Annie McNamee

Even after a couple of vintage years for new music, 2025 has been special. Sure, we didn’t get a clear-cut ‘song of the summer’, but artists have been instead putting out defining works in a longer format. The past 12 (well, 11) months have featured all manner of extraordinary album releases.  Belted-to-the-rafters country pop, plunderphonic majesty, ecstatic dance music, intimate electronic world-building, history-collapsing art rock, triumphant hip-hop… these are just a few of the sounds and styles that have been executed marvellously in 2025. Here are the year’s finest 25 albums, chosen by Time Out editors and contributors.

Sure, winter has its perks. Cosying up by the fire with a cup of hot chocolate in hand is lovely. Big woolen jumpers are ever-chic. But there’s no warm, fuzzy feeling that comes close to feeling actual warmth. In our eyes, you just can’t beat the sunshine: sitting on a rooftop terrace, ice-cold cocktail in hand… bonus points if everyone back home is stuck with endless grey drizzle. There are plenty of places across the world still basking in glorious sunshine from October to February. Our list of the best winter sun destinations this year spans six continents and five months, giving you 20 recommendations for the very best places you can visit during the winter months. Whether it’s Thai beaches, African safaris or sunny city breaks in Europe, we’ve got you covered. The best winter sun destinations at a glance: 🏖️ Best for beaches: Thailand 🏙️ Best for a city break: Cape Town, South Africa 🌡️ Warmest in Europe: Tenerife, Spain 🐘 Best for wildlife: Namibia 🎭 Best for an arty break: Cartagena, Colombia 🍜 Best for food: Vietnam At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines and check out our latest travel guides written by local experts. RECOMMENDED:☀️ Europe’s 10 best winter sun destinations

This list is from 2024. Our latest ranking for 2025 is live here. In 2024, what exactly makes a neighbourhood cool? Craft breweries, natty wine bars and street art are well and good, but the world’s best, most exciting and downright fun neighbourhoods are much more than identikit ‘hipster hubs’. They’re places that reflect the very best of their cities – its culture, community spirit, nightlife, food and drink – all condensed in one vibey, walkable district. To create our annual ranking, we went straight to the experts – our global team of on-the-ground writers and editors – and asked them what the coolest neighbourhood in their city is right now, and why. Then we narrowed down the selection and ranked the list using the insight and expertise of Time Out’s global editors, who vetted each neighbourhood against criteria including food, drink, arts, culture, street life, community and one-of-a-kind local flavour. The result? A list that celebrates the most unique and exciting pockets of our cities – and all their quirks. Yes, you’ll find some of those international hallmarks of ‘cool’. But in every neighbourhood on this list there’s something you won’t find anywhere else. Ever been to a photography museum that moonlights as a jazz club? Or a brewery with a library of Russian literature? How about a festival dedicated to fluff? When communities fiercely support and rally around their local businesses, even the most eccentric ideas can become a reality. And that, in our eyes, is

On March 25, 1925, at London’s Selfridges department store in central London, Scottish inventor John Logie Baird made the first public demo of his latest creation: a way to broadcast visual information from a camera to a screen. A full century later, Baird’s discovery has led to perhaps the most vital, creative and popular mode of artistic expression in the entire world. But it’s only in the past 25 years that television has really fulfilled its artistic potential.  The result has been the so-called ‘Golden Age of Television’, a boom kickstarted roughly around the turn of the century with the rise of shows like The Sopranos and later Breaking Bad, and continuing with awards-winners from Succession to Shōgun to Slow Horses. So while our list of the 100 greatest TV shows may pay tribute to the unmissable programs of yesteryear, you’ll find that the majority hail from our own century – meaning there’s no excuse not to watch every single one. Paring the list down to only 100 was a painful process, so we decided to omit sketch shows, talk shows, news and non-fiction in order to focus on scripted drama and classic comedy. Time to go goggle-eyed. Recommended: 🔥 The best TV and streaming shows of 2025 (so far)🍎 The best shows to watch on Apple TV+ right now📺 The best Netflix original series to binge🎮 The best ‘90s TV shows

This bustling coastal city is absolutely steeped in history, maritime heritage, and of course, there's loads to see. It’s roots date back as far as the Stone Age, and its first ever museum (the Tudor House) remains a top attraction, with gorgeous gardens and guided tours on offer.  There’s plenty of modern-day action too, with a treasured football team, The Saints, and their fans bringing life to the city on match day. Southampton is also only a 20-minute drive away from the New Forest, or a ferry-ride away from the Isle of Wight, there's plenty going on that makes this city worth a visit. Check out our list of top picks for all the best things to do in Southampton.  RECOMMENDED:  🚆The best day trips from London⛰️ The best things to in the New Forest🏖️ The best seaside towns in the UK💕 The best things to do in the UK Annie McNamee is a writer at Time Out UK. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines. 

