#culture

Editorial Staff 1 day ago

Remembering Victoria Wood: A Tribute on the 10th Anniversary of Her Passing

On the 10th anniversary of Victoria Wood's death, friends and fans reflect on her remarkable talent and the impact she had on the world of comedy.

Editorial Staff 2 days ago

Tim Burgess Shares His Diverse Musical Influences in New Playlist

The Charlatans' frontman, Tim Burgess, opens up about his varied musical tastes, featuring artists like Kate Bush and Abba, and reflects on New Order's impact on his career.

Editorial Staff 2 days ago

Luca Guadagnino Discusses His Direction of the Controversial Opera The Death of Klinghoffer

Director Luca Guadagnino addresses the backlash surrounding his staging of The Death of Klinghoffer, an opera that has faced protests for its portrayal of terrorism.

Editorial Staff 4 days ago

Exploring Judi Dench's Garden: A Tribute to Love and Nature

Dame Judi Dench's garden in Surrey is a heartfelt sanctuary that spans 2.4 hectares, where each tree stands as a tribute to a lost loved one. Her commitment to preserving green spaces shines through.

Exploring Gordon Parks' Impactful Photography of Postwar Alabama

Gordon Parks captured the essence of black family life in postwar Alabama, highlighting the dignity and resilience of individuals facing the challenges of Jim Crow laws.

The Testaments: A Dark Continuation of The Handmaid’s Tale

Margaret Atwood’s sequel offers a seemingly lighter tone but reveals the grim realities of Gilead through the eyes of June’s grown daughter, with Aunt Lydia returning.

The Boys Concludes with a Final Season That Reflects Modern America

The Boys returns for its fifth and final season, delivering a climactic showdown that resonates with contemporary societal issues. This series has garnered acclaim for its sharp satire of the superhero genre.

Cats: The Jellicle Ball review – ingenious musical revival goes full queer ball

Executive context: After a disastrous 2019 movie, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s easily ridiculed 80s smash hit has now been transformed into something thrillingly new.

Editorial Staff 14 days ago

Pet Shop Boys review – no hits? No problem on first night of a masterful obscurities run

Executive context: Electric Ballroom, London The era-defining duo’s ultras are suitably spoiled in the first of this intimate five-day run, showered with rarities that put a different spin on their well-known history.

Editorial Staff 14 days ago

‘Coke and booze didn’t help my creativity’: Joe Eszterhas on his wild times – and his supernatural, anti-woke Basic Instinct reboot

Executive context: He was the screenwriting colossus behind Flashdance, Jagged Edge, Showgirls and more. Now clean, ‘Hollywood’s Shakespeare’ talks about today’s scared studios, his refugee trauma – and taking acid with Hunter S Thompson J

Editorial Staff Updated 15 days ago

UK minister says Kanye West should not perform at Wireless festival

Bridget Phillipson adds to growing criticism of booking of rapper after his past antisemitic remarks A senior UK government minister has said Kanye West should be barred from performing at Wireless festival because of hi

The Drama: sex, secrets and that gobsmacking twist – discuss with spoilers

Executive context: Zendaya and Robert Pattinson’s dark dramedy is a stylish acting showcase, but does it do justice to its weighty themes?

‘I over-articulated to stop my braces sticking to my lips’: how Five Star made Rain Or Shine

Executive context: ‘We performed it everywhere, even on Miss World. Once, on tour, a fan pulled me into the pit – but my hunky Italian security guard put me back on stage’ I had come to England from St Louis, Missouri, in the 1970s to do a

Aisling Bea review – glamourpuss meets accidental mum in a scatty show that revels in immaturity

Executive context: Hammersmith Apollo, London The sitcom star and Taskmaster stalwart is on commanding form as she embarks on Older Than Jesus, her first – and deeply daft – standup tour That staple realisation of early midlife, that one h

What can 160-million-year-old clay tell us about AI and ethics? Inside Es Devlin’s tech and pottery summit

Executive context: The great artist and designer has summoned spiritual leaders, AI researchers and academics to try their hands at ceramics – and debate their wide-ranging positions on where tech is taking humanity Es Devlin owns a really

