Liv Kelly

Reminiscing on festival season 2025? Well, the good times ain’t over yet, and if you ask us, it’s never too early to start planning which festivals to book in next year. Loads of great music festivals have already announced their headliners, and some of them kick off as early as January.  It’s worth noting that, in 2026, one of the planet’s biggest and best music festivals is not happening. That’s right – after an electric 2025, good old Glastonbury is on a fallow year to allow the land a bit of TLC. Not to worry, mind. No matter your music taste, who you’re going with, your weather preference or your capacity for camping, the world will have a festival that’s right for you, from Europe to the USA, Canada to Japan and Australia to India.  The best festivals in the world at a glance: ☮️ Best for hedonists and hippies: Boomtown 🔈 Best for beat freaks: Outlook 💡 Best for discovering something new: Tremor 🎵 Best for R&B and afrobeats: Afro Nation 🗽 Best city festival: Governors Ball 🎸 Best rock festival: Fuji Rock 🤩 Best for big names: Primavera Sound 🌠 Best for escaping reality: Big Red Bash Overwhelmed? Don’t sweat – here’s our comprehensive roundup of the best festivals in the world taking place in 2026. RECOMMENDED:🌍 The 26 best new things to do in the world in 2026🌤️ The best festivals in Europe in 2026🎭 The world’s coolest neighbourhoods to explore🌃 The best cities in the world right now

Even after a couple of vintage years for new music, 2025 has been special. Sure, we didn’t get a clear-cut ‘song of the summer’, but artists have been instead putting out defining works in a longer format. The past 12 (well, 11) months have featured all manner of extraordinary album releases.  Belted-to-the-rafters country pop, plunderphonic majesty, ecstatic dance music, intimate electronic world-building, history-collapsing art rock, triumphant hip-hop… these are just a few of the sounds and styles that have been executed marvellously in 2025. Here are the year’s finest 25 albums, chosen by Time Out editors and contributors.

In a year when it’s become pretty much impossible to so much as glance at a screen without being bombarded with all manner of maddening AI slop, it’s comforting to know that there is still plenty of vivid, funny, brilliantly human writing out there if you know where to look. From laugh-out-loud debuts and masterful autofiction to big-name autobiographies, gripping non-fiction thrillers and binge-worthy travelogues, here are our editors’ favourite page-turners of 2025. Add this lot to your ‘to read’ pile, stat. RECOMMENDED: 🎵 The 40 best songs of 2025📀 The 25 best albums of 2025

A planear as suas viagens para o novo ano? Deve, sem dúvida, contar com aqueles clássicos da bucket list, mas se procura inspiração fresca, 2026 promete um mundo de experiências totalmente novas. Desde dormir num museu ao ar livre até percorrer paisagens ancestrais em e-bikes, fazer zipline sobre magníficas reservas naturais e festejar durante um eclipse solar – sim, a sério – há dezenas de experiências fora do circuito habitual e fora da caixa a acontecer nos próximos 12 meses. Pelos quatro cantos do mundo, a Time Out escolheu as 26 coisas mais incríveis, surpreendentes e emocionantes para fazer em 2026. Recomendado: Podes vir, 2026. Temos as melhores agendas para planear o novo ano

It’s easy to leave planning New Year’s Eve to the very last minute – often you get so tangled up in the tinsel-decked glories of Christmas that you forget there's another big bash, just a week later. But New Year's Eve is the kind of night that you forget at your peril. Attempt to wing it and you might well end up stuck at home with a glass of flat prosecco in front of Jools Holland’s Hootenanny, because all London's best clubs and parties book out weeks or months in advance.  But fear not, we're here to make sure you give 2025 a seriously good send-off. Here's our list of London best NYE bashes for ringing in 2026, from never-ending club nights to LGBTQ+- friendly celebrations. Assemble your crew, book your tickets, plan the perfect ‘fit and prepare to say a big fat goodbye to the year gone by. London’s best NYE parties at a glance 🎆 Best for views of the fireworks: New Year’s Eve at Sky Garden 🦖 Best for a one-of-a-kind party: NYE at the Natural History Museum 🍴 Best for midnight snacks: New Year's Eve at Aram, Somerset House  🏳️‍🌈  Best for LGBTQ+: Horse Meat Disco at Village Underground 🌟 Best for glitz and glamour: New Year's Eve at W London RECOMMENDED: Find things to do in London on New Year’s Day.

