Parramatta

SOUND WEST conference coming to Parramatta this Thursday

This Thursday, the 25th of August, the SOUND WEST conference day will be held at CommBank Stadium in Parramatta. The conference will bring a shining light on the hotbed of talent coming from Parramatta and Greater Western Sydney. Amongst the speakers will be the rapper Masked Wolf, Dylan Alcott AO, Fred Schebesta (founder of Finder),…

Read More
Seventeen dancers assmeble on stage to learn a routine.

Theatre Review: A Chorus Line is a glimpse into the world of dance like you’ve never seen

Forming part of the 2022 Sydney Festival, A Chorus Line at Riverside Theatres in Parramatta delivers a behind-the-scenes look at the life of a dancer trying to forge a career on Broadway. Set on the stage of a theatre during auditions for a chorus line, the musical centres on the lives of seventeen hopefuls and…

Read More

American-style Harvey’s Hot Sandwiches opens next week

If you’re looking for some chunky, finger-licking sandwiches, look no further than Harvey’s Hot Sandwiches. Taking up residence in the $3.2 billion redevelopment of Parramatta Square, the new venue is right in the hot spot of Parramatta. Owned and operated by Chifley Square’s District Brasserie, the group are are also opening up two more restaurants…

Read More

Here’s everything you can eat at the new $3.2 billion Parramatta Square precinct

Though it’s gone through many iterations over the past few decades, Parramatta Square has been given a mammoth refresh to bring the precinct up to modern tastes. With the Western Sydney hub increasingly turning into its own viable city, the transformation has huge implications for the suburb’s hospitality scene. Some key names in the city’s…

Read More

Theatre Review: The Caretaker is a claustrophobic look at a world of pain (at Parramatta’s Riverside Theatre until 24 February)

The Caretaker focuses on three men in their natural habitat. The renowned, Harold Pinter play is a character-driven one that explores the relationship between a homeless man and two brothers. The story is a dense, dialogue-driven piece that unfolds within the confines of a West London flat. Some viewers may enjoy its clever lines, but…

Read More

Theatre review: Jesus Christ Superstar was an electric & biblical performance in more ways than one (Parramatta’s Riverside Theatre until 23 February)

A weather report can be a clichéd way to open a review. But when it’s opening night of Jesus Christ Superstar and it has rained to biblical proportions, what do you do? You can sing, “Christ you know it ain’t easy” or tell people that Parramatta has been turned into a scene from Noah’s ark,…

Read More

Theatre Review: Brett & Wendy…A Love Story Bound By Art is both visually arresting & a restless drama (Parramatta’s Riverside Theatre until 27 January)

It should come as no shock that a theatre show about one of our nation’s greatest artists looks fabulous. The world premiere of Brett & Wendy…A Love Story Bound By Art is one vivid and lyrical look at two creative tour de forces. This production is an ambitious one that covers a lot in its…

Read More

Theatre Review: The Climbing Tree shows some teenagers grappling with growing pains as they traverse the great divide

When you’re a teenager you often feel like the world is against you. You’re too mature to be a child but not yet independent enough to be an adult. This is often a period associated with angst and growing pains. The Climbing Tree examines these existential problems while framing them around a nation’s past and…

Read More

Sydney’s decade-old Chophouse opens new restaurant in Parramatta

Chophouse, Sydney CBD’s beloved contemporary steakhouse which turns 10 years year, has officially expanded to Parramatta with their second restaurant. It marks the first ever expansion for the stylish restaurant, bringing their quality cuts of meat to Parra’s Centenary Square, gutting out the former digs of Jamie’s Italian. Recreating their sleek, moody atmosphere with a…

Read More

Theatre Review: Funny Girl is a joyous romp through New York’s golden years (Paramatta’s Riverside Theatre to 6th October)

The film Funny Girl is celebrating its golden anniversary but this story feels so young and vital it could have been made yesterday. Theatre & Co. present their version of Funny Girl at Parramatta’s Riverside Theatre. It’s something often associated with Barbra Streisand because it once catapulted her to fame. These are some big shoes to…

Read More

Theatre Review: The Wharf Revue’s Deja Revue celebrates politics repeating with some all-singing & all-dancing comic revelry

The Wharf Revue have been proudly entertaining audiences by skewering politicians since 2000. This year’s instalment was the troupe’s first without co-founder and musical director, Phil Scott, but the show remained strong and funny. The opening night at Parramatta’s Riverside Theatre was a rollicking one with a vaudeville feel that hit some really high notes….

