Prophecy is a precarious business, particularly when life has a habit of surprising us. Still, we try. From film and TV to theatre, fashion and landmark exhibitions, these are the moments that are likely to matter in 2026.
Increasingly, what seems to define a year in retrospect are its cultural moments rather than its headlines. The shows we binge-watched; the films that thrilled, appalled and disappointed; the scandalous outfits worn to the premiere; and of course, the subsequent memes that critique all of the above — these are the things that linger.
And this year is looking promising already. We’ve seen the first instalment of Bridgerton’s long awaited fourth season, Chloé Zhao’s rousing film adaptation of Hamnet and gay romance hockey show Heated Rivalry that’s bewitched social media.
With major releases, events and art launches still to come, the months ahead promise plenty to anticipate. Here, we reveal the moments worth marking in your diary.
Television & film
Rivals Season 2
Bawdy British comedy-drama Rivals, adapted from Dame Jilly Cooper’s 1988 novel of the same title, landed on screens in 2024 to considerable delight. For those who grew up devouring Cooper’s Rutshire Chronicles series, the Cotswolds-set saga was a heady rush of nostalgia. For everyone else, it proved a raucous guilty pleasure. Set amid the excesses of the 1980s television industry, the series revels in risible caricatures of media executives and their melodramas, with David Tennant’s gloriously venomous Tony Baddingham at its centre. Naturally, the first season closed on a cliffhanger. Baddingham discovers that his former lover Cameron Cook has been embroiled in an affair with his nemesis, Tory MP Rupert Campbell-Black — a revelation that culminates, inevitably, in a physical confrontation. Sometime this year, we’ll finally discover what happened next — and whatever the outcome, we’re waiting with bated breath.
Release date: TBC, later in 2026
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Hamlet
Spurred on, perhaps, by the release of the film adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet, Shakespeare appears to be enjoying an always welcome mainstream moment. This is of course, Shakespeare (hardly obscure), but there’s something especially intoxicating about this current wave of reinterpretation, not least for the opportunity to see huge contemporary actors taking on familiar subjects and material. Hamnet saw Paul Mescal portray the bard himself and Jessie Buckley as his otherworldly wife, Anne Hathaway. In the newly released film Hamlet, the prince of Denmark is played by Riz Ahmed, Polonius by Timothy Spall and Laertes by Joe Alwyn. In this adaptation, Hamlet moves through contemporary London, from elite society to the city’s gritty underground, shifting between Hindu temples and homeless camps. It may not have received the full-blown marketing blitz that Hamnet received but colour us intrigued.
Release date: 6 February 2026
Strictly Come Dancing
Could a new era of Strictly be nigh? Presenting duo Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly have been the show’s defining constant for more than two decades, since the show’s launch in 2004. But during the most recent series, which concluded December 2025, both announced their departure, signalling a significant shift not only for the programme but for also the BBC. Of course, their exit has prompted a flurry of speculation about who might step in — names mentioned so far include Zoe Ball, Rylan Clark and even Bradley Walsh. Nothing’s been confirmed yet, but whoever takes over has some formidable — and very tall — shoes to fill.
Release date: September 2026
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“Wuthering Heights”
Following the success and shock-factor of Saltburn, fans and critics alike have been watching with one eye open to see what writer-director Emerald Fennell would tackle next. Out on 13 February, “Wuthering Heights” — and the inverted commas here are important, as she’s been keen to point out — is billed as a loose adaptation of Emily Brontë’s novel of the same name (minus the quotation marks). With some controversy around the casting of Margot Robbie as Cathy and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff, and early trailers further hinting at a slightly anachronistic approach to period detail, concerns have already surfaced that the film may take liberties with Brontë’s text. But Emerald has been clear about her intentions, describing the project not as a faithful translation but as a reimagining of how a teenager might picture the novel while reading it (it’s all in the quotation marks, apparently). In that case, florid costume, flourishing provocation, questionable casting — and even a Charli XCX cameo — are to be taken with a pinch of salt.
Release date: 13 February 2026
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The Devil Wears Prada 2
“By all means, move at a glacial pace.” One of Miranda Priestly’s most iconic lines from the film coincidentally also captures how we really feel about how long we’ve been waiting for a sequel to The Devil Wears Prada. The wait will finally end in May this year. Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci will all be returning to reprise their roles — thank God — and will be joined by new cast member Kenneth Branagh as Miranda’s husband. To many viewers’ delight (see the Reddit threats), we can confirm that Andrea’s boyfriend Nate, played by Adrien Grenier, will not be returning. Candidly, we’re glad she hasn’t gone back to him. Nostalgia, sharp dialogue and a long overdue reunion will surely make this one of the year’s most anticipated releases.
