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

It's almost Halloween, but there will be no tricks here - only treats!

Whether you enjoy getting into the spooky spirit or not, there's plenty to keep the boredom demon at bay this week. From Krista Kim's pulse-racing 'Heart Space' exhibition, which turns visitor's heartbeats into mesmerising digital art, to Yorgos Lanthimos' new alien conspiracy movie, Bugonia, we're reminded that while the autumn months might feel lonelier, they're also filled with a unifying strange wonder.

So, draw the curtains, light some candles, and settle in for another round of (slightly more haunted) highlights.

Exhibitions

Krista Kim: Heart Space

When: Until 21 December 2025

Where: Moco Museum (London, UK)

[Don't] be still our beating hearts! This interactive exhibition from contemporary artist Krista Kim is a real visual treat that turns visitor's heartbeats into vibrant, tactile art. Through the use of an ethical AI firm called Tenbeo, waves of neon light dance across a digital canvas to the frequency of pulses; the colours shifting through emotional states. Despite the distance technology can put between us, it's a reminder of the unity and connectedness it also brings.

Dan Graham: ‘Tight Squeeze’

When: 24 October – 23 November 2025

Where: Burgundy, France

Walking through the narrow, winding path of artist Dan Graham's structure 'Tight Squeeze', any surroundings suddenly become distorted - like travelling through a blip in reality. While one side features wavy one-way mirror glass, the other is a straight line and clear, contrasting reflection with transparency. It's a thought provoking piece that calls into question our perceptions - and is currently situated among the vineyards of the UNESCO world heritage site of the Clos de Vougeot. It is also part of TERRA’s 2025 programme - a series of exhibitions that explore the relationships between contemporary art, history, and place in the vineyards of Burgundy, France.

Bonus highlight: Frieze Sculpture - a huge free public art exhibition - takes over Regent's Park's English Gardens in London until 2 November.

Movies

Bugonia

Where: European cinemas

When: 31 October in the US and UK (with a roll out across other European territories after).

Greek Weird Wave pioneer Yorgos Lanthimos won’t let us go a year without a twisted new serving - and we’re all the better for it! Fresh off the success of last year’s Oscar-winning Poor Things and Kinds of Kindness comes another collaboration with Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons. The latter plays a conspiracy theorist who kidnaps a high-powered CEO (Stone), believing her to be an alien out to destroy Earth. Partially based on the 2003 South Korean film Save the Green Planet!, it explores timely themes of echo chambers and corporate greed through a darkly comic bonkers-ness that only Lanthimos and co could deliver.

Bonus highlight: Obsession and childhood demons charge supernatural thriller Shelby Oaks, released in cinemas 31 October.

TV series

IT: Welcome to Derry

Where: Sky

When: 27 October

If the 1990s miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s killer clown novel ‘IT’ still haunts you, prepare to float (into terror) once again. A new four-part series from Andy Muschietti, who directed the 2017 and 2019 films in the franchise, Welcome to Derry once again stars Bill Skarsgård as the shapeshifting alien that feeds on fear, Pennywise. The series takes us back to the ‘60s, exploring the origins of IT and how the small town of Derry’s clown curse first began. Optimal spooky viewing - unless you have coulrophobia.

Bonus highlight: New Netflix documentary Aileen: Queen of the Serial Killers premieres on 30 October.

Music

Florence and the Machine: Everybody Scream

When: 31 October

Few sounds defined the early 2010s like the booming vocals of Florence Welch, the flame-haired front of Florence and the Machine. Known for their unique brand of baroque pop and flamboyant flair, almost every track has become anthemic fuel; the kind that inspires sudden urges to wear bell sleeves and run through moonlit fields of lavender. Now, three years on from ‘Dance Fever Tour’ comes the band’s highly-anticipated sixth studio release. Largely inspired by Welch’s experiences after recovering from emergency surgery in 2023, the tracklist includes collaborations with Mitski and Aaron Dessner of The National.

Bonus highlight: Swedish singer-songwriter Anna von Hausswolff releases her sixth studio album ‘Iconoclasts’ on 31 October.