Sydney

Last month, I flew on United Airlines’ Transpacific service for the first time in almost two years. This time from Los Angeles to Sydney. I’ve been flying United over the Pacific fairly regularly over the last two decades, and every time I note that the experience has continued to improve. So was that the case…

With sexual fluidity becoming more a open topic of discussion and exploration, it’s quite surprising how revelatory something like Gravity still feels in 2025; Bradford Elmore‘s sexual celebratory romantic dramedy that flips the usual boy-meets-girl narrative with a boy-meets-boy-meets-girl layering. A tale of two distinct love stories unfolding simultaneously, Gravity initially sets up the meet-cute between Heather (Annabelle Kablean, comedically…

I’ve been fortunate in my time to see some of the biggest acts of not only my life, but objectively all time. From Paul McCartney to Taylor Swift, Arctic Monkeys and Florence + The Machine, The Strokes and The Cure, I look forward to telling my future children that I got to witness some of…

For a decade now, The AU Review’s parent company Heath Media have been proud to curate the annual summer free, all-ages series Seymour Nights in Sydney. The event takes over the courtyard at the Seymour Centre at the corner of City Road & Cleveland Road for a series of concerts showcasing emerging artists from Sydney…

Walking through the doors of The Grand Electric was like stepping back into a 1920s speakeasy. A circular stage dominates the centre of the room, with chairs and tables scattered around it. Above the stage, like the crowning jewel, sits an enormous disco ball, that showers the room in dancing bursts of light. The mood…

The SXSW Sydney Games Festival is now back, and it’s bringing the heat. Across one dynamic week, the festival unites some of the most daring, inventive, and genre-defying titles from across the world, spotlighting the visionaries shaping the future of play. The celebration will reach its crescendo on Saturday, the 18th of October, with the…

The First Annual Liberty Ball took place at Sydney’s Liberty Hall, featuring incredible international and local artists. Headlining the night was  Nashville-based American singer Nikki Lane and her band. Nikki has that cool vintage Americana twang sound with raspy vocals and absolutely killed it. On the outdoor stage were Laid Back Country Pickers all the…

Inspired by the music of Dolly Parton, Here You Come Again is a new musical that celebrates the country musician in the most unique way. The story centres on a forty-year-old man, Kevin (Dash Kruck), who is caught in a mid-life crisis during the pandemic. For this iteration of Here You Come Again, he is…

This weekend saw legendary Sydney band Drop City play Sydney’s Factory Theatre to mark the 30th Anniversary of their seminal 1995 release Magic Transistor Radio. From the moment the first chords rang out, the crowd was transported back to the 90s psychedelia sounds from Drop City. The guitars shimmered with reverb-soaked textures, layered against a…

Tick Tick Boom! The Hives just laid proof as title holders to the current “Best Live Rock and Roll Bands In The World” with a wild performance from the Swedish Kings at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre. Led by the marquee of lead singers Howlin Pelle Almqvist, his lethal brother Niklas on guitar plus their dangerous band…

British singer-songwriter Olivia Dean announces a one-night only headline performance on November 20th this year. This show will take place outdoors at the Fleet Steps, Mrs Macquaries Point, with the show titled Evening At The Fleet Steps. The Evening At The Fleet Steps show will be in support of Dean’s new album The Art of Loving…

Faye Webster on her Underdressed At The Symphony Australian tour delivered an impressively intimate set, showcasing her laid-back folk and cool indie‑rock with her exceptional band at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre. Hailing from Atlanta Georgia, Faye beautifully played tracks from her back catalogue to a sold out Enmore Theatre the first of two sold out shows…

Cloud Control celebrated 15 years of their debut album Bliss Release to a sold out Sydney’s Enmore Theatre on a freezing Friday night sounding as good as ever. The show kicked off with “Dojo Rising” off their 2013 release Dream Cave, “Rainbow City” and “The Smoke, The Feeling” before breaking into their classic award winning…

Australia’s loveliest band, Ball Park Music, turned it up a notch and delivered one of the most wholesome (and at times funny) sets at the Enmore Theatre as part of their Like Love album tour. With the Sydney crowd in the palm of their hands, the Brisbane locals’ set left everyone feeling loved up and…

Chelsea Wolfe’s return to Sydney at the Metro Theatre was a mesmerizing display of her signature darkwave artistry. Performing to a packed out theatre, Wolfe captivated the audience with a set that spanned her illustrious career, showcasing the haunting beauty and intensity that connects her with the fans. The tour continues with gigs in Brisbane,…