กำลังวางแผนเที่ยวสำหรับปีใหม่อยู่หรือเปล่า? แน่นอนว่าลิสต์จุดหมายในฝันที่ค้างคามานานนั้นสำคัญและควรค่าแก่การไปเก็บให้ครบ แต่หากคุณกำลังมองหาแรงบันดาลใจใหม่ๆ ปี 2026 เตรียมมอบประสบการณ์การเดินทางแบบใหม่แกะกล่องจากทั่วโลกไว้รอคุณอยู่ ไม่ว่าจะเป็น การลัดเลาะผ่านดินแดนโบราณด้วยจักรยานไฟฟ้า การโหนสลิงเหนือเขตอนุรักษ์สัตว์ป่าอันงดงาม ไปจนถึงการปาร์ตี้ท่ามกลางสุริยุปราคา บอกเลยว่าในอีก 12 เดือนข้างหน้านี้ มีกิจกรรมนอกกระแสและไอเดียสุดบรรเจิดรออยู่อีกเป็นกอง เลื่อนลงไปดูลิสต์ 16 กิจกรรมที่เจ๋งที่สุด แปลกที่สุด และน่าตื่นเต้นที่สุดประจำปี 2026 ที่เราคัดมาให้คุณเน้นๆ ได้เลย   ขอแนะนำ: 🎶 เทศกาลดนตรีที่ยิ่งใหญ่และดีที่สุดในปี 2568  🛍️ ถนนที่เจ๋งที่สุดในโลก 🏘️ ย่านที่เท่ที่สุดในโลก 🌃 เมืองที่ดีที่สุดในโลกในตอนนี้   สิ่งใหม่ที่น่าทำที่สุดทั่วโลกในปี 2026  

There’s a whole load of cool stuff happening across the world in 2026, but if you’re after some outstanding art to add to your bucket list for the year, Time Out has you covered. We’ve called on our international network of editors and writers, and dug around the ‘upcoming’ sections of galleries across the planet, to curate our very own list of all the art and culture worth travelling for in 2026. From retrospectives of greats like Raphael and Matisse to city-wide biennales and beautifully crafted fashion retrospectives, read on for all the very best exhibitions taking place across the planet in 2026. RECOMMENDED:🎪 The world’s best music festivals for 2026🛍️ The coolest streets in the world🏘️ The coolest neighbourhoods in the world🌍 The best new things to do in the world in 2026 Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out Travel newsletter for all the latest travel news and best stuff happening across the world.

Europe is incredible for festivals, make no mistake about it. And what could be better? Travelling to festivals abroad means getting to explore somewhere new and see a bunch of cracking artists, as well as maybe – just maybe – enjoy better weather and cheaper beer. Europe is certainly not in short supply of some really brilliant places to party, from tiny, lesser-known spots in the Azores to headliner-packed fests in France and the Netherlands. There’s just one festival you’ll see sadly missing from our list – everyone’s favourite festival Glastonbury is taking a fallow year in 2026.  What is the largest festival in Europe? Glastonbury is normally thought of as the biggest festival in Europe (if not the world). But though it’s certainly the most well known, in terms of numbers, it’s not even the the biggest in the UK! The biggest in Europe is actually Donauinselfest in Vienna, Austria, which sees upwards of two million visitors a year. After that, it’s probably joint between Glasto and Tomorrowland in Belgium. The more you know! RECOMMENDED: 🎪 The best UK music festivals🎤 The best music festivals in the world🌃 The most underrated destinations in Europe🌤️ The best European city breaks At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide may include affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate gu

As the new year approaches, we’ve got festival season 2026 on our minds. And we can’t wait.  By the time summer rolls around, Londoners will be absolutley spoilt for choice. With something taking place almost every weekend throughout the warmer months, you can forget trekking across the country to live in a field for five days; simply hop on the tube and before you know it you’re listening to your favourite artists, tinny to hand, knowing that there’s a hot shower and a cosy bed waiting for you once the day is over.  The future of events in Brockwell Park was thrown up in the air in 2025, but you’ll be glad to know that the south London park’s usual lineup of events – which includes Cross The Tracks, Wide Awake and Field Day – will all return in 2026.  And the line-up announcements for next year’s events are already coming in thick fast, with huge acts like Tyler, The Creator, Lewis Capaldi, Lorde, Lily Allen, Blood Orange and Deftones all set to take to London stages next summer. Have a scroll through our comprehensive guide – which we keep meticulously updated with all the latest line-up announcements – and see what takes your fancy. RECOMMENDED: ⛺ The best UK music festivals🌍 The best festivals in Europe

Can you believe December is here already? One day you're necking tinned cocktails on a picnic blanket in a packed summer park, the next you're looking up mulled wine recipes and wondering why you don't seem to have a night off til January. But make some time in your packed schedule and you'll find loads to do: you can shop in quaint Christmas markets, arrange family pantomime outing, drag your friends to a jolly carol service, check out seasonal pop-ups and get stellar pics of London's OTT light displays. Time Out’s editorial team started thinking about Christmas long before the first autumn leaves flutter to the ground. We've beaten the crowds for a spot at Somerset House ice rink and strolled around the Southbank Centre’s Winter Market, year after year, and we're ready to show you some more leftfield, imaginative ways to celebrate the season. Read on for everything you need to make the absolute most of the holiday season, London style. London’s best Christmas events at a glance:  Best for families: The Magic of Christmas at London Zoo Best for buying gifts: DIY Christmas Art Market  Best for a party: Humbug: The Immersive Christmas Dive Bar Best for music: Raymond Gubbay Christmas Festival Best for festive feels: Christmas at Kew  RECOMMENDED: 🎅Check out our full guide to Christmas in London🎄Discover the best hotels in London for unforgettable Christmas stays