Warsaw’s Neon Museum sparks revival of interest in cold war signs and aesthetic

Executive context: After fall of communism, signs were left to rust until museum founders began to collect and restore them As they struggled through the decades of cold war gloom and repression, Warsaw’s neon signs became symbols of light

‘We’re bigger than the news!’ How spine-tingling paranormal show Uncanny took over the world

Executive context: Knife-wielding skeletons, wild experiments with toilets, an audience with the bassist from The Jam … the team behind the globe-conquering spookfest open up about their astonishing success ‘Oh. Em. Bloody. Gee.” Danny Rob

‘It was a way of processing violences I’ve survived’: how iconoclastic musician Arca beat burnout with frenzied painting

Executive context: After a meteoric decade in music, supporting the likes of Madonna and Beyoncé, the 36-year-old Venezuelan crashed out. Now the nightmarish paintings that got her back on track are on display Before Arca had released eigh

Trailblazers, trumpets and the theremin: 10 soundtracks that changed the way we listen to movies

Executive context: From soundtracking the silent era, via 50s rock’n’roll and the ‘symphonic pop’ of Henry Mancini to iconic works by John Williams and Hans Zimmer, movies are unimaginable without music. Ahead of the London soundtrack fest

Perspective: ‘When there was wonder in the world’: why Raiders of the Lost Ark is my feelgood movie

Executive context: The latest in our series of writers paying tribute to their go-to comfort films celebrates Steven Spielberg’s escapist globe-trotting adventure.

Perspective: ‘Barbara Windsor smacked our bottoms!’ Pet Shop Boys on showstopping visuals, horrified bosses – and snubbing the queen

Executive context: The Pet Shop Boys reflect on their iconic performances and the controversies that surrounded them.

My mother, Audrey Hepburn: the star’s son Sean on her movies, marriages, good works and fascist parents

Executive context: The heroine of Roman Holiday and Breakfast at Tiffany’s knew war and poverty, riches and fame, love and betrayal – yet claimed to have lived a ‘terribly boring’ life. Sean Hepburn Ferrer paints a very different picture i

‘It’s dark in here – you can cry’: Mitski hosts intimate residency at LA high school

Executive context: The artist performed songs from her new album in a five-night residency at Hollywood high school’s auditorium With a swaying ocean projected on the stage, bathing the space in the brilliant light of sunset and sea, the f

James review – special band still filling arenas with anthems of warmth and humanity

Executive context: First Direct Bank Arena, Leeds A talismanic Tim Booth is the pied-piper through a set that covers the five decades of this unique band’s beloved back catalogue alongside some fresh bangers ‘I think our audience has got t

Perspective: ‘I still think it’s one of the great films of all time’: All the President’s Men turns 50

Executive context: In April 1976, the flawless Watergate film premiered in Washington – cast members and reporters share their memories of ‘the granddaddy of journalism movies’

Perspective: Monica Barbaro: ‘Yesterday I went home thinking I’m a terrible actor and they’re finding out’

Executive context: The California star discusses her struggles with impostor syndrome ahead of her stage debut.

Perspective: Duncan James from Blue Shares His Honest Playlist

Executive context: The singer reflects on memorable music moments, including a creepy encounter and karaoke with a legend.

Perspective: Ex-Turnstile guitarist charged with attempted second-degree murder of frontman’s father

Executive context: Brady Ebert, a former member of the Grammy-winning US hardcore band, allegedly hit the father of Brendan Yates with his car.

Perspective: US senators rebuke Ticketmaster for raising fees after hidden charge crackdown: ‘bait and switch’

Executive context: Richard Blumenthal criticizes Ticketmaster for increasing fees despite recent regulations aimed at transparency.

Perspective: Lizzo’s reinvention faces its greatest test yet

Executive context: The singer’s body-positive anthems once defined her. Now lawsuits, weight loss and flop singles have shaken her image.

