Hold onto your glowsticks: history is about to take place in Las Vegas with the first ever EDM gig at The Sphere.
This feels like more than just any old electronic dance gig; more of a seismic shift in Vegas’ party scene.
The Sphere is the world’s hottest ticket. The $2.3 billion, 17,500-seat live entertainment venue being built just east of The Venetian Expo in Vegas is the largest sphere-shaped building in the world, standing 111 metres tall and 157 metres wide at its widest point.
A laser controlled, consistent and crystal-clear concert-grade audio sound system gives every single audience member the perfect listening experience – whether you’re front row or right at the back. The sphere wraps around to display the most extraordinary visuals ever seen on this planet – think giant eyeballs, life in outer space and immersive new worlds. The Sphere’s modus operandi is immersive experiences and mind-blowing visuals that’ll make you question if you’re even on Earth anymore.What a great place to do mushies.
Anyma is the lucky one they’ve chosen to fill the spherical marvel with beats. The Italian DJ is known for infectious tunes and mind-bending light shows, and has the next six months to work on an A-game to bring to The Sphere. The shows take place in the last week of December – after Christmas and then a huge New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day show, in what is absolutely the most epic way to bring in 2025.
Their recently released Rolio luggage is bold, unique and adventurous, and EVERYONE wants some. We know this because we had a HUGE number of entries to our American Tourister Rolio Luggage competition. Just to remind you, we teamed up with the American Tourister legends to give away $778 worth of luggage – an entire Rolio set!
The Rolio set has a distinctively lit cylindrical shape, designed to capture the spirit of Gen Z authenticity. Its unique shape not only sets travellers apart from the crowd but also offers practicality in wheeling through tight spaces.
Made with aerospace-grade, German polycarbonate, Rollio has heaps of cool shit, including a Duosaf™ security zipper, U.S.-compliant TSA lock and smooth rolling double wheels.
So, bet you’re wondering if you won, huh?
Without further ado. The winner is…
drumroll pls
Grant Sellin
Congratulations Grant! We’ll be in touch you mad dawg, and you’ll be rollin some Rolios around in no time.
Up there with the likes of Vivid in Sydney and Melbourne’s Lightscape, Illuminate isn’t just a snack for the senses, it’s a whole damn feast. From the colourful lights and interactive displays littered along North Terrace to the meticulously designed multi-sensory exhibits dotted around the city’s CBD, this is one innovative spectacle you’ll want to stay out late for.
Illuminate Adelaide will warm you up and ignite your imagination; perfect for solo adventurers and couples wanting to spice up date night.
This weekend is your last chance to see the lights – skip the research and read on for our top 5:
The whole installation gives off major tribal council vibes, so much so that you’ll probably be looking around for Jeff Probst before you’ve even walked through the entrance’s flaming archways. You won’t find him, but you will find around 7,000 giant handcrafted fire pots scattered throughout the Adelaide Botanic Gardens.
They’re everywhere; between the trees, in the middle of lakes, lighting up walkways and coming out of fountains. You can’t wander to one fiery sculpture without spotting several others, encouraging the imagination to run wild with thoughts of celebratory sacrifices and cult initiations – only aided by the ritualistic soundtrack reverberating through the park.
Once the sun sets, these pots are lit up by a team wearing top hats, and while they outnumber humans 456 to 1 (big guesstimation), it only takes around 10 minutes. And they never seem to go out, even in windy or wet conditions. Utter magic.
If you’re looking to get more bang for your buck, do it at City Lights. One, because it’s free, and two, because it’s so freaking cool. Gathering a collection of works by both local and international artists and spreading them into some of Adelaide’s most iconic institutions and in places you’d never think to look, City Lights is full of interactive surprises and hilarious projections.
Like the AI-generated sing-along you’ll find on the Art Gallery of South Australia’s exterior. Taking faces from portraits found inside the Reimagining the Renaissance exhibit and turning them into a choir who sing pop hits and Aussie favourites, this projection makes living in 1599 look fun. And they didn’t even have proper sewerage systems back then.