There’s a long (and we mean really long) list of reasons why one might choose to visit old New York—the food, the theatre, the bars and the art galleries, to name a few—but up there with the best things about this city is, without a doubt, its skyline. And while heading up to Top of the Rock or the One World Observatory are worthy ways to soak it up, your hotel room could be, too. So, that’s why we’ve compiled a round up of the best hotels in NYC with proper, show-stopping views. Sit back and enjoy. 📍 Discover our ultimate guide to the best hotels in New York City How we curate our hotel lists Our team of writers and travel experts review hotels all over the world—new openings, old classics and everything in between—to bring you fresh, honest recommendations, all year round. We have reviewed many of the hotels featured below, but we may not have stayed at every single one. Any we haven’t stayed in have been selected by experts based on their amenities, features, pricing and more. By the way, this article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines. 🛏 Check out the best Airbnbs in New York City

Planning your travels for the new year? You should absolutely factor in those long-standing bucket list entries, but if you’re looking for some fresh inspiration, 2026 promises a world of brand-new travel experiences.  From sleeping over in an open-air museum to journeying through ancient landscapes on e-bikes, ziplining over glorious wildlife reserves and partying through a solar eclipse – yes, really – there’s a shedload of off-the-beaten-track, out-of-the-box stuff happening over the next 12 months. Scroll on for our handpicked selection of the 26 coolest, weirdest and most exciting things to do in 2026.  RECOMMENDED:🎶 The biggest and best music festivals in 2026🛍️ The coolest streets in the world🏘️ The coolest neighbourhoods in the world🌃 The best cities in the world right now Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out Travel newsletter for all the latest travel news and best stuff happening across the world.

Through the MacSmiths Repair Shop on Hackney Road is where you’ll find this cave-like, perfect-for-the-winter cocktail bar. We arrived drenched from the rain into the pleasantly toasty, warmly but lowly-lit space which sits at the bottom of a small staircase, and the vibe feels most like the den of a whacky old professor – think kooky portraits, cluttered old computer monitors and even something called a poem-o-graph. This is the place to come if you’re trying to ‘get into’ whisky. As of 2025, the bar is run by the same team behind the nearby Absinthe Parlour at The Last Tuesday Society, and not only does it have 24 different kinds on an evolving roster (when a bottle runs out, a new whisky replaces it), but they also have Whisky Wednesdays for tastings and specially curated cocktail menu. It’s no surprise they refer to themselves as a ‘whisky bunker’. For a crash course on whisky without committing to a full drink, there were three flight options on the menu: the ‘world wonderer’, the ‘smoke stack’ and the brilliant dessert trolley, which included notes of tropical vanilla, honeycomb and banana bread – it’s definitely one for those of us with a sweet tooth. Service is suitably laid-back, and if you’re overwhelmed by the lengthy list of options, you won’t feel too intimidated to seek out some recommendations from the bar staff about the drinks or well-paired snacks. Order this If, like me, you’re a fan of cocktails that’ll make your face scrunch up, order the Pickleback Sour.

St Martin's Voices and St Martin's Brass will this year be bringing us some stunningly festive performances of glorious music, carol singing and festive readings. Conducted by Andrew Earis, expect to hear beloved classic songs such as ‘The Holly and the Ivy’ and ‘O Holy Night’ plus the audience carols of ‘Hark! The Herald Angels Sing’ and ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’. Set against the beautiful backdrop of St Martin-in-the-Fields Church, these concerts promise to be a magical start to Christmas. 

What’s the vibe?  This space is one of Brighton’s most refined restaurants. It sits on Upper Market Street unbeknownst to the majority of passers-by, which gives it an exclusive, elevated vibe. The restaurant is tastefully and simply furnished with lots of pale wood and natural light giving it a beachhouse feel, and that is reflected in the menu.  What should I order?  The menu here changes regularly, but there’ll be a three-course set lunch menu for £35 per person or a decadent six-course option at dinner time which costs £85 per person. Each will include simple but super elegant seafood dishes, and the restaurant’s signature dish, the egg and soldiers, will (hopefully) be available at dinner time.

What’s the vibe?  In a nutshell, the vibe here is casual, speedy and really, really tasty. It’s unlikely you’ll wait long for your food to arrive, nor will you be at the table for much more than an hour, but we guarantee every second will be worth it. Why? Well, Bincho’s isn’t just a favourite of Brighton’s locals, but also of its chefs. What should I order? The chef here describes himself as an Izayaka fanatic, and after spending three years in Japan finessing the cooking techniques, you can bet that this is the most authentic take on southeast Asian cuisine that Brighton has to offer. There aren’t any duds on this menu – the only mistake would be not arriving ravenous.  

