Drop into almost any fitness class you feel like, without worrying about gym contracts? That's the idea behind Esquared, a new app that lets you find and book your chosen workout session regardless of where it's held (and, crucially, regardless of whether you're a member at the venue in question). Aiming to add some extra flexibility to your fitness routine, Esquared is all about hooking you up with the right class in the right place, giving you control of when and where you work out. Need to go for a spin on one side of the city one day, and hit the barre on the other side over the weekend? Not sure where your schedule will take you, but still keen to fit in a training session when and where you can? Esquared has you covered. Drawing upon a range of participating gyms, the app allows you to pick the session, timeslot and venue that suits you, pay in advance and then walk right in. And, with data displayed in real time, you can select classes on the same day, the next day or any time in the next 30 days. Founded in the UK by former accountant turned pro-athlete Eleni Plakitsi, Esquared will jump from London to Sydney on Monday, September 3, with more than 50 partner gyms already onboard — spanning everywhere from CBD and Surry Hills spots, to the likes of Bondi, Manly, Double Bay, Newtown and North Sydney as well. It's offering a $40 credit to everyone that signs up in advance and, once it's up and running in Australia, will give users access to classes and gym floors across its participating venues. The no-strings-attached, on-demand approach to heading to the gym is also slated to roll out in Melbourne and Brisbane later in the year, with dates yet to be announced. For more information, keep an eye on www.esq2.com.au.
Taylor Swift has already played Australia in 2024, as the entire country knows. Billie Eilish will hit the country's stages in 2025. Arriving in-between: Olivia Rodrigo, with the former Disney talent — see: Bizaardvark and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series — bringing her huge GUTS world tour Down Under in October 2024. When we say huge, we mean it. With the addition of four Aussie dates alongside new gigs in Bangkok, Thailand, Seoul, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Singapore, the tour now spans 82 concerts around the globe. In Australia, Rodrigo has a two-night date with Melbourne and then another two with Sydney. Fans elsewhere, you'll be needing to travel. Touring in support of her second studio album that's also called GUTS, three-time Grammy-winner Rodrigo is hitting Rod Laver Arena Wednesday, October 9–Thursday, October 10 to start her Aussie visit. The next week, from Thursday, October 17–Friday, October 18, she'll play Qudos Bank Arena. In both Sydney and Melbourne, New Zealand singer-songwriter Benee will also take to the stage in support This is 'Drivers License', 'Good 4 U' and 'Vampire' singer Rodrigo's first arena tour, as well as her first tour Down Under — and she'll have her debut album SOUR to work through as well. The GUTS tour started in Palm Springs in February, saw Rodrigo do four shows at Madison Square Garden in April, and is currently making its way around the UK before heading to Europe, back to the US, then to Asia and Australia. Olivia Rodrigo GUTS World Tour 2024 Australian Dates: Wednesday, October 9–Thursday, October 10 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Thursday, October 17–Friday, October 18 – Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Olivia Rodrigo is touring Australia in October 2024. Ticket presales start at 1pm on Wednesday, May 15, and general sales at 1pm on Thursday, May 16 — head to the tour website for further details. Images: Chris Polk, Polk Imaging.
Goodbye Shiv Roy, hello Dorian Gray — plus every other character in Oscar Wilde's gothic-literature masterpiece. That's Sarah Snook's current path. The Australian Succession star is swapping the hit HBO drama, which wrapped up forever with its just-aired four season, with a stage date with the sinister portrait that lets its subject stay young and beautiful. And, she's playing every single role in the production. On the page, The Picture of Dorian Gray is exceptional, as well as astute and unnerving, as it follows the selling of its namesake's soul in order to keep indulging every corporeal whim, urge and desire. There's a reason that it just keeps getting adapted for the screen and in theatres, after all. But there's never been a version like Sydney Theatre Company's The Picture of Dorian Gray, which is the iteration that Snook will star in — in the UK's West End. [caption id="attachment_896386" align="alignnone" width="1920"] HBO[/caption] This news is two huge announcements in one: Snook's return to the London stage after debut in the 2016 production of The Master Builder, and this Aussie reworking of Oscar Wilde's classic making its UK premiere. With its high-profile star, The Picture of Dorian Gray is headed to The Theatre Royal Haymarket, with a season from Tuesday, January 23–Saturday, April 13, 2024 locked in. Premiering in Sydney 2020, this take on the tale uses video and theatre to get its star playing 26 characters. In Australian runs, Eryn Jean Norvill has done the honours, and brilliantly, with Snook following in the actor's footsteps abroad. "I am elated to return to the London stage in such an astonishing piece of theatre," said Snook. "From Oscar Wilde's remarkable original text to Kip Williams' stunning adaptation, this story of morality, innocence, narcissism and consequence is going to be thrilling to recreate for a new audience. I can't wait." Williams, who adapted Wilde's text into the phenomenal production and also directs, is heading to the UK as well. "In creating a new piece of theatre like The Picture of Dorian Gray, you always hope to have the opportunity to share it with a wider audience. I am so excited for theatre lovers in London to experience our show, and am thrilled to have the extraordinary Sarah Snook bringing to life the many characters of Oscar Wilde's remarkable story." [caption id="attachment_856346" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dan Boud[/caption] Taking the show to London is part of a partnership between STC and Michael Cassel Group, which is all about sharing the former's works around the globe. A similar path — from Australia to the UK, but originating from the Griffin Theatre Company — has worked out spectacularly for Prima Facie, with the British production starring Killing Eve's Jodie Comer winning Best New Play and Best Actress at the 2023 Laurence Olivier Awards. On-screen, Snook will next be seen in straight-to-streaming films Run Rabbit Run and The Beanie Bubble. Check out a trailer for STC's Australian seasons of The Picture of Dorian Gray starring Norville below: The Picture of Dorian Gray will play The Theatre Royal Haymarket, 18 Suffolk Street, London from Tuesday, January 23–Saturday, April 13, 2024 — for more information and tickets, head to the venue's website. Top image: Alexi Lubomirski.
Josh and Julie Niland have had a busy few years. From opening a new Fish Butchery takeaway eatery in Waterloo, announcing they would be taking over The Grand National Hotel and moving Saint Peter into the space, and Josh being named in the world's top 100 best chefs, you'd be hard-pressed to find a busier hospitality couple in this country right now. Not satisfied with all of this, the world-renowned sustainable seafood duo have just announced a new restaurant Peterman, that's coming to Sydney's North Shore in 2023. Set to swing open its doors on Chandos Street in St Leonards in February, Petermen will be a 60-seat restaurant and bar. The name is a nod to the Saint Peter ecosystem. The original Niland restaurant — one of Concrete Playground's 15 best Sydney restaurants — is named after the patron saint and former fisherman Saint Peter. This holy seafood enthusiast was then the inspiration behind fellow fishers being called Petermen in the 1400s. [caption id="attachment_826817" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Saint Peter[/caption] As with all Niland establishments, the menu will champion boundary-pushing and sustainability-focused growers and producers. While the menu hasn't been finalised yet, it will continue the trend of Saint Peter, Fish Butchery and Charcoal Fish, skewing heavily towards seafood partnered with fresh Australian vegetables. This will mark Josh and Julie Niland's first venture west of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, bringing the duo's collection of Sydney outposts to five. It's also now been revealed that their revamp of the Grand National Hotel — set to be called Saint Peter Hotel — is scheduled to open in the second quarter of 2023. The Nilands are hoping to open reservations for Petermen at the beginning of next year. We'll be sure to update you with more information on both Petermen and Saint Peter Hotel when it's announced. If you're looking for an excuse to try Josh Niland's utterly inventive and flavoursome seafood creations, the chef is hosting a four-course whisky-paired feast at Saint Peter in December in collaboration with Talisker. [caption id="attachment_826359" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Niland, Charcoal Fish[/caption] Petermen will open at 66 Chandos Street, St Leonards in February 2023 — we'll update you with an exact launch date when one is announced. Top image: Rob Palmer.
Maybe you like magical movie experiences. Perhaps you're a Timothée Chalamet obsessive. Or, you could love nothing more than catching an old-school flick on the big screen again. Whether one, two or all three of the above applies to you, there's a reason to head to Moonlight Cinema in January 2025. And if you're a fan of romances, horror, animal-led tales and biopics, there's even more where they came from. This Australian summer tradition unveils its lineup in batches — and has just dropped the program of flicks that will start the year. Wicked will be defying gravity, A Complete Unknown has your Timmy C (Dune: Part Two) fix covered and the OG Freaky Friday will give you a blast from the past before the sequel arrives later in 2025. Plus, We Live in Time, Heretic, Mufasa: The Lion King and Maria will also play under the stars. With seasons in Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth, Moonlight Cinema mostly screens the same movies in each location; however, there are some differences. In January, 2024 Palme d'Or-winner Anora and crime thriller-meets-musical Emilia Perez are only heading to Sydney and Melbourne, for instance, but the bulk of the lineup will play across all five cities. Other highlights include Gladiator II, Moana 2, Paddington in Peru and Sonic the Hedgehog 3, giving franchises plenty of love; Better Man joining the music-fuelled picks; the Jesse Eisenberg (Sasquatch Sunset)-starring, -written and -directed A Real Pain; and Conclave's tension in the Vatican. Among the retro fare, Bridget Jones's Diary, Shrek and The Princess Diaries will get you looking backwards. Brisbane's season is on until Sunday, February 16 in Roma Street Parklands, while Adelaide's runs till the same date in Botanic Park. Moonlight Cinema's stints at Centennial Parklands in Sydney, Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne, and Kings Park and Botanic Garden in Perth all extend through to Sunday, March 30. As always, the films and the setting are just two parts of the cinema's experience. Also a drawcard: the Aperol spritz bar. Nosh-wise, the event is again letting you BYO movie snacks and drinks (no alcohol in Brisbane, though), but the unorganised can enjoy a plethora of bites to eat onsite while reclining on bean beds. There's two VIP sections for an extra-luxe openair movie experience, too, as well as a platinum package with waiter service in Sydney and Melbourne only, and a beauty cart handing out samples. Plus, dogs are welcome at all sites except Perth — there's even special doggo bean beds. Moonlight Cinema 2024–25 Dates Brisbane: Thursday, November 21, 2024–Sunday, February 16, 2025 in Roma Street Parklands Sydney: Friday, November 22, 2024–Sunday, March 30, 2025 in Centennial Parklands Adelaide: Thursday, November 28, 2024–Sunday, February 16, 2025, 2024 in Botanic Park Melbourne: Friday, November 29, 2024–Sunday, March 30, 2025 in Royal Botanic Gardens Perth: Thursday, December 5, 2024–Sunday, March 30, 2025 in Kings Park and Botanic Garden Moonlight Cinema runs until February 2025 in Brisbane and Adelaide, and until March 2025 in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the cinema's website — and we'll update you with further program details when they're announced.
In the spirit of the spooky season, here's a scary fact: the year 2023 is less than 3 months away. Once October starts wrapping up, we'll be in back-to-back festivities. The tail end of the year is jam-packed with immediate events, but it might be time to think ahead and start considering where to spend New Year's Eve. If you want a good view of the fireworks, somewhere that's just as suited to a family gathering as it is a mates night out, here's the option you seek. Picture this: You're settling down on a picnic rug and everyone is happy to be outside, so you sip on a BYO beverage and wait for the celebrations to paint the sky. That's what you'll be doing at the New Year's Eve Picnic hosted by the Foundation and Friends of the Botanic Gardens. Experienced walkers and joggers of the gardens may already be familiar with the harbour views of the Mare and Foal lawn, but if you're not, it's the best picnic seat in the house. On the final night of the year, it will be closed off for the event where you can unfold a blanket, unpack a snack and pour a drink (the only glassware allowed is bottles of wine and champagne). If you burn through your food supplies before the show starts, there are limited snacks and non-alcoholic drinks available for purchase on the night. Please note tickets are available for members of the Foundation and Friends of the Botanic Gardens, and you can purchase a ticket in a bundle with a membership. It's a celebration with a cause, as every ticket purchased supports the Gardens. Visit the website for booking and more information. Images: Craig Brokensha
The fine fictional detectives of Brooklyn's 99th precinct have long held a soft spot in sitcom viewers' hearts, but that hasn't always proven the case for TV's powers that be. After airing on America's Fox network for five seasons between 2013–2018, the show was cancelled in May last year — only to be picked up for a sixth season by rival US channel NBC just 31 hours later. That 18-episode sixth season is currently on the air, screening on SBS Viceland in Australia. Yes, fans of comedic cops, Die Hard gags and 'title of your sex tape' jokes can't utter "noice" fast or often enough. But in even better news, NBC has just renewed Brooklyn Nine-Nine for a seventh season, which'll likely run across late 2019 and early 2020. That means there's no need to worry about the show's fate for a whole year. As Jake Peralta would say: cool cool cool. Breaking out a celebratory yoghurt, Terry Jeffords-style, is definitely in order. If you're more like Captain Raymond Holt, perhaps you'd like to treat yourself to a trip to a barrel museum. Or you could channel your inner Gina Linetti and dance about your happy feelings. However you choose to mark the news, it's worth it — while the series has a devoted following, its future has rarely been secure, with the possibility of cancellation usually hanging over its previous seasons. The Brooklyn Nine-Nine cast — including Andy Samberg, Stephanie Beatriz, Terry Crews, Melissa Fumero, Joe Lo Truglio, Andre Braugher, Dirk Blocker and Joel McKinnon Miller — were all suitably thrilled, as the video below shows. In fact, the renewal even prompted Braugher to tweet for only the second time, which sounds like a classic Captain Holt move. https://twitter.com/nbcbrooklyn99/status/1100902305858117637 And if you're particularly fond of sitcoms created by Mike Schur, who also gave the world Parks & Recreation, then prepare to go to your good place. Fellow NBC show The Good Place, which screens on Netflix in Australia, was already renewed at the end of 2018. Its fourth season is due later this year. Via Variety.
