No longer confined to children's birthday parties, bouncy castles, inflatable obstacle sources and blow-up labyrinths have become hot property for adults (and their inner kids, of course). And the next blow-up event to return to Sydney is big. Really big. Dubbed 'The Big Bounce Australia', it's an inflatable theme park made up of the world's biggest bouncy castle — as certified by the Guinness World Records — plus a 300-metre long obstacle course, a three-part space-themed wonderland and a sports slam arena. You're going to need a lot of red cordial to bounce your way through all of this. Set to take over the St Ives Showground between Friday, March 11–Sunday, March 13, The Big Bounce is open to both littl'uns and big'uns, but there are a heap of adults-only sessions — so you don't have to worry about dodging toddlers on your way through. Tickets for adults will set you back $59, which gives you a whole three hours in the park. Yes, you'll need it. Inside, you'll encounter the aforementioned bouncy castle — aptly named The World's Biggest Bounce House — covering a whopping 1500 square metres and, in some spots, reaching ten metres off the ground. In this house, you'll encounter a heap of slides, ball pits, climbing towers, basketball hoops and (if you can believe it) a stage with DJs, confetti cannons and beach balls. Then, there's The Giant, with 50 inflatable obstacles, including giant red balls and a monster slide. Before you hit the next, three-part section of the extremely OTT theme park, you may need to pause, down some red frogs and maybe even have a nap. Or not, as you do only have three hours to explore it all. Either way, at Airspace, aliens, spaceships and moon craters collide with a five-lane slide, some more ball pits and an 18-metre-tall maze. After that, you'll certainly need a nap. And, new for 2022, there's also the Sport Slam, which is rather self-explanatory — and will be a must of you're keen to add a competitive spin to all that bouncing. [caption id="attachment_825374" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Sarasota Experience[/caption]
In 2020, the Melbourne International Film Festival hosted its largest festival to-date — when it came to the size of its audience, that is. Taking place last August when the city was in lockdown, the fest attracted plenty of eyeballs to its online-only lineup. This year, however, Melburnian movie buffs will also be able to head to a cinema to get their film fix. MIFF isn't ditching digital in 2021, though. Instead, it's going hybrid — so watching at home from wherever you happen to be around the country and attending in-person in Victoria will both be options. Just what will be available virtually and what you'll need to see in a theatre hasn't been revealed, but the fest has just announced 32 titles that it'll be showing one way or another between Thursday, August 5–Sunday, August 22. Also, this year's MIFF will be expanding its physical footprint, hitting up not only the usual CBD venues but also suburban and regional spots as well. As for what you'll be seeing, so far the festival has named a hefty number of homegrown movies. Topping the list: the supremely powerful opening night pick The Drover's Wife The Legend Of Molly Johnson, which'll become the first movie by a female Indigenous filmmaker to ever open the fest. Directed by and starring Leah Purcell (Wentworth), the film will launch MIFF 2021 in quite the potent fashion, with this exceptional reimagining of Henry Lawson's 1892 short story making its Aussie premiere after initially debuting at SXSW back in March. Purcell first turned The Drover's Wife into a play and then a book, and thankfully she isn't done forcing audiences to reckon with the country's colonial history and its impact upon First Nations peoples and women just yet. Another big Australian name, and one that'll bow at MIFF after playing at the Cannes Film Festival: the already-controversial Nitram. Read the movie's title backwards and you'll know why it has sparked a reaction long before it even hits the screen. Here, Snowtown and True Story of the Kelly Gang filmmaker Justin Kurzel and screenwriter Shaun Grant reunite on a drama about the lead up to the events in Port Arthur 25 years ago — with Caleb Landry Jones (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) playing the titular figure. [caption id="attachment_815946" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Nitram[/caption] Other notable local titles include Anonymous Club, a Courtney Barnett-centric documentary about creativity; political thriller Lone Wolf, which stars Tilda Cobham-Hervey (Hotel Mumbai), Stephen Curry (June Again) and Hugo Weaving (Hearts and Bones); and Wash My Soul in the River's Flow, which chronicles Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter's performance with Paul Grabowsky's Australian Art Orchestra, and comes to MIFF at around the same time as it'll screen at this year's Sydney Film Festival. This year, the two events overlap — SFF is being held two months later than usual — so cinephiles can expect the fests to share more a few more movies in common than usual. From MIFF's international slate, Petit Mamam leads the bill — and, given that it's the latest film from Portrait of a Lady on Fire's Céline Sciamma, it's an instant must-see. Other standouts include tweet-to-screen comedy Zola, Oscar-nominee Quo Vadis, Aida?, Japanese relationship drama Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy and documentary Hopper/Welles, which charts a boozy 70s conversation between Dennis Hopper and Orson Welles. MIFF will also screen Pedro Almodóvar's (Pain and Glory) latest, a short called The Human Voice that stars Tilda Swinton, and also marks the Spanish auteur's English-language debut. And, it'll host a Hear My Eyes session as the fest often does, this time screening Aussie great Two Hands. The full festival lineup will be revealed on Tuesday, July 13, which is when you'll be able to start planning out your August viewing schedule — and your trips between the fest's 2021 venues, which include Comedy Theatre, the Forum, RMIT Capitol Theatre, ACMI, Kino Cinemas, Hoyts Melbourne Central, Coburg Drive-In, The Astor, Palace Cinemas Pentridge, The Sun Theatre and Lido Cinemas. The 2021 Melbourne International Film Festival runs from Thursday, August 5 to Sunday, August 22 at a variety of venues around Melbourne. For further details, including the full program from Tuesday, July 13, visit the MIFF website.
Kawaii alert: Hello Kitty and her adorable entourage are opening a colourful cafe in the heart of Melbourne. Opening on Friday, May 9, the Hello Kitty and Friends Cafe will be the first of its kind in Australia, bringing Sanrio's most iconic characters to life through food, art and, naturally, super-cute design. Popping up at Melbourne Central, this immersive, multi-zone experience merges Japanese pop culture with a bold dose of Melbourne flair, and is no doubt set to become a must-visit spot for fans of Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll, Kuromi and My Melody. The whole concept has been brought to life by a team of Australian creatives, including art director Eddie Zammit — who was behind the striking visual identity for Hello Kitty's recent Chadstone pop-up — and illustrator Travis Price. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Eddie Zammit (@eddiezammit) Inside, you'll find four themed spaces, each dripping in pastel tones and Sanrio references aplenty. At the centre of the action is Cinnamoroll World, an ode to the eponymous cinnamon roll-tailed puppy. You can also explore the Friends Garden, where bespoke illustrations of Sanrio characters share the spotlight with Melbourne Central's iconic Clock and Coop's Shot Tower. In a rush? Stop by the Hello Kitty Corner, ideal for a quick, but no less cute, refuel to break up the shopping with a takeaway coffee and pastry. On the menu, you'll find appropriately kawaii Japanese-inspired picks, like strawberry sandos, fresh rainbow poke bowls and character-themed bento boxes that feel more like collectibles than meals. And that fourth themed space? That'd be a gift shop, stocked with limited-edition merch you won't find anywhere else. Think: embroidered patches, tees, plushies, key rings and monthly drops, all designed by Aussie creatives to celebrate the mash-up of the Hello Kitty world and Melbourne's creative energy. "This one-of-a-kind experience is a true celebration of two icons — Hello Kitty and Friends, and the vibrant city of Melbourne," says Silvia Figini, Chief Operating Officer Sanrio (EMEA, India and Oceania) and Mr Men (Worldwide). "We're proud to have seamlessly blended Sanrio's beloved aesthetic with Melbourne's unique spirit and creativity." The Hello Kitty and Friends Cafe opens on Friday, May 9, at Melbourne Central. For more info, head to the Melbourne Central website.
Something delightful is happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are back in business — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney 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 over the past three months, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, 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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-M4qEmF268 FREAKY Blumhouse Productions has already turned Groundhog Day into a horror flick via Happy Death Day and Happy Death Day 2U. It gave 70s TV series Fantasy Island an unsettling makeover, too, with downright awful results. Now, it's Freaky Friday's turn. Body-swap movies span far beyond films starring Jodie Foster (in 1976) and Lindsay Lohan (in 2003), but given that Freaky sets the bulk of its action on a Friday, it's clearly nodding in the obvious direction. The movie begins with a prelude on Wednesday the 11th (yes, not only will most of the chaos go down on a Friday, but it'll happen on Friday the 13th). In the opening scene, four small-town high schoolers do what teens do in the first moments of slasher flicks: talk, party and make out in an empty old mansion, then get killed by a mask-wearing psychopath. Before the quartet meets that fate, its members explain who is responsible. The Blissfield Butcher (Vince Vaughn) is known to have terrorised the area but, due to a lack of recent murders, the serial killer has mostly become an urban legend of late. Not only is the Butcher real, as writer/director Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day and its sequel) and his co-scribe Michael Kennedy (Bordertown) quickly show, but he steals a cursed Aztec dagger that lets him swap bodies with his next victim. So, when shy teen Millie (Kathryn Newton, Big Little Lies) crosses his path, she wakes up in his very tall and male guise the next morning — and vice versa. That's great news for the Butcher, who can now blend in with the adolescents that he likes to murder. It's a troubling predicament for the bullied high schooler that suddenly looks like him, though. Given that Freaky sports a big twist right there in its premise, no one should expect a surprise-laden narrative here. It does add some depth to its high-concept horror-comedy idea, including calling out society's accepted notions of male power and making it plain that women are never seen in the same fashion, but the movie proves a patchwork affair overall. In other words, sometimes things fall into place entertainingly, and sometimes they don't. The slick, fast-paced flick is particularly engaging when it ramps up either the gore-splattered horror or the over-the-top comedy, though, and it sports top-notch lead casting choices. Indeed, without either Vaughn or Newton, it might've resembled The Hot Chick meets the worst Nightmare on Elm Street sequels rather than Freaky Friday meets Friday the 13th. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KW_3aaoSOYg HILLBILLY ELEGY Adapted from the 2016 memoir that shares its name, Hillbilly Elegy is filled with Acting and a Message. Yes, those words should be capitalised. It's an awards-seeking showcase for its two big-name stars, Amy Adams and Glenn Close — neither of whom have an Oscar on their mantles despite 13 nominations between them (six for Adams, seven for Close). It's also a sombre-toned, melodramatic attempt to explain, presumably to the so-called 'coastal elites' that are often characterised as the enemy of ordinary Americans by certain sections of the country's media, that folks crudely nicknamed 'hillbillies' or 'rednecks' are people, too. And, although Ron Howard sits in the director's chair and screenwriter Vanessa Taylor also co-wrote The Shape of Water, Hillbilly Elegy is about as subtle as an Appalachian-born grandmother yelling at teenagers to get off her porch or she'll shoot them. That's something that happens in the film. There's a difference between unpacking stereotypes and propagating them and, despite its obvious intentions, Hillbilly Elegy falls firmly in the second category. A deglamourised Adams plays drug-addicted ex-nurse and single mother Bev. With just as much frizzy hair, Close steps into the shoes of Bev's mother, Mamaw, who gave birth to her when she was 13. Their lives haven't been easy, although they've each constantly strived to do what's best for their poverty-stricken family. Adams and Close give big, overt performances that make their character's struggles known in every fierce glare and public meltdown, but even their visible efforts — and the work they're putting in is always forcefully apparent — can't lift this simultaneously earnest and bland affair. The true tale is all actually seen through the eyes and memories of Bev's son and hardworking Yale law student JD (Gabriel Basso, The Big C). When his mum overdoses while he's trying to secure a summer internship with a prestigious firm in DC, he heads back home, looking back on his childhood (where the character is played by Paterson's Owen Asztalos) across both the hill country of Jackson, Kentucky and also the downtrodden Middletown, Ohio in the process. The real-life JD literally wrote the book, but all those words inspire here is formulaic, mawkish, over-the-top and often fittingly beige-hued awards-bait that noticeably says little about the world that it so superficially feigns to explore. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYUO1xmwxTQ THE COMEBACK TRAIL It's never a great idea to fill a screenplay with verbal references to cinematic masterpieces gone by. If your movie doesn't come anywhere near close to matching Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho or Orson Welles' Touch of Evil, for instance, you've already inspired an unflattering comparison. Those classic titles are mentioned early in The Comeback Trail, and it's well and truly evident by then that this comedy will never sit in their company. Its predecessor certainly doesn't, with this Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, Tommy Lee Jones and Zach Braff-starring, 1970s-set film based on a 1982 movie of the same name. Here, De Niro and Braff play an uncle-nephew pair of movie producers, Max Barber and Walter Creason, who are known for making average-at-best flicks and even inspiring protests at their premieres — and it doesn't take long for viewers to wonder if the inescapably cheap-looking The Comeback Trail is indicative of the terrible and unsuccessful features pumped out by its central pair. After the aforementioned picketing of their latest release, the duo owe $350,000 to gangster Reggie Fontaine (Freeman). Max could sell a beloved script to a rival producer (Emile Hirsch) to rustle up the funds; however, he stumbles upon another plan instead. Soon, he's in even more debt to Reggie, but with a scam in mind — setting up a suicidal old western star, Duke Montana (Jones), for a big accident so that he can claim an insurance payout. Naturally, nothing pans out as it's supposed to, in a film filled from start to finish with laugh-free moments. Max and Walter try to explain to their female director (Kate Katzman) that she's a bad fit because they're making a manly film, which was never going to be funny. Max gets kicked by the horse he's trying to use to injure Duke, and that inspires zero hilarity, too. Contrived, predictable, strained and grating, The Comeback Trail squanders the three acting veterans among its cast. In fact, it makes you wish they'd be more selective with their on-screen choices. De Niro has worked with filmmaker George Gallo before, with the latter writing 1988 comedy Midnight Run, but their reunion couldn't be more painful — and De Niro couldn't be further away from his excellent efforts in The Irishman just last year. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23 and July 30; August 6, August 13, August 20 and August 27; September 3, September 10, September 17 and September 24; October 1, October 8, October 15, October 22 and October 29; and November 5. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as The Personal History of David Copperfield, Waves, The King of Staten Island, Babyteeth, Deerskin, Peninsula, Tenet, Les Misérables, The New Mutants, Bill & Ted Face the Music, The Translators, An American Pickle, The High Note, On the Rocks, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Antebellum, Miss Juneteenth, Savage, I Am Greta, Rebecca, Kajillionaire, Baby Done, Corpus Christi, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, The Craft: Legacy, Radioactive and Brazen Hussies. Top image: Hillbilly Elegy via Lacey Terrell/Netflix.
