There's toying with horror film tropes, and then there's It Follows. Fans of the genre have undoubtedly seen all the scary movies where the characters get it on, only to be nastily dispensed with not too long after. Even those not so fond of big-screen frights have probably watched the flicks that call attention to and make fun of the cliche, such as Scream. Well, here, that convention isn't just a routine inclusion — it's the film. When hormone-fuelled teens have done the deed, something evil comes calling. That, folks, would be the titular 'it', a presence that can take the guise of a parent, friend or stranger. It follows its victim with a focus and perseverance most movie killers could only dream of. Once it sets its sights on the latest sexually active person to catch its attention, it won't stop walking and stalking until it strikes them down — or until the unlucky soul in question passes it on by sleeping with someone else. After getting intimate with her boyfriend, Hugh (Jake Weary), for the first time, that's the situation 19-year-old Jay (Maika Monroe) finds herself in. It takes some time to convince her sister Kelly (Lili Sepe), friends Yara (Olivia Luccardi) and Paul (Keir Gilchrist), and neighbour Greg (Daniel Zovatto) of such a strange predicament, but they're soon helping her try to outrun her sinister, unceasing, supernatural pursuer. There might be more than a hint of picking off the promiscuous at play here, even if getting physical is a clear substitute for fears of growing up in general, but thankfully that outdated attitude doesn't dampen the film. Instead, It Follows flies by thanks to its genuine chills, using its style to unsettling effect. If ever there was a movie that stacked up familiar horror elements and made them its own in the canniest fashion possible, it's this one. Think you've seen that fondness for symmetry before? And heard something similar to that electro score? Well, if you're familiar with the work of Stanley Kubrick and John Carpenter, that's not at all surprising. This isn't a case of blatant copying of parts of movies like The Shining and Halloween, but of affectionate nods to obvious influences. Writer/director David Robert Mitchell takes his cues from the master filmmakers he loves, his enthusiasm ensuring It Follows is never anything less than hauntingly atmospheric and spine-tinglingly creepy. So, there's sex and death, a gimmick that might get you watching. Plus, there's an unshakeable air of unease, which will probably keep you glued to your seat. It's actually the performances that will get you really engrossed in the film, however, refreshingly showing teens acting their age. Monroe is a certain star in the making, and the rest of the cast are just as great at getting to the heart of what it must be like to be scared out of your wits while still awkward, vulnerable and uncertain. As It Follows follows them coping the best they can, it also follows in the footsteps of horror greats gone by, proving a striking and sincerely scary addition to the genre. Read our feature on the history of sex in horror movies.
In the time since Sydney's lockout laws came into effect, many venues in the lockout zone have closed — but quite a few have found new life too. Club 77 was resurrected in early 2016, The Flinders reopened under new management and Flamingo Lounge took over the old Hugos space late last year. Now, Kit & Kaboodle has been given a revamp. The bar — located on level two of the old Sugarmill Hotel, which became the Potts Point Hotel under new ownership last year — is set to open this month as Boogie Mountain, a self-indulgent venue dedicated to rock and roll. The bar takes its name from a commune set in 1970s Arizona desert and boasts a passion for the hedonistic. Think luxe red velvet lounges and hidden timber-panelled nooks, plus magnums of rosé and decadent lobster poutine. "The introduction of Boogie Mountain is about creating something unique, where patrons can relate to the venues offerings," says owner John Duncan. "We are very excited to give the space a new lease on life, with Boogie Mountain adding a great new option to Sydney's late night scene." It's open Thursday through Saturday only, with weekend hours offering lock-in until 3.30am (as long as you're inside by 2am, of course). Thursdays will see vinyls on the turntable and all-you-can-eat poutine specials on offer, too. You can expect non-stop tunes all night, with the rock soundtrack including the likes of Talking Heads and Iggy Pop. When you're not getting your boogie on, it's got classic American cocktails, an all-Australian wine list and craft beer tinnies to accompany those aforementioned magnums. For food, the poutine menu is joined by share plates like saffron risotto 'disco balls' and cheese boards, along with a post-midnight snacks menu of burgers, fries and apple pie. "We wanted to create a space that celebrated what Sydney was always about — a youthful loss of innocence, a sense of adventure, simple pleasures and free spirit," says designer Byron Georgouras. Boogie Mountain will open on April 20 on level 2 of the Potts Point Hotel, 33 Darlinghurst Road, Potts Point. It'll be open Thursday 6pm until late, Friday 8pm until 2am and Saturday 8pm until 2am (with lock-in until 3.30am). For more info, visit boogiemountain.com.au.
It was true in 2023 and it's the case again in 2024: The Calile in Brisbane is the best hotel in both Australia and Oceania. After earning those honours on the inaugural World's Best 50 Hotels list last year, the Fortitude Valley venue has backed up the accolades for a second year. This time, it isn't the only Aussie accommodation spot to make the cut, but it still ranked higher than anywhere else Down Under. In 2023, The Calile came in at 12th place. In 2024, it sits in 25th. The awards called the James Street hotel an example of "laid-back, sun-soaked, chic Aussie hospitality", noting that it "riffs on modernist Miami and Palm Springs while also nodding to the design stylings of 1960s Australia". Also getting some love: its onsite dining and drinking spots, such as Hellenika, Biànca, Sushi Room, SK Steak and Oyster, and Lobby Bar, some of which have scored Nigella Lawson's approval as well. "Brisbane is becoming an increasingly interesting place to dine and The Calile's six restaurants have been instrumental in making that a reality," the World's Best 50 Hotels noted. Praise was also showered upon the site's ability to ensure that indoors meets outdoors, the 30-metre pool surrounded by cabanas and the service. "The Calile's stunning botanical pool deck is undeniably the hotel's centrepiece, with sun lounges filled with tanned and leggy guests, overlooked by the curved balconies of the hotel's poolside rooms. The seven cabanas can be booked for dinner or cocktails, which are the best place to observe all the action of Brisbanites at play," the accolades continued. The Tasman in Hobart is the other Australian spot to nab a place in the top 50, coming in at number 48. It received attention for its "three distinct architectural eras cleverly melded into one seamless, luxurious whole". "What binds this eccentric collection of styles together is an uncompromising attention to detail, a sense of relaxed luxury and a uniquely Tasmanian style and pace," the awards also advised. If you're looking for Aussie spots for a staycation or vacation, there's your top two suggestions sorted. If you're keen to say at some of the world's best hotels beyond Australian shores, you have 48 choices, capped by Capella Bangkok — which was 2023's Best New Hotel — in first place. [caption id="attachment_973399" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Capella Bangkok[/caption] Passalacqua in Moltrasio in Italy dropped down from top spot last year to second this year, while Rosewood Hong Kong came in third and Cheval Blanc in Paris ranked fourth. From there, The Upper House in Hong Kong sits in fifth place, Raffles Singapore came in sixth, Aman Tokyo ranked seventh, Soneva Fushi in The Maldives nabbed eighth place, and The Atlantis Royal in Dubai and Nihi Sumba on Sumba Island in Indonesia round out the top ten. Per continent, as well as The Calile being named the best spot in Oceania, Capella Bangkok did the same in Asia, Passalacqua was named Europe's top hotel, Chablé Yucatán in Mexico did the honours in North America, Rosewood São Paulo notched up the feat in South America and Mount Nelson in South Africa scored the title in Africa. [caption id="attachment_918889" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Passalacqua © Ruben Ortiz[/caption] The World's Best 50 Hotels sits in the 50 Best stable alongside the World's 50 Best Restaurants, the World's 50 Best Bars, Asia's 50 Best Bars, Asia's 50 Best Restaurants and more. Debuting in 2023, the countdown highlights excellence among places to stay, and initially favoured Europe heavily among its selections — but its second year sees Asian hotels earn more spots on the list than anywhere else with 19 in total, including four from Bangkok alone. European accommodation spots are represented in 2024 by 13 places, North American hotels nabbed nine, Africa features four, Oceania scored four as well and South America has one. The World's Best 50 Hotels winners for 2024 were picked by more than 600 international travel experts, all with a significant number of stamps on their passports, with the list unveiled in London. [caption id="attachment_819667" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rosewood Hong Kong[/caption] "To have been selected two years in a row marks a significant affirmation of The Calile's place on the global hotel industry stage. This is a win for our team, our collaborators, our loyal guests and a win for Brisbane as a destination, and we are humbled to again represent Australia and be recognised as leading in the Oceania region," said The Calile Hotel co-owner Catherine Malouf, who attended the ceremony in the UK. Brisbane keeps garnering the international spotlight, as does the broader Sunshine State as well. The River City was named one of the best places to go in 2024 by The New York Times, travel guide Frommer's also selected the city as one of 2024's best spots to visit and TIME put it on its world's greatest places list for 2023. Further north, Palm Cove near Cairns topped Condé Nast Traveller's beach list for 2024, and was named the home of the best hotel in the South Pacific, and also Australia, by Tripadvisor. For the full World's 50 Best Hotels list for 2024, head to the awards' website. The Calile images: Cieran Murphy.