The food and drink revolution of Circular Quay continues with a new venue from the Hinchcliff House team opening just across the road from the OG. Only a few days after the bustling waterfront suburb welcomed Lotus Dining Group's sleek new Cantonese restaurant Pearl, an expensive new Mediterranean-inspire terrace has arrived at Quay Quater Tower from House Made Hospitality. Martinez Terrace is the first element of a two-pronged new offering from the acclaimed hospitality team. The colourful 160-person outdoor bar will be joined by the vibrant Martinez dining room on Thursday, October 12. For now, the attention is all on the openair watering hole, which you'll find slinging spritzes and oysters at the end of a quick elevator ride up from Young Street. "We want Martinez to capture the relaxed style of drinking and dining that is synonymous with holidays on the Mediterranean coast, and for the Terrace Bar to give you memories of drinking the afternoon away in a seaside spot," says House Made Hospitality Director Scott Brown. House Made Hospitality's producer-led approach to wine continues at Martinez, with a selection of drops that the team has had a hand in making themselves sitting alongside a variety of Australian and European whites, reds and rosé. The terrace is also the kind of venue that encourages you to just get the bottle to share with your friends. There's even a whole page of the extended drinks list dedicated exclusively to magnums of wine. As a little opening celebration, the bar is encouraging you to make a group booking and go big, offering a rotating selection of rosé magnums for $99 a bottle until 4pm Monday–Saturday throughout October. Elsewhere on the beverage selection, you'll find a wide variety of craft beers and five signature cocktails on tap — including a vodka, coconut and mango spritz primed for warm afternoons out on the terrace. To partner with your magnum of wine, the food menu is also designed to be shared. Executive Chef Alex Wong (Lana) suggests the baguette with cultured butter and caper salt, sesame seed fougasse, whipped roe with bottarga, LP's saucisson and Ortiz anchovies with seaweed persillade butter on a Grana baguette. Chilled mussels with Yarra Valley roe, duck terrine and a next-level ham, mustard and fennel sandwich are among the other highlights on the snack side of Martinez's menu — while there are a few heftier options including steak frites and grilled swordfish. Emilie Delalande of Etic (Barangaroo House) has led the design work across the venue, with both the terrace and the dining room containing odes to artist residencies in the south of France. The bar is designed to facilitate any occasion — there are intimate two-person tables and long benches designed for group catch-ups. And if you're lucky, you might even nab a spot with views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Martinez Terrace is now open at Quay Quarter Tower, 50 Bridge Street, Circular Quay. Its adjoining restaurant is set to open on Thursday, October 12. For more information head to the Martinez website. Images: Steven Woodburn and Jason Loucus.
Start your week right with a morning yoga session in the Royal Botanic Garden. Housed in the Calyx, the attention-grabbing, UFO-shaped public space that landed in the gardens last year. The classes run between 7.30 and 8.30am and cost $20. Offering a sweet escape from the bustle of the city, these Hatha yoga sessions are the perfect way to inject some calm into your Monday morning. Plus, you'll still have enough time to grab a post-session shower and coffee before landing at your office desk all zen-ed out, and ready to tackle the week. If you're one of those yoga buffs who just can't make it out of bed that early, swing by for the lunchtime session (12–12.50pm) instead.
Arguably Australia's most scenic zoo, Taronga Zoo is a popular spot for families and tourists alike. Officially opening as Taronga Zoo Sydney back in 1916, it is now home to 4000 animals from over 350 species. Head here and you'll encounter giraffes, elephants, tigers, sun bears, meerkats, lion cubs, chimps, gorillas and more — all while overlooking Sydney Harbour. Apart from seeing all the adorable animals, critters and creatures, you can also stay the night at the on-site Wildlife Retreat at Taronga: a 62-room eco-luxe hotel located smack-bang in the middle of the zoo. If the idea of a zoo sleepover appeals to you, you can skip the luxe hotel and opt for its Roar and Snore experience instead. At this overnight adventure, you'll stay in safari-style tents (complete with bathroom facilities) as well as get to know some of the zoo's cuddlier residents, go on an exclusive night tour of after-dark animal parties, catch animal feedings and tour some of the enclosures. The zoo also hosts an annual summer gig series in its grounds. Dubbed Twilight at Taronga, the live music events runs in January and February, and sees many people descent upon the zoo's natural amphitheatre backdropped to some of the most impressive views around town. In short, whether you're an animal lover, music fan or just keen to live it up in a luxe hotel, Taronga Zoo Sydney is as much for adults as it is for kids. [caption id="attachment_830236" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Taronga Zoo via DNSW[/caption] Taronga Zoo Sydney is open from 9.30am–5pm daily. Top image: Destination NSW
UPDATE: JUNE 1, 2020 — Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2020 has announced its new dates, with the exhibition reopening from June 22 until January 28, 2021. The below article has been updated to reflect this. The wonders of the animal kingdom are coming to the Australian National Maritime Museum courtesy of a huge exhibition of nature photography. Headed to the venue this autumn, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year showcase comes direct from London's Natural History Museum — which has developed and produced the prestigious competition since 1965. Highlighting the astonishing sights that the natural world has to offer, this year's contest attracted 48,000 entries from 100 countries. That not only shows how much we all love creatures great, small, cute, majestic and everything in-between, but how much we love both taking and looking at snaps of them as well. From that huge number, 100 winning pics were chosen for their creativity, originality and technical excellence, and then tour internationally. You can see the eye-popping, awe- (and 'awwwww') inducing results during its Sydney stop from June 22 till February 28, 2021. Prepare to rove your eyes over everything from up-close-and-personal shots of gorgeous creatures to astonishing visions of sweeping landscapes. It'll be open every day of the week during its five-month season — from 9.30am–5pm daily. [caption id="attachment_761873" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'The Moment' by Yongqing Bao, Grand title winner of Wildlife Photographer of the Year.[/caption] Top images: Jason Bantle and Daniel Kronauer, courtesy of Wildlife Photographer of the Year and the Natural History Museum, London.
When it was announced that Fiji was planning to open its borders to Australian tourists back in November, you could almost hear the collective woosh of laptop lids opening as everyone went straight to travel booking websites. After a long two years without island escapes, it seems like everyone is suddenly posting pics of boarding passes and palm tree-lined pools —and we simply love to see it, as our close island neighbours need our tourism and support more than ever. Airlines have ramped up their offerings in response — when the border opening was announced, Virgin Australia was quick to restart its twice-daily return flights to Nadi from Sydney, daily return flights from Melbourne and thrice-weekly return flights from Brisbane. These days, Jetstar, Fiji Airways, Virgin and Qantas are offering direct return services. So yes, get ready for some beach pics to fill your feed. But it's fair to say we're a little out of practice with international travel, and things have changed a lot since the last time we whisked away. Whether you're heading off for some sunshine or you're considering booking in a much-needed holiday, we chatted to the crew at Tourism Fiji to find out everything you need to know about testing requirements, currency conversion, and what happens if you test positive for COVID while you're away. What are the testing requirements for travelling to and from Fiji? For fully-vaccinated travellers, there is no need to complete a pre-departure test. Instead, Fiji requires all tourists aged 12 and over to confirm they have a pre-booked RAT test to be taken anytime within 72 hours of arrival in Fiji. This can be done at a hotel or nearby testing facility — you can find more information about that here. You'll need to provide proof of your vaccine status when checking in at the airport – digital or paper certification will cover you — and for holidaymakers, medical travel insurance with international coverage that includes COVID-19 cover is required. Before returning home to Australia, you'll need to complete a Digital Passenger Declaration, which can be found here. What happens if I test positive for COVID-19 when I'm in Fiji? So, the nightmare has happened. But don't stress — there are worse places to recover from COVID than a Fijian resort. You'll be placed in isolation, where possible remaining in the room you are already in. Tourism Fiji says that occasionally resorts will put people up in a room with a private pool to wait out their isolation in their own space, while still being able to swim and relax. If travel companions are testing negative, they can choose to join the positive person in isolation or stay in their original accommodation separately — that's a fight waiting to happen if we've ever heard one. If you're still testing positive after the seven-day isolation, a medical certificate will be provided by health officers in Fiji confirming that you are no longer infectious so you can travel home freely. What are the mask-wearing protocols in Fiji? Wearing a mask is optional in Fiji but it's recommended to protect yourself and the locals – especially when in indoor spaces, on public transport, or in taxis. You'll also need to wear your mask in the airports and on the plane, except when eating or drinking. How long is the flight and do I need to prepare for jet lag? Flying from Brisbane is the quickest way to get to Fiji — the flight time is only around two-and-a-half hours. The flight time from Sydney to Nadi is approximately four hours, while Melbourne to Nadi is closer to five — have a snooze on the flight and you'll be sipping a cocktail poolside in no time. Fiji is two hours ahead of Australia (AEST), so there shouldn't be major jetlag issues. Besides, you're on island time now, so turn off those alarms. Where can I stay in Fiji? Across Fiji's 333 islands there is a range of accommodation offerings from bougie to budget. Whether you're choosing a five-star resort on a private island or a family-friendly apartment, the island nation is famous for its hospitality, so you're bound to have a great time. If you're keen to splash out, check out Concrete Playground's guide to luxe Fijian stays to splash out on. For stays a little more off-grid, check out this guide to a "less obvious" Fijian holiday. Do I need cash in local currency? What's the exchange rate? Most retailers and tourism providers take card payments and have paywave, so if you're travelling on a package tour with transfers included it's unlikely you'll need cash. But Tourism Fiji says that if you are planning on travelling by taxi you're best to keep some Fijian cash on you as most don't take a card. ATMs at Nadi airport are the best place to get cash out on arrival — you will be charged a transaction fee, so be aware it's best to get all the cash you'll need at once. And the most important question for any traveller… Do I need to bring an adapter for my wall plugs? Nope! In Fiji, the plugs and sockets are type I – the same as here in Australia. One less thing to think about when heading away. Top images: Sofitel Fiji, Six Senses Fiji
'Nduja, chestnut puree, Kakadu plum hand cream, red gum smoked salt — they're not the types of products you'd normally expect to find in a local grocer. But you can at this Surry Hills institution. The family owned store has been servicing the neighbourhood for over a decade. It prides itself on stocking gourmet varieties of some of your pantry staples, plus a few harder-to-find or rare items from local and international producers. It's only a small space on the corner of Crown and Foveaux Streets, but it certainly jams as much as possible in. You'll find everything from fresh fruit and veg, premade meals and Iggy's Bread to aisles of dry products — think pasta, sauces, tea and coffee. And in a cosy corner up the back is the deli, which stocks imported European cheeses and an impressive range of cured meats. Images: Cassandra Hannagan
It's hard to believe it's been 25 years since the turn of the millennium. And whether you were there for it or not, if you find yourself hankering for the days when low-rise jeans, velour trakkies and platform shoes ruled the Earth, then do we have the party for you. Every Sunday in April, Barangaroo rooftop venue Untied is hosting Gimme More Sundays, a late arvo shindig in honour of Y2K — Von Dutch trucker hat optional. [caption id="attachment_998727" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jasper Avenue[/caption] The action kicks off at 4pm, when the DJs start spinning throwback tunes from the likes of Britney, Ricky Martin, Destiny's Child and plenty more. Plus, Untied will be serving bottomless frosé at just $49 per person for 90 minutes — you'll have your pick of a variety of fruity flavours, alongside a bunch of treats from the lolly wall where gummy bears, rainbow straps and sour worms are waiting for you. For special treatment, sign up to the guest list here. That'll get you a complimentary cocktail on arrival — just the start you need to get jumpin' jumpin'. [caption id="attachment_997406" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jasper Avenue[/caption]
Winter is upon us, the gloves and beanies are out of storage, and it's time to start loading up on sweets and carbs. That's how every June starts — and, this year, Krispy Kreme wants to help with the latter. How? By giving away an extremely excessive number of doughnuts. You're probably now wondering what constitutes an excessive amount of doughnuts. No, polishing off a packet by yourself doesn't count, at least in this instance. Krispy Kreme's giveaway is going big, with the chain slinging 10,000 original glazed doughnuts on Friday, June 7 in conjunction with National Doughnut Day. Whether or not you're a big fan of food 'days', we're guessing you are quite fond of free doughnuts. To snag yourself a signature glazed freebie, head to your closest Krispy Kreme store, with Sydneysiders able to hit up 18 spots stretching from Penrith to the CBD. The National Doughnut Day deal isn't available anywhere other than Krispy Kreme stores, or via online orders or third-party deliveries. There's also a limit of one freebie per person, and the giveaway only applies to the original glazed variety. The 100,000 doughnuts will be spread across the participating stores around the country, so you'll want to get in relatively early if you want to kick off your Friday with a free sweet and doughy treat. Obviously, whether you nab one or not is subject to availability.
