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

The days are so dark, Christmas adverts are suddenly everywhere, and a viral hippo has released a song.

The slow dive towards the end of the year can be a strange, somewhat haunting time - but the good news is, cosy festive markets are casting their warm glow across Europe, while new exhibitions, films, TV series and music continue to keep the world feeling abuzz.

As well as the below recommendations, among the things to look out for this week are a new exhibition at the Völklingen Ironworks in Germany that explores Africa’s cultural history and challenges stereotypes, never-seen-before Picasso prints at London's British Museum, and a face-off between three titans of the Italian Renaissance at The Royal Academy.

While we have the film adaptation of Wicked arriving in cinemas next week (22 November), there's also the London Palestine Film Festival and UK Jewish Film Festival taking place in London from this weekend. Jacques Audiard's award-winning Emilia Pérez is now streaming on Netflix - along with Hot Frosty, starring lifetime-movie-queen Lacey Chabert, who plays a widow that heals her heart after magically brings a snowman to life. 'Tis officially the season for saccharine silliness!

Until next time, have fun.

Exhibitions

Simon Berger: 'Monuments' at Underdogs Gallery (Lisbon, Portugal)

Swiss contemporary artist Simon Berger is renowned for breaking glass with a hammer to create finely fractured portraiture - but he once dreamt of becoming an architect. This new exhibition - his first solo one in Portugal - pays tribute to that dream, and the work and vision of the architects Berger most admires, including Jean Nouvel, Peter Zumthor, Mies van der Rohe and Zaha Hadid. There’s a total of 17 new works on display, each playing with ideas around light, aesthetics and functionality, including installations composed of glass bricks. It’s a fascinating deconstruction of what goes into crafting iconic buildings, and also the legacy of those behind them. See it until 28 December.

'Looks Delicious! Exploring Japan’s food replica culture' at Japan House (London, UK)

If you've ever wandered past the eateries of Japan, you might have noticed all the delicious looking food behind glass displays - warm bowls of ramen, perfectly sculpted scoops of ice cream and frosted pints of beer, still foamy on top. But none of it is real. It's what's known as shokuhin sanpuru - incredibly realistic food replicas designed to stir peoples' appetites and show what certain dishes will look like. The craftsmanship that goes into creating these replicas is quite astonishing, and London's Japan House is offering the chance to learn more about it while also seeing the breadth of faux culinary masterpieces. You'll leave very hungry, and also keep questioning whether that spilt tub of ice cream in the floor is real or not.

Events

'2024 Eurochocolate Festival' (Perugia, Italy)

We've got good news for those that couldn't make the Salon du Chocolat in Paris - there's another chocolate themed event on until 24 November in Perugia, Italy. While it might not feature a chocolate fashion show, it does feature a chocolate kebab. Yes, you read that right. Chocolate liquors, art displays, workshops and more also feature in what will be nine days of sweet, sweet heaven surrounded by beautiful scenery and street performances. You can even tour the local chocolate factory - Willy Wonka, who? See you at the hot chocolate stand.

'Iconic 80, 90, 00's Festival' at the Carreau du Temple (Paris, France)

Get your skates on! We're travelling back to a time of Rubik's Cubes, roller rinks, arcade machines, cheesy karaoke and disco dancing at this nostalgia-dedicated immersive event in Paris. On until 1 December, it's focused on the 80s, 90s and 00s specifically, including an exhibition of 99 iconic objects from each decade. A big screen will project cult moments from the TV and films of the time, and there's even an old school food court - totally rad.

Movies

Gladiator II 

It's been 24 years since Ridley Scott's Gladiator came out, starring Russell Crow as slave-turned-gladiator Maximus looking to avenge the brutal murder of his family and the emperor. But for those that remain not entertained, Scott has been a busy little bee and finally delivered a sequel. This time, we're following Lucius (Paul Mescal), a beefed-up gladiator out to take on the Roman Empire and its corrupt powers, including slave-owner Macrinus (Denzel Washington). Meanwhile, Pedro Pascal stars as colosseum-dwelling Roman general Marcus Acacius ('Game of Thrones' fans everywhere will be getting flashbacks) while bratty co-emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) double up as this version's Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) from the original. It's a good bit of blockbuster fun featuring sharks and baboons, but rather than unleashing hell, it unleashes colossal silliness with a strong sense of déjà vu.

In his review for the film, Euronews film critic David Mouriquand wrote: "While visually engaging, Gladiator II is a curiously hollow film that banks on big spectacle and small emotions, completely failing to step out of Gladiator’s shadow."

Television

Yellowstone (Paramount+)

It's been a while, but the popular neo-Western drama starring Kevin Costner as America's largest ranch owner, John Dutton, is back - although Kevin Costner isn't. The first part of the fifth series aired in 2022, but the writer's strike led to long delays and scheduling issues, resulting in a frustrated Costner deciding to quit the show for good. This leaves a finale that focuses on the rest of the Dutton's - in particular, John's daughter Beth (Kelly Reilly), who must continue to fight political and power-hungry threats encroaching on the ranch.

Music

Linkin Park: 'From Zero'

The return of Nu Metal band Linkin Park arrives, appropriately, amidst a resurgence in nostalgia for the early 2000s - velour tracksuits, dumb phones, Frutiger Aero, physical media and more. The band's angst-riddled yet pop-inflected sound was one that managed to hybrid genres and crossover into the mainstream, defining many a millennials' adolescence. Now, younger generations - even those not born when the band first formed in 1996 - are resonating, the comeback single 'The Emptiness Machine' entering the UK chart at No 4. Still, returning was always going to be a bold move - it's also been seven years since lead singer Chester Bennington died, now replaced with Emily Armstrong. Linkin Park tread this transition artfully through paying tribute to their defining sound while evolving it through the punchier pop leanings. Here's our full verdict.

November album anniversaries

Every month of 2024, we've been handpicking three albums that are celebrating a major milestone. For November, there's TV On The Radio's 'Seeds' turning 10, MF DOOM's 'Mm..Food' turning 20 and Nirvana's iconic 'MTV Unplugged in New York' turning 30. Covering everything from grief to beef and one of the best live albums ever released, these are all well worth a (re)visit - even if they do come with a sonic splatter of existentialism at the passing of time. Check out this month's batch here.