Slowdive, the shoegaze pioneers from the UK, returned to Australia with New York’s indie darlings, Beach Fossils, performing at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre, the first of two nights. Slowdive’s performance was a masterclass in atmospheric sound. They transported the audience into a world of lush reverb and delicate melodies with the opener “Avalyn”, and tracks including…

Australian writers, Jamila Rizvi and Rosie Waterland are unlikely friends. This odd couple met while working together at Mama Mia online and are now co-authors. Their book, Broken Brains is about their unvarnished lived experiences with different forms of brain sickness. The Sydney Opera House was the first stop on the pair’s book tour. It…

Aussie Indie Artists is a Q&A series with smaller Aussie creators that shares exciting new works, finds new angles towards the art, and peeks behind the scenes. Fabian Artunduaga’s collages are seamless worlds for you to inhabit, if just for a single dramatic moment. Working under the name HouseCatStudio, the Sydney-based artist layers photography, collage,…

The HerStory Arts Festival (23 – 26 April 2025), presented by Lost Voices Australia Inc. aims to celebrate and amplify women’s stories, especially those that have been lost to HIStory. The three-day event, which includes plays, readings of poetry, memoirs, essays, along with musical performances and art displays, is designed to foster creativity and ignite…

This 65-minute mini musical, playing at the Sydney Opera House, is based on four books in the Dog Man comic book series, including Dog Man (2016), Dog Man Unleashed (2016), Dog Man A Tale of Two Kitties (2017), and Dog Man Lord of the Fleas (2018) by Dav Pilkey. Geared towards readers and fans 8…

Iconic 1980s jangly guitar rock band Ups and Downs known for their perfect pop sound return on their 40th Anniversary tour. There’s something beautifully nostalgic about seeing a classic Aussie guitar band like Ups and Downs at a venue like the Marrickville Bowlo. It’s the kind of place where the floorboards creak with history and…

ALT: GAMES, Sydney’s brand new and first major dedicated games festival, will hit Western Sydney this weekend. Taking place across PHIVE, Parramatta Town Hall, and Parramatta Square, ALT: GAMES will highlight Australian gamers, developers, and industry leaders for a weekend of innovation, creativity, and connection. Taking place over the 12th and 13th of April, ALT:…

Sydney’s boutique record store, Impressed Recordings are going all out at this Saturday’s Record Store Day in their Woolloomooloo Music Hub. Highlights include an exclusive collaboration with Merch Jungle, in-store performances from Maddy Jane and Loose Content as well as beverages from Heaps Normal.  Merch Jungle is Australia’s leading concert merchandise provider, so expect some…

Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter played their legendary album Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols in its entirety! We were luckly enough to have one of the most iconic and influential records in punk history live at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion. The band’s original members—guitarist Steve Jones, drummer Paul Cook, and bassist Glen Matlock…

Hailing from its original run at Melbourne Theatre Company in 2023, Sydney has been blessed to have a season of Bloom, a new Australian musical, playing at the Sydney Theatre Company. Writer, Tom Gleisner, is hesitant on referring to this production as such, suggesting it, “would be enough to frighten most people off, let alone…

You Am I on their Hi Fi Daily Double Down tour performed the first show of two at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre, playing in their entirety the classic albums Hourly Daily and Hi Fi Way. Marking the 30th Anniversary of Hi Fi Way, Tim Rogers, the unstoppable force of Rock and Roll was backed brilliantly by…

Great Southern Nights is back with over 330 live gigs scheduled to be perform at a range of venue types across Sydney, Western Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong and the Central Coast region, along with Orange, Byron Bay, Broken Hill, the Hunter Valley, Bathurst, Tilba and Tamworth. Great Southern Nights is a collaboration between artists and venues;…

Following a string of memorable performances at major international festivals last summer, including Glastonbury Festival (UK), Rock in Rio Lisbon (Portugal), and Tinderbox Festival (Denmark), Camila Cabello will kick off the Yours, C tour in Marbella, Spain, before hitting Australia this August. Known for her high energy live shows, Camila will return to the stage…

Fontaines D.C. a post-punk band formed in Dublin, Ireland played one of the best live shows Sydney has seen in a long long time on their ROMANCE Australian tour. After just being announced as Best International Group at the 2025 BRIT Awards, I would go further and call them the best band in the world!…

If you have read just about any review of a JPEGMAFIA show, you’ll see that everyone uses the word ‘raw’ to describe the experience. I would know; I’ve used it every time I’ve reviewed his shows. It’s used because, at every show of his, you’ll find Peggy on stage alone – no crew hype man…