Perspective: Earl Sweatshirt, Mike and Surf Gang: Pompeii // Utility review – rap radicals’ appealing study in contrasts

Executive context: Earl’s post-Odd Future career swerved the mainstream to follow the path laid out by NYC underground rapper Mike, and their first double album lets both shine.

Perspective: ‘I lost a $3m brand deal. I was like: OK, losers!’ Swedish pop provocateur Zara Larsson on fame, fun and fighting the power

Executive context: After a decade in pop’s underground, Larsson’s radiant fifth album turned her into one of the world’s biggest stars. It’s about time, she says, relishing the attention without sacrificing her morals.

Editorial Staff 19 days ago

‘Ring the alarm! Wake up! Be human!’: Aurora and Tom Rowlands on their new dance-pop duo Tomora

Executive context: The Norwegian singer-songwriter and the Chemical Brother have combined their talents, and names, to create a wildly inventive new band. The collaboration has gone smoothly so far – but will they soon need separate tour b

Politics

Megan Thee Stallion taken to hospital during Moulin Rouge performance

The rapper "started feeling very ill" mid-way through the show in New York, her representative told US media.

Editorial Staff Updated 20 days ago

Editorial Staff 20 days ago

Perspective: Fairuz’s Anthem: A Symbol of Resilience Amid Lebanon's Strife

Executive context: The Lebanese singer's patriotic song inspires hope but also evokes mixed feelings during times of conflict.

Editorial Staff 21 days ago

‘It was an exorcism’: how heartbreak, queer rebirth and finding love over Only Connect shaped Wendy Eisenberg’s stunning new album

Executive context: The guitarist made their name on dazzlingly knotty musicianship and collaboration with the likes of Bill Orcutt. So their new album is their most surprising: a startlingly beautiful reflection of love and self-acceptance

Editorial Staff 21 days ago

Perspective: Love on the Spectrum proves that we still crave wholesome reality TV

Executive context: A new season of Netflix’s dating show about neurodivergent singletons is a welcome antidote to grim reality TV headlines.

Editorial Staff 22 days ago

Perspective: Mary Beth Hurt – a life in pictures

Executive context: The star of stage and screen has died aged 79. We look back at her memorable film and theater roles, public appearances and marriage to Paul Schrader.

Editorial Staff 22 days ago

Perspective: The new Serial is here! Best podcasts of the week

Executive context: M Gessen explores the wild truth about his cousin, who keeps kidnapping his own child. Plus: will the world of porn really be Screwed By AI?

Editorial Staff 23 days ago

Perspective: Nicole and Natalie Appleton look back: ‘She was my home away from home during the craziness of All Saints’

Executive context: The singers and sisters on growing up in west London, finding fame in the 90s and relaunching their music as a duo.

Editorial Staff 23 days ago

Perspective: Nick Grimshaw Shares His Honest Playlist

Executive context: The presenter reflects on his musical journey and the songs that shaped him.

Editorial Staff 23 days ago

Perspective: Fill that Glasto-shaped hole! The 40 best UK festivals you can still book

Executive context: Who needs Worthy Farm? From woodland raves and psych freakouts to fell walks and barbecue hoedowns, there’s a festival for everyone this summer.

Perspective: ‘I was in the pit of despair’: Non-speaking autistic novelist Woody Brown on his journey from write-off to writer

Executive context: Woody Brown, once underestimated, now shares his story through an acclaimed debut novel that amplifies the voices of those like him.

Perspective: I thought I’d been coping with my sister’s death – a Taylor Swift song showed me I hadn’t

Executive context: A Taylor Swift song helped me confront the grief I had been suppressing for years.

Perspective: Pop maverick Robyn on sleaze, snobbery and dating during IVF: ‘When there isn’t as much at stake, sex becomes more fun’

Executive context: The Swedish musician decided to pursue motherhood alone, and found it came with a surprising sexual awakening – a story she lays out on her new album, her first in eight years.

Perspective: ‘How can a TV show make you feel such emotions?’ The Bluey composer shares the trick to music that ‘hits you in the feels’

Executive context: As the new Bluey album, Up Here, arrives – complete with chamber orchestra – Joff Bush describes how he ‘seeds’ musical elements to draw out powerful emotions.

