Huw Oliver

Good news, culture vultures – there are few better cities for museums and art galleries than this. You’d be hard-pressed to walk a hundred yards through Bristol city centre without stumbling upon a big-hitting cultural institution. From kid-friendly interactive permanent exhibits to super-cool contemporary art galleries to a resplendent revamped steam ship, pretty much all tastes are catered to here. Need some refreshment? Round off a tour of the best museums in Bristol with a bite at one of the city’s best restaurants, then make a beeline for a cold pint of west country cider at a classic Brizzle pub. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best things to do in Bristol

Bristol’s art scene may be best known for producing Banksy, but there’s a whole lot more to this place than that. All over the city, you’ll find galleries big and small that showcase local, national and international names (plus all sorts of eye-popping graffiti that give the anonymous tagger a run for his money). Whether it’s a landmark landscape by an old master or something more à la mode, this city offers just about everything you might be after. From massive fine art museums to some cosier (and much edgier) exhibition spaces, you could probably pack most of the best art galleries in Bristol into just one weekend trip. Ready, set, go! RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best things to do in Bristol

Brilliant, brilliant Brizzle. Bristol’s intangibles make it a magnet for creative folks from all over the land, but there is more to the city than ideas and atmosphere. The best attractions in Bristol make it a tourism tour-de-force, with fabulous museums nestled alongside architectural splendour and more. Did we mention pubs? Yeah, Bristol has the best old-world pubs in the UK, perfect little boozers for lengthy discussions about how impressive the Clifton Suspension Bridge is. Very impressive, for the record.Bristol’s creativity fills its galleries and museums, and the theatre scene is undeniably world-class. Is it any surprise that so many young people are upping sticks to Bristol? Spoiler alert; no, it is no surprise. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best things to do in Bristol

The last time we made this list was in the heady days of January 2020. Remember them? There’d been rumblings of a virus originating in a wet market in Wuhan, but life was pretty much normal in most parts of the world. We did our thing. We made plans. We looked forward to a whole load of new cultural stuff happening around the world that year. Except basically none of it did. Music, art, theatre: all involve gathering loads of people together in often crowded spaces. Not good during the Panny D. Big openings were cancelled. Festival season was a write-off. We even stopped writing about going out altogether and rebranded as something called Time In. Throughout it all, our planners looked depressingly empty. But now, happily, we live in a world where vaccines have allowed things to return to some semblance of normality. And while we skipped a 2021 edition of this definitive global events and openings calendar, we’re pretty confident that almost all of the amazing things you’ll find below will happen next year. So, Omi C permitting (someone had to start calling it that), here are the 22 best new things to do in the world in 2022, from massive new museums to huge gigs, theatre shows and art exhibitions you won’t want to miss. RECOMMENDED: 🖼️ The 20 best museums and galleries in the world🚂 11 of the most incredible train journeys around the world🌊 9 cities that could be underwater by 2030🌹 The most romantic places in the world 🍸 The 28 coolest bars in the world right now🤿 Th

Maybe you’re into history and politics. Perhaps you’re a foodie. You might just want to meet some fellow travellers – or, who knows, even a local. Whatever you want to see in a city, and however you want to do it, the best Berlin tours have you covered.  This German capital’s rich, chequered past makes it as ripe for a casual wander as it is for a hardcore history lesson. Whether you’d prefer to see Berlin from the perspective of a street artist, a Syrian refugee or 70s-era David Bowie, our run-down of the best tours in the city will help you see this marvellous place in a fascinating new light.  One thing we will say: make sure you don’t overlook the city’s more obvious attractions, museums and things to do (because they’re darn good too).  RECOMMENDED: 📍 Full guide to the best things to do in Berlin🌭 The 24 finest restaurants in Berlin🍻 The 11 best bars in Berlin🪩 The 17 best clubs in Berlin

There’s so much to do in the city of love, it can feel impossible to know where to begin. Unlike some of its neighbours, Paris is a huge, expansive city, and each of its districts tells a different story from the others. So you’ve got options. Will you spend your days strolling through its brilliant art galleries? Are you braced to visit all of its greatest attractions? Dorn an Emily in Paris-esque outfit and head for the most Instagrammable breakfast you can find? Alternatively, of course, you can try to squeeze every single bit of it into your three-day stay. God loves a trier, after all. But whichever way you plan to take on this wild and brilliant city, there are some things you absolutely can’t miss. So, just for you, we’ve rounded up the 78 best things to do in Paris, and we’ve ranked them too. Whatever you’re after, it’s here on this list. Here are the best things to do in Paris in 2023.  RECOMMENDED: ⛵ The best day trips from Paris🏘️ Where to stay in Paris🏺 The best museums in Paris📍 The sightseeing guide to Paris🪩 The best clubs in Paris🏡 The best Airbnbs in Paris🚌 The best bus tours in Paris 🥐 The best food tours in Paris

