While many industries across the country have contracted during the pandemic — with hospitality venues closing, live music events cancelled and some sports banned for months — surfing has boomed. It makes sense, really. It's the ideal socially distant sport that gets you out of the house and into nature. When 2022 rolls around, Sydney surfers will have a new place to take their board to: a surf park and resort right on the Hawkesbury River. Approved by The Hills Shire Council yesterday, the 45-acre Wisemans Surf Lodge will be Australia's first premium resort-style wave pool. The pool itself will be massive — four football fields in length — and the waves powered by US tech company Surfloch, which has the ability to generate 2.5-metre peaks in multiple shapes every 10–12 seconds. As well as the wave pool, the resort will be home to a nine-hole golf course, a 54-suite hotel, a restaurant and a bar, all surrounded by bushland and right on the river. The hotel will see the renovation of an existing 90s-built hotel overseen by architect Kelvin Ho who's behind Merivale venues like The Newport and Palmer & Co, as well as resorts in the Maldives. Access to the Surf Lodge will be via membership. Details on this are scarce for the moment, but we're hoping it's not too spenno. When Wisemans does open, it won't be Australia's first surf park. That title goes to Melbourne's Urbnsurf. In fact, it might not even be Sydney's first surf park, with Urbnsurf set to open a second location in Olympic Park in 2021. Kelly Slater also has plans to open one of his famed Surf Ranches on the Sunshine Coast, too, but that doesn't yet have an ETA. Wisemans Surf Lodge is set to open in Wisemans Ferry, NSW in 2022.
Australians have hotly anticipated the opening of the very first Il Mercato Centrale in Melbourne ever since it was first announced in 2022. At that time, it was expected to launch late the same year. But it's now 2024, and we still have no hard date for its opening. The highly ambitious venture came across a heap of setbacks, as the team behind it is determined to create a hospitality venue unlike anything that Melbourne has ever seen. All the red tape has now been sorted, however, and construction is charging ahead at 546 Collins Street at lightning speed. [caption id="attachment_856983" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Il Mercato Centrale in Turin[/caption] First off, the 3500-square-metre space, spread across three stories, truly is enormous. The first floor will have a market feel to it but with more flash, fun and tech. Each of the vendors will be slinging their own specialty goods, with none competing with the other. There'll be a bakery, patisserie, pasta shop, pizza joint, cheese maker, butcher and seafood stall, to name a few. Here, you can get fresh produce to take away or order it to be cooked up right in front of you. That means that you can buy a steak to eat at home or ask them to pop it on the grill while you start on some wine that you ordered from the bar right in the centre of the ground floor. Want to make it a surf and turf? Order some grilled calamari from the seafood stall next door and create your own feast. Conveniently, you'll be able to order from any and all vendors all in one transaction by using a QR code — or even pre-order from your office to pick up when it's ready. It going to be one of the easiest Melbourne food halls to order from. Then, on the second floor of Melbourne's Il Mercato Centrale, you'll find a fine-dining restaurant, cocktail bar, pasta restaurant (all made by hand), pizzeria, gelateria, wine bar, a gin and vodka distillery, and live music stage. We told you, it's huge. Up here, you'll even be able to order some of the food from downstairs to be delivered to you. Say you're sipping on a negroni at the bar upstairs and get a bit hungry. All you've got to do is order a cheeseboard and perhaps some slices of pizza on your phone, and the team will bring it up to you. If it all works out how the crew wants it to, it will be a huge feat of tech and service ingenuity. The top floor of Il Mercato Centrale will then be dedicated to private events and masterclasses, where each of the vendors will run workshops on their particular trades each month. [caption id="attachment_856981" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Il Mercato Centrale Rome[/caption] There will even be a big outdoor seating area right on Collins Street, something that was not easy for the Il Mercato Centrale team to secure. Taking Concrete Playground on a tour of the site, General Manager Gary Patikkis couldn't share the details about the outside area, but he noted that it is set to be unlike any other street-level drinking and dining space in the CBD. The venue will have a 3am liquor license (another rarity for new venues in Melbourne) and be open until from 7am–12am every day of the week. Patikkis was reluctant to share any opening dates, but rest assured that Il Mercato Centrale is coming. And Melburnians and visitors alike hopefully won't have to wait much longer before being able to dine on a massive range of Italian eats in the Victorian capital's CBD. [caption id="attachment_856978" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Il Mercato Centrale Firenze[/caption] Mercato Centrale Melbourne is set to open at 546 Collins Street, Melbourne. We'll share more information as it is announced, and you can head to the venue's website in the interim. Top image: Il Mercato Centrale Milan.
After scaring the shit out of us with an overnight cable car stay (without giving us a toilet), and waking us up with puppies in the middle of IKEA, Airbnb have yet again allowed us to stay in a jaw-droppingly novelty place. But this time, it's only two hours from Sydney and it's a cave. A real cave, all to yourself. A new listing in Bell, near the Blue Mountains in New South Wales, called Hatter's Hideout and Lodge, is up for rental grabs on Airbnb. The stay comes with two parts. On one hand, you're privy to a unique hand-built lodge on eight private acres of lush Blue Mountains wilderness, stocked with every last essential (kitchen, heating, internet, barbecue) and boasting panoramic views across Mount Wilson, Wollemi National Park and the World Heritage Area. On the other hand? You're the proud overseer of the 'Hat Cave' — a 20 metres high, wide and deep cave with "similar size and shape to a small shell of the Sydney Opera house (with better acoustics!)" according to the listers. Self-described as 'an ideal bushland retreat for modern cave dwellers (troglodytes)', the cave has been developed super carefully using minimal impact construction to maintain the environment as much as possible. The 25-metre-high cave opening faces north west, and you're protected from the elements by a friendly grove of coachwood trees. The owners will provide you with campfire kindling and wood, a gas barbecue, esky, tables and chairs, solar powered lights, candles, first aid kit, cooking utensils, and rainwater on tap — basically they've thought of everything your city slicker ass would forget otherwise. You'll even get a firsthand introduction to the surrounds with a 'Bush Walk and Talk', so you know exactly what's up with your newfound bush home. All you need to do is brush up on your acoustic 'Wonderwall' and you're home and hosed. The Hideout lodge can sleep up six people but you can fit in a bunch more if you're camping in the cave — perfect for a matey weekend getaway or hens night to forget. Obviously, it's a cave, so it's not the cheapest stay on the national park block. On weekends you're looking at $690 for two people for two nights (+ $55 extra adult per night), midweek it goes down to $495 for two people for two nights (+ $55 extra adult per night). But. Cave. For more info or to lock in your holiday cave, head over here.
The Summer Olympic Games is a prime opportunity for the world's best architects to showcase their creativity and ingenuity by designing some of the most iconic and celebrated buildings and stadiums in the world. With almost every eye in the world stopping to admire the intense competition between elite athletes from all over the globe, host cities compete to see who can construct the most awe-inspiring sporting amphitheatres. Here is Concrete Playground's selection of the most beautifully designed venues in modern Olympic Games history. London 2012 Shooting Venue Designed by German innovators Magma Architecture, the 2012 Olympic Shooting Venue consists of three demountable pavilions with massive coloured bullet holes. Appropriately, for a shooting event, this unique venue is located at London's Royal Artillery Barracks and will be disassembled following the games and taken to Glasgow for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. An estimated 104,000 spectators will cheer on their nations' finest marksmen in these giant tents. London 2012 Aquatics Centre The ultra-modern indoor facility for the swimming, diving and synchronised swimming events at this year's Olympics is a chic construction designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Zaha Hadid. The unique 6-board diving platform used a massive 462 tonnes of concrete during construction, and the three pools in the complex hold around 10 millions litres of water. Beijing 2008 National Stadium Affectionately known as the 'Bird's Nest', Beijing's Olympic cathedral cost a whopping $423 million to build. The breathtaking design by Swiss Architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron was inspired by a study of Chinese ceramics and consists of an enormous concrete bowl surrounded by crisscrossing steel beams that give the stadium its distinctive appearance. 17,000 workers were employed to build the stadium with The Times reporting in January 2008 that ten workers died during its construction, a claim that was vehemently denied by the Chinese Government. Beijing 2008 Aquatics Centre Known colloquially as the water cube (despite it actually being a cuboid), the Beijing Aquatic centre was an absolute marvel at the 2008 Olympic Games. Many believe that the greater depth of the pools and their perforated gutters help make the pool the fastest in the world, which is backed up by the fact that 25 world records were broken within its bubbly and vibrant walls in 2008. Athens 2004 Olympic Sports Complex Originally built in 1982, the Athens Olympic Sports Complex had itself a massive revamp in preparation for the 2004 games. This refurbishment, led by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, transformed the once functional centre into a majestic international facility, with the addition of the awe-inspiring arch seen above and an enormous retractable roof across the Olympic Stadium. Montreal 1976 Olympic Stadium The elaborate, multi-purpose facility of the Montreal Olympic Stadium was designed by Roger Taillibert and used as a venue for a number of events during the games, such as the opening and closing ceremonies, athletics, football and equestrian. The Montreal Tower is the tallest inclined structure in the world at 175m and helps open the retractable roof of the stadium. Munich 1972 Olympiastadion Günther Behnisch and Frei Otto's 80,000 capacity stadium was considered revolutionary at the time of its construction in 1968 due to the giant sweeping canopies of acrylic glass, which were intended to be imitations of the Alps and representative of the new, democratic Germany. The construction of the stadium was made significantly easier due to the large pits that were made by bombings in Munich during World War II. Tokyo 1964 Yoyogi National Stadium The suspension roof of the Yoyogi National Stadium helped make Tokyo's Olympic design by Kenzo Tange both an architectural icon and an Olympic favourite. Tange managed to seamlessly intertwine both modern Western style and traditional Japanese culture to create the fluid, draping roofs of this dynamic structure. Athens 1896 Panathinaiko Stadium Unlike the ultra-modern stadiums of today in which the boundaries of gravity and taste are continually pushed, the first stadium of the modern Olympic Games was designed as a monument to the magnificence of the Ancient Greeks and the Olympics of yesteryear. Reconstructed from the remains of an ancient stadium estimated to be over 2500 years old, the Panathinaiko Stadium is the only major sports venue made entirely of white marble. In classical times the stadium was built and used in honour of the Greek Goddess Athena, while today it is primarily used for commemorative events and special musical performances by the likes of Bob Dylan and Tina Turner.
Do you need an election hangover cure the entire family can enjoy? You’re in luck, ‘cause Festival of the Winds is here to nurse the headache at Bondi Beach this Sunday, September 8. Colourful cartoon characters, giant animals and flowers, fighter kites, box kites, delta kites and more are scheduled to appear at the festival, which kicks off at 11am on what we hope will be a sunny spring day. Internationally renowned kite flyers (yes, they exist) will be boasting some pretty spectacular flying skills with their handmade creations. So dust off that kite you packed away at age ten and show off your (probably rusty) flying skills, or join in on one of the kite-making workshops on offer throughout the day. But this isn’t just a day for kite enthusiasts; there’ll be loads of dance workshops, puppet shows and a whole lot more that both children and the nostalgic can enjoy.
February 2018 marks four years since the lockout laws hit Sydney's entertainment precinct. In that time, venues have shut up shop (like Hugos Lounge, which directly attributed the lockout laws to its closure), others have closed and reopened under new ownership (The Flinders and The Lansdowne, among them) and Kings Cross, once the nightlife hub of the city, has turned into a ghost town after midnight. Moreover, tens of thousands of people have rallied in opposition to the laws. Regardless, the NSW Government has given no indication that it will make any huge changes to them. The only consolation has been a half-hour extension of trading hours for businesses hosting live events. Sure, it's better than nothing — but it hasn't been enough to restore Sydney's nightlife to what it once was. That's why entrepreneur Paul G Roberts, founder of Fashion Industry Broadcast and Style Planet TV, decided to make a documentary titled After the Lockouts. When Roberts, who previously ran Melbourne night club Checkpoint Charlie, first moved to Sydney in the late 1990s, the nightlife was, in his words, "amazing". "You were spoilt for choice," he says. "You could go out from sunset to sunrise, seeing bands, going to clubs, going to cool bars...it's really not the same anymore." But, rather than mourn and complain, he wanted to get to do more research on the matter. So, with a camera crew in tow, he spent most of 2017 researching, studying media representations, speaking to venue owners and travelling to cities around the world, to find out how they manage busy nighttime economies without lockouts. "I wanted to cut through the spin and get down to the facts, the evidence," he says. After the Lockouts gains authority with interviews with some of Sydney's leading nightlife figures, including Keep Sydney Open's hardworking Tyson Koh, Mark Gerber (Oxford Art Factory), Maurice Terzini (Icebergs Dining Room), councillor Jess Scully and Dave Evans, former owner of Hugos Lounge, which closed down in mid-2015 due to revenue loss following the lockouts. There's also a tour of Amsterdam with night mayor Mirik Milan, who, since 2014, has overseen the city's nocturnal happenings. The documentary doesn't seem to include any interviews with any NSW Government spokespeople. Through the doco, Roberts also poses alternative solutions to the laws — that is, strategies for reversing the laws and renewing the city's vibrant all-night scene. "I'm very confident that anyone who sits through the whole film will walk out with a new perspective," says Roberts. "There are so many people doing a Herculean job to fight the lockout laws...but there needs to be a united voice. There needs to be an ongoing campaign to put pressure on the government. The film is just the first part of a multi-pointed campaign." After the Lockouts will premiere at a private gala screening tonight, February 1. The plan is to then roll it out across cinemas and the Internet. For more info, visit afterthelockouts.com. Image: After the Lockouts.
Sometimes, dreams do come true. More often than not, they don't. The bulk of life is what dwells in-between, as we all cope with the inescapable truth that we won't get everything that we've ever fantasised about, and we mightn't even score more than just a few things we want. This is the space that Party Down has always made its own, asking "are we having fun yet?" about life's disappointments while focusing on Los Angeles-based hopefuls played by Adam Scott (Severance), Ken Marino (The Other Two), Ryan Hansen (A Million Little Things), Martin Starr (Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities) and more. They'd all rather be doing something other than being cater waiters at an array of California functions, and most have stars in their eyes. In the cult comedy's first two seasons back in 2009–10, the majority of its characters have their sights set on show business, slinging hors d'oeuvres while trying to make acting, screenwriting or comedy happen. By even existing, Party Down itself is the product of dreams that aren't fulfilled and the twists of fate that follow. If Veronica Mars hadn't initially been cancelled after three seasons, its creator Rob Thomas mightn't have moved onto a new collaboration with two of the show's fellow former staff — writer/producer John Enbom and producer Dan Etheridge — plus one-time guest star Paul Rudd (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania). And, if that hadn't have occurred, Party Down wouldn't have ever graced screens with its spectacular dark farce at all. It too was cancelled too soon but has found a way to make a comeback. In its 13-years-later revival, it smartly and hilariously grapples with what it means when dreams don't pan out, and when they seem like they will only to crash. Bringing most of the original gang back together — Lizzy Caplan had scheduling issues making the also-excellent Fleishman Is in Trouble, but Jane Lynch (Only Murders in the Building) and Megan Mullally (Reservation Dogs) return — Party Down keeps its shindig-by-shindig setup. Across its first 20 instalments as well as its new six, which drop weekly on Stan from Friday, February 24, each episode sends the titular crew to a different soirée. The opening get-together is thrown by one of their own, Kyle Bradway (Hansen), who has just scored the lead part in a massive superhero franchise. Ex-actor Henry Pollard (Scott) is among the attendees, as are now-heiress Constance Carmell (Lynch) and perennial stage mum Lydia Dunfree (Mullally), but comedian Casey Klein (Caplan) is too busy being Saturday Night Live-level famous. Hard sci-fi obsessive Roman DeBeers (Starr) and the eager-to-please Ron Donald (Marino) are present as well, in a catering capacity. Having some of the team still sporting their black pants, crisp white shirts and pastel pink bow ties after such time has passed could've played as lazy or unbelievable. Party Down has always been as unflinchingly honest as it is sidesplittingly funny, however. It finds its main figures literally in reunion mode, and uses that entry point to explore everything that could've changed — and what mightn't have — for anyone getting their start working in hospitality in LA. Some achieved exactly what they said they would. Some are still just talking about it, and bitterly. As for Henry, he advises Kyle that he's a high-school English teacher. When his pal asks "on what show?" in response, Party Down remains as incisive as ever at tearing down the Hollywood mindset, its posturing and its centre-of-the-universe delusion. Henry genuinely is a high-school English teacher IRL, a fact that Kyle hasn't even entertained. More of the Party Down OGs end up back in uniform, in turns of events that couldn't be more organic, believable and steeped in the series' constant confrontation with dreams failing, flailing and fading. Still, season three has fresh faces; hospitality is a turnover-heavy industry. Content creator Sackson (Tyrel Jackson Williams, Brockmire) would rather be filling his socials, and flouts the Ron Donald dos and Ron Donald don'ts as Henry, Kyle, Roman and the group always have. The Gen-Z influencer wannabe also acts as visible reminder of how the notion of stardom has changed. Chef Lucy Dang (Zoë Chao, The Afterparty) seeks fame through her cooking, which isn't your standard catering spread. Baking ripened camembert into birthday cake, for instance, she wants food to be art rather than mere fuel. Also among the newcomers, but not holding trays for minimum wage, are Jennifer Garner (The Adam Project) as film executive Evie Adler and James Marsden (Dead to Me) as hotshot actor Jack Botty. The former hits it off with Henry — because with Caplan's Casey absent, Party Down still needs its emotional core and will-they-won't-they rom-com spark amid the Hollywood takedowns, ridiculous celebration ideas and slapstick absurdity it throws together skilfully, cleverly and hysterically. Unsurprisingly, season three is usually at its best when the show's old favourites bounce off each other, but Thomas and company have done well with their newcomers. That's another returning talent; before she was winning awards for The White Lotus, Jennifer Coolidge made a killer two-episode addition to the crew, and Mullally joined the cast when Lynch moved onto Glee. Are we having fun yet? Yes, always. While the catchphrase that's long haunted Henry — uttered in a beer commercial, and his biggest acting claim to fame — is rolled out again, Party Down season three is also supremely skilled at working in nods and callbacks without ever feeling like the person at the party that won't move on from the past. With Enbom showrunning, the writing is again intelligent and amusing, and the tone hasn't wavered a decade-plus on. And, once getting the gang back together has been established, Party Down's latest stint still ranks it among the all-time great workplace comedies. Scott does love pondering the daily grind, starring in Parks and Recreation and Severance before making his way back to pouring drinks. There's exactly one issue with season three: it only runs for six episodes. Since 2009, the world has always needed more Party Down, and that remains the case now that it's finally back. No one needs Party Down, the company, like Ron still does, though. None of the show's characters have ever embodied the desperate extremes that someone can go to to make their dreams come true as he still does, either — or what happens when someone has pitched their whole identity on one thing and won't accept any alternatives no matter the humiliations that arise. Marino, like Hansen and Scott, made the jump over to Party Down from Veronica Mars to play the catering outfit's oh-so-keen (but always-bumbling) manager, and his performance continues to be a masterclass in bleak and physical comedy in a series that's outstanding at (and has fun with) both. Check out the trailer for Party Down season three below: Party Down's third season streams via Stan from Friday, February 24 — and via TVNZ+ as well.
