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

Blossom! Warmer evenings! Chocolate eggs! April is in full swing, and so is 2025’s cultural calendar.

Cannes Sinema Festival announced its 2025 line-up last week, with Competition highlights including Julia Ducournau’s Alpha, Ari Aster’s Eddington, and Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme. It will also premiere Tom Cruise’s highly-anticipated Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (which we’re very excited about, despite the dubious trailer dialogue…)

In other news: London’s National Gallery is inviting one lucky winner to stay the night, a study revealed Europe’s music capitals, and this Wes Anderson exhibit at Paris’ Cinémathèque Française is the perfect way to prepare for the director’s upcoming release.

Now for the bit you’re really here for: Here are this week’s recommendations.

Exhibitions

David Hockney 25

Where: Fondation Louis Vuitton (Paris, France)

When: 9 April – 31 August 2025

Nothing says springtime like the colourful cubism of David Hockney, one of the world’s most influential artists. And here’s an opportunity to experience the absolute vastness of his creativity over the decades, with over 400 works being displayed at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris. “This exhibition means an enormous amount because it is the largest exhibition I’ve ever had,” the 87-year-old said in a press statement. “Some of the very last paintings I’m working on now will be included in it, and I think it’s going to be very good.” We concur! Shame the Paris metro hasn’t been so enthusiastic… 

Morris Mania

Where: William Morris Gallery (London, UK)

When: Until 21 September 2025

From curtains to wallpaper, bags and shoes, the textile prints of British designer William Morris have become one of — if not the most — recognised and beloved in the world. Inspired by the botanical beauty of flora and fauna, they instantly conjure a sense of timeless, English county romanticism that remains ubiquitous through mass-production. The William Morris Gallery explores this legacy through a vast selection of objects, highlighting the designer’s vast yet complicated impact on culture, 125 years after his death.

Amazonias 

Where: Musée des Confluences (Lyon, France) 

When: 18 April 2025 – 8 February 2026

The largest rainforest in the world has long captivated outsiders as a place of ecological wonder and mystery. Spanning eight South American countries, including one overseas territory, it is home to approximately 10 per cent of all known species on earth — and more than 400 different indigenous groups, according to the WWF. Working alongside the representatives of some of these communities, the Musée des Confluences has assembled a collection of more than 500 objects, including photographs and görüntü footage. Of these, 220 are being put on display in a rare and enriching insight into the diverse experiences and living cultures of contemporary Amazonian peoples. 

Events

Jazzkaar 

Where: Tallinn, Estonia

When: 20 April – 1 May 2025

All that jazz — in the Baltics! Since 1990, Jazzkaar has been a cornerstone of Europe’s şenlik calendar, spotlighting the very best in jazz through a vibrant, versatile programme. While proudly championing Estonian talent, it’s also a hub of international talent and collaborations — this year’s edition features over 30 concerts from musicians across 14 countries. Headlining the event is Grammy-nominated American singer-songwriter Jazzmeia Horn; joined by küresel jazz greats like Arkady Gotesman, Kresten Osgood and the James Carter Organ Trio. Explore the full programme here. 

Movies

Sinners

Where: European cinemas 

When: 18 April 

In another entry to 2025’s trend of actors doing dual roles, Michael B. Jordan plays Smoke and Stack, twin brothers returning to their hometown in search of a new start — only to be confronted with vampires and Ku Klux Klan. Directed by Ryan Coogler (Black Panther, Creed) and set in Jim Crow-era Mississippi, it utilises supernatural horror and historical tension to put a stake through the heart of dark pasts. There’s all the markers for a bloody great blockbuster here — and after A Minecraft Movie, phew. Stay tuned to Euronews Culture for our review…

Warfare

Where: European cinemas

When: 18 April

The follow up to last year’s divisive thriller Civil War, Alex Garland’s new sinema is another visceral and violent portrayal of military horror — this time based on a tragic experience by Iraq War veteran and project collaborator, Ray Mendoza. Led by a star-studded ensemble cast of Kit Connor, Will Poulter, Joseph Quinn and Charles Melton as American Navy SEALs faced with the fallout from an enemy IED (Improvised Explosive Device), it’s set to be a brutal depiction of combat that revives twenty-year-old terror with immersive accuracy.

Television

Black Mirror

Where: Netflix

When: Streaming now 

For nearly every new depressing plot twist in this thing we call life, there is a Black Mirror episode that warned us first. Now in its seventh series, Charlie Brooker’s dark satire has become a lens through which the world navigates and flexes its anxieties, grappling with societal ills and the relentless advancement of technology through bleak sci-fi set-ups. As always, a star-studded ensemble cast leads this latest batch, including Peter Capaldi, Will Poulter, Awkwafina, Chris O’Dowd, and Rashida Jones. From cold case murders linked to ’90s görüntü games to systems that allow people to revisit their photographic memories, Brooker has confirmed: “There’s definitely some disturbing content in it.” With a reality like this, please — disturb us!   

Books

Kate Folk – “Sky Daddy: A Novel”

Desire is always turbulent, but quite literally so for Linda — a young woman who is sexually attracted to planes. Through this strange and somewhat shocking premise, author Kate Folk unravels the complexities of female sexuality; the ways in which people find themselves confined by societal expectations while longing for their true wants to take flight.

It also arrives at a time when film, TV and literature are noticeably (and finally!) turning a sharper focus to women’s turn-ons, be it Babygirl, Dying for Sex or Rebecca Yarros’ bestselling romantasy “Empyrean” series.

Through the symbolism of a giant flying object, carrying both hope and fear, Folk reminds us that journeys of self-exploration often require soaring beyond unconventionality and embracing a destination unknown.

Music

Julien Baker & Torres: Send a Prayer My Way

When: 18 April

Boygenius bandmate Julien Baker teams up with Mackenzie Ruth Scott of Torres for a debut album that reclaims country music, reconnecting with southern American identity through confessionals about friendship and queerness. Inspired by outlaw country and the singers that soundtracked Scott’s childhood, singles like ‘Tuesday’ tenderly twang with nostalgia — and promise an album that’ll carry us towards honky-tonk bars and some good old fashioned heart healin’.