Then there’s a set of swings that emit a musical sound whenever someone launches themselves into the air on them. If your mates all get on a swing at the same time, it creates the perfect harmony, like some sort of giant xylophone. Each swing also has a colour so that the whole installation looks like the emotions from Inside Out. Who wants to be Sadness?
The most beautiful garden you’ve ever seen goes digital at EDEN.
Spanning 150 square metres of LED screens, a garden comes to life at your fingertips and takes you on a journey of growth, curiosity and movement. Watch as the seed you plant gets bigger, transforming into a lush landscape full of colourful flowers, buzzing insects and trickling water.
Move things around, raise plants from the ground and spread light through the garden as everything blooms around you – think pandora on steroids. Perfectly blending the beauty of nature with the creativity of technology, this interactive experience is one you don’t want to miss.
Step into the future at Live @ The Lab where light and sound smash into each other in a series of immersive musical events. Technology, experimentation and a commanding performance from a curated selection of eccentric local and national talents all roll into one in what is guaranteed to be a massive, mind-blowing experience.
But make no mistake, this isn’t the exhibit for a little dignified conversation. The whole time you’re there you’ll be fighting to hear your own thoughts let alone make out what your partner’s trying to say next to you.
Instead of talking about the weather, immerse yourself in the hypnotic rhythm, movement and sound coming from the performer, while also paying attention to the powerful visuals coming out of 50sqm of LED screens. If acid was an arts exhibit, it would be this one.
Luckily, the masterminds behind Illuminate Adelaide figured you would be and created a pop-up village of food trucks, cocktail gardens and live entertainment for you to enjoy pre and post festival activities.
Tuck into a German currywurst sausage from Batlic Fine Foods or smash a chilli cheeseburger from Gang Gang before finishing off with something a little sweeter, some good ol’ hot cinnamon doughnuts from Donut Diner. In need of a refreshment? Head over to Cocktail Bar for a gin & tonic from 23rd Street Distillery or quench your thirst with a beer from Bowden Brewing.
Once all that food and drink is sloshing around your stomach, dance it out to the beats from local DJs including Late Night Lenny and Research Project. Winter blues cured.
get lost were recently in the Malaysian state of Sabah, on the island of Borneo.
Here, orangutans, sun bears, mouse-deer, pangolin, pygmy elephants, leopards, loris, dick-nose (probiscis) monkeys and heaps more live in harmony in rainforests, while there are turtle ‘metropolises’ at easy to access dive sites.
Speaking on 3AW radio on Thursday, Editor Tim McGlone said he believed the destination needed to be considered one of the best in the world when it comes to wildlife.
Tim gave his top three wildlife destinations – click below to find out what made the cut.
What’s the best wildlife or marine life experience you’ve had? Is there one particular creature you need to see?
Seeing your favourite band, singer or DJ (or even one you’d never heard before) hits a little different when you’re in a foreign location.
Research from the flight-finding legends at Skyscanner has revealed that 40% of Australians would happily fly overseas, just to see their favourite artist live.
It got us thinking about our favourite gigs that we’ve been to see from around the world. Do you have a favourite? Or would you travel overseas for an artist? Tell us about it – info@getlostmagazine.com
Publisher Justin Jamieson:
A mate and I were making our way through the Southern US States back in 1996 when we saw Ben Harper was playing in Nashville. We scored some cheap tickets and upon arriving at the small warehouse discovered Ben Harper didn’t have much of a following down South.
Our “cheap seats” became front row as Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals played what was virtually a private gig for two travelling Aussies. We had a few bourbons with the band apres gig and then partied hard in the bars of Broadway street well into the early hours of the morning.
That gig and Neil Young in the Terme Di Caracalla in Rome (wth a guest appearance by Willie Nelson) are pretty hard to top.