This is about the time when the January blues start to hit pretty hard. It’s dark at 4pm, you’ve got no money left after Christmas and winter feels like it’s dragging on forever. But we’re here to tell you that things are looking up, because 2025 is going to be a corker of a year for the UK.  It turns out that 2025 is going to be a bit of a big one, with a number of landmark occasions being celebrated across Britain. There’s Jane Austen’s 250th birthday in Southampton, as well as the art-packed Folkestone Triennial, a celebration of 200 years of the British railway in York and Bradford’s 2025 City of Culture festivities. Then, there are up-and-coming foodie towns in Cornwall, music scenes that are popping off in Cardiff and Belfast, and the reopening of grand cultural insitutions like the Tate Liverpool.  If there’s ever been a good time to book a trip, it’s now (it might even help keep some SAD at bay). There is so much fantastic stuff happening across the country this year, so read our list curated by local experts of the best places to visit in the UK in 2025, and get stuck in.  RECOMMENDED: 🇬🇧 The 25 best new things to do in the UK in 2025📍The 12 most underrated city breaks in the UK 🏨 The UK’s 13 best new hotels opening in 2025👨‍👩‍👧 6 amazing places to stay with Kids in the UK

If people make Glasgow, music is what fuels it. The city's music scene was thriving long before the rest of it had caught up, with places like the Barrowlands and the Old Fruit Market offering locals good, cheap live music when general attitudes of Glasgow were, let's just say, less than favourable.  But those days are behind us, and Scotland's biggest city is now known across the UK for its vibrant cultural heritage, nightlife, and, of course, its music scene. Whether you're looking for an arena of people to scream along your favourite songs with, or a small makeshift stage at the back of a bar to find your new favourite band, Glasgow's got you sorted. Fair warning though: crowds here are famously rowdy. They're a lot of fun, but don't be surprised if you end up beer-soaked. Oh, and brush up on our local chants. You don't want to be the only person not shouting along with 'here we, here we, here we f'ing go!'. 

History has it that Pollokshaws Road was once home to a merry band of Flemish weavers – known as the ‘Queer Folk’ – who were brought over to work in the city during the 19th century by local landowners. These days it’s still a thriving creative hub, threading down Glasgow’s Southside and linking up the districts of Govanhill, Strathbungo and Shawlands. Rows of sandstone tenements loom over traffic separated by wide pavements, behind which stand ornate townhouses designed by Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson. There’s a juicy chunk of Pollokshaws Road where bars, cafés and boutiques jostle for space; pick it up from Allison Street and wander down past Queen’s Park. Since it’s a largely residential area, there’s a distinct feel of community – something that’s enhanced by the indie businesses that have popped up over the past few years. In particular it’s a brunch haven, with queues leaking out of living-room-sized cafés come rain or shine. You can also expect to find organic fruit and veg at Stalks & Stems, a fresh produce emporium with a florist next door, and (almost) a different coffee shop for every day of the week. It’s not all hipster territory, though. Punters tired of mustachioed baristas and bar staff will be cheered by the decent selection of old man pubs complete with smoked-glass windows. Recommended: Full guide to the best things to do in Glasgow

How easily could you be persuaded to shave off an eyebrow, or take a shot for every stair you climbed? Perhaps you’d feel more compelled if you were half a bottle of ‘Chicken Wine’ deep, 18, and surrounded by new friends that you were trying to impress? If you attended university in the UK you might have an uncomfortable feeling of deja-vu, perhaps being whisked back to the time you were ‘hazed’ as a first year student. If you didn’t, you’ve likely heard the rumours about former prime ministers getting it on with pigs, or rugby teams shoving carrots in places vegetables should never go. Hazing, or ‘initiation’ as it more commonly goes by this side of the Atlantic, is a practice which usually consists of ritualistically embarrassing rookie members of a given group in order for them to prove themselves. It’s also nothing new. There’s evidence of rowdy schoolboys dating as far back as 420 BCE when Plato recounted ‘practical jokes played by unruly young men’ which left both spectators and haze-ees injured. Somehow, this bizarre custom has survived the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, the birth of Jesus Christ, several international plagues and found a home for itself in the modern age on university campuses. But for the past decade or so, hazing’s millenia-long reign has been threatened by a generation who supposedly care more about their physical and mental health than they do about banter and ritual humiliation. Today, hazing has met its match: Generation Z. So what do these