This year, Barangaroo's January 26 program will begin with the symbolic WugulOra Morning Ceremony – held at Barangaroo rather than the Sydney Opera House for the first time. The ceremony aims to acknowledge Australia's shared history and will include dance performances from the NSW Public Schools Aboriginal Dance Company and the Jannawi Dance Clan, a young, community-based Indigenous dance company. The Kari Choir will perform the national anthem in local language, and there will be another performance of the song Budjari Guyalungalung Baraya-la ('Let's Sing Good Dreaming'), sung by 250 voices. The location also sets attendees up with a fantastic view of the Aboriginal and Australian flag raising ceremony on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Image: Barangaroo Delivery Authority.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. SISSY Scroll, swipe, like, subscribe: this is the rhythm of social media. We look, watch and trawl; we try to find a sense of self in the online world; and when something strikes a chord, we smudge our fingers onto our phones to show our appreciation. If wellness influencers are to be believed, we should feel seen by this now-everyday process. We should feel better, too. We're meant to glean helpful tips about how to live our best lives, aspire to be like the immaculately styled folks dispensing the advice and be struck by how relatable it all is. "You saved my life!", we're supposed to comment, and we're meant to be genuine about it. The one catch, and one that we shouldn't think about, though: when it comes to seeking validation via social media, this setup really does go both ways. As savvy new Australian horror film Sissy shows, the beaming faces spruiking easy wisdom and products alike to hundreds, thousands or maybe hundreds of thousands of followers — 200,000-plus for this flick's namesake — are also basking in the glory of all that digital attention, and getting a self-esteem boost back in the process. Sissy starts with @SincerelyCecilia, an Instagram hit, doing what she does best. As played by Gold Coast-born Australian actor Aisha Dee of The Bold Type in an astute and knowing stroke of casting, she's a natural in front of the camera. Indeed, thanks to everything from The Saddle Club and I Hate My Teenage Daughter to Sweet/Vicious and The Nowhere Inn as well, the film's star knows what it's like to live life through screens out of character. She's been acting since she was a teenager, and she's charted the highs of her chosen profession, all in front of a lens. So, it's no wonder that Dee conveys Cecilia's comfort recording her videos with ease. The actor hops into the spotlight not only once but twice here, but she's just as perceptive at showing how the world crumbles, shakes and shrinks whenever there's no ring light glowing, smile stretched a mile wide and Pinterest-board background framing her guru-like guidance. "I am loved. I am special. I am enough," is Cecilia's kind of mantra. Through her carefully poised and curated videos, such words have sparked a soaring follower count, a non-stop flow of likes and adoring comments. But she's so tied to all that virtual worship that her off-camera existence — when she's not plugging an 'Elon mask', for instance — is perhaps even more mundane than everyone else's. It's also isolated, so when she reconnects with her childhood best friend Emma (co-director/co-writer Hannah Barlow) during a chance run-in at a pharmacy, it's a rare IRL link to the tangible world. Cecilia is awkward about it, though, including when Emma invites her to her out-of-town bachelorette party that very weekend. Buoyed by memories of pledging to be BFFs forever, singing Aussie pop track 'Sister' by Sister2Sister and obsessing over movie stars, she still agrees to go. Sissy's first act is a Rorschach test: if you're already cynical about the wellness industry and social media, unsurprisingly so, then you'll know that nothing dreamy is bound to follow; if you're not, perhaps the blood and guts to come will feel like a twist. Either way, there will be blood thanks to Barlow and fellow co-helmer/co-scribe Kane Senes' game efforts, reteaming for their second feature after 2017's For Now. There will be chaos as well, and bad signs aplenty, and a rousing body count. Hitting a kangaroo en route to their remote destination clearly doesn't bode well, and also kicks off casualty tally. Then the old schoolyard dynamics bubble up, especially when Cecilia's playground tormentor Alex (Emily De Margheriti, Ladies in Black) is among the fellow guests. Pre-teen taunts resurface — "Sissy's a sissy" was the juvenile and obvious jeer spat her way back in the day, and repeated now — and the @SincerelyCecilia facade starts to shatter. Read our full review. ARMAGEDDON TIME What's more difficult a feat: to ponder everything that the universe might hold, as writer/director James Gray did in 2019's sublime Ad Astra, or to peer back at your own childhood, as he now does with Armageddon Time? Both films focus on their own worlds, just of different sizes and scales. Both feature realms that loom over everyone, but we all experience in their own ways. In the two movies, the bonds and echoes between parents and children also earn the filmmaker's attention. Soaring into the sky and reaching beyond your assigned patch is a focus in one fashion or another, too. In both cases, thoughtful, complex and affecting movies result. And, as shared with everything he's made over the past three decades — such as The Yards, The Immigrant and The Lost City of Z as well — fantastic performances glide across the screen in unwaveringly emotionally honest pictures. In Armageddon Time, Gray returns to a favourite subject: the experience of immigrants to New York. With a surname barely removed from his own, the Graff family share his own Jewish American heritage — and anchor a portrait of a pre-teen's growing awareness of his privilege, the world's prejudices, the devastating history of his ancestors, and how tentative a place people can hold due to race, religion, money, politics and more. The year is 1980, and the end of times isn't genuinely upon anyone. Even the sixth-grader at its centre knows that. Still, that doesn't stop former Californian governor-turned-US presidential candidate Ronald Reagan from talking up existential threats using inflammatory language, as the Graffs spot on TV. Armageddon Time also takes its moniker from a 1977 The Clash B-side and cover; despite the film's stately approach, the punk feeling of wanting to tear apart the status quo — Gray's own adolescent status quo — dwells in its frames. Banks Repeta (The Black Phone) plays Paul Graff, Gray's on-screen surrogate, and Armageddon Time's curious and confident protagonist. At his public school in Queens, he's happy standing out alongside his new friend Johnny (Jaylin Webb, The Wonder Years), and disrupting class however and whenever he can — much to the dismay of his mother Esther (Anne Hathaway, Locked Down), a home economics teacher and school board member. He dreams of being an artist, despite his plumber dad Irving's (Jeremy Strong, Succession) stern disapproval, because the elder Graff would prefer the boy use computing as a path to a life better than his own. In his spare time, Paul is happiest with his doting, advice-dispensing, gift-bearing grandfather Aaron (Anthony Hopkins, The Father), who's considered the only person on the pre-teen's wavelength. Gray fleshes out Paul's personality and the Graffs' dynamic with candour as well as affection, as seen at an early home dinner. There, Paul criticises Esther's cooking, orders dumplings even after expressly being forbidden and incites Irving's explosive anger — and the establishing scene also starts laying bare attitudes that keep being probed and unpacked throughout Armageddon Time. Indeed, Paul will begin to glean the place he navigates in the world. Even while hearing about the past atrocities that brought his grandfather's mother to America, and the discrimination that still lingers, he'll learn that he's fortunate to hail from a middle-class Jewish family. Even if his own comfort is tenuous, Paul will see how different his life is to his black, bused-in friend, with Johnny living with his ailing grandmother, always skirting social services and constantly having condemning fingers waggling his way. And, Paul will keep spying how Johnny is at a disadvantage in every manner possible, including from their instantly scornful teacher and via Paul's own parents' quick judgement. Read our full review. THE WONDER "We are nothing without stories, so we invite you to believe in this one." So goes The Wonder's opening narration, as voiced by Niamh Algar (Wrath of Man) and aimed by filmmaker Sebastián Lelio in two directions. For the Chilean writer/director's latest rich and resonant feature about his favourite topic, aka formidable women — see also: Gloria, its English-language remake Gloria Bell, Oscar-winner A Fantastic Woman and Disobedience — he asks his audience to buy into a tale that genuinely is a tale. In bringing Emma Donoghue's (Room) book to the screen, he even shows the thoroughly modern-day studio and its sets where the movie was shot. But trusting in a story is also a task that's given The Wonder's protagonist, Florence Pugh's nurse Lib Wright, who is en route via ship to an Irish Midlands village when this magnetic, haunting and captivating 19th century-set picture initially sees her. For the second time in as many movies — and in as many months Down Under as well — Pugh's gotta have faith. Playing George Michael would be anachronistic in The Wonder, just as it would've been in Don't Worry Darling's gleaming 1950s-esque supposed suburban dream, but that sentiment is what keeps being asked of the British actor, including in what's also her second fearless performance in consecutive flicks. Here, it's 1862, and 11-year-old Anna O'Donnell (Kíla Lord Cassidy, Viewpoint) has seemingly subsisted for four months now without eating. Ireland's 1840s famine still casts shadows across the land and its survivors, but this beatific child says she's simply feeding on manna from heaven. Lib's well-paid job is to watch the healthy-seeming girl in her family home, where her mother (A Discovery of Witches' Elaine Cassidy, Kila's actual mum) and father (Caolan Byrne, Nowhere Special) dote, to confirm that she isn't secretly sneaking bites to eat. Lib is to keep look on in shifts, sharing the gig with a nun (Josie Walker, This Is Going to Hurt). She's also expected to verify a perspective that's already beaming around town, including among the men who hired her, such as the village doctor (Toby Jones, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain) and resident priest (Ciarán Hinds, Belfast). The prevailing notion: that Anna is a miracle, with religious tourism already starting to swell around that idea, and anyone doubting the claim — or pointing out that it could threaten the girl's life and end in tragedy — deemed blasphemous. But arriving with experience with Florence Nightingale in the Crimean War behind her, the level-leaded, no-nonsense and also in-mourning Lib isn't one for automatic piety. A local-turned-London journalist (Tom Burke, The Souvenir) keeps asking her for inside information, sharing her determination to eschew unthinking devotion and discover the truth, but the nurse's duty is to Anna's wellbeing no matter the personal cost. Lelio's opening gambit, the filmmaking version of showing how the sausage is made, isn't merely a piece of gimmickry. It stresses the power of storytelling and the bargain anyone strikes, The Wonder's viewers alike, when we agree to let tales sweep us away — and it couldn't better set the mood for a movie that ruminates thoughtfully and with complexity on the subject. Is life cheapened, threatened or diminished by losing yourself to fiction over fact? In an age of fake news, as Lelio's movie screens in, clearly it can be. Is there far too much at stake when faith and opinion is allowed to trump science, as the world has seen in these pandemic-affected, climate change-ravaged times? The answer there is yes again. Can spinning a narrative be a coping mechanism, a mask for dark woes, and a way to make trauma more bearable and existence itself more hopeful, though? That's another query at the heart of Alice Birch's (Mothering Sunday) script. And, is there a place for genuine make-believe to entertain, sooth and make our days brighter, as literature and cinema endeavours? Naturally, there is. Read our full review. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on August 4, August 11, August 18 and August 25; September 1, September 8, September 15, September 22 and September 29; and October 6, October 13, October 20 and October 27. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Bullet Train, Nope, The Princess, 6 Festivals, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, Crimes of the Future, Bosch & Rockit, Fire of Love, Beast, Blaze, Hit the Road, Three Thousand Years of Longing, Orphan: First Kill, The Quiet Girl, Flux Gourmet, Bodies Bodies Bodies, Moonage Daydream, Ticket to Paradise, Clean, You Won't Be Alone, See How They Run, Smile, On the Count of Three, The Humans, Don't Worry Darling, Amsterdam, The Stranger, Halloween Ends, The Night of the 12th, Muru, Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon, Black Adam, Barbarian, Decision to Leave, The Good Nurse, Bros and The Woman King.
UPDATE: February 4, 2021: Burning is available to stream via SBS On Demand, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. A part-time deliveryman's worried face reflects the entire world's problems in Burning. Played by the quietly expressive Yoo Ah-in, Jongsu never seems as if he'll allow himself even a second's rest and relaxation. He looks stressed when he's walking the Seoul streets during his rounds. He appears anxious when he happens to run into his former neighbour, Haemi (Jun Jeong-seo), who he can't actually remember properly. Whether the pair is reconnecting intimately, Jongsu is feeding Haemi's cat while she travels to Africa, or he's visibly unimpressed when she returns with the cooly charming Ben (Steven Yeun) on her arm, he's never at peace. A silent stare and inner solace aren't the same thing, as Jongsu's complicated gaze makes so plain again and again. What some filmmakers can't convey with an enormous cast of actors, Lee Chang-dong achieves with the captivatingly melancholy Yoo. What some can't manage across several movies, the writer-director does in mere seconds here. Lee is no cinematic slouch — this is his sixth stint behind the camera, joining a spate of rightfully applauded tiles such as Peppermint Candy, Oasis, Secret Sunshine and Poetry — but there's a particular alchemy to Burning from its opening moments. A love triangle that's also a slow-burning thriller as well as a potent statement on class and gender divisions in modern South Korean society, the film captures a world so visually detailed and emotionally loaded that every frame entices and intrigues. It captures the world, not just a world — from pretty young women selling dreams via lottery tickets, to the chasm between the haves and the have nots, to the feeling that everything, everywhere is always ablaze. When Jongsu and Haemi cross paths, she sells him a dream, too — of being a couple, of a life beyond the abandoned Paju family farm he's just moved back to, and of a future that's not just one routine struggle after another. When she arrives back from her trip with the canny, confident Ben, the jealous Jongsu sees that fantasy slip away. Worse, he sees how starkly different everything is for someone of wealth, comfort and means. "There is no difference between playing and working," Ben offers without a blink, a statement that couldn't be more piercing to someone whose existence is all work and woe and inertia, and rarely any play. But, adapting a short story from Haruki Murakami's The Elephant Vanishes, Lee finds an especially stunning way to build and dissect the pair's rivalry. A ruminative mystery, a fine-tuned character study and an intricately observed examination of human relationships all at once, one of the joys of Burning is its wholesale aversion to simplicity. Here, as in reality, nothing is straightforward. Indeed, Lee takes life's enigmas and puzzles, thrusts them into view and forces the audience to ponder along with him. His film doesn't just ask how well you can really know someone, but whether you can ever actually know someone — and if, with Haemi, Jongsu even does. As it watches its increasingly paranoid protagonist yearn for his new love and stew over his competitor, this haunting, penetrating movie doesn't just wonder what a person is capable of, or what we're willing to embrace and ignore, but how we learn to reconcile the contradictions and ambiguities of human nature that we experience every single day. Lee has always favoured an observational, unobtrusive directorial style, allowing the camera to roam and linger when it needs to, and letting his actors express what they need to to get his stories across. He's also a deft hand at crafting strong but slippery scripts — narratives that say much but leave plenty unsaid, and leave ample room for interpretation. Burning fits the mould, although there is no mould when it comes to the filmmaker. Rather, Lee deploys the same general approach, applies it to a new tale and ensures that the result always feels fresh. The space that he carves out in Burning, and the freedom he gives his exceptional cast, is revelatory. In affording viewers the scope to glean their own insights, sift through their own complexities and come to their own conclusions, this 148-minute movie proves revelatory for everyone. Back to the stellar trio that Lee pushes front and centre, though — not just experienced South Korean star Yoo, but first-timer Jun and The Walking Dead's Yeun as well. Burning would be a lesser film without any of them, with the distance in Jun's performance (the sensation that there's always something just out of reach, specifically) so perfectly attuned to the movie's mood. If Yoo is the picture's face of anxiety, uncertainty and fragile masculinity, however, then the ever-impressive Yuen is its sly, murky, tantalisingly elusive core. How fitting it is that Burning, like Haemi, spends its time caught between the two — and utterly refuses to be pinned down by choice. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eI9UYcEwUYA
Between an immersive dinner experience in a historic house, performances by The Flaming Lips and Kamasi Washington and a swag of captivating theatre experiences inviting audiences into parallel worlds, this year's Melbourne International Arts Festival (MIAF) will be tough to ignore. Unveiled yesterday, the festival's 2019 program is set to deliver a diverse, vibrant celebration of dance, music, theatre, visual arts and architecture from October 2–20, with the entire city as its stage. For one of 12 Australian premieres, famous illusionist Scott Silven will host multi-sensory dinners for 24 people inside Chapter House, combining magic and storytelling (and, hopefully, some food). Another Australian premiere that'll be equally captivating is Yang Liping's contemporary dance masterpiece Rite of Spring. Tokyo-based art collective teamLab — made up of mathematicians, architects, animators and engineers — will take over Tolarno Galleries with sculptures of light and "cascades of shimmering luminescence", which will make you feel as though you're standing on a floating wave of light. If you've been lucky enough to visit Tokyo's Digital Art Museum or Shanghai's pop-up digital waterfall you'll know what to expect — they're both works by teamLab. Over at the Arts Centre, Black Mirror actor Maxine Peake will lead 15 musicians in a captivating exploration of enigmatic artist Nico and her 1968 masterpiece The Marble Index, in an Australian exclusive. [caption id="attachment_724480" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Flaming Lips[/caption] In terms of music, there are some big names heading Down Under for the two-week festival. Psychedelic rock legends The Flaming Lips will perform their ninth, and most celebrated, record The Soft Bulletin in full to celebrate its 20th anniversary. The band's performances are never run-of-the-mill either — so, expect confetti cannons, elaborate costumes and neon unicorns. Jazz king Kamasi Washington — who has collaborated with everyone from Herbie Hancock to Kendrick Lamar and St Vincent — will be performing his latest album Heaven and Earth, as well as other top hits. Grammy Award-winning string quartet Kronos Quartet will be heading to Melbourne, too, and if the name doesn't immediately sound familiar, you'll most definitely recognise their Requiem for a Dream soundtrack. Elsewhere on the program — which, yes, continues – will see the return of Melbourne's beloved art trams, Nakkiah Lui's new show Black is the New White, a thought-provoking look at (and questioning of) 2019 Melbourne in Anthem and a world premiere of Chunky Move's new contemporary show Token Armies. This will be the last MIAF in its current format, too. Starting from 2020, MIAF will also form part of a new and bigger winter festival, in conjunction with White Night. Melbourne International Arts Festival runs from October 2-20, 2019, at venues across the city. Tickets are available here, from Monday, July 22. Images: Borderless Tokyo Digital Art Museum by Sarah Ward; Yang Liping's Rite of Spring; Kamasi Washington.