After stealing every scene that he was in in Sex Education, playing a Ken in Barbie and dancing at the 2024 Oscars, Ncuti Gatwa has a date with the TARDIS from May. The first full season of the long-running British franchise starring the Rwandan Scottish actor will hit screens on Saturday, May 11, including Down Under — with Disney+ and the BBC releasing the first two episodes of the Fifteenth Doctor's run simultaneously worldwide. That timing means that it will have been two years between Gatwa being announced as the new Doctor Who and series 14 arriving; however, this isn't the first time that viewers are seeing the Fifteenth Doctor. Gatwa made his debut as the time lord in 2023, in both 60th-anniversary special episode The Giggle and Christmas special The Church on Ruby Road. Now that he police box-loving, time-travelling, Dalek-fighting character has regenerated into a new incarnation — which is how the series writes in its casting swaps — Gatwa has become Doctor Who's first Black lead. In a way, he takes over from two actors: Jodie Whittaker (Time), whose run came to an end in 2022 with series 13, after becoming the first-ever female lead back in 2017; and also David Tennant (Good Omens), who was the Tenth Doctor in three seasons from 2005–10, then also the Fourteenth Doctor in 2023's specials. In a season that also features Millie Gibson (Coronation St) as the Fifteenth Doctor's companion Ruby Sunday, Gatwa joins a long list of other British actors who've stepped into the part — 11 other than Whittaker and Tennant, including OG Doctor William Hartnell back in 1963; 70s favourite Tom Baker; and Christopher Eccelston (True Detective: Night Country), Matt Smith (House of the Dragon) and Peter Capaldi (Criminal Record) since the show made a big comeback in 2005. And yes, the fact that it took 54 years for the character to become a woman and six decades for a Black actor to play the part is clearly far too long. "At last, it's my great delight to unleash a whole new season of the Doctor and Ruby's adventures together. Monsters! Chases! Villains! Mysteries! And a terrifying secret that's been spanning time and space for decades. Don't miss a second!" said Doctor Who showrunner, executive producer and writer Russell T Davies (Nolly, It's a Sin, Queer as Folk) about the new season. Fans can look forward to jumps to England's Regency era and into the future, as well as a guest cast that includes Aneurin Barnard (1899), Anita Dobson (Murder, They Hope), Yasmin Finney (Heartstopper), Michelle Greenidge (Mandy) and Jonathan Groff (Knock at the Cabin), plus Bonnie Langford (EastEnders), Genesis Lynea (Death in Paradise), Jemma Redgrave (The Beekeeper), Lenny Rush (Haunting of the Queen Mary), Indira Varma (Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One) and Angela Wynter (EastEnders). Check out the teaser trailer for Doctor Who series 14 below: Series 14 of Doctor Who will start streaming via Disney+ Down Under on Saturday, May 11, 2024. Top image:
Among the many challenges that Australians have faced over the past year, our love of travel has been hit hard. Domestic border restrictions keep changing with frequency in response to new cases and clusters in different states, meaning that planning a holiday beyond your own city has been more than a little tricky. This was particularly true over Christmas and NYE, when an outbreak on Sydney's northern beaches saw many states quickly shut their borders to NSW — including Victoria. On January 1, 2021, Victoria closed its borders to all of NSW. A week ago, it reopened to regional NSW. From 6pm tonight, Monday, January 18, it's reopening to parts of Greater Sydney, too. From that time, 25 of Greater Sydney's 35 LGAs, as well as the Blue Mountains and Wollongong, will be changing from a 'red zone' to an 'orange zone', as part of Victoria's new traffic light-style system, which means travellers from those areas can enter Victoria — but they'll need to isolate on arrival and get tested within 72 hours, then when they receive a negative result they're free to leave isolation. They'll also have to apply for a permit before entry, too — like all Australians. Last week, Victoria introduced compulsory permits for anyone who wants to enter the state. If you try and enter Victoria without a valid permit, you risk being fined $4957. You can apply for one over here. Travellers who have been in the remaining ten Greater Sydney LGAs in the past 14 days, which are still 'red zones', cannot enter Victoria. Those LGAs are: Blacktown City, Burwood, Canada Bay City, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield City, Inner West, Liverpool City, Parramatta City and Strathfield Municipality. Folks who've been in a red zone can apply to receive an exemption or a specified worker permit. The former covers instances such as emergency relocations, funerals, essential medical care, and people needing to return home for health, wellbeing, care or compassionate reasons. https://twitter.com/VicGovDHHS/status/1350957562263384069 From 6pm tonight, NSW towns along the Victorian border will also move to 'green zones'. Travellers entering Victoria from a 'green zone' still need to apply for a permit, but do not need to get tested or isolate on arrival, unless they develop symptoms. These new 'green zones' include: Albury City, Balranald Shire, Bega Valley Shire, Berrigan Shire, City of Broken Hill, Edward River Council, Federation Council, Greater Hume Shire, Hay Shire, Lockhart Shire, Murray River Council, Murrumbidgee Council, Snowy Monaro Regional Council, Snowy Valleys Council, City of Wagga Wagga and Wentworth Shire. The loosened border restrictions come as Victoria records its 12th consecutive day of zero new cases of community transmission. Overnight, the state did record four new cases in hotel quarantine, all of which are linked to the Australian Open. https://twitter.com/VicGovDHHS/status/1350938786365120517 Of course, the current designated zones and regulations are subject to change, with Premier Daniel Andrews advising that designated red zones would be reviewed daily. Victoria also reclassified the LGAs of Greater Brisbane as 'orange zones' from 6pm on Saturday, January 16. For more information on Victoria's new permit system — or to apply for one — head to the Department of Health and Human Services website.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. HOUSE OF GUCCI For the second time in as many movies, Lady Gaga is caught in a bad romance in House of Gucci. Yes, she's already sung the song to match. The pop diva doesn't belt out ballads or croon upbeat tunes in this true-crime drama, unlike in her Oscar-nominated role in A Star Is Born, but she does shimmy into a tale about love and revenge, horror and design, and wanting someone's everything as long as it's free. Eschewing the earthy naturalism of her last film performance and tapping into her famed on-stage theatricality instead, she's perfect for the part of Patrizia Reggiani, aka Lady Gucci, aka the daughter of a trucking entrepreneur who wed into one of the world's most prestigious fashion families, helped unstitch its hold on its couture empire, then went to prison for murder. She's exceptional because she goes big and lavish, and because she knows that's the type of feature she's meant to be in: a soapy spectacle about money and power that uses its depiction of excess as an interrogation technique. Complimenting Gaga for nailing the brief — for acing it so dazzlingly that she's sauntering down her own catwalk as most of her co-stars virtually watch from the floor — gives House of Gucci a tad too much credit, though. Ridley Scott's second film in mere months following The Last Duel, and his third in a row to examine wealth and influence after 2017's All the Money in the World, this fashion-world saga skews large, lush and luxe with each choice, too, but doesn't land every sashay with quite the outsized lustre of its crown jewel. If House of Gucci's veteran director was picking an outfit instead, he would've chosen a killer gown, then wavered on the accessories. Some of his other decisions gleam, as seen in the movie's knowingly maximalist and melodramatic air. Others prove fine, like its jukebox-style soundtrack of 70s and 80s bangers. A few moves are so cartoonish — Jared Leto's ridiculousness, and the Super Mario-style accents sported by almost everyone on-screen — that they play like cheap knockoffs. The story itself is a standout, however, as adapted from Sara Gay Forden's 2001 book The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed. When Patrizia meets law student Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver, Annette) at a 70s-era party, mistakes him for a bartender, then realises who he is, it sparks a rollercoaster of a relationship — starting with Maurizio being disinherited by his father Rodolfo (Jeremy Irons, Love, Weddings and Other Disasters) for their marriage. Still, the newest Gucci knows what she wants: a place in the family's dynasty. She isn't the lone cause of the Guccis' unfolding, thanks to Rodolfo's brother Aldo (Al Pacino, Hunters), his penchant for watering down the brand and tax evasion, and his wannabe-designer son Paolo (Leto, The Little Things), but she's the Lady Macbeth pushing Maurizio to seize the company by any means. And, because the reason that House of Gucci even exists was written in news headlines over a quarter-century ago, she's behind Maurizio's killing in 1995. "I don't consider myself a particularly ethical person, but I'm fair," Patrizia offers partway into the movie, a moral code that still sees her order his hit after their divorce — helped by a TV psychic-turned-pal (Salma Hayek, Eternals), because that's the kind of tale this is. Interviewed in 2016, Patrizia called herself "the most Gucci of them all", an idea that Scott and his screenwriters Becky Johnston (Arthur Newman) and Roberto Bentivegna (short El otro lado) don't ever give Italian-lilted voice to, but still use as their basic pattern. In the sartorial realm, Gucci might stand for high-end indulgence, but House of Gucci sees both the allure and the cost of the brand reflected in Patrizia's status-hungry actions. Read our full review. GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE Spraying reboots, remakes, sequels and prequels across cinema screens like a spirit supposedly sprays ectoplasm — gushing reimaginings, spinoffs and seemingly never-ending franchises, too — Hollywood ain't afraid of no ghosts. It loves them in horror movies, obviously, but it adores the spectre of popular intellectual property even more. These phantoms of hits gone by can be resurrected again and again, all to make a profit. They haunt both cinemas and box-office blockbuster lists, making film-goers and the industry itself constantly feel like they're being spooked by the past. With 14 of Australia's 15 top cash-earning flicks of 2021 all falling into the been-there-done-that category in one way or another, looking backwards in the name of apparently going forwards is now mainstream filmmaking 101, and the big end of town rarely likes bustin' a money-making formula. After more than a few pandemic delays, that's the world that Ghostbusters: Afterlife floats into — a world that's made worshipping previous glories one of the biggest cash-spinners show business could've ever dreamed up. The fourth feature to bear the Ghostbusters name, but a new legacy sequel to the original 1984 film, this reanimated franchise entry certainly sports a fitting subtitle; treating its source material like it's nirvana is firmly filmmaker Jason Reitman's approach. To him, it might've been. Although he established his career with indie comedies such as Thank You for Smoking and Juno, he's the son of director Ivan Reitman, who helmed the OG Ghostbusters and its 1989 follow-up Ghostbusters II. To plenty of fans, those two initial comedy-horror flicks were something special as well; however, acknowledging that fact — and trying to recreate the feeling of being a kid or teen watching the first Ghostbusters nearly four decades ago — isn't enough to fuel a new film. To be fair, the younger Reitman isn't particularly interested in making a new movie; Be Kind Rewind's "sweded" Ghostbusters clips are more original than Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Instead, he directs a homage that sprinkles in links to its predecessor so heartily that it's probably easier to name the scenes and details that don't scream "hey, this is Ghostbusters!" as loudly as possible. And, even when Reitman and co-screenwriter Gil Kenan (Poltergeist) appear to shake things up ever so slightly, it all still ties back to that kid-in-the-80s sensation. Sure, Ghostbusters: Afterlife's protagonists aren't adult New Yorkers, but they're small-town adolescents who might as well have ambled out of one of the era's other hot properties: Steven Spielberg-helmed or -produced coming-of-age adventure-comedies about life-changing, Americana-dripping, personality-shaping escapades. Phoebe (Mckenna Grace, Malignant) is one such child, and a new inhabitant of the cringingly titled Summerville, Oklahoma at that. With her mother Callie (Carrie Coon, The Nest) and brother Trevor (Finn Wolfhard, The Goldfinch), she's made the move because the granddad she never knew just passed away, leaving a dilapidated rural property to his estranged family. The townsfolk speak his nickname, "dirt farmer", with mocking and intrigue, but his actual moniker — and all that equipment he's left behind — brings big changes Phoebe's way. While being Dr Egon Spengler's granddaughter doesn't initially mean too much to her, other than giving her love for science a genetic basis, she's soon segueing from testing out ghost traps with local teacher Mr Grooberson (Paul Rudd, The Shrink Next Door) to cracking Egon's secret efforts to stop a world-shattering supernatural event. Read our full review. NEVER GONNA SNOW AGAIN Start how you mean to go on is common-sense filmmaking advice. It's the medium's obvious first step, but it's also an elusive achievement. And, it's a feat that's usually only evident in hindsight — when a viewer can see if a stellar introduction really did signal just as sublime things to come, or vice versa. Never Gonna Snow Again perfects the concept, however. In its arresting opening moments, a man walks out of a forest and into a gated community in eastern Poland, and everything about the scene ripples with moody intrigue. The grey fog infusing the film's setting, the enigmatic look on the mysterious protagonist's face, the feeling that anything and everything could happen: filmmakers Malgorzata Szumowska (Mug) and Michal Englert (also the movie's cinematographer) deliver it all at the outset, and then back it up over their feature's 116 minutes. In Never Gonna Snow Again's initial images, that inscrutable man is Ukrainian masseur Zhenia (Alec Utgoff, Stranger Things), who walks out of a forest and into a gated community in eastern Poland. His destination is lined with lavish identical houses — the kind that the song 'Little Boxes' has satirised for almost six decades now — but he's about to be its most extraordinary visitor. His hands can help knead away physical troubles, a must for everyone with his profession. But as he works his physical magic, his touch can soothe minds as well. Trundling his massage table from well-appointed home to well-appointed home, he quickly builds up a devoted client list of well-to-do residents desperate for his help. He steps into their worlds, spying their outward gloss — the similar wreaths on each door, the doorbells chiming with snippets of classic music — and palpating away their inner pain. As that glorious opening scene establishes almost-unnervingly well, there's a surreal, seductive and otherworldly atmosphere to Never Gonna Snow Again, which Szumowska and Englert let float through their frames like a lingering breeze. There's also a devastatingly savvy interrogation of the type of rich lives that pine for Zhenia's involvement, including their complete obliviousness to him as anything more than a salve for their ennui. Much festers in the feature's McMansions. As it contemplates the everyday malaise that dulls wealth's superficial glow, as well as the vast chasm between gleaming exteriors and empty insides, much haunts Never Gonna Snow Again, in fact. Thematically, it wades into familiar territory — at a time when Succession and The White Lotus are the best shows on TV, and Parasite won the Best Picture Oscar just a year ago, it's probably easier to name movies and TV shows that don't shred the rich to pieces — but it stands out like a pink-hued home in an estate plastered with white and grey. Plenty dazzles in Never Gonna Snow Again, too, including Szumowska and Englert's confident handling, which knits together magical realism and razor-sharp observations about class — and about modern life's rubbish in general as well — with canny precision. Indeed, the movie could've easily crumbled in other hands, and likely will if anyone ever erroneously decides it needs an English-language remake. Perhaps the filmmaking duo's smartest decision is also their most visible, however, because Utgoff's performance is just that magnetic. He's the presence that all those well-to-do clients warm to, lean on and rely upon, and the source of comfort so reliable and cosy that they aren't ever challenged to shatter their bubbles to think about him as a person rather than a set of helping hands — but he has Never Gonna Snow Again's audience constantly pondering and questioning. CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG Nostalgia might be one of pop culture's most-called-upon forces — see also: Ghostbusters: Afterlife — but it can't turn every childhood favourite that reaches cinemas into a winner. Leaping from the pages of Norman Bridwell's illustrated books, the new live-action Clifford the Big Red Dog film is a huge generic slog, shoehorning its oversized, crimson-hued hound into a jumble of routine scenarios that are about as rare as wayward dog faeces in a public park. The giant scarlet woofer gallops into a by-the-numbers, family-friendly action-adventure flick that's a missive against judging things by their appearances, a cautionary tale about bullying and a takedown of nefarious corporate interests. Ron's Gone Wrong barked up all the same trees recently and, while it was hardly an instant classic, it runs circles around this. The point of Clifford the Big Red Dog, no matter what the narrative spins, is right there in the title: it's a story about an abnormally large, unusually ruby-coloured canine, and that's what people want to see. Despite 80 books to the character's name, it's a one-note idea that screenwriters Blaise Hemingway (Vampires vs the Bronx), Jay Scherick and David Ronn (Baywatch) — working with a screen story by Justin Malen (Yes Day) and Ellen Rapoport (Desperados) — unsurprisingly set about fleshing out, but also often sideline their eponymous mutt in the process. Clifford's hijinks couldn't sustain an entire feature, but he's really just a big red sidekick for the bulk of the film. He's an enormous cherry-toned sign for accepting things that are different, too, a well-intentioned message that couldn't be more glaring given that a big red dog yaps the very concept. Clifford isn't originally a giant pet when Emily Elizabeth Howard (Darby Camp, Dreamland) first makes his acquaintance in a Central Park animal-rescue tent run by the mysterious Bridwell (John Cleese, The Very Excellent Mr Dundee). He's definitely the same shade as a tomato, though, and his bond with Emily is instant — even if her mess of an uncle, Casey (Jack Whitehall, Jungle Cruise), says she can't take him home. And yet, this little critter still finds his way into his new pal's backpack. The next morning, he's also no longer a tiny pup. Plus, when he starts attracting attention around New York, he's targeted by a tech billionaire (Tony Hale, Being the Ricardos) who wants him for scientific purposes — but the already-teased Emily, who is taunted at her private school for being there on a scholarship, won't let anyone either take or victimise Clifford for standing out. The look and mood in Clifford the Big Red Dog is sunny with a side of saccharine, and it has John Debney's (Home Sweet Home Alone) relentlessly cheery score to match. With the movie's namesake blazing away in every frame he's in — not due to his hue or size, but via the terrible CGI bringing him to digital life — director Walt Becker (Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip) was never going to helm a subtle film, but everything here is exactly as nuanced as a towering vermillion puppy. The result isn't quite as doggone awful as pooch-driven buddy cop flick Show Dogs, although that's an extremely low bar. It's never as goofy as it should be, however, and it really should sport all the goofiness it can dig up (smatterings of toilet humour don't count). Clifford the Big Red Dog can also only wish it was as visually creative and emotionally endearing as the recent page-to-screen all-ages movie standard: the Paddington films, which keep being pushed into a menagerie of their own by every pale imitation. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on September 2, September 9, September 16, September 23 and September 30; October 7, October 14, October 21 and October 28; November 4, November 11, November 18 and November 25; and December 2, December 9, December 16 and December 26. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Streamline, Coming Home in the Dark, Pig, Big Deal, The Killing of Two Lovers, Nitram, Riders of Justice, The Alpinist, A Fire Inside, Lamb, The Last Duel, Malignant, The Harder They Fall, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, Halloween Kills, Passing, Eternals, The Many Saints of Newark, Julia, No Time to Die, The Power of the Dog, Tick, Tick... Boom!, Zola, Last Night in Soho, Blue Bayou, The Rescue, Titane, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn, Dune, Encanto, The Card Counter, The Lost Leonardo, The French Dispatch, Don't Look Up, Dear Evan Hansen, Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Lost Daughter, The Scary of Sixty-First, West Side Story, Licorice Pizza, The Matrix Resurrections, The Tragedy of Macbeth and The Worst Person in the World.
