Set in the largely untouched serenity of Mongolia, the Nadaam Festival is a must do for absolutely any adventurer. This festival – which is “The National Holiday of Mongolia” – fills every empty space with eclectic colours and strong spirits. Its main event, the ‘three games of men’ is held in Ulaanbaatar, where some of…
The Northern Territory Government has this week announced the appointment of Rhonda Roberts AO (Order of Australia) as curator of the second annual Parrtjima – A Festival in Light event in Alice Springs, which will run from Friday 22nd September to Sunday 1st October 2017. A Festival in Light is the first authentic indigenous festival of…
Aladdin has been drawing massive crowds since it hit the stage at Her Majesty’s in Melbourne. We have given you our opinions here at the Arts on the AU about the performances in Sydney and Melbourne and many interviews with cast and crew of the productions showing in Australia. Just after the Melbourne production, book writer of…
Mark Vincent is an insanely busy opera singer. In a show of how much of a workhorse he is, Vincent has released seven albums since winning the third season of Australia’s Got Talent. More recently he’s been performing as part of the current Australian production of My Fair Lady, which somehow has been interspersed with recording his…
Nourishment is a fundamental part of life and a way of connecting with our loved ones regularly, so why not make those nights out count even more by supporting a good cause? This notion seems to be gaining momentum across the food industry with Song kitchen’s profit for purpose model aiming to do just that….
Throughout May and June, the Hunter Valley Wine and Food Festival returns with an enormous number and range of events highlighting produce of the region and beyond. Each year the festival returns with big, comprehensive programs so we spent three days experiencing the region, the tastes and the people to try and pull out a few…
The opening of the Queens Hotel late last year marked Merivale’s first ever venture into Sydney’s inner-west, refreshing an Enmore institution into what has now become the go-to for its gorgeous upstairs cocktail bar, The Smelly Goat, and resident dumpling kitchen Queen Chow. Now the property has added Zebra Bar to that offering, completing the…
In what is a very big step for The Lucas Group long-awaited, three-level concept restaurant Kisumé has finally been unveiled to the public, opening for lunch and dinner with designs to become a major player in Melbourne’s dining scene. Fashioned as a contemporary Japanese restaurant, Kisumé offers diners three options: the ground floor and basement…
Each year the authoritative judging panel of Diageo Reserve World Class enters, analyses, and awards the Australia’s bar scene to celebrate its top performers. Swarms of talent stand behind bars across the country each and every night, ensuring that not only are we pulled into a world of well-made cocktails and well-selected spirits, but we…
Dean Lewis is one of those artists who has an effortless charm about him. At The Great Escape this year, I was able to watch him perform twice – a proper introduction to his onstage presence – and it was undeniable, the hold the songwriter had over his audience. He’s slightly awkward, almost coy, in his…
Indie rockers The Districts are back, dropping their second single from their upcoming LP, Popular Manipulations. “If Before I Wake” is heavy on the drone, citing influences from shoegaze to The Velvet Underground. There’s a distinct sound to these guys, touching on that 00’s indie rock vibe, with some modern finesse, all moulded by vocalist Rob Grote‘s distinctive and soaring voice. Of…
One in four performing artists have attempted or considered suicide. More than one in three performing artists, and one in four industry support workers, report mental health problems (Entertainment Assist, 2014). Think about the last band you listened to, or the last gig you went to. A four person band? At least one person from…
Our friends at PBS 106.7 FM are holding their annual Radio Festival right now, driving subscriptions to one of Melbourne – and Australia’s – finest community radio stations. Entirely non-for-profit, PBS relies on subscribers to champion local and underrepresented music across Melbourne and Australia and so they’re festival drive is one of the most important…
The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses is returning to Australia and New Zealand in late August for a run of dates. The show, which performs music from the ever-popular series of Nintendo video games backed by a full orchestra, now in its fourth season, is returning with an expanded program.
