This man needs no introduction, but what’s astonishing is, that this is Haring’s first major exhibition in the UK, ever! The New Yorker’s pop art has shaped modern art greatly and although his little one-line-men look great fun, he addressed really serious subjects with his work, from Apartheid to Aids. The energy his pieces radiate is incredible, quite apart from the fact that we love the location and the venue that houses the Tate Liverpool. An absolute must-see, so don’t leave it too late to plan your visit…(tate-org.uk)
Every year, for 3 weeks, Edinburgh goes completely crazy for artistic performances, circus, music shows, theatre, opera, cabaret, dance, comedy and much, much more, welcoming an explosion of energy and creativity, that is hard to match anywhere in the world. It is also the launch platform for gazillions of artists and acts, who perform their world premieres on this fertile ground for anything art. From big names in entertainment to unknown artists or acts, they all flock to th world’s biggest arts festival there is – a whole city devoted to art and culture. It’s a real experience, so go and soak in all that creative energy to give you wiiiings! (edfringe.com)
Half of America is in London this summer, and no, we’re not talking about Trump and his administration! The latest masterpiece by award-winning playwright David Mamet brings John Malkovich back to the stage after a 33 year hiatus. The fact that he’s playing London’s West End is an added bonus and a huge nod to theatre land this side of the pond, but what’s really the subject here is the decline of Hollywood studios and, thanks Harvey Weinstein’s for the story, the downfall of those moguls, who thought they owned the world and could use people as if they were dischargeable coffee cups. By the dozen a day, is what we mean by that…the raving reviews of Malkovich in this role ought to be listened to, so go and see it for yourself in to get the flavour of what life was like for hundreds of actresses, who wanted to make it in show biz. bitterwheatplay.com
Taron Egerton is an inspired choice to portray Elton John in this film of a life story that’s seen more rollercoaster action than Disney World! He’s got sass, he’s got the voice and he isn’t afraid to bust any limits. Elton John’s life has been pure drama and this film does it justice: excellent script, dead-pan performances and outstanding costume (we quite fancied one or two of those outfits for the office). It’s a must-see for 2019, also because Elton is on tour as well, still knocking out the hits, stunning audiences all over the globe with his show ‘Farewell – Yellow Brick Road’. If you can see it in English, do – it makes all the difference to see this picture in its original language (eltonjohn.com)
There is no other place on Earth like this! This summer season at the Bregenz Festival opens with Verdi’s fabulous ‘Rigoletto’, being shown on the biggest stage in the world that’s built into a lake, so you’ll be put through all sorts of operatic emotions under the open skies. Glass of champagne in hand, enjoying this surreal experience, it’s no wonder that James Bond filmed ‘Quantum of Solace’ there. Grab hold of any tickets you can for this 2019 season to fulfill a lifelong dream
The setting of Frankfurt’s world-famous Christmas markets on the Römerberg dates back to the mid-1300s and has to be one of the most magical locations for a Christmas market EVER! The medieval houses & buildings surrounding the picturesque square, have been beautifully restores many years ago and are simply idyllic – perfect for getting into the festive spirit. Enjoy the scent of mulled wine in the air, decorated gingerbread with loving messages are available everywhere and lots Bratwurst is on the grill, waiting feed hungry market goers. You will feel like a kid again in no time! We hope, you’ve enjoyed the video and that it has animated you to book a trip to visit Frankfurt during Xmas this year.
City of Frankfurt
One of the coolest cities in Germany, Frankfurt is essentially a city of many contrasts. Amongst it’s architecture, you will see ultra modern sky crapers, amongst which nestle period buildings galore. It also boasts one of the biggest airports in Europe: Frankfurt International Airport! With no shortage of flights in getting there, Frankfurt during the winter season is particularly charming also due to its rich history in traditional café salon culture, where authors, literary figures (listen up, Goethe fans) and countless art & cultural circles met up and still meet up to discuss and debate their issues. Hence there is an abundance of cool, chic & traditional cafés serving the naughtiest cakes in the land.
The Römerberg boasts many of them in its immediate vicinity, like the super cute chocolaterie ‘Bitter & Zart’. The Frankfurter Kranz is a speciality cake, which, it must be, bearing the city’s name. Zero calories, of course…joke alert! Frankfurt is also the place of the German stock market, which is why this city is not just rich in calories when it comes to its cakes. Techno had its first stronghold here as well, thanks to a vibrant and active club culture. Much its centre has been completely pedestrianised (utterly wonderful, you can get to so many places on foot), whilst famous spots like the ‘Fressgass’ hold wine festivals/champagne/food events, with lots of eatery stands in the street.
During the summer, this part of town, leading up to the Old Opera, turns into living & eating outside until the early hours of the morning. Living well is a big ’thing’ in Frankfurt, with local delicatessen shops spotted throughout the city centre and Sachsenhausen, as well as man y other parts and neighbourhoods.