For one magnificent spring day, Surry Hills will turn itself over to its beloved annual festival this Saturday, September 23. You can expect the usual explosion of creativity and music, with pop-up spaces, laneway experiments and hidden pop-up bars complementing all-day live music and markets in Shannon Reserve and Ward Park. And it's all free, free, free. Heading the music lineup is Sydney's own Thandi Phoenix, alongside local hip hop duo Coda Conduct, folk artist Joe Mungovan and self-described "psychedelic carnie-hop prog-rock band" Ungus Ungus Ungus. When you're not kicking back to the music, you can get active on guided tours of Surry Hills' creative spaces and architecture, along which you'll meet all kinds of local artists and creatives. A brand new art project Double Take will also launch on festival day, which will see artists curate a trail of projections and installations along Devonshire Street. This will run for three weeks, until Sunday, October 15. Plus, there'll be heaps of other things happening to keep you entertained, including roving art performances, projections and plenty of food stalls.
Having dominated Australian dining for decades with the likes of Bondi's Icebergs Dining Room, Da Orazio and The Dolphin Hotel, restaurateur Maurice Terzini is now taking his talents to Asia. And his first stop is Seminyak, Bali, where his new restaurant Da Maria will be opening on Saturday, November 5. As the name suggests, the venue will be bringing a splash of Italy to the tropical Indonesian island. Roman architects Lazzarini Pickering took care of the design and, walking into the courtyard, you'd be forgiven for thinking you'd landed on the Amalfi Coast. The cool whites and blues, bold shapes, fountains and feature ceiling are a contemporary take on 1960s aesthetics, including that of Giò Ponti's famous Sorrento hotel Parco dei Principi. "Da Maria is our portrait of Maurice Terzini in Bali," said Carl Pickering. "'Bali Style' wouldn't have worked for the ideas Maurice had for this restaurant." That said, there is evidence of Balinese influence in the rubber trees, cacti and passionfruit vines. Plus, you'll notice a dash of French fer forgé style in the tables and chairs. As far as the food goes, Terzini has gone for a modern take on simple, traditional Italian dishes. A cool 24 hours of fermentation goes into the pizza dough, which is made using Neapolitan techniques and cooked in lava stone ovens. You'll also find porchetta (whole pig) which has proved a big hit at Bondi's Da Orazio. Among the lighter dishes, there's asparagus with anchovy butter and parmesan, snapper crudo with tomato, chilli and marjoram, and octopus with overnight beans, red wine vinegar and parsley. If you're up for a long feast, then order 'La Panarda', which will get you a selection of sharing plates. "We are offering traditional Italian food, done correctly, in a modern environment without trying to reinvent the wheel," said chef Steven Skelly. "It's accessible, fresh and fun and we really enjoy cooking it." Meanwhile, in the Americano-influenced bar, expect Italian classics, like the Negroni and the Spritz, as well as house-made liqueurs, including vermouth, and a contemporary wine list. As at any Terzini establishment, special events will pepper the calendar, to be curated with help from Motel Mexicola's Adrian Reed. DJs will be popping in every night from 10.30pm onwards and, before then, you'll be kicking back to playlists put together by Sydney DJ Kali (Picnic). Last but not least, there's an onsite boutique, Da Maria Shop by Ten Pieces. Ten Pieces is Terzini's fashion label, launched in partnership with Lucy Hinkfuss in 2011. Find Da Maria at Jalan Pettinenget 170 Badung, Bali, Indonesia, open daily from 5pm–2am and on Sunday for brunch from 11am–3pm.
Whether you use them for cleansing, decompressing or just some well-earned R 'n' R, spas have been a ubiquitous part of the tourism industry since the Ancient Greeks and Romans set them up all over Europe. Yet that hour of spa-induced tranquility you spent on your last weekend away often represents millions of dollars of investment and some seriously big returns, with hotels and getaway locations increasingly competing to come up with the most extravagant and unique means of relaxation. By combining experimental remedies such as red wine baths, snake massages and bird poo facials with some seriously beautiful locations and a whole lot of steaming hot water, these ten unusual spas promise tourists some bizarre and truly once-in-a-lifetime relaxation experiences. Floating Garden Spa, Amsterdam Resembling something between the Garden of Eden and an LSD fantasy, Amsterdam's Floating Garden Spa is an entire island created for the very purpose of tourist requiescence. Designed by Dutch architects Studio Noach and Anne Holtrop, the island's lush greenery is covered with healing baths, saunas, and various treatment rooms and populated by ecosystems of birds and butterflies. The island is not only a relaxation paradise but a truly remarkable architectural feat, constructed from recycled polystyrene that allows the island to float and continually regulate its own temperature. Healing Salt Caves, Chicago Chicago's Healing Salt Caves are just about the closest you can get to experiencing what it would be like to wander into an underwater palace. These shimmering pink caves attempt to imitate the healing effects of the Black Sea, with salt from the iodine rich Chicago area artificially crystallised to produce an authentic ocean microclimate. Ada Barak's Carnivorous Plant Farm & Spa, Israel Not for the squeamish nor the weak of heart, Israel's most famous spa uses perhaps the most unorthodox of relaxation techniques: snake massages. While it may sound like something out of an Indiana Jones film, the spa's founder, Ada Barak, swears by her collection of non-venomous king snakes, claiming they relieve stress and muscle-tension. If this isn't enough, the spa is also home to an exotic range of carnivorous plants that munch on everything from small mammals to schnitzels, providing a suitably freaky backdrop for the massages, which include up to six snakes slithering on your face and back at any one time. Shizuka Day Spa, New York If snakes aren't your cup of tea, perhaps New York's famous Shikuza Day Spa will sound more appealing. Their specialty: facials made from nightingale excrement. The treatment has been employed for hundreds of years by Japanese Geisha girls, who would use the enzymes in the pungent face mask to cleanse their skin. Shizuka has now perfected the recipe, sanitising the droppings with UV rays and condensing it into a fine powder and costing their many celebrity clients upwards of $180 for a single session. Hakone Kowakien Yunessun, Japan Hakone Kowakien Yunessun costs its many clientele a small fortune to bathe in everything from green-tea, sake, coffee and, most popularly, Beaujolais Nouveau red wine. Since the Japanese resort opened in 2005 it has become a bit of a local phenomenon with the red wine allegedly having a rejuvenating effect on the body and mind. Geometric Mountain Wellness Center, Switzerland Buried within the Swiss Alps this striking structure combines first-class spa treatment with the tranquility of the mountain setting to provide clients with an escapist fantasy. The remarkable design, modeled by architect Mario Botta on the shapes of trees and vegetables, uses enormous glass windows to light the four floors of the Wellness Center and unite its clientele with the serenity of the surrounding village and the epic mountain landscape. Underwater Tropical Spa, The Maldives Located in the soothing and sensual context of a room entirely submerged by water, the Underwater Spa at Huvafen Fushi in the Maldives is a massage experience like no other. This luxurious spa features the rhythmic melody of the ocean gently caressing the windows of the underwater spa room, tropical aquatic life swimming only inches away from you and soft cushions and fabrics resembling the marine life surrounding the room. If this massage and spa doesn't revitalize the soul, we don't know what would. The Blue Lagoon, Iceland There's a reason the Blue Lagoon in Iceland was voted the 'best medial spa' worldwide by Conde Nast Traveller and has been awarded the Blue Flag environmental recognition five years in a row. This natural wonder holds a massive 6 million litres of geothermal seawater, which originates from depths of 2,000m below the Earth's surface, where the temperatures are 240°C and the pressure is 36 times greater than it is on the Earth's surface. The resulting 37-39°C water, which is high in silica and salinity and contains no common bacteria, is renowned for it magnificent natural rejuvenating and healing powers found only at the Blue Lagoon. Geomagnetic Vortex Desert Spa, Mojave Desert A fusion of the awesome power of the Mojave Desert's geomagnetic vortex with the architectural perfection of this UFO-like dome, the 'Integratron' transforms sound into an incredible spiritual and physical healing tool. The 60-minute sonic healing session held inside this acoustically perfect, resonant high-energy dome is described as 'kindergarten naptime for grown-ups in a sound sphere'. Throughout the sound bath, quartz crystal singing bowls are played out to induce heightened awareness and intense rejuvenation and introspection. The Hershey's Chocolate Spa, Pennsylvania Rejuvenate your mind, body and spirit with chocolate at the Hotel Hershey in Pennsylvania. We don't simply mean by eating it though - we mean taking a bath or rubbing your face in it. Hershey's method of spa and massage treatment may be somewhat peculiar, yet it is a delightfully decadent way to pamper yourself and try something new in the process. With options ranging from the Chocolate Bean Polish, to the Fondue wrap, the Whipped Cocoa Bath or the Cocoa Facial Experience, there's sure to be a charming chocolate experience to suit everybody's taste.
The world is an incredible and enigmatic place that holds many secrets and wonders that we humans sometimes struggle to explain. There are places that many of us would find difficult to even dream about or conjure up in our imaginations, yet they actually exist. Ranging from popular tourist destinations to awe-inspiring sights, here are a handful to add to the bucket list of amazing ones to visit before you kick it. 1. Wisteria Tunnel [Map] This stunning and mesmerising array of purple, cream and lilac flowering trees appears as though it has sprung from the pages of a childhood fairytale. This Japanese garden contains three massive wisteria trellises that are at the height of their beauty in May and is just a four hour drive out of Tokyo. 2. Cinque Terre [Map] Located on the rugged coastline of the Italian Riviera, Cinque Terre is an historical and unfathomable sight to behold. With the almost non-existent corporate development or public transport infrastructure surrounding the area, these majestic hillside terraces are a magnet for tourists searching for an authentic taste of Italy’s most spectacular cultural destination. 3. Hotel La Montana Magica [Map] A Lord of the Rings-esque four star lodge, Hotel La Montana Magica is a breathtaking establishment in the biological reserve of Huilo, Chile. The hotel is set in the middle of a 120,000 hectare native forest and built inside a man made volcano, which actually spurts water from its peak and then flows down the side of the mountain past the windows of the thirteen rooms inside. With moss and vines wrapping their way around the structure it would be hard not to feel part of a fantasyland whilst bunking here. 4. Crooked Forest [Map] If you thought trees could only grow straight up in a linear direction, then you obviously have never been to Nowe Czarnowo in West Pomerania, Poland. The grove, known as the Crooked Forest, contains approximately 400 slanting pine trees, which were planted in the 1930s. Seemingly defying gravity, these wonder trees will be sure to awe, and quite possibly confound you, as though you were living in perpetual state of ‘opposite day’. The reason for their planting is to this day still unknown, but plain beauty is good enough for us. 5. The Tunnel of Love [Map] Dubbed the Tunnel of Love, this old train tunnel surrounded by giant trees is located in Kleven, Ukraine. In true love story fashion, it is believed that if couples visiting the tunnel share genuine love then kiss and make a wish, their wish will come true. 6. The Blue Lagoon [Map] The mystic and mesmerising geothermal spa, the Blue Lagoon is one of the most visited places in Iceland, and for good reason. With temperatures ranging from 37-39°C and having therapeutic powers to help sufferers of skin diseases such as psoriasis, this relaxing and soothing oasis would be a tough one to miss. 7. Ice Canyon [Map] The sheer beauty of the Ice Canyon in Greenland speaks for itself, as is visible in the innumerable images of this icy wonder. One of the most photographed spots in Greenland, it is also (quite literally) one of the coolest places on Earth. The canyons were carved by meltwater and can measure to be a near whopping 50m deep. The area is home to lush mountains, stunning icebergs and various flora and fauna unlike anywhere else on the planet and is also a popular sporting and recreation spot. 8. Ball's Pyramid [Map] Measuring at 562m high, Ball Pyramid is the tallest volcanic stack in the world, which formed around 7 million years ago. It is an erosional remnant of a shield volcano 20km south of Australia’s idyllic and secluded Lord Howe Island. The pyramid was discovered in 1788 but after failed attempts wasn’t successfully climbed to the summit until 1965. The ancient wonder is also home to a number of rare insect and plant species, which were previously thought to be extinct. 9. The Great Barrier Reef [Map] Australia’s own natural wonder, – only one of seven in the world – the Great Barrier Reef is the only living thing on Earth visible space. Boasting of breathtaking beauty and incredibly diverse and vibrant marine species, it contains over 3000 individual reef systems and coral cays as well as thousands of dream-like tropical islands. The marine park extends over 300km along the Queensland coast, entailing one of the most spectacular underwater experiences the globe has to offer. 10. Plitvice Lakes National Park [Map] The Plitvice Lakes National Park really demonstrates nature at its best, both in terms of beauty and natural marvels. 16 lakes can be seen from the surface of the largest national park in Croatia, which are all interconnected and arranged in cascades, yet separated by natural dams of travertine. These travertine barriers are created by the accumulation of moss, algae and bacteria and serve to retain the flow of water, causing the height of the dams to continuously grow. The luscious greens, greys and blue of the lake clusters alter depending on the minerals in the water, making this unpredictable spectacle all the more fascinating. [Via Buzzfeed]
To experience the work of Doug Aitken is to challenge the ways in which we think about art. The celebrated American artist, whom The Los Angeles Times has said seeks to "jar viewers awake", is bringing his boundary-pushing work to Sydney for his first-ever Southern Hemisphere exhibition. Originally scheduled to run in 2020, the exhibition – titled Doug Aitken: New Age – will finally be on display from Wednesday, October 20 as the Museum of Contemporary Art's 2021/2022 Sydney International Art Series. The show covers a quarter-century of Aitken's artistic career and will feature immersive multiscreen environments, objects and photographs. [caption id="attachment_829780" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Doug Aitken, Underwater Pavilions (installation), 2017, installation view, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney, 2021, 3-channel video installation (colour, sound): 3 projections, 3 aluminium and MDF screens. Image: Dan Boud[/caption] Doug Aitken: New Era lets you take a deep dive into Aitken's world and his impressive multidisciplinary art practice. While you're there, make sure you check out the large-scale sound installation — Sonic Fountain II — which is built into a rocky terrain within the gallery. There'll also be an immersive video installation exploring the history of mobile phone technology and the engineer who pioneered its development, Matin Cooper. Plus, if you're quick off the mark, you'll also have the chance to see a conversation between Aitken and MCA curator on Saturday, October 30, where you'll hear more insights into his striking work. Want to spend your summer soaking up incredible art? Doug Aitken: New Era will run from Wednesday, October 20 till Sunday, February 6 at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia. For more information and to book, visit the website. Top image: Doug Aitken, 'migration (empire)' (still), 2008, image courtesy of the artist, 303 Gallery, New York, Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Zurich, Victoria Miro, London, and Regen Projects, Los Angeles. © the artist.
