WIN TICKETS TO HOT SHOW

For a night of fiery fun, head to Riverside Theatres this month for the return of ‘Matador’.

‘Matador’ tells a story of forbidden romance between a love torn bull and its seductive Matador – putting a fiery Spanish twist on a tale as old as time.

After a sold-out premiere season at the Sydney Opera House in 2019, the smash hit show will be returning bigger, bolder and sexier than ever, with a new stage set, new original music, and some explosive new Latin acts to elevate it in every way.

Complete with high energy commercial dance pieces, beautiful contemporary work and ballet acts, and steamy Latin numbers intertwined with saucy burlesque acts, pole dancing and jaw-dropping aerial and circus performances, audiences are guaranteed to fall in love with ‘Matador’.

‘Matador’ will be on at Riverside Theatres from Thursday, February 16. Tickets start at $59. For more information or to book, visit riversideparramatta.com.au or call 8839 3399. The Weekender has two double passes to give away. For your chance to win one, send an email to competitions@ westernweekender.com.au with ‘Matador’ in the subject line. Closes February 9.

Highland Park has been crafting award-winning single malt Scotch whisky in Orkney since 1798, balancing seemingly contradictory flavours from heather honey to spicy fruitcake to aromatic, treeless peat smoke.

Highland Park is the perfect whisky for pairing with grilled and fire-cooked dishes, with its unexpected contrast of sweet and aromatic smoky flavours. A wild harmony of tastes, Highland Park offers a new way to enjoy and celebrate unusual taste combinations and find balance in extremes.

Now, three giant tipis will host a luxury BBQ dining experience paired with Highland Park single malt whiskies and smoky cocktail creations as part of the MOPOKE Festival in Sydney this weekend.

From fruit on the grill to plant-based meat to open-fire tasting menus, alternative ways to BBQ are growing in popularity globally.

Inside The Domain, you’ll find three giant tipis that will host a luxurious woodland-inspired three-course dining experience featuring Highland Park’s single malt whiskies and cocktail creations by Sydney’s best mixologist and luscious flambéed desserts from Four Frogs Creperie. The bespoke tasting experience is available for a Saturday dinner and Sunday lunch.

Because of the projected popularity, this specific event inside of The Domain will be ticketed so booking in advance will be required to secure one of the 80 lucky spots to take part in a unique exploration of food and drink.

Don’t miss out on this one-of-a-kind opportunity to explore the wild, fiery flavours and sounds of ‘Flavours from the Fire’. Visit www.mopokesydney.com.au/ flavours-from-the-fire-by-highland-park for details.

1

How do you find lasting love in today’s world? For documentary filmmaker Zoe (Lily James), swiping right to find Mr Right has only delivered bad dates and funny anecdotes, much to her opinionated mother Cath’s (Emma Thompson) dismay. For her childhood friend and neighbour Kazim (Shazad Latif), the answer is to follow his parents’ example and opt for an assisted marriage with a bright and beautiful bride from Pakistan. As Zoe films his hopeful journey from London to Lahore to marry a stranger, chosen by his parents, she begins to wonder if she might have something to learn from a different approach to finding love.

3 hours, 9 minutes

From Damien Chazelle, ‘Babylon’ is an original epic set in 1920s Los Angeles led by Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie and Diego Calva, with an ensemble cast including Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li and Jean Smart.

A tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, it traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of un- bridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood.

A 2023 Oscar Nominee for Best Original Score (Justin Hurwitz), Best Production Design (Florencia Martin and Anthony Carlino), and Best Costume Design (Mary Zophres), ‘Babylon’ is a classic in the making.