Category: FEATURES

Kinselas Sydney Mardi Gras plans: Walk Proud on 17 February

Mardi Gras parade over a yellow background

Kinselas has been so many things to so many people and now this month – it’s going gay… er! Right in the heart of Darlinghurst, in the heavily foot-trafficked paving of Taylor’s Square, you’ll get the opportunity to see some LGBTIQA+ friendly performers and music people resident in a space as part of Walk Proud in collaboration with Johnnie Walker; open to all featuring over 40 events including music, art, talks and performances throughout its 3-week residence. The stellar line-up will be headlined by some of the world’s biggest talent across all queer identities, including critically acclaimed non-binary musician G Flip, Queer Folk-Pop artist Alex The Astronaut, Australian Pop Band Cub Sport and AFL legend Sabrina Frederick. The iconic Kinselas will also be sporting a new facade, with a specially designed mural by inclusive Australian Fashion Label Double Rainbouu Founder, Mikey Nolan. The mural, to be unveiled on 17th February, is one of the largest in Sydney’s Rainbow City, designed to represent the many identities that form part of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Pullman Sydney Hyde Park: Mardi Gras on the corner of Oxford Street

Sydney drag queen smiling

When you can stay in the centre of Sydney, why not let this season’s annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras party come to you! A stay at the Pullman Sydney Hyde Park, literally right on the corner of Oxford Street and the parade’s doling pen on Hyde Park will ensure that – and a great night ahead. With a few options for those who want to hit the celebrations hard and harder, then Pullman has put on a few offers that are sure to help you on your way. Pre-game for Mardi Gras They’re offering the chance to level-up your experience with an exclusive event at Pullman Sydney Hyde Park where the lobby will be transformed into an entertainment precinct to elevate your Mardi Gras experience. Enjoy an evening of vibrant art, entertainment and premium food and drinks all designed to make your Mardi Gras experience fabulous.  Your tickets will include a 5-hour premium food and beverage package including Little Creatures Pale Ale, Kylie Minogue Wines, DeBortoli King Valley Prosecco, World Pride-inspired canapes, drag performances by Kara Zmatiq and Vybe, DJ performances by Leow and Ben Fox, Plus live band throughout the night. First-release tickets are available now for $229

Melbourne’s Spanish Steps: renowned cellist in town

Woman playing cello in a gallery

The Australian Brandenburg Orchestra will perform with special guest musician, Canadian American cellist Elinor Frey in her Australian debut for the first concert series of 2023, Spanish Steps. Transporting audiences to the Spanish Steps in Rome, the concert’s rich program explores Italian composers and their affinity with Spain in an era of cultural enlightenment. The concerts will take place at Sydney’s City Recital Hall from 24 February – 10 March 2023 and Melbourne Recital Centre from 2 – 5 March 2023. The Australian Brandenburg Orchestra has fast become synonymous with the best in Australian baroque music, played between Sydney, Melbourne and countless other cities and venues around the world. Founded by Paul Dyer, he said, “we are so excited to be joined on stage by Elinor Frey in February for what will be her debut Australian performances. Elinor is such a spectacular musician, one I have wanted to bring to Australia for quite some time, and this program will really show off the rich and wondrous sounds of two different period cellos by way of rarely-performed works by Boccherini and the Australian première of Sammartini’s Concerto for piccolo cello. “We’ve once again enlisted award winning designer, Alexander Berlage to work on this production, and we plan to really immerse the audience in a fiery, Spanish-inspired world. It will be a riveting way to start the year for the Brandenburg!” Playing seldom performed works by Boccherini and Sammartini, guest performer Elinor Frey will reveal her astounding artistry, playing two separate cellos throughout the concert including the violoncello piccolo, an instrument rarely performed live. She will be joined onstage by the full orchestra led… Read More

Sydney Mardi Gras headliners: Sugababes, Agnes, DJ Kitty Glitter and more announced!

