September
- Opinion
- Opinion
Who decides on the fair price of an Oasis ticket?
Outrage over computer-driven ticket prices to see a legendary band has left music fans and the British government in a muddle.
- Matthew Brooker
It’s Asia’s answer to Burning Man. And why not buy a villa, too?
Meet the Russian tech multimillionaire who’s building a 44-hectare playground for adults in Bali.
- Emma Rapaport
August
Bluesfest to end after 35 years in fresh blow to live music
The Byron Bay institution will close just three years after record attendance in 2022, highlighting the challenge to music promoters from rising costs.
- Michael Bailey
How to do Gold Coast’s Bleach festival
If you still think the Goldie is all about surf and schoolies, the exciting, eclectic and inclusive Bleach* Festival will prove you wrong.
- Michael Bailey
March
Adelaide’s ‘Mad March’ breaks attendance records
More people have visited Adelaide Festival this year than ever, although the cost-of-living crisis means free events have been favoured.
- Michael Bailey
February
How having one owner helps Mona Foma
The Tasmanian arts festival gets much of its funding from a single person in professional gambler and MONA owner David Walsh. A freewheeling program results.
- Michael Bailey
Queens Of The Stone Age just vowed to do what most bands don’t
At a cathartic show on the MONA lawns on Friday, QOTSA frontman Josh Homme became a Tasmanian hero.
- Michael Bailey
November 2023
- Christmas Gift Guide Edition 2023
- Life & Leisure
Just the ticket: the key events in Australia this summer
From the Hallelujah Chorus to Harry Connick Jr, there’s music, ballet, opera and more to kick up a song and dance about this month and into the new year.
- Michael Bailey
October 2023
The five things you must see at SXSW Sydney
The inaugural Sydney version of the storied Austin culture and technology conference boasts over 1000 events. Here are some essentials.
- Michael Bailey
September 2023
- Opinion
- Opinion
Desert deluge failed to dampen my Burning Man spirit
AFR correspondent Michael Smith finally made it to his first Burning Man festival, only to see a freak storm transform the desert site and strand thousands.
- Updated
- Michael Smith
Tens of thousands still stranded by Burning Man flooding
Event organisers said it was still too wet for a safe mass departure of RVs and other vehicles, but hoped traffic could begin flowing later in the day.
- Updated
- Michael Casey
In the mud with Aussies stranded at Burning Man
Freak rains have trapped hundreds of Australians at Nevada’s annual Burning Man festival as they wait for mud to dry.
- Michael Smith and Tess Bennett
One dead, 70,000 stranded in Burning Man festival flood
Revellers have been urged to conserve supplies of food and water while stuck in foot-deep mud with no working toilets in the northern Nevada desert.
- Michael Casey
July 2023
Meet the chefs who feed Beyoncé and Lizzo on tour
Many touring artists now take several professional cooks, not to mention entire mobile kitchens, on the road with them for efficiency, health and morale.
- Soo Youn
Why you won’t want to miss this opera festival in the outback
Tiny country towns, singalongs over a beer, friendly folk, and arias under the stars. There’s nothing else like the Festival of Outback Opera in Queensland.
- Steve Meacham
March 2023
Adelaide’s ‘Mad March’ of arts defies spending crunch
The city’s long-held strategy of concentrating most of its performing arts festivals in one month appears to have paid off.
- Michael Bailey
This Fringe featured dominatrixes and opera acrobats
The festival in Adelaide’s Rymill Park was a liberating experience compared with many of its overcrowded, overpoliced counterparts in other cities.
- Michael Bailey
August 2022
Adelaide Festival reveals its 2023 blockbuster
The work, which will feature 200 performers, was banned upon its 1874 debut for having too much emotional power.
- Michael Bailey
Visiting Norway? Keep a lookout for Huldra the seducer
Great vistas, a rail journey like no other, a traditional music festival – this country has it all. And who knows, you might meet a sprite or two.
- Jane Cornwell
June 2022
How Adelaide’s Illuminate Festival aims to beat Sydney’s Vivid
South Australia’s capital is no longer just a “city of churches”. Next month’s spectacle reflects its transformation into a modern, groundbreaking destination.
- Michael Bailey