Paris: the food, the fashion, the fromage, the fantasy. No matter how many times we visit the French capital, its charms never ever grow old. And we’re not alone in thinking that. Paris is a major tourist destination that attracts thousands upon thousands of enthusiastic travellers with heads filled with images of Breton jumpers, tiny dogs and posh chocolates. But how do you enjoy this gorgeous city without just succumbing to the age-old clichés? We’ve compiled a list of the 50 best attractions in Paris, from the big-name ‘must-visits’ to something a little bit more bespoke and authentically Parisian. So whether you’re looking for lesser-known museums, late-night live music or the best places for shopping, we’ve got ideas a-plenty - and they’re all as tasty as a Ladurée macaron. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best things to do in ParisRECOMMENDED: The best food tours in ParisRECOMMENDED: The best food tours in Paris This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, click here.

For centuries, Paris was the undisputed art capital of the Western world. Many pioneering, properly perspective-altering artists lived in Paris over the years – van Gogh, Picasso, Monet, Dalí and countless others – and much of their work can be found within the city’s immense number of museums, galleries, attractions, salons and other arts spaces. We say look beyond the mammoth classical institutions and check out some up-and-comers at one of several established contemporary art galleries in Paris. Be that Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin, Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac or Galerie Daniel Templon, you’re bound to catch something eye-catching (and perhaps even buyable). But whether you prefer big-name or unheard-of, old-school or contemporary, our pick of the best places to see art in Paris has you covered. Some of them are big and you should spend most of the day around them – others are actually pretty small. Many are clustered near each other too, so when you've picked out your few favourites, have a look at where they are – you might be able to see more art than you'd think!  RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best things to do in Paris RECOMMENDED: Your guide to sightseeing in Paris This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, click here.

Eiffel Tower – tick. Louvre – tick. Notre Dame – tick. We’re sure you’ve got the most famous of Paris sights and attractions right at the top of your holiday hit list. But what else should you try to squeeze into your packed Parisian itinerary? There’s almost too much to see and do in the French capital, let’s be honest, so we’re here to give you some guidance. From a charming mecca for bibliophiles to a stunning off-the-beaten-track park near Belleville, trust us: you’ll never get bored in the City of Light. This is our ultimate guide to sightseeing in Paris. So here we go, strap in, and get ready to say bonjour to these incredible sights.  This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, click here.  RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best things to do in Paris

What an incredible city this is. Once referred to as the Capital of the World, Vienna is a place that resonates with the soul long before you arrive here, such is the power of its reputation and aura. You might feel familiar with much of the Austrian capital already, be it the glittering State Opera, the engaging museums, unbeatable coffee houses, and all the rest. Vienna is a place that everyone must visit at least once in their lifetime. With a roster such as this, it can be difficult to identify exactly what the best attractions in Vienna are. Vibrant and cosmopolitan, there’s so much more to this charming capital than the picture-postcard sights and bucket-list things to do. The restaurant scene is as good as any other, for a start, and a night out in Vienna is a night you won’t forget in a hurry. It bears repeating; what an incredible city this is. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best things to do in Vienna This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, click here.

Paris is home to the world's most recognisable smile (well, smirk), but there's much more to the City of Light's museum offering than Mona Lisa's grin. You have to explore the Louvre's sprawling collection at least once, but that shouldn't mean missing out on the city’s excellent collection of museums, attractions and things to do too. Whether it’s contemporary art, fashion, architecture or temples to Monet and Picasso, there’s a museum for visual art in all its forms here. So grab your camera – and a sketchpad should you feel inspired – and head down to one of the very best museums in Paris according to us.  RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best things to do in Paris RECOMMENDED: The best art galleries in Paris This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, click here. 

Everyone makes a massive deal out of Christmas, New Year’s Eve and all that. But don’t sleep on Shrove Tuesday in 2023, otherwise known as Carnival and even Fat Tuesday – a day where you are permitted to eat loads and loads of food, among other things. Shrove Tuesday was born out of Anglo-Saxon Christians being absolved from their sins after 40 days of fasting before Easter. The day would be marked by the sound of a bell, which would call each person to make their confession. That became known as the ‘pancake bell’, which became ‘Pancake Day’.  But all over the world, Mardi Gras is a day to indulge in foods you don’t normally get to indulge in. Rich, sweet fried doughnuts, thick meaty stews, and cake smothered in icing. Not just pancakes (though they’re good too). So if you’re ready to get eating, here’s seven traditional Mardi Gras dishes to sample for the big day.  RECOMMENDED: 🍩 These are the best cities on earth for stuffing your face🏘️ The 51 coolest neighbourhoods in the world✈️ Why 2023 is the year to travel somewhere you’ve never heard of