Kim Petras Mardi Gras

And the time to get loose with excitement’s here – Sydney Mardi Gras’ headliners are out and they’re huge! Swedish icon Agnes, British queens Sugababes and Australia’s own Kitty Glitter and over 50+ more have been dropped and tickets are the hottest things in town. You’ll have the chance to lose yourself in the ultimate party playground, the highly anticipated line-up for the sold out Mardi Gras Party 2023! It is promising a re-imagined footprint with headliner artists, International DJs and performances spanning across 7 venues, with all-night programming. Taking place after the iconic Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade on Saturday 25 February, the Mardi Gras Party will host over 10,000 party-goers for the biggest and longest-running LGBTQIA+ dance party in the Southern Hemisphere. The entertainment spaces are endless, so head to the Sydney Mardi Gras website here for more, but for more about the gigs you’ll see, scroll on… Acts to see at Sydney Mardi Gras 2023 Performing at Mardi Gras Party is none other than UK chart-toppers Sugababes, who are returning to Australia for the first time in over two decades with their original line-up of Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Siobhan Donaghy. Fresh off their latest release The Lost Tapes, these era-defying British sensations have six Number One UK singles, millions of global sales, and multiple multi-platinum albums under their belts, and are known for their smooth vocals and magical harmonies offset by garage and alternative soundscapes. Experience the electric energy of one Swedish pop music’s hottest stars, as spiritual disco diva Agnes takes the stage… Read More

Taking bands back to their roots: Crooked Colours in Brisbane

Crooked Colours band

Aussie music legends, Crooked Colours, will head back to the venue that gave them their big break, The Brightside, Brisbane, for a one-night only gig open to the public on 9 March 2023. So if local music vibes are your thing – preferably with a drink-in-hand courtesy of Smirnoff, then this is for you. It’s happening thanks to the Smirnoff Origins series where Smirnoff Seltzer is taking Australia’s biggest musicians back to the venues that gave them their start, supported by the country’s most hotly-tipped talent. In a series of one-night-only intimate gigs hosted along the eastern seaboard, the events-Smirnoff Origins-will pay homage to the crucial role that live music plays in helping emerging talent cut their teeth, build their fan base and become fully fledged stars. Crooked Colours are next to step up to the stage, returning to Brisbane’s much loved nightclub,The Brightside on March 9, 2023.The Perth based duo found their feet at the iconic Brisbane venue, and this summer they will return to the venue where they honed their skills as musicians, generated fans and found their love for performing. Following on from one of the band’s biggest inspirations The Presets, whose Smirnoff Origins Sydney show sold out within 30 minutes, the next instalment of Smirnoff Origins is sure to be the hottest gig this summer. Crooked Colours are also tasked with finding Smirnoff’s hottest opening act, putting the call out to Queenslanders to find an emerging new artist to open their show. The chosen artist will also receive a $5,000 performance fee,double gold tickets… Read More

Opera Australia’s chorus is getting their own run

Men women colour chous

From 4 February to 10 March this year, Opera Australia’s chorus will take centre stage, hogging the limelight for the first time in – ever! It’s an exciting time for any chorister, new or established, as they take to the centre stage of the Sydney Opera House’s Joan Sutherland Theatre in a new work sensibly named Chorus! The Opera Australia Chorus are the nation’s only full-time opera chorus and one of the busiest and most celebrated in the world, often praised by international singers and conductors as one of the finest choruses they’ve had the opportunity to work with. In addition to the operas that form OA’s 2023 summer season, the Chorus will present this one-hour concert production exploring musical terrain spanning five languages and three centuries of music. Iconic choral pieces from popular operas such as Madama Butterfly, Il Trovatore and Rigoletto, as well as lesser-known gems, will delight both the opera aficionado and those new to the artform. Chorus! will guide audiences on a journey through time exploring humanity and conflict and a return to nature and celebration of unity. Raw sets, costumes and lighting designs all place the focus on the mesmerising force of these voices and reflect the underpinned theme of togetherness, which is the essence of the Chorus itself. For more info and tickets, head to the Opera Australia website