Editorial Staff 25 days ago

Perspective: Add to playlist: the coffee-shop pop of Gianna and the week’s best new tracks

Executive context: With her acoustic guitars and trip-hoppy beats, the London musician recalls a particular era of polished 00s boho-pop.

Editorial Staff 25 days ago

Perspective: Flea: Honora review – Chili Pepper turns piper, taking up trumpet for a soulful jazz odyssey

Executive context: Imaginative interpretations of Funkadelic and Frank Ocean sit alongside starry collaborations and gorgeous instrumentals on the bassist’s brassy side project.

Editorial Staff 25 days ago

Perspective: ‘A broken heart can turn somebody into a bad Casanova’: breakout R&B star Leon Thomas on defiance, D’Angelo and his ‘doggie’ persona

Executive context: Winning two Grammys last month cemented the New Yorker’s transition from producer for the likes of Drake to guitar-soloing superstar.

Editorial Staff 26 days ago

Perspective: Alexander Kluge, author and key film-maker in the New German Cinema movement, dies aged 94

Executive context: A winner of the Golden Lion at Venice, Kluge was a committed pacifist and one of the last living torchbearers of the Frankfurt school of neo-Marxist cultural criticism.

Editorial Staff 26 days ago

Perspective: Fcukers: Ö review | Alexis Petridis's album of the week

Executive context: (Ninja Tune) The duo’s snotty nonchalance may capture the post-Brat zeitgeist, but their true appeal lies in a talent for turning vintage dance influences into pointed modern pop.

Editorial Staff 26 days ago

Perspective: ‘Black music is not a subculture – it is the engine’: Why the Mobo awards matter more than ever, 30 years on

Executive context: Three decades after launching the awards, founder Kanya King reflects on being ahead of the crowd and why Mobo has always been more than music.

Perspective: First trailer for Harry Potter TV series reveals much-anticipated new take

Executive context: First real look at HBO’s big-budget small screen take on JK Rowling’s best-selling books also reveals that first season will premiere this Christmas.

Perspective: Pretty Lethal review – Amazon’s ballerina action thriller puts on a decent enough show

Executive context: A group of American dancers face off against Hungarian gangsters, and a hammy Uma Thurman, in a cheap and cheerful Friday night adventure.

Perspective: ‘I was shunned, laughed at and underdogged’: Jane McDonald on her wild ride from clubland to cruises to country

Executive context: She has survived heartbreak, death threats and nauseating sexism. In her Mayfair club, the Yorkshire star talks about superfans, viral hits, running away to sea – and her bid to become a Nashville icon.

Perspective: ‘No one’s tried this before’: a new live music roster aims to ensure opportunities for disabled musicians

Executive context: UnMute has been founded to overhaul ableist booking practices, representing artists with specialist access requirements often deemed too costly by venues.

Editorial Staff 29 days ago

Perspective: Raye: This Music May Contain Hope review – a wildly ambitious epic of unbridled self-expression

Executive context: Almost overstuffed with musical ideas, the singer’s second studio album can be self-indulgent and messy, but it’s a heartfelt and exuberant grand statement from an artist determined to go her own way.

Editorial Staff 30 days ago

Perspective: Chappell Roan responds to criticism from footballer Jorginho after incident with security

Executive context: Flamengo player accused singer’s security of speaking ‘in an extremely aggressive manner’ to his wife and stepdaughter at hotel in São Paulo.

Perspective: Moby Critiques Kinks' 'Lola' Lyrics in Honest Playlist

Executive context: The DJ and multi-instrumentalist shares his thoughts on music that has shaped him, expressing discomfort with certain lyrics.

Perspective: Add to playlist: the sharply observed electro-twee of the Femcels and the week’s best new tracks

Executive context: Following in the footsteps of Heavenly and Tiger Trap, the duo’s high-tempo electroclash-indie-pop deftly explores young womanhood in 2020s London.