If laughter is the best medicine then you'll never find a better time to fall ill. From Monday, April 18, over 200 local and international comedians will descend upon the harbour city for the 12th annual Sydney Comedy Festival, ready to fill your prescription of chuckles, giggles and guffaws. Stretching across more than four weeks at venues all around Sydney from the Opera House to Parramatta, it's just what the doctor ordered. Of course, comedy is a notoriously hit-and-miss form of entertainment, so picking the right shows is key. Fortunately, the organisers at this year's festival have knocked the program out of the park. International stars including David O'Doherty, Ross Noble, Paul Foot and Sarah Callaghan will join local legends like Anne Edmonds, Demi Lardner, Michael Workman and Lawrence Leung. Alternatively, you could go and watch a bunch of people reading erotic fan fiction. The choice is entirely yours.
If you love movies and the magic that goes into making them, it's easy to get spirited away when you head to the cinema. Come late August, however, that will definitely prove the case, because Studio Ghibli's moving castles, cat buses and cute balls of fluff are taking over screens around Australia. From August 24, the acclaimed and adored Japanese animation house will be floating across movie theatres thanks to a month-long Celebrate Studio Ghibli showcase. The jam-packed program spans all 22 of their gorgeous flicks plus a behind-the-scenes documentary. Yes, that means devouring everything from Hayao Miyazaki's early efforts such as Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and Laputa: Castle in the Sky, to perennial crowd-pleasers My Neighbour Totoro and Spirited Away, to later efforts like Ponyo and The Wind Rises. Of course, while Miyazaki might've become synonymous with the studio he helped build, he's not their only filmmaking force — as doco The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness demonstrates. Ghibli's other stars also get their time to shine, with the likes of Isao Takahata' Grave of the Fireflies, Only Yesterday and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, Tomomi Mochizuki's Ocean Waves, Hiroyuki Morita's The Cat Returns, and Gorō Miyazaki's Tales from Earthsea and From Up on Poppy Hill also on the bill. Basically, whichever Ghibli movie is your favourite, you'll get the chance to revisit it on the big screen. Plus, Melburnian Ghibli fans can also catch 15 titles on 35mm during the showcase's stint at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, doing justice to their eye-catching artistry. Celebrate! Studio Ghibli screens at various cinemas around Australia from August 24 to September 25. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the showcase website.
On one of our most important days of remembrance (also one of the busiest days in the year to be a bartender), Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel are laying out a spread to cater for a solemn celebration in the sun. There'll be live beats, brews, and the much-anticipated flipping of coins, as is tradition on Anzac Day. Two-up kicks off at noon, and then the day will give way to live bands and DJs in the Beach Club. In keeping with the theme of the day, there will be a performance from the NSW Pipe Band. On top of that, the Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel also boasts a comprehensive cacophony of adult beverages, and a solid menu that builds a little on the classics. ANZAC Day remains a tribute to those who fell in defence of their home, but you can still enjoy the public holiday, and the opportunity to partake in traditional celebrations at the Watto's idyllic setting.
Lightsabers, caped crusaders, fast cars and fairy tales — if you went to the cinema this year, we're betting that you saw at least one of the above. And, if you caught more than a couple of flicks, you probably roamed your eyes over creepy clowns, cheeky spies, immersive accounts of war and an acclaimed Aussie drama as well. From Star Wars, Wonder Woman, The Fate of the Furious and Beauty and the Beast, to It, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, Dunkirk and Lion, they're the movies that Australians flocked to in 2017. Of course, they had company. Nearly 400 films were released onto Aussie screens over the past 12 months, and even the biggest cinephiles among probably skipped a couple. Based on box office figures, here's ten we think you might've missed, and should make the effort to catch up with. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDiVGDmgsFY RAW One of the year's best films, under-seen or otherwise, is also one that arrived with a bloody splash. When Raw premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2016, audience members reportedly fainted during its tale of a vegan teenager turned cannibalistic college student — and while they might've been overreacting, the French film isn't for the gore-averse. What it is, rather, is an unforgettable and visceral take on the savagery of growing up from first-time writer/director Julia Ducournau. She's matched in talent by her leading lady Garance Marillier, who makes viewers understand both the reluctance and excitement that comes with going to university, breaking free from her usual personality and casually snacking on severed limbs. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J5jcPqfYss PROFESSOR MARSTON AND THE WONDER WOMEN 2017 was a wonderful year — for films with 'wonder' in the title, at least. While Wonder Wheel is completely missable, and Wonderstruck only played select festivals, Wonder Woman kicked superhero ass. And, it wasn't the only movie about the famous comic book character to make it to cinemas, or the best. In Professor Marston and the Wonder Women, movie-goers received the origin movie they didn't know they needed, following the story of Diana Prince's creation by William Moulton Marston. The psychologist turned comic book author (Luke Evans) took inspiration from his own life with his wife (Rebecca Hall) and live-in girlfriend (Bella Heathcoate), as relayed with passion and personality by writer/director Angela Robinson. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLdhN4oMxCQ BAD GENIUS Mark our words: in the next couple of years, an English-language version of this Thai thriller will reach our screens. A high-stakes high-school exam flick, it's smart and slick, funny and fast-paced, tautly made and tension-filled — and it turns a situation we can all relate to into a nail-biting heist caper. Straight-A student Lynn (Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying) is the misbehaving high-achiever of the title, who first hatches a plan to make money by feeding her classmates test answers, and then bands together with her customers to cheat the biggest test there is. The premise was taken from reality, and part of the movie was shot in Sydney, but the real highlight is Bad Genius' lively style and thoroughly entertaining narrative. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2RYbGgBQeM THE LOST CITY OF Z Because these things always come in pairs, The Lost City of Z is one of two 2017 features that send former film franchise heartthrobs into the jungle. It's the only one you won't want to end, however. Robert Pattinson plays second fiddle to Charlie Hunnam in this account of geographer and explorer Percy Fawcett's life, and to James Gray's astutely measured direction, as well as cinematographer Darius Khondji's lush and striking images. Indeed, Hunnam does some of his best work as the man determined to find the fabled locale, while Gray shows that his skills apply not only in urban settings, but to vast Amazonian wilds too. A visually precise and painterly effort result, one that's an existential adventure, a lush-looking portrait of feverish obsession and an engaging biopic all in the same mesmerising package. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SMmn5fu2oI WINTER AT WESTBETH This Australian-directed, New York-shot documentary only received a tiny cinema run earlier this year, so you can be forgiven for missing it. That said, if you were a fan of Bill Cunningham New York or Iris, or like factual looks at real-life creative types doing what they love — and wearing their eccentricity on their sleeves — you'll want to redress that oversight as soon as possible. A small film that leaves a big imprint, it focuses on three elderly residents of Manhattan's Far West Village for retired artists, each coping with their advanced years by immersing themselves in their chosen fields. Guided by their tales, Aussie filmmaker Rohan Spong crafts an insightful and empathetic doco that's never anything less than revelatory. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ih9P0QCCrUw IN THIS CORNER OF THE WORLD With gorgeous watercolour animation and a bittersweet but graceful approach, In This Corner of the World turns a dark chapter of the past into a thing of beauty. That applies both emotionally and visually, in a film that enchants even as it delves into life in World War II-era Hiroshima. Teenager Suzu Urano (Non) finds things forever change when she weds a naval clerk in 1943 and moves to city where he's based; however, history dictates that more is still to come. It's the type of multi-layered wonder that Studio Ghibli would usually make, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that writer/director Sunao Katabuchi worked as an assistant director on Kiki's Delivery Service. His work here is certainly worthy of the comparison. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eByhbavkA6E HEAL THE LIVING In her third film, French writer/director Katell Quillévéré wades into tricky waters, but never forgets to admire life's beauty. Given that organ donation is her main topic, that's a simply stunning feat. Based on the book of the same name, Heal the Living follows the many people affected when a 17-year-old surfer's existence is cut short: his grief-stricken parents and girlfriend, the medical professionals charged with his care and the ailing woman in another city who might get a second chance through this tragedy. As well as the sensitive handling of the subject matter, the detailed depiction of hospital routines and the spot-on charting of intricate, intimate emotional terrain, the feature boasts movingly lyrical sensibilities, and a mastery of both poetic and clinical imagery. A word of warning: if you've ever been through something similar, you may find the experience especially devastating. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Zzw4Lmej9s THE VILLAINESS John Wick: Chapter 2 and Atomic Blonde aren't 2017's only ace assassin films. From South Korea, say hello to The Villainess. The latest in a long line of kinetic, frenetic action flicks from the country's shores, it follows a woman trained to kill, forced to lend the government her skills and sporting one heck of a backstory. If it sounds familiar because you've seen plenty of similar fare — Luc Besson's La femme Nikita and Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill included — don't worry; this isn't a mere walk down a well-worn path or an easy clone. Understandably, it's the fast and furious displays of carnage that particularly stand out thanks to director Jung Byung-gil's high-octane approach, as well as a memorable score. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl_eP39tXW0 SCHOOL LIFE Did a teacher change your life? Did you discover your true passion at school? Even if you answered no to both of those questions, there's no doubting the influence that education has on our identities — not just in the things we learn, but the people we encounter and the experiences we go through. Still not convinced? Let Irish documentary School Life show you. Set at a boarding school, it's a movie about many things: bright minds facing the future, dedicated teachers determined to do their best at their important task at hand, and two specific veterans still shaping the next generation as their own days fade. As they step through all of the above, documentarians Neasa Ní Chianáin and David Rane find the right balance between observation and emotion, and between affection and insight. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cTenw8uVSw SONG TO SONG Love him or hate him, no one makes movies like Terrence Malick. As a result, when it comes to his dream-like explorations of human existence, you're either on his whisper-soundtracked, roaming camera-shot, attractive actor-starring wavelength, or you're not. Song to Song won't change anyone's minds, but those eager to go along for the ride will find the iconic filmmaker in top form in this particularly prolific phase of his career. Partially set and shot at SXSW, and featuring Michael Fassbender, Ryan Gosling, Rooney Mara, Natalie Portman, Cate Blanchett, Iggy Pop and Patti Smith (among others), Song to Song proves an intoxicating dance-filled picture with oh-so-pretty folks coping with the complexities of love and life. Read our full review.