Look, some things are definitely better fresh. Things like like produce, sashimi and hot chips. But other things get better with age, things like you and, surprisingly, beer. There's an idea floating around that beer only belongs in the former category, but in celebration of Cooper's 2017 Vintage Ale release, we're shedding some light on the beers that age gracefully. If you're intimidated by the idea of a cellar, don't be. Modern cellaring doesn't require you to own a sprawling mansion with a decked-out cellar door. All you need is a dark, cool and consistent space to cellar beer and bring out its mature flavours. A basement or garage will do the trick, as long as the temperature stays between ten to 12 degrees celsius and doesn't fluctuate. Also, keep the space between 50 and 70 percent humidity if you can, but if you can't, an air humidifier will help control any mould issues. The other very important item you'll need is self control — don't go downing your cellared beers just because they're there and you can. Good beers come to those who wait. (And so do some pretty tasty food and beer pairings.) Once you've got the set-up, which beers should you choose? Which actually age well? Well, that's where we come in. Follow our lead, and look to these brews for your home beer cellar. In a year or so, you'll be thanking us. STOUT A good rule of thumb is that heavier beers with a higher alcohol content will cellar the best. Aim for beers that are heavy on malt and have an alcohol content of eight percent for good results. Stout is an excellent beginner's brew for cellaring. The word stout is even a synonym for heavy, determined and forceful, making it an ideal candidate to develop some extra depth. The rich, dark (but never heavy) texture of a stout starts off great, but is made even better with time. The roasted malt component, which is what gives the beer its depth, becomes even more complex. The consensus on how long to cellar a stout for is mixed, but the best approach for a DIY beer-ager is through experimentation. Buy the brew of your choice in bulk (like Cooper's Best Extra Stout) and drink a few fresh, making sure to take notes as you go. Age the rest and every six months, repeat the experiment, each time taking notes. Everyone has different tastes, but when you have your perfectly aged stout, pair it with a slow-cooked pork roast or oysters. DARK ALE Dark ale is one of the lesser known dark beers, but its reputation (or lack thereof) is undeserved; this beer warrants a place in your DIY cellar, especially if you're into chocolaty, coffee flavours. Think of dark ale as a dessert beer — heavy, creamy and rich. This strong flavour profile is what makes the beer excellent for cellaring, as it gets stronger, yet subtler, after a few years in the dark. For your home cellar, look for either barrel-aged or bottle-conditioned beer, like Cooper's Dark Ale. The active yeast contained in the bottle means they were designed to cellar well. Also note, thanks to their high alcohol content, dark ales can withstand a slightly higher temperature — between 12 and 14 degrees celsius — compared to their wheaty brethren, making this one a kinder brew for the home cellar novice. VINTAGE ALE From time to time, brewers will develop and release beers that are designed to age. Cooper's Vintage Ale is the perfect example and a must have for any DIY beer cellar — trust us, you'll be glad you added it in couple years. In its infancy, it has a bitter and punchy flavour with pineapple and pear undertones (unusual flavours for such a heavy beer, but somehow it works). During the production process, the introduction of live yeast as a conditioner gives this brew its longevity. So, if you're patient, you'll notice as the beer ages that the bitterness evolves into a sweet, caramel palette. Keep an eye out for these kinds of limited releases at your local as they're often designed — bottle and all — to be cellared, and may even become collector's items in years to come. SPARKLING ALE Now, we have just said that dark and heavy beers age well, so it may surprise you to see sparkling ale on this list. As a lighter brew, it may not be a go-to for most cellars, but sparkling ales do actually age beautifully and (if you do it right) you'll end up with a rich brew a lot faster than the heavier drops. The cellaring process takes the sparking ale's fruity, floral notes and smooths them out. Any acidity, over-the-top sweetness or rough edges age into honeyed undertones. But make sure you check these beers more regularly than their darker counterparts as they'll mature a little faster. Also, make sure to keep the temperature under control; these brews won't react well to any heat. Once you've nailed your desired aged flavours, pair them with bold tastes. Spicy food will match with the bubbles, and charcoal and rotisserie barbecue flavours will sit well with fruity tones. SOUR BEER If you like your beer a little bit tart, then turn your attention to sour beer. These acidic brews famously cellar well, but be warned, they're an unpredictable beer to begin with. Sour beers have always been brewed differently from other beers. Before modern brewing, beer was intentionally soured by introducing wild yeasts into the fermentation process — a method still used today. And although the modern brewing method is a little more controlled — brewers often use a Belgium yeast called brettanomyces to sour, instead of leaving the beer out to the elements — things can still go wrong. On the plus side, if the initial brew goes well, the beer will taste even better a few years down the track, since brettanomyces take months to develop a full flavour profile. Even if you don't traditionally like sour beer, we recommend you hop on down to your local and try an aged sour — you might be pleasantly surprised. (Beer pun intended.) A limited number of the 2017 Coopers Vintage Ale cartons have been released, so get to stocking your cellar with these brews quickly. Otherwise, you can find the vintage available on tap at a few key venues in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and beyond. Find your closest pub serving the brew here.
On your next weekend getaway to the Blue Mountains, you can spend the day exploring many cafes and hiking tracks, and the night exploring the sky, thanks to a new stargazing tour. Taking place at the Wentworth Falls picnic area and hosted by Dr Dimitri Douchin — who has a PhD in astronomy and astrophysics, no less — the 90-minute tour will see you ogling the likes of the Milky Way, the Orion Nebula, shooting stars (if you're lucky), Mars and Venus through a professional-grade telescope. You'll also learn about the history of the Blue Mountains and how to identify stars and constellations with your naked-eye. Plus, the $85 ticket includes a vegan hot chocolate — particularly important on the chillier nights. The nighttime tours run Thursday through Sunday most weeks, depending on weather. To see the full list of dates, head over here. If you plan on making a weekend out of the tour, we've also rounded up a list of 20 of the most enchanting getaways in the Blue Mountains, which include an Airbnb inside an actual clifftop cave. 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.
Kings Cross is set to land a charming new bar rich in history and pouring vermouth on tap. Swinging its doors open on Friday, February 24, Vermuteria is the latest opening from Piccolo Bar's David Spanton. Spanton might just be Kings Cross' biggest fan. Not once but twice now, the Potts Point local has sprung into action when a beloved venue in The Cross has gone up for sale, turning longstanding spaces into vibrant new bars dedicated to their former custodians. The first was Piccolo, a tiny Roslyn Street institution that Spanton saved and rejuvenated in late 2021. Now, as first announced in January, he's back to save another much-loved spot, this time taking the reins at the former digs of Cafe Hernandez on Kings Cross Road. The 24-hour cafe had been operating on this leafy street for 50 years — with Spanton recounting visits from the likes of Frank Sinatra and Guns N' Roses over the years. It closed in September of last year when the Hernandez family decided to step away from the venue. Worried it would be turned into a fashion boutique or hairdresser, Spanton came to the rescue, purchasing the property and transforming it into a bar devoted to fortified wine, fittingly called Vermuteria. Much like Piccolo, Vermuteria showcases a small specialised drinks menu and a range of tasty snacks, with vermouth and sherry at the heart of the booze offering. "We're really excited to offer two different vermouth blends direct from the barrels which are positioned directly above the bar," says Spanton. "Guests can choose from our Euro sweet rosso blend and the Aussie pinot noir vermouth with the semi-dry bianco blend straight from the tap right alongside the icy-cold Estrella Damm draught." The scene is set as soon as you walk in, with barrels of vermouth scattered throughout the bar. And, if you prefer a cocktail, there's plenty to choose from utilising the bar's namesake ingredient. Choose between the likes of negronis, martinis, spritzes, white sangria and sherry cobblers. Prior to being Cafe Hernandez, the space also existed as a Polish deli throughout the 50s and 60s. Honouring this section of its history, the back of the venue has been converted into a mini deli boasting charcuterie from LP's Quality Meats, gildas, tinned seafood, cheese plates and hot dogs. "There's definitely a much more positive vibe going on in Kings Cross," Spanton told Concrete Playground. "I think that a lot of great venues are starting to open in the area and a lot of places are starting to get a lot busier. I think the customers are loving that there's a lot more going on. And, I think that Kings Cross and Potts Point have some of the best customers." Once again collaborating with Michael Delany (Cafe Freda's, Club 77, The Abercrombie and SHADES) on the design, the duo have breathed new life into the space. But fans of the original cafe can rest easy — the new fitout will maintain key elements of the former, including an original painting from earlier owner Paquita Sabrafen depicting the Count-Duke of Olivares, on which she has superimposed her husband's face. "People will be able to come in and feel a connection to what was Hernandez Cafe," Spanton tells Concrete Playground. "It's one of those iconic venues in Sydney that most people know about if they're from the Potts Point/Kings Cross area, where you could always go to Hernandez to get a coffee." Fans of Cafe Hernandez's coffee can also still get their fix. While the cafe has closed down, the Hernandez brand is still producing coffee beans which you can order online. Vermuteria will open at 60 Kings Cross Road, Kings Cross from Friday, February 24. It will initially be open from 4pm Thursday–Saturday. Images: Chris Pearce.
Melbourne knows how to start off winter well. Its answer: RISING. It is almost an Australian tradition to fill the coldest part of the year with an arts festival — see also: Vivid Sydney, Illuminate Adelaide and Dark Mofo, including its events in its off year — and the Victorian capital takes the custom seriously. So, while RISING already announced its lineup for Saturday, June 1–Sunday, June 16 back in March (and also a few event details earlier, such as Counting and Cracking and Communitas), it isn't done packing its program yet. As the fest gets closer, it's adding everything from late-night DJs at Night Trade Stage Door — aka RISING's after-hours club — through to a third Dirty Three gig, two more Hear My Eyes sessions of Hellraiser, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra doing a secret pop-up show and a party in ACMI's Beings exhibition. Festival-within-the-festival Day Tripper, the block party that'll use Melbourne Town Hall as a hub and span to the Capitol Theatre and Max Watt's as well, has also unveiled its full lineup. [caption id="attachment_945439" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Damien Raggatt[/caption] The new additions boost RISING's 16-night lineup to 116 events and 651 artists, up from 105 events featuring 480 artists back in March. "With only a few weeks to go till opening, we're excited to reveal a whole new layer to the 2024 program" said RISING co-artistic directors Hannah Fox and Gideon Obarzanek. "The full Day Tripper lineup is super dynamic and brings in some of our local idols and more international gems. The festival's social heart, Night Trade, now includes psychic readings, karaoke, art and dance classes, and a full club program ranging from classical to R&B and techno. The beginning of winter in Melbourne can feel like standing at the bottom of a grim mountain and RISING is here to shake that feeling right off." Night Trade Stage Door will feature Shannon Michael Cane: Someone Great — A Celebration as its opening-night shindig, complete with Hot Chip's Alexis Taylor, Gerard Frank Long (aka Sugar Plump Fairy), Andee Frost and Stereogamous (Paul Mac and Johnny Seymour) on the decks. Also on the venue's overall lineup: Grumble Boogie from Betty Grumble and DJ HipHopHoe, Evian Christ with jjjacob and DJ ALI, and Crown Ruler presenting club nights. Night Trade as RISING's social club will also get a sip-and-paint session, LA artist John Kilduff doing a version of TV show Let's Paint TV live, karaoke with Mummy's Plastic and exhibition In the Future Everybody Will Be Cancelled for 15 Minutes by Jeremy Deller. [caption id="attachment_954467" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Laura Pemberton[/caption] New highlights at Day Tripper include Surprise Chef, Alastair Galbraith, Richard Youngs, Sarah Mary Chadwick, The Tubs, WET KISS, Scott & Charlene's Wedding, POSSESHOT and Polito. And, for HTRK's 21st birthday, Astrid Sonne, Still House Plants, CS + Kreme, James Rushford, Pandora's Jukebox, YL Hooi and DJ Emelyne, too. RISING's latest additions join a program that already includes Yasiin Bey, who was formerly known as Mos Def, leading the Day Tripper bill with a tribute to MF Doom; The Blak Infinite, a showcase of First Peoples' art and politics, taking over Federation Square; 24 Hour Rock Show, which will play rock documentaries back to back for a whole day and night, and for free; and tunes from ONEFOUR, Fever Ray, Sky Ferreira, Tirzah, Blonde Redhead, Snoh Aalegra and Moktar and more. The list goes on, for what's set to be a glorious full start to June 2024. [caption id="attachment_950694" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ben Searcy 2010.[/caption] RISING 2024 runs from Saturday, June 1–Sunday, June 16 across Melbourne. Head to the festival's website for further information and tickets. Night Trade images: A Caygill.
If you're keen to learn more about Korean culture, this is the place for you. A stone's throw from Hyde Park, the Korean Cultural Centre hosts everything from K-Pop dance workshops and Korean cooking classes to art exhibitions and film screenings. You can try your hand at Korean calligraphy or take a jogakbo patchwork class; there's a bevvy of fun activities to help broaden your understanding of Korean culture. KCC also runs language classes for beginners, intermediate and advanced students — so you can forget Duolingo and instead get the full, face-to-face experience. Since opening in 2011, KCC has worked to strengthen the presence of Korean culture within Australia and fostered cultural ties between the two countries. So, while you might be attending your first bibimbap class or heading to a kimchi lesson just for kicks, there's a deeper (and more profound) reason behind these activities and we're wholeheartedly on board.
