Carriageworks

It’s imperative that you do not eat before you visit the Carriageworks Farmers Markets. You’ll want to save maximum belly space for your personal version of The Bachelorette where you decide who gets your dollars and what delicious produce gets to come home with you. Maybe you like something soupy and savoury first thing? In that case head to Bar Pho for a traditional Vietnamese start to the day. On the veggie train? Hit up Keppos St Kitchen for a falafel breakfast, or head to Food Farm for a classic bacon and egg roll.Once the hounds of your hunger have been quieted it’s time to prepare for your next meal, or seven. Stock up on artisan cheese from Leaning Oak, smoked salmon from Brilliant Foods and Sydney’s favourite sourdough from AP Bakery and brunch is sorted. You can spend a whole lot of money if you want to here, but equally you could just grab a kombucha on tap from Herbs of Life and find a chair for some of the best dog-watching in the city.   Hungry for more? Look at our list of the best markets in Sydney – produce or otherwise. 

Our favourite places from our childhoods, just like the movies or books that we loved when we were little, often aren’t the same when we return to them. Sometimes it’s the place that has changed – but most of the time, we are what’s different. We might be more grown up, more sensitive, perhaps we are more at home in the qualities that set us apart from others – but all the while, we’re still searching for that inner little kid who just loved something wholeheartedly. For E, that thing is swimming.  Mununjali Yugambeh poet Ellen van Neerven’s debut work for the stage, swim, follows our protagonist (played by Baad Yawuru actor Dani Sib) as they return to the public pool after a long time away. The change room, the act of undressing, and the journey to the water are all obstacles that E must navigate – and as a genderfluid Blak person, the simple practice of going for a swim is a fraught, anxiety-inducing experience.  With its meditative visuals and some shining moments, it is well worth diving in... E’s story is delivered through repetitive, rhythmic phrases. It’s a slow, meditative form of speaking that is most effective when accompanied by bursts of theatrical imagery. Samuel James’ vivid video design brings an otherworldly tone to Romanie Harper’s set design – a large cross-section of a pale tiled pool, much like the council pool you’d find down the road in most small Aussie towns. The action takes place above and below the water, linked by a metal ladder. Alongside Brendon

Since 2017, Mould: A Cheese Festival has been delighting fromage lovers across Australia. For 2024, the country's biggest cheese-fest is returning to Carriageworks – and this year, the edition is slated to be bigger and more brie-lliant than ever. Created by the killer team behind booze festival Pinot Palooza, Mould: A Cheese Festival embraces the crumbly and the creamy in a full-fledged celebration of quality, handcrafted Aussie cheeses. Featuring more than 100 varieties that span hard to soft, textured to earthy, stinky to mild, with raw milk varieties and everything in between, Mould: A Cheese Festival is stinky, glorious and down-right delicious fun. From July 26-28, Carriageworks will be transformed into a cheese heaven. You’ll have the opportunity to meet Australia's 27 best producers and taste your way through tart blue-veined varieties, hard cheddars, washed rinds and super smooth softies.There will be cheese-forwarded dishes for you to try, as well as Aussie vino, vodka and gin from Tasmania's Hartshorn and Archie Rose distillery. Plus, there will be beers, cider, cocktails and sake. Event founder, Revel CEO Dan Sims says: "Over the years, this festival has really won the hearts of cheese lovers all over Australia. Their passion for cheese — and for getting behind local cheese makers — is our passion too, and it’s this enthusiasm that has pushed us all to go big and aim even higher this year, reimagining what Mould can be." Fan of the rare and exclusive? This year's

“An idea that is not dangerous is unworthy of being called an idea at all,” said that witty warrior of a wordsmith, Oscar Wilde. And given the tragedy of the inimitable Irish writer’s downfall, brought on by an unwise libel case that backfired spectacularly, few could have felt that withering wisdom more keenly. It’s fitting, then, that the Festival of Dangerous Ideas (FODI) borrows the phrase for its sassy title. The celebration of system shaking bright minds returns to Carriageworks this August for two huge days jam-packed with 87 speakers and artists, including 16 international guests, appearing across 88 sessions. Presented by The Ethics Centre from August 24-25, expect a lineup that’s A LOT. The festival is all about celebrating those willing to bring down the house with the sort of stuff others fear to say, and what better guest than the renowned New York Times-bestselling author and social commentator Roxane Gay, who was announced as the first guest coming to FODI.  The rest of the program includes spicy talks from the likes of Megan Phelps-Roper, host of the provocative documentary podcast The Witch Trials of JK Rowling, along with producer Andy Mills, to reflect on what the series achieved and what remains elusive. There's also the “Internet’s OB/GYN” Jen Gunter who will speak on the taboos surrounding women's health; while South African philosopher David Benatar argues the case for not having children.  As well talks, there’s set to be an array of out-of-the-box eve