You might expect a Grade I National Trust property to be a bit of a stuffy and impersonal place to stay for a weekend, but Bodysgallen Hall, a lovingly restored manor house on Pydew Mountain in north Wales, is quite the opposite.  The hotel provided us tired, post-hike guests with a stay so comforting that, despite its looming size, felt more like we were at the home of an impossibly wealthy relative than a high-end hotel. Swathed by crackling fires, good, tasty food and amiable staff, this place is primed for a properly restful weekend.  Why stay at Bodysgallen Hall?  If you don’t just want a break from your day-to-day life but some proper respite from the 21st century, this is the place to stay. Bodysgallen Hall’s Main House feels a bit imposing as you approach it, but there’s something undeniably old-timey and welcoming about the place once you’ve stepped inside.  It brags all the traditional quirks that a proper country estate should, with comically low ground-floor ceilings, dark wood-panelled walls, heartily-stoked fires and marshmallow-like armchairs throughout the reception area and jumbled hallways, and much of it was built around 600 years ago. Though modern elements (speedy wifi and high-pressure showers) have seeped through, a weekend here still feels like you’ve dipped back into a different era.  What are the rooms like at Bodysgallen Hall? The Main House bedrooms could well remind you of a grandparent’s house, and I mean that as a compliment. The furnishings are

What’s the vibe?  Picture crisp white tablecloths, immaculately manicured waiters and an elevated, classy atmosphere, and you’ve pretty much got the opposite of Halisco. This is not the place for a formal evening dinner, but it most definitely is the place to take someone you’re trying to impress. Lip-smacking cocktails, inexplicably tasty Mexican-inspired small plates and an efficient, friendly, knowledgeable team of locals are what make this place so damn brilliant – and I bet my margarita that you’ll be telling your friends about it.  What are the prices like? The menu here follows a small-plates format – you’ll have snacks sitting around or just below £4, small plates, which range roughly from £8-£12, and of course the tacos, which tend to start at £9.50 for two. Lucky enough to swing by in the summer months? There could well be a salad and ceviche section, which last year started at £6. Mix it up, and don’t expect things to arrive in order.  What should I order? Halisco’s menu changes seasonally, but be sure to start your dinner with corn chips and guac, order the tenderstem broccoli (if it’s available) in whatever form it comes, and – even if you’re a meat eater – the oyster mushroom birria tacos. To wash it down, my go-tos are either a hibiscus margarita or a modelo chelada.  What’s worth visiting nearby? The newly opened Bar Halisco! Perched just over the road is Halisco’s brand-new sister venue, which opened just in time for National Margarita Day 2025. It’s got all

Despite being labelled by a cursive, neon pink signpost above its entrance, you could easily miss Viajante87 – it’s hidden in plain sight amidst the noise and fluorescence of Notting Hill Gate, and once you’re inside, feels miles away from all that too. The room is draped in moody layers and furnishings of rich teal with touches of gold, giving it a particularly luxe feel which is matched by the vibe of the service. Everything here is quite formal: we were met by a security guard who radioed a host to collect us at the bottom of the stairs, and, behind a heavy velvet curtain, were greeted with a cheery and unnervingly synchronised ‘hola!’ from the bartenders. That’s because, as is detailed on the cocktail menu, Viajante87 is based around the concept of ‘drinking like a local’, with your choices all inspired by flavours which hail from Central and South America. The three main sections on the menu are organised to mimic the stages of a journey: they’re branded as ‘comfortable’ (aperitif-like drinks), ‘curious’ (a little stronger) and ‘courageous’ (digestifs). If you’re feeling really courageous, you could even ignore the order in which they’ve designed the menu, though this lot clearly know what they’re doing.  Order this On the ‘be curious’ page of the menu, you’ll find the Pura Pache, a clean and fruity long drink which is a good light cocktail to kick things off. But if you’re a fan of bitter, negroni-esque flavours, don’t skip over the Blood Moon.  Time Out tip While this

Given it’s the second largest island in the Mediterranean (after Sicily), Sardinia brags quite a lot of coastline – 2,000 km, to be exact. Scenic beaches aren’t hard to come by here, but Delphina’s Valle dell’Erica occupies a particularly glorious spot on the island’s northern tip, on a plush green hillside where the coastal breeze ripples through the grass. Sounds lovely, right? On a clear day you can see across to Corsica, and when it’s hazy – as it was on my visit – you’re still surrounded by the ocean. Long story short, spectacular views are guaranteed.  Such vistas are best soaked in from the panoramic breakfast terrace in the main hotel building. Incidentally, the breakfast buffet is the only place where you’ll actually remember you’re in a resort. Valle Dell’Erica feels more like a small hilltop town: there are seven bars, seven restaurants, four pools, an enormous spa and a whopping 273 rooms. This sprawling complex houses two separate hotels: Hotel Erica (a slightly larger space with 148 rooms, catered to families) and Hotel La Licciola (a smaller, couple-oriented hotel, where 17 of the 125 rooms have access to an exclusive area and private pool). Rooms are cloistered in small blocks of three or four, each comfortably if plainly furnished, and are built with local granite and cork. From the resort’s beaches, the buildings appear to dissipate into the land – the brand calls this design ‘low visual impact’, a move to protect Sardinia’s coastline from the threat of towe

