Every week, the BH office is alive with chatter about the midweek event, the new pub opening, or that artist we’ve been meaning to see finally landing at the Domain. Living in Sydney, with a vested interest in Melbourne and Brisbane, we’re constantly swapping tips, recommendations, and excuses to make the most of the weekly bookend.
And why wouldn’t we? A bad day here is 25 and sunny, and it’d be a crying shame to start the weekend without a plan. You know what they say: if it’s 7 AM in Sydney, you’re already too late.
So, we’ve decided to collate the weekend activity into one tidy place. The Weekend Edit is our new weekly hit list of the best things to see, do, eat, and drink in Sydney and beyond. There aren’t many rules, really. If it’s cool, worth your time, and likely to make your weekend better, it’s going in. Oh, and I promise to never chuck in a farmers market.
Sydney
Friday 6 November
A night at the opera (bar)
I’ve already given this one a Lowdown shout-out earlier in the week, but it certainly feels like a satisfying start to the new series to send Sydneysiders to one of our most iconic bars – or, at least, the bar attached to an icon.
But after a timely renovation from award-winning design studio Luchetti Krelle, Opera Bar once again flings open its doors today under the Applejack banner, delivering local ingredients and a revamped drinks list.
If that’s not enough to get you over there for an after-work sharpener, we’re looking at a balmy 22ºC from 5 PM today in Sydney, and there’ll be few places better to watch the sun go down than the Quay.
Affordable Art Fair
I’ll admit that “Affordable Art Fair” sounds a little like something you’d find advertised on a community noticeboard, but the Sydney edition is actually a pretty good excuse to spend a Saturday afternoon looking at things you’d break a rental agreement for.
Back at Carriageworks from 10 AM to 5 PM until Sunday, the fair brings together more than 75 Australian galleries, with thousands of original works ranging from $100 to $10,000. Tickets are $30, so you’re already part of the way to investing in your first or third piece. Worst case? You don’t find anything. But at least you’re in the area for a Brewdog or Mountain Culture. Now you’re talking…
Saturday 7 November
Central Station Records 50th Anniversary + Vinyl Reunion
Central Station Records is celebrating its 50th anniversary by returning to its old spiritual home on Oxford Street, with a vinyl fair running from 2 PM before the whole thing turns into a birthday party from 7:30 PM. House, techno, trance, dance, and hip-hop, with a rather serious roster of Sydney DJs selling records from their personal collections.
There are few better ways to spend a Saturday afternoon than rummaging through someone else’s record collection, particularly when that collection belongs to some of the people who helped build Sydney’s dance music scene.
Sunday 8 November
Echoes of Us
And if your ears aren’t yet ringing in tandem with the varying vinyls spinning through Saturday (and you’re after something a little less civilised), Echoes of Us is bringing a fairly heavyweight electronic line-up to Sydney on Sunday, with HILLS, MALAA, Marten Hørger, Matroda, SIDEPIECE, and Wax Motif all on the bill.
It was originally meant to take over White Bay Power Station, which would have been a pretty spectacular setting, but the event has since moved to Home The Venue at Darling Harbour. A 3 PM start qualifies this event as a Sunday Funday (and maybe a questionable Monday morning).
Freeform Open Air
For something slightly more civilised, head to the Freeform Open Air for very good electronic music, pizza, drinks, sunshine, and Poor Tom’s Oltra in Marrickville.
Another 3 PM start, with everyone in the shuffling crowd hoping that British DJ and producer Midland drops Final Credits at some point, followed by New York’s Galcher Lustwerk, and a local back-to-back from Adi Toohey and Lauren Hansom. Only the second release ($69.95) tickets are left. If I didn’t have a baby shower to attend, this is where I’d end up.
Sunday Service at Porcine
Sunday lunch is one of the great Australian weekend institutions, and this is a pretty good excuse to do it properly.
This Sunday, Emlyn Bilbie (aka @Pizza_Lorrd) is taking over the courtyard at L’Avant Cave in Paddington for a one-off session, firing up the Gozney ovens for Porcine-inspired pizzas and snacks, with guest wines from Aristotelis ke Anthoula. It runs from midday until 6 PM, so there’s plenty of time to settle in, eat something charred, and roll into the evening.
Melbourne
Saturday 7 November
Echoes of Us
Melbourne gets the first crack at Echoes of Us, with the new electronic festival landing at Shipment Yard in Port Melbourne on Saturday afternoon.
The line-up is suitably ridiculous for a first edition (and the same as Sydney’s), with HILLS, MALAA, Marten Hørger, Matroda, SIDEPIECE, and Will K all playing from 3 PM. It’s pitched somewhere between house, minimal tech, and techno so plan accordingly.
Champions Stakes Day, Flemington
Melbourne Cup Week gets one final outing on Saturday, with Champions Stakes Day bringing the curtain down at Flemington.
There are three Group 1 races on the card, including the 2000m Champions Stakes, the Champions Mile, and the Champions Sprint, with $9 million in prize money up for grabs across the features.
Gates open at 10:40 AM, the first race is at 12:40 PM, and the last is at 5:50 PM. There’s also a rather appealing post-racing proposition, with FISHER taking over the Elms Live Stage for an Off the Rails party. Entry is free with a general admission ticket, which seems a pretty good way to finish Cup Week, provided you haven't already had quite enough of it.
Levels: HANÀ
If you want something a little faster-paced, Scottish DJ HANÀ is taking over Brown Alley on Saturday night.
The 10-hour party runs from 9 PM through to 7 AM, with three levels and four rooms covering everything from R&B and hip-hop to house, trance, techno, hard techno, and hardstyle. HANÀ herself is known for high-energy hardbounce sets, so it might start to get some concerned notifications from your WHOOP around midnight.
Sunday 8 November
Shoppie Williams
Fresh off the Melbourne Cup performance, Robbie Williams has opened a temporary shop in Prahran: part pop-up store, part exhibition, and part merch shrine, with original artwork, drawings, fashion from his Hopeium label, vinyl, memorabilia, and exclusive merchandise. There are also daily giveaways for tickets to his upcoming Australian shows.
It runs until Wednesday 11th November, so even if you can’t peel away this weekend, you’ll have a couple more chances to have a look before the whole thing moves on.
Brisbane
Friday 6 November
Wax Motif
Brisbane-born, LA-based DJ Wax Motif is back on home turf this Friday, taking over Prohibition in Fortitude Valley from 9 PM.
His sound sits somewhere between house, bass, R&B, and hip-hop, and he’s gone from the Australian club circuit to playing some of the biggest dance floors in the world, with production credits alongside names including Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign. It’s a pretty good homecoming story; definitely one to check out tonight.
Saturday 7 November
Nitō
From the team behind Clarence, chefs Ben McShane and Matt Kuhnemann have officially opened the doors to Nitō, a Japanese-inspired grill that’s low-lit, dark red, and deliberately a little rough around the edges, with an open kitchen and a record player behind the bar.
There's a 45-bottle wine list, Japanese sake, champagne, and a highball and cocktail program to work through. Brisbane’s Fish Lane has a new resident.
Sunday 8 November
Ocean Wisdom
Brisbane doesn’t get enough grime, so Ocean Wisdom’s return to Australia after nearly a decade is a good place to round out the weekend.
The London rapper last toured here in 2017, and he’s back at The Beaumont on Sunday for a headline show. He’s worked with the likes of Dizzee Rascal, Method Man, and P Money, to name a few. It’s a 4 PM kick-off, which means you can get your Sunday night cultural enrichment in without completely destroying the week ahead.