The Bubbles Festival Melbourne 2026

Feature-The Bubbles Festival Melbourne 2026

The Bubbles Festival – a celebration of all things sparkling – is back for 2026! The Festival is organised by The Bubbles Review, a multi-award-winning blog and website devoted to the enjoyment of drinking champagne and sparkling wine. Launched in October 2016 by Melbourne based entrepreneur and best-selling author Natalie Pickett, The Bubbles Review shares information on the people, history, tasting, techniques of making champagne and sparkling wine and creates events and tours so that followers can join in and indulge.

Our immensely popular blogs on sparkling wine really struck a chord, and it brought about the concept of launching The Bubbles Festival featuring a range of sparkling wines from Australia and around the world in one boutique event. The inaugural Bubbles Festival was held in Melbourne in April 2017, and after responding to demand to take the event to other states, since 2021 the festival has been cemented in the events calendar as a national series catering to sold out audiences across the country.

We are excited to be sharing the bubbly love once again. The first event in The Bubbles Festival national series is always Melbourne, we have so many people who came to our first event in 2017 and now come every year.

Our tasting list is different every year and in every city. In Melbourne we love the beautiful sparkling wines produced in Victoria and always seek to include some on our list, along with Aussie sparklings from around the country, and international sparklings including champagne. Each year we showcase favourites from previous years along with new bubbly discoveries.

Patrons purchase a ticket for a two-hour session which includes a chance to meet and engage with producers and distributors of sparkling wine and champagne, and enjoy bubbly tastings, paired with canapés, all at one stylish event. (A VIP upgrade can also be purchased giving extra bonuses and access to a special tasting. $5 from every VIP ticket is donated to our chosen charity in each city.)

Natalie Pickett, the Founder of The Bubbles Review provides an introduction on tasting appreciation. A RIEDEL Champagne tasting glass is given to each attendee, and a curated list of 10 or more tastings of sparkling wine are provided along with canapés and tasting notes.

Tickets are $139 + Booking Fee via Eventbrite. To be held in Melbourne – at Rivers Edge Events – 2 May 2026.
Ticket link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1981941795262

For more information: The Bubbles Festival – The Bubbles Review

There is also VIP Ticket upgrade available for $75 – this includes priority access with a private tasting of a special cuvee prior to doors opening and a RIEDEL Extreme Champagne glass Twin pack valued at $105. $5 from every VIP upgrade ticket is donated to our chosen charity which is the Dine with Heart program with Sacred Heart Mission for Melbourne.

Natalie says “I think that champagne and sparkling wine are one of the joys of life and something to be shared. We love bringing all of these superb sparkling wines together with our followers at The Bubbles Festival”.

There is no other wine event in Australia that showcases a range of sparkling wine in this way.

 

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The Spooky Men For Celebratory Qld Tour – From 27 May

Feature-The Spooky Men’s Chorale: 25 Years of Pointless Grandeur - An Anniversary Tour

After a ‘warm up’ concert in Melbourne 3 May, the bearded, hatted, sensational singers celebrate “25 years of Pointless Grandeur” in Brisbane, Ipswich, Toowoomba, Gold Coast, Maleny & Noosa – before dropping into Sydney… then heading overseas for a 28-gig UK tour!

The spooky story so far…
On 4 August 2001, at Eastside Paddington Church, a genial scrum of bearded fellows shuffled onto the stage. How could any of us have known that 25 years later they would still be at it after nearly 1000 gigs, 8 albums, 14 tours of UK/Europe, and the small matter of singlehandedly redefining men’s singing?

But they are. And now, in the grandiose arena of the Enmore Theatre, the Spooky Men will celebrate their birthday with a show not quite like any other they have done. It will be a birthday party, a retrospective, and a showcase of everything they have become. There will be a number of chunky gems from the past, but also the very best pickings from their current spooky tool bag.

“It takes a rare skill to be very silly, thoughtful, and sing in perfect harmony, but the Spooky Men’s Chorale manage to achieve just that.” – The Guardian

The Spooky Men are not easy to describe: Founded by Stephen Taberner and Inspired by the great Georgian choirs of the Caucasian mountains, they aim to both celebrate and mock masculinity with a unique cocktail of mighty boofiness, charming stupidity, and exquisite tenderness that may well bring a tear to your eye.