Perspective: Grace Ives: Girlfriend review – bedroom-pop auteur goes widescreen for a gorgeous sobriety epic

Executive context: The New Yorker’s third album leaves behind her DIY origins to channel cult pop classics by Lorde and Sky Ferreira.

Perspective: ‘Validation was an insatiable monster’: Dave Grohl on Foo Fighters’ punk-rock return – and life after his infidelity

Executive context: In his first newspaper interview after fathering a child outside his marriage, Grohl discusses his changed outlook, his grief for Taylor Hawkins, and the 430 therapy sessions he’s had.

Perspective: US rapper Afroman cleared after police sued him over use of home raid footage

Executive context: Chart-topping artist Afroman faces legal victory as lawsuit from Ohio police is dismissed.

Perspective: ‘We keep secrets because we’re scared’: Guvna B on porn addiction and recovery

Executive context: The award-winning musician opens up about his struggles with stigma and shame while seeking help.

Perspective: Val Kilmer set to be resurrected with AI for new film

Executive context: As Deep As the Grave, the true story of 1920s archeologists, will bring late actor back with support from his estate.

Perspective: Shaun Ryder on highs, lows and Happy Mondays: ‘Heroin isn’t a party drug – you can’t just do it at the weekend’

Executive context: The singer reflects on his chaotic life, music career, and the realities of addiction in a candid interview.

Perspective: Len Deighton, spy novelist and author of The Ipcress File, dies aged 97

Executive context: British writer brought wit, realism and class consciousness to cold war espionage fiction, reshaping the genre in the 1960s.

Perspective: New York hip-hop experimentalist Elucid: ‘I like the harmony of the city. Everybody’s got a little solo’

Executive context: From a pocket of Zen in the Dream House installation, the rapper/producer talks about channelling the city’s perpetual din.

Perspective: Avant-pop Star Mary Ocher on Politics and Leaving Israel

Executive context: Mary Ocher discusses her journey from Israel to Germany, her new album, and her views on nationalism and AI.

Perspective: And the winner is ... all of us? How the Oscars have changed for the better

Executive context: The diversified Academy and a mutating industry have changed what many had come to expect from the stuffy, rule-following Oscars.

Perspective: One no-show after another: Sean Penn joins an exclusive band of Oscar-winning refuseniks

Executive context: The One Battle After Another star’s failure to collect his best supporting actor award – because he was visiting Ukraine – only serves to burnish his reputation.

Perspective: John Oliver on JD Vance: ‘He’s become the archetype of the hyper-online conservative troll’

Executive context: The late-night host dug deep into JD Vance’s political shift into a rightwing troll second in line to the US presidency.

Editorial Staff Updated about 1 month ago

'One Battle After Another' wins Oscar for best picture

Paul Thomas Anderson's film triumphs at the 2026 Academy Awards.

Perspective: Oscars 2026: celebrities walk the red carpet – follow the action live!

Executive context: Will Sinners beat One Battle After Another to the big prize? Join us to find out!

Perspective: Salman Rushdie says he is tired of being ‘free speech Barbie’ after 2022 attack

Executive context: Author expresses desire to shift focus from symbolism to his literary work post-assassination attempt.

Perspective: My cultural awakening: a 60s folk band helped me find my place as a person of colour in Britain

Executive context: Dragged along by my dad to see Pentangle, I heard something ancient that kickstarted my obsession with this country’s folklore.

Perspective: King Conan is Arnold Schwarzenegger’s chance for a late-period masterpiece, like Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven

Executive context: If the long-mooted third instalment of the 80s sword and sorcery series finally gets off the ground, it could be Arnie’s chance to go from ageing action hero to cinematic totem.

Perspective: Add to playlist: the dadaist cubist racket of Angine de Poitrine and the week’s best new tracks

Executive context: This hyped anonymous duo match the oddness of their costumes with shredding metal, microtonal flourishes and Dalek-style vocals.

Perspective: Every Brilliant Thing review – Daniel Radcliffe sells tricky Broadway transfer

Executive context: The hit one-man show about depression suffers from plain and often corny writing yet is saved by an exuberant turn from the Tony-winning Harry Potter star.