Winning the GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers poll for 2023, Mountain Culture's Status Quo Pale Ale is living up to its name. The tipple from the New South Wales brewery in the Blue Mountains was also anointed 2022's top drop. So, from that ranking to the just-announced new countdown — which was unveiled on Saturday, January 27, 2024 — the existing state of affairs has indeed been maintained. When the end of January rolls around in Australia, folks get a-counting — and brews sit alongside tunes. The nation loves working through the top 100 songs of the past year thanks to Triple J's huge annual music poll, and has for decades. And, it loves celebrating the beers that everyone is likely sipping while listening to that countdown, which is where GABS' ranking of Aussie craft beers has come in for 16 years now. This yeasty poll does for beer what the other Hottest 100 does for bangers, and it loves repeat winners. In both 2020 and 2021, Canberra's Bentspoke Brewing Co did the honours with its Crankshaft American IPA. In 2022 and 2023, that brew came in third instead. Mountain Culture also bested 2017 and 2018 winner Balter Brewing Company for the second year running, with its Balter XPA notching up second position in 2022 and 2023. And, it beat out Your Mates Brewing Co, which nabbed fourth place this year. In fifth: Bridge Road Brewers' Beechworth pale ale. The rest of the top ten includes Gage Roads Brewing Co's Single Fin Summer Ale in sixth, Coopers Brewery's Original Pale Ale in seventh and Stone & Wood Brewing Co's Pacific Ale — the winner of the 2011, 2015, 2016 and 2019 polls; 2020's second-place getter; and 2021 and 2022's fourth beer on the list — in eighth. Young Henrys sits ninth with Newtowner, while Pirate Life Brewing came in tenth with its South Coast pale ale. Mountain Culture, which is run by husband-and-wife team DJ & Harriet McCready, also placed 22nd with its Cult IPA, 41st with its Be Kind Rewind NEIPA and 46th with its Summer Pale Ale. Obviously, it made more than a little company. 2023's hottest 100 was whittled down from 436 vote-receiving breweries and 1877 of their beers. From that hefty list of contenders, 63 different breweries scored a spot on the full list of 100 brews. That covers 27 beers from NSW, 24 from Queensland and 22 from Victoria, plus 11 from Western Australia, and eight each from the ACT and South Australia. 2023's rundown saw quite the turnover in tipples, too, with 28 of 2022's top brews dropping out and being replaced in 2023's rundown. Held by GABS — or the annual festival also known as the Great Australian Beer SpecTAPular, which returns for 2023 this May and June — the countdown is a people's-choice poll decided by booze lovers around the country. If you're thinking "less background, more beer", here's what you've been waiting for: the rundown of the best beverages from the past year that just keep tempting tastebuds. Working your way through the whole 100 isn't just a great way to show your appreciation for locally made brews, either — consider it research for the 2024 countdown. GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers of 2023: 1. Mountain Culture Beer Co — Status Quo Pale Ale 2. Balter Brewing — Balter XPA 3. BentSpoke Brewing Co — Crankshaft 4. Your Mates Brewing Co — Larry 5. Bridge Road Brewers — Beechworth Pale Ale 6. Gage Roads Brewing Co — Single Fin Summer Ale 7. Coopers Brewery — Original Pale Ale 8. Stone & Wood Brewing Co — Pacific Ale 9. Young Henrys — Newtowner 10. Pirate Life Brewing — South Coast Pale Ale 11. Philter Brewing — XPA 12. Black Hops Brewing — G.O.A.T. 13. Little Creatures — Pale Ale 14. Beerfarm — Royal Haze 15. Capital Brewing Co — Coast Ale 16. Range Brewing — Disco 17. 4 Pines Brewing Company — Pacific Ale 18. 10 Toes Brewery — Pipeline 19. The Grifter Brewing Co — Grifter Pale 20. Rocky Ridge Brewing Co — Jindong Juicy 21. Coopers Brewery — Sparkling Ale 22. Mountain Culture Beer Co — Cult IPA 23. Balter Brewing — Eazy Hazy 24. Stomping Ground Brewing Co — Gipps St Pale Ale 25. Moffat Beach Brewing Co — Passenger Pale Ale 26. Mountain Goat Beer — GOAT Very Enjoyable Beer 27. Better Beer — Better Beer Zero Carb 28. Blackflag Brewing — Rage Juicy Pale 29. Heads Of Noosa Brewing Co — Japanese Style Lager 30. Blackman's Brewery — Juicy Banger IPL 31. Green Beacon Brewing Co — Wayfarer Tropical Pale Ale 32. Heaps Normal — Quiet XPA 33. KAIJU! Beer — KRUSH! Tropical Pale Ale 34. CBCo Brewing — CBCo Pale Ale 35. Matso's Broome Brewery — Mango Beer 36. Feral Brewing Co — Biggie Juice 37. Hawkers Beer — West Coast IPA 38. Bright Brewery — Alpine Lager 39. Brick Lane Brewing Co — One Love Pale Ale 40. One Drop Brewing Co — We Jammin' 41. Mountain Culture Beer Co — Be Kind Rewind 42. Balter Brewing — Hazy 43. BentSpoke Brewing Co — Barley Griffin 44. Capital Brewing Co — Capital XPA 45. Balter Brewing — Cerveza 46. Mountain Culture Beer Co — Summer Pale Ale 47. James Squire — One Fifty Lashes 48. Your Mates Brewing Co — Sally 49. Gage Roads Brewing Co — Side Track All Day XPA 50. Little Bang Brewing Co — Sun Bear 51. Hop Nation Brewing Co — Rattenhund Classic Pilsner 52. Hiker Brewing Co — Cloudscapes 53. Bodriggy Brewing Company — Speccy Juice 54. Akasha Brewing Co — Super Chill Pacific Ale 55. Hop Nation Brewing Co — J-Juice Hazy IPA 56. Range Brewing — Lights + Music 57. Seeker Brewing — Mystic NEIPA 58. Heads Of Noosa Brewing Co — Black Japanese Lager 59. White Rabbit — Dark Ale 60. Bridge Road Brewers — Bling IPA 61. Coopers Brewery — Australian Lager 62. The Grifter Brewing Co — Serpents Kiss 63. Dainton Beer — Blood Orange NEIPA 64. Moon Dog Craft Brewery — Old Mate 65. Hawke's Brewing — Hawke's Patio Pale 66. Shout Brewing Co — Mullet Pale Ale 67. Modus Brewing — Modus Cerveza 68. Deeds Brewing — Juice Train 69. Coopers Brewery — XPA 70. Kosciuszko Brewing Co — Kosciuszko Pale Ale 71. Black Hops Brewing — East Coast Haze 72. Balter Brewing — Captain Sensible 73. 4 Pines Brewing Company — Japanese Lager 74. Stone & Wood Brewing Co — Hinterland Hazy Pale Ale 75. BentSpoke Brewing Co — Sprocket 76. Capital Brewing Co — Hang Loose Juice Hazy IPA 77. Little Creatures — Rogers 78. Sunday Road Brewing — Cryotherapy 79. Rocky Ridge Brewing Co — Rock Candy 80. Margaret River Beer Co — In the Pines 81. Big Shed Brewing Concern — Boozy Fruit 82. Blackflag Brewing — Affinity Tropical Pale 83. Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel — Three Sheets Pale Ale 84. Brouhaha Brewery — Strawberry Rhubarb Sour 85. Helios Brewing Co — Dionysus Oat Cream DIPA 86. Banks Brewing — Cake Eater 87. Coopers Brewery — Best Extra Stout 88. 4 Pines Brewing Co — Hazy Pale Ale 89. Fixation Brewing Co — Fixation IPA 90. Little Creatures — Little Hazy Lager 91. Bad Shepherd Brewing Co — Peanut Butter Porter 92. CBCo Brewing — CBCo IPA 93. Yulli's Brews — Amanda Mandarin IPA 94. Stone & Wood Brewing Co — Cloud Catcher 95. Moffat Beach Brewing Co — Moff's Summer Ale 96. Capital Brewing Co — Trail Pale Ale 97. Young Henrys — Hazy Pale Ale 98. Wolf of the Willows Brewing — Wolf PUP Hazy Pale Ale 99. Range Brewing — Dripping in Green: Citra 100. Your Mates Brewing Co — Macca For more information about the GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers of 2023, head to the GABS website.
If you've ever felt the room spin after being handed an eye-watering restaurant bill, you'll know that the fine-dining experience doesn't come cheap. That said, we know little else beats an indulgent, high-flying feed, especially when celebrating a special occasion. Even if it means you have to manage your finances accordingly until next payday. Until now, that is. In partnership with Great Southern Bank, we've uncovered some dining hacks that let you eat at Sydney's top spots without forking out a fortune. And, if you're someone who tempts financial fate after a few glasses of wine, then Great Southern Bank's hidden savings account feature, The Vault, will help curb that temptation, so you don't dip into the funds that may just buy you a house one day. Result.
There ain't nothing quite like country music, is there, partner? First popping up in the American South more or less a century ago, it's a simple yet satisfying genre that has found fans worldwide. Some of the most recognisable artists in history have been country singers — with a podium including Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Shania Twain, Kenny Rogers and more. If you know or love any of the above artists, you'd best secure some tickets to the upcoming Country by Candlelight tour. Having sold out theatres across the UK, it's headed down south (or down under, in this case) to tour across Australia and Aotearoa throughout February and March. After a series of February shows in NZ, the Australian tour will arrive in Queensland for a Gold Coast show at The Star Theatre on Sunday, March 1. The following week, it's Sydney's turn at Darling Harbour Theatre on Sunday, March 8, before moving to Melbourne Town Hall on Thursday, March 12. Then, the tour will hop across the country to PCEC Perth on Sunday, March 15, before an additional Queensland show at QPAC Brisbane on Thursday, March 19. Finally, the tour will conclude in South Australia at Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide, on Sunday, March 22. Each show starts at 7.30pm and should wrap up (encores notwithstanding) by 10pm. Country by Candlelight will tour across cities in Australia and New Zealand from Sunday, February 15 to Sunday, March 22. For more information or to book tickets, visit the website.
From humble beginnings in a graffiti-coated Melbourne laneway to a tapas empire to rival anything else in Australia — MoVida has come a long way. Co-founder and head chef Frank Camorra has been a driving force behind that growth. Now, over twenty years after MoVida first opened its doors, Camorra is turning his eyes to the horizon. Fresh off his latest tour of his Spanish homeland, Camorra is coming to Sydney for a partnership with another Spanish brand — CUPRA. Taking over CUPRA's Pitt Street City Garage on Thursday, October 31, the Barcelona native is bringing his specialty flavours to the Harbour City in the name of obsession. Ahead of the occasion, Concrete Playground sat down with the chef to chat about MoVida and more. On How MoVida Makes Spanish Cuisine Special "MoVida is a Spanish restaurant but it's in Melbourne. So Spanish ingredients and techniques are the starting point for our dishes, and then there's always some form of innovation but a reference back to a traditional dish. A very good example is anchovy with a smoked tomato sorbet, which is a classic Spanish combination of flavours — anchovy, bread and tomato, but it's just slightly tweaked so your tomato's now a sorbet, it's all refreshing and with the best quality Spanish ingredients that we can find." On the Origin of the Brand's Name "So MoVida is actually a cultural movement that happened in Spain in the late 70s and mostly through the 80s as well. It's what happened after the dictatorship ended as a new sort of blossoming in movies, music, literature, in all sorts of cultural ways because everything opened up. It's kind of like the Spanish punk movement, in a way. And MoVida literally means movement. So now when you go to Spain, if you ask "donde esta la movida" [where is the movement], you're asking where is it happening? Where is it interesting? We took that name because we wanted to relate to a modern interpretation of Spanish food." On the Moment He Realised MoVida Was Something Special "When we first opened MoVida, half the restaurant was a dining room, half the restaurant was a bar and high tables, and I remember that in the first three to six months, it was incredibly difficult to get people to eat at the bar. The dining room was always full. But people were happy to just sit on the bar and have a glass of wine and maybe a couple of tapas. And I remember, like, six months in, it almost happened overnight, but I looked up and saw this bar completely abuzz with people enjoying, eating and drinking convivially and thinking…jeez, this is exactly like what happens in Spain. So that was kind of the moment that I went, yeah, this is something good." On the Best Restaurant He's Ever Eaten In "The best restaurant I've ever eaten in is Aponiente, a restaurant in Puerto Santa Maria. It's all based around seafood, and they have some incredible innovations. They play with things like plankton, have dishes with bioluminescence, they even have seafood elements in the desserts—it's quite amazing." On an International Ingredient He'd Love to Bring Home "There's one thing I just tried recently, which was plankton. They said there's somebody pulling it into Australia, so I'm gonna try to do something with that. It's a plankton that's grown in the south of Spain. It seems weird, but it's farmed, and then they dry it and serve it as a powder. It was in rice, and it's almost like eating an oyster, that sort of flavour. Like the flavour in the ocean when you're going for a swim. That was pretty awesome." On Creating a Perfect Spanish Cuisine Starter Kit "There are a few ingredients that stand out as quality of Spanish food and really set it apart. One is anchovies. I think it's the product Spanish do incredibly well. They really care about the quality of the fish that goes into the can; it's very different from the usual kind of anchovies you'd get. Another one is Jamón Ibérico, Spanish ham. I just visited a factory where they cure the ham for four years, and [the pigs] eat acorns for four months before then. They take so much care and it shows in the final product. The other one is paprika, it's just one of those things…if you're gonna cook Spanish food you can't not use it. Like Italian food, you wouldn't cook without parmesan cheese, French food you wouldn't cook without butter, Japanese food without dashi, so this is that cornerstone ingredient. A bottle of sherry too, actually, that's essential just for me." On His Next Big Idea "We just opened in Singapore a few months ago and will open in Bangkok in December or January next year. We're going to try more international restaurants. That's what's on the horizon: bringing more Spanish food to Asia." On Working with CUPRA "Cupra is kind of the embodiment of what we do at MoVida or what we try to do. It showcases Spanish flair and innovation in carmaking but also in food. So I guess it's a nice symbolic clash, that flair for design, that boldness. Tradition and innovation together—that's what we do. Representing that modern side of Spain—that's what we're about." On What to Expect at The CUPRA Event "It's all about tapas, standing up, brushing shoulders, the food and the ambience that we're trying to create. It's that modern Spanish tapas, as if you're in a tapas bar in Spain, having that experience, but you're in Australia. That's what we're trying to do — standing shoulder to shoulder having good food, good wine, everything that the Spanish do so well." On His Own Definition of Obsession "Obsession, in a good way, is just trying to refine what you do. In my life it's the craft of being a chef, of obsessing over the details and doing everything you can to improve it. It's such a privilege to showcase Spain, a culture I know so well, to a group of people and obsess about making sure they're not going to have an inauthentic experience." Frank Camorra will be taking over the CUPRA Sydney City Garage, located at 68 Pitt Street on Thursday, October 31 from 6pm. For more information about CUPRA or to get behind the wheel on a test drive, visit the website. Want to win a double pass to attend? You can head to the CUPRA website and share your obsession in 25 words or less to claim a ticket.