Given it’s the second largest island in the Mediterranean (after Sicily), Sardinia brags quite a lot of coastline – 2,000 km, to be exact. Scenic beaches aren’t hard to come by here, but Delphina’s Valle dell’Erica occupies a particularly glorious spot on the island’s northern tip, on a plush green hillside where the coastal breeze ripples through the grass. Sounds lovely, right? On a clear day you can see across to Corsica, and when it’s hazy – as it was on my visit – you’re still surrounded by the ocean. Long story short, spectacular views are guaranteed.  Such vistas are best soaked in from the panoramic breakfast terrace in the main hotel building. Incidentally, the breakfast buffet is the only place where you’ll actually remember you’re in a resort. Valle Dell’Erica feels more like a small hilltop town: there are seven bars, seven restaurants, four pools, an enormous spa and a whopping 273 rooms. This sprawling complex houses two separate hotels: Hotel Erica (a slightly larger space with 148 rooms, catered to families) and Hotel La Licciola (a smaller, couple-oriented hotel, where 17 of the 125 rooms have access to an exclusive area and private pool). Rooms are cloistered in small blocks of three or four, each comfortably if plainly furnished, and are built with local granite and cork. From the resort’s beaches, the buildings appear to dissipate into the land – the brand calls this design ‘low visual impact’, a move to protect Sardinia’s coastline from the threat of towe

Given it’s the second largest island in the Mediterranean (after Sicily), Sardinia brags quite a lot of coastline – 2,000 km, to be exact. Scenic beaches aren’t hard to come by here, but Delphina’s Valle dell’Erica occupies a particularly glorious spot on the island’s northern tip, on a plush green hillside where the coastal breeze ripples through the grass. Sounds lovely, right? On a clear day you can see across to Corsica, and when it’s hazy – as it was on my visit – you’re still surrounded by the ocean. Long story short, spectacular views are guaranteed.  Such vistas are best soaked in from the panoramic breakfast terrace in the main hotel building. Incidentally, the breakfast buffet is the only place where you’ll actually remember you’re in a resort. Valle Dell’Erica feels more like a small hilltop town: there are seven bars, seven restaurants, four pools, an enormous spa and a whopping 273 rooms. This sprawling complex houses two separate hotels: Hotel Erica (a slightly larger space with 148 rooms, catered to families) and Hotel La Licciola (a smaller, couple-oriented hotel, where 17 of the 125 rooms have access to an exclusive area and private pool). Rooms are cloistered in small blocks of three or four, each comfortably if plainly furnished, and are built with local granite and cork. From the resort’s beaches, the buildings appear to dissipate into the land – the brand calls this design ‘low visual impact’, a move to protect Sardinia’s coastline from the threat of towe

Landing in Keflavik on a frosty 2C afternoon is a bit of a shock to the system compared to the balmy October temperatures of the UK, but once we start winding through the snow-dusted, ash-coloured peaks that loom moodily over Iceland’s coast, the biting cold feels appropriate.  Thankfully, the nippy feeling doesn’t last long. ION’s collection of hotels includes four properties – ION City and Hotel Von (starting rates are €430 and €175 respectively) where we stay in Reykjavik, Hotel Budir (from €277), our first stop nestled cosily between the mountains and the lapping shore of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, and ION Adventure (€565) which is celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2024. Each embody the Nordic concept of ‘hygge’, that feeling of convivial cosiness that you can only really experience in such perishingly cold places.  All are intrinsically Icelandic, but ION Adventure is the true show-stopper. A sleek glass box emerging from the moss-laden Mount Hengill, the hotel is a bold contrast to the tumbling volcanic landscape around it. But that landscape is still incorporated into the design, with furniture made from locally-sheered wool and actual lava. Sustainability is at the heart of these designs – even the sinks are made from recycled tires – and much of the interior is crafted by Icelandic architects. The hallway leading to the brand-new wing of 23 rooms (where we stayed) features bare concrete walls which will not be painted – paint is bad for the environment, guys – an

You’d be forgiven for feeling a little intimidated upon approaching Eastwell Manor. Its stern, neo-Elizabethan stone façade is dotted with boxy windows which appear as if they allow little light, and reaching reception involves dragging your luggage through an eerily still, imposing courtyard. But the vibe’s pretty different inside.  Through the comically large, dark-wood doors, the formality of the building does match the tone of the service, but we were warmly greeted by wafts from the restaurant, the excited buzz of guests from a wedding party and formally dressed but amicable team members. And that’s what’s unexpected about this place – how homely a massive country estate (particularly one with a tennis court, a hawking centre and beehives) can feel as soon as you arrive.  Our room, in the cottage buildings in the west corner of the grounds, was one designated for people on a spa break (it’s only a two-minute walk from the spa building) and other guests were flitting between the two buildings in just their dressing gowns, despite the October chill. The spa itself, the facilities of which include a swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna and steam room on the ground floor, as well as a restaurant, plus treatment and ‘relaxation’ rooms upstairs, does all the things a good spa should do, but is perhaps not quite matched to the size of the hotel – we arrived mid-afternoon to cop a poolside seat but were left with only one available spot to plonk ourselves. But the hotel doesn’t just of