Read More

Fried chicken, champagne and sneakers hybrid store opens as Butter expands to Parramatta (Sydney)

Surry Hills’ popular fried chicken and sneaker hybrid Butter is officially expanding out west, opening a two-level concept store in Parramatta this week. The hip hop flavoured shop will be much bigger than the Surry Hills store, which has built a cult following over the past year and a half. Chicken, champagne and sneakers will…

Read More

Win a double pass to see Common Anomalies at Riverside Theatres in Parramatta

FORM Dance Projects and Riverside Theatres will present an exciting triple bill of contemporary dance performances by young artists in Common Anomalies from 2nd to 4th November. Vastly different in style, the three works will explore each of the performer’s unique personal histories. The performances adapt breakdance, visual art, contemporary techniques, vogue and folklore styles…

Read More

Stephen Seckold is overseeing a new restaurant in Parramatta: Husk & Vine (Sydney)

Stephen Seckold, best known for his excellent work at Pyrmont’s Flying Fish and Surry Hills’ Salaryman, is making his way to Parramatta this July with the opening of Husk & Vine. The new kitchen and bar hopes to add greatly to the west’s ever-changing dining scene, paying homage to the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cultural…

Read More

BL Burgers has opened their first Western Sydney shop in Parramatta

If you live in or around Parramatta, you’re diet just got so much harder to maintain. The granddaddy of Sydney Burger chains, BL Burgers, is just about ready to open their very first Western Sydney venue, after finding massive success in locations like Darlinghurst and Bondi. A Bar Luca spin-off, known for their incredibly unique…

Read More

Review: Burger Project proves essential to Parramatta’s growing food scene (Sydney)

For the past few years there has been a major shift in how Parramatta is being used. Western Sydney’s enormous hub has been crafted to a higher standard than it has in the past, pushing away from dusty old RSLs and substandard food to give locals and visitors a hospitality scene that’s actually exciting. With…

Read More

Neil Perry brings his Burger Project to Parramatta (Sydney)

From today, March 10th, Neil Perry has opened the doors on his ninth Burger Project location, and first in Western Sydney. Their house-made burgers are housed on the ground floor of V by Crown Groups 29-storey retail and residential building on Marsden Street, customers can experience the likes of 14 hand-crafted burgers that showcase 36-month,…

Read More

Parramatta is getting a fancy new 26th floor bar at V by Crown Group (Sydney)

Parramatta has been enjoying a tighter focus this year, the beginnings of large cultural sweep that promises to completely reinvigorate the Western Sydney city. We’ve already seen the likes of street-focused festival Parramatta Lanes become a yearly staple, and now locals and visitors can look towards a huge boost to the area’s night-time economy with…

Read More

Parramatta to get their first five-star hotel courtesy of QT Hotels & Resorts in 2020

QT Hotels & Resorts is set to expand their Australian operations, with the announcement this week that the “quirky” luxury brand will be opening a new property in Parramatta. Their third New South Wales hotel – which is set to open in 2020 – will also hold the distinction as being the city’s first five-star…

Read More

Win a double pass to the new FORM Dance Projects and Riverside Theatres production of Dads

Dance Makers Collective have called in some unlikely experts for their next show, their dads! From 2nd to 5th November, FORM Dance Projects and Riverside Theatres will present the new highly-anticipated work from Dance Makers Collective entitled Dads. Through interviews with their dads and sessions in the rehearsal studio, Dance Makers Collective have uncovered a…

Read More

National Theatre of Parramatta to present Who Speaks For Me? this October

A first time collaboration between the National Theatre of Parramatta and Performance 4A, Who Speaks For Me? is co-directed by storyteller and photographer William Yang and writer/producer Annette Shun Wah. Exploring the vagaries of language, Who Speaks For Me? brings together personal narratives from the vibrant and culturally diverse areas of Western Sydney. These stories…

Read More

Enjoy a movie and gourmet food from a double bed with PicNic Cinema

That’s right. You can gather a copious supply of gourmet street food, take it to your bed, snuggle up and enjoy an Oscar nominated Iranian film, or perhaps a Japanese animation. This snuggly event, presented by PicNic, is part of a celebration of international film and food. If you’re more of a sit and watch…

Read More