Each show is a journey rich with theatrical and storytelling elements, but what is most notable is the humanity that is evoked. No subject is too trivial or weighty for their attention, and such ability to find new musical rooms to explore contributes greatly to their astonishing fan loyalty.

But, says Taberner, there is more: “This show will also offer the chance to join a massed audience choir, The Axis of Spook for a ridiculous musical sensurround experience. There will be special spooky guests, a musical favourites lottery and a massed spooky man finale!” And other surprises, too.

“Gird your loins: this is the one spooky show in the history of spooky shows that you should not miss….”
“Sheer musical excellence – like the ghosts of choristers long gone” Sydney Morning Herald

Iconic, eccentric, lyrical, larrikin… always supremely entertaining… The Spooky Men’s Chorale are very proud to announce their VERY SPOOKY QUEENSLAND TOUR from 27 MAY!

The Spooky Men’s Chorale: 25 Years of Pointless Grandeur – An Anniversary Tour

Melbourne Recital Centre Sun 3 May 7pm

Queensland Tour:
Wed 27 May – QLD Conservatorium Theatre 7.30pm
Thu 28 May – Macleay Island Community Hall 6.30pm
Sat 30 May – Ipswich Civic Centre 7.30pm
Sun 31 May – Toowoomba Empire Theatre 2pm
Thu 4 June – Hota Gold Coast 7.30pm
Fri 5 June – Maleny Community Centre 7.30pm
Sat 6 June – The J. Noosa 7.30pm

Thurs 11 June – Enmore Theatre, Sydney

All bookings www.spookymen.com

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Sydney Film Festival Program Explores The Intersection Of Fashion And Cinema

Feature-SARTORIAL: FASHION ON FILM

Sydney Film Festival will present SARTORIAL: FASHION ON FILM, a program featuring new premieres alongside restored classics that explore the relationship between fashion and cinema, screening as part of the 73rd Sydney Film Festival from 3–14 June 2026. The program strand features seven films spanning decades of cinema, bringing together a striking body of work in which some of the world’s most distinctive filmmakers turn fashion into a lens on identity, culture and power. From the ateliers of Paris to the factory floors of China, these films trace how clothing reflects and shapes the societies that produce it, moving between documentary and fiction, and between candid portraits and global perspectives.

A centrepiece will be the Australian premiere of Marc by Sofia, Sofia Coppola’s first documentary, offering a personal picture of longtime friend, designer Marc Jacobs, and his creative world. Also featured is the world premiere of Australian film French Girls, directed by Hyun Lee, following a young woman drawn into Sydney’s modelling industry after being scouted, as she begins to navigate its shifting expectations and pressures.

Acclaimed filmmakers have long turned their attention to the fashion industry from multiple perspectives. From the recently deceased master, Frederick Wiseman’s Model offers a landmark depiction of a New York modelling agency, observing castings, shoots and the relentless demands of image-making, while Jia Zhangke’s Useless traces the human cost of industrial production across China’s garment industry, from factory floors to haute couture runways.

Chronicles of influential figures in fashion and culture also feature. Agnès Varda’s Jane B. par Agnès V. offers a playful and unconventional portrait of Jane Birkin, while Wim Wenders’ Notebook on Cities and Clothes follows designer Yohji Yamamoto, reflecting on creativity, authorship and the parallels between filmmaking and fashion.

Fictional takes on the fashion world bring satire and spectacle. Robert Altman’s Prêt-à-Porter, filmed during Paris Fashion Week, presents a sprawling ensemble comedy set amid the industry’s backstage dramas and personalities.

Sydney Film Festival Senior Programmer Jessica Moraza said, “The relationship between fashion and film extends far beyond the traditional fashion documentaries we know and love. In this special series, we wanted to highlight instances where some of cinema’s most distinctive directors have brought their singular perspective to the fashion world.”

The films in the strand include: French Girls (2026) Dir. Hyun Lee; Marc by Sofia (2025) Dir. Sofia Coppola; Useless (2007) Dir. Jia Zhangke; Prêt-à-Porter (1994) Dir. Robert Altman; Notebook on Cities and Clothes (1989) Dir. Wim Wenders; Jane B. par Agnès V. (1988) Dir. Agnès Varda; Model (1980) Dir. Frederick Wiseman.

