The cultural calendar for 2026 is bursting with highly anticipated releases, major comebacks, and intriguing new trends. As we leave 2025 behind, a huge array of films, TV shows, theatre productions, albums, and festivals are set to dominate the next twelve months. From the continued rise of artificial intelligence as a cinematic theme to the potential return of Britpop giants, here is your essential A-Z guide to the year ahead in culture.
Blockbuster Films and Screen Trends
The battle between humanity and technology takes centre stage in cinemas early in the year. Director Gore Verbinski kicks things off with Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die on 13 February, starring Sam Rockwell as a time-traveller warning of an AI apocalypse. This is followed in March by The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist from the team behind Everything Everywhere All at Once. Later, Luca Guadagnino will release Artificial, a biopic of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
Meanwhile, the legacy sequel trend shows no sign of slowing. Fans can expect 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (16 January), The Devil Wears Prada 2 (1 May), and Scream 7 (27 February). The year will also see a clash of titans, with Marvel's Avengers: Doomsday and Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part 3 currently slated for the same release date of 18 December.
All eyes will be on Zendaya, who is poised for another monumental year. Following her roles in the Dune franchise, she will appear in Christopher Nolan's Odyssey (17 July) and the romance The Drama (3 April) opposite Robert Pattinson, potentially pushing her career box office total past $5 billion.
Music, Festivals, and Major Comebacks
The rumour mill is in overdrive regarding a potential Oasis reunion in 2026, marking thirty years since their iconic Knebworth shows. Liam Gallagher has hinted that the decision rests with his brother Noel, but speculation persists about huge summer anniversary concerts. In a related move, Robbie Williams will release a guitar-heavy album titled Britpop in February, channelling the spirit of the era.
After the success of her Celebration tour, Madonna is reportedly deep in the studio with producer Stuart Price working on a sequel to her 2005 album Confessions on a Dance Floor. A new, conversation-starting single is eagerly awaited by fans.
In the world of K-pop, BTS are slated for a spring comeback with a new album and what could be their largest world tour yet, following the completion of the members' mandatory military service. Girl group Blackpink also have a new single scheduled for January.
With Glastonbury taking a fallow year, other festivals are ready to fill the void. Recommendations include Dorset's eclectic We Out Here festival in August, Lincolnshire's party-focused Lost Village, and Barcelona's Primavera Sound in June, featuring headliners like The Cure and Massive Attack.
Theatre, Television, and Unmissable Drama
London's theatre scene is particularly strong. A new production of Arthur Miller's All My Sons at Wyndham's theatre has already garnered five-star reviews, running until 7 March. Meanwhile, Cynthia Erivo will take on a formidable challenge in Kip Williams's stage adaptation of Dracula at the Noël Coward theatre, playing all 23 roles from 4 February to 30 May.
On television, the 'prestige trash' trend continues with a slew of glossy, high-concept thrillers. Look out for Prime Video's Kill Jackie starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Netflix's The Undertaker with Jamie Dornan. The UK version of Saturday Night Live will also launch, with head writer Daran Johnson of the sketch group Sheeps at the helm.
Jack Thorne, the prolific writer behind hits like The Virtues, continues his streak with a BBC adaptation of Lord of the Flies and a Channel 4 romantic drama, Falling, starring Keeley Hawes and Paapa Essiedu.
Finally, the phenomenon of The Traitors shows no sign of waning. A second series of Celebrity Traitors is due, while the US version returns on 8 January with a cast including Donna Kelce, mother of Taylor Swift's fiancé Travis.
From the undead on screen to confessional pop and the very much alive buzz of a potential Oasis return, 2026 promises to be a year of bold stories, iconic returns, and cultural moments that will define the decade.
