Doctor Who Festival Sydney November 2015

The official Doctor Who Festival is coming to Australia for the first time, and will provide fans of all ages with exclusive access into the magic and the secrets behind your favourite program.

The Festival will be held on the 21st & 22nd November 2015 at the Royal Hall of Industries and Hordern Pavilion, the Doctor Who Festival promises fans a unique insight into the imagination and skills put into bringing an episode of Doctor Who to you. This includes exclusive access to the people that make it happen, giving you the chance to get inside the adventure.

What is the difference between the Cybermen and Dalek tickets?

The difference is simply the times at which you will go into the theatre for the three theatre sessions included in your ticket. This allows everyone the opportunity to see the cast and to make the most of their visit.

Event Dates:

Saturday:

• Cybermen
• Darlek

Sunday:

• Cybermen
• Darlek

MEET THE CAST*

Your chance to attend a Q&A session which will get you closer than ever before to Twelfth Doctor, Peter Capaldi, with more cast yet to be announced.



MEET THE WRITERS*

Hear from the experts who create the storylines of your favourite programme, including lead writer and executive producer, Steven Moffat and find out how the Doctor’s many adventures are developed from script to screen.



MEET THE MONSTERS*

Experience the work that goes into creating iconic Doctor Who monsters right in front of your eyes, with live monster make-up demonstrations and interactive monster workshops.



MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED

As we get closer to November, more cast and activities will be revealed. Register here to sign up to the newsletter for more information, and like the official Doctor Who Facebook page to keep up to date with the latest announcements.

Get Tickets at Ticketek 

Def Leppard with Special Guests Live - Australia Tour

Def Leppard, one of the world’s dominating powerhouses of rock have announced their 2015 Australian tour.

With over 100 million albums sold worldwide and two prestigious Diamond Awards to their name, Def Leppard have gone on to become one of the most highly praised bands in rock music. Since 1992, the band has consisted of Joe Elliott (lead vocals), Rick Savage (bass, backing vocals), Rick Allen (drums, backing vocals), Phil Collen (guitar, backing vocals), and Vivian Campbell (guitar, backing vocals).

Def Leppard’s trademark sound and groundbreaking albums, such as Pyromania and Hysteria, have earned them massive hits – songs such as Pour Some Sugar On Me, Photograph, Hysteria, Let’s Get Rocked, Animal, Rock of Ages, When Love & Hate Collide and Love Bites have all dominated the airwaves globally. These powerful melodic rock anthems, along with their spectacular live shows are what makes this super group one of the most impressive rock bands out there.

Def Leppard will be supported by special guests Live, who achieved worldwide success with their 1994 album, Throwing Copper, which spawned the huge hits Lightening Crashes, I Alone and All Over You. Rolling Stone and MTV both dubbed the album "one of the 25 Greatest Rock Albums of All-Time", while tastemakers from Spin to The New York Times lauded it with equal praise. This is the first time Australian audiences will be introduced to Live’s new front man, Chris Shinn, who joined the band in 2012.

TOUR DATES:

Qantas Credit Union Arena, Sydney Tue 17 Nov

Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Wed 18 Nov

Find out more and get tickets

Say ‘Konichiwa’ to the Japanese Festival!

Say ‘Konichiwa’ to the Japanese Festival!

We’ve been to Nepal, Malaysia, Brazil and Myanmar, we’ve even celebrated Christmas in Poland, and now our Culture Beats festival program is heading to the Land of the Rising Sun, with the Japanese Festival (or ‘Matsuri’) on 13 December!

Celebrating an ancient culture and a modern society, the Japanese Festival will bring the nation’s best food, drink and entertainment right to the heart of Sydney in Tumbalong Park.
Eat, Drink

Indulge in delicious, fresh Japanese delicacies with food stalls from some of Sydney’s finest. Colotakoinvite you to enjoy their trademark takoyaki (fried octopus served with tempura, pickled ginger and green onions), ebiyaki (prawn), or kaniyaki (crab, with the claw attached!). Momiji is serving up the noodle dish yakisoba straight off the teppan, and skewered fishcakes. 