Well, winter has certainly made its impending arrival known. Even before we officially started the season, we were blasted with chilly climes, making us all collectively moan about how cold it is and once again act as if we've never experienced winter before. But hold it right there. Winter is a good thing, people. It brings heaps of things to do in our fair city, and it marks the return of the best drink deal going. Nothing warms from the inside out like a nice stiff drink, especially one that costs you nearly half of what you'd usually pay. That's right, Merivale has brought back its deal offering 49 percent off drinks under $200, available from 5–7pm at nearly 40 of its venues for all of June — just because. Just because you've almost made it to the halfway point of 2019; just because you're avoiding the EOFY rush at work; just because Merivale felt like indulging Sydney's population. With 30 days to play with, we've teamed up with the hospitality behemoth to point you toward the best spots to make the most of this very happy happy hour — regardless of your budget and location. From a teensy CBD cocktail bar pouring teensy (but strong) cocktails for just $4.08 to waterside spots serving magnums for less than a lobster, you'll have many a venue where you can take advantage of the deal. So read on and start planning all the different occasions (excuses) that'll get you out and about as winter fully settles in. Winter hibernation? Who needs it.
UPDATE, November 6, 2020: Sonic the Hedgehog is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. First up, some good news: the Sonic the Hedgehog film could've been a whole lot worse. Mostly because, as you might've seen in the movie's nightmarish first trailer, it initially was. But while Sonic thankfully no longer looks like a toothy blue Matt Dillon from There's Something About Mary, the rushed cosmetic changes carried out by Paramount only run skin-deep. Sonic the Hedgehog might now look pretty great, but the film is a hot mess just about everywhere else. To begin with, it's a mystery why this movie even exists. Not only is the Sega game it's based on almost 30 years old, but films based on video games are like white whales for studios — strangely irresistible yet doomed to cause ruin. It's appropriate that one of the first (and undoubtedly one of the worst) examples was Super Mario Bros back in 1993, since it was that game franchise that led to Sonic's creation. Did Hollywood learn nothing? The appeal of gaming lies squarely in the user's participation — "play, don't watch" should be scrawled on every movie executive's cheque book — and these films do not work. Following Sonic's adventures on earth as he accidentally attracts the US government's attention, then tries to escape them, the other big problem with Sonic the Hedgehog is the pacing. Specifically, Sonic's. His whole reason for existing is to go fast — super fast. He's like the Flash, Road Runner and X-Men's Quicksilver combined. And while there are some genuinely fun sequences where viewers get to see that play out, he spends a full third of the film cruising around in a sensibly-priced sedan. Worse — he's not even driving. Live-action is very much in vogue at the moment (see: Beauty and the Beast, Pokémon: Detective Pikachu), but this feels like an instance where a completely animated film would've been the superior option. The movie's opening five minutes take place on Sonic's home planet, and it's a tantalising glimpse of what might have been had first-time feature director Jeff Fowler gone down that road. Ah well. Cast-wise, there's a clear standout. Jim Carrey is back in full force, dropping the most endearingly over-the-top performance audiences have seen from him in ages. As villain Dr Robotnik, he's somehow even more cartoonish than the CGI Sonic — and it's spectacular. Like Sonic's running, however, there's far too little of it throughout. Instead, the lion's share of screen time is reserved for Sonic (voiced by Parks and Recreation's Ben Schwartz) and his new pal Tom Wachowski (James Marsden), the local sheriff who's helping him avoid capture. Giving credit where credit's due, Marsden delivers the goods, charming his way through scenes that ought to have tanked hard. Schwartz, too, makes the inspired choice of keeping Sonic low-key instead of manic, resulting in a far more likeable hero. As a kid-friendly family film, Sonic the Hedgehog ticks all the boxes, including the apparent must-have of a central character doing the floss (twice, in this instance). Query, though, how many kids even know who Sonic is. The same question applies to writers Patrick Casey and Josh Miller (YouTube series 12 Deadly Days), who not only relegate the eponymous character to scant speediness, but have also crowbarred in a ton of woeful pop culture references that will date this film far too quickly. Since his creation in 1991, Sonic the side-scrolling bundle of blue fluff has earned over $5 billion. That's some legacy, and one this middling film will neither damage nor improve. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szby7ZHLnkA
Eyes to the sky, Australia — it's time to catch one of the year's most impressive meteor showers. Each autumn Down Under, the Eta Aquarids meteor shower sets the sky ablaze. And yes, it's happening right now. This vibrant astronomical vision starts in April every year, but is at its peak in early May. In 2023, that suits stargazers nicely. Last month was all about not looking directly at the solar eclipse, so now it's the night sky's turn to shine again. The best date to mark in your diary: the early hours of Sunday, May 7, which is when the shower will be at its most spectacular. If you're eager to catch a glimpse, even from just your backyard or balcony, here's what you need to know. [caption id="attachment_769233" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] WHAT IS IT The Eta Aquarids might not be as famous as Halley's Comet, but the shower is actually a distant relation — because the bits and pieces you see flying around were on Halley's path a really, really long time ago. And, rather than only being visible every 76 years (the next Halley's Comet sighting is in 2061), the Eta Aquarids come around every year, usually between April 19–May 28 every year. The shower's name comes from the star from which they appear to come Eta Aquarii, which is part of the Aquarius constellation. So, that's what you'll be looking for in the sky. Luckily, being in the southern hemisphere, we get some of the best views in the world. On average, you can see up to 20–40 meteors per hour. WHEN TO SEE IT The shower will reach a peak in the early morning of Sunday, May 7, but will still be able to be seen for a few days on either side. The best time to catch an eyeful is just before dawn after the moon has set, so around 4am — but between 2am–7am is also recommended. At that time, you'll be in the running to see as many as 50 meteors every 60 minutes. Each will be moving at about 225,000 kilometres per hour, shining extraordinarily brightly and leaving a long wake. The shower's cause is, essentially, the Earth getting in the comet's way, causing stardust to fry up in the atmosphere. HOW TO SEE IT Usually, when a meteor shower lights up the sky, we'd tell city-dwellers to get as far away from light pollution as possible to get the best view. If you can't venture out of town at the moment, you can still take a gander from your backyard or balcony. To help locate the shower, we recommend downloading the Sky Map app — it's the easiest way to navigate the night sky (and is a lot of fun to use even on a non-meteor shower night). If you're more into specifics, Time and Date also has a table that shows the direction and altitude of the Eta Aquarids. It has been updating this daily. The weather might get in the way of your viewing, though, depending on where you live. Melbourne is set for showers until next Tuesday, and Adelaide is as well on and off until Monday — although Sunday's forecast is just partly cloudy. There's also expected to be a shower or two in Perth from Saturday onwards, and showers are also meant to start in Sydney on Sunday. In Brisbane, however, mostly sunny conditions await.
If a great getaway to a beach, island or faraway city can be life-changing, what does a journey to space do? So ponders Constellation, among other questions. This new Apple TV+ series, which started its eight-part first season on Wednesday, February 21, is another of the platform's beloved mysteries — see also: Criminal Record, The Changeling, The Crowded Room, Hijack and Monarch: Legacy of Monsters since mid-2023 alone, and that list isn't exhaustive — with no shortage of queries floating through its tense frames. Inquiries are sparked instantly, from the moment that a mother in a cabin in northern Sweden, where there's snow as far as the eye can see but a frost infecting more than just the temperature, leaves her pre-teen daughter to follow a voice. The screams that she seeks out are yelling "mama!" — and what they mean, and why she's abandoning one girl to find another, is just one of the matters that Constellation interrogates. The woman is Jo Ericsson, as played by Noomi Rapace with the maternal devotion that also marked her turn in Lamb, plus the protective instincts that were key in Prometheus and Alien: Covenant as well — alongside the scrutiny and adaptability that was evident in her work in You Won't Be Alone, and the fierceness that helped bring her to fame as Lisbeth Salander in the original Swedish The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo films. Jo is an astronaut, and Europe's representative on the International Space Station when Constellation jumps backwards from its opening icy horror to a different kind of terror. Not long out from returning back to earth, she FaceTimes with her nine-year-old daughter Alice (Rosie and Davina Coleman, The Larkins) and husband Magnus (James D'Arcy, Oppenheimer). Then, something goes bump in the sky. Trauma leaves people changed, too; what if this incident, during which setting foot on our pale blue dot again is anything but assured, isn't the only distressing facet of travelling to the heavens? On the at-risk ISS, on a spacewalk to locate the source of the collision, Jo finds the mummified body of what looks like a 60s-era Russian cosmonaut. There'll soon be another astronaut dead inside the station, destroyed infrastructure, the first escape pod shuttling her three remaining colleagues back to terra firma and Jo left alone trying to repair the second so that she herself can alight home. Where both Gravity and Moon spring to mind in Constellation's initial space-set scenes, plus Proxima in the show's focus on mother-daughter connections (Interstellar, Ad Astra and First Man have dads covered), it's the earthbound Dark that feels like a touchstone once Jo is back among her loved ones. There's a similar moodiness to this series, a feeling that characters can't always trust what they think is plainly apparent and a certainty that nothing is simply linear about what's occurring. Her stint above the planet has made its imprint on Jo, but it's her everyday life that seems altered. Whether or not Alice can speak Swedish, the colour of the family car, if Jo can play the piano, why Magnus is chilly towards her: with each, what confronts Jo post-ISS conflicts with what she can recall prior to ascending to the station. Roscosmos' Irena Lysenko (Barbara Sukowa, Air) is also wary of her claims about spying a decades-old USSR cadaver. And the NASA equivalent, Nobel Prize-winning former Apollo astronaut Henry Caldera (Jonathan Banks, Better Call Saul), is concerned only with a quantum-physics experiment that was taking place on the orbiting base, gathering data about a possible new state of matter, which Jo has no recollection of. It might appear convenient that the psychological effects of long-term space travel fuel Jo's research mission on the station, but Constellation creator and writer Peter Harness — who boasts Doctor Who, Wallander, McMafia and The War of the Worlds on his resume — could never be accused of valuing neatness over depth. Unravelling the show's debut season with patience and deliberation, and with Joseph Cedar (Our Boys), Oliver Hirschbiegel (Unwanted) and Michelle MacLaren (an Emmy-winner for Breaking Bad) directing, he's dedicated to ensuring that the series intensely ruminates on the liminal. Constellation is about disorientation and transition, about the space where being too much of something and not enough of another smash and clash, and about coping with realising that life is always what happens in-between — as well as the fact that sometimes that truth applies more literally than others. As a thriller and a mystery, Constellation names Jo's daughter cannily; tumbling down the rabbit hole is a solid parallel. Viewers won't spy cakes and bottles labelled "eat me" and "drink me", but there are pills and supplements. No one goes chasing a walking, talking white bunny; however, a rabbit toy does feature, and clinging onto what Jo knows is real is just as elusive. While there's no Tweedledum and Tweedledee, Bud Caldera (also Banks) mirrors much about Henry, except that he's now working the sci-fi convention circuit. And although cries of "off with her head" are absent, the dismissals from those around Jo about what's happening with her perception is its own equivalent. Alice in Wonderland comparisons were always going to fit a story about curiouser and curiouser minds pursuing wild adventures, then endeavouring to reclaim their footing. At times, especially in remote lodgings in freezing woodland, the dark fairy-tale vibe beats stronger. But again, even when Constellation dances with fantasy like it's clutching onto a waltz partner — and does the same with eeriness as well — the series never stops being grounded in human bonds, emotions, yearnings and existential concerns. As the reality of both being alive and facing mortality, the urge to understand our place in the cosmos and the sheer enormity of the universe thrum throughout the show regardless of whether it's in space or on land, each is always brought back to people, rather than remaining mere concepts. Rapace, Banks, both Coleman sisters and Sukowa are especially instrumental in anchoring Constellation's twists, turns and big-thinking ideas in the show's characters — and making it so compelling. It isn't just as slickly made as Apple TV+'s fellow excellent recent sci-fi series Severance and Silo, then, and as gripping in its mysteries, but as rivetingly acted. Banks, doing double duty after over a decade as Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul's Mike Ehrmantraut, is particularly emblematic: that there's a chasm between what we want to comprehend and what's around us gleams in his eyes as both Henry and Bud, while his twin parts equally demonstrate how differently it glints from person to person. Check out the trailer for Constellation below: Constellation streams via Apple TV+ from Wednesday, February 21. Read our interview with Jonathan Banks.
If you're a pet owner, you'll know if can be difficult getting your dog/cat/iguana/parrot/rat from A to B — especially if you don't own a car. Example A: your friend has given you and Fido a ride to the beach, then bailed and left you and the fluffy boy stranded. Trains are out (in NSW or Queensland), Fido's too big for a box on a bus, you're nowhere near a ferry or CityCat, so you book a taxi, but the drive takes one look at sandy Fido and says no. Thankfully, this type of scenario will be left in the past when Uber Pet launches in Sydney and Brisbane tomorrow, Tuesday, March 10. Launching as a trial, Uber Pet will be available in your Uber app as a separate option — alongside UberX, Comfort and Pool — and will match you with a driver who's happy to pick up pets. It'll cost an extra $6–7 per ride, with some of that passed onto the drivers, too. While the cat below may not agree, it's really a win-win scenario. If the trial is a success, it'll be rolled out nationally as a permanent option on the app. So, you can plan more trips to dog-friendly pubs, beaches and parks. And get to the vet a little easier (don't tell your cat). While Uber expects cats and dogs will be the most common passengers, it allows any kind of domesticated animal use the service — at the driver's discretion. Assistance and service animals are still allowed in regular Ubers, as they are on all forms of public transport. You can read more about travel for assistance animals in NSW and Queensland here. Uber Pet is available in Sydney and Brisbane from Tuesday, March 10.