What do you think the path to heaven looks like? A cobbled alleyway lined with smiling pals, past and present? A technicolour highway fringed with waving Maneki-neko cats? A cool, alluringly lit staircase filled with bottles of only the nicest wines? Maybe. Just maybe. Because in this new dining space at the top of a pub in Fitzrovia, you’ll find just that, opposite the toilet. Head down the corridor, tipsy, mid-meal, and you’ll feel almost like you’re about to ascend to the promised land. The charcuterie platter: moreish, every last bit Much else about this place is dreamy. It helps, of course, that the food is excellent. It’s no surprise when the kitchen is led by chef James Knappett, who’s known for running two Michelin star restaurant Kitchen Table. The food is less fancy chef’s counter diner experience and more top-shelf pub grub. The charcuterie platter: moreish, every last bit. The juniper steelhead smoked trout: an abundance of flavours, perfectly matched. The Cornish lemon sole with brown shrimp and mussels: just the right amount of buttery. The steak tournedos rossini: three layers of brown that don’t look like much but taste formidable, so good in fact that you can almost forgive yourself for accidentally ordering foie gras. Any place that prides itself on serving up ‘the best of British’ is inherently a bit annoying, but these lot smash it.   And these lot, it turns out, are a friendly bunch. And they’re super-attentive to annoying things like a coeliac coming in

If you’ve ever floundered when asked to tell a joke off the cuff, you’ll feel Roman’s pain. Except he has it much worse. He has to weave an entire story. All night long. Surrounded by 200 jeering prisoners nicknamed things like ‘Half-Mad’ and ‘Petrol’. Not ideal.The real name of this new arrival isn’t Roman – that’s the title assigned to him by the Dangôro, named Blackbeard, the supreme master who rules over this prison in the Ivorian rainforest. It’s a place of superstition and folklore, evocatively captured by Philippe Lacôte in this meandering movie which blends myth and reality, fact and fiction, with a generous sprinkling of song and dance.A guard describes the place as the ‘only prison in the world run by an inmate’, but the real power in Night of the Kings lies in their beliefs. One is that whenever the leader falls ill, he must kill himself. Another, which Blackbeard (Steve Tientcheu, playing a frailer version of his mayor in Les Misérables) uses to distract rival factions vying to topple him, is that whoever he assigns as Roman must tell a story that lasts the duration of the red moon. If he doesn’t, he dies too.So the basis of this story is another story: the ruminations of this young kid (Koné Bakary, fear and anxiety welling in his eyes), whose real name we never find out. Through his narrative, we learn of the period when royals still reigned over the Côte d’Ivoire. The civil war that shook the country in the mid-2000s. And a certain gangster called Zama King.Wit

What does the colour pink mean to you? Forced femininity? Rose-tinted positivity? For Sylwia (Magdalena Koleśnik, magnetic), it’s both. She’s a fitness influencer and wears a lot of the stuff. In bougie Warsaw, her job gets her loads of freebies. Through her videos, TV appearances and workout demonstrations, she remains poised and professional. Occasionally she feels liked – but she wants to be loved. Her eyes betray anxiety and unhappiness. Loneliness, too. Sweat, assuredly helmed by writer-director Magnus von Horn, follows Sylwia in the build-up to a chat show interview. By the end, she’s hit breaking point. She’s misunderstood by family. Misunderstood by her 600,000 followers. Misunderstood by men. And then there’s the small matter of the stalker parked by her flat. As she tells her family, there’s a dark side to what she does. There are good days and there are bad days. But the cleverest thing? The film also poses the question: is she really so unhappy, or is that a performance too? Von Horn’s second feature is a sharp critique of the influencing world and the nefarious impact it can have on its practitioners. It could so easily have been patronising, but it feels honest. The direction is sharp, the camerawork in-your-face, and the lilting synth score by Piotr Kurek recalls Drive – as do Sylwia’s neon outfits. And through it all, Koleśnik gives a remarkable performance that nails the public/private schism at the heart of Instagram celebrity. In UK cinemas and streaming on

Danger has many flavours in Those Who Wish Me Dead. Ferocious fires rage across the Montana wilderness. So do nightmarish storms. And most unsettlingly of all, so do two damn suave assassins: an unlikely duo, played by Aidan Gillen and Nicholas Hoult, who’ve been charged with hushing up a big political corruption case.Unhappily for the protagonists in this impressively silly yet gripping western thriller, they will slay pretty much anyone who gets in their way. That even applies to Connor (Finn Little), a wise-for-his-years kid whose dad is a forensic accountant. He knows stuff he shouldn’t. They flee to the forests, Connor ends up lost and alone. And then, fortuitously, running along a creek, he meets Hannah (a fierce, assured Angelina Jolie), a ‘smoke-jumping’ firefighter who surveys the picturesque woodland from her watchtower.It’s immediately apparent she is traumatised by a recent blaze. She blames herself for failing to save three boys who were caught up in it. And so – with pacy, stylish direction from Taylor Sheridan (Sicario, Hell or High Water), who also co-wrote the script with author Michael Koryta – Those Who Wish Me Dead tracks Hannah’s attempts to save this other young kid. Ridden with flashbacks and with a punchy orchestral score, it’s a thoroughly improbable story of her internal redemption. And it’s largely pretty great.The plot abounds in ridiculousness. Twice – twice! – Hannah is struck by lightning. For some reason, the assassins start a forest fire thems

