Erotic ceramics in Brussels, a groundbreaking new exhibition on Hawai'i at London's British Museum, and a rabid monkey on the loose in 'Primate' - here are this week's cultural highlights from across Europe.
Today is Blue Monday, supposedly the most depressing day of the year. But don't worry - if you're feeling the weight of the dark days and post-Christmas purse pinching, we've got just the recommendations to cheer you up.
All across the continent, various vibrant events are setting up - from the Göteborg Film Festival in Sweden to the Patras Carnival in Greece.
Meanwhile, new exhibitions and performances prepare to mark 2026's cultural and historical anniversaries, including a groundbreaking new showcase of Hawaiian artefacts at London's British Museum, and a triptych of performances inspired by Ravel's iconic compositions at Antwerp's Opera Ballet Vlaanderen.
There's also an upcoming exhibit of David Lynch's lesser-seen creations in Berlin, which marks a year since his passing. To quote from his seminal show, Twin Peaks: "One day the sadness will end"... And that day is today!
Read on and fill your calendar with things to look forward to.
Exhibitions
Hawaiʻi: A kingdom crossing oceans
When: Until 25 May 2026
Where: The British Museum (London, UK)
Just over 200 years ago, in 1824, the young Hawaiian King Kamehameha II (birth name Liholiho) and Queen Kamāmalu embarked on an ambitious journey to London to form an alliance with Britain that led to tragedy - and a turning point in Hawaiʻi's geopolitical standing. Through the lens of this event, The British Museum has curated a fascinating reflection on Hawaiʻi's history and culture, showcasing rarely-seen works by Native Hawaiian artists and scholars. From shark-toothed weapons to feathered cloaks, these intricately crafted objects evoke incredible stories from the past that temporarily transport us to a distant time and place.
David Lynch
When: 29 January - 22 March 2026
Where: Pace Gallery (Berlin, Germany)
It's been a year since visionary filmmaker David Lynch died, leaving behind an indelible impact on almost every aspect of the arts. Cultural institutions across the world continue to pay tribute, with the British Film Institute (BFI) currently hosting a Lynch season called 'The Dreamer', and Prague's Dox Centre for Contemporary Art presenting an exhibition dedicated to his dark, dreamscape imagery titled 'Up In Flames'. Now, Pace Gallery in Berlin is highlighting his lesser-seen works across all mediums, including paintings, watercolours, sculptures, early short films - and rare photographs Lynch took in Berlin in 1999. For fans, it's a fascinating opportunity to experience the breadth of his artistry and explore the aesthetic inspirations that interconnect his life and career.
Bonus highlight: Yayoi Kusama'svibrant retrospective at Switzerland's Fondation Beyeler comes to an end soon - see it before 25 January 2026.
Events
Rites (Bolero X / La Valse / Le Sacre du printemps)
When: Until 5 February 2026
Where: Opera Ballet Vlaanderen (Antwerp, Belgium)
The arrival of a new year always brings a slew of anniversary events, and one of 2026's most notable is the centenary of French composer Maurice Ravel premiering 'La Valse' at the Ballet of the Royal Flemish Opera. While Ravel's composition was initially rejected by ballet impresario Serge Diaghilev, it has since become one of his most performed works; its whirling whimsy encapsulating the dizzying decay of a post-World War I existence. To mark its monumental impact on the world of dance, Opera Ballet Vlaanderen is presenting a triptych of contemporary takes on Ravel's 'Boléro', 'La Valse' and 'The Rite of Spring', the latter in collaboration with Pina Bausch's Tanztheater Wuppertal theatre company.
The International Fair Dedicated to Ceramics
When: 22 January - 25 January 2026
Where: Brussels, Belgium
Smiling vases, fire-breathing dragons and a spiky phallus: the world of contemporary ceramics moulds human imagination into endlessly weird and wonderful creations that reflect cultural resilience and character. Celebrating this is Ceramic Brussels, a premium art fair now in its third edition. This year's event brings together works by nearly 200 international artists, with a special spotlight on Spanish ceramics, and Austrian artist Elmar Trenkwalder as the guest of honor - his large-scale exhibition of erotic sculptures a must-see.
Movies
Primate
Where: Cinemas
When: Out now in France and Germany, with a UK release date of 30 January 2026.
A maniacal mash-up of Stephen King's Cujo and that scene in Jordan Peele's Nope, Primate continues cinema's recent penchant for going ape. While visiting her family's remote Hawaiian home with a group of friends, Lucy (Johnny Sequoyah) realises something's not quite right with their pet chimpanzee, Ben. As the creature becomes increasingly violent, a chaotic cat-and-mouse chase ensues that leaves the group desperate and isolated, struggling to survive. It's fun, frothy horror that caricatures real-life events (the 2009 chimpanzee attack on Charla Nash, namely) - and reminds us once again that exploiting wild animals will only ever end badly.
Bonus highlight: A highlight of the 2025 Cannes Film festival, The History of Sound is a tender, post- World War I-set romance, starring Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor. It's out in select UK cinemas from 23 January, with a wider European release on MUBI due shortly after. CHECK
TV series
The Beauty
Where: Disney+
When: 22 January
Prolific showrunner Ryan Murphy (American Horror Story, Monster) is back with a bold new body horror series starring Bella Hadid. Set in a world where a sexually transmitted virus that makes people beautiful (but causes deadly side effects) has taken hold, two FBI agents must navigate a tangled web of corruption and interpersonal conflicts to track down its source. Garish and gruesome, it tackles toxic beauty culture, societal pressures, and the self-destructive price of perfection with brutal bombast in a similar vein to The Substance.
Bonus highlight: Over on Netflix, there’s cosy mystery thriller Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials - or turn up the intensity with the second season of HBO’s pulse-raising medical drama, The Pitt.
Music
Cat Power: Redux EP
When: 23 January
American indie artist Cat Power (real name Charlyn Marie "Chan" Marshall) released her critically acclaimed album 'The Greatest' in 2006; its slow, slinky sounds haunted with reassuring truths about letting go of unrealised ambitions and finding acceptance in where we're at. A new three-song EP marks its 20th anniversary, featuring a tantalising line-up of collaborators that include Judah Bauer of The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, and Chan's band Dirty Delta Blues. It also revives a cover of James Brown's 'Try Me', which had remained unfinished from the original album's recordings until now.
