boasts a heady $4.1 million dollar fitout, but also a huge firepit and a three-metre-high indoor waterfall. A futuristic nod to the natural elements of fire and water, the two-level, 330-seat space delivers a striking vision of glossy white angles and turquoise neon finishes. White pearl walls supposedly pull inspiration from the Dordogne Valley in France, while an impressive curved block staircase connects the two floors. [caption id="attachment_764760" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kitti Gould[/caption] Upstairs is dedicated to a high-end contemporary French restaurant, its entrance marked by that flowing sheet of water and an oyster shucking station, and its open kitchen set artfully behind glass. Here, Executive Chef Jason McCauley (Banc Restaurant, Carpaccio Leichhardt, Eatalia) is plating up modern reworkings of classic fine French flavours. It's a lineup that's both considered and totally decadent, kicking off with bites like escargot in garlic, butter and champagne, Western Australian lobster tail and a wagyu tartare starring quail yolk and Tasmanian summer truffle. Mains might include a duck a l'orange featuring turnip, green olive and an orange gelee, or the blue eye trevalla and mussels done with plenty of white wine and cream. There's even a 1.2-kilogram grass-fed tomahawk steak, which you can pimp out even further with the addition of some gold leaf for an extra $60. If decisions aren't your strong point, a five-course degustation is also on offer for $100 a head, which will take you from scallops with caviar through to fillet and an apple tarte tartin served with smoked honey yoghurt ice cream. [caption id="attachment_764757" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kitti Gould[/caption] A more casual (and affordable) affair awaits you downstairs, where snacks, shared plates and bistro fare take centre stage. Expect to tuck into creations like the chicken liver parfait served with a port gel and sesame lavash, salt cod beignets and the restaurant's signature 'crodogs' — a croissant-hot dog hybrid — filled with the likes of pulled pork, lamb and mint or strawberries and cream. You can also pull up a seat by that 40-person firepit to settle in with a cosy tipple. There's a wine selection heroing drops from across Australia and France — go for a glass of the 2018 Domaine Paul Blanck pinot blanc from Alsace, perhaps — and a cocktail lineup starring forgotten classics alongside signature creations. Stay on theme with something lush, like the Vuju De — a fusion of Monkey 47, sherry, Dom Benedictine, Lillet Blanc, creme de violet and orange bitters. Opening just weeks before COVID-19 forced the closure of all Sydney restaurants, Meu Jardim isn't quite running like it first intended. Instead of 330, the restaurant can currently fit 50. You'll also need to record your details when you dine, and follow its social distancing and hygiene procedures — but, if you've gone out since restaurants were allowed to reopen in mid-May, this will be nothing new. Find Meu Jardim down Skittle Lane, Sydney. It's currently open 12pm–12am Monday–Thursday and from 4pm–12pm Friday–Saturday. Bookings are recommended. Images: Kitti Gould
As the surfers at Bondi begin to turn blue, festival directors Rachel Chant and Phil Spencer are getting ready to light the fuse on the seventh year of Bondi Feast. Like all good fringe festivals, the equation it presents is a stark one — 40-plus theatre, comedy, cabaret and circus shows, and only ten nights to catch them. Having surveyed the territory, we've pulled together our top picks of the bunch. There's plenty of gold to be found in this year's stellar lineup, but here are six that you shouldn't miss.
Opened in early 2025, Miji Bar & Grill made an immediate splash amongst Japanese food fans, as its dazzling izakaya-inspired design, playful cuisine and self-pour sake station made for a lively dining experience. Now the place has got a new winter special, launching a Hotpot Set Menu for $75 per person. Available from May–July, the menu gets diners in the mood with fresh edamame topped with sea salt. Then, the pace ramps up quickly, with two serves of steamed abalone adorned with awabi kimo sauce, kombu jelly and pickled radish. Next, it's time for the tantalising main event: sukiyaki beef hot pot brimming with a hearty combination of wagyu beef, wombok and fresh mushrooms in a rich sukiyaki broth. Then, this soothing hotpot feast rounds out a choice of two desserts — a hojicha choux or Mont Blanc. Michelin-trained Executive Head Chef Jacob Lee earned his culinary stripes working in a host of highly rated restaurants around the globe, from New York's A Voce Columbus to Seoul's acclaimed Mingles and Tartine Bakery. Now, Lee's latest adventure in Sydney is ready to make your winter.