Sushi Samurai will have crispy karaage (fried chicken), gyoza and okonomiyaki (savoury pancake) plus icy cold kakigori (shaved ice with syrup and condensed milk), perfect for a sunny summer Saturday! At Big Crunch Sushi you’ll have the choice of sushi rolls, uramaki and ‘sushi munch’ boxes in a variety of flavour options like teriyaki chicken, tuna, spicy tuna, salmon or vegetarian. Bao Dao Taiwainese Kitchen are dishing up Asian-style pancakes, and Kiyamachi Tei have okonomiyaki, yakisoba, and karaage.

At Thanks Foods you’ll find okonomiyaki, yakisoba, Japanese curry rice and karaage, while Thanks Martwill be selling Ramune (Japanese lemonade), Japanese ice popsicles, rice crackers, sticky rice with soy flour and brown sugar syrup, and rice balls. Sydney Okinawan Club is offering up Okinawa soba (an authentic noodle dish specific to the Okinawa prefecture), udon, Okinawa curry, rice ball, and ramune. As a special treat, every customer at their stall will go home with a small but very precious gift – Okinawa star sand. 

Tall Grass Cane Juice return to Tumablong Park to sweeten and refresh, and Maryu will be serving up Ebisen (a crunchy, shrimp-flavoured snack food) and onions rings, as well as selling drinks like ocha (green tea) and ramune, plus souvenirs like slippers, handheld fans (tradition manual fans and modern electric fans) and beauty products like hand cream and face cream!
Be Merry

Onstage, we’ve got some incredible performances in store, from traditional music and dance to modern performance; from sushi-making demonstrations to karaoke and sumo wrestling! The Anime Sydneyband, a collective of university anime clubs from across Sydney, will be doing covers of well known anime songs for local fans. 

Yo-yo wizard Wayne X will show why he is the best in the business, Shiho Sparkle Hooper will show off her special hula-hoop dance routines, and Master Sushi Chef Hideo Dekura will show how it’s done in a demonstration presented by Kikkoman. Singer Makoto Tanaka will perform a blend of Japanese folk songs and western classics, calligraphy artist Renclub will give a unique performance, and local cosplayers will give an insight into the subculture with a cosplay show. 

The Australian Sumo Federation will delight with displays from a sport that is both athletic and performative, dance group Team ACE will amaze, and the Live DAM Karaoke system from Japan is back for another year to thrill the audience and pit competitors (will you be one?) against each other.

And that’s just the start of it! All this and so much more will be on offer this weekend at the Japanese Festival. Don’t miss out!

EVENT DETAILS:
Japanese Festival
Tumbalong Park
10am – 7:30pm, 13 December
Full program and getting here

Big Picture Film Festival 2014

The Big Picture Film Festival will upend your expectations of a film festival. It is a unique, boutique collection of the most exciting new documentary and fiction films from around the world.

The Festival showcases those who have taken a stand against social inequality. It is about those who have, and are, making change in society. It’s about showing how involvement, passion and commitment can bring about positive change and it encourages you to get involved.

Each of the carefully selected films are stimulating, provocative and persuasive in their examination of issues important to us all. So be part of a movement for change by seeing The Big Picture Film Festival.

See. Think. Change.

EVENT SCHEDULE:

 Wednesday 19 March 20147:00 PM Event Cinema CityBelle | Opening Night

Thursday 20 March 2014 6:30 PM Event Cinema CityThe Missing Picture

8:30 PM Event Cinema CityBlue Caprice 

 Friday 21 March 2014 2:00 PM Event Cinema CityBelle

 6:30 PM Event Cinema CityDormant Beauty

 8:45 PM Event Cinema CityTrap Street

 Saturday 22 March 20141:00 PM Event Cinema CitySneezing Baby Panda

 6:00 PM Event Cinema CityIf You Build It

 8:30 PM Event Cinema CityMetro Manila

 Sunday 23 March 2014 2:00 PM Event Cinema CityGideons Army

 4:00 PM Event Cinema CityBeatriz's War

6:30 PMEvent Cinema CityAL Helm Martin Luther King in Palestine

Monday 24 March 20142:00 PMEvent Cinema CityThe New World

6:30 PMEvent Cinema CityHalf of a Yellow Sun

8:30 PMEvent Cinema CityBlood Brother

 Tuesday 25 March 2014 2:00 PM Event Cinema CityDormant Beauty

6:30 PMEvent Cinema CityNo Evidence of disease

 Wednesday 26 March 2014 6:30 PM Event Cinema LiverpoolRise Of The Eco-Warriors

 8:30 PM Event Cinema LiverpoolMiss Nikki and The Tiger Girls

Thursday 27 March 2014 11:00 AM Event Cinema LiverpoolBelle

 6:30 PM Event Cinema LiverpoolAL Helm Martin Luther King in Palestine

 8:30 PM Event Cinema LiverpoolBlood Brother

 Friday 28 March 2014 11:00 AMEvent Cinema LiverpoolHalf of a Yellow Sun

6:30 PM Event Cinema LiverpoolThe Missing Picture 

8:30 PM Event Cinema LiverpoolMetro Manila 

 Saturday 29 March 2014 1:00 PM Event Cinema LiverpoolSneezing Baby Panda

 6:30 PM Casula Powerhouse Arts CentreIf You Build It

 Saturday 22 March 2104 4:00 PM Event Cinema CityMiss Nikki and The Tiger Girls

View the official Big Picture Film Festival Website

Metro Hotels is an official sponsor of the Big Picture Film Festival

Homebake Opera House: Paul Kelly, Gurrumul, Presets and Bernard Fanning Among Headliners

Rock everyman: Bernard Fanning will play at Homebake on the Opera House forecourt.

Homebake will be a three-day festival at the Opera House on December 6 to 8

The rumours that 2013 Homebake festival will be held on the steps of the Sydney Opera House have been confirmed by the event's organisers – but that was just the start of changes to the long-running Australian Music festival for its 18th birthday.

Homebake, for 17 years a one-day event, will be run as a boutique festival over three days at the Opera House forecourt, in conjunction with the Opera House’s 40th anniversary.

Paul Kelly and Gurrumul Yunupingu will headline a folk-rock focused opening day, on Friday, December 6, from 4pm. The Presets and Cat Empire will head a dance-focused bill on Saturday, December 7, and the closing day, Sunday, December 8, has a rock line-up led by Birds of Tokyo, Bernard Fanning, You Am I, The Rubens and the Beasts of Bourbon. On Saturday and Sunday, gates open at 2pm.

Gurrumul Yunupingu will headline a folk-rock focused opening day. Photo: Rob Gunstone

The capacity will be slashed from 20,000 at the Domain to 5000 per day. But organisers say Homebake will still feature other entertainment, such as comedy, market stalls, bars and food outlets.

The capacity will be slashed from 20,000 at the Domain to 5000 per day. But organisers say Homebake will still feature other entertainment, such as comedy, market stalls, bars and food outlets.

Sydney Opera House chief executive Louise Herron said Homebake co-promoter Michael Chugg was behind one of the first concerts on the forecourt, which featured Stevie Wright, Skyhooks, Richard Clapton and Split Enz.

"Our 40th Anniversary is all about drawing on our heritage, as we launch into the future and the next generation of artists, audiences and visitors to the Opera House.  So it is wonderful to be welcoming Michael Chugg and Homebake onto the forecourt as part of our celebrations.”

Chugg said the Sydney Opera House was ‘‘a special place’’.

“I have wonderful memories of delivering shows from some of the best Australian acts on those very steps, from the ... Concert of the Decade to the Crowded House Farewell To The World tour.’’
Homebake is expected to revert to a one-day festival in the Domain from 2014.