The Place Charles Dullin, in the lower reaches of Montmartre, is one of those Parisian squares that is always so damn busy it feels like its own self-contained world. People come and go, kids hang, there’s always a spot waiting for you at the café-terrace. This sprawling quartier acts as the stage for Suzanne Lindon’s debut feature Spring Blossom: an age-gap romance that sweeps you up in the joys and disillusions of youth.Making us all feel like underachievers, 21-year-old Lindon (daughter of actors Sandrine Kiberlain and Vincent Lindon) directs in a confident and cheerily brisk style – while also playing a version of her 16-year-old self. This Suzanne is bored. She doesn’t fit in at parties, the conversation is crap. Her parents (Florence Viala and Frédéric Pierrot, particularly loveable) are a little too sweet. Everything – and everyone – is embarrassing. Then she meets an actor at the local theatre, Raphaël (a moody and rugged Arnaud Valois), who somehow seems just as fed up with his lot. He’s 35, which makes their liaison questionable, but the film avoids overt sexuality in favour of simple emotions that make you long for the fun and freedom of early adulthood. It helps that everything is seen from her perspective. She’s fleetingly enamoured. Who is this bloke with a motorbike who parks up outside the theatre? She engineers another accidental meeting. And another. Their affinity is their ennui, the sense that their life is on pause – even if it isn’t, really. Creepiness s

This short is a starburst of immaculate Almodóvar. The emotions are big and histrionic. Alberto Iglesias’s soundtrack is punchy and opulent. The set is drenched in rich, kaleidoscopic colour. The Human Voice is the Spanish director’s first English-language film and you’ll inevitably go away yearning for more as soon as the half hour is up.An outlandishly attired actress (Tilda Swinton) is pacing about her apartment. She’s on the phone to her lover, who has now eloped with another woman. The movie, ‘freely based’ on the play of the same name by Jean Cocteau (also an inspiration for Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown), follows that conversation through despair and anger and indifference before finally reaching some form of muddied closure. She monologues on their relationship, her career, her morbid fear of knives. They appear to speak for hours. The film dips in and out, showing her journey from meltdown to catharsis. But what does she do? What does she say? And what does she simply think? The woman readily admits that much of what she tells him is made up. Maybe some of the things we see – the pills, her swinging a literal axe into a suit he’s left behind – are made up too. Pedro Almodóvar makes The Human Voice a comment on artifice and theatricality: Swinton’s glances break the fourth wall and the woman’s technicolour flat, it transpires, is a soundstage in a film studio. We say – and see – unreal things in the throes of heartbreak. Swinton acts out this idea perfectl

That night by the fire. Wine, giggles – then what happened? He seemed sweet. She knew him well. It must have been a drunken slip-up. And just like that, rape-revenge horror Violation dexterously exaggerates and exposes your prejudices before summarily dismantling them. The aftermath is unforgettably brutal. You actually see the act of revenge before you see what triggered it; the two events are woven together in a muddle of memory. This daring and disturbing debut, by Canadian directing duo Madeleine Sims-Fewer and Dusty Mancinelli, cuts back and forth between the night of trauma and the subsequent dismemberment, exsanguination and burning of the perpetrator. Perhaps that’s why you didn’t necessarily side with Miriam (played by Sims-Fewer, fantastically physical and ambiguous) in the first place.There is little plot to follow, instead a complex jumble of flashbacks – you’re processing that night just as she is. Miriam and husband Caleb (Obi Abili) were visiting her younger sister Greta (Anna Maguire) and brother-in-law Dylan (Jesse LaVercombe). The former relationship is tired; the latter fizzes with sexual energy. But then, one night, Miriam and Dylan – long-time friends – teeter on the edge of something else too. While the rape scene is suggestive rather than explicit, the ensuing violence is anything but. The attacker is stripped, beaten and strung up – a rare reversal of horror’s typical gender roles. She even grinds his bones and sprinkles it in ice cream. (A darkly com