A trio of Sydney institutions are coming together to launch an inclusive community festival that celebrates three cornerstones of Sydney's cultural landscape: footy, food and music. The inaugural Welcome Day will arrive at Henson Park courtesy of the Newtown Jets, Heaps Gay and The Music & Booze Co, the team behind King Street Carnival, The Beer, Footy and Food Festival and The House of Music and Booze. One of the NRL's foundation clubs back in 1908 and a thriving force in the Inner West for over a century, the Newtown Jets pride themselves as a football club for all. As part of this push to make rugby league welcoming and inclusive, the club has teamed up with LGBTQIA+ party collective Heaps Gay and its founder Kat Dopper, plus longtime collaborators The Music & Booze Co, to celebrate Sydney's diversity and ensure everyone feels at home on the hill of Henson Park. "Welcome Day is a celebration of the rich diversity of our fabulous local community, and reaffirms the Jets' long history of inclusion of players and fans from all walks of life," says Stu McCarthy of the Newtown Jets. "It will be unique in the context of cross-code collaboration, but more importantly a fun day out for all." Hitting the Marrickville oval on Saturday, June 24, Welcome Day will bring together a stellar lineup of local restaurants, food trucks, distillers, seltzer brands, winemakers and DJs in support of a jam-packed day of rugby league. The day's on-field action will be headlined by a NSW Cup clash between the Newtown Jets and the Parramatta Eels. The Jets are forgoing their cross-code differences with the Petersham Rugby Union Club for the day, and hosting two union games — one men's and one women's — as curtain-raisers. [caption id="attachment_898477" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Baba's Place wraps[/caption] On the food lineup, you can expect eats from Rolling Penny, Pepitos, Baba's Place, Titos Tacos, Over Embers, Slick Ricks Pizza, Sparky's Jerk BBQ and Condimental. And what would a day at Henson Park be without a couple of choice beverages? Poor Toms, Archie Rose, Young Henrys (slinging gin and ginger beer), Lilyfields Gin, Este Spirits, Brix Distillery, Mobius Distillery, Kraken Spiced Rum and DNA Distillery will all be on hand to sample their expertly crafted spirits. You can also expect wines from Doom Juice and P&V, seltzers from Cantina OK! and Fellr, and cocktails courtesy of The House of Music & Booze in collaboration with Curatif Cocktails. Music-wise, FBi Radio will be supplying the DJs, so you can expect plenty of local Sydney dance floor-fillers to be represented, plus the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Choir will be singing the house down — and hosting what it's aiming to make the world's biggest sing-along. You can nab tickets to Welcome Day for $20 or $10 for kids under 12 via Oztix. [caption id="attachment_778637" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Poor Toms Pina Colada Gin[/caption] The inaugural Welcome Day is coming to Henson Park, Marrickville on Saturday, June 24. Tickets are one sale now. Images: Tom Wilkinson.
Sydneysiders are almost spoilt for choice when it comes to art and creative culture. The Sydney International Art Series aims to contribute further to the glut of goodness that we experience by bringing some of the most influential works from around the globe to our shores. The 2016/17 series is no different — it bridges the gap between the East and West art worlds, delivering some of Europe's most famous (and infamous) nude artworks to the Art Gallery of New South Wales, and curating an exhibition by Tatsuo Miyajima, one of Japan's seminal contemporary artists, at the Museum of Contemporary Art. The Art Series also offers the Art Pass, where culture hounds can purchase a $37 ticket that grants access to both exhibitions, and can be used at your own convenience — you can just rock up and see the art, providing the exhibitions are still running. With so much on offer at both spaces, make the most of the ticket by checking out everything there is to see. In the spirit of soaking in as much culture as $37 can buy, here's a little list to get you started. HEAD TO THE AGNSW AND SEE SOME NUDES Bodies. We've all got one, but we all still seem to be fascinated with looking at other peoples', and artists are no exception to this rule. In fact, they're probably the main contributors. This collection of studies into the bare human form — aptly titled Nude — comes to the Art Gallery of New South Wales directly from London's Tate Gallery. The exhibition is a multimedia experience, with pieces ranging from Picasso's paintings, to Rodin's sculpture and Dijkstra's photography. In the case of Rodin's The Kiss, it's actually its first sojourn outside of Europe, so it's definitely worth feasting your eyes upon. MOVE ON TO TATSUO MIYAJIMA Tatsuo Miyajima is one of Japan's premiere artists, and his stint at the MCA with his exhibition Connect With Everything marks his first outing to Australia. He brings with him a vast array of his works — which range from sculpture to performance, but all are expressions of his three core philosophies: keep changing, connect with everything, and continue forever. Miyajima aims to bridge the gap between Eastern and Western thought, in terms of our relationships with the universe and the phenomena within it. Included in this exhibition is Mega Death, Miyajima's stark reminder of the industrial waste of human life in the last century, and humanity's ability to rebuild again. SIP ON SOME SAKE AT THE CHERRY BLOSSOM BAR Paying homage to Miyajima's motherland, the MCA has created a lovely little pop-up bar to coincide with his exhibition. The bar will provide an array of snacks like edamame, gyoza, cauliflower tempura and chicken rib karaage, as well as bigger eats like their bento box with yuzu sake and ponzu-cured salmon, gyoza and slow-cooked duck leg on a sesame rice cracker. There's also an impressive selection of whisky and sake cocktails, which has been specially curated by QT's booze boss Jared Thibault. As well as the Japanese theme being evident in the food and drinks, the Cherry Blossom Bar has also been transformed into a secret garden of sorts, with the flowers forming a delicate canopy over the harbourside space, which is dotted with Japanese lanterns. The effect is that the visitor is transported into the world of Miyajima's Japan, all from the setting of Circular Quay. SIT DOWN FOR LUNCH AT CHISWICK IN THE AGNSW Matt Moran's flagship restaurant at Woollahra has had its own incarnation at the Art Gallery of New South Wales for nearly two years, and although the two spaces maintain elements of similarity, the Art Gallery version has created a name for itself as a unique, casually-high-end destination for art lovers and foodies alike. The menu focuses on fresh, local produce with a mind that leans towards the sustainable, without the sacrifice of quality. With starters like grilled octopus with cucumber, kohlrabi and harissa, and classic mains like the Moran family's slow-cooked lamb, there's an excellent mix of options available for diners of all taste, and the ludicrously extensive wine collection has something for everyone. EXPLORE THE AGNSW AFTER HOURS Art After Hours runs every Wednesday night, giving regular working Joes the opportunity to catch some mid week culture and sip a drink at the gallery's pop-up bar. As well as showcasing the existing collection, Art After Hours also organises weekly lectures and performances, film screenings and tours to reveal absolutely everything on display at the gallery. Coinciding with the nude artworks coming across the pond from the Tate, a number of the events will broach the topic of nude art and its place in the canon, including Nude Fictions, where writers will share their experiences of the exhibitions. TAKE YOURSELF TO A MEDITATION WORKSHOP If there's one thing we can all relate to it's that underlying notion of being never-endingly busy. We live in a world where technology develops at an exponential rate, where we always have somewhere to be, where we never have enough time. The MCA and The School of Life have teamed up to develop a series of workshops that aims to take the students out of this bubble through the practice of mindful meditation. Inspired by Miyajima's philosophies, workshop leader Steve Pozel will equip participants with a scientific understanding of how mindfulness affects the body, and how meditation can help the mind to grow. Best to book in advance for this one as spaces are limited. Sign up for an Art Pass and take yourself on a cultural tour of Sydney for $37.
Ooh this festival is automatic, it's systematic, it's hydromatic. No, it's not Greased Lightning, it's ChromeFest. But it wouldn't be a surprise to see Danny Zuko with the sleek Greased Lightning car at this festival of vintage vehicles and nostalgia for the good ol' days. It is taking over The Entrance from Friday, October 25 to Sunday, October 27 for three days of cars and chrome. There will be 450 show cars from across the Central Coast with vehicles that can be traced back to between 1950 and 1979. The immersive nostalgia extends to the tunes, too, as rock and roll and rockabilly bands will play live on five stages throughout the festival precinct. Beyond that, the festival will feature retro market stalls, themed food, vintage fashion parades and pinup pageants. Be sure to attend the opening night of Chrome After Dark, a free night of live music in Memorial Park, to get your best boogie on and kick off the weekend with a bang.
Come March 2021, it will have been 12 months since the Australian Government implemented an indefinite ban on international travel due to COVID-19, only allowing Aussies to leave the country in very limited circumstances. Accordingly, just when jetting overseas will be back on the agenda has been the subject of much discussion. Last year's prediction that opening up to the rest of the world wouldn't happen in 2020 proved accurate, in fact — and now it looks like that could remain the case in 2021 as well. This isn't particularly surprising news; however, with a COVID-19 vaccine currently being rolled out around the globe — with the first jabs slated to hit Aussie arms sometime in February — there was hope that 2021 could see a slow return to normality. But Australia's ex-Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy has now forecast that the travel situation is unlikely to change soon, even with the vaccine. Appearing on ABC New Breakfast on Monday, January 18, Murphy — who is now the Secretary of the Department of Health — said "I think the answer is probably no. I think we will go most of this year with still substantial border restrictions. He continued: "even if we have a lot of the population vaccinated, we don't know whether that will prevent transmission of the virus, and it is likely that quarantine will continue for some time". "At the moment, we have this light at the end of the tunnel — the vaccine — so we're going to go as safely and as fast as we can to get our population vaccinated," he also advised. "And then we'll look at what happens." https://twitter.com/breakfastnews/status/1350911014544449538 Murphy also said that, early on in the pandemic, he told Prime Minister Scott Morrison that he didn't want to "predict more than two or three months ahead" — because, "one of the things about this virus is that the rule book is being made up as we go". Eager travellers might remember that last April, Murphy advised that international travel wouldn't be back for at least three-to-four months. With COVID-19 cases continuing to spike elsewhere in the world, that timeframe just keeps extending. At the moment, Australia has implemented a 'travel bubble' with New Zealand — reinstating international travel just between the two countries before Australia's international border reopens to all nations worldwide. It's presently only one-way, though, meaning that New Zealanders can come to Australia, but Australians aren't yet able to holiday in NZ. It's worth noting, as everyone should be well and truly aware, that Australia's domestic border situation keeps changing with frequency, too — including recent updates in response to cases in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne — so travelling anywhere beyond your own city probably isn't guaranteed to be straightforward for the foreseeable future. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
While the original Golden Century sadly closed its doors last year, the rest of its stable of Cantonese restaurants is still going strong with The Century at The Star, XOPP and now, a second Darling Square restaurant that's focused on traditional Cantonese barbecue. The newly opened Golden Century BBQ sees the group lean into a more casual dining experience that's more akin to the maiden venue, while also highlighting the beauty of barbecued meats. "We want our customers to feel like they're eating at a restaurant without actually having to dine inside a restaurant," Golden Century Group's Billy Wong said. The new restaurant is open for lunch and dinner six days a week, set inside Darling Square's Exchange Building on the level below XOPP. Highlights on the menu include roast duck accompanied by rice or noodles, barbecued char siu, and a variety of dim dum created in-house and steamed to order. The real table-pleaser is likely to not even be a main menu item, but the XO pippies sauce that you can order as a $4 side to bring that signature Golden Century kick to any dish. When Golden Century's Sussex Street home closed last year after more than three decades, owners the Wong family took the opportunity to revamp XOPP, bringing it closer to the experience of the original, beloved restaurant. "XOPP at Darling Square has reopened with the installation of live seafood tanks and a new menu more aligned to the original Golden Century," Billy Wong told Concrete Playground at the time. "We listened, and many of our chef and front-of-house team members have joined from Sussex Street to continue serving our customers their GC favourite dishes." Now with the addition of this more casual barbecue eatery, Darling Square has become a one-stop-shop for any Golden Century fans. Golden Century BBQ is located at 1 Little Pier Street, Haymarket. It's open 11.30am–8.30pm Wednesday–Monday.