‘Schirn’ Kunsthalle
Situated just off the Römerberg, the Schirn Kunsthalle it is one of the most important exhibition venues for contemporary and modern art in Europe. They work in collaboration with many leading museums and galleries in the world, including the Barbican in London and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. They’re exhibitions always hold a special angle to art, attempting to open up new view points, breaking traditional patterns of reception. This also applies to their show about Lee Krasner, wife of Jackson Pollock, an American painter, feminist and artistic pioneer in her own right (see TA-DAH.TV’s Art Exhibitions & Fairs section).
This exhibition is followed by another blockbuster about Frida Kahlo and you get the drift about the mission this show space is on. Since its opening in 1986, it has shown over 240 exhibitions, having welcomed just under 9 million visitors. Their mission statement says it all: ‘The Schirn sees itself as a place for making discoveries and as a seismograph fro explosive developments in the visual arts. At the same time, it articulates combative opinions, sparks debates, and provides space from lively exchange for the relevance of art for our society.’ Typically Frankfurt, say we!
Museumsufer
Unique in there world, there is no other city, which can claim being host to a range of leading museums that are placed in line, one after another, along a picturesque river such as the river ‘Main’. It is a sight to behold and a landscape to experience. ‘Frankfurt am Main’ has created a completely original landscape, with leading museums lining its river – some of them housed in architecturally elaborated city mansions, which Frankfurt is famous for, and some of them in ultra modern buildings, built for their specific purpose. The ‘Städel Museum’ for historic art leads the ‘pack’ on the South bank, alongside the ‘Liebighaus’ holding a vast collection of sculptures, the ‘Museum Giersch’ showing a permanent collection of 19th century artists, the ‘Portikus’, which is a free exhibition space showing temporary exhibitions of contemporary art, as well as the ‘Museum für Kommunikation’ (Communication Museum), the ‘Deutsches Architekturmuseum’ (German Architecture Museum), the ‘Deutsches Filmmuseum’ (German Film Museum), the ‘Museum der Weltkulturen’ (Ethnological Museum) about world cultures, the ‘Museum für Angewandte Kunst’ (Museum of Applied Arts), and the ‘Icon Museum’, which houses one of the largest collections of Russian, Bulgarian and Greek icons, as well as others, in the whole of Germany.
On the North bank, you can visit the ‘Jüdisches Museum’ (Jewish Museum Frankfurt), the ‘Historisches Museum’ (Historical Museum Frankfurt), displaying artefacts of the city’s history from Roman times until today. There, you can make your way into the Old Town, which is not quite on the river bank to visit the Schirn, The Museum für Modern Kunst (Museum for Modern Art) and the ‘Archäologisches Museum’ (Archeological Museum Frankfurt).
If you think, you can do the Museumsufer in a day, think again! The Museumsufer is a tour de force – typically Frankfurt, we’d say again…
‘A Magical Night of Opera’ was lifestyle destination Sotogrande’s very first annual event and a complete success: opera sung by international star soloists, held in the polo fields of the Santa Maria Polo Club with a select party of distinguished guests, a gourmet dinner & champagne, which kept flowing until the early hours. A most unusual surprise got the whole party incredibly emotional and kept people giving, so that one day, finally, a cure for cancer and leukaemia can be found! It was the social event of that summer, which has now become an annual event in aid of the José Carreras Int’l Leukaemia Foundation!
To see this mega-star live, coming all the way from the States, accompanied by an incredible assembly of super talented musicians and singers, was a massive Christmas treat fro the crowd! The legendary St. Michael’s cave provided a magical backdrop for the 4th Gibraltar International Jazz Festival like no other. The jazz/funk band malFUNKtion entertained everybody brilliantly until José Feliciano and band arrived with a 3 hour delay – it was actually quite dramatic, as they had missed their flight from Barcelona. Nobody went home, and when they finally made it to the venue, the relief was massive and the performance by José and his esteemed colleagues even better.
Bordered to the north by Spain, Gibraltar always has been and always will be a beautiful place to visit. Coined ‘Britain in the Sun’ by English TV, the scenery and atmosphere help create a country that once you have been, you will immediately want to book your next trip there, the impression of this rock nation is that great! However, over time, many additional activities have been created and discovered to enhance your Gibraltar experience to the best it could possibly be. Ta-Dah TV looks at just a few of the life-changing activities Gibraltar has to offer.