The rapidly approaching new year is going to be filled with cool, weird and interesting things to do, from solar eclipse parties to gigantic city centre installations. But if you’re specifically looking for a culture fix, we’ve scoured the planet to find the biggest and best exhibitions happening in 2026.  On the list? Fashion retrospectives, a deep dive into ‘90s culture and a multimodal installation in the world’s most famous nightclub. But our pick of the bunch, the very best exhibition worth travelling for this year, is a city-wide showcase in Sydney. The Aussie city is about to host its 25th biennale, and five brilliant venues will be showcasing art as part of the project. Across each venue, there promises to be a host of impressive, moving and thought-provoking art. The venues in question are the White Bay Power Station, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Chau Chak Wing Museum at the University of Sydney and Penrith Regional Gallery.  So what can you expect? Well, everything featured will be centred around the theme of ‘rememory’, which has been curated by artistic director Hoor Al Qasimi and inspired by the work of esteemed late author Toni Morrison.  It invites artists (and audiences) to revisit and reconstruct marginalised personal, familial and collective histories that have otherwise been forgotten. Artists from all over the world are participating, and 15 of the first 37 to be announced were from Australia’s First Nations. Below are some sn

Nem todas as cidades são lugares barulhentos e sobre-estimulantes, onde é preciso ir regularmente a um parque verde, só para manter a sanidade. Na verdade, há muitas que, graças a baixos níveis de criminalidade, infra-estruturas bem planeadas e custos de vida acessíveis, são locais maravilhosamente relaxantes para viver. A Remitly, um serviço financeiro digital, acaba de divulgar os resultados de um estudo em que avaliou a criminalidade, os cuidados de saúde e o custo de vida, bem como o tempo médio necessário para percorrer 10 km e os níveis médios de poluição em cada local, para chegar a uma pontuação geral de stress. E qual foi a cidade que conquistou o título de local mais relaxante para viver em todo o mundo? A distinção foi para a cidade neerlandesa de Eindhoven. Percorrer 10 km demora apenas 14 minutos e 37 segundos, e a cidade apresenta baixos níveis médios anuais de poluição. Juntando a isso, tem pontuações sólidas nos índices de criminalidade, custo de vida e cuidados de saúde, registando uma pontuação de stress baixíssima: apenas 2,34 em 10. Situada no sul dos Países Baixos, Eindhoven não é tão popular como outras cidades neerlandesas, como Amesterdão ou Roterdão, o que provavelmente contribui para as suas ruas tranquilas. Ainda assim, é um centro consolidado de design, indústria e arte, e em breve irá acolher a segunda extensão do mundialmente famoso Rijksmuseum. O MU Hybrid Art House e a Ton Smits Huis são dois espaços de referência para arte imersiva, mas vale a

In what can feel like an uncertain and scary world, the Global Peace Index, an enormous annual study which ranks 163 countries on 23 different factors, is a useful tool for shedding light on where we can expect safety and stability.  Every year there are shifts in the ranking, but one thing has remained constant since 2008 – Iceland is the safest place in the world. Photograph: Shutterstock Overall, Western and Central Europe have remained the world’s most peaceful regions, with eight of the top 10 safest countries located there, but Iceland continues to dominate and in 2025 recorded a two percent increase in its overall peacefulness.  However, all other nations have some catching up to do. According to the report, the peacefulness gap between Iceland and the second-place ranker, Ireland, is the same as between Ireland and the tenth-place ranker, Finland.  Elsewhere in the world, five countries made significant improvements in their rankings due to an increase in their peacefulness score: Azerbaijan soared 17 places, The Gambia by 16, Saudi Arabia and Peru leapt up by 14 and Uganda’s ranking improved by 12.  These are the 20 safest countries in the world Iceland Ireland New Zealand Austria Switzerland Singapore Portugal Denmark Slovenia Finland Czechia Japan Malaysia Netherlands= Canada Belgium  Hungary Australia Croatia Germany More findings from the Global Peace Index 2025 It’s far from just a ranking in this 122-page report. Some other standout stats are that overall g

The Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Games is kicking off in early 2026, but Olympic celebrations begin long before the Opening Ceremony. The run-up to the event involves a symbolic lighting ceremony of the Olympic torch, which was transferred from Greece to Italy on December 4, so the 60-stage relay could begin. Intrigued to see where it will venture, who will be carrying it, and when the cauldron will be lit? Read on.  Where did the Olympic torch start? It all kicked off with a symbolic lighting ceremony in front of the Temple of Hera in Ancient Olympia, the birthplace of the original Olympic Games, on November 26. After stops in Greek destinations Kalavryta, Karpenisi, Metsovo, Kastoria, Naousa, Thessaloniki, Lamia, the Acropolis, and Athens, there was a handover ceremony to Italy on December 4.  Milan 2026 Olympic torch bearers More than 10,000 torchbearers will have taken part in the torch relay, but this includes a group of ‘extraordinary individuals’ announced back in October, who are ‘united by values of passion, commitment, and inclusion’, according to InsideTheGames.  Giuseppe Tornatore, an Oscar-winning Italian director and screenwriter, and Italian actress Alessandra Mastronardi, are both on the roster, as are head coach of the Italian women’s national football team Andrea Soncin and captain Cristiana Girelli, as well as tennis player Jasmine Paolini and Chiara Vingione, European and world basketball champion with the FISDIR national team.  Valentina Placida, a young gi

