In our mammoth summer issue, we talk to the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra’s chief executive, Gretchen La Roche, and to pianist Tony Chen Lin. We also get the scoop from Sam Trevethick, keyboardist and guitarist in Kiwi band Shapeshifter, about their upcoming collaboration with the CSO. We get our festival on and suss the city’s top dates, the few worth hitting the road for and the ones to take to the air for; Betty Grumble shares her womanifesto with us before her appearances in Bread & Circus – World Buskers Festival; and we have a yarn with leading ladies on the Kiwi music scene JessB, Estère and Ladi6. Artist and SCAPE exhibitor Nathan Pohio talks all things art and what’s next for him. We bring you the hippest haunts for healthy fare and chat to Richard Sinke (of the Dux empire) about his journey towards clean and healthy living. We tap the genius of some of the country’s top brewers, including Ralph Bungard of Three Boys Brewery and Tracy Banner of Sprig & Fern Brewery. We get our caffeine on and find out what goes into Christchurch’s premium coffees; sample exquisite fare from our friends at Botanic and learn a thing or two about tasty cocktails thanks to Universo Brasserie & Bar. We spend 5 minutes with Jessie Wong, the brains behind cult handbag brand Yu Mei; resident stylist Josie Pasane gives us the heads-up on how to make the most of summer fashion; and we check in with Infinite Definite’s Jono Moran. Dr Libby clues us in on how to keep our fave summer slurper – smoothies – clean and green; the lads from CoLab Architecture share how the basics of the Kiwi bach are relevant in modern architecture; Paul Roper-Gee shows us how to add sound, movement and drama to our outdoor spaces; and real estate guru Mary Turnbull lets us know that good photos set the scene for sales success. We also embark on a whirlwind road trip through France with Discover Travel, and of course we bring you the funkiest eats, boutiques, gigs and digs around our bustling city. Enjoy!