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

Hello, and welcome back for another week of defeating pop culture overwhelm (and FOMO).

First thing's first: If the glass of water beside you appears to be trembling - don't panic. It's just a bunch of gigantic cloned dinosaurs stomping their way towards the big screen for Jurassic World: Rebirth. And speaking of man playing God - the final ever season of Netflix's dystopian drama Squid Game is also now streaming (no spoilers here!)

If you'd prefer to get out and about, two new exhibitions have caught our eye: one in Paris that explores the legacy of Art Deco virtuoso Paul Poiret, and another in London that highlights Vincent van Gogh's influence on Anselm Kiefer.

AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R24ekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R44ekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframe

Music wise, there's the release of pop star Kesha's album 'Period' - but also our round-up of the best albums of 2025 so far (yes, we've already reached the halfway point of the year! Scary.) Stay tuned for our film and TV rankings in the coming weeks - and let us know how your favourites compare in the comments.

Until next time - keep cool, stay rawrsome.

Exhibitions

Paul Poiret, La Mode est une fête (Fashion is a celebration)

The Things of Paul Poiret as Seen by Georges Lepape, Paris, Paul Poiret, 1911 - © Decorative Arts

Where: Le musée des Arts décoratifs (Paris, France)

When: Until 11 January 2026

Known as 'The King of Fashion', Paul Poiret's flamboyant and fanciful haute couture came to define Art Deco aesthetics. But he was also so much more than just a designer, incorporating decorative arts, perfume, gastronomy and excessively lavish parties into his works - representing not just looks, but an entire way of living. This illustrious legacy is being highlighted in an expansive new exhibition at Le musée des Arts décoratifs, where 550 of Poiret's works are on display, capturing the breadth of his creative vision and continued influence.

'Kiefer / Van Gogh'

'Snow-Covered Field with a Harrow' by Vincent van Gogh. - Credit: Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Foundation)

Where: Royal Academy (London, UK)

AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R2gekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R4gekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframe

When: Until 2 October 2025

Behind every great artist is another great artist that inspired them. For German painter and sculptor Anselm Kiefer, this artist was Vincent van Gogh; a lifelong captivation that began in his teenage years after travelling to the iconic locations Van Gogh lived and created in. For the first time, this influence is being explored in a fascinating exhibition at London's Royal Academy - Van Gogh's works paired alongside those spanning Kiefer's nearly 60-year career.

A meeting of master and modern, it's a rare opportunity to discover two of the world's boldest creative spirits in a completely new light; their creative minds intertwined through the ever-evolving echoes of time.

Bonus highlight: Abstract Erotic: Louise Bourgeois, Eva Hesse, Alice Adams at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London, UK.

Movies

Jurassic World: Rebirth

Where: European cinemas

AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R2qekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R4qekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframe

When: 4 July

Welcome (back) to Jurassic Park! Set five years after the events of Jurassic World: Dominion, only a few of the toughest prehistoric creatures now remain on a forbidden island. Hoping to extract their DNA for a life-saving drug, Big Pharma hires covert operations expert Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson) to lead a team of scientists for their top-secret mission. However, a chance encounter with a stranded family sets some familiar jello-trembling chaos in motion. Directed by Gareth Edwards (The Creator, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), it also stars Jonathan Bailey, Mahershala Ali, and a big ol' CGI tyrannosaurus rex, of course.

Bonus highlight: Reflection in a Dead Diamond (out now in France)

TV series

Squid Game (Season three)

Where: Netflix

AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R32ekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R52ekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframe

When: Out now

It's all fun and games until a huge mechanical doll with motion detecting death eyes appears. Indeed, it's only been six months since we last saw the terrifying Young-hee in season 2 of Netflix's hugely popular series about a dystopian gameshow that makes contestants play for cash and survival - but gosh has it felt longer. Thankfully we're picking up right where we left off, with Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) AKA player 456's attempts to take down the organisation foiled last minute by the sinister Front Man (Lee Byung-hun).

Bonus highlight: The Bear

Music

Kesha: Period

When: 4 July

American singer-songwriter Kesha is back - and this time, completely on her own terms. Following a lengthy and high-profile court case against her former producer Lukasz Gottwalk (known as Dr Luke), the American singer-songwriter is releasing her first album under her own independent label. "I have autonomy over my voice, my likeness, my mind, my body, my spirit," she told Entertainment Weekly, adding, "it has really been a game changer energetically, spiritually." Permeated with bold, bratty energy, it's an album that screams liberation. Period.

Bonus highlight: Lorde's ‘Virgin’