After being cancelled just days out from its usual Easter slot, then postponed to October, Bluesfest has announced its new 2021 lineup. The festival's first event in more than two years will once again take over Byron Events Farm (formerly Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm) just outside Byron Bay. And, on- and off-stage, it won't be lacking in company. Leading the bill between Friday, October 1–Monday, October 4: Midnight Oil, Paul Kelly, Tash Sultana and Jimmy Barnes. They'll each headline a different night of the now four-day fest, and will be joined by a lengthy list of familiar homegrown names. Ocean Alley and Ziggy Alberts will also be taking to the stage, as will everyone from Xavier Rudd, Kate Ceberano and The Church to Barnes' Cold Chisel bandmate Ian Moss, Briggs and Kate Miller-Heidke. A number of the newly announced acts were initially due to play at the festival in April, until a COVID-19 outbreak saw NSW Health sign a public health order to cancel the event. This is the second year that Bluesfest has been forced to adapt its plans, after its 2020 fest was completely scrapped due to the pandemic. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bluesfest Byron Bay (@bluesfestbyronbay) Season tickets to the rescheduled 2021 festival will go on sale at 9am on Thursday, May 20, with one- and three-day passes set to follow at a yet-to-be-announced date. Folks with tickets for the April festival will be contacted by Moshtix with all the necessary information about the new dates, rolling your existing tickets over and getting a refund if you can no longer attend. BLUESFEST OCTOBER 2021 LINEUP: Midnight Oil Paul Kelly Tash Sultana Jimmy Barnes Ocean Alley Ziggy Alberts John Butler Xavier Rudd The Cat Empire Pete Murray Mark Seymour & The Undertow Kate Ceberano Kasey Chambers The Waifs The Church Jon Stevens Ian Moss The Living End The Angels Ross Wilson And The Peaceniks Russell Morris Troy Cassar-Daley Briggs Tex Perkins The Man In Black Hiatus Kaiyote Kate Miller-Heidke Weddings Parties Anything The Black Sorrows The Bamboos Chain Backsliders Ash Grunwald Melbourne Ska Orchestra Vika & Linda Jeff Lang Nathan Cavaleri Mick Thomas' Roving Commission Kim Churchill Henry Wagons JK-47 Garrett Kato Mama Kin Spender Dami Im Pierce Brothers Emily Wurramara The Buckleys Fiona Boyes & The Fortune Tellers Ray Beadle Pacey, King & Doley All Our Exes Live in Texas Hussy Hicks Roshani Declan Kelly Daniel Champagne Little Georgia Lambros. Round Mountain Girls The Regime Electric Lemonade Palm Valley Byron Busking Competition Bluesfest 2021 will now run from Friday, October 1–Monday, October 4 at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, Byron Bay. Season passes will go on sale at 9am on Thursday, May 20, with one- and three-day passes set to follow at a yet-to-be-announced date. For further information, head to the Bluesfest website. Top image: Andy Fraser
Established in 1992 on the site of a historic Maccabean Hall, the Sydney Jewish Museum was established by a generation of Holocaust survivors who made Australia their home post-World War II. The vision was to create a space to share the history and customs of the Jewish faith, as well as documenting stories of the Holocaust and broader human rights issues. Alongside the permanent exhibitions, it also regularly hosts film screenings, Holocaust survivor talks, book launches and discussions. The space also has a cafe and a resource centre and library, which houses an extensive collection of books, journals, videotapes and audiotapes for use in educational programs.
Take a bit of the best of Rose Bay home with you after a visit to Beds Australia. A staple of Rose Bay's shopping experience, Beds Australia can help you take your sleep game to a whole new level. The brand is known for its expertise on the right components for a perfect night's sleep, so the staff make it their mission to find the right mattress for you. The dreamy Rose Bay showroom has it all, with mattresses available to sink into and textiles to style your chosen one with. If you've been looking for a new addition to your bedroom haven, this is where to go. But, a word of warning: it's going to make getting out of your cosy bed every morning even harder.
Treat yourself — or a friend — to a luxury gift box of artisanal chocolates from family-run chocolatier Just William. Owner Suzanne Francis makes the bite-sized chocolates by hand in new and surprising flavour combinations, from the popular ganache cream centre 'bombs' filled with fruit, booze or caramel, to the animal-shaped treats like mango penguins, strawberry echidnas and orange koalas. The store always has gift boxes dedicated to special occasions such as Mother's Day, Valentine's Day and Easter — so even if you forgot to save the date, Francis has your back for a premium gift set of handmade truffles on any day of the year.
