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

To utilise the Cambridge Dictionary’s Word of the Year, let’s ‘manifest’ a culturally rich week ahead. 

We’re almost in December now, and that means things are about to get seriously festive. Over in Berlin, this takes the form of magical illuminated Christmas trees and pulsing techno beats at Dark Matter Winterlights 24, a light exhibition inspired by the city’s infamous clubbing scene. 

If you’re feeling reflective, what better place to ponder the concepts of beauty than Paris’ Louvre Museum, which recently unveiled an immersive exhibition exploring the subject of aestheticism across art and history. Alternatively, escape into pure (Final) fantasy in Milan, with the largest European retrospective of Japanese illustrator Yoshitaka Amano’s works. 

While Halloween might be behind us, witchiness is still in the air as Hollywood’s adaptation of the broadway hit musical Wicked hits big screens. If you can’t be bothered to broomstick over there, Disney+ also just released Marvel’s big buddy movie Deadpool & Wolverine.

And if all else fails you could always curl up with "Cher: The Memoir, Part One", the singer’s new exhaustive tell-all.

Go forth and believe in life after love, manifest, watch, listen and, most importantly, enjoy.  

Exhibitions

'A Fragile Correspondence' Venice Biennale exhibition at V&A Dundee (Scotland)

A journey across three remarkable Scottish landscapes, this new exhibition forms part of the 18th Venice Architecture Biennale, an international exhibition of architecture from nations around the world. Scotland’s entry sweeps through the wilderness of Loch Ness, the seashore of the Orkney archipelago, and the industrial bones of the Ravenscraig steelworks, exploring the ways in which environments and language interact with architecture. Its aim is to make us question how the things we build on land can connect with it more naturally instead of being imposed.  

'Vogue: Inventing the Runway' at Lightroom (London, UK)

From their intimate 19th century beginnings to the headline-grabbing spectacles of modern day, fashion runway shows have become a fascinating element of our culture that has evolved over time to mirror society's values and shape the way we express ourselves. Their history is being explored in this in-depth exhibition at London's Lightbox, a club walled with LEDs, making it the ideal venue for projecting fashion shows and shoots from Vogue's archive. While we've not always had the best things to say about immersive exhibitions, which can too often feel gimmicky and lacklustre, this one works to enhance the already immersive, inherently sensory feel of fashion shows - putting you inside their intensive inner-workings instead of watching from the sidelines. See it until 26 April 2025.

Events

‘Feira do Mel e de Castanha’ (The Honey and Chestnut Fair in Lousã, Portugal)

It’s that time of year once again when festive markets, muddled with wooden bric-a-brac and the whiff of mulled wine, populate towns across Europe. This one is slightly different, however. As the name suggests, it’s dedicated to honey and chestnuts, the latter a seasonal staple that instantly stirs a Nat King Cole-cosy kind of feeling. Taking place from 22 to 24 November, the festival coincides with chestnut season, and is expected to attract tens of thousands of people all ravenous for the sweet, nutty, buttery and warm treats - either bought by the kilo or used to flavour tarts and more. There will be plenty of honey-based foods and products (wine!) on offer too. The vibe is fuzzy, warm and delicious, so go (chest)nuts. 

Movies

'Wicked' 

It’s a good time to try defying gravity - while sitting snugly in a cinema seat. The Hollywood adaptation of Gregory Maguire’s novel "Wicked", now better known for being a hit Broadway musical, is here - starring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba (the eventual Wicked Witch of the West) and Ariana Grande as Glinda. A tale of friendship, ostracisation, otherness and empowerment, its relatable themes and catchy songs have gained the musical a cult following - but can it translate that magic from stage to screen? Our critic David Mouriquand reviewed it here. 

'Bread & Roses' (Apple TV+) 

Premiering at Cannes Film Festival last year, the documentary Bread & Roses, directed by Afghan filmmaker Sahra Mani, explores women's decimated rights and increasingly oppressed existence under Taliban rule since the fall of Kabul in 2021. Focused on three women in particular, each of whom are fighting to regain their autonomy, it's a devastatingly powerful insight into a world where your very existence is regarded as a threat and levelled against you for control, but also the strength and burning resilience within people to fight back against fascist rulings in order to recover what they have lost.   

'Abertoir Film Festival' (Aberystwyth, Wales) 

A lesser-known but no-less wonderful little horror festival in the small seaside town of Aberystwyth, The Abertoir Horror Festival has been running since 2006 and become Wales' premier International Horror Film Festival. While the in-person event has unfortunately just taken place, they’re handily hosting an online edition from 23-24 November for those that missed it, including some “choice cuts”, and awards for Best Feature and Best Short. See the full line-up here. 

TV

'Cruel Intentions' (Prime Video) 

It’s 25 years since the teen drama Cruel Intentions came out, based on Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’ 1782 novel ‘Les Liaisons Dangereuses’ (Dangerous Liaisons) and following the sociopathic manipulations of wealthy step siblings Sebastian (Ryan Phillippe) and Kathryn (Sarah Michelle Gellar). It was slick, stylish, sinister and sexy - with a great soundtrack to boot, cementing itself as a cultural touchstone in what is widely considered to be one of the greatest years for movies ever. Somewhat surprisingly (if the reports about Gen-Z being more averse to sex on screen are to be believed), its influence has endured, with a successful musical spin-off and now, a TV series. Centred once again on two elite-schooled step-siblings obsessed by status and power, it carries a vibe very similar to ‘Gossip Girl’ within its bubble of mean rich kids playing mind games. Enjoy, XOXO.    

Music

Father John Misty: 'Mahashmashana'

Named after the Sanskrit word meaning ‘great cremation ground’, Father John Misty’s latest album is quite possibly his most sincere and spiritual yet. Following the 2022 release ‘Chloë and the Next 20th Century’, which was all moon-soaked retro Hollywood swoon, ‘Mahashmashana’ feels more present, gently psychedelic and authentically meditative, swapping the past phoney-isms of his moniker to grapple with the complexities of fame, identity, mental illness and, as always, love. As the album title suggests, it’s a burial of many parts of the self - old beliefs, dreams and desires - but there’s also freedom to be found in letting those things go, and listening to this on repeat.  

Michael Kiwanuka: 'Small Changes'

A lot has changed for Michael Kiwanuka since his 2019 Mercury Prize-winning album 'Kiwanuka'. He's become a father to a son and a daughter, and moved from London, where he grew up, to Southampton. Yet it's the more micro, meditative revelations to be found within the passing of time that Kiwanuka focuses on in his fourth studio album, capturing transcendently the fleetingness of the human emotions that breathe through us like the scent of toast, strokes of sunlight or steam from a cup. In such small moments, things seem to make sense - or not, but we're at peace with them. The album is a sweeping succour for the soul, more nuanced in sound with an emotional impact that seems to re-arrange and set free so many tiny yet towering truths.