Spectrum Now claims to “celebrate the vibrancy and diversity of music, film, books, theatre, dance, contemporary art and design” and is launching tonight at The Domain. Spectrum Now is presented by ANZ and features over 150 exhibitions, gigs, talks, performances and events over the next three weeks.

From March 11-22, the festival will see The Domain transformed into the Spectrum Playground: a “creative pleasure garden” with outdoor galleries and sculpture installations, markets, food stalls and much more. It is essentially a place where artists can express their imaginations and let loose their creative spirit – all to mesmerise and inspire local Sydney siders.

Many of the plays, galleries and installations are free and support local artists by getting showcasing their work, and helping to get their name out there.

The Nosh Pit is a food-lover’s paradise with scrumptious delicacies from the likes of LP Quality Meats, Mary’s, Daniel San, Bondi’s Best, Gelato Messina and N2 Gelato assembled in the one deluge of treats.

The Golden Age Cinema will be hosting ‘Hollywood Nights’, displaying such beloved classics as Ghostbusters, Singing in the Rain and Picnic at Hanging Rock.

The Hendricks Parlour of Curiosities each night will feature intimate gatherings, performances and theatrical experiences that will enchant and mystify.

Spectrum Now also boasts of hosting a stellar lineup of upcoming local musicians, including but not limited to: SASKWATCH, Steve Smyth, Cabins, DZ Deathrays

The Full Spectrum talk series provides a diverse and inspiring set of discussions, panels and performances including conversations with Jeffrey Tambor, Cate Blanchett, Peter FitzSimons, Kate McClymont and many more.

And if that weren’t enough, as part of the Spectrum Now festival Alan Rickman is heading to Sydney for a Q & A session at the screening of his new film, A Little Chaos, and the Art Gallery of NSW will be hosting a whole suite of special events such as a sensory and immersive Opera experience, Orfeo Ed Euridice.

The Sydney Morning Herald columnist, and creative director Richard Roxburgh has said of the festival, “Sydney has one of the most rich and diverse artistic communities in the world. At Spectrum Now we will be showcasing that entire community and encouraging them to join us in bringing a degustation of delights to the people of Sydney,” Roxburgh said.

Spectrum Now is presented in partnership with ANZ and CEO Phillip Chronican says ANZ is excited to be part of the team to bring this festival to Sydney. “We have a long history of supporting arts and culture, and we are excited to be a part of such a compelling program, that gives Sydneysiders the opportunity to immerse themselves in art, music and culture for the month of March” Mr Chronican said.

Head to the Spectrum Now Program for more information or to book tickets to any of these incredible cultural events.

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The Island prides itself on being Australia’s first and only floating beach club ideal for any special occasion, or the perfect venue to make any mundane occasion much more special. It offers 350 square metres of space set atop the unparalleled beauty of Sydney Harbour with the Opera House, Harbour Bridge and Royal National Park filling up your 360 degree views.

Punters looking for a more exciting and novel way to enjoy a few day drinks simply need to buy a $40-45 ticket online, which includes a water taxi to and from the boat as well as a drink on arrival. The Island is open every Saturday and Sunday from 1pm-8pm as well as some Fridays from 6-11pm. For Cocktail Club Fridays, the water taxi leaves every 15 minutes from Man O War Steps directly behind the Opera House. On the weekends, the taxi leaves every 30 minutes from Double Bay Wharf.

The Island also features a state of the art sound system and DJ equipment, with an incredible lineup of DJs and musical performances to accompany it. Previous lineups boast the likes of Mark Ronson, SASHA and heaps of acclaimed local DJs.

The Island only runs in the warmer months, which means the boat will be docking for good after the 5th April. Therefore, you only have a few weekends left to experience the magic of cocktail club or beach club.

The boat also has a roped off area for swimming, to allow you to cool off from the rays of the glistening Autumn sun. A fully extendable roof allows for shelter from the sun or the rain and side covers protect harbour-goers from wind or cooler temperatures.

If you’ve become disenchanted by Sydney’s drinking scene and want to spice up your social life by doing something more adventurous set in Sydney’s magnificent outdoors, the Island is the ideal way to achieve this all in one.

Despite it’s exclusivity and glamorous atmosphere, the Island remains within the realm of affordability, providing a range of beverages to suit all budgets. To those looking for something even more private and lavish, however, you can always secure a private booking. The Island is ideal for corporate functions and product launches or even for birthdays, engagement parties or other unique celebrations.

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The NSW Food and Wine Festival is returning for its eighth year for what is the state’s biggest and best celebration of flavours. The festival is essentially a month-long celebration of all things edible and drinkable, bringing together New South Wales’ top chefs, winemakers, sommeliers, baristas, brewers and producers. It is running from February 7 – March 1 and features a huge array of markets, banquets, wine and dining sessions and of course the infamous Sydney Cellar Door.

