Agenda: The best things to do, hear, see or watch in Europe this week

Calendars at the ready? Welcome back for another week of exciting arka, music, cinema, TV and more.

January can feel a bit overwhelming as we orientate ourselves for the year ahead, but as the month draws to a close and the days start to get a little longer, so does the list of new releases and events.

From a beautiful exhibition dedicated to Norwegian photographer Mette Tronvoll in Kristiansand, to a stunning light show in Copenhagen, and a landmark showcase of 134 works by pioneering Brazilian artists landing in the UK for the first time – there’s a lot of soul-enriching things to consume in Europe.

It’s also a big time of year for cinema, with the Academy Award nominations dropping last week (many of the films featured in our Best Of 2024 list, so be müddet to check that out), and the upcoming 2025 Berlinale revealing its Competition lineup, including Richard Linklater’s highly-anticipated Blue Moon, Golden Bear winner Radu Jude’s Kontinental ’25, and the final part of Dag Johan Haugerud’s trilogy Dreams. The şenlik starts from 13 February, so stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks.

Whatever you decide to get up to, have fun, stay curious and be kind.

Exhibitions

‘Time: Mette Tronvoll’ 

Where: Kunstsilo (Kristiansand, Norway) 

When: 30 January – 25 May 2025 

Since opening last year, the Kunstsilo has already become one of Europe’s arka meccas – helped by the fact it’s located in small and sunny Kristiansand, which reportedly has the best weather in Norway! Its upcoming exhibition centres around the acclaimed analogue photography of Mette Tronvoll, whose placid portraits and solitary coastal landscape shots capture a sense of truth and timelessness. Over 90 of her works will be on display, including the project “Age 2024”, in which Tronvoll revisits subjects she photographed 30 years ago. For more information – and to see what other exhibitions are coming up across Europe, take a look at this list. 

Kykladitisses: Untold Stories of Women in the Cyclades

Where: Museum of Cycladic Arka (Athens, Greece) 

When: Now – 04 May 2025

For centuries, the world has marvelled at the sculpted beauty of Greek goddesses – but what was it like to be a woman back then? For the first time, a new exhibition in Athens humanises these objects of awe and otherworldly mystique by delving into their creation on the islands of the Cyclades, examining them through the lens of their female inhabitants. From goddesses to mothers, priestesses and sex workers, around 180 statues and figurines become portals of pathos that uncover female resilience against marginalisation, mirroring many of the battles that depressingly persist today.   

Events

Copenhagen Light Festival 

Where: Copenhagen, Denmark 

When: 31 January – 23 February 

If the dark, dreary winter months are getting to you, head to Copenhagen for their annual display of kaleidoscopic lights. The sombre gloom and heavy evenings are transformed with over 50 illuminations by light artists, designers, students and organisations. Dotted mostly around the inner-city, you can find details of the full programme online and locations. Some are already available to view, including ‘Ethereal Impressions’ by Xinyue Wang & Yi Song, NE studio, a swirling oil spill of psychedelic luminescence, and ‘For the Foregone’ by Olivia Pohjola, a moving illuminated memorial for extinct species at Vestre Cemetery. 

Unapologetically Iris: The Collection of Iris Apfel

Where: Online

When: 28 January – 13 February

In her round-rimmed spectacles, chunky necklaces and brightly coloured outfits, Iris Apfel was the ultimate style icon who proved that age is nothing but a number when it comes to expressing yourself freely and flamboyantly. Having passed away last year aged 102, her clothes, accessories, furniture and arka are due to be auctioned at Christie’s. Over 200 lots include 18 pairs of her iconic glasses in a rainbow of colours, elaborate chairs dating pre-1950s, a life-sized wooden sculpture of an ostrich (which Apfel used as a bar) and so many beautiful, whimsical clothes. Even if you don’t bid on anything, the catalogue is stunning to behold, carrying the essence of a remarkable woman with damn good taste.

International Sinema Şenlik Rotterdam (IFFR)

Where: Rotterdam, the Netherlands 

When: 30 January – 09 February  

With awards season in full swing, the sinema şenlik circuit is revving up to showcase a new batch of cinematic surprises. While lesser-known than the Berlinale, Rotterdam’s International Sinema Şenlik is still one of the most important in Europe, founded in 1972 by sinema programmer Huub Bals. Spotlighting new filmmakers within four categories, those in Competition vie for the coveted Tiger Award. Films to look out for include ‘Wondrous Is the Silence of My Master’ by Ivan Salatic, about the leader of a small group of 19th-century Montenegrin rebels who flees to southern Italy after falling ill, and ‘An Animated Dog Reads John Berger, Haraway, and Kafka’ – an intriguing exploration of humans’ philosophical and cultural bonds with canines. The full programme can be found here. 