Editor Tim McGlone:
I was travelling on a bus from Athens to Budapest, but I cooked the booking in a big way, and a one-hour stopover in Belgrade, Serbia turned into a 24-hour stopover instead. This turned about to be a great mistake.
The day included a surprisingly epic walking tour, a hectic Red Star Belgrade football match, bookstores and cafe beers. The night was spent sneaking into the Kalemegdan, a 1,700 year old castle overlooking the city, to watch American band Interpol play a dreamy two-hour set with two Germans and a girl from Melbourne. How many places can you see world class bands play in ancient fortresses? We hit up a few very lively floating discos (known as Splavs) on the Danube River afterward, and I very nearly missed my next bus.
Gigs are partly about the music, but also about the scene, situation and your vibe at the time; this one ticked all the boxes.
Have you ever flown overseas, just to see a band or your favourite artist play live? And if not, would you?
Research from the flight-finding legends at Skyscanner has revealed that 40% of Australians would happily fly overseas, just to see their favourite artist live.
While there’s more than one Swiftie in the get lost office (and probably a few closet ones) as well as stadium gigs, we also fuck with the grimy and the grubby, sticky-floor type pubs, ridiculously elaborate Asian concerts and karaoke, warehouse raves and absolutely any music spot with an open fireplace.
Here are our eight favourite gig cities from around the world. What do you think?
Galway, Ireland
Galway isn’t just about pints and pub crawls; its music scene is the heartbeat of Irish craic. You mightn’t catch Tay-Tay on her world tour here, but you will get lively traditional sessions in snug corners around the heart of the town, fiddles and harps and someone named Conal or Aoibhinn singing a sweet, sweet tune by the fire. Music echoes through the cobbled alleys of this awesome city.
Reminding you why Tennessee whiskey and tunes go hand in hand. Home of honky-tonks and the Grand Ole Opry, Nashville strums its way into music lore, and a list of the best music cities in the world can’t be complete without it.
Old London Town, where The Clash clashed and where Adele rolled in the deep. London’s venues span from the Royal Albert Hall’s poshness to gritty Brixton dives, tiny bars in Camden to the bright lights of Wembley Stadium. It’s a punk, pop, and posh collision. Do football chants count as music?
O.K, this is a different kid of gig town. Seoul tunes into a dial that no-one else does. K-Pop billboards, Hongdae’s neon lights, Gangnam’s slick beats, underground punk gigs in cramped basements and futuristic EDM in towering clubs – this is a city pulsing with musical chaos. Plus, if you go to Seoul and don’t end up belting out karaoke to friends and strangers at 3am, did you really even go?
5. Berlin, Germany
Pay homage at the Techno Mecca, where beats thump in abandoned power stations. Berlin’s clubs have redefined (and continue to redefine) western nightlife with DJs spinning till sunrise, and people expressing themselves in a way they probably can’t anywhere else. Currywurst on the way home.
6. Havana, Cuba
Rhythms of salsa and son permeate Havana’s sultry nights. Buena Vista Social Club is a major player, but this city’s music spills onto Malecón’s seawall and into mojito-fueled jam sessions.
The Afro Beat hits hard here. Music permeates through this city; every single person here seems to move like they’re in Lil Nas X latest video clip. Rhythm can be found on dusty street corners in Soweto as much as at glitzy upmarket clubs in Sandton, where well-dressed club goers party LATE into the night. JoBurg is the biggest example of why music is for anyone and everyone; whether you’re cashed up or you’ve not got a brass razoo to your name, you’ll be able to find a rhythm here.
8. New York, USA
A concrete jungle where dreams are made of, and where gigs happen every single second of every single day. The biggest of all gigs happen at Maddison Square Garden, but you’ll also find dive bars in the Village, abandoned warehouses hosting raves, and heaps more. New York lives, breathes, and probably sweats music.