The InterContinental Sydney is a five-star stay in the heart of Sydney that boasts 509 guest rooms (including 28 suites) and two bars — one of which provides some of the most spectacular views of the harbour and Opera House you can find on offer. Set within the restored and heritage-listed Treasury Building on Macquarie Street, the hotel gives guests a reliably excellent five-star experience from check in to check out. Luxuriously spacious rooms furnished in an amalgam of calming blue tones pay homage to the water you can see from the view of your signature cloud bed. If, like us, you are very fond of a hotel bar, of the two available on site, the first is appropriately named The Treasury — a classic lobby bar decked out in fresh greenery and sleek Art Deco interiors. The second is the sky-high rooftop bar Aster located on the 32nd floor of the hotel. The rooftop has been equipped with an outdoor terrace primed for sipping cocktails as you take in the uninterrupted views of Sydney's skyline. No better place for a margarita as the sun goes down before you hit the town for dinner or stroll down to the Opera House for a show.
If you're more of an indoor thrill-seeker or fantasy is the realm that really gets your heart pumping, you need to scoot to FREAK VR in Penrith — stat. Here, you'll experience the next generation of computer gameplay. If you've got a gang of four, get ready to choose your own adventure. As a quartet, you can roam freely in the arena, exploring your new reality at your leisure. Will you fight, dance, play laser tag, explore different worlds, solve mysteries, take on hordes of undead or hunt ghosts in an immersive experience of heart-stopping suspense? If you're more puzzle-inclined, choose the VR escape room and race against the clock in a vivid expansive realm that could include mysteries involving pirates, Egyptian tombs or even spaceships. For lovers of classic arcade games, book in for a solo session at the Virtual Arcade and take your pick from more than 30 of the most universally adored games. There's everything from Fruit Ninja to first-person shooters and fantasy archery — and the range is being updated constantly, so you're sure to find a winner. If you've got a need for speed, hop into the racing simulators in FREAK Drive, which are complete with hyper-realistic cars and real-world tracks.
UPDATE, Thursday, October 5: Zach Bryan's Australian show has now been moved to Flemington Racecourse due to demand. Not content with bringing Christina Aguilera to Australia for a one-off Down Under show, and boasting exclusive Eric Prydz and Jai Paul gigs as well, Victoria's statewide music celebration Always Live has added country music megastar Zach Bryan to its 2023 bill. The 17-day festival will now feature the biggest name in the genre right now, taking to the stage at St Kilda's Catani Gardens. The 'Something in the Orange' singer will head to Melbourne on Saturday, December 9 for an openair gig that'll give the Oologah, Oklahoma native's 2022 American Heartbreak album a hefty spin. Although he released two records prior — 2019's DeAnn and 2020's Elisabeth — his third album marked his major-label debut, and also the reason that Bryan has become such a sensation. Among Bryan's recent feats, American Heartbreak premiered in the top spot on America's Billboard 200. 'Something in the Orange' has now stayed in the charts longer than any single by a male country artist. In Australia, Bryan has earned that same achievement in the ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart for all country artists. And his streaming numbers? In excess of 6.8 billion worldwide. Yellowstone viewers will also know him from popping up in the western series. As he's been taking his American Heartbreak tour around the US — including stops at Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits — Bryan has been smashing attendance records, too. In his first-ever Australian stint, he'll also have tracks from his latest album to play, with the self-titled Zach Bryan releasing in August. Among the tunes: collaborations with Kacey Musgraves, The Lumineers, The War and Treaty, and Sierra Ferrell. Being brought Down Under by Untitled Group, which is also behind Beyond The Valley, Pitch Music & Arts, Grapevine Gathering, Wildlands and Ability Fest, Bryan's just-announced spot on the Always Live bill is his only currently scheduled gig in Australia. The statewide music celebration's full lineup includes more than 165 artists at 60-plus events — all, of course, in Victoria. Always Live 2023 runs from Friday, November 24–Sunday, December 10, with one pre-festival gig on Saturday, October 14. For more information, and to get tickets, head to the festival website. Zach Bryan will play St Kilda's Catani Gardens on Saturday, December 9, with pre sales from 12pm AEDT on Thursday, October 5 and general sales from 12pm AEDT on Friday, October 6.
This comprehensive survey of half a century of creative endeavour is the most complete exhibition of visionary photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto's work ever assembled. Through decades of experimentation and exploration, this show reveals the myriad ways Sugimoto's images have questioned the duality of photography to both faithfully document reality and conjure new truths, as well as the ways in which captured images confront and embrace the ephemeral nature of human experience. Sugimoto has called his work "time exposed" and even the technical aspects of his craft play notions of history and existence. He is known for using a large-format camera and developing his own darkroom chemicals, which contribute to his singular style, and his fascination with 19th-century methodologies and arcane photography techniques adds yet another layer of intrigue to his whimsical compositions. His subjects range from dioramas and wax figures to architectural forms, creating images that challenge and redefine fundamental notions of time, space and light. Discovering Sugimoto's work in a curated gallery space heightens their power further — these are photographs that require room to breathe. According to the man himself, "There is no decisive moment in my photograph, only the melting of time." So make sure you spend the time to take in a life's work that prove time machines may exist after all. Images: Hiroshi Sugimoto
The only resort on Daydream Island in The Whitsundays has finally reopened after being devastated by Cyclone Debbie back in March 2018. And, after a huge $100 million redevelopment, Daydream Island Resort is doing it in serious fashion — with a 200-metre living reef, three restaurants, a poolside bar and an outdoor cinema to boot. The exclusive resort reopened today — Monday, April 15 — with 277 fully refurbished suites that span ocean, garden and pool views. Those aren't any ordinary ocean views, either, with crystal clear turquoise waters surrounding every corner of this tiny oasis. And the massive, newly landscaped pool wraps throughout the resort's tropical gardens and links to its coral beaches, offering views of the Great Barrier Reef beyond. The resort's living reef has also been revitalised — it's a coral lagoon that spans 200 metres and surrounds the central building, with its 1.5 million litres of water housing over 100 species of fish, coral and invertebrates. Guests can learn from local marine biologists while helping to feed baby stingrays and explore the new underwater observatory that lies four metres below sea level. [caption id="attachment_716885" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Looking from from the pool.[/caption] Daydream Island will also boast three distinct restaurants and three bars, all of which feature seasonal and local produce. Fine-dining restaurant Infinity offers panoramic ocean views and a menu of Asian-fusion eats, along with a teppanyaki private dining room. Then there's Inkstone Kitchen and Bar, a modern Australian restaurant using native ingredients. Think crispy skin coral trout sourced from Bowen, served over squid ink linguine, and surrounded by thin slices of smoked crocodile and Australian caviar, too. For cocktails, you'll head over to the gin bar, Tonic. The third dining greenhouse-style option, Graze will open in the coming months, along with two other bars. An outdoor cinema will launch in June, too. While you're in the region, don't miss the chance to do a bit of exploring and check out the nearby Whitehaven Beach, which is listed as one of the best beaches in the world.Those keen to explore the Whitsundays further can book snorkelling, helicopter tours, sailing, jet-skiing and island-hopping experiences through the resort. Of course, all this doesn't come cheap. Rates start at $392 per night — and that's just for a standard room. Start saving now, or just daydream by having a scroll through the photos. Daydream Island Resort is now open. For more to see and do in the region, check out our Outside Guide to the Whitsundays.
Bondi Hardware is ushering in the winter solstice with a new menu that feels like a (very fashionable) cosy woollen scarf to pull around you on a chilly Saturday night. Nana's honey lemon tea moonlights in cool cocktail form as The Flower Doctor ($17), made naughty with Tanqueray and elderflower liqueur and lifted with a hint of orange blossom water. To really warm the cockles, opt for a hot Batlow cider, mulled with cinnamon twills and melted butter (yes, really) and served over warm orange pieces. Winter continues on the plate, with a menu designed to encourage huddling and cuddling over delicious shared dishes. Roasted garlic, chilli and pomegranate bring warmth to a delicate albacore tuna ceviche ($19), while a buttery braised beef cheek, served on a bed of horseradish mascarpone, pulls apart at the softest touch of the fork ($20). The salads are rustic and the dips are creamy and rich, with whole baby beetroots, pickled mushrooms and charred bread making welcome appearances. The Notorious P.I.G. leaves no doubt as to who is King Pig; succulent pork belly pieces are topped with a sticky candied apple glaze ($20). Fun, casual elegance abounds in this winter wonderland. Warm candlelight dances against recycled timber panels and exposed brickwork, and catches on the wall-mounted tools that hark back to the venue's history as a hardware store. Winter orchids in rich, dark colours fill mismatched bottles and jars, and alternate with wax-laden DIY candelabra on the tables. On the wine front, a range of appealing by-the-glass options makes decision-making pleasantly difficult. The beers are boutiquey and international, and include the Vale IPA ($9): an American-style Indian pale ale that combines hops from three different countries. The bustle by the bar is friendly and interested, with a communal atmosphere that merges conversations and guarantees new friends. On the wall, a mural-enshrined handyman encourages Bondi's Twitterati to live in the moment. "The only thing that tweets here," he instructs, "are the birds."
Some people wind down by watching Nicolas Cage movies. Others prefer getting whimsical with Wes Anderson, indulging in Studio Ghibli's animated delights or rustling up a few laughs. Or, there's the group of folks that finds nothing more relaxing than binging movies and TV shows about architecture, design, sustainability and outdoor living. If the latter applies to you — especially in a year that's seen us all spend far more time in our homes — soon there'll be a new streaming service for that. Joining the ever-growing online viewing ranks (and giving Netflix even more company than it already has), Shelter will launch on Friday, July 31 with a lineup focused on design-centric content. Think documentaries such as Tiny, which steps inside six super-small homes; Art House, about the abodes of 11 creatives and the way they reflect their craft in their surroundings; and Homo Sapiens, which gets philosophical about the impact — and fragility — of human existence. Or, you can explore the work of architects such as Eileen Gray, Kevin Roche, Harry Seidler and Tadao Ando via separate docos. Home-centric series Dream Build and Charlie Luxton's Homes by the Sea are also on Shelter's launch lineup — as is the six-part Inspired Architecture series, which explores six Australian structures. The platform is also teaming up with global publications like Design Anthology and Green Magazine to host and present new content. And, it'll be expanding its range with fresh additions each month. When it goes live at the end of July, Shelter will be available online and via iOS and Android apps — costing AU$7.99/NZ$8.99 per month, with a 14-day free trial period on offer, too. And, it's partnering with Eden Reforestation Projects to do more than merely serve up something new for design aficionados to watch. For each paid subscriber Shelter has each month, it'll plant a native tree via the not-for-profit reforestation organisation — which works to plant millions of trees annually in impoverished and environmentally devastated areas of the globe. Shelter launches in Australia and New Zealand on Friday, July 31 — visit the streaming platform's website to sign-up for updates.
Prepare to say "accio remote!" and get comfier than Hermione Granger in a library. In the latest news that'll keep you glued to your couch this summer — and your latest fodder for an at-home movie marathon — everyone's favourite boy wizard is now working his magic on Binge. You won't need the Marauder's Map to find these enchanting flicks. Since Thursday, January 21, all eight movies in the Harry Potter series have hit the streaming platform, bringing their Hogwarts-set adventures to Australian audiences. If you've watched your DVD copies from the 2000s so many times that they're showing a little wear and tear — or your laptop no longer has a disc drive — this is butterbeer-worthy news. Yes, everything from Harry's (Daniel Radcliffe) first visit to Platform 9 and 3/4, the Yule Ball, the Triwizard Tournament, many a fluttering snitch and He Who Must Not Be Named are now at your fingertips. Prime viewing for wizards, witches and muggles alike — all 19 hours and 39 minutes of it. The Fantastic Beasts films haven't joined them, though with wizarding journey keeping its focus on the original franchise. If you're thinking that a time-turner might come in handy over the next few months, we completely understand. And if this sounds like somewhat familiar news, all eight movies were also available on Netflix back in 2019. That's the thing about streaming services, though — unless they're making and funding a movie or series themselves, films and shows can switch platforms as the rights deals behind them change. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EG37G--drDs&list=PLnpIp0ksj4UlQWQlPaRd6WrI9XSmS6B4u Find Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber Of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet Of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 and Part 2 are all now streaming on Binge.