This is a story ostensibly about a love affair, but really just about Hélène (Laetitia Dosch), a divorced lecturer from Paris who is lost in infatuation. It’s a subtle and exquisite performance. The object of her desire is Alexandre (ballet star Sergei Polunin), a Russian diplomat and hunk with little substance beyond being able to explain the provenance of his tattoos. They couldn’t be more different. And yet this imbalance enhances the film’s central message. He likes fast cars, Putin and Dior suits. She likes the seventeenth-century English playwright Aphra Behn. But still, they are together – secretly, on snatched afternoons, consumed by their thirst. Particularly her. In one scene she goes to the cinema to see Hiroshima Mon Amour, Alain Resnais’s French new wave classic. Not a fan. It’s a male fantasy run wild, she says, the camera lingering far too long on a beautiful, lusted-after woman. And so here is another kind of film, based on the 1991 autofictional work by Annie Ernaux, in which the female gaze gets sumptuous free rein. Directed by Danielle Arbid (Parisienne), Simple Passion brims with close-ups: cheeks, ears, thighs. Time appears to slow as the camera observes Alex hazily, blearily, just as she does. There are many intense sex scenes. These are candid, realistic, unglamorous. And their relationship goes no deeper than that. They rarely speak to each other outside of her bedroom – and when they do, it’s in a broken franglais. He circles freely in and out of her

Michael describes himself as ‘a guy who used to do stuff, but doesn’t do stuff any more because he’s in a bar’. He shaves in the loos. He even sleeps on the sofas. The other regulars are his family. Today the Roaring ’20s is closing for good – and he doesn’t know what he’ll do without it. Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets is a document of that final piss-up: a diverse bunch of Michael-like eccentrics getting plastered over the course of one very long and very hilarious night. Things quickly get messy. Conversations go in on the weighty questions du jour – the time is around the 2016 US election – but wind up going off on tangents like: ‘Senses – now that’s something I appreciate.’ There are a lot of heartfelt deep and meaningfuls and even more hiccupping. Boobs are flashed. Arguments sizzle. Two of the barflies take an acid trip. And the jukebox? Well, it’s never not on. It all feels brilliantly chaotic and immersive and so compellingly real. Except it’s not. This so-called ‘documentary’ was shot in New Orleans, not Las Vegas. Most of the cast had never met before filming. Michael, the supposedly out-of-work central figure, is a professional actor. And yes, they’re all tearing up over a bar that isn’t actually their local and isn’t actually closing.Directors Bill Ross IV and Turner Ross have had you, basically. The brothers, known for their documentaries, auditioned hundreds of barflies from around the Big Easy, chucked them in a ‘bar that looked right’, and let them get as mashed a

How did you spend all those interminable school summers? Hard to say, probably. Nothing really happened; nothing really could happen. Yet back then, time appeared to stretch out to infinity. It felt as if everything could change in a matter of weeks: your friends; what you were into; perhaps even your entire sense of self. It usually either totally sucked, or was totally the best time ever.For Nora (Lena Urzendowsky, understated yet magnetic), the hot Berlin summer of 2018 sways languidly from one extreme to the other, eventually settling somewhere happy-ish between the two. She’s 14 – not a good age, we can all agree – and this is her year of self-discovery and transformation. The slow, meditative, occasionally brilliant Cocoon, the second film from German director Leonie Krippendorff, captures it all before the memories begin to fade.With her alcoholic mum pretty much off the scene, Nora whiles away the summer months peering in her jars of caterpillars, and reluctantly tagging along to parties with her older sister. It’s awkward and intimidating. She feels very much out of place.Then comes her first period, her first love, her first sucker-punch rejection. Romy (a charming Jella Haase), a new girl and another outsider, enters the picture, and after a few drowsy, sunny afternoon snogs, summarily leaves. And so, as in the manner of so many coming-of-age films, Nora realises romance isn’t all it’s made out to be.But she comes out stronger. By the summer’s end, she has a firmer

The main reason I don’t go to the gym is that I’d have no idea what to do with any of the outsize instruments of torture you generally find there. It would be carnage. At best, I’d be laughed straight out the door. At worst, I’d slip up on my pulldowns and, tragically for my family and anyone who has to clear up the mess, definitely die. That’s why I stick to history books and baking.You fear for Simon (Cavan Clerkin, on very relatable form as a meek everyman) when he enters the crazed fray of Atlantis, his dingy local gym. He befriends Terry (a typically boisterous and charismatic Craig Fairbrass), who bullies him into letting him be his personal trainer. Bad move. Whenever anything goes wrong in Simon’s life, Terry reels him in with his horrifying banter and enviable henchness. Girlfriend left you? I’ll keep you company, buddy. Lost your telesales job? Work for me, mate.But Terry is a stalker – and an ex-con. So now Simon has to host hellish drug-fuelled sex parties, hang out with Newcastle’s dodgiest lowlifes, and partake in Terry’s transnational criminal schemes. All because he tried to lift – once. Terrible luck.Part-psychological thriller, part-black comedy, Muscle’s plot is strictly notional. It’s a mood piece where the mood is brooding, intimidating and frankly, to be escaped. Sadly for Simon, escape is not an option. Throughout, director Gerard Johnson (Tony, Hyena) captures the toxic dynamic between these two very different men with humour, poise and plenty of provo