It rises high in the sky, just as I remember it. In fact, most Victorians would recognise it’s façade. The blue stone competes with the blue sky, and dominates. My husband and I find our way to the reception of The Interlude Hotel. We are going to enjoy a night in the plush surrounds of this unique, amazing accommodation. You might know it by its other name… Pentridge Prison.
My anticipation is a mixture of history (both mine and the building’s) and the reinvention of a space. Have they managed to incorporate luxury into something which, in its pure identity, was the antithesis?
This place closed as a working prison in 1995. Unlike many who I hope will go to enjoy this unique experience, I liken it to an old slipper finally found and slipped on. I called the prison system home most of my life. Dad was a prison officer, and so my family lived inside prison grounds between 1956 to 1980. Prisons that were and still are dotted around Victoria. He was stationed at Pentridge in the 1960’s and then returned in the 1980’s as Governor of the now infamous Jika Jika precinct.
My memories are very clear of the building in the 1960’s, including the Ronald Ryan period. The building itself impressive. Dad, as handsome as ever, would come out at the end of his shift as he started it. Spotless, full uniform, silver braid on cap and silver buttons. Shining symbols of seniority. I understand he was considered hard but fair.
I ponder on the name they chose for this Hotel; its definition means “a space in time”. Once upon a time this definition spelt misery, cruelty and despair for many.
We enter the building from the side where H division once stood. When we arrive we are greeted with a glass of champagne (not sure Ned Kelly got this when he arrived) and are ushered to a casual seating area now occupying what was B Division. An extraordinary indoor pool glistens below us within the original spaces (not sure Chopper ever had a dip in this).
Our room for the night is made up of three combined cells, retaining many of the original features. Bars on the windows and the three heavy iron doors reminds us of where we are. The luxurious bedding and beautiful amenities, however, transforms this into an indulgent area. A complete metamorphosis. Yes, the bluestone adds a moody reflection. I look up to the windows They are the same ones where thousands of prisoners would have looked out to the blue sky of the free world, their only luxury.
The other areas of B division, especially the wine bar, are so cleverly incorporated into the cells. It provides an intimate area for a drink or a unique catchup for groups sanctioned off amongst the bluestones.
History isn’t ignored here. It is a reminder of our very origins as a country, founded on the very premise of what this building stood for…punishment. It is one of the few remaining examples of the “panopticon” style of a disciplinary penal concept. There are only eight left in the world. Designed to separate and be always seen by warders.
These buildings are difficult places to re-invent. Both costly and tricky to entice the greater public to embrace a space where there was so much misery and despair. Prisons are always going to be a contested conversation. Everyone is entitled to their own personal thoughts. These prisons are dotted around the country. Some of course still working prisons and others left standing as sentinel to a harsher time lost.
The Interlude did not disappoint. Staying true to its name, it is a beautiful space that offers guests respite. A new ‘system’ offering connection and peace instead of separation and silence. This is the biggest change of all.
The word ‘diversity’ in 2024 is probably most used by big consulting companies; in reports where they make promises to have more of it in senior management (lol).
In Malaysia’s eastern state of Sabah though, diversity refers to rainforests where orangutans, sun bears, mouse-deer, pangolin, pygmy elephants, leopards, loris, dick-nose (probiscis) monkeys and heaps more live in harmony. A week-long trip was enough for this writer to encounter creatures he didn’t even know existed – looking at you, Red Flying Squirrel.
It refers to the most multiethnic state in Malaysia; home to no less than 32 tribes, 55 languages, and around 100 dialects.
There’s 450 islands – give or take a few pretty big sand banks – diverse and beautiful in canopy and colour.
The state shares the incredible island of Borneo with Indonesia and Brunei. From a ‘turtle metropolis’ to island-hopping incredible deserted islands, there’s some genuinely extraordinary experiences to be had in Sabah. Here’s six:
1. Join the turtle club
The most extraordinary population of hawksbill and green sea turtles can be found cruising gently through the waters of the Semporna region.
