Culture
Arts, entertainment, lifestyle, and the business of cultural industries.
Cannes 2026 closes with no clear Palme d'Or favorite and Spanish films in the mix
The 79th Cannes Film Festival closes on Saturday with the Palme d'Or still up for grabs. Official selection titles from Spain, including films by Pedro Almodóvar, Rodrigo Sorogoyen and Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, are among the contenders.
Multimedia arts project wins Sycamore Gap tree commission after public vote
Helix Arts and George King Architects have won the National Trust’s Sycamore Gap commission with The People’s Tree, selected through a public vote and judging panel review.
Fraudster trying to sell fake ancient statues to Sotheby’s foiled over bogus invoices
A man has been sentenced after trying to pass off alleged ancient statues through Sotheby’s using forged provenance paperwork that was exposed in court as modern printing.
Glenn Brown opens two-site Bath exhibition with Grottoesque at No.1 Royal Crescent
Glenn Brown’s two-site Bath exhibition opens today, led by Grottoesque at No.1 Royal Crescent. The show runs through September 6 and includes new large-scale works, a room transformed into a grotto, and a concurrent Holburne Museum presentation.
Summer Shuttle Service Returns to Big Basin Redwoods State Park for Weekends and Holidays
California State Parks says Big Basin Redwoods State Park’s free summer shuttle will return on Memorial Day weekend 2026, serving visitors on weekends and holidays from the temporary Saddle Mountain parking area.
Bournemouth University student wins Orwell Award
Bournemouth University says student Katie O’Donnell has won the Orwell Society/NUJ Young Journalist’s Award 2026 in the Reviews category, becoming the first BU student to win an Orwell award.
Ground stop at O'Hare Airport due to thunderstorms lifted
FAA departures at O'Hare were briefly halted Tuesday morning as thunderstorms moved through Chicago, then the ground stop was lifted around 8:20 a.m. CDT.
KC Streetcar Riverfront Extension opens to riders
Kansas City’s 0.7-mile Riverfront Extension opened for passenger service on May 18, linking the downtown streetcar line to Berkley Riverfront.
J.P. Morgan unveils 2026 Summer Reading List and NextList series
J.P. Morgan released its 2026 Summer Reading List, its 27th annual edition, with 14 titles spanning leadership, AI, geopolitics, performance and longevity. The bank also brought back its NextList Summer Series for a second year.
State Department temporarily pauses visa services in Juba, Kinshasa, and Kampala
The State Department has temporarily paused visa services at U.S. embassies in Juba, Kinshasa and Kampala, citing the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the region. The move follows WHO’s emergency declaration and recent U.S. travel advisory updates.
Storm Publishing expands into German and Spanish with in-house translation initiative
Storm Publishing plans to launch its first German and Spanish editions in the second half of 2026, adding in-house translation to its growing international expansion.
Publishers saw small sales gains in Q1
AAP StatShot data showed U.S. publisher revenue rose 0.9% in the first quarter of 2026 to about $2.9 billion, with gains in children’s/YA, professional, university press and education categories offset by declines in adult books and religion.
Clare Wright wins top prize at NSW Literary Awards
Clare Wright’s Näku Dhäruk The Bark Petitions has won Book of the Year and the Douglas Stewart Prize for Non-Fiction at the 2026 NSW Literary Awards, according to the State Library of NSW and ABC News.
The Smashing Pumpkins Announce 'Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness' 30th Anniversary Tour
The Smashing Pumpkins have announced The Rats In A Cage Tour, a 27-date North American run starting September 30 and ending November 12, 2026. The band says each show will include two distinct sets, one centered on Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness and another spanning the rest of its catalog.
Renate Reinsve returns to Cannes with Cristian Mungiu’s ‘Fjord’
Renate Reinsve is back at Cannes with Cristian Mungiu’s Competition entry Fjord, which had its world premiere on May 18, 2026. Festival records and premiere coverage confirm her return to the Croisette after Cannes announced the film in its Official Selection in April.
Hollywood’s Trump-era stars largely stay away from Cannes
Cannes opened on May 12 with limited Hollywood studio presence, while official selection and opening-day coverage pointed to a festival centered on international and independent films.
Heathrow passenger numbers fall on Iran war disruption
Heathrow said April passenger numbers fell about 5% year on year to 6.7 million, with Middle East traffic down more than 50% because of conflict-related disruption. Transfer traffic rose about 10%, and the airport will review its 2026 forecast in June.
Hundreds of Scots stranded amid easyJet's 'black day' strike action
easyJet flights were disrupted by an Italy-wide aviation strike on May 11, leaving some Scottish travellers stranded or delayed. The strike register listed an easyJet pilots and cabin crew walkout alongside related airport and air traffic strikes.
Heathrow passenger numbers dip as demand for international travel ebbs amid Iran war fallout
Heathrow said April passenger traffic fell to 6.7 million, with conflict-related disruption in the Middle East weighing on some markets. The airport said transfer traffic grew 10% and it will review its 2026 forecast in June.
Seth Meyers brings a little late-night anxiety to NBC upfront
Seth Meyers turned NBCUniversal’s 2026 upfront presentation into a pointed late-night set, with jokes aimed at FCC scrutiny of broadcast TV and the recent CBS-Paramount settlement fallout.
Andy Cohen is taking Watch What Happens Live on the road to Charleston
Bravo is moving Watch What Happens Live out of the Clubhouse for four tapings in Charleston, South Carolina, this October. The shows are tied to Bravo Fan Fest, which is set for October 24, with ticket sales expected to begin June 12.
Jimmy Fallon’s Wordle game show gets series order at NBC
NBC has ordered a Wordle-based game show to series, moving the project from earlier pilot reports to a full launch. Savannah Guthrie will host and Jimmy Fallon is attached as executive producer, with production expected to begin this summer for a 2027 premiere.
Ken Russell’s The Devils will screen at Cannes with a new 4K restoration
Cannes Classics will screen Ken Russell’s The Devils in a new 4K restoration, marking a rare big-stage showcase for the long-censored film.
Converge share new single "Doom in Bloom" and music video
Converge released new single "Doom in Bloom" with a music video as part of the rollout for their upcoming album "Hum of Hurt."