Last week's Australian Interior Design Awards had us fawning over the most majestic new spaces and mentally redecorating our own little corner of the world. But they also seemed to capture something else — a more confident, unique sense of Australian style, all earth and light, outdoorsy and unfussy. The nature of the Australian aesthetic is fodder for an exciting mini-conference at this year's Vivid Ideas. In Australian Interiors, prominent voices in Australian design such as Sibella Court, Russel Koskela, Alice Blackwood and Rachel Castle will speak on their own practice, current style and future trends. Ahead of that, they talk to us about that big question, Australianness, and how it finds expression in design. Sibella Court Sibella Court is an interior stylist, product designer, historian, globetrotter and creative director who's designed some of our favourite Sydney spaces, such as Mr Wong, Palmer ? Co and The Fish Shop (pictured above). Do you think there is such a thing as a contemporary Australian aesthetic in interior design? Contemporary Australian design doesn't follow a trend; it is eclectic and a great mix of history and creation. Geographically, we are a shipping nightmare! Our lack of product access makes Australians more creative, resourceful and awesome. There’s an embracing of collaboration and a celebration of new and upcoming designers and artisans. Australian style is laidback, and our outdoors and surrounds are already so beautiful, we are a product of our landscape. What is the future for ‘contemporary Australian' interior design? What new trends do you see emerging? Australians have their finger on the (global and local) pulse when it comes to design. Perhaps due to our distance from the rest of the world we have a slight dose of FOMO! The lifestyle of Australia influences our design: a casualness and comfort to our style, as well as creatively experimenting with all sorts of different trends, without ever actually following a trend. Social media is a huge influencer of this, especially Instagram. It is a virtual portfolio, and everyone is watching. It’s a fantastic means of discovery of artists, designers and makers, and it lends itself to being the base of exciting collaborations. Russel Koskela Russel Koskela founded Koskela with his partner Sasha Titchkosky in 2000. They've become a fixture for minimal, sustainable, unique furnishings and Russel last year won both an Idea Award and Eat Drink Design Award for his designs. Do you think there is a contemporary Australian aesthetic in interior design? Yes I do, although I don’t think it’s completely definable. I think there is a relaxed casualness and playfulness to Australian interiors that reflects our climate and attitude. What is the future for ‘contemporary Australian' interior design? It’s very difficult to pick any trends as it’s almost like ‘anything goes’ at the moment. We really noticed this when we were in Milan earlier this year — there was something there for everyone. Even with colours it was almost impossible to pick trends. Alice Blackwood Alice Blackwood is Melbourne editor at Indesign Media, having last year completed a five-year stint as Editor of DQ (Design Quarterly) magazine. Do you think there is a contemporary Australian aesthetic in interior design? Absolutely there is. The way we live and the built environments in which we live directly reference Australia's unique natural environment, our climate, lighting, lifestyle, cultural habits and more. Our love for the outdoors, for example, is hugely influential on our approach to interior design, that creation of a seamless transition between indoors and out being a common element among most contemporary Australian spaces. If I had to apply a general descriptor to the Australian aesthetic, I would say, natural, honest materials; open spaces that allow for lots of natural light; clean, uninterrupted lines (moving away from poky, old Victorian spaces), and open-plan spaces that integrate kitchen and living into one. What is the future for ‘contemporary Australian' interior design? I tend to question, are we capitalising on our local vernacular properly? I've seen a real push-pull among furniture and interior designers — some are keen to 'own' the Australian vernacular, while some feel pigeonholed by it (we are, after all, constantly fighting our 'tyranny of distance') ... In terms of emerging trends, having just come back from the Milan Furniture Fair, I saw a profusion of mixed material use, as well as natural material use, which I think resonates very strongly with our Australian aesthetic. Marble was hugely popular, the cold, beautiful, elemental 'feel' of it resonating strongly with Aussie designers already. Do you have a personal favourite bar or restaurant interior that nails ‘contemporary Australian'? At Indesign Media, we're loving Mocan and Green Grout in Canberra, which we covered recently on Habitusliving.com. It’s located on Capital Hill, and does coffee and bicycles, (how cool!). The interior fit-out features lots of beautiful timber joinery, it receives lots of natural light during the day. The fact that it also specialises in bicycles resonates strongly, I think, with our love for health and wellbeing, and being active outdoors! As well, there’s no denying the growing popularity for cycling and bike culture in Australia. Rachel Castle Rachel Castle of CASTLE designs and manufactures her own bedlinen and homeware range that is full of colour, life and non-boringness. Do you think there is a contemporary Australian aesthetic in interior design? I think these days its really hard to pinpoint a definitive Australian aesthetic. Its like asking us to define our Australian fashion; it's so varied. I think the explosion of interiors blogs and online imagery banks such as Pinterest have allowed anyone and everyone to evolve their own unique aesthetic. I think in general though, we all try to keep it quite relaxed and uncontrived. I think people now are as interested in what they put in their homes as what they put on their bodies, so its wonderful to see such an engaged audience. It's no longer necessary to pick and look and stick to it. You can read the mags, the books, go online, and start to really hone your own aesthetic and source it online, from anywhere in the world. If I had to define a style I would say its a very personal mix of natural materials and products, lots of handmade product, with pops of colour and tons of white for backdrop, and am loving seeing a resurgence for indoor plants! My personal favourite. What is the future for ‘contemporary Australian' interior design? I think we're going to see everything start to pare back a bit. There has been a trend for pattern and pattern and more pattern, which I personally love, but I think it can become a little overwhelming, so am seeing a lot more recently, in the mags especially, a simplistic, cleaner look. Metallics and blush are everywhere, which hello we love, and a softer colour palette with the neutrals and greys and pastels starting to emerge. Do you have a personal favourite bar or restaurant interior that nails ‘contemporary Australian'? I would have to say Kitchen By Mike [designed by and sharing space with Koskela]. Utilitarian, communal, friendly, warm and earthly. Yummy food too. Sibella Court, Russel Koskela, Alice Blackwood and Rachel Castle are all speaking as part of Vivid Ideas' Australian Interiors: Objects, Furnitures, Textiles from 10am - 2pm on Saturday, May 24, at the Vivid Ideas Exchange on Level 6 of the MCA. It's one of our picks of the top ten events to see at Vivid Ideas — check out the rest here.
Summer is well on its way, and with it comes infinite possibilities. While Sydney may be best known for its pristine stretches of sand, it turns out not everyone is a beach person (shocking, we know). And even beach lovers need a little break from the ocean every now and then. All that being said, there's still no excuse to waste a perfectly nice day sitting on your couch. Looking at the endless sunny days ahead, we've teamed up with our mates at Adrenaline to bring you a guide to exploring Sydney when the weather is fine but you're not up for a beach sesh. This action-packed itinerary spans hiking through the Royal National Park, ferrying to Cronulla, and even learning to fly a plane. LEARN TO FLY A PLANE Turns out flying a plane isn't just for pilots. It's actually much more accessible than you'd think. Start your day by heading to Camden Airport (a one-hour drive from the CBD), where this Learn to Fly experience will have you flying a plane within a few minutes of reaching the airfield — with a licensed pilot in tow, of course. You'll be flying with the team at Curtis Aviation in an orange Citabria aircraft. After a quick training session, you'll take to the skies, with the option to fly inland over the Blue Mountains or out to the coast over the Sea Cliff Bridge. When you're not flying the plane yourself, your co-pilot will guide you through some daring aerobatics. The extended one-hour pilot training costs $330 all up — trust us, it's worth every penny to explore Sydney from new heights. There are 30-minute and 45-minute sessions also available. The first flight departs at 8am, and we suggest getting an early start so you can pack in more adventures throughout the day. REFUEL WITH A LATE BREKKIE IN CRONULLA After an action-packed morning, it'll be time to refuel for the rest of your day. From Camden, drive out to the coast and grab a late brekkie in Cronulla. One of our favourite spots is DBowls, with its charming eclectic fit-out and hanging fairy lights. Pick up an acai bowl and wander down to Cronulla Park so you can watch the waves without getting sandy. All bowls come with granola, banana and strawberry, with additional toppings including honey, peanut butter, blueberry, kiwi and passionfruit on offer. Once your stomach is happy, head to Cronulla Wharf, where you can hop on the ferry to Bundeena. Just don't forget to leave your car parked in an all-day spot. [caption id="attachment_702792" align="alignnone" width="1920"] David Molloy Photography via Flickr[/caption] HIKE THROUGH PART OF THE ROYAL NATIONAL PARK The ferry leaves from Cronulla Wharf hourly and takes just 30 minutes to arrive in Bundeena. The lovely coastal town is perfectly situated to enjoy a hike around parts of the Royal National Park. While there are heaps of trails and treks to explore here, arguably the best hike in the region is The Coast Track — it takes you from Bundeena all the way to Otford. Now, you won't have time to walk the entire 26-kilometre trail, which takes most hikers two days to master. But you can enjoy a few hours of the gorgeous trek, which takes you through heaps of coastal lookouts and swimming holes, including Wedding Cake Rock and Wattamolla picnic area. If you're here in the cooler months, you may catch a sighting of whales on their migration route. And in spring, seasonal wildflowers line the path. [caption id="attachment_743336" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chris Jamieson[/caption] ENJOY AN ARVO BEVVIE BY THE WATER Once you've had enough hiking, catch the ferry back to Cronulla — the ferry leaves from Bundeena Wharf every hour on the hour until 7pm on weekdays and 6pm on weekends and public holidays (check the full schedule here). In Cronulla, grab a drink and some snacks at Next Door. This cafe-bar boasts sweeping water views and a seriously good cocktail list. On a sunny day, go for the Spiced Rhum Sour (Creole Shrubb Rhum, aquafaba, mango and ginger), the Charlene (vodka, passionfruit, lime and rosewater) or the Marjorie (coconut tequila, Cointreau, Himalayan salt and granny smith apple). On Sundays, you can snack from the session menu, which includes Sydney rock oysters, calamari with yuzu mayo, truffle parmesan arancini and tuna sashimi, all for just $12 a piece. DRIVE BACK TO THE CITY THROUGH LAKEMBA If getting home requires you to head north towards the city, take a detour through Lakemba. This southwest suburb boasts cuisines from regions all across Asia — from Middle Eastern countries like Lebanon, Palestine and Syria to South Asian countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh, and Southeast Asian countries including Myanmar, Malaysia and Indonesia. Wander along Haldon Street and try the eats and drinks from a few different places to get the full experience — our picks are Jasmins Restaurant, Island Dreams Cafe and Afghan Sufra. Though the suburb's famed Ramadan Night Markets aren't on again until April 2021, you can find similar vibes in Lakemba all year round. Start planning your sunny day adventures in Sydney by visiting the Adrenaline website. Top image: Uloola Brook, Royal National Park, Andrew Harvey via Flickr
Clear your calendar - Darlo After Dark is taking over Darlinghurst from June 19-29, serving up winter nights packed with live music, street performances, solstice rituals and all the good things that happen after dark. Curated by the team at Arts Matter, this ten-day festival spans ten venues between the Coke Sign and Green Park, encompassing Victoria, Burton and Liverpool Streets, as well as Darlinghurst Road. The neighbourhood will transform into a kind of cultural crawl - part pop-up, part performance, part party. This one's for the night owls, the curious, and the creatively inclined. Expect a sultry solstice performance from Malaika Mflame at The Darbury (yes, there'll be mulled wine). Over at Gino's Trattoria, you can catch live opera while tucking into Southern Italian eats. And if you wander into Ouzo, you'll find James Domeyko on sax, soundtracking your night with ambient jazz while you snack on Greek small plates. There's also limited-edition solstice ice cream from Messina, sake tastings at Nomidokoro Indigo, and tarot readings tucked away inside Dust Antiques. Need something hands-on? Head to Rainbow Studios for lantern-making workshops or craft your own whimsical flower crown at the twilight markets. Cap it off with an intimate screening of The Witches of Eastwick at Govindas Cinema - a dark fantasy comedy that hits that perfect sweet spot between witchy and wicked. This isn't your average winter festival — it's layered, hyper-local and full of surprises. Start early, stay late, or just wander. The fun is in the in-between. For more information, visit DarloVillage and be sure to follow us on socials @darlovillagesydney. Images: Supplied
The world-renowned violinist, acclaimed author, sassy singer and all-round enthralling performer Emilie Autumn is stepping on to Australian shores this week and is ready to amaze audiences around the country. The show was announced last year following the release of Autumn's third and most successful studio album, Fight Like a Girl, which was inspired by her book The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls and her own intimate personal experiences. Emilie Autumn describes her musical style as 'victoriandustrial', largely because she draws inspiration from poetry, plays, novels and history, particularly from the Victorian era. Think punk meets classical meets burlesque mixed in with a dash of darkwave and synth pop to create a theatrical musical feast like no other — and, of course, we can't forget the avant garde stage constumes which have helped develop Autumn as a fashion icon over recent years. The beats of all-girl backing band the Bloody Crumpets will add to the already dazzling performance, ensuring that the violin fireworks will be a humdrum point in the evening. With a stage presence as bright and extravagant as her hair, Emilie Autumn is a refreshingly unique addition to the 21st-century music scene who has to be seen to be appreciated. https://youtube.com/watch?v=8NGKQ1UUD40
Do you remember when you lost at something as a kid and your parents told you that it didn't matter? "Winning isn't everything" and "It isn't winning that matters, it is about taking part" were lines bandied around regularly by our mums and dads in order to shelter us from the truth: winning does matter. Who wants to be Buzz Aldrin when you can be Neil Armstrong? Nothing wants to come second, especially nations. Global politics is the most competitive arena on this planet. It has led to world wars and bloody competition for resources. Thankfully, though, the world can now sleep easy as the peacemakers over at Doghouse Diaries have created a light-hearted infographic titled What Each Country Leads The World In that allows every country to be a winner. Whilst some titles will be unwanted, including Ethiopia leading the way in employing children and Yemen's crowning as the ruler of the gender gap, some will be celebrated. Norway can enjoy its position atop the summit of democracy and Ireland can bask in its quality of life. Of course, the best discoveries are the statistics that appear tongue-in-cheek. Greenland leads the way in personal space and my favourite, Antarctica has the most penguins. Explore the world in our gallery below and be surprised at what many countries lead the world in. Via Fast Co.Create.