The bourbon maestros at Woodford Reserve are inviting Aussies to raise their glass to a cocktail classic as Old Fashioned Week returns with a generous twist this November (and we're not talking about the garnish). Extending the celebrations from seven days to an entire month, Woodford Reserve is offering complimentary cocktails at its participating bars nationwide so lovers of Kentucky's finest dram can enjoy an expertly crafted drink without worrying about their wallet. Sydneysiders will be able to enjoy a free Old Fashioned with an iconic view at Bennelong at the Sydney Opera House or the historic rooftop at Hotel Palisade. The celebrations don't stop with a quick cocktail. Woodford Reserve will be bringing in international expertise in the form of Master Distiller Elizabeth McCall. During her visit, she will lead a series of bourbon masterclasses, offering bartenders and enthusiasts alike the chance to learn from her insights on the art of distilling and how Woodford Reserve has been crafted to be the perfect bourbon for an Old Fashioned. "We're thrilled to be bringing Old Fashioned Week back to Australia once again this year," says Richard Dredge, Woodford Reserve Senior Brand Manager at Brown-Forman. "And this time, we're making it even bigger and better than ever."
As the mercury rises this summer, Sydney's Entertainment Quarter is set to become a hub of aquatic fun with the return of Waterworld Central. From Saturday, January 6 to Wednesday, January 31, 2024, the mobile inflatable water park promises a refreshing respite from the summer heat — and just in time for school holidays. Waterworld Central is perfect for thrill-seekers and chill-seekers alike. Adrenaline junkies can get their fix on the 80-metre X-Treme Tuber Slide, or chase the butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling and meet the full force of gravity on the huge Wave Slide drop. Meanwhile, the Paddle Boat Pool provides a more relaxed pace for those wanting to soak up the sun sans heart palpitations. For a truly chill experience, the Gorilla Pool is the perfect spot to unwind. And let's not forget the Snow World Pool, which will offer a whimsical winter-themed escape. Waterworld Central offers free entry for spectators, which is a nice touch, and with session-based tickets priced at $40 for two hours of access, it's an affordable option for a day out that would make any kid (or kid at heart) truly stoked. With preset session times, we reckon it's best to arrive early to get wristbands and maximise your fun in the sun. And if you'd rather spend more than two hours, you can upgrade each pass to a full-day pass for $20 a pop. Grab your tickets at the Waterworld Central website. Gift cards are also available on the site if you're looking to give the gift of fun this holiday season.
Two Sci-fi fans have taken their excitement at the release of the new Tron: Legacy film to the next level. Drawing inspiration from the film's nightclub scene, Brits Ben Rousseau and architect Ian Douglas-Jones have toiled under freezing conditions to create the Legacy of the River suite at Sweden's Icehotel. The futuristic light installation is just one of several art suites at the hotel. Literally the coolest hotel in the world, Icehotel is no Travelodge. An annual fixture in the Swedish town of Jukkasjärvi situated 200km north of the Arctic Circle, the site stands vacant through summer. But as soon as winter starts to push temperatures below zero, a bunch of artistic little elves from all over the world get to work. Using only frozen water from the Torne River, they create this spectacular, functional ice sculpture with a different twist each year. Meanwhile in sunnier Sydney, the rest of us are still counting down the days to the Australian release of the Tron: Legacy film on 16th December. The sequel to the 1982 classic Tron has already been elevated to cult status, featuring cutting edge futuristic special effects and an electro-freaky soundtrack by cult French artistes Daft Punk. [via Wired]
To celebrate its 11th birthday, Sydney-founded restaurant chain Ribs & Burgers has added a premium birthday slider to the menu. The star of the burger is a wagyu beef patty accompanied by pink sauce, red onion, pickles, American cheese, barbecue sauce and mustard. The burger is available for a limited time and can be picked up for $8.90 on its own, with chips for $13.90 or with a serving of pork ribs for $19.90. On Tuesday, November 8, Ribs & Burgers is taking the celebrations up a notch offering the sliders for $5 each —for one day only. To get your wagyu fix for just $5, head into your local store or order online on November 8. Ribs & Burgers has outposts across Australia, including The Rocks, Chatswood and Bella Vista in Sydney, Craigieburn and Hawthorn in Victoria, and Fortitude Vallery and Woolloongabba in Queensland. You can find your local store at the Ribs & Burgers website. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ribs & Burgers (@ribsandburgers) FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
First it was breakfast for dinner, and now street food and sour beers are under the spotlight at Leichhardt small bar Golden Gully. The venue's monthly plant-based degustation dinner will return with a new focus on Tuesday, May 7. In the kitchen, Gully head chef Emma Evans will serve up Asian-inspired street eats. Think kimchi doughnuts with fermented chilli and lime sauce, mushroom bao topped with house-made pickled vegetables and creamy hoisin, and cauliflower satay skewers served with a coconut and coriander slaw. Meanwhile, beer reps from Batch and Yulli's Brews will be in the house, pouring two sour brews a piece and chatting with punters about them. Each ticket comes with six beer tokens, redeemable for a middy each. All of that food and booze is included in the $50 ticket price. To book, sittings are available from 7pm, head here — and remember, space is limited. Images: Trent van der Jagt.