Release date: 1 May 2026
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The Odyssey
Next on Christopher Nolan’s list of epic undertakings is actual epic, Homer’s The Odyssey. Matt Damon stars as Odysseus, King of Ithaca, as he and his soldiers embark on the long journey home after winning the Trojan War. At home, Odysseus’s wife Penelope, portrayed by Anne Hathaway (who’s having a very big blockbuster year), awaits. But as anyone who’s familiar with the poem will know, the voyage back to Ithaca is anything but smooth. Expect cyclops, sirens and sorceresses galore. In Nolan’s hands, its likely to be a vast and impressive visual spectacle — one best experienced on the largest screen possible (we’ll be prebooking the Imax).
Release date: 17 July 2026
Art & history
Bayeux Tapestry
History enthusiasts, rejoice. The Bayeux Tapestry, a 70-metre-long embroidered chronicle of the events leading to the Norman conquest of England in 1066, will return to England for the first time in almost 1,000 years. Until now, the tapestry has been displayed at the Bayeux Tapestry Museum in Normandy. This forthcoming loan — the first time the work will be shown in England since its creation — will see it exhibited at the Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery at the British Museum, from September 2026 until July 2027. The move forms part of a wider cultural exchange between France and the UK, which will also see major British-held artefacts travel to France, including the Sutton Hoo treasures and the Lewis Chessmen. This offers a rare opportunity to see one of Europe’s most medieval artworks without travelling to Normandy.
Opening date: September 2026
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V&A East
Following the opening of the V&A East Storehouse in Stratford, the second phase of the project, V&A East Museum, opens on 18 April 2026. More than a decade in the making, the new museum has been conceived as a space celebrating and engaging directly with London’s creative heritage and global contemporary culture across art, architecture, design, fashion and performance. Its two permanent and Why We Make galleries will be free to enter, answering desperate cries to make art more accessible. Museum programme highlights include The Music Is Black: A British Story, charting 125 years of Black music-making in Britain.
Opening date: April 2026
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Tracey Emin: A Second Life
From 27 February, Tate Modern’s Tracey Emin retrospective opens to the public in the Eyal Ofer Galleries, in what will be the largest ever exhibition of the artist’s work to date. From Emin’s boundary-challenging installation My Bed, first exhibited in 1998, to her paintings, sculptures, textiles and neon works, Tracey Emin: A Second Life showcases 40 years of a career marked indefatigably by raw, unapologetic emotion. Those who have followed her work from the beginning will recognise its recurrent themes: love, trauma, the female body and autobiography. For anyone encountering her work for the first time, this exhibition will be a chilling and awe-inspiring ride.
Opening date: 27 February 2026
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Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art
Known for her surrealist collaborations and sculptural approach to dress, pioneering designer Elsa Schiaparelli’s work challenged conventional ideas of femininity and fashion. For many fashion devotees, Maison Schiaparelli represents one of the most radical and imaginative forces in 20th century fashion. In the UK’s first major exhibition of her work, Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art at the V&A will display more than 200 objects from the house’s archives, spanning 1920s to present day, under current creative director Daniel Roseberry.
Opening date: 28 March 2026
Theatre & shows
The Ballet Icons Gala
There is perhaps no drama quite like dance. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the Ballet Icons Gala is one of the most prestigious events in the international dance calendar, regularly bringing together world-class dancers and choreographic works. This year, the gala takes place on 15 February at the London Coliseum, accompanied by the English National Ballet Philharmonic Orchestra. Of note is a collaboration with the New York-based non-profit foundation Vildwerk, presenting the UK premiere of Asylum by award-winning choreographer Antonia Franceschi — a piece emphasising the global environmental crisis.
Opening date: 15 February 2026
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Dracula
Though audiences have certainly not been short of vampire stories in recent years, this new stage adaptation of Dracula promises something markedly different. For one thing, it stars Cynthia Erivo… in all 23 roles. It’ll also combine live performance with prerecorded footage, blurring the lines between stage and film. The production marks Erivo’s first West End appearance in more than a decade, returning her to the stage in what’s expected to be a technically ambitious and theatrical reimaging of Bram Stoker’s gothic novel.
Opening date: 7 February 2026
London nightlife
Anyone Can Dance, Barbican
With many clubs, pubs and bars bemoaning significant revenue losses in recent years, it seems late-night clubbing is falling out of favour. This might seem like a shift in taste, but it represents a more serious blow to music subcultures and the communities built around them — not just the venues that host them. Could the answer be hidden between London Barbican’s maze-like walls? Its brutalist spaces have been transformed into nightclub-style venues on several occasions in recent years, but a new five-part programme of late-night electronic music parties marks a sustained commitment to the culture in 2026. The Anyone Can Dance series celebrates dance culture and diaspora, with events running until 3am across the Barbican’s Level -1 foyer space. The first of these parties takes place on Friday 20 February, in collaboration with the Eastern Margins collective and features live sets from Nick Cheo, Bass Queen, KOLLIN, Jianbo and MEYY.
Opening date: 20 February 2026
Feature image: Unsplash