It supposedly didn’t do as well as expected in its opening week in the USA, but Australians haven’t been quite so tough on King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword. In its first appearance at the Australian box office, it earned $2.32m. That’s not to say it’s been hugely successful here. Its performance at the box office so far has…
Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer is a light comedy film about a human of New York. But he’s not just any human. The eponymous Norman is a wheeler/dealer and the undisputed king of networking. The film is what you’d get if The Ides of March were directed by…
Handsome Devil is cut from the same cloth as Sing Street and Dead Poet’s Society, but it also leaves a few things deliberately ambiguous. This is a pleasant, coming-of-age tale set in a private, all-boys boarding school in Ireland. The story ends on an encouraging and positive note where you should be yourself because it…
Hoo boy. This review is gonna be all over the place. It’s going to be this way because this game, even as a concept, is all over the place. You would think that, given that Tetris is already the most grueling activity a person can engage in, interrupting it with a quick round of the colour-matcher Puyo Puyo would be as…
A fan of The Sound of Music since childhood, I have fond memories of watching the classic 1965 movie musical with my family. Then, when I got older, I watched it with my friends. Even now, I manage the yearly screening on TV. So it was definitely a dream come true for me to head…
Liz Newell and Emily McLean have returned to The Blue Room Theatre with Toast, a charming exploration of grief, loss, and family. Following the sudden death of their mother, three sisters come together to clear out their childhood home. The headstrong Candice (Alison Van Reeken), recovering alcoholic Alex (Amy Mathews), and adoptive sister Sydney (Anna…
Hendrick’s Gin is partnering with Sydney’s Siren Theatre Co to create an hour-long warehouse experience that is intriguingly light on details this June. This “journey”, as they are calling it, promises to delight your body, mind, instincts, emotions and reactions through a series of unexpected scenarios. Not to mention each ticket comes with a series…
Manly locals sure are spoiled when it comes to quintessential drinking spots. They’ve got Four Pines, which remains a favourite, and now just a short stroll down from the wharf is Manly Spirits Co., the Northern Beaches very first artisan distillery. Just opened recently for public tours, tastings and cocktails, the distillery aims to welcome…
Opened just a few weeks ago in Darlinghurst, Madame Shanghai is an old-school Shanghai street food and yum cha spot by the same team behind Sydney’s beloved Lotus restaurants and Papa Bo Min. Vintage-minded with a love of all things Chinoiserie, the new venue overlooks Hyde Park and brings a bit of Sydney’s leafy icon…
With a focus on age-old Italian cuisine, the much-anticipated trattoria-style Bacco Osteria e Espresso has now opened in Sydney, fronted by Executive Chef Andrew Cibej and Head Chef Scott Williams, both whom are well known for their work at favourites like Ester and Berta. This is their first CBD venture as a team, positioned on…
New York duo Overcoats are JJ Mitchell and Hana Elion – two musicians who have captivated our attention recently. Their debut album YOUNG is out now – exuding excitement and charm, there have been many moments on the album that caught our attention initially but more importantly, kept it. Current single “Leave The Light On” is one such example, a…
Ah, The Great Escape. Snipping at the heels of its American counterpart, SXSW, the British festival – established for music discovery – has grown considerably in recent year, drawing thousands of music fans and industry professionals out to Brighton to watch hundreds of established and emerging bands from the world over showcase their sounds in a variety of…
It’s hard to position Allday within the cohort of musicians that make up the Australian scene. From Adelaide to Melbourne to now, Los Angeles, the rapper still very much holds a place within the local music scene but to look at how his last year or so has rounded off, it’s evident that the Allday brand is…
Musicians around Australia will have the opportunity to engage in frank discussions about mental health thanks to a just announced series Music and the Mind: Panels on Mental Health, which will tour the country throughout May and June 2017. The events, presented by the Australasian Performing Right Association (ARPA AMCOS) and Support Act, will open up discussions…
Melbourne’s Splendidid (not a typo) have been crafting a niche for themselves in the inner North’s music scene over the last eight months. Voracious gigging has allowed the group to jam out riffs and melodies live, and flesh out their psych-soaked songs based on what the audience digs. Dom Alessio (triple j) describes their sound as “sunshine…
Missed the best new tracks hand-selected by our own writers? Catch up on all the goodness, from the raucous new one by Press Club to the bubbling electronic R&B beats by Ladi6, this playlist covers all bases. Get listening now! ———- This content has recently been ported from its original home on The AU Review:…