Homebake’s 18th birthday edition is on December 6-8 and takes place at the Sydney Opera House forecourt and surrounds. Tickets go on sale next Wednesday, September 25 at 9am, from www.homebake.com.au and www.oztix.com.au

ACTS LISTED AS PERFORMING

Friday, December 6, 2013

Paul Kelly

Gurrumul Yunupingu

Eskimo Joe

Vance Joy

Thelma Plum

Sheppard

Saturday, December 7, 2013

The Presets

The Cat Empire

Architecture In Helsinki

The Aston Shuffle

Way Of The Eagle (featuring guest performers Dan Sultan, Daniel Merriweather, Amy Findlay, Harry Angus & Lachlan Mitchell)

Deep Sea Arcade

Bam Bam

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Birds of Tokyo

Bernard Fanning

The Rubens

You Am I

Beasts Of Bourbon

Kingswood

Courtney

ROCK THE BALLET - State Theatre Sydney

Rasta Thomas’ Rock the Ballet is a fusion of classic Ballet technique blended with the excitement of musical theatre, hip hop, ballet, tap, contemporary, gymnastics and more.

Rasta Thomas’ Rock the Ballet features a stellar soundtrack including some of the biggest hits from U2, Michael Jackson, Prince, Queen, Coldplay and Lenny Kravitz. Set against a backdrop of video projected scenery, the show is exciting, fun, fleshy, raunchy powerful, and brilliantly entertaining and as the New York Times wrote "Rasta Thomas has enormous talent and undeniable charisma", "Excellent dancers", "Crowd pleasing"
- The New York Times

Founder, Director & Principal Dancer, Rasta Thomas describes Rock the Ballet as “It’s a new type of ballet for the 21st century and we are calling it Pop-Ballet”.

Versatile and gutsy, these talented performers stretch the bounds of dancing with athletic jumps, endless turns and endearing individuality. Featuring the sensational talents of six Bad Boys and one Pretty Girl, this show will surely get you on your feet and smiling.

Multi award winning Director and Principal Dancer, Rasta Thomas was, in 2001, the first American to become a member of the Kirov Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia and then in 2003 he joined Dance Theatre of Harlem. In 2005, Thomas starred on Broadway in Twyla Tharp's hit musical, Movin' Out.

Thomas has danced some of the greatest roles ever created by Petipa, Balanchine, Robbins and more. He has been a principal dancer with over 20 professional companies including American Ballet Theater and Japan's K-Ballet. He has performed at the Academy Awards, danced at the White House and made the film One Last Dance with Patrick Swayze.

The Rock the Ballet company includes the talents dance of New York Fringe Festival dancer, Michael Keefe, Robbie Nicholson from Broadway’s Music Man, award-winning choreographer and director, Adrienne Canterna-Thomas and So You Think You Can Dance US finalists, Karla Garcia, Jakob Karr, Kameron Bink and Kevin Mylrea.

“Rock the Ballet is a show that goes way beyond a normal dance company experience... I am amazed by our success...and I am so excited about introducing pop-ballet to Australian audiences!” said Rasta Thomas.

"The Bad Boys of Dance strive to free ballet from its prissy aura… The Bad Boys of dance... are proclaiming loud and clear that ballet is sexy, spectacular, and yes, very masculine"
The New Yorker

"Absolutely dazzling dancing"
Boston Globe

“The Amazing Boys performing in Rock the Ballet are taking Hamburg by storm... Rock the Ballet is a sort of a rejuvenating cure for the ballet that is to include tap-dancing, Hip-Hop, Martial Arts, show and humour”.
Hamburger Morgenpost

Running Times
Act 1: 45 minutes
Interval: 20 minutes
Act 2: 40 minutes
* Running times are approximate and may change without notice

Ticket Prices
A-Reserve: $98.90
B-Reserve: $89.90
Concessions: $79.90
Groups 10+: $79.90
School & Dance Groups: $59.90

Bar at Buena Vista Package at Metro Hotel on Pitt, Sydney

Metro Hotel on Pitt are offering the following accommodation package for the show - Bar at Buena Vista