Tickets to SARTORIAL: FASHION ON FILM, as well as Flexipasses and subscriptions to Sydney Film Festival 2026 are on sale now. Visit sff.org.au for more information. The full Sydney Film Festival program is announced on Wednesday 6 May 2026, when tickets to all films will be on sale.

 

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Full Cast Announcement For Once The Musical!

Feature-ONCE The Musical

An exceptional Australian cast led by award-winning director and performer Mark Taylor, and The Voice finalist Sian Fuller, will bring the eight-time Tony award-winning characters from Once to life in this cleverly reimagined production under the stewardship of Melbourne’s critically acclaimed independent production company, AG Theatre. With rehearsals well underway, the cast is preparing to bring this global smash hit to Melbourne’s Chapel off Chapel stage, with preview performances starting from the 8th May. Renowned director Pip Mushin is at the helm of this much loved production, having enjoyed a stellar run with AG Theatre over the last 18 months including their recent sell out productions of Avenue Q and Mamma Mia.

Green Room Award-nominated creative Mark Taylor, who recently directed the recently nominated production of American Psycho, is stepping into the lead role of Guy. Playing alongside Mark is 2021 The Voice semi finalist and seasoned musician, Sian Fuller, who is taking on the lead role of Girl. Both of these incredible performers are joined by a stellar community of talent that includes the highly respected performer Donald Bridges as Da – who has just been announced as the recipient of The MEAA Equity Foundation’s 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award.

The production also stars Western Australian actor and multi instrumentalist Frazer Shephardson as Billy; VCA student, vocalist and violinist Rose Stephens as Reza; actor, singer, and multi-instrumentalist James Frampton as Andrej; star of ABC TV’s The Piano and up-and-coming theatre performer John Yanko as Svec; seasoned international performer of stage and screen William Lopez as the Bank Manager; talented recent graduate of Federation University Misha Gordon takes on the role of Ex-Girlfriend; seasoned Melbourne musician, actor and composer Bridget a’Beckett plays the role of Baruska; young performer and violinist Felix Star plays Eamon; young child stars Lila Colombi, Imogen Young, Emersyn Orchard will play the role of Ivonka. The rest of this talented cast includes Kaiyeesha Kim Tambakau (Kye Tamm) as Emcee; and Jackson Cross and Belinda Jenkin as swings.

Evolving from John Carney’s cinematic success in 2007 into a critically acclaimed stage production, Once has captivated theatregoers on Broadway and in London’s West End, thereby solidifying its distinguished position within the history of Western musical theatre. The production showcases the spell-binding score composed by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, which notably features the Oscar-winning song, “Falling Slowly.” Once possesses the unique distinction of being the sole Broadway production whose musical composition has garnered the Academy Award, Grammy Award, Olivier Award, and Tony Award.

Once is truly a production that combines the infectious rhythm of Irish céili, an incredibly talented cast of actor-musicians, an Academy Award-winning soundtrack and a heart-warming story, following a Dublin-born busker and vacuum-fixer as he meets a young Czech mother with a faulty vacuum cleaner who reinvigorates his passion for music.

Tickets are available for purchase now at https://booktickets.com.au/

A pre-sale offer is currently available, with all tickets priced at $89 until March 30th.

Once The Musical will play at Chapel off Chapel from Wednesday to Sunday from May 8th, 2026 until May 30th, 2026.

CAST LIST:
Mark Taylor – Guy
Sian Fuller – Girl
Frazer Shepherdson – Billy
Rose Chambers – Reza
James Frampton – Andrej
John Yanko – Svec
Will Lopez – Bank Manager
Misha Eve Gordon – Ex-Girlfriend
Bridget a’Beckett – Baruska
Donald Bridges – Da
Felix Star – Eamon
Kaiyeesha Kim Tambakau – Emcee
Lila Colombi – Ivonka
Imogen Young – Ivonka
Emersyn Orchard – Ivonka
Jackson Cross – Swing
Belinda Jenkin – Swing

PRODUCTION TEAM:
Executive Producer: Andrew Gyopar
Director: Pip Mushin
Musical Director: Timothy John Wilson
Choreographer: Jamie White
Production Design: Abbey Stanway
Costume Design: Karen Spencer

Licensed exclusively by Music Theatre International (Australasia)
Music & Lyrics by Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová
Book by Edna Walsh

DURATION
2hr 30 min with a 20-minute interval

 

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