The Central Coast may be known for its picturesque beaches, but it's also home to some of the best (and busiest) lakes and waterways in the country. And this November, you can explore the very best of them, and the aquatic recreational activities they afford, at the annual Lakes Festival. Running for the fourth time, the festival will see more than 20 community, art, music, culture and food pop-up events occur across November 9–18. The festivities will stretch between event hubs at Gosford Waterfront, renowned fishing destination Budgewoi and Long Jetty plus many places in between. Throughout the ten-day festival, there'll be stand-up paddleboarding yoga, boat tours and Paddle to Pedal, a free full-day tour exploration of Tuggerah Lake via kayak and bike. Other highlights include Park Feast, held at Gosford Waterfront across November 8–9, featuring 20 food trucks, carnival rides and great live music. The Light Up The Lakes music festival on November 10 will feature some great talent — ARC and The Delta Riggs are headlining the festival — and a fireworks display. You can also head along to moonlight cinema at the Norah Head lighthouse on November 15 and 16. There'll also be creative workshops, craft festivals and much more to enjoy while soaking up one of Australia's most scenic locations. For more info and to check out the full list of events, head to The Lakes Festival website.
Darlinghurst venue The Taphouse and its sun-soaked rooftop bar Elm Rooftop are saying cheers to Sydney for getting through more than three months of lockdown — by offering 49-percent off their entire food and drink menus every Monday–Friday throughout November. Head to the venue between 5–7pm every weekday throughout the month and you'll nab nearly half-price off your dinner or after-work drinks. "We are stoked to be doing what we can to bring the good times back to our beautiful city," The Taphouse owner Joshua Thorpe said. "We want to launch into the silly season with a bang, giving everyone an excuse to get out and have fun." The Taphouse is known for its wide array of local and unique beers, as well as its top-notch pub food. Make the most of the deal with $13 schnitzels, $11 chicken sandwiches or a massive two-person barbecue plate for under $30. Upstairs at Elm Rooftop, you can enjoy 49-percent off your cocktails, seltzers and selections from the small plates menu as you enjoy a post-work drink and feed in the sun. Plus, new additions to the cocktail menu include a blackberry Jack Daniel's cocktail called the Black Jack Fizz and a jalapeño-infused spicy margarita. Head over on a Monday during November and you'll be able to enjoy the limited-time deal while securing your spot for Doggo Rooftop Trivia, a classic pub trivia that encourages you to bring along your furry friends from home.
The Cricketers Arms is hosting more than 20 of the country's top small and independent natural wine producers for a Sunday afternoon vino party in collaboration with Tasmania's Bottle Tops. Billed as a day of wine, food and music, Bottle Tops will be hitting up Hobart during Dark Mofo on Sunday, June 18 — but, in the leadup, it'll also be bringing a mini version of the culinary festival to Sydney, as hosted at one of the city's most beloved pubs. The day will also be accompanied by snacks from the pub's flash new bistro Chez Crix; the kitchen's General Manager and drinks list curator Jackson Duxbury is a Bottle Tops alum. The French-inspired eats will be included in your ticket price alongside all of the day's tastings. Some of the producers you can sample at the wine-fuelled party include Lofi, Momento Mori, Nikau Farm, Limus, Fox Wine Company and Frankly This Wine Was Made by Bob. Once you've made your way around to chat with all of the winemakers, you can also expect the Bottle Tops team to crack open a few rare wines to pour at the bar. The tastings will be on from 2–5pm for ticketholders, but The Crix isn't one to cut a party short, so you can expect the good times to keep rolling throughout the night — and Marty Doyle will be on the decks providing music until late. After years of throwing wine-tasting parties down in Tassie, this will be Bottle Tops' first time setting up shop for a get-together in Sydney. You don't want to miss it.