Fellow mama-lovers, if you've let the annual celebration of maternity known as Mother's Day (Sunday, May 8 btw) slip your mind this year, we're here to help out. There are scores of ways to acknowledge just how incredible your mother (or grandmother or aunt) is with some good old-fashioned spoiling, but if you've yet to find a gift, it's really time to get looking. Whether your mum is the type to want dinner, flowers, or to spend a week in a camper van — we've got you covered. These personal Mother's Day gifts will have your beloved mum thinking you've been planning for weeks, so now you only have to worry about what your siblings are doing. [caption id="attachment_852109" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo courtesy of Camplify.[/caption] IF SHE'S PARTIAL TO A GOOD OLD FASHIONED ADVENTURE Think your outdoorsy-type mum may be looking for an escape? Gift your mum a voucher to spend some time traveling in one of Camplify's stylish camper vans. Perfect for a sustainable adventure, help your mum go on the much-deserved road trip she's been missing over the last two years. Whether your mum is looking to spend more time with you — or to drive as far away from you as possible — Camplify's gift vouchers are a unique and thoughtful gift for the adventurous mum. If road tripping is not quite your mum's speed, you can still gift her an unforgettable experience with Red Balloon's 20% off sale on gift vouchers this Mother's Day. Whether you think she wants a massage, a cooking class, or to jump out of a plane at 15,000 feet — take advantage of this sale to give your mum a memorable experience. And, if all else fails, take your outdoorsy mum on a hike. Whether you live in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne or anywhere else, check out some of our guides for the best hikes in your city to spend some quality time with nature and your mum. [caption id="attachment_852107" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo: Cocktail Porter's Bubblegum Fizz cocktail kit.[/caption] IF SHE LOVES HER FOOD (AND DRINKS) You can get definitely get more creative than a reservation at your mum's favourite restaurant (which, don't get us wrong, is still a great gift idea). Being a mum is hard work. If you think she may just want to relax at home and have a drink, check out Cocktail Porter's at-home drink-making kits. Delivered to her door, these boxes contain everything that she needs to make a variety of cocktails. Sydneysiders can even pick up their kits from Cocktail Porter's warehouse as soon as two days after ordering for the true eleventh-hour gift. If the weather is nice, take your mum on a picnic. Pick a park or beach, stop by her favourite local cafe for some sandwiches, and sit down at a picnic table for some quality time with your mum. Sydneysiders looking for a true luxurious outdoor eating experience can spoil their mum with the Catering Project's Mother's Day Picnic hamper — which includes everything you need from a picnic blanket to locally-sourced gourmet produce, mains, and sweets. [caption id="attachment_763458" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo: Clay Sydney[/caption] IF SHE'S THE CREATIVE ONE IN THE FAMILY Check out Champainting for a paint-and-sip painting class this Mother's Day weekend. With locations in Melbourne and Sydney, Champainting offers classes where you can paint with your mum on Mother's Day, or any day after. The two of you can learn to paint just about anything: from Disney characters to Monet-style water lilies to each other in a Picasso-inspired style — which is almost guaranteed to make the artistic (or hilariously not-so-artistic) mum laugh. If you and your mum live in different cities, or you're just looking to stretch a different creative muscle, check out Class Bento. With classes offered online as well as in person, you and your mum can learn her dream skill. Whether she wants to learn glass blowing, resin art or dumpling making, she will likely enjoy it even more if you do it together. You can also look around at studios in your city like Clay Sydney, which offers both in-person and at home pottery-making classes. AND IF ALL ELSE FAILS... You can't go wrong with classic. Whether you're far away from your mum this Mother's Day or just down the street, sending her flowers is a foolproof way to make your mum feel your love. Check out Fig and Bloom or Lvly for bouquets available for delivery on Mother's Day in cities across Australia, or look to a local florist in your mum's hometown. Regardless of where you get it, a bouquet on your mother's doorstep on Sunday is likely to make her day. That is, as long as you also remember to call.
Slow motion drips, close-up pourovers, helicoptered overheads of sprawling plantations — Brandon Loper knows how to write a love letter to his favourite bean-shaped subject. Premiering his straight-up stunning A Film About Coffee in Seattle in April, Loper's celebrated project has been subject to pretty limited screenings worldwide. Lucky for coffee fiends and doco lovers, the film is now available to stream online (for a teeny fee, just over the price of a cappuccino). Created with adorably-named production company Avocados and Coconuts, A Film About Coffee is an indulgence for the eyes and a bit of a wake-up call (fittingly), meandering through the story of specialty coffee from its organic beginnings to your morning cup. Loper's jaw-dropping cinematography makes for some serious foodporn — any hardcore baristas or coffee tragics need to get over here — but also captures some intimate interviews with the world's top coffee aficionados (featuring Kent Bakke, Devin Chapman, James Freeman, Katie Carguilo, Chris Owens, Darrin Daniel, Peter Giuliano, Eileen Hassi Rinaldi, Kyle Glanville, George Howell, Michael Phillips, Ben Kaminsky and Kevin Bohlin). While the film is scheduled to screen throughout Europe, the UK, US and Canada, plans haven't yet been announced for an Australian screening. For now, you can rent the film at home and stream until your caffeine addiction's content. Just throw the team a measly $4.99 for a 72-hour streaming rental (or $12.99 to own it, if that's a Thing any more) and hold your own screening with all the cheaper-than-Event-Cinemas popcorn you bloody well want. Here's the trailer, so, so pretty. Via Daily Coffee News.
At some point or another, we’ve all been guilty of wasting food and thinking "it's not that much, it'll be ok" — but did you know that up to 40 percent of the average household bin is comprised of edible items? To highlight this issue, OzHarvest and the UN have teamed up to present Think.Eat.Save, a series of national events that will aid you in doing your bit to combat food waste. Think.Eat.Save is part of a global campaign to increase awareness about food sustainability, so head along, pledge your commitment to #thinkeatsave and opt to reduce your 'foodprint'. You'll also be able to enjoy a free, delicious and hot meal made from rescued produce, and get tips on how to help our food system become more sustainable. Australia's top chefs, politicians and celebrities will unite to address the alarming amount of food wasted in Australia each year. Waste is a huge problem but it doesn't have to be. Image: Untitled via photopin (license).
Angel and Ash. The two streets the Papermill sits on polarise like the twin themes of its latest show — Un Fête dans le Papier ('A Feast on Paper') — which dines at the intersection of poverty and excess. The exhibition takes inspiration from francophones like Basquiat and Marie Antoinette. Though Antoinette probably never said "Let them eat cake", she did spend her time off in a fake French village at Versailles, complete with peasants imported from the countryside. Un Fête dans le Papier aims to do the opposite — to build a fake banqueting hall in the image of Versailles for ordinary people to play at Royalty. Joining the combined creative visions of Alexandra Clapham and Red Rattler co-founder Penelope Benton, Un Fête transforms the expansive depth of the Papermill into its banqueting hall made from cardboard and paper. Clapham and Benton promise to stage a magnificent feast which they invite the general public — starving or otherwise — to look upon with maleficent envy. Afterwards, they promise, the mob will tear into the paper palace. If you can't make it for the decadent launch Tuesday night, the exhibition will be running until Saturday for you to sift through the wreckage.
From October 31–November 3, The Rocks — an area infamous for its ghostly history — will be transformed into an otherworldly realm of fear-inducing fun featuring a zombie dance party, a horror-filled food market, a Halloween parade and much more. First Fleet Park will transform into the Haunted Woods, where 22 food stalls styled as eerie cabins will create a New Orleans-inspired food and drink market where you can indulge in bone-rattling bites and channel your inner Dracula with cocktails served in blood bags. While navigating through the creepy complex, enjoy chilling music, ghastly performances and perhaps a ghostly encounter or two as you learn Sydney's most disturbing urban legends. This event is free to enter and all ages are welcome. By day, Playfair Street in The Rocks is filled with local vendors selling seasonal treats while visitors wander the historical streets. However, as dusk settles, a more ominous side will peek through the gloom as Ghost in the Rocks' Two-Faced Halloween Market conjures the perfect balance of delight and fright. As you explore this daunting space, look out for theatre troupe Deadhouse, who will be sharing chilling stories of the area's haunted past. The open-air Ghost Cinema will host screenings of horror films sure to scare even the most seasoned scary movie connoisseur while the Zombie Silent Disco dishes up bangers from beyond the grave. This outdoor party hosted by Poliakov Vodka on the Tallowoladah Lawn in front of the Museum of Contemporary Art will spin sickening tunes on an undead dance floor, complete with a five-metre zombie head DJ booth. Revellers can also test their mettle at Poliakov's Reborn from Ice experience, which invites guests to take a plunge into an ice bath before warming up with a vodka tasting. The Ghost in the Rocks Halloween Parade will summon a spooky spectacle inspired by the New Orleans Mardi Gras. The monstrous procession will take place on November 2, with a horrifying hoard of marchers taking to the streets between The Rocks and Circular Quay. Visitors can also get a ghoulish glow-up courtesy of the Crossing Lane makeover experience, where Sydney's best makeup and body paint artists will transform festivalgoers into nightmarish creatures to truly embrace Halloween spirit. Other highlights include The Murder Bar, an interactive experience where a total of 25 guests will sip on intriguing cocktails while investigating a choice of three different murder mysteries where anyone could be the culprit. The House of Horrors party will also fascinate thrill seekers. Set in a real haunted heritage house — the Union Bond Store where eerie sightings have been reported since 1841 — this hell-raising shindig will feature the most wicked DJs, formidable dancers and horrifying actors for one night of heinous hedonism. Meanwhile, younger scare seekers can also enjoy festivities as The Rocks hosts a trick and treat trail filled with both tricks and treats.
First, Airbnb wanted everyone to stay in other people's everyday homes. It still does. Then, it started adding once-in-a-lifetime spots, usually themed around a pop-culture favourite (think: Hobbiton and Barbie's Malibu DreamHouse). Lately, the accommodation booking platform has been going big on celebrity abodes as well, so that you can enjoy a starry getaway. The newest on its books: Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis' oceanside guesthouse in Santa Barbara County. Didn't score a night at Gwyneth Paltrow's Montecito spot? This is your next chance to live the life of a Hollywood actor, albeit just temporarily. There's one big difference this time around, however: the reservation is for this weekend, on Saturday, August 19, with bookings opening tomorrow, at 3am AEST / 5am NZST on Thursday, August 17. Accordingly, you and up to three friends will probably need to already be in the US right now, or by this weekend. With such tight timing, this isn't quite the kind of Airbnb once-off that you can plan a whole vacation around. But, if all of the above suits you and you manage to nab the reservation, you'll be slumbering in the Kutcher-Kunis guesthouse for free. The That '70s Show and That '90s Show stars will be there to greet you upon arrival, and get you joining in on some of their top activities. So, get ready to hit the shore, go for a hike, soak in the coast views, and head down to the nearby shops and restaurants. And, once evening hits, board games and charades are on the agenda. The beachhouse also features Santa Ynez mountains vistas — and your booking will include meals and snacks as well. As always, the usual caveat applies: if you do get the reservation, the cost of travelling to Santa Barbara and back again, including from Australia or New Zealand, is all on you. Airbnb adds this extremely short-term listing to its roster after also offering up the Ted Lasso pub, Japan's World Heritage-listed Suganuma Village, the Paris theatre that inspired The Phantom of the Opera, the Bluey house, the Moulin Rouge! windmill, the Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine, The Godfather mansion, the South Korean estate where BTS filmed In the Soop and the Sanderson sisters' Hocus Pocus cottage in recent years. For more information about Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis' Oceanfront Oasis on Airbnb, or to book at 3am AEST on Thursday, August 17 for a stay on Saturday, August 19, head to the Airbnb website. Images: Katya Grozovskaya. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Behind the Betta Meats butchery facade, you'll find a secret but beloved cocktail bar: Earl's Juke Joint. It has been around since 2013 and remained a firm Newtown favourite since then. Owner and ex-Shady Pines head honcho Pasan Wijesana has pulled off the seemingly impossible — soul without kitsch — and given King Street a grown-up bar with a New Orleans edge. On the spectrum of masculine broody, the Earl's decor comes in at about the 'thick with bourbon' mark — you could be forgiven for swearing there is a haze of cigarette smoke in the air. They have gone with a basic but effective design brief: dim yellow lighting, dark wood and corrugated iron, topped off by faces like Fats Waller and T-Bone Walker looking down at a comfortably eclectic crowd from the whitewash walls. The feature of the bar, is, well, the bar; a goliath amongst bar tops that coolly dominates the space and invites you to take a seat. If you're not so keen on bartender banter there are a few booths at the back of the room, and plenty of side tables if you're after a touch of privacy. Once you've secured a menu look over the house rules. Rule # 2: 'Don't be creepy' is a built-in conversation starter (or ender) for those on dates. Move on down the menu to the cocktail list, which rotates through eight options every two months and uses native ingredients like saltbush and kaffir lime. If cocktails aren't your port of call, there is plenty else to love about Earl's extensive beer list, which has taken a turn toward mainly Australian and New Zealand craft. Like the cocktail list, it too changes regularly but has an intriguing roster of local legends Wildflower, Yullis, and Philter as well as craft breweries further afield. Wines take a heavy natural and organic lean, with rare 'cult' drops making an appearance every month. The only disappointment here was that we didn't get to see Rule # 5: 'If Triumph by the Wu-Tang Clan plays there will momentarily be no bar service. At least for the first verse anyway.' Updated April 28, 2023.
When Stanbuli closed, many Sydneysiders waited with bated breath to learn what would take its place in its iconic Enmore Road digs behind the Marie-Louise salon facade. While a sense of cynicism would have been warranted with Sydney's track record of preserving beloved venues, you can officially breathe a sigh of relief with the Porteno crew maintaining its ownership of the building, opening a much-hyped Spanish tapas bar in the space. Named after the salon that occupied the building from the 50s through until the 90s, Bar Louise maintains the eye-catching pink and purple facade while giving the interior a makeover of warm yellow walls, rich wooden tones and fake leafy vines, all reminiscent of a southern Spain wine bar. "We just want to make it a fun place everyone can come and drink wine and eat great food — open seven days a week," Porteno Founder Elvis Abrahanowicz told Concrete Playground. The star of the drinks menu is sherry, with more than 15 varieties available by the glass ($12–32). The signature drop is an ideal start or end to your meal, accompanied by a cocktail, Estrella or minimal-intervention wine. The cocktails at Bar Louise include a coffee negroni ($22), manhattan on the rocks ($20) and Sangria de Maria Lousie ($15), while the wine list showcases tipples from Spain, Australia, Italy, Portugal, Argentina and France. Once you've ordered your opening glass of sherry, your attention will move to the food. The Pulpo a la Gallega octopus ($28) is an absolute highlight, served with potato, aioli and pimento chilli, but there's plenty here for vegetarians, pescatarians and meat-lovers to all discover. Kick things off with your choice of starters which range from gildas ($6) and paleta ibérico served with chips ($32) to mussel escabeche ($16). From there you can get a little heftier with your choices, with some of the exciting options available including charcoal-grilled eggplant and capsicum ($20), garlic and parsley mushrooms ($26), potato and prawn salad ($24), fried pork belly ($26) and thick-cut chorizo in a cider sauce ($26). The chorizo is made in-house, and a lot of the bar snacks are house-cured with the help of Continental Deli Co-Owner and Manager Michael 'Mikey' Nicolian. And, fans of Stanbuli, never fear — the former Head Chef Ibrahim Kasif is opening a manoush restaurant and wine bar with the renowned hospitality team behind NOMAD.
Spice I Am almost sounds like a challenge, or at least a state of mind. If there's anything to help get you there, it's red-hot Thai food. This is all you'll find at Spice I Am near Central, the more casual and busy cousin of Darlinghurst's Spice I Am. Drawing from north-eastern Thai cuisine, head chef Sujet Saenkham has concocted dishes away from the stir-fry stereotype. Expect expect soups and spicy salads as well as a few Thai classics with a twist. The light meals include the classics such as curry puffs, pork satay sticks and fried fish balls, while the soups are more adventurous including the signature dish — the tom kha gai. This mild chicken soup is made with galangai, lemon juice, mushrooms, herbs and coconut milk. On the hunt for spice? Look no further than the tom klong, a crispy roasted fish fillet in a traditional Thai spicy sour soup. The menu here is long and also includes classic noodle dishes such as pad thai, pad see ew and the spicy pad kee mao. Order these with chicken, pork, seafood or vegetables. The rice dishes are the same with traditional Thai fried rice or a spicy option available. If you're after a stir fry then the signature dish is the crispy pork belly with Chinese broccoli, chilli and oyster sauce while the pla pad cha, which is a stir fry of fried fish with the house chilli paste, is also delicious. For the more adventurous, look towards the chef's specials menu, with green curry with slow cooked beef, long purple eggplant and Thai basil the pick. It also does cooking classes, so discover your favourite from the menu and learn to prepare it at home.