Move aside turmeric, matcha and beetroot — the next controversial coffee trend to look out for involves an unassuming little veggie called broccoli. Yep, the green stuff could soon star on coffee menus across the country, thanks to an innovative broccoli powder created by teams at Hort Innovation and the CSIRO. The product is crafted from those imperfect-looking vegetables that would otherwise be binned, and is designed to help everyday Aussies infuse more nutrients into their diets. Packed full of fibre, protein and phytochemicals, the 100 percent broccoli powder also sounds like a pretty nifty way to sneak some greens onto your kids plates. As well as being used as a key ingredient for a range of packaged snacks unveiled during last year's National Science Week, the powder also looks set to elbow its way onto the Australian coffee scene. It was recently trialled at Mornington's Commonfolk — a sustainability focused coffee roaster and cafe that's aiming towards a zero-waste existence — though, with mixed response from customers. Image credit: CSIRO
The Australian summer tennis swing kicks off in Sydney on Saturday, January 3, with the return of the United Cup. This fan-favourite tournament sees national sides battle it out in men's singles, women's singles and mixed doubles, bringing a lively, festival-like vibe to Ken Rosewall Arena at Sydney Olympic Park. The 2026 edition serves up plenty of reasons to get courtside. Local hero Alex de Minaur — who grew up playing at the Parkside Tennis Courts in Kogarah Bay and is now firmly entrenched in the world's top ten — will once again lead Team Australia. He'll be joined by rising star Maya Joint, making her national debut after a breakout season that saw her claim the mantle as Australia's top-ranked women's singles player. Across the net, they'll be facing the likes of British number ones Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu, both representing Team Great Britain for the first time, as well as Team Poland's world number two — and six-time grand slam winner — Iga Świątek and Hubert Hurkacz, who'll be looking to recapture the form that propelled him into the world's top ten before injury cut short his 2025 season. For Sydney fans, the Ken Rosewall Arena schedule is stacked. The opening night session on Saturday, January 3, launches the tournament under the lights, followed by a week of back-to-back ties as teams vie for knockout qualification. The energy ramps up for the quarter-finals on Thursday, January 8, the semi-finals on Saturday, January 10, and the final on Sunday, January 11. As well as national pride, there'll also be ranking points on the line — so expect sparks to fly from the first serve.
Love quirky facts? Spent your life amassing the kind of details that will probably never come in handy? Consider yourself a whiz at every trivia night around town? If so, you're probably a QI fan — and an avid listener of No Such Thing As a Fish. The former is, of course, the long-running British comedy panel quiz. The latter is the popular, award-winning podcast hosted by four of the show's researchers, aka the folks putting in the hard yards to come up with amusing pieces of information you didn't know you needed to know. Series staffers Dan Schreiber, James Harkin, Anna Ptaszynski and Andrew Hunter Murray aren't just finding tidbits for a raft of English comedians, or spending their spare time sharing the most bizarre facts they've come across over the last seven days, however. Come May 2018, they're also coming to Australia to shower our shores with trivia morsels. The live version of the podcast will include a live recording, so your laughter might be immortalised forever, plus a round up of the most astonishing things the team have discovered from the year's news. It has been a busy couple of years for the group, with their last UK and European tour proving a sell-out, and their 187 episodes to date scoring more than 55 million downloads. As Schreiber explains, "we started as four dorks sitting around a single microphone trying to make each other laugh. Things have changed a bit since we started — we now have four microphones — but it's a thrill to know there are hundreds of thousands of other people who love the same wild and hilarious facts that we do."
It begins with a ghost story, then a chilling diversion away from its main characters that's heartbreakingly ripped from the headlines. It ends with the most OTT yet incisive Amelie parody — and reckoning with restlessness, too — that's ever likely to grace screens, complete with baguettes wielded as weapons. In-between, it may or may not attend Tupac's date with death in Amsterdam, literally takes to history with a chainsaw and calls out Karens who are quick to snipe at others with their "I want to speak to the manager" sense of entitlement. Also, Alexander Skarsgård (The Northman) pops up and masturbates furiously, and cannibalism plays a part. The show in question: Atlanta. It took four years for the Donald Glover-created and -starring (and often -written and -directed) series to return for its third season, but the deservingly acclaimed program sashays through its latest batch of ten episodes like no time has passed. That said, when its latest stint first arrived back in March, launching with two episodes at once before reverting to weekly single-instalment drops, it made its comeback with two pieces of fantastic news and one inevitable but not-so-welcome reality. Wonderfully, this is one of two seasons of Atlanta that'll air this year. Surreal, insightful and exceptional, it's also as great as the show has ever been since it initially debuted in 2016. But when season four does appear later in 2022, that'll be the end. Knowing that Atlanta's time is numbered makes revelling in what it has for viewers now all the more special, although this series has long earned that description anyway. That quick list of season-three highlights above demonstrates that anything and everything can happen in Atlanta — and frequently does. But there's always an underlying point to stress, and one that'll never get old. Just as Jordan Peele has on the big screen with Get Out and Us after building upon his excellent sketch comedy show Key & Peele, Glover lays bare what it's like to be Black in America today with brutally smart and honest precision, and also makes it blisteringly apparent that both horror and so-wild-and-terrifying-that-you-can-only-laugh comedy remains the default. Atlanta's third season goes big on white bullshit, and also on the way that the white-centric world will forever be haunted by how it still treats and has historically treated people of colour. And, in the episodes that focus on Glover's Earnest 'Earn' Marks, his cousin and rapper Alfred 'Paper Boi' Miles (Brian Tyree Henry, Eternals), their Nigerian American pal Darius (Lakeith Stanfield, Judas and the Black Messiah) and Earn's ex Vanessa (Zazie Beetz, The Harder They Fall), the lived experience of being a Black American anywhere is thrust into the spotlight. Atlanta has now evolved to the point where it can be Atlanta anywhere, including well beyond its titular city. A lesser show might feel as Van visibly does from the moment that she meets Darius at the Amsterdam airport — careening, unmoored, uncertain of where to fit — but Atlanta is never anything but its ambitious and incredible self. Now all wrapped up and ready to binge — if waiting week to week isn't your style of viewing — the series' current spin has Al on tour in Europe, after his fame has rocketed since viewers last saw him. One of season three's bold moves: jumping into a stratospheric phase in the rapper's career, with money and success now just a given for the talent that the show saw strive, struggle and hustle through seasons one and two. When he's jailed in The Netherlands, he's treated like royalty. He's chased in the street, too, and recognised wherever he goes. And when Earn has to rustle up a fat stack of cash to get him out of prison, it's as easy as demanding an advance on that night's gig. Al's new luxury-dripping status quo, and Atlanta's drastic change of scenery, results in an on-the-road onslaught of antics that repeatedly put the program's key foursome at the mercy of white bullshit. Racist traditions, money-hungry rich folks looking to cash in on someone else's culture, scheming hangers-on, brands using Black artists for politically correct PR stunts, culinary gentrification, not just literal commodification but also voracious consumption — they're all included, and unpacked scathingly and exactingly. Also covered, particularly in the season's sublimely ridiculous final episode: the way that navigating this constant swirl of white-fuelled chaos isn't just exhausting, but dispiriting to the point that joining can seem like the safest move. Closing out with the only Van-focused entry from the new batch, season three's closer is as farcical and funny as Atlanta gets, and also deeply steeped in the everyday exasperation of battling to exist. When Glover, Henry, Stanfield and Beetz are on-screen — albeit never together as much as audiences hope — Atlanta is as comfortable as it gets while also always throwing up a non-stop array of surprises. Then there's the season's standalone stories, all of which would fuel excellent movies. Proving astute, incisive, sometimes-absurd, always-stellar and relentlessly inventive, here Atlanta examines the welfare system and its inequalities, reparations for slavery, the emotional and physical labour outsourced to Black workers, and how the world enforces all things white as the default — and preferred — option. Sometimes the takeaway points are obvious, but that doesn't mean they're any less searing. The cast, as always, are a powerhouse. Few actors can convey wearingly resigned yet still determined like Glover, or make Darius' ethereal vibe run deep as Stanfield does. Henry fleshes out Al's growing dissatisfaction with the trappings and expectations of fame, while Beetz steals every scene she's in — even when, for most of the season, she's flitting around the edges as Van free falls from the crew's most sensible member to its most erratic. Some of season three's stunt casting doesn't pay off, though, with obviousness rearing its head again and less successfully, but Atlanta still boasts the best core quartet currently on television. It's still the best among at almost everything it does, in fact, including sliding onto Glover's always busy resume. Obviously, season four now can't come quickly enough. Check out the full trailer for Atlanta's third season below: The third season of Atlanta is available to stream via SBS On Demand in Australia and Neon in New Zealand.
If you're not already an excited fan, what you may know about Kaki King is that Rolling Stone named her a "Guitar God" in 2006, and that most live reviews could be filed under: 'guitar tech drool dream'. I'm not kidding. She plays acoustic, she plays electric, she plays lap steel, she does something called tapping, and another thing called fanning. And when she tires of those things that I do not understand, she plays the piano. What no review seems to mention is that, ok, so she's a bonafide guitar god in that bordering-on John Fahey way, but hoo doggy does she have a pretty voice. So when she played in Sydney Festival's Spiegeltent a few years back, I was crushed when she didn't sing the whole time. But then she did that thing with the fanning and the tapping and I was happy once more, just like the rest of the sold out audience. Since then she has collaborated and toured with The Mountain Goats, Foo Fighters, and contributed to the soundtracks of Into the Wild (Golden Globe nomination) and Twilight (don't hold that against her), as well as releasing a handful of new EPs and — critic's favourite alert! — 2008's Dreaming of Revenge LP. See her because you understand those noodler's terms I used in the first paragraph and want to pray at the alter or whatever it is you do – or see her because you're a sucker for a pretty voice, but do see her.
Some workplaces encourage suggestions, speaking up and letting company leadership know if things aren't quite right. As Severance viewers discovered in season one, Lumon Industries hasn't historically been one of them. So what happens when a group of employees attempts to raise issues? In the just-dropped full trailer for the Apple TV+ series' second season, Mark S (Adam Scott, Loot), Helly (Britt Lower, American Horror Stories), Dylan (Zach Cherry, Fallout) and Irving (John Turturro, Mr & Mrs Smith) all find out, as Mr Milchick (Tramell Tillman, Hunters) informs them that they've now become "the face of severance reform" after their actions at the end of season one. The latest sneak peek at season two returns viewers to a world of innies, outies and workplace nightmares — and a sci-fi thriller mindbender with a first run of episodes that deserved all the praise that it received and more. Apple TV+ has released past teasers for the second season, but the latest unveils the most details yet of what's to come. Existence inside and outside Lumon isn't just on a collision course; the two are crashing into each other repeatedly, even if Mark S and co's secretive employer wants otherwise. Audiences will be clocking back in for more Severance come Friday, January 17, 2025, in a case of ideal timing. Thinking about how to best balance your professional and personal spheres, and the time you dedicate to them, is an annual tradition when each new year starts after all. The subject will get a bigger push via this hugely anticipated TV comeback — and so will how work-life balance can weigh on your mind, or not. If you missed the first season, disconnecting from your job come quittin' time — and giving your gig every ounce of your focus during your daily grind — has become literal in Severance in a hellish way. At Lumon, employees agree to undertake the titular procedure, which splits their memories between work and home. But as Macrodata Refinement division employee Mark S begins to learn, nothing about the situation is what it seems. The show dives into the kind of scenario that Black Mirror might've dreamed up, with technology that could've been used if Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was about punching the clock instead of romance. Mark S willingly signed up for severance, all to help process his grief over the death of his wife. And he was happy with the situation until his work BFF Petey (Yul Vazquez, The Outsider) left suddenly without saying goodbye, then new staff member Helly arrived to replace him — and instantly questioned the insidious setup, the rules and restrictions needed to keep it in place, and why on earth her "outie" (as the outside versions of Lumon employees are known) agreed to this in the first place. In season two, Mark and his work pals will attempt to dig deeper into the consequences of the severance procedure, and trying to escape it. They'll also find out the ramifications of messing with the system — and Lumon isn't just filled with the same familiar faces. Severance's return calls for a waffle party, an egg bar or a melon bar — or at least a big bunch of blue balloons with the face of Mark S on them. Jen Tullock (Perry Mason), Michael Chernus (Carol & the End of the World), Dichen Lachman (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes), Christopher Walken (Dune: Part Two) and Patricia Arquette (High Desert) are all back among the cast, alongside new cast members including Gwendoline Christie (Wednesday), Bob Balaban (Asteroid City), Merritt Wever (Memory), Alia Shawkat (The Old Man) and John Noble (Twilight of the Gods). Ben Stiller (Escape at Dannemora) returns as a director on five episodes, too, and executive producer across the whole season, with ten episodes on the way. Apple TV+ will drop instalments through until Friday, March 21, 2025. Check out the full trailer for Severance season two below: Severance returns for season two on Friday, January 17, 2025 via Apple TV+. Read our review of season one.