Dolphin and Whale Watching
Out of all of the attractions on the Rock, dolphin and whale watching has become immensely popular, and insists on growing in popularity every year. Gibraltar has become famous all over the world for its ever-present population of wild and free dolphins, and seasonal whales. There are four famous types of dolphin who live here, primarily the Common Dolphin, Bottle-nose Dolphin, Striped Dolphin and Pilot Whales. It is also possible to see Orcas, Fin Whales and Sperm Whales. These amazing creatures come to the Bay and the Strait of Gibraltar for food and to breed. Taking a guided boat trip aimed at dolphin and whale watching from Gibraltar will not only give you guarantee of seeing these amazing creatures up close in their natural habitat, but also provide you with outstanding views of the Rock of Gibraltar, the Spanish coastline and North Africa.
Apes Den
This amazing attraction is located on Gibraltar Rock. The best way to get up is by cable car where you are able to see a variety of monkeys. If you are hoping to explore St Michael’s Cave, then it is merely a short walk to Apes Den. The monkeys at Apes Den are well known for their curiosity and for being very engaging. The troop living here is called the Queen’s Gate group. They can sometimes appear extremely tame, permitting people to get very close to them, even climbing onto the happy tourists. It is, of course, advisory to be cautious when this happens, as they are still wild animals and can bite or cause hurt if they are frightened or provoked. The cheeky monkeys will take almost every opportunity to steal food from your bags, or even snatch it right out of your hands. Although you must be cautious here, it is important to make sure you take in the beautiful views Gibraltar has to offer.
Gibraltar Calling Music Festival
The Gibraltar Music Festival is another massive highlight in September, if you’re into pop, rock, dance and EDM (main stage), as well as Disco, funk and even SKA (classics stage). The festival is only a few years young, but regularly attracts music lovers from the Mediterranean Costa del Sol and the Costa de la Luz on the Atlantic coast, all the way up to Seville in Spain. When MTV came on board, the 2-day festival changed name slightly, now known as the Gibraltar Calling Music Festival. It always takes place around Gibraltar’s National Day (10th of September), and TA-DAH.TV have filmed there too, catching the crazy vibe when this party nation welcomes the world onto the Rock. They really know how to throw a late summer festival, getting huge bands and acts to perform, with festival goers wanting to catch the last sunny rays in Europe. Check it out in the channel’s MUSIC section to dance along.
Saint Michael’s Cave and lower Saint Michael’s Cave
Saint Michael’s Cave is a network of caves made of limestone, which are found deep down in the Rock of Gibraltar. Located on what is called the Upper Rock, the cave sits at a height of over 300 metres above sea level. The main cave has been converted into an incredible auditorium, offering a completely unique acoustic experience, and is home to concerts and events on a regular basis. TA-DAH.TV have filmed there when the world-famous guitarist José Feliciano played a stunning Christmas concert in the cave as part of the Gibraltar Jazz Festival. Claudia Peifer had exclusive access to the legendary jazz-guitarist on the night for an interview. Find the programme in our Art & Culture section and scroll down to the EVENTS – EUROPE column.
As well as the main cave, there is also Lower Michael’s Cave. The Lower Saint Michael’s Cave is an amazing discovery, found in World War 2, whilst Royal Engineers were blasting out a new entrance to the lower chambers of the cave. The thing that makes the lower cave so unique is the fact that it is home to many of the known speleological formations. Stalagmites, stalactites, rim stone, helictites, columns, coral rocks, flowstone, straws and curtains are merely a few of the outstanding cave formations.
Scuba Diving
Located at the opening of one of the world’s most intriguing natural crossroads, you will have the pleasure of finding a spectacular home to diverse marine life. Boasting beautiful reefs and more than 35 wrecks, the coastline of Gibraltar has become a diver’s paradise. Rays, octopus, moray eels, cuttlefish, schools of boxfish, pipefish, sunfish, bass, mullets, damselfish and anthias, to name merely a few, will make your dive in Gibraltar a truly unforgettable experience. Various diving schools allow you to try out your newly loved sport, give you on site lessons, and allow you to prosper into a position in which you can safely dive the wrecks of Gibraltar. Offering equipment rental so complete, all you need to bring with you is a smile!
The above activities are only a small selection of the vast array of terrific tasks and things you can experience whilst visiting the beautiful Gibraltar. So, come along and take a look at the beautiful views and indulge in everything this country has to offer. We know you want to!
This is a favourite with many of the world’s world renowned established writers/authors, actors, superstar speakers, politician, poets, industry power houses, new blood, Olympic medalists…and any literature lover really! Hillary Clinton popped over last year, the incredible David Attenborough talks turkey in the video, and now there are ample podcasts to be listened to for those who can’t make it. The Cheltenham Lit Fest was established in 1949 and is one of the oldest literary events in the world!
For 10 days, the city transforms into a literary lover’s dream, welcoming over 600 speakers to help celebrate the written word, alongside a programme of around 500 debates, interviews and workshops. It is also a festival for families and young readers, as everybody loves meeting their hero’s originators, young or old! cheltenhamfestivals.com