2022 marks 90 years since the ABC first started broadcasting in Australia, beginning as a public radio service all that time ago. Over the decades, it has also made the leap of television, and been a source of news, entertainment, after-school kids shows, oh-so-much Doctor Who and late-night music videos to keep you occupied after a few drinks. And, it's home to Spicks and Specks, the Aussie music quiz show that no one can get enough of. So, it's fitting that as part of the network's celebrations for its big birthday, it has confirmed that Spicks and Specks will return again this year for a new ten-episode season. What's better than watching a heap of top Australian talent sit around and talk about music? Watching them do all of the above while answering questions, competing for points and just generally being funny, too. Yes, that's the concept behind Spicks and Specks. It takes a few cues from the UK's Never Mind the Buzzcocks, pits Aussie musos and comedians against each other, and has proven a hit several times over. It was a weekly favourite when it first aired between 2005–2011 — and, as it keeps being resurrected. As fans will already know, Spicks and Specks has been enjoying more comebacks than John Farnham of late, although that has meant different things over the years. When the program was first revived back in 2014, it did so with a new host and team captains, for instance. And when it started to make a return with its original lineup of Adam Hills, Myf Warhurst and Alan Brough, it first did so via a one-off reunion special. That 2018 comeback proved more than a little popular. It became the ABC's most-watched show of that year, in fact. So, the broadcaster then decided to drop four new Spicks and Specks specials across 2019–20 and, for 2021, to bring back Spicks and Specks in its regular format. In 2022, ten more new episodes await. It's expected that Hills, Myf Warhurst and Alan Brough will settle back into their old chairs — new eps, same stars has been a big focus in recent years, of course — but plenty about 2022's run has yet to be confirmed. That includes exactly when it'll start airing, and who'll be hitting buzzers among the program's guests. Still, you can add playing along with the show from your couch — again — to your plans before 2022 is out. Spicks and Specks will return to ABC TV for ten episodes sometime in 2022. You'll also be able to stream the series via ABC iView. We'll update you when an exact release date is announced.
New York's Museum of Modern Art isn't the only major international gallery bringing its wares to our shores this year, with an exhibition from London's Tate Britain gallery heading to Australia from December. Entitled Love & Desire: Pre-Raphaelite Masterpieces from the Tate and displaying from December 14, 2018 until April 28, 2019, it'll bring more than 40 of the Tate's beloved works to the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra, in an exhibition that'll focus on the artistic movement that started in 1848. Iconic pieces such as John Everett Millais' Ophelia and John William Waterhouse's The Lady of Shalott will be making the journey as part of the showcase. Part ode to early Renaissance efforts, part protest against the prevailing creative traditions of the mid-19th century, pre-Raphaelite art was sparked by a group of rebellious artists eager to create something different to the art of the time — and their preferred style, featuring detailed, colourful compositions painted in thin layers with small brushes, certainly managed that. In addition to the pieces from the Tate, the exhibition will also feature an additional 40 works loaned from other British and Australian collections. Each will help highlight the themes of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, examine the different styles adopted by the various artists adhering to its principles, stress the importance of draughtsmanship and emphasise the movement's fondness for collaboration. "This exhibition includes some of the most loved and visited paintings at Tate — some of which have never before been seen in Australia," said NGA director Nick Mitzevich. Love & Desire: Pre-Raphaelite Masterpieces from the Tate will be the NGA's major summer exhibition, although it's not the gallery's only new addition come the end of the year, with Yayoi Kusama's pumpkin-filled infinity room The Spirits of the Pumpkins Descended into the Heavens set to join its permanent collection in December. Love & Desire: Pre-Raphaelite Masterpieces from the Tate exhibits at the National Gallery of Australia, Parkes Place, Parkes, Canberra between December 14, 2018 and April 28, 2019. Images: John Everett Millais, Ophelia 1851-2. Oil paint on canvas. Tate collection presented by Sir Henry Tate 1894. © Tate. / John William Waterhouse, The Lady of Shalott 1888. Oil on canvas. Tate. © Tate.
The freshly prettified Prince Alfred Park will welcome the Surry Hills Festival home this year, along with a killer program of musicians, art installations, pop-up bars, the ever-integral Surry Hills Dog Show and a cool new Sustainability Hub showcasing fresh ways to live green. With the festival set to draw culture-hungry folks from far beyond the 2010 postcode to the sprawling grounds there really is something for everyone. Food, drink and dog-related details are still being drip-fed as October 27 draws closer, but for now you can get excited about the always inventive arts installations and just-updated musical line-up. Those who like their art interactive will find plenty to submerge themselves in, including a Tent City brimming with Frida Kahlo lookalikes out to change the world (or at least Surry Hills), a Derivan paint-by-numbers art tunnel and a big ol' rib cage to cosy up in. Or just take a step back and watch street art take shape then trip out over this buzzy tree. See the full arts lineup here. Regarding the day's soundtrack, 2012 will see artists playing across two separate stages and a cozy Chai Temple to provide a satisfying progression of sonic accompaniments for everything from single-origin lattes to craft amber ales. On the main stage headliners Tijuana Cartel will be joined by Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire!, True Vibenation, The Liberators and Nantes, with the Purple Sneakers, Softwar and Slow Blow DJs keeping you on your feet after the sun goes down. Then after the show, it's the afterparty.
Marco Pierre White is a star of kitchens and screens alike. He was the first British chef — and the youngest chef at the time — to be awarded three Michelin stars. He's popped up on everything from Hell's Kitchen to MasterChef, including in Australia. Back in 2019, he was one of Melbourne Good Food Month's huge headliners. He's also the culinary force behind cookbook White Heat, the 1990 tome that played up his "bad boy" image. He's been dubbed "the first celebrity chef" as well. And, he's trained fellow famed food figures such as Mario Batali, Heston Blumenthal, Gordon Ramsay and Curtis Stone. That's a brief run through White's resume, but you're best to hear the full details — and the ups and downs that've come with being White — from the chef himself. So, in May, the culinary whiz is touring Australia's east coast capitals with his first-ever live theatre show. White's Out of the Kitchen gigs will chat through his beginnings, his training and his stardom, plus the kind of success that led to his "enfant terrible" label. That means hearing about his arrival in London with just "£7.36, a box of books and a bag of clothes", and his tutelage under Albert and Michael Roux at renowned French fine-diner Le Gavroche. And, there's nabbing those three Michelin stars at the age of 33, of course. Out of the Kitchen will start its Aussie run at Brisbane's Convention and Entertainment Centre, then see White head to Sydney's State Theatre and Melbourne's Hamer Hall. 2023 has already taken Israeli chef Yotam Ottolenghi around the country on a speaking tour, and is bringing Mauro Colagreco and his French Riviera eatery Mirazur to the Sydney in March, plus British chef Simon Rogan and his restaurant L'Enclume to the Harbour City for a five-week residency this winter, in what's clearly a great year for getting tips from the world's culinary masters. MARCO PIERRE WHITE – OUT OF THE KITCHEN: Tuesday, May 23 — Great Hall, Brisbane Convention and Entertainment Centre Thursday, May 25 — State Theatre, Sydney Tuesday, May 30 — Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne Marco Pierre White's Out of the Kitchen tour hits Australia in May 2023. For more information, or to buy tickets, head to the tour website.
"I want my surfboard." If Nicolas Cage said this to you, you'd take notice. But in The Surfer, that request doesn't go as planned for the character that he's playing, with a group of local surfers just laughing and telling him that it isn't his board. That's how the first look at this Australian-made psychological thriller pans out — which isn't a trailer, but instead gives viewers a scene from the movie. It was back in 2023 that word arrived that the inimitable actor was hopping from playing himself in 2022's The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent and then Dracula in 2023's Renfield to becoming an Australian surfer in a film called, fittingly, The Surfer. And now, here's your first glimpse at footage. [caption id="attachment_931569" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Radek Ladczuk[/caption] There's no release date for Cage's Aussie stint as yet, nor an actual trailer, but the initial clip follows a first-look image of the actor from late in 2023. Stan, which is behind the movie, will stream it in Australia; however, it will also play in cinemas Down Under first. Before that, it's premiering at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. Slotting into Cage's resume alongside everything from crooning Elvis songs in David Lynch's Wild at Heart to having everyone see him when they slumber in Dream Scenario, The Surfer isn't the only Point Break remake that needs to be made (forget the terrible 2015 do-over). Rather, it sees Cage star as an Australian expat returning home from America, then getting in a beach battle with that local gang of wave riders. Cage's titular character makes the trip Down Under after years in the US, only to get humiliated by other surfers in front of his teenage son. Cue a turf war, plus Cage's protagonist refusing to leave the beach. Cue the stakes escalating and the movie's namesake having his sanity tested, too. The film shot in Yallingup in Western Australia, just in the single location, with director Lorcan Finnegan (Vivarium) helming and working with a script by screenwriter Thomas Martin. Featuring alongside Cage: an Aussie cast that spans Julian McMahon (FBI: Most Wanted), Nicholas Cassim (The Messenger), Miranda Tapsell (The Artful Dodger), Alexander Bertrand (Australian Gangster), Justin Rosniak (Mr Inbetween), Rahel Romahn (Here Out West), Finn Little (Yellowstone) and Charlotte Maggi (Summer Love). Check out the first clip from The Surfer below: The Surfer doesn't yet have an in-cinema or streaming release date — we'll update you when one is announced. Top image: Radek Ladczuk.
Inspired by the success of the Sydney Comedy Festival's late-night showcase, The Festival Club, Enmore Comedy Club adopts the same formula: $15 (or $10 if you buy online) for world-class comedy in an intimate venue. Held in the Enmore Theatre's newly refurbished wine bar every Tuesday, this night is run by the same crew behind The Comedy Store, which is widely-regarded as the best comedy room in Australia — if not the southern hemisphere. So expect top-shelf acts at bargain basement prices.
With Tilda Swinton as the model, W magazine was sure to have a wild spread for their May issue. But this is probably Tilda's most striking photo shoot yet. The cover story, rightfully titled 'Stranger Than Paradise' is strangely insane (and totally surreal). The series of photos actually pays tribute to some of Swinton's favourite artists. The 52-year-old star of We Need to Talk About Kevin and glass boxes poses with everything from glamorous Chanel and Givenchy clothing to centipedes — yes, you read right, centipedes. And you know what? Even with centipede face, she's gorgeous. Check out some photos from the series below.