Opera For All: free in Melbourne this February

Opera Australia Melbourne

If you’re looking for something of the musical variety to kill an hour this February in central Melbourne, consider Opera Australia’s first Opera For All! They have announced a stellar line-up of four brilliant singers to perform in the free BMW Opera for All concert in Fed Square on Saturday 4 February between 4pm-5pm. Annual concerts take place in Munich, and the series has also been staged in Berlin, London, and Moscow and now Melbourne’s joined the list, living up the city’s European heritage, feel and reputation as culturally iconographic. Singing some of opera’s most famous arias, the cast will comprise soprano Sophie Salvesani, direct from her mainstage opera debut in the recent acclaimed production of Don Giovanni; Melbourne-born and three time Green Room Award-winning mezzo-soprano Dimity Shepherd; Korean tenor Simon Kim, known for his concert performances with Opera Australia and internationally; and acclaimed baritone Luke Gabbedy whose recent role debut in La Traviata received high praise. The free, summer afternoon, open-air concert will feature opera’s biggest hits from Verdi to Puccini for an hour of thrilling high notes and soaring harmonies; it is the perfect way to dip your toe into opera for the first time or revisit some of opera’s best. For a flavour of what it might be like, checkl out our previous coverage on Opera Australia’s outdoor spectacles they host annually. 4pm-5pm, 4 February 2023 Tickets are free with no registration required | Fed Square, Melbourne opera.org.au/events/bmw-opera-for-all

Why chartering a yacht this summer is a must

Yacht

Doesn’t matter whether you’re talking an Australian summer, or a flash European trip along the Italian Riviera, chartering a yacht is one of those treats in life you’ve got to jump at when you have the chance. And here’s why! We spoke to Borrow A Boat, pioneering the route to getting your own yacht for any summer. A yacht for everyone There are so many benefits to chartering a yacht; first and foremost, you get the benefits of ownership without having to invest. Why own 100% of an asset when you only use it for a few sunny weeks of a year or a few days per month? Chartering a yacht gives you ultimate flexibility and freedom of choice. Jason Gasparro, COO of Borrow A Boat, explains, “You can chop and change and have a different boat each week in a different place if you choose to use the BAB marketplace like ours.” Aside from the varied choice of boats, you have with chartering; you can prioritise the boats with cutting-edge and new technology each time – something you cannot do with the wear and tear associated with ownership. Complete customisation Another factor that is not easy with ownership is the utilisation; however, with chartering, you can customise your experience each time. You can pick and choose the yachts that cater to your specific trip’s needs. You may want all the best water toys and fishing equipment onboard for that trip with your friends, a romantic setting for a special occasion, spa and wellness amenities… Read More

Show love with a gift this Valentine’s Day: gift guide

Holding hands couple

The day of love is back again on 14 February, so if dinner and a movie don’t cut it anymore, consider showing them the love they deserve with something frivolous and material! We’ve done a round-up of some great gift ideas going around at the moment… TheraFace PRO Give your loved ones the opportunity for a spa-like experience in the comfort of their own home. The ultimate gift for facial health – TheraFace PRO is a relaxing facial massage meets the facial treatments we all love, all in one device. Reduce tension and relax facial muscles with the technology behind Theragun percussive therapy, now designed for the face. For the partner who loves all things skincare, this is the perfect Valentine’s gift. Get it for $599. Nordgreen watch set Celebrate love with Nordgreen and get a timeless watch set with up to 20% off this Valentine’s Day. Not only will Nordgreen support a charity of your choice with every purchase, but the watches are so nice you barely need any other reason to consider one for your special someone. With sets for men, sets for women and your very own set builder, the choice just makes sense. PowerDot Don’t let period pain cramp your relationship. If your partner suffers from muscle pain, the PowerDot is the perfect solution. This device uses an electrical current to stimulate the sensory nerves which in effect, suppresses the pain signals that are being sent to the brain to provide temporary relief. A thoughtful gift for a loved one, the PowerDot… Read More