Sydney is scoring a brand new block party in celebration of YCK Laneways, the CBD's newest dining and cultural precinct. To help launch YCK, which encompasses York Street, Clarence Street and Kent Street — and to remind Sydneysiders about all the beloved venues that span these three streets — ten of the precinct's most popular bars are throwing a massive six-week party. Running between Wednesday, April 7–Sunday, May 22, the YCK Laneways Block Party will feature 75 cultural events including dance, theatre, live music and interactive art across the ten beloved spots. The ten venues involved: Since I Left You, Papa Gede's, The Lobo, Spawn Point, The Barber Shop, The Duke of Clarence, Stitch Bar, Uncle Ming's, Prince of York and Grandma's Bar. With both free and ticket events taking place, the cultural offerings stretch from antipasto burlesque at the Prince of York and poetry readings in the Since I Left You courtyard to wheelie bin art at The Barber Shop and playing Dungeons & Dragons at Spawn Point. Regular CBD favourite events like Brunch With... will also be wrapped up in the festivities, while a whole heap of live music and dance parties will take place across the three streets following the recent rolling back of restrictions to allow dance floors in New South Wales. More events are set to be announced, including a standalone outdoor live music event. You can browse the full program and stay up to date on everything happening in the YCK precinct via the YCK Laneways website.
Beloved by budget-conscious shoppers, German-born discount supermarket chain Aldi has been slinging its groceries across Australia for over two decades. But for its next big Aussie move, it's setting up shop for just two nights — which'll be filled with ridiculously affordable gin, wine and cheese. As Aldi's devoted customers well and truly know, you can get plenty of things at the company's stores for cheap — not only food, but everything from beds and kettles to games and snow gear as well. On the culinary side of things, that includes dairy products and, in some states, vino, too. So to show them off, Aldi is launching a two-evening-only Sydney bar. Called The Trophy Room, it'll nestle into 111 Elizabeth Street and host just four seatings, with sessions from 5–6.30pm and 7.30–9pm on both Friday, July 15–Saturday, July 16. You'll need to nab a ticket to get in, with bookings opening at 9am on Friday, July 8. Expect plenty of competition for a spot, though — the fact that your entire visit will only cost you $4.41 is certain to attract a crowd. Yes, you read that price correctly. No, there's no missing numeral, and the decimal point isn't in the wrong place either. For less than a fiver per person, you'll get a gin cocktail upon arrival, then a tasting selection from Aldi's wine range, plus a cheese platter featuring Aldi cheeses to line your stomach. The reason for the pop-up, and the super-cheap price? To showcase Aldi's affordable and acclaimed wines, and its just-as-reasonably priced award-winning cheeses, all at a time when inflation is seeing supermarket prices rocket. The Trophy Bar is also designed to be replicated at home — the menu, that is — given that Aldi's vinos would start from $0.83 a glass if they were priced individually, and max out at $2.49 a glass. As for its cheeses, the chain advises that its triple-cream brie would cost $0.56 for a single serve, while a smooth blue cheese would be priced at $0.62. Aldi's Trophy Room will pop up at 111 Elizabeth Street, Sydney from Friday, July 15–Saturday, July 16. Bookings are limited, and open at 9am on Friday, July 8.
The 80s were a booming time for teen movies, but one film from the era will always stand out from the crowd. Like protagonist, like picture, clearly. Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) might be the most popular student at his suburban Chicago high school, but he's not one for blending in — even when he's skipping school with his anxiety-riddled best friend Cameron (Alan Ruck) and laidback girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara), all while their principal is on their tail. Almost 35 years since it first reached cinemas, Ferris Bueller's Day Off has become not just a classic but an iconic flick — and, no matter how many times you rewatch it, it's easy to see why. Written and directed by the great John Hughes (Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club), it's as amusing as it is entertaining. And yes, it'll have you wanting to sing 'Twist and Shout' in a parade.
They call it Tina — The Tina Turner Musical, oh Tina — The Tina Turner Musical — and, while it finally arrived in Australia in May, it now has more dates around the nation. After premiering in London back in 2018, this stage ode to the music icon that's had Aussies dancing to 'Nutbush City Limits' for decades will tour Down Under, following up its current first local stint in Sydney with seasons in Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne. No, it isn't taking to the stage in a church house, gin house, school house or outhouse — or on highway number 19, either. But Tina — The Tina Turner Musical will obviously have Crown Theatre, Festival Theatre, Queensland Performing Arts Centre and Princess Theatre enjoying Turner's greatest hits in one massive show. The list of musical numbers includes 'Nutbush City Limits', naturally, as well as everything from 'River Deep, Mountain High' and 'Proud Mary' through to 'Private Dancer' and 'What's Love Got to Do with It?'. Tina — The Tina Turner Musical has made its trip Down Under courtesy of TEG DAINTY, Stage Entertainment and Tali Pelman, in association with Tina Turner herself before her passing in May this year. Announcing the show's stint on our shores back in 2022, the singer said that "Australia has always shared abundant love with me, going back to my early concerts in the late 70s through the uplifting partnership with the National Rugby League. It is very special for me that we will be reunited." "The joy, passion and message of resilience in my musical is so important now as ever. Thank you from the bottom my heart for welcoming me with open arms once again," Turner continued. The singer didn't mention her appearance in Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, but she is indeed part of the beloved Mad Max franchise, too. In Australia, The Lion King, We Will Rock You, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Ragtime and Moulin Rouge! The Musical star Ruva Ngwenya plays Tina, with In the Heights, Fame: The Musical and fellow Moulin Rouge! The Musical alumni Tim Omaji as Ike Turner. Penned by Tony Award-nominee and Pulitzer Prize-winner Katori Hall, plus Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prins, and directed by fellow Tony-nominee Phyllida Lloyd, Tina — The Tina Turner Musical clearly has quite the story to tell. The show steps through Turner's life and fame, including growing up in Nutbush, Tennessee, the hard work that led to her career, all of those aforementioned hits, her 12 Grammy Awards, her volatile time with Ike and her huge solo success. If you're a fan, Turner herself summed it up — yes, it's simply the best. "I first heard about the possibility of a stage musical portraying Tina's life eight years ago and I immediately reached out to Tali Pelman at Stage Entertainment. At that point there was no script and no book; however, I was hooked on the idea of it," said TEG DAINTY CEO Paul Dainty about Tina — The Tina Turner Musical. "We have been on that journey ever since, and here we are today announcing the Australian tour! Australians love this theatrical masterpiece which tells the story of Tina's life, of empowerment and success, and is ultimately the best music industry comeback story of all time." TINA — THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL AUSTRALIAN DATES: Now until Sunday, December 31, 2023 — Theatre Royal, Sydney From Tuesday, February 27, 2024 — Crown Theatre, Perth From Wednesday, April 24, 2024 — Festival Theatre, Adelaide From Sunday, July 2, 2024 — Lyric Theatre, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Brisbane From Tuesday, September 24, 2024 — Princess Theatre, Melbourne Tina — The Tina Turner Musical is currently playing in Sydney, and will tour the rest of Australia in 2024. For more information and tickets, head to the musical's website. Images: Daniel Boud.
They played a couple in Drive opposite Ryan Gosling (The Fall Guy). They bickered their way through New York's 60s-era folk scene in Inside Llewyn Davis, too. Now, after teaming up for acclaimed filmmakers Nicolas Winding Refn and the Coen brothers, Oscar Isaac (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse) and Carey Mulligan (Spaceman) are reuniting on-screen again, this time to lead the cast in Netflix's feuding anthology series Beef. A second season of the acclaimed show is officially on the way, so get ready for more grievances. This time, the new eight-episode run will focus on a young couple who sees a fight between their boss and his wife, and the aftermath, which takes the drama into a country club as well. Everyone has petty feuds. That's one of the truths behind the the Golden Globe-, Emmy-, Gotham, Screen Actors Guild Award-, Independent Spirit Award and Producers Guild Award-winning series, which brought squabbling strangers into everyone's streaming queues in 2023 and became one of the best new shows of the year in the process. Beef was initially meant to be a once-off, but plenty more people could always disagree, argue and hold grudges on-screen — and, soon, some more will. Earlier in 2024, Jake Gyllenhaal (Presumed Innocent) and Anne Hathaway (The Idea of You) were rumoured to be starring in Beef's second season, which would've been a reunion for them as well — see: Love & Other Drugs and Brokeback Mountain — but Isaac and Mulligan are doing the honours instead. Back then, it was also reported that Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla) and Charles Melton (May December) could be among the cast that's taking over from Steven Yeun (Nope) and Ali Wong (Paper Girls), with that part still happening. If you missed season one of the Lee Sung Jin (Dave)-created Beef, it followed Danny Cho (Yeun) and Amy Lau (Wong) after they got in a fender bender, then neither handled it well. Cue a feud that they can't shake, infiltrating their lives and relationships. If their quest for revenge each other just fizzled out, there obviously wouldn't be a series. Part of Beef's ongoing beef in season one stemmed from a comedy staple: putting opposites together and seeing what springs. Danny is struggling as a contractor and isn't happy about it, while Amy lives a seemingly idyllic life thanks to her success as an entrepreneur. They both share a need to get back at each other, though — and to see through their clash to the end. Lee is back for season two as the show's creator, while Yeun and Wong are onboard as well as executive producers. There's obviously no trailer yet for the second season, but check out a clip from Beef season one below: Beef season two doesn't yet have a release date — we'll update you when more details are locked in. Beef season streams via Netflix — read our review. Top image: The Card Counter, courtesy of Focus Features / ©2021 Focus Features, LLC.
When Paul Kelly has taken his Making Gravy tours across Australia around Christmas in past years, the gigs have proven a hot ticket. That shouldn't come as a surprise given how beloved 'How to Make Gravy' is, so much so that there's a movie inspired by it heading to streaming this festive season. But only the songwriting legend's 2025 tour will see him reach a huge milestone, playing his biggest-ever live shows not only at home but in New Zealand as well. The August and September tour will also feature Kelly's only gigs for the year, so consider them a chance to get excited about Gravy Day 2025 — which falls on December 21 — early. He's heading to nine cities, starting in Perth before hitting Brisbane, Sydney, Hobart, Adelaide and Melbourne in Australia, and then crossing the ditch to play Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland. The Aussie icon will be celebrating his new album Fever Longing Still, which releases on Friday, November 1, 2024, but he'll also be busting out beloved tracks from his 40-year-plus career. Accordingly, expect to hear everything from 'Dumb Things', 'To Her Door', 'Before Too Long' and 'From Little Things Big Things Grow' through to 'Leaps and Bounds', 'From St Kilda to King's Cross' and 'When I First Met Your Ma'. It was back in 1981 that Kelly's first studio album Talk hit record stores — and the ARIA- and APRA-winner has been a mainstay of the Australian music scene ever since, whether unpacking the nation in his tunes, giving everyone a Christmas tradition, singing about well-known figures or anything in-between. Kelly is hitting the road with Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit on his Australian shows, as well as Fanny Lumsden as the opening act on home soil and Reb Fountain doing the same in Aotearoa. And, of course, Kelly's band will be performing with him, with Peter Luscombe on drums, Bill McDonald on bass, Dan Kelly and Ash Naylor on guitar, Cameron Bruce on the keys and Jess Hitchcock contributing vocals. Paul Kelly Australia and New Zealand Tour 2025 Tuesday, August 26 — RAC Arena, Perth Friday, August 29 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane Saturday, August 30 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Tuesday, September 2 — MyState Bank Arena, Hobart Thursday, September 4 — Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide Saturday, September 6 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Tuesday, September 9 — Christchurch Town Hall, Christchurch Wednesday, September 10 — Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington Friday, September 12 — Auckland Town Hall, Auckland Paul Kelly is touring Australia and New Zealand in August and September 2025. Ticket presales start from 3pm local time on Monday, October 28, 2024, with general sales from 3pm local time on Wednesday, October 30, 2024 — head to the tour website for more details. Top image: Mona Foma, Moshcam.
