Today is blue mondayprobably the most depressing day of the year. But don’t worry. If you’re feeling the weight of dark days and a post-Christmas wallet pinch, we’ve got just a few recommendations to cheer you up.
From Sweden’s Gothenburg Film Festival to Greece’s Patras Carnival, there are a variety of vibrant events taking place across the continent.
Meanwhile, new exhibitions and performances are being prepared to mark cultural and historical anniversaries in 2026, including a groundbreaking new exhibition of Hawaiian artefacts at London’s British Museum and a performance of a trilogy inspired by Ravel’s iconic works at Antwerp’s Opera Ballet Vlaanderen.
To mark one year since David Lynch’s death, an exhibition of his lesser-known works is also planned in Berlin. To quote from his seminal show Twin Peaks, “One day the sadness will end”…and that day is today!
Read this article and mark it on your calendar to look forward to.
exhibition
Hawaii: a kingdom across the seas
when: Until May 25, 2026
where: British Museum (London, UK)
More than 200 years ago, in 1824, the young Hawaiian King Kamehameha II (real name Liholiho) and Queen Kamaamalu embarked on an ambitious journey to London to forge an alliance with Britain, but the journey ended in tragedy and marked a turning point in Hawaii’s geopolitical standing. Through the lens of this event, british museum organizes fascinating explorations of Hawaiian history and culture, showcasing rarely seen works by Native Hawaiian artists and scholars. From shark-tooth weapons to feathered cloaks, these intricately crafted objects evoke wonderful stories from the past, temporarily transporting us to distant times and places.
david lynch
when: January 29th – March 22nd, 2026
where: Pace Gallery (Berlin, Germany)
It’s been a year since I became a visionary filmmaker. david lynch He passed away leaving an indelible influence on almost every aspect of art. Cultural institutions around the world continue to pay their respects, with the British Film Institute (BFI) currently hosting a season for Lynch called “The Dreamer,” and Prague’s Docks Center for Contemporary Art holding an exhibition dedicated to his dark dreamscape images entitled “Up in Frames.” Today, the Pace Gallery in Berlin exhibits his lesser-known work in all mediums, including paintings, watercolors, sculptures, early short films, and rare photographs taken by Lynch in Berlin in 1999. For fans, this is a fascinating opportunity to experience the breadth of his artistry and explore the aesthetic inspirations that connected his life and career.
Bonus highlights: Yayoi Kusama’sA vibrant retrospective at the Beyeler Foundation in Switzerland is coming to an end. View by January 25, 2026.
event
Ceremony (Bolero X / Waltz / Rite of Spring)
When: Until February 5, 2026
where: Opera Ballet Flanders (Antwerp, Belgium)
The arrival of a new year is always accompanied by a number of commemorative events, but one of the most notable in 2026 is the 100th anniversary of the birth of French composer Maurice Ravel, with the premiere of La Valse at the Ballet National de France. Royal Flemish Opera House. Ravel’s work was initially rejected by ballet impresario Serge Diaghilev, but it has since become one of his most performed works. Its swirling eccentricity encapsulates the dizzying decline of post-World War I life. To commemorate its monumental influence on the world of dance, Opera Ballet Vlaanderen presents a trilogy of contemporary interpretations of Ravel’s Boléro, La Valse and The Rite of Spring, the latter in collaboration with Pina Bausch’s Balltheater Wuppertal.
international ceramics fair
when: January 22nd – January 25th, 2026
where: brussels, belgium
From smiling vases to fire-breathing dragons to spiky phalluses, the world of modern ceramics shapes the human imagination into the most bizarre and wonderful creations, reflecting the resilience and individuality of a culture. This is celebrated by ceramic brusselsthe third premium art fair. This year’s event will bring together the work of approximately 200 international artists, with a special spotlight on Spanish pottery. Austrian artist Elmar Trenkwalder will be the guest of honor. The large-scale exhibition of his erotic sculptures is a must-see.
movie
primates
where: movie theatre
when: It’s currently in theaters in France and Germany, with a UK release date of January 30, 2026.
Stephen King’s maniac mashup whose and that jordan peele scene no, primates The recent monkey trend in the movie world continues. While visiting a family in a remote Hawaiian home with a group of friends, Lucy (Johnny Sequoia) notices that her pet chimpanzee, Ben, is acting strange. A chaotic Weasel and Mouse chase ensues as the creatures become increasingly ferocious, leaving the group hopelessly isolated and struggling to survive. It’s a fun, frothy horror that satirizes real events (namely the 2009 chimpanzee attack on Charla Nash) and once again reminds us that the exploitation of wild animals can only ever end badly.
Bonus highlights: Highlights of 2025 cannes film festival, history of sound A tender romance starring Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor set in the aftermath of World War I. It will be released in select UK cinemas from January 23rd, with a wider European release on MUBI shortly thereafter. check
TV series
beauty
where: disney plus
when: January 22nd
Prolific showrunner Ryan Murphy (American Horror Story, Monsters) returns to star in a bold new body horror series bella hadid. In a world infested with a sexually transmitted virus that makes people beautiful (but has deadly side effects), two FBI agents must navigate a web of corruption and interpersonal conflicts to uncover the source of the infection. Flashy and dark, this film tackles toxic beauty culture, societal pressures, and the self-defeating price of perfection with the same brutal bombast as the movie. material.
Bonus highlights: Netflix has Agatha Christie’s The Seven Dials, a cozy mystery thriller. Or get more intense with the second season of HBO’s heart-pounding medical drama The Pit.
music
Cat Power: Redux EP
when: January 23rd
American independent artist Cat Power (real name Charlyn Marie “Chan” Marshall) released her critically acclaimed album The Greatest in 2006. Its slow, sexy sound oozes a reassuring truth about letting go of unfulfilled ambitions and being accepted where we are. The new three-song EP celebrates their 20th anniversary and features some impressive collaborators, including Judah Bauer of the John Spencer Blues Explosion and Chan’s band Dirty Delta Blues. They also revived their cover of James Brown’s “Try Me,” which remained unfinished since the recording of the original album.