While cable cars are usually synonymous with ski resorts or mountainous cities, the longest urban cable car in Europe has just opened for business in the French capital.  Paris already has a sprawling and efficient metro system, but the brand-new, three-mile-long cable car has been constructed to better connect the more isolated neighbourhoods in the city’s southeastern corner to central Paris, via metro line 8.  The seventh urban cable car to open in France, it cost a whopping €138 million to build, and planners had to overcome what Valerie Pecresse, head of the Île-de-France region, described to the Telegraph as ‘a 10-year obstacle course’. Photograph: Chabe01 / Wikicommons On Saturday December 13, the Paris Téléphérique or Câble C1 was officially inaugurated, and it is set to make life a whole lot easier for residents. The cable car connects Créteil to Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, and while by bus or car that journey takes 40 minutes, the cable car can do it in just 18. The line’s 105 gondolas, which each hold up to 10 people, are expected to transport 11,000 people per day.  ‘This is a great step forward in terms of transportation. The roads are often congested in the morning,’ said Limeil-Brévannes resident Salimatou Bah, ‘We wondered if people would be hesitant, but I think it just takes a little time to adapt.’ How to ride Paris’s new cable car While the line will predominantly be used by residents, all you need to ride the cable car is a bus ticket or travel pass tha

Not all cities are noisy, overstimulating places where you regularly have to head to the park and touch grass just to feel sane. In fact, there are plenty which, thanks to low crime rates, well-designed infrastructure and affordable living costs, are wonderfully relaxing places to live.  Remitly, a digital financial service, has just produced the results of a study where it evaluated crime, healthcare, and cost of living as well as the average time it takes to travel 10km and the average pollution rates in each place, to come up with an overall ‘stress score’.  Landing the title of the most relaxing hub to live in the whole world? That went to the Dutch city of Eindhoven. Travelling 10km takes a mere 14 minutes and 37 seconds, and the city boasts low average annual pollution rates. Pair that with decent scores in the crime, cost of living and healthcare indexes, the city has a very low stress score of just 2.34 out of 10.  Photograph: Shutterstock Nestled in the southern Netherlands, Eindhoven isn’t as popular as other Dutch cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam, which probably contributes to its stress-free streets. It is, however, an established hub of design, industry and art, and will soon become home to the second outpost of the world-famous Rijksmuseum.  Recommended: The best Dutch cities to visit (that aren’t Amsterdam) The MU Hybrid Art House and Ton Smits Huis are a couple of noteworthy spots for immersive art, but head to Kazerne for their design exhibitions. To per

The engineering required to build underground transport networks is already impressive, but when you chuck in all the historical artefacts buried beneath a city like Rome, the care and precision required to ensure no damage is done makes the whole operation significantly more challenging.  However, it’s not impossible, and after 20 years of construction on the city’s Metro C line, two ‘museum stations’ – which house artefacts from the Roman era – have finally opened in the Italian capital.  The first is Colosseo-Fori Imperialio, which practically sits beneath the Colosseum itself. It features displays of ceramic vases and plates as well as stone wells, suspended buckets and remnants of a thermal bath and plunge pool from a first-century home, plus screens that will detail the excavation process.  One stop further along Metro C and you’ll reach Porto Metronia, which is the second ‘museum station’. Here, visitors will find what is thought to be a military building, likely where emperor’s guards would have been stationed, plus mosaics and frescoes – though passengers will have to wait until next year for the museum to be officially accessible to the public, according to the Guardian.  Recommended: These are the 26 best new things to do in the world in 2026.  When will Rome’s Metro C be complete? Though these two stations have finally opened, only three-quarters of the Metro C line (the construction of which has cost €7 billion) are operational, and AP News reports that it might

Raving, grooving, throwing shapes, or busting moves – whatever you want to call it, people love a boogie, and while your go-to spot can vary enormously in terms of capacity and vibe, there are nightclubs out there that represent the global gold standard when it comes to going out.  To shine a light on the very best of the bunch, the International Nightlife Association has just announced its ranking of the world’s top 100 nightclubs, and the first, second, and third place entries are all located on the same island.  Recommended: These are the best cities for nightlife, according to Time Out. But, can you guess where? It was (electronic drum roll, please) Ibiza, and no, we’re not shocked either. The Spanish island is a hub for massive, cutting-edge nightclubs, and the champion of all its venues was UNVRS, the world’s first-ever hyperclub. Pretty impressive, considering it only opened this year. Foto: Club UNVRSClub UNVRS It lives in the shell of superclub Privilege, has a whopping 10,000-person capacity and, according to CEO of The Night League (who are behind Hï Ibiza and Ushuaïa) Yann Pissenem, UNVRS is ‘a space that retains the raw energy of a rave, connecting the present and future within the walls of stunning architecture.’  Hï Ibiza, which was named the world’s best club by DJ Magazine last year, came in second place, and Ushuaïa, which has a poolside stage and an open-air dancefloor, came in third.  Bootshaus in Cologne came in fourth and in fifth was Brazilian jungle 