Jarvis is being Jarvis all right. He opens and closes his hands as if plucking his words out of thin air, then flashes a look that suggests he’s surprised at what’s coming out of his own mouth. He spins around, hands thrust towards the ceiling. Then the gawky, magnetic ex-Pulp frontman looks up, freezes: he’s in a cave. Considering how fraught and claustrophobic life in lockdown can feel, it’s apt that this streamed performance of ‘Beyond the Pale’ – the debut album from Cocker’s new band Jarv Is – was recorded inside an actual grotto, known as the Devil’s Arse, in Derbyshire. Somehow, the resulting film from directors Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard, ‘Live From the Centre of the Earth’, doesn’t amplify the sense of being hemmed in. In fact, it’s a mesmerising – if fleeting – ticket out of there. A so-called ‘alive album’ (it’s a bunch of overdubbed live recordings), ‘Beyond the Pale’ feels as though it was made to be consumed this way. The record alone can’t capture the thrill of the live experience, but the band are experimenting with another medium – the concert film – creating a rare example that isn’t an afterthought, a memento for those there. The camerawork by Erik Wilson (‘Paddington’) is full of edgy angles and effects. The lighting veers from dancefloor lasers to glittering galaxies to a burning sun that appears to engulf Cocker entirely. His excellent and unsurprisingly cool band look like they’ve been swiped at random off Stoke Newington High Street. There’s creepy

Well done, folks: you’ve just about made it through the grimmest month of the year. But let’s be honest, it’s still pretty cold out there, and it’d sure be nice to have some plans to look forward later in the year. So howsabout a sunny holiday that doesn’t cost a bomb? With summer now not seeming that far off at all, we’ve got good news: budget airline Wizz Air is launching a new route to Istanbul, and tickets start at just £35.99. After a seven-year hiatus, the carrier is reviving its direct flights to Turkey’s biggest city from March 28. Travellers will be able to depart from either London Gatwick or Luton, with the cheapest return costing a highly decent £72. The low-cost airline is also launching new flights to coastal destinations Antalya and Dalaman, and these will depart from an impressive selection of British airports: Belfast, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds Bradford, Manchester and London Stansted. Seems like you’ve got no excuse not to head to Turkey this year. Stay in the loop: sign up to Out There, our free newsletter about all the best stuff to do across the UK.

It’s that time of year when we start thinking ahead to our summer holidays. And if you’re in need of some inspo? Ryanair has launched six brand new routes that will start running from London airports in 2023. In news that’s no doubt related to the ongoing chaos on the railways, the budget airline has announced new domestic flights to Belfast, Cornwall and Edinburgh. If you’re planning a trip abroad, you may be interested to know the carrier, which runs flights from Gatwick, Luton and Stansted airports, has announced three new foreign destinations, too: Asturias in Spain, Leipzig in Germany and Klagenfurt in Austria. In the same announcement, the airline said that record numbers of travellers had already booked their Easter and summer getaways. A spokesperson said it had received more than two million bookings last weekend, beating its previous record of 1.6 million in early 2019. Stay in the loop: sign up to Out There, our free newsletter about all the best stuff to do across the UK.

2023 is shaping up to be a pretty exciting year for Robbie Williams fans (aka all pissed mums, everywhere). First up, Netflix is set to release a tell-all docuseries about the ‘Let Me Entertain You’ and ‘Angels’ singer. It promises ‘unprecedented level of access to Williams and an intimate look at his career’, from the break-up of Take That to his recovery from addiction. And as if that weren’t enough, it has just been announced Williams will also be playing a massive summer show in the UK – the first-ever large-scale music event to take place at the Royal Sandringham Estate. Here’s everything we know about the concert (and how you can get tickets). When is Robbie Williams headlining at the King’s Sandringham Estate? The former Take That singer will be playing at the Royal Estate of Sandringham on Saturday August 26 2023. It will be the first time a major music event has been held in the estate grounds, and Williams is expected to be joined by some pretty major support acts. When do tickets go on sale? Tickets for the Sandringham show will go on sale at 9am this Friday (December), with a pre-sale taking place the day before. How can I get tickets? You can register for the pre-sale and buy tickets here. How much do they cost? Ticket prices for the show are still to be announced. We’ll be keeping this page updated with the latest information – so watch this space. Stay in the loop: sign up to Out There, our free newsletter about all the best stuff to do across the UK.