Perspective: ‘On YouTube, we can reach 2.5 billion people at once’: Oscars head Bill Kramer on TV, AI and 4am starts

Executive context: The Academy CEO on his decidedly non-Hollywood beginnings, bonding with Robert Redford – and a formative watch of All That Jazz.

Perspective: The Black Crowes: A Pound of Feathers review | Stevie Chick's album of the week

Executive context: Resurgent brothers Chris and Rich Robinson resurrect the rocker lifestyle with Keef-style riffs.

Perspective: Jack Osbourne names baby daughter Ozzy to honour late father

Executive context: TV star announces birth of Ozzy Matilda Osbourne on social media, alongside image of cuddly bat.

Perspective: ‘Uncool rules’: the lo-fi pop pranksters reviving the Dutch answer to dada

Executive context: Cheeky and rebellious, the Netherlands’ own brand of ‘ludiek’ zaniness thrives again with the New Dutch Naivety movement.

Perspective: Bruce Springsteen, Kate Moss and Johnny Depp to appear on all-star Shane MacGowan tribute album

Executive context: Irish artists, British indie legends and US stars contribute to a tribute celebrating the late Pogues frontman.

Perspective: The unbelievable life of Leo Sayer! The songs, the sex, being swindled – and a spooky phone call from Elvis

Executive context: He lit up the 1970s with a string of hits, before falling out of the public eye. But was any man ever more connected?

Perspective: John Oliver on the demise of USAID: ‘What this administration has done is beyond cruel’

Executive context: Last Week Tonight host examined the devastating impact of the demise of USAID, the primary federal agency for foreign aid.

Perspective: Stephen Colbert on Kristi Noem: ‘A domestic terrorist who deserves to go to Gitmo’

Executive context: Late-night hosts critique political figures and current events, highlighting Kristi Noem's recent controversies.

Perspective: Daryl Hannah slams Ryan Murphy’s Love Story as ‘tragedy-exploiting’ and ‘textbook misogyny’

Executive context: Actor penned scathing essay for the New York Times, criticising show’s portrayal of her and sharing she’s received ‘threatening’ messages since it aired.

Perspective: Morrissey: Make-Up Is a Lie review – nostalgic, sentimental and dull, he is a shadow of what he once was

Executive context: Dodgy conspiracy theories are thankfully kept to one track, but the rest is not much better, lacking insight even when Morrissey returns to his specialist subjects.

Perspective: ‘It’s 10,000 people saying – we’re with you’: inside Trans Mission, a night of solidarity and joy for a community under stress

Executive context: Olly Alexander and Glyn Fussell’s starry, Live Aid-inspired shindig is a show of unity in a dark time for trans people.

Perspective: The Game of Thrones movie is coming – but how are they going to make audiences root for the baddies?

Executive context: The early intel from George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels paints the Targaryens as tyrants – so making them the heroes is going to require some hefty literary PR.

Perspective: From luxury ‘dupes’ to literary doubles: why doppelgangers are everywhere right now

Executive context: Exploring the rise of doppelgangers in culture, from AI twins to unsettling novels.

Perspective: Oscar race enters final stretch as Sinners gains ground with Actor awards win

Executive context: With voting now closed, the months-long campaign for Oscar glory is over – but industry insiders are still dissecting every award-season clue in a tight best picture race.

Perspective: Post your questions for Kim Gordon

Executive context: The Sonic Youth musician will answer your queries ahead of the release of her third solo album.

Perspective: ‘Did I just hear what I thought I heard?’: Sinners’ Delroy Lindo on Bafta N-word controversy

Executive context: The actor reflects on the shocking moment during the Baftas when a racial slur was broadcast.

Perspective: Kerry Washington on Memes, Botox, and Ageing Gracefully

Executive context: The Scandal star discusses her journey and the importance of embracing imperfections in the entertainment industry.

Perspective: Add to playlist: the maximalist melancholy of Hannah Lew and the week’s best tracks

Executive context: The Californian creative navigates seamlessly from bass-driven disco to sparse electronic beats on her expansive debut album.