As far as we know, the weekly roast started all the way back in 1485, when King Henry VII was running England. Every Sunday morning, the royal guards would cook up loads of beef, before heading to mass, then coming home and eating it. By the 19th century, families all over Britain were doing the same. Over time, the roast gained the traditional form we know so well — meat, Yorkshire pudding, potatoes, veggies and most importantly, litres of gravy. It's such a good formula, so it's hard to mess with it effectively. But one chef who does just that every year — and seriously pulls it off — is Nelly Robinson, owner and Head Chef at NEL Restaurant. In his cosy bunker near Central Station, he's transformed the roast into a ten-course degustation. Every mouthful brings you those familiar, comforting, centuries-old flavours, but with a fun twist. Look out for dark ale-and-treacle crumpets, cauliflower mac and cheese, and at the heart of it all, a superb lamb roast. It's on every Sunday throughout June and July.
Folks can't stop talking about Christy Tania. Not only did the renowned dessert chef bend minds with her 'Floating Ice Cream' creation on MasterChef earlier this year, but she has also launched her own permanent dessert shop. Opening its doors on Windsor's Peel Street, Tania's new sweet wonderland offers artisanal frozen treats for eating in and taking away. Fancy ice cream stores mightn't be a rare occurrence these days; however, as Tania's first permanent solo venture, Glacé is every bit as impressive as the rest of her artisan treats. The contemporary space offers a hefty range of frozen desserts and innovative flavours, crafted with local ingredients — such as her trademark ice cream push pops, with their layers of cake sponge and ice cream. Diners will find ice cream eclairs and ice cream macarons on the menu, because every dessert is better in ice cream form. When it comes to flavoursome scoops themselves, think creative concoctions such as boozy date (sticky date pudding soaked in rum with vanilla ice cream and salted butterscotch), coffee caramel (caramel milk chocolate ice cream with Kahlua and orange cinnamon crumble), and lamington (coconut ice cream and chocolate brownie with a swirl of raspberry sorbet), plus the zig-a-zig-ah-inducing ginger spice (vanilla ice cream with salted butterscotch and gingerbread crumble). Those keen on something more traditional can try the likes of 72% dark chocolate ice cream, strawberry passionfruit sorbet and coconut ice cream with pure coconut droplets. The fixed digs come hot on the heels of successful pop-ups in Sydney and Melbourne in May, which gave sweet tooths a taste of the flagship store's range. As for Tania herself, the chef first popped up in 2013, after famously steering Melbourne dessert bar Om Nom into its first chef's hat within just two months of heading up the kitchen. Since then, her inspired sweet treats have continued to dazzle and astound, both out of the Om Nom kitchen and during a host of MasterChef guest judge appearances, making jealous messes of audiences across the country. Find Christy Tania's Glacé at 1A Peel Street, Windsor. For more information, check out the eatery's website. By Libby Curran and Sarah Ward.
Come with us on now, on a journey through time and space, to the world of Behind The Boosh. You may not hear those words spoken aloud when you walk into the exhibition celebrating British comedy troupe The Mighty Boosh, but fans will think them. When you're peering at behind-the-scenes peeks into Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding's hilarious and surreal creation, as snapped by fellow group member Dave Brown, that's the very first thing that should come to mind. A part of all things Boosh since the troupe was first formed in the 90s, Brown played Bollo the Gorilla, Naan bread, Black Frost and Australian zookeeper Joey Moose. He's also taken care of tour posters, DVDs, set graphics and merchandise; compiled and designed The Mighty Book of Boosh; and had a hand in Boosh music and choreography. And, he's been snapping away with his camera — the results of which are gracing this photography showcase. There aren't enough elbow patches in the world for this exhibition, or shoes filled with Baileys. Whether or nor you can find either — or the black hair dye and strong hairspray needed to get Vince Noir-style locks, green Old Gregg-esque body paint or 60s-era suits that look like they've been taken straight from Howard Moon's wardrobe — heading to Sydney's M2 Gallery and Melbourne's North Gallery this August means getting a glimpse into the minds behind The Mighty Boosh's stage shows and radio series, and obviously the three-season TV gem also called The Mighty Boosh. Brown's two decades of images traverse a history that saw The Boosh become a live smash at the Edinburgh and Melbourne Comedy Festivals, then a 00s cult hit on the small screen. These days, Fielding might co-present The Great British Bake Off and do team captain duties on Never Mind the Buzzcocks, while Barratt has been playing a part in The Great, but they'll always been known for The Boosh. "These images are like children to me, badly behaved children with no manners but also beautifully funny, insanely dressed up children that are two dimensional and don't move," explained Brown of his Behind The Boosh photos. "I love these pics, incredible memories of a special time with my Boosh band of brothers and sharing them with our beautiful Aussie Boosh fans is long overdue." "The love The Mighty Boosh still has to this day is comparable to legendary acts such as Monty Python and continues to draw in people of all ages. It was such a bonus to have a great photographer who was part of the show; Dave never missed anything! I almost find it difficult to look at them because it takes me back immediately to that time, and because Dave was always taking photos, the snaps are genuine; they're not posed," said Fielding. "Dave is a lens with legs! Ever since I have known him, he's had a camera strapped to his face. I have a terrible memory which is why Dave is my saviour, if we are our memories then without Dave Brown I simply would not exist," added Barratt. Brown is also in Australia with the exhibition, which runs from Wednesday, August 2–Sunday, August 6 in Sydney and Wednesday, August 16–Sunday, August 20 in Melbourne. In both cities, on the Saturdays in each, he's doing an artist talk to chat through his work — and being part of a troupe, plus their various onstage and on-screen shows, where anything could happen. In Sydney as well, Brown will hit the decks at Redfern Surf Club's Surfapolooza festival on Saturday, August 5. BEHIND THE BOOSH AUSTRALIAN DATES: Wednesday, August 2–Sunday, August 6 — M2 Gallery, 4/450 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills, Sydney Wednesday, August 16–Sunday, August 20 — North Gallery, Level 1/55-57 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne Behind the Boosh displays in Sydney and Melbourne in August 2023 — head to the exhibition website for further details. Images: Dave Brown.
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.
The anticipation is building for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023™. Seeing as we are hosting the iconic occasion Down Under, Sydney is set to witness some exhilarating matches. Meaning the city will be bursting with football fever and a plethora of vibrant events and experiences to enjoy. So, if you're planning a trip to the city, be sure to witness the best of what Sydney has to offer. From art and culture to music and culinary delights, Sydney is poised to showcase its dynamic spirit during the month-long World Cup celebration. Luckily for you, we've rounded up some top picks that you should not miss during your stay.
Believe it or not, Fabbrica Pasta Bar has been winning over Darlinghurst diners with its knockout cacio e pepe and hot honey and ricotta zucchini flowers — among numerous other delights — for a year. And, this week, the Victoria Street pasta purveyor is inviting you to celebrate its first anniversary with free drinks and the return of some of its most popular dishes. To be more precise, if you stop into Fabbrica Darlinghurst between 9–13 April (that's this Wednesday to Sunday), you'll be treated to a complimentary limoncello. On top of that, head chef Damiano Balducci is bringing back two original (and once widely devoured) creations. The first is the slightly sweet, slightly spicy and velvety smooth tonnarelli with blue swimmer crab and chilli. The second is cotoletta, consisting of Tathra Place pork cutlets, which are brined, crumbed and fried, before being served with crispy sage and creamy aioli. You can think of it as Balducci's signature take on a schnitty. We reckon this is going to attract fans in their legions. Don't want to miss out? Then be sure to book online as soon as you can.
Puddles is a really tall clown who sings covers of popular songs with a sad face. He calls it his Pity Party and he's throwing one at the Giant Dwarf for a few days in March. If it sounds like a gimmick, that's because it is. But if you can manage to get past the 7 foot man with the white painted face wearing pompoms, turns out the clown can actually sing. Puddles' cover of Lorde's hit Royals has received more than 10 million views on YouTube, and his shows have received standing ovations at comedy festivals all around the world. And not without good reason. Puddles' performances are weirdly hypnotic — we think it must be something to do with the ridiculous clown suit and the pretty awesome voice. It's just so unexpected. If clowns creep you out, this might not be the show for you. But if you're looking for a truly unique performance, this might be for you.
Three men sit in a Japanese sushi restaurant. Three men wonder about the vacant lot across the way. Three men, given their fine barista skills, salvage the space with specialty coffee. Welcome to Salvage Specialty Coffee in Artarmon. This newbie sits tucked into the quiet side of Artarmon's train station and is the brainchild of Toby Cutler, Matt Goto, and Dan Yee, all formerly of the distinguished Air Coffee in Castle Hill. Consequently, with such experience to back them, there's no doubting these boys' ability to poor a good espresso. In an effort to get things up and running pronto, they managed to salvage all available resources with impressive results thus far. The cafe is small, yet there has been an incredibly practical use of the space. What was once a bright yellow shop is now a simple but cosy espresso bar with a cool neon sign out the front that really spruces things up. Salvage's espresso counter is this place's focal point, then there's the window counter for those after a prime position for people-watching, and outside's all about 1960s Dutch school chairs set undercover to shelter the willing on a raining day. Coffee is smooth and reasonably priced ($3 take away, $3.50 eat-in). The dark horse blend is roasted by Mecca, and a variety of specialty brewing methods is also on offer. A slow drip apparatus sits proudly on the back wall for those interested in a Kenya Gachatha AA (changes invariably), and for those keen to take some beans home and give it a nudge yourself, relevant items are available for purchase. The menu is short and sweet, with bread and pastries from artisan bakery St Malo in Crows Nest. A sweet lemon tart ($5) or an almond croissant ($4) does go down well with a coffee, but for the absolute sweet tooth hit, sit down and sample the ricotta on sourdough ($9), with honeycomb on top that appears to be fresh from the hive. A lengthier menu is on offer Saturdays, and you'd be hard pressed to say no to avocado, toasted pinenuts, lime, coriander, feta, and tomatoes on sourdough ($14) or the croque madame ($14) with a poached egg and bechamel sauce. The boys here have certainly managed to salvage something out of nothing, and lucky for them, we're already digging it.
Wine connoisseurs will know that, beneath all the fancy sommelier pairings and wine speak, the one true pairing for all wine is a hot loaf of sourdough bread. (And maybe a thick slab of brie. Mmm brie.) So you'll also be stoked to hear that the newest site for Sydney bakery Sonoma is also going to have a wine bar extension, where you may revel in your lust for wine and late-night sourdough. Your new favourite place in the world is set to open next month in Rose Bay, on the corner of New South Head Road and Newcastle Street, but don't expect any pretentious bread sommelier business. Sonoma owner Andrew Connole told Good Food the vibe will be a casual wine bar, perfect for a little bread, wine and cheer. With shared dishes all centred around bread — and an enviable craft beer menu to boot — we're pretty sure after-work drinks at Sonoma will soon become the only reason you drag yourself to the office. And it makes sense that sourdough and wine should come together in such a glorious way because, like wine, creating sourdough is a very complex process. In the motherland of sourdough, Sweden, there's even a roaring trade for sourdough hotels, where you can leave your sourdough in good hands while on vacation. Yeah, feel free to drop that little factoid at Friday afternoon bread drinks. You're welcome. Via Good Food. Image credit: Katie Quinn Davies / Sonoma Bakery
For 99 years, Warner Bros. has been the force behind some of the world's most beloved films. And to celebrate 100 years of storytelling in 2023, the studio is teaming up with Sydney's recently redeveloped dining and entertainment precinct, Darling Quarter, to host a pop-up outdoor cinema this January. The best part? Entry won't cost you a cent. Every Thursday to Sunday night from January 12–29, Warner Bros. 100 Open Air Cinema at Darling Quarter will host a program of cinematic classics and classics-in-waiting. It all gets underway at 6pm on Thursday, January 12 with a screening of 1999 blockbuster The Matrix, before a weekend Harry Potter marathon with back-to-back double-headers on Friday and Saturday. The superheroes come out to play the following week, with the likes of Black Adam, The Dark Knight, Wonder Woman and more hitting the screen. Rounding out week two will be a special Lunar New Year screening of Crazy Rich Asians on Sunday, January 22. The hits keep coming in the final week, with classic blockbusters including Space Jam, The Wizard of Oz, Elvis, In The Heights and more. There'll also be exclusive screenings of the new animated series Secret Origin of the Batwheels every evening at 5.25pm — the perfect prelude to a family night out. You don't need to worry about loading up the picnic basket, either — click-and-collect orders for dinner and snacks are available from Darling Quarter's impressive range of new eateries. Perhaps a Brazilian barbecue feast from Braza Churrascaria followed by a sweet nosh from Kürtosh? Or maybe a spicy bowl of tom yum noodles from Doodee Noodle followed by a scoop from Gelatissimo? Pair your feed with a boozy (or booze-free) drink from the cinema's pop-up bar. The Warner Bros. 100 Open Air Cinema at Darling Square is popping up from January 12–29 at Darling Quarter North Village Green. Entry is free, but it's recommended that you register online in advance to confirm your spot. Parking is also available at Darling Quarter with a $12 flat rate in the evenings. To see the full lineup and reserve your place, head to the website.