You might never want to leave Edinburgh, and we get it. The Scottish capital is loved the world over for its culture, restaurants and Fringe Festival (to name a few). But if you limit your time in Scotland to just Edinburgh, trust us, you’re missing out.  Scotland is full of gems, but the best part is a whole lot of them can be reached by train or car in just one day – with enough time left to get back in time for dinner. From hilly hikes to wide-open beaches and from pretty towns to full-blown city breaks, these day trips from Edinburgh are not to be missed. Here are our favourites.  RECOMMENDED:🌤️ The best things to do in Edinburgh 🎨 The best art galleries in Edinburgh🏰 The best attractions in Edinburgh🏘️ The best Airbnbs in Edinburgh This guide was updated by Edinburgh-based Arusa Quereshi, and Time Out editors. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines. 

What words come to mind when we mention the Olympics? Prestige? Excellence? Medals? Or is it: ‘Grom’?  The Olympic games have been around for nearly three millennia. As the entire planet tunes in to watch as the top sports people compete for those coveted gold medals, there’s some stuff you’ll probably want to get your head around to make the most of your viewing experience: jargon for you normies to weave into your vocab that will have you sounding like proper Olympic pros in no time.  RECOMMENDED:How to watch the Paris 2024 Olympics in the UK for freeHere’s the full schedule and timings for the Summer Games We’ve done some digging and unearthed some 100 percent real words and phrases that will almost certainly be used by professional Olympians and commentators across the next few weeks. What’s more, there’s something inherently funny about words which sound out of place to the average Joe. There’s nothing worth giggling about hearing the word ‘jaeger’ at a bar (especially as it’s usually followed by a friend trying to convince you to neck a shot of sweet battery acid and gone-off liquorice), but watching it earnestly come out of the mouth of a world-class gymnast? Now that’s entertainment. So what are you waiting for? Brush up on your sporty lingo and drop these into convo next time you’re watching the Games to impress your mates. Skateboarding  ‘Goofy stance’: Refers to when a skateboarder has their left foot on the back of the board. Also used in surfing and snowboarding

You remember the days. Assuring your friend that she definitely looks like her older cousin’s co-worker, especially with a ponytail in. Hovering awkwardly around the corner from the off-license as your one 18-year-old pal does God’s work for the rest of you. The pit in your tummy as you recite a fake birthday to the bouncer of a sticky-floored nightclub – remembering your star sign, memorising your imaginary postcode – and the elated relief when he lets you in with a raised eyebrow and a reluctant nod. Finding increasingly inventive ways to get around age-restrictions was half the fun of being 17, but today’s teens seem to be going off going out altogether. ‘You definitely see fake IDs less than you used to,’ says one bouncer at a popular student nightclub in Bristol. When he started working at the venue a decade ago, he’d encounter a load of fakes on any given night – but not so much anymore. ‘The worst one I ever saw had the back on upside down,’ he says. ‘The ones we do see are getting a lot better and it can be harder to catch them. But they’re definitely rarer now.’ Something has certainly shifted. A few weeks ago, as I walked through the Triangle, Bristol’s premier hotspot for stumbling freshers and lovers of three for two Jägerbombs, I noticed that the local Sainsbury’s was busier than all of the clubs combined. Two years ago, dancefloors would’ve been filling up at 11pm on a Monday. This wasn’t a fluke: since that night, two of the clubs in question have closed their