This spring, Sydney's Night Noodle Markets will finally make its glorious return for six nights of tasty things on sticks, bowls of noodles, all the bao you can handle and oh-so-many extravagant desserts. After a couple of disrupted years, the beloved food event will hit up Sydney from Tuesday, October 4–Sunday, October 9 at Prince Alfred Park. With just under two months until the festival returns, the markets' lineup of food stalls and activations has been announced with some beloved names popping up on the roster. Leading the program is Filipino barbecue group and frequent Gelato Messina collaborator Hoy Pinoy, alongside Bangkok Street Food, Shallot Thai, Roll Up, Raijin, Calabang. Messina will also be on-site serving its highly sought-after scoops, as well as Redfern favourite Donut Papi. Plus, Brendan Pang's Bumplings, May's Malaysian Hawker, Teppanyaki Noodle, Flying Noodles and Wonderbao will all be setting up stalls to deliver their signature eats to Sydneysiders. There will also be a range of pop-up bars stationed around the markets. Dan Murphy's is bringing its short-term zero-alcohol bar concept from Melbourne to Sydney for the event; Rekorderlig will be pouring its fruity strawberry-lime, wild berry and low-sugar ciders; an Aperol Kombi bar will be making spritzes and Gage Roads Brew Co will be in attendance with a range of beers. [caption id="attachment_785200" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Donut Papi leche flan[/caption] The Night Noodle Markets were originally set to return in March this year, but had to be postponed due to Sydney's wet weather. Autumn's loss is spring's gain, with the markets now making a comeback when the weather gets warmer — to give Sydneysiders the opportunity to get out and fill their night with Asian street food, drinks and entertainment. Like most major events, the last two years haven't been smooth sailing for the Night Noodle Markets. In 2020, it was forced online, offering special meals from local restaurants and selections from its usual vendors via home delivery. Last year, the markets were unable to run at all, but now it's finally time to get excited again. The 2022 Sydney Night Noodle Markets will run from Tuesday, October 4—Sunday, October 9 in Prince Alfred Park, Chalmers Street, Surry Hills. For more information, head to the event website.
For almost a quarter-century, Jamie Oliver has been sharing his culinary tips with audiences worldwide. This November, he'll dish up a chat about all that time spent in and around kitchens — on-screen, by releasing recipe books and thanks to his stint in the restaurant business — at Sydney Opera House. The Naked Chef, Oliver's Twist, Jamie's Kitchen and Jamie's Comfort Food star is heading back Down Under for an Aussie-exclusive discussion, returning to the Harbour City after selling out a talk at the same venue in 2015. Back then, Oliver brought his Food Revolution with him, and cooked up a storm live while making his Opera House debut. This time, he's in conversation with Melissa Leong about the 24 years since The Naked Chef first hit television — and all the pukka cuisine he's whipped up since. "Every time I visit Australia it feels like a big old hug — it's a real home away from home for me and I'm so excited to be back this year for this event." said Oliver, announcing the chat. "I can't wait to sit down with you all for good chats about good food and good times, have a laugh, and take some questions from the audience. And, it is such a privilege to be at the Sydney Opera House, what a setting. I hope to see you there." While there's clearly no shortage of topics for Oliver to touch on when Saturday, November 11 hits, when he takes to the stage in the famed venue's Concert Hall — the British chef has those two-plus decades of TV shows, those 70-plus eateries in 22 countries, and oh-so-many recipes to mention, for starters — this once-off event is timed around two specific things. Firstly, he's launching a campaign about creating "a happier, healthier world through the joy of food". And secondly, he's just released his new cookbook 5 Ingredients: Mediterranean. Attendees at this Sydney-only talk will also learn what keeps Oliver inspired and motivated, why he loves cooking so much and about his passion for getting in the kitchen. He's the latest big-name chef discussing his career onstage in Australia this year, following on from Israeli chef Yotam Ottolenghi, Oliver's fellow Brits Marco Pierre White and Nigella Lawson, and viral recipe queen Alison Roman. Jamie Oliver in conversation with Melissa Leong will take place in Sydney Opera House's Concert Hall on Saturday, November 11, 2023 — with ticket pre-sales fro 9am on Wednesday, August 23, and general sales from 9am on Thursday, August 24. Images: Jamie Oliver Enterprises / Paul Stuart.
Businesses on three of Sydney's busiest streets are officially teaming up to declare themselves the city's newest must-visit spot. Meet YCK Laneways, a dining and cultural precinct that encompasses the CBD laneways in York Street, Clarence Street and Kent Street — and has ten bars throwing a big party to celebrate. The precinct is the work of local business owners, with the help of the City of Sydney's CBD activation grants program. "It's our hope that YCK becomes as much a part of the Sydney vernacular as The Rocks, or Chinatown," Nick White, Director of Kent Street bar Since I Left You tells Concrete Playground. White says that in the ten years Since I Left You has been open, he's seen the area blossom. "We've watched as a definite little precinct has developed organically, and now you've got something like 18 small bars in the area around York, Clarence, and Kent streets," he explains. "I think the reason there has been such a proliferation of small bars in the area is that it's one of the few parts of the city that retains a lot of its heritage in the building and streets," he continues. To kick things off — and to remind Sydneysiders about all the beloved venues that span these three streets — Since I Left You and nine other bars are throwing a massive six-week party. Running between Wednesday, April 7–Sunday, May 22, the YCK Laneways Block Party will feature 75 cultural events including dance, theatre, live music and interactive art across the ten beloved spots bars. The ten venues involved: Since I left You, Papa Gede's, The Lobo, Spawn Point, The Barber Shop, The Duke of Clarence, Stitch Bar, Uncle Ming's, Prince of York and Grandma's Bar. [caption id="attachment_805443" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Prince of York by Mitchell Ferris[/caption] With both free and ticket events taking place, the cultural offerings stretch from antipasto burlesque at the Prince of York and poetry readings in the Since I Left You courtyard to wheelie bin art at The Barber Shop and playing Dungeons & Dragons at Spawn Point. Regular CBD favourite events like Brunch With... will also be wrapped up in the festivities, while a whole heap of live music and dance parties will take place across the three streets following the recent rolling back of restrictions to allow dance floors in New South Wales. More events are set to be announced in the lead up to the block party, including a standalone outdoor live music event. You can browse the full program and stay up-to-date on everything happening in the YCK precinct via the YCK Laneways website. YCK Laneways Block Party will take place across the YCK Laneways precinct on York Street, Clarence Street and Kent Street, Sydney between Wednesday, April 7 and Sunday, May 22.
This independent, non-profit Kings Cross gallery doesn't just take its name from its location. The Cross Art Projects is interested in art that intersects in several ways, too — especially with life and with the public sphere. That's what it has been showcasing since it was founded back in 2003, first on Roslyn Street and then at Llankelly Place since 2009. Step inside, and you'll find boundary-pushing work gracing its walls, all from contemporary artists. All art is designed to spark a conversation, of course, but The Cross Art Projects is committed to hosting them as well — including with activist, heritage and architectural groups.
NOTE: Penrith Whitewater Stadium will be closed for activities until September, 2023 due to maintenance work. Get the experience of riding wild river rapids, without the whole 'wilderness' bit at Penrith Whitewater Stadium. You're sure to have a unique experience in and around the man-made river (which was the site of the 2000 Sydney Olympics' canoe and kayak events). These days, it's open from September to June for all the rapids-loving thrill-seekers. Atop the water, you can choose to go rafting, kayaking or canoeing. Never rafted in your life? Never fear: the team offers both guided and self-guided sessions, so you'll be in safe hands. Guided rafts are manned by an experienced team member, and all equipment is provided. If you opt to kayak, you're tackling grade-three rapids over 320 metres of pure river adventure. Then when you've paddled to the end, just hop aboard the conveyor back upstream to do it all again. When you're done rolling along that churning white water, stop in at Cafe Whitewater for refreshments and a view towards the glorious Blue Mountains. Oh, and it goes without saying: you will get wet.
Brisbane's BlackMilk Clothing is well known for its pop culture-themed attire, releasing everything from Star Wars outfits to Harry Potter activewear in the past. Unsurprisingly, anything designed around the Boy Who Lived always proves popular — so much so that the company is launching another collection, this time specifically inspired by Hogwarts' houses. Whether you're keen to deck yourself out in red Gryffindor tartan pants, don a Slytherin letterman jacket with a snake embroidered on the back or pop on some blue Ravenclaw leggings, you'll be able to do just that. You'll be able to opt for some gold-hued Hufflepuff pieces, too, of course. Spanning trousers, dresses, leggings, crop tops and coats — including pants for both men and women, sports jersey-style shirts and hoodies as well, and overalls adorned with Harry Potter-themed patterns — it's a fresh treasure trove of items for wizarding fans to spend their galleons on. It's the real, official deal, with the School's Out range also featuring other pieces that won't make you feel like you're in training for the Triwizard Tournament, such as sheer and skater tunics in appropriately enchanting prints. A full preview of the collection is available on the BlackMilk website, with the magical selection going on sale at 7am on Tuesday, August 20. Items are available until sold out — and, yes, that often happens quickly. For more information about BlackMilk Clothing's Harry Potter School's Out range, head to their website.