They’re everywhere, as are a wild range of fish, some neat coral and some wrecks to dive.
But it was the turtles for us. They’re easily accessed with a snorkel, but we recommend strapping an oxygen tank on and getting a bit deeper, so you can chill with these little legends for longer. You can dive up to ten metres without a PADI certificate.
Arcadia Beach Resort is a beautiful resort on tiny Pandanan island, and they know all the best spots. Get them to take you out.
2.Hit up deserted islands
Off the north-east coast of Borneo there’s a stack of islands and sand banks, all seemingly blessed with astonishing good looks. Hop on a boat and dart the short distances (in placid bays) from one to another, and wear a bib to wipe the drool from your chin when you come across paradise after paradise.
My favourite was Timba Timba – a thin sliver of uninhabited sand with only a jetty and a small hut selling drinks. Sunbake, swim, get a drink. Repeat.
Most accommodation in the area will offer island hopping excursions.
***
3.Go face-to-face with orangutan
Standing at the edge of a viewing platform, we were told to move back for our own safety.
“Why” I wondered silently; the mother orangutan and her child were feeding about 20 metres away. More than safe.
Seconds later, a gigantic male orangutan – Big Papi – walked nimbly across the very wooden bench I’d previously been resting my arms on. I hate to be cliché but nothing prepared me for what a fully-grown orangutan would be like up-close. I could not – still can’t – believe the size of this guy.
Seeing these apes up close in the Sepilok Rainforest, their home, is an extraordinary treat. Float between the viewing deck and the interior section where you view baby orangutans from behind glass. The little ones are a lot more playful and funnier – think stealing each other’s bananas, wrestling – while the adults are a lot bigger, and majestic in their own way.
Established in 1964, the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre was the first place in the world dedicated to the rehabilitation of orangutans. To come here is to support the protection of these beautiful, hilarious beasts. Big win-win.
4. Smash local cuisine
With so many different ethnic groups comes a whole lot of different cuisines. Fresh fish is on the menu plenty of the time, and our favourite form came in the form of Panasakan Basungan – a traditional Dusun dish of braised basung fish, mixed with takob akob – which is a kind of fruit. Sweet and delicious.
Honourable mention goes to My Native Sabah restaurant in Kota Kinabalu, who served up a plate of fried basung and rice, spicy sambal and this thing called ‘wild mango pickles’ (pictured below) which was as tasty and wild as it sounds. Hook it to my veins.
Dishonourable mention to the same restaurant, who served Pizza Butod…that is, a basic pizza topped with bush grubs. You can even pick out your preferred, still-moving grubs in the restaurant.
5. Conquer Bohey Dulang
Bohey Dulang is an island located in the Sakaran Marine National Park area. Look, 650 metres doesn’t sound like much, but it’s a bloody steep 650 metres, a hike that is almost as high as it is long.
Once at the top you’ll be afforded the most majestic views over the marine park, taking in an epic array of colours and sections with names like Big Boy Reef. If you’re staying nearby, work up a sweat doing this in the morning, and then fall into the ocean after that – has to be in that order, as it gets very hot here.
6. Here comes the sun…bear
The Sepilok Rainforest is frequented not just by orangutans. Sun bears are the smallest bears in the world and are found only in Southeast Asia, and they’ve had a rough time of it as late, being kept cruelly as pets and suffering from forest degradation. The Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre are doing some incredible work to look after these cute, industrious things.
I say industrious because a mere 15 minutes of watching ‘Noah’ the sun bear was enough to see him attacking a tree for stingless bee honey, play fight with one of his friends and get down and dirty with another. Talk about productive.
7. Wander through the culture jungle
Imagine this: you’ve met a girl and you’re mad for each other, ready to spend the rest of your life together. You’ve paid the bride well which is customary for your culture, and now the only thing left to do is to solve a small puzzle, to prove you are smart enough to take care of a family.