Inn Deep is like spending the evening at your mate’s house, only with ten times the energy and fresh pizza available without a delivery fee. The low-lighting and stripped-back interiors create a space you can relax in, but it’s the staff that really make you feel at home.  The prime location – underneath a railway bridge 30 seconds from Kelvinbridge tube station – helps to make this a prime meet-up spot, and provides glorious river views to anyone sitting outside. Add to that a huge (and we mean huge) selection of beers and spirits, and this could become your new West End go-to for ‘a chill one’. Having originally opened more than a decade ago, in recent years the Great Western Road pub has been on a mission to keep things fresh by welcoming new pop-ups to its kitchen every so often. The latest guest is Sub Rosa, a local pizzeria with two permanent locations in the southside, and a delicious marinara sauce.  What should I order? The menu is small for all the right reasons. Sub Rosa knows what it’s good at, and each of the six pizzas on offer play to those strengths. Our favourite was the pepperoni & pickled chili, as the tang and bite of the chilis cuts through the sweetness of the tomato sauce perfectly. Any pizza can be made vegan or gluten free upon request. Sides include chicken tenders in a gochujang honey butter glaze, and a range of chips. If you’re hungry opt for the Mexican loaded fries, but if you just want a snack the regular portions are crispy, salty, and definit

You’ve been here before. Almost.  With a clientele which would be perfect for a Love Island spin-off featuring exclusively people with ‘entrepreneur’ in their bios and a healthy amount of exposed pipework, The Counter is what those in the know would probably call ‘trendy’. Its dim lights, small plate selection, and strategically chipped brick feature wall put it on the verge of parodically hip, but a glance at its menu and a quick chat with any member of its team reveal it to be much more down to Earth than some of its equally Instagrammable peers. If you close your eyes you can almost feel the Istanbuli breeze flowing through your hair The sense of deja-vu you feel may not be coming solely from its open-plan bar though. Chef Kemal Demirasal’s first UK venture, opened up two years ago in Notting Hill to much success. Originally from Turkey, he’s taken much of the charm of the original joint (as well as its most popular recipes and excellent cocktails) and transported it to Kingly Street – and combined it with a series of fresh ideas and a lot of seafood. Fresh is definitely the operative word. The cocktails are infused with real fruit. The tomatoes have been imported from Turkey. There’s sort-of-caviar sprinkled on avocado-topped fish. If you close your eyes and just bite, you can almost feel the Istanbuli breeze flowing through your hair. A series of enthusiastic staff members recommended a variety of dishes to us. Some, like the tomato salad or prawns, were familiar classi

John Lewis essentially rings in the festive season every year with its iconic advert – but for Christmas 2025 the chain has unveiled more than just its traditional oft-nostalgic, oft-weepy commercial. One of the chain’s major stores has had a massive glow-up.  A brand new department has been unveiled at John Lewis’ Bluewater store in Kent, which has just reopened after a £10 million refurb. The Kent shop’s ‘Gifting Emporium’ is the first of its kind, offering customers literally thousands of ideas for presents right in time for Christmas. It’s part of a wider initiative from the department store to ‘turbo charge’ its reputation as the home of year-round gifting. The Emporium at Bluewater is roughly the size of three tennis courts. It’s so large that it’s split into sections, each offering different treats based on a person’s hobbies or interests. Whether you’re buying for a foodie, a child, someone who loves their health and wellness, or a coworker you barely know; you’re sure to find something they’ll like. Photograph: John Lewis If customers like the concept, emporiums could be rolled out in John Lewis stores across the UK. Elsewhere in the store, the home and furniture department has been completely redone. Instead of selling individual items, chairs, tables, and decorations are now being grouped by style. There are five different designs on offer: Heritage, Modern Lux, Scandi, Rustic, and Timeless. John Lewis is calling this a ‘shop by style’ approach, and hopes that it

Oasis wrapped up their huge reunion tour earlier this week in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Despite plenty of rumours that the band would be playing more shows in 2026, nothing has yet been confirmed – but it’s not all bad news for Gallagher-heads. An Oasis pop-up shop has just been announced for London this December. The store will be welcomed by anyone who refused to queue up to buy a t-shirt outside Wembley Stadium this summer, or, worse, those who did queue up only to find the merchandise they wanted was sold out. The pop-up won’t just be flogging the tour’s leftovers. All the most popular merch items have been restocked, and this time you’ve got six entire days to grab your jumpers/tote bags/posters. There will also be a one-of-a-kind ‘Content Room’, which will be showcasing highlights from this year’s gigs and celebrating fan-made content of the tour. Where and when will the London Oasis pop-up shop open? The temporary stall will settle in for three weekends across the next month, including December 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21. On Saturdays (that’s December 6, 13, and 20) it will be open from 10am-8pm, and on Sundays (December 7, 14, and 21) there will be reduced hours, remaining open between 11am-5pm. Walk-ins are welcome for shopping, but if you want to visit the Content Room, you’ll need to book ahead. You can do that here. The store will be located at 44-46 Regent Street. What Oasis merch will be on sale? You’ll be able to grab all of the tour merch, including t-shirts, jumpers, j

