Macquarie Mall

With its rich cultural make-up and diverse array of delicious cuisines, it’s already pretty hard to leave Liverpool on an empty stomach. Now, for five weekends across March and April, the Most Blessed Nights markets will make you even more spoilt for choice.  This street food fest is taking over Macquarie Mall from Thursdays to Sundays, starting at 6pm each evening. There’ll be lights, there’ll be family fun, and of course, there will be some fan-favourite local food offerings.  There will be camel burgers, chargrilled plates, falafels galore, moreish kebabs, spiced skewers, cheesy tacos and more. A range of cuisines will be served up by Yummy Time Dumpling and Pec African Kitchen to the Fijian Taste of Paradise and Indian skewers.  The markets run until midnight each night, so you’ve got plenty of time to grab dessert, too. Look forward to fresh chocolate-covered strawberries, fluffy hot loukoumades (fried doughnut balls), cookie crossaints, lady fingers and frozen treats, plus you can’t go past some gorgeously crunchy knafeh (a stretchy cheesy sugar-soaked pastry).  The Most Blessed Nights Street Food Market is on Thursday to Sunday from 6pm until March 23, and returns again from April 17 to 20. For the full list of market stallholders across the event and more information, head here.

Get ready, Sydney! The Motherland African Festival is back and bigger than ever. Immerse yourself in the rhythms and flavours of Africa at Macquarie Mall from Friday, April 11 to Sunday, April 13. The best part? Entry is free. Motherland is all about celebrating the rich and vibrant history of Africa’s many cultures. Liverpool will shine a light on a whole heap of dynamic nations that make up "the Mother Continent" through a weekend-long program of dance, music, food and drumming performances. There are workshops for all ages, including a Jollof Rice Competition; an African drumming workshop with global performer Lucky Lartey; art and painting classes with young Ghanaian migrant Emmanuel Asante; face painting by Sydney-based makeup artist Lauren Maher; and hair braiding by Sweetstylez. Throughout the weekend, you can also browse the artisan market and discover a range of African goods, including jewellery, textiles, spices, and beauty products. Catch a show on the mainstage where Mike Champion and The Young Boys, True Vibenation, and the AfroMbollo Band are all set to perform. You can also head to the Afrobeats Lounge and join the silent disco on Friday night, the dance demo on Saturday, or the dance lesson on Sunday where your instructors will also put their own skills to the test in an epic dance battle. Once you’ve worked up an appetite, indulge in the authentic flavours of Africa and try some of the continent’s tastiest delicacies, like Congolese saka saka, Nigerian...