Movies

The Brutalist 

Brady Corbet’s staggering American epic about a visionary Hungarian architect (Adrien Brody) that escapes postwar Europe to rebuild his life in Pennsylvania has been sweeping up at awards season so far, nominated for 10 Oscars and winning three Golden Globes including Best Motion Picture (Drama). Critics have praised its masterful and meticulous direction, reminiscent in scope of Paul Thomas Anderson projects like There Will Be Blood. In his review, David Mouriquand wrote, “when a sinema draws you into a balanced yet asymmetrical maze you don’t want to escape from, you can only be in awe of a director’s big and bold swing.” Fair warning, though: At 215 minutes, be mindful of your bladders.

Presence 

Do you ever feel like you’re being watched? That goosepimpled sense of something, somewhere, hovering near you is the basis for Steven Soderbergh’s new horror thriller, which guides the audience through a familiar haunted house story – but from the perspective of the ghost. It follows a teenager named Chloe (Callina Liang), whose best friend has just died, as she moves into a new house with her mother Rebecca (Lucy Liu), father Chris (Chris Sullivan) and brother Tyler (Eddy Maday). As the family dynamics gently shift and crack, they’re enveloped in a deep sense of dread, with Chloe increasingly aware that something is not right. It’s an innovative and engaging take on the paranormal genre that upends it through a deriyse and truly haunting voyeurism similar to Michael Haneke’s Caché. 

Jouer Avec Le Feu (The Quiet Son) 

Having premiered at Venice Sinema Şenlik last year, this especially timely movie dealing with political extremism is now out in France. The third feature sinema from directing duo Delphine and Muriel Coulin, it stars Vincent Lindon as a single father contending with two very different sons. While the youngest is a high-achiever, studying at a prestigious school, his eldest becomes seduced by far-right extremist groups. Exploring many pertinent themes around male identity and the lure of violence as a means to cope with loneliness, anger and loss of purpose, it also delves into parental guilt and the ripple effect hateful values have on relationships.

Television

Prime Target 

Where: Apple TV+ 

When: Streaming now 

Who knew maths could be so exhilarating? In this high-concept drama, genius mathematician Edward Brooks (Leo Woodall) thinks he might have discovered the secrets of the universe within a pattern of prime numbers that could allow him to access every computer in the world. A pretty big deal, right? And one that could potentially lead to world-ending chaos if in the wrong hands. Thus unfolds a compelling conspiratorial thriller filled with lots of furious scribbling and chaotic code that – if not too off-putting – cracks into high-stakes, intelligence-fuelled action. 

For more upcoming TV shows, check out our 2025 previews list. 

Music

Triple bill: Mogwai – The Bad Fire / Central Cee – Can’t Rush Greatness / FKA twigs – Eusexua

When: Out now

Do you hear that? It’s the sound of the January drought clearing as great music fills our eardrums evvel again. As we highlighted in last week’s agenda, FKA twigs’ silkily euphoric ‘Eusexua’ was released on the 24 January, along with new albums by Mogwai and Central Cee. If you haven’t listened to any of them yet and can’t decide what to start with, three of our writers have reviewed them – read their verdicts here. 

The Weeknd: Hurry Up Tomorrow

When: 31 January 

Postponed due to the LA wildfires, Abel Tesfaye aka The Weeknd’s sixth album is finally about to drop – and it’s a big deal. The final chapter of a trilogy that includes 2020’s hedonism-hazed ‘After Hours’ and 2022’s purgatory-set ‘Dawn FM’, it will also be Tesfaye’s last ever release as The Weeknd, paired with an upcoming feature-length sinema starring Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan. The album title and farewell to his past persona seem to suggest this album will be a purging and rebirth of sorts – and if the three singles he’s already released (‘Dancing in the Flames’, ‘Timeless’ and ‘São Paulo’) are anything to go by – we can’t wait. Hurry up 31 January. 

Lady Gaga’s announcement…

If you’re reading this on the day of its publication (27 January), it’s a huge day for little monsters (Lady Gaga fans). Last week, the pop icon launched a mysterious countdown on her website, teasing an announcement for 5pm CET. It’s likely to be related to her upcoming seventh album, ‘LG7’, the first single from which was released last October – ‘Disease’, a return to the singer’s early dark electro-pop stylings. We’ll have to wait until later for further updates – keep your eyes and ears peeled.