Things are changing at London Heathrow. The UK’s biggest airport is about to begin a multi-billion pound renovation which will add 10 football pitches worth of new retail and lounge space, and it’s set to get a new runway by 2035. While we wait for all that, however, British Airways (BA) has announced new routes out of the airport next summer. BA’s expanded Heathrow flight network includes two brand-new destinations. One of those is Tivat, a small coastal town in Montenegro which is best known for being an upmarket holiday spot. According to the airline, Tivat is ideal for anyone seeking clear blue waters, ‘stunning coastlines and year-round sunshine’. BA flights from Heathrow to Tivat will start on May 14, 2026, and they’ll run three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays during peak season. Return tickets will start from around £172 per person. Guernsey is the second destination being offered to Heathrow customers next summer. At present, there are no direct flights between the UK’s largest airport and the Channel Island, but from May 19 BA will change that. Flights will be offered daily, all year long, with round-trip tickets starting at £101 per person. With the addition of Tivat and Guernsey, there are now nearly 100 short-haul routes on British Airways’ Heathrow schedule. These aren’t the only changes that BA has announced for next year. The national carrier is also going to start running direct flights to Bangkok in the off season, as well as increasing the

Mumford & Sons are about to embark on their first tour since the pre-pandemic era, but they’re already announcing follow-up shows. The west London band have just been announced as the latest headliner for British Summer Time (BST) at Hyde Park next summer. The band’s BST appearance will follow the release of a new album, Prizefighter, which is due to be come out in February 2026. The band released their fifth album Rushmere earlier this year. Mumford & Sons practically invented the ‘stomp-clap’ genre that dominated pop music for at least half a decade (and has had a recent resurgence). Fancy shouting ‘Little Lion Man’ with a field full of people? Of course you do. Here’s everything you need to know about Mumford & Sons 2026 headlining slot at BST Hyde Park. When are Mumford & Sons playing BST Hyde Park? The folk-rockers will play BST Hyde Park on Saturday July 4 2026. Image: BST Hyde Park When do tickets go on sale? General sale will begin next week, at 10am on Thursday December 4. They’ll be available on Ticketmaster here. Presale information There are a couple of different presales, through which you can get tickets early. They are: Amex presale – Thursday November 27 from 10am. You need to be an Amex member to access here. BST presale – Monday December 1 at 10am. Sign up for free here by November 30 for access. Artist presale  – Tuesday December 2 at 10am. For people who have preordered the new album. Ticket prices Tickets for Mumford & Sons at BST Hyde Park start at a

The National Trust is a custodian of British history, and it’s just announced a significant addition to its roster. Ownership of a Shropshire site made up of historic buildings, museums, and artefacts, known as the Ironbridge Gorge will be passed to the National Trust next spring. The current managers, Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, hope the change will ‘secure [its] long-term future and prosperity’. The titular bridge itself remains open to the public and maintained by the council.  Even for the National Trust, which looks after plenty of fascinating castles and magical forests, Ironbridge Gorge is a special place. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site, meaning that an expert panel determined it to be a place of ‘outstanding value to humanity’ thanks to its fascinating history and collection of over 400,000 artefacts. Back in the 18th and 19th centuries, the region operated as ‘the Silicon Valley of its day’, according to its website. UNESCO says that it shows ‘all the elements of progress that contributed to the rapid development’ of the industrial revolution’, from the essential materials that were mined and treated here to the cutting-edge railways that transported them in and out of the area. Many of the original industrial buildings and tools remain in good condition and open to visitors at Ironbridge Gorge. When the National Trust takes over in spring 2026, it will acquire all of the Gorge Trust’s historic properties, including 35 listed buildings, like a huge 1800s furna