Although it's tempting to live in your swim shorts all season, it's not socially acceptable unless you live on the beach. But with warmer days and nights, we don’t blame you for wanting to keep things cool and casual. This summer, there are plenty of modern styles that can be easily added to any wardrobe. We've also got a style guide for women. Here it is over here. Classic For the style-conscious man who knows what he likes: this season, be on the lookout for well-tailored and timeless pieces. Tailored shorts, short-sleeved shirts and anything in beige, white or tan are your signature summer go-to's. But classic doesn't have to mean boring, so don't be afraid to roll up your (pant) cuffs and get a little creative. Blue Suits Have to wear a suit for work? You don't have to stick to your banal black and greys. Nobody wants to be caught sweltering in the sun on their lunch break. Instead, opt for lighter-coloured suites in tans and blues. The spring and summer has seen all fifty shades of cool, from nautical navies to pale pigeons. Wear a crisp white or striped collared shirt underneath, throw on a fedora and voila: instant update. Images: Milan street style by Lee Oliveira Look from Shipley & Halmos’ SS 14 collection shot by Yannis Vlamos for GoRunway.com Suit from Dolce & Gabbana’s SS 14 men’s collection Nautical Stripes Ah, sailor stripes, a pattern that faithfully returns every season. When worn outside of the summer months, you look like a Frenchman. But once the season begins those black/navy and white stripes become the universal flag of leisure time. Whether you own a sailboat, yacht or (k)not, these laidback lines give the appearance that you know your way around a dock. Pair a tee with some Nantucket Red chinos and deck shoes, and you're ready to go. Or, if you're not exactly on holiday, throw one of those equally stylish blue blazers over for a smarter look. Striped shorts are also popping up this season, but please, limit the lines to one piece. You’re going for the seaman look, not inmate. Images: Jumper from J.Crew shot by Yannis Vlamos Jumper from Burberry Prorsum's SS 14 men’s collection Sydney Streetsyle shot by Carolina Falk for Style Creeper Cuffed Hem and No Socks Ok, this look might seem a little trendy, but if you think about it, those Italians have been doing it for years. Envision the mod Roman gentleman, propped up against a wall in a perfectly tailored suit, smoking his cigarette. Yep, his cuffs are rolled. Socks? No way. It's summer, too hot for that. The look is a no-brainer to pull off, and it's definitely not limited to suits or any type of shoe. Keep it casual by rolling up anything you like, from khakis to jeans. (Extra bonus points if you're wearing a striped tee and navy sport coat.) Images from Pinterest. Trendy When it comes to staying with-it, the trendy guy knows what's up. He's probably been rolling his pants and going sockless for years. Mixing prints and and implementing bright colours are standard. There is, however, a sexy simplicity in going monochromatic. Whichever look you prefer, you're not afraid to mix things up. Florals Once restricted to Mediterranean and Polynesian holidays, the floral print is taking spring and summerwear to the next level. Blooms are sprouting up everywhere on shirts, suit detailing, hats, jackets, shoes and, for those brave enough, pants. Think of this as the new 'real men wear pink'. Mixing other small prints such as polka dots or stripes with florals is being popularised by those who are extra adventurous. But if that's literally too bold for you, pair your piece of choice with something basic like a chambray button-up or chino shorts. We swear, you'll feel like every day is Friday. Images: Shirt from Burberry Prorsum’s SS 14 men’s collection Shorts by D’Marge Look from Marcs’ SS14 mens collection Denim on Denim (aka the Canadian Tuxedo) This has been a look sported by our North American friends for a while. Traditionally worn with flannels and work boots, the quintessential lumberjack vibe is a favourite of hipsters. Pair this tux with the three Bs (Beanie, Beard and cheap Beer), and you're pretty for the party. But the Canadian tuxedo is a little too cosy for an Aussie summer. More realistically, you'd ditch the jacket and wear a chambray over jeans or jorts. Beer is still an appreciated accessory. Images: Street style snap by Romeo Style Denim look from Calvin Klein’s SS 13 collection at men’s Fashion Week in New York Sydney street style snap by Carolina Falk for Style Creeper Neon There is nothing new about neon. Everyone has a bright thing or two, but it's probably limited to sports wear. Nike and other companies have been incorporating electric colours into their shoes and clothes for ages. Now, neon has spread outside the gym for men. Making its way onto chinos, shoes, windbreakers and even suits, neon is a huge trend for men this season. We're not expecting the execs of the CBDs to start running around in hot pink suits; rather, the gym junkies, beach bums and trendily bold will enjoy this craze. It's most sensible to limit your exposure to a pair of shorts, tee shirt or light windbreaker. You don't want to go about blinding anyone. Images: Shorts from Ben Sherman Suit from Salvatore Ferragamo’s SS 13/14 collection Milan Vukmirovic at Men’s Fashion Week 2013 in Milan shot by Lee Oliveira Maverick The true maverick isn’t afraid of to go out on a limb. You probably already own a neon suit and are about to buy ones in floral and camo prints after seeing the spring/summer runway photos. You’re also not afraid to steal ideas from the girls. Hey, they adopt men’s looks all the time (hello, blue suits), so why shouldn’t you? Hot items such as studded slipper/loafers and clutches are being revamped on such a masculine level, you'd think they'd been yours all along. The true maverick knows how to own even the craziest trends. The Man Clutch Although a man carrying a bag has been a stigmatic subject in the past, I think we can all agree that the times are a-changin'. In an age where men have increasingly more things to lug around — tech devices, work papers, gym essentials, etc — a guy needs a place to stash his stuff. If you think satchels and messenger bags are overdone, then consider this your new and lighter briefcase. But fear not, for the male clutch is nothing like its female counterpart. Depending on the size, they look more like document holders, tablet covers or big leather/suede pouches than the feminine envelope-styles. Tucked under your arm as you dash about town, an oversized pouch will make you look like man on a mission. Images: Look from Paul Joe’s SS 14 collection shot by Yannis Vlamos for GoRunway.com MBFWA street style by Style Creeper Parisian street style shot by Lee Oliveira Camouflage Suits Camouflage print was one of the biggest trends for men this past European summer. Popping up on clothes, shoes and accessories (clutch included), the print is best limited to one item per outfit. However, with the monochrome/print sensation taking off for both women and men this season, it's only natural that camo pieces have grown together to create the ultimate organic ensemble. And this G.I. Joe-inspired look is a very real thing. Directly interpreted from the New York runways by the likes of American designer Mark McNairy (who is infamous for his crazy combos), the camo combination has been seen on carpets both concrete and red. Lucky for you, it's been modified for warmer weather with shorts options. So if you're feeling like a real rebel, feel free to try out this oxymoron of army-inspired fashion. Images: Camo street style by The Sartorialist Look from Mark McNairy’s SS 14 collection shot by Yannis Vlamos Singer Pharrell Williams in a Moncler Bleu Camo Tux at the 60th Art Basel Miami Party by Getty Images Studded Loafers Leave it to the rappers and basketball players to take a female trend and make it rock star-worthy. Stars like Kanye West, Pharrell Williams and Dwyane Wade have been seen sporting spiked slippers at fashion shows and NBA finals. Somehow the trend has made it all the way down here, with sightings of the studded loafers at this year's MBFWA and on the streets of Melbourne. It's a bold look, since these kicks quite literally have an edge to them. They take any outfit, from a tux to a tee and jeans, to the next level. Images from Pinterest
Stay tuned. More info on its way. Images: Nikki To
It has been a tumultuous year for Sydney's hospitality scene. We've said farewell to some short-lived favourites — Bar Brosé, Eleven Bridge and The Antipodean to name a few — we've lamented the changes to the 457 visa and the hospitality sector's staff shortage and we continue to fight the lockout laws. But where there have been closures, innovative new ventures have risen from the ashes. We've seen the opening of a slew of new bars, restaurants, cafes, pubs, spaces and events — and they're not all from the big players, independent ventures are flourishing. Venues have spent more time on their appearances, collaborating with local designers, architects and street artists to create stunning spaces. This prompted the creation of our new category, Best New Space. We've searched far and wide to find our favourite, visually stunning, innovative and sustainable spaces that are accessible to you — including shops, hotels, co-working hubs and public spaces. At Concrete Playground we encourage exploration and showcase innovation in our city every day, so we thought it fitting to reward those most talented whippersnappers pushing Sydney to be a better, braver city. And so, these six new spaces, opened in 2017, have been nominated for Best New Spaces in Concrete Playground's Best of 2017 Awards. Vote for your favourite.
You can forget about cramped seats and other people's heads obscuring your view of the big screen when you next catch a flick, because Sydney has just scored a new next-level movie-going experience. And it's from the same minds behind Gold Class, V-Max and the multi-sensory 4DX cinema. The latest luxe additions to Event Cinemas George Street, the two boutique theatres each boast their own unique design, the 'Paparazzi' auditorium inspired by red carpet glamour and sibling space 'The Library' celebrating the art of storytelling. They're intimate cinemas, with room for just 46 and 28 guests, respectively. Dubbed Event Boutique cinemas, they're decked out with luxurious recliner chairs, state-of-the-art sound technology, in-seat waiter service and a not-boring menu of food and drinks. [caption id="attachment_725804" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Library[/caption] Step inside and you're in for a premium experience, helped along by extra large screens featuring world-class laser projection. What's more, while you're kicking back watching a film, you'll also be tucking into a top-notch lineup of eats and drinks — delivered to your seat by a waiter, of course. Think platters of cheese and charcuterie courtesy of Vic's Meats, smashed avo, croissants and banana loaf from Sonoma Bakery, as well as wagyu beef burgers, braised brisket pies, reuben sandwiches and mini pizzas topped with the likes of mortadella and pumpkin and goat's cheese. For dessert, there are fried-to-order cinnamon doughnuts, pints of Magnum ice cream and popcorn-topped chocolate brownies, as well as all the candy bar classics. As an added bonus, each Event Boutique cinema is customisable, so they're primed for functions, special events and private screenings (if you wanna be that extra). The luxe new experience is expected to be rolled out at Event Cinemas across Australia and NZ, too. We'll let you know when more launch. It's just the latest luxe cinema experience to land in Aus, too, with Palace Cinemas also recently stepping things up a notch with its Palace Platinum offering, now available in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Melbourne. Event Boutique launches on Friday, June 14 with tickets costing between $39–42.
You know the drill: Anzac Day arrives and you know you're going to do something, and you know it is likely going to leave you with a hangover and empty pockets that were previously filled with gold coins, but you never actually seem to know exactly what. Well let us here at Concrete Playground help you plan this second most Australian of days with our round-up of the ten best things to do in Sydney this April 25, which at both the going down of the sun and in the morning, you will remember. 1. ANZAC DAY DAWN SERVICE An Anzac Day tradition. Wake up early to commemorate both fallen and serving military men and women in the Anzac Day Dawn Service. Be at the Cenotaph in Martin Place before the 4.15 commencement of the ceremony and be there as the bugle brings up the sun. 2. ANZAC DAY PARADE The Anzac Day Parade will commence at 9am, with veterans, descendants of veterans and serving personnel marching through Sydney's CBD up George, Pitt, Bathurst, Elizabeth and Liverpool Streets before reaching its destination and concluding at the Anzac War Memorial in Hyde Park, where the Commemorative Service will commence at 12.30pm. 3. PLAY A NATIONAL SPORT: TWO-UP Take advantage of one of only two days where this national sport is legal and flock to one of many Sydney pubs and bars that will be hosting this Anzac Day tradition. Make sure you convert those notes into gold coins, place your bets and watch those coins fall. We recommend hitting one of Sydney's best pubs in The Rocks, Surry Hills or the Inner West for a spirited crowd and brilliant beers. Head to The Glenmore or The Argyle in The Rocks, The Norfolk in Surry Hills, Dick's or The Exchange in Balmain, or The Courthouse in Newtown 4. WATCH A NATIONAL SPORT: NRL Head out to Allianz Stadium, Moore Park to watch the NRL's traditional Anzac Day clash between St George Illawarra Dragons and the Sydney Roosters. Watching these sporting warriors crash into each other for 80 minutes and channel the Anzac spirit is a great way to spend the public holiday afternoon. 5. ANZAC DAY AT THE VIC For an Anzac Day experience all in one venue, head down to The Vic in Enmore as they host their inaugural Anzac Day car park party at their new outdoor venue, The Projects. There will be plenty of drinks. There will be plenty of meat, on spit roasts. There will be plenty of Anzac biscuits. There will be plenty of Two-Up. There will be plenty of music from Spurs for Jesus, Handsome Young Strangers, Jay Katz and DJs. Plus entry is free. 6. SUNSET SERVICE If you are not an early riser (or you want to add some symmetry to your day by ending it as it began), there is a sunset Anzac service at the Cenotaph in Martin Place. Make your way there for the 5pm start. Image credit: Greg O'Beirne 7. RELAX AT THE MOVIES: IRON MAN 3 After spending the day on your feet, why not sit down at the cinema. With Iron Man 3 being released the day before, what better way to close out the day than with the dry wit of Robert Downey Jr and a big ol' tub of popcorn. 8. ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS - SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY The Anzacs fought on the same side as the British, so that is a good enough justification to head down to Sydney Theatre on Anzac Day and watch One Man, Two Guvnors. This hilarious hybrid product of British humour styles is arguably the funniest play on the planet that lest you forget. 9. THE ROCKS POP UP WINDMILL: REEL FOOD NIGHT The four-storey windmill that has popped up in The Rocks provides the perfect place to unwind after a long day honouring our Anzacs. Taking it over on Thursday, April 25 is Reel Food Night, an evening of film that will provide plenty of food for thought and eating for only $20 per person. 10. SEE THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS AT UPSTAIRS BERESFORD Close out your Anzac day in style with a musical feast from the guys that did the Malcolm in the Middle theme. They are playing an intimate gig at the Upstairs Beresford, playing their classic album Flood all the way through, just for you and 399 others.
With life at its often unrelenting pace, many of us struggle to get through the day without at least one cup of coffee (okay, maybe five). And even though Melbourne seems to get most of the credit for Australia's stellar coffee making reputation, Sydney very much holds its own — you've just got to know where to look. Next time you need a caffeine hit, don't default to the nearest crumby cafe — there's a spot near you that has a brew of a better standard. To aid you in your search, we've teamed up with Shop Small supporters American Express to put together a list of our six favourite local Sydney cafes that consistently provide both quality caffeine and convenience. Plus, in a total win/win, these spots let you pay for your coffee with your American Express Card and reap the sweet rewards of being a Card Member — all while supporting local business. Save them to your Google Maps so you can easily hit them up on the go.
Among Australia's most applauded movies of 2023, Warwick Thornton teaming up with Cate Blanchett, a thrilling horror debut and an extremely personal story about resilience have topped the nominations for the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards. On TV, a stellar media drama, excellent page-to-screen hit, glorious rom-com and the latest from The Kates have achieved the same feat. Yes, it's been a good year on screens big and small Down Under. That means that The New Boy (12 nominations), Talk to Me (11), Shayda (nine), The Newsreader (15), The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart (12), Colin From Accounts (ten) and Deadloch (ten) all lead the way at Australia's annual accolades for the best movies and TV shows of the past year. The winners will be revealed in 2024, on Thursday, February 8 and Saturday, February 10, 2024 at HOTA, Home of the Arts on the Gold Coast, in tandem with a brand-new four-day festival also celebrating Aussie film and television. Previously called the AFI Awards, the AACTA Awards have spread the love to a heap of other productions, giving the aforementioned titles a heap of company. In the Best Film field, Of an Age, Sweet As and The Royal Hotel are up against Shayda, Talk to Me and The New Boy. Also on the big screen, the Best Indie Film category spans A Savage Christmas, Limbo, Monolith Streets of Colour, The Rooster and The Survival of Kindness. Among TV's big hitters, Best Drama Series spans Bay of Fires, Black Snow, Bump, Erotic Stories, Love Me and The Newsreader — and Best Narrative Comedy Series features Colin From Accounts, Deadloch, Fisk, Gold Diggers, Upright and Utopia. And, for shows that only run for one season, Best Miniseries covers Bad Behaviour, In Our Blood, Safe Home, The Clearing, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart and While The Men Are Away. Need something to watch over the holidays? You can also consider the 2023 AACTA Award nominations a list of must-see homegrown movies and TV shows, with everything from tender queer coming-of-age tales, outback thrillers and noir-ish detective stories to family-focused comedies, relationship dramas and jumps to the past covered. Among the highlights, the Best Director field overflows with talent, including Jub Clerc for Sweet As, Kitty Green for The Royal Hotel, Noora Niasari for Shayda, Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou for Talk to Me, Goran Stolevski for Of an Age and Warwick Thornton for The New Boy — but the same can be said for every category. And yes, the Matildas even earned some love, as they have been everywhere in 2023, this time for engaging documentary series Matildas: The World at Our Feet. Here's a selection of this year's major AACTA nominations, ahead of the awards' ceremonies on Thursday, February 8 and Saturday, February 10, 2024 at HOTA, Home of the Arts on the Gold Coast — and you can check out the full list on AACTA's website: AACTA NOMINEES 2023: FILM AWARDS: BEST FILM Of an Age Shayda Sweet As Talk to Me The New Boy The Royal Hotel BEST INDIE FILM A Savage Christmas Limbo Monolith Streets of Colour The Rooster The Survival of Kindness BEST DIRECTION Jub Clerc, Sweet As Kitty Green, The Royal Hotel Noora Niasari, Shayda, Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou, Talk to Me Goran Stolevski, Of an Age Warwick Thornton, The New Boy BEST LEAD ACTRESS Zar Amir Ebrahimi, Shayda Shantae Barnes-Cowan, Sweet As Cate Blanchett, The New Boy Julia Garner, The Royal Hotel Sarah Snook, Run Rabbit Run Sophie Wilde, Talk to Me BEST LEAD ACTOR Elias Anton, Of an Age Simon Baker, Limbo Thom Green, Of an Age Phoenix Raei, The Rooster Aswan Reid, The New Boy Osamah Sami, Shayda BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Alex Jensen, Talk to Me Deborah Mailman, The New Boy Tasma Walton, Sweet As Mia Wasikowska, Blueback Ursula Yovich, The Royal Hotel Selina Zahednia, Shayda BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Mojean Aria, Shayda Eric Bana, Blueback Wayne Blair, The New Boy Rob Collins, Limbo Zoe Terakes, Talk to Me Hugo Weaving, The Rooster BEST SCREENPLAY Kitty Green, Oscar Redding, The Royal Hotel Noora Niasari, Shayda Danny Philippou, Bill Hinzman, Talk to Me Goran Stolevski, Of an Age Warwick Thornton, The New Boy BEST DOCUMENTARY Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story Harley & Katya John Farnham: Finding the Voice The Dark Emu Story The Giants The Last Daughter This Is Going to Be Big To Never Forget BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY Carl Allison, Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism Sherwin Akbarzadeh, Shayda Aaron McLisky, Talk to Me Katie Milwright, Sweet As Warwick Thornton, The New Boy BEST EDITING Dany Cooper, Carmen Katie Flaxman, Sweet As Geoff Lamb, Talk to Me Michelle McGilvray, Matt Villa, Courtney Teixera, Scarygirl Nick Meyers, The New Boy BEST SHORT FILM An Ostrich Told Me the World is Fake and I Think I Believe It Ashes Finding Addison Jia Mud Crab Not Dark Yet TELEVISION AWARDS: BEST DRAMA SERIES Bay of Fires Black Snow Bump Erotic Stories Love Me The Newsreader BEST NARRATIVE COMEDY SERIES Colin From Accounts Deadloch Fisk Gold Diggers Upright Utopia BEST MINISERIES Bad Behaviour In Our Blood Safe Home The Clearing The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart While The Men Are Away BEST LEAD ACTOR IN A TELEVISION DRAMA Tim Draxl, In Our Blood Travis Fimmel, Black Snow Joel Lago, Erotic Stories Sam Reid, The Newsreader Richard Roxburgh, Bali 2002 Hugo Weaving, Love Me BEST LEAD ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION DRAMA Kate Box, Erotic Stories Aisha Dee, Safe Home Bojana Novakovic, Love Me Teresa Palmer, The Clearing Anna Torv, The Newsreader Sigourney Weaver, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart BEST ACTING IN A COMEDY Celeste Barber, Wellmania Kate Box, Deadloch Patrick Brammall, Colin From Accounts Harriet Dyer, Colin From Accounts Kitty Flanagan, Fisk Nina Oyama, Deadloch Helen Thomson, Colin From Accounts Julia Zemiro, Fisk BEST COMEDY PERFORMER Tom Gleeson, Hard Quiz Jim Jefferies, The 1% Club Luke McGregor, Taskmaster Australia Rhys Nicholson, RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under Nina Oyama, Taskmaster Australia Charlie Pickering, The Weekly with Charlie Pickering Natalie Tran, The Great Australian Bake Off Cal Wilson, The Great Australian Bake Off BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION DRAMA Alycia Debnam-Carey, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart Marg Downey, The Newsreader Michelle Lim Davidson, The Newsreader Heather Mitchell, Love Me Leah Purcell, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart Brooke Satchwell, Black Snow BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A TELEVISION DRAMA Tim Draxl, Erotic Stories Alexander England, Black Snow William McInnes, The Newsreader Bob Morley, Love Me Hunter Page-Lochard, The Newsreader Guy Pearce, The Clearing BEST DIRECTION IN A DRAMA OR COMEDY Ben Chessell, Deadloch (episode one) Emma Freeman, The Newsreader (episode four) Glendyn Ivin, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart (episode one) Matt Moore, Colin From Accounts (episode six) Trent O'Donnell, Colin From Accounts (episode three) BEST DIRECTION IN NON-FICTION TELEVISION Katie Bender Wynn, Matildas: The World at Our Feet (episode two) Stamatia Maroupas, Queerstralia (episode one) Josh Martin, Adam and Poh's Great Australian Bites (episode one) Rachel Perkins, Dylan River, Tov Belling, The Australian Wars (episode one) Henry Stone, Aaron Chen: If Weren't Filmed, Nobody Would Believe BEST SCREENPLAY IN TELEVISION Patrick Brammall, Colin From Accounts (episode six) Harriet Dyer, Colin From Accounts (episode three) Kate McCartney, Kate McLennan, Deadloch (episode one) Adrian Russell Wills, The Newsreader (episode four) Lucas Taylor, Black Snow (episode one) BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY IN TELEVISION Sam Chiplin, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart (episode one) Earle Dresner, The Newsreader (episode four) Aaron Farrugia, Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe (episode one) Tania Lambert, Erotic Stories (episode two) Katie Milwright, Deadloch (episode one) BEST EDITING IN TELEVISION Peter Bennett, Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe (episode one) Danielle Boesenberg, Colin From Accounts (episode three) Angie Higgins, Deadloch (episode one) Angie Higgins, The Newsreader (episode four) Deborah Peart, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart (episode one) Deborah Peart, Dany Cooper, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart (episode six) BEST ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAM Dancing with the Stars Eurovision Song Contest 2023 Lego Masters: Grand Masters Mastermind The 1% Club The Amazing Race Australia: Celebrity Edition BEST COMEDY ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAM Hard Quiz RocKwiz Taskmaster Australia Thank God You're Here The Cheap Seats The Weekly with Charlie Pickering BEST FACTUAL ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAM Alone Australia Gogglebox Australia Kitchen Cabinet Old People's Home for Teenagers Take 5 with Zan Rowe Who The Bloody Hell Are We? BEST DOCUMENTARY OR FACTUAL PROGRAM Matildas: The World at Our Feet Ningaloo Nyinggulu Queerstralia The Australian Wars War on Waste Who Do You Think You Are BEST CHILDREN'S PROGRAM Barrumbi Kids Beep and Mort Bluey Crazy Fun Park The PM's Daughter Turn Up the Volume BEST STANDUP SPECIAL Aaron Chen: If Weren't Filmed, Nobody Would Believe Celeste Barber: Fine, thanks Hannah Gadsby: Something Special Jim Jefferies: High & Dry Lizzy Hoo: Hoo Cares!? Rhys Nicholson's Big Queer Comedy Concert BEST LIFESTYLE PROGRAM Adam and Poh's Great Australian Bites Gardening Australia Grand Designs Australia Love It or List It Australia Selling Houses Australia The Great Australian Bake Off BEST REALITY PROGRAM Australian Survivor: Heroes v Villains FBOY Island Australia Hunted Australia MasterChef Australia Real Housewives of Sydney RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under BEST ONLINE DRAMA OR COMEDY Appetite Latecomers Me & Her(pes) Monologue The Disposables The Future of Everything
Maybe you jumped on the Saltburn bandwagon early, catching Promising Young Woman filmmaker Emerald Fennell's second feature when it was in cinemas. Perhaps you saw the Barry Keoghan (The Banshees of Inisherin)- and Jacob Elordi (Euphoria)-starring thriller when it hit streaming over Christmas. Either way, once you watched the movie, you were probably as obsessed as Oliver Quick is about Felix Catton — and after you've ordered your Jacob Elordi's bathwater candle, you can hit up a party that's all about paying tribute to the instant cult-favourite flick. A series of shindigs is touring Australia, kicking off at Sydney's Oxford Art Factory at 9pm on Thursday, January 25. And yes, that date is before the January 26 public holiday, if you're wondering why it's on a Thursday night. What does celebrating one of 2023's best movies at a boozy party entail? Dressing like it's Oliver's birthday party, for starters. From there, you'll enjoy a 'Murder on the Dancefloor' sing-along — even though you won't be dancing naked around a mansion — as well as crooning karaoke and hearing 'Mr Brightside', all while sipping Bathtub Brew, Grave Grinding Gulp and Felix's Fangirl Fizz drink specials. If you're keen to add some sparkle to your look while you're there, there'll be a free glitter bar. And the best-dressed attendee at each shindig will win a prize. Tickets cost $30.19.
We've spent heaps of time curating exclusive holiday packages for Concrete Playground Trips, but we're especially proud of this one. We teamed up with some of Auckland's biggest players in the food, music and culture scenes to bring you one epic luxury holiday experience in November. Guests will get VIP tickets to Spring City Music Festival headlined by Groove Armada, a one-of-a-kind private sommelier and chef lunch at Ahi Restaurant and a spectacular helicopter ride to Waiheke Island where you'll choose to do some gin or wine tastings. You have all these unique experiences organised for you as well as three nights at the five-star The Hotel Britomart on Auckland's harbour. 'Epic' only begins to describe this trip — and that's why numbers for this package are extremely limited. Read on to see why you should make your way to Auckland on November 26. SPRING CITY VIP ZONE Spring City Music Festival hits Auckland on Saturday, November 26. If you book our exclusive package on Concrete Playground Trips, you'll get express lane access into the festival, entry into the Spring City VIP tent, prime viewing to make the most of the festival, as well as access to the VIP bar. No lines, no portaloos and no crowds to navigate. This is a festival done differently. This year, for the festival's return, legendary dance music duo Groove Armada are headlining. You'll have the best reserved standing room to hear fan favourites like "Superstylin" and "At The River" and "Easy". There'll be plenty of other artists at Spring City too, with key performers still to be announced. CHARTERED HELICOPTER WINE OR GIN TASTING After a day of dancing, you'll head off on a helicopter ride across the scenic Hauraki Gulf. Once you've taken in these stunning surrounds, you'll touch down and be taken to your choice of locations – either a winery or gin distillery (choose your own adventure). Those who choose vino will be guided through the olive grove, down to the grape vines, for a unique tasting experience of the finest cabernet blends with the winemaker at Stonyridge Vineyard. You'll then dig into a delicious two-course lunch paired with wine at the restaurant overlooking the vines. Gin lovers are in for a real treat, too. You'll head to Waiheke Distilling Company to enjoy a bespoke distillery tour where you'll have the opportunity to learn, taste and explore Waiheke's hand-crafted spirits. Sample a range of internationally award-winning gins and vodkas, from the classic to the contemporary, with fresh botanicals being paramount. Top it all off with a delectable two-course lunch paired with wine at the cellar door. Both options are fab. Just choose your booze. AHI PRIVATE SOMMELIER AND CHEF LUNCH But wait, there's more. When creating this trip, we could think of no better restaurant to send you to than the famous Ahi. If you've seen A New Zealand Food Story then you'll already know the backstory behind the new downtown eatery. The eight-part online series follows acclaimed chef Ben Bayly and his team as they set out to discover what local cuisine is all about and where our produce comes from – the end goal being to create a truly unique New Zealand restaurant. And he did just that. The team serves up creative dishes with a strong sustainability ethos each and every day. And you are lucky enough to get a table for lunch. But it ain't just any table – we've reserved the best seats in the house. Expect a kitchen counter experience, with high stools perched right over the chefs working their magic. Indulge in a premium lunch tasting menu alongside world-class matched wines — all carefully selected and created to showcase the best of New Zealand's gourmet offerings. New Zealand's incredible gastronomy will be on full display. ACCOMMODATION We are also putting you up in The Hotel Britomart for three nights. This five-star hotel is one of New Zealand's finest accommodations, with the added bonus of being incredibly sustainable (it is New Zealand's only 5-Green Star hotel). Each of the 99 rooms is designed for tranquil escapism. Think of The Hotel Britomart like an opulent city retreat, lined in natural and sustainably sourced timber. Guest rooms all come with in-built sofas, hand-made ceramics and minibars full of locally sourced treats. Attention to detail is on point. It's the perfect place to return to, following day after day of extraordinary holiday experiences. Book your tickets now, by visiting Concrete Playground Trips.
Voila! The Four Horsemen are hitting Australia, in magical news if you like illusionists and the Now You See Me film franchise. Back in 2018, it was announced that the Jesse Eisenberg (A Real Pain)-, Woody Harrelson (Last Breath)-, Dave Franco (Together)- and Isla Fisher (Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy)-starring cinema saga was making its way to the stage — and while that's proven the case elsewhere since, the IRL production will make its first trip to Australia before 2025 is out. Now You See Me Live doesn't feature the cast of the films, but gets real-life illusionists demonstrating their skills instead. Their Aussie stop: the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall across Friday, December 19, 2025–Saturday, January 3, 2026. Audiences will be able to see Adam Trent from the US, Enzo Weyne from France, Andrew Basso from Italy and Gabriella Lester from South Africa step into the Four Horsemen's shoes. From Trent, expect plenty of sleight of hand, while Weyne specialises in large-scale magic. Basso prefers death-defying acts and Lester is a master of Houdini's upside down straight-jacket escape. The ensemble have taken to the stage for residencies on Broadway and in Las Vegas, and also in hundreds of other cities. Now, it's Australia's turn. "Hosting an Australian-premiere season at the Opera House is always a thrill, and this show is a spectacle — perfect for anyone with an appetite to be wowed this summer. Now You See Me Live takes movie magic to a whole new level of drama in this high-stakes live experience," said Brenna Hobson, Sydney Opera House Director, Programming, announcing the shows. Added Simon Painter, the production's Creative Producer, "Now You See Me Live pushes the boundaries of stage magic to the absolute edge, making the impossible possible in front of your very eyes. Together we've created a show with truly mindblowing artistry at epic scale and we can't wait for Sydney audiences to experience the magic — live!" 2025 is a big Now You See Me year: a new movie in the franchise is on its way to cinemas, too, with Now You See Me: Now You Don't releasing in Aussie picture palaces on Thursday, November 13, 2025. Check out the trailer for Now You See Me Live below: Now You See Me Live is playing the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall across Friday, December 19, 2025–Saturday, January 3, 2026. Head to the venue website for more information — with presale tickets from 9am on Tuesday, August 26, 2025 and general tickets from 9am on Wednesday, August 27, 2025.
Dreaming of La Dolce Vita? From Wednesday, October 26 through to Saturday, November 26, Disaronno will be transforming CBD bar Jackalberry into a lush Amalfi-inspired haven — reprieving newly returned Italo-travellers from holiday nostalgia and treating those who stayed on home soil. Expect the watering hole — which sits pretty on the lobby level of Hyatt Regency Sydney — to deliver a not-quite-to-scale Trevi Fountain set against picturesque scenes from some of Italy's most iconic cityscapes, a menu packed with meals you'd tuck into at a traditional trattoria (like homemade gnocchi di manzo brasati) and cocktails that spotlight both the syrupy smoothness of the celebrated amber liquid and the creative flair of Jackalberry's expert mixologist. Plus, with the snap of a pic, visitors can go into the draw to win a chic prize pack that will see them stay at the lush Hyatt Regency Sydney, dine at Jackalberry, and take home two Disaronno fizz glasses and a $1000 Gucci gift card. An excellent example of the sweet life, no? Jackalberry will be transformed into an Italian escape thanks to Disaronno from Wednesday, October 26 till Saturday, November 26. Head to the website for more information and to nab a booking.
This is one of the most recognisable dumpling haunts in Haymarket. Many would attribute this to the plastic grapes drooling from the ceiling, but we reckon it's got something to do with this place's authenticity. As classic as you'll get, Chinese Noodle Restaurant serves up fast and almost unchallengeable pork and cabbage dumplings ($8.80 for 12), while the miniature maitre d' flits around giving commands to her staff. The handmade Xinjiang stir-fried noodles with beef ($9.50) are a definite must, too; the product of the noodle aficionado on display behind a glass window who slaps and wraps the fresh dough for your viewing pleasure.
Bondi's Jewish deli Lox in the Box is serving up babka, cured fish, all the schmears and some of the best bagels our city has to offer. Owner Candy Berger even got her Polish and German grandmothers' ticks of approval for all her recipes — and an ever-growing fan base of Sydneysiders approve, to. Especially now that Lox in a Box is delivering its bagels directly to your doorstep. While the Bondi delicatessen is only open on weekends, you can order a box of bagels for delivery any day of the week. Choose from the signature bagel with pastrami-spiced lox (salt-cured salmon), capers, tomato and schmear; the hot salt beef with mustard and pickles; or the loaded 'salad bagel' with vintage cheddar, pickles, grated carrot, sliced beetroot, rocket and jalapeño schmear. Kimberley Low Each box comes with pickles, chips and drinks. You can also build-your-own box, with bagels, babka scrolls, schmear and even kombucha. And, on Fridays, the Shabboxes are up for grabs — they come with braided challah bread, lox, pickles, Pepe Saya butter and a range of dips, and serve between 4–14 people ($80–168). You'll want to grab extra of that tasty house schmear — it's cream cheese whipped with lemon, dill and shallots. The only catch is that there's a minimum of six bagels per order, and you need to get your order in by 2pm for next-day delivery. [caption id="attachment_763495" align="alignnone" width="2000"] Kimberley Low[/caption] In store, you'll also find the herb egg salad bagel with caramelised onions and sliced tomato, plus filtered coffees using Reuben Hills coffee, Minor Figures nitro cold brew and iced chai. But, the deli is only open Friday through Sunday from 8am until sold out — and you can bet they do sell out, so best get in early. Lox in a Box is located at 2/96 Glenayr Avenue, Bondi. Opening hours are 8am–sold out Friday–Sunday. You can order delivery daily through the website. Top images: Kimberley Low
Stirring up the streets of Surry Hills is the original venue from the SOUL dining team. Head over to Devonshire Street and you'll find SOUL Dining nestled into its inner-city digs. The brainchild of husband and wife team Daero Lee and Illa Kim heroes traditional Korean dishes with a contemporary flare, using elements of modern Australian dining to create an exciting take on these Korean favourites. The duo's first venture into Sydney's dining scene — a sleek 40-seat space with dark, dramatic interiors and an unassuming exterior — champions local Australian produce, celebrating an incredible range of Asian flavours. Drawing on their wealth of worldly experience, the co-owners pull inspiration from Korean, Australian, Italian, French, German and Japanese techniques in crafting the menu. Cast your eyes over the menu of SOUL Dining and you'll find varied selection of seasonal dishes, ranging from kingfish in kimchi water to Korean escargot. Standout starting dishes include the prawn tteokbokki and the Korean chilli poppers, with the triple-cooked octopus, pork jowl and spicy charcoal chicken leading the must-try mains. And if you're feeling a little extravagant, you can opt to order a full south coast rock lobster with Korean fish sauce, yuza burre blanc, trout roe, chervil and chilli. For those with a sweet tooth, there are three dessert options to pick from. Try the soft and chewy rice flour doughnut, the yagwa — a traditional Korean pastry — or opt for the Korean sweet rice punch, for dessert and a drink in one. Pair your meal with a tasteful sip — the cocktails on offer take inspiration from childhood snacks, putting a modern spin on the nostalgic treats. You'll find a sweet treat galore from the ice cream-inspired Melona and citrusy Vita C 500 to the creative French Pie cocktail. And worry not if this range is not up your alley, there are a variety of Korean beers, ciders, wines, soju and spirits selected to pair perfectly with the venue's menu items. Plus, you have the option to enjoy a meal that encompasses the SOUL Dining experience by opting for the tasting menu. You'll be able to experience the restaurant's best for $99 per person. After comfortably setting up shop, the SOUL group have also descended upon two other Surry Hills locations to expand the SOUL group empire. The sibling venues, SOUL Deli — a cosy cafe-deli — and Bar SOUL — a gorgeous neighbourhood bar and diner— feature revamped menus with their roots grounded in the Korean sensibilities of the OG restaurant.
If you've got a pile of gold coins burning a hole in your wallet, pockets or that void down the back of your couch — or just a spare $1 in your bank account because you haven't handled physical cash for years — BrewDog might just have the best way to put it to good use. Like beer? Keen to sample it? Always wanted to learn more about the amber liquid you're so fond of drinking? Meet BrewDog's $1 Beer School. No, there's no typo in that figure. A digit or two isn't missing, either. The Scottish brewery wants you to head by its Sydney location at South Eveleigh and go to class. Beer class, that is, aka the best kind of learning there is. All throughout May, for less than the price of a coffee (or just about anything for that matter), you'll taste four BrewDog sips and boost your beer knowledge via a self-guided online tour. The two caveats: you do need to book in advance, meaning that you can't just walk in and decide it's time to go to beer school; and you can only have a maximum of eight people per booking. Happy learning — and drinking. Images: Anna Kucera.