It’s lucky I’m not in the Lundayeh tribe, I’d be single for life. After spending 30 futile minutes attacking a simple but impossible puzzle, I kept moving through Mari Mari Cultural Village, a series of stations in the jungle that describe the life and traditions of the five major ethnic communities in Sabah: Bajau, Lundayeh, Murut, Rungus and Dusun.
Go for the culture, rice wine, honey and welcoming ceremonies; stay to see if you can do the puzzle.
Waking on the beach, I discover a fat-clawed crab has clipped itself to my lip. I sit up, detach the pincer from my pucker, and cough a mouthful of sand into the little skiff I was sleeping beside. My beachy keen surroundings are familiar, if not altogether immediately recognisable.
I still have my camera slung around my neck, and am wearing the same clothes I had on last night – an unbuttoned gingham shirt, khaki shorts and, luckily, my ultrafino montecristi, a precious defence against the sun’s dark arts. My sandals are nowhere in sight, likely lost at sea with my pride. Mystery clouds my mind.
From the calm chromatic water, a tall, sinewy man appears. Long, heavy dreadlocks flecked with brown and grey swing under a leather cowboy hat; his muscles ripple as he fights the friction of the sand. He walks towards me, offers his hand, and pulls me to my feet. “Looks like you had a good time at Moonsplash,” he says, pulling down his shades to wink at me. “Did you put anything good on that camera?”
Moonsplash. My camera. Of course! The clues I need to unlock the mystery. Suddenly I remember where I am (on Anguilla’s Rendezvous Bay) and who this is (Bankie Banx, Anguilla’s legendary folk son).
I scan backwards through the images on my camera; the final photo was taken sometime after 5am right here on the beach, with the full moon illuminating the sand and St Maarten across the bay, a few dozen folk dancing to whatever act was still on stage. The image is as fine a representation of the Moonsplash Festival as there ever was, and slowly my memories are becoming mine again.
Bankie is gone in a flash, tucked back into his wondrously ramshackle Dune Preserve, the beach bar-slash-music club that has played permanent host to his festival since 1995. I scroll further back through time, through the first impressions, through the acts, through the VIP treatment, all the way back to my first few moments on Anguilla, when I dug my toes into the sand, ordered a frozen mojito from the beach bar, and soaked up the sun.
Less than 24 hours prior I had checked into my plush seaside digs at the CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa to begin my tour of Anguilla’s culinary landscape courtesy of executive chef Jasper Schneider. I’d come to Anguilla in order to become a gastronomic swashbuckler, but in less than a day I turned into a certified reggaephile. The Caribbean’s best music festival has that sort of transformative power. If I didn’t have the photos, I’m not sure I would believe any of it happened.
It was the prospect of relaxation rather than transformation that brought me here, but as I flip through my images I realise my fundamental concept of island escapism has changed overnight. The visual evidence spoke to the sort of essential cultural experience I’d expect to have someplace else, not on a tiny island largely known for pretty beaches, sweet rock lobster and high jinks on the high sea.
Memory lane delivers me to a set from Sheriff Bob Saidenberg, the new-wave bluegrass twanger who co-founded Moonsplash with Bankie (born Clement Ashley Banks) back in 1991. Sheriff Bob’s countrified sensibilities – a cagey blend of Pete Seeger and Jim Cuddy – may seem out of place at a reggae festival, but on Anguilla eclectic line-ups have become something of a Moonsplash Music Festival hallmark: Jimmy Buffet played the Dune Preserve a few years back, while John Mayer took the stage with Bankie in 2011.
Yet there’s no denying the reggae vibe rules the roost; I caught Gershwin Lake & Parables whipping the crowd into a frenzy, and spent a little time on the main stage with Jamaica’s Chronixx as he played to every set of hands on the island raised through a raucous rendition of ‘Here Comes Trouble’. I took about a hundred photos of Omari Banks, progeny of Bankie, the West Indies cricket star-cum-Caribbean sonic barometer.