Planning a trip to Budapest next year? You might want to add the Citadella to your to-do list. The monument, which towers above the city on Gellért Hill, is reopening next year after a huge renovation. It’s one of the city’s most enduring landmarks, standing as a symbol of freedom. The goal is to transform the former military structure into a brand new attraction that celebrates its history. RECOMMENDED: The best free things to do in Budapest right now One of its most exciting new features will be the pedestrian bridge built entirely of glass – something rarely found in Europe. A large-scale, walk-through exhibition named ‘The Bastion of Freedom’ will also be installed in the spacious rondella, where visitors can learn about Hungary’s fight for its liberty over the course of history. Fotó: Várkapitányság The inner courtyard will feature a water feature and an eternal flame, and the outside spaces will have twice as much green space as before. There’ll also be a new café and gift shop, alongside communal areas – the aim is to create a kind of urban oasis at the top of Gellért Hill. The panoramic city views here have long been a favourite spot for wedding photos. Fotó: Várkapitányság What is the Citadella? The Citadella was originally a fortress built by the Austrians in the wake of the Hungarian Uprising of 1848, but has since become a symbol of the nation’s many struggles for sovereignty over the centuries. It has been under Budapest’s control since 1899, except when it

If you travel regularly, you’ll have a favourite airport. Maybe it has efficient security queues, or has your favourite fast-food place. Or perhaps you appreciate an airport that is always working to be better – if that’s the case, let us introduce you to the new-look Amsterdam Schiphol. Okay, Schiphol hasn’t actually undergone any extensive renovations yet, but it has huge plans. €10 billion worth of them. The airport, which is the third biggest in Europe, announced its masterplan last week. It includes improved public transport to and from the airport, including a proposed new metro line linking Amsterdam, Schiphol and the town of Hoofddorp, and better roads for the surrounding area. The biggest change, however, is the addition of a whole new terminal. Terminal South will ease congestion for the nearly 66 million people who use the airport every year, and provide new space for larger planes to dock. It will also allow for upgraded infrastructure inside the terminal building, such as modernised lounges and more food and drink options. Plus, it won’t just be passengers who benefit – the airport has also pledged to improve working conditions for staff. Sustainability is at the forefront of this makeover. The airport wants to cut carbon emissions by 90 percent by 2030, and will do this by electrifying ground vehicles, expanding upon the use of clean energy sources in its terminals, and ensuring that any new buildings meet very high environmental standards. It’s also trying to r

There are loads of lists and awards out there celebrating the very best that the hospitality industry has to offer, from the Michelin Guide to World’s 50 Best. One such annual ranking comes from La Liste, one of the most respected guides in the culinary world. The ranking is compiled by aggregating thousands of sources ranging from critical reviews to online ratings. It celebrates restaurants for more than their great food (though that is, obviously, a pretty important factor). These spots have perfected everything that could possibly make a meal special: ambiance, taste, texture, wine pairings – you name it, they excel at it. The list (liste?) recognises the 1,000 best restaurants on Earth. That may sound like a lot, but considering that there are over 45,000 eateries in Paris alone, you realise just how hard it is to make the cut. This year marks the publication’s 10th anniversary, so it’s fitting that 10 restaurants are sharing the top spot. Each of them achieved a (pretty much) perfect score of 99.5 out of 100. The scores are drawn from ‘thousands of publications, over 1,100 professional sources, and millions of online reviews’, so you need to impress both professionals and the general public to earn a spot. Basically, these are the very best of the best, loved by Michelin critics and distinguished foodies alike. Restaurants across the world made it into the top ten; from the 3 Michelin-starred SingleThread in California, to the traditional Cantonese Lung King Heen in a H

Not too long ago, nabbing a Black Friday deal meant waiting outside a store from 4am, panic-grabbing four TVs and fighting off other bargain-hunters in the process, all to immediately realise you forgot to get the one thing you actually went in for.  These days, however, Black Friday is more like Black week-and-a-half, with online deals starting long before the day itself eventually rolls around. Technically, there’s a dedicated day for travel deals called Travel Tuesday, which follows after the Black Friday weekend, but many travel companies will already have their deals live.  From flights to hotels, cruises and holiday packages, these are the biggest and best travel-related Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Travel Tuesday deals for 2025. When is Black Friday and Travel Tuesday 2025? This year, Black Friday falls on November 28. Cyber Monday is the following week, meaning this year it will be on December 1. Travel Tuesday is the next day, Tuesday 2. The biggest savings for: Flights: Jet2  Cruises: MSC Cruises Package holidays: Loveholidays Hotels: Booking.com Ski trips: Heidi Something special: Exoticca Flights TUI TUI is offering hundreds of pounds off when you book one of its package holidays until December 2. The exact amount you’ll get off varies depending on how much the holiday is: Over £1000 – £100 off Over £2,500 – £200 off  Over £3,500 – £300 off  Jet2 The only thing that beats a Jet2 holiday is a Jet2 holiday, but cheaper. The airline is offering discounts on fli