The most controversial World Cup of all time is now well under way, and you can understand why Wales fans are more than a little excited: it’s the first time the team has made the finals since 1958. The event kicked off on Sunday (November 20), with hosts Qatar losing out to Ecuador, and now the rest of the teams will be playing their group-stage games too. Here’s everything you need to know about Wales’s games (and how you can watch them online and on TV). When are Wales’s World Cup fixtures?  Wales versus Iran will take place on Friday November 25 at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium at 10am GMT. And Wales versus England – the big one! – will take place on Tuesday November 29 at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium (again!) at 7pm GMT. How can I watch the games on TV? Half of the World Cup games will be broadcast on the BBC and half on ITV. You can watch the USA game on ITV1, the Iran game on BBC One and the England game on ITV1. You’ll also be able to watch the matches on BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub. ICYMI: here’s why 2022 was a breakthrough year for Welsh-language music. Plus: here are 7 ways to support human rights in Qatar (without boycotting the World Cup).

When Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in September, Charles automatically became King. During the First Proclamation at St James’s Palace on September 10, Charles was announced as King and given the title King Charles III. Now, the date of the new monarch’s official coronation has been announced – and the UK is getting another bank holiday to celebrate. Here’s everything we know so far. When will Charles be crowned King? The coronation of King Charles III will take place at Westminster Abbey on Saturday May 6 2023. Camilla, the Queen Consort, will be crowned alongside the king in the historic ceremony. According to the royal family’s website, the ceremony is ‘an occasion for pageantry and celebration, but it is also a solemn religious ceremony, has remained essentially the same over a thousand years. ‘For the last 900 years, the ceremony has taken place at Westminster Abbey, London. The service is conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, whose task this has almost always been since the Norman Conquest in 1066.’ Will we get a bank holiday for King Charles III’s coronation?  Yes, it has been confirmed that we will be getting an extra bank holiday to mark the occasion. This is scheduled for Monday May 8 2023, two days after the service at Westminster Abbey. Will the May bank holiday be moved for King Charles’s coronation? A number of MPs had called for the May 1 bank holiday to be pushed back until Monday May 8, giving the country a long weekend. Meanwhile, other MPs

In some ways, it makes perfect sense: train tickets are bloody expensive in the UK, and so you’d expect the penalties for evading fares to be just as astronomical. Right now, if you’re caught out without a ticket, you’ll usually face a £20 fine. But from January, this is set to soar to £100 – a kick in the teeth for many who will struggle to afford tickets as the cost-of-living crisis bites this winter. Currently, passengers found without a ticket must pay either £20 or double the cost of a single fare to the next station – whichever is greater. Yesterday, however, Parliament passed a new batch of laws including the first rise in the penalty fare since 2005. From January 23 the new £100 fine will be charged on top of a single fare for the passenger’s journey. It will be reduced to £50 if paid within 21 days. The Rail Delivery Group reckons evasion costs £240 million in lost fares each year. The aim of the rise is to recoup more of that money and for the steeper fines to act as more of a deterrent. A Department for Transport spokesperson told the Evening Standard: ‘We need penalty fares to act as a proper deterrent, and we are putting in place a modern system that will help create a more sustainable railway.’ Who knows, maybe one day they’ll realise that the fares are the issue, not the cash-strapped passengers. ICYMI: more train strikes are planned for October and November. Plus: these are the best (and worst) airports in the UK.  

The Queen died at Balmoral on September 8 2022 aged 96 and her eldest son Charles automatically became King. Queen Elizabeth II’s death kicked off a plan for the days to follow called ‘Operation London Bridge’. This involved a series of events including the lying in state, which saw crowds queue for hours on end to see her coffin in Westminster Hall, and a funeral held at Westminster Abbey to mourn the loss of our longest-reigning monarch. But what happens to the new King?  RECOMMENDED: Will there be a bank holiday for King Charles’s coronation? When does Charles become King? Having been the heir to the throne since he was just three, Charles automatically became King when the Queen died, but he won’t be crowned for a while. Charles was officially announced as King at the First Proclamation on Saturday September 10. He was given the title King Charles III at a ceremony at St James’s Palace. So will Camilla become Queen? No. Camilla becomes the Queen Consort, ‘consort’ being the title given to the spouse of the monarch (she and Charles got married on April 5 2005). When is King Charles’s coronation? King Charles will be crowned on Saturday May 6 2023. Camilla, the Queen Consort, will be crowned alongside the king in the historic ceremony. Where is King Charles’s coronation? As per tradition, the new monarch will be crowned at Westminster Abbey. The church has been the setting for coronations for the past 900 years.  What happens at the coronation ceremony? On the royal famil

It’s been just over a week since normal life in London – and much of the UK – came to a standstill as the Queen’s funeral took place at Westminster Abbey. The day culminated with a committal service and private burial at the King George VI Memorial Chapel (part of St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle) in the evening. The Queen was buried alongside her mother, father and sister. The body of her late husband Prince Philip was also removed from the Royal Vault to be laid next to Her Majesty. Now, a ledger stone has been laid and members of the public will be able to visit her grave as the chapel reopens to visitors. RECOMMENDED: the Queen’s funeral procession, in pictures Will you be able to visit the Queen’s grave at Windsor? Windsor is said to be the Queen’s favourite home (even over Buckingham Palace) and is the longest-inhabited royal castle in the world. The property is estimated to be worth around £235 million. But many have been wondering whether this means they will be able to visit Windsor in the future to see the Queen’s tomb. And if the miles-long queue to pay your respects to the Queen lying in state is anything to go by, that’s a lot of people.  The general public are permitted to visit St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. The chapel (along with the rest of the castle grounds) will reopen to visitors later today (Thursday September 29). There are three services a day at the chapel, and worshippers can go to any of them. Outside of the services, visitors can visit o

