Concrete Playground

Dinosaurs and burlesque? Seductive birds of paradise against surreal skeleton film screenings? Precious gemstones and reptile rock 'n' roll? It’s the Australian Museum as you've never experienced it, the Jurassic age as you've never encountered it.

Forget the fogey, musty experience of trooping through school excursions, hand-in-hand with a detested partner, to see educational exhibit after educational exhibit of prehistoric material then filling out a photocopied worksheet as you ate a sweat-fisted sandwich. Every Tuesday night from January 31, check out dinosaur bones, live entertainment and amazing exhibitions at the all-cool, after-hours Jurassic Lounge.

Best described as a mash-up of performance art, circus acts, taxidermy and video works, the Jurassic Lounge last came alive in September of last year. The appeal of drinking beer whilst being stalked by velociraptors was so great that it resulted in regularly round-the-block lines. Now resurrected for a nine-week third season, it will boast even more knockout showpieces and boutique beers, with performers skulking behind the museum's exhibits, creating audacious riffs on the elements of nature.

The launch night on January 31 is an official City of Sydney Chinese New Year event with an Enter the Dragon theme, meaning you can watch the Bruce Lee classic in the museum theatre, see kung-fu films projected from rickshaws, partake in Chinese lantern-making workshops and enjoy dragons mixed in with your dinosaurs. Leading the (pre)historic line-up are Kimbra-supporting charmers Yeo, new new romantics Camden, artist Brett Chan and comedians Michael Hing and Jennifer Wong.

Reclaim your love of dinosaurs when the sun goes down, and come face to face with rare artefacts and scientific specimens that you can raise your glass to — not your carton of juice!

Photo by Matt Ravier.