Knock knock, Matrix fans: the door to the sci-fi franchise, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2024, is reopening. Mere days after notching up half a century since the first film in the saga hit cinemas in the US — which happened on March 31 — Warner Bros has announced that it's making a fifth live-action movie in the Keanu Reeves (John Wick: Chapter 4)-led saga. The news also comes three years after The Matrix last returned to the big screen courtesy of 2021's The Matrix Resurrections. But whether Reeves will be back, or Carrie-Anne Moss (Accidental Texan) as well, hasn't been revealed so far. While the world wonders whether a live-action Matrix movie without Keanu and Moss is really a Matrix movie, one thing is certain: this new Matrix flick won't feature either Lana or Lilly Wachowski (Sense8) behind the lens. Together, they helmed 1999's first film, then 2003's The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. Lana did the honours solo on The Matrix Resurrections. On the upcoming feature, Lana will now be an executive producer instead. In the director's chair this time: Drew Goddard, who helmed The Cabin in the Woods and Bad Times at the El Royale, and earned an Oscar nomination for writing The Martian's screenplay. He'll also be scripting and producing, but the tale he'll be telling also hasn't been announced. "Drew came to Warner Bros with a new idea that we all believe would be an incredible way to continue the Matrix world, by both honouring what Lana and Lilly began over 25 years ago, and offering a unique perspective based on his own love of the series and characters," said Warner Bros Motion Pictures President of Production Jesse Ehrman in a statement announcing the new film, as per Variety. "The entire team at Warner Bros Discovery is thrilled for Drew to be making this new Matrix film, adding his vision to the cinematic canon the Wachowskis' spent a quarter of a century building here at the studio." "It is not hyperbole to say The Matrix films changed both cinema and my life," added Goddard. "Lana and Lilly's exquisite artistry inspires me on a daily basis, and I am beyond grateful for the chance to tell stories in their world." So far, the saga that rightly claims that Keanu is the one began with with one of the best sci-fi films ever made, delivered two underwhelming sequels mere years later, also includes excellent animated anthology The Animatrix and then enjoyed its first decades-later comeback with The Matrix Resurrections. When its next instalment will land, and what it'll be called, haven't been revealed as yet, either. There's also no word as to whether any other Matrix cast members will return, with Resurrections also featuring franchise regular Jada Pinkett Smith (The Equalizer) — plus series newcomers Jonathan Groff (Knock at the Cabin), Neil Patrick Harris (Doctor Who), Jessica Henwick (The Royal Hotel), Priyanka Chopra Jonas (Citadel), Christina Ricci (Yellowjackets) and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom). There's obviously no trailer for the next Matrix movie right now, but check out the trailer for The Matrix Resurrections below: The new Matrix movie doesn't yet have a release date — we'll update you when one is announced. Read our review of The Matrix Resurrections. Via Variety.
Indecisive eaters of Australia, rejoice: you no longer have to pick between two go-to snack foods. Feel like a doughnut, but also feel like a muffin as well? Not quite hungry enough to tuck into both? Spending too long deciding which to eat? Behold your new culinary saviour — the duffin. The concept is right there in the name, with this mashup combining a doughnut and a muffin. And, none other than Krispy Kreme is making them — so if you already covet the chain's treats, here's something else to try. Do these kinds of food hybrids actually make picking something to eat easier — or do they make it harder because you've now got a third option to choose from? Good question. Either way, they rely upon the novelty factor, and the idea that combining two tasty dishes has to result in something special. If you're eager to give Krispy Kreme's duffins a whirl across your tastebuds, they've hit shelves from Tuesday, July 5 in three flavours. So, you do actually have a few more choices after all — picking between apple and cinnamon, blueberry and white chocolate, and double choc. The first option features toasted oats and a spiced apple filling, while the second includes real blueberries on top and a blueberry filling inside. As for the third, it gets its chocolate fix via choc chip pieces and a chocolate custard filling. To get snacking, you'll find the duffin trio at Krispy Kreme and 7-Eleven stores across Australia for $4 each. Krispy Kreme's duffins are available from Tuesday, July 5 at Krispy Kreme and 7-Eleven stores across Australia.
Love, Tilly Devine is one of Sydney's best bars. It's a haven for minimal-intervention wines, and also the venue that kicked off the amazing run of openings that the Love Tilly Group has been on since 2010 (see: Ragazzi, La Salut, Dear Saint Eloise). Now, it's just had a revamp featuring a flash new sign, a new food menu, and a killer happy hour with $10 wines and cocktails. Head down the laneway and through the door now marked by a colourful new lightbox sporting the bar's new logo to find the same Love, Tilly Devine you adore, but with some new additions. There are new green tiles, brown leather banquettes and a romantic candlelit balcony, all accompanying the revamped menu. The fresh selection of bar snacks is more playful than the predecessors, with highlights including next-level hot dogs, fried sardine sandwiches, potato cakes topped with crab salad and tri-tip tartare. If you're after something small and moreish, opt for the fried olives. You won't be able to stop popping them after the first bite. The bar has also introduced a group sharing menu perfect for small-group celebrations among friends who love wine. Hit up the Darlinghurst haunt between 5–6pm Monday–Saturday, and you can score $10 mini martinis and negronis, $10 mystery wines, $8 sardine sambos and a snack-sized version of the signature hot dog for $11. Images: Josh Bentley.
Committed nerds, aspiring nerds and casual nerds, here's the perfect way to dedicate your weekend to bettering your brain. The Sydney Science Festival is back for another round, running from August 7–19. And it's going to be bigger (and, we're happy to report, nerdier) than ever, with more than 200 events involving over 80 organisations. Whether you want to consider the ethics of living with — and potentially loving — robots, lose yourself in tactile and visual illusions or hear about what might happen when the Milky Way crashes into the nearest galaxy, you can do it all over a couple of days. While the festival runs for two weekends, we've chosen the first one (August 10–12) to craft an itinerary of shameless nerding out, with some much-needed brain food thrown in for good measure. FRIDAY 6PM: CATCH LISA HARVEY-SMITH'S KEYNOTE SPEECH To open the festival for 2018, astrophysicist and Stargazing Live presenter Lisa Harvey-Smith will be explaining what might happen were the Milky Way to collide with its nearest galaxy — an event expected to happen in about 3.8 billion years. You'll be hearing all about stars forming in sudden bursts, the fusing of black holes and gas jets travelling at the speed of light. The impending collision is the subject of Harvey-Smith's new book When Galaxies Collide, which English physicist Dr Brian Cox described as a "fascinating and inspiring tour of the galaxies". When Galaxies Collide is happening at 6pm, Friday, August 10 at the Powerhouse. Book a ticket over here. [caption id="attachment_659315" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kitti Smallbone[/caption] 8PM: GRAB A POST-TALK DRINK AT THE TERMINUS If there's one way to get your head around the collision of galaxies, it's a stiff drink. Get just that at the Terminus Hotel, a 177-year-old pub that reopened in March this year after a 30-year hiatus and a multi-million dollar revamp. For a quiet cocktail, head upstairs to Vera's, a light, elegant space named after Vera Dempsey, a local legend among bartenders, who ran the pub back in the 1930s. Otherwise, kick back on a super comfy bar stool in the downstairs Tram Bar, which opens out to an alfresco courtyard. The current cocktail menu includes a blue cheese martini and the FCUK Yoga (bourbon, ginger, honey and house-made apple puree). The Terminus is open until midnight at 61 Harris Street, Pyrmont. SATURDAY 10AM: EXPLORE WHAT IT IS TO BE HUMAN (OR ROBOT) This exhibition delves into what it means to be human and the impact of rapidly advancing technology, which is beginning to blur the lines between human and robot. With four aspects of our experience in mind — food, work, sex and belief — a selection of artists have created an array of immersive installations, drawing on architecture, design, biotechnology, botany, chemistry, film and performance. Look out for works by Lindsay Kelley, Liam Young, Maria Fernanda Cardoso, Ken Thaiday and Jason Christopher, and expect to be challenged, surprised, confused, frightened and maybe (just maybe) even a little hopeful. Hold onto your ticket because you'll be heading back here after lunch. Human non Human is open from 10am–5pm at the Powerhouse. Entry to the museum is $15 for all-day entry. 12PM: REFUEL WITH PIZZA AT FRATELLI FRESH Just ten-minute stroll from the Powerhouse is the brand new Fratelli Fresh Emporium in Darling Harbour. This 500-seat mega venue, dotted with red-and-white umbrellas, is a wonderland of Neapolitan pizzas, gelati, Sonoma goodies, Italian wines, negronis and Aperol spritzes. If the sun's a-shining, take a seat in the outdoor courtyard to gaze over the water; otherwise, get cosy inside among the pot plants and communal tables. When you've feasted to your heart's content, stretch your legs with a stroll along the waterfront: you'll need a clear and ready mind for the brain-bending sessions coming up. Fratelli Fresh Emporium is open from 7am till midnight at 14 Darling Drive, Darling Harbour. 2PM: LEARN ABOUT SCIENCE'S RECENT BREAKTHROUGHS Scientific discoveries might seem complex, but they often begin with simple accidents, experiments and ideas. It was the sight of an apple falling that led Sir Isaac Newton to conceive of gravity, while a chocolate bar melting in a pocket inspired engineer Percy Spencer to invent the microwave. These principles of experimentation and curiosity are at the heart of the Australian Museum's Super Science Saturday, which is set to be an interactive expo-like day of scientific discovery. There'll be 20-plus booths manned by bona-fide experts so you can learn about everything from volcanoes to the science behind Indigenous bush foods and medicine. It's a little nerdy but that's what this weekend is all about — and, if nothing else, you'll be primed for the next pub trivia night. Super Science Saturday is running from 9.30am–4pm at the Australian Museum, Darlinghurst. Entry is $20 for adults and free for kids. 5PM: GRAB A WELL-EARNED WINE AT RILEY STREET GARAGE After exploring science's most important breakthroughs of the 21st century, you'll be more than ready for a good glass of red and maybe a snack or two. Cross William Street to reach Riley Street Garage and take a seat up at its impressive centrepiece bar — not only is it a great place to rest your feet, but it also has some sweet happy hour deals. Truffle soy oysters are just $1 each, and glasses of house wine and beer are just $5. Riley Street Garage is open from midday till midnight at 55 Riley Street, Woolloomooloo. 7PM: A NIGHT OF ILLUSIONS Leave reality blissfully behind when you step into an arcadia of illusions. Taking over Redfern's 107 Projects, this adventure compels you to question the fine line between what's real and what merely seems. You'll find yourself immersed in the sensory world of animals, experience the sensation of inhabiting an entirely different body and see things that aren't there. Helping you to understand what's going on in your brain along the way will be a bunch of leading scientists, including neuroscientist Dr Deborah Apthorp, behavioural ecologist Matthew Bulbert and vision scientist Erika Contini. A Night of Illusions Is running for one night only from 7pm at 107 Projects, Redfern. Tickets are $5 and you can book over here. SUNDAY 10AM: DO A MORNING DRAWING WORKSHOP Science isn't all robots and space stuff — it's about cute animals, too. Which is really a topic everyone can get behind. At this morning workshop in The Addison Road Community Centre, experts will make you a semi-expert on one species that's particularly prevalent in Sydney's skies: microbats. The centre has its own habitat tree on-site, so you might be able to catch a glimpse of them sleeping before you sit down and learn how to properly draw them. Unless you just happen to be a chiropterologist, you'll learn at least a few interesting facts to share with your mates at work on Monday. The A-Mazeing Acrobats Drawing Workshop will run from 10am–12pm at The Addison Road Community Centre, Marrickville. You can book tickets here. 12PM: GRAB LUNCH AT THE HENSON When you're done, head around the corner for a pub lunch. If the weather's nice, The Henson's beer garden will be in full swing, so grab any spot you can and don't give it up. The menu is varied, so you can grab anything from tacos to haloumi burgers to half a Balinese-style chicken. So it's good if you've amassed a crew, and it's great if you've got kids in tow. The Henson is open from 11am at 91 Illawarra Road, Marrickville. 5PM: FIND OUT IF YOU'LL SOON HAVE A ROBOT FRIEND AT THE OPERA HOUSE After spending a few hours lapping up the Sunday sun in The Henson's courtyard, catch the train to Circular Quay to round out your weekend with a contemplation of the blessings and evils of robots. They're gradually pervading all aspects of our lives, so it's time we gave them some serious thought. Getting you moving will be this panel discussion, featuring Toby Walsh (UNSW Scientia Professor, Artificial Intelligence), Ellen Broad (independent consultant, data sharing, open data and AI ethics) and Hae Won Park (research scientist, Personal Robots Group, MIT Media Lab). Just some of the big questions they'll be tackling include: what will it mean if robots are our toys, our pets, our friends and our partners? If robots can be everything from carers to warriors, what does this mean not just for human lives, but for the way we understand human intelligence, human values and humanity itself? Thought-provoking stuff and a good note to end your weekend on. Good Robot, Bad Robot will take place at 5pm at the Sydney Opera House's Drama Theatre. Tickets are $49 and can be bought here. The 2018 Sydney Science Festival will run over two weeks from August 7–19. Take a look at the full program here — there's enough there to extend your weekend to a very nerdy two weeks.
If you're heading home via Wynyard Station this evening, you might notice something new. In fact, it's pretty hard to miss. Today, sculptor Chris Fox unveiled Interloop, a striking, 50-metre-long installation that's now hovering above Wynyard's escalators, between York Street and the main concourse. Directly referencing its surroundings, the sculpture is made up of 244 wooden treads and four combs, all of which were once part of Wynyard's original escalators, built in 1931. However, they've been rearranged to appear like massive spectacular-looking concertinas — or maybe staircases out of a Salvador Dali painting. "Connecting yesterday and tomorrow, Interloop interrogates the conceptual and material boundaries between art and architecture," said Fox. "It is a physical re-interpretation...that re-purposes the hardwood from the heritage treads of now-retired escalators, into a sculpture weighing over five tonnes." Fox spent six months designing and engineering the installation, then twelve weeks fabricating it. The process involved a kilometre's worth of welding, via which Fox attached the treads to high-strength, marine-grade aluminium, before suspending the whole behemoth from the station ceiling with steel beams. Interloop is now on display at Wynyard Station above the escalators between York Street and the main concourse. Images: Josh Raymond.
Fittingly located on Waratah Street in the centre of Mona Vale, Aqua Rosa's beautiful flower arrangements are sure to brighten up your day. Chose between native bouquets of banksias, bottlebrushes and dried eucalyptus, to pretty pink posies and elegant orchids, or pick up a cute knick knack for a gift. The friendly staff are on hand to help pick out the perfect florals, and to put together an arrangement that could be mistaken for an art installation. Images: Trent van der Jagt.