Hidden down a Paddington backstreet, Don Pedros is serving up Southern Cali-style Mexican food in some seriously festive surrounds. It's run by Californian Chef Juan Alvarez, who found the space by chance when holidaying in the area. "I loved the neighbourhood," says Alvarez. "But I wanted something bright and vibrant, and a place that would accomodate families and groups, alongside a place that you could have a date... and Victoria Street in the backstreet was the perfect spot." The casual eatery has already garnered a sizeable following since opening a few weeks back. And a few dishes have quickly become crowd favourites, too. Here, tacos take centre stage, and the best versions include the soft shell crab — which comes topped with pineapple salsa and lime mayo — and the slow-cooked lamb shoulder with chimichurri and slaw. You can also opt for the build-your-own taco platter, which comes with all the fixings. [caption id="attachment_762715" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Leigh Griffiths[/caption] Alvarez suggests pairing any taco with sides of the house guacamole and the chargrilled corn — the latter is rolled in queso and served with chipotle aoili. Other house specialties include pork ribs, seasonal ceviche and churros for dessert. For drinks, margaritas are (unsurprisingly) the name of the game at Don Pedros. The chilli-infused version is especially well done, as are the coconut, and blood orange and grapefruit varieties. Apart from all the margs, there's a mix of Mexican imports and local craft brews on offer behind the bar, too. [caption id="attachment_762709" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Leigh Griffiths[/caption] But you don't even need a drink to get into the festive spirit here. The vibrant 60-seater offers brightly coloured decor alongside floral table clothes, a turquoise tiled bar, hanging greenery and other typical 'fiesta'-style furnishings. Speaking of good times, make sure to mark your calendar for the first Thursday of each month when the restaurant offers all-you-can tacos for $25. More regular specials include $5 tacos and tap beers all night on Tuesdays and 4–6pm happy hour on Fridays — with all tacos and beers will cost just $4–6, depending on what time you arrive. Yep, we can't think of a better way to ring in the weekend, either. Don Pedros is now open at 1 Victoria Street, Paddington. It's open from 4–10pm Tuesday–Wednesday, 4–11pm Thursday and 12pm–midnight Friday–Saturday. Images: Leigh Griffiths
There's no such thing as an ordinary art fair. No matter which galleries descend on any particular space, where that is or when it takes place, the creative pieces on display are never the same — and, so, neither is the event as a result. That's true at Sydney Contemporary, of course, but this Harbour City excuse to appreciate art also comes stacked with live performances and music. And, thanks to the just-announced lineup, 2023's iteration promises quite the memorable time. Returning to Carriageworks from Thursday, September 7–Sunday, September 10 for its seventh event, this year's Sydney Contemporary will feature more than 95 galleries filling the multi-arts centre. If it's an emerging or established venue for art in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Indonesia and Singapore, odds are that it'll make a showing. The focus right now, however, is on the performances that'll go along with all of those galleries showcasing all that art, which is where the Performance Contemporary and Art Night bills comes in. Performance Contemporary will focus on four artists: Amala Groom, Riana Head-Toussaint, Morgan Hogg and Fetu Taku. Groom, Head-Toussaint and Taku's contributions will take place on Art Night, Sydney Contemporary's big Thursday evening party, with DJ pair Stereogamous — aka Paul Mac and Jonny Seymour — also on hand to soundtrack the evening. From Wiradyuri creative Groom, audiences will experience RED TAPE, which features the artist singing in language while she wraps herself in 44 metres of red tape — to represent 44 years of negotiating bureaucracy — and literally jumping through hoops. As for Head-Toussaint, her video work Animate Loading will be projected, as paired with a live performance that includes surveillance-style cinematography, drone work and bodycams, as part of her ongoing interrogation of her experience as a wheelchair user, her legal training and her Afro-Caribbean heritage. Then, Taku will draw upon hip hop and vogue training, and deploy sound design just for the space and piece, in a newly commissioned work about community and spaces that provide equality for diverse bodies. "This year's Performance Contemporary explores the relationship between the body and place. Through play, projection, song and dance, these artists use the incredible architecture of Carriageworks as a starting point to guide both the audience and the performer through time and space," said Performance Contemporary co-curators Samantha Watson-Wood and Katie Winten, announcing the lineup. On the Friday night, with the Sydney-based DJ Sveta on the decks with a special music showcase, emerging Cook Island and Australian artist Morgan Hogg will unveil an installation and performance work. Through costumed dance, and with help from oral exchanges between her mother and family, she'll ponder cultural displacement and identity, as specifically influenced by her Kūki Airani heritage. Whichever parts of the Performance Contemporary and Art Night lineups you're now keen see, expect to have company. More than 112,000 visitors have attended Sydney Contemporary in past years, and more than AU$85 million in art sales have been notched up. Sydney Contemporary 2023 runs from Thursday, September 7–Sunday, September 10 at Carriageworks. For further information and to buy tickets, head to the art fair's website. Top image: Zan Wimberley.
With their visceral and deceptively simple sounds, the Mess Hall are loved for their attitude laden blues, heavy on guitars and stripped back to the bare bones. The two piece kicked around for a long time, impressing audiences and doing sporadic but good things for years. Since a drummer change in 2005, and signing to Ivy League in 2007, the band has stepped on the accelerator and have gone from strength to strength. The real run of success started when they won the Australian Music Prize in 2008 with their second album Devils Elbow, which amassed much critical acclaim. On the back of the album they toured non stop, here and overseas, and even opened for rock giants Foo Fighters last year. Their third album For The Birds sees the band splash a bit more pop into the mix. No glittery sparkles, but some definite added layers that bring the songwriting of Jed Kurzel to the fore. These embellishments can be heard on first single 'Bell' with its errant shakers and organ driven riff that Kurzel deadpans over "well I feel like Adam when you shot me from a cannon". Its lazy drum rolls and slightly twisted guitar solo almost hint at early Beck, but the vocal is all snarl. In March the Mess Hall embark on a huge tour with special guests Bridezilla and Cabins, taking in a few regional spots along the way. Tickets go on sale January 11 and they will hit home soil March 6 at Manning. TOUR DATES MARCH 2010: Thur 4th: Wollongong Uni, Wollongong Fri 5th: Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Sat 6th: Manning Bar, Sydney Thur 11th: Neverland Bar, Gold Coast Fri 12th: Joes' Waterhole, Eumundi Sat 13th: The Zoo, Brisbane Thur 18th: Republic Bar, Hobart Fri 19th: Hotel New York, Launceston Sat 20th: Corner Hotel, Melbourne Sun 21st: Karova Lounge, Ballarat Thur 25th: Mojo's, Fremantle Fri 26th: Rosemount, Perth Sat 27th: Jive Bar, Adelaide We're giving away 5 double passes to see the Mess Hall play their Sydney show on March 6th. To win, just email hello@concreteplayground.com.au with "Mess" in the subject line and approximately ten words on why you want to go. https://youtube.com/watch?v=evaQHIcGkkM
Giant fluorescent orange fluffy birds, 30 ft high dogs shooting lasers from their eyes, costumes made entirely of marijuana leaves and onstage fake fellatio on a man wearing a Bill Clinton mask. Whatever you think of pop's favourite shock poppet, Miley Cyrus' Bangerz tour has been one of the global Tickets To Have. Now the Wrecking Baller is bringing Bangerz to Australia this October. Kicking off in Melbourne on Friday, October 10 at Rod Laver Arena, Cyrus will embark upon a five-date tour of epic visual proportions. Incapable of being able to stop, Cyrus will then head to Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth for what will most likely be Australia's most 'grammed tour since Beyonce's recent run. Tickets are going for $99.90 to $149.90, plus booking fees. Dainty Group presale tickets kicks off at 10am local time on Friday, June 20. General public tickets via Ticketek go on sale Monday, June 23 at 10am. Miley Cyrus Bangerz tour dates: Melbourne - Rod Laver Arena, Friday, October 10 Brisbane - Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Wednesday, October 15 Sydney - Allphones Arena, Friday, October 17 Adelaide - Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Monday, October 20 Perth - Perth Arena, Thursday, October 23
Given the globe's current state of affairs, there's no wonder we're all seeking a little escapism. For some, that's scrolling through luxurious (and exorbitantly priced) Airbnbs around the globe. For others, it's getting out of the house and seeing a spellbinding show. If you're after the latter, you can head straight to Sydney Opera House to see a seductive new production by dazzling circus group Circa, titled Peepshow. Running for less than two weeks, from Tuesday, February 2 till Sunday, February 14, Peepshow is part fantastical circus and part alluring cabaret — and is sure to titillate your wildest imagination. Directed by circus extraordinaire Yaron Lifschitz, it'll have you on the edge of your seat with some thrilling acrobatic stunts, as well as playful cabaret. And, with Valentine's Day just around the corner, why not treat your partner in crime to a night of live, racy theatre? And, to sweeten the deal, the Opera House is offering free flutes of champagne for performances between February 2–4. [caption id="attachment_799039" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Prudence Upton[/caption] For more information — and to buy tickets — head to the Sydney Opera House website. Top images: Prudence Upton
Come October, the $20 notes you'll be stuffing in your wallet will look a little different — a new design for the lobster has just been release, and it's hitting tills around the country in just eight months. Australia's banknotes have been getting a makeover since September 2016, when a different $5 note started doing the rounds. It was followed by a revamped $10 in 2017, then $50 in 2018 — and now a sparkling fresh $20, which will hit the streets in October 2019. The upgraded design will celebrate Mary Reibey, an Australian convict-turned-merchant, shipowner and philanthropist, as well as John Flynn, the founder of what is now known as the Royal Flying Doctor Service. They're both recognised in several ways on the new notes, with not only their portraits displayed prominently, but with images one of Reibey's Port Jackson schooners and Flynn's aircraft leaving a Broken Hill homestead, as well as microprint featuring an excerpt from Flynn's book The Bushman's Companion. As well as changed artwork (albeit keeping the same colour scheme and same celebrated Australians as old notes), the new $20 boasts the same improved security features as the new $5, $10 and $50 notes, which are largely aimed to stop counterfeiting. A clear window running from top to bottom is the most obvious, and contains a number of features such as a reversing number and flying kookaburra. And, in great news for the vision-impaired, the new series of legal tender has a tactile feature to help distinguish between different denominations. As happened with the other denominations, the rollout will happen gradually, as will the withdrawal of old $20s — which you can obviously still keep using. And as for the final Aussie banknote yet to receive a revamp, the new $100 is due to be released in 2020.
In 2019, the Great Barrier Reef gained a new addition, as well as a new way to enjoy its natural underwater delights. When the Museum of Underwater Art installed its first artworks in December, it became the southern hemisphere's first attraction of its type — and yet another reason for everyone to add visiting Australia's tropics to their travel bucket list. Two artworks were put in place at the time. The first, Ocean Siren, is located 30 metres offshore from The Strand jetty at Townsville and actually towers above the water; however, it interacts with live water temperature data from the Davies Reef weather station, then changes colour in response to variations as they happen. The second Coral Greenhouse, definitely lurks below the sea. And, until now, that meant that visiting it was a bit of a problem. As part of an official launch of the Museum of Underwater Art's first phase, folks can now take a tour of Coral Greenhouse — with recreational divers and snorkelers able to access the work from Saturday, August 1. The tours are being run by Adrenalin Dive Townsville and Pro Dive Magnetic Island, who'll help you see and swim through this striking sculpture. Down the track, SeaLink Queensland, Yongala Dive Burdekin and Orpheus Island Resort will be able to take you for a splash, too. [caption id="attachment_778364" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matt Curnock[/caption] And it is striking. Coral Greenhouse sits 18 metres below the waterline on the John Brewer Reef off Townsville, measures 12 metres in height and weighs around 58 tonnes. It's made out of stainless steel, neutral marine grade cement and zinc anodes, and it does indeed look like a greenhouse. In fact, it's an underwater building. It's also filled with more than 20 sculptures, many resembling local school children — and has been made to both stand up to wave pressures and cyclones, and remain visible to divers and snorkelers. Most importantly, it isn't just a greenhouse in name, with the piece featuring coral garden beds. With that in mind, Coral Greenhouse is also designed to "offer opportunities for scientists, marine students and tourists to engage in action-based learning and to conduct globally important research on coral reef restoration and new technology," marine sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor notes. The creator of the Museum of Underwater Art, he sees this particular work as "an interface into our underwater world" and a way "to tell stories of the Great Barrier Reef, and for people to understand what a fragile, beautiful and sacred space it really is". [caption id="attachment_778365" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matt Curnock[/caption] In total, four pieces are planned for the Museum as part of its aim to highlight reef conservation, restoration and education — with two more sculptures set for Palm Island and Magnetic Island in the future. Palm Island's forthcoming installation will connect the spot's the cultural story to the land and sea, according to the MOUA's website, and is expected to be in place by the July 2021. As for the Magnetic Island artwork, it's working towards a December 2021 unveiling. Of course, while the first tours of the underwater museum have officially kicked off, not everyone can get into Queensland. The Sunshine State has, at writing, closed its borders to all of Victoria and greater Sydney. Find the Museum of Underwater Art off the shore of Townsville, Queensland. For more information, visit the museum's website. To book a tour, head to the Adrenalin Dive or Pro Dive Magnetic websites. Images: Matt Curnock
If you thought eating out meant leaving man's best friend behind, think again. More and more eateries are allowing diners to feast with Fido by their side — and sometimes you won’t even be banished outdoors. Whether you’re looking for a casual cafe, a place to pamper your pooch or simply want to enjoy a pint with a pup at your feet, the harbour city has tables aplenty for you and your hound. Here are our picks of five of the best spots in Sydney where you can dine with your dog. DUCK INN PUB AND KITCHEN A dog in a pub is a fine tradition and all credit to the Duck Inn for allowing this custom to live on. When so many dog-friendly venues are outdoors-only, it’s handy to have a place to retire to in rough weather. The Duck Inn is a homely hideaway where you can snuggle into a soft sofa, tuck into a Sunday roast or chill out with a burger and beer. There are light, bright interiors inside or a spacious beer garden if you want a breath of fresh air. 74 Rose Street, Chippendale; (02) 9319 4415; www.theduckinnpubandkitchen.com THE WINERY The intimate laneway atmosphere of The Winery, one of Surry Hills’ hotspots, is ideal for dogs. Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Crown Street, a wall of pot plants creates a leafy barrier from the city. Dogs are allowed in the outdoor courtyard and, as long as the weather’s fine, there’s no better place to be. If you can bear to share, meaty treat starters like sausage roll, ox heart or even bone marrow with toast are sure to go down well with your four-legged friend. It’s the perfect place for date night... with the dog. 285a Crown St, Surry Hills; (02) 9331 0833; www.thewinerysurryhills.com.au CAFE BONES An institution among city canines, Cafe Bones is destination dining for dogs. Next to the off-leash Hawthorne Canal Reserve, it’s outdoor seating only but worth braving even inclement weather so you can treat your mutt to a Pupaccino and maybe some of Cafe Bones’ own dog biscuits. It's the place to socialise with other dogs and their owners, or simply see and be seen with your pup. Cafe Bones, Hawthorne Canal Reserve, Leichhardt; (02) 8086 2433; www.cafebones.com.au QUEENS PARK SHED The colourful striped deck chairs outside The Shed are simply made for crashing out in after some off-leash action in Queens Park. Adjacent to the children’s playground, the old pavilion building has been transformed into a shabby chic new eatery, where gardening tools as decor and reclaimed wooden furniture create the perfect rustic retreat. Wide open doors make for a relaxed indoor/outdoor vibe and there are plenty of outdoor seats for you and your dog. The menu is a cut above usual cafe fare — the wagyu burger is so good it’s a struggle to share with your beef-loving best mate. Queens Park (Darley Road side); (02) 9380 9350; www.queensparkshed.com.au CHEW CHEW A cafe where only your dog will get served — now that has to be refreshing for those disgruntled dog-owners who’ve been denied admission with their mutt. The gourmet banquet (organic, thank you very much) includes sausage with sauerkraut, bolognaise, chicken risotto and salmon. Diners are able to perch at their own miniature table, although less distinguished dogs (or simply those who have been taught more conventional table manners) can eat from a dish on the floor. At $9 for a 200g serving, doggie degustation doesn’t come cheap, but there’s no arguing with the quality. Without a doubt, Chew Chew is the ultimate place to pamper your pooch. Chew Chew, Shop 3, Railway Walk, Wollstonecraft Station, Wollstonecraft; (02) 9460 7111; www.chewchew.com.au Emma Shaw (with pup Harry) blogs at Sydney Dog's Life. Check it out for more restaurant and doggie destination reviews.