The Sydney Morning Herald Growers’ Markets
This Saturday 7th February will be a special Growers’ Market in Pyrmont Bay Park. Not only is it the first markets of the year, but it also signals the opening of the NSW Food and Wine Festival. The markets feature over 70 producers’ stalls selling fresh fruit and vegetables, local meat and seafood, and it is also the ideal place to grab yourself a scrumptious Saturday morning breakfast. The markets take place from 7am-11am and visitors also receive recipe inspiration from guest celebrity chefs and a signed copy of The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide by chief restaurant reviewer Terry Durack.

Lunar Markets
From February 12-22 Pyrmont Bay Park will become an Asian-cuisine-lovers’ delight with the pop-up food festival, the Lunar Markets. Over 11 nights, more than 20 stalls of mouth-watering Asian delicacies will entice your tastebuds and nightly entertainment will arouse your festive spirit. The markets coincide with the Chinese New Year, making this cultural experience a rare and exciting event for all Sydney-siders to enjoy. Make the most of noodle market favourites, Hoy Pinoy and The Star’s Fat Noodle, and have a dance at the groovy Japanese rock’n’roll bar Daniel San. The Lunar Markets are the ideal way to experience sumptious, authentic asian cuisine and bring in the Year of the Ram with true Chinese flair.

Sydney Cellar Door
The Sydney Cellar Door is one of the most renowned aspects of the NSW Food and Wine Festival. Taking place in Hyde Park from February 27-March 1, the Sydney Cellar Door is a menagerie of incredible food and wine set against Sydney’s most idyllic yet central outdoor park. This event features DJs and live bands and of course include gourmet produce from the most renowned growers and artisans around the state. Just some of the highlights of this year’s cellar door include Salt Meats Cheese, Porteno, Bodega, Mary’s and Rosebery’s Clubhouse Bar and Restaurant. From rustic Mudgee wines to award-winning smoked fish, and tantalising fresh olive oil, the scents wafting through Hyde Park will be sure to attract food and wine-lovers from all over the city and even the state.

Sparkling wine can only truly be recognised as champagne if it has originated from the Champagne region in the Northeast of France. Champagne is a historic province famous for its sparkling wine, and unparalleled in its fame for a local product. According to legend, champagne was not actually invented in the region, but rather brought up from the Languedoc, in the south of France. The fantastic soil and climatic conditions of the Champagne region is the major reason for the success of the region’s bright bubbly wine.

In the late fifth century, the monarch or northern France, King Clovis, promised his wife that if he won a battle to defend his territory that he would convert to Christianity. After winning, he was baptised in a church in the city of Reims in the heart of the Champagne region. This triggered a tradition for centuries after in which Kings of France were crowned in Reims at a grand cathedral built there. Because of Reim’s isolation and difficulty to travel to, the royal court would stay in the Champagne region afterwards, taking advantage of its fruity local wines. At this time, the wines were actually still as the grapes were harvested and fermented in just a few weeks. However, as the wine in the region became more popular and was exported further away, new barrels were not opened until Spring – thus appearing effervescent.

Champagne garnered a reputation of being a fun and beneficial beverage and was commonly favoured amongst nobility, particularly King Louis XV. With the industrialisation of the 19th Century, champagne became an aspirational beverage among the newly rich merchant class. It was around this time that the alcoholic beverage also became a popular drink of choice to ring in the New Year. The complexity involved in producing champagne, on top of its larger price tag meant that it was enjoyed on special occasions to add celebratory extravagance. The exciting fizz and renewing bubbles also add an extra element of opulence, and the fizz prevents from it being a beverage to consume quickly.

Drinking at New Year’s Eve celebrations dates back to solstice rituals, at which pagans made offerings to their gods with a special mead or wine. As New Year’s Eve evolved to become more secular, consuming alcohol on New Year’s Eve transitioned from a religious festivity to being intertwined with champagne’s reputation as a celebratory indulgence. Marketers ensured that this reputation of enjoying a glass of bubbly on the significant occasion of New Year’s Eve has been well maintained, and perhaps become even more of a staple of the annual celebration.

One of the major downfalls of ringing in the New Year at one of the public vantage points around Sydney Harbour’s foreshore is that most of the locations prohibit alcohol. While some of these areas provide alcoholic vendors, most of the spots have complete bans on alcohol and glass – not to mention the enormous lines celebrants will have to endure at the few alcohol-friendly sites.

To avoid these restrictions and guarantee the ability to partake in the age-old ritual of enjoying a champagne as the clock strikes midnight this 31st December, attend an exclusive harbour cruise this New Year’s Eve. MV EPICURE I has limited tickets to guarantee luxury and comfort for those lucky attendees. The luxury cruise includes an array of sophisticated G.H. Mumm Champagne, which is one of the largest Champagne producers in Reims in the hills of this historic French province. G.H. Mumm is included in the ticket, thereby allowing you to connect to the history of ringing in the New Year with an authentic glass of champagne in hand.

Anyone wishing to celebrate New Year’s Eve with the true extravagance it deserves cannot look past the luxurious MV EPICURE I New Year’s Eve harbour cruise. Don’t pass up your opportunity to celebrate this New Year’s Eve with a bang – plus a huge array of delectable cuisine, plenty of other alcoholic options, stunning front-row views of Sydney’s world renowned fireworks, world-class musical entertainment and three levels of decadent space for celebration.