It’s only January 12 but the year in pop culture has started with full force, with Bad Bunny’s politically tinged DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, already being dubbed album of the year, Demi Moore’s emotional winning speech at the Golden Globes, Meghan Markle’s return to Instagram, the release of Ethel Cain’s album Perverts, the impending TikTok ban in the US and Beyonce’s big announcement on January 14. And that was all before the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, which will have an impact on pop culture once the full scale is clear.

If 2024 taught us anything, it’s that you can’t predict what pop culture lore will come to define the year (think of last year’s obsessions with brat, demure and Luigi) – but we’ll try our best. Keep scrolling for the films, albums, concerts, TV shows, books, local exhibitions and more that we’ll all be talking about over the next 12 months.‍

MUSIC

The music video for FKA Twigs’ song Perfect Stranger went viral late last year, featuring Phoebe Waller-Bridge, with the singer's album set to be released on January 24. That’ll be followed quickly by the seventh as yet unnamed album from Lady Gaga in February.

Later in the year – May 21 – we’ll get new music from Lana del Rey, with her album The Right Person Will Stay (she'll release a single, Henry, before April). And apparently it will also be the year Sky Ferreira finally releases her long awaited and long delayed album Masochism. We predict/hope 2025 will bring new albums from Chappell Roan and Lorde...

In terms of live music: the hugely anticipated Oasis reunion begins in Cardiff on July 4, Kendrick Lamar will perform for the Super Bowl half-time show on February 9, and locally, we’ll see Dua Lipa, Gracie Abrams, Tyler the Creator at Spark Arena and sold out shows from Amyl and the Sniffers in February.

And Charli xcx will bring brat summer energy to Auckland at Laneway on February 6; fresh from the Grammys on February 3.

EXHIBITIONS

It’s set to be a year of fabulous fashion on display locally, with several style focused exhibitions in Wellington, Dunedin and Auckland.

On March 29 the retrospective exhibition This is NOM*d opens at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery, featuring 20 looks from the brand’s archive and styled by designer Margi Robertson’s long-time collaborators Karen Inderbitzen-Waller and Delphine Avril Planqueel.

In Wellington, Vivienne Westwood & Jewellery opens at Te Papa on January 17 and runs to April 27, showcasing an archive of incredible jewels from the iconic designer and her namesake brand. From June until October, the V&A exhibition Diva will run at Auckland Museum, showcasing the power and influence of the diva throughout the years – the fashion, jewellery, objects, photography and more that helps create diva iconography. Fun!

Across the ditch in Melbourne, a celebration of designer Martin Grant will run at the NGV’s Ian Potter Centre March March 28 - January 26, 2026, featuring more than 120 pieces from the designer’s archive starting in the mid-80s.

In New York at the Metropolitan Museum one of the year’s biggest fashion exhibitions will open on May 10, following the Met Gala on the first Monday in May. Superfine: Tailoring Black Style will explore the history and influence of the Black dandy from the 18th century to today.

FILM

It’ll be a big year for prestige film, starting with the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown out here in Aotearoa on January 23. Everyone we know is gagging to see Babygirl, starring Nicole Kidman and a glass of milk, which is finally out here on January 30.

Pamela Anderson stars as The Last Showgirl in the highly anticipated Gia Coppola directed film of the same name, released here on March 20, and the following month, on April 3, Luca Guadagnino’s latest Queer hits the big screen (with costumes by designer Jonathan Anderson, who previously did Guadagnino’s Challengers). 

We’re intrigued by A24’s upcoming horror Opus, starring Ayo Edebiri as a young writer (with a really great curly bob); set for release at Sundance on January 27 and wider release in March. Also premiering at Sundance is Atropia, the feature length debut from Hailey Gates – former host of one of the best shows ever, States of Undress for Vice – starring Alia Shawkat, Callum Turner and Chloë Sevigny and produced by Luca Guadagnino.

There are several follow up films being released this year too: Danny Boyle’s post-apocalyptic horror, 28 Years Later, comes out on June 13, while an update on 2000s favourite Freaky Friday is set for release in August, with the return of Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis (and Chad Michael Murray), and killer doll M3GAN is back with the sequel, M3GAN 2.0, out on June 26 (like the first film, parts of it were shot in New Zealand last year). Plus, more nostalgia with the release at some stage this year of fashion icon Adam Sandler’s Happy Gilmore 2. And expect another endless Wicked press tour towards the end of the year, with Wicked part two released on November 20.

TV

New Zealand’s own Morgana O’Reilly will appear in the latest season of The White Lotus, with the Thailand-set season three arriving on Neon on February 17. Also on our radar: the final season of Stranger Things (TBC, Netflix), The Studio starring Seth Rogen, Catherine O'Hara, Kathryn Hahn and a whole bunch of celebrity cameos (March 26, Apple TV+) and an adaptation of Judy Blume’s iconic 1975 book, Forever (TBC, Netflix). On February 16, SNL will celebrate its 50th year of live comedy with a three hour special.

We’re also hyped for the ‘Untitled Rachel Sennott Project’ set for release at some stage this year. The actor, comedian and writer – you might know her from Bottoms, Shiva Baby, or the Charli xcx 360 video – has written the HBO series which follows a codependent friend group and stars Odessa A’zion, Jordan Firstman, Miles Robbins and True Whitaker. Think of it as Girls or Sex & the City, but for Gen Z.

BOOKS

The menopause section of the bookstore is heavy with releases, but this one we’re particularly excited about given her longtime and genuine commitment to raising awareness: Naomi Watts’ Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I’d Known About Menopause will be published by Penguin on January 21.

In March Dream Count, the latest long-form novel from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, will be published by Fourth Estate, after a long hiatus; described as “the story of four women and their loves, longings, and desires”.

Locally, we’re excited for the release of model and writer Kaarina Parker’s debut novel Fulvia this year, published by Echo Publishing and Bonnier Books UK.