Sydney, it's your time to play the most entertaining game of "what if?" there is, especially if you love classic tales, pop songs and sensational musicals. Whether you studied it in high school or just obsessed over Baz Luhrmann's glorious 90s movie, everyone knows how Romeo and Juliet ends — and it doesn't conclude happily for either of its eponymous star-crossed lovers. But what if it didn't wrap up that way? What if Juliet lived to love again? And what if her experiences from there, after thwarting theatre's greatest tragedy, involved a whole heap of earworm tunes from the last couple of decades? The answer to how all of that might turn out already exists, all thanks to Olivier Award-winning jukebox musical & Juliet. A hit in London's West End since 2019, it remixes the iconic love story in multiple ways — tinkering with its narrative and throwing in all that toe-tapping music. And, it's coming to the Harbour City in 2024. The acclaimed show arrived in Melbourne in February 2023, with Australia only its second stop outside of the UK following Toronto. Now, it's taking its Shakespeare-meets-pop spectacle to more Aussie locations, locking in a run at Sydney Lyric Theatre from Tuesday, February 27–Sunday, June 2, 2024. A Perth run at Crown Theatre has also been confirmed from Saturday, December 30, 2023–Thursday, February 8, 2024 — Brisbanites, cross your fingers that the River City also gets a spin. If you're now thinking "wherefore art thou?" about & Juliet's setup, it picks up after the ending we all know doesn't eventuate. And, it muses on what might happen if Juliet could choose her own fate instead. That scenario involves Anne Hathaway — no, not that one — and her husband William Shakespeare, and features songs by Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Robyn, Katy Perry, The Weeknd, Kelly Clarkson and more. Tunes that get a spin: 'Larger Than Life', 'I Want It That Way', '... Baby One More Time', 'Show Me Love', 'Oops!... I Did It Again', 'As Long As You Love Me', 'Stronger', 'I Kissed a Girl', 'Since U Been Gone', 'It's My Life', 'It's Gonna Be Me' and a whole heap of others. The common factor between them all is Swedish songwriter Max Martin, who penned or co-penned every track on the musical's soundtrack. As well as Martin's involvement — including as one of & Juliet's co-creators — the musical features a book by the Emmy-winning Schitt's Creek writer and The Big Door Prize creator David West Read. And if you're wondering about the show's shiny Olivier Awards, it was nominated for nine for its West End debut season, and nabbed three: for Best Actress in a Musical, Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical and Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical. Down Under, Lorinda May Merrypor plays Juliet, while Rob Mills is Shakespeare, Amy Lehpamer steps into Anne's shoes and Blake Appelqvist gets his Romeo on. Also in the cast: Casey Donovan, Hayden Tee, Jesse Dutlow, Yashith Fernando, Georgia Anderson, Jade Delmiguez, James Elmer, Riley Gill, Jerome Javier, Giorgia Kennedy, Jordan Koulos and more. "If there were ever a show and a city that were made for each other it is Sydney and & Juliet, and I am thrilled we are finally bringing them together. This show that celebrates joy, love, diversity and taking chances are the same things that inspire and drive the people of Sydney and we can't wait to share it with them," said producer Michael Cassel, announcing the Sydney season. "& Juliet was such a hit in Melbourne that it completely sold out — I just know Sydney will embrace the show with spectacular enthusiasm." Check out the trailer for & Juliet below: & Juliet will play Sydney Lyric Theatre from Tuesday, February 27–Sunday, June 2, 2024, which includes preview performances from Tuesday, February 27–Wednesday, March 6 with tickets for $79. For more information or to sign up for the ticket waitlist — before tickets go on sale in September, with pre-sales from Monday, September 25 and general sales from Friday, September 29 — head to the musical's website. & Juliet will play Crown Theatre, Perth, from Saturday, December 30, 2023–Thursday, February 8, 2024 — with pre-sales from Monday, August 28 and general sales from Thursday, August 31. Images: Daniel Boud.
If you like your fashion to come with an eco-tick of approval and a social conscience to match, you may already know about National Op Shop Week, organised by DoSomething! and the National Association of Charitable Recycling Organisations (NACRO). Joining them again this year, the Salvos will be celebrating the all too important role charity shops play in supporting those less fortunate by bringing a pop-up op shop to Martin Place. Drop by early for a free breakfast bap before browsing the select range of recycled clothes from local Salvos Stores. Plus, TV fashion commentator and eco-fashion blogger Faye De Lanty will be curating the pop-up's fashion show, designed to showcase different ways to wear vintage and recycled pieces and demonstrate that style doesn't have to come with a three-figure price tag. Proceeds from the pop-up, as with all Salvos Stores, will go towards running vital community support programs. Retail therapy has never felt so good. The Salvos' pop-up op shop will be at Martin Place on Monday, August 25, from 7.30am to 3.30pm. National Op Shop Week continues from August 24-31.
Whatever else the past couple of years have served up, it has been an impressive time for folks who like staring up at the sky. 2016 ended with a huge supermoon that had everyone looking to the heavens, then 2018 began with an extremely rare super blue blood moon (a supermoon, a blue moon and a total lunar eclipse all at once). Next, at the end of July, an epic lunar eclipse will mark the next notable celestial happening. WHAT IS IT? On Saturday, July 28, earth will bear witness to the longest lunar eclipse of this century — with the penumbral eclipse lasting just shy of four hours (236 minutes, to be exact) and the total lunar eclipse spanning 103 minutes. If you're wondering what the difference is between the two (because we're all more familiar with The Mighty Boosh's take on the moon than actual lunar terms, aren't we?), a penumbral eclipse is when the earth's outer shadow falls on the moon's surface, while a total lunar eclipse involves the moon passing directly into the earth's actual shadow. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL ABOUT IT? As well as offering a great excuse to go stargazing, the 103-minute total eclipse pips the 100-minute event that took place on June 15, 2011 — although it falls just short of the 108-minute event on July 16, 2000. That said, eclipses that last this long are rare. When the super blue blood moon came around earlier in 2018, its full eclipse only lasted 72 minutes. In fact, if you miss it, you'll need to wait until 2029 for a 102-minute total lunar eclipse, with others lasting the same duration expected in 2047 and 2094. Nothing that reaches 103 minutes will in length will occur again this century — and no total lunar eclipses of any length will be visible from Australia again until May 2021. During the main event, the moon will also turn a blood-red shade thanks to sunlight that's filtered and refracted by the earth's atmosphere. So as well as a total lunar eclipse and a full moon, it'll be a blood moon as well. WHEN CAN I SEE IT? Australians will be able to spy the penumbral eclipse from 3.14am local time and the partial eclipse from 4.24am, before the full thing at 5.30am. If you're not able to tear yourself out of bed that early on a winter weekend morning, the maximum eclipse will occur at 6.21am. We won't be able to see the end of it, however, as the moon will be below the horizon when the full, partial and penumbral eclipses end (at 7.13am, 8.19am and 9.28am local time, respectively). For the full details, timeanddate.com has put together a handy to-the-minute schedule of when the eclipse will be happening in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. [caption id="attachment_678443" align="aligncenter" width="1080"] Sydney total lunar eclipse times via timeanddate.com[/caption] Have your cameras at the ready, obviously — and see if you can outdo the previous big batches of supermoon snaps and super blue blood moon pics. WHERE CAN I SEE IT? Being in the southern hemisphere, we get some of the best views in the world — weather permitting, of course. Everyone in Australia should be able to catch a glimpse, but, even so, if you're living in the city, it would be best to as far away from light pollution as you can. Unsurprisingly, possible showers are predicted for the day in Sydney and Melbourne, which could have an impact upon visibility; however Brisbane is supposed to be mostly sunny. For Sydneysiders looking for a specific stargazing (or moon-viewing) spot, Sydney Observatory will be open from 5am. If you can't get a clear view, The Virtual Telescope Project will be live-streaming what they're calling 'The Night of the Red Moon and the Red Planet' – because Mars will also be visible in the sky — from the skyline above Rome from 4.30am AEST. Via Space.com and timeanddate.com.