The Queen’s state funeral is taking place today in Westminster Abbey. Hundreds of millions of people around the world will watch to celebrate her life and legacy, before she travels to Windsor Castle to be buried. Elizabeth II died on Thursday September 8, placing the country in ten days of national mourning. As per tradition, the monarch’s body travelled from Scotland, where she died, to lie in state in Westminster Hall for four days, where hundreds of thousands members of the public queued to pay their respects.  Massive crowds have already gathered to watch the procession in London today, and it is expected that there will be significant disruption to transport in the capital. Here is everything we know about road closures and travel restrictions so far. RECOMMENDED: the full schedule and timings for the Queen’s funeral Which roads are closed in London for the Queen’s funeral today? Transport for London has confirmed there are extensive closures in place in central and west London.  Most of the main roads in the area between Hyde Park, Earl’s Court and the Thames will be shut off to traffic, along with the streets surrounding Battersea Park and all those roads in Westminster that have been closed over the past week.  From 6am, there will be road closures on the A4 and the A30, with full closures in place in both directions from 10am for the state funeral procession, as well as multiple closures on local roads along the A4 route. Closures include Parliament Square and areas

It’s been pretty hard to keep up with the events of the past week. Following the death of the Queen, the royal family have been carrying out a series of visits and ceremonies all over the United Kingdom in honour of the late monarch. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of mourners have lined up along the banks of the Thames to pay tribute as Her Maj lies in state.  Tomorrow (Monday September 19) the capital will pretty much come to a standstill as the state funeral takes place. Hundreds of millions of people around the world will be watching. But what time do things really get under way? Here’s everything we know. RECOMMENDED: the full schedule and timings for the Queen’s funeral What time is the Queen’s funeral? At 10.44am, the gun carriage carrying the Queen’s coffin will depart from Westminster Hall for Westminster Abbey. The procession will arrive at 10.52am and the state funeral service will officially begin at 11am. How long is the Queen’s funeral? At 11.55am, the Last Post will sound, followed by a national two-minute silence. Reveille, the national anthem and a lament, played by the Queen’s Piper, will bring the state funeral service to an end at around 12pm – meaning the service will last almost exactly an hour. How can I watch the Queen’s funeral? Television cameras will be allowed inside Westminster Abbey so the funeral will air live online and on TV. Coverage starts on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and BBC News at 8am – here’s how to watch. There will also big screens put up arou

Queen Elizabeth II has died at the age of 96, and now a lot of people are wondering what happens next. The most significant (and imminent) event is the Queen’s funeral, which is taking place on Monday September 19 and will be live-streamed worldwide. The service will take place at Westminster Abbey and there will be a national two-minute silence at midday. RECOMMENDED: How will travel be impacted in the UK now that the Queen’s died? Do we get a day off now that the Queen has died? The day of the Queen’s state funeral – Monday September 19 – will be a bank holiday. King Charles III approved the holiday in his first meeting with the Privy Council at St James’s Palace. Penny Mordaunt, the acting Lord President of the Council, read out two draft statements that the day should be a bank holiday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and in Scotland. Charles said ‘approved’ and then signed the two proclamations. Will shops, schools, banks and post offices be shut? Now a nationwide bank holiday has been granted, schools and offices will be closed, and most shops, banks and post offices will be too. We’ll keep you updated on the latest information and announcements as the date of the funeral approaches. Will we get an annual bank holiday? It’s unlikely that there will be a bank holiday every year to commemorate the Queen’s funeral. However, more than 100,000 people have signed a petition calling for the day off to be made permanent – here’s everything we know. Read more: what will

The plans for Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral are now officially under way, with the monarch’s coffin set to lie in state for four days before the service on Monday September 19. And now the government has announced that a minute’s silence will be held at 8pm on Sunday September 18, the day before the funeral, to ‘mourn and reflect on the life and legacy of Queen Elizabeth II’. The spokesperson said the silence could be honoured ‘privately at home on your own or with friends and neighbours, out on your doorstep or street with neighbours, or at any locally-arranged community events and vigils’. They added: ‘We encourage local community groups, clubs and other organisations to mark this moment of reflection. And if you are overseas, people are encouraged to mark the silence at their local time.’ Read more: here’s everything you need to know about the Queen’s funeral. Plus: where will the Queen be buried?