When you're a film festival that's all about the best cinema from Spain and Latin America, and you've been showcasing flicks from the two regions for a quarter century, how do you mark the occasion? If you're Australia's annual Spanish Film Festival, you put together a hefty 25th-birthday festival filled with 32 movies. That's the just-announced plan for 2023's event, which will take over the screens at Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona, Palace Central and Chauvel Cinema in Sydney from Tuesday, June 20–Wednesday, July 12 — complete with Spanish box-office hits, stars from beloved series, a focus on female directors and plenty more. Kicking off the fest is the Australian premiere of culinary comedy Two Many Chefs, which follows a father-and-son pair reuniting in the high-cuisine scene in Bilbao. Also a high-profile must-see is the festival's centrepiece selection Alcarràs, the winner of the Berlin Film Festival's Golden Bear in 2022. It popped up at a few local fests last year, and is now finally being made available to a wider Aussie audience. Other highlights include five-time Goya Award-winner Prison 77, a smash in its homeland starring Miguel Herrán from Netflix's Money Heist; The Kings of the World, which focuses on five Medellín teenagers; and Four's a Crowd, the latest from The Bar, Witching and Bitching and As Luck Would Have It filmmaker Álex de la Iglesia. Plus, there's thriller A Singular Crime, about a wealthy businessman's disappearance in Argentina in the 80s — and Staring at Strangers, where The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent's Paco León spies on a family from inside a closet (and yes, sounds like it takes its cues from Parasite). Film lovers can also look forward to rom-com My Father's Mexican Wedding, about two Spanish siblings travelling abroad for the titular nuptials; Mighty Victoria, which sees residents of a small town try to build their own steam train in 1930s Mexico; black-and-white horror film History of the Occult; and feminist Argentinian western The Broken Land. The 2022 fest boasts an Australian link as well via Greg Mortimer, about the passengers and crew on the Australian cruise ship that left for Antarctica just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic being declared. And, the Spanish Film Festival's survey of prominent Spanish and Latin American women directors includes seven movies, while its five-title 2023 retrospective is dedicated to iconic Spanish filmmaker Carlos Saura, who passed away earlier in 2023.
If your idea of a relaxing pastime involves moseying through Australia's picturesque landscape by foot, bike or horse, then add the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail to your must-visit list. Spanning 161 kilometres, it runs through southeast Queensland from Wulkuraka, west of Ipswich to Yarraman in the Great Dividing Range. And, with its final stage completed and opened this month, it's now Australia's longest continuous hiking, cycling and horse riding trail — exceeding the Great Victorian Rail Trail's 134 kilometres in length. Inaccessible to cars, the track follows the now-defunct Brisbane Valley railway line, which dates back to the 1880s. Upon closing to trains in 1991, it was converted to a recreational trail; however the final link between Toogoolawah and Moore has only just come to fruition through $3.354 million in funding from the federal, Queensland and local governments. Visitors can now make their way through an array of scenery — including farms, country towns and bushland — across the trail's entire expanse, with the track winding through the likes of Fernvale, Lowood, Esk, Toogoolawah, Moore, Linville, Blackbutt and Yarraman, and including both coffee stops and campsites along the way. Further work is planned along the trail, including a $4.5 million upgrade to the heritage-listed Lockyer Creek Railway Bridge. Image: Brisbane Valley Rail Trail Users Association Inc.
Home to raindrop cakes, Nutella gyoza and salted caramel gyoza, Harajuku Gyoza clearly likes getting creative with its sweet treats. The chain is fond of trying out new things with its savouring dumpling range, too, as its experiment with mac 'n' cheese and pepperoni pizza versions showed — but it obviously has a soft spot for the kind of desserts you won't find on any old menu. Right now, the Australian gyoza brand is serving up a new menu item that turns lemon meringue into gyoza. You'll find lemon curd stuffed inside each dumpling, and mini meringues perched on top. And, if your stomach isn't already rumbling, they come crispy fried and dusted with icing sugar. Just like the chain's marshmallow gyoza from earlier this year, the lemon meringue dumplings are joining the chain's dessert lineup in plates of five, which'll cost you $10. And if you fancy tucking into the new gyoza after devouring two old favourites — cheeseburger gyoza, which is stuffed with burger pieces, aged cheddar, onion, pickles, mustard and tomato sauce; and mozzarella gyoza, which is filled with the obvious, then deep-fried and sprinkled with Twisties salt — that's up to you. Harajuku Gyoza's lemon meringue gyoza are now available at all Australian stores — at Darling Harbour in Sydney; at South Bank and the CBD in Brisbane; and in Broadbeach on the Gold Coast.
Of the many reasons that Sydney is such a great place to live, the city's increasingly impressive theatre scene ranks highly on the list. Its position as a truly global city means that some of the world's biggest and best productions often roll into our theatres — and, after an interrupted couple of years, 2022 sees the city's performance calendar shaping up to be one of the best on record. We've teamed up with Destination New South Wales to highlight just some of the shows you'll want to add to your cultural calendar, from innovative newcomers to enduring classics of the stage, whether you're buying tickets for yourself or looking for a last-minute Christmas gift for the culture vulture in your life.
Spend a day immersed in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and pick up some one-of-a-kind gifts at the Blak Markets Christmas Festival, taking place on La Perouse's Bare Island. On Sunday, December 15, market-goers will be able to buy original artworks, beauty products, homewares and jewellery, knowing that 100 percent of profits will go back into Aboriginal communities. You can also sample food and refreshments flecked with indigenous ingredients, get involved in a weaving workshop and even make some of your gifts by hand. Or you can update your balcony garden with a bunch of different native plants, bush foods and herbs from social enterprise Indigigrow. Gates will open at 9.30am, with the Blak Markets officially kicking off with a Welcome to Country at 10.30am. Throughout the day, there'll be cultural singing and dancing performances and a workshop for kids, before it all wraps up at 3pm. Access to Bare Island is usually restricted to tour groups, so this is also a special opportunity to wander around freely. Make the most of the warm weather and take your snorkel — we reckon it's one of the prettiest underwater spots in Sydney.
Even with a slew of fundraising shows, feasts and classes, Australia's bushfire relief effort is set to score plenty more live, loud support, when an impressive group of big name Aussie and international artists come together for a huge fundraising gig at ANZ Stadium next month. And when we say big name, we mean it. The show — which will kick off at 1pm on Sunday, February 18 — is headline by a little band called Queen. Queen! The legendary band is in town for a national tour with Adam Lambert, who'll also be taking the stage. There are only a few seats left to their Sydney show on the Saturday night, so if you've been keen to see them in the flesh and chuck some money to some worthy charities, this might be your best option. Especially as Queen is just one of the artists on the bill for the nine-hour show. If you grab a ticket, you'll also get to see sets by local festival favourites Amy Shark, Baker Boy and Peking Duk, and long-serving Aussie artists Delta Goodrem and Jessica Mauboy, and even Alice Cooper and K.D Lang. Your need for nostalgia will be looked after, too, as John Farnham, Daryl Braithwaite and Tina Arena are also set to play. Plus, fundraising queen Celeste Barber will be the event's host. Tickets cost $100 (or $70–85 if you want a seat), and will go on sale at midday today, Monday, January 13. All profits from ticket sales will be donated to a group of charities, namely the Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery, the RSPCA Bushfire Appeal, and rural and regional fire services in each affected state. You can also donate extra to these charities on the event website. FIRE FIGHT AUSTRALIA LINEUP Alice Cooper Amy Shark Baker Boy Conrad Sewell Daryl Braithwaite Delta Goodrem Grinspoon Guy Sebastian Hilltop Hoods Icehouse Illy Jessica Mauboy John Farnham K.D Lang Lee Kernaghan Olivia Newtown-John Peking Duk Queen + Adam Lambert Tina Arena William Barton
In Stay of the Week, we explore some of the world's best and most unique accommodations — giving you a little inspiration for your next trip. In this instalment, we take you to Bali's legendary beachfront resort Desa Potato Head. And right now, we have an unmissable deal for you to take advantage of, which includes daily cocktails and a bunch of other complimentary offers on three-, five- and seven-night stays. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL? Whether Bali is yet to be ticked off your bucket list or you're a seasoned visitor, you probably already know Seminyak is where all the action is — think top restaurants, luxurious day spas and pumping party spots. Of the many hot spots that populate Seminyak, Potato Head Beach Club is an institution. But, Desa Potato Head's offering extends well beyond the famed beach club with its sweeping archipelago views and infinity pool. Billing itself as a self-contained 'village', Desa Potato Head has several restaurants, a range of accommodation options, art installations and a co-working space. And then there is the next-level wellness program. We're talking a 24-hour gym, personal training, outdoor fitness sessions, yoga and guided meditation sessions, IV treatments and the Sanctuary — a space offering ice baths, sound healing and other alternative wellness practices. The resort also has a steadfast commitment to sustainability — it was the first company in Asia to go carbon neutral and is making strides to be a zero-waste operation. THE ROOMS Desa Potato Head has two distinct accommodation offerings. The first is Potato Head Suites (formerly known as Katamama). Each of these 58 suites effortlessly blends ancient Indonesian craftsmanship with modern touches, including floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Indian Ocean, private gardens, spacious living areas, and jacuzzis or pools. Your other option is Potato Head Studios, the more traditional hotel offering. Across the 168 rooms, expect luxury amenities, stylish decor and stunning views over the ocean, bamboo garden or resort. All rooms have thoughtful personal touches, like build-your-own-cocktail kits, refillable products (including sunscreen and insect repellent) and zero-waste kits that you can take home with you. FOOD AND DRINK Beach Club is, of course, the most famous of Desa Potato Head's hospitality offerings, so spending a few hours here (at the very least) is a given. Snag one of the daybeds by the infinity pool to enjoy signature cocktails — prepared with local fruits and spices — and a few snacks from the kitchen, including charcuterie boards, pizza and platters of oysters. The Beach Club has two more formal options, too. The first is Ijen, which focuses on fresh local seafood served raw or grilled. The other is Kaum, which showcases traditional recipes, methods of cooking and ingredients from some of Indonesia's lesser-known regions. Elsewhere in the resort, you'll find semi-subterranean plant-based diner Tanaman, casual eatery Katamama and rooftop bar Sunset Park. THE LOCAL AREA When you're ready to explore beyond the boundaries of Potato Head, Seminyak has plenty on offer to keep you busy. Get your caffeine fix from one of the Aussie-style cafes (Revolver Espresso is our pick) and take a wander down Jalan Kayu Aya (otherwise known as Eat Street) to find tasty local food and boutique shops. Want to visit other beach clubs? KU DE TA, Finns and Mrs Sippy are all worth a look-in. Then, of course, there are all the nature-laden day trips and outdoor adventures you can take. Check out this Ubud day tour, which includes visits to Tegenungan Waterfall and the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, or this full-day of water sports fun — think scuba diving, jet skiing and more. THE EXTRAS A stay at Desa Potato Head guarantees plenty of luxuries. We've already mentioned a few, including the in-room cocktail bar and daily wellness activities, but you can also expect welcome cocktails, daily breakfast, free daily laundry and airport transfers. Plus, if you book a three-, five- or seven-night stay through Concrete Playground Trips, we're throwing in even more to sweeten the already-sweet deal. Specifically: free cocktails daily, a free massage, spa credit of IDR500,000, dinner at Tanaman and priority daybeds at the Beach Club. Get moving on this offer — it's only available until June 13. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips in destinations all over the world.
New restaurants and takeaway joints open every week in Sydney — so much so that it's hard to keep up, let alone determine which ones to visit. But you know what gets our attention? Free stuff. That's why we're pleased to tell you that, to celebrate last week's opening of their new Surry Hills store, Zeus Street Greek will be giving out free souvas to anyone who visits the new location this Friday, June 2. All you have to do is walk into the Foveaux Street store between noon and 3pm on Friday and you'll score yourself a free pita. These are ZSG's version of a souvlaki, which you can get filled with chicken, pork, lamb, falafel, haloumi or soft shell crab. Plus, for each pita given away on the day, ZSG will donate $2 to Weave Community & Youth Services, a charity that supports disadvantaged children, young people and families. Just in case you weren't sure if ZSG was a chain yet — the Surry Hills outpost is their 14th store to open in Australia. They currently have ten stores Sydney and a couple across Canberra, Newcastle, Brisbane and Perth, with another four to open imminently. Zeus Street Greek Surry Hills is now open at 2/69-81 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills. To celebrate the opening, they will will be giving away free pitas on Friday, June 2 from 12–3pm. For more info visit zeusstreetgreek.com.au.