Like his father, Omari is of regal bearing and fully commands the space between himself and his audience. Under the watchful gaze of the great wooden lionfish and a facsimile of King Poseidon – local artwork has plenty of space to shine at Moonsplash – Omari opened with an acoustic rendition of “Jehovah Message” from his Move On album. Twenty minutes later Bankie was on stage backing his son, and Anguilla was on fire.
I flip through an embarrassing plethora of selfies, shot from the stage, the crowd and the elevated VIP deck (how I was granted access remains a mystery). Up on the deck I had bumped into an overjoyed Omari, and mined him for a bit of Moonsplash Festival gold.
“I have the honour of saying I was here from the beginning,” he told me of the festival. “I first took the stage with my dad when I was five years old and, ever since, Moonsplash has given me the opportunity to perform and share my music.”
Omari’s humble nature is striking considering most of the locals think of him as their favourite artist, while the foreign folk have come from half a world away to hear him play. Omari and Bankie are the kings of Anguilla’s music scene, and the stage, made from salvaged ship parts cast onto the beach by one hurricane or another, is their throne.
Yet I can’t help looking at those last late-night images from the beach, when the Dune Preserve was at my back, the music was all around me and the island seemed like the most remarkable place on earth. Under the full moon, Moonsplash’s ethereal nature is unrelentingly alluring.
I’d come to Anguilla in order to become a gastronomic swashbuckler, but in less than a day I turned into a certified reggaephile. The Caribbean’s best music festival has that sort of transformative power.
With the sun high in the sky on my brand new day, I push memory from my mind and set out to explore Anguilla. I visit CuisinArt’s Tokyo Bay and stuff some king crab robata, rock shrimp tempura and a bottle of red wine into a dry bag next to my camera, then make haste for Sandy Ground. Tucked into a Sea Pro kayak courtesy of Captain Wayne, I set off to explore shipwrecks and the rugged coast, but even on the open water I bump into Moonsplashers.
A snorkeller spends every spare breath talking about the time he saw Bankie climb the scaffolding 15 metres above the stage so he could see everyone in attendance; a pair of passing paddleboarders wax lyrical over the aural horseplay displayed during Chronixx’s set. I’m sure I even hear a starfish singing a Sheriff Bob song, but I digress.
I go lobster tasting on secluded Sandy Cay, golfing on the CuisinArt greens, and cruising between food trucks in the Valley, and never once escape talk of Moonsplash. Visitors are jealous I bumped into Bankie, while the fella in charge of my saltfish patty at Papa Lash’s food truck hums Omari’s “Let It Go” while he works the grill. Moonsplash is connected to the cultural core of Anguilla, and woven into the national identity so tightly it’s nearly impossible to separate one from the other.
I spend the rest of my Sunday afternoon at the Moonsplash Beach Party on Rendezvous Bay, the annual wind-down that features low-key sets from some of the festival’s top acts. This is a family-friendly event on the Caribbean’s most family-friendly island, and brings out mum, dad and the two-and-a-half kids to chill with the rest of the festival crowd, contributing to the overall conviviality of the event.
I whip back and forth between the CuisinArt Beach Bar and the Dune Preserve with arms wrapped around frosty cocktails and rum and raisin ice-cream sandwiches, poke around the lobster, prawns and ribs on the oil-drum grills, and ask Omari to teach me the first few chords to ‘Let It Go’ for the next time I’m quizzed on my Moonsplash knowledge. I even manage to capture a few moments on my camera, because as we all know, if there’s no picture, it didn’t happen.
I always get excited when I see an email from my editor about a new travel assignment.
My mind races; perhaps I’ll be experiencing ancient tea ceremonies in the Bhutanese mountains or forging an Arctic path in a luxury icebreaker. There have even been hushed talks of Virgin Galactic taking adventurous journalists on missions to space. Texas, however, is not what I consider an exotic destination. And Grapevine, frankly, sounds like a fake place.
