If your idea of the perfect weekend includes gourmet food, friends and some quality live music where you don’t have to stay out past your bedtime, listen up. Sydney’s boutique music event, Lost Picnic returns next month and it’s selling out fast.
After debuting in 2014 to a sell-out success, Lost Picnic is back with a program that guarantees a good time. Arguably a double headliner, they’ve got Fat Freddy’s Drop, a seven-piece band from New Zealand whose cracking live shows combine reggae, dub, soul, R&B and jazz as well as, The Beatle Boys joining forces with the Australian Symphony Orchestra to perform tunes from Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, the game-changing Beatles album released half-a-century ago this year. On top of that, you’ll be hearing from Montaigne, Sarah Blasko, All Our Exes Live in Texas and Melbourne’s Teskey Brothers.
But it’s not all about the tunes; Lost Picnic didn’t get its name for no reason. They’re serving up a selection of gourmet hampers from some of Sydney’s finest restaurants. There’s Chur Burger with the notorious “Biggie Smalls” burgers; a Middle Eastern feast, Tel Aviv Issue, from Jude Cohen of Grandma’s (think smoked labneh with zataar and lots of hummus); and street Malay favourite Mamak.
Amid the more green options, you’ll find Australia’s largest organic restaurant Agape showcasing a vegetarian hamper with pumpkin & sweet potato lentil dahl alongside a carnivorous one with spit roasted biodynamic suckling pig, soft goats cheese with beetroot pickle and spelt emmental crispbreads. There’s also GRANNY IVY by Agape, which is a tribute to chef Simon Lawson’s late Chinese grandmother. With a choice of an organic meat or vegan hamper, Simon’s dishing out some of his granny’s favourite Asian inspired dishes (read: slow roasted spiced lamb shoulder and quinoa soba noodles with miso sesame dressing).
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If your idea of a picnic is Italian antipasto (read: meat on cheese on bread), there’s also Woolloomooloo’s famed Puntino Trattoria offering just that. Think homemade focaccia, porcetta rolls and hot arancini filled with melted mozzarella. And it wouldn’t be complete without the turps to wash it down. They’ve got White Rabbit on craft beer, alongside boutique wine and cider.
But it’s not just for adults; it’s a family affair. “This year goes beyond Sydney’s best food and music and forays into the world of theatre and art. There’ll be curios to delight even the youngest of Lost Picnic guests, from top acro performers to mysterious monikers like The Gramophone Man, Wind-up Ballerina and Blue Tongue Brass Band. It’ll be an Alice in Wonderland-esque atmosphere with balloon sculptures, giant checkers and magicians floating about,” says co-founder Simon Beckingham.
This year Lost Picnic will be staged at Sydney’s leafy Domain from midday to 8pm on Sunday October 15th. Tickets are on sale for $89 a pop so head on over to www.lostpicnic.net to nab one along with your gourmet hampers, which are $50.00 for two, and must be pre-booked online.