If you live in a city, the chances are you’re all too aware of feeling like you’ve spent too much money as soon as you’ve left the house. Even just grabbing a coffee and mooching around a gallery or meeting friends for a quick post-work drink can seriously add up, and that’s why Time Out has evaluated which cities are the priciest places for going about your day-to-day.  While we say ‘to live in’, our survey hasn’t investigated the cost of rent or groceries – instead, it encompasses the price of day-to-day activities, including eating at a restaurant, grabbing a coffee, a drink at a bar or going on a night out, as well as going to see a movie, some art, a theatre or comedy performance, or some live music. Basically, all the things that make your city worth living in!  Recommended: These are the best cities for food and the best cities for nightlife, according to Time Out.  So, while London for example is a notoriously pricey place to rent an apartment, and regularly features high up on city expense reports like this one from Henley & Partners, the culture scene is renowned for accessibility, thanks to so many cheap or free art galleries and museums. That’s why it ranks thirteenth on our list, instead of somewhere nearer the top.  But where is the spenniest place to live, based on our survey? According to locals’ responses, it’s Seoul, the South Korean capital. Just 30 percent of respondents living here said dining out was affordable, 27 percent said so about a night out and a

It’s that time of year again folks – the temperatures have dropped, the festivities are looming and ICEHOTEL, a gleaming feat of icy engineering in Swedish Lapland, is welcoming guests once again for its winter season.  This year marks the 36th incarnation of the site, located in Jukkasjärvi, Swedish Lapland. The hotel is made entirely from ice harvested from the nearby Torne River. Construction began back in March, and 33 artists from 12 different countries have contributed to 2025’s designs, which include a full-scale grand piano, as well as installations ‘Soap Bubbles’, ‘Spaghettification’, and ‘Parliament of Owls’.  Recommended: Copenhagen’s ice bar is back. Should it be? Part of the icy fun is the ICEHOTEL Restaurant, where you can enjoy a four-course Ice Menu with some dishes served on blocks of ice. Activities include ice sculpting, dog sledding, trying out the sauna and hopping on a snowmobile tour.  Scroll on for a sneak peek at 2025’s hotel below. And if you’re curious, here are the ICEHOTELs from 2024, 2023 and 2022. Photograph: Asaf Kliger Photograph: Asaf Kliger Photograph: Asaf Kliger Photograph: Asaf Kliger Photograph: Asaf Kliger Photograph: Asaf Kliger Think you can bear the cold? ICEHOTEL can be booked on the official website. Check out Time Out’s roundup of the most magical winter city breaks in Europe for 2025.  Did you see that this is the best city in Europe to spend New Year’s Eve, according to Time Out? Stay in the loop: sign up to our free

Dezembro é, por si só, um mês cheio de boa disposição, mas porque não puxar mais pelo humor e ficar a conhecer os vencedores dos Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025? O grande vencedor deste ano é (rufem os tambores!) Mark Meth-Cohn, que captou uma adorável fotografia de um gorila a dançar, chamada "High Five".  Foto: Mark Meth-Cohn / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 Mas esta não foi a única imagem distinguida na edição de 2025. Destacamos aqui as nossas escolhas entre os campeões deste ano, incluindo os vencedores das categorias Thinktank Bird e Junior Photographer. Foto: Photograph: Grayson Bell / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 Photograph: Valtteri Mulkahainen / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 Photograph: Warren Price / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 Photograph: Kalin Botev / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 Photograph: Alison Tuck / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 Quer participar na próxima edição? Os Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards voltam a abrir candidaturas a 14 de Março. Até lá, espreite os vencedores da edição de 2024. 🗞️ Mais notícias: fique a par das novidades com a Time Out 📲 Siga-nos nas redes sociais: Whatsapp, Instagram, Facebook e LinkedIn

Embora a boa gastronomia, a vida nocturna ou os espaços culturais possam ser o que mais aprecia na sua cidade, há muitos outros factores que contribuem para tornar as cidades bons lugares para viver. A ECA International, uma agência especializada na mobilidade internacional de trabalhadores, avalia as cidades segundo um vasto leque de critérios – das infra-estruturas à qualidade do ar, acesso a cuidados de saúde, segurança pessoal, tensões políticas, acesso a uma rede social e a instalações de lazer, habitação e serviços públicos, bem como o clima – para criar a sua classificação anual. Este ano foram analisadas 275 cidades – e da Europa, 38 ficaram nos 50 primeiros lugares. Aliás, o top 10 é dominado pelo Velho Continente, com Berna, na Suíça, a ser coroada campeã absoluta. "O forte desempenho da Europa reflecte décadas de investimento em ambientes limpos, cuidados de saúde de primeira classe e infra-estruturas", disse a ECA International. "Notavelmente, nenhuma cidade europeia aparece nos 50 últimos lugares, o que sublinha o atractivo do continente." Berna é segura e habitável, mas será um lugar divertido para viver? Bem, bonita é certamente. A capital da Suíça está construída em torno de uma curva do rio Aare, e a sua zona velha (Altstadt) remonta ao século XII. Se estiver de visita à cidade, não deixe de ir ao Freibad Marzili, um popular local de banhos onde pode mergulhar em águas turquesa brilhantes, e ao Kulturzentrum Reitschule, um espaço social e de eventos que acolh