In attempting to engage the lucrative teenage market, a film could do worse than conclude its opening monologue with the line, "Everybody knows where they belong... except me". "Oh my god," say those teenagers, "that's basically what I think! I need to get all my friends and see this movie eighteen more times!" There's a reason more than 17 million copies of the novel by Veronica Roth are in print worldwide with no signs of slowing down. Sure, there's the plot about a post-apocalyptic, dystopian world in need of courageous teenagers to save humanity, but at its heart, Divergent remains a simple story about teenage isolation and the possibility that a cute boy might actually like you. Set 'after the war' (that's as much detail as we're given), the survivors of this Chicago 2.0 have instituted a new form of social order to ensure the sustained peace. The community is divided into five factions: carers, pacifists, protectors, thinkers and truth-speakers. When the teenagers come of age, they're subjected to a series of tests to determine their factional predisposition, and while 99 percent of them fall clearly into one group or another, every so often a 'divergent' individual comes along whose skills and feelings cross into multiple factions. A simple but boring version of this idea would be: In a world of left-handers and right-handers, some people are ambidextrous. And then those ambidextrous people are hunted down and murdered. The problem with divergents, you see, is that they can't be controlled. They're a threat to the system because they don't play by the rules. So now, in addition to cute boys and isolation, there's a heady dose of 'screw you mum — you can't tell me what to do!' The divergent in this instance is 15-year-old Beatrice (Shailene Woodley), a daughter of two 'Abnegation' parents who dreams of being one of the 'Dauntless' caste, the fearless (if also reckless) group charged with maintaining order in the city. But some, like Erudite leader Jeanine (Kate Winslet), believe the system is broken, and as the balance of power begins to shift with dictatorial-like qualities, 'Tris' finds herself having to choose between faction and family. Woodley is the standout in Divergent; an undeniably talented young actress whose performances since The Descendants have shown both range and maturity beyond her years. She commands attention in every scene and convinces as the conflicted heroine who prefers not to pull the trigger but can and will without hesitation if necessary. Around her is a substantial supporting cast, including Ashley Judd, Jai Courtney and Zoe Kravitz, with Theo James as her sufficiently attractive and brooding love interest, Four. In the end it's all very Hunger Games Lite, mixed in with a bit of Brave New World for good measure. With much of the film centred around Tris's training instead of any actual conflict, it suffers from a lag that struggles to shake free until well into the second hour, by which time what action there is feels rushed and unsubstantiated. Fans of the books will be happy, especially given the film's fidelity to the material; however, newcomers may struggle to get on board. https://youtube.com/watch?v=336qJITnDi0
With the bulk of 2020 now past us, the idea that visiting the shops might mean you need to pay special attention to your health is no longer new. Indeed, that scenario is now a normal part of life during a pandemic — and one that New South Wales residents have been getting used to during the state's response to COVID-19. Naming locations and venues that positive coronavirus cases have visited is key element of NSW's containment strategy, and yesterday, Tuesday, October 13, it announced the latest places that Sydneysiders should be wary of. The big one: IKEA in Tempe, with anyone who went looking for affordable Swedish furniture between 1.30–5.30pm on Wednesday, October 7 asked to monitor their health, and get a test for COVID-19 and then self-isolate if they start suffering from even the mildest of symptoms. Also on the list is Woolworths Oran Park, with visitors to the centre on three specific days asked to watch for symptoms: between 5.30–6.30pm on Wednesday, September 30; from 5.15–6pm on Thursday, October 8; and between 6–6.30pm on Friday, October 9. Folks who frequented Bunnings Gregory Hills between 7–8pm on Tuesday, October 6 fall into the same category as well, as do those who went to Fantastic Furniture Campbelltown from 3.30–5.20pm on Friday, October 9. Rounding out the latest rundown of venues are a number of spots in Emerald Hills, specifically for folks in the area on Friday, October 2. At Prasadi Nepali, the warning applies to those in attendance from 3.30–4pm that day. The same applies to visitors to McDonalds from 5–5.15pm and anyone at Aldi Emerald Hills from 5.30–6.15pm. https://www.facebook.com/NewSouthWalesHealth/posts/1422467214619282 NSW Health has been maintaining an ongoing register of locations that have been visited by positive COVID-19 cases, and you can check out the entire list on its website. And, if you need a reminder, the symptoms to look out for are coughs, fever, sore or scratchy throat, shortness of breath, or loss of smell or taste. You can find a rundown of testing clinic locations online as well. At the time of writing, NSW has 59 active COVID-19 cases, from a pandemic-long total of 4106 across the state. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.
There’s nothing the Oscars love more than an inspiring true story. Every year in the lead-up to Hollywood’s most self-congratulatory night, our theatres with filled with biographical dramas: handsome, well-acted and totally inoffensive. This year’s crop includes The Imitation Game, American Sniper and The Theory of Everything, all of which attempt to rouse us with their stories of courage in the face of adversity. And yes, sure, their protagonists are all white guys. But hey, at least Alan Turing was gay. Also on the list of this year’s would-be contenders is Unbroken, the sophomore directorial effort from one Angelina Jolie. The film is a wartime biopic (of course) about Olympic marathon runner and WWII bombardier Louie Zamperini, whose B-24 aircraft crashed down in the North Pacific and who spent the last two years of the conflict as a prisoner of war in Japan. The film is based on Laura Hillenbrand’s book Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption. With a title like that, it’s hardly surprising that the story leans towards hero worship. As depicted by Jolie and actor Jack O’Connell, Zamperini is less a man as he is a pillar of bravery and virtue; a genetically engineered combination of Jesse Owens and Captain America. Flashbacks to before the war come complete with stock-standard motivational quotes. “A moment of pain,” we’re told, “is worth a lifetime of glory.” I’m not trying to diminish Zamperini’s sacrifice. But while he may have been a hero, he’s not an interesting protagonist. Tales of wartime valour have been done to death, and frankly Unbroken brings nothing new to the table. Jolie portrays America’s enemies with about as much dimension as the Nazis in Hogan’s Heroes, although admittedly they’re not nearly as funny. The only Japanese character they bother naming is the sadistic Corporal Watanabe (played by musician Miyavi), whose cartoonish villainy prevents any exploration of the psychology behind wartime abuse. And yes, atrocities were committed in POW camps, and it’s important that we continue to remember that. At the same time, this story has already been covered. Instead, why not make a movie about the 100,000 Japanese Americans forced into prison camps by President Roosevelt? Where’s the film about the moral quandary behind dropping the atomic bomb? Hell, what about telling the story of Zamperini’s life after the war, when post-traumatic stress disorder drove him to alcoholism until he became a born-again motivation speaker? Those would be interesting stories. But I guess they’re not to Oscar’s tastes. Unbroken is by no means a terrible film. Jolie is a solid director, her cast does good work and the narrative – shallow and conventional as it is – isn’t necessarily unengaging. It is, however, disappointingly safe; the sort of adequate time killer you won’t necessarily regret seeing, assuming you remember seeing it at all.
Public holidays are wonderful, with Australia currently experiencing its usual autumn run of them — and loving it. The one big side effect: they always get everyone thinking about enjoying more than just a day or two off work. Yes, you're likely now in holiday-planning mode, and Virgin's latest sale wants to help. Forget staying local, or even just heading somewhere around the country. This batch of discounted fares is all about island getaways overseas. Bali, Fiji, Samoa and Vanuatu, here you come — because they're the spots that the airline is slinging cheap return flights to right now. The love islands flight sale runs until 11.59pm AEST on Monday, April 24 — unless sold out earlier. And while prices start at $429, that'll get you there and back. In that specific instance, that's how much it costs for Gold Coast–Bali airfares. Other specials include Adelaide to Bali from $489, Brisbane to Fiji from $489 and Melbourne to Samoa from $729, as well as Sydney to Fiji from $469 and Perth to Vanuatu from $909 — all with economy lite fares. If you're wondering when you'll need to travel, it depends according to route, but the sale is largely clustered around October–December 2023 and January–March 2024. To some destinations, you can go in May and June 2023 (and avoid the start of Australia's winter, too). As usual when it comes to flight sales, you'll need to get in quick if you're keen to stack your next year or so with island trips. Virgin's love islands flight sale runs until 11.59pm AEST on Monday, April 24 — unless sold out earlier. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Sometimes, we take the little things for granted, and we don’t get a chance to stop and smell the roses. While roses should be around for a little while longer, artist Catherine Young has worked in collaboration with Swiss perfume company Givaudan to create a collection of fragrances that we may lose due to climate change. The Ephemeral Marvels Perfume Store (or TEMPS for short) features eight perfumes in the scent of Coasts, Coffee, Honey, Wine, Eucalyptus, Peanuts, Ice and Hardwood Trees. Young approached Givaudan with the smells that she wanted to capture and the feelings or memories that she wanted to evoke, and the scientists went from there. The perfumes are held in beautiful glass bottles, each with a hummingbird on the label. "Because of its speed, the hummingbird is known as a messenger and stopper of time," writes Young on her website. "It is also a symbol of love, joy and beauty. The hummingbird is also able to fly backwards, teaching us that we can look back on our past. This could be the saddest perfume collection ever produced. And while it's not likely to flip the Ian Plimers of the world into acting on climate change, there's no denying it is a poetic way to communicate the message. Scent is renowned for its ability to transport us back to a past memory. Think of all the things we stand to forget if we can no longer visit them via olfactory highway. Unfortunately, the scents are not for sale. TEMPS is part of Young’s solo exhibition The Apocalypse Project, held at the Mind Museum in the Philippines. This is also not the first time that Young has used scents as part of her artistic work. In graduate school Young created a book called An Olfactory Memoir of Three Cities: Manila, New York, Barcelona, which featured smells from three cities Young had previously lived in. Via Fast Company.
Huge music festivals are back, and Australia has the ever-growing gig calendar to prove it — and it just got even bigger. Get ready to hop into the mosh pit like its the 90s and early 00s at massive alternative, metal and punk music fest Good Things, which is living up to its name with its just-dropped 2022 lineup. Headlining the tour are Bring Me The Horizon and Deftones, plus NOFX — who'll be playing 1994's iconic album Punk In Drublic in full. They'll also be joined by The Amity Affliction, Gojira and Millencolin, spanning everything from Queensland favourites to infectious Swedish punk. Oh, and just none other than Australia's own TISM playing their first live shows in 19 years. Will TISM take to the stage naked? That's now the question of the summer. 'Tis the season — and the times in general — for Ron Hitler-Barassi and company to drop their clothes but keep their masks, after all. Whatever they're decked out in, or not, expect plenty of legendary Aussie songs. Expect to have 'Greg! The Stop Sign!', 'Whatareya' and 'Ol' Man River' stuck in your head right now as well, obviously. Good Things' impressive bill also features Kisschasy playing 2005's United Paper People in full, fellow Aussie faves Regurgitator — because, just like the 90s and 00s, it wouldn't be a festival without them — and Lacuna Coil, Soulfly, ONE OK ROCK, 3OH!3, Cosmic Psychos and more. The fest is headed to Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane across three massive early December days, from Friday, December 2–Sunday, December 4. And whether you're a yob or a wanker, you'll want to be there. GOOD THINGS 2022 LINEUP: Bring Me The Horizon Deftones NOFX (performing Punk In Drublic in full) TISM The Amity Affliction Gojira ONE OK ROCK 3OH!3 Blood Command Chasing Ghosts Cosmic Psychos Electric Callboy Fever 333 Jinjer JXDN Kisschasy (performing United Paper People in full) Lacuna Coil Millencolin Nova Twins Polaris RedHook Regurgitator Sabaton Sleeping With Sirens Soulfly The Story So Far Thornhill GOOD THINGS 2022 DATES: Friday, December 2 — Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne Saturday, December 3 — Centennial Park, Sydney Sunday, December 4 – Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane Good Things will hit the Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane in December 2022. Pre-sale tickets go on sale from 10am, Tuesday, June 21, and general sales from 10am on Thursday, June 23. Head to the festival website for more info and to register for pre-sales.
Boasting a raft of awards, it's not hard to see why The Darling Spa is considered one of Sydney's most luxurious. Not only is it home to 11 treatment rooms, a steam room, Moroccan Hammam chamber and two opulent couples suites, but the Pyrmont venue also offers an extensive range of therapies that prove well worth the splurge. The entry-level facial costs $110 and the treatments quickly go north from there, but so too does the quality. Treat yourself to a balancing full-body massage (from $195), or perhaps surrender to an indulgent three-hour package that includes a full-body exfoliation, body wrap, scalp massage, hand and foot treatment and facial for $580. [caption id="attachment_847463" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption]
It's hard to believe that already a year has passed since Sydney inner-city commuters were introduced to the lightning-fast Sydney Metro line. Having already been gracing the northwest with high-speed underground travel since 2019 — on Monday, August 19, 2024, the line extended into Sydney's Lower North Shore and CBD. This upcoming Tuesday marks one year of service and over 66 million trips for the extended line, and commuters will have to get up early if they want to join the celebrations. The eight new stations, stretching between Chatswood and Sydenham in a speedy 22-minute commute that sees driverless trains barreling through tunnels to arrive every four minutes in peak hours. Each station featured architectural details inspired by the local suburb, and some are already packed with eateries for passing commuters (with Martin Place and Victoria Cross leading the charge on that front). Haven't ticked them all off yet? Here's our ranking. On Tuesday, August 19, Train Set 29 will reenact its first-ever journey, travelling the length of the M1 line, starting at Sydenham Platform 1 at 4.54am, and travelling all the way up to Tallawong over the course of an hour. It's a significant anniversary for Sydney public transport, and the Metro line isn't done expanding yet. The next planned opening will be a line connecting Sydenham to Bankstown via Marrickville, Dulwich Hill, Belmore, Punchbowl and more, which is planned to open by the end of the year. Then, a Sydney Metro West line will connect the CBD to Parramatta via Pyrmont, Five Dock, Burwood, Strathfield, Sydney Olympic Park and Westmead. Several proposed lines are also in the works, which could link the Western Sydney Airport to St Mary's, Schofields to Tallawong, Koragarah and La Perouse to the city and more. The commemorative birthday metro will depart Sydenham at 4.54am on Tuesday, August 19. For more information on the Sydney Metro, visit the website.