UPDATE, September 20, 2021: Come From Away will resume its Sydney season for fully vaccinated audiences from Wednesday, October 20, after closing temporarily during Sydney's lockdown. This story has been updated to reflect that news. Already an enormous success on Broadway, in London's West End and in Melbourne, Tony and Olivier award-winning musical Come From Away has been touring its remarkable true tale around Australia's east coast. Based on real post-September 11 events, the acclaimed production went back to Melbourne since January 2021 for an encore season of kind-hearted charm, and now returns to Sydney in October — to the Capitol Theatre from Wednesday, October 20 until at least Sunday, November 28, after its original June–August season was postponed due to Sydney's lockdown. If you aren't familiar with the musical's plot or the actual events that inspired it, it's quite the exceptional story. In the week after the September 11 attacks in 2001, 38 planes were unexpectedly ordered to land in the small Canadian town of Gander, in the province of Newfoundland. Part of Operation Yellow Ribbon — which diverted civilian air traffic to Canada en masse following the attacks — the move saw around 7000 air travellers grounded in the tiny spot, almost doubling its population. Usually, the town is home to just under 12,000 residents. To create Come From Away, writers and composers Irene Sankoff and David Hein spent hundreds of hours interviewing thousands of locals and passengers, using their experiences to drive the narrative — and, in many cases, using their real names in the show as well. The result is a musical not just about people coming from away (the term that Newfoundlanders use to refer to folks not born on the island), but coming together, all at a time when tensions were running high worldwide. Since being workshopped in 2012, having a run in Ontario in 2013, then officially premiering in San Diego in 2015, Come From Away has become a global smash hit. After opening on Broadway in 2017, it was still running before the theatre district closed due to COVID-19. The musical wowed crowds in the West End, too — and, when it first opened in Melbourne in July 2019, it became the Comedy Theatre's most successful musical in the venue's 91-year history. Along the way, the show has picked up a Tony Award for best direction of a musical, six other nominations, and four Olivier Awards out of nine nominations. Come From Away is planning to reopen in October in line with the New South Wales Government's roadmap for transitioning out of lockdown, which sees theatre shows start again when 70-percent of eligible NSW residents have had both jabs — which is expected mid-month. And, the production will be able to welcome in a 75-percent capacity audience. Proof of full COVID-19 vaccination will be required to attend a Come From Away performance, and the production also has a mandatory vax policy for its cast and crew https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zmvy1p2FOE&feature=emb_title Images: Jeff Busby.
Feel like you need to restock all the culture credits you lost while you were cooped up at home? Thankfully, the MCA's much-loved after-dark program, MCA Late, is returning, so you can get your culture fix on Friday evenings once again. And the best part? It's free. The MCA is staying open on Fridays till 9pm for evenings filled with incredible art, curated music, tasty drinks and more. You can stroll through the Museum's free exhibitions, enjoy a sunset drink at the MCA Cafe overlooking the sparkling harbour or nab a ticket to the Doug Aitken exhibition after hours. You can also catch the likes of Sydney hip hop artist and producer Bernie van Tiel, breakdancing crew ABA, Gagidal man and board member of the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Lands Council Uncle Ray Davison, and a whole bunch more. There'll be pop-up performances from poets, musicians and artists throughout the weekly event, so make sure you keep an eye out as you make your way through the Museum. Across the first three Fridays in November, you can catch sets from local DJs Bocconcini and Jun Wan in the FBi Radio-backed music series Sounds on the Terrace. Want to get creative? Unleash your artistic potential in the Sundown Sketch Club. [caption id="attachment_831294" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sundown Sketch Club, MCA Late, 2021, photographer: Jordan Munns.[/caption] Ready to filll up your culture cup? MCA Late takes place from 5–9pm every Friday till December 17. For more information, head to the MCA website. Top image: Maina Doe, MCA Late: Sounds on the Terrace presented in collaboration with FBi Radio, 2021, photographer: Jordan Munns