The holiday blues are probably coming in strong right about now. Summer has come and gone and dreams of a lazy mid-year escape feel like a lifetime away. Throw in the fact that you're probably out of annual leave and have even less cash than usual to splash on a luxe resort (#costofliving, amirite?), and any ideas about sipping a margarita on a sunny island are slipping away. So, would you believe us if we told you we've found a single solution that will solve every one of your 'I need to find a way to make money without eating into my holiday allowance while also enjoying a fresh cocktail' dilemmas at once? Unofficial title: Operation Working Holiday in Thailand. Start by doing the hard yards and figure out how that digital nomad thing works (note: we're using the term 'hard' loosely here, because it's actually pretty easy). Then, the only thing you need to decide on is where you want to base yourself for that first bowl of Pad Thai. Whether you dream of urban style or beachy chic, we chatted to Tourism Authority of Thailand and got their suggestions for the best accommodation options for those considering a remote working holiday. BANGKOK According to the classic 80s banger, "One night in Bangkok and the world's your oyster". So imagine if you had a couple of months up your sleeve! Basing yourself in Bangkok is a brilliant option for those digital nomads who just aren't quite ready to quit their big-city creature comforts. With both bustling bars and traditional temples in touchable proximity, the two hotels below offer excellent remote work accommodation options in the city known by locals as Krung Thep (or the City of Angels). Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River This standout hotel is Four Seasons by name and four seasons by nature. The Bangkok branch of this iconic international five-star hotel chain gives digital nomads plenty of reasons to visit, all year round. The amenities are extensive and include fast wifi, fitness studios, two riverfront infinity pools, 24-hour room service and a dry cleaning service for all those times you need to Zoom in your best suit and tie. We also love the location. It's right next to the Chao Phraya River, just over a 30-minute drive from Suvarnabhumi International Airport and even closer (5.8 kilometres, to be exact) to Siam Paragon Mall — extremely useful for those times when you need an emergency laptop charger replacement! 137 Pillars Suites & Residences, Bangkok These serviced apartments in Bangkok's Prom Phong/Thonglor area are committed to the digital nomad cause, offering a range of packages specifically designed to cater to long-term stays. Think complimentary high-speed wifi, a daily maid service, a Thai SIM card available for purchase and weekly yoga, meditation and Muay Thai classes. You also get access to the Daily Baan Borneo Club for all-day breakfast, afternoon tea, coffee, snacks and sundowner drinks, plus level-27 infinity pool access and regular aromatherapy massages at Nitra Serenity Centre — for those times when deadlines are kicking your butt. CHIANG MAI Charming Chiang Mai is proof that there's no shame in second place. Capital of the north and the second largest city in the country, Chiang Mai offers a unique brand of laidback luxe. The landscapes are lush (all rugged mountains and green farmlands), the food scene is fabulous and the culture game is strong — with traditional Thai arts and crafts workshops among the mix. If your work from home style is cool, calm and collected — with a preference for having excellent coffee close by — then these two Chiang Mai hotels are our recs. Akyra Chiang Mai Fun fact: Chiang Mai is rated as the cheapest place in Thailand to live and work on a digital nomad budget, making it the ideal option for those bent on a working holiday but bound by a tight budget. And at the heart of it is the Akyra Chiang Mai hotel — a luxurious home away from home that has been transformed into a hub for aspiring entrepreneurs from all types of online businesses. The impressive downtown location, amazing rooftop infinity pool (perfect for a couple of quick laps between Skype calls), excellent wifi and abundant upskilling opportunities (including a number of in-house classes) draw many digital nomads in. But it is the chance to connect and network with other like-minded humans that generally keeps them at Akyra a little longer than anticipated. Kantari Hills Chiang Mai A quick squiz of Kantari Hills' online reviews reveals a ton of satisfied guests who have used the hotel for long-term stays. It could have something to do with the brilliant work facilities — like a business centre with secretarial service, fax, email, computer and photocopying — and an executive lounge with complimentary tea, coffee, snacks and ice. There's also round-the-clock security and concierge services, and of course, free wifi. Call it a hunch, but a fancy whirlpool, sauna and steam rooms probably don't hurt either. KO PHA-NGAN If Ko Pha-Ngan's white sands, turquoise waters and lush coconut trees aren't enough to entice you to swap your desk for the digital nomad life in Thailand, then perhaps the idea of a Full Moon Party celebrated every single month will do the trick? That's right, instead of end-of-quarter drinks, every 30-ish days (it's based on the lunar calendar, so it varies) Ko Pha-Ngan celebrates the new full moon with a big bash on the beach. Expect booze, music blasting out of the bungalows and neon-painted backpackers lighting up lanterns at dusk, just as the moon starts to show up and illuminate the shores. Want in? These hotels are our recommendations when it comes to setting yourself up with a remote work situation in Ko Pha-Ngan. Anantara Rasananda Koh Phangan Villas Team bonding but make it tropical. Yes, it's pretty fun watching your boss make a fool of himself in a group laser tag session, but for the ultimate team building exercise, consider a stay at Anantara Rasananda Koh Phangan Villas. Kick things off with meetings in a boardroom by the beach, lock in an evening of sunset canapés and cocktails aboard a luxury yacht, and challenge every staff member to find their strengths and weaknesses with a host of recreational activities on land and sea. With 64 pool suites and villas, every single one of them set among towering palms and crystal sea waters, this is the ideal accommodation option for those who want to do the digital nomadic life a little decadently. Panviman Resort Koh Phangan We're going to be up front and flag our concerns with the Panviman immediately. Just so you know what you're dealing with before you book your stay. Our main issues relate to its location (in the mesmerising Gulf of Thailand), stunning landscapes (it's surrounded by cerulean seas that gently lap golden beaches fringed with coconut palm trees), onsite restaurants (that focus on organic produce and fresh seafood direct from local fishermen) and VIP lounge (the one with a breathtaking sea-view infinity pool replete with Jacuzzis and sun loungers). So it's going to take a fair bit of dedication and discipline not to spend your nine-to-five completely distracted by all of the above. However, if you're confident in your ability to stay on target, then the Panviman Resort Koh Phangan offers one of the best digital nomad accomodation options in all of Thailand. PHUKET If we had to entrust Thailand's status as the Land of Smiles to a single region, we'd pick Phuket. After all, it's almost impossible not to settle in to the island on the country's western shore and grin once you realise you are in the company of some of Southeast Asia's best resorts, restaurants and shops. The two hotels below are our picks for the best place to base yourself if you're leaning towards Phuket for your remote-work vibe. Twinpalms Phuket The first thing you need to do, to convince your boss that you're taking your digital nomad job seriously, is check out Twinpalms Phuket's library. Here, you can explore literature, magazines and movies while using its free high-speed internet and computers. Then, when the coast is clear (or better yet, after hours, to minimise the risk of being fired!), book in a spa treatment, arrange a snorkelling excursion or step directly into the hotel's large lagoon pool, and log it in your time sheet as office admin. Cape Panwa Hotel If you're a C-Suite exec — or just dream of CEO status — then Cape Panwa is the place for you. Its former guests include kings, queens and big-screen stars, so it's definitely a great base for those who want to manifest a promotion or pay rise. A dedicated business centre will help you keep the process professional; however, we also strongly suggest taking advantage of the hotel's fun facilities too. Think the beachside bamboo bar, access to the state-of-the-art Panwa Princess yacht and two onsite palm-fringed pools. After all, if you've got your sights set on CFO (but you're working with an intern budget), you'll need to work hard, but nobody said you can't work hard from paradise with a tropical drink in hand, right? Tourism Authority Thailand has plenty more suggestions for the top places to work remotely in the Land of Smiles, so for more options, head to the website. Images: Tourism Authority of Thailand
There are few things that scream summer louder than drinks by the beach and Cronulla RSL boasts some of the best views around. Celebrate the longer days with a trip to this southern suburb and enjoy sunset drinks on the balcony overlooking the golden sand of South Cronulla Beach. It's a great spot for watching the die-hard surfers soak up the last light of the day. The club had a makeover a few years back, but its good looks haven't led to pretentiousness — it still has a friendly local vibe and is as laidback as a prawn on the barbie.
Disneyland might have called dibs on being the happiest place on earth, but New York is certainly one of the tastiest. The city's culinary spread has long drawn visitors from far and wide, and it's now amassing a hefty collection of food museums. First came the Museum of Food and Drink. Then, the Museum of Ice Cream joined the mix. The only thing that could come close to topping that is a place dedicated to chocolate, right? French-born, US-based chocolatier Jacques Torres certainly thinks so, expanding his chocolate-making empire to include New York's first museum dedicated to everyone's favourite sweet treat. The 5000-square-foot Lower Manhattan establishment takes visitors through the entire choc experience. Yes, that involves learning about its history — and, it also includes eating the tasty, tasty substance in question. On the educational side of things, Choco-Story New York: The Chocolate Museum and Experience with Jacques Torres details the origins of all things chocolate dating back to Mayan and Aztec civilisations, and explains the method behind turning cacao beans into the delectable morsels we know and love. As for snacking — aka the reason everyone wants to stop by — nine premium tastings, other samples, hand-ground hot chocolate, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate truffles and chocolate-making workshops are all on offer. This isn't the world's first-ever chocolate museum, however. Among the array of weird and wonderful odes to edible delights (yes, a currywurst museum really exists), plenty of others have done the same thing. Basically, Homer Simpson's dream of a land of chocolate is slowly becoming a reality, with other choc havens found in Canada, London, Bruges, Hamburg, Vienna, Spain, the Netherlands, New Zealand and even Tasmania. Unsurprisingly, it's a long list.
New year, new resolutions, new you. That's how it works, right? There's another new thing that January 1 always heralds: a new batch of movies to add to your watch list. 2018 was filled with great films, whether you fell head over heels for the year's best picture Oscar winner, reignited your love for web-slinging superheroes or found yourself laughing (and nodding) along to a savage satire. And, yes, we're calling it already — 2019 will serve up another ace cinema slate. We've said it before and we'll say it again: there's never a bad year for movies. With more than 400 hitting Australian cinemas across each and every 12-month period, that's more than 400 chances to be blown away by the latest big-screen offering. They won't all be winners, but some will boast something special. We've got our fingers crossed for crime epics, animated gothic families and the return of everyone's favourite assassin — and the rest of our ten must-sees. JOJO RABBIT When you've made the leap from offbeat New Zealand comedies to one of the most memorable Marvel movies in recent years, what comes next? A film about a young boy trying to survive the Second World War and just casually playing with an imaginary Hitler, obviously. Yes, that's Taika Waititi's next project. As well as writing and directing Jojo Rabbit (as based on Christine Leuen's book Caging Skies), Waititi is playing the Nazi leader, with Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Stephen Merchant, Rebel Wilson and Game of Thrones' Alfie Allen also among the cast. And if you're wondering about the tone, Waititi put it best when asked about being a Maori playing Hitler: "what better 'fuck you' to that guy?!" Release date TBC. THE ADDAMS FAMILY They're creepy and they're kooky, mysterious and spooky, and altogether ooky. They're also headed back to the big screen. The first two 90s-era Addams Family movies are still black comedy delights (just don't ever, ever watch the awful third effort, Addams Family Reunion), so here's hoping that the new animated version lives up to their legacies. And the legacy of the 60s TV series that started it all, of course, introducing the world to an all-round eclectic clan. Simply called The Addams Family, the 2019 flick certainly has the right voice cast, with Oscar Isaac as Gomez, Charlize Theron as Morticia, Chloë Grace Moretz as Wednesday, Stranger Things' Finn Wolfhard as Pugsley, and Nick Kroll as Uncle Fester. That said, a live-action version starring Isaac really wouldn't go astray. In cinemas December 5, 2019. [caption id="attachment_702544" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Lady Bird[/caption] LITTLE WOMEN After earning audience applause and critical acclaim for Lady Bird, anticipation was always going to be high for Greta Gerwig's second solo directorial effort. With the Oscar-nominated filmmaker now tackling Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, it's even higher still. Immersed in a family of sisters in 1860s Massachusetts, the novel is a classic for a reason — and, in its eighth big-screen adaptation, it'll come to life with a plethora of fantastic actors. Gerwig not only reunites with Lady Bird's Saoirse Ronan and Timothée Chalamet, but also directs everyone from Emma Watson, Lady Macbeth's Florence Pugh and French star Louis Garrel to Bob Odenkirk, Laura Dern and Meryl Streep. Release date TBC. US You shouldn't judge a movie by its poster. You shouldn't judge a movie before you've seen it, full stop. But you should definitely get excited by the first glimpses of Us, which both boast a very welcome phrase: "a new nightmare from the mind of Academy Award-winner Jordan Peele". In his follow-up to 2017's Get Out, the comedian turned writer-director is serving up something creepy once again, this time focusing on two couples (Lupita Nyong'o and Black Panther's Winston Duke, plus Elisabeth Moss and Tim Heidecker) holidaying by the beach. Like Get Out, it's probably best to know as little as possible before you see the psychological thriller, but your interest should well and truly be piqued. In cinemas March 14, 2019. [caption id="attachment_698252" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Shoplifters[/caption] THE TRUTH As well as winning this year's Palme d'Or for Shoplifters, Hirokazu Kore-eda has made eleven films this century alone. His twelfth promises something different, however, with the prolific Japanese auteur making his English and French-language debut. He has quite the cast to help, including French stars Catherine Deneuve, Juliette Binoche and Ludivine Sagnier, as well as Ethan Hawke. Story-wise, The Truth focuses on family, as Kore-eda so often does in such an empathetic way. Here, he's charting the reunion of an actress and her daughter, all while the former plays a mother who never ages in her latest sci-fi movie. Release date TBC. [caption id="attachment_621299" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Okja[/caption] PARASITE Whether he's making monster movies or murder thrillers, forcing the remnants of humanity onto a constantly moving train or pondering loveable super pigs, a new Bong Joon-ho film is an event. Two years after Okja, his next effort takes the director back to his native South Korea — and back to working with Memories of Murder, The Host and Snowpiercer's Song Kang-ho. The feature's narrative is reported to follow two families, who are different but alike. It's being called a drama, and yet anything could happen from there in Bong's hands. That said, if you were hoping for something completely otherworldly and odd, apparently Parasite's title isn't as literal as you might expect. Release date TBC. ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD If Once Upon a Time in Hollywood really is Quentin Tarantino's second-last film — he's said he'll stop directing movies after ten — then he's working up to retirement with a bang. The filmmaker's ninth movie features Leonardo DiCaprio as a struggling actor, Brad Pitt as his stunt double and Margot Robbie as his neighbour, who happens to be Sharon Tate. If you know both your Hollywood history and your US crime history, then you'll know that QT's latest isn't just an account of Tinseltown in the 60s. With Australian actor Damon Herriman going all helter skelter, it's also a Manson family murders flick. The rest of the cast is a who's who of Hollywood today, including Tarantino regulars Kurt Russell, Tim Roth, Bruce Dern, Zoe Bell and Michael Madsen, plus Dakota Fanning, Lena Dunham, Al Pacino, Timothy Olyphant and Luke Perry. Oh, and up-and-comers Maya Hawke and Rumer Willis as well, aka the daughters of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke, and Demi Moore and Bruce Willis, respectively. In cinemas August 8, 2019. [caption id="attachment_622453" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] John Wick: Chapter 2[/caption] JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 Many a franchise will serve up many a next instalment in 2019, but only one really matters. It happens to be one of the best roles of Keanu Reeves' career. We'd all love a new Bill and Ted movie to happen. Some of us might just faint from excitement if Keanu made a Point Break sequel (Kurt Russell could swap in for Patrick Swayze, easy). But while we're waiting/dreaming for those, John Wick just keeps coming back. Halle Berry and Anjelica Huston join the cast for John Wick: Chapter 3, which sees the skilled assassin trying to stay alive while shooting his way out of New York. Once Keanu's stunt double, director Chad Stahelski is back in the hot seat for the third time, which should mean more kick-ass action scenes. In cinemas May 16, 2019. ` [caption id="attachment_536827" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Girlhood[/caption] PORTRAIT DE LA JEUNE FILLE EN FEU In 2011, Tomboy was one of the best films of the year, telling a tale of a young girl's struggle to be herself. In 2014, Girlhood was also ranked among the year's greatest, exploring teenage life on the outskirts of Paris. Come 2016, My Life as a Courgette achieved the same feat, with a gorgeous claymation account of an orphan's quest to be loved. They all stem from the pen of Céline Sciamma, with the French filmmaker also directing the first two — and now she's both writing and helming Portrait de la jeune fille en feu. Starring Valeria Golino (Daughter of Mine) and Adèle Haenel (BPM (Beats Per Minute)), the drama follows Heloise, who, after escaping convent life, is about to be married. Then, as was custom at the end of the 18th century, an artist, Marianne, arrives to paint her wedding portrait. Release date TBC. [caption id="attachment_579627" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Paterson[/caption] THE DEAD DON'T DIE Let's just throw a heap of great names at the page, like Tilda Swinton, Bill Murray, Tom Waits, Adam Driver and Steve Buscemi. They've all worked with Jim Jarmusch before, and they're doing so again in The Dead Don't Die. If that roster of talent didn't instantly earn your intrigue, the film sees the Paterson, Ghost Dog and Dead Man writer-director enter zombie comedy territory. If he can make a haunting vampire movie, aka Only Lovers Left Alive, then of course he can tackle another type of the undead. The cast keeps going, too, with Chloë Sevigny, Selena Gomez, Caleb Landry Jones and Danny Glover also featuring. Release date TBC.