The 21st-century has not been kind to the vampire. Between Stephenie Meyer's sparkling high schoolers, the leather-clad killers of the Underworld series and whatever the hell those things in I Am Legend were meant to be, the once noble creatures of the night have been reduced by pop-culture to cringeworthy caricatures. Bela Lugosi must be turning in his grave. Enter Jim Jarmusch, director of Dead Man, Ghost Dog and Broken Flowers, to name just a few. One of the enduring figures of the American indie film movement, Jarmusch has made a career out of minimally plotted, post-modern genre subversions, and his latest work is no exception. Mixing traditional vampire mythology with the director's distinctively aloof brand of cool, Only Lovers Left Alive is a handsome, compelling, meditative take on the lives of the eternal undead. An appropriately gaunt and pasty Tom Hiddleston plays Adam, a centuries-old bloodsucker living on the outskirts of Detroit. A reclusive figure, Adam's only human contacts are a crooked hospital doctor (Jeffrey Wright) who provides him with fresh batches of O-negative, and a wide-eyed rock 'n' roll fan (Anton Yelchin) from whom the vampire buys vintage guitars. Aside from his music, the one thing Adam cares about is his wife, Eve (Tilda Swinton), with whom he is reunited not long after the movie begins. For a while, the immortal lovers live in peace, but their solitary existence is shattered by the arrival of Eve's impulsive younger sister (Mia Wasikowska). Read our full review of Only Lovers Left Alive here. Only Lovers Left Alive is in cinemas on Thursday, April 17, and thanks to Madman, we have ten double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=ycOKvWrwYFo
If you're a fan of IKEA, but think those huge, daunting warehouses are the stuff of panic attacks, here's some news to make you very happy indeed — the Swedish furniture giant has just launched a new kind of retail offering, and its size and style is looking a whole lot easier to manage. The brand's Australian arm has unveiled its first Home Planning Studio, a small-format store that's made its home inside Westfield Warringah Mall. And it clocks in at just 98 square metres — a fraction of the size of Sydney's Tempe and Rhode stores. A departure from the standard IKEA caper, the new offering's focused only on kitchen and bedroom planning, with a bevvy of staff on hand to coach you through the experience via one-on-one consultations and nifty tablets. A two-hour planning session will set you back $99, which is refunded on purchase. So, if you're just whipping your loo into shape or sprucing up that kitchen, you can forego the mammoth IKEA warehouse adventure and breeze through here instead. And you can do so using some first-of-its-kind technology, too. An in-house projector will let customers envisage different wardrobe solutions in their homes, while a "digital shopping wall" will let you browse and 'shop' IKEA's full range of products. Once you've finished virtually shopping, the list will be transferred to your phone and you'll be able to finish the transaction online. As an added bonus, the space itself reads like a bubble of serenity (supposedly). The bedroom zone is complete with wafting floral scents and a plethora of wardrobe storage solutions. Meanwhile, the kitchen planning section apparently takes the form of a "wellness sanctuary", offering a raft of storage options aimed at the eco-friendly home chef and entertainer.
Hopping on a boat is no longer the only thing to do at White Bay Cruise Terminal, all thanks to Sydney's newest electronic music venue. At Terminal 4, you'll be able to dance the night away to local and international acts while peering out over the water. And if you do want to combine a visit with a cruise, heading by either pre- or post-voyage, you'll be kicking off or ending your trip in quite the style. Forget the dark and sweaty rooms that often come to mind when anyone mentions dance parties and raves. Forget the term 'underground', too. While this site sports a strong industrial aesthetic, it's all about soaring ceilings and views out over Glebe Island and Port Jackson. While you're making shapes, you'll also score a vantage across Darling Harbour's waterways, over to the Harbour Bridge. While exactly when the venue will launch and what it'll open with hasn't yet been revealed, Terminal 4 will start welcoming in dance music fans sometime this summer — but it'll host events year-round. When the beats start dropping, the focus will be on top-notch acts, and on providing Sydney with an inclusive, progressive and multi-sensory space that's all about electronic music first and foremost. Terminal 4 is the latest venture from Untitled Group, who are also behind the Beyond the Valley, Pitch Music & Arts, Grapevine Gathering and Wildlands music festivals, plus Melbourne electronic music hub XE54. Here, Untitled has teamed up with Niche Productions, who've previously toured Jon Hopkins, Bonobo and Odesza to our shores. Find Terminal 4 at the White Bay Cruise Terminal, 2041 James Craig Road, Rozelle. To keep an eye out for events at the venue, head to its Facebook and Instagram pages. Images: Jordan Mumms.
Fancy staying in a room that takes inspiration from Pinot or Grigio wines? Or one that looks like a French log cabin? How about bunkering down in a space that a spy might book for the night? Or a nautical-themed abode? Maybe you'd like a room styled after Tavi Gevinson? The list really does go on. Plus, more than that, do you fancy picking from 39 unique rooms yourself? That's the concept at Sydney's newest hotel, The Collectionist. Yes, the Camperdown place is so keen on the whole 'choose-your-own-adventure' idea that it lets guests select their own rooms upon check-in. Billed as the city's "first authentic custom designed hotel", The Collectionist pushes the concept of individualised patron experiences to a whole new level, letting them nab a favourite from the assortment of designer suites on offer. Here, instead of being allocated a random suite, guests at The Collectionist will suss out the available rooms at check-in and choose exactly where they want to spend their stay. Access codes are sent via email and SMS, in another change to the standard process — and from 4–8pm, the hotel hosts welcome drinks for all patrons. Now open in a former warehouse space, the rooms are the product of seven designers from four design studios, plus 13 artists, who spent teamed up to create the unique spaces. It's a concept Collectic Hotels co-founder Daniel Symonds likens to browsing works of art, and no two two rooms are the same, with each boasting its own unique colours, textures and style. It's a great idea if you're in the mood to choose, but probably less than ideal when you're crashing hard after a long-haul flight. Or if all the rooms have already been taken by people who arrived earlier than you. Unsurprisingly, The Collectionist has also done away with the usual room number caper, in favour of eclectic names like the Queenie Fah Fah, Cloud Runner and La Chamber Noir. Just don't expect them all to be your cup of tea. "I would be surprised — and a little disappointed, to be honest — if there weren't some divided opinions on the rooms designs," said Symonds. "We have purposely set about creating rooms that will challenge the 'norms' on hotel room design." The Collectionist Hotel is now open at 9–13 Marsden Street, Camperdown. Visit the hotel website for bookings and further details.
If you're looking for a different kind of yoga experience, head to Redfern's Humming Puppy. Here, the room literally hums, with the space engineered by leading acoustic engineer Arup. Its design uses frequencies that are meant to enhance your yoga experience, including Schumann resonances, which are the frequencies of the earth, that are meant to ground yogis in their practice. Rather than following a specific style of yoga, the mixed discipline classes follow the principles of pranayama (breathing exercises), movement-asana and meditation. The room is heated to 24-degrees and all levels of yogis are welcome here, with four different classes to choose from.
Neighbourhood florist Penny Clarke prides herself on transforming space with floral designs. Operating out of a store in Leichhardt Flowers on Norton St can craft flower arrangements to suit any occasion, be it a garden party, wedding or a grand romantic gesture. The experienced team builds bespoke bouquets for customers, in store or online, from as little as $40 a bunch. There are posies of sweet peas, hardy Australian eucalypts, or bunches that pop with colour. Scale up to a medium-sized ($60) or large ($90), or, if you're planning something special, order locally grown roses, white and pink lilies or blushing orchids starting from $100. [caption id="attachment_776128" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cassandra Hannagan[/caption] You'll also find a selection of plants like peace lilies and monstera, hand creams and soaps, blocks of handmade chocolates and candles. Images: Cassandra Hannagan.
No one makes neon-lit, red-hued, emotion-dripping tales of yearning and loneliness like Wong Kar-Wai, as everyone who has seen 2000's In the Mood for Love knows. It isn't the Chungking Express, Happy Together, 2046, Ashes of Time: Redux and The Grandmaster filmmaker's only masterpiece, but the 1960s Hong Kong-set romantic drama is utterly unforgettable as it unfolds its love story against a backdrop of festering societal tension. Viewers have fallen for the film for almost a quarter of a century now. Sydney Opera House clearly feels the same way. Back in 2020, it hosted and livestreamed dreamy song cycle In the Mood — A Love Letter to Wong Kar-Wai & Hong Kong, which delivered exactly what its title promised. At 2pm and 7pm on Saturday, March 22, 2025, the venue will also welcome in the Australian premiere of In the Mood for Love in Concert. As everything from Batman, Back to the Future, Home Alone and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse to The Lion King, The Princess Bride, Black Panther and Star Wars films has in the past — and plenty more — the iconic movie will return to the big screen while an orchestra brings its score to life. In this case, the film will flicker across Sydney Opera House's HD silver screen as conductor Guy Rundle leads a 39-piece group of musicians playing live. The BAFTA-nominated and César-winning film — which also picked up two awards at Cannes, including Best Actor — stars the great Tony Leung (Hidden Blade) and Maggie Chen (Better Life) as Chow Mo-wan and Su Li-zhen. In a complicated time and place, the two neighbours are drawn together when they begin to suspect that their partners are not only being unfaithful, but that they're having an affair with each other. While In the Mood for Love is rightly acclaimed for its affecting performances and evocative direction, as well as its gorgeously lush cinematography, its score is just as exceptional. Indeed, the filmmaker has called it "a poem itself". This is a stellar opportunity to find out why — and to discover why this movie, and Wong Kar-Wai, keep proving so influential.
The new Edmondson Square Town Centre in southwest Sydney officially opened to the public today, featuring over 40 speciality retailers and a dedicated 'Eat Street' showcasing over 20 different cuisines. The sprawling $1.5 billion urban space is the second stage of the development by Frasers Property Australia, who also built the Central Park precinct in Chippendale. Ed Square's Eat Street will showcase the likes of Kitchai, Burger Point, Baby Bao, Loaded (from the Bar Luca crew) and cult-favourite Gami Chicken. The dedicated dining precinct is designed as an open-air, alfresco space with options for brunch through to late-night dining. Tim Casaje, owner of Burger Point says, "Ed.Square will be the first Burger Point in southwest Sydney and we can't wait to showcase our brand in a new region. We've had many customers asking when we'd be expanding into this area and we're excited to be coming to them soon." [caption id="attachment_810106" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ed Square[/caption] iPlay will house over 80 vintage and newly-released arcade games, plus a bowling alley and bar across their 1,600 sqm space, while the newest Event Cinemas features six screens. There's a water play fun park to keep the kids entertained as well as a 24-hour gym. The shopping, dining and entertainment precinct is designed by HDR, GroupGSA and HASSELL in collaboration with Frasers. The hub forms a part of a wider development by Frasers, which includes more than 1,800 new apartments, terraces and townhomes. To celebrate the launch, Ed Square will host an array pop-up activations including mini golf, and live music by the likes of local artist Asahi and singer Emily Hanks from Friday, April 30–Sunday, May 2. You can check out the range of activities on the Ed Square Facebook page. Image: Joshua Morris
Manly's reputation as a tourist destination is firmly established - but what about us locals? The next generation of Manly born-and-bred restaurateurs and bar owners are staying at home to offer us a whole new breed of places to drink and feed. Steering away from the cookie cutter tendencies of their forefathers, this lot are carving their own paths. Here's Concrete Playground's pick of the bunch, giving you a new set of reasons to take a ferry for a day trip (or three) across the harbour. We strongly recommend you tick all of these boxes. Hemingway's The atmosphere of a writer's den, insanely long opening hours, fun and flavorsome food, a drinks menu that will keep even the most inspired drinker guessing, and not even the slightest degree of pretension. In short, Hemingway's must be one of the best spots in town right now. For a start, the prices. The house cocktails are $15 and the suggested mixers, almost good enough to be cocktails themselves, are a mere $10. Hemingway's Cup is the ten to one favourite cocktail, spotted in the hands of almost every lady in the place. It's gentle mix of Hendrick's gin, rose and apple tea, sugar, and spice, served in a tea cup and saucer with slices of cucumber alongside. While it's very good, my pick would be the Miffy: house-infused vanilla rum, Falernum, orange, lemon and egg white whisked into a cloud-like dream. On a summer's day, the Creaming Soda might be more your style, with vodka, crème de cassis, home-made lemonade, wild berry foam and a paper cocktail umbrella. As far as mixer ideas go, Aperol and Fanta isn't a bad choice, and neither is Rum, Spicy Bitters and Ginger Beer. Both pack a flavoursome punch. For full review and details, click here. Miss Marley's Its location is discreet. Retro furniture sits scattered outside the doors of a shopfront on Manly's Belgrave Street. Step inside, and you'll find yourself surrounded by silver patterned wallpaper, amber lampshades and a cosy atmosphere. People lounge around on low couches as waiters weave between, delivering the plates of share food that visitors pick at casually between sips and conversation. At the far end of the room sits the bar, with a glowing wall of tequila bottles set behind it. This is Miss Marley's, where the cocktail options are dizzying, the Central and South American food is worth fighting for, and the tequila list would satisfy even the fussiest aficionado. The interior channels that particular style of retro-kitsch 50s glamour that makes places like Porteño such a hit. And while the atmosphere is good, it's the menus that are worth the ferry trip. My first pick from the cocktail menu, the House Margarita ($18), is snappily served up on a black leather coaster. It's a shaken blend of Herradura Blanco, pressed lime, Grand Marnier and agave water, served straight up with a salt dipped rim. No wonder they call this place a 'tequila bar' - there's no turning back from here. For full review and details, click here. Jah Bar Take a typical tapas bar in Barcelona then polish slightly, adding cut crystal glasses and a pinch of Almodóvar references. Add one chef with a talent for experimentation, a selection of well-sourced, top notch ingredients and a crowd willing to stay all night, then mix well. Serve up atop a plate in the shape of a leaf, and you have Jah Bar: one of the best of Manly's new breed. Turn up just after 5pm and you can expect a peaceful dining experience. While the interior is tempting, in summer we recommend the courtyard to make the most of the fading sun and the cool evening breeze. Spanish tapas is the speciality, though there's a few sections of the menu to choose from. The tapas dishes are supplemented by options from the boqueria and the oven, as well as the chef's specials, so it's worth taking your time to choose. While you're browsing, try one of the signature cocktails ($15). There's more than enough on offer to sustain you throughout the night, from Mint Juleps to rum and sherry-based concoctions. For full review and details, click here. Belgrave Cartel The Cartel is bringing a slice of Melbourne and more than a hint of Italy to Manly's streets. This shopfront-turned-cafe is the passion project of two Italian brothers, Nick and Jo, who were born and raised in Manly. You'll find them here every morning, serving up home-style favourites alongside Jo's own coffee blend, Escobar, or at the local pub later in the afternoon. Taking the opportunity of a downtrodden strip, these lads have moved in and set up a hipster haven with odds and ends of retro furniture, display shelves filled with stuffed toys and figurines, bright, bold artworks and a fixie, which hangs along one wall. But there's more to this place than just the two of them. Their mum, Rita, is cooking out back and her Baked Bacon and Egg ($12) comes highly recommended. In fact, there's few dishes that don't have a name to them: Drew's Mushies ($12) is a plate of pan-roasted mushrooms with herbs and marinated feta, served up on toast, while Scott's 'Pesto In It' Jaffle ($6) is described as 'like Joe's Goey Egg but with pesto in it'. For full review and details, click here. Cantinero Something about Cantinero feels a little bit... illegal. It could be the fact that this is a coffee house by day, occupied by this underground crowd only in the late hours. Or it might be the makeshift film projector, which shows Mexican gangsters flickering across the back wall. Either way, we like it. The bunker atmosphere and a relaxed courtyard combine into something that feels like an Alice in Wonderland-style rabbit hole in the Manly landscape. That said, there's no chance of wandering in by accident. While Cantinero lies on the main strip, you need to know what you're looking for to find this dimly lit restaurant slash bar. And once you do, there's no going back. For full review and details, click here.