So when I’m invited to journey to the small Texan town of Grapevine to cover a wine festival, I have to read the email twice. Grapevine, Texas. Alas, I’m indeed going to a small intersection between Dallas and Fort Worth that is—apparently—going to knock my socks off. Skeptically, I begin to pack.
As a proud cityslicker from the Yankee part of the US, Texas is quite far off my radar. I’m not into trucks, boots, guns, or livestock, so I normally opt for the saucy Barcelona subculture or the untread beaches in the Marquesas. But all cynicism melts away as I get into my Uber and am met with a warm Texan welcome.
“Oh man, you’re going to GrapeFest? I’m so jealous,” the ridiculously chipper driver, named Shannon, says with genuine excitement. “I’m driving all morning to make some extra cash so I can get down there myself and have-a-time!” According to Shannon, Grapevine—and GrapeFest—is kind of a big deal.
Shannon drops me at the end of Grapevine’s Main Street and that’s when I realise just how big of a deal it is. As far as the eye can see, Bacchanalian revellers are pouring through the barriers and into GrapeFest. I take a deep breath and enter the beautiful chaos.
Surprisingly, Texas is the fifth largest wine producer in the US and GrapeFest is one of the largest wine festivals in the world. What can you find here? Magical bubble lounges where you can sip on sparkling wine while being serenaded; the People’s Choice Award where you can sample over 100 local wines and submit your vote for the best of the bunch; and the famous grape stomping competition (which is harder and just as fun as it sounds).
Click play to watch
With or without this lively wine festival, Grapevine is a charming, somewhat magical town. Home to a classic Main Street with kitsch eateries, store owners who welcome you with “howdy!”, and a Glockenspiel clock that features an animatronic gunslinger shoot-out when it strikes 12; kids run free without worry, and adults sit in the shade talking about how lovely the weather is. People smile here.
I was wrong about Texas—it’s very exotic, and a welcome departure from the more dismissive American states.
Grapevine was founded in 1844 a year after General Sam Houston made a peace pact with 10 of the Indigenous native tribes—making it one of the earliest settlements in the country. Since then it has been the cantaloupe capital of the world (albeit briefly), home to Bonnie and Clyde, and a world-class wine hub.
Whether you’re a vino amateur, a wine enthusiast or a fully-fledged sommelier, there’s something for everyone here. After a few hours of drinking, I need a food break so I jump into a charcuterie board design class where we, yes, learn how to zhush up our house party offerings. I then stop by a wine glass workshop where I get the lowdown on what wines should be served in which glasses. Hint: full-bodied white wines, like aged chardonnay or viognier, are better in a large bowl because it emphasises the creamy texture. Honestly, this blows my mind—the glass shape changes the taste significantly.
Besides all the drinking, eating is also somewhat of a religion in Grapevine. I discover that a stop by the Grapevine Main train station is a must-do if you want epic views and a first-class food haul. You can even jump on stage for some live band karaoke, which is more than we can say for most train stations. Later I join the party at Esparza’s for authentic Tex-Mex that will satisfy even the biggest southern food connoisseur. I think I’m officially a Grapevine convert.
But what makes this place so unique is its perfectly preserved small town vibe. Walking down main street is like stepping back into a bygone western. Fancy trying your hand at a bona fide turn of the century printing press? You can do it at the Grapevine Historical Museum. Really into rodeos? Come see one of the longest running rodeos in the state. Love a honky-tonk? Billy Bobs Texas is the world’s largest. The streets here are a livewire of energy and are packed with characters that bring this western town to life.
It’s rare to find a place with such genuine hospitality. It’s like the entire town is a Disney set—that’s how welcoming Grapevine is. And while this small pocket of Texas wasn’t on my radar before, it’s definitely on my travel recommendation list now. Especially for all the wine lovers out there.
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