It’s always good to have an expert opinion to hand, even if you’re just booking a holiday. Those in the know can tell you exactly where you should go for sun, culture, or food, but they can also help out with something just as important: telling you where to avoid at all costs. Fodor’s Travel has just released its ‘No List’; a collection of the eight spots across the world the publication thinks you should stay away from next year. But this list isn’t made up of places that are underwhelming – in fact, it’s quite the opposite. These destinations are so good that everyone wants to visit them, despite them reaching capacity long ago. Previously, Fodor’s has warned travellers against visiting the likes of Tokyo and Bali due to excessive tourism. You’ve probably heard about anti-tourist protests in Barcelona this year, or the daytripper tax Venice recently reintroduced, but Fodor’s has made the decision not to include them this year. The travel company explained that although they ‘haven’t been magically cured’, it wants to continue to draw attention to the perils of overtourism for local economies and ecosystems by spotlighting some lesser-known hotspots. RECOMMENDED: 13 ways to be a better tourist right now Antarctica is one such spot. You might not think that a polar continent could be over-visited, but according to Fodor’s, the number of people coming to take a look at the glaciers could double by 2033. Scientists say that this mass tourism is unsustainable for the fragile la

Modern art fans listen up – something big is coming to the ARoS Aarhus Art Museum next year. Like, as-wide-as-Rome’s-Pantheon big. A huge ‘Skyspace’ designed by James Turrell will open up next June, and it will be the biggest installation of its kind to date. What exactly is a Skyspace? Great question. The term was coined by Turrell back in the ’70s to name his creations, which ARoS describes as ‘monumental works of art and architecture, each featuring a large aperture in the ceiling that frames the open sky’. In other words, they’re big rooms with huge windows in the ceiling. That might sound simple enough, but when Turrell works his magic he turns these spaces into sensory experiences, manipulating light and darkness to create immersive artworks which ‘invite viewers to experience the shifting colours and qualities of natural light’. In his own words: ‘I’m shaping the experience of seeing rather than delivering an image’. This work, called ‘As Seen Below – The Dome’, will feature an underground tunnel leading into a huge dome-topped room, which looks a bit like the interior of a futuristic space-station, or a strange liminal space from a dream. At 16m tall and 40m wide (the same diameter as the Pantheon’s dome), this is a vast empty space, the perfect setting to consider big ideas like ‘our relationship to nature, the sky, and our shared planet’. The Skyspace will open on June 19, 2026, and will be a permanent addition to the ARoS Aarhus Art Museum. This comes alongside a b

Britain’s seaside towns were once jam-packed during the summer months, but their days as tourist magnets faded with the advent of low-cost international travel. Even after a pandemic-era revival, visitor levels are nowhere near what they once were.  A new travel report, however, reckons one Somerset destination is set to make a huge comeback in 2026: Weston-Super-Mare. The seaside town became a bustling holiday spot for people looking to escape the smog of Victorian city life in the mid-19th century, when direct train routes from Bristol opened up. But in the past 50 years or so, a downturn in tourism has left the area and its once-great attractions a little worse for wear, so much so that it now frequently appears in lists of the worst seaside towns in Britain. But is Weston really that bad? According to coach operator Flixbus, not at all. In fact, it has just released data on next year’s trending destinations, which suggests the exact opposite. In order to calculate the UK’s up-and-coming holiday destinations, Flixbus analysed its own booking data and searches on its website, as well as popularity on Google and TikTok. Based on those findings, Weston-Super-Mare is having a resurgence. It was named the top trending destination for 2026 by the budget coach provider, signalling ‘a renewed love for quintessential British beach breaks’ amongst people booking getaways. Photograph: Annie McNamee So why are punters choosing Weston? Flixbus says that it has four main draws: nostal