Loosen your grasp on the truth and prepare to embrace a bit of deception, because this year's Sydney's Writers' Festival is all about lies. Returning for its 22nd edition from Monday, April 29, to Sunday, May 5, the internationally renowned literary event will take over venues across the city, bringing with it a dazzling program of local and international writers. This year, they'll examine the ways in which writing can be used as a tool of deceit in today's world — for good and evil — with the theme of 'Lie to Me'. An exciting lineup of literary talent is coming to play, kicking off with opening night's acclaimed trio: bestselling US author of The Interestings, The Wife and The Female Persuasion, Meg Wolitzer; Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, who's the mind behind dystopian short story collection Friday Black; and award-winning writer of Grief is the Thing with Feathers and Lanny, Max Porter. A star-studded cast of literary talent appears throughout the rest of this year's program, too. Flying the flag for the Aussie writing scene are the likes of Leigh Sales (Any Ordinary Day), Trent Dalton (Boy Swallows Universe), Mark Brandi (The Rip), Clare Wright (You Daughters of Freedom) and Candice Fox (Gone By Midnight). They're joined by a stack of international names, like lauded Pakistani author Fatima Bhutto (The Runaways, Songs of Blood and Sword), who'll be exploring current shifts surrounding politics, gender and race, along with writers like Susan Orlean (The Library Book) and Andrew Sean Greer (Less). Man Booker Prize winner George Saunders (whose novel Lincoln in the Bardo, which has a staggering 166 narrators, was one of our favourite books of 2017) will also be taking to the stage in the City Recital Hall. The festival's also dishing up a range of special events — the Curiosity Lecture Series covers quirky topics from witches to the subculture of 'chilli-heads', Eddie Sharp's Erotic Fan Fiction makes its hotly anticipated and cheeky return, and an assortment of festival guests share stories of their own queer literary heroes in a segment called Gay For Page. While the Sydney Writers' Festival hub will remain at Carriageworks, events will be held across the city — stretching from Sydney Town Hall across to Penrith and down to Wollongong. Images: Prudence Upton.
In the two decades that Gelato Messina has been in dessert business, more than 4000 special flavours have made their way through the chain's gelato cabinets around the country. Each year, it releases 260 specials, in fact. Yes, that's a lot of frosty and creamy scoops. To celebrate some of these oldies but goodies, the chain brings a selection of these flavours back every now and then — and, sometimes, it busts out its entire top 40 greatest hits. That's happening again this winter, based on the past year's top flavours, so you'd best make room in your freezer. Lucky Sydneysiders, Melburnians and Brisbanites will be able to treat themselves to a treasure trove of limited-edition gelato varieties. While, in the past, the greatest hits specials have been a buy-in-shop-only deal, the chain went with preordered tubs in 2020 — so no one had to worry about long queues and empty cabinets — and it's doing the same thing again in 2023. Gelato fiends can preorder 500-millilitre tubs of the 40 flavours from Monday, July 10. You'll then need to pick them up from Sydney's Marrickville, Tramsheds, Bondi, Darlinghurst, Norwest, Brighton Le Sands stores; Fitzroy and East Brunswick in Melbourne; South Brisbane in Brisbane; and Braddon in Canberra — all between Friday, July 21–Sunday, July 23. Individual tubs are filled with just one flavour and will set you back $19, or you can get three for $54, five for $75, ten for $140 or — if you have the freezer space — 20 for $250. Wondering which flavours are available? Messina has dropped the full list of faves making a comeback — and it's stacked with deliciousness (just like your freezer will be). Fairy Bread (toast and butter gelato with 100s & 1000s) and Robert Blondie Jnr (white chocolate gelato, blondie and white chocolate fudge sauce) will all return in tub form. So will Balls Deep (chocolate gelato with chocolate mud cake and salted caramel fudge) and You Cannoli Live Twice (chocolate crème patisserie gelato with chocolate hazelnut fudge, candied hazelnuts, and crushed cannoli shells), too. Love Messina's takes on other beloved desserts? The Malteaser, Eton Mess, Baked Mango Cheesecake, Have a Gay Old Time, Pavlova, Red Velvet — those Messina flavours are all on the list as well. Good luck trying to choose just one, or even a mere few. Gelato Messina's Greatest Hits will be available to preorder on Monday, July 10 with pick up between Friday, July 21–Sunday, July 23 from Sydney's Marrickville, Tramsheds, Bondi, Darlinghurst, Norwest, Brighton Le Sands stores (orders from 12.15pm); Fitzroy and East Brunswick in Melbourne; South Brisbane in Brisbane; and Braddon in Canberra (orders from 12pm).
Bondi's Middle Eastern diner Sefa Kitchen has undergone some changes. For one, it's appointed Egyptian head chef Mohamed Kharboush (ex-Kazbah), along with chef Bill Vuki (ex-Attica). And, thanks to Kharboush, the kitchen is now slinging meze-style weekend lunches, with bottomless spritzes to boot. These 'Lafay' lunches are on offer every Saturday and Sunday from 11.30am–3pm. The share menu features the likes of slow-cooked lamb and chicken, Israeli salad, Northern African dips, house pickles and mint-wrapped garden herbs — a popular Cairo street snack — all served with the restaurant's signature laffa flatbread. You can also nab bottomless spritzes for a limited time at $39 per person. Right now there's the pomegranate spritz ($15), which is fresh pomegranate, Campari, sparkling wine and soda. There's a daily cocktail special to look forward to as well. In general, Sefa's seasonal menu focuses on the ancient region of Levantine — which spans 400 years of Middle Eastern cooking tradition across Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Syria, Cyprus and southeast Turkey. It's a region where seasonality is a given, as is communal dining. Expect quality ingredients here, with all grass-fed, hormone-free meats sourced from local butchers; a vertical garden in which the team grows herbs for the food and cocktail offering; and a compost bin and worm farm out back. The restaurant is still open for dinner seven days a week, too. If you want to try a bit of everything, as we suggest you do, there's set menus available, spanning from $45–65 for the table. Eating with your hands is preferred here, so go ahead and tuck in.
Sydney CBD's Clarence Street is set to add another much-hyped venue to its already stacked hospitality offerings. Nestled within the YCK Precinct, the bustling city street will welcome an expansive new venue from the team behind Ragazzi — a 120-seat trattoria called Palazzo Salato. The Love Tilly Group, which is also behind Fabbrica, Love Tilly Devine and Dear Saint Eloise, has previously operated in the world of intimate wine bars and small-scale eateries. That's all changing with Palazzo Salato, the acclaimed hospitality group's largest and most-ambitious offering yet. Set to open in April, this inner-city haven for all things pasta will pull inspiration from New York's Gramercy Tavern and the trattorias of Rome into the heritage-listed former Redoak Boutique Beer Cafe building. Expect a multi-space venue featuring a walk-in-only bar overlooking Clarence Street, a lavish dining room and a 20-seat space dedicated for private bookings. [caption id="attachment_891216" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alex Major, Scott McComas-Williams, Adam Fogwell, Bora Biyiklioglu, Julie Barbero, Matt Swieboda, Gabriele Lackerer Villabruna and Jordan Grocock.[/caption] "I realised this was the site for our first proper restaurant the moment we walked into the space," Group Executive Chef Scott McComas-Williams. "For the first time, we have a kitchen with enough room to swing a cat, allowing us to produce some of my favourite hand-shaped pastas like agnolotti dal plin, scarpinocc and fagottini while still being able to grill, roast and braise cuts of meat, veg and fish from our long-time producers." An impressive 500-bottle wine list has been curated to compliment the classic Ragazzi-style pasta menu, pulling together drops from across the world. Expect a wide span of varieties and blends, ranging from the expected through to vintage 60s and 70s amari and rare Italian wines. "While we've previously focused on a single country's wines at each venue — for example Australian at Love, Tilly Devine and France at Dear Sainte Éloise — this one will, excitingly, be a lot more international," says Love Tilly Group's Matt Swieboda. [caption id="attachment_747368" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ragazzi, Nikki To.[/caption] Inside, the heritage-listed space will be transformed with brass pendants, leather banquettes and luxe velvet backrests. Framed artwork and silk prints will add a burst of colour, while the branding featuring otherworldly characters will inject a playful touch to the restaurant. An all-star roster of hospitality mainstays heads up the venues. Alongside McComas-Williams, Executive Chef Alex Major (ex-Head Chef at Ragazzi) and new Head Chef Vincenzo Romeo (ex-Casoni) are behind the exciting new venture. Former Ragazzi Restaurant Manager Adam Fogwell and Bora Biyiklioglu (Hong Kong's Honky Tonks Tavern and Shady Acres) lead the front of house, and Bar Manager Jordan Grocock has moved over from The Baxter Inn to head up the drinks offerings with Love Tilly's Group Sommelier Jabe Febvre and the venue's Head Sommelier Julie Barbero (formerly London's Frenchie Covent Garden and France's Michelin-starred La Chassagnette). The Clarence Street bar and trattoria will be the first to open in April, followed by the large bar and dining room with access from Kent Street later this year. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Palazzo Salato (@palazzosalato) Palazzo Salato is set to open at 201 Clarence Street, Sydney in April.