One of the world's most acclaimed galleries is coming to Australia, and it's bringing more than 70 works that chronicle the past 200 years in art history with it. For a five-month season from mid-June, the UK's Tate will take over Melbourne's Australian Centre for the Moving Image with a hefty exhibition that'll span everything from painting, photography and sculpture through to drawing, kinetic art and installations — and, of course, the moving image. Given the time period covered by Light: Works from Tate's Collection, the list of artists that'll be on display is a varied one — as drawn from pieces in the Tate's four separate sites in Britain. Art lovers will be able to see works by famed English romantic painter and watercolourist Joseph Mallord William Turner alongside the light- and space-focused efforts of American artist James Turrell, plus pieces by impressionist Claude Monet and Japanese favourite Yayoi Kusama. Running from Thursday, June 16–Sunday, November 13, the unifying theme is light, as the exhibition's name makes plain — and if you're wondering how this connects to ACMI's remit as a museum for the moving image, light is obviously crucial to all recorded vision. While Light: Works from Tate's Collection will step through art history, ACMI will further put its pieces into broader artistic context by presenting it alongside its permanent The Story of the Moving Image exhibition, which examines the origins and genesis of film and television. [caption id="attachment_842689" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Raemar, Blue, 1969, James Turrell. Tate: Presented by the Tate Americas Foundation, partial purchase and partial gift of Doris J. Lockhart 2013. © James Turrell. Photo: Tate.[/caption] From the impressive roster of art and artists, Turner's 1805 painting The Deluge will make its Australian debut, while Kusama's characteristically kaleidoscopic 2005 sculpture The Passing Winter gets viewers peering into a mirrored cube. Turrell's Raemar, Blue, from 1969, is an immersive spatial environment that surrounds visitors in infinite and immersive light. And among the other highlights sits paintings by John Constable, Wassily Kandinsky, Bridget Riley and Joseph Albers; more impressionist pieces from Camille Pissarro and Alfred Sisley; and rotating crystalline sculpture Stardust Particle by Olafur Eliasson. Announcing Light: Works from Tate's Collection, which falls under the Victorian Government's Melbourne Winter Masterpieces series, ACMI Director and CEO Katrina Sedgwick said that "this is a rare opportunity to experience the expansive collection of one of Britain's most famous cultural institutions right here in Melbourne." "ACMI is proud to present a treasure trove of artworks inspired by a phenomenon so fundamental to moving image creation. Through its exploration of light as both a subject and a medium this extraordinary exhibition enables our visitors to explore surprising and enlightening interconnections across time and artform," Sedgwick continued. [caption id="attachment_842682" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Stardust particle, 2014, Olafur Eliasson, Tate: Presented by the artist in honour of Sir Nicholas Serota 2018. © Olafur Eliasson. Photo: Tate[/caption] Light: Works from Tate's Collection was initially curated for the Museum of Art, Pudong in Shanghai, and heads to ACMI after displaying at Buk-Seoul Museum of Art, Korea. In Melbourne, the ticketed exhibition will be accompanied by talks, performances, workshops and late-night events, as well as film screenings. Although the events lineup hasn't yet been revealed, masterclasses with cinematographers, artist discussions, and magic lantern and 16mm presentations will all be on the bill, as will two free exhibits — from Australian artist Mikala Dwyer in ACMI's lightwell and by Lis Rhodes in Gallery 3, with the latter's Light Music also coming from the Tate Collection. Light: Works from Tate's Collection will display at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Federation Square, Flinders Street, Melbourne, from Thursday, June 16–Sunday, November 13, 2022. Top image: The Passing Winter, 2005, Yayoi Kusama. Tate: Purchased with funds provided by the Asia-Pacific Acquisitions Committee 2008. ©Yayoi Kusama. Tate.
If Bluesfest is a regular part of your Easter plans, then the Byron Bay event's team has wrapped up 2025's festivities with some excellent news for you in 2026: the long-weekend fest will still be on the calendar next year. In fact, dates are locked in and early-bird tickets are on sale. If you haven't already, put Thursday, April 2–Sunday, April 5, 2026 in your calendar. The announcement comes after a massive year for the long-running fest, which notched up its 36th in 2025. Organisers have advised that this year's festival saw more than 109,000 attendees, "making Bluesfest 2025 the biggest we've seen in years, and the third-largest event in our history". [caption id="attachment_867505" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lachlan Douglas[/caption] This year's lineup drawcards included ten-time Grammy-winner Chaka Khan, rains-blessing rock group Toto, 'Sailing' and 'Ride Like the Wind' singer Christopher Cross, plus Crowded House, Ocean Alley and Vance Joy — and also Hilltop Hoods, Budjerah, Kasey Chambers and The Cat Empire, as well as Xavier Rudd, John Butler, Tones and I, Missy Higgins, George Thorogood & The Destroyers and many more. It wasn't just the roster of acts that saw Bluefest earn such a strong showing, however. Back in 2024, before the festival began revealing who was on its next bill, it advised that it would bid farewell with its 2025 event — marking the end of an era. That news came after Groovin the Moo and Splendour in the Grass had cancelled for 2024, neither of which returned this year. Within months of Bluefest saying that it was calling time, however, reports that discussions were underway about the festival's future — and also that artists are already being booked for 2026 — started circulating following widespread community support. Accordingly, Bluesfest making a 2026 comeback shouldn't come as a huge surprise. The festival is one of five New South Wales events newly named as recipients of backing from the first round of the state's Contemporary Music Festival Viability Fund, alongside Lost Paradise, Your and Owls, Listen Out and Field Day. [caption id="attachment_969990" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Joseph Mayers[/caption] [caption id="attachment_969989" align="alignnone" width="1920"] LD Somefx[/caption] [caption id="attachment_969987" align="alignnone" width="1920"] LD Somefx[/caption] [caption id="attachment_867504" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kurt Petersen[/caption] Bluesfest 2026 will run from Thursday, April 2–Sunday, April 5 at Byron Events Farm, Tyagarah. Early-bird tickets are on sale now — for further information, head to the Bluesfest website. Top image: Roger Cotgreave.
We all have movies that change us, open up the world to us and/or make us feel seen. Most folks, whether they're filmmakers or not, don't then bring new versions of those pictures to cinemas — no matter how much they might want to. Andrew Ahn's feature filmography started with his 2016 debut Spa Night, then delivered 2019's Driveways and 2022's Fire Island, and now adds a fresh take on a Berlin-winning, Oscar-nominated 90s box-office hit that marked just the second film from Brokeback Mountain and Life of Pi Best Director Academy Award-winner Ang Lee. 1993's The Wedding Banquet was also the first gay movie, first gay Asian movie and first gay Asian American movie that Ahn ever saw. The man behind the camera on 2025's The Wedding Banquet was eight when he watched the original picture courtesy of a video-store rental. When he started on the path to becoming a filmmaker himself, and even once he had a movie or two under his belt — long before this project came his way, then — crafting his own version didn't ever occur to him. "Oh, it never crossed my mind — like, not a direct remake," Ahn tells Concrete Playground about the fourth feature on his resume, which premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. "I think I thought about similar themes and ideas, but to make something that would be called The Wedding Banquet, I could never have imagined. It really took the producers approaching me. Our producers had been chatting before I was in the picture, and I think their scheming led to this." Three decades back, The Wedding Banquet focused on Manhattan-based gay Taiwanese man Gao Wai-Tung (Winston Chao, Daughter's Daughter), whose parents (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon's Sihung Lung and Qing yu nian's Ah-Lei Gua) had no idea that he wasn't straight, let alone any awareness of his long-term American partner Simon (Mitchell Lichtenstein, Modern Houses), and so had matchmaking their son with a future bride and stressing their yearning for grandchildren firmly on their minds. As co-written by Lee with James Schamus (The King's Daughter) and Neil Peng (The Candidate), the film makes Wai-Tung's mother and father's dreams come true via Wei-Wei (May Chin, now a Taiwanese politician), a Chinese artist who'll be deported if she doesn't get a green card. Of course the eponymous event takes place, with Mr and Mrs Gao in attendance and in the dark that it's all a sham. Lee's movie is a comedy, romantic and screwball alike, and equally a deeply considered and thoughtful relationship drama, plus a compassionate family drama. A reimagining rather than a remake, 2025's The Wedding Banquet falls into all of the above categories still, so it's a rom-com, it's screwball, and it's both a relationship and family drama as well; however, Ahn and Schamus — who returned to co-write another The Wedding Banquet, after initially collaborating with Ahn by producing Driveways — have their eyes firmly on the queer experience right now. As a result, while there's winks and nods to the original, and clear affection for it evident across its frames, this take on the film is guided by how the initial flick's setup would truly play out two decades into the 21st century as it explores queer identity, cultural heritage and community. Accordingly, audiences meet two Seattle-based queer couples: Angela (Kelly Marie Tran, Control Freak) and Lee (Lily Gladstone, Fancy Dance), plus Min (Han Gi-Chan, Dare to Love Me) and Chris (Bowen Yang, Saturday Night Live). Among their families, Angela's mother (Joan Chen, Dìdi) wins awards for her allyship, while Min's grandmother (Youn Yuh-Jung, Pachinko) is the head of a Korea-originated multinational company that he has always been expected to take over. Having children is Angela and Lee's priority, but after two unsuccessful rounds of IVF they're now out of money for a third. While cash isn't a problem for Min, the fact that his student visa will soon expire is — and so is Chris' commitment-phobic reluctance to marry him. The plan, then, is for Angela and Min to wed, helping the latter stay in the US in exchange for financial assistance for Lee's next IVF treatment. [caption id="attachment_1003561" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Janice Chung[/caption] One of the key points that's pushed further to the fore this time around is parenthood — and what it means to have a family as a queer couple. Ahn's fondness for the families that we choose, as seen across his filmography so far, remains a pivotal element of The Wedding Banquet, but so does the specific intention and effort needed to pass on your genes when getting pregnant can't just happen accidentally as it can for some in heterosexual relationships. That thread, and even a specific line of dialogue about it, comes from Ahn's own life. As such, he's not just lending his loving eyes to a new iteration of a movie that's personally important to him — alongside his Korean American background, he's lending parts of his existence. Ahn's on-screen ensemble is clearly phenomenal, including Gladstone in a more-comedic role than audiences are accustomed to seeing the Killers of the Flower Moon Oscar-nominee and Golden Globe-winner in, the director giving his Fire Island star Yang a more-dramatic arc, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker's Tran in a film with a smart and funny Star Wars line, Han getting his feature film and English-language debut, Chen after she was almost cast in the original and Youn's first American film since winning her Oscar for Minari. Also exceptional: how lived-in that they make their characters' connections feel. We spoke to Ahn about that, drawing from his own reality to highlight queer parenthood, how his past work — episodes of Bridgerton among them — led him here, fleshing out the narrative for 2025, tonal balance, found families and more. On Ahn's Past Work, Including Spa Night, Driveways, Fire Island and Directing Episodes of Bridgerton, Leading Him to a New Version of The Wedding Banquet "I think everything that I do feels informed by what I worked on in the past. Even Bridgerton I feel like snuck its way into The Wedding Banquet a little bit — the romanticism of it. I think The Wedding Banquet definitely required me to pull from so many different parts of my life, as a person and as a filmmaker, to make this film the best that I could." On Working Out Where to Take a New Iteration of The Wedding Banquet, Including a Broader Range of Characters, Exploring the Korean American Experience, and Examining Allyship, Found Families and Having Children "It was kind of step by step. When I rewatched the film in preparation for my conversation with the producers, there were first instincts that were just inspired by how beautiful the original film is. I wondered 'what if the bride in the original film, Wei-Wei, what if she also were queer and had a lesbian partner?'. And then, thinking about how gay people can get married now, I wondered 'now that we can, should we?'. Like 'do we really want to?' And then in the original film, there's an accidental pregnancy — 'but what if we see a couple trying to get pregnant, and planning to have a baby?'. And so these were very helpful foundation-building elements to the story, and I worked with James Schamus to really breathe life into these characters, and engineer the many different themes and questions that we were wrestling with. It was a very difficult process. We worked very hard, and we were writing the film for more than five years, and so it was a real labour of love. I'm so thankful for James, and just the years of experience that he had — not just as a screenwriter, but also as a producer and a director. You could not ask for a more-experienced collaborator." On First Watching Ang Lee's Film at the Age of Eight, Then Reimagining It Three Decades Later "I think it definitely helped that I had a really special relationship with the original film, but that wouldn't be enough. I think what helped me understand 'this is my film that I can make' was the phase of adulthood that I found myself in when I was working on this — and really thinking about getting married and having children. I had a lot of conversations with my boyfriend about marriage and kids, and I realised that I felt very strongly about how important and how beautiful queer family-building is — and that really was my guiding light through this whole process in making this movie." On Drawing One of the Film's Key Exchanges About the Intention Needed for Queer Couples to Start a Family From Ahn's Own Life "I wanted to talk about how that's a reality of queer people's existences — and one of the challenges of building family that's not even defined by homophobia. It's not like there's a straight person keeping us away from building family. It's our own hesitations. There's definitely, of course, a lot of financial and legal reasons that complicate queer family-building, but we kind of have to get out of our own way first, and just believe that this is something that we can do and that we want. And so I really wanted to talk about this particular nuance that I don't think has been explored in an in-depth way on the big screen. So it was an insight that I had only come to in having a conversation with my boyfriend, and I took that line of 'if it happens, it happens' straight out of my boyfriend's mouth onto the page." On Helping Ensure That Years and Even Decades of Intimacy Shone Through Among the FIlm's Characters Thanks to Its Stacked Cast "It's such an incredible ensemble, and I had so much fun working with them. They were all so game. They wanted to be vulnerable, and they showed so much generosity with each other and with me. I think of directing as creating an environment where these actors can feel safe and inspired, and so there was a lot of conversation that I had with each of the actors before they came to set — and then as much as we could find rehearsal time, we built in rehearsal time in our schedule so that we could fast-track an intimacy. I think these actors are all incredible, incredible actors, and so it's not hard to get a great performance out of them — and so for me, it's just about creating an energy and a space for them to really be present and work with each other well. And for me, I think a lot of that had to do with just putting together a cast and crew that really valued the story and what we were doing, and understood the meaningfulness of our work." On Casting Gladstone in a More-Comic Role Than Audiences Are Used to Seeing Her in, and Also Giving Yang a More-Dramatic Arc "I love being able to work with actors in a mode that they might not be used to or have been cast in before. I think it's fun to broaden the horizon for an audience of who these actors are and can be. Bowen, I loved working with him on Fire Island, and I just see so much charisma and vulnerability that I think is undeniable. And then when Lily, she's so serious in some of her work, but I saw her in some interviews and she's such a goofball. And I love that. And so I had a lot of belief that she could have fun in this role. And the way both of those actors — the way that all of our actors — traverse the balance of comedy and drama, it was very inspiring to watch." On Making a Romantic Comedy and a Screwball Comedy That's Also a Family Drama, and Is Deeply Considered and Thoughtful About Queer Identity, Cultural Heritage and Community "I think tone is one of the hardest things about filmmaking, and it's because it takes the entire process to figure out. You are writing it, you are directing it, you are editing it, and it's not until the very end, even with score and sound design and colour correction, where you've figured out the tone of your movie. And so it's really about trusting the artistic process and giving yourself options. In the script, we had alt lines for other jokes, for different zingers. On set, we would do certain takes more dramatically, do certain takes more comedically. In the edit, we're constantly adjusting. And so we had to just trust in the process — and in some ways trust in my own intuition and just energy. My editor Geraud Brisson [Lessons in Chemistry] mentioned that the film, it kind of feels like hanging out with me. And I used that as a creative north star in helping find that really complicated but fun balance of comedy and drama." [caption id="attachment_1003558" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Fire Island, photo by Jeong Park. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2022 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved[/caption] On Why the Idea of Found Family Interests Ahn and Keeps Popping Up Through His Work "I think found family, it is something worth celebrating, and I think we can take it for granted sometimes. Our friends, our relationships — there's so much there, there's so much that needs to happen, there's so much work you need to put in in creating your chosen family. And so when you can create your own chosen family, it's really worth celebrating. And so it's something that I feel like whether you're queer or not, it's a very meaningful reminder" The Wedding Banquet opened in Australian cinemas on Thursday, May 8, 2025. The Wedding Banquet images: Luka Cyprian, Bleecker Street.
Luxe lingerie maker Honey Birdette, known for its provocative pieces and high-end bedroom accessories, is hosting its first-ever warehouse sale this month. Fans of the Australian brand, which has been spicing up bedrooms around the nation since 2006, know that a Honey Birdette sale is as rare as they come, so be sure to head to The Venue in Alexandria between May 27–29 to score exclusive discounts on a range of products. There'll be nothing over $100 at the three-day sale, with bras starting at $40, bottoms from $20 and accessories for just $10. You'll be able to shop a selected range of 2022 collections, as well as rare pieces and last-chance items. Afterpay, Zip and Klarna will also be available at this Sydney-exclusive event. Honey Birdette's first-ever warehouse sale will take place at The Venue, Alexandria, on Friday, May 27 (12–8pm), Saturday, May 28 (9am–5pm) and Sunday, May 29 (10am–5pm). For more information and bedroom inspo, head to the website.
James Bond has never really been comrades with Russia. In fact 007 novels and films were officially banned in the USSR for decades due to their perceived anti-Soviet rhetoric, so the last thing to expect would be the Russian Army Choir covering Adele's sultry Oscar-winning eponymous track to Skyfall but that is exactly what has been delivered to us — and it is fantastic. The singing military septet performed the song in full on Russian breakfast television dressed complete in military garb, supplying a tidal wave of intensity to a song already drowning in it. Singing entirely in English — with a little clipboard help and some minor slip-ups that can be forgiven by their commitment — the youthful soloist beautifully introduces the song before his stern choristers join in to roar the chorus and have the hosts of the show (dressed in their favourite Wiggles block colours) swaying along. The singing sensations have now been viewed more than 1 million times on YouTube. Amidst the (deserved) uproar over Russia's anti-gay laws, brought to light in particular by Stephen Fry's impassioned plea to boycott the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, hopefully this love ballad can melt the hearts of the Russian administration behind this legislature. Whilst incredibly unlikely, at least we can still enjoy this tingling rendition. Also, check out those hats. Via Huffington Post.
